Girls are crazy.  They are emotional, selfish, manipulative, mean, jealous, dramatic, overbearing… and the list can go on… but, I’d don’t want to completely bash my sex.  I am proud to be a girl.  It’s way better than being a guy on any scale, on any day, but I definitely have moments of being disappointed in my fellow females.  I work on a daily basis with women (ranging from age 11 to 50).  My job is to do any counseling, encouraging, challenging, teaching, training and befriending the females involved in the student ministry.  I also teach ballet a couple nights a week at a local dance studio… only to encounter and invest in even more girls in the area.  So, I see a lot and hear a lot. 

Living in a culture that is so focused on “ME” as the center (whoever “me” may be), seems to be giving girls the freedom to speak and act without thinking, to the point of damaging friendships without concern and hurting feelings without apology.  In my dance classes, it’s a constant battle to teach words they shouldn’t use as growing ladies, and phrases they should never say to one another (”You’re stupid,” “You’re ugly,” “Someone in here totally smells,”).  I don’t think I could have ever spoken to my girlfriends in that way.  Ephesians 4:29 tells us that we should only let what is useful to building one another up come out of our mouths.  How could this rock our world!?!?  If we truly did say what was nice and keep all else to ourselves?  I think that if I could teach only two concepts to girls for the rest of time, it would be (1) BE NICE, and (2) think not only of yourself.

My mom used to tell me that I thought the world revolved around me.  And, I find it’s still a struggle I have to overcome.  I hear lots of stories about life, something a lot like love, and relationships, and think that often things could be a little easier if we can take a deep breath and try to look at the big picture… We will still be able to breathe and have life after so and so moves away; we will probably be able to face another day with a smile even after what’s his name breaks up with us and moves on to another girl; I really can be the bigger person and forgive that other girl for speaking untruths about me; I’m not going to let the fact that I’m completely unhappy with my wardrobe ruin what I think about myself.  Don’t get me wrong, I think that there are some real problems, and I definitely don’t want to minimize concern for eating disorders, true depression, family struggles, etc.  I’m not talking about those issues.  I’m thinking of the small stuff.  The stuff we all too easily allow to consume our thoughts and emotions when they have no business taking more than 5 minutes of our time.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  No, He won’t make your favorite lip gloss magically appear, or the guy you’ve had your eye on suddenly go weak in the knees for you… but if we find our greatest delight in Christ, His desires will become our desires.  Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, (Philippians 4:9) will come a little more naturally.  God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways anywhere close to being compared to His ways.  His thoughts and ways are higher and better that anything we can imagine (Isaiah 55:8-9).  But, if by delighting in Him I can get a little closer to what those thoughts are… then I’m in.  The small stuff will stay small, and the big stuff just might be a little more bearable.  And if whatever is pure and lovely is on my mind, then surely I will be a little nicer to those around me.

I still want to hear stories, big or small… I love time and conversations with girls… I just want to help challenge us all to think a little bigger.

Tony enjoyed the play Friday night!  Yes, it was a lot of singing, a lot of dancing, and took at least 15 minutes in the beginning to understand what they were saying, but all in all, he enjoyed the evening.  It was around 3 hours long, so that wasn’t his favorite part… but it’s My Fair Lady… it’s a classic.  A long classic, but a “must see” none the less.  We began the evening with dinner at Watermark, (http://watermark-restaurant.com/home_files/page0001.htm) and it was delicious.  I’d recommend it for sure.  It was a fun night with my mom and I look forward to more in the future.  She and I went to see Nashville Ballet’s interpretation of Dracula on Sunday, and it was fantastic as well.  It was a perfect October show.

So, since we did something for me on Friday, we did something for him on Saturday… and finally purchased his much sought after big screen tv (he’s been researching, saving, and looking around stores for months).  He spent the entire weekend, since leaving the parking lot of HHGregg, inviting people over for football and movie premiers, and spending hours rehooking and rewiring and rethinking the entire media set-up we have going on.  It’s one thing after another… you can’t just buy a tv anymore.  You then have to get the HD box, the HD cable, the HD DVD player (or blueray to be completely up to the times), surround sound, HD DVR or Tivo, and the list just goes on and on and on.  Hmmm… at least he’s enjoying himself.  Think I could get a new vaccuum cleaner, curtains, and jeans?  You know… just to be fair…  Ha.  I won’t lie, I wanted it as much as he did, and I’m very excited about watching it.

My most favorite time of the year is NOW.  October through December.  These three months just make me feel good.  It starts getting cooler outside, the leaves change into such wonderful colors (my favorite colors – red, gold, orange, brown), apple cider, hot chocolate and hot tea become the beverages of choice, Thanksgiving comes, there are afternoons of baking cookies with my favorite little girls, then Christmas is just around the corner with special trees, gifts, parties, and the best food of the year.  Friends and families get together… homes, stores, and neighborhoods are decorated for the season… it’s just wonderful!   

So, welcome fall… welcome holidays… I’m ready!

So, as you could have learned in earlier posts, my new husband and I are each a little weird… me with my slightly OCD neat and cleanliness, and him with his germaphobiness.  I can immediately notice when something is out of place:  shoes that need to be in the closet and not in the middle of the floor, remote control that should hibernate in the remote basket and not on the coffee table, dishes that reside in the cabinets and should not be left in the sink…  Naturally, when I came home a few nights ago, I took my usual scan around the house to see what needed to be done after Tony had been home all day alone.  The phone was missing from it’s cradle, so I asked where it was.  Tony, of coarse, was clueless and never remembered using the phone.  He hit the page button and we looked in every room, the beeping always seeming farther and farther away.  The paging beeps were loud and clear near the cradle, however.  Tony held the trash can to his ear and found the source for the beeps.  In the trash can?  The phone, which I hold in my hand, against my face, is in the trash can?  The kitchen trash can, no less, with left-over food, coffee grounds, junk mail, and all else that is gross.  Tony looked unbelievingly into the abyss of goo and then back at me with a look that said if the phone was to be retrieved, it would be by my hand alone.  And so I dug through the gunk and rescued the phone, dripping with who knows what, and proceeded to wipe it down.  You can rest assured that it is in full working condition and germ free (approved by Tony) if you are ever at my house needing to make a call.

Just thought I’d share our first wedding picture with you. (Dove Wedding Photography was who did our photography, and they were great. I can’t wait to see the rest!) The day was just as I had imagined and more. Our families were more than wonderful, our closest friends were around us all day, and there’s not one thing I would have changed. It was pretty close to perfect. The trip to Maui was just as great. It was nice to finally get to spend everyday together (something we’ve NEVER done before). Now, we’re figuring out how to live together. So far, so good. Our morning routines started out a little rocky with my grumpiness at waking and his insistency of me getting out of bed, but we’ve got a good little rhythm going so far. I’m learning a lot about how selfish I am and how to truly put another’s needs and wants above my own… so, it’s good times. I’ll be on my way this weekend to officially change my name and continue our search for a big screen tv. Every day just gets a little better.