Outside My Apartment This Morning

Random Thoughts Running Through My Mind

Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness. - Mother Teresa

This quote really hit me. I've been quite aware of the power of words in my own life. My current chemistry teacher has motivated me to push past the hard sections and suceed. My last chem teacher told me if I didn't shape up my math I'd kill someone. Both are probably true, but one helped me move forward.

I guess I classify some words/conversations as somewhat noneffective. But then again in most of our daily interactions we only have moments with people. Will what I say be graceful or will it just be part of the rustling sounds of the day that really don't bring any light. Will it resound with kindness, peace, love...?

Mother Teresa talked a lot about poverty of feeling unloved and lonely.
We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty. - MT

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. -MT

Tonight I caught a thief in the store. (I wasn't supposed to work tonight, but they are so short right now my boss was willing to approve overtime and asked me to cover a few hours) He was probably about 10 and very persistent. About 30 minutes earlier I heard the call go out for security to watch him because someone else caught him stealing. What saddened me was his obvious boldness, "smarts" and lack of remorse. He completed the deed quickly and left little evidence (but unbeknown to him I had a clear vantage point behind a shelf) Just a few weeks ago I had been a the front desk when a dad brought his young son back in tears because the tike had taken a pencil. The boy quivered as he got out the words "I'm sorry". Two very different scenarios. I wondered what this boy's future might be...All I could do was pray for him that someone would step into his life or that he would get an early wake up call. So young to already be hardened.

Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus. - MT

Adventures in Retail: Holiday #1

This week/weekend has been intense. By about 8pm tonight the store started to quiet down and we got ahead of our work. Normally I close the store with a variety of people. However, I've closed with this same crew Wed-Sun. By tonight I think we just had a sigh of relief and were a little giddy.

Tonight after asking the HR person yet again I got a name tag with my name instead of one that announced I was a new hire (its been 60 days!) For the first time people started calling me by name rather than by my department "hey stationary" "hey H&B". However, after some thought I'm not sure I like the fact random irate strangers can call me by name, so perhaps I'll change it to "Mo" or "Roberta" or something.

My buddy in the guest department paged me on the walkie and asked "do you know this light up penguin...what about the head?" I could hear her laughing which did not help the transmission of info over the fuzzy walkie. I told her I'd go up there and see for myself"

By her posture I could see she was relaxed and a young couple stood at the counter. On the counter was the holiday tinsel and lights light-up yard penguin. The girl explained the one she bought did not have a head and the one she just got from the back had no head either.

She opened the box to show me there was really no room for the head. "So its like a headless penguin" she exclaimed.

Sensing they saw the humor in the situation I looked at her and with a straight face said, "and this is a problem? you can't just use it like that?"

The smiled and I studied the box a bit more. I suddenly realized that the head piece was inverted upside down in the body, but with all the wires and tinsel you couldn't tell. The day was saved and the girl bemoaned they had driven all the way to the store just to have me pull the head out of the belly. O well we had a good laugh.

I went back to the holiday food section only to be asked, "excuse me, what is a cheese chub?"

it was downhill from there.

Black Friday

The downside to living in a warmer climate is that people were wrapped around Best Buy as the sun set on Thursday night. By 1am there was no point in joining the crowd. But, my parents chipped in and along with my little stash I bought a new MP3. (let the long distance running begin again)

Yesterday I ventured out to join a group of relative strangers for Thanksgiving. Most of them I just pass in church, so it was nice to get to know them a bit better.

I talked to Crystal last night and they were having a roaring good time in NC. When she asked what I was doing I said, "sitting on my bamboo mat singing All By Myself". There was sudden silence on the other end....until I said "no! I'm just kidding" (It was Table for Two - Caedmons call ;0))

In my annual tradition, I watched Muppet Christmas Carol and crashed until 1am when my body seemed to be very confused (the normal time I get home for work). Spent some time with the Lord then went back to sleep.

Heat Wave

Its the day before Thanksgiving and I'm in shorts and flip flops. Back to the good ole days! I'm currently pondering if I want to get up and sit outside Best Buy at the crack of dawn Friday (since I'll be working later that day for at least 10 hours) or if I just want to get the cool new shuffle today thats on sale and would be even a sweeter deal with my employee discount.

And the Evening is Redeemed...

A few hours later and....

- the neighbors came home
- we had glorious pumpkin pie and coffee
- I have plans for Thanksgiving

A moment of peace

Last night at work my fellow workers and I were informed the store is now staying open every day until 11pm. I started to panic as I calculated the time I'd get home since I had a big test in chemistry today. I got up early and had about 4 cups of coffee as I went over my notes. I've been doing exercises for dyscalculia (they make me feel like a dork, but if they help...) so I was excited to see what would happen on this test.

I pulled out my MP3 player to get some tunes and tripped. I watched in horror as my MP3 player plunged into my coffee. It worked for about 2 minutes then died. I was wondering if this was an omen.

Luckily it wasn't and I got an A!!!! (hopefully Andrea is too busy in Africa to read that) I almost hugged my professor. Afterward I went to the car wash and then came home to clean my place. I found a pie at the store and brought it home with the intent of inviting my neighbors over. This was a good day.

But then the neighbors weren't home...my friends weren't answering their phones....and others have gone home... So what to do? Rent what is probably the worst Christmas movie EVER, yet the one that holds so many good memories from last year....Surviving Christmas. It's about a guy who is alone for the holidays and tries to rent a family. Its sooooo bad, yet so funny. Last year (you can see pics from Dec on this blog) we watched it Christmas Eve. I think American movies are funnier when you're out of the country.

So, yeah alone for the holidays with my pie (which I'll wait to break open till someone comes over) and a night of respite before the retail storm....

Adventures in Sunday School

Last week at the church picnic one of the moms asked me to sub for her in the 3rd&4th grade Sunday School class. Somewhat cornered with a general desire to help I agreed. I questioned whether or not I was allowed to step in. She asked why I thought I was unqualified and I mumbed "um...I'm kinda new here??..." (I could have elaborated with... I haven't read the Westminster Confession...I don't know the 5 points of Calvanism) But apparently there was little chance of me and the 10 year olds getting into a Calvinist/Armenian or baptism debate, so I was good to go.

When I opened the material in the week I was impressed by the depth to which it studied the commandment that we should not murder. The book continued to emphasize that I needed to drive home the point that killing in war and self defense was not murder. I was a litte worried about this new class since I didn't know the kids. I've had years of experience teaching Sunday school. There were the naughty little boys who lead me to spice up the lessons by lighting things on fire, creating explosions, or breaking things on the ground to keep them interested. (and forget writing and crafts!). Then there were the years of 7th and 8th grade girls who were kind of silent at times....

I forgot how chatty little girls are and I had two that kept going. The one came in the room and upon my announcement of the particular commandment she stated emphatically that this was her most favorite commandment "because its like against killing which is like against war and like I don't think we should be killing in war..." I was thinking, great we're starting out in the dangerous territory.

Things did end up going well and I encouraged them to talk to their parents about some things. =0)) We stuck to the Scriptures and the girls little stores...(wait, now HOW did that apply?)

Could Texans Just Be Nice?

Tonight when I went on break I checked my phone and there was a message from the head state office for my insurance company. The woman with a pleasant voice just said she was representing my agent and thanking me for my business.

But come on....what major insurance group calls you when they think you'll be home at night just to say howdy? I started wracking my brain...I haven't been in an accident...no tickets...WHY would they call. When I got home I checked my account and the check cleared for payment 6 days before it was due.

Hmmm...could this just be a sign of Texan hospitality...

YEAH RIGHT...I'm too pessimistic to believe that. (We'll have to see what a call in the morning turns up)

What Was That?

Have you ever had the experience one day of suddenly realizing that you've heard a song for years, yet never realized what they were singing? The past two days have been full of revelations for me. When D told me she was flying home for a week I said, "O, that's nice...near your birthday too...its great your taking some time off." Little did I remember that next week is Thanksgiving! HELLO! Major US holiday. I guess since I've heard those annoying chimpmunks and flashing musical lights at work for the past two weeks my holiday timing is just off.

So back to the song...I always thought Jimmy Soul sang "get a lovely girl to marry you", but alas his lyrics are so much more funny and true. Too bad this original version is not on Itunes.

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So for my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you

(skipping a verse...)

An ug-a-ly woman cooks meals on time
And she'll always give you peace of mind
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So for my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you

Don't let your friends say you have no taste
Go ahead and marry anyway
Though her face is ugly, her eyes don't match
Take it from me, she's a better catch

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So for my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you

[Spoken:]Say man!Hey baby!I saw your wife the other day!Yeah?Yeah, an' she's ug-leeee!Yeah, she's ugly, but she sure can cook, baby!Yeah, alright!

My Hosptial and Life...

Today I went to the hospital to do my health screenings and lab tests for school. It was weird as I realized this was going to be "my hospital" for the next few years. I hadn't been in it since April when I came to visit and check out the school. All went well and the nice lady at the lab used a butterfly needle.

Afterwards I went to work. I tend to hang out with some of the PC: african american ladies at night after the store closes and were finishing up everything (they are tough and they have my back when we leave late). I told one of them that she should help me find a dress since I'm looking towards some weddings in '07 (its about time for another wave and I know she has taste). She's quite intent that I need a boyfriend and fast. =0)) I'm just not sure I'm on board for her methods (having a sugar daddy pay for implants LOL)

So, pray for me as I try to encourage the ladies here that they are so much more valuable to God than just being “booty call”. They know I’m a Christian and I’m trying to represent Christ and his love. Sometimes I just feel inadequate and like the least likely person God could use. I'm not dynamic and I'm a bit shy. I'm trying...trying to reach out...trying to make connections.

Meeting the Statistics

This morning I got an email from Nic about one of their babies dying in the center in Mozambique. After hours of praying they felt lead to go and leave Lori in the arms of Jesus.

G returned this fall to her tribal area to find that Hope who struggled all of her short life had died the week before.


Yesterday I talked to Crys about her realization of newborn mortaility here in the US...in her hospital.

Children under five are at such high risk...the numbers becomes a bit more real when they have faces. It helps me put life and hard times in perspective. As one medical student told me this week when I was feeling like my brain was about to explode in chemistry "just jump through the hoop, jump through the hoop"

Driving Driving Driving

I'm sorry I couldn't fully capture on film the images I saw today. I spent about 6 hours in the car driving on the plains of Texas. I grew up going through Indiana farm country which is nice, but there is something captivated to me about this area. The wide open horizon is breathtaking at sunset. Most people groan when I mention driving to Abilene or Fort Worth, but in reality I really like the drive.

Granted, you need to take your own tunes since in most spots there will be shady cell coverage and only one country station. However, there are valleys, hills, small ranch houses, and windmills seasoning the path. At sunset the air is crisp and the scruffy vegetation glows in hues of orange, purple, blue, and red. My favorite tunes on my MP3 player coming through the stereo just top off the experience.

As I drove back "home" I realized just how blessed I have been in this place. Sure, no place really feels like what I imagine "home" to feel like since by brain is used to the moving every 3-6 months. However, these wide open spaces are feeling comfortable and I thank the Lord for all he's doing in this out of the way town.

On The Side of the Fence With the Green Grass

Tonight walking out of work one of my coworkers complained to another girl that she had been there "for freak'n 9 months and never got a gift bag". Her comments were in reguards to the bag I carried out. For some reason (I'm not quite sure why) I got a gift card and goody bag to take home from the people in the clerical office. Perhaps someone who really loves this place would deserve it more than me.

When I got in the car I checked out the goods...a Coke...bag of chips...and rubber wrist bracelets advirtising our company - all things I'll probably never use myself. I had to laugh because its so true that we can want something thats really not that great, but it looks so good in someone elses hands.

Don't Forget

To Vote Today! (this message for the few remaining people in my life who are currently NOT in Mozambique or who have managed to establish residency) =0))

Will it be Rick Perry? The grandma who wants to "Shake Austin Up"? or Legalize Pot Kinky Freedman?

On Thursday night NBC will be releasing a producers cut of the episode of the Office on NBC.com (hopefully they keep it up long enough so I can watch at 1am when I'm home from work!)