Where Were You?

September 11, 2001: Where were you? Where were you when you realized it wasn't just another day? Where were you when you found out that America was not as invincible as you thought?

I was in Mrs. Carlisle’s 7th grade English class. After the first plane hit the World Trade Center, we went to the library to watch the news. I thought it was a horrible accident. The only logical explanation was a plane was flying too low and hit the building. As we stared at the screen watching the sky fill with smoke, we watched the second plane hit. At first, we thought they were showing a replay of the first plane's crash, but the commentators said differently. I was in complete disbelief. What were the chances of two planes flying too low and hitting two buildings that were side by side? My heart sank when the answer hit me. It wasn't an accident.

My eyes stayed glued to the TV the entire day trying to comprehend what they were seeing. My mom suddenly appeared in the library asking me if I remembered Jason's grandmother's name; she was trying to call her. Jason was a childhood friend that had lived a few blocks from my house, and though our families were really close, we hadn't seen them for a few years. Was she seriously asking me this right now? Didn't she have any idea what was happening? Of course, my mom knew. She also knew something I didn't. Jason was working in New York at the World Trade Center. After spending I don't know how much time praying, wondering, and holding my breath, there was nothing but pure joy and relief when we found out that he wasn't in the building when the planes hit.



A few years ago, I went to Ground Zero with my mom. The only way I know to describe it is unbelievably overwhelming. I ran my fingers over the names on the memorial, closed my eyes, and prayed. I prayed for those families and friends. I prayed a thank you for keeping Jason safe. I prayed a thank you for keeping my family safe. And I prayed a thank you for Mrs. Carlisle because I was in her classroom when it happened, and she was a large part of the reason why I majored in history. After we left the memorial, my mom wanted to stop at a cafe a few blocks away. We sat for a little while looking at our travel guide map trying to figure out our next destination, and then I noticed something that made me laugh. We were on Carlisle St.

"Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?" was the song by Alan Jackson that summed up September 11th better than anything in my opinion because it captures the emotional experience from that day. "On that September day," I was scared. I was confused. I was heartbroken. I was angry. But surprisingly, there were other emotions I didn't expect. I was grateful. I was optimistic. I was hopeful. In this song, Alan Jackson also reminds us of the Giver of faith, hope, and love, and that the greatest gift that was ever given is love. This song basically says to enjoy the simple things, to help each other, to be grateful for another day, and not to wait for something like this to happen to "dust off that Bible at home." By the way, instead of watching I Love Lucy I watched M*A*S*H* reruns.

You remember where you were. If you actually made it through this longer-than-expected post, I want to know your answer. Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning That September Day?

The Only Men I Need

I've locked up my heart
And I've lost the key
I don't need a man 
To take care of me
I've run out of patience
And I don't have time
For stupid dating games
That's the bottom line

I'm done with guys
I've sworn off men
Not gonna let someone 
Hurt me again
All they do
Is leave me feeling bad
So the only men I need
Are Jesus and my Dad

Orlando got married
Lance Bass is gay
Superman broke my heart
Prince Charming lost his way
Kenny Chesney still won't come
To knock on my door
And I can't wait
For Tim Tebow anymore 

I'll be alright
When the next guy lets me down
'Cause my Dad and Jesus
Are always around

I'm done with guys
I've sworn off men
Not gonna let someone 
Hurt me again
All they do
Is leave me feeling bad
So the only men I need
Are Jesus and my Dad

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

Eggs are bad for you.  Eggs are good for you.  Gluten is bad.  Gluten is good.  Water is good for you.  Only purified water is good for you.  Tap water is pretty much the same.  No, tap water is not the same.  Chocolate is bad for you.  Dark chocolate is good for you.  Sugar is bad.  Sweet & Low is good.  Sweet & Low gives you cancer.  Splenda is good.  Splenda takes 4 days to digest.  Sugar isn’t as bad as Sweet & Low or Splenda.  Carbs are good.  Carbs are bad.  Protein is bad.  Protein is good.  Diet drinks are good.  Diet drinks make you crazy.  Germ-X kills all the bacteria so yay!  Germ-X kills all the good bacteria so boo!  Do you notice these repeating trends? 

Moral of the story: Everything in Moderation.  Too much of anything is a bad thing.  Yes, you should eat healthy so that you can live a long, healthy, active lifestyle, but there’s no sense in being miserable.  If I die in a car crash tomorrow, I want to die happy knowing I enjoyed that piece of chocolate birthday cake.  

*The above statements were my personal opinions written by me and for my personal enjoyment.  If you enjoyed it as well, that makes me happy.  If you did not enjoy it, or if you found it disagreeable, ignorant, or offensive, I apologize.  Let us agree to disagree and move on with our lives.  Life is too short to eat celery, and life is too short to argue over trivial things.  Have a nice day!

Trying to Get Even

"The only people we have to get even with 

are those who have helped us."

I'll be honest.  I am terrible at showing appreciation.  I am the world's worst person at sending thank you notes, and I often forget to show the proper amount of gratitude people deserve.  I get so excited about the act of kindness that I'm too busy saying words like "Shiny!" or "Yay! Pink!" that I forget to say the words "Thank You." 

While I've been working at Beachy Beach Real Estate for Karen Smith, someone who is simultaneously the most generous and the most grateful person I have ever met, I have changed my attitude of giving, receiving, and reciprocating.  Her life motto is "The only people we have to get even with are those who have helped us."  
  
It occurred to me recently that just because I may have missed the "proper etiquette" deadline for sending a thank you card, doesn't mean I should never send it.  While I do agree it's better to show appreciation immediately, I think the "better late than never" rule applies as well.  

There are friends that have showed me love, kindness, and support over the years that I will never be able to repay.  Among these friends are a few brothers (now alumni) of Alpha Tau Omega at Troy University.  They are friends that always go above and beyond, and they make up some of my happiest college memories.  They were always there even if that meant a midnight Red Bull run or a midnight movie premier.  

In 2010, when two of my ATO friends, Austin Bivins and Kyle Crabtree first started talking about walking from Troy, Alabama to Panama City Beach, only one word came to mind: "Crazy!".  The word that now comes to mind is "Respect".  Other than small donations, I have never gotten involved with Walk Hard as much as I've wanted.  This year, I wanted to start trying to "get even" with my ATO friends that have done so much for me.

Walk Hard is a six-day hike from Troy, Alabama to Panama City Beach raising support for The Wounded Warrior Project.  Standing in Pier Park as the Walk Hard team finished the 125 mile journey was nothing short of incredible.  It makes me wish I would've been there in previous years to support my friends and makes me regret letting my fear of PCB spring break traffic and craziness get the best of me.  In my attempt to "get even," I had the joy of welcoming my friends' littles, grandlittles, and great-grandlittles to the beautiful place I now call my home and share a little Beachy Beach love!

Panama City Beach Mayor Gayle Oberst was there to welcome the team at Pier Park declaring March 12, 2014 "Walk Hard Day."  Another special guest who was at both the send-off and the finish line was Billy Williams, a Desert Storm veteran.  While the final amount raised for 2014 has not been announced yet, the brothers of ATO presented The Wounded Warrior Project with a check for $16,200.  

When asked why they are walking, these were a few of the answers: 

"I am walking for the sake of others.  I am blessed to have legs that allow me to walk, so why not use them to raise awareness for those who are not able?  We often take the small things for granted, and I believe Walk Hard is the perfect opportunity for me to realize how fortunate I am.  I am fortunate to be an American, to have been raised by such a loving family, and ultimately that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for me to be able to spend eternity in heaven with Him when I am so undeserving.  For I am blessed, so I want to be a blessing to others!  That is why I Walk Hard!" - Jake Thibodeaux

"Many of the older brothers encouraged me to become apart of something bigger than myself. I believe that by participating in WalkHard, I will have the opportunity to do that very thing. I am so excited that I have the opportunity to support the Wounded Warrior Project through walking. This is an organization that really hits home to me, having had a brother serve in the military and by having being raised in a military-based city. I know that this will definitely be a spring break that I never forget!" - Dash Merritt

So what do a bunch of guys want to do after walking 125 miles want to do?  Go to the beach and spend the remainder of spring break resting, recovering, and rejoicing!  Congrats to the Walk Hard Team and the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega!  And to all my ATO Alumni friends, Thank You!

You can still donate to The Wounded Warrior Project by going to www.walkhard.org  

Loving Life... Just Not Birthdays

 

Loving Life... Just Not birthdays

"Why do bad things always happen on my birthday?" I asked my mother through my tears on my 23rd birthday while we were standing in the emergency room.   My grandmother had suffered a stroke and looked nothing like herself.  I went back to see her with my older brother, Josh, but I couldn't handle it and ran out of her room back to the waiting area to my Momma's arms.  Obviously I was upset it happened at all, but I was so angry at the timing.  So I asked my mom why bad things happen on my birthday.  The worst part was that I was completely aware of how selfish my question was.  While it is my grandmother that suffered, I was focused on the inconvenient timing.  Sadly, this wasn't the first or the last time I asked my mom this same question.  

Don't get me wrong.  I am grateful for my 25 years of a wonderful life.  I think of a few special people that will never see a 25th birthday, and I feel selfish and honestly silly.  But I think I can celebrate 25 years of life without celebrating my actual birthday.  Anybody that knows me knows that I'm an optimist that always tries to find the bright side of things, but statistically speaking, that's hard to do.  So this year I decided if I skipped my birthday, nothing terrible could happen.

Since I was fifteen, bad things that are so far out of my control have happened on my birthday.  I lost a woman that I dearly loved and admired, and I was in the group of girls that sang at her funeral.  My Grandmother got into a habit of being in the hospital on my birthday, a broken hip one year and then a stroke another year.  I got my first and only (knock on wood) speeding ticket on my birthday after I got the phone call about my grandmother's stroke.  Last year, after the family birthday party, 14 out of 19 of us got sick with a virus that we were all convinced was going to kill us.  I even failed my driver's license test on my 16th birthday.  And the list goes on.

And I've had great birthday memories too!  Ben Maxwell threw me a surprise party at McDonalds complete with a princess crown and a happy meal because I was in "crisis mode" thinking turning 20 meant growing up.  He threw another surprise party that night at my apartment with my friends and a cookie cake (my favorite!).  My sweet little brother, Nathan, threw me an awesome surprise 21st birthday party and even made the precious cake decorated with pink, houndstooth, and a ladybug.  One year, I saw Hunter Hayes, Sara Evans, and Rascal Flatts then got to go to WinterJam the next day.  I got amazing Philip Phillips tickets last year.  On my 18th birthday, I not only got to see some of my favorites at WinterJam, but "Happy Birthday" was sung to me afterwards in the Waffle House by.... Jeremy Camp!!  How awesome is that?!?  I've definitely been blessed, and I can't deny that.

And it's for that very reason that I decided to skip my birthday this year.  I want to celebrate all the happy times in my 25 years, not one single day that in my mind, represents fear, sorrow, and pain.  Celebrating the life in my years instead of the years in my life.  (I think that's what the cliché says).  I don't know if this makes sense to anyone else, and I don't know if that's a way to celebrate a birthday, but after years of holding my breath, that seemed like a reasonable solution.

Instead, I decided to help give someon else a birthday present.  Last night at Winter Jam in Birmingham, I decided to sponsor a little 4 year-old girl named Ji-yun through Holt International.  She is a handicapped child from South Korea, and because I used to tutor Korean children, I wanted to sponsor someone from their country.  Since I've been so selfishly concerned on how my birthdays don't go according to how I want them, I wanted to help someone else.  And I'm hoping Ji-yun's picture on the refrigerator will help me to remember to always be grateful for everything I have, even unpleasant birthdays.

I was counting on everyone else's memories to be as terrible as mine, but my plan did not work.  So to everyone that remembered my birthday or fell for my little "April 31st" white lie, I want to tell you thank you!  I appreciate all the wishes, texts, phone calls, messages, etc.  And I have to give a special shout out to my Momma Joy!  Every year that something has happened, she has gone above and beyond to try to make my birthday extra special.  I am grateful for having each of you in my life, and I'm grateful for another trip around the sun.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." - Gandalf 

The Beauty Spell

The Beauty Spell

I don’t exactly keep my love for the Chronicles of Narnia a secret.  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my favorite book in the world, and even though I’ve read it at least 15 times since I was in the third grade, I still learn more every time.  I started reading A Year with Aslan: Daily Reflections from the Chronicles of Narnia by Julia L. Roller, and I continue to not only learn more and more about Narnia, but also about Jesus.  That’s the whole point behind Narnia.  Aslan, who represents Jesus, says in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” 

Today, the daily reading was also from the Dawn Treader.  Lucy faces a temptation, contemplates the consequences, but decides to fall into it against her better judgment.  You can’t judge a book by its movie, but between the movie clip and the amazing song, I think you can get a good idea of what Lucy’s temptation is from this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bFSfYp4mFM

The questions at the end of my devotion include:  “What do the pictures (in the spell book) reveal about Lucy’s weaknesses?  Even as she is tempted, Lucy has a strong feeling that she shouldn’t say the spell.  Where do you think that feeling comes from?  What quality would tempt you as beauty tempts Lucy?” (Roller). 

I’ve always been quick to judge Edmund for falling into temptation in the LWW, but I was quick to forgive Lucy even though she too gave into her temptation because the desire to be beautiful isn’t that bad as the need for power, glory, and respect.  But isn’t that what we do with sin in general?  We convince ourselves that it’s not that bad.  It’s not hurting anybody.  It’s not like I’m killing anyone or even robbing them.  But 1 John 5:17 says, “All wrongdoing is sin…”  Both Edmund and Lucy face temptations that they crave so badly they don’t see the turmoil, chaos, and ultimately death that these temptations can lead to.  So to echo Roller, “What quality would tempt you as beauty tempts Lucy?” and how far are you willing to go to get it?

The Big Bang Theory Inspired Roommate Agreement

Roommate Agreement Form

Objective:  The purpose of this roommate agreement is to provide a starting point to negotiate a variety of issues.  The terms and conditions of this agreement are subject to change.  Anything you say and sign may or may not appear against you in the court of law.  The purpose of this agreement is to avoid unnecessary murders and/or jail time.

Address:

Tenants:

1.

2.

3.

Article 1: Rights of the Tenants

Section A:        All tenants have the right to speak honestly as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.  Please keep in mind, words and actions have consequences. All tenants have the right to religious freedom as also guaranteed by the First Amendment.  Please keep in mind, lack of using religious freedom may end in a place with no air conditioner.

Section B:        All tenants have the right to nullify roommate agreement, having no responsibilities or obligations toward each other, other than paying rent and sharing utilities.

Section C:        All tenants have the right to call for an emergency roommate meeting.

Section D:        All tenants have the right to hold an assembly (or have guests over) as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.  All tenants are therefore responsible for the guests.  This includes but is not limited to: cleaning up behind all the guests, inviting them over at a decent hour (especially on school nights), and being overall considerate of the other roommates.

Section E:        All tenants have the right to be whatever they want to be when they grow up. Peter Pan Clause:   All tenants have the right to Peter Pan Syndrome and never grow up.

Section F:         All tenants have the right for their room to never be searched without a search warrant as guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

Section G:        All tenants have the right to bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment.  All tenants have the right to life and to not be shot or killed by arms owned by the other tenants as guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the Fifth Commandment.

Section H:        All tenants have the right to disagree with the roommate agreement. In the event that a tenant does not agree with the agreement, then an agreement must be agreed upon by the other agreeing tenants, or they will have to agree to disagree.

Section I:         All tenants have the right to move out if they do not agree with the other tenants.  However, it is the tenant’s responsibility to continue to pay rent or find someone to take their place. 

Section J:  All tenants have the right to a quiet study area.  This includes politely asking the other roommates to keep noise to a minimum. 

Section K:  All tenants have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  In other words, you have the right to freely pursue happiness in your own life.  All tenants have the right to a happy life.

Article 2: Assisting the Other Tenants/Consideration Article

Section A:        All tenants have the right to ask for assistance from the other tenants if needed.  All tenants have the right to refuse to assist for whatever reason.  Please keep in mind, Karma is not a nice person.

Section B:        All tenants will help destroy an artificial intelligence that lands in, on, or near the house.

Section C:        All tenants will protect each other in the event that Godzilla attacks the home.

Section D:        In the event of a nuclear attack, zombie apocalypse, etc., all tenants will share food equally.

Section E:        All tenants will give the other roommates a 12 hour notice of impending coitus.

Section F:         If one roommate obtains super powers, the others will be named sidekicks.

Section G:        If one or more roommates is bitten by a zombie, they will not be killed by the other roommates unless specifically requested by the bitten roommate.

Section H:        If a roommate is going to Walmart or to get fast food or take out, they will ask if the other roommates would like anything.

Section I:         All roommates will assist each other if one or more ever become a robot.

Section J:         Should a roommate be invited to a swimming party at a celebrity's house, they must invite the other roommates.

Section K:        The thermostat, lights, television, and kitchen appliances will be kept at an energy-efficient minimum in order to save money.

Section L:         In the event of a sick roommate, the other roommates must nurse and aid them to the best of their ability without risking their own health. 

Section M:       Roommates will help a stranded roommate in the event of a broken down car. However, the stranded roommate cannot take advantage of the situation and ask the others to become personal taxi drivers.

Section N:        The roommate to take the first shower of the day will take any necessary measures to ensure an adequate supply of hot water.

Section O:        No hootenannies, sing-alongs, raucous laughter, clinking of glasses, celebratory gunfire, or barbershop quartets after 11 PM on weeknights. 

Section P:        Roommates may assist each other in cleaning the house in the event of company coming to visit. There must be an appropriate, timely warning in order for this to apply.  This includes but is not limited to vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, washing the slip covers, etc.  Roommates may assist each other in cleaning the house in all other occasions out of pure politeness. 

Article 3: Responsibilities of the Tenants

Section A:        All tenants are responsible for paying rent on time.

Section B:        In the event a mess is made, the tenant responsible for the mess is responsible for cleaning it in a timely manner.  It is the tenant's responsibility to take out the garbage if it is full.

Section C:        All tenants are responsible for treating the other roommates with respect.  Please keep in mind, respect is earned. 

Section D:        All tenants are responsible for their own pets.

Section E:        All tenants are responsible for their own possessions in the moving in/moving out processes.

Section F:         In the event of a tenant damaging another roommate's property, it is the responsibility of the tenant to repair or compensate for the damages in a timely manner.

Section G:        It is the responsibility of the roommates to return, replace, or compensate any borrowed items in a timely fashion in the same condition. 

Section H:        It is the responsibility of the tenant to keep the house safe, secure, and energy-efficient. This includes but is not limited to keeping the doors locked at all times, unplugging all hair accessories when not being used, powering down all kitchen appliances when not being used, turning off lights, keeping the thermostat at a bearable temperature, blowing out candles when leaving the house, etc.

Section I:         In the event of an exceptionally bad day, it is the tenant's responsibility to cheer up the roommate.

Section J:         It is the male tenant's responsibility to handle man-ly things.  This includes but is not limited to: killing all bugs, carrying heavy things, and the use of any hardware tools, with the exception of a hammer and nails.

Article 4: Settling Disagreements

Section A:        Tenants must realize all roommates have disagreements.  What separates good from bad roommates is how to handle disagreements.

Section B:        If a roommate says or does something that a tenant disagrees with, and if it really affects or bothers the tenant, the tenant has the right to politely discuss it with the roommate.

Section C:        After a polite discussion has taken place, the roommates have the right to agree or to agree to disagree.  Whatever the case, the issue will no longer be discussed by anyone, and both parties will move on from the issue.

Section D:        In the event a disagreement continues, all tenants have the right to call an emergency house meeting in order to resolve the issue. (Article 1 Section C)

Section E:        All tenants will keep in mind Article 1 Section K: the right to a happy life.  All tenants will keep the Golden Rule in mind as well.

Section F:         Tenants should inform roommates of particular pet peeves or bothersome behavior to avoid situations.

Section H:        Roommates are friends-not food. (Do not chew them out, please).

My signature below means that I have read this roommate agreement and agree to ALL of its terms and conditions.  I promise to follow these to the best of my ability.  Cross my heart and pinky promise. 

Tenants Signatures:

1.

2.

3.