What Not to Say to Kids

I promise to get some pictures up soon of the new place. It is so cute and I love everything about it now! Plus, this "clean-freak" stage might not stay too long ;)


Tonight after work I had the chance to venture a little deeper into the complex and check out the basketball court. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it has all of the needed components :) There were two boys and their dad shooting around a bit and I asked if I could join. I was hardly hitting anything it seemed, but that was ok, it was just nice to get out.


The father then went into this spiel telling his boys, "If anyone ever tries to tell you playing sports is not about winning, then they're wrong." He continued on saying, "Why would you practice and train so hard if it wasn't to win? Don't let anyone ever tell you different." "Pain goes away. If you get hurt and you're not dead or have a concussion, then keep playing. Physical pain goes away, but the emotional pain of losing doesn't."


My heart just sank as the two boys ate up every word and agreed with him and started to repeat back what their dad had said to them, "That's right Papa!" I wish I had the courage to go against him to his face, but I just ignored him and then had some time with the kids later.


Later I was just playing with the kids after the dad had left and learned that they were just 6 and 7-years-old. They were so sweet and then their little brother who had to be like 2 introduced himself with a handshake and we played for awhile after that. I just wanted to tell them that their dad he was so wrong. Sports are GAMES! They should be for fun! Organized sports can teach you discipline, teamwork and dedication, but it is still a GAME! 

I wondered what my good friend Mr. Tony Dungy had to say on this matter, so I acquired a few quotes:

"God’s definition of success is really one of significance – the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others."
"Football is a vocation and an opportunity for ministry.  But it’s not a life."


So then I stumbled across this great quote that actually goes exactly along with a conversation I had last night at the Kansas City Royal's baseball game, "Winning is overrated.  The only time it is really important is in surgery and war." Al McGuire. 


I literally just had this conversation with a friend while watching the game. We enjoy sports, but they are not life and death like our troops are facing right now or the miracles that doctors perform everyday for people's loved ones.


Ok, I have ranted long enough! While my little time out on the playground angered me, the boys were so sweet and innocent and I hope my positive outlook and just playing with them made some small impact. I think I did because as they were leaving the boy yelled goodbye across the yard to me :)

Disney World to the Real World!

This past month has been CraZy! From walking across the stage in Elliot Hall to receive my degree, to meeting Mickey Mouse and venturing through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to starting my first, full-time job! Phew! So I don't think everything has fully sunk in yet, but it has sure been fun along the way.

This is my first weekend in Kansas and since I'm just taking it easy and trying to "decompress" as one of my co-workers suggested to do this weekend, I figured I'd post a few pictures and memories of the past month!

After 5 years of walking around the bell tower and never going under it, graduation was finally the day to walk under it for the first time!

M-I-C. K-E-Y. M-O-U-S-E!!!!!! And Minnie :)

Hogwarts Castle! No words to describe how excited I was to be in Harry Potter World!

"There will be a Day"

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Jeremy Camp song, "There will be a Day," but just as I was sitting down to blog about today, that is what popped in my head.

I spent the day up North, past Ft. Wayne for a really good college friend's mom's funeral. She passed away Friday evening after a hard battle with cancer. It was truly a celebration of her life and I overall witnessed passed the human sorrow of losing a loved one, an atmosphere that was light and energetic as we remembered this remarkable woman.

I still cried like a baby through parts of the service for different reasons:
1- I felt sorrow for my friend. He has been there for me through some of the toughest things I have faced in my young-life so far and he was losing his mother at such a young age.
2- I was thinking, "What if that were my mom?" My mom and I have grown through the "parent-child" relationship and into the "best-friend" relationship and I couldn't imagine doing things in my future like planning a wedding someday without her.
3 - I HATE CANCER! I have known too many people either personally or who have had loved ones been affected by this selfish disease.

Again, the service was about a celebration and Bonnie wanted it that way and told one of the ministers to use her funeral as an opportunity to teach to those attending so that they might grow deeper in their faiths. To have belief, and what one of the ministers referred to more adequately as trust, in the gracious gift God gave us through Jesus Christ - Eternal Life! Can I get a hallelujah?

So I think that is why the Jeremy Camp song popped into my head, for there will indeed be a day with no more tears, no more pain and no more fear! There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more and we'll see Jesus face to face.  Thank you Bonnie for giving me such wonderful friend in your son. I know you are continuing to love your husband, children and family in a much better place and that indeed you have seen Jesus now face to face!

Unrest

The recent world news had some great timing - right before finals! Thanks! Honestly, the world happenings concern/worry me more than my finals. While yes, Bin Laden led an extremist group, I can't help but worry about what fighting hate with hate will do. I appreciated the Facebook posts last night that expressed unease, those that would not celebrate in the death of someone and the various postings out of the book of Ezekiel:


‎"Say to them, 'As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways...'" Ezekiel 33:11

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:32

Don't get me wrong - I love AMERICA! I love what it stands for and I am terribly grateful for those serving for my country - for me!

I suppose being on a huge campus with people from all over the world, and probably through the help of my friends who have some great worldly perspectives, my eyes have been opened to a bit more beyond these wonderful shores of ours. Yesterday at the Wesley Foundation at Purdue, we dedicated a peace pole that sits outside our building. This pole has a message of peace written on it in all different languages. We have been recently reaching out to other religions and have had some great interactions with both Muslims and Jews. Yesterday was just the same. Someone offered a traditional Muslim prayer asking for peace and we ended the dedication singing a Jewish song for peace. Again, talk about timing?

The idea of peace has been resurfacing in my life a lot recently. My last post I talked about the words of my grandmother and how they impacted me during this time of transition for me - "Grant me Peace and Contentment," has been her daily prayer all her life. Also yesterday at the last Wesley service, Pastor Lana preached on peace while "Rethinking Evangelism." Evangelism is not always necessarily standing on the street corner holding signs or going out on trips to bring people to Christ. Lots of HORRIBLE things have been done in the name of Evangelism that I, as a Christian, disagree with.

"The Gospel in one word is Love," is a lyric from a song my dad used to sing when leading various worship services. "Love thy neighbor as thyself. Love. Love. Love." I wish the world would unite in singing this as a round together. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic or whatever - at least practice peace and love. While I personally believe it comes from God and the ultimate form of love was shown through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for anyone who will accept it, right now, I'd just settle for a little love.

Grant me Peace and Contentment

I'm sitting in my room, evening of Easter Sunday, 3 weeks before I graduate college and make the biggest transition ever in my life. I find it ironic that I'm surrounded by memorabilia of my youth right now.
My accomplishments: Horse show rosettes, ribbons, plaques, certificates, belt buckles, high school letter jacket.
Items of interest of mine: My English show saddle, my guitar and books.
Sentimental items: Stuffed animals, portraits, pictures and poems.

These next few weeks I know are going to fly by so I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on life. When I went to my bookshelf to read a book for a bit before I went to sleep, I found a book that I gave to my Grandma when I graduated high school that was filled with "blank memories" for her to fill out and then give back to me. Right now my grandma is in a rehab facility since she was in the hospital for over a week last month. She is 92 and has a heart of a 40 year-old. Unfortunately, the rest of her body is 92.

Reading through it there are some cute stories about her parents and her life on the farm. I asked my parents as we were driving down to Lexington this weekend to see my brother and sister-in-law for Easter why I was so horse crazy? Mom replied, "It is in your genes." I realize now it was not only my mom who passed on what some may say "the disease," but apparently my grandma was quite fond of these four-legged creatures as well. She was born in 1918, and that is how she farmed when she was little. She said one of her favorite memories was delivering water to the workers in the field with her pony and cart :) I wish photography was as easy back then as it is now - that would have been adorable!

When asked what her favorite Bible verse or memory from church was she wrote down, "Grant me Peace and Contentment." That is indeed how she lived her live. Humble, ever since her farm background, clear until today. She took everything in life in stride, never doubted or pouted about her situation and moved on through. It makes complete sense why this simple little prayer meant so much to her in her life. She grew up on a farm - a very practical upbringing. My grandpa served 4 years, 4 months and 21 days (she kept track) in the United States Army during World War II. She then raised two children on a farm. She found happiness in life itself rather than in possessions or events. She described the happiest memory of her life was when Ray (my grandpa) got out of the service and they started farming together.

So while I'm embarking on this next step, and dreaming about what my life is going to be like and how I'm going to get there, I thank Grandma Martha for reminding me to humble myself a bit, relax, be practical and ask God for peace and contentment, because only then can I be truly satisfied.

Bubbi

BEAUTIFUL day! The sun was out, wind was calm and the temp was around 55! I had to get out and enjoy the day somehow. A student walking by with a Camp Tecumseh sweatshirt answered my prayers! He inspired me to take a quick afternoon trip out to camp and take a ride!

I had a long day yesterday, intense Bible study and then a friend had some bad news about his mom's health so this ride was just what I needed! And Bubbi (a bay Arabian/Saddlebred cross) was just the ticket. He hadn't been ridden since the Fall, not used at all during trail rides and due to his breeding, is slightly ADD. But he's gorgeous and super friendly (he practically came to me in the pasture) and did really well. He's super fancy too in the ring and a really cute jumper and he's FOR SALE!!!! I'd be tempted myself, but I can't buy a horse right now. He'd make a great pet, has packed around campers since 2007 but deserves a chance to show his stuff. 

Back to the ride - On this great snow-covered trail by the river, I saw a deer, flying swans overhead and plenty of squirrels and shared with Mary Anne who is always a pleasure to be around! Pretty much magical and worth staying up late to finish my grading and forcing me to get up early in the morning to finish things for the day.

Welp, that's it - I'm trying to blog more so hopefully y'all will be more entertained!

Book Idea

So - I know this is going to sound funny because I have been neglecting this blog so much, but I want to write a book. This is not a new idea for me. I don't really care about being on any sort of bestseller list or anything like that, but the accomplishment of telling a story would be something pretty sweet!

The first major problem though is deciding what to write about. Fiction? Non-Fiction? Romance? Comedy? Religious? Then, what kind of book? Novel? Diary? Collection of poems or random entries?

Well I thought about turning my college career and a lot of what I write in these blogs into a book, but didn't really like that idea because while I love the life I live, to me, it can be boring at times. I've been re-reading the Harry Potter books and am in awe of Rowling's ability to develop a whole new world and I just don't think my brain works like that.

I think what I am best at is telling stories that are real and have happened, and I think I'll be most passionate about topics that are near to me. So I would like to thank a fellow Mortar Board member for helping to inspire this idea I'm about to propose. He came into the meeting all dressed up and said that he was visiting the school where he'll be student teaching at. Then he talked about how cold it was today and relating back to the teaching theme, I told him that my parents had a two-hour delay today because of the cold. He was interested in the fact that my parents were teachers and then I got all mushy telling him how they have taught at the same small-town high school for over 30 years now together.

Eh? You see where I'm going with this? Seems simple - a midwestern couple, teaching at a small-town school, had two children and are active in a local church. But maybe being their daughter I can show how truly incredible those statements are?! Not only do they live together, they work together! There is not a whole lot of separation if they get on one another's nerves. And the cherry on top of it all - they are going to a marriage conference this weekend just because! How stinking cute?

Valentines Day can be something beautiful for people or can be extremely depressing. At the moment I'm playing Katy Perry's "Firework" on repeat while writing this to give myself a little morale boost! I got the idea from the latest episode of Glee where Rachel realizes she doesn't need Phin anymore. Now don't get worried, I'm not going to be a Valentines hater, down a six-pack on Monday in woe due to my misery of being single since like forever. I'm just boosting my ego a bit - a little 'mood-management.' I've learned in my communication class recently that it is a proven theory as people select what kind of music to listen to in order to alter their mood to a more favorable state. In the most humble way possible, I know I'm awesome but just need reminded of it from time to time. Thanks Katy!

Ok - rant on Valentines was to say I've been thinking a lot about love recently and what that little, yet oh so powerful word is and what it means. And I'm blessed to have been a close witness to a marriage filled with every sense of the word. So here's to you mom and dad! Hope you don't mind being putting on the spot but y'all mean a lot to me!