Amazing Book!

That's right, I posted twice in one day. I have read this book multiple times... and every single time I find something new that I find makes it more and more awesome. Yes, this was written by the worship leader David Crowder. When I bought this book, I was a fan of his music.. so I figured that I would probably enjoy his writing. I wanna share a couple of good quotes. I apologize for the length. I promise it is worth it. :)

" Think Back. Try hard to recall what praise in its undiluted purity felt like. When you would dance with your arms fully extended rather than elbows bent, folded closely to your person in such a guarded fashion. Remember how effortlessly we sang the praises of things we enjoyed? It was so easy and fluid and natural. What if this kind of praise freely leaked from us in delightful response to God? What if life were like that all the time? What if we were so moved by who God is, what He's done, what He will do, that praise, adoration, worship, whatever, continuously careened in our heads and pounded in our souls? What if praise were on the tip of our tongues like we were a loaded weapon in the hands of a trigger-happy meth addict and every moment might just set us off? This is what we will do for eternity. What makes us think our time on earth should be any different? What keeps it from being so?"

"The universe has somewhere around 200,000,000,000 galaxies. In our galaxy alone there are about 100,000,000,000 stars, and there are over 6,000,000,000 people living and breathing right now. Why on earth would He bother coming toward me? I am tiny. I am a dot. Yet here He is with His heart in my chest and we're locked in an embrace and I'm not sure exactly when it happened but something fired inside of me, and now my arms are around Him, and people are watching, and I will tell you about it. I don't think I can help it." ( This is the highlights of this quote. The entire chapter is worth quoting... but, that's alot of typing.)

I strongly urge you to read this book. It will change you. I promise.

Things learned over the last few weeks

I've learned alot of new things lately...

1. Hindsight is 20/20. It's really easy to see things clearly once they are over. Recent events have helped me to see a few people for who they really are. It has also helped me to understand who my true friends are, and has shown me just how amazing those people are. I cannot say that I am not broken hearted about these recent events, but I have no control over them... So, I press on.

2. Pretzels make for weird dreams. After having a small snack of pretzels, I found myself dreaming of pregnant guy friends. Strange but true. I will not be enjoying pretzels as a bedtime snack again anytime soon.

3. Reverting back to your first job is a very humbling experience. Since there is a significant decline in patient number at Healthsouth, my mom was so fantastic to allow me to work with her to "bridge" the money gap until things pick back up. I'm glad I don't have to do it the rest of my life.

4. Sometimes honesty isn't the best policy. In this case you should revert to silence... or lie. Please spare others feelings. If it must be said, choose your words carefully. This isn't something I learned by myself being too honest.... actually learned that by someone else being too honest with me. He did not choose the correct words.

My fantastic Week!

Dr. Pepper Icee

Fact: I love Icee's.
Fact: I like Dr. Pepper.
Putting the two together just might be the most fantastic thing ever.
It might complete my life.

One Problem... I cant find it!
Has anyone seen THE Dr. Pepper Icee??
Its imperative that I find one ASAP.

I Love Jesus but I drink a little.

Gladys Hardy is 88 years old and an avid watcher of the Ellen Show. She may be the funniest person ever to exist. I have been a fan of Gladys Hardy for quite some time now... but I recently have discovered a whole new set of Gladys videos.








Please enjoy!

The CRT examination

Note: This post is mildly self centered. It is for my own good, and probably offers no entertainment value.

This coming week I will sit for the Certified Respiratory Therapist Exam. To say I am intimidated would be an understatement. I have been studying several hours a day for the last couple of weeks, done several mock exams... what am I so afraid of? So in order to ease my own mind I have listed The positives and Negatives of the situation.

Positives
1. I have passed most mock exams by a good 10 points.
2. I generally perform well under pressure.
3. I still have a job regardless if I pass on the first attempt or not.

Negatives
1. Only ONE of my classmates has passed. 10 have taken it, 1 has passed it.
~This is enough information to send me over the edge.
2. Failing does result in yet another $190 fee.(I don't have)
Major prayer will be needed this week. MAJOR.

The thing about this exam that frustrates me the most is the simple fact that I won't use 70% of this crap I'm attempting to commit to memory. But, I suppose thats life.

My New Years Resolution(s)

A New Years Resolution is something most people choose to participate in about this time every year. While most have the best of intentions, most do not live to see MLK day. When deciding my New Years Resolution, I wanted something that might actually stand a chance of at least surviving till Spring. So with careful consideration, these are the things I will try to do differently in 2010.

1. The obvious, and probably the most often used: I will lose at least 20 lbs. As my 10 year reunion is quickly approaching, it sure would be amazing to look at least similar to my appearance in high school.

2. If you know me at all, you know that I am very competitive in nature. This is not a trait that most people find attractive. So, this year I vow to be less competitive. The only way I really know how to accomplish this is to stay away from those situations where I may feel the need to be compete. While I do love the bored games, and other activities where there might be a winner... I realize that it's not exactly an endearing trait to want to win everything. So, until I find the middle ground, I'm steering clear those things.

3. Compromise. It seems as though(at least in my case), that with most things there is no middle ground with me. It is black or white... no grey area. I either like someone or I don't. I either don't care or I care too much. I desperately need a middle ground. So in 2010 I resolve to somehow find a middle ground.

4. Home Purchase. No further explanation needed. Rent is ridiculous. I'm not paying it.

5. Faith. I have recently come to the realization that my constant worry and stress shows a lack of faith.
"For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now, rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Whether Love, Health, Financial, Family... it does not matter. I will fix my gaze on Christ. I will look forward to the eternity I will share with him, and NOT the heartache this world has to offer.

My new love

I LOVE THIS! Purchased at T.J Maxx for $29.99, and is currently available online for $220!

The Name: Cortex Platinum

I may never be frizzy again! :)

Your mom goes to college....

I have absolutely ZERO excuse for not updating for the (maybe) 3 people who read this. Sorry to the 3 of you...My life these days consists of Sleep, Studying, and Football.

My sleep is regulated thanks to a wonderful thing called Melatonin. My friend, Karey suggested I purchase some Melatonin because I was having a hard time sleeping. My lack of sleep had put me in a really crappy mood. And I mean really crappy. Since, I have started taking it I sleep just the perfect amount...no more or less than I need. It's amazing.

Studying... Oh boy, I'm sick of it! I'm praying for serious discipline these days, because I straight up don't wanna do it anymore. If I could get away with not taking my boreds I would do it. But alas, this is not an option.

Football... Well, all I can say is Roll Tide. :) Saturday is my favorite day of the week.

Another activity I have chosen to participate in is... watching my boys play basketball on Monday nights. So far they haven't won any games, which doesn't make any sense to me because they have talented basketball players on the team. Don't get it. But, they look awfully handsome in their uniforms. I know that's not what they are going for, but it sure does make it alot easier to watch. Ha ha! They can be total punks sometimes... but, regardless I love those boys.

I absolutely did not... Take 2.

I plead the 5th...

I absolutely did not....

Sleep 14 hours straight, beginning friday night until right before the bama game on Saturday. AND I did not enjoy it.

I absolutely did not....

Get excited about that fact that I haven't seen a doctor in over a week!
(okay, I'm totally excited.)

I absolutely did not...

Butcher the word bushhog by calling it a hogbush AND I did not get embarrassed when Ali told everyone about it.

I absolutely did not...

Actually cheer for Tennessee when they played Florida this past Saturday. What is the world coming to?

I absolutely did not...

Get so lost in Bluff Park, that I ended up in the opposite direction I intended to be in.

Again, I plead the 5th.
:)

Graduation

Is here!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!

My friends are funny

On a daily basis my friends make me laugh. They wouldn't be my friends if they didn't make me laugh. Below listed are a few of my favorite quotes by my friends.

1. He looks like a radish. - David Kyatt

2. I think I'm dying, Tell Peanut I love him.- Alison Landers

3. Doesn't everyone spend their Thursday night recreating the Rocky theme.- Meredith Clark

4. And then I found 5 dollars- Kimberly Caldwell

5. Excuse me, While I'm awesome.- John Franklin

6. I don't have any let me go get some toilet paper.- Trey Steele, when asked if he had any paper towel.

7. I don't know why he doesn't want to marry me.- Alison Landers(refering to John Mayer)

8. I don't think you understand... I am amazing. - Jake Landers

9. Watch out there's an awful lot of plaid at that next table.- Andy Brown

10. Snake and I like to call them... the hand humpers.- John Franklin

Clearly after reading this you will want to spend more time with us. We are entertaining.

The Banning of Carrie from work...

Thank you swine flu. No I do not have it.
But... the 6 year old who slept in the same bed with me all weekend does.
When I was informed Kaleb had the swine flu I immediately changed my sheets, and wiped everything with alcohol. As if that would help things... I have already been exposed.
A phone call from by boss Eva told me to stay at home until I was certain I did not have the flu.
Sounds racist.... but, Stupid Mexicans. Why did they have to bring it over?

Things to do while driving in the car alone

Because of the long commute, I have recently been spending alot of time in the car. This has enabled me to create new and somewhat interesting things to do while in the car alone.

1. Hold a mini-concert. Staring-you... With special guest whatever artist you choose.
** Sunday it was me, with special guest, Hanson circa 1997.

2. Solve World Hunger- Ok, I'm not quite there yet.

3. Possible names for unborn children

4. The quoting of "Friends".
*** My favorite... Oh, God! Can Open, Worms Everywhere!

5. The Wave game. I wave at random people. Count how many wave back.

6. Watch the miles add up on the car... and think about how I am NEVER going to get a decent amount of money for this car.

More to come... as it appears I will have a long commute for a little while longer.

I absolutely did NOT....

I plead the 5th.

I absolutely did not.....

Buy 3 new kinds of deep conditioner, just so I could see which one works better.

I absolutely did not.....

Purchase old choir songs on itunes, only so I could "reminisce" with myself about the good ole' days, and then later hold a mini concert for Ali via phone.

I absolutely did not....

Act like a total baby while getting a shot... 2 days in a row.

I absolutely did not....

get into trouble at work for laughing at a man's nose job.
(according to the man, his nostrils were so big, he could fit two fingers in one of them.)

I absolutely did not....

Get sucked into an America's Next Top Model marathon, and then later boycott because I did not agree with the winner.

AND....
I absolutely did not....

Steal this from someone else's blog.

My Pet Peeve's

1. Chewed Pens in the church pew- I spoke about this in an earlier post, but it is an ongoing annoyance. Who on earth can possibly think that is a good idea to put a public pen in your mouth?!?! It may be the grossest thing ever. Period.

2. Facebook/Twitter Status Oversharing- It is not appropriate to tell about your labor progression or bladder infection via your facebook/twitter status. Certain things are private and it is not necessary to share it with me or the other 4000 people who could read it.

3. OVERLY-flirty girls- I do not know a single guy who is worth you making a fool out of yourself over... AND if he actually wants you to throw yourself at him, he is not quality, he does not respect you, please do yourself a favor and get the heck away from him.

4. Un-returned calls/texts- It's just rude. The no-time excuse is old and tired, and I don't buy it. It takes 3 seconds to text someone back... If you don't have 3 seconds to spare, you have a serious problem. *If you are not returning call/text because you don't wanna talk to that person... Grow up and face it. Its never as bad as you think.

5. Excessive PDA- Exercise some self control or Get a room.

6. I am totally Jealous so... I will say bad things about you/your friends/your family.
Um, Hello! High School called, it's wants the drama back. Again, Grow up!

Here's my concern...

With my board exam about a month away, I am super stressed. I am not ready for this. Yes, I still have a month.
But, here's the problem. During this month I have to:
1. Work... Just because class is almost over doesn't mean the bills stop.
2. Clinical Assessment.- These are done at Princeton Hospital, and are a HUGE portion of my stress. This is where I must prove to the clinical director that I have gained enough skills(80%) to be a graduate of this program. If I make a 79%, I do not graduate. Scary. Especially since about 10 items on the 5 page list I have never seen before.
3. Find a job...

I am lacking some serious discipline. I've almost given up, and it's far too early for that!
Prayers please! I'm not sure how else I'm gonna get through this.


P.S. Sorry for the gloomy post. I have a heavy heart right now.

A Cat's diary

DAY 183 OF MY CAPTIVITY
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture.
Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking, almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs next time. In an attempt to disgust and repulse them, I again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair. (Note-to-self: I think I'll try urinating under their bed, too. Wonder how long it'll take them to find it?) Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergeez." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and may be snitches. The dogs are routinely released and seem more than happy to return. They must obviously be half-wits. The bird, on the other hand, appears to have become an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is preserved. But I can wait; it's only a matter of time...

My new favorite book :)

On Sunday, G-rider and I shopped at a new AMAZING bookstore in the Galleria. All books at $5. Yes, you heard me correctly, $5. That was when I ran across this book. I started reading this book when I worked at Lifeway(I started reading alot of books when I worked there).

Here are some good key points I have picked through Chapter 2.

1. You no longer have yesterday. It slipped away as you slept. It is gone. You will more easily retrieve a puff of smoke. You can't change, alter, or improve it. Hourglass sand won't flow upward. The second hand of the clock refuses to tick backward. You no longer have yesterday.

2.We do to our day what I did to a bike ride. My friend and I went on an extended hill-country trek. A few minutes into the trip I began to tire. Within a half hour my thighs ached and my lungs heaved like a beached whale. I could scarcely pump the pedals. I'm no Tour de France contender, but neither am I a newcomer, yet I felt like one. After 45 minutes I had to dismount and catch my breath. Thats when my partner spotted the problem. Both rear brakes were rubbing my back tire! Rubber grips contested every pedal stroke. The ride was destined to be a tough one. Don't we do the same? Guilt presses on one side. Dread drags the other. No wonder we weary so. We sabotage our day, wiring it for disaster, lugging along yesterday's troubles, downloading tomorrow's struggles. Remorse over the past, anxiety over the future. We aren't even giving the day a chance.

3. You messed up yesterday. But you'll mess up more if you let yesterday's mistakes sabotage today's attitude.

This is probably the first book in a while that I have to actually pace myself in reading it. So good.

Do we really let this into our homes?

This actually made me sick. I couldn't finish it. This person is one of the most powerful people in our country. After watching, I immediately felt the need to read scripture particularly John 14:6. If you don't pray for our country already, I strongly encourage you to.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33