My big sister, Tiffanie, has been trying to marry me off for years now. A while back she came to visit me when I was living in my apartment in Fort Worth. Her four kids and husband were driving her nuts, so she took a mini-vacation and spent a few days relaxing by my pool and sleeping in. During the course of the weekend she informed me that I had a "cream cheese and bagel life", while her world was more like "peanut butter and jelly". Thus began our long standing joke about the joys and ...

Tessa and Sierra are staying with their tia Tenille this weekend. They wanted to learn about blogging, so I'm letting them post an article on my page. Here it goes. We are sisters who live with our aunt. From our early childhood we remember that no one is perfect but God. Tessa says, "My sister thinks she's more perfect than everyone. She thinks that she can sing better than anyone in the whole world, but she can't" Sierra says, "Tessa thinks she is all that. She has a crush on three boy...

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly . For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things , holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I left my Sunday night Bib...

I was recently presented with the following question: "Do you have people around you who could never do anything to make you love them less?" I've been pondering this for some time now, and after an unpleasant phone call this evening, a very deep-seeded truth sunk into the recesses of my stubborn heart. You see, I have this insanely, infuriating little sister who knows how to push all of my buttons. In an attempt to play her ridiculous game, I made a wrong move, and ended up lo...

Summer is slowly slipping away, and I decided I should pause long enough to record a few memorable events. I completed a marathon trip to Victoria, Mexico where I bravely subjected myself to the extraction of four wisdom teeth. I wouldn't call it a vacation, but a much-needed chore was accomplished and my bank account dodged a $4,000 dollar bullet! Upon my return, I decided to make a mad dash trip to the Texas Panhandle in order to celebrate my oldest sister's thirtieth birthday. All of my si...

My, oh so wonderful, Bible study leader, Bruce Grinstead graciously allowed me to begin reading his copy of Velvet Elvis the other night. I was enthralled with what Rob Bell had to say in the introduction, so I checked his book out at the library today. This afternoon I read a statement that ushered in a huge sense of freedom. Perhaps it won't hit you in the same way it challenged me, but I figured it was worth sharing. Bring on the questions! "It's not so much that the Christian faith...

I spend most of my life focusing on the small pieces of the puzzle and not nearly enough time looking at the end result. Tonight, God gave me a glimpse of the "big picture", and I figured reflection would help me remember that which is so easily forgotten. My birthday is exactly six days away, and already, I have had two surprise parties and acquired a nice stack of giftcards to my favorite shopping spots. On two separate occasions, my teacher friends and my church friends joined me at...

Note to the reader: This blog is probably going to be a hodge-podge of unorganized ponderings. I haven't written in a while, and most of my thoughts are disconnected and scattered. Read at your own risk. It's 2 a.m, and I sit here waiting on a friend's sixteen-year-old daughter to return home from prom. The weekend has been rather uneventful, and I've found myself reflecting on days gone by. It doesn't seem like that long ago I was obsessing over my own hair and make up, preparing for ...

The Crowley Chamber of Commerce held their annual Teacher of the Year banquet. My team and I joined Yodit Whipple, the Sycamore Elementary TOY, for a funfilled evening of laughter and rich conversation. After the Crowley Honor Choir performed, the Chamber President droned on for what felt like hours, and the teachers received their useless brass plaques. Finally the night drew to a close. While gathering my things to beeline towards the nearest exit, my name was called over the loud speakers...

Preface : I’m not depressed. Life isn’t awful. I just needed to release these thoughts. No need to worry! What does it mean to be content? This question plagues me, because as I walk through this journey we call life, contentment seems to be just outside my reach. I keep hoping someone or something is going to suddenly make life wonderful, but deep in my soul I know this way of thinking will only leave me disappointed and unsatisfied. This is not how I imagined my life would look...

Because my toxic thoughts leaked out into the unrestricted world of blogging, I figured I should attempt a public apology. I've screwed up so many things at this point, I'm not sure I can dig myself out of the hole. I deeply regret so many of the decisions I've made, especially my previous blog. I used this site to justify my behavior, rather than take responsibility for it. This was unacceptable, and I am sincerely remorseful about this choice. Truth be told, everyone involved in this s...

I come from a long line of history nerds. I can remember my grandma reading my social studies textbooks from cover to cover evey year when I would bring them home to do homework. We often engaged in political conversations in which we would solve the problems of the world with simple minded ideals. She taught me the value of examining the past, and I am grateful for the sense of patriotism I saw reflected in her life. I inherited her love of history, and during this last week we had quite...

Every so often the winds of insecurity sweep into my thoughts leaving a destructive path of negative self talk. I start second guessing all of my actions, and my character defects seem glaring and unbearable. I begin to tell myself things like, "Why do you say such stupid stuff?", and "Nobody really likes hanging out with you. You're too high maintenence." Fighting these demons requires constant vigalence, and the fear of rejection can be paralyzing. I sometimes wonder if I annoy those ...

"So, what are you going to do with yourself all summer?" I have come to dread this question. Everyone seems to be asking it, and to be real honest, I don't have an answer. I am a school teacher, and although most folks would relish having two months off in the summer, I increasingly fear this season of uncertainty. You see, busyness is a much needed distraction in my life. I don't particularly enjoy being still for extended periods of time, and the thought of having unlimited blan...

I wore a red sweater to work today. I figured I might as well embrace the Love holiday. My kids at school were precious, and I found myself being silly with them all day. Joking around with your students can make the dullest day bright. Especially when you spend most of your time being dictator and babysitter. About mid afternoon an old friend e-mailed me with a very sentimental Valentine message. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. A very insignificant comment made my day, and I ...