<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" version="2.0"><channel><title>finding my way Articles - Brought to you by JoeUser</title><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/rss/articles</link><copyright>© 2006 - 2008 Stardock Corporation. All rights reserved.</copyright><description>what i've learned along the way</description><language>en-us</language><pubDate>2008-07-04T13:39:42</pubDate><lastBuildDate>2008-07-04T13:39:42</lastBuildDate><docs>http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html</docs><generator>Stardock Rss Generator v1.0, Andrew Powell</generator><managingEditor>info@stardock.com</managingEditor><webMaster>apowell@stardock.com</webMaster><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/316494</comments><description><![CDATA[Post vacation hangovers have a way of stripping joy from your life. My husband and I recently returned from a week long family trip to Walt Disney World, and reality seemed to slap me in the face the moment I walked in the door. I wanted to savor those sweet moments of serenity, but exhaustion coupled with anxiety, got the best of me. &nbsp;Change has never been my friend. I am a creature of habit, and I crave security like an addict waiting on his next fix. In the last year my world was turned ...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/316494</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/316494</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>F.E.A.R</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/316128</comments><description><![CDATA[My husband and I recently took a family vacation to Disney World. &nbsp;We spent an inordinate amount of time waiting for busses and standing in long lines. My two wonderful bonus children found this to be maddening, but I decided to use this time to observe a wide variety of human interactions.&nbsp; &nbsp;Now I realize that generalizations tell absolutely nothing about individuals, but from what I witnessed, there are a lot of unhappy women in the world. It seemed like every where we turned so...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/316128</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/316128</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Are Most Women Bitches?</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/313159</comments><description><![CDATA[My husband and I are celebrating our very first wedding anniversary today. This time last year we were boarding a plane headed for the great state of California. Chris and I said our vows on Santa Monica beach, and the only witness was the local minister we had found on the Internet. The wedding was picture perfect, and I have no regrets. The intimate moments we shared created memories that will last a lifetime. &nbsp;The last twelve months have been nothing less than blissful. With each passing...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/313159</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/313159</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>And They Say the First Year of Marriage is the Hardest . . .</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/310900</comments><description><![CDATA[Why do I hate going to church so much? I woke up today wishing Keller weren&rsquo;t so far away. In the beginning, I didn&rsquo;t mind driving forty miles to hear Brandon speak because he was dynamic and his sermons provoked questions and deep thinking. Lately, his messages seem disconnected and haphazard. I don&rsquo;t look forward to Sundays anymore, and they used to be my favorite day of the week. &nbsp;If I am honest with myself, I know the issue is not the church. The problem is me. My spir...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/310900</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/310900</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Why do I Hate Going to Church So Much?</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/306358</comments><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Tenille, you are so smart! You can be anything you want to be when you grow up!&rdquo; &nbsp;These were the words of affirmation spoken over me as a child. My grandmother would lift me off the ground, and gently sit me on the edge of bathroom vanity. I would twist and squirm until my feet safely rested inside sink and my body faced the streaked mirror. Nora would proceed to pull my hair back into taut pig tails, and I would wince with pain as she tightened the rubber bands, crying &ldquo;...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/306358</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/306358</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>MATH is a Four Letter Word!</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/303909</comments><description><![CDATA[A couple of crazy things&nbsp;are rumbling&nbsp;around&nbsp;in my head at the moment. I figured I would share this convergence of random thoughts with the world.<br/><br/>As I write this blog, my husband is having a surgical procedure that could potentially alter our future. He wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything all morning, and he had a low grade headache due to a lack of caffeine. Despite these setbacks, his spirits were high, and I enjoyed bantering with him as we waited on the doctor. I pray ...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/303909</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/303909</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>There's No Point to this Blog . . .</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/173239</comments><description><![CDATA[After sitting through a Sunday morning sermon on broken relationships and bitterness, I stumbled across a sealed envelope mixed in with a pile of Bible puke accumulated from the numerous churches I attended in the last year. Piles of old sermon notes and church bulletins littered my lap, as I carefully tugged on the fastened lip of the envelope, curious about this mysterious piece of memorabilia dated January 7, 2007.  <br/><br/>As the adhesive loosened, the contents of the envelope revealed a handwri...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/173239</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/173239</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Do You Believe God Grants You the Desires of Your Heart?</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/171198</comments><description><![CDATA["This time last year, would you have ever imagined you’d be waking up with a man in your bed?” Chris inquired as we greeted the day on Christmas morning. The silky Egyptian cotton sheets kept our bodies warm as we snuggled under the covers, and a feeling of gratitude welled up deep inside my heart. <br/><br/>After twenty seven years of “going home” for Christmas, I now have a family of my own to share the holiday season with. Chris exceeds my wildest expectations, and as we exchanged gifts at the foot...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/171198</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/171198</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>How Has Your Christmas Changed?</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/167496</comments><description><![CDATA[As I sit here on my couch this morning, I feel extremely reflective. Snuggled under a cozy blanket with Chris' laptop resting on my legs, I'm browsing through some of my old blogs. I’m thankful for written expression. Recording my thoughts and feelings is like pressing a pause button on life. As I read through the events of the last few years, I am amazed how quickly time has passed. The memories seem so fresh . . .<br/><br/>Yesterday, a precious friend and I discussed the beauty of the present, along...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/167496</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/167496</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Rear View Mirror</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/162625</comments><description><![CDATA[Do you ever have split second moments when everything seems to be spinning completely out of control? I got to school this morning feeling a bit edgy due to the fact that my student’s grades were due, the new teacher I’m mentoring needed to meet with me, and a parent came to complain that her child was being bullied. Fridays are usually hectic, but today seemed abnormally nutty. Right before it was time to switch classes, my phone buzzed, and my husband informed me that the Rooms-To-Go guy could...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/162625</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/162625</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Classroom Madness &amp; Busted Couches</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/161757</comments><description><![CDATA[My family and I just finished playing Sequence. After sharing a prayer and a meal together, we pulled up a piece of carpet, and giggled our way through a board game. Chandler, my ten year old step-daughter, seemed to have all the luck, and smiles beamed from the winners' faces after every round. A deep sense of contentment permeated the room. <br/><br/>Now to some people, the above scenario may not seem that unusual, but to a child who grew up in the chaotic world of alcoholism this is a dream come tr...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/161757</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/161757</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Is Your Life Good?</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/158612</comments><description><![CDATA[A deep well of sorrow lives buried within my soul. Woven into the tapestry of my being is the belief that I am a burden. The message taunts me constantly, and in moments of weakness, I give in and accept the lie. I crank up the volume on the tapes that tell me my existence causes other people’s pain. <br/><br/>Recently, a master manipulator convinced me that I was the author of her suffering. She explained that my presence caused her intense discomfort, and proceeded to rationalize her unacceptable be...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/158612</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/158612</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Feelings Aren't Facts</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/156409</comments><description><![CDATA[My husband and I had a fantastic date night yesterday. We've been staying in Houston for an educational business conference, and when Chris arrived home we took a quick dip in the hotel swimming pool. The hot afternoon sun was a welcomed guest after days and days of cloudy skies. It's been raining like crazy all across Texas, and we were hoping to escape Mother Nature by heading further south. <br/><br/>After our outdoor excursion, we took a quick shower and got gussied up for a fancy dinner at the Aq...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/156409</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/156409</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Live Free or Die</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/154859</comments><description><![CDATA[My Aunt Nila stopped by my house yesterday afternoon. She and her husband, Donald, were in the Metroplex visiting their children, and she called to see if the rumors she'd been hearing about my elopement were true. I told her all about my destination wedding to California and caught her up to speed on all the recent happenings in my life. <br/><br/>Out of thirteen children, she is the only one of my mother's siblings who makes a concerted effort to maintain a relationship with me. Over the years, she ...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/154859</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/154859</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>Do You Really Want to Know?</title></item><item><author>lobsterhunter</author><comments>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/154310</comments><description><![CDATA[I've been hitched for a little over a week now, and everyone I run into has the same question . . . <br/><br/>"So, how does it feel to be married, Tenille?" <br/><br/>I find this inquiry to be a bit annoying. <br/><br/>No one ever felt the need to ask me, "So, Tenille. Tell me. How does it feel to be single?" <br/><br/>I mean, don't get me wrong. I love being married. Chris is fantastic, and we're definitely enjoying what others call the "honeymoon period". It's wonderful to wake up each day next to the man I've chosen...]]></description><guid isPermaLink="True">http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/154310</guid><link>http://lobsterhunter.joeuser.com/article/154310</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:39:43 -0400</pubDate><pubDateParsed>2008-07-04T13:39:43</pubDateParsed><title>So, How Does It Feel to be Married?</title></item></channel></rss>