Hi, Internet peep friends! If you're still coming here to Ink Pots to see if there are any new posts, you gotta move on over to Spicy Magnolia, my new blog, as I'm no longer posting at this site. You can always peruse the archives, but definitely check out the new dig here. Have a great night!
Ok, everyone, hold onto your hats, 'cause I got some important news that will impact YOU, my Internet peep friends, but news that I'm really excited to announce! You all know that blogging is obviously a priority to me with how much time and thought I put into it; it's become one of my most favorite things! Because of this, I really want to try and grow the blog into something more widely read. I also would like to have more control over the design and layout, and keep my readers from experiencing the frustration of their comments being cut off for no reason. So after much thought and consideration, I am moving the blog to a new location and it will have a new name! It will also just be my blog, not mine and Matt's...hope that's not too much of a disappointment. He will still make appearances, likely in the same frequency he did at Ink Pots <grin>, but this will be my "baby".
I agonized over the decision to part from the name Ink Pots because it holds great sentimental value to me, and it's been such a part of my life the past year. But one of the things that was important to me in taking this next step was to have my own domain name, and Ink Pots was just not an available option. So Matt and I brainstormed together and came up with a name that reflects a bit more of my personality and that is unique as well. So with much enthusiasm, I announce the creation of Spicy Magnolia at http://www.spicymagnolia.com!
p.s. If you subscribe to Ink Pots in a reader, you'll want to cancel your subscription and start a new one for Spicy Magnolia. There is a "subscribe in a reader" button available to make this easy for you.
p.p.s. For those of you who have blogs and have included Ink Pots in your blogroll, THANK YOU! Please take a moment to update your blogroll so that it links to Spicy Magnolia as I will no longer post at Ink Pots.
For my husband's sake, I did not blog about how he ended his winter basketball season with the Super Ball Hog Ninjas 0-8, but I think he's moved past it now. Really, he had a great attitude about it, albeit a bit disappointed. But he's since started the spring league, and five of his former teammates decided to stick around for the next season, the outcome of which is yet to be determined. Will it be another crushing defeat or a triumphant comeback? Aye, time will tell (say that sentence with an Irish accent).
They lost their first game of the spring season 66-45, but at halftime the score was within one point, so they held their own for awhile. The Ninjas finally won their first game last week, beating a team who didn't make it into the "low" league because it was full. They defeated this team 85-37, a very similar reflection of the Ninja's first game ever when they lost 67-22. I did not witness the victory, but when Matt came home and told me they won, I was torn emotionally. Thrilled for Matt, of course! Relieved they finally won a game, you betcha! It was a confidence booster for sure! But I felt bad for the other team...the Ninjas WHOOPED them, gave them the same crushing defeat as they themselves had experienced...they showed NO MERCY! "Why did they have to score so many points on them?", I contemplated. I really felt sorry for this other team.
To his credit, Matt handled the whoopin's he experienced like a true sportsman, never complaining, and never once did he pout saying, "I just wish they didn't stomp us out." So this is my own weird, messed up notion of sportsmanship: when winning, a team should kindly not obliterate the other team! Matt says I don't know what true sportsmanship is, that teams never compromise a game (i.e. miss shots intentionally or run slower or guard less) just to soften a loss. I guess in my head that makes sense, but my heart says something else, because after Matt's blow-outs, I figured the Ninjas would be kind enough to not do that to another team; but instead, they sure strut their stuff! It was probably all cooped up inside 'em after all this time, and I'm sure it felt good. But really...85-37, was that really necessary? It just seems a little over the top to me. Am I really all that whacked? Are blowouts wrong? I'm probably being all girly about this, and somewhere in those big ol' sports rulebooks are rules against what I'm suggesting. But as a wife sitting there watching her husband's team get blown out of the water, I am a little more compassionate towards the other teammates and their families viewing the slaughter. I had the slightest inkling of hope that my husband wouldn't be the one doing the slaughtering. Maybe that's why I was never in sports.
It's 10:45 p.m. Friday evening, and Matt and I are getting ready to go to bed, but I've had this idea for the past couple of days and I just gotta get it posted! I'm too tired right now to go into a whole lot of elaborate explanation as to why I believe this is important or give any further disclaimers, so if you have any questions about this, please let me know.
I have a number of friends overseas and Stateside who are followers of Jesus, who are giving their lives to help others know who Jesus is and to share His love with them. Sometimes they battle homesickness or culture shock. Sometimes they are weary and have a lot on their heart. Sometimes they are tired. I emphasize sometimes, because they also get great joy in what they do! But there are moments when they really appreciate some lovin', when they would really like to simply hear from a friend or a family member, just to hear that they're being thought of and that that they are cared about.
If you have a friend or family member that is serving in ministry, can you take a moment to send them a quick email this weekend to let them know you're thinking of them and that you appreciate them? You may not even agree with what they're doing or believe the same thing, but that's ok. What's important is that they know someone is out there who is thinking of them and wanting to show them some love. I would just ask that you consider reaching out to someone in ministry this weekend by sending them a note of encouragement or just to say, "Hi!". I know they would be deeply grateful! And if you don't know anyone in ministry, just pick one of your friends to send a note of appreciation to; I know they'd love that as well!
I will do this myself this weekend, but also want to write a prayer on Ink Pots to those of my friends who are in ministry who I know read this blog:
Lord, we entrust those who are dear to us, who are serving in Your Name, to Your never-failing care and love, knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body, and help them to draw near to You. May they be bound together in Your love. And may they be assured that You are the God of peace, that in quietness and confidence is their strength. May their joy abound in You this day. In Jesus' precious Name, Amen.
Dear ones, you know who you are, and you are being thought of and prayed for this weekend! Much, much love!
The winning Austin downtown restaurant that was graced with me and my Daddy's presence yesterday was:
Sweetish Hill Bakery! All I knew was that he would be at the Convention Center, but we didn't have a specific meeting point in mind, so I was a bit nervous about how smoothly it would work out. You know me and my worry wart complex; I'm sure you can imagine the crazy thoughts that swirled around in my head on my way into downtown. But praise God, it worked out perfectly! He was standing outside right as I turned the corner, and we even had a prime parking spot at the Bakery...I was even worried about downtown parking 'cause I forgot change for the meters. Seriously, praise God! And seriously, Meg, get a grip! Daddy was in the mood for the sandwich/soup/salad option, so I took him to the Bakery. He parted with my list of other restaurant options in his hand for places to eat dinner with his colleagues. We had a fabulous time together! I love him so!
We're still waiting for the birth of our nephew, whose due date is TODAY! Come on, already! Don't you know that you have people who want to meet you?! I went to the cutest little baby store the other day with my friend, Leah. It took me about 5 minutes before I realized that I now actually have a reason to buy baby stuff: I'm gonna have a little nephew to spoil! It was a bit of an odd realization, as well as an expensive one, but mostly very fun!
This past weekend, Matt and I discovered a new shopping center on HWY 71 called The Hill Country Galleria. With beautiful grounds and an amphitheater, we enjoyed eating our sandwiches from Which Wich outside and spent some time reading (and I also took a nap in the big comfy chair) at Barnes & Noble. While perusing, I came across a small treasure by Henri J.M. Nouwen called With Open Hands. As you all know from this post, the concept of keeping my hands open in surrender to God has been something I'm learning these days. So the title of the book grabbed my attention right away and I had to buy it! It's a quick read that I started about an hour ago and I'm half way through it. Boy, if you want a book that lays out my life right now, this is it! It describes so well what I'm thinking and feeling these days, things I'm wrestling with and learning about prayer, silence, acceptance, and resting in the Lord. It's incredible to read this book and feel like I'm saying, "Yep, that's it, that's it!", all the way through it! I'll have to reread it to make sure I soak it all up, but I'm a bit stunned right now that it so poignantly and accurately depicts this season of my life. Just to give you a glimpse, this is a quote from Nouwen:
And there's so much more I could spout out, but I want to finish the book and not be rushed with sharing my thoughts. This book, however, is a perfect segway (is that how you spell that??) to a post that I want to write over the next day or two where I will share with my Internet peep friends some things that I've been learning over the past three and a half months (I can't believe it's been that long already!) since I stopped my job. So stay tuned. In the meantime, have a lovely evening and say a little prayer that my nephew comes soon and is healthy!
Prayer is a way of life which allows you to find a stillness in the midst of the world where you open your hands to God's promises and find hope for yourself, your neighbor, and your world.
Well, a good mornin' to you, Internet peeps! For the third or fourth day in a row, it is an absolutely gorgeous day! There's not a cloud in the vast Texas sky, the sun is shining brightly, the birds are chirping, and the temperature is just right. It does my heart glad. After waking up this morning at 5 a.m. to let Molly outside, I crawled back in bed and already had to pray for God to help me choose to have a good attitude today. I don't know about you, but some days just feel like they're going to have some bits and pieces of rottenness in 'em. And I'm learning that much of that depends on my attitude as to how rotten a day it will be. Things kinda got messed up with our night schedule the next two evenings because of a lack of communication between me and my mister, spring cleaning is taking me much longer than I thought and I'm ready to be done with it, and I want to write the blog I've been mulling over for the past couple of weeks (keep expectations low though)! So see, I have to watch my attitude as it's already creepin' out all rotten-like! But the beauty of the day calms my heart and puts a smile on face. So did this post by Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. For you dog lovers, you gotta take a peek at it!
And this absolutely gets rid of any mere notion of rottenness: I have a lunch date with my Daddy today! He's coming to Austin on business for the day and I'm meeting up with him for lunch. I want to take him somewhere new downtown to eat, so my friend, Liz, who is a downtown girl, and citysearch.com were most helpful in providing some quality options. Depending on what he's in the mood for, these are the choices I'm giving him:
* Sweetish Hill Bakery for light sandwiches, soup, or salad...and of course, something irresistible from the baker! I have been here once for breakfast, but that was years ago.
* The Onion: pizza
* Hickory Street Bar & Grille: for burgers and other such American food
* Iron Works: for bar-b-que
Anticipating our time together today makes me reflect on the first time I came to Austin when I was ten years old or so. My Daddy had some business to do in Austin for the day, but he brought me along as well for a little Daddy/Daughter day. He took me to lunch at The Driskill and we roamed the Capitol where I was much more interested in the squirrels running around the grounds than anything else; I had never seen so many cute, furry squirrels before and I was quite enamored! It was a special day together and I know this afternoon is going to be, too! Yes, it's going to be a very good day!
Neil Diamond theme night! Were it not for my father-in-law, Ed, and Matt, I would certainly be less interested in tonight's American Idol theme, but I know these two men really like Neil Diamond! Forever in Blue Jeans is a song that both of them would likely choose to play as the theme background music to their life. In fact Matt said tonight, "It's the song of my life; I want to be forever in blue jeans." Oh, little does he know that at least his wife would beg to differ on the forever in blue jeans part! The message of love and commitment behind it is great, but I like my man to throw on a pair of khakis and a button down shirt every now and then!
Let me also say that I did not like the format of tonight's show having the performers sing two rounds of songs and rushing through the judges' comments! What was up with Paula!? In a way, I'm not surprised she got confused; I even couldn't keep up fast enough with how the judges rapidly shared their comments at the same time for the performers' Round 1. We recorded the show and I kept hitting the rewind button. Seriously though, Paula must have been on another planet to start sharing her critiques on both songs of Jason Castro when he'd only sung once! She must have written down comments from the dress rehearsal and started going off on sharing her thoughts about Round 2 prematurely, or somethin' went really haywire there! The first half of the show felt rushed through with much lack of substance. Round 2 was better, but I agree with Simon, it was a chaotic night!
Lastly, I'm still shocked Carly Smithson was the one to go home last week!!
Jason Castro: Forever in Blue Jeans and September Morn
1) His soothing voice is great for this song! I like how he kept it simple. I'm not sure what unique aspect he brought to his performance, but I think the song choice will carry him through to the next round...or maybe I'm just biased about the song choice. <grin>
2) I like Jason, but I agree with Simon, it just doesn't seem like he's trying that hard. He's so laid back, which I appreciate, but honestly, I am not sure the music business is really his passion or something he'd enjoy that much. The song choice was boring and it was a bit of a rote performance.
David Cook: I'm Alive and All I Really Need is You
1) David just does a good job with everything, it can be said! He also has great stage presence and the song choice for him was really good. Solid performance!
2) I am not familiar with this song, but the way he presented it made me like it! He really has a good range of vocals and sings with much emotion, but it's never over the top. And I gotta say, I think he will be the next American Idol!
Brooke White: I'm a Believer and I Am I Said
1) Sorry, but I like other versions of this song MUCH better. It was a fun song choice, but I didn't like the style she brought to it. It was good to see her jammin' away after last week's goof, but I don't think it was one of her better performances.
2) I enjoy Brooke on the piano, and I liked this song much better than her first one. One of her best performances in awhile!
David Archuleta: Sweet Caroline and Coming to America
1) I know BigMama loved this one! I'm sure there were several Carolines in the audience that swooned over this song choice. In my expert opinion (please hear the strong sarcasm behind those words), I felt like he was signing towards a teeny bopper crowd, so it didn't appeal to me.
2) Fitting song for American Idol! Sure got me pumped and the chills runnin'. I really liked his additions to the song, and the ending...awesome!
Syesha Mercado: Hello Again and I Thank the Lord for the Night Time
1) After the face paced songs, I wasn't quite in the mood for a slow song; I thought it was a bit boring. Her high notes felt like she was shouting to me.
2) So-so. I think the fact that I don't have much to say about her performance is indicative that it was just not a memorable night for Syesha.
Bottom 3: Jason Castro, Brooke White, Syesha Mercado
Prediction of Who's Going Home: Jason Castro...but I hope Syesha Mercado
Favorite Performance: David Cook
Hi, internet peep friends! One of the things I am doing this week is spring cleaning! I've put it off long enough and now I must embrace the dreaded task. Scrubbing. Polishing. Wiping. Dusting. Any cleaning verb you want to add, go right ahead 'cause I'm doin' it! I'm even washing all of our baseboards and who knows what else I'll do! To make it less daunting, I am cleaning a room or two at a time. The downstairs is my least favorite because there's more to clean; we live in our downstairs area. Upstairs is fairly unused and empty, so I'm saving that area for last and getting the larger, least fun areas done first. Today I started with our bedroom, bathroom and the guest bathroom. I hope to finish up on Friday and after that, just like my Momma said, it's U-N-T-O-U-C-H-A-B-L-E! At least for a few days, Matt and Molly better not shed a hair, leave a streak, or drop a crumb. Don't worry, I'm not that anal. Oh, but I so am! And it will feel so good when I've accomplished this week-long task!
So I'm taking a bit of a break from the scrubbing to answer one last Q&A question left by my dear hubby, and also to tell you a little bit about our sleepover with Harrison. Let me just tell you, first, how much I appreciate my man and how thankful I am for him! Some of the things that come to mind just from this past weekend are: I love how he can't get enough time with me; I appreciate what a diligent, faithful, and good provider he is; I value his care and concern for others and giving of himself to help them; oh, how I admire his pure heart--the guy never has a mean or malicious bone in his body; and I am thankful for his sense of humor and his desire to support and encourage me in my dreams. I would marry the guy again and again!
Yes, yes, enough mushy stuff, but sometimes you just gotta know that I love him and why! Matt wrote, "Meg, if you could learn one
new thing instantly by simply snapping your fingers, what would it be?
It could be anything from scuba diving to a new language (I had no idea
translating would have been one of your dream jobs!) to how to tie a
cherry stem with your tongue. The catch is that it can only be one
thing."
Only one thing!? He obviously knows me really well to have to put that requirement in the question! Normally, I would choose something on the serious side of my left brain, but I'm gonna go for the right side this time. And of course, there are a number of things that come to mind, but since my husband limited me to just one, I will have to go with ballroom dancing (all kinds of ballroom dancing). The jive, jitterbug, waltz, tango, rumba, etc...all the dances they do on Dancing with the Stars. How awesome would it be if I could just learn it instantly!? Matt and I took swing lessons when we were dating and only remember a few basic moves, but it was so much fun. He gets a really silly look on his face when we dance, and I have to look straight ahead at his chest because it hurts my neck to contstantly look up at him, so I'd either have to wear high heels, or I'd have to snap my fingers to do something about my height and his goofy look, too. <grin> I love him so!
In answer to Matt's second question: Is
there a time limit to posting questions that you have to answer on your
blog? Or can we keep posting questions months from now and you'd still
have to answer them? :)
Q&A session is now closed for this go around, but we'll do this again some time!
Now onto the slumber party with mister Harrison. This little boy has had my heart since he was in his momma's tummy. I actually got to hold him in the hospital for the first time when he was just about 12 hours old! He's grown up so much since then.
Yeah! Jill resubmitted her questions! Thank you, dear Jill!
Jill is also a small group girlfriend of mine, and she's also known as Harrison and Hadleigh's momma! Harrison is the amazing little man I get to tell you about tomorrow who spent the night with us for the first time on Friday. Miss Jillie is a very special friend who knows me pretty well; she doesn't let me get away with too much because she can call it what it is, straight up. That is an incredible kinda friend to have, and also a dangerous one...I can't get away with nothin', sour attitude or NOTHIN'! She makes me laugh a lot, keeping me lighthearted and playful. She is one of the most authentic and genuine people I know, a true example to me of how to love others with unselfish delight! It never fails: whenever she and Molly are together, Molly licks her toes all over! Moos loves the taste of Jill's lotion, and Jillie gets a kick out of it!
Let me just say it again: I'm so thankful for all of my friends! I am truly blessed. Ok, so onto what I think is the second to last round of answers to the first Q&A session. I've had lot of fun with this, and I hope you have, too!
Jill asked:
Ok, this is admittedly a difficult question for me to answer because I feel like I'm in a season of learning a number of things about me that I need the Lord to change...but I'm always in that season, so I'll move on. The first thing that came to mind though is that I like how I'm an organized, detailed person. I have to be careful though because I can be a bit obsessive compulsive about my organization and detailed traits, and undoubtedly have likely caused angst to friends and family who are more "normal" or less organized in their lifestyle or planning than I am because I'm always asking them about something months in advance (i.e. I've even emailed my friend Corrie already about scheduling a trip to Jordan for next April...that's either kinda awesome or kinda kookoo!). I love having things in order, things to be in their place, and being detailed enough to where I can effectively event plan, coordinate other such logistics, or even organize a pantry like I did for my Momma. Even a project to stuff envelopes and get out a mailing for a friend is enjoyable to me. I guess I'm weird like that. But it's something about myself I appreciate and hope it can be used as a gift and a blessing to others.
2). What was/is one of the most difficult lessons you've ever had to learn?
Trying not to be a perfectionist/control freak/living in fear of what other people think of me! I guess it goes along somewhat with my organization/need to have everything in its place, but it's even deeper than that. Trying to control situations, my future plans (notice the unintended "my" future plans--ha!), and people (this probably comes out more in my relationship with Matt than anyone else); learning to let go of my perfectionism; and trying to not live in fear of what others think of me are some of the most difficult lessons I am continually learning! And it happens partly because of a fear I have that if I let go then all the balls will drop, something won't be done as well (that sounds awful, I know!), something bad will happen, or someone won't like me. It's a way of playing god when I am so not, and it's not trusting the Lord and letting Him have His way, which is ultimately the best way.
I have a friend who recently gave me an image that has stuck with me like peanut butter in hair (ya like my The Office allusion there? <grin>). She said that sometimes we hold onto things so tightly that it's like our fists are in a constant motion of ringing out water from a washcloth, so closed and tightfisted. And in many ways, it causes much more pain to give something over to the Lord if we're holding on so tightly as a way to control, as opposed to keeping our hands open in an act of surrender. So to tangibly put this into practice, I decided to hug Molly differently. You see, I love this dog, probably way too much. She's nearly 7 years old, and I have the biggest fear of losing her. But sometimes, I hold onto this little girl of mine in my heart way too much. So when I hug her or hold her now, I try to remember to do so with open hands, in an act that I am saying, "Lord, I give her to you. I love her, and thank you for her, and I give this little puppy to you." It's hard! So I'm still learning. For sure, I'm still learning. <sigh>
3). Are you more like your mom or dad?
I like this question! But I don't have an easy answer for you: I think I'm split down the middle...although I'd be curious to know how my parents would answer this question for me! These are just a few things that come to mind:
Things I got from my Daddy: organization and communication skills; love for learning; joy of writing; way of thinking and processing through things; the ability to go in and out of the store to get what you need and not roam for inessentials <grin>.
Things I got from my Momma:
her gift to be uninhibited to dance around the house, be silly, make up songs, or start food fights; her terms of endearment/the way she talks; her love of cooking; her mannerisms--if you spent time watching us both, you'd easily see things we do similarly in actions. I wish I had a lot more of my Momma: she is another one in my life who knows how to love and unselfishly serve others! Her level of compassion and mercy is something I do not have, that I desperately need. And we look alike! My boss from church, when he first met my mom, eyed us coming towards him one Sunday and he had to do a double take!
4). Where was your favorite place to vacation and where is one of the top places you'd like to go? (money being no object!!)
As little kids, we were blessed to be able to take vacations as a family regularly and see many exciting places. My favorite vacation spot growing up was Colorado. We took several trips to Durango, Aspen, Keystone, Colorado Springs and Denver. Colorado was one of my family's favorite places and we have lots of fun memories there. As an adult, Banff, Canada has been both mine and Matt's absolute favorite so far! I guess I'm a mountain girl! <grin> I can't WAIT to go back to Banff! Which, if you don't know, is part of how we came up with Ink Pots for our blog title: they are beautiful, bubbling springs that you have to hike a ways to see, but they are worth every huff and puff and ringing of the keys to scare away bears!
Money being no object (wow, that would awesome!), I really, really want to make it to Jordan to visit my friends, Jonathan and Corrie, and visit the Holy Lands as well. After that, I think I'd pick Italy. Matt has been to Rome and raves about it, so I'd like to go see what all the fuss is about. Oh, but my list is L-O-N-G! I'll keep dreaming...
Tomorrow, I'll spill the beans a bit about our slumber party with "H" and answer Matt's Q&A question. Unless there are any other questions between now and then, I'll wrap up this fun Q&A session then. Until tomorrow, take care!
I LOVE getting ya'lls questions! Jill's comments were sadly cut off. <very, very sad face>. Maybe she'll repost them so I can have a chance to answer them. And a thank you to her, too, for keeping me from stuffing my face with cookie dough; although, we did have a sweet slumber party with one special mister that I'll blog about briefly on Monday, and in the midst of making his chocolate chip cookies, I did snag a bite or two of the dough. But just a bite or two, which is much better than what I inhaled previously this week.
Janna, like Lindsey, is a friend I met through our small group at church, and she's been a dear friend these past five years, faithfully walking with me through anything and everything, and patiently loving on me despite my many insecurities. I just found out last week that she loves being tickled, which delights my heart so much! And I also discovered that her twin 14 month old twin girls, Emily and Lauren (who like play dates with Molly), get just as much a kick out of being tickled as Janna! I have only tickled the wee little ones, but Janna better be on the lookout, 'cause I might just surprise her one day. An avid reader and a librarian, Janna has recommended several amazing books to me, and I hope one day she will be a guest author for Ink Pots, like my friend, Diane. So Janna asked three questions:
Okay, here are some questions for you: 1.) If you had to live outside of Texas for one year (with Matt, of course), where would you live? 2.) What would you do as a career if you could pick anything and miraculously already have completed the training? 3.) If you could re-live any year of your life, which one would it be? (Could be to re-experience or to re-do.)
Those are fun questions, and I'll try not to be too verbose for y'alls sake. <grin>
1.) If you had to live outside
of Texas for one year (with Matt, of course), where would you live?
First preference for the location: somewhere with a winter! Matt and I both miss having an extended winter with some sort of pretty, white precipitation. That being said, however, my experience of living in such a place was in college in Wheaton, IL and Matt's has been throughout his life living in Colorado, Canada, and Virginia...in other words, both of us have only experienced other people shoveling driveways for us (i.e. the college staff or Matt's parents). So we may tire of having too much of an extended winter since we now have to be responsible for such menial tasks. So if I could pick any place, I would likely pick Denver, Colorado: for its gorgeous mountain terrain and some of our good friends live there, too. It also gets some of that pretty, white stuff I was talking about.
Also, if I had my druthers, I would have Matt submit his name to his employer to be available to work overseas for a year or two! In which case, I'd go anywhere! Europe especially interests me. An opportunity of a lifetime it would be! I would love to do this; Matt, however, isn't so keen on the idea as I am...yet. <grin>
2.)
What would you do as a career if you could pick anything and
miraculously already have completed the training?
Sorry, I have a number of ideas that I can't seem to narrow down! Sometimes I wish I knew better in high school and college the vast amount of specialized careers there are! I wonder how it would have impacted where I am today. I love what I studied in college: spiritual formation with an emphasis on intercultural studies. And while I wish I had double majored in business or accounting, because I've learned I love accounting and working with numbers through my previous job, I don't think I would turn it into a long-term career. I wish I had the gift of learning languages to be a translator (like for the U.N.). One thing that has started interesting me more over the past few years is a combination of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. It compliments my passion for and educational background in intercultural studies, and I think it would be great to be an expert in these fields to influence decisions government agencies make. Honestly, I love intercultural studies, so finding any type of venue that enables me to put that to practice is a joy. Lastly, I would be grateful to brush up on my writing skills, creative writing included. 'Cause if you don't know by now, I enjoy writing this blog! I hope to develop it over time, which I guess is a current career goal. Writing about anything and everything, from what I ate yesterday, to my greatest fear, to my heart's deepest longing...I'm lovin' it!
3.) If you could
re-live any year of your life, which one would it be? (Could be to
re-experience or to re-do.)
Hands down: college year(s)! I would re-experience college in a heart beat. For the record, there is one particular part of my junior year that I wish I could re-do: I was a bit too busy with other friendships and responsibilities for the girls who were my roommates that year (none of them were Country House girls) and I think it really hurt them. So I wish I had made more of a conscious effort to be a good roommate that year. But for the positive stuff I'd re-experience...I transferred to Wheaton College, fall 1998 of my sophomore year. In addition to Becca and Michelle, who kindly took me in as transfer student to live with, my dear childhood friend, Eric, took me under his wings and introduced me to his group of friends (one of whom would be my future husband! But just so you know, we didn't start dating until after I graduated...I wasn't interested in him romantically at all in college! <grin>). Eric and Matt made up a group of 10 guys called "Graham House", and each one of them has a very special place in my heart to this day. I will not elaborate on the impact of Graham House fellas, my World Christian Fellowship cabinet, the Country House girls, or Corrie in my life, since the sentimental and nostalgic schmooze that I am could write a novel. I will say, however, that those formidable years of college were some of the most fun, memorable and cherished of my life. It was an era of precious friendships, much personal transformation, and priceless memories that Matt can attest to me saying on a number of occasions, "I wish I could go back to that time." Oh, the deep love I have for those Graham House fellas, Country House girls and Miss Corrie brings me to tears of joy and thanksgiving each time I think of them, and sometimes, I wonder if they have a clue as to how much I love them! How I hope they know!
