Relationships.

So here I go again, writing about relationships.

I figured it out. Why everyone feels the need for a significant other. (Ok, well, minus the physical part...lol). Take a survey, and I bet you will find that what people want in a relationship with a significant other is to feel loved, accepted, and they want someone to care so much about them that they know that something is up, even before you tell them - not to mention the part about wanting someone to always be there when you need them.

Wait .. isn't that what a friend is supposed to be? So really, all people want in a relationship (BESIDES SEX, PPL!!!) is a true and loyal friend?! So why are people constantly searching for a significant other, when we should have that loyalty in our friendships?

I understand that not everyone can be that loyal of a friend to all of their friends, but everyone should have at least one friend who they can trust to be that close and that loyal.

I think that more often than not, a girl leaves this kind of loyal friendship to have a relationship with a significant other. They say that a guy should never come between a good friendship, but in our society, it always does. And it is "acceptable."

I'm sorry, but I think this is a terrible thing. Let's let our physical attraction and our desire for that American family come between something that you have been building and working on for years. That makes sense.

I guess I am just really confused at what friendship is, and how it works and how it is supposed to work.

That's all. Sorry for the rant, but I would really like some opinions, please. Thanks!

Ok, so I know it's been a really long time since I have written on this thing. It's been a really long time since I have had the time and energy to write - at the same time.

Life has been so crazy! It has it's ups and downs, for sure. But I really enjoy my life - despite the thoughts that try to creep in to tell me otherwise - I do not need the things the world says I do in order to be happy! : )

So, here's my quick blurb for the day: I am exhausted, and just want to go to sleep, but I am going to go workout with Jillian and Tiff, because that is the only way I am going to lose weight. And I am determined to lose at least 10 pounds in the next couple of months. I just need a fire under me to get me going. (And I am sure that half of a chimicheesecake I ate at lunch is going to help me in this endeavor ... ) AHHH!!!

Until next time, I will try to be as productive as I have been the last couple of days, so I will have more time to write!!! : ) And, if you want to hear me preach, come out to Delta on Saturday night at 6pm at Troy Assembly of God.

See ya Lata!

So quickly ...

It's interesting how quickly fears return. All it takes is one instant, and that channel is wide open again. When I was younger, I had recurring nightmares, and horrible fear issues. Every once in a while they will try to creep back in -and tonight was one of those nights. Watching a fairly decent movie, all it took was one tiny glimpse of something that triggered something in my brain. I didn't realize it until a couple minutes later when it hit me all of a sudden. All of the intense, irrational fear and anxiety rushed over me. As I stood there, about to turn and "run," I decided to come to grips with reality -and I continued as if nothing was different (for the most part .. lol).

Two lessons were learned in that instant:

1. Be VERY VERY careful with what you allow to enter your mind. It may seem innocent, but if I would have just followed my instincts and went to bed earlier, I wouldn't have ran into any issues.

2. When you are in the midst of a hard decision, be strong - don't let the fear overtake you. YOU are the victorious one - living in the Spirit of Christ.

A Change.

Hello!

I have made a few changes to the look of my site ... doesn't it make you want to go to the zoo?!! : )

I have also made a few changes to my life in the past month or so. I have started getting up a few minutes earlier to go running in the morning. There is nothing quite like a morning run in the country - esp now that I have the protection of the corn towering over me. Each day, I get up a little bit earlier, and I run a little bit longer, depending on the humidity. I have to be honest, this only happens about 3 times a week, but this week I am shooting for 4, maybe even 5. It really is a great way to start my day! For those of you who are interested, I have found that I like to listen to pandora (Shane and Shane station), with one ear phone in and one out, so that I can hear nature. : )

I am so grateful that God was gracious enough to help me work a morning workout into my routine. I am also trying to eat healthier most of the time. It is not a diet, or a weightloss plan (although I do hope to lose a few unnecessary pounds that I have gained since college) -it is a life style change. And I don't do drastic well, so I am going slow, and it seems to be working well so far!

Another thing I am trying to work into my life is relaxation. It is healthy, and I need to do it more! I have started trying to head to bed at 9:30pm, and take time for a long bath (with jets!!) before I get in bed. It is really nice, and relaxing. The only downfall is that I get hot and am hot while trying to fall asleep. Oh well. : ) I have also signed up to get massages on a semi-regular basis. I know this seems frivolous, but I think it will be beneficial to my overall health!

For those of you who are following my health when it comes to endometriosis, I went and saw a specialist last week. She was great. She spent about 20 minutes in the room with us (me and my mother, who tends to remember things better than I do), discussing the issue and the options. She gave me some different meds to try (with way less side-effects), so I started some, and will start another as soon as my current shot wears off. She was very reassuring that the disease is not damaging my body, although it is causing a lot of pain. So, we are trying to deal with the pain, and will go from there! This may not make any sense, but it's here for you to attempt to understand if you are interested. LOL. : )

Alright, I didn't make that bedtime tonight ... so hopefully I will post again soon; maybe something insightful! ; )

Today is my grandpa's 80th birthday!!!!!!!

Hello, my loyal readers! (and those of you who may be new! or, not so loyal ... I mean, I am not exactly the most faithful blogger on the net .... haha)

This post is going to be a hodge podge of things. I have had a great week, despite a few minor things that are not worth going into, or happen to be TMI for the world wide web. : )

This week I stocked up on a few items ... on of them being contact solution. "Hmmm, that's an odd thing to tell us on your blog," is exactly what you are thinking. (Ok, I told you in the last post I should never assume anyone thinks like I do, but sometimes it's fun to pretend.) Well, my friends, one of the name brands of contact solution was on sale for $7.99 at Wags this week, and when you purchased it this week, you got $8 in register rewards (like walgreens cash/gift certificate to use in the next 10 days)! Not to mention the $2 off coupons I used on top of that, as well as the $1 off now coupon I found yesterday! Needless to say, I made money on this stuff. This stuff that is usually quite pricey! You got it, folks, I AM A COUPONER! New to the biz, I am not the best, but I am having fun and saving money! : )


This week has been one of building relationships. Not new relationships, but continuing to grow those that I already have in place. I have taken my evenings to spend time with some of those that I love and care about, some that I hope is the start of spending more time with them. There is something about relationships that demands priority, and I plan to keep my priorities in line.


I am super excited about the rest of this weekend - celebrating grandpa's 80th birthday today, preaching tomorrow evening, and relaxing and spending some quality time with people that I love on Monday at the lake!!

I hope to have some great stories for you next week!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA!!! (ok, so he will never read this, but it's the thought that counts!)

Stuck in the middle.

Your first thought when you read the title of this blog was either (a) "Squeezed in the middle, smack dab in the middle" (and now you want a choc chip cookie .. you're welcome.) or (b) She is in the middle of a fight between two people she knows. However, it is neither of those.

{Disclaimer: I should probably never assume any one else in the entire world thinks like I do, LOL}

I feel as though I am stuck in the middle of two stages in life: ~The single, college student, or recent college graduate~ and ~the married, career woman and/or mother~

This is unsettling in many aspects, but there is one semi-major aspect that it seems to be affecting tremendously: Friendships.

Who else in the entire world understands where I am at? The answer is probably my sisters. And I am so thankful for them, but I also need to have other friendships, to go along with the awesome relationships I have with S and T. But other than my sisters, my friends are either: (a) in a serious dating relationship (b) married (c) still in college. I firmly believe that it is possible to have great relationships with all of my friends, no matter what stages in life we are in. However, there is a limit to these relationships.

Here are some of the issues:
-I don't fully connect with anyone. There are times when I do, but I always seem to hit a wall.
-Immaturity. Sometimes our goals and desires for life are just different.
-Being a third wheel.
-Schedule conflicts.
-General conflict of interests.


You know? This is the part where I offer some great wisdom about how to deal with the issue I just wrote about, or how I am growing because of it. But I just haven't reached that point. I am in conflict, and I don't know what to do or where to go, or who to confide in.

All I know, is that being in the middle hurts.

Fine. Arts. 2010.

Just a few of my fav pics that I took at IL FA2010 .... : )