"In Other Words" - Tuesday's at CWO

Please pardon the LONG introduction but I like to get a GOOD grip on the definitions of certain words in the weekly quotes.

a•ban•don [uh-ban-duh n]
–verb (used with object)
1. To leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert: to abandon one's farm; to abandon a child; to abandon a sinking ship.
2. To give up; discontinue; withdraw from: to abandon a research project; to abandon hopes for a stage career.
3. To give up the control of: to abandon a city to an enemy army.
4. To yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control: to abandon oneself to grief.
5. Law. To cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.
6. Insurance. To relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.
7. Obsolete. To banish.
—Related forms
a•ban•don•a•ble, adjective
a•ban•don•er, noun
a•ban•don•ment, noun
—Synonyms 1. See DESERT2. 2. ABANDON, RELINQUISH, RENOUNCE mean to give up all concern in something. ABANDON means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon one's efforts. RELINQUISH implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinquish a long-cherished desire. RENOUNCE implies making (and perhaps formally stating) a voluntary decision to give something up: to renounce worldly pleasures. 3. yield, surrender, resign, waive, abdicate.
—Antonyms 1. keep. 2. continue; begin, start. 3. retain.

in•formed [in-fawrmd]
–adjective
1. having or prepared with information or knowledge; apprised: an informed audience that asked intelligent questions.
–verb
2. To impart information to; make aware of something: We were informed by mail of the change in plans. The nurse informed me that visiting hours were over.
3. To acquaint (oneself) with knowledge of a subject.
4. To give form or character to; imbue with a quality or an essence: "A society's strength is measured by . . . its ability to inform a future generation with its moral standards" (Vanity Fair).
5. To be a pervasive presence in; animate: "It is this brash, backroom sensibility that informs his work as a novelist" (Jeff Shear).
6. To form (the mind or character) by teaching or training.

chic [sheek]
adjective, -er, -est.
1. Attractive and fashionable; stylish: a chic hat.
2. Conforming to the current fashion; stylish: chic clothes; a chic boutique.
3. Adopting or setting current fashions and styles; sophisticated: chic, well-dressed young executives. See Synonyms at fashionable.
–noun
4. Style and elegance, esp. in dress: Paris clothes have such chic.
5. Stylishness; modishness: the chic of the firstnighters.
—Related forms
chicly, adverb
chicness, noun
—Synonyms 1. smart, elegant, modish.
—Pronunciation note The spelling pronunciation is considered nonstandard except when used facetiously.

show [shoh]
verb, showed, shown or showed, show•ing, noun
–verb (used with object)
1. To cause or allow to be seen; exhibit; display.
2. To present or perform as a public entertainment or spectacle: to show a movie.
3. To indicate; point out: to show the way.
4. To guide, escort, or usher: He showed me to my room. Show her in.
5. To explain or make clear; make known: He showed what he meant.
6. To make known to; inform, instruct, or prove to: I'll show you what I mean.
7. To prove; demonstrate: His experiment showed the falsity of the theory.
8. To indicate, register, or mark: The thermometer showed 10 below zero.
9. To exhibit or offer for sale: to show a house.
10. To allege, as in a legal document; plead, as a reason or cause.
11. To produce, as facts in an affidavit or at a hearing.
12. To express or make evident by appearance, behavior, speech, etc.: to show one's feelings.
13. To accord or grant (favor, kindness, etc.): He showed mercy in his decision.
–verb (used without object)
14. To be seen; be or become visible: Does my slip show?
15. To be seen in a certain way: to show to advantage.
16. To put on an exhibition or performance; display one's goods or products: Several dress designers are showing in New York now.
17. Informal. To be present or keep an appointment; show up: He said he would be there, but he didn't show.
18. To finish third in a horse race, harness race, etc.
–noun
19. A theatrical production, performance, or company.
20. A radio or television program.
21. A motion picture.
22. An exposition for dealers or the public of products by various manufacturers in a particular industry, usually held in an exhibition hall, convention facility, or the like: the annual boat show.
23. Any kind of public exhibition or exposition: a show of Renoirs.
24. Ostentatious display: nothing but mere show.
25. A display, exhibition, or demonstration: a true show of freedom.
26. An indication; trace: He frowned on the slightest show of emotion.
27. The position of the competitor who comes in third in a horse race, harness race, etc. Compare PLACE (def. 27b), WIN1 (def. 16).
28. Appearance; impression: to make a sorry show.
29. A sight or spectacle.
30. An unreal or deceptive appearance: The actress's tears had the show of grief.
31. An act or instance of showing.
32. A motion-picture theater.
33. Informal. A chance: to get a fair show.
34. Chiefly British Informal. Any undertaking, group of persons, event, etc.; affair; thing.
—Verb phrases
35. show off,
a. To display ostentatiously: The parade was designed to show off all the latest weapons of war.
b. To seek to gain attention by displaying prominently one's abilities or accomplishments.
36. show up,
a. To make known, as faults; expose; reveal.
b. To exhibit in a certain way; appear: White shows up well against a blue background.
c. To come to or arrive at a place: We waited for two hours, but he didn't show up.
d. To make (another) seem inferior; outdo.
—Idioms
37. make a show of, To be ostentatious about; affect: Whenever there are visitors, the bosses make a show of being nice to their employees.
38. run the show, To control a business, situation, etc.; be in charge: My father runs the show in our house.
39. steal the show,
a. To usurp the credit or get the applause for something: That woman can act, but the child stole the show. He did all the work, but his partner stole the show.
b. To be the most pleasing or spectacular item or person in a group.
40. stop the show, To win such enthusiastic applause that a theatrical performance is temporarily interrupted.
—Related forms
show•a•ble, adjective
showless, adjective
—Synonyms 4. lead, conduct. 5. interpret, clarify, elucidate; reveal, disclose, divulge. 10. assert, affirm. 13. bestow, confer. 23. spectacle. 24, 25. SHOW, DISPLAY, OSTENTATION, POMP suggest the presentation of a more or less elaborate, often pretentious, appearance for the public to see. SHOW often indicates an external appearance that may or may not accord with actual facts: a show of modesty. DISPLAY applies to an intentionally conspicuous show: a great display of wealth. OSTENTATION is vain, ambitious, pretentious, or offensive display: tasteless and vulgar ostentation. POMP suggests such a show of dignity and authority as characterizes a ceremony of state: The coronation was carried out with pomp and ceremonial. 30. deception, pretense, simulation, illusion.
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How many churches today are little more than Hollywood productions, especially the MEGA-churches? How many of the worship music portions seem now like they are out of some kind of music video?

Sadly, it seems like so many mainstream churches today feel like they have to "entertain" in order to have people attend. It seems to be all about the numbers. How many people can we get in this week?

I recall an article I read a few months ago where one pastor used to be "all about the numbers" because it was "the thing" to do. He was on a daily diet of books and videos centered around the latest church fads and trends that focused on church growth. He was on the cutting edge of ministry thinking, learning more and more about marketing and the psychology of connecting people and he believed that numbers equaled success, even if that meant changing the name of the church, offering self-help programs, or implementing any other sort of method he thought would help to boost the numbers.

It seems today in the mainstream church that the more successful you are in "hitting your numbers", meaning the number of people that are sitting in the seats, the greater your measure of success. Now, more than ever before, there are numerous books that place emphasis on the subject of church growth and there seems to be a greater desire to be a mega church. This desire then facilitates the thought pattern of, "If I grow the church, I’m doing more for God than the next guy."

Pastors around the world have come to believe that church growth equals success. Thousands have attended conference after conference, read book after book, and are even listening to audio messages regarding church growth. Just like the professional athlete on steroids, pastors have been caught taking Church Growth Hormones for growth’s sake. Many have seen the fast, "successful" results and have signed on, thus endorsing this dangerous pill. They have improved their performances on Sundays and Wednesdays to attract people. The Church Growth Hormone contains some very ugly ingredients. Let’s take a look.

The ingredients are as follows: man-centered theology (instead of the Triune God-centered), relevant messages that solve people’s problems by meeting their needs, events and programs that reach out to the community, and music that is contemporary and entertaining (take into account the new perversion of the U2Eucharist – yes, that is what it is called – songs from the band U2, replacing traditional hymns in churches). For best results, remove pews, dress casual, and install a 5000 lumen projector, provide New Age/Eastern philosophy in the form of "Christian Yoga" by trying to tell people that it is a "healthy way" to exercise, but neglecting to tell them that you really can not take the Eastern Mysticism out of the original intent of Yoga by calling it "Christian". If taken weekly and if you follow a regimented marketing strategy, you are guaranteed growth. The side effects may include unbelievers in leadership, false converts, uncommitted members, and shallow minds.

The sad thing is that on our own, there is no way that we could see the damaging effects of what we are participating in. To top it off, many pastors are encouraged in this sin by many people. If anyone asks how the church is doing, what they really want to know is what the attendance numbers are, not how God is working or what He is doing in the congregation. Many pastor's and congregant's world view has become filled with garbage and they are blinded. Their flesh is in constant need to be validated, which is coming directly from numbers and growth instead of how God is moving. In this way, it has become all about "me" (them). When we take "me" out of the equation, our sight starts to become clearer. The Word has to become our number one reference for all things.

Do you know that in many "mega churches" and mainstream churches, they no longer teach from the Word of God? The Bible has become "too divisive" to preach from anymore and something in there might "offend" someone. Pastors have started preaching for the seekers instead of the saved when it should be the other way around, and congregants looking for an "easy" theology of watered-down Christianity flock in droves to these churches. They don't want to hear about sin and repentance, they want to hear about Grace as the bandaid that heals all – the ability to sin without Godly consequences. They want a loving, benevolent God who turns a blind eye to our sin.

Anyway, after some study that had been done by this pastor, he actually began to be discerning. Those many books that he owned went right into the trash and he learned how to inductively study the Bible. When it came down to it, Jesus basically rewrote the hard drive of his mind. Steering away from a numbers-driven thought process, growing the church was no longer his focus, instead it became about training the believer.

If we get rid of the smoke and mirrors we will see Him clearly instead of a distorted image. If we get rid of the disrespect that is shown for God by wanting to be "all inclusive" and "politically correct" by no longer teaching from His Word, if we get BACK to the basics of worship and INCLUDE the Bible once more, when we learn to listen and apply ourselves to study of the Word and time spent in prayer with Him, when we worship from our heart to praise God alone instead of worshiping to impress and draw others, then yes, He will show Himself to us in ways that will be beyond any imagining and He will draw us near to Him and we will truly then be able to see Him as He is.

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." – Proverbs 16:25

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Yes we have no hot water todaaaaay...and the Friday Feast

Boy howdy, has it been an interesting time at our house. They are building out a field close to the house and hit a gas main, the gas rushing out was so large of an amount that it sounded like a jet engine. The main road right next to our neighborhood was shut down and all traffic was being re-directed by emergency vehicles through our neighborhood. We had fire engines parked directly across the street from the house and up until probably 11:30 last night, emergency workers were ringing the bell to let us know that they were going into our back yard. Our backyard is the largest in the neighborhood; therefore it has the telephone and cable boxes in it and the most accessible gas meter. They had to switch out our regular meter with one of their "special" meters that monitored the main directly.

Let me tell you something...all of our heating is gas powered. Water, stove, furnace. Needless to say there was no heat for hot water. We were able to use what was left in the tank, but once that was gone, oh, so sorry, freezing cold showers for you! Thankfully there is no shortage of food joints around the house and we have a microwave. Also a good thing is that it was not really cold last night either. It was in the mid-50's so quilts were just fine!

There is no eta as to when it will be fixed. Of course there isn't. SIGH! The house and garage reek of gas, or really the chemical they put in gas so that people know when there is a leak. We were assured that it is NOT leaking, just a smelly after effect of the major leak before they could cap it.

So, on that wonderful note...here is the Friday Feast for today.

Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?
I have a scar on my left foot directly under my 4th toe. When I was at a summer camp between 4th and 5th grade, I was in the art area. They had a fridge that held gallon size glass containers of water to drink and we were not allowed to touch them. Well, one girl figured she would do it anyway and took it out, but b/c of the heat and humidity, condensation formed very quickly and the glass jar fell from her hands and hit the concrete floor. Unknown to me a piece of the glass flew and sliced my foot wide open. I didn't feel it and I didn't even know anything was wrong until the kids started gasping and pointing and one of the counselors started making a fuss. I looked down and blood was just flowing freely – well, gushing with every step I took. I looked back on the floor and there were little puddles of blood everywhere I had stepped. I decided that I needed to call my mom so I blithely headed out the door – still no pain though now I was aware of the warm, sticky blood covering my foot with every step I took on it. I tried walking down the hill to the office but one of the counselors came and got me and carried me back, under my protestations, I might add. It wasn't until I was told on the way to the emergency center that I would have to have stitches that the pain finally came rushing in and it HIT with a vengeance. The absolute WORST part was getting the shot to numb the are DIRECTLY into the raw skin of the cut. I am a needle-phobe and the thought of a needle coming near me was more horrifying to me than the extent of the injury itself. The doctor told me that if the cut had gone even a millimeter deeper it would have severed several tendons in my foot and I would have had to have surgery to repair the damage, not to mention physical therapy. Yeah, doc. Great bedside manner there, scaring the cr@p out of a kid.

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?
My daughter. Really she is a miracle in more than just the usual way. When I got pregnant I had been on birth control for 10 years, had not skipped any, had not been sick and taken antibiotics, absolutely nothing to make it fail. After she was born I went through several tests and found out that I have a big hormonal imbalance that I'd had since high school that makes it incredibly difficult to get pregnant since instead of ovulating regularly, I only do it about 3-4 times a year. So that, couple with the birth control, the doctors and nurses themselves called Emily a miracle child. She truly is my most wonderful miracle!

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.
I think probably Nancy Grace. I know she used to be a prosecutor and she had a 100% win record but the way she conducts interviews with some people really gets on my VERY last nerve.

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?
I can't think of one. Nothing comes to mind anyway, though if it does I will revise my answer here.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______.
I have always thought racism was disgusting and something that only those who were truly ignorant did AND I have always thought being politically correct for every stinking thing was stupid and a way to run our society into the ground in order to "appease" everyone's sensitivities. When I was young my best friend was a black girl who lived in the house across from me and my mom still remembers to this day when I was four and she was six or seven taking us to Dunkin' Donuts and some rednecks in there staring at us and one of them spitting and saying something ignorant and stupid about how he thought that "Them damn n-----s ought to learn their place and stop trying to mix with the white folk." Oh my mom was absolutely livid but she was not about to cause a scene in front of us. She was, after all, a woman with two small children with her and they were at least 4-5 large redneck country bums. She always taught me that it's not the color of the skin on the outside, but who they are inside that matters and that's the same thing I teach to my daughter. Racism just plain sucks.

I got some great questions that I will be answering sometime this weekend. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Ask Nic this week! Come back and check out the answers.

HDQ/Ask Nic

It's back after many, many weeks of haiatus.

It's a wacky Wednesday - Ash Wednesday, the day after Fat Tuesday - AKA Mardi Gras. I'm sure there are a lot of hurting people this morning. Me, the last two nights I've been up most of the time from about 1:30 on b/c Em is sick - again.

So AI last night, was disappointed. I LOVE AI - AKA American Idol. That show and Grey's Anatomy are like an addiction for me. The guys, with the exception of two didn't stand out and was actually bland. I had high hopes for many of the guys but found myself finding them lackluster. I was impressed by Sundance in his original audition - not so much during Hollywood or now. The two early contenders for the men IMO: Blake Lewis and Phil Stacey - both of them knocked it out of the park. Runners up: Chris Sligh and Chris Richardson.

Ok so my HDQ of the week:
What TV show can you absolutely NOT miss, even if it is one you watch online afterward?

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Would you like to participate in the AskNic question session? Well here's your chance:

This is the place where you can ask me anything that is on your mind about me, something you have wanted to know or were just curious about in general. You can ask about my experiences in life and love and parenting, my beliefs, etc... Be creative, be fun, be introspective, but please be clean - this is a family style blog after all! You can post the questions in the comments section or email me your question directly to asknic@gmail.com.

I will be posting the questions and their responses soon so check back within the next week for them.

One is the loneliest number

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one

No is the saddest experience you'll ever know
Yes, it's the saddest experience you'll ever know
`Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
One is the loneliest number, worse than two

Why is this time of the year harder than any other for me? That's easy, this is the time of the year made for couples, spouses, lovers. It's the time of year that gets rubbed in the faces of the single people out there who want to be in a relationship and find themselves alone.

It would be so easy for me to do what I see a lot of single moms doing here in Austin. Now, this is not a slight against all single moms b/c I know that there are single mothers out there like me who put their children first, however... I see a lot of single moms out there who make bad choices b/c they don't want to be lonely. They hook up with the wrong person, they go out and party all the time, their bedroom door might as well be a revolving one and they don't care how it affects their children.

It would be so easy for me to date because I hate being alone. I really, really dislike sitting and watching movies by myself after Em has gone to bed on the weekend. I really want someone there at the end of a tough day to hold and let the tension ease out just by being able to cuddle for a few minutes in silence. I miss flirting, I miss holding hands, I miss the affection, the anticipation of seeing someone, the kisses, the hugs... Sometimes it feels almost like an obsession to me, the wanting someone there. But, even with all that I feel about this, I willingly choose to be alone.

Why?

I want to show my daughter that it is better to be alone than to choose the wrong person just because you're lonely. That decision has been the cause of a lot of heartaches, a lot of headaches and a lot of problems for many people – just because they couldn't control themselves or their libido.

For so much of my life I went with the wrong people, the wrong choices, the wrong path b/c back then it was easier for me to just give in to my wants, my desires, my needs, instead of waiting for God to give me the one that He has in mind for me. There are so many things that I've done wrong in my life that I knew were wrong and now I want to do the right thing.

Many of you who read me know that last year I was dating a truly wonderful guy who was stationed in Iraq. After some things happened in my life that led to some personal realizations, one of which that I still had some baggage to deal with and he deserved better than that, I also came to realize that I was not ready for a relationship with someone who was so far away. I also came to the realization that while I like laid back, I need someone who is more driven than me – to compliment my personality – I need someone to push me and in turn I can help them to take time to relax.

At first it didn't really bother me that Dan had been in for 10 and wanted to get his 20 and made no bones about it (for those of you who know nothing about military life "getting 20" means that they are in for 20 years at which time they can retire and have full insurance paid for the rest of their life and ½ salary every month for the rest of their life – even though they are no longer active military). I thought about it for a long time and understood finally that I was not ready, nor was I willing to spend the next 10 years of my and Emily's life on a succession of spending every other year with him and then seeing him 2 weeks a year on the every other year he is deployed – as tends to happen on average to those in the National Guard. As it was, we met online at the end of June, were together during his leave for a total of about 6 ½ days and he recently got extended for another 125 days. It would have been a year or more from the last time I saw him before I saw him again and a relationship I am involved in must have proximity.

I don't mind long distance, I've done long distance – more than once, but I would like to see the person at least once a month or once every 6 weeks or so. 6 ½ days in 12 months doesn't cut it for me. You can get to know someone online, but it's not until you actually spend time with them that you find out whether or not they are who they say they are and if you are even a fit. I am at the point in my life where I want to find that out from the beginning instead of waiting 2–3 years or more to figure it out.

I have a tendency to jump in with both feet from the start and in so many ways Dan was such a great catch, but as I have replayed some of the discussions/times together, I began to understand that there was someone out there for him that was better for him than I was and I wanted him to find her. More than anything I wish him love, happiness and success in life. He deserves all of that and more. He is a phenomenal person and one I can't say enough good things about. If he ever needed my help for anything all he would have to do is ask. He is that kind of good guy.

Another thing is that I had asked God for one specific thing so that I would know that this was the person for me. It was something that would materialize in conversation – of which we had plenty of and it could have come up at almost any time but it never did and I was not going to "lead" him into that direction b/c it would have been false on my part. I don't know if any of this makes any sense, but then again I'm writing more for myself right now.

Bottom line is, I yearn for a relationship, but I am not going to jump into one b/c I'm lonely or can't "control" myself. I know myself well enough to know that I can't get involved with anyone without my heart getting involved as well. That's just how God made me. I don't want anymore heartbreak on anyone's side I don't want to make the same mistakes now that I made in the past. That's what growing up and maturing is – learning from your mistakes to make you a stronger and better person.

I want to give Emily the best example that I can of someone who is following God's will and waiting on God's timing for her life instead of jumping from one failed relationship to another or getting stuck in the wrong one b/c I was so desperate for one. The best example I can give Emily is how I live my life – is it for myself or is it for God and for her? So until God brings that person along in my life, I will focus on being the best example in my life that I can be for my daughter so that one day she too will make the right choices in her life that honor God and her future spouse instead of the wrong ones that do nothing but cause hurt and harm. That doesn't mean I will sit back and be complacent, rather, I will be on the look out and meet people b/c one of the people I meet will be that someone that God has in mind, not just for me, but to be part of Emily's life as well.

Psalms 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Friday's Feast

Ugh, so I had to wipe my entire computer and reload everything. Backing up the files was a PITA because I have so much stuff on my computer. I'm STILL trying to re-load everything. SIGH! My computer started getting wonky and even with antivirus protection I think something got to it b/c even the system restore would no longer work.

On a plus, I'm going to my first crawfish boil tonight. There's a little restaurant in Drippin' (Dripping Springs) where the owner was forced out of NOLA from Katrina and he settled in a small town just outside of Austin. Apparently he had a restauraun in NOLA. My divorce lawyer (who had become good friends of the family) has invited my mom, Emily and myself out there with his family tonight to the first crawfish boil out there. I've never had crawfish so this is going to be an experience. I'll take pictures if I can remember.

Happy freezing Friday - It's cold outside.

Appetizer
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?
Silence b/c the telemarketers have fallen off the face of the earth. Kid you not, I come home and have at least 20 calls during the day from them on my caller ID.

Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).
Bright and Sunny

Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?
I can't even choose that one. I have so much knowledge about so many things with current/past events, political, history and the creative arts. I can't pick just one. I am a well rounded person and usually never lack for conversation on any topic.

Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?
Anything that has to do with playing the stock market, first aid/survival skills, the Omega Letter (website I am part of), the Bible among many other things. Since I'm a speed reader, chances are I'd be able to get a good chunk of it in too.

Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?
The perfect candy confection has already been made - it's called cotton candy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer - Have you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with?
Yes. I had bronchopneumonia before and over Christmas and I caught acute bronchitis about a month ago (3 weeks after having finished the antibiotics for the pneumonia) and am still fighting that as I write this. It takes a long time to get all the crud out.

Soup - What colors dominate your closet?
I don't have a "main" color" in my closet. I have everything from black to white in my closet. Thought I suppose that I do have more clothes with white in them.

Salad - How would you describe your personal "comfort zone"?
It depends on who is trying to get in my comfort zone. If it's someone that I am interested in – up close and personal, in fact, the closer the better. If it is someone that I am friends with, close is good. If it is someone that bothers me in some way, or that I don't know very well and am not interested in, there HAS GOT to be some space there b/c if they try and get in my personally defined comfort zone I'm going to end up getting rude and I don't like to be rude.

Main Course - On which reality show would you really like to be a contestant?
Reality show...well, as far as reality shows go, AI (American Idol) is probably the least damaging. You get criticized most from Simon, big deal – he's usually right on the money anyway, though he could be less snarky about it sometimes. There's no eating bugs or unknown things, there's no taking physical risk to life and limb, you don't get berated up one side and down the other like in a lot of the other shows and it's relatively drama free. Plus, I like to sing.

Dessert - Which holiday would you consider to be your favorite?
It depends. I enjoy July 4th because it is the celebration of our country's Independence. (And the day before my birthday). I love Christmas b/c of the festivities and the focus on family and the birth of Christ. Easter is another wonderful holiday because it is the celebration of the death and resurrection of our Savior – without that we would have no Hope for this existence we call life.

In "Other" Words - Tuesdays at CWO

wor•ship [wur-ship] noun, verb, -shiped, -ship•ing or (especially British ) -shipped, -ship•ping.
–noun
1. reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
2. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.
3. adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.
4. the object of adoring reverence or regard.
5. (initial capital letter ) British. a title of honor used in addressing or mentioning certain magistrates and others of high rank or station (usually prec. by Your, His, or Her).
–verb (used with object)
6. to render religious reverence and homage to.
7. to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).
–verb (used without object)
8. to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.
9. to attend services of divine worship.
10. to feel an adoring reverence or regard.

cloud [kloud]
–noun
1. a visible collection of particles of water or ice suspended in the air, usually at an elevation above the earth's surface.
2. any similar mass, esp. of smoke or dust.
3. a dim or obscure area in something otherwise clear or transparent.
4. a patch or spot differing in color from the surrounding surface.
5. anything that obscures or darkens something, or causes gloom, trouble, suspicion, disgrace, etc.
6. a great number of insects, birds, etc., flying together: a cloud of locusts obscuring the sun.
–verb (used with object)
7. to overspread or cover with, or as with, a cloud or clouds: The smoke from the fire clouded the sun from view.
8. to overshadow; obscure; darken: The hardships of war cloud his childhood memories.
9. to make gloomy.
10. (of distress, anxiety, etc.) to reveal itself in (a part of one's face): Worry clouded his brow.
11. to make obscure or indistinct; confuse: Don't cloud the issue with unnecessary details.
12. to place under suspicion, disgrace, etc.
13. to variegate with patches of another color.
–verb (used without object)
14. to grow cloudy; become clouded.
15. (of a part of one's face) to reveal one's distress, anxiety, etc.: His brow clouded with anger.
—Idioms
16. in the clouds,
a. in a condition of absent-mindedness; lost in reverie.
b. impractical: Their schemes are usually up in the clouds.
17. on a cloud, Informal. exceedingly happy; in high spirits: On the night of the prom the seniors were on a cloud.
18. under a cloud, in disgrace; under suspicion: After going bankrupt he left town under a cloud.

—Related forms
cloudlike, adjective

—Synonyms vapor, swarm, horde, multitude, throng, host, crowd, army, CLOUD, FOG, HAZE, MIST differ somewhat in their figurative uses. CLOUD connotes esp. daydreaming: His mind is in the clouds. FOG and HAZE connote esp. bewilderment or confusion: to go around in a fog (haze). MIST has an emotional connotation and suggests tears: a mist in one's eyes, muddle, distort.

I am so glad that Iris chose this quote for those who participate in the Christian Women Online IOW meme to meditate on. I can identify with that quote so readily right now.

I so long to just be able to sit at the feet of Jesus, ready to absorb His teachings and love him with the unfettered, uncluttered, uninhibited, truly pure and innocent way of a child. In a normal world, children know nothing of guile or malice or the day to day problems that we, as adults, face. They celebrate with unrestrained jubilation. Their world is full of laughter, and enjoyment and love. Uncomplicated and unmarred by stress or doubt. How I long to be able to just go to Him without all the cares that weigh upon me, that drag me down, that keep me stressed lately.

Instead I find myself curled at His feet, with a torn heart full of sadness and sometimes despair, full of worry, doubt, depression and disappointment. Even when I start out with the best of intentions to just go into His presence with joy, how quickly the cares of this world seem to crowd in and cast their shadow on what should be a beautiful worship experience. Instead of my thoughts and my being focusing on the fellowship that should be created between my Savior and myself, I find myself asking Him questions about why certain things in my life are happening, why I find myself so frustrated by certain events – or non-events as it so happens. Sometimes I find myself coming away with no answers at all, which only serves to further frustrate me.

And really, it's not the worries and cares so much that are the issue, it is, well to be honest, my frustration and disappointment with God's timing. I don't like waiting, I don't understand God's timing at this point in my life and while I try to be patient and wait for His answer, admittedly it's very hard right now. I'm not struggling with my faith – that isn't the problem. My faith is probably stronger than it's ever been really. It's the waiting that I'm struggling with. Like a child waiting for their birthday or Christmas, it's the impatience that I am having a problem with. But there is an issue currently in my life that, as more time goes by without an answer or solution to the situation, the more I seem to focus on it instead of on Him. It's a secular human trait and I find myself being more human than I'd like to be lately.

I should really take to heart the song that my daughter sings. My life would be a lot more stress-free if I did, and then maybe I can finally come to Him with that pure and true love, without expectations, without those shadows.

I cast all my cares upon You
I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet
And anytime I don't know wha-at to do
I will cast all my cares upon You

Really, it is the trick of Satan to try and use our every day worries to keep us from a true worship and fellowship with our Creator. He is the lion prowling and waiting to devour those who are not vigilant and alert to his schemes. You can not think on your worries and fully be brought into the presence of God.

We can become weary when waiting on God to give us the desires of our heart and because we don't feel that He is meeting our human expectations. God has promised us peace and perfect rest for those who abide in Him. He has promised to carry our burdens, but we have to lay them down first and give them over to Him. As a friend of mind wrote to me last month – there is no better porter to carry our baggage than Jesus. Sometimes we get so weary from the burdens we carry that all we can do is fall at His feet and let Him lift us up into His lap and cradle us like a small child. It is then that we become totally dependant on Him, and that is what He has wanted of us all along.

We should bring our cares, our worries, our hurts, our disappointments to Him and let Him take care of them in HIS timing instead of trying to make things happen in OUR timing. God's timing is neither early nor late. God's timing is perfect and He has His reasons for the delays in our life. But sometimes I just wish He would hurry up a little and I know that is the human part of me talking. And as a human I am prone to bad calls, errors, second-guesses and self-doubts. God has never had any of those. God is and always will be perfect. He will always be the keeper of our hearts, the bringer of our desires and the fulfiller of our dreams when we just let go and trust Him.

Easier said than done sometimes, but I think I'm getting there. That's why I love doing these writing exercises with my other Sisters of Faith. Many times I go into writing on the quote with questions in my heart and I come out with the answers I was looking for when I am done or at least find myself on a better path of understanding God's will and what He is trying to teach me.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

1 Peter 5:6-8 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Super Bowl Spots

Ok, for me the best part of the Super Bowl each year are the commercials. Some of them were pretty good, some were pretty lame, some I didn't care for at all (GoDaddy).

The game itself was pretty good, though I was highly disappointed that Cedric Benson had that game ending injury. He could have made a difference for Da Bears. Cedric is a former UT Longhorn so he has a special little spot in my cheering because of that.

I have to show y'all the BEST commercial of the night - IMO. This one was just absolutely hilarious! There were other really good ones but this was the one that caught my attention the most. The code is from MySpace so I hope that it shows up.

Click a mouse



BTW, If you want to see any other Super Bowl ads you may have missed, you can see them at MySpace SuperShots. They have downloaded all the non-network ads there for your viewing enjoyment.

What was your favorite ad?

Friday's Feast

It's been a while since I've doe one of these so I figured I'd do one this morning.

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?
Girbaud jeans were HUGE in the late 80's.

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.
I have the unfortunate lot that when people first meet me they think that I don't have the ability to be "intellectual" and that I'm a flighty social butterfly, when in reality I'm highly intelligent with an extremely high IQ and prefer backyard, barefoot BBQ's with family and friends to large social gatherings with strangers anyday.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?
It depends on what it is. Huge projects I run about a 9/10 all the time. Washing dishes, more like a 3.

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?
Hmmmm, I don't really own that much of value so I'm not sure what it would be.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I love to ________ when it is _________.
I love to grill in the backyard when it is not raining.
I love to camp when it is cooler weather.
I love to curl up under the covers and watch movies when it is cold outside.