I just have to put it out there... if anyone really knew me... the real me... they would not be my friend. One of my very best friends just got back from going overseas for a few weeks doing missions work and his attitude on returning has thrown the coldness and self-centeredness of my own heart into sharp relief. I am SOOOOO far from being the man God wants me to be. I don't pray nearly enough. My quiet times have been dull and burdensome to me for most of this summer and although I pray for strength, I can't quite bring myself to really strive to abide in Christ. If most of the Christians I know were like this guy I would seriously, seriously question my salvation. I sometimes struggle with depression. Not to the degree that my mom struggled with it but it often yanks me back from the heated pursuit which God asks me to make for Him. It's a burden and a pain and I no longer know what to do about it. Prayer just doesn't seem to work in this case.

Anyway, I know drawing comparisons is wrong and it only leads either to discouragment or pride but I'm so accustomed to thinking of my faith in terms of how other people will react to me and what impression I will leave with those who meet me. I'm tired of all this shallow BS though. I wish more than anything that I could get my pharasaical tendencies uprooted from their position in my life. I freaking hate constantly worrying about my public image and how other people will conceive of me and wanting to let them know how "holy" or "intellectual" or "reflective" I am. I need so much help from God.

I'd forgotten about poetry...

I'm sure that
If we wrote poems
About everything
We would be
Happier people.

__________________________

It is so delightful
To write a poem
And know it doesn't have to
Rhyme.

__________________________

Sometimes God
Makes us forget
Wonderful things
When we are happy
So He can remind us
Of them
When we
Are
Sad.

__________________________

Sometimes
I just want to
Write
But I have nothing
To
Write about
And so I
End up writing things
Like this
Because even
Nothingness
Is made more beautiful
In verse.

__________________________

Something about
High school
Still calls out to me.
The long
Stone
Echoing
Hallways and
The mindset
Of a
Teenager
And the simplicity
Of life
Even when
It was painful
And barbaric
Appeals to me
Now
That I've
Finished college
And wander
Through long
Echoing
Streets and
Possess the
Mindset
Of a man
Who's lost
The climax of
His life
Without realizing
That that was
What it was.

__________________________

There's a girl
That I work with
Who always looks
As though her life
Is caving in
On top of her.
I sometimes want
To just look her
In the eye
And tell her
That someone really cares.
But I don't
And I justify it
To myself
By saying that
I'm on the clock
And should be
Doing work.
The real reason
That I don't
Is because I'm
Afraid
She'd think
I am a weirdo.

Don't Forget Christ

Read all the books you want
But don't forget Christ.
Listen to all the sermons you want
But don't forget Christ.
Sing all the hymns you want
But don't forget Christ.
Pray all the prayers you can
But don't forget Christ.
Study as much Scripture as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Meditate as much as you desire
But don't forget Christ.
Fellowship with as many believers as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Memorize as many verses as you can
But don't forget Christ.
Witness to as many sinners as you can
But don't forget Christ.
Preach as much truth as you can
But don't forget Christ.
Fast as much as you want
But don't forget Christ.

Eat as much cereal as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Spend as much time as you want on Facebook
But don't forget Christ.
Listen to as much music as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Clock as many hours as you can at work
But don't forget Christ.
Spend as much time with your family as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Go swimming as often as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Travel as much as you want
But don't forget Christ.

For without a strong foundation
The building will inevitably collapse.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." --Matthew 7:24-25

A Literary Dining Experience

So I've had this incredible idea bouncing around in my head for a while and I thought I'd finally document it on here. If I was any good at cooking or publicity I would totally make this brainchild a reality. Everyone loves food, right? And everyone loves entertainment too, right? And I'm pretty sure there are a LOT of people out there who like books too. So my idea combines all three. Imagine being able to go to a place where you are served a delicious, steaming hot meal by an actor portraying a famous literary character. For instance, I would personally find it delightful if I could order something called a "Bag End Burger" by none other than a sweet, little old hobbit named Bilbo. Or if my bus-boy was 15 years old, went by the name of Neville and he made sure I got my flagon of pumpkin juice just the way I want it. Or if I got an appetizer of Darcy's Deviled-Eggs and it was delivered by none other than a Ms. Elizabeth Bennett who proceeded to berate her future husband after I placed my order. Or how about a freshly made batch of Pip's Pancakes delivered by an eccentric old woman who went by the handle of Ms. Havisham? Well, I don't know about you but I would be unable to resist going to dine in such a fine establishment! Perhaps it's just that the scope of all literature would be too great to be handled by one restaurant and, inevitably, someone would be disappointed that we didn't have Raskolnikov's Ribs or Shakespeare's Shoulder Roast. Or perhaps it's because it would cost an arm and a leg to eat there (It's a highly innovative, personalized experience after all.) but I have a feeling this idea would not be a smashing success, especially with the economy the way it is. Nevertheless, I think someone should take it on. Perhaps we could shave it down from being themed around all of literature and choose a specific genre such as 18th century English or 19th century American or perhaps even shave it down to a single author. For instance, I'm sure it would be entirely possible to form a restaurant around Pride and Prejudice or The Lord of the Rings. Anyway, just thought I'd share this idea! :-) Any culinary arts or Coms majors feel like taking it on?

Anger!

A church down the road from where I'm living has had 2 grammatical/ orthographic errors in their marquee the past month. I need to share them here or I will go out of my head.

1. "We are proud to be an American!"
Makes it sound as though the entire congregation, when you take it together, forms one American. If they would have just gotten rid of the "an" they'd be fine! I'd half a mind to go and remove the "an" for them! But I managed to contain myself!

2. "Don't take freedom for grant it!"
>:-( Makes me angry to see the English language butchered so! It should be "granted" with an E and a D! It makes absolutely no sense the way they have it!

I guess this is what English teachers/ professors do with their retirement years. Go around changing signs for ignorant business owners. lol I promise I'm not losing my mind! :-)

Books I Have Read This Summer (Warning! Harry Potter spoilers for those who are unfamiliar with the series!)

Thought I would do a brief piece giving a very short review of the books I've read the past few months and what I thought of them. Warning! There are Harry Potter spoilers in this note!:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J. K. Rowling)
A gift from a very dear friend of mine, I went into this series not expecting too much. After all, if everyone everywhere is so wild about this series it must be pretty full of fluff without too much to think about. And it's written for 10 year olds so how deep could the series go? Getting into it, I felt rather silly because the language is very simple and I could tell it very much was written for 10 year olds. I did find the ending to be interesting though as I was honestly NOT expecting Quirrell to be the villain. This set up the tone and basic style for the first three books or so. Overall, I wasn't thoroughly taken aback with it but I was intrigued enough to get into the second book.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J. K. Rowling)
The story picked up, more or less, where the first one had left off and the tone was very similar. I was surprised when the chamber opened up and initially thought that Rowling had killed off the cat, Mrs. Norris. Struck even more when the same thing happened to Hermione. I didn't think Rowling would let that happen to a principle character. I was, of course, surprised again by the ending; couldn't believe it was Ginny. After this, I began noticing the pattern that Rowling loves to set up someone to look evil and then prove they're not and set someone else up to look good and then pull the rug out from under your proverbial feet. Fortunately, this did NOT spoil future books because, even when you knew Rowling was setting someone good up to look bad, you couldn't figure out HOW they could NOT be bad and you simply had to wait and see how she would vindicate their apparently heinous actions. On finishing this one, I was eager to get into the third!

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J. K. Rowling)
A great read. By this time, I had developed an attachment to the characters and, starting out, I hadn't even been introduced to some of the big names in the later books such as Sirius or Lupin. Thought the dementors were a great idea even if they had a distinct likeness to Ringwraiths from Tolkien's work. Lupin's full moon transformations came as a surprise but I had grown used to surprises from Rowling by this point and wasn't as taken aback as I might have been. Thought the Scabbers/Pettigrew link was astounding. This was the first time a revelation was made that shook up my understanding of the previous books in the series. Couldn't believe it. Thought the transformation of Sirius from mass murderer to godfather was brilliant. I could understand a transformation from a bad guy to a decent guy but a transformation from bad guy to a new father figure for Harry was unexpected to say the least. I could feel Harry's hope at being able to go and live with Sirius and the crushing disappointment at how things turned out acutely.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J. K. Rowling)
Cedric's death came as an absolute shock to me. As did Voldemort's return. First time I got genuinely upset at something that happened in the book. And I wasn't even aware that I'd developed an appreciation or connection with Cedric's character until he was struck down. I was even more astonished at how Fudge reacted to the news. I could understand panic or fear from him but absolute denial of what had happened came as a blow to me. Rowling managed to slip under my nose with "Moody" so I was extremely shocked when he was revealed as an imposter. Crouch's son's escape baffled me and I was left shaken up after that revelation. If I couldn't trust the Moody which Rowling developed I couldn't trust anyone in the series save the 3 main leads. Who would be exposed next? This book was the point at which I began to notice Neville Longbottom as being more than met the eye and he eventually turned into one of the 2 favorite characters I came away from the series with.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J. K. Rowling)
Four things that are extremely memorable from this volume:

• Luna Lovegood. Reading this one again right now. Luna is one of the most humorous, honest characters in the series. She is my other favorite next to Neville. She honestly doesn't really care what other people think of her which I absolutely love. Rowling's introduction, where she's reading the magazine upside down on the train is a brilliant intro to her character. You get a sense of who she is right from the very beginning.
• Harry's hearing at the Ministry of Magic was a source of apprehension for me. I could feel the churning of his stomach as he sat before the entire Wizengamut and the confidence he felt as Dumbledore came and sat down next to him.
• Umbridge was a source of extreme hatred to me in this novel. But I loved hating her. My blood would boil as I read her various "Educational Decrees" and the scenes where Harry was in detention with her made me want to throw the book across the room. I hated her more than I had ever hated Snape, Rita Skeeter, Malfoy or any of the slytherins. I wanted to see her suffer. I was happier than you can imagine at every attempt made by the students to enrage her or cause her any trouble at all. Fred and George became heroes to me in this book. I was unspeakably delighted when they flew off, passing the baton to Peeves who also garnered a great deal of respect from me. I was disappointed to find she had not died after her encounter with the centaurs in the forest.
• The battle at the ministry was very memorable but Sirius' death was quite a blow. The way he died just seemed so anticlimactic. His absence was acutely felt for the rest of the series and it made me hate Bellatrix LeStrange more than any of the other outright villains for the rest of the series.

6. Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince (J. K. Rowling)
Have to read this one again as I've forgotten some of the specifics that made it great. I thought Slughorn's character was interesting and the idea of retrieving a memory from him was really quite original. Broke my heart when Harry had to keep ladling the potion to Gandalf out on the island. Some part of me was expecting him to die right then and there, leaving Harry to get back to Hogwarts by himself. After they left I thought to myself that there's no way Rowling's going to kill off Dumbledore now. Not so soon after putting both characters within an inch of it. The climax back at the school was mind blowing but I had come to expect it from 6 full volumes of Snape being portrayed as scummy and up to no good. Rowling used Dumbledore's death to absolutely convince me once and for all beyond a shadow of a doubt that Snape was evil through and through. In my mind there was no way of redeeming him after that scene. Truly brilliant.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J. K. Rowling)
I'd heard the Harry Potter series described as epic but I couldn't quite catch the full view of it until this novel. It's true that it's not epic in the sense of Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit but it is epic literature in its own right. Harry not returning to Hogwarts tipped me off that this book would be like none of the other 6. It moved from the stone hallways and rules of Hogwarts to the wide world where you genuinely didn't know what to expect. Whether it was because of an extremely blue mood I was in or just the attachment I'd developed to Dobby the elf, his death was the hardest thing for me to take. I was by myself in my room and I was so glad I wasn't reading that section in a public place because I could not hold back the floodgates. If my roommate had walked in he would've thought my dad had died or something.

I knew Rowling would have to kill off some big characters if she wanted to make this book epic and that the twins were a prime target yet Fred's death was still a great pain to me. I did not expect Tonks or Lupin to die and was pretty taken aback by that. After finding out that the Moody from the fourth book was an imposter I felt like I never really got to know his character so his death didn't hit me quite as hard as Rowling was, perhaps, intending.

Nothing, however, not Dobby's death nor Sirius' nor Fred's nor the hatred I harbored for Dolores Umbridge nor anything else in the entire series was as absolutely jaw dropping as Rowling's vindication of Severus Snape. When I came to that section I put the book down and sat open mouthed for perhaps a minute or two. I didn't let any expletives fly but I was tempted to. I simply could not believe it. After almost 7 full books portraying Snape as questionable at best I could not stomach that he had been so completely loyal to Dumbledore's cause as to obey EVERY command that came out of the aged wizard's mouth. Just remembering this scene makes me want so very much to start that book again! After finishing this volume I had an immediate desire to start the series over again as the later books bring so much color and significance to the earlier ones. Overall, an absolutely brilliant masterpiece.

8. Truth for All Time (John Calvin)
A gift from a friend of mine, I found that it went over a lot of stuff I already knew but Calvin did bring a couple of insights to the 10 commandments that I hadn't considered before. It's a pretty brief book but I would recommend it for anyone who's interested in reformed theology.

9. Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
Another gift from the same friend, I found this one quite illuminating. The author explains two large pitfalls in the Christian life, one being a feverish pursuit of good works as the believer strives to "work out his own salvation with fear and trembling" and the other acknowledging that it is "God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Those of us who are reformed tend to lean much more closely to the latter view while Arminians lean toward the former. Both, however, are unhealthy, argues Foster. The pathway between these 2 pitfalls is to walk in the 12 disciplines detailed by Foster. These are the avenue by which God chooses to reveal Himself to our hearts. And by beholding the glory of God, as my life verse says, we are transformed to His likeness. I found this book very helpful as it detailed practical exercises the believer could do to begin placing these disciplines in his or her life. Being thoroughly impractical and theoretical in my thinking, this is something that comes as a great aid to my spiritual walk.

10. Carrie (Stephen King)
I started this novel just cause I'd heard of it before. I knew it was a story about some misfit girl who had telekinetic powers and used them at her prom to gain vengeance on her classmates but I knew no other details. This was the first full book I'd read by Stephen King. It was considerably darker and had a great deal more disturbing material in it than I was expecting but I found the writing style and content fascinating. That's the only reason I finished it. Do I regret having read it? In some ways, yes; in other ways, no. On one hand, there were a lot of images in that book that I did not need to be putting into my mind. Much more sexual content and violent images than I was thinking would be in there. On the other hand, this book exposed me to a writing style I had never read before and enabled me to come away with a greater understanding of the craft and art of writing in the secular arena.

11. Christine (Stephen King)
Started this second novel figuring there might be enough Stephen King composition left to redeem itself by bringing some deeper insight than Carrie had brought. I was wrong. This was the book that showed me I needed to stop reading Stephen King. It's not because this one had a great deal of sexuality, vulgar language, and violence in it that turned me off; it's that it had all these things but nothing positive to say that might make it a beneficial read. Nothing to redeem it. It just made me feel filthy and sick. Like I had indwelt something that was unclean. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
This one had some vulgar language in it and a few instances of inappropriate sexuality. Two of the characters are practicing homosexuals and I would put it under the same category as Stephen King's works above but it said something that was very worthwhile. And it did not glorify sinfulness as Carrie or Christine did. It showed the brokenness and pain that sin brings into people's lives. And it had some very poignant, profound moments of clarity in its thinking. It caught my eye by the description on its back. It is the story of a person who I fancy is very much like me in some ways. Ultimately, it introduces the question of whether it's better to be active, going out and making life what we want it to be, or to be passive, allowing life to come to us and seeing what hands we will be dealt. I would recommend it for mature readers.

13. The Knowledge of the Holy (A. W. Tozer)
Wow! Amazing book! Probably the best one I've read for a while! Have a small view of God? Read this one! Tozer goes through the attributes that we've always been taught (God is everywhere, God knows everything, God can do anything, etc.) and fleshes them out so the believer can see just how monstrously HUGE and fearful God is! He explains what each of these attributes mean in the life of the believer and how a proper view of God increases our worship. And you will worship when you read this book. I mean... you... will... worship! Highly recommend for anyone because you can never have a view of God that's quite big enough!

14. Sundays at Tiffany's (James Patterson)
This was pure fluff. Didn't really say anything worthwhile but didn't make me feel as filthy or grungy as the Stephen Kings did. It was like a good, old fashioned chick flick. Like the Notebook. It had a couple quite objectionable things in it that I would not recommend for children to read (or adults for that matter) but these were not quite as pronounced or fleshed out as Carrie or Christine. I'd recommend this to someone who has nothing better to do with their time. A bit like going to a chick flick on a Friday night.

15. Life After God (Douglas Coupland)
Didn't get all the way through this one. I enjoyed the perspective it brought to the pain and heartache which atheism introduces to a culture. Like the modern poets, the point of this book isn't to slam religion or God but to show how much people need to believe in something greater than they are. It's not a scientific book. It shows the loneliness and extreme pain that comes into a person's life when they face life without a belief in God. It's a series of (sometimes interconnected) vignettes that describe various people's responses to just the normal day to day life of a group of people in California. Very poignant.

O church, arise and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the devil's lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev'ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict'ry march continues till the day
Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev'ry stride,
Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

--O Church Arise! / Keith & Kristyn Getty

Today I Choose...

1. Today I choose to abandon all attempts to find pure joy outside of Christ.
2. Today I choose to stand in opposition to the current world system and embrace Christ’s.
3. Today I choose to deny Satan a foothold in my life by doing only those things which please God.
4. Today I choose to place my joy on the fact that Christ will reign as king victorious on this earth.
5. Today I choose to live life in a manner that I would live it were it my last to live on earth.
6. Today I choose to believe what God’s Word says about me and live in the knowledge of the truth.
7. Today I choose to use my body to further the physical reality of Christ’s kingdom on earth.
8. Today I choose to trust that God will work all things together for good in my life.
9. Today I choose not to be stressed or worried about the outcome of decisions that I make.
10. Today I choose to believe that Christ’s dominion over nature is both real and physical.
11. Today I choose to live my life for the pleasure of Christ rather than for my own pleasure.
12. Today I choose to disregard my own reputation and focus on increasing Christ’s.
13. Today I choose to not let other people decide how my day goes but to decide for myself.
14. Today I choose to live with an eternal mindset and to both think and act with death in mind.
15. Today I choose to not simply act as the world expects me to act in any given situation.
    
16. Today I choose to die to self and to live for Christ.

Miniscule Monotony

I just started thinking about this about 20 minutes ago or thereabouts. The way we walk with Christ is so small. Part of what I often am tempted to find attractive about Christianity are these huge, important, moving speeches recorded in scripture. Like where Paul talks about being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12) or where he says he forgets those things behind him and presses on for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3). The idea of doing something really powerful and dramatic to demonstrate my obedience to God is delightful. And don't mistake my purpose in writing this note! Such sacrifices are both delightful to God and worthy of much praise as they show God to be worth a great deal more than the secular world says He is! But so often I get bogged down when there ARE no valiant deeds of faith for me to do. Normal days include me getting up, doing some reading, checking my emails, and going to work at a societally insignificant job in the fast food industry. There is no bold, passionate defense of my faith needed, no national leader to share the gospel with, no opportunity to suffer any worse persecution for my faith than perhaps to be laughed at or made to feel stupid. What is there on these days? There is quiet, deliberate meditation. There is prayer. There is fasting. There is worship. The transformation that comes from the renewing of our minds is a simple thought process whereby God's word is digested into our hearts. Sometimes the pressing on for the prize of the upward calling simply means continuing in prayer day by day and conversing with our Maker in a sweet, intimate silence that only we are aware of. I am tempted to place many well renowned pastors and Christian authors on a pedestal because they seem great in my eyes. I'm seeing them through the eyes of my flesh and they look very important and influential to my flesh. God, however, may be even more pleased with an old, gray haired woman who lives alone but has prayed for their ministry day by day, asking God to strengthen them to speak the truth. You never hear about people like that though. Their job seems so insignificant compared to the one who is benefited by their quiet, ongoing communion with the Almighty. I have a feeling that when we get to heaven, at the top of the pack, the ones who get the greatest, most lavish rewards bestowed on them by our King will be people which we have never heard of or seen in all our lives. Perhaps Martin Luther would have been nothing more than a tiny, insignificant monk had a small, quiet, timid old woman not been praying for him. I'm convinced that Jerry Falwell would never have even become a Christian had it not been for his mother's daily, faithful prayer for him.

What do I glean from this? That, ultimately, our daring, brave, spectacular acts of faith don't have as great a chance of getting noticed by God as our tiny, little, insignificant acts of daily discipline, daily reading, daily meditation, daily service, daily mercy, and daily worship in the quiet places of our heart. "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much..." (Luke 16:10). Faithfulness is a characteristic that we either have or we do not have. It's nonsense to say, "Well, I'm not really responsible for that much right now. I just work at Captain D's. It's fast food. I'll be much more responsible when I get my first real job in my field or when God gives me something to be very faithful with." Faithfulness is faithfulness. Either you have it or you don't. God looks to those who are faithful and if you are faithful in little things, that prompts God to promote you to a more important role.

Be faithful, therefore, as it is a great pleasure to our King and is definitive evidence that we are becoming like Him. "But the fruit of the Spirit is... faithfulness..." (Galatians 5:22). Don't be faithful to get noticed. Be faithful to be faithful. Be faithful to please your Father. Walk quietly beside Him in the loud, obvious swell of the day. Seek Him by the quiet waters and your soul will not be disappointed. The cultivation of the inner life is something I greatly need. I feel strongly that it is something we all need. For the inner life is what God is most interested in.

These have been a long time in coming and I have more that I wish I could share but they're, for the time being, stuck on my cell phone. Hope you enjoy!

Picture Time!

The Happy Couple prepares to cut the cake!

Some high spirited antics between the new bride and groom! haha

They are so perfect together!

It's Tye with his new, much longer hair! Took me a while to get used to it!

Mikey takes a sip of the delicious wedding punch!Peaks of Otter on July 4th

Lovely view, isn't it?

You're the Word of God the Father
From before the world began!
Every star and every planet has been fashioned by your hand!
All creation holds together
By the power of your voice!
Let the skies declare your glory!
Let the land and seas rejoice!

Chorus:
You're the author of creation!
You're the Lord of every man!
And your cry of love rings out across the lands!

Yet you left the gaze of angels,
Came to sake and save the lost,
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of a cross!
With a prayer you fed the hungry!
With a word you calmed the sea!
Yet how silently you suffered
That the guilty may go free!

Chorus

With a shout You rose victorious,
Wresting vict'ry from the grave,
And ascended into heaven,
Leading captives in Your way.
Now You stand before the Father,
Interceding for Your own!
From each tribe and tongue and nation,
You are leading sinners home!

--Keith and Kristyn Getty

Craziest Captain D's moment to date:

Just a normal, slow day and I was refilling stuff around the register when my boss (a blonde girl a couple years younger than I) pulls me into a conversation that I was unaware was going on between her and one of the cooks in the back. "If I ask you a question would you take it in the wrong way?" she asks. I pause. This sounds like a Taco Bell moment in the making.

"Probably not."

And then she proceeds to ask me a question which I will not relate here as I'm trying to make this blog G rated rather than PG or PG-13. It had to do with what I look for in a potential spouse's physical form. This most definitely is a Taco Bell moment so I take a second to answer.

"Actually, I'd have to say neither," I reply as it was a "Do you like this or this?" sort of question.

"So you're more of a face person?" she asks.

"Yeah. Their face is pretty significant." I pause again. "Also brainy. I don't want a dumb blonde."

And of course I hadn't thought about my boss's hair color before responding in this fashion and so both of my coworkers are like "Oooooohhhhhh!" and they're both smiling knowing I probably didn't mean it like that but I'm like "Crap! I totally didn't mean it like that!" haha It was interesting to say the least. Sorry if I offended anyone by relating this story. Can't wait to get a new job where such things are not discussed in forums like that one. :) Pray for my job search, everyone!

Psalm 62

My soul finds rest in God alone
My Rock and my Salvation
A fortress strong against my foes
And I shall not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse
And lies like arrows pierce me
I'll fix my heart on righteousness
I'll look to Him who hears me.

Oh praise Him! Hallelujah!
My Delight and my Reward!
Everlasting! Never failing!
My Redeemer! My God!

Find rest my soul in God alone
Amidst the world's temptations
When evil seeks to take a hold
I'll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go
Don't set your heart upon them.
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven.

Oh praise Him! Hallelujah!
My delight and my reward!
Everlasting! Never failing!
My Redeemer! My God!

I'll set my gaze on God alone
And look to Him completely.
With every day pour out my soul
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh to brief to measure
My King has broke the curse of death
And I am His forever!

Oh praise Him! Hallelujah!
My Delight and my Reward!
Everlasting! Never failing!
My Redeemer! My God!