Q&A #2

Who's a non-celebrity hero of yours, and why do you admire them so much?

Summer Plans

Tomorrow morning Anthony's leaving. The first of my friends to go, but at least, although I didn't have as much time left with him as I do with the rest of you all who've graduated, God did bless me with good opportunities to hang out and get to know him some. Enough to keep in touch. And to think, before sometime around the middle of my last year in high school, all we ever said was, "Hi." I hope I get to spend about as much time with you guys as well, before you go off to wherever it is you're going, and I hope to stay in touch with as many of you as possible. Let's make plans, solid plans that we'll follow through with, not just hope will happen one day before we're gone, because before we know it, we'll be gone and will have lost the chance.

My usual schedule this summer:
Sunday: Church at 10:00am, shepherd group from 6-8:30pm
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9am-1pm (work), 3pm-8pm (work)
Wednesday: 8:15pm (Bible study)
Tuesday, Thursday: 9am-10:15/11am (Olympus), 2pm-8pm (work)
Tuesday: 10:30-12pm (gymnastics class)
Saturday: 9am-10am (Olympus), sometime (music gathering)

So now you know, let's get together :-).

Question

Is it possible to totally screw up and forfeit your chance to be with the person you were meant to be with?

Song for Eighteen

I Wish I Was Eighteen Again
~Ray Price~

At a bar down in Dallas an old man chimed in
And they thought he was out of his head
And all being a young man they just laughed it off
When they heard what this old man he said
He said I'll never again turn the young ladies heads
Or go running off in to the wind
I'm three quarters home from the start to the end
And I wish I was eighteen again
Oh I wish I was eighteen again and going where I've never been
Now old folks and old oaks standing tall just pretend
I wish I was eighteen again
Time turns the pages and life goes so fast
The years turn the black hair all grey
I talk to some young folks but they don't understand
The words this old man got to say
Oh I wish I was eighteen again...
Oh I wish I was eighteen again

Wednesday Evening Bible Study 6/14/06

I just wanted to say what a blessing that Bible study is to me. Today I was pondering for awhile whether I would stay for it or not because I really needed to catch up on sleep, and get stuff done. But I stayed for it, and I thank God that I did. We talked about prayer. And at one point we were talking about the part of the Lord's Prayer where it says, "And forgive us our debts and we forgive our debtors," and then how after the prayer Jesus says that if don't forgive our debtors, God won't forgive us our sins. The question was brought up, would we have been in the same place we are physically and spiritually if we had not made the mistakes we had made? You know, what would've happened if we had done what we knew the Lord wanted us to do? Would we have lost more by not falling into sin then we did by falling into the sin? You know? Considering where we are now, what did we lose by messing up?

You know, we'll never know what we missed out on. Which I think is a good thing, because the Lord would not let us "miss out" by following Him and not falling into sin. And in the end Preston made the point that, when we're brought back to God, it doesn't matter anymore, what's past is past. He said, "When you totally mess up and get to a place you were not meant to be, was something lost? Sure! Was the greatest thing lost? No, never. God really wants us to have the greatest thing, which is a relationship with Him." And you know, it's a waste of time to debate what things would've been like if we hadn't sinned. Yeah, God does use mistakes, and that doesn't mean He wants us to make them -- but, considering the past, it's the past. It's done. What matters is whether or not you have that relationship with God. In the end that's all that matters. "It's who you know, not what you know" that matters in the end.

Then, totally different subject almost, we started talking about how we had had division on some things, like whether or not you could lose your salvation, and then we questioned whether it was really important and needed to be talked about, because it was kind of causing some friction, you know? And, again Preston made a very good point, that I agree with: "I think these things do matter, but they're so low on the list, there are so many things that are more important," and I definately don't think God wants there to be division in the family over such things as that. "A house devided against itself cannot stand." Man, Preston said a lot of good stuff tonight. He makes a good leader. (He was the leader tonight because Dr. J. had gone home for some much needed family time). So yeah. It was worth staying up late, yet again, to rave about all this stuff.

Lord, I pray that You would continue to bless this Bible study, continue to teach us all, plus those who were not able to make it tonight, and please, let the sleep I get to be what I need, no matter how little it is. Amen.

a couple quotes, I'll add on

"When you totally mess up and get to a place you were not meant to be, was something lost? Sure! Was the greatest thing lost? No, never. God really wants us to have the greatest thing, which is a relationship with Him." -Preston Hamilton-

"Love is a decision that lasts a lifetime
Not a feeling that fades
'Cause when the feeling is gone
Love decides to love on
Love decides to love on."
~Enough Love - Philip~

....and I completely forgot the other one I was gonna type. Darn it.

Talk about speaking...

I was looking for a totally different verse, and I stumbled upon one that, not only did I mark it, but I boxed it in. I don't even know why it caught my attention the first time when I boxed it in.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with My eye.

Do not be like the horse or like the mule,

Which have no understanding,

Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,

Else they will not come near you." ~Psalm 32:8&9

My boss and I talked a couple nights ago, where it was revealed that I'm still pretty defensive when it comes to being corrected. I thought I was over that, darn it! So I'm trying to be better, but I seriously think they purposely make me do anything I'm unsure about doing. I can't help it, every time I'm assigned another calling job, or experimenting on patients with exercises if I can't read someone's handwriting because it's "unprofessional" to ask what it says, or try out myofacial release on a patient when I've only seen it done and attempted it on one of the chiropractors once...I panic. I should've asked Anthony how he does it. You'd only get a hint that he was terrified of doing something if he had a choice in the matter. I suppose that's a big reason why God made us friends -- so I'd know that it could be done. If only I could find out how. God, I don't want to be pushed out of my comfort zone anymore, but I know if I ask to be taught to be brave like Ani...well, what happens when you pray for patience? Yeah. And I'm tired of being pushed out of my comfort zone, I just want to do something I'm good at.

Don't Close Your Eyes - Keith Whitley

I know you loved him

A long time ago

Even now in my arms

You still want him I know

But darling this time

Let your memories die

When you hold me tonight

Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes

Let it be me

Don't pretend it's him

In some fantasy

Darling just once

Let yesterday go

You'll find more love

Than you've ever known

Just hold me tight

When you love me tonight

And don't close your eyes

Maybe I've been a fool

Holding on all this time

Lyin' here in your arms

Knowing he's in your mind

But I keep hoping some day

That you'll see the light

Let it be me tonight

Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes

Let it be me

Don't pretend it's him

In some fantasy

Darling just once

Let yesterday go

You'll find more love

Than you've ever known

Just hold me tight

When you love me tonight

And don't close your eyes

Just hold me tight

When you love me tonight

And don't close your eyes

Just wanted to share that song with you all. I heard it for the first time tonight, and I was like, "That's so sad!" Makes me want to smack some sense into one or both of them: the guy and say, "Dude, don't do this to yourself, take the pieces of your heart and run!" and the girl and say, "Girl, what are you doing? You don't know what you've got!"

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match

Actually, don't. I have had way too many people try and almost...ask me into having a boyfriend. I guess they figure that, even though I've told them that I don't have a boyfriend, if they ask about enough guys eventually they'll guess which one is my boyfriend, even though I don't have one. In two days Ani and I had about...three people ask if we were going out -- all for who knows what reason. I have had about two patients say that Preston and I should go out -- just because we're both single and "at that age." About two people have, every time I've mentioned another guy friend asked if they were my boyfriend. And so many more patients, as one of their first questions to me while being stretched, have asked if I have a boyfriend. Good grief, that's not even a question that comes to my mind when I first meet someone! Goodness, can't I just be single until God's chosen one gets the go-ahead from Him?! Woopdeedoo, I'm 18 without a boyfriend, oh no I'm gonna die.........sheesh. Hehe, actually, once I get over that I've been asked again for the umpteenth time it's kind of amusing. Lol, someone even said to me once, "Goodness, Marie, you're so good-looking -- why don't you have a boyfriend?" I was like, maybe because I'm not going to go out with someone who's going out with me just because they think I look good or whatever.

Phew. Yay for ranting. Oh, and I'm so sorry you've been dragged into some of this nonsense, Ani, especially after what Joe said earlier today. I just hope it doesn't get so bad that you don't want to hang out with or talk to me anymore because of what people might think...just let me know if you'd like me to have a chat with anybody.