So...
I started a new job last week! When they called and offered me the position I must be honest and say that I was relieved...I was relieved and not excited about it until the morning I began working. Its still a positive thing!
Its been pretty interesting so far. Mostly a lot of information being thrown around right now, but once I get things I realize its not quite as hard as I thought it was. The thing that is definitely going to be the hardest for me is all the freaking SITTING! My back has been getting angry at me for all the sitting and sitting, then walking for 15 seconds to the bathroom, then sitting, then walking 15 seconds back to my desk...then sitting. I am not earning many Weight Watchers Activity Points at my place of employment. Let's just say that. Its a pretty cool set up and I'm eager to see where the coming weeks take me!
On another note, we have began production on Othello at the theater. I am taking the job of Assistant Director very seriously and I'm not sure how that's being received, yet. haha I am so excited to see how this show evolves. It has some very promising potential to be a hugely fantastic and successful show this season. Opens in April so plan on being there!
Ok, so the most influential thing that I can take away from this past week is what God is trying to teach me in the likes of ...Patience. The moment I think I have things pretty close to calm, I have a twitchy, ADHD adult next to me in my training class that sucks his water out of his water bottle each time he drinks out of it followed by a gaspy, smacking sound each time he puts it back down, taps constantly on his keyboard, desk and/or chair arms, and repeatedly adjusts his office chair-loudly. I have to remind myself each morning and each time I come back from my lunch break that its my job is be kind and loving towards him. It doesn't mean I have to like him! I have to chant it to myself like its some kind of spell for making him silent. Like, maybe if I repeat it enough it will activate some kind of cosmic mute button.
I also have a young lady that makes outbursts during each activity that we do in class. Everyone knows when she gets something wrong...and when she gets something right! It can be frightening at times when you're really focused on what your doing and the rest of our class is being very quiet. Then, "AW! How'd I miss that?!"
Oh, well.
Regarding other matters, I have mixed these lessons with other important little reminders that God has been, apparently, sending my way. In other aspects of patience and also with jealousy I have been tested. I actually realized at one point that while I was denying that I was jealous of a situation, I was describing being jealous as what I was feeling. It was quite the 'revelation.'
I keep reading in Ryan and I's studies to be quiet and to trust that there is a plan. It makes so much sense when you're there in that moment and you think, "Oh, yes. This was written for me for today-I needed this," but when you move on with your day and you're faced with some some small (or huge) obstacle its been conveniently forgotten.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Freakin' gift cards!!
During Christmas, Ryan and I decided to give my parents an antennae set so that they could receive Bryan-College Station channels to get more accurate news and weather, as well as receive the Houston channels that they already received through Dish Network. Did a lot of running around and we bought it and wrapped it and were super excited for them to open it! Friday before Christmas, we were getting dinner ready at Mom and Dad's when mom said, "Guess what you're Dad did?! He got all of our channels switched so we get local news now!" My initial reaction was, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Dad apparently was left alone in the house all day, got bored or something, and got a wild hair to change over the satellite location-thingy. Mom was still disappointed because she, as a result, lost the Houston channels which she still wanted. I told Ryan outside in private and his eyes became HUGE as his jaw dropped open. I had already pretty much told them that's what they were getting for Christmas because it originated as an idea for my Mom's birthday-because this was more for her. AUGH!
The following evening, we huddled in front of the fireplace and exchanged gifts. Its was peaceful and we laughed and drank hot chocolate. Then it came to Mom and Dad's turn..."And this big box says to Mom and Dad..." read my father very loudly. He slid the box across the floor at Mom's feet while I said, "TahDah! Something you don't need anymore!" Mom rolled her eyes and told Dad to open his first. They opened the box together and, needless to say, Ryan and I's excitement had, by this time, dwindled to a subtle awkwardness. Mom explained to Dad what the thing was and that she wanted him to call the satellite company back and get the programs back to where they were cuz she didn't like not having Houston news! Dad nodded largely. I wasn't sure if he was confused or didn't hear her. "LYNN! This is for the channels where they are! (she points to us) You need to call the Dish thingy people and put it back to where it was," she exclaimed!!
Ok. So, the next morning Ryan and my father tackled setting the whole thing up. They unwrapped everything, hung it up on the roof, and got it working in the house. The excitement had returned and Mom and I cheered like little girls when it came on the tv and we saw how clearly the reception came through! Way to go, Ryan. Success!
After Christmas, my parents started to call Dish to switch the channels back...and were unsuccessful. When they had the satellite account set up, the installer used another address based in Huntsville as the address of the dish while their real one was used as their mailing and that is how they were able to receive Houston news. My dad, who apparently was not listening to any of that when we had the satellite installed 11 years ago, said, "WHAT? That's not our address, that's so silly," or something of that, I imagine. They switched the address and switched the satellite channels. They were unwilling to change them back unless they moved back to the previous address. My mom apparently yelled at a Dish CSR and said, "BUT WE NEVER LIVED THERE TO BEGIN WITH!"
The point is, I received a phone call last weekend saying they were taking the antennae down and they hoped Ryan wouldn't be offended. They were bringing it back to us so Ryan could return it and get the money back.
A week later, they came to town to see a movie and take us out to dinner so we could celebrate my Dad's birthday and Ryan's birthday at the same time. Ryan figured out the Monday before Christmas what he wanted to get my father for his birthday. When they decided to come into town Saturday afternoon, Ryan hurried to the store to pick up the truck bed extender thingy for my dad to go along with his new truck. He excitedly wrapped it up in the living room a few hours before they got to the house and we picked up a few small things to give to them both as a sort of replacement for their Christmas gift that they were bringing back with them. They arrive at the house bearing the satellite box. It walked in as though it were a casket. Ryan placed the open box on the freezer for the viewing.
A few minutes later there was a confusing discussion regarding Tractor Supply. Ryan and my father were going to go to Tractor Supply and as they started out the door I began to hear what sounded like what Ryan had already wrapped as a gift, and was currently leaning on our living room wall, being described as what he was going to buy at the damn Tractor Supply! "WAIT!" my Mom and I screamed and motioned for Ryan to come to us. "Y'all need to go ahead and open gifts! Y'all are not going to the stupid Tractor Supply store," we explained, panic-stricken!
Ryan pulled my father back into the house and my Dad reeled in the confusion. Ryan pulled the giant box away from the wall and my Dad started to open his very thoughtful birthday gift with adorably miss-matched Christmas wrapping paper. Dad pulled only the top portion of the paper down and said, "Oh, no." Apparently, while my dad was bored in Nederland just a couple of weeks ago (are you noticing a pattern here?) he bought the same thing that he was now unwrapping for himself.
We now had two gifts that we had to return.
The moral of this story is, Gift Cards. For now on, we are either giving my Dad gift cards or ruining any surprises entirely by telling them what we are giving them a whole month before any exchanging commences!
The end.
The following evening, we huddled in front of the fireplace and exchanged gifts. Its was peaceful and we laughed and drank hot chocolate. Then it came to Mom and Dad's turn..."And this big box says to Mom and Dad..." read my father very loudly. He slid the box across the floor at Mom's feet while I said, "TahDah! Something you don't need anymore!" Mom rolled her eyes and told Dad to open his first. They opened the box together and, needless to say, Ryan and I's excitement had, by this time, dwindled to a subtle awkwardness. Mom explained to Dad what the thing was and that she wanted him to call the satellite company back and get the programs back to where they were cuz she didn't like not having Houston news! Dad nodded largely. I wasn't sure if he was confused or didn't hear her. "LYNN! This is for the channels where they are! (she points to us) You need to call the Dish thingy people and put it back to where it was," she exclaimed!!
Ok. So, the next morning Ryan and my father tackled setting the whole thing up. They unwrapped everything, hung it up on the roof, and got it working in the house. The excitement had returned and Mom and I cheered like little girls when it came on the tv and we saw how clearly the reception came through! Way to go, Ryan. Success!
After Christmas, my parents started to call Dish to switch the channels back...and were unsuccessful. When they had the satellite account set up, the installer used another address based in Huntsville as the address of the dish while their real one was used as their mailing and that is how they were able to receive Houston news. My dad, who apparently was not listening to any of that when we had the satellite installed 11 years ago, said, "WHAT? That's not our address, that's so silly," or something of that, I imagine. They switched the address and switched the satellite channels. They were unwilling to change them back unless they moved back to the previous address. My mom apparently yelled at a Dish CSR and said, "BUT WE NEVER LIVED THERE TO BEGIN WITH!"
The point is, I received a phone call last weekend saying they were taking the antennae down and they hoped Ryan wouldn't be offended. They were bringing it back to us so Ryan could return it and get the money back.
A week later, they came to town to see a movie and take us out to dinner so we could celebrate my Dad's birthday and Ryan's birthday at the same time. Ryan figured out the Monday before Christmas what he wanted to get my father for his birthday. When they decided to come into town Saturday afternoon, Ryan hurried to the store to pick up the truck bed extender thingy for my dad to go along with his new truck. He excitedly wrapped it up in the living room a few hours before they got to the house and we picked up a few small things to give to them both as a sort of replacement for their Christmas gift that they were bringing back with them. They arrive at the house bearing the satellite box. It walked in as though it were a casket. Ryan placed the open box on the freezer for the viewing.
A few minutes later there was a confusing discussion regarding Tractor Supply. Ryan and my father were going to go to Tractor Supply and as they started out the door I began to hear what sounded like what Ryan had already wrapped as a gift, and was currently leaning on our living room wall, being described as what he was going to buy at the damn Tractor Supply! "WAIT!" my Mom and I screamed and motioned for Ryan to come to us. "Y'all need to go ahead and open gifts! Y'all are not going to the stupid Tractor Supply store," we explained, panic-stricken!
Ryan pulled my father back into the house and my Dad reeled in the confusion. Ryan pulled the giant box away from the wall and my Dad started to open his very thoughtful birthday gift with adorably miss-matched Christmas wrapping paper. Dad pulled only the top portion of the paper down and said, "Oh, no." Apparently, while my dad was bored in Nederland just a couple of weeks ago (are you noticing a pattern here?) he bought the same thing that he was now unwrapping for himself.
We now had two gifts that we had to return.
The moral of this story is, Gift Cards. For now on, we are either giving my Dad gift cards or ruining any surprises entirely by telling them what we are giving them a whole month before any exchanging commences!
The end.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Prayer and Other Things.
In the goings on in this past Holiday season and all the time with family got me to thinking a lot more about life. Our life. While we were doing a couple of our readings last weekend and this week, it got me to thinking more about God and what he wants from us and what our lives are capable of.
Ryan and I are definitely going through a lot lately and I'm sure that there's more of the road to go but we are learning to trust and be patient. We prayed the other night and I nearly cried as I listened to him talk to God in the most honest form I have heard in a very, very long time. He was frustrated and was asking Him for direction in an honest and direct way. It wasn't rehearsed, it wasn't a recitation, he didn't try to sound "fancy." He just told God what was happening and asked for his help. It was moving and sweet. I felt God listening that night. I know it sounds all touchy-feely and maybe stupid, but that is honestly what it was like.
One of the things that God wants from us is a relationship. God made Mankind and then he saw that we were good. He likes us! There are differences there, y'know. There are different kinds of love, yes, but there are also differences between loving and liking someone. It sounds pretty obvious but you can love someone and not like them. I mean you can love a lot of people but it can be because you sometimes... have to! You know who just popped into your head when you read that, too! Don't act all innocent-we all have that one person in our circle or in our families! God is different, mostly because he's y'know God, but because he likes us. And he doesn't have to. Not to mention, we can all be pretty difficult to love and to like, at times. We push him away. We deny he exists or answers prayers. We say we love him and go to church every Sunday but don't talk to him for the rest of the week.
I think its easy for the most devout in the Christian faith to get into ruts with their spiritual relationships-we are only human.
To get more to the point, God wants a relationship. He doesn't want to only hear from us on whatever day you go to to worship. He especially doesn't want to not hear from us at all. Most of all, I think he really doesn't want to hear us repeat or recite to him. I don't think he likes that at all! When you mumble the same prayer before every dinner so quickly that you can't really even understand what the crap you even said, that is not from our hearts and He doesn't want that. I'm not sure that he listens to it. He doesn't want to hear the prayer he freakin' hears at every meal or the one that he, essentially, said in the Bible-he wants to hear from us. The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), which most of us are familiar with in some respect, was written as more of a, I don't know, an outline. Jesus was teaching us how to talk to God and gave a short little example. He said to address him in a way that is meaningful to you, then to praise and thank him for what he as done, then we can ask of him what we need...we can make it more complicated that that but for this that's pretty much the gist of it. Its not meant to be recited or read in place of our own conversations with Him.
I also read recently something very interesting. That God still speaks to us but he doesn't speak to us in extravagant signs and visions and dreams, but with words. He speaks to us in words. So, doesn't it make sense that the that would be the easiest way to get to Him?
We need to, perhaps, quit thinking of God as an entity that's so far away and have a relationship with him like he wants. He knows us already but he wants to hear about what's going on from us! Its kind of like any kind of relationship. They take work and effort on both ends and he wants us to hold up our end of the bargain.
Ryan and I are definitely going through a lot lately and I'm sure that there's more of the road to go but we are learning to trust and be patient. We prayed the other night and I nearly cried as I listened to him talk to God in the most honest form I have heard in a very, very long time. He was frustrated and was asking Him for direction in an honest and direct way. It wasn't rehearsed, it wasn't a recitation, he didn't try to sound "fancy." He just told God what was happening and asked for his help. It was moving and sweet. I felt God listening that night. I know it sounds all touchy-feely and maybe stupid, but that is honestly what it was like.
One of the things that God wants from us is a relationship. God made Mankind and then he saw that we were good. He likes us! There are differences there, y'know. There are different kinds of love, yes, but there are also differences between loving and liking someone. It sounds pretty obvious but you can love someone and not like them. I mean you can love a lot of people but it can be because you sometimes... have to! You know who just popped into your head when you read that, too! Don't act all innocent-we all have that one person in our circle or in our families! God is different, mostly because he's y'know God, but because he likes us. And he doesn't have to. Not to mention, we can all be pretty difficult to love and to like, at times. We push him away. We deny he exists or answers prayers. We say we love him and go to church every Sunday but don't talk to him for the rest of the week.
I think its easy for the most devout in the Christian faith to get into ruts with their spiritual relationships-we are only human.
To get more to the point, God wants a relationship. He doesn't want to only hear from us on whatever day you go to to worship. He especially doesn't want to not hear from us at all. Most of all, I think he really doesn't want to hear us repeat or recite to him. I don't think he likes that at all! When you mumble the same prayer before every dinner so quickly that you can't really even understand what the crap you even said, that is not from our hearts and He doesn't want that. I'm not sure that he listens to it. He doesn't want to hear the prayer he freakin' hears at every meal or the one that he, essentially, said in the Bible-he wants to hear from us. The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), which most of us are familiar with in some respect, was written as more of a, I don't know, an outline. Jesus was teaching us how to talk to God and gave a short little example. He said to address him in a way that is meaningful to you, then to praise and thank him for what he as done, then we can ask of him what we need...we can make it more complicated that that but for this that's pretty much the gist of it. Its not meant to be recited or read in place of our own conversations with Him.
We need to, perhaps, quit thinking of God as an entity that's so far away and have a relationship with him like he wants. He knows us already but he wants to hear about what's going on from us! Its kind of like any kind of relationship. They take work and effort on both ends and he wants us to hold up our end of the bargain.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Goodbye, 2013!
We rang in the new year quietly at home after watching the Aggies kick butt and trying to put together an insane puzzle.
We had champagne at midnight and then Ryan fell asleep on the couch. All the jumping around and yelling at the tv during the game must have worn him out! It was very nice to have an evening home for NYE, though.
We have been having so much fun this holiday. We travelled around 700 miles for the Christmas holiday and we were all VERY tired but enjoyed every minute of it! I feel privileged to be a part of some great families.
I don't really have any emotions to explain or anything about the past year or the coming one. We are in the same position as before, to be frank. I have made a list, however, of promises I have made to make this year different for myself as well as our household.
I will be positive. I will make more of an effort to be optimistic and positive.
I will be calmer, or try to.
I will find success in what I do, no matter what it is. I will not judge my success by comparing to other's.
I will continue to love all others.
I will read more.
We will be healthy.
We will speak openly about what bothers us, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.
We will share quiet time with God as a couple every day.
AND...
We will take Lefty to the park more often.
We are all looking forward to 2014!
We have been having so much fun this holiday. We travelled around 700 miles for the Christmas holiday and we were all VERY tired but enjoyed every minute of it! I feel privileged to be a part of some great families.
I don't really have any emotions to explain or anything about the past year or the coming one. We are in the same position as before, to be frank. I have made a list, however, of promises I have made to make this year different for myself as well as our household.
I will be positive. I will make more of an effort to be optimistic and positive.
I will be calmer, or try to.
I will find success in what I do, no matter what it is. I will not judge my success by comparing to other's.
I will continue to love all others.
I will read more.
We will be healthy.
We will speak openly about what bothers us, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.
We will share quiet time with God as a couple every day.
AND...
We will take Lefty to the park more often.
We are all looking forward to 2014!
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