Wash your hands?

Ok, I am a big advocate of washing your hands. This post is by no means implying that I don't wash my hands or think you shouldn't. I do. Please people, for all of us around you, Wash Your Hands!

However, there is this soap in one of the bathrooms here at work, and it is possibly one of the WORST smelling soaps in the world. AND, to top it all off, every time I use it, it makes me want to puke... and I get a headache from it.

Now... what should I do... should I still wash my hands?

The obvious answer is Yes. But, I am seriously considering going to another bathroom just to that because this headache is just not worth washing them there.

8 Hours Only

I think it is amazing how my body works sometimes. I literally will work all day, be busy... and am typically fine with that...

BUT, at around 4:30 my body naturally refuses to want to work anymore. I kid you not... it's like I have a switch in my head and at 4:30 is goes to off. Everyday at about this point, I just go... "I can't do this anymore." I just naturally need the break.

I don't think that is bad... Do you?

Of course... I don't work the 8 hours straight... I have a mid-mornig walk around the building, one walk in mid-afternoon... and almost always a break for lunch (about 10-15 minutes).

What does your natural work schedule look like? Is everyone the same?

$$$

Money is so overrated.



But so necessary.



Why is it a necessary evil?



If I am honest, I have gotten myself into some major credit card trouble. That is pretty scary for me to write out, to admit... It is also pretty scary to let you in on that. But, I am going to. I need to keep this in the light. What I really want is my roomie, Laura, to come home so I can talk to her about it. She is going to be my accountability partner in this.



Anyway, it just seems like money consumes me right now. I can't help but have my mind consumed by it. It is scary, to say the least. But, with this in the light... with God transforming how I view money and my spending habits, I can get out of this trouble. Right? Right!



Lord, help...

Hatred

Hatred is a strong word... I remember hearing this a lot as a child. And it is true... to truly HATE something, that's hard. We all have moments of dislike, abhorring, etc. I would would say few have truly shown hatred. But, I think people do show it.

Now, I don't know much about the Westboro Baptist Church and their pastor Phelps... but I would say I close to hate them... how distasteful can Christians be...

And now, I don't want to question their faith... but sometimes I would wonder how people claiming Christ as their savior could be so un-Christlike. Christ would have NEVER protested at a solider's funeral, or at an actor's. Christ called people out, but he also did it in love and in a loving manner. He showed righteous anger, but the Westboro manner is NOT righteous anger. They hurt people, people who are already in a dark place. People, this is NOT the way to SHOW Christ's love. All they are showing is hate and causing people to hate and turn against God. Not what God wants...

It just makes me sick... sick I tell you.

EDIT: did you know that their home page address is http://www.godhatesfags.com/... ummm... distasteful!!! wrong!!! mean!!! ARG!!! This helps me understand why people don't like Chrsitians, don't want to know Christ. Moments like this make me want to do the same thing. Luckily I already know Christ and know that this is not His Will.

To all who have been hurt by hateful people (who proclaim Christ), I apologize. I am truly sorry for the hurt that you feel. Know that this is not who God is.

Goals for 08

Saw this on another blog... loved the idea... Here's what i have so far...

Try to save a little more money.
Reduce Credit Card Debt.
Eat more fruits and veggies.
Don't beat myself up when I fail at eating more fruits and veggies.
Try to make more eye contact with people when I talk to them.
Stop complaining to people.
Cut down my alarm snoozing by 40% (or more!).
Avoid Red Lobster and other fake seafood places.
Actually work at work for 8 hours most days.
Joke w/ people about "casual relationships," especially if that idea makes them uncomfortable.
Start writing a book.
Avoid getting a tattoo.
Maintain my weight.
Spend a little less time in my Google Feed Reader.
Spend a little less time watching TV.
Spend a little less time obsessing over celebrity world.
Turn 25 years old on November 10th.
Floss more.
Spend less time caring that I don't floss.
Go somewhere on vacation other than Michigan.
Work out more... or atleast walk everyday.
Refuse to watch "The Hills."
Vote for someone to be our next president.
Eat more salad and less fast food.
Make the "Play Artist Michael Bolton" joke whenever I get into a friend's car.
Cook dinner for myself more often.
Talk to my family and friends on the phone more.
Get better at staying within my spending budget.
Avoid doing drugs, especially those with caffeine in them.
Drink more water and less Coke.
Read Don Miller's new book.
Read more books in general.
Tell those who matter to me I love them more.

So, some of these are serious... some are more sarcastic... some I will definitely be able to do... some will probably never happen. Ask me about them... keep me accountable!

Thank You!

I am obsessed... this Burnside Writers Collective Blog is one of the best. Here is another article I love... I love his stance on Health Care, his stance on political parties, everything.

I'll let the article speak for itself. Please read it here.

Thoughts on Work

I really like my new job. I went upstairs to refill my cup with some water and I was thinking, "is this really my job? I greatly enjoy it!"

Praise God that I feel this way about my job. It is fantastic!!! I like knowing that I enjoy what I do, and that overall I get up excited about work.

However, I do not enjoy the fact that my butt is sore all... sitting in a seat all day can make your bottom hurt. Mine does almost everyday by 5pm. Maybe that means I just need to get up and take more walks, huh?

A Question to Ponder

During a down moment at work today I decided to google "My Utmost for the Highest," to see if they provided the devotional online... and, well, they do. So I read it... and whoa, did it give me somethings to ponder.

• Have I lived my last day on earth? Have I had my "white funeral?"

So, I guess what this has made me think about... have I really given up my life to God? Am I really willing to say I am ok dying tomorrow (and maybe that's not what this days devotional wants me to think... but it is where I am being lead). anyway... am I ok with that thought? I have I truly given up my LIFE to be ok walking as the Lord has called me to. You know what, I don't know. I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, but there are days where I just think I am still clinging onto what I want, to things here on earth. I cling to my life, my stuff and materials here on earth. I don't want to leave it all... and I think that is something that God has been showing me and convicting me of recently.

Lord, I want to let go of my life here on earth, to trust you that life with you is so much better. Lord, help me to just give it all to you. Lord, help me to just live my life for the things above, with an eternal perspective. Lord, convict me when I am not living that way. Lord, help me to develop this intimate life with You. Amen.

Kingdom of God

I recently stumbled upon a friend's blog, and she has inspired me to try to be more consistent in blogging, as well as just more true to what I claim I want to talk about in these blogs. Less about what my day to day life is like, and more my thoughts on what is going on around me, articles I read, musings from head about becoming an adult, etc.

anyway... in one of her posts, she linked to this great website, and I LOVE it! I really just enjoy the opinion pieces. One this week, really made me stop and think, "I agree!." (I couldn't say this out loud... the people I work around would think i was CRAZY people, like Britney crazy). Click here to read it.

So, what do I like about this article? Well, most things. First of all, I am an opinionated gal. I have lots of them, and the longer you know me, the more likely you'll hear how opinionated I truly am. And stubborn... good luck changing my mind on anything.

However, I would say that I am pretty apathetic towards government. First of all, this country has been running itself for about 250 years now... what makes us think that by electing ONE person who has to please millions that we are somehow going to drastically change or ruin it. I for one, don't. Honestly, the president can't change that much. I think the local government has much more of a chance of changing how things are done.

Second of all... isn't God in control anyway? Why worry about it? Still go and vote people... that is important. But remember, don't become so passionate about politics that you put political parties ahead of Christ in what makes a person a Christian. It happens people... I have actually been told that if you aren't a republican, then you can't be a Christian. Let's not even go there, ok. Just know, I don't agree, and that person got an earful from me.

But, as this article points out, maybe we Christians should stop worrying so much about this earthly kingdom and start worrying about the God's Kingdom. How many great points does he bring up anyway?

"What I don’t want is to see that great a resource, such as Focus on the Family, become distracted by a kingdom that we don’t really belong to." -Tim McGeary.

Thank you! We don't belong to this kingdom. Let's focus on what we are supposed to. Christ, and what He has called us to as our ministry (work, people group, etc).

"I heard it said on a television talk show today that is takes upwards of $100 million dollars to run a presidential campaign. One person commented that an amount of money like that might be able to save an entire third-world country."

Anyone else a little sickened by that idea... how much money are we wasting here people? I say, save the starving children or something... give it to the homeless guy on the corner. That money could be spent in a better way than for some 30 second ad that name calls the competition. Talk about wasting our gifts from God.

Ok, well... that is really all for now. But read that article... and others on the website. It is great, sometimes thought provoking, sometimes just hilarious stuff.

There are great people out there.

Read this article.

What a great man. He finds 185,000 dollar check. He doesn't try to cash it. He instead returns it. Guess what people, in a world where we typically only get to hear the bad, this just proves that there is good, too!

Makes me happy to know that geninuenly nice, honest, good people exist.

Just thought this may encourage you all, as normally we only get to hear about the bad!

Have a wonderful day back at work. 2008 is beginning, woohoo!