Feeling Squirrellyfied

I was perusing my email yesterday morning and ran across this lovely little message in my inbox from KidzMatter...

You may not have known, but today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. We were going to do an email appreciating squirrels, but we were having a little trouble coming up with content. So instead, we're appreciating some squirrelly people: children's workers!

My inspiration for the subtitle of my blog comes from an unfriendly squirrel who lives outside my office window. My computer sits in a "sun room" of sorts and faces two floor-to-ceiling windows with one on my left. Its quite a view to inspire hard work and dedication to my assignments...er...or not. So anyway, I have to name the squirrel I guess, so I shall call him...Mortimer. (I have no idea why)

Anyway, after we went out to dinner Sunday night with a bunch of church saints, I found out that I may get to be missions coordinator at Soul's Harbor like I was in Chatham. How cool is that?! And to top it off, we are now going to plan a missions trip. Woohooo! I can't wait. I just love missionaries, missions, and anything related therof.

So has anyone checked out the new picture I posted on picasa and facebook of my handsome superman husband? Lookin' pretty hot, huh?

A Whirlwind of Musings

I know most people have contemplative days where a thought just dramatically appears and puts your mind under siege for hours. Whether interesting, brooding, nagging, or introspective... the wayward thought just won't leave you. My problem today is that yesterday was one of those days. And now I'm suffering the spillover from too many combative thoughts and too little time to mull over them. For instance-
I found a website yesterday that is called "all in the mind". Its a broadcast website from an ABC company in Austrailia I think. Anyway, the basic premise is that psychologists, counselors, and other mind "experts" come on the air like an interview or open forum and discuss topics relating to the way the human mind works. The one I listened to was by an author (he wrote a book called Predictably Irrational) who explored the patterns of human behavior as it relates to irrational decisions. An summary excerpt: Sex, freebies, expectations, placebos, price -- they all cloud our better judgment in rather sobering ways. It was really thought-provoking. Which led to my current situation.
Last night at church I heard two great quotes/concepts that just captured my imagination.
1. Don't make current decisions based on historical hurts. (I've always heard it something like: don't make permanent decisions in temporary circumstances, so this is a new twist) Our visiting minister was referring to bitterness and attitudes that rise up in retaliation over issues that we haven't allowed God to heal in our lives. Like the example of Samson destroying the Phillistines. The right thing to do but with the wrong attitude. So does that make it still God's will? Hmm...I could really cover this one.
But, alas, no sooner did I get the idea than my pastor comes to the pulpit and says this in concluding the messaged called "One heart, one vision" Which, following the previous narrative, was a look at Samson's journey from one vision, to di-vision, to no vision.
2. You are where you are today because of what motivated you to get here. Ok, so this one may take a moment to sink in. It did for me. But just think... (a crude example) I am 35-40 lbs overweight right now. Why am I in this position right now? Because I was motivated by my love of foods that I know my body can't tolerate. On a lighter note, I am at Soul's Harbor now because I was motivated to do something for God and I was motivated to seek an opportunity for my family to grow. (um...spiritually speaking. let's nip that one in the bud!) So that begs the question: Where are you at right now? How did you get here? What motivates you today?

Gawrsh. That's a lot of brain candy. But wait, there's more from last night...

I was sitting in my comfy pjs in my comfy bed reading Discover magazine. I happened upon an article highlighting a professor of history or something. This is said about him: "Proctor is living what he calls “the ultimate dabbler’s fantasy,” taking on subjects that appeal to his questioning spirit." Anyway LSS... he was asked why he never specialized in a scientific/intellectual field. And this is what he says about himself: "Something is lost when people specialize. I like to see things like an amateur. The word amateur is literally “lover,” it’s from amore. Professionalism is often the death of intellectual inquiry. So I think there’s a kind of virtue of systematic amateurism that really needs to be rekindled. If you don’t love and hate and play and joke with your objects of study, then you’re really not treating them properly. I tell my students if you’re not angry and excited and enthralled by your topic, you should choose a different one."

I just love that idea. It makes me feel a little closer to having a name for my main interest "the study of everything" Since we all have to be categorized, right?

So go ahead and take this post as a dendrite toothpick. No pain no gain.

Things You'll Never Find Me Without

In an unusual twist to my blogging habits, I'm not going to tell you what I ate for breakfast and what I did the last few days. I'm sure that gets old. In listening to a Jack Reacher audio book this morning, I found it intriguing that he carries so little with him. He's a professional vagrant who just happens to be in the right/wrong place just in time to solve a crime or situation. Oh, if we all lived storybook lives. But wait.. we do, don't we? God is the "author and finisher" and he "determines the bounds of our habitation" Why? So that we might find Him "though he be not far from any one of us" Now that's a plot line. Just look at your own life and see what things He has wrought. Amazing.
So anyhoo... I noticed that you can tell a lot about a person by the things they carry with them. Kind of like the CSI procedure of figuring out a person's identity during investigation. Or a Sherlock Holmes way of knowing seemingly unrelated trivia about a person through careful observation of their person.
The Things I Carry:
My Bright Orange Flat Wallet -a $10 investment that I can't live without. It typifies me though-like a black and white photo with spots of color left.

An Audio Book in the CD Player - my addiction. I'm either listening to an audio story or drama or talk radio. Music is an optional distraction.

My Fitness Plus membership card - a necessity in my quest to remain healthy.

A Notepad - because I take notes going down the road, in a waiting room, at church, absolutely anywhere. To-do lists, random thoughts, sketches, plans, grocery lists, quotes, a list of what I want to remember to google.

My Camera - now that I have my new one and enough space on my SDHC card to fit any amount of random pictures that I want. You never know when you need to snap something.

Hand Sanitizer Spray - no explanation needed. Some things in this world are just icky.

A Pair of Googly Eyes - they fit over your finger like half a ring. For spontaneous moments where you need a hand puppet.

Sugar Free On-the-Go Drink Mixes - because no bottle of water is complete without one.


Things that I could care less if I carried:

My cell phone, my stack of bills to be paid, pennies, chapstick, hair brush.

A Diet That Isn't a New Year's Resolution

Hurray for Thursday! Its almost Friday. Although I don't know what that will mean for me any different than today.
Since I haven't caught you up yet...My grandmother had a "spell" and was in the hospital for a few days. She's home now and I'm pretty sure it was a delayed reaction to stress in the passing of my cousin, Brittney in Oct. and a combination of oxygen deprivation from COPD and a mis-behaving heart valve. She's almost back to normal. She's quit smoking as well (Thank the Lord) at least for a week or so. She told me she's taking it one day at a time. I pray God will give her strength and determination.
My aunt (mom's sis) was in the hospital for a rush surgery job. She is now minus an ovary and what she is calling her "baby Grapefruit" (a cyst the size of this particular fruit derived from an incision remarkably similar to cesarean section) Anyway, she's home now too and learning to live with staples for a while.
Now for the confession...
I hesitate to publish this in the blogosphere, but only slightly. I realize that it can be an encouragement to others in a way only some can understand.
I am calling today to make an appt for laser hair removal on my upper lip. It should take 6-8 sessions spaced apart by a month. The actual procedure takes only five minutes. Don't take this move as a sign of vanity. I am only vain when it comes to intelligence and abilities, not appearance. Which has been a source of struggle for me to keep under subjection. The Holy Ghost works wonders! Anyway, the reason is simple. I find it very hard to look people in the eye, to have any semblance of confidence, or to feel normal when I look like a he-woman with a mustache. Anyone who knows me in person either knows this about me and never said anything out of courtesy or they are legally blind in all 50 states. I've strugged with this since childhood. And I don't mean a few little blond hairs or a few brown hairs on the sides of the lip. I have a full-blown mustache that I have to pluck, tweeze, or wax usually once a week. I can handle waxing even at $15 a pop, but it depresses me to no end when it grows back in a few days. Not to mention Josh hates to kiss me, and most of the time doesn't when I'm prickly.
Ok, so this is highly embrassing for me to admit to you and the whole world, but I'm praying my struggle will soon be lessened.
I now know that the hair is caused by my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which is getting worse as I get older. For those who don't know, this is a hormonal imbalance that cannot be cured, only controlled. I have too many male hormones in my body which causes me to have no cycle and be insulin resistant as well. I have to go into the procedure knowing it won't cure the source, so I have to take pro-active measures in this regard also.
I have started back the South Beach Diet or SBD for short. This is the simplest low glycemic index diet I have found and one that if I stick to it can become a lifestyle of eating habits. Well, it will have to if I am going to get my money's worth from the hair removal. If I eat right and don't spike my blood sugar, I lose the extra poundage and I lose the male-hormone symptoms. If I binge like I did over the holidays I carry 30-45 extra pounds and I feel really bad. So, long story short... with the help of my new friend Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen I will be eating the SBD way for the forseeable future. It sounds morbid and restrictive, but actually you never go hungry and there are tons of great recipes that are "legal" I make Josh eat this way while I am with only slight modifications. Like, I may give him a roll or mashed potatoes while I eat cauliflower "potatoes" and an extra veggie. It really isn't that hard. No, the hard part is when we are visiting someone for a meal or trying to grab a quick bite to eat on the road. Chicken strips and potatoes are my weakness!!
I have to get to work on my real job (not blogging!) so go grab a healthly snack.

Fire in the MidEast

Buzz word for today: Day of Wrath. Very scary. Hamas is preparing outright war against Israel as we speak. It is 2009 and Israel is all but at war. Tomorrow will make the 7th day of bombing by the Israeli forces. Do you have the goosebumps yet? I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to come across like I know something the rest of the world doesn't. I don't know if this is prophetic fulfillment or if its just one step in that direction. But can't you feel the rumblings in your soul?
Let me just take a minute to exegete the terms you are hearing in the news. So many people are turning a deaf ear to the situation because its downright confusing to know who is who. So here goes:
Israel - a country located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.28 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. On May 14, 1948 the state was created as Israel declared independence. Since its foundation, its boundaries and even the State's very right to exist have been subject to dispute. They have signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.
Hamas- the Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, a Palestinian organization committed to eliminating Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state. Considered a terrorist organization by the United States, and an offshoot of the Sunni Islamic organization the Muslim Brotherhood,President Mahmound Abbas of the Palestinian Authority is a member. Hamas has demanded Israel withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, release thousands of political prisoners and recognize the right of Palestinians to return to communities absorbed by the creation of Israel in 1948.
Hezbollah -or Party of God, was founded by Lebanese Shiites in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon. With Iranian help, the group organized the country's Shiite minority into a national force with its own militia, TV station, parliamentary bloc and cabinet minister while resisting national and international calls to disarm. The group is led by 46-year-old secretary general Hasan Nasrallah, an Iranian educated cleric.

Gaza - a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean governed by Hamas. 139 sq. miles of disputed territory. The area is not recognized internationally as part of any country but is claimed by the PNA as part of the Palestinian territories. Israel still controls the airspace, and port access for the strip even though the residents are Palestinian Arabs.

Fatah -both a political party and guerilla organization, and, along with Hamas, is a dominant political force in Palestinian politics. It was founded in 1957 by Yasser Arafat and others in Kuwait as the Harakat at-Tahreer Filasteen ("Movement for the Liberation of Palestine"; "fatah" is the acronym in reverse) and launched its first military attack on Israel in 1965. Fatah is the most powerful constituent organization within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Mahmoud Abbas(remember, he's from Hamas) is also a member of this political party.

Palestinian Authority -the administrative organization established to govern parts of the Palestinian territories, Gaza and the West Bank.

The PLO - began as a federation of anti-Israel Arab guerrilla/terrorist organizations but by 1969-70 it was swallowed by Yasser Arafat's and Mahmoud Abbas's Al Fatah

Other facts to know:
Hamas and Fatah were in a civil war in 2007.

Israel's defensive strikes come in response to multiple Hamas rockets being fired into Israel immediately upon expiration of a cease-fire with Israel.

If you didn't know, now you know.

The Days Behind Us

I haven't been to my keyboard in a few days and I'm long overdue. Josh has been off work since Wednesday and so he's thoroughly enjoying his 5 day vacation! I had to work on New Year's Eve, come home in time to get us some dinner, and then go to church-where we did not return until 6am Thursday morning. They had a youth lock-in after service. It was supposed to last until 7am, but we didn't quite make it. I know an hour wouldn't have made that big of a difference, but we were at that part of the morning where we had to ask ourselves, "why are we staying until 7?"
But let me tell you...We had CHURCH Wed. night. It was awesome. We got to the fellowship hall for the lock-in around 9:30. Then after a fashion show, junk food, a surprise foosball table for the youth, and lots of hanging out, we had a second church service with the youth at 11:50pm
What a way to bring in the new year! In the prescense of Almighty God. He has confirmed over and over again that we are in the right place at this point in our lives. His timing is always right, so I won't question why we are just now at Soul's Harbor UPC. But thanks be to God that we are here now! I can't express how warm and welcoming the church has been and how it just feels like "home". I love all my fellow saints and we had such a great time Wed. night. Here are just a few photos to recap:
http://picasaweb.google.com/suebrina

So my New Year's Day was spent in bed until 10am. I really wanted to sleep longer, but Josh wouldn't let me. He said that I wasn't going to keep him up all last night because I wasn't sleepy at bedtime. Well how do you like them apples? Now I'm here on Friday morning typing away with a major cold going on. I think my immune system just couldn't hack it anymore. My body is mad at me. So I had to call in to work today sick. Oh well, I'm sure a little Vitamin C, a leftover candy cane, and my soft pillow will go a long way to regrouping.
I have a few interesting topics I'd like to post about, but it can wait until next time. I know you can't wait to read about something other than myself.