Monday Madness

Sorry to those of you who were trying to access blogs last week but didn't make it through.  There was something messed up w/ Blogger but everything should be back to normal!

I have written several topic based blogs lately.  Not too much about my totally random life though.  I figured I would get you caught back up.  Really and truly, I've been pretty busy and pretty lazy all at the same time.  If you look at my calendar, weekends are OVERBOOKED!  I don't have any set in stone plans for Memorial Day weekend.  I definitely have a lot of ideas though.

This past weekend, I stayed in Huntington on Friday evening running errands and cleaning around the house.  I was pretty lazy during the week putting off dishes and laundry.  I usually buckle down under pressure though.  So I was able to finish up those tasks.  Saturday was the special election for Governor.  Being a Saturday primary, voter turnout was REALLY low but it is still my civic duty to cast my ballot.  (I hope the rest of you did.)  I didn't know who I was going to vote for until that morning.  I woke up thinking one guy and ended up voting for another!  After that, I packed up to head to Seth's for the weekend.  I made several stops along the way.  Starbucks.  Dropped off lilies in Charleston.  Pictures along the way.  Oil change.  Then finally to Seth's house and he wasn't there!  Thankfully, I've been around the family enough to feel comfortable alone with them.  That evening we attempted to go bowling but ended up watching "Water for Elephants".  I owe Seth for that one.  He was such a trooper!  It looked great from the previews but my honest opinion was that it was a good movie.  Definitely not something I would purchase.  FYI - it had a lot of animal violence in it which I absolutely hate!  I covered my eyes for parts of it.

Sunday was even better.  Church, nap, food, nap, movie, ice cream and Wii.  It was a very lazy day.  I think we were all pretty worn out!  But here I am, back to reality trying to write a report.  I have three issues laid out but so much work to do to each of them.  I did, however, just hoof it out to my car to get my camera cord to show you some of my pictures.  You better enjoy them.  Every last one of them! :P

I hope that your week is off to a great start and you also had a wonderful weekend!!

“Nature is too thin a screen; the glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Awesomeness

How AWESOME is the God that I/we serve???  He continues to amaze me.  Really and truly.  I'm sure the youth group kids are so sick of me talking about it.  But I am honestly so amazed at the way that God is moving in my life and in the lives of the people around me.  Maybe it is just because I am becoming more attuned to his influence in my life.  Maybe I'm just becoming more aware in general.  Don't get me wrong.  I've known God is always there.  I just get distracted by being busy or lazy or woe is me kind of attitude.  Sure we all have our good days and our bad.  Being a Christian isn't easy.  God never said it would be.  However, knowing that God is there to provide and comfort us helps on those bad days.

Here in the past week or so, God has thrown so many things in my face.  Not in a harmful, spiteful way but in a loving wake up call kind of way.  I think that I've openly admitted to the fact that I am somewhat hardheaded.  Okay.... I can be extremely hardheaded.  It takes a good jolt to get my attention.  But wow has he jolted me!  Maybe explain it as being in a funk.  But I think I'm out of it.  I hope so at least!

Now... I have all these things going on in my life.  I have to prioritize and figure out what is the most important.  A huge part of this requires me to petition God and actually listen to his answers.  Sometimes I have to be patient to hear his answers.  This is another area where I struggle.  I'm a typical generation x kid.  I want it now if not 15 minutes ago. Please and Thank You!! :P  But I have struggled.  I have kicked and screamed.  I have pouted.  Finally I gave up.  After a little bit of time, God just waltzes back in giving me what I want.  With all that excitement, I don't know what to do with everything he is giving me!  Such craziness, I know. Guess I'll just have to keep praying. :)

I just wanted to share with you that I am so very blessed!!  (And you are too!)

Being Quite Frank

As I am going through my "Edit Posts" pages, I have so many drafts.  Usually they are too revealing for me to post on here.  Part of "Identifying Sarah" is well - hard.  I was raised in a very small, rural area.  Population roughly 7000 in the entire county!  One high school, NO fast-food chains or Wal-mart, a blinking caution light, and farm land.  I was blessed to live close to my grandparents and spend a lot of time with them.  It was the kind of town where the village helped raise the child or I like to think so.  I knew that if my parents weren't around and I did something I wasn't supposed to... Well I got in trouble then and when I got home.  I appreciate the way that I was raised.  I grew up very sheltered and naive about the world.

Saying that, I could be pretty close-minded and judgmental growing up.  Since leaving the small town and experiencing the big world, I've grown up.  I understand that not everyone thinks or feels the same way that I do.  Heck, very few people are like me!  Everyone is raised differently.  Everyone is taught different things and experiences life in different ways.  That is what makes the world go round.

Something has been on my mind for the past couple of days.  Seth told me I need to loosen up.  This isn't the first or hundredth time someone has said that to me.  Knowing where I came from and being able to recognize characteristics of my life (good and bad) hasn't helped me determine why I'm so uptight.  To be honest, I don't really think about it.  It is just who I've always been.  As years go by, I've lightened up a little.  Obviously not as much as other people would like me to be.  Boy if I had HALF of a penny for every time someone had said that I need to loosen up or that I'm wound too tight, etc. etc.  I would not only be a millionaire but well on my way to being a billionaire.  Seriously!

As I mentioned, I've grown older and let go of my close-minded, judgmentalness.  It is still there but just not as much as it once was.  I try to understand where other people are coming from.  I may not agree with it.  However, it is your life.  You do what you want.  I would appreciate it if you treated me the same though.  Just because I don't drink or smoke or do drugs or vandalize people's property does not mean that it gives you the right to call me uptight.  If you choose to do anything, that is your choice.  You will reap the rewards or consequences of your actions.  I have no problem with that.  I do have a problem when your actions could possibly affect me or any of my friends/family.  Examples - Egging my car, driving under the influence of whatever, etc.  Just because I don't live life the way you do, does not mean I don't enjoy it and loosen up.  To each their own. 

Now, I agree that sometimes I get wound too tight.  I let things fester.  I overbook my life.  I worry about what people think of me.  I have trust issues.  I've been burnt in the past as I'm sure many of us have.  Here's the general scenario: You let your guard down.  Let someone into your life.  They see more of the real you.  They learn intimate details of your life.  You go on thinking that you can trust this person as more and more time goes by.  Then all of a sudden one day they are gone.  POOF.  Disappeared. OR  They end up telling someone information about you that shouldn't have been told.  It all boils down to the fact that they betray your trust.  They have hurt you.  Trust is one of those things that will make or break any relationship.  With it, everything is so much easier to handle.  Without it, there is no relationship.  If it is broken, it is so very, very hard to rebuild.  But.... all of that stuff, makes me who I am today.  I may be a little biased but I like who I am.  Sure there are things I could do better.  But as I have told Seth... love me or leave me.

I'll let you in on a little secret though.  You ask "You say that you loosen up on your own terms but how do you do it?"  I do it all by myself. :)  I have late night dance parties.  I travel to far off places.  I go to concerts.  So there.  I loosen up.  You just aren't privileged enough to see it.  Well I suppose you see it after the fact when I post pictures on Facebook or a few here.  Technically those are censored though...

(PS - I'm not writing this blog specifically to Seth.  I'm writing this to anyone.  Maybe you know people in your life that are uptight.  Give them a break!  Appreciate them for who they are.  Show them that they can trust you.  But don't push them to "loosen up".  Let it happen on their time.)



While looking for a quote, I found this gem and couldn't pass it up! :)

“While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats.”

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!

Giving Thanks

I'm having one of those blah moments.  I think it is important to remember the good times instead of focusing on the not so good especially when you're in a grumpy mood.  So by swallowing a bit of my own medicine, here goes!

Today I am thankful for the following:

• Friends.

• Family.
• God, church, the kids in the youth group, overwhelming peace.
• FOOD!!

• The fact that it is time to pull out my hammock and lay in it. :)

• Seth.
• Creativity.  I love being able to come home at night and break out of that restricted business atmosphere.  I love being able to decorate, play with colors, shapes, textures, etc.  I miss the free flow of thinking.
• Animals!!

• Music.  A good beat gets me moving!  Raw instruments give me cold chills especially when blended together.  Silence, tension, crescendos, etc.
• Self-control and will power.
• Travel!!

Hope that you are having a blessed day or by reading this, it makes you appreciate life!  God Bless!

Relationships - Tres

In case this is your first time viewing my blog, this is the first multiple-post blog topic I have written.  This all began because a friend asked me a relationship question and I decided to write something about it.  Please go check out Relationships.  Then read Relationships 2.0 to get you caught up to speed!

*Drum roll please........*

Back to the original question and my answer. Yes.  Finally an answer!

Q - "Why do girls you ignore 'love ya' and the ones you show attention to take it for granted?"

A - Girls that you ignore, want your attention.  They want to feel wanted.  They want to feel desired.  They want to feel pretty and special.  If you all of a sudden just fall off the face of the Earth, that shakes our world.  We don't know if we have done something wrong.  We analyze and over analyze every word, thought, outfit, conversation, date, etc.  We reach out to you by calling, texting, showing up where we know you'll be.  Sometimes it goes to the extreme of making ourselves lose sleep, break out in a rash, stop eating.... (Yes, I've been there.  I thought I was "in love" with the guy.  His loss.)  Guys - That is why you need to be honest with us ladies.  And you might hate me for calling you out but MEN you want all of the same things.  You hate it when we ignore you just the same.

The latter part of the question can be answered by the sheer fact that we take it for granted when we can have something all the time.  It is just like family, friends, a favorite store, the park, God, etc.  The unfortunate fact is that if something is always there, we know we can get it whenever we want.  We take it for granted.  I think that is why we appreciate the seasons so much more.  We endure temperatures and inclement weather because we know that the next season is right around the corner.  We appreciate each season for what it is and know that it won't be here forever.  I'm not saying that we are justified in the fact that we take things for granted.  I think it is again part of human nature.  Also, if someone is ignoring you, it is probably because they are not interested.  Truth is that if someone is interested in you, they will show it whether it is phone calls, texts, making plans together, visiting you at work, etc.  VERY RARELY are they ignoring you because they are preoccupied with something else. ie. family problems, work stress, financial issues, etc.

I think it boils down to honesty.  Honesty from both parties to yourself and the other party.  First off, you have to know what you want.  If you are just looking for someone to entertain you and not a relationship, then you shouldn't be getting all bent out of shape.  If you are looking for a relationship, then you should have already completed the work on your end.  You know who you are and what you're looking for.  In Patti Stranger's book, she instructs the reader to create a list of 5 things that are non-negotiable and 5 things that are negotiable.  You should stick to your list.  Even carry it around with you.  Look at it often.  I posted it on my cork board at work and even took a picture of it with my phone.  For instance, a smoker is a non-negotiable for me.  If I met a smoker, a switch flipped in my brain to not feel anything for them romantically.  This actually helped me tremendously.  Remember boys and girls, you cannot change someone.  You have to accept AND appreciate the person for who they are today.  Not who they were or who they will be.  The list prevented me from wasting my time on guys that didn't fit my list.  Now my negotiables are somewhat negotiable.  Not saying this happened but for example... If a guy fit all of my requirements but wasn't exactly tall or outgoing.  I should give it an honest effort to see what could happen.

Secondly, if both parties are honest with each other from the get go, it cuts out a LOT of drama and hurt feelings.  If you're looking for a relationship and the other person isn't, don't waste your time.  Add them to your network and move on!  Being honest can be scary.  You're putting your feelings out there.  Trust me it is SO worth it.  I don't know about you but I can't read minds.  I can assume something but we all know where that leads...

Now before you go out and practice this, please use discretion.  Don't go on a first date or even when you're first meeting someone and tell them that you are looking for the future father/mother to their children.  That is just creepy.  Get to know the person.  If you feel those sparks flying, wait a little bit longer.  Then wait a little bit longer and then casually bring up the conversation.  This advice is the same for marriage or anything that is a major life decision!!

I hope you've learned something from this topic.  I've certainly enjoyed writing about it.  Relationships are tricky things.  Some of us are lucky enough to figure them out early on in life.  Others... well we have to bang our head against a brick wall several times before we finally learn our lessons!  Regardless, everything happens for a reason.  Every encounter you have builds you into the person you are today and someone, somewhere will love that person for exactly who he/she is. :)  Now go have some fun!



“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.”

Relationships 2.0

*Go check out the previous blog for this topic at Relationships.*


Cheap Trick anyone?  Come on a good high energy relationship-ish type song.  My thoughts exactly!

"I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me, I'm beggin' you to beg me..."

Both the male and female sex want all the above.  Something is ingrained in our brains that we need to belong to a group or person or a something.  Maybe it is part of the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  You remember from psychology and every other class that they taught this in...  We have specific needs met as we gradually climb the pyramid to reach self-actualization.  I've put a pretty little diagram just in case you've forgotten. :)

Love/Belonging is right there in the middle.  Above Physiological and Safety needs.  Below Esteem.

So why is it so hard to get that attention that we so desperately seek?  I could go with the obvious family background and the way you were raised.  However, I'm going to go the safe route and say that whoever decided that technology and the fast paced life were needed... blame it on them.  I'm not saying that technology is a bad thing!!  I love having my iPhone and television and Facebook.  All of these things and so much more have caused society to constantly be running around like a chicken with our head cut off.  I can point fingers because I am SO guilty of this!  I shouldn't be pointing fingers though.   I haven't really spent any time with my boyfriend in several months.  (The time equates to about 3 days in April.)  There are many reasons for this.  Partially because I didn't feel that I was wanted.  So I created things for me to do so I felt wanted.  My excuse is that I have all kinds of things that I "need" to do.  Why do I feel that need is there?  Because I want to belong.  I want to be needed.  I decided that if I couldn't feel that with my boyfriend, I'll feel it somewhere else.  Not saying that was the most mature approach.  I never claimed to be the best at relationships!  Just that I've been around the block a time or two, stumbled across the pavement, got a few cuts and scrapes, but I still keep walking. :)

Both males and females want to be wanted.  Men may not admit to it as much as a woman would but they still want to be wanted.  Fixing stuff around the house, opening jars because they are stronger, being your protection, being the PROVIDER, etc.  Men thrive on that kind of stuff.  Women... well we are more emotional.  We 'mother'.  We fix meals, make sure the house is clean, everyone is taken care of, etc.  As I'm typing this, I kind of hesitate on the woman's side of things.  Strange that I can't put into words what women want and the ways that they demonstrate this want.  Makes me laugh a little because I tell a lot of guys when they ask about women, "Women don't know what they want... but they want it all."  You know why oftentimes women don't know what they want?  Simple.  We've been ingrained to fulfill the wants, needs and desires of everyone else in our lives before we fulfill our own.  Maybe this is a generalization for southern women instead of women everywhere.  I think it fits to some degree though.  The mantra of "If everyone else is happy, then I'm happy."  But what about the line "If momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy."  I've painted quite a conundrum for myself.  Is it just a vicious cycle?  Is it an unspoken rule that momma rules the land?

WOW... I've digressed.  In life, we all want to be wanted.  Once we've left childhood and partially the teenage years, we tend to gravitate towards the opposite sex.  We are looking to be wanted by the opposite sex.  We are trying to fulfill that societal and physiological role of finding a mate.

Now just to let you know.  I have already finished typing my spiel to answer the original question.  I took the end of this blog and created another so it wouldn't be too long.  So check back in a few days for "Relationships - Tres"


"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao Tzu

Blogging Thoughts

I haven't been blogging for long but it is really addicting!  A couple of weeks ago, I would check my "Dashboard" every couple of hours for new posts from fellow bloggers.  Dashboard is kind of like your homepage for those of you who do not use Blogger.  That week I was also in a writing mood and wrote all kinds of stuff.  Some of which I didn't end up posting just because it was far too personal.

I've tried to be very cautious in what I write and then post.  Because my post is public, anyone, anywhere can read my blog.  It is kind of scary and super cool all at the same time.  I have readers in India, UK, South Korea, Denmark, Germany, etc.  How awesome is that???

I also love to see how many people view the different posts.  It is interesting to me which topics get the highest ratings.  For instance, my post yesterday titled  "Relationships" has had the most viewings with the exception of one other post.  In one day, it has beat everything else out.  You want to know why?  Plain and simple.  Everyone is intrigued by relationships.  I'm sure some readers thought that I would dish on current or past relationships.  HA!  Fooled you! :)  Again, there is no point in airing dirty laundry.  It only hurts people and makes me look silly.  Also, there are always at least two sides to every story.  By the way, this was the first blog that I've been nervous about posting.

Some topics that I try to avoid are anything and everything to do with work.  Also, relationships, family, gossip, arguments, etc. are off limits.  I try to give very generic thoughts or descriptions.  Also, I limit the amount of future events.  (We've all heard stories of people posting their life schedules only to be used against them by criminals.)

Fellow bloggers: Are there things you have avoided or enjoy discussing?  What do you love the most about blogging?