Summertime in Mississippi

I wrote this a few weeks ago, and until now, had forgotten about it. I delayed posting it because I wanted to put pictures up with it. So I will post it now.

After being in Texas all summer, I got to spend a few days back in Mississippi to take care of some things at our house. I had forgotten how much I love summertime here. Everything is green and growing and flowers are blooming. I absolutely love the sights and smells of summertime in Mississippi. Fresh cut grass never smelled better nor looked so good. My very favorite part of the day to enjoy the summer is right before twilight. When everything has slowed down and cooled down too. Tonight was absolutely perfect outside. It wasn't hot and the humidity wasn't bad either. The light outside during that part of the day makes everything look like a picture out of a storybook. The sky is all shades of blue, orange, and pink. If I could freeze time for a while, it would be to enjoy those moments longer. Or better yet, I get to enjoy them everyday! I love to feel the grass under my bare feet. It's soft and cool. I love to smell the honeysuckle that grows in my yard. My mother doesn't like it because it's a vine that takes over whatever it grows on, but it's my favorite flower. It smells amazing, has a unique white bloom, and if you do it just right, you can taste the sweet nectar that hides inside. To me, it epitomizes summertime in the country. Just seeing or smelling it makes me feel at home.

<div>After being in Texas all summer, I got to spend a few days back in Mississippi to take care of some things at our house. I had forgotten how much I love summertime here. Everything is green and growing and flowers are blooming. I absolutely love the sights and smells of summertime in Mississippi. Fresh cut grass never smelled better nor looked so good. My very favorite part of the day to enjoy the summer is right before twilight. When everything has slowed down and cooled down too. Tonight was absolutely perfect outside. It wasn't hot and the humidity wasn't bad either. The light outside during that part of the day makes everything look like a picture out of a storybook. The sky is all shades of blue, orange, and pink. If I could freeze time for a while, it would be to enjoy those moments longer. Or better yet, I get to enjoy them everyday! I love to feel the grass under my bare feet. It's soft and cool. I love to smell the honeysuckle that grows in my yard. My mother doesn't like it because it's a vine that takes over whatever it grows on, but it's my favorite flower. It smells amazing, has a unique white bloom, and if you do it just right, you can taste the sweet nectar that hides inside. To me, it epitomizes summertime in the country. Just seeing or smelling it makes me feel at home. </div>

The Hidden Person of the Heart

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This summer, I'm attending a Bible study on Wednesday nights. We're studying the book of 1st Peter. We've only met once, and unfortunately I'm going to miss the next two weeks, so I decided to keep up the reading and write my own notes about what I've read. So tonight I had a quite moment by myself and decided to read the second half of chapter two and chapter three.

In chapter three, the first thing that Peter talks about is how wives should act. I believe that this applies to single women as well, because we are future wives, hopefully. So the first part talks about being submissive to your husband. I thought "yeah, yeah, I've heard this part before. Got it." But Peter's reason for being submissive is a little different than the reasons that Paul uses. Peter says that wives (who are believers) should be submissive to their husbands (who are unbelievers) so that they may be a witness by their actions. I think this situation applies to a woman who becomes a Christian after she is married, and her husband does not. I believe that God blesses this situation, if the wife is submissive and lives as a Christian witness to her husband.

But the part that struck me tonight was in verses three and four: "Your adornment must not be merely external-braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. (NASB)" Wow. That phrase "the hidden person of the heart" stopped me cold. For so long, I have complained that no one knows the real me. So I have been trying things to get noticed, and to shock people into spending time getting to know who I am. It hasn't worked and has only been a source of frustration for me and those around me. I have always been the quiet girl. Lately I have wanted to change that, but according to these verses, having "gentle and quiet spirit" is precious to God. So all along, God has seen the real me. He sees the hidden person of my heart, and I am precious to Him. The world does not value a meek and gentle spirit, but God does. That's all I need to know.

Who is the Hidden Person of your Heart?

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Another First

This summer seems to be a summer of firsts for me, in some respects. Well, here's another to add to the list. I bought my first pair of honest to goodness cowgirl boots! I've been looking at boots for a while now and finally found a pair that I liked. I went today to try them on again, and if they had the right size, purchase them. So, here's what I wound up with. I like them and can't wait to break them in!

An Amazing Moment...

...that lasts forever, or many amazing moments that are fleeting? This is an interesting question to pose. The moment that you are in is a sure thing, you know that it is amazing, and would be amazing forever. Other moments are unknown. Will they be as good as the one you are in? Better? If you stay in that one moment forever, what might you be missing?

I think life is a series of amazing moments. Sometimes they are few and far between, and sometimes you are blessed beyond belief and fall into a series of them. Sometimes they are obvious and sometimes you have to look for them. I think the best compromise is to love the moment you are in, while it lasts, while at the same time looking forward to other amazing moments just around the corner.

Wild at Heart

Some people are of the opinion that I've gotten kinda daring and wild this summer. This surprised me because I haven't changed on the inside, I'm just getting better at reflecting it. Usually I show people what they want to see. Sometimes this is good, cause I can blend into a crowd, and not go against the grain. Sometimes not so good, because people don't see the real me. Lately I've been trying new things, things I've always wanted to do. I guess the first "wild" thing I did this year was getting a second hole pierced in my ears. It's nothing extravagant, and lots of people have two holes in their ears, but I guess nobody really expects that from me. I like it when I do something unexpected. People are constantly underestimating me, and when they do, I shock them. It's quite fun. :) Another crazy new thing I did just last weekend was ride a motorcycle. Not a Harley, but a sport bike. A friend of mine promised me a ride, so the next chance I got, I took him up on it. It was utterly amazing. Words cannot describe the way I felt as we raced down the highway. It felt like I was sitting still, and everything was whizzing by me at lightning speed. So amazing. I can't wait to do it again! Stay tuned to see what other wild and crazy stunts I try this summer. ;)







My piercing










This is pretty close to what I rode, only his was orange.

Happiness

Someone asked me recently what made me happy. My response? Simple things make me happy. Things like sitting outside at night and staring at the stars, listening to the rain, hearing a baby laugh, driving on back roads with windows down and singing along with the music, sharing a meal with friends or family, wading in a creek in the summer, doing something exciting for the first time. Those are all things that make me feel like the happiest and luckiest girl alive. I love to share these things with my friends and family. People are the most important things I have in my life. Without them, where would I be? Nowhere happy, that's for sure.

A Relaxing Weekend at the Lake

For Mother's Day, my mom decided to go somewhere for the weekend. It would be nice to get away for a while. We thought about going to the beach, but then decided to go to the lake. It wasn't a terribly long drive, only about three hours. My siblings and I have been to this lake before, but not to this place we're staying. It's a nice little place, with a small cabin we rented. The cabin is supposed to be right on the water, and I'm sure it is when the lake isn't down 14 feet. It's really sad to see where all the water used to be. I just hope it rains a lot before my sister and I come back in June, so we can do stuff on the boat. But this weekend it was nice to get away from phones, internet, computers, and television, and be able to sleep, relax, listen to music, and read. Not to mention a little bit of writing. My thoughts are always clearer when I'm away from all the every-day distractions.

Friday night was really nice. I grilled steak outside on the grill. That was interesting considering I haven't used charcoal in like, 8 years. It turned out really well though. Supper was good, and we sat around the table and laughed hysterically about all manner of things. After that, we just sat around talking and eventually got ready for bed. I walked on of the dogs before bed, and it was windy and lightning outside. Usually I'm a little neurotic about storms (because I'm terrified of tornadoes) but I liked the weather that night. The lightning was streaking and flashing all across the sky over the lake. It was beautiful.

I love being away from the city, and people, and all the artificial noise. I like to go outside, see beautiful sights, and not worry about who's watching. I'm not always antisocial, but sometimes it's nice. Sometimes I think I'd like to live on a deserted island. But for now, for this weekend, the lake was my getaway.

Our weekend was not without adventure. The lady at the office told us that the one of the waterfalls was only about 2 miles away, and that you could walk to it. My sister and I decided to go. I should have known that wherever the two of us go, an adventure follows. Whether it's getting lost in Little Rock at 11pm in the ghetto trying to find McDonald's, or making a wrong turn in the woods riding horses and taking a 4 hour detour, or trying to escape Gustav and Bubba in rural Arkansas, we always have interesting stories to tell. Anyway, we started trekking to the falls around 4pm on Saturday. Since the lake was so dry, we were able to walk on dry lake bed. Well, the first part was really soggy. After that, there was a stretch of the trip that had ankle-turning rocks and sticks, then buzzard alley, then dead, putrid fish, then a horse pasture, all of which used to be under water. We finally made it to the falls. We stayed for about 10 or 15 minutes, stuck our feet in the water, and left. The whole trip was about 5 miles, and took over three hours. It really wasn't worth it to see something we've seen several times before. Going to the falls stinks (sometimes literally) unless you're going by boat. Note to self: don't do that again. But like I said, it was an adventure.

All-in-all, we had a quiet, relaxing weekend. It was so nice to sit outside on the porch at night and listen to all the sounds of the night. That is without a doubt my favorite part of going to the lake.

Summer Change

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After a loooong drive home, I am finally here for the summer. I was sad to leave Mississippi, with all of her beauty and comfort, but I was not sad to leave Starkville. The past semester was hard, and I was more than ready to leave everything behind. This summer has an uncertain air about it. I have a feeling that it will be better than last summer-it just about has to be. But there are also hints of some tough things I will have to deal with, mostly within myself. So I'm not sure what the summer will bring, but I'm ready for a change.

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Heat

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This afternoon, as I walked back to my car after classes were done for the day, I was in a pretty good mood. It was a gorgeous day outside, and I was finished with three of my five classes. I reached my car and opened the door to get inside. The heat enveloped me like a blanket. It was a welcome feeling because it had been absent so long. That feeling can only mean one thing: summer is well on it's way.

Have you ever felt like you were two different people? I feel that way very often. It's as if the person who everyone sees is very different from the person who very few, if any people see. Maybe not two totally different people, but definitely not the same. On the outside, I am meek, polite, and soft-spoken. These are not bad qualities to have, but sometimes people take advantage of them. Others see these qualities and assume I am lacking other qualities, such as confidence and ambition. If only people could see what's inside. There is such passion, ambition, and downright fire inside of me. There are times I would like to chew people out for being stupid. Other times I want to go at something with all that's in me. Everyone who knows me (aside from my family, because they have seen it on occasion) would be totally shocked if they saw this coming from me. The things I feel inside are hard for me to express. They don't translate well to others. I think that the people I'm around either hold this back, or let it come out. One day there will be someone who will be able to see all that's behind this facade, and see who I really am from the inside out. Every layer and fiber of my being. I'm waiting for the person, and only the person who can do that.

~*~

Traditional

What is wrong with being a "traditional" woman? There is so much pressure on young women to be independent from men, have a high profile career, and, IF you marry, you must not fulfill the traditional role of mother/housewife. Why is being a woman, or housewife, or mother taboo in our society? Today's "modern woman" is hardly a woman at all. She is expected to fulfill the role of both man and woman. She must be highly competitive, never show emotion, and do everything a man can do, only faster and better. On the other hand, if she doesn't want to be alone for the rest of her life, she must also be incredibly pretty, soft, and feminine, lest she be perceived as anything less than straight. How can one individual fulfill all of these expectations under so much stress? I think it is impossible to accomplish, and be happy and satisfied with life. I'm not saying every woman should be June Cleaver. That isn't plausible either. I'm addressing the issue of the negativity towards a woman who wants to be a wife and mother. No career, no "job." Women with this desire are frowned upon and thought of as less of a woman, a whipped puppy, if you will. Some of these women are seen as gold-diggers or lazy. A woman who runs a household and raises children has one of the hardest jobs around. It is very rewarding work, although there is not a paycheck every month. Payment is in the form of having a fulfilling and satisfying life, and raising children to be kind and smart adults. If a woman wants to have a high profile career, go for it. If she wants to have a family also, that's great. Just don't look down on a woman who wants a family as her career.

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I've come up with several reasons that I, personally, want to be a stay-at-home mom:

1. I'll get to see every stage of development in my children

2. I'll be available for every important event for my children.

3. I'll be able to provide for and care for my husband and children.

4. I'll have time to care for my house and take pride in it.

5. I'll be available to care for my husband's and my parents later in life, in our home.

6. I'll be able to homeschool my children.

7. I'll have time to devote to just my husband.

8. I'll strive to be the best wife, mother, and woman I can be.

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The Hand Song

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I recently discovered a new band, thanks to Andy telling me about Pandora. They're called Nickel Creek, and sound alot like Allison Krauss. They have some really great songs, but one in particular really touched me. It's called The Hand Song.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_9dIVrEjA

Lyrics:

The boy only wanting to give mother something,
And all of her roses had bloomed.
Looking at him as he came rushing in,
without knowing her roses were doomed.
All she could see were some thorns buried deep,
And tears that he cried as she tended his wounds.

And she knew it was love, it was what she could understand.
He was showing his love, and that's how he hurt his hands.

He still remembers that night as a child, on his mothers knee.
She held him close and she opened her Bible, and quietly started to read.
Then seeing a picture of Jesus, he cried out:
"Mama he's got some scars like me!"
And he knew it was love, it was what he could understand.
He was showing his love, and that's how he hurt his hands.

Now the boy is grown and moved out on his own,
when Uncle Sam comes along.
A foreign affair, but our young men are there,
and luck had his number drawn.
It wasn't that long till our hero was gone,
he gave to a friend what he learned from the cross.
But they knew it was love, it one they could understand.
He was showing his love, and that's how he hurt his hands.

It was one they could understand.
He was showing his love, and that's how he hurt his hands.

~*~

The Natchez Trace

I've been wanting to drive down the Natchez Trace Parkway for a long time now, and finally got a chance to today. I went with my best friend, Andy! :) We have had all sorts of adventures together, and today was no exception. We got on the Trace in Mathiston and drove about 100 miles down to the Ross Barnett Reservoir just north of Jackson. It was a beautiful day to be out and about, about 75 degrees and sunny skies. So we drove, listened to music, and stopped to see as much as we could. And we took lots of pictures!

When Moms are Away, Boys Will Play

This weekend while the girls of the family were at the Women of Faith conference in Shreveport, La, my brother and cousin stayed with my uncle in Texas. This is what they did to entertain themselves while we were gone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMS2yPTw41Y

I have about the coolest brother and cousin in the world! :D

Parenting

I wrote this as an assignment for my marriage and family class. Though it might be interesting to post here. I wanted to write more, but the assignment had to be no more than two pages.

My parents provided me with a great childhood. All my basic needs were met and they did everything they could to give me every advantage in life. They used many different parenting strategies when raising me and my siblings. One such strategy was teaching us responsibility. We were not assigned specific chores around the house, but rather my parents taught us that when you see something that needs doing, to do it. When we were younger, my mom or dad would ask us to do specific tasks, but as we got older, we were expected to step up and do the things necessary to maintain the house. My parents also taught us discipline. We were taught from an early age that wrong actions have consequences. If we wailed and screamed if my mom told us to wait, that solicited a pop on the behind. As we grew, their mode of discipline changed too. By the time I was in middle school, I rarely, if ever got spankings. Instead, privileges were taken away. The most important part of growing up was the education that my parents gave me. From day one, my mother and father took me church. They taught us the importance of faith and a relationship with God. That has been the best thing my parents ever did for me. Another part of my education that my parents provided was academics. My mom and dad made the decision to homeschool us when my sister was in third grade and I was about to start kindergarten. They made this because of several different reasons, but the reason behind the decision was to provide the best education possible for us.
When I have children of my own, I will employ many of the strategies that my parents used. I believe that these strategies provided me with a great childhood and equipped me to grow into a well-balanced adult. Another parenting strategy that I will use is a fairly stable schedule. They’ll wake up around the same time, eat around the same time, and go to bed around the same time. It won’t be strict and inflexible, but it will help them establish a daily routine. I want to teach my children to be responsible, independent, caring, and love God and the church.
I hope to be able to stay at home with my children, but I know that if I am unable to do so, I need someone to care for my children. In the best situation, it would be a family member or a close friend. If that doesn’t work, I will have no other choice than to take my children to daycare. The condition of daycare in our country is pitiful. Daycare, even if it is not quality care, is incredibly expensive. The people who need it the most cannot afford childcare. The poor have government sponsored programs accessible to them. Even if they are not high quality, it is still their only option. The working class does not have access to government sponsored childcare and cannot afford to pay the price of public or private daycare. There is a serious need to affordable, high quality childcare in the United States. Supporters and government officials should look at European models for ideas and inspiration.

From Turmoil to Peace

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Last night a line of storms came through the Starkville area. I get pretty nervous when it's bad weather cause I'm pretty scared of tornadoes. There weren't any in our area last night, but I still had trouble sleeping. Today was in stark contrast to last night's chaos. As I drove to school this morning, the combination of the dark brown of the wet tree trunks with the bright green of the leaves was very beautiful to me. It reminded me of something out of a movie. As the day progressed, the sun came out and the clouds cleared to make room for a beautiful blue sky. The weather was perfect. A gorgeous day to sit outside and just soak it all in.

In less than six hours, the weather went from turmoil to peace.

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Procrastination at Its Best

Here I am, sitting in the library on campus at 10:08 pm. I'm supposed to be studying. I have a Spanish III test tomorrow. It require a bit of studying, but I am no where near the frame of mind that it takes to actually accomplish something while looking at books and notes. Since returning from Texas after Spring Break, I've been in a mood, a funk, if you will. I don't know where it originated from, and maybe it's just the product of hormones being out of whack, who knows. All I know is that it's not fun. Before Spring Break, things were ok. I wasn't in the best of spirits, mostly because of school. I'm tired of it, and some of my classes aren't going so well. But I had an idea of where I was headed with all this, where to take my education and start a career. I'm still on the same track with that. I have some leads on possible internships for next year, and after that, I have a better idea of where to apply for jobs. So that part is looking up. I guess the part of my life that isn't looking so chipper at the moment is the relationship part. It seems like I've been on a roller coaster the past year, but suddenly, I fell out. Reality hit, and I realized that I have to get used to being alone. That prospect is not appealing to me in the least. Even if I do date some before I graduate, could it ever really get serious? Everyone is going in different directions, so the probability of us landing in the same city is slim to none. So, that's out. Well, let's say I graduate college and get the job I've been wanting. It will probably be in a city where I don't know many people, if any at all. I know from personal experience that it takes a long time to make friends and form relationships. So, again, I'm alone. Sure, I'll keep in touch with family and friends, but that's not the same as being right there with them. Boy, this growing up thing isn't all that great after all. I'm just not the kind of person who thrives on independence and freedom. Yeah, I know that sounds very un-American of me, but it's true. I don't want to be some power executive in a high profile career. That's not me. I want the little house with a picket white fence and four kids playing out back. That's who I've always been and always will be. It's just a matter of if will I ever get there...

Update

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MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS ARE 2009 SEC CHAMPS!!!

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Bipolar Weather

A little over a week ago, Starkville and a good part of the Southeast looked like this:

Now, Starkville looks like this:

Spring is here! :)

Atlanta

This weekend my sister and I are trekking to Atlanta, Georgia to watch my brother in a fencing tournament. I was excited about the weekend because it was a chance to see the fam, and get out of Starkvegas for a while. I haven't been to Atlanta in a long time, so I don't really remember lots about it. I think the last time I was here was when my aunt and uncle lived here. My cousin had just been born, so we came to see her. She's almost 11 now! We are staying in the Westin Hotel. It's really nice, even though there are still windows missing from the tornado that hit downtown Atlanta almost a year ago. There is still a good bit of damage.

The ride down here was...interesting, to say the least. I let my sister drive. Enough said.

Anyways, we're here now, chillin at the hotel. Sometime tonight I think we're going to eat supper at the Hard Rock. I really like downtown Atlanta so far. Except for the traffic...

Keller

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Recently, my sister came across an ad in the classifieds that was selling mini dachshunds. Because my mom raises mini dachshunds, she was curious and decided to take a look at the ad. In a litter of black and tan dapples, there was one female puppy who was blind. She has a genetic defect that occurs when someone breeds two dapples together. It causes huge problems for the puppy, therefor is an unacceptable breeding practice. My sister was immediately drawn to the puppy. She called about her and finally got in touch with the owner, and she and I went to look at the puppy. It became clear after we saw her that she was both blind and deaf, but her sweet and lively personality and her sad situation made her impossible to refuse. We took her home, a little overwhelmed, but adoring her. My sister gave her a very appropriate name: Keller. Watching Keller in the past few days has been amazing. Even though it seems as if she doesn't have a thing going for her, she is just like any other puppy. She is adapting to her new home rather quickly also. Despite not being able to hear or see, she has remarkably good senses of touch and smell. These, and taste, are the only sense she has to use. Likewise, those are the only senses we have to train her with. We need lots of patience and information. Keller, and the two of us, have a long read ahead. I can forsee that she will teach us alot and continually amaze and surprise.

When I see the hardships that Keller has to live with, it makes me very greatful for all of my senses. The ability to see and hear is precious. She also shows me that no matter how bad the

hardships in my life get, I can make it through them.

So keep my sister and I, and Keller in your thoughts and prayers. We are going to need it!

Check out Keller's Blog by clicking the link in my blogs: "Raising Keller"

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