Thursday, December 30, 2010

Where Did 2010 Go?

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of the year.  I can't believe that I fully intended to post pictures on my blog from Hawaii every day we were there, but somehow only found time to post four times.  Out of 13 days.  Pretty lame!  Here's a beautiful Hawaiian sunset picture to cheer me (and you) up:
It's amazing to me how fast time seems to fly as I get older.  Maybe it's just that technology makes everything happen so quick that it just seems like time is flying faster to me?  I suppose it's a possibility.  

Here is a list of some of the goals I'd like to accomplish in 2011:

  • Memorize two scriptures per month with the Siesta's on Beth Moore's blog.  
  • Spend more time reading the Bible.
  • Be a better representative of Christ.    
  • Learn to play the keyboard or piano.
  • Find a cure for my tone deafness.
  • Finally, get my home office organized and become paperless!
  • Learn how to use a Mac operating system.
  • Buy a Mac computer.
  • Be successful enough in the joint-venture my husband and I have started to allow him to retire from working in our shop!  
These, are not, by the way, resolutions!  I haven't done resolutions in more years than I can remember because they always seemed to be forgotten by week 2 of the new year!


In actuality, I'm not sure how many of the above goals are realistic for me to achieve, but I know that with God, all things are possible!  As a matter of fact, I think I will get an early jump on my scripture memorization and make Matthew 19:26 the first verse!  

That reminds me, I plan on doing a spiral notebook with my memory verses like Beth Moore suggests, but with a twist.  I am going to print my verses out (in a large font) that I will stick under my iPhone cover so I can read my verse every time I use my phone!  

See?

Then when it's time for a new verse, I will simply paste the newly memorized (printed) one in my memory book next to the one I have handwritten!  (I'll post a picture of that later, when I have actually done it!)

By the way, did anybody feel like Beth Moore was talking directly to them when she made her encouragement post regarding people who feel like they are incapable of memorizing scripture?  I sure did.  It will be interesting to see the evidence of God's faithfulness in my life this year as we embark on this endeavor, that's for sure.  To say that I have struggled in this area is an understatement.  I can usually remember most of the words of any given verse, but couldn't tell you where in the Bible to find it!  (Not very good for somebody who gives Bibles away!)  

In fact, it was precisely that post by Beth that gave me the just the nudge I needed to commit to doing this!  Wow.  Thank you, Beth Moore!


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Thursday, December 9, 2010

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT?


The more I think about my recent experience with TSA in the Honolulu Airport, the more I become convinced that anyone wishing to travel in this country has been deemed guilty until proven innocent by the TSA and our lawmakers. 

I can't conceive of the reason for the violation of my person by the TSA agents who selected me for the x-ray machine, (which I politely declined), who tried to intimidate me into doing the scanner, and who ulitmately delivered the most personal assault I have ever experienced in my 37 years of life.  It was an assault on my integrity, largely insulting, hugely intimidating and has left me quite traumatized.  

I think most certainly there is an abuse of power and position going on.  How did American citizens lose the ability to move around the country freely without being subject to invasive body searches by authorities? 

Can't we find a better way to handle air safety without humiliating every American, espcially children, the handicapped and the elderly?  I'm sure air security could be handled in a way that would cost less and in a more secure way (and with less bodily invasion) than what we are currently doing.  

I think that it is time to seriously consider firing all incumbents in D.C..  Will we stop this madness?  Can we stop this madness?  What do you think?  What have your TSA experiences been like?  How do you feel about this subject?  Please leave a comment if you have any ideas or stories to share.  Thanks!
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Monday, December 6, 2010

Some Lessons I Learned On My Vacation To Hawaii........



1.) It is better not to lose your Driver's License between your departure airport and your arrival airport. (Oops.)

2.) Car rental companies do not rent cars to people without their Driver's License.  (Ok, I knew that lesson already, but I had a refresher course in Honolulu!)

3.) It's a huge relief when you find your lost Driver's License when you get to the hotel and desperately go through every inch of your luggage.  Yay!

Giant Cockroach - seriously.  It was at least 3 inches long, not including the antennae.  And they fly. Yuck.


4.)  Cockroaches prefer chocolate chip cookies to banana bread. 

5.)  Cockroaches eat holes in paper towels that have chocolate chip cookies on them.

6.)  It's easier to wait until it's dark outside to postively determine if your car is infested with cockroaches.
 


 How do I know this?

 I know this because our first rental car on the Big Island was apparently infested with a smaller variety of cockroach than the giant one pictured above (which, incidentally, was photographed at the exclusive Mauna Kea Beach Hotel).  I mean, really, really infested.  Thankfully, the car rental company happily exchanged the car for us when my husband went back.  (Thank you Honey!) 

 I digress...

8.) I do not care for the new TSA pat-down procedure, which I am now *unfortunately* intimately familiar with.   Even if I wanted to describe on my blog exactly how intrusive this procedure was, I couldn't do it because it is too vulgar.  The part that was most disturbing to me?  That I was forced to be separated from my husband against my will.  I could see him, but he was at least 20 or 30 feet away from me, separated by officials and equipment.  We were on our way home, for crying out loud.  Is this even my country anymore?  May God have mercy on us all.



9.)  I am blessed to have the best husband in the world! (Thank You, Lord Jesus)


10.)I had a good time on vacation, but there truly is no place like home.  
(i-phone pic from my truck)

....Even if it is only 1 degree outside!
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