Fly High

To answer another one of my favorites...my favorite airline to travel with is..Southwest. Of course, they are generally less expensive than the others so that is quite enticing. In addition, I have never had a bad experience with them that I can recall. In fact, the majority of times I've flown with them, my flight has been pleasurable as not only the flight attendants have been nice as well as entertaining but the pilots have been too. They have made my time in the sky...uh..fun. One of the other things I appreciate about Southwest is the ability to sit wherever you wish. So, that's it...a second question answered in my book of favorites.

Jodi

Upon my return to One Way in 2003 (I left in 2002 to work elsewhere for a brief time), I was introduced to Jodi. At the time, Jodi was a junior in high school. My initial thoughts were not nice. I was dreading having to work with a high school kid as many times, they had proved to be irresponsible & have poor work ethics. Such could not have been further from the truth than with Jodi. Quickly, I saw in Jodi, a passion for people that I had rarely seen in anyone. This young lady had a heart for the lost & genuine desire to see others come to know Christ. While many (myself included) did not look forward to working in the Bible department, Jodi would immediately rush over to assist those looking in the area. As stock would come in & Bibles would be placed on the shelves, Jodi was picking them out for purchase herself. I wondered why she was continually buying Bibles. Though some were for her personal library, many were simply for her to give away to individuals she would meet along the way. After my mission trip to Taiwan in 2005 & Jodi's trip to Africa, we met for lunch at a local mall. We ate & then went in the mall's Flag Shop to look around. We could tell that the man working the counter was of Middle Eastern descent. Jodi struck up a conversation with him & wasted no time in telling him about Jesus. She carried around a number of different gospel tracts & happened to have one that related to Islam (which, he said he was Muslim) & left that for him. We left & I was just in awe of Jodi. For her, sharing with that man was a piece of cake. Unfortunately, I am ashamed to say, I would have been a nervous wreck & would probably have never opened my mouth. When a Middle Eastern grocery store opened next door to our work, Jodi was over there in a hurry & began to build a rapport with the staff. Still today, Jodi visits them & shares with them. After having spent time in Morocco last summer & then just graduating from college & studying abroad in Jerusalem, she has been accepted for Pioneers, a missions organization reaching the unreached. Jodi will spend the summer working as a missions intern at her church here in St. Louis & within the next year, will move to the Middle East to minister. I ask you to pray for this dear friend of mine that we could all learn so much from. Though younger than myself, I have the utmost admiration & respect for Jodi. Jodi is a true example of what Christ has called all of us to-loving as He loves & sharing His love with a lost world. I am pleased to call Jodi my sister & friend.

Girls Night Out

On Sunday, my friend Amy approached Haley & I before the church service began & asked if we would be interested in getting together for a girl's night out. Tonight, 4 of us girls (unfortunately, Haley is a bit under the weather so she did not join us) went to dinner at Lewis & Clark's in Old St. Charles & afterwards, returned to Amy's. After trying to decide what we should do next, we divided into 2 teams & played a game of WOW Trivia (kind of like the Christian edition of a Scene It--only it's based on Christian music). My team consisting of my friend Linda & myself (obviously) won. We then watched the end of Monster-In-Law & laughed a good bit while talking every once in a while. Some in the room had googly eyes over the actor in the movie. Which, that led to our conversing over what actors we find attractive. Once the movie ended, we then moved on to an already in progress episode of NCIS so that a few of us could stare at the show's character, Tony (Anthony Denozo on the show)& admire his good looks. After a virgin Strawberry Daiquiri & a bit of cheesecake dip, we all went our separate ways. Having had a nice time, we decided we should get together more often. I will be looking forward to the next time. Nothing like a bunch of grown women talking like school girls about their Hollywood crushes! Funny stuff.

Done, But Not Over

While my birthday is done, the need for celebrating seems to not be over. Thinking that all had went fairly well in the sense that I had gotten through my birthday without much fuss, this week has proved me wrong. A while ago, I registered at many places online for their birthday clubs. During the week prior to my birthday I began to receive coupons for free and/or discounted meals. I knew I needed to take advantage of any of them that were "free." Since I was off work on Tuesday, I talked my mom into going to Red Robin with me so that I might redeem the coupon for a free burger. Everything was fine until we were seated & discovered that the waitress was someone we met 15 years before when she was our waitress at another restaurant. Anytime we would go eat at that establishment, we would ask for her. She had to have a seat & get all caught up with my mom & I on all that had been taking place & fill us in on herself as well. Since my purpose in being there was for the free burger, I was not about to bypass giving the coupon to her. Not long after I did, the hit parade came circling around singing to me & presenting me with a sundae. I was less than pleased. Had we have had any other server, that would not have happened (since it was not requested that my birthday be made known to everyone in the joint). But no, out of all the servers there, we get stuck with one that we know!! And if things couldn't get any worse, I was called back to the drive-thru area at work today where a cake was pulled out & fellow coworkers were saying, "Happy Birthday!" The one person who figured it out right before we left on my birthday kept it quiet then but decided to broadcast my birthday later to the world. Everyone kept coming & asking why I did not say anything last week on my birthday. They were apologizing for not knowing. I tried explaining to them that I like for no one to know--for things to be kept quiet. So much for that. Surely we are done now! The birthday has come & it has gone. It is time it be put to rest now & forever!

On the Edge but Not Over the Hill

This past Friday, July 18th, I celebrated my 29th b-day. My birthday went just as I had hoped--unnoticed for the most part. I never have been one to enjoy being the center of attention or the focus of everyone in the room. With that being said, a bunch of hoopla on my birthday is something I find extremely embarrassing. I spent the day at work as though it was just another day. Unfortunately, not long before my shift was up, something happened & one of my coworkers questioned if it was my birthday. I replied softly with a "Yes & let's keep that on the down-low." Typically, I do not go out to eat on or around my birthday out of fear of being humiliated. My parents had asked where I wanted to go. I agreed to us going to Olive Garden only under the agreement that neither (not worried about my dad opening his mouth--just my mother) would mention one word about my birthday. They were warned ahead of time that if they did, all you know what would break loose. After not getting off work until nearly 6:30, the wait was going to be a hr. or so. We ended up at Denny's. Not my first pick but I knew that we would not have to wait there. On our way to eat, one of my friends called & wished me a Happy Birthday. He asked why I didn't sound too happy & if this was my 30th. I was quick to let him know that it was not my 30th & that I have a whole year for that! As my 10 yr. old cousin, Ian, told me a couple of weeks ago, "You're old! You're like almost 30." I said, "No, Ian, I will be 29. Besides, one day you'll be 30." He replied with, "Yeah, in like 20 years!" I am not 30, I am not 30!! I will cherish 29!

*P.S. - I was not unhappy. The friend calling was asking where we were eating & I was not about to tell him as he has a habit of pulling pranks on me & doing everything in his power to embarrass me. Though he said he & his family had already had dinner, I still did not trust him to not make a guest appearance at our table.

Off the Levee

For a number of years now, throughout
July, there has been a concert series on the riverfront called Live on the Levee. Of course, with the flooding this year, the concerts had to be moved. They concert series has been renamed Live Off the Levee as the shows have been moved to another location. Every once in a while, there are some really good groups & artists asked to perform. This year, country group, Lonestar, was one of them. When I had read they would be coming I was ready to go--especially since these shows are free. Prepped with our chairs, insect repellant, water, ponchos, cameras & extra clothing, Haley & I headed downtown for the show. We found what was a good seat until some drunk guys came to stand directly in front of us blocking our view of the stage. We finally moved over a bit so that we could not only see but also get away from the men who were being quite a disturbance. I could not recall if I had ever seen Lonestar prior to this concert. The sound was definitely different as they had a new lead vocalist. Even still, we enjoyed hearing hits like, "Amazed", "I'm Already There" & "From my Front Porch Looking In." Once the show ended, everyone turned their chairs to face the Municipal Building where fireworks were shot off. Despite the fact that this display did not last as long as others & did not have as much money spent on it, Haley & I enjoyed it more than the others we had seen. We saw some very unique fireworks that we had not seen before. After all the "Ooo's" & "Ah's", we packed up & trecked back to the car for the ride home.

Don't Cry Over Spilled...Vegetables?

On our way home from a game night with our Sunday School class last Friday night, we had a bit of an accident. As usual, we carried food to share with the group. There are usually leftovers always. This night was no different. Haley placed the vegetable tray that I had purchased in her back seat for the ride home. All was well until the tray took flight off the seat. I turned around to find the tray on the floorboard. In an attempt to be helpful, I reached to lift the tray back up onto the seat. Unfortunately, I did not have a very good grip & instead, caused further problems. As I saw vegetables go spilling out everywhere, I responded with an "Uh-oh." Since Haley knows me rather well, she kind of knew what that "Uh-Oh" signified. She questioned whether or not the Ranch dressing had spilled out everywhere as well. From my seat, I could not really see or get the full picture. I then decided to place my camera above the area & see if I could get a shot of the floorboard. I snapped the picture & what do you know, Ranch had decorated the car as well. Though I had to work the next morning at 7:45 & was dead tired & just wanting to go to bed, I did find it all to be quite comical. Haley finally laughed about it too. She insisted on cleaning it all up when we got home at near midnight. I was nice enough to shine a flashlight for her while she scrubbed her car down & picked up carrots, etc. As she was driving us home & this was taking place, I told her we needed pictures to remember the night. I let her know I had to put this on my blog. I think this stuff only happens to people like me. Too funny.

And Time Goes By...So Slowly

Unable to make it to downtown St. Louis on the 4th to see fireworks, my sister hoped to do so on the 5th since she'll be moving to Nicaragua soon. Having already planned to spend time with our friend Crystal, the three of us headed East on the day after Independence Day. Wishing to take photos of the flooded riverfront, we left early. OK, maybe way early. We parked in the garage of the Arch grounds & began our walk to the Arch. After shooting some photos, we headed to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. On our way out of the restaurant, we made a pitstop in the bar to watch the end of the Cardinals vs. Cubs game going on over at Busch. We celebrated along with many others with shouts of jubilee when the Cards came back in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Cubbies. Cards victory--we could then leave. Back to the river we would go. We were able to get down close. Guess we could have waded out into the river if we so wanted. Granted, doing so would not have been wise. We were done with our flood tour & ready to go stake our place for the fireworks. The fireworks scheduled to start at 9:15-so we thought. I think it would be safe to say that we were probably one of the few groups that took a seat so early on. By the time we set up camp under the Arch, I believe it was around 5:30 or so. As you may imagine, we were looking for things to do at that point. Of course, there were hundreds of Chicago fans passing by. Personally, I entertained myself by patronizing many of the heartbroken Cubs fans walking by. Crystal & Haley did not find it nearly as humorous as I did--they were concerned that we were going to get killed because of my snide remarks to the people in blue. If we are good at anything, it's people-watching. We began to notice something & took notice. As you can see from the slideshow, we tried to come up with some creative shots of ourselves with the Arch. As one of the park rangers walked by, they commented that we shouldn't feel too stupid because they get to watch people do the same as us all day every day. Once we were exhausted from trying to hold poses for minutes on end, we finally retired to our chairs. You will see that we had a count down going to the start of the fireworks. The fireworks that actually did not start until 9:30! So, I guess if you are ever looking for a good time...just go sit under the Arch for a few hours--4 or 5. You'll find plenty to do even if you don't think so. Just be sure to take a camera. Despite our long stay, we had a blast.

And The Land of the Free....

As kids, we would celebrate the 4th at my aunt & uncle's home in O'Fallon, MO. There was a swimming pool at their house & we loved that. We enjoyed cooling off in the pool & playing, "Marco Polo." As my Cousin, Chanda, was born on July 5th & I on the 18th, our birthdays would oftentimes get celebrated then as well. Much time has passed since those days. My aunt & uncle are out in the country & no longer have a pool. Chanda lives in KY & are birthdays have not been celebrated together in many, many years. Regardless, Independence Day is something I always am anxious for. My Cousin, Micah, along with his wife & children were in visiting from Louisville, KY so we were able to spend some time with them. As is typical of any family gathering we have, there was plenty of good food. Everyone ate, talked, we played a game & it was time to head on home. Fortunately, we were able to view quite a few fireworks on our ride home. Though circumstances, time, distance, etc. have changed how we spend the 4th, I still enjoy it all.

Prelude to the 4th

Independence Day is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday. As many Americans do, I also take great pride in our country. I love the red, white & blue, our flag & songs of our country. I look forward to celebrating these things every July. After a long days work on Thursday, July 3rd, my dad & I went to FBC O'Fallon for their 4th of July service. Though I am no longer a member at FBCO, I will always cherish the moment in which each branch of the military's song is played & those who served (or are serving still) walk down to the front & stand beside their flag. Tears always well up within me when I look at those men & women & think of their willingness & readiness to defend our nation. Along with that special time, we listened to the choir & orchestra perform favorites like, "Yankee Doodle Dandy", "Yankee Doodle Boy" & my personal pick, "Stars & Stripes Forever." I am glad I was able to go & join everyone else in celebrating this wonderful nation we live in. Later in the evening, my friend Crystal & I headed to the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex to see Emerson Drive for free. Free is nearly unheard of these days so no way was I going to pass on the opportunity to see a concert at no charge. Though it looked like a storm was well on the way, the rain held off & it proved to be a pleasant evening-though cool, quite cool. Aside from listening to great music, I provided entertainment when the lawn chair I was sitting in collapsed with me in it. While leaning over to tell Crystal something, she noticed that it looked as though the chair may be broken. I stood to take a look & sure enough, saw that it was. I was able to sit back down in it but knew I best not move around much. She was already beside herself at the thought of the possibility of my crashing in the chair so when it actually happened, I don't know how she didn't pee in her pants. Anyway, after hearing hits like, "Moments", "Should be Sleeping" & "Fall into Me", we watched the fireworks & headed back to the car. Crystal brought me back home & came in with me to show my dad our chair. She was laughing hysterically as the story was retold. Oh what memories.

The Irony of it All

As a kid, we would travel to Vandalia, MO to visit relatives. Though a small town that offered little to do compared to St. Charles County, we always had fun. I remember being taken out into the cornfields to snipe hunt. We were out there quite a while. I vividly recall some of us getting lost out in the fields too. We would spend time at Margie Jean & Marvin's. They had a playhouse we would all play in. I can see myself pushing my younger cousin, Danielle, on the swingset too. Over the years, our visits to Vandalia have become less & less. As I've gotten older, it seems I've had other plans & activities. In my youth (I guess when you begin to knock on 30, you can't be considered a youth anymore?), I was very active in church & spent much time with friends. Of my friends, I spent a great amount of time at the McGhee household. Though Gina & I were closer in age & were the best of pals, I was also friends with her older siblings, Ginger & Greg. We had many good times together. However, we couldn't stay young forever. Graduations came, some went to college, some took jobs & we didn't see each other nearly as much. Greg went into youth ministry after college. Having not really seen him in quite some time, I received an invite to his wedding. Greg & Roxanne have been married nearly 8 years & though we see one another rarely, our friendship is still as strong as ever--even better now that I get to call Roxanne friend too. One day, I heard that Greg & Roxanne had moved to a new area in which Greg was to be the youth pastor. That area? Vandalia, MO. For the past 7 years, Greg has been in ministry at the church that much of my extended family attends. He has been the youth pastor to several of my cousin's, one of which includes Danielle (the cousin I pushed oh so long ago on the swing!). This past Saturday, Danielle married the love of her life & Greg was the officiating minister for the ceremony. What a small world it is. As Greg told someone on Saturday, "We go way back." I've been able to share many old pictuers on facebook & Greg's youth have enjoyed them very much so. I could tell many stories too. Interesting how things work out. How ironic that one of my closest friends would live in the area that I spent so much time in as a child & that he would be ministering to much of my family?

The Love of a Father

1 Cor. 13:4-6 tells us that Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth (NASB). In Galatians we learn that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control. While no one here on Earth is perfect, I venture it safe to say that few have ever seen someone who comes close to living out all that the Apostle Paul mentioned. However, for me, for the past nearly 29 years I have been fortunate to live with someone who does exemplify these attributes more than any human being I have ever met. Who is this person that I speak of? My father. Though there has been many opportunities for my dad to be upset and lose his temper, I have never seen it happen (well, once..he did spank me one time). When everyone else gets tired of waiting in line at the grocery store or for a table at a restaurant, he does not mind at all. I have never really heard my dad say an unkind word about anyone. There are so many admirable qualities my dad possesses and I know that is in part, due to his relationship with Jesus Christ. I've heard it said that many girls dream of marrying someone like their father. Though I often call him a nerd or a geek (he's a Civil Engineer, enjoys math, reads constantly & has much useless knowledge), there would be nothing greater than for me to one day marry a man with as much integrity as my dad. Unfortunately, I have watched some of my friends in the past search out love & affection from guys continually. Most of them, because they've not had a dad that offers them the attention they are so desperate for. Though our family is not indepently wealthy, my sister & I have been afforded the richest blessing of all-the presence & love of our dad daily in our lives. I only wish that everyone could be as fortunate as us. How I thank God that we have ALWAYS been a priority to our dad. As I get older, one thing never changes, I always enjoy spending time with good ole' dad.