Minor details

Had a great Christmas. Got back today from WV, had lots of QT with family. I was actually in the Christmas spirit this year! (Usually I'm kind of a grinch, always grumbling and changing the radio station whenever a Christmas song comes on.)

I am feeling very spoiled. I must have been a good girl this year! Here I sit, warm from a shower using my new Midnight Pomegranate bath stuff, snuggled in my new LL Bean bathrobe (the softest and warmest in the world!), belly full of my mom's cookies (peanut butter with chocolate kisses on top), and typing on our new computer (my and Don's gift to each other).

Now I get to go sleep in our own bed (ahhhhhh), with our cute little cat snoozing on top of my feet (awwwwww!).

Bliss!

Europe comes to Knoxville

Don invited me to visit today with a Romanian refugee family that he knows. Four adults and 6 children living in a tiny basement apartment in Halls. Don tutors English for one of the married couples twice a week in their home.

He has been involved with this tutoring program for several months now, a commitment which has impressed me to no end. I have trouble committing that many hours weekly to anything! But he goes and does it joyfully, and has poured hours into carefully preparing creative lessons and working with the couple face-to-face. As I watched him teach today, all I could think was, God, what did I ever do to deserve this man? He blew me away, he really did.

While Don taught, I spent time in another room playing with the kids. Picture 3 rambunctious boys ages 8-10, a sweet 4 year old girl, and 2 small babies, everyone yelling and arguing in Romanian. The oldest boy spoke some English and served as the friendly host of the group. The children invited me to play some game involving a dreidel and lima beans, for which the victor would receive a plastic gold coin and a roll of Sweet Tarts. I actually ended up winning the booty, and they insisted that I take it which was kind of sweet. Then we played dominoes and checkers, which was total pandemonium with checker pieces being placed every which way and everyone was yelling at everyone else. While all this was going on, the little girl kept talking to me (I had no clue what she was saying), stacking pillows on my left knee, and sitting on me. All I could do was giggle and hug her!

The youngest boy really freaked me out! He was a budding bully with a temper and a deep booming voice (very strange coming out of a pint-sized kid!). He reminded me of a miniature version of the Eastern European/Russian mob guys you'd see in movies like "The Saint" or the Bourne series.

Anyway, Natalia (the mother) insisted on sending food home with us, and she gave me a small dish of it to try first. It had some unidentifiable meat in it. The flavor of the soupy part was good, but as a general rule, I like to know what animal my meat comes from. There is a Nutella jar full of that Romanian food sitting in our fridge if anyone wants to come over and try it out!

At the end of our visit, Natalia asked me to sing some for their family. I sang a few Christmas carols (they knew Jingle Bells and Joy to the World). The boys joined in on "Jesus Loves Me". And they treated me to a group singing of some of their own Christian songs, in which I could recognize a few words here and there. How beautiful it was to hear God praised in another language!

Dad

I've never written about my dad. I haven't known how.

A close relationship has always eluded us due to divorce drama, our clashing personalities, and immaturity on both sides. I carried around bitterness and resentment toward him for so many years, and although that melted away a long time ago, the resulting fallout has left us more like cordial strangers than family.

We had a wonderful conversation today (the first time we've really talked in months). After I hung up the phone, I realized how happy it makes me to find something, ANYTHING about me which comes from my dad. Today, we realized that we both have nasal allergies. It was oddly reassuring.

Dad always has a chocolate stash hidden somewhere in his house. So do I.

I look exactly like him when I laugh.

I inherited his affinity for cats.

He loves making music. Me too.

We are both very independent and generally happy people.

Half of me exists courtesy of his DNA, but those are the only similarities between us that I've come up with so far. Sad, isn't it, that I don't know any more than that? Something needs to change before it's too late.

How thankful I am for new beginnings, and for my loving Father who grants them to me every morning.

Joining the 21st century

Merry Christmas to me!

As of today, we finally replaced our dinosaur of a computer with a brand new one, and we now have cable internet instead of 44K dial-up. I am in heaven! For people who are typically ten years behind on new technology, this is a big step for us!

I've been playing on YouTube all evening, a luxury I never had until now. I quickly discovered that YouTube is the perfect antidote for someone brain-dead after working plus attending two long Christmas parties and one dress rehearsal in the same day, on five hours of sleep and also fighting a nasty cold.

A Reader's Digest Moment

So my friend Nancy and I were sitting in church last night when the pastor asked the congregation to "Tell me something good". Basically, he's fishing for praises and encouraging news, which is a nice way to begin the service instead of the usual dreary barrage of prayer requests.

This woman pops up and says:
"I have good news about Iraq! My nephew's over there right now, and he's been there for about a year. He said that when he first got there, they were finding an average of 3000 IUD's a day, and now they're finding only about 100 IUD's a day!"

Everyone applauds enthusiastically!

At this point, I'm thinking... ummm, this doesn't sound right...

Then our children's pastor tentatively raised his hand, and with a confused look, he said, "sorry to sound stupid, but what's an IUD?"

To this question, the response was a cacophony of replies to the effect of "roadside bombs" and "improvised devices, unexploded or something like that".

Then it hit me. Nancy and I just looked at each other and were like... Oh. My. Gosh. Don't they mean IED's? An improvised explosive device? Because an IUD is something totally different!

Imagine American soldiers finding IUD's laying all around Iraq.

Nancy and I faced an explosion of our own as only the two of us burst into laughter, then were subsequently useless for the rest of the service.

Shine like stars

I picked up the Metro Pulse this week and spotted an ad for a Saturday Christmas concert on Market Square featuring a local church choir and one of my favorite bands, Salvador. Immediately called my buddy Marilyn and set plans to attend, and yes, the concert was sensational! Salvador had the full band, horns and everything, and they even played my hastily scribbled request ("Alegria") that I'd written on a scrap of a used hot dog wrapper and placed onstage. I swear I've got Latin blood... maybe I'm adopted...

Not to take anything away from Salvador, but I actually came out of the concert struck by something else. During the church choir performance, I caught a glimpse of my favorite local meteorologist, Matt Hinkin, singing heartily from the back row. For the next song, he came out of the group to perform with 3 other guys.

It made me so happy to see him there, because even though I know absolutely nothing about him personally, I've always wondered if he was a Christian. I'd see him on TV and he has this undeniable, familiar warmth about him. It truly sets him apart.

I recall hearing somewhere a term someone had coined as "Jesus eyes", and that has stuck with me. When someone has a close relationship with God, I mean, a REAL love and fellowship with Him, they truly do have a different look about them. It's like an inward glow, softer eyes, a peaceful joy and patience that radiates from somewhere deep inside. I can often spot it before I would even have any reason to suspect that the person might be a Christian, and trust me, these are absolutely the most delightful people to be around.

Matt Hinkin has Jesus eyes, and before yesterday, I'd only seen him through a TV screen. I remember when Don became a Christian... he looked different the very next morning... that hard look about him melted away instantly. I can think of many others who've always had "Jesus eyes" since I've known them, and others who've grown into theirs.


"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness..." - 2 Cor 3:18a

Los Angeles

Here is the report I posted on TripAdvisor. Enjoy!



The travelers: me (from TN) and my best friend Joy (from TX), ages 28 and 29, both married but leaving the husbands at home for one last girls’ trip before the responsibilities of motherhood come calling!

Left my home in Knoxville at 4:30 am ET Friday morning, layover in ATL, then another hop to LAX arriving at 10:30 am PT. My flight with Delta left much to be desired. Flight attendant never answered the light (the one time in my entire life I‘ve actually pressed the button!), luggage didn’t arrive when I did, and had a nasty encounter with a hostile Delta employee in the lost baggage office. A little customer service training goes a long way, folks. Anyway, finding my friend Joy waiting for me in the baggage area was the bright spot in the situation.

Retrieved our rental car from Thrifty… I had reserved an “economy” size (read: itty bitty guppy) and was surprised to be presented with the options of either a minivan or a Jeep Compass. Obviously, two hot chicks were NOT going to be cruising LA in a minivan, so we chose the navy blue Compass. Nice vehicle, and quite a change from the sporty little Honda that I’m used to driving. Wasn’t too hard to adapt except when it came to parking that thing… it took me a couple of days to get comfortable with it.

Rodeo Drive was first on our itinerary. Parked in the garage on Brighton Way (cost $1). Browsed the street, peering in windows, actually went inside Tiffany’s, and decided to lunch at 208 Rodeo, an outdoor café on the corner of Rodeo and Wilshire. Good sandwiches and a thoroughly pleasant experience, except for the bill part. $9 for a bottle of water!!!

Continued on Santa Monica Blvd toward Hollywood to check in early at the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel, recommended to me by the fine folks on TripAdvisor. At the time it was ranked 6th out of 200+ LA accommodations. I found that to be rather interesting… whereas the Celebrity was sufficient, I think I was expecting it to be a bit nicer because of the rankings. Room was spacious and clean, but somewhat drab and in need of minor maintenance. Otherwise, it was a great stay… convenient Hollywood location, free bagels and juice, quiet room, free parking.

It’s now 3 pm. We needed to be at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank by 5:30 pm at the absolute latest in order to attend the taping of “Two and a Half Men”. We decided to trek on over to Burbank since we had no idea what to expect of Friday afternoon traffic on the freeway. Wouldn’t you know, it took us all of 10 minutes to reach the studios, then we couldn’t even park until 4! We drove around Burbank for awhile before trying to enter the studio garage again. Around 4:30, we entered the studio lot with our group and walked all the way to the very back building for our show, where we were in for a long wait on the set. Taping didn’t begin until 7:00, we were told it would last for about 4 hours, and we didn’t know we could bring in food or drinks and would have no method to buy any in the studio, either. I had a leftover water bottle and 1 granola bar in my purse that I had smuggled in, so Joy and I settled in for a long, hungry night. Thankfully, we were presented with a slice of pizza and a bottled water midway thru the taping.

We did enjoy ourselves at the show taping in spite of the long evening of sitting around. It was fun to watch everyone buzzing around on the set; with the loud music between takes, it felt like being at a bizarre party. I would recommend making a show taping a part of your LA experience if at all possible. Take some snacks with you!

The only traffic jam we ever got stuck in was when we left Warner Bros going back to Hollywood that night. Construction on Highland merged 3 lanes down to 1, adding about 40 minutes to our commute. My mood brightened considerably once we returned to the hotel and I found my luggage waiting for me at the front desk! By the time we made it to bed, I had been up and running for nearly 24 hours!

Saturday morning we walked the ½ block behind our hotel to Hollywood Blvd to take in the sights. Checked out the Hollywood and Highland Center, a lively shopping area that contained mostly stores I can find at home in Knoxville, so I wasn’t that interested, but it was nice to have it behind our hotel in case we found ourselves with a few free hours. Checked out the Walk of Fame and the handprints at Graumann’s, relaxed in the lobby of the Roosevelt for a few minutes hoping for a glimpse of a hung-over starlet, and surveyed the street for a bit but didn’t find much to tickle our fancy. Joy remarked that she was surprised that Hollywood was so run-down. Based on past TA postings, I already knew to expect this, but what surprised me was that there wasn’t really that much to see that interested me. Hollywood Blvd didn’t take us long to scope out. Besides, after being hounded every ten feet by people hawking Starline tours, we were ready to get out of there!

On to the Farmers Market for lunch and scouting out the wares for interesting souvenirs. I love farmers markets and try to visit them whenever I am in a city that has one. LA’s was very nice but I’d still have to rank it a distant third behind Halifax and Hilo as parts of it did seem more commercialized than what I‘d prefer. Anyway, a friend of Joy’s recommended lunch at Singapore’s Banana Leaf, a small stand deep inside the market. We had chicken kabobs with peanut sauce, and some kind of bread with curry sauce. Both were OK; I guess I may not be a big fan of Singaporean chow? Apparently this place typically receives rave reviews from foodies.

We also sampled our very first Pinkberry here at the farmers market… we had been on the lookout for this LA craze and were determined to test the yogurt for ourselves to see if it was worth the obsession. It was definitely different… the tangy original with my chosen add-ins of strawberries and granola was quite delectable, but I’m not sure if I would become a diehard devotee. However, Joy and I both agreed that it tasted better with each bite. We also visited the adjacent Grove shopping area, which was fun to browse but not really worth writing about.

Joy had spotted a weekly calendar that listed the Hollywood premiere of “Fred Claus” that afternoon, so we headed back to our hotel to park the Jeep and see what was going on down by Graumann’s. We arrived 15 minutes prior to the posted start time to find the street blocked off and lined with weird celebrity worshippers, actual paparazzi, and some fellow tourists. In spite of the crowds, we were able to find a decent perch behind the first row of gawkers across from the Kodak Theatre. We were directly across from the red carpet and E! TV’s interview platform, so we had a pretty good view of the events of the day. Vince Vaughn was the only celeb who actually walked over to us, but on the red carpet we spotted Ludacris with his daughter, Elizabeth Banks, Andy Garcia, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giammati, 2 blondes we dubbed the Sparkle Twins but we think they’re on some Disney show, and some midget guy who we thought looked familiar. We stayed for an hour and that was plenty of time to see all of the stars filter in.

After the premiere, we headed out to the Getty Center. Wow! Loved this place! Beautiful architecture, lovely gardens, so much to see, and just a great vibe all around. If I were single and living in LA, I would love to go there for dates. I saw many couples there doing just that. It’s open until 9 pm on Saturdays, and Joy and I closed the place down. We arrived at 5, walked the gardens, grabbed a bite in the café, and developed our plan of attack. She wanted to see the medieval exhibit, and I wanted to check out the European art (1800-). From my visit, I learned that I am a fan of Degas, sculptures with those vague hollow eyes freak me out, and ceramics bore me to tears. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of this incredible gift to LA. Definitely first-class, and you can’t beat the admission price (free!).

After the Getty, we were on our way back to the Celebrity when I realized we were in Westwood, and I remembered from checking the In-N-Out website that they had a location in Westwood, but I had no idea where to find it. We decided to drive around until we came upon it, and we basically made a huge circle all around UCLA, and we did indeed spot the Westwood In-N-Out on Gayley. Then came the challenge of trying to find the (unmarked) drive-thru entrance. If you have been to this location then you know what I mean. It took me 3 times around the block to find the right alley to drive into, but the shakes were definitely worth the effort!

On Sunday morning, we left Hollywood for a drive down Sunset Blvd toward the coast. Saw the infamous Sunset Strip, entered Beverly Hills, and decided to do a little snooping through some ritzy neighborhoods. Interesting… guest entrances, service entrances, high shrubbery, etc. Continued on Sunset thru Bel Air and toward Malibu, ending up at Duke’s for brunch. I am a huge fan of the Waikiki Duke’s so I had to visit their sister restaurant in Malibu, and although we enjoyed ourselves very much, it just wasn’t the same. While the waterfront location was beautiful, it was missing the charm of Waikiki, and the food was good but not sensational. This was funny: I asked our waiter if they served passion fruit orange guava juice, commonly known as POG juice, and if I could have some to go. I first tried it with my brunch at the Waikiki restaurant and really loved it! The waiter gave me a funny look, then said he’d bring me some in a kiddie cup. I took a sip after we walked out the door, and the juice was spiked! I was not expecting that at all but now I know why he was looking at me so strangely.

As we were leaving Duke‘s, we met Gidget, the real one, not the actress. She apparently works part-time as a hostess at Duke’s, meets tourists, and autographs her book. Of course, we bought her book and had our picture taken with her. A very charming lady!

Decided to drive up PCH into Ventura county, but since it was so hazy, there wasn’t much to see, so we decided to head back. We then got stuck in a traffic jam for about an hour; apparently there was a wreck far ahead and absolutely no southbound traffic was passing through. We eventually made it to check in early at our motel, the Travelodge Santa Monica - Pico Blvd.

What a nice surprise this motel was! It was our consolation prize… we REALLY wanted the Embassy Hotel Apartments, which were booked… but this place was newly renovated, pleasant, spacious, and affordable. We were even upgraded to a room with a full eat-in kitchen. Trader Joe’s sits right next door, a very fun place to stock up on snacks!

After checking in, we headed down to the boardwalk at Venice Beach for some people-watching. My my my. I’d heard it was a freak show and it definitely appeared to be just that. I know this will probably sound terrible, but I felt like we were the only two people there who’d bathed that week and were not high on something. Forget eating… I’d hate to see who was fixing the food. If they were anything like the folks outside, then personal hygiene most likely went out the window, not to mention health dept food service codes. I’m sure someone will be offended by my assessment of Venice Beach, but that‘s honestly how I felt about it. Even so, I was glad we went if only to say we’d seen it.

On to Santa Monica. We parked in the ginormous lot at the pier and walked up to 3rd St. Enjoyed shopping at Restoration Hardware, Ripcurl, Guess, and Anthropologie. Headed back to the pier to prowl and take in the views from the ferris wheel. After several hours wandering around SM in the chilly breeze, we were ready to call it a night.

Monday morning, took Lincoln Blvd to return to the airport. Traffic from this direction was flowing well and we experienced no delays at all. Returning the rental car was a breeze and my flight back to Knoxville was delightfully uneventful.

Other notes:

See my individual reviews on the Getty, Travelodge, Hollywood Celebrity Hotel, 208 Rodeo, Duke’s… not sure if all have posted yet…

I actually had a lot of fun driving in LA. I was looking forward to the challenge… I love to drive, was blessed with a good sense of direction and a fast reaction time, and am decisive and confident behind the wheel. That said, I would not want to fight that traffic day in and day out. It was like rush hour all day long, and local drivers basically do whatever they want to (consistently run red lights, create new lanes, etc.). It did help to study the map on the plane before I got there… I became familiar enough with the streets so that I always had a general idea of where I was and therefore never got lost.

The thick smog was downright depressing. That bothered me more than the traffic!

Shopping in LA is an entirely different experience from anything we have in Knoxville. Sure, many of the stores are the same, but in LA they are all amped up. Forget the plain 4 walls and racks of clothing in between. This is retail at its finest, with immaculate displays, dramatic décor, and occasionally even a live DJ spinning thumping beats, right there in the store.

Always join your rental car agency’s preferred customer program. Thrifty’s Blue Chip program is free, and as always, I bypassed the long lines at the counter and proceeded directly to the parking garage to sign one paper and select my vehicle.

My so-called life

I have spent my Saturday vegetating in bed in my PJ's watching my Blockbuster rental of the complete series of "My So-Called Life". My only noteworthy accomplishment for the day has been brushing my teeth. :) Well, that, and realizing just how far I've come since high school... I remember Angela Chase's pain all too well.

Late night last night... went to a bonfire at Eric's, he taught me how to drive his tractor. I'm sure we looked pretty ridiculous chugging along in circles on a hillside in the dark, but it was crazy fun!

I had an insane experience yesterday with a bottle of Nexcare hand sanitizer. No details, sorry, but I will never look at it the same way again, and my friend Steve, the witness, is scarred for life. (If you are familiar with the product then you may know what I mean.)

Halloween... can I just say that our costumes ROCKED?! Imagine Don with several days of stubble, a blond mullet, feathers in his hair, beads on his biceps, tight black jeans, tight black sleeveless shirt, black cowboy boots, fingerless black gloves. Imagine me in 5-inch black patent leather peeptoe platform spike heels, an edgy denim miniskirt, a lacy black top, the biggest bra Wal-Mart sells (stuffed with the contents of my sock drawer), looooonnnng dark nails, dramatic makeup, and a bleached blonde wig.

Who were we? Dog and Beth, of course! (And no, the Dog drama came out the day AFTER Halloween!) We worked on our costumes for almost a year and it paid off... I have never had so many people crack up laughing at anything we've done before! We had complete strangers asking us to pose for pictures and even had a few throwing their babies into Don's arms for pics. We spent almost the entire day in our outfits and had jaws dropping everywhere we went. As a general rule, I dislike being the center of attention, but on that day I became Beth... attitude and all...

I'm home, sort of

I will eventually get around to posting details about our weekend in LA, but suffice it to say, it was awesome!

My planet has been turning at breakneck speed over the past few weeks... bridal showers, Halloween parties, working a fundraiser that took an entire weekend, TA get-together, church obligations, my Monday girls' nights, other random social functions. I got home from my trip at 10:30 Monday night, worked yesterday, went into psycho cleaning mode as soon as I got in from the office, and my mom arrived 2 hours later and will be staying until Friday morning.

Breathe... Amber... breathe...

Ten more days...

Joy and I are meeting in Los Angeles next Friday for our long-awaited girls' getaway. Hopefully, there will be something left of California by the time we get there! Geez.

I'm looking forward to seeing the west coast for the first time, but honestly I'm much more excited about spending three days in the company of my best friend. Since we graduated from college, our visits have been limited to one long weekend in Texas, a few hours here and there when she's passing through Knoxville, and a zillion extremely long phone calls. I'm thrilled to get one last chance to kick back for a few days and be our girly selves without our husbands and before the babies come along, which will hopefully be within the next year or two for both of us.

I already know that next weekend will result in some of the best memories of my life... I'm so ready to get started!

From Philippians

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies to the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.

Do you think I think too much?

Is it just me, or does anyone else try to pick apart the mind games in advertising?

I especially enjoy watching TV commercials and examining those to figure out the show's target audience. "The Price Is Right" is full of ads for Metamucil and Wilford Brimley hawking diabetic supplies. The evening news is loaded with prescription commercials for its own anxiety-ridden, migraine-prone, sleep-deprived, overmedicated viewers. (At least, if you weren't depressed before watching the news, you WILL need the drugs afterward!)

And this is a bit embarrassing, but the show "Blind Date" recently began airing again and of course, I'm hooked. Making the viewing experience even more entertaining are the commercials. So much, in fact, that I actually wrote them down during the show last night...

Commercial break #1:
- Lipozene (mini-infomercial about a fat-burning drug)
- Lavalife (singles line - meet hot chicks in Knoxville!)

Commercial break #2:
- Consolidated Credit Counseling
- Cell phone ringtones
- A cheap local car lot - bankruptcy ok!!
- Tennessee Bonding Company - for all of your bail bond needs
- Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo

Commerical break #3:
- Enzyte natural male enhancement
- Genesis Financial Management (debt counseling)
- a PSA about switching to digital TV's
- Nutra-Nail
- Progressive auto insurance
- ACT mouthwash

Commerical immediately following the credits:
- Enzyte natural male enhancement (again)

I swear, I am NOT making this up!

So I guess "Blind Date" appeals to fat, desperately lonely, dandruff-prone bankrupt criminals with halitosis, no ride, and a miniscule... ummmmm... yeah.

Yikes... am I supposed to fit into this picture?!??

Georgia's down!

Busy day at the UT game. I had several heat exhaustion cases, and one kid was so plastered, he threw up pretty much everything he ate over the past week. He was rolling around on the ground and everything... how dignified. One lady just finished chemo and thought she could handle the game... she got so sick that she almost couldn't walk and she just barely made it into the clinic with me holding her up. She kept crying and apologizing to her family... totally broke my heart.

I will say that I have gotten to be very skilled at yelling at people and knocking them out of my way when I'm rushing to a call or helping a patient out of the stands. The aggressive authoritarian act is quite a stretch for me as my usual nature is to try too hard to be considerate of others. It's nice to just let that go and to have a valid reason for doing so.

I found joy in...

The Donald and I drove to Chattanooga on Friday evening to spend time with Brian, Heather, and their baby, Jacob. What a cute kid! He's 3 months old now and quite the charmer. Brian and Heather seem to be doing great and settling into parenthood quite well. I'm so proud of them! And Brian even treated us to some of his good home cookin'!

Saturday, I had to exhibit for UT's "Greatest Show on Birth", and was actually in the middle of teaching a class when who should come running up but my favorite bubbly homecoming queen, Colleen! Talk about a wonderful surprise! She and Josh live in south Alabama now (she was in Knox visiting her parents). I think Josh is still piloting helicopters or something, and she's working part-time as well as raising their two adorable blonde daughters. She's pregnant with their third kid and she's STILL a knockout... good for her! Seeing Colleen truly made my day... every memory I have of her is a good one. Hopefully we'll do better about keeping in touch... it's tough with these military wives!

Eric and Brittany were on tap for Saturday night. Can I just say that these are two of my favorite people on the planet?!? I have never known such pleasant, kind, generous, and fun people, and I'm so glad we've become friends. Brittany is the kind of gal who will bring me a frappucino from Starbucks "just because", and Eric is a total gentleman who never lets me do the unpleasant tasks at work. Even better, they bring out my silly side! We dined al fresco at the Tomato Head in Maryville before driving to the foothills of Greenback for some redneck fun. Enjoyed a long hayride, picked pumpkins from a patch, got seriously lost in the dark in the corn maze, danced a bit to the Chillbillies, and enjoyed hot chocolate before heading home. We laughed ALL night long... Eric and I feed off each other and I don't think five minutes went by when one of us wasn't in hysterics! The night ended with Eric and me entertaining the other two by singing 70's funk duets the entire drive back. Eric e-mailed me later and said that he honestly can't remember the last time he had so much fun. That's one of the best compliments anyone could ever give me. :)

Nancy and Joel came over on Sunday afternoon... Joel and Don commandeered the backyard trying to build a drum; Nancy and I took off for dessert and to talk. She is another new friend... a single mom, very individualistic, down-to-earth, and smart as a whip. Joel's 14, plays the drums, has long dark hair and wears all black, and is easily the most intelligent and interesting teenager I know. I love people who do their own thing and to heck with what other people may think, and that fits Nancy and Joel. Very, very cool.

Wasted evening

Tonight we had the misfortune of having to get our picture made for the church directory.

I detest having my picture taken. Absolutely HATE it! If I was photogenic then I might feel differently, but I am probably one of the worst-looking people in pictures, ever. I don't think I'm ugly; I just don't look like myself in pictures. Even people who love me take one look at a photograph and are like, "my gosh, you really don't take good pics, do you?" and I simply agree because I know they're right. I compensate by remaining behind the camera as much as possible, but unfortunately, I couldn't get out of this one.

So tonight, once again, I expended significant energy in preparation for this sitting because what's miserable about church directories is that everyone not only sees your picture, but they hang onto these books forever, much like a high school yearbook. We finally rush out the door and get to church, and even though I felt like I couldn't have looked any better, I was still in a pretty rotten mood. Photo sessions do that to me.

We bust it to get there by 7:30 at our designated appointment time only to find several groups still waiting in line ahead of us. Of course, one group is an extended family of eight, and they have to have pics taken in every conceivable combination of family members, each combination with several different poses. Keep in mind that I have not even had dinner yet. I am growing more impatient and obnoxious by the minute. Husband finds a deck of cards laying around and tries to distract me with a game of rummy while we wait for the supermodels to finish with their cover shoot. The distraction of the cards worked for a few hands while I kicked his butt.

An hour later, it's our turn at last. I take my place on the ubiquitous black stool and try my best to be pleasant, polite, and smiling beautifully while being maneuvered into uncomfortable positions against my will. Then there's the whole commanding photographer bit: "Amber, move your head towards your husband. No, the other way. No, chin up a bit. Up a little more. Now back. OK, never mind, I'm coming!". Now I know how it feels to be the dog in the bottom of his class in obedience school.

I am finally released from the posing, and Mr. Chipper Photographer asks my dear husband to remain seated while he snaps a few individual shots of him. And I'm just standing there thinking... why? We're not buying any pictures... we spent a gazillion bucks on engagement and wedding pics just a few years ago and we really don't look that different now. And oh great, he's going to try to sucker me in next. I don't need any individual shots of myself. The only reason one might be necessary would be to place it in my obituary, but I don't plan on dying anytime soon.

Dude says to me: OK! Your turn! (Pats ubiquitous stool)
Me: No, thank you.
Dude: Oh, come on! (Pats stool again)
Me: I don't need any pictures of myself, but thank you anyway for offering to take them.
Dude: Why not? It'll only take a second!
Me: That second is a waste of our time. I'm not interested and I'm not sitting for any more pictures.
Dude: (Gives pleading look to husband)
Wise Husband: She's determined. I know my wife.
Dude gives up.

We are then shuffled to the line behind the supermodels to preview our pictures. By this point, I am practically growling. I hear Papa John calling my name, and all I want to do is answer.

I had high hopes that somehow these pictures would be the first in years that actually capture me well, however, once again the girl I saw on the screen was definitely not the same image that I saw in the mirror just a short time before. Not sure what keeps happening. Quantum leap, perhaps?

Paula Deen

My mother loves Paula Deen. Apparently, a lot of other people do too, but I just don't get it.

So she started from humble beginnings and worked her way up... great. Good for her. But what's with her supposedly famous restaurant that receives consistently crappy reviews? What's with that constant on-air drooling over and flirting with men who are younger than her sons? What about that exaggerated "Southern" accent with the constant mispronunciations? It's so fake. You can't tell me that the woman's too dumb to speak correct English.

Now I learn that she actually requires personal photographs to be sent along with ticket requests to be in the audience for her live show "Paula's Party." I guess if you're beautiful enough, you're in. Never mind that I'm CERTAIN that she excludes homely fat housewives... the only ones who actually make her butter and grease-filled recipes, and the very people who made her a success.

She's overexposed. Time to move on.

Hunting Island

Camping on the beach. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves. Living in a swimsuit. Sunshine. Don. Warm ocean.

A typical day:

Wake
Eat
Swim
Read
Swim
Fly kite
Swim
Eat
Swim
Nap
Swim
Go for walk
Swim
Read
Eat
Read
Go for walk
Play cards
Bed

Every day in the late afternoon, I continued with a beach tradition I've kept since I was a teenager. I grab an apple and take off alone for a lengthy stroll along the water. For me, this is one of life's most beautiful experiences... meandering along with no timetable whatsoever, reveling in the contrast of the warm sun and cool salt spray on my bare skin, breeze blowing my hair all crazy, munching on a sweet snack, jumping over waves, singing out loud, chasing birds, kicking seafoam, contemplating everything and nothing, delighting in being joyful and free.

I never feel closer to heaven than I do then. :)

blah blah blah

Saturday: Worked at the store that morning, and had a prayer answered less than an hour after I asked! After I got there, I realized I hadn’t yet talked to God that morning, so I excused myself to the bathroom and spent a few minutes just connecting and asking God to use me. Less than an hour later, a customer and I started chatting and I realized that the problems she was sharing were EXACTLY what I had been dealing with last week also. We spent about 20 minutes talking and then we prayed together, at the end of which she was crying, hugged me, and thanked me for being her angel. But it was God who orchestrated this encounter! What are the chances that this random stranger would open up to ME (as opposed to any of my coworkers, even?) and share EXACTLY what I had been tearfully discussing with my husband just 2 days before? After she left, I was so humbled and crying also, but these were good tears. I realized just what God had done and that He is still invested in me and showers me with grace in spite of my inadequacies. He showed me once again that He is in complete control. It was a powerful statement… like, “you asked Me to use you, well, I hope you meant it ‘cause here we go!” and He did not waste any time getting around to it, either! It never ceases to amaze me what God can do through us when we open ourselves to Him. It is an adventure like none other. He rocks!!!

After my short shift at the store, the Donald and I planned to hang out with some of his coworkers to watch the TN/FL game. I turned my attention to more superficial pursuits, like getting all girlied up for the occasion with perfect hair, a bit of extra makeup, and strappy heels to compliment my orange and white (go Vols!) sleeveless top and cute jeans. I hadn’t met these guys before, and I always like to look good in front of Don’s friends (as though I’m a trophy wife or something, LOL!). We grilled out during halftime and enjoyed a raucous afternoon of yelling at the big-screen (the room being evenly divided between Florida and UT fans).

Sunday: I experienced a small victory at the shelter… I visited with a puppy who had been brought in 2 days prior but had not eaten a bite since he arrived. The staff was really concerned about him being stressed and they asked me to give him some special attention, so I took him for a long walk and then out to the kennel run to play. He happily scarfed down a few milk bones I had in my pocket, so I tried feeding him canned food out of my hand. He ate that too! It felt really good! That was pretty much the only thing I accomplished all day.

Monday: Got together with a few other gals for dinner and Bible study. We’ve been doing this weekly for a couple of months now, and I have grown to treasure the time spent with these ladies. They are not people I usually run around with in my free time, but through our evenings together, we have grown close and found true accountability partners in each other. How awesome it is to have these godly women involved in my life and rooting for me!

Today: I'm in a fog. Don’s on night shift this week, and for some reason I never can sleep well when he’s gone. I have also been having horrible nightmares, and I dread even going to sleep. For example, in my most recent nightmare, my husband was stabbed to death, and I woke up alone and COMPLETELY freaked out! I have been trying to detect some pattern, but I have yet to arrive at any significant conclusions.

We had a dinner cruise scheduled for tomorrow night… it was supposed to be a surprise birthday celebration for one of our good friends… but they had a death in their family and had to reschedule the cruise for a date we can’t attend. What a bummer! The funeral’s even on our friend's birthday.

Friday morning, we travel to the SC coast to camp at the beach in celebration of our third anniversary. Can’t wait!

Go Vols!

With Don working odd shifts, I have found myself occasionally on the bored and lonely side, particularly when he's gone from 12:45 pm to 10:30 that night, or working double shifts. I enjoy spending time with him so much that it isn't fun anymore to be alone here in the house! I have been quite fortunate to stumble across some volunteer opportunities to spend my time meeting people and gaining new experiences.

The animal shelter has been working out beautifully. I'm not on a set schedule, so whenever I have a few hours of free time, I head over there to walk dogs and love on the cats. The nonprofit for which I work has also had some events to volunteer for. Last month, I worked at a sporting clays tournament. I kept score for the shooters and learned how to be a clay trapper. I must say that I never imagined myself spending a Saturday morning in the country watching guys blow stuff up, but it was actually pretty neat. I'd do it again!

Yesterday I began working with another organization, the Red Cross. I had registered with them when Katrina hit... I was ready to go to MS but it turned out they didn't need me. But now, they do. I am on the medical staff for attendees of the UT football games and other special events such as the TN Valley Fair. Before yesterday's game started, I spent some time in Command Center 1, which was a small clinic in the bowels of Neyland Stadium. There, I helped monitor patients, did intake paperwork, and bandaged up an old lady who fell on the way into the stadium. An hour before kickoff, I was outfitted with an identifying vest, first-aid kit, stretcher, and a CB, and was sent up into the stands where my partner and I got to watch nearly the entire game. 40-yard line, about 1/3 of the way up above the field. Great seats! We only got 2 calls, one from a guy with a "hurt ankle" who wanted a ride back to his car (dream on, dude!), and another old lady who "felt funny" (dehydration and messed-up hormone patch).

I really had a blast yesterday! It's always fun to be in the midst of the wild energy of 106,000+ orange-clad football fanatics. I also enjoyed the "behind the scenes" perspective. Like walking into Command Center 3 and finding about 10 cops hiding out in there in the air conditioning, huddled around the TV and lounging on hospital beds, stuffing their faces with hot dogs. I also heard some hilarious stories, like the time an injured squirrel ran into the clinic, and how they managed to capture him and transport him via police to the UT vet school for treatment.

It's a great gig! All I needed was to have current CPR and First Aid certifications, a background check, and I was in. My partner is an EMT, as were many of the others, so thankfully, it wasn't going to be up to me to deliver babies! :)

Caves and crazy dogs

I have no earthly idea why all of the other entries are centered on the page now. I didn't do it!

We've been busy. Going thru my mail upon my return from the desert, I discovered that I had 20K hotel points expiring at the end of the year, and only 2 weekends left this year when neither Don nor I were booked. One of those weekends was this past one, so of course, we had to take off again for a trip. This REALLY wasn't planned, mind you, but I'm not one to let a freebie go to waste!

So... we ended up getting 2 free nights at the brand-new Comfort Inn and Suites in Cave City, KY, and we enjoyed our first visit to Mammoth Cave National Park. The entire weekend totally exceeded our expectations. The hotel was gorgeous, great free breakfast, giant comfortable rooms, nice indoor pool. We had a fridge and microwave in our suite, so to save money we packed an ice chest full of food and only ate what we brought. Sandwiches, chips, and pasta salad for lunch, taco salad and Spanish rice for dinner, and yogurt, fruit, popcorn, and brownies for snacks. All we spent for 2 nights/3days out was the cost of the cave tour tickets, and the gas to get up there!

Mammoth Cave fascinated me. We booked the 4 1/2 hour, 4 mile Grand Avenue tour, and that wasn't enough for me! I couldn't get over all of the different rooms and "slot canyons" and climbing we did. That cave had multiple personalities and I just loved being in it; I felt like Indiana Jones! We plan to go back to do the Wild Cave tour. That is the only longer tour that is offered, and for that one, we'll suit up and slither around... real spelunking. Woo-hoo! It's been 13 years since I've done that... way too long! The woods above ground were beautiful also and we enjoyed hiking the trails. On Saturday night, we went to an outdoor ranger presentation on cougars, and that was really fun, but the most excitement came from when I nearly stepped on a copperhead on my way to the amphitheatre. I think the entire park heard me screaming!

Don and I have recently started volunteering at the animal shelter where we adopted Penny. Our first day was last Monday, and it was quite the learning experience! I got to walk dogs, play with cats, refill food and water, and help visitors. This is what I have discovered so far:

1. Wear old clothes. It IS possible for a dog to pee while running, poop, throw himself into a washtub of drinking water, and tackle a person, in that order, in less than a minute's time.
2. Getting a slipknot leash on a hyper dog is similar to lassoing a cricket.
3. It is easy to tell when a cat has a cold. (Look for the snot along the sides of the cage.)
4. Accidentally locking oneself inside a kennel with a big dog is very humbling!

Southwest Part 2

I’ve now had a week and a half to reflect on our wonderful time out west. I got to know my husband better, and I feel like I learned so much about myself, too. Not to mention the things I got to see! Observations and thoughts…

- Desert air is HOT and DRY. That’s no surprise, I heard it all my life, but 110 degrees in Vegas truly is easier to cope with than 90 degrees here. I never would have believed it if I didn’t actually experience it. The breeze feels like a hair dryer blowing directly on my face!

- Europeans outnumbered Americans at the both the GC and Zion, but even more so at the GC. It was so easy to spot them… they never wore white sneakers or baggy clothes, and a lot of the men had on capri pants. I think straight guys should never wear capris, no matter where they’re from! But anyway, seriously, it disappointed me… why aren’t more people from OUR country visiting our parks? The Europeans didn’t bother me and they were always very polite, but it did make me a little sad that it appeared that our own people don’t value what we have here, at least, not enough to make an effort to go. So many people I know would rather visit the same place every year than get out and see the world. Maybe it’s a factor of not being able to afford it, or not getting the time off work to do more than simply crash in a lounge chair during their paltry vacation allowance. I don’t know what our reasons are, but it definitely appeared that Europeans cared more about being there.

- That said, I was in my element being around so many outdoorsy people. Even here, I feel like a bit of an outsider sometimes among the circles I run in. It was nice to be surrounded by folks who get into sweating on vacation, and who don’t think I’m weird for living in my Teva’s.

- Don and I discovered that we truly ARE happiest when we’re playing outside and being with nature somehow. The best times we’ve had together have been when we’re out hiking, swimming, snorkeling, playing with animals, whatever. It doesn’t matter if it’s at our zoo, or a trail in Hawaii, or a beach in Georgia, or the desert in Arizona. We’ve learned that about ourselves and that is definitely shaping our future travel plans together.

- My husband is so freaking hilarious! How I wish more people experienced his quick wit and crazy one-liners. We cracked each other up for 11 straight days. That alone would’ve made the vacation time worth it whether or not we even went anywhere!

- Las Vegas… oh my gosh, where do I start? I have known people to return from Vegas and say they didn’t enjoy it at all, and I thought they were nuts and wrote them off as being unsophisticated and narrow-minded. That is, until I went there myself and now I KNOW. I’ve been to Atlantic City, been on Bourbon St twice, spent time in large cities and casinos everywhere from Canada to the Caribbean, no problem. Vegas, however, is hell on earth and I am not kidding. Don and I both felt the presence of evil even as we stepped off the plane. The entire city is built around the premise of self-indulgence. Like Babylon… it is a shrine to man, sex, money, booze, you name it, and I have never felt such emptiness and sadness just walking down the street. Temptation was flaunted literally everywhere you look, and we found it repulsive. It was like everyone was there chasing after something that they think will make them feel whole and happy, but when they leave, they will leave spent and empty. That is exactly how Satan works. How it must break God’s heart to watch what goes on there every single day.

The luxury hotels and other places that are built to be considered beautiful, they felt so cheap and dirty to me. I mean, we had just spent a week exclaiming over the grandeur of God’s creations of the GC and Zion, and then we see these elaborate imitations that cannot even compare to the works of His hands. He gave us so much indescribable beauty, and people ignore it to drool over Caesar’s Palace?!?

Even going to our hotel pool felt like walking onto a taping of MTV’s Spring Break. Loud drunks, bodies everywhere, pulsing music, no thanks. Same thing walking down the street… SO many people, many of them inebriated (no open container law), every person looking to have a good time no matter what the cost. Guys acting tough and girls flaunting everything they‘ve got. Walking anywhere outside of our room felt like going into battle, between fighting the crowds and trying not to let the whole disgusting scene get to us. We escaped after the Cirque show, and both of our moods lightened considerably as we raced out of that town back to Boulder City. I am glad we went to Vegas if only for the experience, and no one could have talked me out of going. However, being there simply wasn’t fun. If any of this resonates with you, do yourself a favor and don’t waste your money there!

- The evening after our first day hiking in Zion, I had an epiphany. Warning: possible TMI, so skip past this if you want!! Anyway, I was changing out of my clothes to get into the shower, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. And, I was truly surprised by what I saw. For awhile now, I’ve been beating myself up for my appearance… although I am not fat and never have been, I have a bit more on my hips and thighs than I prefer. In spite of working out and watching what I eat, those areas have stubbornly refused to budge. But the reflection I saw didn’t show any of that. I saw a glowing tan from the desert sun, shiny dark hair, bright green eyes, and toned arms. The legs that I have cursed have unfailingly carried me up mountains and to beautiful places that most people I know will never even see. The curves that annoy me are a prized part of this body that my husband loves and claims as his own. I’m not a beanpole teenager anymore… I look like a real woman now with an attractive womanly figure. Not only that, but this body is STRONG and has been more than faithful to me in spite of all that I have demanded of it. This all hit me like a ton of bricks, enough that I was truly emotional about how little I have acknowledged this tremendous blessing from God. So, I am FINISHED with looking down on myself!!! Thank you, my wise and loving God, for making me exactly who I am!!!!

- For me, the best part about traveling is that I realize how fortunate I am to claim Knoxville as my home. From this trip, I learned that the desert is beautiful and interesting in its own way. But to me, it’s still so… dead. Sure, there’s some life but not like here. I love the tall and gentle mountains nearby, the lush vegetation, the abundant shade from the trees, the streams and lakes everywhere you go, the songs of the birds and insects in the woods. On the plane returning home, I couldn’t WAIT to get back into our forests. Two days later, I went hiking alone at Ijams and couldn’t believe what I was seeing… it was like being in the woods for the first time. I noticed so many things that I hadn’t seen out west… soft brown dirt, so many green plants, cicadas and crickets, frogs, on and on. I like our weather… no crazy monsoons or floods to contend with. I like that I have lots of shopping, sports, and culture nearby, and that the people here are the most caring I’ve ever met. I like where I am planted, and it is here where Don and I will bloom together.

I am so glad that I am back here in my little corner of the universe. I am simply happy to BE.

Southwestern Adventures

We returned 2 days ago from our glorious trip to Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. What an awesome time! I am still jet-lagged and going on 2.5 hours of sleep after a full day‘s work, but I can’t stop thinking about what I want to write about our trip. I think the best way to capture this is in 2 parts: the first to chronicle what we did, and the other to note on interesting experiences and what I learned.

So here’s the lowdown:

Friday: Allegiant Air flight to Las Vegas, arriving at 9:30 pm Pacific Time. Spent the night at the super El Rancho Boulder Motel in Boulder City, NV.

Saturday: Awake at 5:30 and ready for a full day! Breakfast down the street at the Coffee Cup Café, the local greasy spoon breakfast hangout… good food and fun atmosphere. Sitting in the CVS parking lot before 7 am to buy a cooler and case of bottled water, a bottle of Febreze for our rental car, and loads of sore throat and allergy medication to deal with my allergy to our rental (which reeked of cigarette smoke). Febrezed the car. Drove 10 minutes to Hoover Dam and spent 3 hours wandering around and taking the Discovery Tour. Got our first experience with the desert while driving to Peach Springs. Made a stopover in Kingman specifically so I could experience the legendary In-N-Out burger chain. It definitely lived up to the hype, especially their chocolate milkshake! Proceeded to the nasty Grand Canyon Caverns Inn. Had dinner in their funky restaurant, the only game in town. Had our ears assaulted by Rafael, the synthesizer-playing lounge singer from hell. Prepared our packs for our backpacking trip to Supai EARLY the next morning. Bumped into other hikers who informed us that the trail and bridges were washed out due to flash flooding. Sadly canceled our plans and decided to go with plan B for the next day…

Sunday: On the road and headed for Sedona, Arizona! What a lovely town, ranked first in USA Weekend’s most beautiful cities of America poll. Hiked a 4-miler to Chicken Point for nice views and a good warm-up workout. Visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Nabbed a room at Sedona’s Matterhorn Inn, ranked #2 on TripAdvisor (oh, how I love that website!). Room was gorgeous!! Enjoyed the best meal of our trip at the Cowboy Club, pricey, but still worth it. We don’t get cactus salsa at home! Strolled the streets for a bit doing a lil’ shopping.

Monday: Up early again for an 8-miler to Turkey Creek. (Had to get off the trails by 1 due to monsoon activity and flash flooding.) Fabulous hike, very secluded trail, killer mountain climb at the end, but the reward (view for miles across red rock mountains) was more than worth the climbing in the heat. This one was a terrific workout for my body but even better for filling my spirit. Left Sedona in a storm and experienced our first monsoon, a lite one but still heavy rain. Drove through Flagstaff and across northern Arizona through some of the most beautiful alpine country. Entered the Grand Canyon South Rim and headed for the Bright Angel Lodge. Our cozy lodge had just been renovated and was Don’s favorite room from our whole trip. I loved it too… such a nice change from standard motel rooms! Got my first glimpse of the canyon after dinner… wow!

Tuesday: up early (again!) to hike the rim trail. This was the best time to hike; even as late as 8 am, we still had the park to ourselves. Spent all morning on the rim trail, the afternoon hopping on and off the shuttle at different stations and shops. Saw a flier for an exhibit opening soiree that evening at a cabin/exhibition hall near our lodge. Made it there before the party started for the “I am the Grand Canyon” exhibit about the Havasupai tribe, the folks whose reservation I was supposed to backpack to. Several tribe members were present and spoke, a group of young Havasupai girls performed native dances, then their old ladies did their thing, then some Indians cried and blessed the exhibit. Tuxedo-clad servers mingled throughout the crowd passing out fancy sweet treats, and a meaningful time was had by all.

Wednesday: Up before dawn to watch the magical sunrise with my sweetie. Reluctantly checked out of our room and explored the east side of the park on our way out. Stopped at the Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo reservation where we’d planned to have lunch and do some serious souvenir shopping. We both enjoyed Navajo specialties… the stew, taco, and lots of fry bread! Yum! Bought lots of goodies for family and friends, and snagged a cute pair of Navajo-made earrings for myself. Continued north and encountered our first truly serious monsoon. Drove through it with lightning touching down all around us and white-knuckled the entire way through. Thought we were done with the rain, but encountered another (less-scary) storm as we approached Utah. Entered Zion National Park through the east entrance and ooohed and ahhhed over the crazy rock mountains and formations. Checked into the charming Red Rock Inn B&B in Springdale, Utah for 3 nights. We had a beautiful cottage and a full breakfast delivered to us each morning. Perfect!

Thursday: Zion - Flash flooding imminent signs and monsoon weather warnings, so our big hike to Observation Point was pushed back until Friday. Elected to tour the canyon and do several shorter hikes instead… Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk, Weeping Rock. Dinner at the Zion Pizza and Noodle Company was beyond fabulous!

Friday: The morning of our big hike, but I couldn’t sleep the nite before, and the Donald had a headache. Scrapped all plans for Ob. Pt. and headed back to Kanab to visit the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary which we’d driven past earlier. This is the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary for animals, critter nirvana if you will. What a great experience for animal lovers! Our guide practically had to drag us out of the special needs cat house. On our return through the Park, we hiked the short but sweet Canyon Overlook Trail. This one provided much bang for the buck as far as views, climbing, and sights along the way. Dined upscale Mexican at the Bit-N-Spur before hitting the local ice cream parlor later that night.

Saturday: Our last fabulous breakfast from the Red Rock Inn. L Checked out and decided we had to have one last hike in Zion, selected the Hidden Canyon Trail. Begins by climbing several hundred feet up the side of a mountain, at one point you are hanging onto chains on the side of a cliff for several minutes as you carefully continue going up! Got to the end of the trail where it leads into a canyon you can scramble over boulders and sneak into to explore. We were way up in the sky but truly felt hidden from the world! Amazing and my favorite hike of our trip! After this, we headed south to Las Vegas. Checked into the Flamingo on the strip, and both of us decided pretty quickly that we hated the Flamingo and hated Las Vegas even more. Began considering escape options as we walked around. Saw the fountains at the Bellagio, went inside Paris and Aladdin/Planet Hollywood, saw the Lions at MGM Grand, took pics at NYNY. Did a little shopping at the Miracle Mile to get my POG juice and coconut syrup from Hilo Hattie.

Sunday: Still planning our escape route. Tried to go to church but couldn’t find one after 30 minutes of driving around. Brunch at the terrific Spice Market Buffet, ranked #1 in Vegas. Checked out of our room a night early even though we already paid for it. Walked around the Venetian, Caesar’s Palace, and Bellagio. Saw Cirque de Soleil’s “Mystere” at Treasure Island. Lost some cash in the slots at Treasure Island, or paid $40 for a beer and a daiquiri, however you want to look at it. Hightailed it out of town and back to Boulder City to the cute motel we stayed at on the very first night of our trip.

Monday: A new day full of possibilities! Our original plan was to hang out in Vegas, but obviously that wasn’t working out. Enjoyed a perfect morning swim in our pool. Went on a Lake Mead cruise to Hoover Dam that afternoon. Found a tempting beach on Lake Mead, changed back into our swimsuits in the backseat of our Avenger (haha), and refreshed ourselves in the clear cool water. Explored the shoreline a bit before heading to the only movie theater near Boulder City, a little two-screener in a casino near the dam. Saw “The Bourne Ultimatum”, a truly excellent flick. Headed to the airport to return our car and wait for our ride home. Our plane got swapped out, some clueless dude somehow got to the gate without a boarding pass and he and his wife pitched a hissy fit since they weren’t allowed on the plane, a drunk chick got booted out of our plane, the flight attendants could not remember where we were going, and we took off late (of course!).

Tuesday: We landed safely (thank goodness) and arrived home to our sweet kitty at about 7:30 am.

Happy birthday, America!

Who doesn't love July 4th? Ice cream socials, block parties, so many fireworks that my neighborhood sounds like Baghdad. My church has an annual patriotic service that always gets me in a celebratory mood, and this year's was no exception! The tears began flowing when the choir sang each military branch's song and the veterans from each branch stood while their song played. Following the music was an extremely moving video featuring shots of our church members in their military uniforms (usually formal pics from their much younger days.) My friend Raynes and I were practically holding onto each other and blubbering by the end of that video. Seeing SO many men who I knew and who were willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for me... it simply took my breath away. I looked around and was shocked by all of the faces I might otherwise never have known should fate have chosen a different ending for them in war.

We threw a big bash at church... guess who PUT IT AWAY on the dunking booth?! Yours truly, of course! It totally cracked me up... I stood in line behind at least ten unsuccessful people before my turn to throw at the target, and I nailed a bulls-eye on the first pitch! Better yet, the person sitting in the booth has, ahem, "frustrated" me quite often on several occasions, and I must admit that it felt very good to watch him going down after all of his trash-talking. Hee hee hee. And there was even a crowd watching. :)

Nashville was fun... made it a solo trip... treated myself to lunch in a funky little cafe downtown, did a bit of shopping, visited the state museum and the capitol building. A somewhat flirtatious staffer at the capitol noticed me wandering around peeking into rooms, and he proceeded to give me a personal tour of the galleries, pointing out items of interest to a Knoxvillian, and taking me behind the velvet ropes. It was quite unexpected, but fun.

Brian and Heather had their baby on Saturday! 30 hours of labor and one c-section later, and a 9-lb Jacob Daniel greeted the world. And Heather actually called me on Saturday to tell me this! That girl is nuts, but I love her! I could not be happier for them, and I can't wait to meet little Jacob. He does not know how fortunate he is to have such fun people for parents!

Yikes, though, this means that Don and I need to hurry up and start havin' babies so our kids won't be too far apart in age to play with Hops and Brian's! (Yes, I actually worry about stuff like that.)

And get this, Christine's in LOVE!! Her boyfriend has only been crazy about her since high school, and he's been waiting for her the entire time. He's made a life for himself... bought a house, working on his doctorate, coaching high school football and wrestling. But he never got her out of his mind, and he told her he has everything he ever wanted except her. It just took her awhile to realize that he was what she wanted, too. I am totally psyched about meeting him... gotta give him the infamous 20 questions, right? He's now in DC visiting her for the week... and I predict a rock on her finger by the end of the year!

Anyway, from the way she'd described him to me over the years, I was expecting Steve Urkel. But he's pretty hot... I mean, the guy's biceps are bigger than my head! Christine, crazy girl, she was holding out on me!!! See for yourself:
http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/sports/images_sizedimage_325225104/resources_photoview

Cove Lake

Spent my day soaking in the sun, staring at the mountains, dipping in the pool, laughing with friends, and enjoying dinner that someone else cooked for me.

Life doesn't get much better than this!!

Now what?

What a wild two weeks it's been. I am exhausted! Spent a week roughing it in Kentucky, then worked each day and taught VBS each night. Tonight was our final session, and although I'll miss my fourth-graders, I am looking forward to being able to go through an entire day without screaming for at least 3 hours straight. After spending a week with teenagers and another week with the younger kids, let's just say that I have a newfound respect for schoolteachers!

Tomorrow morning I have a meeting at UT, then back to church to take down my classroom, then I finally can get back to my normal routine, whatever that was. And maybe even have the energy to reclaim my house. I'm climbing over packed suitcases, piles of unfolded clothes, mountains of mail containing unpaid bills, and random sports equipment, papers, and books that I used this week. I have not even checked my bank accounts in over 2 weeks -- unheard of for me!

I promise I'll return all phone calls and e-mails soon... just gotta recover first!

Chillin' in my hood

I don't know what exactly it is about my neighborhood that I love so much, but I feel so alive and happy here! I live right near the center of town and this area is classified as inner city, but you wouldn't know it when you're standing in the middle of it. Handsome, mature trees towering over the road. Interesting architecture... Victorians, bungalows, Colonials, cozy older cottages like mine. I love that we're not completely WASPy here like the rest of Knoxville is; for example, on my quiet dead-end street we have young families, black kids and white kids who actually play together, widowed retirees, lesbians, Goth teenagers. People are constantly outside gardening, sitting on their porches, jogging, or walking their dogs. It is a rare occasion that we go for a walk and don't bump into someone who knows us and stops to chat.

Tonight, we strolled down side streets, cut through Edgewood Park, and spent some time puttering around the library. After that we walked to Sonic, and enjoyed a refreshing cherry limeade before taking another scenic route home. We walked the street in front of our house instead of coming from behind as usual, and I then spent some time watering the flowers and reflecting on the changes in our home since we bought it.

This place had ZERO curb appeal the first time I ever saw it. Scraggly bushes, no trees, very plain and miserable looking. Then I realized... what a great blank canvas I have in this house. It WILL be cute by the time I'm done. We added dark green shutters, planted trees, replaced the icky bushes, landscaped around the front and side, added flowerboxes in the windows and an American flag, and boom! It has "Amber" written all over it.

Someday, probably too soon, we will have to move. Our house is too small for a growing family, and the hubby and I both agree that we want some land and more privacy than what our urban nook currently offers. I will deeply miss this place, though, and I have been immensely proud to call this neighborhood my home.

Can't stop smiling!

I'm rocking my job right now! Last Saturday, we held the annual spring festival for the families that I work with in my program, as well as anyone else from the public who wanted to attend. What a great day that was! I was thrilled that it turned out so well, given this was my first time coordinating an event of that size (other than my wedding, of course). Lots going on that day... 6 staff plus 15 volunteers including a Girl Scout troop, craft stations, bubble station, giant inflatable moonwalks and slides, snacks, sno-cones, door prizes, music, group time. After it was over, I came home, changed into PJ's, collapsed on the couch, and enjoyed the afterglow from a successful day of hard work. My next project involves spending down $5700 in grant money before this fiscal year ends. Shopping with other people's money? They call this WORK?!!

Life is good. Birthday was mellow... visited my favorite Italian restaurant, then hit the movies to see Shrek 3. I got to see all of my parents within the last 2 weeks, both sets (of mine) came down to go to the mountains. Everyone's happy and healthy!

Been plowing through lots of books lately. Just finished "Marley and Me", a nonfiction by John Grogan. I highly recommend it... what a great read! If you're looking for a sweet story that doesn't insult your intelligence, this is your book. At first glance you would think it was all about this guy and his dog, but it's really about the joy of living. Hands down, one of the best books I've read in the last year. Just be prepared for an emotional ending!

Why I have plastic army men all over my car

Embarassing personal disclosure time: I am addicted to “The Bachelor.” Yes, yes, I know, it’s the corniest show on TV. All of these dolled-up women throwing themselves at one guy when most of them probably wouldn’t even give him the time of day if they met him at home. What can I say, though… I’m a sucker for love. A total sap. Whatever you want to call it, I’m guilty!

Sometimes I think my own love life would’ve been a much more entertaining TV series… here are just a few of the more interesting highlights from my own emotional rollercoaster of LUVVVVVVV…

B - Ahhh, first love. Short-lived, intense, and the only drama-filled relationship I’ve ever had. I was a stubborn 16-yr-old and my mama didn’t like him; he was a tough guy and too smart for his own good. He still is both, actually. Somehow we never lost that “connection” (how ‘bout that Bachelor word?!?)… but now I treasure his friendship. And I couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s turned out to be.

J - You know how all college freshmen first get to campus and latch onto the first available creature of the opposite sex because they’re deathly afraid of everyone else pairing off and getting married? Yep, that was J. He was a twin, and my best friend Joy dated his twin brother. To this day, I still can’t figure out what Joy or I saw in either one of them. They were both as eccentric as could be. Imagine two short and skinny white boys who spoke ebonics to each other ALL DAY LONG, and you've got the picture.

R - I knew he was bad news when the first call I ever received from him was at midnight. But what can you expect from a guy you meet at the gas station? Our last date was the worst I ever had… him telling the waitress how awful I was because I didn‘t cry at “Titanic“, taking me to his apartment to show off his gun collection, and ending with a loud fight in the middle of the movie theater lobby. Yikes!

C - The baseball player. I spent a summer working for our local indie-league pro ball team, and he was the star pitcher. It was fun for awhile, being a groupie and all. Too bad the guy struck out!

C - Way too confusing. I wanted things to work out, and even though a lot would've had to change first, I would've waited for him. However, he suddenly got married and disappeared from Knoxville, and that was that. I really don't know what else I can say without saying too much.

J - He was literally covered head-to-toe in mud when he asked me out. Gotta give the guy a little credit for originality.

C - Haha, C was the mystery of my senior year of college. We talked for months before we finally met… it all began when he dialed my phone number by accident, and I gave him a really hard time because I thought he was someone I knew pranking me. 45 minutes later, C and I finally got off the phone. He proceeded to call me every Thursday and we had very interesting conversations about everything from politics to CMT to God. The night we finally met… wow! Half of my dorm was hanging out the front windows scoping this guy out, wanting to be witnesses to what was destined to be our love story. C pulled up in his red convertible, all red hair and broad shoulders and suave outfit, and plucked me from the masses… I felt like a queen. That all changed at the restaurant when I was SO bored that I was timing with my watch how long he sat there talking… and talking… and talking… and talking…

D - Oh my. He was probably my single biggest mistake. I pretty much knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to work with us, but he was persistent and we truly did have a blast together so it was nearly impossible for me to send him packing. He was *WAY* out of my league as far as looks went, and he knew it. Tall, dark, and handsome all the way, fully Italian, looked like a model, dressed like he stepped straight from the pages of GQ. He liked me because I was mysterious. Once he figured out that I was really was a "challenge", he was ready to move on. That’s OK, I was expecting it. I got the last laugh on D when I bumped into him on my wedding night, in my wedding gown, and with my new husband. :) I’m not vindictive (really!!) but my evil twin revels in that memory.

J - What were we, exactly? We lived eight hours apart, but talked all the time... and one of the most romantic moments in my life actually happened with him (and no, I'm not telling any more!). I was floating somewhere in the sky whenever we were together, which unfortunately wasn't as often as I would've liked. It's kinda hard for love to happen when one-half of the couple works full time as an engineer, spends one weekend a month in the Army reserve, is studying for his second master's, teaching 2 college courses, and taking care of his parents. If he spent any time with me, then he fell behind in his work for days, if not weeks (depending on the length of our visit). Talk about unhealthy! I sincerely hope he finds something that will make him happy.

D - The perfectionist. And guess what? I’m not perfect!! For obvious reasons, we were immediately doomed for failure! D was a perfect gentleman. He had the prestigious job as a nuclear scientist, an immaculate home in Farragut, fit body from distance biking, classic wardrobe, perfectly romantic dates, extensive knowledge of the Bible, on and on and on. For awhile, I believed his game and thought that he really was the perfect one for me. Thankfully, he discovered sooner than I did that I did not meet his impossible standards, and he very sweetly put me back on the shelf with all of the other imperfect women of the world, right back where I belonged. Poor guy. He was 44, I was 23. That should’ve been my first clue, right?

For the sake of brevity, I'll skip over several others (although my friends could certainly add more good stories on me…) and go straight to…

D - I tried for weeks to figure out who my new neighbor was in the apartment across the hall. Whoever they were, my gosh, they were so quiet! I never heard or saw them coming or going. Finally I decided to stop snooping, bake some brownies, knock on the door, and introduce myself… and that’s exactly what I did. The door swung open and there stands a very attractive blond man, who obviously wasn’t expecting visitors and was sans shirt. Ohhhhh nooooooooo. I was totally embarrassed and tongue-tied, and all I really remember was shoving the brownies into his hands, tossing out a lame excuse about needing to leave, then making a beeline for my apartment!

I soon found myself dressing up to take out the garbage, and racing to the door to squint through the peephole whenever I heard the slightest noise in the hallway. Turns out he was doing the very same thing.

Six months later, he proposed, and we‘re now living our happily ever after. I love you, Donald! I'd go through it all over again just to find you.

With a heavy heart

What do you do when you witness a parent treating a child in a manner that is at best, harsh and unhealthy, and at worst, emotionally abusive? (The severity of the parent's behavior depends on your perception, of course.)

The scene: a sunny Sunday afternoon at Adair Park, where the husband and I are stretched out under a grove of trees bordering the open field where pickup soccer games and kite flyers tend to gravitate. We enjoyed watching a sweet grandfather hitting a baseball to his two young grandsons. The kids obviously relished the attention from their grandpa, and he was loving giving it.

About an hour later, Grandpa comes back out on the field with the two boys, only this time they're accompanied by Dad. Dad first critiques Grandpa's pitching, at which point ol' Pappy retreats to the picnic shelter and leaves the game playing up to Dad. Dad, apparently needing a new target, begins criticizing the older son's catching, and my ears perked up when I heard the boy say, "Dad, I'm just playing! Please don't judge me! I just want to play!". Being a social worker, I can't help paying close attention to these verbal red flags of an underlying problem. Dad's response was, "yes, I'm judging your playing!". This boy, whose name was Caleb, couldn't have been more than five or six years old.

Dad then ignores the younger boy and instead focuses all of his attention on throwing and hitting to Caleb, and his comments continued to escalate. He was yelling at his son in the middle of the park and the comments only becamse angrier and nastier. Dad told Caleb that he was pitiful, that he was sick of his excuses about why he couldn't catch the ball, that he needed to own up to all of his failures, on and on and on. I can't even remember all of the things I heard this man say but they were so horrible that Don and I could not stop gasping at what this kid was being put through by his father. Caleb finally stopped protesting and just took it silently until Dad finished drilling him and had thoroughly sucked the joy from the kid's day and from his heart.

If this man had actually been cursing at his son, it would have been much easier to pick up the phone, get the cops to the park, and report this guy for abuse. But as the situation stood, I felt like my hands were tied. I couldn't call the police on them because it would look like I was simply a hysterical and meddling woman who didn't agree with Dad's parenting methods of trying to improve his son's game. I could not prove that any abuse had taken place, particularly since I did not hear profanities directed at the boy. The boy's mother and grandparents were also in the vicinity and were close enough to hear, although they weren't paying attention. Dad's behavior is not new, I'm certain... the family has to know how he is! Why, why, why doesn't someone in the family stand up for these kids?!?!

In hindsight, I could have tried to talk to the boy alone to find out how old he was and where he went to school, then maybe I could've called the school counselor or something. That didn't even cross my mind today, though.

I told Don that as a woman and a mother, I would never allow anyone, including him, to treat our children that way. If a man of mine abused me or the kids, then all bets are off, the marriage is over, and I'm never looking back (except to possibly hire a hit man to take him out). OK, just kidding about the hit man. Sorta. Let's just say Don wouldn't want to mess with me, and I'm 100% certain that I will never even have to worry about it.

Back to Caleb. I predict that this kid will turn out in one of three ways: he will become a convicted felon bent on rebellion, he will be a decent person but have severe emotional problems including estrangement and harboring intense hatred for both parents (Dad for the obvious and Mom for not protecting him), or he will turn out to be just like his father. I hope I'm wrong on all counts.

I pray that somewhere in the years to come, this kid meets Jesus and finds in his heavenly Father the love that his earthly father won't give. And I pray that the next time I encounter another little Caleb, that I will be more prepared and bold enough to make a difference in his life.

Part 2

Stuff I've been learning lately:

- It is never wise to make any comment whatsoever about another person's weight. Even if you think you're giving a compliment... just don't do it. I say this not because I have embarrassed myself, but because I have been on the receiving end of questions which have been unintentionally hurtful. Such as... "Have you lost weight?". What?!? I mean, I know I could benefit from a little toning, but I have never been overweight... come ON! Even when I have commented about wanting to lose a few pounds, most people protest saying I don't need it and already look great. So if someone asks me if I've lost weight, does that mean they thought I was fat before? Especially considering I haven't lost any? It doesn't matter if they follow up their question with, "well, you look great!". It still insinuates that they had thought I was fat. What I have learned from these conversations is that there is no polite way to discuss someone else's weight with them, period, and the subject needs to be left alone.

- Don and I have both been trying to be more honest with each other and with others in our life. What a growth experience it has been for both of us! In the past I have gotten myself into too many uncomfortable situations with other people because I haven't spoken up about something that bothered me, or I did things out of obligation in spite of having no real interest in the task or event. There's a fine line between being selfish and being assertive, and I trust that God will give me wisdom in my choices. I just want to be real with people and honest with myself in ways that I previously haven't been faithful.

- Along the same line, I'm opting out of home parties where the main goal is to get you to spend money (Pampered Chef being the one exception because I actually do use the stuff). The only reason I've ever attended them is to have fun with the rest of the gals, but I am so tired of wasting money!! You can't attend one of those parties without feeling obligated to buy some overpriced trinket, in spite of whatever the hostess says about not having to fork over cash. (Or else you're labeled as a freeloader. Hmmmmm.) I have given myself permission to be a party pooper and stay home. And you know what? It feels really, really good to just be honest with myself, and to take better care of our money.

- I have concluded that I truly detest west Knoxville and Farragut. I have been seeing more and more lately from people on "that side of town" that just turns my stomach. Even in my job... I am on each side of the county twice a month. Guess where the disrespectful, entitled, spoiled brat attitudes are? And this latest business on the west Knoxville school rezoning? Ooooooooh, I have never heard so much whining about how THEIR children deserve the best schools in the county and THEIR property values are going to go down if they're rezoned and THEIR children should not have to change schools because THEY don't want to. Please. I will never, ever live there, and I am determined more than ever to keep my shopping dollars on this end of the county.

- I have learned also that it's OK to be a tree-hugger. I used to think those people were a bit nuts, until somehow I started agreeing with them. I used to think that the planet's going to hell in a handbasket anyway, and whatever I did was not going to make any difference. The attitude shift that I have had is that I know I cannot solve environmental problems, but I don't have to exacerbate them. I still have a long way to go with consistency between my thoughts and actions, but now I enjoy recycling most of our trash and conserving energy. Don's really influenced me on these issues... I'm now curious about animal testing and research. To me, this is all a natural outpouring of my love for God and appreciation for the earth He's created for us. It's about good stewardship.

I like getting older and growing wiser. :)

Lots to talk about...

I feel like my mind is overloaded, not stressed in the typical sense, just overflowing with situations/subjects that require significant thought to come to either a plan of action or a resolution. I've got a mission trip to prepare for, choir and Bible school lessons and decorating to work on, family issues to deal with, a bedroom to finish redecorating, unfamiliar scenarios at work. I have been presented with some challenging situations with a couple of my friends and although I am concerned for them, they are adults and my hands are tied regarding their choices. Still hard to watch, though. Our big trip out west will be here before I know it, and I'm not as far along with the planning as I'd like to be. And I'm not stressed, really! Even though everything's pressing on me, and it sounds like I should be pulling my hair out, I don't feel that way at all. I feel very happy and grateful to have such a full life and such interesting things to occupy my attention.

Sometimes, like now, things are going SO well that I can hardly believe it's true. I try my best not to think about when the storms will come, but you always hear about how people are happily floating along and then BAM. A cancer diagnosis, a car wreck, a parent dies, a job is lost. I don't consider myself to be a glass-half-empty type of person, but on the other hand I don't want to take my situational happiness for granted. I know a lot of these thoughts probably stem from this online journal I recently finished reading. www.caringbridge.org/visit/katieferraris. Katie just graduated from law school when she was diagnosed with leukemia. She died a couple of weeks ago at the age of 29 after her 9-month battle with cancer. I never knew her (even though she's from Knoxville), but her story has touched me deeply. If you need motivation to rearrange your priorities, then read her journals from the beginning (her diagnosis) to the end (her death). Here's another one to break your heart: www.caringbridge.org/visit/lisajourney. This guy's baby died from a rare disease, then a couple of years later his wife was diagnosed with cancer and died the next year at age 27. Unbelievable.

OK, enough morbid talk. (I'm turning into my mother... yikes!) I promise I'm not depressed or suicidal, so don't go calling the "Intervention" show on me! I just feel a heavy responsibility to make the most of my life, which can only be positive for me.

Got to spend some quality time tonight with my buddy Amber. What a blessing she is! We became fast friends when she came shopping in the store one day last year when I was working. I rarely connect with people on both a head and heart level, but when it happens, it tends to last. My friends are beyond precious to me and I am so grateful to have another Christian girlfriend to share life's ups and downs with. God is so faithful!

Tell me...

I got a new job! I've been there for over a month now, leading a program that promotes brain development in babies. It's so nice to be using my degree again and to have an office and to have a reason to actually WEAR all of those nice clothes in my closet. Best of all, my job is only 20 hours a week, and believe it or not, I decided to continue working at the store also. This position kinda fell into my lap... my boss is the wife of the assistant manager at the store, and I was "highly encouraged" to apply. Funny how changes happen when you finally stop looking for them.

I've been batting this around for a week or so... so please write me if you have thoughts or insight...

When I first moved to Knoxville, I visited a large local church one Sunday. I decided not to try visiting again because it seemed too "showy" and the singles ministry left a lot to be desired. However, I remained on this church's mailing list until I moved into my house 3 years later. The senior pastor of this church always managed to tie the subject of tithing into his weekly newsletter column. I finally quit reading after one week's column urged his congregation to designate their giving in this order:
1. The church's general fund,
2. The church's building fund, and
3. Missions.
I kid you not. Any alarm bells going off yet?

This church happens to be a frequent customer of the store where I work, and I have had the opportunity to become acquainted with some of their staff. This church employs both a husband and a wife as ministers. I guess they are nice enough people although not very personable, IMHO. What bothers me is that they each drive a new Mercedes.

I find that to be obscene. Hear me out before accusing me of being a hypocrite...

I fully believe in compensating pastors well. They sacrifice so much for their congregations... their personal time, where they live, what they do, even their reputations. I know it's a 24/7 job where burnout is not uncommon. I think a church needs to pay their ministers more than enough so that the one thing they DON'T have to worry about is how to make ends meet every month. For example, the wife should be able to afford to stay home to take care of the family, since Dad's constantly out taking care of everyone else.

I'm not saying that it's morally wrong to own a luxury vehicle. For some people, they work hard all of their life for their dream car. Fine. Me personally, I could find another use for that money, but whatever.

However, why would a minister want to drive a Mercedes if they were not interested in flaunting their wealth? We all know the car's a status symbol, let's just be honest about it. If all they claim is important is to have a safe and comfortable sedan that runs forever, a Toyota would fit the bill nicely. But instead, these ministers both chose to place a social barrier around themselves. I'd like to know how they go into the trailer parks on Clinton Highway or to the projects at Austin Homes to do ministry. They'd get laughed out the door driving up in those neighborhoods in their $50,000 cars, to tell the poor and downtrodden how their lives can be better with Jesus. I can't even take them seriously, and I'm neither broke nor living in the ghetto.

For all I know, these people could have been multimillionaires before they entered the ministry, or the cars were gifts. I am aware that there are a lot of variables which could come into play here. But even so, wouldn't a minister actually WANT to keep a low profile? Wouldn't it be embarassing otherwise? Where is your humility when you're waving your prosperity around literally everywhere you go?

If they have a million bucks, then fine! However, wouldn't a little discretion here would be appropriate?

When your current salary is drawn from the backs of church members, people who sacrificed to give their tithes to God and will never be able to afford that Mercedes you're driving, it's a slap in the face.

Yes, I am holding them to a higher standard. They chose to be pastors. In this crazy world where priorities are too often misdirected and money becomes the reason for living, people are looking to them for guidance. That's why they draw their paycheck.

I am open to alternate points of view. Thoughts?