I got Tagged! (Which is much better than being Punk'd)

OK Sue tagged me so here goes...

4 jobs I've had:
1. Chuck-E-Cheese! This was my first real job. I was a party hostess, and I WAS Chuckie! It was so much fun Chuckin' it! I used to play all kinds of fun games while in costume, and I got to stand on the tables and dance, and my friends and I used to have shopping cart races down a hill in the parking lot while in costume! Then I got punched in the face (Chuckie's face) by a VERY muscular man (really painful!) and that was pretty much the end of my stint as the Chuckmiester.
2. Admin. Assistant/receptionist for a Christian attorney and good friend. I definitely don't want to be a lawyer when I grow up!
3. Villa Rosa - a fancy linen and giftshop close to our home in Tampa. I learned a lot about linens and store displays (my fave part!).
4. Best job ever... Mom to two beautiful daughters and wife to a great man! (No, I don't get paid, but it can be hard work!)

4 movies I'd watch over and over again:
1. Anne of Green Gables
2. Lord of the Rings trilogy
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. Sleepless in Seattle

4 places I've lived:
1. Virginia Beach, VA (birth thru 18 mos) (can't remember 18 mos thru 4 years)
2. Valdosta, GA (ages 4-8)
3. Brandon/Tampa, FL (ages 8-26)
4. Richmond Hill, GA (current)

4 places I've loved to vacation:
1. Virgin Islands (honeymoon)
2. France (Paris, Normandy, Giverny)
3. New Zealand
4. Disney World (I'm just a kid at heart)

4 concerts I was glad I went to:
1. Billy Joel and Elton John (1995)
2. Audio Adrenaline/ Five Iron Frenzy
3. O.C. Supertones
4. Delirious

4 dishes I love to eat:
1. Moe's Close Talker with red beans, tofu, and extra cilantro (bueno)!
2. My lasagne
3. Anything at my new fave place: A Taste of India
4. Sushi (especially the tuna)

4 sites I visit daily: (not always daily...)
1. My blog buddies
2. My Space (yes, I caved in to that too)
3. My email
4. jessiegoodman.com (my best friend)

4 places I'd rather be right now:
1. Disney World with my hubby and kids (we're going in a week!)
2. New Zealand
3. Starbucks with Jessie
4. Anywhere with family

4 blog buddies I'm tagging: (seems like everyone else has already been tagged)
1. Bob (bro-in-law-in-law?) I saw Sue's, now post Bob's answers!
2. Elizabeth V.
3. My man, Steve (do you have what it takes?)
4. I need more blog buddies!

Today the girls played their first soccer games! How fun!

I had to divide my attention between 2 games that took place simultaneously. Olivia is pretty timid, and I therefore spent much more time with her, nudging her back on the field and encouraging her to kick the ball instead of just running around chasing the group of kids who were kicking it. The Hawks have 3 boys and Olivia on the team. I was so proud of her! There was a little boy who kept crying because the other team kept taking the ball away. (If we had taken score, they would have won for sure!) There were several children crying today across the park. And on the other team, a girl picked a flower, and was running around looking at it the whole time! I thought for sure Olivia would be a flower-picker or a crier, but she did pretty well. She looked so cute running so hard after the ball with a look of pure determination. After she got to throw the ball in one time, she was sure that was the equivalent of scoring a goal! And I won't let on any differently, though her big sister keeps trying to tell her it was not a goal!

Abigail's team was pretty fierce. There are 4 on a team. Her team consists of two 6-year old boys who have each played 3 seasons of soccer, and two 5-year old girls who have never played before. Abigail is the youngest, TALLEST member of the Bears. The Bears pretty much dominated the game. We don't keep score in YMCA soccer, but at Steve's count it was our team- 12 the other team -0. Abigail scored the last goal! I actually got to see that. I think she did very well for her first game. The coach has been teaching her team how to work together, and it showed today. We were blessed with a really good coach. He told Abigail that she has improved a lot since starting a few weeks ago and that he is proud of her. Big smile! Abigail keeps asking me when she'll play in a "real" game like her cousin, Becca. I told her this was a real game, and that Becca started out the same way. And I told her one day she may play college soccer as well, only for University of Florida! :0)

Aunt Lindsey and Bryan (her boyfriend) and their puppy, Bailey came to watch the games. The girls were very excited to have fans! Next week, Grandma and Grandpa Blanda are coming to see their games. They can't wait.

We took lots of video and pictures and I hope that Steve will help me to get some on the site to share! I can't wait until next week!

My baby has to have surgery!

Olivia has been a snorer since early infancy. She also had a lot of ear infections, so we took her to an ENT and she had tubes put in at about 18 months. At that time, he noticed she was a mouth breather, recommended she be put on allergy meds., and told me to let him know if I wanted her tonsils and/or adenoids out. I told him I would like to see if time or allergy meds. would correct the problem.

Fast forward over a year and a half... a few months ago I noticed that Olivia would stop breathing briefly while she slept, and then gasp a bit and return to snoring. I suspected sleep apnea. A trip to cyberspace told me I was probably correct in my assumption and that it is not that common in small children.

So, we finally went back to the ENT yesterday, and with out hesitation, he was scheduling her for surgery to take out both tonsils and adenoids. The surgery will be on the morning of Tues., May 16th. I am not looking forward to it, but I know she'll be so much better off after she recovers. Poor Livie-Pooh!

Deep Thoughts

I was driving down the road today, listening to some tunes on Air-1 (alternative Christian music station), and I began to ponder as I so often do...


I started thinking about how Christian music has come a long way and how there are so many choices out there that are relevant to today's culture. I know there are some old-school-types out there who think Christian music should show "reverence". To these people reverent music may mean old hymns, southern gospel, or what some would call "high-church" or liturgical-type music. I could not disagree more. Webster defines reverence as "honor or respect felt or shown; profound adoring; awed respect". For me, to revere my God is to let Him know how awesome He is and how much I love Him, regardless of how I do it. Sometimes that happens to be to a sweet guitar rift and a kickin' drum beat. And sometimes, it's Amazing Grace accapella-style.


Then I started to relate the same line of thinking to types of Christian churches. Too often I have heard well meaning saints try to explain why their style of "church" is the better one. There are some that feel like church services should consist of 3 fast and 2 slow songs, followed by announcements, 20 minutes of teaching, and an altar invitation. Others think you should let the Spirit guide you in worship for as long as you "feel" Him, and then maybe there is preaching or maybe not. Still others think it should all be done with tradition and repetition, following and exact scripted order. Some churches raise hands, some clap, some stand, sit, and kneel, and some do as they feel (rhyme not intended). I have met some who insist that you must wear a coat and tie or a dress to honor God. I've also been to churches where you can wear a coat and tie, jeans and a T-shirt, or anything in between. (I have personally come to the conclusion that as long as you are clean, modest, and not wearing anything profane, and you are dressed in the robes of righteousness and wearing the garment of praise, then you are fit to enter in to the presence of the King of Kings, no matter where you are.)


My point is, that none of these types of churches are correct without a relationship with Jesus. A relationship with Jesus is key no matter where you go to church or how you worship. A relationship is personal. Relationships differ based on the individuals involved. While God never changes, each one of us He has a relationship with changes greatly. So shouldn't that mean our walk with Him as well as the way in which we revere Him should also differ greatly from others who believe? If I try to force my style of prayer, worship, etc. on someone, is that really their relationship with God, or merely that person trying to walk my walk - which is a place only I can go?


Some might argue, "Well the So-and-So Church down the street believes yada yada, which has no Biblical foundation." While that may be true, arguing rarely turns causes a person to change their view. Though it may make them all the more stubborn. If someone has a REAL relationship with Jesus, and they are truly seeking His face, His will, His direction... then I think God can change their mind for them. He did for me! That is not to say that you cannot try to gently correct them and/or pray for them to find the truth. There have been times I have found that neither they nor I were 100% correct in our thinking.

...And that is all I have to say about that!

Help!

Can anyone tell me how to add a list of friends on my blog so I don't have to search each time I want to read one of their blogs? I've tried the help button, but have not found anything as of yet...

Thanks!

Why Olivia felt sorry for Jesus

The other day I took Olivia for a walk in the jogger stroller down the main road in our town. There is a catholic church that has a cross in the ground out front made of 4 x 4 posts, and it is draped with the purple or white swag of cloth, depending on the time of year. So as we walk past, Olivia says, "Mommy, is that the cross Jesus died for us on?". And I say, "No sweetie, His cross was much bigger and very far away, but this one is supposed to remind us of what He did for us." In a very worried tone Olivia cries, "But Mommy, Jesus left His blankie on the cross!!!"