Awkward situations

I am the queen of falling into awkward situations and then being unsure of how to exit gracefully. Today I had another encounter. I was speaking to someone in my circle of acquaintance. I would not call this individual a friend, but if I saw them in Wal-mart I would be obliged to say hello. That is the extent of our acquaintance. Anyhow, we were engaged in some form of small talk, you know the kind I mean. We were speaking of the events of the day, how Ryan and I met, how Ryan liked his job...you know, normal small talk kinds of things. Well, the conversation lagged for a moment or two, and then the person asked, "Do you guys want to have kids?" Now, this question I get all the time from my students, but they ask it because they are kids and do not understand social norms yet. But, this was a full grown person. So, I politely said, "yes, I suppose some day we do." However, I was completely unprepared for the next question. Next, the person asked how we were currently "preventing" children. I was mortified. I was so red. I had no idea what to say. I muttered a few syllables and then tried to get out as soon as possible.

This has happened before. One day at my work a person I had NEVER met before in my life walked right up to me, pointed to my belly, and asked me when I was due. Now, I do not consider myself an obese person, nor do I walk around wearing maternity clothes because they are comfortable. I do, however, feel that styles of clothes that have empire waists and cut away from the body are more flattering rather than those that appear as though they have been vacuum sealed to my body. So, there I stood with this person asking me if I was pregnant. I took a moment to consider my answer. If I say "no" then she will feel awkward and embarrassed and I shall have to stand here for five minutes trying to allay her embarrassed feelings. If I say "yes" then I would at some point in the next 7-8 months have to produce a baby. Either way, I felt cooked. I decided on the "no" answer (because it seemed easier..ha ha). Oh that people would learn socially acceptable norms.

Bugged

The female mind is a curious thing. Perhaps this is why the subject of psychology fascinates me. Even though I am a girl and have a girl mind, I am still baffled by how my mind works. Last night when I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth before bed, I discovered to my horror, there was a spider dangling down from a little string of a web. All night long, although I knew that my bed was clean and that there were no bugs in my bed,I FELT their presence.

Then, today, I decided, due to the spider and his unfortunate presence in my home, that the house MUST be scrubbed and sanitized. Now, in the back of my mind I realize that this is nature and that I have a big yard and lots of bushes and trees outside and bugs happen. My sweet husband is very patient with me as well. He grew up in Florida where the CLEANEST person in the world will have the occasional bug, especially during the rainy season when they are simply seeking a new, dry home.He reminds me of this fact every time I find a bug and then proceed to scrub and clean and bleach everything. Now, I grew up in South Dakota and Wyoming. In those parts, the clean people MAYBE saw one or two ants on occasion, but any other bug was a big, flashing, neon sign that said, "dirty, filthy, vile pig lives here." It is an adjustment.

So, my crazy female mind needs to make the switch quickly otherwise I shall scrub my way into the proverbial corner. And, knowing my luck...there would be a spider in that corner.

Busy Bee

Sometimes people assume that because you are busy, you are unhappy, rushed, hurried, and stressed. But I was thinking about it today...everything I do, I do because I think it will be fun, or it will earn me a few extra dollars (which can lead to funds to spend on fun), or it will minister to someone else.

I know people say, "Learn to say 'no'". However, I was thinking today that I have lots of time when I am older and tired to say "no". While I am young and able to run about like a crazy person, I want to soak up as many life experiences as I can. I honestly can say that I enjoy all the things I participate in. Somethings are less of a hassle than others. For instance, I coach two sports a year and I love it. Some days I am tired and I wonder why I do it, but then I look at my little athletes, and I remember why I do it.

So, I guess the bottom line is...I like being busy. I like enjoying life to its fullest. I like saying "yes" to ministry opportunities.

Legacy

Today I was painting (shocking, I know). This year I will begin my third year of teaching at my school. It is hard to believe, but it is true. Well, for the past two years I have not painted my room. The teacher before me was much beloved and I feared that the students would HATE me if I removed the last vestiges of her teaching there. However, today as I was removing the sea shells and starfish she had super glued to the wall, (it was a HUGE beach mural complete with sand rubbed into the wall and sea shells on the beach. Totally not my taste and totally counterproductive to learning.) I had a thought. What will my legacy be when I am gone? What will my students remember of me? Will they only remember the "bookish" lessons that I have taught them or will they remember something more lasting? Will they remember the time I taught them a life lesson or shared a kind word with them? It is something to consider. It sobered me a little, I have to confess. I felted rebuked at the moments I have let slip by without sharing the Gospel or the Love of God with my students. May next year be a year where I leave a lasting legacy.

Accomplished Young Ladies

There are a great many things that my mother introduced to me for which I am daily thankful. Many are more life changing that others. One thing my mother introduced to me was the wonderful world of Jane Austen. Austen had the ability to create both lovable characters and the utterly ridiculous. She was able to paint an accurate description of the society of the day while mocking it at the same time.

Today I was watching an adaptation of her classic book Pride and Prejudice (which my father refers to as "a bonnet movie"). While I watched it I grew more and more thankful for the time period in which I was born. I watched as poor Elizabeth and Jane wondered around their estate for days on end simply living to make a "good match"...meaning a husband who could support them. I cannot imagine myself wondering around my house embroidering (which I tried to do once and HATED it immensely), playing the piano, trying to maintain good skin complexion, and all the while wait for a husband to come and ask for my hand. How thankful I am to be a 21st century woman who can work, go out into society "unescorted", and be able to choose a husband not based on his yearly income, but on his love for me.

I love escaping into the world of books, but in this case, I am always thankful to be living in the here and now.

Summer

I was sitting here today relaxing and enjoying my day off and I was thinking "What should I blog about today?" Then, it hit me...I was just saying to Ryan how much I love summer. So, today, we have "the list" of all things that are awesome about summer.

1. No teaching (don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I also love being lazy)
2. Going to the beach
3. Chick-fil-a Peach Milkshakes
4. Summer fruits (watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, peaches)
5. Brain freezes from frozen treats
6. Funky suntan lines from wearing different bathing suits. Currently I am sporting a lovely tan line on my shoulders
7. 4th of July
8. Cookouts
9. Kids on the front lawn in diapers playing in the sprinkler (not my kids...ha ha)
10. Time to read when it is too hot to be in the sun

That's my list...maybe tomorrow I can give you the bad side of summer...ha ha ha.

Thoughts of a Painter

Today I was painting (It is my summer job. Every summer so far since I have been teaching I paint classrooms). So, today, while I was painting, I was thinking and listening to music. I, unfortunately, am of the generation that is unable to take the silence for too long. The only sound was the squish-squish of the paint onto the wall. So, I dug out the old i-pod (a truly marvelous invention) and put the headphones on. While I was painting away and bopping along to the music, a song came on that I had nearly forgotten was on my i-pod. It was a song that believers in Africa were singing. I knew the medley, I even could hum along with them, but the words were completely foreign to me (for obvious reasons...I have never been to Africa nor learned any of the dialects of that particular place). However, I smiled as I listened to the song. My amazing, wonderful, all-powerful God can hear the song of those believers...and HE can understand those words of praise. My God can hear the pleas of the oppressed believers in countries that forbid their faith. My God hears the praise songs of the natives in the jungles of South America. And, wonder of wonders...not only does He hear, not only does HE understand, but He loves the praises and prayers of His saints. We serve a mighty, amazing, remarkable God.

Love is...

As some of you may know...the World Cup is upon us. For those of you who do not know what in the world that is...it is a tournament of soccer. (Do not feel bad...I used to not know what it was either). Now, two and a half years ago, I had no concept of what this was, nor did I care. BUT, then I met Ryan and got married and here I find myself with two matches of soccer PER day from now until July. First of all, so much work on the part of those poor soccer players and 45 minutes later the score is still 0 to 0. At least with basketball, most of the time by half time you have at least 50 to 60 or something like that. Second of all, at soccer matches apparently spectators sit in the stands and from the start to the end of the game the fans blow these horrific horns that cause the stadium to sound like it is full of hornets.

When the world cup first began, I REALLY struggled with watching these games. But, then I realized something. Love is compromising. It is giving of yourself for the better of the other person. Then, I remembered something else. Every now and then I get into a mood and MUST watch retro television. When I am seized by one of these moods, I must watch marathons of "I Love Lucy", "Andy Griffith Show", or even (torture of torture) "The Brady Bunch." And I do not just watch one isolated episode...I watch whole seasons. Where is my husband when this happens? He is beside me, watching, laughing, (sometimes merely enduring the pain) with some Sour Patch Kids. But, he gives me that time. Even better is when he comes home (of his own free will) with popcorn and tells me we are watching a old black and white movie of my choice.

So, given those circumstances, for the next month, give me an annoying hornet-sounding horn and a tacky soccer jersey and watch me learn to love yet another sport.

Pass the Mustard Seed Please

Been reading lately about people of faith. The one I am so impressed by is Elijah. God told him to go talk to the most hated, nasty, yuck of a king that Israel had ever had. Not only was Elijah supposed to go and talk to this guy, he was supposed to go tell him that because of the KING'S mistakes and sins, the land would not get any rain. Then, God tells Elijah to go hide himself by a brook. Elijah goes. But, what about food? No problem...Elijah waits on God and low and behold God provides food twice a day and water from the brook. Then, God dries up the brook. Now, this is where I would say, "Ok, well I tried my best to live a life for God but clearly my purpose here is done, so I think I will go back to my air conditioned tent now." But Elijah just waits for God to tell him where to go next. Where does God send him? He sends Elijah to the home of a widow who has enough food for herself and her son and then they are dead. But, Elijah had faith in God and through his faith, the widow and her son also gain faith in God and His providence.

Here I am in the 21st century. I serve the same God as Elijah, and yet I fail to ask God to do the same things. God can do the same things now that He did then. All I need is a mustard seed worth of faith, and I lack that. I want to be an Elijah in this world!!

Virus Fever

This world we live in is a strange place. I remember when I was about 8 I had this hideously ugly jean purse that I had to buy with my own money because it was "so cool." I am sure my mom probably tried to talk me out of, at least I hope she did, but I had it anyways. Once we went to Wal-Mart and I had a quarter, so I went to the quarter machines to score some of the amazing prizes in those cheesy machines. Well, I left my purse there and got all the way to my car and was about to leave when I realized my purse was still on the machines. So, I ran back and there it was. No one touched it in that 5-10 minute window of time. (Now, I do take into account that no one probably wanted to steal it because they would have gotten a pencil, Lisa Frank note pad, and a Dr. Pepper Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker gloss). However, the fact remains, no one touched it.

Now here I sit in the world of technology. I just spent most of last night and this morning running every version of a virus detector/remover on my computer. What kind of person creates viruses? I mean, did they wake up one morning and decide, "Hey, my life has been pretty dull up till now working at the city dump, so I think I am going to create a virus that will destroy thousands of computers with the simple opening of an e-mail." AND, it is not just your computer that can be a victim...it happens to smart phones too. Facebook accounts get hacked and soon your Uncle Leroy or Aunt Matilda are posting things like "ooggaa booggaa" because their facebook is now controlled by some guy named Joe who made the virus in the first place.

I guess what I am saying is, what happened to the world where you could forget your purse on a chair in a restaurant or on top of the gumball machines and it would still be there when you remembered it? Where's Barney Fife when you need him to go on a rampage and nip those virus makers in the bud? Ok, rant over. More tomorrow...maybe something happier.

Politely Peeved

So, on Memorial Day weekend was when I really got the itch to write again. I was sitting in Chipotle eating a scrumptious lunch with my sister and brother-in-law. We had been enjoying a fun day together talking, shopping, drinking coffee, and laughing. At Chipotle I was shocked to observe something that I doubtless had witnessed a hundred times, but for some reason that day it really irked me.

Sitting at the same table was a couple, probably in their late teens or early twenties. Each had their I-phones or some other touch screen phone. They were clearly together, at lunch to be together---and yet there they sat so engrossed in their world of electronics and facebook and texting that conversation had all but ceased between them. All that they said were the grunts similar to that of a caveman when one of them needed salsa from their partner sitting across the table.

Meanwhile, we at our table sat engaged in conversation and enjoyed every moment of our day. Is this where our society is going where all communication is electronic? Think of books...how long will it be till all our texts are on CD's, DVD's, I-pads, Kindles, and so on? There is something epically romantic about picking up an old book, opening it up, and holding it on your lap. Even our written communication is different. We seldom write letters or send cards except on birthdays. We send text messages with insipid little messages like "Lol", "TTYL" and so on.

Conversely, I am just as guilty of this overuse of technology. I have facebooked Ryan to tell him that I love him when he is sitting in the same room as me. However, I still think a handwritten card carries a feeling with it that the electronic message will never have. Call me old fashioned...but somehow I feel like Dickens, Twain, and Austen would be on my side. :)

A New Blog

I have always loved to write. When I was a teenager, I remember writing all the time. I wrote short stories, I wrote poems, I wrote in journals. Then, suddenly, I stopped. Maybe I felt as though no one would ever read it, so what was the point. Maybe I simply became busy with the many other aspects of life. For whatever reason, I quit writing except for college papers and lesson plans.

Then yesterday I found myself engaged in a conversation with a friend at work. She was talking about how she was blogging and how it quenched the need to write. I was inspired. There are so many things I sometimes feel the need to "get out" so to speak, but I feel as though I lack the outlet. Here is my outlet.

Why name the blog "Highlighter Ink"? I am not a particularly verbose person by any stretch of the imagination. This blog is simply for the brief description of those things which I need to vent, explain, or simply document. I will be "hiting the highlights."

Finally, I name it highlighter ink because I feel as though that is part of my call in life. I am to highlight the path to Christ for the lost people I contact on a daily basis. For my husband, my call is to highlight for him the things that make him wonderful and encourage him on his journey. Lastly, as an educator, I am highlighting for my students the things in both school and life that they need to know, all in a quick 45 minute session Monday through Friday.

This is sure to be an adventure.