Don't Quit Your Day Job

We've gone to sing karaoke twice within a week and it has inspired me to make a list of things that I would like to do for a living if I flunk out of college or if nothing stood in my way (like awful vocals). Here goes! And in no certain order.

1. Rockstar- I love to sing and even though I'm not good, when I sing in the shower I am and that's all that matters.
2. Writer- I love to read in my free time and it's always been a dream of mine to write a book, and maybe I can one day, but don't hold your breath.
3. Movie Critic- I love to watch movies. I don't know if anyone cares about my opinion, but if I could watch movies and get paid for it, that doesn't seem all that bad to me!
4. Subject in a sleep study- I don't know if I could make a career out of this, but who doesn't want to get paid to sleep?
5. PR- This is hard to describe, and I don't know if PR is the right term, but I'd like to give stars advice about their image when they're looking for a specific message to send. Kind of styling, maybe, I'm not really sure how to put it.
6. Athletic Trainer- Sometimes little parts of me wish I were still in sports medicine, then I snap out of it.
7. Whatever Samantha Brown is- I don't know her job title, but if the Travel Channel ever needs a new host to travel the world and stay in fancy hotels and eat delicious food, I'm there.
8.  Chef-Nothing too extensive, I just love to cook. I don't have to be formally trained or anything, as long as I have recipes to go by I'm good.
9. Rancher- Someday, maybe, this is a possibility. I'd love to live on a lot of land and have a lot of horses and a farm. Maybe in Nebraska ;)
10. Socialite in NYC- I just want to live in New York for a while and have a lot of money to live off of while I'm there. As long as we're not being realistic, hey! Why not?

Temptation

I've been reading Jane Eyre for the first time and I feel like I've just passed one of the most important parts of the story. If you haven't read it, I don't want to spoil anything, but it is kind of a long story so it doesn't really matter. Anywho, Jane finds out that Mr. Rochester is not the unblemished man she believed him to be and has to make the decision of whether she will stay with him at Thornfield or start a new life elsewhere. Of course he pleads with her and tells the truth about his story that he had been hiding from her and pours out his heart in hopes that she will stay. Jane has some profound thoughts that I think we could learn a lesson from. She doesn't have anyone in her life that would suffer the consequences and fallen reputations from her staying with him. Jane asks herself, "Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?" And she stands resolute with a confident, "I care for myself." Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough say in what is best for our life, we let others dictate our goals, plans, and even self-esteem. Satan tries to cloud our mind with what we don't have and long for rather than focusing on what is most important, our own well-being. God cares for us so we should care for us.
Jane goes on to say, "Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour... If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?... Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot." This is such a great reminder and encouragement to me. We all have standards and sometimes in a desperate hour think about the compromise to lower these for personal satisfaction. Why have standards and values if you don't regard them as the law for your life? In times of temptation, all we have to remember are the Words that God has given us as a guide and that should be where we have our foundation.

"Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees." Job 4:4
"You are my refuge and shield; your word is my source of hope." Psalm 119:114

Paradise

With a lot of free time on my hands lately, I've been looking at rental houses in Eleuthera in the hopes of one day going back. And hopefully sooner than later. Have you ever heard of pink sand? They've got it, and it's the most awesome sand in the world if there could ever be such a thing. Have you ever had the best pineapple tart life has to offer? It's waiting for you in Eleuthera too. Have you ever been the only family on the beach? You can be in Eleuthera! I'm hesitant to write about my favorite island because I don't want the tourists to take over, but who really reads my blog anyway, lol! I'm craving that Bahamian breeze and much much more. Listening to Jimmy Buffett and soaking up the sun. That's my kind of paradise.

Be Still and KNOW

More things are happening these days! Not too much, but here goes. VBS this week! I help Amy out in the missions area and count the money that the kids give for offering to go towards trips and projects that our church takes part in. The generous hearts of the kids are so inspiring. They have bags of change and even though it might not seem like much to us, it's all they have and it's everything to them. They get so excited and it just melts my heart. There is also another girl that helps out and she's in high school. Oh the joys of high school. Please pray for her, she has such a genuine heart and is struggling with peer pressure. We got the chance to talk and I hope that I was able to encourage her to stay true to herself and not lower her standards to what the world and her friends may want her to do. Last night we also had an old family friend in town on business for the night. We went to dinner and got to spend time catching up and laughing about old memories. It's so great to have friends that you haven't seen in so long, but can still pick up right where you left off. I also talked to my Kentucky cousins yesterday, they were in Auburn buying National Championship gear and I wish I could have been there! Hopefully it won't be too long before I get to see them again. More babysitting still to come and other than that, there's not a lot to tell. God is teaching me that He is in control and my plans are not His plans. Even though I wish I was busier maybe this is my time to "Be still and know that I am God."  I'm pretty good at being physically still, it's just that knowing part that trips me up. Until next time, that's what I'll be working on.