Tricked and Treated

Amazing people are in my life. Always have been, always will be. In these final hours before I ship out, I am loved. That's all I need, right?




"The greatest thing 
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return"
             -Nat King Cole, Nature Boy


Listen to 'Nature Boy'

For those inquiring minds that wanted to know...

If it's not already obvious, no, my cell phone will not be in use during basic. But keep in mind, it's only a period of 9 weeks. After that, everything's peachy! But PLEASE write me! :) I will write you, promise. My new address should get sent to my parents upon my arrival. Also, I shall be coming home for a short period around Christmas and that would be a great time to catch up.  Read this article about the cell phone, and have a wonderful day! :)

**NOTE: Please understand that every training base is different, so what may be said or known about one may not necessarily be applied to all.

Get Your Potbellied Pig to Mate

piggy love

Get your potbellied pig to mate....Random, yes, but when is life not??

Okay, so my potbellied pig's name is Rusty. I bet you didn't know that I even had a potbellied pig, huh?? Well we all have a potbellied pig, actually. What do you call yours?


So sitting here in my office with Rebekah Raine,  we've drawn up a definition of the almighty potbellied pig. You have ideas. You have dreams that you want to see come true. You sit around and think of beautiful phrases, create symphonious  music, conjure up inventions and even words that you will probably never get patented- words like:

• symphoniousticity- measurement of the melodious and harmonic qualities in a particular form of music
• fraternituous- having a brotherly spirit
• Mofro - a mohawk made out of afro hair

Just to name a few of mine...('MoFro' is mentioned here courtesy of Ms. Rebekah Raine (c) 2010)

Darrent Williams (R.I.P), Formally of the Denver Broncos
 sporting the MoFro

These thoughtful creations are what makes your potbellied pig fat! They (the inter-workings of your mind) are "pigs" because they are greedy, and selfish...unless shared. Get that piggy to mate with the piggies of other intellectuals and see what comes about! Share your ideas by engaging in quality conversation...stay current on current events. Talk about things that build up, not tear down and watch all the little piggy babies come to life.

You must remember this, however. The "reproduction" stage begins when your ideas are backed by action. Say it, then do it. ...just some random food for thought. I've been working on this for quite some time...and you wonder why I named my pig Rusty.

                                                                                                 

Drill's Promise of a Feast

This last weekend of drill blessed me...strange but true. I met some people who inspired me and refueled  my hope and hunger to see and experience the world. When I was born, God said (hypothetically speaking), "Hey there daughter. Welcome to Earth. It's a sponge and I expect for you to wring it dry." 

It's like this: Mom slaves over a HUGE bountiful Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter dinner (all holiday dinners combined as one big ol' feast) and then you say to her, "Gee, Mom this is really swell, but I think I'm just gonna go order from the Dollar Menu at Mickey D's." Yep, that's us and God. He's "slaved" over (not really, because that is a very carnal depiction of God) but He put His ALL -time and love-into 6 days of continuous and beautiful creation, and He puts the same into developing our lifespan of more than enough blessings and opportunities than we can wrap our heads around, and still we remain standing still as if we can't walk. There are many cures for this "lameness":

• open your mind
• travel
• try new foods
• talk to strangers
• be spontaneous 
• explore other cultures
• create something
• start with your community
• people watch
• talk to God DAILY, ALL DAY...about everything.
• Listen to Him even more.
• Read a book, for crying out loud!
• Listen to Talk Radio.
• Turn UP the radio to some NEW music (new genres) 
• Turn OFF the radio, for days at a time
• Use your talents for something other than yourself
• Lend yourself to be used (like in this video or better yet, this one)

Briefly, back to drill.  People are a buffet...and I got a large span of variety. This only whet my appetite even more to put my hands and feet to work in more places than just my back yard.

What are some of your "cures" for standing still? How do you "wring out life's sponge?"

Ramblings about Love's Invitation

You know, It’s actually kinda peculiar. Love, that is. It’s the most natural thing to do, and yet somehow the most complicated matter of life. But I’m really not in the mood to get into all that. Can’t find the energy, don’t really feel like looking for it. All I’ve got to say is this: I’ve found love to be many, many things. I’ve also undergone many changes because of it in this life. Love from my parents is the first love I understood. Through them, I learned of the love of the Father. Through Him, I discovered the art of loving myself (and it IS an art). Lately, I’ve seen love in a different light. And as dark as it might seem, this light came with tons of wisdom.

There has been a phrase that repeats itself over and over in my mind. I thought of it one day as I was driving to work (and please understand that although these ramblings may come off as bitter, it is not. They’re just thoughts.), but anyway, as I drove, I thought this phrase, “Love is a set-up”. It lures you in to have, oh I don’t know- crumpets and tea. Then you get inside and get all comfy- putting your feet on the table, and your hands behind your head, with your favorite show on the tele or your favorite song playing through the speakers. Then Love says, “It’s time for you to go. I have to take a shower.” You reluctantly and slowly grab your things and try to say good-bye, but while you’re standing on Love’s doorstep to say your evening’s farewell, a sudden wave of fear consumes you. A fear that you’ll never get the chance to come back over for another play-date. Love, wrapped in its towel, is smart and notices you trying to stall and linger around like Steve Urkel and guess what Love does?! It closes the door anyway. And when you HAVE to let go--


...and so, right in that instant that you psyche yourself out into believing that you can FULLY let it go, you feel like you need to hold on for dear life, and so you beat on Love’s door and ring the door-bell over and over again like a maniac. But Love’s already running the water and singing to rubber duckie. Love can’t hear you. Go home Steve.

Ironically, like Steve, no one can live without Love. So you pitch a tent on Love’s porch and wait for Love to have to come through the door again. You need company so you call Patience. And together, you chill in the tent. S’mores, stories, camp songs and all. You and Patience will wait till Love gets clean cause man, as pure as Love is, it can really muddy up some water. Neither here, nor there…I’m so confused. Whatev. I’m gonna go watch Family Matters.

Passing time

Please understand, brothers and sisters, that holding someone accountable is not synonymous to passing judgment upon a person- especially in the body of Christ. During this life, if you have put your trust in me (as your sister)  to hold your walk accountable as an "accountability partner", when I throw a flag about something, I would hope that one doesn't pull the "You're judging me" card. That's not fair. You are still your own person, and you may DO WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO..I'm only doing what you have asked of me me to do, and I expect such action to be reciprocated toward me when I am in the wrong. If not, what the heck is accountability?

On that same note, we have to be mindful not to misuse such responsibility...we must remain humble and remember most especially that we walk this journey together. No one is greater, cleaner or  more righteous than the other- NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN SAVED. We are humans and there is only one who is righteous. That is Jesus Christ! For our entire lives we can only STRIVE to be like Him. Yes, for life's entirety, we will only be merely trying.

Had to get that off my chest. Thanks...

**please leave thoughts/opinions/points of view in the form of comments**