Did You Know....

Did you know that on the shelf above my desk is a stuffed pig perching on the top of a monkey's head? Well.... it's true.

On Clean Living

I have a friend that used to always say, "Now that's what I call clean livin'". He always said it after particularly serendipitous moments in life. He was (and likely still is) fantastic at marking moments that otherwise may not stick out for being great.

Tonight I went to a talent show at the high school with my oldest. It was fun. Some of the acts were really good, some were mediocre and one was downright awkward. I wish I had a video of the awkward performance.  Unfortunately, as much as I try to teach the child manners, etc., some things are just so ferociously weird that home training loses. This particular performance was one of those moments. Within the first few seconds my child was doubled over silently laughing so hard that her whole seat was moving. Fortunately it was dark so no one saw but me. I spent the whole performance,though, trying to squelch her hysterics so she wouldn't embarrass both of us. The truth too is that trying to calm her down helped squelch the giggles that were threatening to spill out of me too.

As we were leaving, we were laughing about it. It occurred to me that I was hanging out with my high school kid and we're close. She wanted me to go to an event with her at her school. She wasn't embarrassed to be seen with me. She sat with me even though a pile of kids greeted her and offered for her to sit with them.

Now that's what I call clean livin'!

On the Timing of Relationships

I've been thinking recently about the timing of relationships.

When I did a mental survey of my friends and how we got to know one another I was amazed.

Some of my friend relationships were love at first sight. With those people I feel like there was no lead in time. We just seemed to have known each other forever.

Other friends I got to know through another person or through a common event. Those friendships are fun because usually they begin with shared experience and inside jokes.

There is a third group of friends that I find infinitely interesting. These people start as random people that you see here and there and you know their face but you don't know or speak to them. Then one day all of the sudden you find them right square in the middle of your "homies". You find out that they are right interesting and that you like them a lot. I always find myself asking the question "Why did I not know this person before?"

When I look though my Facebook friends there is a very clear stratification of people. Very few of those friends, however, are from the third group. This is what got me thinking about the topic. I was thinking about our individual journeys through life. I'm certain that how we relate to people has everything to do with what's going on in life. I think maybe sometimes we aren't ready for people and they aren't ready for us. I'm guessing that's a rarely counted blessing. I know for certain that there are times in my life where it's best I not be subjected to people at all, especially new ones.

On Personalities

I wrote once before about a personality test a friend sprung on me because she was trying to figure me out. A lot of people would say to her "May the force be with you!". Anyway... I went back to the website and took the official test. You can take the test here: Shape Psychology

In seems that everything in the last 2 years has changed except my personality. Here's what is has to say about me.

It's remarkably correct.

Hubby Guy has said for years that he plans to "fun me up". It appears his mission is futile. :)

On Being Just Off Plumb

There's a girl I work with that I TOTALLY want to look like. Am I the only girl who thinks of stuff like that?

I call her look Geek Chic. She's not geeky at all though. She's a really snappy dresser but has a really intelligent air about her. She has really cool glasses and a trendy hair cut. She isn't uppity either. I love that about her. If I looked so put together I might think about being uppity. 

In other news, an odd thing happened today.

I was talking to my friend. She's also the big boss but at that moment she was in friend mode. See this to further understand that dynamic. Anyway... she was talking to me and I felt oddly disoriented like I was caught between reality and a parallel dimension. I WAS listening to her, just with subtext on my part. Am I the only person who does that?

I'm starting to wonder if my creativity puts me in that category of people who are just off plumb.  

On Not Being A Millionaire

When I was thinking about a predicament I find myself in, the lyrics to a Calloway song from 1990 came to mind - I Wanna Be Rich.

As you likely know, I coach a high school gymnastics team. I really do love coaching. I REALLY love gymnastics.

The trouble I'm having is I HATE fundraising. And.... this year the rules changed resulting in the school needing to buy 3 new mats for beam to the tune of $3100. Yikes!!!!  Fortunately the school district agreed to pay 1/2. Talk about a buzzkill!

So we've met and have several events in the hopper. It's happening, but it's stressful.

In my utopia money grows on trees. I just keep waking up in reality. I don't really like this reality place. It isn't very convenient.

The Yogi to My Boo Boo

Ok... the blog monster has awakened.  My brain got all explody about Beth Moore and I wrote it down. Usually when I write one thing I feel inspired to write more things. Let's see how long it lasts this time. :)

So there's this really cool chic at church who is a yoga instructor on the side. She decided to be a doll and yogafy us church ladies on a weekly basis. The brand of yoga that we do I call "yogurt". I call it that because it goes down easy (unless you're my girl Cathy) and is good for you. My children even ask if I'm going to "yogurt" and if she's gonna kick my hiney. (Because on occasion that happens)

So I named the cool chic Yogi because she's in charge of yogurt, then whilst out in the world doing my thing I learned that practitioners of yoga are called yogis. This completely stole the fun of it from me. I had NO IDEA. I meant like Yogi the cartoon bear! I even named myself Boo Boo to add to the effect. 

Anyway, she is teaching us to do basic yoga without all the eastern mysticism. I consider it a very counter-Stephanie activity. I'm not sure I'm cut out for it. I do it anyway, though, because it intrigues me. It's the most bizarre activity I've ever participated in.

The fun part of this new activity for me has been trying to figure out how to get my brain to shut up. Part of the process is focusing your brain and relaxing. More often than not I realize while trying to clear my brain that I've watched entirely too many episodes of Looney Tunes. Just last week during the relaxation part I had a conversation between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck playing on a loop in my brain. It's a good thing my Yogi is a cool chic else she might see me grinning while I'm supposed to be relaxing and tell me to take my Looneys and leave. That would be a travesty.

In my past few posts I was talking about living a faithful life. What's cool about Yogi is that she decided to yogafy us church ladies out of her desire to live a faithful life. I think it's cool that living a faithful life looks markedly different for every person. For me it's my "mystery what", for Yogi it's ministering to women using a really unusual tool. I love God for that. I love the diversity that exists across believers.

What is is that God wants YOU to do? What can you do for the kingdom that will require a little supernatural provision?