Completely random trivial fact:

Check this out:
111,111,111 times 111,111,111 equals 12,345,678,987,654,321

It's true. I even checked it on my calculator!
And see. You thought I had already written my best post of the week!!

Have a happy Thursday!
And by the way...just a little poll: Who are you cheering for in the Super Bowl this weekend???? (or could you care less?)

I make no apologies for what you are about to see and hear...

Have I mentioned that I love Third Day? Yes. I am certain that I have.
And I KNOW that I have written about how Rich Mullins' music has blessed my life.

But have I ever mentioned that deep down inside me.....I WANT TO BE A ROCK STAR????!!!!!
Seriously.
In a Christian band OF COURSE!!
I am not joking. (Carrie, please.....testify!!!)

So it is no wonder that every so often I find myself listening to some head-bangin'-guitar-rippin'-scream-and-shout-rappin' kinda' music. I do admit that I love it. Not all the time (clearly)...but LOTS of times....I just flat out love it. If I could sing (or rap) or play guitar or drums or DO ANYTHING MUSICAL EXCEPT LIP SYNC....well, I am certain that my medical career would have been history by now!! :)

Anyway, I have been "studying up" for the Jeremy Camp/Toby Mac concert coming up in February. So today I found myself driving on I-465 with Toby Mac's Portable Sounds SCREAMING from my speakers (I have to turn it up really loud so that I cannot actually hear myself singing....this way I can continue to live in denial....maybe I really DO sound good???!!!)

I just thought that maybe you would like to join in the fun...
so, here it is.

Boomin' by Toby Mac (warning: the music doesn't kick in until the 30 second mark...so don't make the mistake of turning up those speakers too quickly!!!)

With GREAT humility....and hesitation.....

I hesitate to post this.
I thought about doing it on the first day. Too chicken.
I thought about doing it after a week. Not convinced.
I thought about posting it Monday. But I just didn't.

But today I will.
With great hesitation and humility.

Mostly because I remember November 3, 2005. and November 25, 2005.

You probably don't. So I will refresh your memory.
If you were reading my blog way back then, you may remember that I posted this little pic...


and I proclaimed that I was determined to beat my snooze button. To spend some quality time with Jesus in the morning hours.

Well. sigh. Here I am, some 14 months later.
Satan loves to remind me of my previous failures in this area.
But I am choosing to listen to God's voice that reminds me of mercies made new and things that are possible through Him that are not possible on my own. Like (in my life) an early morning quiet time.

So....
Three weeks ago I started fresh.

Trying to get to bed early (those who know me much at all, know that some of my most productive hours were usually between midnight and 2 a.m.!!). AND SETTING MY ALARM FOR 5:15.

January 7.
It was a great morning.
I spent an hour....an hour!!...digesting God's word (and a mocha!!) and begging God to draw me near to Him.
And then I hopped on my treadmill with the sounds of "Glory Revealed" blaring in my earphones.

And I haven't looked back since.

I tell you this....NOT WITH A SINGLE OUNCE OF PRIDE...with a very acute awareness of my ability to "start strong" and then "fizzle out". Great starts are usually not my problem....it is the follow through that trips me up. But I am continuing to beg God for His strength and perseverance. And He has been so faithful to bless me.

My prayer has also been that my time with Jesus would be about RELATIONSHIP, not religion. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the "doing quiet time" and miss drawing near to Him. But that is what I really want. That is really the point of it all. I want to start my day WITH Jesus...and hopefully then, throughout the day, continue to walk more closely with Him.

So far, so good.
Stay tuned.

I better hurry and post this before I chicken out and remember that 14 months from now you might actually remember this post.....but, then again...accountablility is a good thing, right??!!!

Mostly I post about how I don't post enough!

No more praying that my iPhone gets lost or broken....that is just NOT nice!! :)

So....the whole "blogging more consistently" is not working out so great....but I have not...I will not...give up!!

Here are some of the "goings on" around OUR HOUSE lately:

**The puppies have all found loving homes!!! Can a get a great big giant YIPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE-YAHOOOOOOO!! on that one!?!?

**Micah had his cast removed! He will be in his splint for 1 more week...then all of his "orthopedic interventions" should be complete!

**Papaw (my dad) is doing well now (finally!). He had a fairly LONG recovery from his surgery, including a huge weight loss (sign me up for that part, would ya'?? Being the good daughter that I am, I tired to gain everything he lost so that overall as a family we would just maintain!!). Anyway, he is back to a regular diet now and doing very well. I am hoping that as he starts to GAIN back the weight he lost, I will be able to do my part to keep that delicate balance intact.

**I am into my 3rd week of a new morning routine that includes a quiet time and some exercise (something other than repeatedly reaching for the snooze button, that is!!!!) I have been amazed at the difference this has been making in my days! (I will try to post on this soon....and by "soon" I really do mean sometime sooner than you might expect, based on my recent blog habits!!)

Well.
There now.
I managed a blog post.
And I still have my iPhone, Stacy.
And I really miss you, Amber....but it is so fun to a get a word from you here and there. I DEFINITELY think you should start a blog (you just have to ignore all the "pressure"....I have obviously learned to overlook and forgive all those meanie comments that some people leave!)
And we prayed for you tonight at our women's Bible study, Stephanie!!! You are very consistently in my thoughts and prayers!

What was that noise????

Did you hear that noise just now?

I think it was the sound of me BRUSHING the dust off the cover of this ol' blog....and CRACKING it open for the first time in DAYS (ok....Stacy.....maybe it has technically been "weeks")!!!

I have certainly enjoyed my blogging break. But, I am hoping to get back in the swing of it now.
I would like to thank my sweet friends for the gentle (or not so gentle) prodding.

AND can I just say hello to Micah (not our son, Micah, but the one who...well, you know who you are)!?!?...I heard you dropped in for a blog-visit! I am honored! Sorry that I have not been such a great blog-hostess. Please stop back every so often...and for goodness sakes, leave me a comment, would ya'??!!

Well, my blogging muscles are a bit our of shape. So I will quit for now. You can't just jump right back into these things, really...you have GOT to pace yourself!

And, OH....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!