Finding a Husband: Is it REALLY this easy?

There I was, doing some genealogy....when I saw the answer to my marriage dilemma. (Who'd have thought that it would've there all along!?) I've been going about this all wrong. I don't need to be going to clubs or looking for love online. No! All I need to do is click on one little hyperlink and ALL of my problems are solved!

If I just click on ADD OR FIND HUSBAND, apparently FamilySearch does the work for me (!). Not sure if my husband, wherever and whoever he is, has some sort of GPS tracking device attached to him that is activated when I click on ADD OR FIND HUSBAND...? I guess I don't need to know exactly how it works as long as I know it does work, right?

Man! If I would've known this existed, I would've clicked on the links years ago! LOL.

I guess it apparently works for having children also (ADD OR FIND CHILD). But maybe I'll wait to click on that link until my husband shows up. ;-)

I'd Order A Taye Diggs...

And I would also! :)

I Am...wait for it...Awesome!

On my commute this morning, I was thinking about how great I am.

Now, I know that sounds pretty arrogant, so let me explain the context: friends of mine recently told me that I was too reluctant to acknowledge the wonderful things that I am able to accomplish with God's help, and that by doing this I wasn't honoring God to the fullest. I took those words to heart; I've since made a concerted effort to look for the hand of the Lord in my life and see ways in which He helps me to be the best me I can be.

Recording what I see will also help me, so you'll notice the next series of blog posts will be about this theme. My hope is that I can honor God by honoring the good from Him in me. It's a new concept for me (I'm usually the first one to point out my weaknesses)--but I hope it is one I can embrace and incorporate into my life.

So, my first post on this subject is simply this: I am awesome!

Show Your Hearts: Donate to help the Berry Family!

I can't imagine what it would be like to be driving along with my parents one minute...and find myself in a horrific car accident the next. But that's exactly the situation the Berry children found themselves in. The parents were tragically killed, leaving behind three orphaned children--Peter (age 9), Aaron (age 8), and Willa (age 6)--to fend for themselves. And even though the children survived, the situation the Berry children are in is still perilous: Peter and Aaron sustained serious spinal cord injuries and are paralyzed below the waist; and the costs are high to meet all of the children's ongoing needs--not just medical and physical but psychological assistance as well.

We can help. I'm a firm believer that "by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass." Any donation you and I can make, however small we may think it is, will greatly benefit these children. Please donate whatever amount you can to the Show Your Hearts organization; they will ensure that all donations will be deposited directly in the Joshua and Robin Berry Children's Trust.

Joshua and Robin Berry Children's Trust
Bank of Texas
510 Bering, 5th Floor
Houston, Texas 77057

You can also text BERRY to 85944 to make a $10 donation remember to reply yes to confirm your gift. **Donations are NOT tax deductible. 

Someone asked me why I care so much about three children I've never met. Why would I (in his words) "waste" my time trying to garner funds for strangers. "Don't you have more important things to do?"

As a logically-minded business woman, I understand the genesis of his question. We use opportunity costs and ROI (return on investment) in situations to measure value; metrics help us create a baseline, gauge our efforts, and make improvements where necessary. According to his calculations, the opportunity cost of investing my limited time in helping strangers seemed ludicrous.

I think differently.

In measuring the ROI on helping others, I use a different, personal set of metrics. I measure the qualitative--not quantitative--value of my investment. What is the ROI if I don't help others? Selfishness. Pride. Shrinking of self. Lost opportunities for feeling joy. Money, possessions, time, etc getting a greater hold upon my heart.

"Because I have been given much, I too must give." That is the standard I embrace--one that cannot be adequately measured by numbers and formulas. And perhaps it appears foolish to some who cannot see how "wasting time" on someone else's children is a valid use of one's time--especially when business is to be done. But shouldn't we really be about a Higher Business, that of helping each other?

Smart Dog, Dumb Human -- Episode 2

I thought I was helping Olivia stay warm by not having her hair cut for several months. It was cold, I reasoned, and she's a yittle dog. So when she'd get groomed (whether by me or by a professional), she'd just get the bath and brush.

Admittedly, she started looking like a sheep dog--or, better yet, I guess she was looking more like her "Best in Show" cousins with the long, flowing mane.

The long, flowing hair was difficult to keep clean in some areas (sanitary reasons), but it was also difficult to keep from matting, especially around her collar and behind her ears. I spent a great deal of time attempting to brush out the matted hair behind her ears--but even using special product to untangle the mess did not help. Plus, O definitely did not want to sit still whilst I used a prickly brush to pull on her hair.

After MUCH stress (and competing against every other dog owner in the area who had the same idea), I got Olivia into the groomer for what I thought would be a small trim.

When I arrived, however, I learned that the only solution to the matted parts was to CUT IT OFF. (Apparently, I should've been brushing O before washing her not after. Who knew?!)

I reluctantly agreed to the severe cut (poor O!, I thought) and left O in the capable hands of the grooming staff.

When I returned to collect O from the spa and they brought her out to me, I thought they'd brought me a Chihuahua. 

Oh, but it wasn't a Chihuahua: it was Olivia. 

I just looked at her and felt so bad. The groomer had to shave off more than we'd discussed when I dropped Olivia off (more matted hair from O's owner--i.e., me--not brushing her hair correctly or enough). I kept apologizing to O, not that she understood what I said. 

Lesson learned, though: I need to brush O before I bathe her. (I got it. Message received--unfortunately at the expense of little Olivia.)

Smart Dog, Dumb Human

I adopted a "special needs" dog a few months ago. Olivia was born with what we lovingly call a "kickstand" hind leg, and she developed a severe case of separation anxiety. She was rescued from a hoarding situation (lived in a house with 31 other dogs) and came from an abusive home before that. To say that she's had it rough during the last two years would be an understatement.

I'm not what one would normally call a "pet person," so bringing home a dog was not part of my "plan." However, when I saw Olivia at the PetCo, I knew I needed to bring her home. For the most part, I think Olivia enjoys her new home and new caregiver (me); she isn't affectionate like other dogs I've known--she tolerates me petting her, haha--and she has a detached but needy attitude. (How's that for dog psychotherapy?) Olivia does, however, follow me everywhere I go; she won't even go outside on our patio if I don't walk out there with her.

Olivia especially hates it when I leave for work in the morning. Initially she was swift and smart enough to dash out of the door after me, so I had to be tricky when I left to keep her inside the house. During the last few weeks, Olivia has suffered from intense pain and hasn't been able to move very much. (It breaks my heart to see her suffer so much!) She, nevertheless, figured out a way to prevent me from leaving for work: she limps over to the garage door and plops her little body in front of the door, positioning herself in such a way that I cannot open the door.

The first time this happened, I just laughed. What a smart dog I have! She figured out that if she wanted me to stay home--and that door was taking me away--that she should not let me open the door. Brilliant plan!

Telling My Story

Sometimes I get so caught up in seeking to understand others and what their stories are that I forget to tell my own story. I think one of the purposes (though I couldn't identify it as such at the time) of this blog is to tell my story. To share my thoughts and feelings, my fears and desires, my insights and "aha" moments. To share, in essence, me.

Something I read today reminded me of the need to tell our own story. (See Alicia Morga: Telling my Story on Camera, dare to dream blog by Whitney Johnson, posted 14 October 2010.)

Alicia's story could be any of ours (change some of the minor details of course). How many of us yearn to share what's inside--all of the dreams that no one knows about--but, as Alicia did, get stopped cold by someone's comment or attitude. Even life's events can stop us cold. We freeze and forget; our story gets left out in the cold.

Telling My Story

As I thought about Alicia's story, I resolved to be brave and share at least some snippets of my own story. So, here goes.

One thing people don't usually know about me: I am successful but unhappy where I am.

I work in a job very closely aligned with my bachelor's degree (how many people can say that?) and have done so, in various positions, for the last 8+ years. But there's a part of me, which gets more and more vocal, that yearns to do something else. I'm feeling very strongly that the "expiration date" on this opportunity is nearing. Yet...I don't know what else to do. My profession is what I know. The contacts I have in my network are in this field, my resume is filled with qualifications in this field. And it's not that I want to completely abandon this field altogether; I'd just like a change of scenery.

The dream I am currently "dating" is... to write and be published.

We've dated before, me and writing. In fact, before I changed my major in college, I was intent on pursuing a lifetime of bliss with writing. I thought that once I received my creative writing / journalism double major, I would become a professor and live the academic life, complete with tenure, a Pulitzer Prize, and an office with a window. Experiences during my first semester at university changed my professional direction, however, and writing and I "broke up" for a time. Oh, we'd "hang out" occasionally when I'd write an article for a professional publication--it was fun to renew our acquaintance and remember why I loved writing so much--but then I'd leave writing to return to my day job. As much as I loved writing, I just couldn't see how we could make the relationship work long-term.

The profession with whom I've been for the 8+ years has treated me well. Opportunities arose and paths opened that I could never have envisioned. It's been an incredible and blessed time together. I am grateful for the experiences I've had and the people with whom I've associated and from whom I've learned throughout my career thus far. I do not regret changing my major. I do not regret what I have done, where I have worked, or the opportunities I've received.

Yet...there is still that part of me yearning for a permanent reconciliation with writing. I don't want to "cheat" on my current career...but my first love, writing, is still very appealing to me. Don't know how or if it's possible to make a career in writing, especially with no contacts in the industry. It's difficult to even think about leaving a "sure thing" in my professional field to jump into the unknown of another career. Especially with a mortgage!

To be continued....