Guys Rule!!!!

For those that read my friend Kara's blog, you are aware of the Annual Gingerbread building celebration held each year by the wonderful Commander family who "adopted" the Band and Kara into their family last year.
This year, Phil & Jared, took control of the men's side with the advisement of Jon C. and the hands off decision of myself. At the time this picture was taken...the girls house was suffering the effects of icing avalanche and collapsing. So needless to say...This year...was the year of guys!

Beyond the icing and the gumdrop buttons, there is a peace and joy that we all feel when we are in that house. God has blessed us with a family who gives great hugs and laughs loud. But they also share their hurts and dreams with us and it is in those moments that I understand community.

Better luck next year girls.

2 root canals and a partridge in a pear tree?

Yep, just got back from the dentist. Lips still numb. Dull pain ever present. I knew I would need both of the done, so when the dentist said which one, I said both and let's just get it over with. My regular dentist has begun to refer me to a specialist for these root canals. That is fine I guess, but I am tired of hearing how long my roots are. This time it was not only how long but how curved they are. Oh well, I know what I am getting myself for Christmas...All I want for Christmas is 2 capped teeth just doesn't have the same ring to it.

For those who don't know, I will be playing the part of Fyedka, in Fiddler on the Roof. I am really excited even though I probably will not be singing a lot. But for some reason, I just don't see myself as a 20 something Russian peasant farmer. The first Rehearsal is Jan 5, the same day as part 2 of my rootcanal work. Just hope my lips are un-numbed before rehearsal.

Last Night

I was heading to audition for Fiddler on The Roof with a community theatre group in West Pt., GA. I take the exit and start seeing flashing lights and people lined up along the road. It is 6:45 their time so it was way dark. I then see in the distance more flashing lights and realize that they are about to have a Christmas parade. Of course the next direction I needed to turn was left which would have cut through the parade. So I was stuck. So I drove around till I could get to the place.
I walked in, signed my name and stuff and then sat down. So finally a lady stands up and announces that the director will not be there due to a banquet he had to attend but should arrive later on. I thought...great...this is off to a wonderful start. So then they pass out the music, well they did not have enough to go around so I shared with this over eager old man who had been at auditions the previous night, and tonight he was wearing a Fiddler on the Roof t-shirt. Good grief! So he did not bring his glasses so we have to hold the sheet out at arms length so he can read it. He breath was horrible and when it was just the ladies he sang along with them. Then when it was time to audition the reading parts, he weaselled his way to reading for Tevye (the lead character). Granted he was not too bad but still. So it was around 8:00 est and the director still had not shown up. The poducer and music director had done all they could do so the producer stood up and said.."Well, since he knows all of you, there is no reason for us to stay" I was like...I have never met the guy, how does she know who he knows. So I left the theatre feeling very frustrated and really doubting if this is what God wants since things have been so difficult. So on my drive back to Auburn, I was fight the pity party invitation hard. I kept telling myself to trust God and that God will open and close doors as he wills. I may be disappointed now but later I may be glad. I felt the need to reward myself after a blah day, well no one was available to eat and the movie I wanted to see was already showing and the next showing was at 10:30. So I had truely reached my blah point when who should call but Eric, one of my closest friends. I God good or what?! We only spoke briefly but it was what I needed. I spent the rest of the evening still frustrated but much more content that God is in control and does know exactly what I need, when I need it.

wide awake

So before the days of blogs and the WWW, what did people do when they woke up in the middle of the night and were wide awake?

As you can determine from my brother's comment on the post below, I celebrated my 30th birthday last Friday. It's a funny thing sliding into another decade. My last slide was bumpy and I was extremely unsure of myself. 10 years later it was less bumpy but I am still unsure of myself. However, after my last comment, I have been trying to intentionally see God in the small things of life which has been rewarding but yet I have still slipped back into the blinders so easily from time to time. For example.... (names have been changed to protect those who I have not asked permission)

Last Thursday God taught me a valuable lesson, it was a refresher course but boy did it pack a punch. I am working a part time job to help pay off my car bill from my trip to IL (see Odysey post below) and they scheduled me to work from 6-midnight but for the past week they had cut the shifts short due to lack of work. SO here I was thinking about all the money I wasn't making and the things I was missing out of because I did not know I was going to have the night off. So around 7:30 I walk in the door grumbling to myself, not really wanting to be home but home nonetheless. I check my email and there is an email from a dear close friend,Lilly, who was checking up on Kitty, a mutual close friend. (Can you follow that?) Anyway, I regret to say that I was even frustrated at that because since when am I am the checker up on people...ok ok...I know I am always checking up on people but at that current moment in time I did not want to check up on anyone. So I started watching a movie and Lilly called. Of course, I first complained about work and how they are wasting my time and blah, blah.Well, Lilly herself has been having a real rough couple of weeks and I guess the rubber had met the road and she needed to talk. So after about an hour we finish up with me still somewhat foul but nonetheless less hard-hearted than when I placed the call.

I then move back to the couch still in a bad mood but trying to watching a movie so feeling a little better. But then Adam (my roommate) comes in and hands me my birthday present, yes, almost a week late, but it is wrapped beautifully in a Winn-Dixie bag. He hands it to me and I sit up, throw off my Cub's blanket and begin to unwrap. I can tell it is a shirt and then when I open it up I stare at it for a minute. I can feel/sense Adam's anticipation to see if I like it. I just turn my head and stare at him with a confused look. He bought me a Boston Red Sox t-shirt. His face was all smiles, so I looked at the shirt again, thinking perhaps I had misread it but nope it was still Boston Red Sox. I then looked down and I was even wearing a Cub's t-shirt to go with the Cub's blanket. He finally realized what had happen, yelled and snatched the shirt out of my hands and hastily apologized and ran into our room mumbling about wrong shirt/size and having to return it. It was quite funny, but I felt like a jerk because I did not even thank him (I did the next morning) but I did not know how to thank him for a shirt that I no longer had and wasn't even a shirt I would wear. I mean come on...if you are an Auburn fan, could you really thank someone for getting you an Alabama shirt?

So I resumed my movie for the third time still frustrated that I was not working. When one my of my best friends called. He needed a brother to talk to. Before I could get anything out, he said, I really need to talk first. So he shared his heart and it was in that moment that all the pieces fell into place. I understood that it was not about me. A lesson I must have flunked more times than not. Lilly called because she needed a friend to talk to. It was truely the thought that counted for Adam, and now my best friend needed me. So after I listened and said a few things, I prayed for him. All the past few hours seemed to become so less important and i realized that God will work his will even through my part -time job to put me in place on where I need to be.

I came back to the couch refreshed and a lot more humble, finished my movie and went to sleep thanking God for my friends and for his Son.

I am sure that I will need to be hit on the head again to remember this lesson but right now it is fresh on my mind.

Peace and blessings
Duer