My English Teacher Would Be So Proud

The thing is, I don't read. Well, I mean, outside of everything I have to read at work everyday and the Bible (which I TRY to read everyday). I don't read "just for fun." I never have. Well, not since I lost the book reading contest in first grade by ONE BOOK! Darn that Jamie Briggs!

That ONE BOOK killed me! So Jamie got the prize box of goodies that included "The Moose with the Loose Tooth" book that had the string all the way through it. It didn't mean much to me. Just because I still remember it 30+ years later doesn't mean anything.

So, the point is, ever since that fateful day in first grade, I have pretty much given up on reading just to read. If it's not a sports magazine, I really don't find any entertainment in reading. That is, except for a Frank Peretti book!

Frank Peretti is the ONLY author I look forward to reading. He is the only author that I have read EVERY book, and he is the ONLY author that I can read over and over again. And I'm pretty excited because he has taken somewhat of a break from fiction writing for a few years but I just stumbled across the pre-sale for his next book!! I have already pre-ordered it and it doesn't come out until Spring of 2012!!

In the mean time, I have decided to go back and read the first two Frank Peretti books I ever read, "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness." These two books are what made me fall in love with his writing. I have read them probably 4-5 times each, but it has been a while so I'm all about reading them again!





This is my book next to my insulated snack box
which I take to the football games.
Yes, I took my book to the football game. What a nerd!



You can check him out at www.frankperetti.com. I also recommend "The Oath." That book stinking CONSUMED me!  Oh Frank! I can't wait until Spring of 2012!

Posterized!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works,
so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)

I have a quote hanging on my desk at my office by Wendell Deyo, former Athletes in Action president. It reads:

"A society looking up to athletes as heroes must find heroes looking up to God."

I love that quote.  Hence the reason it is hanging up in my office. But more than the quote, I love when it actually becomes true.

This morning while watching an episode of Outside the Lines on ESPN I was reminded of this quote.

OTL ran a story about the controversy behind Tim Tebow's faith. Or, more so, the controversy about him being so vocal about his faith.

If you don't know who Tim Tebow is, he is a current player for the NFL's Denver Broncos and former 2-time National Champion and Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Florida. Oh, and he is a Christian.

He has been vocal about his faith ever since he first gained a platform at Florida. He became known for his post-game interviews where he gave God glory for his success and praised Him even when he failed. His eye black with scripture references (as seen in pic) became a hot topic. And his summer mission trips to share the Gospel in third-world countries were feature stories on all the sports networks. In other words, his faith and walk were no secret.

That's why it shocked me this morning when the show aired about the controversy. Apparently when his platform got bigger (NFL), so did his haters. No, literally, there are "I Hate Tim Tebow" clubs and facebook pages and YouTube clips and whatever else people with a lot of time on their hands are able to come up with.

There are people who HATE that Tim Tebow is vocal about his faith. And on OTL, the commentators went as far as to say that the reason Tebow isn't a starter in Denver is because of this controversy. Not his ability. Not his speed or accuracy or composure. Not his work ethic. His faith. Wow!

Now, I could go on and on and on about this. I could get on my soapbox and rant for a long while.

But I won't.

I will only say this. I will be a Tim Tebow fan. I will cheer for him and pray for his success. I WILL purchase Tim Tebow posters for my nephews to hang in their rooms. Because if my nephews are going to be looking up to an athlete, I want to encourage them to look up to one who is looking up to God.

One Person's Crazy is Another Person's Normal

Okay, so maybe I'm a little weird. I have some interesting quirks that, I guess, make me somewhat unique. I don't like touching or holding little things. So sue me! Not little things, like a small child. Little things like coins smaller than a quarter, jewelry (ugh!) and tiny, thimble-like things.

I can't watch others, or myself for that matter, brush their teeth. Sorry, slobber makes me vomit.

I have to make myself NOT count the light poles when I'm driving down the street, and not count my footsteps when I'm out taking a walk.

And, as I have proven to myself recently, I like ending my meal all on the same bite.

This one may need some explaining. You see, if I were eating a burger and fries (which we all no I would NOT do), I would have to have two fries left when I'm down to my last bite of burger. (See Exhibit A)

Exhibit A

Here, I was eating brisket with grilled vegetables. As you see, I have one bite of brisket left with one bite of grilled cauliflower and one grilled grape tomato (very tasty by the way). I don't know why I do this. I didn't know I had done it until I got down to this on my plate. I felt the need to take a photo as to document my quirkiness.

Let's move on to Exhibit B. This came tonight, which prompted this blog. Here is my plate of fruit.

Exhibit B

There you go.  Two bites of cantaloupe, two green grapes and two black grapes.  Again, I didn't plan it. It just happens this way.

And here's the really crazy thing! If someone would have come by and grabbed a grape or swiped a piece of cantaloupe, I would have had to go to my happy place to make it through. Now, I would have made it through but that's only because I discovered this little thing about myself years ago and I have had plenty of time to learn my coping skills.

There was a time when the grape grabber would have lost a finger or I would have just pushed the plate away and walked away from what should have been an incredible ending to a great plate of fruit. But I have grown, as we all have to do at times.

So alas, if you see me eating and notice my plate coming to a calculated end, feel free to disrupt my chi and take my food.  Or, embrace my quirkiness and step away.  Slowly step away.

Red is My Favorite Color Anyway

On occasion I get pleasantly surprised. It happened this week.

I was surprised by the fact that I was craving an apple pie. You see, I don't like apple pie. As a matter of fact, I don't like anything that includes cooked apples. And, strangely enough, I don't like pie crust. Call me crazy, but outside of my Aunt Ruth's crust, there are very few that I have ever had that I really enjoyed.

So the fact that I was craving an apple pie is just crazy talk! But look at this thing! There is something about this photo that made me REALLY want to try this pie.

I will think of this pie often!

This is my friend's Murray County Fair apple pie! Don't let the red ribbon fool you (I'm pretty sure whomever ended up with the blue must have been doing some under-the-table stuff with the judges). This sucker was stinking good! I will say it was the best apple pie I have ever tasted. She may have single-handily changed my opinion on cooked apples!

I even went to the Murray County Fair just to visit this pie! Okay, I went to visit my friend and listen to some of the best talent Murray County has to offer (*wink*). But this pie made me completely forget about the hour I spent surrounded by the sounds and smells of every breed of chicken known to man! Seriously. You had to be there.

Here's where the story takes a sad turn. As I was enjoying my portion of the LAST PIECE left of this amazing pie (I was sharing with my friend), I couldn't help but go on and on about how great this pie was. What started out as something I just wanted to taste, turned in to something I was going to relish to the last bite! That was until my friend grabbed the pie from my hand and threw it away, into the trash can - pie side down, not plate side down where I could have possibly saved it - right in front of me!

Why the cruelty, you might ask? Because this same friend was trying to keep me accountable.  She knows I count calories and, it is true, this pie had more calories to count then I have fingers and toes. So, in the end, she was looking out for my best interested.

But oh, just for those few moments, I was in apple pie euphoria! And surprisingly, an apple pie fan was born!