I'm Alive, I Swear

This will most definitely be the most random and unedited post I've ever written. Just warning you!

I'm still alive.

I'm rethinking how I'm posting on weekends. And I haven't had much time to think this week, so that has translated to some slooow thinking.

Also, I've been working on making a website for my father-in-law's business!

Think he'll pay me?

Really, that's all I've got. Just wanted to drop in and let you know I haven't forgotten about you! I promise I'll really post tomorrow!

P.S. Here's a screenshot of the site. Let me know what you think of the design (content is just temporary - will be filled with real information sooner or later).




P.P.S. - I'm sorry this post looks so sloppy. Though I'm sure it bothers me more than it bothers you.

Still

We only have a week left in our internship, which is pretty bittersweet. We love what we're doing and don't want to quit, but know we have to in order to finish what we've already begun at school.

Wow.

It's been a long week.

Am I the only one feeling that right now?

Regardless, if you're reading this, you've made it to another Friday. Through another week.

This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life, if I'm being honest. More on that later, though.

For now, it's Friday, and therefore, one of my favorite moments of the week: Five Minute Friday!

If you're new around here and aren't sure what that means, I'd love to let you know. Here's the low-down on FMF. Three simple rules:

1. Using the prompt given, write for 5 minutes flat, unedited, unadulterated.

2. Link back to the original Five Minute Friday post, because, well, why wouldn't you?

3. Encourage the person who linked up before you with a kind-hearted comment.

Simple enough, right? I'd have to agree. And now, for today's prompt...

Still

Ready? Set? Go!

Changing the World

I had a breathing test the other day. I'm not really sure if I should be excited about 26% lung function, but I am!
 
I love hearing people's stories.

I desire to hear other people's thoughts.  

I guess that explains why I want to be a therapist in the future.

It's simply amazing to me how one person's individual reflections can spur on my own thoughts and push me to become more of the person I was meant to be.

This happened a few weeks ago. And it was quite frustrating, in fact.

I'm Not Over It

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

On Sunday, it will have been three years. For anyone that's counting, that's  1,068 days. Or 25,632 hours. Or even 1,537,920 minutes. Heck, let's even say it will have been 92,275,200 seconds.

Three years is a long time when you look at it like that.

It was three years ago that I tried to call my dad and got an operator because his phone was disconnected.

Three years ago that my older younger sister, Scarlett, randomly asked me, "Do you think Dad is dead?"

It was three years ago that I witnessed the most horrific scene of my life as my grandparents delivered the news.  

One thousand, sixty-eight days ago on Sunday, my dad passed away.

Not Quite a Bucket List

Today I'm featuring a guest post from one of my closest friends, Bekah. She's a great writer and an inspirational person, as her blog will testify. Leave her some rockin' feedback and check out the other stuff she's written while you're at it!

Not Quite a Bucket List

A bucket list.  I’ve contemplated whether or not I want one of these.  I mean, I am a list person.  I make lists of things to do each day.  Lists of things for which to shop.  Lists for different projects at work.  Sometimes I end up making lists of all the lists I need to make.  But somehow, in all this list making, I’ve never made a bucket list.  Hmmm… kind of weird.

Despite my lack of a bucket list, I did decide the other day that there are many things I love to do, but never really take the time to do them.  I began a list, similar to a bucket list in the sense that they are things I want to make time to do as I go through life.  Yet, it is very different in the fact that I’ve probably done most of these things already and they aren’t really once in a life time things.  In fact, they are almost all things I wish I could do every day.   The title of my list you may ask….?

THINGS THAT BRING ME JOY

Who doesn’t want a little more joy in life?  Even when we are very joyful it’s nice to add a little extra.  So here’s what I did: 

I started this list a couple weeks or so ago.  I’m planning to write (or maybe print off the computer) each of the things on this list on a little card.   Then, I’m going to put them in a jar or dish or hat or something I randomly find laying around the house.  Each morning I’m going to draw a slip of paper from the container and try to do that thing in the day. 

Here’s my list so far:

Things that Bring Me Joy:

1. Make a card to mail to a friend
2. Go for a run
3. Go for a walk… and take your camera with!
4. Find somewhere to volunteer for an hour or two
5. Go for a hike
6. Write a letter to a friend
7. Call a friend you haven’t heard from in a while
8. Make something special for dinner
9. Call a friend and invite them over for dinner
10. Bake some bread from scratch
11. Wander through the blog-o-sphere
12. Go to Niagara Falls (for some this may be on their “bucket list” but for me, being that it’s only 20 miles away, I can basically do this anytime I want)
13. Go rent a movie to watch and pop some popcorn on the stove
14. Play your guitar
15. Write a silly song about something that happened today
16. Read a book
17. Go to the library and read a bunch of children’s books
18. Write a blog post.
19. Eat some ice cream
20. Get all dressed up for dinner (and either go out, or even just get all dressed up and stay at home.)
21. Take a bubble bath
22. Make plans for your next vacation (even if it is a dream vacation you may never actually take.)
23. Plant something
24. Cut some fresh flowers
25. Take some flowers to someone… just because
26. Find a kid to hang out with
27. Kickbox to some favorite songs
28. Go to the farmer’s market
29. Watch a sunrise
30. Go to the park and swing on the swing
31. Color in a coloring book
32. Be crafty… scrapbook, decoupage, crochet, etc.
33. Make some homemade paper
34. Find something to do in town that you’ve never done before
35. Go for a drive, roll down the windows  and turn up the music and sing along
36. Do something nice for someone or leave them a note… and do it all without letting them know or figure out who did it
37. Go lay in the grass and stare at the clouds (or, if in winter, go build a snowman)

My list continues to grow….  I plan to keep blank slips of paper near my container and add to it often. 

But I wonder… what would be on your list?  What are the things that if you did them everyday you would never get sick of them… the things that just bring a smile to your face… the things that may seem a little crazy or childish or whatever, but you enjoy doing anyway.  What would be on your list of “Things that Bring Me Joy”?

Okay… now go  make your list and start enjoying life a little more each day!

Digging through the Bucket: A New Perspective

Today I am featuring a post that I wrote two months ago. I was going to write a new post on the topic, but then I realized that this one said everything I wanted to say, and that many of you may not have seen it. Enjoy!

Do you remember the day that you first got glasses?

That's a pretty big day if you've experienced it.

It's almost as if an entirely new world is opened up to you. You see things that were hidden before. Colors that didn't exist suddenly permeate your field of vision. The world became brighter, more beautiful. You can finally see what everyone else has always been excited about, those things you've just had to imagine with your mind.

When you get a new set of glasses or contacts, it's almost like you get a new lease on life. It's as if someone has been holding a plastic bag over your eyes your entire life, and they finally remove it. It's a feeling that can't be matched.

If you haven't had the experience of getting new glasses because you've always been able to see the world clearly, count yourself blessed. There are many people who would pay a lot of money to be able to see the things that you see effortlessly. Though we don't always see it, sight is a blessing.

Take, for instance, this photo to the right. If you use a little imagination, you can see that this is a set of bright pink flowers. And sure, they could look pretty if you squinted a little, tilt your head about 62.3 degrees, and hop on one foot, but really, it's just your imagination. These flowers aren't really that pretty because, frankly, you can't see them. You're missing out on their beauty because something is hindering your sight (in this case, my malicious photo editing).

An Order of Shallow with a Side of Cliche

Today's second post is a book review of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory as a part of the Blogging for Books program. Enjoy!

Sometimes you pick up a book and you're excited to read it. You're excited to dive in and see what the author has concocted. And sometimes, you pick up a book and rejoice that it's only around 100 pages because you know it'll be over with soon enough. Unfortunately, David Gregory's Dinner with a Perfect Stranger falls under the latter category.

I was initially wary of this book because of its premise of having dinner with Jesus. I figured that the author was some lunatic who truly believed that he had encountered Jesus at McDonald's and that the book would be a detailed recollection of said insanity. Fortunately, Gregory's book is fiction, with a capital F.

You enter the conversation between Gregory and Jesus excited. Who wouldn't be excited to hear what Jesus would have to say over a nice meal at a restaurant that most can't afford? Unfortunately, the most interesting part of the dinner is the meal, as Gregory goes to great lengths to give us a vivid picture of the food he partakes in and the details concerning the restaurant. I suppose something needs to fill our minds, as the dinner conversation is rather shallow, cliche, and leaves something to be desired.

I knew from the moment I opened the book that what I was getting into would be rather brief and shallow - after all, how much can truly be said in 100 pages? Length is not the concern here, though. The topic of dinner conversation is rather uninspired, as if Jesus had simply read the first paragraph in each chapter of Lee Strobel's Case for Christ and failed to study the evidence behind the claims. Something tells me, though, that Jesus would have been a bit more thorough in his research. Sadly, I cannot say the same for Gregory.

If you're looking for a book that reminds you of the rich (though fictional) conversation that William P. Young's The Shack provides, look elsewhere .All you're going to find here is an order of shallow conversation with a side of cliche retorts. Nothing too fancy and nothing too earth shattering. Simply another book to line the bookshelf.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)

Deja Vu

I know, I know. You missed me yesterday. I'm contemplating posting twice today to make it up to you.

Last Saturday, I posted a video of my sister rocking out on her guitar. I claimed that she was awesome, and a few of you agreed!

Well, folks, I'm here to shamelessly plug my sister one more time. The contest she entered with her song, "Impossible Dream," just began. She needs about a million votes (just to be safe), so would you be willing to help her out?

Just visit this link, register (it takes about 2 minutes), and then vote for my sister's video! If she wins first place, she gets $1,000 and promised to take me out to dinner... just kidding!

But I'm betting if you helped catapult her to first place, she'd be willing to donate money toward an Amazon gift card giveaway. And I'm betting I could match that. So whaddya say?

Check out my sister's video, vote, and share it with your friends. Together, we could all win something from this!

Full

My grandma had brain surgery last night and the doctor said it went as well as could have possibly been expected. Whew. 

I've made it.

You've made it.

We've all made it...

to Friday!

I don't know what kind of week you've had, but personally, I'm glad the end is here. A little Friday is just what the doctor ordered, along with a side dish of...

Five Minute Friday!

Here's the 4-1-1 on Five Minute Friday (per The Gypsy Mama), in case you're new to it:

The 4: Write for five minutes flat with no editing or critiquing. 

The 1: Link back to The Gypsy Mama, as I just did.

The 1: Hunt down the person who linked up for F.m.F. before you and give them some comment love.

The prompt this week is...

Full.

(eek.)

Ready... Set... Go!

Goal Overload?

Hola, Bucketeers! Today, I have the pleasure of featuring another great guest poster! Today, we have Amy from Non-Stop Mom! She has a great post for you, so show her some love through the comments and give her blog a visit and a follow! 

Goal Overload? 

If you have been following my blog (first of all, thank you) then you probably already know about our upcoming road trip. If you haven’t been (you should), then here’s a little bit of background information.

I am a 40 year old single mother of 5 kids. Yes, F-I-V-E. My daughters are 11 and 9, and my sons are 7, 5, and 4. We are leaving our home in central Kansas and driving through 10 states and the District of Columbia on what has now been dubbed “The Mother of All Road Trips: 2011 Edition” or TMOART:2011 for semi-short. 

There are so many goals that are wrapped up into this trip – and this trip is going to be so much more than just a “road trip”.

The main goal, the main reason for why we are even undertaking this is so that the kids and I can see my parents. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and my parents are still there along with a few of my siblings. My parents had me later in their lives, and so they are now in their 80s. The last time that we saw them was 2 years ago, and my youngest son does not remember that trip. Now, at 4 years old, he will remember at least bits and pieces of it – and if, God forbid, something were to happen to my parents, he would at least have a few memories of his grandparents. My parents are for all intents and purposes the only grandparents that he has – his paternal grandparents are not involved in his life at all (read my blog for that story as well).

My Feathers Have Been Ruffled

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

The other day I was perusing my infinite list of blogs, reading, enjoying myself, and probably drinking coffee, though I can't be sure (so don't quote me on that). Nothing too earth shattering arose, and I was okay with that. Until I read through K. Syrah's latest post over at Shoes Never Worn: "The Indie Writer/Indie Author."

Darn you, K, for ruffling my feathers.

(She does that sometimes, so if you're into that sort of writing, you should really check out her blog.)

Anyway, K was writing about being an Indie author, and ended her post with a quip that made a lot of sense to me, but made me kind of mad:

Of course, I say that because at this moment, money isn’t an issue, and if one has a full belly, and all the bills are paid, it’s easier to be righteous.

Now when I say that K made me mad, I really just mean she rattled my cage. Because frankly, I'm dealing with this right now, and I was mad that she brought it up and threw it in my face, as if it were no big deal. Don't mind the fact that it's completely illogical for me to be mad at her - after all, she has no clue that this is something I'm wrestling with right now.

Dreaming Big

Guess what? Today's your lucky day! You get to listen to somebody much funnier and much more inspirational than I could ever hope to be! Ben is a great guy who wrote up a great post for you guys, so give him some love and go check out his blog!

Hi.

I'm Ben.

Which means I'm not Adrian. 

Which means this is a guest post.

Which means I'm making progress on my list of things to accomplish in my 19th year on this planet. Now that Kate Middleton is officially off the market, my goal of writing at least 7 guest posts for other blogs has moved up to the #2 spot.

What is #1 you ask from the edge of your seat?

Glad you asked.

It's to raise $10,000 to help me make my music and to provide clean water to a village that doesn't currently have it.

I'm Not a Werewolf

For those who might be wondering: my health has been doing a lot better as of late!

Something funny happened a couple of weeks ago.

I was lying in bed with my smokin' hot, beautiful wife, enjoying her company, and probably falling asleep while she was talking to me (because that's what all great husbands do, naturally). I couldn't tell you what we were talking about, but it was probably something to do with the fact that we think Hell may have taken up residence in Wichita with this ridiculous heat we've been having.

So, in the middle of our hypothetical Hell conversation, my wife stops, looks at me, and says something so out of the blue that I wouldn't have seen it coming if I had been married to her for a million years:

"You know, I think you've gotten hairier since we've gotten married."

As the words left her mouth, I began formulating all sorts of weird excuses - the first of which was "I'm not a werewolf, I swear." Ultimately, though, I won't ever win that argument, no matter how much I protest. She's my wife - she tends to notice these things. I, on the other hand, am oblivious to myself, because I spend every waking (and sleeping) moment with me.

So, if in the near future I stop posting and suddenly disappear for weeks at a time, only to be found in the woods, disheveled and stinky, you know what's happened to me. Hopefully, though, I'll just remain my typical disheveled, stinky self and my wife will like me anyway.

That poor girl.

Has anyone ever pointed out something about you that you've never noticed before? Are there quirky things that have changed about your spouse since you've gotten married?

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just drop me a comment or shoot me an e-mail! And while you're at it, share this post with your friends!

It's Worth Asking

Last night, I watched a cheesy 90s movie while my wife was at a 90s boy band concert. We're so cool.

I woke up entirely too early this morning. As in like 6 AM early. This would be okay on a weekday. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. So it's 6:30 AM... on a Sunday! Nonsense.

So as I'm sitting here typing and drinking coffee, I realized something. I have the urge to add a few new blogs to Google Reader. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find these new blogs.

That's where you come in.

My request is simple: comment with the blog you're enjoying reading the most right now. I've asked about this before, so if you answered then, try to comment with something new. I'm all about trying new things, ya know.

The blog I'm enjoying most right now (that I haven't already plugged in the past)?

How about...

Life as Experienced. I just recently found this blog when its author, Seth, e-mailed me about doing a guest post. So, although I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon around here, I wanted to give you a heads up about his blog! Give it a look-see (what a weird word...) and let him know what you think!

Oh, and while you're at it, have a great day. Keep being awesome!

Maybe I'm Biased

So the wife ditched me for a Backstreet Boy concert. It's like grade school all over again...

I've gotta admit - I'm a homebody. I love my family and love the city we grew up in. Things weren't always perfect, and we didn't always like each other, but we've made it this far together.

With that being said, I wanted to show you this video. I think it's awesome and I thought you might as well. It's my youngest sister rocking out for a contest on her guitar with a song she wrote. It's short (less than 90 seconds!) so give it a listen and let me know what you think! I'll post the lyrics beneath the video.

I'm living in a world that's changing rapidly
I've grown up in a place that supports my dreams
Unless I dream of a peaceful land
Where people don't hold guns, they hold hands

But I dream of a place without a hunger stricken race
I dream of a land that's truly united as they stand
I'm told these are impossible dreams
But that doesn't stop me

I can't seem to wrap my head around the terrible things
That happen in my own country, let alone overseas
I'm not sure how to make a change
But I know for a fact that things can't stay the same

Because I live in a place with a warring race
I live in a land where people won't take a stand
I'm told change is an impossible dream
But that doesn't stop me

So what did you think? Did you give it a listen? Do you have any suggestions for my little sister? Would you be willing to share this video? 

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail! And while you're at it, find a way to follow Life Before the Bucket!

Loss

Has anyone noticed the rockin' favicon I added? Because I really like it.

Congratulations. If you're reading this, you've made it to another Friday. Pat yourself on the back, find a good movie to watch (if you didn't lose 10 hours of sleeping watching a certain one last night), and enjoy yourself today.

I'm choosing to enjoy myself by doing a few things: going to the doctor, hanging out with my sister, and blogging! More specifically, participating in...

Five Minute Friday!

If you don't know what Five Minute Friday is, allow me to enlighten you. There are three simple rules to FMF, per The Gypsy Mama.

#1 - Write for 5 minutes flat. No editing, no tweaking. Just write.

#2 - Link back to The Gypsy Mama!

#3 - Go give some comment love to the person who did 5 Minute Friday before you!

Simple enough, eh?

Here goes nothing!

Today's prompt is...

Loss 

Ready... Set... Go!

A Fish Out of Water...

Today I am featuring my first ever guest poster! When I begged for some awesome writers to help out a couple of weeks ago, Heather, from My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream, was the first to answer the call! Be sure to give her wonderful blog a visit and show her some love and respect in the comments here! She deserves it!

A Fish Out of Water...

That is what I feel like right now, getting ready to talk about my lack of Christianity on Adrian's blog.

I was very surprised when I wrote a post for my blog called Why I Don't Have a God. The comments on the post were surprisingly respectful, and a lot of people were very tolerant of my views, despite the fact that their own views are different. I'm not usually one to talk about religion, mostly because when I bring it up, I get trampled on and questioned. I don't like to label myself as a certain religion, simply because I'm not sure there is one that fits what I believe. I don't believe in the Christian God. I believe in an after life, but not Heaven or Hell. I don't believe that there is some sort of divine guidance in my life - I believe in fate and destiny. I could type a whole post, or ten, about my beliefs. But that isn't what I'm here to talk about today. I want to talk about tolerance.

A Moment of Clarity

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

This summer, I've been working full-time at the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Wichita.

And by "working full-time," I mean interning for no pay.

It's been a wonderful experience so far. I haven't had a job that would be considered full-time since I was 16, so that's been a learning experience in and of itself.

More than that, though, I've had to learn that in any job, you're going to have ups, and then you're going to have downs. And, frankly, you're probably going to have a lot more downs after the first aforementioned downs, and then you might get a single, glimmering up, followed by more downs.

Word Cravings

I've become rather fascinated with Google+. If you want an invite, let me know!

Today, I want to talk to you about something that I fear I may be alone in experiencing...

Word cravings.

Cravings, in and of themselves, are a little weird to me. My wife tells me she has cravings for things like fruit, while my mom craves ice cream. Cravings (especially ones associated with food) seem to be all over the place.

You know what's really weird, though?


I don't get cravings all that often. I'm pretty sure the only things in the world that I ever crave are Pepsi, steak, and pizza. So if you want some brownie points, feel free to send me any of the above. I'll repay you with a huge smile and the biggest virtual hug ever recorded.

Sweet Chaos

It's definitely one of those mornings where I'll need a second cup of coffee before I begin writing.

This weekend was crazy.

This weekend was awesome.

This weekend was the most fun I've had in a long time.

And this picture pretty much summarizes it:

Sweet, sweet chaos. That's the only way to describe it.

Oops, I Did it Again

I'm not sure what's with all of the song-inspired titles lately...

Today I'm going to do something daring. Something crazy. Something a little wacky.

I'm going to break some sort of unwritten blogging code and hope the blog police don't come for me.

I'm going to, once more, grovel for guest posts.

I received some great responses the first time I posted about this a couple of weeks ago, so I just wanted to throw the opportunity out there once more for anyone who might have missed it or maybe had just forgotten.

I need some awesome, epic guest posters!

That means YOU! 

So, for the sake of not writing the exact same blog post twice, I wanted to share a few guest posts with you to help inspire you. Consider this my Shameless Plugging for the week, so I don't seem completely self-centered and self-promoting.

"Beating Writer's Block" by Jon Acuff - This is the most recent guest post that I've read and has some great advice for writers from Jon Acuff, a Christian blogger and author. He posted on a blog site called Money Saving Mom, which sounds completely out of his realm, and I thought that was pretty gutsy.

What I learned from this guest post: You can guest post anywhere. All you have to do is ask!

My Guest Post at My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream - Alright, this is pretty self-centered and self-promoting, I have to admit. But this is just another example of a guest post that may have been in a realm that doesn't necessarily line up with the one I normally write in.

What I learned from this guest post: If you guest post, you're guaranteed to sound funnier and smarter. I'm not sure why, but that's just the way it works. Sort of like when you eat someone else's ice cream. It always tastes better than it would have if it was your own.

"My Average Day Mostly Sucks" by Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary - I'm not sure what it was about this guest post, but it is one of my favorites. Jamie took F.U. Question's theme and flipped it on its head and then made a great guest post out of it!

What I learned from this guest post: I will never, in a million, bajillion years, be able to write as well as Jamie Wright. Sometimes, you just have to know when to admit these sort of things.

What I actually learned: You don't even have to run with a blog's theme when writing a guest post. Which means you could actually write a guest post for Life Before the Bucket explaining why you don't have a Bucket List or why you hate making goals. You just never know what I could go for!

Hopefully this has encouraged you to think about guest posting not only here, but on your other favorite blogs as well! Let me know if you're interested in guest posting here through a comment or in an e-mail and we'll make it happen!

Everybody Loves a Good Cheeseburger

Today's post is a book review that I'm doing as part of the Blogging for Books program. Enjoy!

On the day that I received Bruce Wilkinson's You Were Born for This in the mail, I also received a McDonald's cheeseburger for free. And though I didn't see it at the time, God was probably laughing at me as I bit into my burger and opened my book. You'll understand why shortly.

You see, when I opened this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I saw somewhere that Wilkinson had written The Prayer of Jabez, so I figured this couldn't be that bad. Unfortunately, I hadn't read Wilkinson's best-seller (which he was very adamant to plug for the first 50 pages of this book), so I had no clue what I was getting myself into.

Grateful

So my breathing machine broke and I had to replace it. The thing I'm most disappointed about? It had really cool stickers on it.

It's Thursday... err... I mean... Friday! 

This whole 4 day week thing has thrown me for a loop.

And, as you should know (if you don't, I'll forgive you this once), Friday means something pretty special around here!

It's time for Five Minute Friday!

Here's the 411 (courtesy of The Gypsy Mama), in case you're new to this:

First Rule - Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

Second Rule - Link back to The Gypsy Mama and invite others to join in.

Third Rule - Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

Pretty simple, eh? Give it a shot!

This week's prompt?

Grateful

On your mark... Get set... GO!

There's no way on God's green Earth that this is fair. I need 50 minutes to write on this, not just five!

Gratitude is something I've been taught by God since I began a relationship with him. A lot of pretty crappy, sucky stuff has happened over the last few years, and that grateful attitude that he taught me early on really helped push me through (and is continuing to help me to this day).

Something I learned early on was the habit of making lists of things I was thankful for. I've definitely fallen out of that habit (I don't remember the last time I did that), but it's really cool to look back and see how many good things God gives us each and every day.

So today, since I'm only allowed five minutes to talk about how stinking grateful I am, I'm going to make a list!

Here are just a few things I'm grateful for:

You. Without you being here to read all of this gibberish, I wouldn't be able to keep writing. I love writing, but more than anything, I love communicating, and that's a two-way street.

My wife. If it weren't for her, I'd be curled up in the fetal position most days, hiding in a dark corner waiting for someone to find me. Just kidding. But she is pretty awesome.

My fam.

This new medicine that has helped so much.

My new doctor.

My internship.

My education.

My wealth - both worldly and spiritual.

My life. I'm reminded each and every day that I'm alive for a reason. God didn't have to help me fight through these diseases if he didn't want to.

STOP!

Okay, not fair at all. I had a million things running through my head, colliding into each other, causing all kinds of chaos in that five minutes. And I didn't even get to mention one of my favorite things to be thankful for...

COFFEE!

Suffice it to say that this blog wouldn't exist without coffee. 

Anyway... That's my Five Minute Friday for this week! Give it a shot... if you're up to the challenge!

What are you grateful for today? Are there things in your life that you sometimes take for granted that are there every day? What are some of those things? I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else, for that matter!). Just a comment and/or shoot me an e-mail!

Whoa, We're Halfway There

Yes, I like a little Bon Jovi. Don't judge me!

On Saturday, something extraordinary happened. Did you feel it? Did you see it? Hear it?

If you didn't, no need to worry. You're not going blind or deaf. Well, actually, you might be, but I'm no doctor, so don't take my word for it.

Seriously, though. On Saturday, something pretty epic happened. At noon, to be exact.

Any guesses?

Okay, fair enough. I'll spill.

We passed the halfway mark of 2011!

An Open Letter to an Extrovert

The medicine I'm taking right now tastes like soap. Fifteen minutes straight of inhaling mist that takes like soap.

Dear Extrovert,

Hey! How are you doing? You see, I ask you that because I'm genuinely curious, not just because I'm polite and know how to banter. In fact, I really do like you a lot and think about you regularly. Sometimes, though, I think you misunderstand me.

You see, I'm an introvert. You know this well, and you accept me anyway - for the most part. However, I can't help but think that you have some sort of ulterior motive when you're talking to me. It's almost as if you're trying to convert me. Or cure me. I'm not sure which. As if I have some unspeakable disease that I'm suffering from, slowly dying from.

Allow me to let you in on a secret: I have no disease. There is nothing wrong with me. Frankly, I like how God made me. Introversion is not a disease - it's a piece of who I am.

Guess Who's Back?

Why, yes, the title of this blog post is an Eminem reference. Whether or not I like his music is up to you to decide...

Ah... It's been a week. A nice, long, refreshing week. Have you missed me? Because I've definitely missed you. I mean that it the non-creepiest way possible.

Over the last week, I managed to achieve oneness with God, devise a plan for world peace, and actually heard and understood every word my wife said to me. 

Just kidding.

My week wasn't nearly that productive. In fact, I, for the most part, sat around.

Sat. On my bum (which I hear is pretty much non-existent to begin with). Ate. Slept. Sat.

See what I'm saying? It wasn't exactly the greatest week of my life. But trust me when I say I needed the break. While breaking from blogging, I also took off from work, in hopes that the extra rest would help my body in the healing process that I hope it's in the middle of. I'm not hedging any bets on that, but it's worth a shot.

I did actually learn something this past week, though. Something pretty interesting. I read 3 books, so you would hope that I have something new going on in my noggin.

I learned that, apparently, (some) writers don't actually like to write.

And I breathed a deep sigh of relief.