February 26th...

I turned 36.

I'm having a little trouble with this one.

Okay...more than a little trouble. I'm not letting myself think about it because all I can see is what I haven't accomplished and the ever closing gap of time there is left until I turn 40.

The day itself, though, was good. My parents are in town. Mom made breakfast, then we spent some time shopping during the afternoon with my aunt, and then we had dinner at Olive Garden with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. My cousin shares my birthday, and my uncle's birthday is the 27th. We rounded out the day going back to my aunt's house for pie and a great game of Taboo, which the girls won!

A great day, indeed. I love my family.

By the way....I chopped all my hair off.

Pictures to come....

(Sorry for the tease!)

Thoughts

This little picture describes me to a tee.

I'll laugh at something someone says that I think is funny, then I think to myself, "Self, did I understand that in the way that it was meant?"
Thus, the query, "Wait, what?"

And the pickings-on begin:
Are you sure you're not blonde?
Do you have blonde roots?
Look behind you, Teresa, the punchline just went over your head and hit the wall.

You get the picture.

Basically, I'm pretty naive, and it doesn't stop with the joke-telling. I take what people tell me at face value. If that's what you said, then that is what you mean. That's not to say that I don't pick up on sarcasm, implications, or can't tell when people aren't telling me the truth. I'm pretty keen on that now, but I think when I was younger the naitivity was much more prevailant.

With most of my friends I feel like myself and totally accepted. Then with others, I feel that their perception of me is skewed because they neither know me nor accept me, yet we've been "friends" for a long time. And then, there are yet others who I have been very close to, that have snowed me completely because I was so oblivious to things that were going on under my nose that they don't know I now know.
(Wow, that was a confusing statement!)

I promise, there is a point to all this....

I found myself upset over past situations that I felt like could have turned out differently had I reacted in a different way. I could have been more outgoing...bolder...more confident...not so quick to back down...too trusting...the list goes on and on.

After stewing over this, I heard the still, small voice that said, "Why do you question the way I made you? I made you the way you are to protect you."

He makes us the way we are to protect us.

He protects us from the things we don't see. He sheilds us from the fiery darts of the evil one by the way He made us to react...whether you are bold and confronting or naive and oblivious.

Then I was reminded of the scripture from the Whatever retreat:

"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Phillipians 4:8

Vain imaginations....yeah....get me in trouble every time.

Thank you, Father, for the gentle reminder to keep my focus on you and what you would have me do today instead of trying to re-do all of my yesterdays.

frustration!

Why is it that every time I have the urge to journal or blog I am at work without the capability to do so?!

The BlackBerry is not sufficient for what I have to say, so let's hope the inspiration doesn't lose its momentum or impactfulness by the time I get home.

UGH!!!

any suggestions???

Houston, we have a problem.

Dan's face has always been sensitive.

He has to have the perfect balance of moisture on his face. Otherwise, his face becomes flaky or breaks out.

Well, Friday after he shaved, he showered with a new body wash then applied his normal lotion to his face. Somewhere along the way, he had an allergic reaction to something, evidentally the new body wash, and his face broke out in burning whelps all over.

Even now he says it feels like his face is on fire, but we don't know what to put on it to make it feel better!!! We don't want to make it worse!!!

Any suggestions out there for sensitive faces???

This will warm your heart and make you smile...I promise!