Super Bowl 2012

Chrissy — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:48:47 +0000

The New York Giants and the New England Patriots will play tonight in Super Bowl 2012. Who do you think will win? I always have a hard time choosing a team to root for in the Super Bowl because I pay absolutely no attention to football during football season or any other time for that matter. I usually pick the team with the cutest quarterback which is what I did this year, so I’m cheering for the Patriots. I’ve never been a big football fan and have always had a hard time understanding how people could spend an entire day watching football on television! Sounds pretty boring to me! It’s easier for me to understand people spending the day at a live game. I can enjoy almost any type of event, if it’s live. Though, people can get pretty out of control at live sporting events. Sports fanatics are just that, fanatics! People take their sports seriously and they can get mean, even violent, if their team loses. I don’t understand all that, but what I do understand about football, especially the Super Bowl is the unity it brings among the American people. It’s truly an American tradition. Friends and families gather together. I understand the food thing too. It’s always fun to eat lots of yummy foods and the Super Bowl kind of inspires that type of behavior. And, the commercials? I love the commercials and the half time show too! Maybe I do like football, after all?

What You Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis?

Chrissy — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:38:21 +0000

Our words are powerful. If you don’t believe this, just post something outrageous as your Facebook status. You may not always get a response when you speak out, but rest assured that people do hear you. Facebook is a good example of this because people see everything you post, even though they may not comment on it. I realized this because of the number of people that have said to me, “Yeah, I knew you were doing such and such. I saw it on your Facebook page,” even though I had no idea because they had never interacted with me on Facebook. Our words have the power to encourage or discourage others. We can build people up by the words we say, or we can tear them down with our words. Words are used by politicians to help their campaigns grow and gain influence. Words are used on television and in music. Those words are particularly powerful, which is why shows are often cancelled or words bleeped out because they are not suitable for all audiences. Radio stations often take songs off the air when they receive too many complaints about them. Words are used to summon rallies of people for good and bad causes. The news media uses words and they probably have more influence on the general population than any other medium. People base their life decisions based on what they hear or read in the news. People decide what to wear based on what they hear or read from the weather man (woman). People become fans of things they hear about on television, or they start to dislike things or people based on what they hear on television. If you are still not convinced, the next time you get into a disagreement with someone, mumble something disrespectful and you’ll see just how powerful your words truly are!

Embrace Difference

Chrissy — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:45:18 +0000

Perhaps one of the greatest things you can do to enrich your life is to be friends with people who are different from you. By stepping outside of your comfort zone and reaching out to those who are different from you, you help enlighten both parties. So many people pigeonhole themselves into one category or another. Nothing is more frustrating to me than someone who can only see their side and refuses to consider the perspectives of those with whom they disagree. There is nothing more alienating. When you only see things one way, you stop growing and learning. You become discriminatory and hate filled. If you can’t stop and consider where other people are coming from or you just don’t care, your existence will be a miserable one and your friends will steadily disappear. I like being friends with people who are different from me. I like hanging out with the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor because I feel like it gives me a greater perspective in life. This is probably why I enjoy my job in social work so much because I never see the same situation twice. So, get outside of your box and consider someone else’s perspective. It just might change your life!

But, I Didn’t Do It

Chrissy — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:15:44 +0000

But, it seems like I did. Do you ever feel guilty for something you didn’t do? I do, all the time. I’m too conscientious or OCD or both. Perhaps this is how false confessions originated. People are in the wrong place at the wrong time and get framed for a crime they didn’t commit, but decide to confess anyway. When something out of the ordinary happens and I’m around, even though I didn’t do it, I feel guilty for it. For example, if I’m walking through the grocery store and a display with all the contents fall down to the ground and I am the only person nearby, I feel guilty as if I am the one who knocked it over, even though I didn’t. Some would say I think too much and perhaps this is true. Perhaps…

Christmas Just Ain’t What It Used To Be

Chrissy — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:22:25 +0000

I remember as a child that Christmas was a very exciting time. I always enjoyed getting together with my family that I didn’t get to see throughout the year. I enjoyed all the magic and wonder of Christmas. Christmas never seemed stressful. Fast forward to adulthood, and Christmas seems vastly different. Everyone seems so stressed out. I just read through some of the many Facebook statuses and everyone is stressed about getting the perfect gifts and all the food prepared for Christmas. Why has a holiday that was intended to celebrate the birth of Christ turned into something so commercial and barely recognizable as Christ’s birthday? Many people who celebrate Christmas are not even celebrating Christ’s birth. They are celebrating the traditions of gift giving and family gatherings. There’s so much pressure at Christmas to buy the perfect gifts for everyone on our list often putting stress on those without the financial means to do so. Christmas has turned into so much doing without much thought or care behind the doing. You just mail the 3,000 Christmas cards out to everyone because you have to. I love sending cards to those I love, as well as purchasing gifts for those I love, but when it’s in mass quantity, it’s pretty hard to keep up with and the meaning behind it is lost. I can’t imagine that God would be to pleased with us fighting over the sales at Walmart and Best Buy while people are trampled over, even killed. How Christ like is that? I can’t imagine that God is pleased with us supporting large corporations that keep their workers living in poverty and force them to utilize programs like Medicaid while the CEO’s triple their wealth. There are many alternatives to showing people you care without oppressing others. Why can’t we just get together with friends and family without all the pressure? You don’t have to participate in the commercialism of Christmas, but you don’t have to be a Grinch about it either. Just live within your means and do what you can. After it’s all said and done, nobody will remember or know the difference anyway. So, my challenge to you this Christmas is to do your part to make it what it’s supposed to be.

The Handwritten Letter

Chrissy — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:42:55 +0000

We now live in the technology age. Even if we don’t want to, it’s pretty much inevitable. Most of our communication occurs electronically and takes very little work. Much of our correspondence occurs through Facebook, email, or text messages. A phone call? What’s that? Perhaps that is what makes it so exciting to get home from work and realize that someone has taken the time to write you a letter or a send you a card with a personal message in it. That rarely happens (for me anyway), but when it does, it is very exciting! I usually receive this type of correspondence from my older relatives/friends, and I love it! It is always nice to receive something handwritten because that means it took some effort. Emails and text messages take little, if any effort. If someone writes you a letter, then you must be really special! Sadly, the handwritten letter is a lost art and only you and I can keep this art form alive. The next time you want to make someone feel special or show your true gratitude, send them a handwritten letter.

The Awkward Hug

Chrissy — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:54:15 +0000

Hugging can be awkward, especially if you’re not a big “hugger” and hugging really isn’t your thing, which is the case for me. However, there are times in life when hugs are necessary. For instance, when someone is grieving, it’s usually a good idea to offer them a hug. It’s one thing to hug family and close friends, but quite different when hugging those you are not as close with. So, I had one of these hug situations come up recently. Someone was grieving, and I knew I needed to offer up a hug and so I did. Hugging life is divided into subgroups. There are the huggers and the non-huggers (me), but there are even more subgroups. There are different types of huggers. Some people give side hugs, some give fully body hugs, some pat your back, etc. Well, the grieving lady was a fully body hugger, but I didn’t know that going in. So, we hugged, but the hug kept going on, and I fear I pulled away to quickly because she was still hugging when I thought the hug was over. I now realize that I not only need to offer more hugs, but I need to hone my hugging skills to adapt appropriately to each hugging situation, therefore avoiding the awkward hug.

The Best Car Vac Ever!

Chrissy — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:45:39 +0000

Sharon and I recently went to Bed Bath & Beyond and purchased this really cool car vacuum. It’s called the “Emerson Portable Wet N’ Dry 12-Volt Auto Vacuum.” Shew! Try saying that 10 times fast! Anyway, it was an amazing find! Here’s how it works. You plug the portable vacuum into your cigarette lighter receptacle and start vacuuming. The vacuum can be used to clean wet or dry surfaces. You can use the vacuum continuously since it never runs out of power. I was previously using a handheld vacuum to clean out my car, but the charge lasted no time so this is a nice change. Sometimes I’d get tired of using my handheld vac and go down to the local car wash to use their vacuums. Those don’t last very long either, unless you pay like $10 bucks in quarters! The only drawback to this portable vac is that it is not very powerful, but it does the job and well. You can’t be overly aggressive with it though or the tubing comes unhooked, but that’s no biggie to me especially since it’s so convenient and much better than the handheld vacuums. The vacuum comes with a brush, crevice tool, and nozzle attachment heads. It can also be used to inflate things like floats during the summer season. The price? $9.99! Now, that’s a deal! Happy vacuuming!

Focus On What You Have

Chrissy — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:43:39 +0000

Thanksgiving is a time to pause, if only briefly to stop focusing on what we don’t have and to be thankful for what we do have. I have a lot to be thankful for! I am thankful for my job. I’m not only thankful for the job itself, but for the fact that I work with a great group of people and really enjoy what I do. I am thankful for Sharon and all the good she has brought into my life. She has seen me at my worst, but only seems to notice my best. I am thankful for all my grandma taught me when she was alive. She never bragged about it, but was the most generous person I ever knew. I think she really got Christianity by the way she lived her life so graciously and generously. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful for those who came to my side when I needed it most this year and last. I am thankful for an on time God. Sometimes I get pretty worried that things aren’t going to work out, but God always comes through for me. I am thankful for a good church that teaches generosity and really lives it out in the community. I am thankful for good music that lifts my spirits when I am down. I am thankful for people who participate in research and for medical advancements. I am thankful for days filled with sunshine. I am thankful for a warm and cozy bed. I am thankful for food. I am thankful for clean water. I am thankful for sweet tea and Hershey’s chocolate. I am thankful for the gourmet dinners Sharon makes. I am thankful for my 3 cats that bring so much joy into my life. I am thankful that I can still put one foot in front of the other without much effort. I am thankful for people who make me laugh. Laughter can brighten the worst of situations. I am thankful for people who always point me in the right direction and show me the hopeful side of hopeless situations. I’m thankful for Facebook which has allowed me to reconnect with people from years ago and allows me to stay connected with close family and friends. I’m thankful for this blog which gives me a forum to share with you all that I am thankful for. This Thanksgiving, please take a moment to stop and be thankful for all you have!

Now, That’s Church!

Chrissy — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:45:49 +0000

I went to church this morning as I usually do every Sunday, but today the service was a little different. We sang a few songs, went over the announcements, greeted one another, and shared a few scriptures together. Then, the worship pastor said we were closing the service early so that we could all go by the grocery store and purchase food for our local food pantry. There were several freezer trucks set up at local grocery stores to accept the food donations and deliver them to the food pantry later. Our local food pantry served 1, 305 people last month. What an easy way to help those in need in your local community! Now, that’s what I call church!