YOGA!

I joined our local YMCA Sunday night for the sole purpose of starting Yoga. I have been wanting to excercise for months now (see earlier New Year's Resolutions), but unfortunately, I can't motivate myself to go run, or lift weights. Probably because I don't particulary enjoy running. (You should hear stories from my cross-country running days. As much as I would like to enjoy running, I've never hit that "runner's high" I've heard so many people talk about, and my times were always terrible. You can ask anybody in my family.) But, I just knew if I could take up Yoga I would enjoy it. It seemed like my kind of workout - peaceful, relaxing - yeah, that's my kind of workout.

So, I looked at all the classes all the different Y branches offer, and I chose to go to Hot Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:45. Last night was my first night. I walked into the room and it was completely dark except for two very dim lights on both sides. It was also very quiet, and very warm. Thus, the "hot" part. When we started, the instructor played some soothing music, and we slowly progessed from the various positions, or asanas (sp?). The workout (from what I could tell) slowly built up. The most strenous excerises were in the very middle of the workout, and then you slowly work you're way back down. The entire class lasted an hour. At the very end, we laid on our backs and completely relaxed, eyes closed. I didn't realize how relaxed I had become until I moved back into the sitting position!

At the end, I felt I had worked every muscle in my body. I'm looking forward to seeing how my flexibility and strength increase. I'm still learning a lot about it, but it's very focused on stretching and breathing. Best workout I've ever had. I'm definitely looking forward to going back tomorrow night!

If one time is not enough...

Try FOUR times! If any of you have ever had any doubt that we should be singing praises to God, read this ONE verse:

"Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises."
Psalm 47:6

I was struck by this verse when I read it today. As my dad is fond of saying, "If the Bible tells us something once, we should pay attention to it." In this case, we're told four times in the same verse to sing praises to God. It's so simple and wonderfully refreshing. In the New Testament we're told to "sing and make melody in our hearts." So, it doesn't even have to be audible. We can sing praises anywhere.

"Praise Him, praise Him, Jesus our Blessed Redeemer."

A couple of favorites!

Can you believe it?? This is the ONLY picture I got of the two of them together ALL WEEK!

Games

So, here are a couple of pictures of the games. It was intense, as always!

Singing School Cuties

Singing School was a blast this year! Several of you may have already seen some of these pictures elsewhere, but I wanted to share a few anyways. I took over 200 total, so I can't post them all on here, but I wanted to share a couple so you could see some of the scenes. Below are just a few of the kids I got pictures of this year. It's so fun to photograph people, and then look over the years and see how they've grown and changed!

Movie Review

So, I'm getting back into the swing of things now. For those of you who may not have known, I have been studying for the CFP exam for the last 6 months or so. I took the exam two weekends ago, and I will find out my results in 6-8 weeks. (I'll just say this...it was Brutal, Terribly Hard.) But, for now, I have put my books aside, and I am getting my life organized once again, and I've even been able to enjoy a couple of hobbies. I've picked up my guitar and have played it a couple of times. I bought an easel and some paint and brushes, and I've finished a painting. I have really, really enjoyed painting. I haven't painted in years, but I always LOVE it. There is just something about the colors and the brushes that stirs me deep inside and gets me super excited. I'm no Picasso, but I have fun.

After my test two weekends ago, my family and Adam and John went and saw (drumroll...) ... The Dark Knight! It was AMAZING. Heath Ledger delivered a flawless performance of the Joker. I couldn't see Heath at all. All I could see was this crazy psychopath. He was completely believable, and he definitely deserves the Oscar nod. Christian Bale is also my favorite Batman to date (although Michael Keeton wasn't so bad). I think part of it has to do with the way he changes his voice and it becomes much deeper when he puts on the Bat suit. This movie is action-packed from the beginning and has something to offer everyone. I give it 4.75 stars out of 5 stars.

This past weekend, Table, Adam and I went and saw WALL-E. It had us laughing from the beginning. In typical Pixar fashion, we got to see a "short" film prior to the main feature. One word - HYSTERICAL! I was practically falling out of my seat laughing. Once the movie began, we were laughing and smiling all the way through. Some of you may be thinking as I did when I first saw the trailer - this looks like another clever way of pushing the green agenda on a unsuspecting (or not) American public. But, I'd heard several people say it was really cute and funny, and we should go see it. So we did. While it definitely didn't discourage taking care of earth, it wasn't the main focus. The main focus was this crazy love story between these two robots. It had all the classic elements of a silly romantic story, with hardly any speaking at all between the two. The "green" elements just made it that much funnier, while getting a point across, too. My hats off to Pixar. They've made another fantastic movie once again. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

To The Man In The Suit

I ask this question, "Where is common courtesy?" "From whom," may I ask, "did you learn that it was okay to cut line in front of 100+ people?" "Where did you learn that it was okay to lie?" Oh, yes, I saw you tell that little girl of no more than 6 or 7 years old not to say anything as you swiftly and quietly slipped under the rope to cut in front of another 25+ people. Shame on you, shame, shame, shame!

I was coming back from Charlotte, NC yesterday morning. I woke up around 4:00 am ET to catch a flight that was leaving at 7:15. I arrived at the airport at 6:15 only to see an extremely long Delta line, and a security line that was getting longer by the second. I finally got checked in around 6:45 (when I should have been boarding the plane), and entered the security line. I had just approached the zig-zag part of the line that would wind its way around to the actual explosives/metal detector (approximately 10 minutes from when I entered the line), when this Man In The Suit approached and asked the lady in front of me to cut line, because he had a 7:15 flight. She was taken aback, and didn't know what to say, so I said, "I'm sorry, sir, but my flight is also at 7:15, and there are several of us already in this line that are trying to make the same 7:15 flight." (We had all formed a bond while waiting in the Delta line. This man was nowhere to be found.) Wait for it, wait for it...This Man In The Suit then asked the nice lady if we could BOTH cut in front of her!! I just stood there dumbfounded. So, he hops in line. As we make our way through the zig-zag, we have to pass by the front of the line. And, do you know what he did? He slipped underneath the roping (or at least, that's all I can figure, because one minute he's next to me, and the next he's on the other side of the rope), and was putting his finger to his mouth telling the little girl of 6 or 7 not to say anything. WHAT NERVE!!!

So, I let the nice lady, who I found out was originally from Chile, lived in North Carolina ever since she arrived here in the states marrying an American, and was headed to Aspen, CO for the first time ever to visit some friends, back in front of me. (Her flight wasn't until 7:45). I reached the front of the line around 7:05, and then made a mad dash to my gate, which thankfully was nearby. I boarded my flight for Atlanta at 7:10. 5 minutes to spare!!

But, seriously, why do so many people think it's okay to be rude? Selfish?

This verse comes to mind...

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." II Timothy 3:1-5

To which I say...

"He which testifieth these things saith, 'Surely I come quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20