Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"Sometimes we miss "living" because we're too concerned with figuring out the plan. Have you ever considered that maybe God cares more about your response to His Spirit's leading today, than about what you intend to do next year? The decisions you make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which you submit to the Spirit today." - Francis Chan
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Happily Unmarried??
This is dedicated to all my single girlfriends. Here's to looking on the bright side of things! Granted, I'm not the most optimistic person in the world, so I stole this article off the internet (and added a few comments of my own!)... I guess maybe there are some perks to being at this stage in life. See how much we can enjoy, girls??
Why It's Good to Be the Last Single Girl Standing
Ever heard of saving the best for last? Good things come to those who wait? We're here to tell you those clichés are the total truth! Here's why it's great to be single while all your friends are tying the knot.
By Erin Meanley
1. You can save for something big.
While your friends are blowing their savings on a caterer, florist and wedding planner, you can put your extra funds toward a fancy vacation — or a better bridal gown someday. (and you don't have to worry about what he wants for Valentine's day, Christmas, birthday, etc.)
2. You don't have to commit to anyone — or anything.
"I am happy that while my friends are panicked about choosing dresses, centerpieces and DJs, my biggest commitment decision is whether or not I should get my hair highlighted," says Erin L., 31, of New York City. (What color car do I want this time?)
3. You will get your money back — and more.
Think marriage is light years away? Great! In 2015 — or whenever you tie the knot — your friends will be older and more established, which means they'll most likely be able to afford better gifts. Score! heehee
4. You can collect benefits.
Rachel, 28, of Los Angeles, has three weddings to attend within one week: one in Michigan, one in New York and then another in Michigan (then back to L.A.). But all that inconvenience adds up to one thing: frequent-flyer miles! It pays to have to fly to everyone else's weddings first — one day Rachel will get hitched and her honeymoon will be free. Love those miles — er, friends!
5. Your wedding will be better than your friends' weddings.
No doubt you've helped a little in the planning of your girlfriends' weddings. Think of that as research. By the time yours rolls around, you'll know exactly what you want — and where to get everything. Oh yeah, check that one
6. You can savor the idea of possibility.
At any wedding or event, you never know whom you might meet. That's a big incentive to go, whereas married people want to see their friends, but they're not as motivated to meet more people. Yawn
7. You can relax about your calorie intake (this year, anyway).
"No wedding? No pre-wedding diet. Bring on the Oreos (and cheesecake!!!) ," says Anne, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
8. You can enjoy a lower divorce rate.
Friends who are rushing to the altar might be heading toward splitsville in a few years. Statistics show that people who wed later have lower divorce rates. According to a 2002 report from the National Center for Health Statistics, women who marry before they're 18 have double the risk of divorce within in 10 years as those who marry at 25 or later.
9. You can rest assured that you haven't given up.
Never mind that all your friends are marrying. If you're not getting married at the moment, you know you can't possibly be settling. (ugh, no! Who wants to settle for less than best after waiting all these years anyway??)
10. You can prolong your youth.
Married women will tell you that once they tie the knot, they start to feel old. They stay in more and socialize less. So enjoy the opportunity to still feel young — the youngest of all your friends. (and I don't have to get up in the middle of the night with a crying baby, or deal with Temper Tantrum Time in aisle 3)
11. You can live drama-free.
It's inevitable: Couples have lots of fights about weddings and wedding planning. If you don't get engaged until you're older and wiser, you'll be able to handle drama better and you'll dish out smaller amounts of it. (At least, in theory.)
12. You can discover a new kind of comradeship.
As you get older, anyone still in your boat starts to seem both cooler and more sympathetic to you. Previously, you had only superficial ties with these acquaintances, but now that you're both single — a fact that has never made you different, until now — you have something big in common. That's a bonding thing! Watch the friendships grow. Hooray for single girlfriends!!
13. You can contemplate a payback.
Getting married later means you really have time to plot proper revenge on all your girlfriends for the horrible bridesmaid dresses they made you wear! Not that you would do that, but it's fun to think about it. mwahaha
Why It's Good to Be the Last Single Girl Standing
Ever heard of saving the best for last? Good things come to those who wait? We're here to tell you those clichés are the total truth! Here's why it's great to be single while all your friends are tying the knot.
By Erin Meanley
1. You can save for something big.
While your friends are blowing their savings on a caterer, florist and wedding planner, you can put your extra funds toward a fancy vacation — or a better bridal gown someday. (and you don't have to worry about what he wants for Valentine's day, Christmas, birthday, etc.)
2. You don't have to commit to anyone — or anything.
"I am happy that while my friends are panicked about choosing dresses, centerpieces and DJs, my biggest commitment decision is whether or not I should get my hair highlighted," says Erin L., 31, of New York City. (What color car do I want this time?)
3. You will get your money back — and more.
Think marriage is light years away? Great! In 2015 — or whenever you tie the knot — your friends will be older and more established, which means they'll most likely be able to afford better gifts. Score! heehee
4. You can collect benefits.
Rachel, 28, of Los Angeles, has three weddings to attend within one week: one in Michigan, one in New York and then another in Michigan (then back to L.A.). But all that inconvenience adds up to one thing: frequent-flyer miles! It pays to have to fly to everyone else's weddings first — one day Rachel will get hitched and her honeymoon will be free. Love those miles — er, friends!
5. Your wedding will be better than your friends' weddings.
No doubt you've helped a little in the planning of your girlfriends' weddings. Think of that as research. By the time yours rolls around, you'll know exactly what you want — and where to get everything. Oh yeah, check that one
6. You can savor the idea of possibility.
At any wedding or event, you never know whom you might meet. That's a big incentive to go, whereas married people want to see their friends, but they're not as motivated to meet more people. Yawn
7. You can relax about your calorie intake (this year, anyway).
"No wedding? No pre-wedding diet. Bring on the Oreos (and cheesecake!!!) ," says Anne, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
8. You can enjoy a lower divorce rate.
Friends who are rushing to the altar might be heading toward splitsville in a few years. Statistics show that people who wed later have lower divorce rates. According to a 2002 report from the National Center for Health Statistics, women who marry before they're 18 have double the risk of divorce within in 10 years as those who marry at 25 or later.
9. You can rest assured that you haven't given up.
Never mind that all your friends are marrying. If you're not getting married at the moment, you know you can't possibly be settling. (ugh, no! Who wants to settle for less than best after waiting all these years anyway??)
10. You can prolong your youth.
Married women will tell you that once they tie the knot, they start to feel old. They stay in more and socialize less. So enjoy the opportunity to still feel young — the youngest of all your friends. (and I don't have to get up in the middle of the night with a crying baby, or deal with Temper Tantrum Time in aisle 3)
11. You can live drama-free.
It's inevitable: Couples have lots of fights about weddings and wedding planning. If you don't get engaged until you're older and wiser, you'll be able to handle drama better and you'll dish out smaller amounts of it. (At least, in theory.)
12. You can discover a new kind of comradeship.
As you get older, anyone still in your boat starts to seem both cooler and more sympathetic to you. Previously, you had only superficial ties with these acquaintances, but now that you're both single — a fact that has never made you different, until now — you have something big in common. That's a bonding thing! Watch the friendships grow. Hooray for single girlfriends!!
13. You can contemplate a payback.
Getting married later means you really have time to plot proper revenge on all your girlfriends for the horrible bridesmaid dresses they made you wear! Not that you would do that, but it's fun to think about it. mwahaha
Monday, March 8, 2010
Cowgirl Up!!
After church on Sunday, me and my girlfriends went shopping for cowgirl boots! :) We didn't buy anything, but it was fun to try them on and take pictures. Here are a couple pics of us in our hats.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Lauren Mills, CB
Yeah, it's official. I got my certificate in the mail last week. No longer am I just Lauren Mills...I can now affix the initials "CB" to the end of my name.
You might be asking what CB stands for, and that's a legitimate question, because I'm sure not many people actually know what it stands for. I didn't know until a few years ago when I was informed that I could become a Certified Bookkeeper. Six exams and 3,000 hours of experience later, I'm a CB. One of only about 2,500 CBs in the country.
I'm quite excited about my accomplishment, and my mom made it an even bigger event for me by throwing a surprise CB party the day my certification came in the mail. That made me feel so special! I love my mommy!!
It feels good to have that behind me. Now I just have to maintain my certification. And who knows, maybe I'll go further with my education...for now I'm just trying to live through tax season. Forget keeping my sanity intact...it's lost forever. I've done so many stupid things lately, I worry myself. Sigh. It keeps me humble, that's for sure.
You might be asking what CB stands for, and that's a legitimate question, because I'm sure not many people actually know what it stands for. I didn't know until a few years ago when I was informed that I could become a Certified Bookkeeper. Six exams and 3,000 hours of experience later, I'm a CB. One of only about 2,500 CBs in the country.
I'm quite excited about my accomplishment, and my mom made it an even bigger event for me by throwing a surprise CB party the day my certification came in the mail. That made me feel so special! I love my mommy!!
It feels good to have that behind me. Now I just have to maintain my certification. And who knows, maybe I'll go further with my education...for now I'm just trying to live through tax season. Forget keeping my sanity intact...it's lost forever. I've done so many stupid things lately, I worry myself. Sigh. It keeps me humble, that's for sure.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
When Life Hurts
“It’s amazing how fast your life can change.”
That’s what my good friend, Julie, said yesterday in ICU.
Thursday night she was in a car accident and was knocked unconscious. It was a scary night for all of her friends and family, and I couldn’t go to sleep until I found out that she had regained consciousness and was going to be okay, so I got 2 or 3 hours of sleep that night. Then I went to see her in ICU Friday morning with a couple other friends. They took the ventilator off right before we went in to see her. Her eyes were swollen shut so she couldn’t see us, and she couldn’t talk so she had to write everything. It was really hard for me; I can’t stand to see people hurting, especially people that I love, like Julie. I’ve never had anyone that close to me get hurt like that. I was always the one in the emergency room with a bloody face. It is so much easier for me to deal with my own pain than to see someone else in pain. I wish I could be stronger…If you need a friend to cry with you, I am the person to call; but when I am in ICU with my best friend, I’m not very good at being composed.
When I left the hospital, I got in my car, called my mom, and cried like a baby. Way to go, Lauren. I had to go home and pull myself together before I could go to work. Then I had to fight the winter weather to get to work, and I hadn’t even been at work 10 minutes before my boss called a staff meeting and gave a huge speech about his expectations, and how he wanted his firm to be run, and how he wanted us to treat each other, etc. I was like, seriously?? Do we have to have this speech now, because I don’t even want to be here right now since my friend is in ICU.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, because I’m glad he said all that, and it should have been said a long time ago, but my mind was not at work…I couldn’t focus all day long. I was so distracted, I tried to use my desk phone as a calculator…hmmm doesn’t work out so well lol. Friday was not a good day.
I went to see Julie again Saturday morning, and it was a little easier. She had one eye open and she was able to talk to us; it was good for me to hear her voice again.
I’m so grateful that she’s going to be okay. She won’t have to have surgery, and they moved her out of ICU. She started rehab which is not at all fun, so it’s going to be hard, but I just keep trying to focus on God’s plan through this situation.
I read through the sermon notes I had written when Jack Hagar talked about valleys. He said valleys are inevitable and impartial, but they are temporary. When we walk through valleys, our focus should be on God’s power, not on our problem. When we are weak, He is strong. Success in the crisis will never happen until there is success in the process.
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song called “Jesus Will Meet You There” after he lost his little girl, Maria. One of the lines in the song says “Whatever valley you must walk through, Jesus will meet you there.” If he can say that, and trust God’s faithfulness after losing a child, then can’t I trust Him with the valleys I am facing?? Jesus will meet you at work, He will meet you at the hospital, “Whatever road this life takes you down, Jesus will meet you there.” I totally believe it.
BTW, if you haven’t listened to SCC’s album called “Beauty Will Rise,” you should check it out. It has great songs with powerful messages. It's almost all I've listened to for the last two months. I love it. :)
That’s what my good friend, Julie, said yesterday in ICU.
Thursday night she was in a car accident and was knocked unconscious. It was a scary night for all of her friends and family, and I couldn’t go to sleep until I found out that she had regained consciousness and was going to be okay, so I got 2 or 3 hours of sleep that night. Then I went to see her in ICU Friday morning with a couple other friends. They took the ventilator off right before we went in to see her. Her eyes were swollen shut so she couldn’t see us, and she couldn’t talk so she had to write everything. It was really hard for me; I can’t stand to see people hurting, especially people that I love, like Julie. I’ve never had anyone that close to me get hurt like that. I was always the one in the emergency room with a bloody face. It is so much easier for me to deal with my own pain than to see someone else in pain. I wish I could be stronger…If you need a friend to cry with you, I am the person to call; but when I am in ICU with my best friend, I’m not very good at being composed.
When I left the hospital, I got in my car, called my mom, and cried like a baby. Way to go, Lauren. I had to go home and pull myself together before I could go to work. Then I had to fight the winter weather to get to work, and I hadn’t even been at work 10 minutes before my boss called a staff meeting and gave a huge speech about his expectations, and how he wanted his firm to be run, and how he wanted us to treat each other, etc. I was like, seriously?? Do we have to have this speech now, because I don’t even want to be here right now since my friend is in ICU.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, because I’m glad he said all that, and it should have been said a long time ago, but my mind was not at work…I couldn’t focus all day long. I was so distracted, I tried to use my desk phone as a calculator…hmmm doesn’t work out so well lol. Friday was not a good day.
I went to see Julie again Saturday morning, and it was a little easier. She had one eye open and she was able to talk to us; it was good for me to hear her voice again.
I’m so grateful that she’s going to be okay. She won’t have to have surgery, and they moved her out of ICU. She started rehab which is not at all fun, so it’s going to be hard, but I just keep trying to focus on God’s plan through this situation.
I read through the sermon notes I had written when Jack Hagar talked about valleys. He said valleys are inevitable and impartial, but they are temporary. When we walk through valleys, our focus should be on God’s power, not on our problem. When we are weak, He is strong. Success in the crisis will never happen until there is success in the process.
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song called “Jesus Will Meet You There” after he lost his little girl, Maria. One of the lines in the song says “Whatever valley you must walk through, Jesus will meet you there.” If he can say that, and trust God’s faithfulness after losing a child, then can’t I trust Him with the valleys I am facing?? Jesus will meet you at work, He will meet you at the hospital, “Whatever road this life takes you down, Jesus will meet you there.” I totally believe it.
BTW, if you haven’t listened to SCC’s album called “Beauty Will Rise,” you should check it out. It has great songs with powerful messages. It's almost all I've listened to for the last two months. I love it. :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
cereal bars and girl scout cookies
I'm stuck at work...again. This winter weather is bad enough that I can't go home for lunch today, so here I am at my desk deciding how I want to ration my cereal bars and girl scout cookies so I can get through the day without fainting from starvation. It won't kill me, I know...but I only got a muffin for breakfast so I'm rather hungry already...and it's only noon...sigh. I should look on the bright side and be grateful that I have a chance to update my blog because I'm always so busy that I don't get to do post. We did finally get internet at our new house, so maybe I will be better about posting...and I might even get a Facebook account now!!
If I can only survive the next 10 weeks, I will be doing good, and if I survive with my sanity intact, it will be a miracle!!
Okay, I'm getting REALLY HUNGRY!!!
Church was really good yesterday...my pastor was talking about how it's time to stop "playing church." We need to get serious about our Christian life and examine what we are doing that will count in eternity. It was very challenging, and gave me a lot to think about. I've really been praying about what God's will is for me this year...What is my purpose here? hmmm....It's kinda hard to focus on eternity when I don't even know how I will make it home tonight lol...
If I can only survive the next 10 weeks, I will be doing good, and if I survive with my sanity intact, it will be a miracle!!
Okay, I'm getting REALLY HUNGRY!!!
Church was really good yesterday...my pastor was talking about how it's time to stop "playing church." We need to get serious about our Christian life and examine what we are doing that will count in eternity. It was very challenging, and gave me a lot to think about. I've really been praying about what God's will is for me this year...What is my purpose here? hmmm....It's kinda hard to focus on eternity when I don't even know how I will make it home tonight lol...
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