What is it about Thursdays?

I think the collective world working or not seems to like Thursday on the calendar. I'd love to hear in comments from some of my connections that have the audacity to actually click on this post and read it to comment. Thursday is 4 days in to a 5 day work week which makes it the day before Friday which is the day before the weekend. So let us call Thursday Weekend Eve Eve. I've either completed a good amount of my tasks for the week or I'm almost at a point were I can say "It's almost over so don't worry about it." Thursday is not as fun as Friday but we have to rush to get things done since we are not going to do anything on Friday fun day. Thursday is the new Friday? Everyone is in a decent enough mood on Thursday with the anticipation of Friday. So is it Friday that makes Thursday so good? Can Thursday stand on its own as a good day? It's definitely not Monday that's for sure. Tuesday is the day after Monday and has become kind of the new Monday as the week kind of blends together. Am I proposing a new work week? not really but it would be fun to have a five day weekend from now on as the work week truly becomes Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday. Isn't it kind of like that already? When do you get the most work done? Wednesday is hump day or the day you yell "What day is it?" especially if there is a camel or a guy named Mike around. (Those of you who don't watch Geico Commercials will just have to deal) So let's get back to Thursday or as I call it. "Get stuff done day so we can party on Friday!"

8 Things I wanted to share :-)

1. I love serving people :-) but if I had to choose one serving opportunity over another it would be my annual role as Santa at Bardwell Elementary for the Gift Mart. Love this day! please help donate toys. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Giftmart/135655846535568 message me if you want to donate but don't know how or if you want more info and you want to volunteer. 2. I lead a small group (Midweek Men) on Wednesday mornings at 6am and I typically I get up at 4:45am so I can get there to make the coffee and setup. This group of guys is very special to me and I'm so proud in how much they have all grown together as a group over the last few years. (I learned from the best! yep that's you nick plassman.) 3.Sometimes I'm really hard on myself. We have had some rough patches in the past five years and I struggle with letting go and just letting God sort it all out sometimes. 4.I love holidays because I love family and we don't do enough together. My brothers and I are all busy all the time. Too busy and we only see each other on holidays and it shouldn't be like that. 5.My favorite holiday is Easter and we have hosted Lambapalooza for four years now and I can't wait for next year and your invited! yep you ... all of you :-) bring a dish. If your vegetarian don't worry "I make Lamb!" 6.The best and worst day of my life was April 11, 2008. "Brain Surgery Day" I got another chance at life and i'm trying to live it to the fullest even if it means I'm going to drive my family crazy doing it. :-) 7.I love to travel and never get to do enough of it. most of all I love to travel with my family and we never get to do enough of it. 8.There is a story behind everyone. Good or bad remember that your story makes you who you are and thats ok. If things are not going your way and it seems like your just screwing up all the time. "I get it" but, you decide the next step and you can choose a new path every day and you are never the sum of your past mistakes. to quote Tenth Avenue North You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, you've been remade. —

Making Room for Life and living it to the full.

If you don't know already I attend www.communitychristian.org and the current sermon series "Making Room For Life" is almost coming to a close. I really like the way this series applies to life, my life in particular. This last weekend we heard about making room for generosity. Basically, living your life to the full. John 10:10 New International Version (NIV) 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. This leads me to questions: How can I live to the full? How can I live generously for God? God has blessed me with certain talents and capabilities, am I using them to honor God? What does living full look like? I shall ponder on this and return.

Thank You Sher For Reminding Us (Me)

Thank you Sherilyn for reminding us, I mean me. We quickly lose focus as we go about our crazy busy lives and thats not good. We have an opportunity to bless the people around us with the love of Jesus everyday and in every circumstance. Easy? Nobody said it was going to be easy! http://justembrace.org/fools-golden-rule/

Rand Paul Review

I can recall no utterance of Jesus in favor of war or any acts of aggression. In fact, his message to his disciples was one of non-resistance. I do not believe that means that we don't defend ourselves. I believe individuals and countries can and should defend themselves. But I simply can't imagine Jesus at the head of any army of soldiers and I think as Christians we need to be wary of the doctrine of pre-emptive war. We must and should stand with our fellow Christians in the Middle East and around the world-but that does not necessarily mean war and it certainly does not mean arming sides in every conflict. Jesus, himself, reminds us of this in the Sermon on the Mount, when he proclaims, Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Today, we have a culture that accepts the wanton disposal of millions of innocent children, and sends aid to countries that persecute Christians. . . . . I, for one, will not rest until this injustice ends. As Christians, we understand that the right to life, and freedom of religion, pre-exist all government. These rights are not granted to man by other men, these rights are granted to us by our Creator. God, help us in these troubling times to make wise decisions, to make moral decisions, and to listen to the voice of God that lives and breathes and resides in us all. Amen. ~ Rand Paul

The Problem Is Us!

How do we pay for the price of our government?

Every day is a blessing!

Recently my wife wrote this incredible note. I can't add too much to it other than thank you and I feel blessed to have the family and friends that I have.


4 yrs ago this week ... feels like 20 yrs ago, and sometimes, feels like yesterday. Trauma is weird. Christos & I are grateful for friends who've helped us in the really bad times, from April 2008 to now. We are growing, learning. It's as painful as ever but I know God is at work for our good.

I'll never forget the super foreboding feeling I had 4 yrs ago this week. There was a darkness, a superior heaviness in my soul that could not be seen, that final day of our family vacation, but it was most certainly felt ... but, even then, I felt God telling me "everything is going to be ok".

I'll never forget the presence of God in the 25 hour car drive home from Orlando to Chicago, and knowing that ... had I indeed stopped at my friend Tammy's home in Nashville, at 11 p.m., her husband would've made sure Christos would've gotten top medical care. As it was, I drove straight through to Naperville, and the Neurosurgeon in the ER just happened to be one of the best in the business.
I'll never forget the panic of "this isn't happening", the next morning I found Christos unresponsive at home. The helpless feeling of waiting for the ambulance to arrive & having a kind neighbor offer to help in any way.
I'll never ever forget the feeling of God holding me as that doctor sat me down to let me know he wasn't sure if Christos was going to make it.
I'll never forget the way my beloved husband behaved on steroids in the ICU, for 5 days, while waiting for the go ahead for brain surgery. Steroids that no doubt, saved his life. Steroids that turned him into a total weirdo that told bad jokes & whose main words were "I'm good" , several times a minute, but ... you know, the nurses understood & took great care of him. ;) The ICU nurses at Edward were simply outstanding.
I'll never forget the drain coming out of Christos' brain - and perhaps, never will our Sofia either ... 'cause I'll never forget the nervous breakdown she had, minutes after seeing her Dad post-surgery. She really wanted to see her Daddy, and I gave in ... was it the best decision? I don't know, but what did Christos say to her? "I'm good". ;)

I'll never forget the church friends who showed up the morning of the surgery, at our home & at the hospital, to just "be there" ... and the church friends who arranged childcare for many days, so I could be in the hospital without worry. I do believe I'm STILL finding out who has been at my house when I wasn't there, hehe. Such wonderful people ... thank you for being such a blessing to us.

I'll never forget taking care of my husband's 24-hr IV, twice a day for 3 months, how easily I slipped into "nurse" mode & how encouraging the nurses were to me, telling me I'd make a great nurse. I'll never forget the head-to-toe hives Christos broke out into for days on end, after being on multiple meds for over 2 months. I'm sure Christos will never forget that sensation either ... yikes! That was pure torture, ya'll.

Little by little, the stressors were removed: he survived the brain surgery brilliantly. His PICC line went in easily, and stayed that way for the 3 month duration. He was weaned off of steroids (thank you sweet baby Jesus!), each med was removed one at a time, Christos returned to work, from the dining room table at home ... then ... the economy tanked. Big time. Christos began job transitions, several job transitions, within a year. His beloved , precious mother passed away.

I'll never forget Yia Yia "Kula". She lived with us for a total of 8 yrs. She taught me basic conversational Greek, often with much laughter thrown in. She taught me to enjoy each day, and moment, as it came. Taking care of her the last 2 yrs she stayed with us, was the biggest challenge of my character & it saddens me to say I wasn't always the most cheerful caregiver - but the rewards, I can't count them all. What a blessing she was in our lives!! She taught me so much, more than I can still comprehend. She was a brilliant example of unconditional love & source of comfort and joy in our home - even when she was yelling at her Greek soap operas. Dear God, I loved that woman. I am sure she is having a party up in Heaven with You, dancing & singing.

I'll never forget the next 4 years of blessings in disguise (ie, painful situations) when we ended up on Food Stamps due to no income, fighting our way out of that, only to have our home go into foreclosure. I'll never forget the feeling of "being served" those court papers & wondering "what's next, God?"

I'll never forget joining the workforce again (part-time) after being a full-time Stay At Home Mom for 14 years. I'll never forget the wonderful coworkers I had at the various jobs I took on between October 2009-May 2011. I'll never forget realizing that I needed to find a full-time job in order for us to save our home ... and I will never forget the feeling of fighting our way OUT of foreclosure & saving our home. We went with what we felt God was telling us to do & boom, we snatched our home back away from the clutches of the bank. I feel terribly sad, however, every time I see an empty home. Each home has a story & I can't help but wonder ...

It's been 4 years. Last week I worked 46 hours away from home. As much as I love my full-time job, my heart aches to be away from my kids when I know they need my help. I'm super blessed to have an amazing husband who is great with kids & who helps out so much at home. We would be a mess without him here. I am so thankful God chose to let him stay. 4 years later, I've got a lot more gray hair. 30 less pounds on my bones. Some more "character lines" on my face, and some serious undereye circles. haha. 4 yrs later, I've discovered I'm not the person I thought I was (that's both good & bad). I've grown cynical, sassy & impatient. Often, I don't like who I am. Maybe that's just the lack of rest, I don't know. I've become more direct in communication & find myself encouraging others to "see the big picture" on almost a daily basis. Yet, I'm a details person. I am a walking contradiction. I am still learning, apparently, how to live "one day at a time". Christos & I have had to make some gut-wrenching decisions each one of the past 4 yrs - and it does NOT get easier. People don't fully understand our decisions sometimes & you know, that's ok. While I may be more cynical, sassy & impatient, I am less judgemental. One cannot simply understand what another has gone through ... and I do not expect others to understand the battles in my mind & heart that have raged since April 2008.

For instance ... this was going to be a simple status update. Whoops. "Note" it is.

One thing has remained steadfast in the chaos of the past 4 years & one thing alone. God. He is always there, never changing, never wavering, forever faithful. I pray blessings on all our dear friends, neighbors, coworkers, & family. May you know just how deeply God loves you & wants the best for you! If you are struggling with the day-to-day, don't hesitate to contact me, I would love to give you encouragement. Keep fighting for what's best, and do not settle for any less! Mwah!

Derailed! Going off the Rails on the "Crazy Train!"

Keynesianism Part I - It's All About Spending

-> Being Better

Time to renew and restart!Time to be Better! Better at what?

My goal is to be a Better Man! Which leads to -> Being Better!

HOW?

Enjoy Life, Smile, Begin things, Finish, Do It, LOL, Pray More, Read -> Being Better!

Learn More, Sell More, Play More, Act -> Being Better!

Write, Love, Listen, help, Bless, believe -> Being Better!

Be Nice, Be Helpful, Be courteous, Be Encouraging -> Being Better!

Slow Down, Enjoy, Cherish, Hug, Sing -> Being Better!

Care, Understand, Change, Be a Part of -> Being Better!

Be Honest, Fix, Heal, Forgive, Serve -> Being Better!

Dance, Sing, Enjoy, ROFL -> Being Better!

Eat Better, Exercise, Sleep -> Being Better!

What would make you Better?

People need to start to see the big picture.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-paychecks-perception-propaganda-power

What if.....

It's time to defend this country! Let's listen to our veterans and not just pay them homage.

Newt is not who you think he is. You don't have to dig deep!

Word UP!

You can find the best explanation of it and the current lists for 2010 and 2011 from Word Play Masters website here.

Here are the winners: (this is the 2009 list)

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an ass****.

3. Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future..

6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee (n.) The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.) Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate (v.) To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.) To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.) Impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.) Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph (v.) To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n.) Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence (n.) Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run
over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.) A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.) A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.) The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n.) A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.) A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.) The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

For 30 Years he was right and nobody listened. Now, he isn't just trying to get elected. He's trying to make history by changing the future!

November 17 is currently observed as a holiday in Greece for all educational establishments

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Polytechnic_uprising

The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. The uprising began on November 14, 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta, anti-US and anti-imperialist revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November 17 after a series of events starting with a tank crashing through the gates of the Polytechnic.

Legacy

Diomedes Komnenos, only 16 when he was killed, is one of the youngest victims of the junta crackdown.
November 17 is currently observed as a holiday in Greece for all educational establishments; commemorative services are held and students attend school only for these, while some schools and all universities stay closed during the day. The central location for the commemoration is the campus of the Polytechneio. The campus is closed on the 15th (the day the students first occupied the campus on 1973). Students and politicians lay wreaths on a monument within the Polytechneio on which the names of Polytechneio students killed during the Greek Resistance in the 1940s are inscribed. The commemoration day ends traditionally with a demonstration that begins from the campus of the Polytechneio and ends at the United States embassy.
The student uprising is hailed by many as a valiant act of resistance against the military dictatorship, and therefore as a symbol of resistance to tyranny. Others believe that the uprising was used as a pretext by Brigadier Dimitrios Ioannides to put an abrupt end to the process of ostensible liberalisation of the regime undertaken by Spiros Markezinis.