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A few things about my home/hometown that may differ from yours:

• You can go to the coffee shop and have a conversation with 70% of the people who come in (case and point, I'm at the BRCC now and have seen 12 people I know so far... and only about 8 have come in that I've never seen before)
• The cashier at the coffee shop knows my name and the fact that I go to ECU... and she graduated 3 years before me
• I live in "Uptown Shelby" yet have land that takes up an entire block.
• My dad can tell me to get a basket from the barn and I have to ask which barn...and again, I live in uptown
• We have 0 Starbucks (sorry Urkos)
• I still know the majority of the seniors at Shelby High School
• And quite a good number of the underclassmen
• You know exactly where someone lives when they tell you they moved into the _____'s old house
• Some of the biggest news in town recently has been whether or not to allow alcholic beverages be served to people seated outside at uptown restaurants
• If you try to go to the grocery store and not see anyone you know, you fail
• Every elderly person I meet asks me if I am Shem and Martha Blackley's granddaugther. I am in fact....
• When giving directions it is rare to go without saying pass by so and so's house, then turn on to the road that so and so lives on.

Oh Shelby. How you make me laugh.

I love it.

Out of the mouths of babes Part 2

Last week when I was driving Mac home from school, we had some really fun interactions. He's normally very calm and not very talkative in the afternoons, but this day he was something else!
I was taking him to Toys R Us to spend some of his birthday money.. as we pulled into the parking lot, I made a smart comment about him buying something from Babys R Us instead.
He responded: I could get something from there for my girlfriend...she's a baby.
me: Mac, that's not a nice thing to say about your girlfriend!
Mac: Well she acts like one.
Me: How so
Mac: She just does. But everyone in our class says we're going to get married and have a baby. When we say we aren't and argue back, they say, 'that's right, you're going to adopt'
Me: Whooooa you don't need to think about getting married yet, you're only in 4th grade, I'M not even thinking about that and I'm in college!
Mac: I know. But if we were go get married, it would work because we're both on the same timeline
Me: What do you mean?
Mac: We're both ten.

Not sure what that last bit means.. but okay!
The following day he gets in the car and after a few minutes I ask:
Did you talk to your girlfriend today?
Mac: Yeah, I'm thinking about breaking up with her
Me: What? Why?
Mac: I don't know
Me: You don't?
Mac: Well, she is attracted to my other friend and he makes her laugh more, so I think she likes him now.

Oh 4th grade love.

Absent

This is an apology...for the past and future for my absense on blogging. Not that many of you care or rely on my posting often.. but I'll flatter myself a little and pretend like it may make a difference to half of a cell in your body.
I'll leave it simply-8 projects due by the end of the month take a toll on you. Add in weekly assignments in classes, little diddys for fun that teachers throw in, and the normal reading and studying and you have one stressed college junior.
Comprende? Neat.
Ciao

Precious Hampton

And here is another "out of the mouths of babes" episode courtesy of 4 year old Hampton.

Yesterday I load him up in his car seat, close the door, circle around the car, climb in my door, and just as I sit down he says, "Miss Baird," and if that isn't precious enough, "Do you like to move it, move it?"

HOW THE HECK DOES HE KNOW ME SO WELL? I LOVE to move it move it. Especially while watching the credits of Madagascar with my roommate and ex-suitemates. Last year we would watch and dance...and I can't lie.. we were good. We pretty much memorized the dance sequence. Because we're 7 years old and all.

Here is a youtube I like to move it from Madagascar 2. I think it will be our next hit performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a91pJDut50E

Yummy!

So I looove toast with butter and cinnamon sugar. But we have no butter in my apartment right now. (Weird..) So I made it with peanut butter instead! WOW. Its so amazing. Plus its more protein which is great since I just got a crazy workout...aka...went to my indoor soccer game but only had 4 people on the team so we had to run around like crazy kids. I was in goal second half (btw I've never played in the goal before... mainly bc I flinch when the ball is being hurled at me) but anyways... I was in goal. It was so funny. I just talked to all the players and spectators the whole time. :) It must have worked as a distraction bc they only scored once. And it was really close to the end. And I ALMOST blocked it. But I did block like 5 others. :) I can't lie.. I'm proud. Of my goalie ability and of my chef abilities.

With heartfelt prayer

So often when talking with other believers about difficulties in our lives or decisions we face, they ask us if we have prayed about it. If you are like me, you say, "Yes, of course I've prayed about it... but I haven't gotten an answer."
So often we pray to God for direction or answers or consolation... anything...but we feel our attempts are futile. Some lose hope, re-evaluate, and begin to turn to others for direction, but that is not at all what we need. In our re-evaluation, we should see that our attempts are in fact, futile...but futile in a different definition.

The first futile that I referenced is by the definition: trifling, frivolous, unimportant. The second, is every different....but also the definition of futile: ineffective, useless.

Amazing how one goes from placing the blame on God... the one who hears our prayers, to placing it on us... the one throwing the prayers out to God.
This verse from Hosea has come up multiple times this week... this week in which I have been in a lot of prayer about decisions that need to be made.
They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. Hosea 7:14-NLT
This verse let me know that in conversation with God, I need to honestly let Him into my heart in order for His will in my life to be done. Let me be done with wailing on my couch...my couch of comfort and security...and open up my heart to him, so that all my prayers will be the laying out of my soul to the creator of all.

Challenge those around you to do the same. Challenge them to be heartfelt and sincere, for OUR God knows the difference, and he doesn't put up with futile calls for help.

Lake

I thought I just heard a jet ski go by. But since I am in my apartment in Greenville, I really find that highly unlikely.

But I think that means I'm very much ready to be on my dock at my lake house.