25% Dixie? Yikes.

The real question is this: Where did that Yankee come from?

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English

25% Dixie

15% Yankee

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Volleyball.

I really, really love volleyball. It is far and away my favorite sport. I never get to play - it's not an easy sport to just throw a game together. But on Saturday at our end-of-the-year bash for the junior high at church, I got to play. A lot. And I loved every minute of it. I especially enjoy teaching people to play. I spent a Saturday a few weeks ago teaching one of the girls to play because she wanted to try out for the high school team next year. She had a lot of natural talent, and I think she could be really good one day. If she would just go to the tryouts. That's right, folks. She missed the tryouts. Good times. But I loved teaching her about the sport. It's hard not to force strategy and plays and fake-outs on a bunch of 7th graders just playing for fun. I would really like to find a way to coach volleyball somehow. Maybe a league or something. I need an outlet for my overwhelming desire to tell people how to do something.

The Cast.

Two posts in one day. Look out! I thought I would take a minute and talk about the people whose names will probably pop up in my little blogging adventure. Aaron - my husband and favorite person ever. We've been married for almost three years, and it's been the most fun I've ever had. He is extremely funny in a very dry sort of way, has great taste in music, makes excellent breakfasts and is one of the smartest people I know. The Family - my mom Nelda; dad Rick; and sister Chelsea. They are individually awesome and collectively insane. They live in Dallas and I miss them terribly. The Other Family - Aaron's mom Judi; Dad Dan; brothers Chad and Brian and Brian's wife Allison. I couldn't ask for better in-laws - some of my favorite times are just sitting with them and hearing stories about growing up with three boys. Steve and Jessi - our dear friends and partners in crime. Steve used to be the youth pastor at our church and we met them through working with the kids. They just adopted the most amazing little baby on the planet and have one very scary cat. Wendy and Curtis - our first Nashville friends. They are like real actual adults, not kids faking it like I feel we are so much of the time. They are so much fun and we are thankful for friends we can travel with and dig through their cabinets if we need to. Trisha and Jay - Trisha was my first real friend here. She and Jay are tons of fun, and have three of the most adorable children I have ever seen. They all think they are my favorite. Bible Study folks - when we first moved here, we got involved in a couple's bible study through one of Aaron's coworkers. Three years later, we are still together. I love that it's not attached to any particular church, just a gathering of friends to talk about God. Church Friends - due to the above, it took us a while to make actual friends at church. But through working with the youth group, we have met some great people. We are happy to share meals, lives and ministry with these folks, even if some of them do have deer on the wall that I am slightly afraid of. The girls - the group of 8th graders I've been working with for the past two years. It has been an indescribable experience to watch them grow from scared 7th graders to confident high schoolers. They provide insight and perspective that no jaded adult could offer. I am sad they are moving up and away from me!

God's Politics.

Last night we attended a book tour at the Belcourt. The author was Jim Wallis, and his current book is called God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It. Pretty interesting stuff. His basic premise is that there is a movement beginning from somewhere in the center. That there are thousands, maybe millions, of people out there who watch the debate and power struggle between the left and the right and don't see anyone out there who believes what they believe. As someone who has felt that way most of my adult life, I was an eager listener. I have always stuggled with the 'religious right', for many reasons. It upsets me to see Christians blindly follow one side because the leader claims to be a believer. I know a lot of believers, most of them do things I disagree with. That is okay. It's not unchristian to be against the war, or for gay marriage, or against tax cuts. The idea that if you consider yourself a Christian, you are automatically a republican is not only wrong, but dangerous, and I think if people would really examine what they are signing up for they would think twice. He talked a lot about how the conservative platform has been concentrated on two issues - abortion and gay marriage. These are two issues I feel strongly about, probably moreso than others. Why is that? I think they have been drilled into us for years, and we've had to figure out our opinions on them. What about the others? Why don't we hear sermons and messages on the environment, or social justice, or poverty? Something else he said really struck me. We are so concerned about abortion; about the destruction of human life. And we should be. But the government seems to only be concerned until they are born. After that? On your own. While we certainly should be concerned about the staggering number of abortions performed every day, that's not the real problem. The real problem is the staggering number of unwanted pregnancies. How do we keep women from being in that position in the first place? And how do we help them provide for those children once they are born, since we're so intent that they have them? How do we make it easier for those children to be adopted, or go to better schools, or get the help they need to make better choices for themselves? The crowd was an interesting one. Probably more left-leaning than me, and certainly more outspoken. The event provided a place for people who I think might take a little too much liberty with thier faith to have a voice. And I think entwining too much politics with your faith can be dangerous. I heard a lot of opinions, some I agreed with and some I definitely didn't, but they all challenged me, which was the point. I'm not sure how I feel about all of this, or what I will do once I figure it out. One of the greatest things about the event was the music. Ashley Cleveland, Buddy Miller and Jars of Clay. Unreal. I was blown away by Ashley Cleveland. Her voice has grit; you can hear her convictions and struggles in every word she sings. Buddy Miller was awesome, as usual, and Jars of Clay added depth to the whole thing. I was never a huge fan of them until Who We Are Instead, but now going back I enjoy their old stuff much more than I did when it first came out. Their sound just gets you moving.

Grace for everyone.

Yesterday on my way back to the office, a homeless woman aproached my open driver's side window. She said she just needed a quarter to make bus fare. I have a little cubby hole on my dashboard next to the steering wheel where I keep loose change, so I reached in and gave her one. Then she said if I have her two quarters, she could get all the way home. I knew she was probably lying, had seen all the change I had and was taking advantage, but I gave it to her anyway. She started to walk away, then came back and reached into my car and grabbed a handful of change out of the cubby. I grabbed her hand. It was a reflex - if I'd been thinking I wouldn't have done it. She wasn't letting go, though, and after slamming my hand into the window she took off running, yelling at me to drive away and leave her alone. The whole thing really upset me. I rolled my windows up and drove away, and my eyes started welling up with tears. Why did she think she could just take my money, money that I had worked hard for? Why does she spend her days walking around asking for money? What is she so desperate for that she will steal from someone right in front of their face? What would she have done to me if I'd said no? I have always struggled with how to relate to homeless people and panhandlers. There are countless cheesy Christian songs about how that guy on the corner could be an angel, he just needs a friend, as you do to the least of these, etc. They're very dramatic and certainly succeed in making you feel bad about yourself. Then you hear about how there are guys who make $80K a year panhandling, and go home each day to a big house in the suburbs. What are we supposed to do? Avoid eye contact and mentally urge the light to change? Or roll down the window and put ourselves at risk? Ironically, this week I've been studying about God's grace. About how without it, we're all screwed, because we will never be good enough on our own. The best of the best of the best will never be able to do it for themselves. We are inately sinful and evil, and only by His grace can we even lift our heads every morning. I have every capability inside of me to be that woman on the street, stealing money out of people's cars. What makes me better than her? Why do I have a job and a house and a bed and a car with spare change inside that doesn't make a difference to my life? Why does she need those couple of dollars so badly she would steal for it? I don't have the answer. All I have is a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about what happened yesterday. What should I have done differently? What should my attitude be towards her? Will I be wrong to roll up my windows next time I approach a red light in a bad neighborhood? In Blue Like Jazz, Don Miller says he has a hard time accepting grace because he doesn't want to be charity. He wants to earn it, to do good things on earth for God, and in return God will give him His grace. Like they are buddies, doing favors for each other. I think I feel the same way sometimes. Sure, I need grace, but not like SHE does. God's grace is for everyone, and everyone needs it just as badly as everyone else. No one is above it.

It's pass-set-hit, not bump-set-spike.

So it's been a few days since I've posted. This is because while I did say I would start a blog, I never said I'd be good at it. I spent my afternoon yesterday teaching a volleyball mini-clinic to one of the girls in our youth group. She called me last week asking if I could teach her how to play because her tryouts are Thursday and by the way, she's never played before. Awesome. Well it turns out that she's pretty freaking great at it. She's got a lot of power and is very quick on her feet. It wasn't so much a lesson as just having practice, and it was a blast. I spent a lot of the time telling her how awesome she is, which makes me nervous. It's true, but there is a good chance that her coach may not be as smart as I am. And if she doesn't make the team I will not be happy.

The Top Five Everything.

To kick things off, and becuase I really really love lists, here are my lists of the top EVERYTHING. As of today - It all changes tomorrow. Except for Romy and Michele. Books Till We Have Faces - CS Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis (I'm counting them as one. Wanna fight?) A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Kidd Blue Like Jazz - Don Miller (I am trying hard not to jump on the bandwagon, but I can't help it. I love this book.) Movies Almost Famous Romy and Michele's High School Reunion Hands on a Hard Body (a documentary about a contest to win a truck by keeping your hand on it the longest... genius.) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Steel Magnolias Movie Quotes In eleven years it will be 1984, think about THAT! Want to see me feed a mouse to my snake? YES. - Almost Famous You know, even though we've watched Pretty Woman like thirty-six times, I never get tired of making fun of it. - Romy and Michele How many of them Snicker bars you had? How many of them breaks we had? - Hands on a Hard Body I apply my personality in a paste. - ESOTSM If you can't say anything nice, come sit by me! - Steel Magnolias Records Songs for Silverman - Ben Folds Behold the Lamb of God - Andrew Peterson (Amazing.) Room Noises - Eisley Tapestry - Carole King Live in Texas - Lyle Lovett Songs Romeo on the Radio - The Normals Jesusland - Ben Folds All These Things That I've Done - The Killers Montana - Venus Hum Twentysomething - Jamie Cullum Foods baked ziti ceasar salad fresh mozzerella chicken fajita tacos teriyaki salmon Desserts tiramisu mini eclairs Reece's PB cup Sonic Blast apple pie a la mode Blue Bell ice cream Places I've Lived our townhouse our tiny apartment with the animals in the walls and the killer bugs on the patio West Hall at UNT with Lori, the hairy-legged harpist Beall Hall at UMHB with Allison 908 Via Avenida Stores Crate and Barrel Sephora Anthropologie TJ Maxx Cosmetics Market Websites www.televisionwithoutpity.com www.tomatonation.com www.wordcount.org www.allrecipes.com www.makeupalley.com

The very first one.

So... blogging. I had every intention of never doing this. Why now? No idea. Most likely because it is 9:55pm, and I am impatiently waiting for my husband to come home so we can watch the finale of the Amazing Race, also known as the best show on network TV. I can't speak for cable, as we not only just have the networks, but still have RABBIT EARS. They don't currently have aluminum foil and coat hangers attached to them, but I wouldn't put it past us. NBC just doesn't come in right.