Dependency

After reading todays chapter in Purpose Driven Life, 

I'm really feeling its confirmation for what I think God is telling me. "Don't mistake activity for productivity". I spend way to much time on my computer. Talking...looking at people's lives...looking things up on google...

I may do a lot of things on it, but none very productive. Back are the days of phone-books, libraries and driving to a place to get my answer. I feel like its also self-control and trying not to depend on material things...(feel like i'm gonna get blasted for that last part). Besides...imagine if one day all your material possessions are gone? then what... Idk, I feel like God is telling me to fully depend on Him, I just don't know how to fully comprehend it yet. 

How would you go through your day without your phone, computer, car, etc... My car was just in the shop for two days. Reminds me of a few months ago when I didn't have a car, and a scooter that broke down all the time. Maybe that was just God trying to prepare for this journey He's about to send me on. 

I indulge in a lot of things now that I was never raised to indulge in. I wasn't allowed on the phone for hours on end. (Couldn't pay me to be on the phone for more than hour now, but thats because of this wonderful thing called texting.) I'm sure if I had texting back then I would have been limited to 20 texts a day or something ridiculous. (I used to send about 800 texts a day 2 years ago, no joke. I am so glad I don't idolize my phone like that anymore.) When I was a teen, I was only allowed online for an hour a day. I was only allowed 2 soda's a day. Tv was for after 3 on fridays and on the weekends, and only an hour a day. I used to find this absolutely ridiculous but I am thinking now maybe its not... 


I wanted to indulge in all of it so bad, but then I would see my friends who would zone out while watching tv and you couldn't get their attention... I knew people who just COULD NOT live without their coffee in the mornings. (uh oh...might be guilty of that now, except with mountain dew....) Or people who would get headaches if they didn't eat chocolate at some point during the day. The cool thing about my self control back then, is I wasn't afraid of anything. Power went out for two weeks during the hurricane, and I was fine...I was a little upset I couldn't shower but I worked a job, I needed to smell good... Anyways my point is, I think God wants me to cut out all this "stuff" in my life. Rely on him. I'll get it all fine-tuned eventually... I need to start working on it though... Its gonna be tough getting rid 
of these habits. But I bet time will be way better spent than it seems to be lately. 

Cutting Lines

Matt is mowing lawns today and he requested that I have mac n cheese ready for him when he got home. 

So I head on down to Aldi's to pick up some milk for his dish. I pull in, and find a parking spot close to the front and proceed to pull in. Before I have a chance to slow down, a white SUV comes flying from the opposite direction, in MY lane, and takes the parking spot. 

....Just kidding! 

I thought to myself, "wow..." but then, remembering patience, "no biggie, there is a spot right here." so I park. We both get out and look at each other. I gave her a friendly smile, and kept walking. I go straight back to get the milk and come back up front to check out. There is kind of a long line but there normally is. 

Next thing I know, the SAME lady comes up and steps right in front of me. My heart started racing, I was thinking "are you serious? how can you just blantantly take my parking spot AND cut in front of me in line..." but I took a deep breath, prayed, and let it go. She turns around and says "I forgot something" and heads back in the store. I was like oh okay :) that works out. About 5 minutes later, she comes back and cuts right in front of me. AGAIN. I opened my mouth, about to blurt out "Uh maam thats the 3rd time you've cut me off today!" but I shut my mouth really quick, remembering fools are quick to speak and act. 
A cashier comes over and says to me,


"I can take you over here" 


I thought "YESSSSSS thank you LORD" and I start over to her line. THEN the lady screams out "DAT WHITE BITCH CUT THE LINE!" I didn't turn around. I didn't look at her. I didn't say anything. I prayed quietly in my head. I checked out and felt her staring me down as I walked out the door. 


So typical that all of that would seriously bother me, but I made it out with no harsh words and kept God in the front of my mind the whole time. This is just proof that God really is working in my life...cuz everyone who has known me for a while, knows that I would have called her out the first time she cut me. And when she yelled out that I CUT the line, that would have turned into a screaming match. Not anymore. Thank you Jesus. 

Coke Bottles

Once upon a time there were two sisters named Emily and Susan. Emily was the oldest of 4 girls, and Susan was the baby. Grown up, and living next door to each other, these two sisters spent almost all their time together. Emily and Susan used to try and find ways to make a little extra money so they could enjoy the small things like a coke and potato chips. 

So they got the idea to gather up as many coke bottles as they could and turn them into Win Dixie for .10 cents a bottle. (You used to be able to do that back then.)

So off they went, a-searching for every coke bottle they could find...and filled up an entire paper bag, over-flowing, with coke bottles. The two sisters hopped in the car and headed down to the grocery store. 

Not really my mom.

Emily picked up the bag, which was quite heavy and started up towards the store with her sister Susan by her side. Noticing that she was struggling, and probably looked a bit silly, she passed the bag off to Susan and said,

"You go take it in, I'll wait outside!"

Susan, being smaller than Emily, struggled a little bit more, but felt confident she could take this over-flowing bag of coke bottles into Win-Dixie. She struggled along, not realizing some left over coke in the bottom of the bottles had dripped down to the bottom of the paper bag, making it easy to tear. When she was nearing the door, that's exactly what happened. The bag tore open and their 50-something coke bottles hit the ground, shattering, making an ear piercing noise. Emily took off running to the car even more embarrassed than before, and a little shook up. 

(not really my mom)

Susan saw her running and ran after her. Susan got to the car and said,

"Why did you leave me?!"

Emily replied,  "It made such a loud noise Susan!"

Susan got inside and sat down, a little out of breath. Emily looked over at her and said,

"Guess we're not getting a coke and potato chips today, are we?"  

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That story is about my Aunt Susan and my Mommy. I have been missing my Mom a whole lot lately. (Along with my Dad of course.) So I called Susan and asked her to tell me some stories about my Mom when she was my age. This story was so endearing to me. 

RIP Emily Granger Thompson, February 1, 1953-July 2, 2006