I so totally stole this from Betty Rubble, a blog I follow. Go visit her to find out more, but first read my list.
1. Introduce yourself...Im Amanda, but my friends call me Mandi. I live in a small town in Indiana. I do not have children thanks to rotten eggs and a husband with soldiers who don't march. We are a match made in Heaven! We have two dogs that are our family, and a cat who graces us with attention when she deems it necceisary.
2. If it’s Wednesday at noon, where are you usually? Work, getting ready to go to lunch.
3. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Gain. I love the smell!
4. What brand of shampoo is in your shower right now? Redkin and Biolage; both for color treated hair
5. Did you ever get into a bar and drink before you were 21? Probably but I can't honestly remember...but even then I wasn't a heavy drinker...
6. What countries have you been to? Canada, the United States, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, France, Austria, Switzerland, Wales, Germany
7. Do you watch MTV anymore? I never really did. And right now we do not even have a TV so I don't watch anything at all!
8. What do you think about Oprah? I dislike her. She seems genuine, but I personally think its an act. She does the big giveaways but acts so pious about them. They are always rediculous things too. I wont be surprized when I hear she gave away something so crazy like a humpback wale! EVERYBODY GETS HUMP BACK WAAAALLLEES! I also think she tells fibs...I saw once where she claimed that she weighed 135. MY RIGHT EYE! Plus she has kind of went looney tunes on the whole issue of God. Enough said.
9. What color are your bed sheets? The ones currently hanging on the line, which will go back on the bed, are yellow. They are my favorite because they are so soft.
10. You need a new pair of jeans: what store do you go to first? Vanity
11. Did you ever watch The O.C.? Never.
12. What kind of car do you drive? I love my Saturn Vue. Her name is Vivian.
13. Honestly, is that car insured? You bet....has to be with the way I drive. Ha!
14. Do you like sushi? Love it!
15. Have you ever been to Tiffany & Co. or Saks 5th Ave? Yes to both...but only to window shop.
16. Did your parents spoil you growing up? Yes. My husband would say they still spoil me now. :)
17. Do you like roller coasters? Nope. I used to love them and then discovered a few years back that I am now terrified of them. I freaked out so much the coaster attendant had me get off the ride before they even started it. As I was doing the walk of shame down the exit ramp I heard a young boy mutter to me "BABY!" Thats me: called out by a 6 year old! It was tramatic at the time but is now a quite funny story!
18. What magazine(s) do you buy regularly or subscribe to? Bass Master, Simple and Deliscious, and Budget Travel
19. Do you remember the WB show “Popular”? Nope, never heard of it.
20. When you go out do you prefer to go to a dance club or to a bar? A small hole in the wall bar....the greasier the better.
21. What do you think about gay marriage? I prefer to refrain from comment.
22. Who do you think Obama will run against and, if he does, will he be re-elected? Im not sure who he will run against but Im praying its someone who can beat him. His policies stink!
23. Are you registered to vote? Yes, if you don't vote you have no right to complain.
24. Do you own an iPod? I own a shuffle and a Nano....both anchient.
25. Is your bathroom filled with beauty stuff? Yep! I love hair products, lotions, perfumes, and make up. I especially love Bare Minerals make up!
26. What do you normally smell like? Old Spice Denali deoderant (I sweat like a man and wear mensdeoderant!) and whatever lotions/perfume I felt like that day.
27. Do you like Carrie Underwood? Eh....I could take her or leave her. I'll listen to her if she's the only thing on the radio.
28. Been to “The Vegas”? Nope...but I'd love to go someday
29. How far away do you live from your parents? 20 minutes from Dad, 3.5 hours from Mom.
30. Are you happy with your job? I like the people I work with. It puts money in the savings account. (Hows that for a PC answer?)
31. Where do you work and what do you do there? My company has a policy that does not allow me to state where I work. Lets just say its in the medical field.
32. What did you get in the mail today? An invite to a wedding shower and a bill from the radiologist for a CT scan I had recently
33. How do you like your steak cooked? Medium well.
34. Britney Spears…is she back? Did she go some where?.
35. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? A Meximelt and a crunchy taco supreme.
36. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? Yep. Love that movie!
37. Have you ever been to Mt Rushmore? Not yet....
38. Is it just me, or was The Marine (w/John Cena) a really horrible movie? Never saw it...
39. Are surveys/memes like the cocaine of the internet? NO because I can stop at any time!
40. Where is your favorite place (that you have actually been to)? Florence, Italy. It's beautiful....I could easily live there.
41. What is your favorite candle scent? Pomegranite from Gold Canyon
42. Do you believe places can really be haunted? Yes. At one time I would have said "no" but I've lived in a haunted house. It was crazy. You would hear voices all the time, foot steps, things would turn up missing and then reappear later in odd places (with smells on them that were NOT mine). One time I came home and there was a trail of paper clips all over the house, another time a trail of marshmallows....it was nutso and a little freaky.
43. Do you smoke cigarettes? *hack* *cough* *Wheeze*
44. Have you ever been to NYC or LA? Yes....I LOVE NYC! I would love to live there or Chicago for a while.
45. How many states have you been to where all you saw was the airport? None.
46. Do you think 50 questions is enough? Yes, I'm getting tired.
47. Are you currently planning a trip? Yes, to Michigan for summer vacation to our families lake cottage, to Texas over Labor Day weekend, to Alaska for our 10 year anniversary.
48. Is Ryan Seacrest gay? Should anyone care? Leave the poor guy alone....so he's a nice dresser and has good hair...who cares?!?!
49. Do you take anti-depressants? Sleeping pills? Nope, but I probably should...
50. What do you think about space travel? I can't say I've ever really thought about it....but if I had to form an opinion, I would say there are much better things our government could be spending their money on!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Bin Laden II
In reply to a nasty phone call I got during the night last night (Thank you for that, by the way! I usually get 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night....thanks for calling and waking me up! Much appreciated!) I thought maybe, in order to preserve my sleep for tonight, I better clarify my Bin Laden posting!
Read on...
I did not mean to imply that I am not thankful that the war is considered over or that the troops did not deserve praise. Of course they do. So, thank you to all the troops (both involved now or in the past) for your hard and diligent work for our country! You do a job that many would not even consider...and get paid WAAAAYYY to little for it! THANK YOU!
My original post about was Bin Laden was not even really about him....more it was questioning how we should feel in response to his death. Yes, in the Bible, it mentions many times when the victors celebrated winning and the destruction of their rivals. I was just questioning what the difference in celebrating/gloating of those times (pre the death of Christ) looked like compared to what it should look like now.
So, TIM, I hope you are happy with my revised statement there. If you aren't, do me a favor and DO NOT call me at midnight to debate it! GOOFBALL!
Read on...
I did not mean to imply that I am not thankful that the war is considered over or that the troops did not deserve praise. Of course they do. So, thank you to all the troops (both involved now or in the past) for your hard and diligent work for our country! You do a job that many would not even consider...and get paid WAAAAYYY to little for it! THANK YOU!
My original post about was Bin Laden was not even really about him....more it was questioning how we should feel in response to his death. Yes, in the Bible, it mentions many times when the victors celebrated winning and the destruction of their rivals. I was just questioning what the difference in celebrating/gloating of those times (pre the death of Christ) looked like compared to what it should look like now.
So, TIM, I hope you are happy with my revised statement there. If you aren't, do me a favor and DO NOT call me at midnight to debate it! GOOFBALL!
Mothers Day II
This weekend was full of family.
I was excited to see my cousin Josh and uncle Jon on Friday night as they had traveled to Fort Fun for Josh to play in a basketball tournament. I had not seen either of them in quite a while and it was great to be able to spend some time together. Tyler and Janna, Dustin and I ate dinner together and then headed over to the tournament to watch for a while. Josh's team did not win the game that night but it was fun to watch my 6"7' 16 year old cousin in action! And hugging him made me feel shrimpy! Ha!
Saturday my mom and step dad were here. We got to take them to our soon-to-be new house and show them around before all heading out to dinner. We had a nice dinner at Vince's Steakhouse and mom provided chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. It was awesome to get to spend Mothers day with my Mom for once....I haven't gotten to do that in YEARS because of my work schedule. It was great to be able to honor her in person!
Sunday, we had Dustins nephews wedding to go to. We got lost on our way there and ended up in the middle of nowhere. The funny part of the story is that we both knew how to get there but figured we would follow the GPS (maybe it knows a faster way?!) anyhow. I truly believe that our getting lost was a GOD thing--We completely missed all the "blah blah blah MOTHERS blackety blah" talk at church! We got there just in time for the wedding ceremony and then afterwords had a nice time at the reception chatting with so many different family friends we had not seen in a long time! Congrats, Jeremy and Maria!
On the way home we stopped to see the woman who Tyler and I always called Grandma Gerber (above). She is really an to my dad but she was always Grandma Helen to us and we have such great memories of spending time at her house in the summers! She and I got to chat for quite a while...a fun walk down memory lane!
All in all, a good weekend! :)
I was excited to see my cousin Josh and uncle Jon on Friday night as they had traveled to Fort Fun for Josh to play in a basketball tournament. I had not seen either of them in quite a while and it was great to be able to spend some time together. Tyler and Janna, Dustin and I ate dinner together and then headed over to the tournament to watch for a while. Josh's team did not win the game that night but it was fun to watch my 6"7' 16 year old cousin in action! And hugging him made me feel shrimpy! Ha!
Saturday my mom and step dad were here. We got to take them to our soon-to-be new house and show them around before all heading out to dinner. We had a nice dinner at Vince's Steakhouse and mom provided chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. It was awesome to get to spend Mothers day with my Mom for once....I haven't gotten to do that in YEARS because of my work schedule. It was great to be able to honor her in person!
Sunday, we had Dustins nephews wedding to go to. We got lost on our way there and ended up in the middle of nowhere. The funny part of the story is that we both knew how to get there but figured we would follow the GPS (maybe it knows a faster way?!) anyhow. I truly believe that our getting lost was a GOD thing--We completely missed all the "blah blah blah MOTHERS blackety blah" talk at church! We got there just in time for the wedding ceremony and then afterwords had a nice time at the reception chatting with so many different family friends we had not seen in a long time! Congrats, Jeremy and Maria!
All in all, a good weekend! :)
Mothers Day I
Mothers day is the hardest day of the year for me (aside from Feb. 12th). This year was no excpetion but I was able to skip church, the biggest torture on this day, and attend a wedding which helped me focus on family and friends. I found this poem on a a blog that I follow and copied it because I thought it was sweet.
“Happy Mother's Day”
it comes around every year;
but when you have empty arms,
it's very hard to hear.
It's a day to celebrate a mother;
for all the trials she overcame;
and a reminder to an infertile
of her loneliness and shame.
But what really makes a mother,
Is it just conception and birth?
Or is there something more,
that shows a mother's worth?
It's putting your child first,
in everything you do;
it's sacrifice and determination,
and love and patience too.
An infertile woman makes all her plans,
around a child not yet conceived;
she loves them even though they aren't here,
more than she ever could have believed.
She appreciates and understands,
what a blessing that children are;
she works hard for just a chance,
that motherhood is not that far.
All odds are stacked against her,
and yet she still has hope;
everyday is another struggle,
finding ways to help her cope.
So even though her arms are empty,
she can still be a mother too;
So say a special “Happy Mother's Day”
for those waiting for their dreams to come true!
I had two different people come up to me on Mothers day and express that they knew it was a hard day for me. I can't even begin to tell you how much that meant to me. I don't mean to sound like Im having my own little pity party but, just so my readers know, it is so much easier to deal with things when you know you are not going thru it alone. Their words of kindness and the idea that they had thought of me and knew my heart was breaking just a little bit that day were shining moments in my day. So, thank you for the kind words (Racheal and Jim): you truly lifted my spirits.
“Happy Mother's Day”
it comes around every year;
but when you have empty arms,
it's very hard to hear.
It's a day to celebrate a mother;
for all the trials she overcame;
and a reminder to an infertile
of her loneliness and shame.
But what really makes a mother,
Is it just conception and birth?
Or is there something more,
that shows a mother's worth?
It's putting your child first,
in everything you do;
it's sacrifice and determination,
and love and patience too.
An infertile woman makes all her plans,
around a child not yet conceived;
she loves them even though they aren't here,
more than she ever could have believed.
She appreciates and understands,
what a blessing that children are;
she works hard for just a chance,
that motherhood is not that far.
All odds are stacked against her,
and yet she still has hope;
everyday is another struggle,
finding ways to help her cope.
So even though her arms are empty,
she can still be a mother too;
So say a special “Happy Mother's Day”
for those waiting for their dreams to come true!
I had two different people come up to me on Mothers day and express that they knew it was a hard day for me. I can't even begin to tell you how much that meant to me. I don't mean to sound like Im having my own little pity party but, just so my readers know, it is so much easier to deal with things when you know you are not going thru it alone. Their words of kindness and the idea that they had thought of me and knew my heart was breaking just a little bit that day were shining moments in my day. So, thank you for the kind words (Racheal and Jim): you truly lifted my spirits.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
That big yellow thing in the sky:
Could it be? What IS that big, yellow thing in the sky? It seems like it should be familiar.....
oh! Its the S
U
N
!
oh! Its the S
U
N
!
Happy Spring, Ya'll!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Bin Laden: Is it right to celebrate?!
Many of you know me from when I was younger. In high school, or even after, I was full of opinions and was not afaid to voice them. The Mandi of today is not so sure on things anymore. I am much better at seeing things from both sides of an issue. That being said:
The death of Osama Bin Laden on May 1st (or whenever he actually was killed since this date seems to be in question) is a point of interest for many people. My question is this: as Christians, are we to celebrate this death or mourn it?
Yes, OBL did many horrible things in his life. Yes, he was to fault for many deaths and much suffering around the world. But are his sins any worse than mine or yours? Are there degrees of sin? I tend to think not. I believe Jesus Christ died for ALL of our sins, even those as horrific as homocide, genocide, and mutilation. Do I think that OBL believed this? No, I dont think he did. But as a Christian, shouldn't my reaction to his death be more of sadness and mourning that his soul was never saved? Doesnt God weep over OBL just as much as he weeps over me, or you, or a sick child, or a natural disaster? Should we have spent more time in prayer for him?
Several places in the Bible mention death of an enemy. From what I can find, if we are to act in a manner modeling Christ, we are to be weeping for this occasion, not celebrating.
* Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" Ezekiel 18:23
* Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Proverbs 27:14
However, Matthew Henry says of that verse (above) "The pleasure we are apt to take in the troubles of an enemy is ...forbidden." We are not taking pleasure of the trouble's of an enemy. We are rejoicing that good has triumphed over evil. David, a man after God's own heart, rejoiced over and over at God's triumph over his enemies particularly those who were also God's enemies. (See....I knew I could show both sides!) A friend of mine said the following, which really made me think:
So for those of you who agree to his death you are saying that he got justice..am I correct in this? So do you believe that all people who commit injustices should be put to death. How about we rally all the people who commit abortions, which is a huge injustice, and kill them all...would that then be justice?
We cannot confuse the justice of men with the justice of God. The death of this man was a political decision. Many people from all over the world have lost their children to this war. Do we not mourn for their loss...I am a father and could not imagine losing my son. I hope no one in this discussion is under the false impression that the United States has not killed many innocent people as well....should we kill them all or just rejoice when they are killed?
Think of nations...think of children who have grown up with nothing around them except for war and devastation from the hands of their fellow human beings. Do we mourn for them?
My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones on that tragic September day. But our hearts must go out to those who suffer at the hands of humanity. To suffer is humanity but to show compassion is humility. But God loses His children everyday..his heart breaks for all of those lost....and it breaks more than you or I can ever imagine.
Where does the killing stop? Jesus had every POWER available to HIM to hand out JUSTICE to the Roman empire BUT HE DIDN'T!
Of course I do not agree with anything he (OBL) did as a human being. But are we saying that we deserve grace more than he does? Did Jesus not suffer for Him?...WHILE WE WERE SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US.
Justice is for God alone...I am not saying that...HE SAID IT. Yes I agree he must now stand before His creator...think about that..his creator....he too as disgusting as it sounds is made in the image of God. And one day we must stand before God and answer to him how we responded when one in His image was killed.
This world is not in need of Justice by human endeavors..we are in desperate need Christ to redeem us all back to Himself, and the Church must be the instrument of compassion, love, forgiveness and mercy - this is justice...the Gospel is justice. Direct quotation from Nirup Alphonse (Thanks, RUP!)
Something to think about......isn't it?!
The death of Osama Bin Laden on May 1st (or whenever he actually was killed since this date seems to be in question) is a point of interest for many people. My question is this: as Christians, are we to celebrate this death or mourn it?
Yes, OBL did many horrible things in his life. Yes, he was to fault for many deaths and much suffering around the world. But are his sins any worse than mine or yours? Are there degrees of sin? I tend to think not. I believe Jesus Christ died for ALL of our sins, even those as horrific as homocide, genocide, and mutilation. Do I think that OBL believed this? No, I dont think he did. But as a Christian, shouldn't my reaction to his death be more of sadness and mourning that his soul was never saved? Doesnt God weep over OBL just as much as he weeps over me, or you, or a sick child, or a natural disaster? Should we have spent more time in prayer for him?
Several places in the Bible mention death of an enemy. From what I can find, if we are to act in a manner modeling Christ, we are to be weeping for this occasion, not celebrating.
* Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" Ezekiel 18:23
* Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Proverbs 27:14
However, Matthew Henry says of that verse (above) "The pleasure we are apt to take in the troubles of an enemy is ...forbidden." We are not taking pleasure of the trouble's of an enemy. We are rejoicing that good has triumphed over evil. David, a man after God's own heart, rejoiced over and over at God's triumph over his enemies particularly those who were also God's enemies. (See....I knew I could show both sides!) A friend of mine said the following, which really made me think:
So for those of you who agree to his death you are saying that he got justice..am I correct in this? So do you believe that all people who commit injustices should be put to death. How about we rally all the people who commit abortions, which is a huge injustice, and kill them all...would that then be justice?
We cannot confuse the justice of men with the justice of God. The death of this man was a political decision. Many people from all over the world have lost their children to this war. Do we not mourn for their loss...I am a father and could not imagine losing my son. I hope no one in this discussion is under the false impression that the United States has not killed many innocent people as well....should we kill them all or just rejoice when they are killed?
Think of nations...think of children who have grown up with nothing around them except for war and devastation from the hands of their fellow human beings. Do we mourn for them?
My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones on that tragic September day. But our hearts must go out to those who suffer at the hands of humanity. To suffer is humanity but to show compassion is humility. But God loses His children everyday..his heart breaks for all of those lost....and it breaks more than you or I can ever imagine.
Where does the killing stop? Jesus had every POWER available to HIM to hand out JUSTICE to the Roman empire BUT HE DIDN'T!
Of course I do not agree with anything he (OBL) did as a human being. But are we saying that we deserve grace more than he does? Did Jesus not suffer for Him?...WHILE WE WERE SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US.
Justice is for God alone...I am not saying that...HE SAID IT. Yes I agree he must now stand before His creator...think about that..his creator....he too as disgusting as it sounds is made in the image of God. And one day we must stand before God and answer to him how we responded when one in His image was killed.
This world is not in need of Justice by human endeavors..we are in desperate need Christ to redeem us all back to Himself, and the Church must be the instrument of compassion, love, forgiveness and mercy - this is justice...the Gospel is justice. Direct quotation from Nirup Alphonse (Thanks, RUP!)
Something to think about......isn't it?!
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