I have written about 15 or so blogs, but this is, without a doubt the MOST important thing I have EVER written.
Here's the basics: A sweet young couple at our church is in the process of adopting a precious little girl from Peru. As most of you know, the adoption process is VERY expensive. This couple has been working tirelessly to raise money. They have done bake sales, yard sales, and car washes. They have steadily chipped away at the HUGE cost. However, they still have a way to go.
The exciting thing that is happening now is something that ANYONE, ANYWHERE can be a part of! In obedience to the Biblical command to "care for widows and orphans", Jonathan and Michelle are partnering with the Both Hands Project. PLEASE watch this short video that describes the organization. You might want to have a tissue handy:
http://vimeo.com/31441061
Is that not an absolutely INCREDIBLE project???
To donate directly to Jonathan and Michelle's project, visit this link. You can donate online or you can mail a check to the address below.
http://bothhandsfoundation.org/walterhouse
Checks should be made payable to: Lifesong for Orphans
IMPORTANT!!!! in the memo line of your check MAKE SURE you put "Walterhouse #2944"
That will insure the funds get to where they are supposed to go.
Mail the check to P.O. Box40202 N. Ford Street
Gridley, IL 61744
Some of you will be receiving a letter from my daughter (Kelly Helton) asking for a sponsorship. I just want to make sure you understand this money is NOT for her at all. EVERY bit of the money will go to help Jonathan and Michelle bring Eden Grace home! Please don't feel like we are asking for a HUGE amount of money! If you can donate $5, that's great! If you can give $100, that's awesome too! The thing is, if LOTS of people send SOMETHING, Eden Grace can be home with her Forever Family (hopefully) by Christmas!!
I was thinking that some of you may have a Sunday School class, a group, a civic organization, or maybe a team at your work that might could help out with this project. If you have twenty people in your group and everybody throws in $1, Jonathan and Michelle are $20 closer to their goal!!What if everybody in the group threw in $5, $10, $20?? That may be the exact amount they need to finally meet their goal and give a baby girl a much richer life!!
Remember, it's hard for ONE person to do everything....but EVERY person can do SOMETHING!
If you have ever wanted to do something SIGNIFICANT, really make a DIFFERENCE in someone's life, this is your opportunity. PLEASE copy/print this blog post. Share it with your friends, family, and co-workers. Help make a difference in the life of a precious child.
If you have any questions, message me. If I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to find out the answer.
God Bless you richly as you reach out to bless someone else.
Kim
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Food, Family, Friends, and a FIERCE game of Corn Hole
(Preface: This blog is really just a journal about our recent trip to Ohio, and probably going to get pretty lengthy, so you might want to grab a Coke, or if you live north of the Mason-Dixon Line, get a pop...settle in to a comfy spot and enjoy my ramblings.)
Have you ever noticed how memories can be catagorized into three groups? MOST memories (and I am FULLY aware that there are some exceptions) fall in to one of three groups: food, family, or friends. Sometimes, those even overlap. I realized this little fact is very true when I started reminiscing about my recent trip to Ohio.
Ever heard of Dry Ridge, Kentucky? Probably not. With a population of 2,191, it's not exactly a booming metropolis. However, it is one of my husband's FAVORITE places. Know why? Because it is home to the FIRST Skyline restaurant between here and Cincinnati. We have stopped there SEVERAL times on our visits up north. This most recent trip was no exception. So what if it was 10:20 in the morning!!! There is NEVER a bad time for Skyline (according to Rog). For those of you who, like me until six years ago, have never even HEARD of Skyline, let me try to explain. Cincinnati style chili has meat in it, but no beans. It is more of a sauce consistency than what WE think of as chili, but no beans. It's also kinda sweet (it has cinnamon and some has chocolate in it). And it doesn't have beans in it!!! Crazy, right??? Anyway....that's not even the really weird part! What makes this chili a Cincinnati (and surrounding areas) icon, is what they put it ON. Are you ready for this? They put it on spaghetti!! Yeah...I know. Anyway. There are several restaurant chains that serve this concoction, but two are the real heavy hitters: Skyline and Gold Star. But let me tell you...there is a HUGE chasm between these two establishments. You are EITHER a Skyline fan OR a Gold Star fan. You can NOT like them both! I think there is some kind of unwritten law or something. As it happens, my husband's family is totally sold out to Skyline.
So what should one expect when one ventures into a Skyline for the first time? Let me try to give you the short version.
3-way=spaghetti, chili, and cheese ( a LOT of cheese, very finely shredded and PILED on top)
4 way= spaghetti, chili, cheese, and onions OR beans (yeah...they don't put beans IN the chili, they put them on TOP of the chili....bizarre)
5 way=spaghetti, chili, cheese, onion AND beans
I've had it. I don't like it. If I remember correctly, the first time I had Skyline, Rog and I weren't married yet. When I announced that I wasn't a fan, I really wondered if our marriage was going to happen. The other really popular thing at Skyline is the coney (hot dog). It's just a hot dog...little mustard, chili sauce, and a MOUND of shredded cheese. I mean...it's a HOT DOG for goodness sake. I fixed hot dogs last night....they were MUCH better than Skyline...just sayin'.
So, our trip to Ohio was really on its way when we were able to stop in Dry Ridge and get Rog 3 little coneys for breakfast.
This trip was different from ones we have made in the past because this trip, we were going to Columbus (before Cincinnati). For those of you who don't know (and really don't care) about ANYTHING related to Big 10 athletics, Columbus is home to THE Ohio State University. Anyone who has been around my husband for longer than about three minutes KNOWS he is a die-hard, to-the-core, bleed scarlet and gray Ohio State fan. So this was a MUCH anticipated journey to the holy land for Rog. However, Columbus is also where Rog began in full time ministry MANY years ago. I figured out that I would have been in Rog's junior high group when he was a youth pastor. I know...that's weird. Anyway...this leg of our trip was going to be a little odd for me because this was the one area of Rog's life I had not yet seen. We were going to go to the church where he served, the Wednesday night we got in town. You know how it is in churches like that. Although Rog has been gone from there over 25 years, there would be people STILL there who would remember him. However, he was not married to me when he was there. Wasn't real sure how that was going to fly.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The REALLY cool thing that happened was that a day or two before our trip, a group of his former teenagers threw together a meeting at one of the local pizza restaurants. Right around 15 of his core group showed up!!!It was SO awesome!! I got to see first hand how much Rog meant to these people. I know I had three or four of them come up to me and say " I don't know where I would be today without him." And seeing him interact with them...wow. SO cool!!! I had never met these people in my life, but I left that pizza place feeling like I had just spent an hour with friends. That hour and a half was SUPER special for lots of people. Talk about a memory!!
So why would I share that particular story on my blog? I share it because it shows the depth of the impact that investing in people's lives can have. So many tmes we get too busy doing stuff.. it may be important stuff...but it's still just stuff. What are we doing that is going to have any long term significance? There is a young married couple at our church (Josh and Michelle, LOVE you guys!!) who is doing this. They are investing in the lives of our young people. Doing things the kids like to do. Spending TIME with them. Developing a relationship with them. This investment is going to pay HIGH dividends some day! God used Rog to impact people's lives. That's stinkin' awesome!!
Ok. On with the trip. We went to church right after the meeting with the former teens. As I said earlier, this was the part of the trip I was MOST nervous about. I knew there were some Debbie fans in this church, and I, ummm, am NOT Debbie. So how was I going to be received? I am happy to say I was received very graciously. There might have been a few whispers going on behind my back, but to my face, everyone was very kind. This was another very cool thing for Rog.
The next morning, we met another of Roger's friends for breakfast at Bob Evans. For those of you who've never been...think Yankee version of Cracker Barrel. It was ok.
After breakfast, we began our trek to (angels begin singing)....THE Ohio State University campus. I have to admit, I was a TINY little bit excited. I mean, it's a COLLEGE campus....an institution of higher learning...lots of really smart people roam around college campuses. So I knew it was going to be kinda cool. We got to go to Conrads, the place for ANYTHING you could POSSIBLY want/need Ohio State. I got a few things for the Buckeye room. And then, we got to go to the stadium. I never dreamed we would get to go IN. But we did!! DANG that place is big!!!! Of course it doesn't hold the same allure for me as Bryant-Denny, but hey...that's ok. My big guy was a happy happy boy. That's what was important to me. Got to see some neat things....took some cool pictures. Good day.
But alas...it was time to head on to Cincy. Roast beef and mashed potatoes awaited....oh wait. I guess that should be Mom and Dad Miracle awaited... So here we go back to a food memory.
Now I gotta tell ya...my mom-in-law is a fantastic cook. So I figured her roast beef and mashed potatoes were probably going to be pretty good. OH. MY. WORD.
You know how when you're starving you could pour a little gravy on some shoe leather and it would taste good? But when you aren't SUPER hungry, but ready to eat, the food has to be really good to be, well... really good?THAT'S where I was. Not starving...but ready to eat. And MAN oh MAN oh MAN!!! Amanda threw DOWN some roast and potatoes!!!! It was amazing!!! And what did she make for dessert? ONLY my absolute FAVORITE thing in the world!! Homemade banana pudding!!! It. smelled. so. good. But, I didn't have any. Not a bite. At all. (****sigh****)
Saturday was really the main reason for our whole trip. And this is the third category of memories. It was Rog's family reunion/80th birthday celebration for his dad. Of course there was lots of great food (imagine that!), but this day was all about...family. Now remember, I've only been a part of this "Miraculous" group of people for six years. There were lots of people at the reunion I didn't know, but I was very happy that I knew a whole lot more this year than I did last year.
All of Rog's aunts and his uncle are all 70+ years old. They are absolutely precious!! Aunt Emma recently published a book detailing her battle with depression. Amazing woman.
Uncle Cecil, 90 years old and legally blind and Elsa, also 90 with a thick German accent, take care of each other so sweetly. And Aunt Betty still makes an unbelievable chocolate cake.
One of my favorite memories was Ralph's face when he saw the sign and the table with all the birthday celebration stuff on it. He is just the CUTEST!!!! I rigged his "birthday crown" so that it was attached to his ball cap. He wore it the WHOLE time we were there. How many 80th birthdays do we really get to celebrate? Not many...this is one I will certainly remember forever.
Then there are all the cousins...wow....I can't begin to name them all. They are just all so wonderful.
The entire day was just perfect. You know the "warm all over" feeling you get when you're with people you love? Well I had that.
After the reunion, we went back to Rog's parent's house. The family fun continued as all Rog's neices and nephews came in. That's when it began. What is "it", you ask? Well, "it" was a majorly intense Corn Hole tournament. Although I didn't play, it was a BLAST watching everyone get into the game. I can honestly say I have never seen anyone play Corn Hole. I didn't even know what the game was. Aparently, I have really been missing something.
After the "tourny" was over, Rog wanted to go to Skyline one last time. A couple of his nephews, one of his nieces and his son went with us. Rog made a comment on the way (talking to Jessica, his niece) that they were the only neices and nephews I would ever have. I had never really thought about that, but it's true. My sister and her husband have, for several reasons, chosen not to have children. So, my role as "aunt" is exclusively for Rog's neices and nephews. And what an AWESOME group of kids these guys are!! (I say kids...they range in age from 20-27 years old!!) I'm in a weird spot with them too though. I wasn't around when they were little. I wasn't a part of birthdays or graduations. So it's a little weird for them to call me "Aunt Kim".
But you know what? I am finding out that it really doesn't matter. I am in their family now. And I gotta tell ya...I REALLY like it when they call me "Aunt Kim".
This trip to Ohio was just fantastic. Lots of good food, great friends, and awesome family. It just doesn't get any better than that!
Have you ever noticed how memories can be catagorized into three groups? MOST memories (and I am FULLY aware that there are some exceptions) fall in to one of three groups: food, family, or friends. Sometimes, those even overlap. I realized this little fact is very true when I started reminiscing about my recent trip to Ohio.
Ever heard of Dry Ridge, Kentucky? Probably not. With a population of 2,191, it's not exactly a booming metropolis. However, it is one of my husband's FAVORITE places. Know why? Because it is home to the FIRST Skyline restaurant between here and Cincinnati. We have stopped there SEVERAL times on our visits up north. This most recent trip was no exception. So what if it was 10:20 in the morning!!! There is NEVER a bad time for Skyline (according to Rog). For those of you who, like me until six years ago, have never even HEARD of Skyline, let me try to explain. Cincinnati style chili has meat in it, but no beans. It is more of a sauce consistency than what WE think of as chili, but no beans. It's also kinda sweet (it has cinnamon and some has chocolate in it). And it doesn't have beans in it!!! Crazy, right??? Anyway....that's not even the really weird part! What makes this chili a Cincinnati (and surrounding areas) icon, is what they put it ON. Are you ready for this? They put it on spaghetti!! Yeah...I know. Anyway. There are several restaurant chains that serve this concoction, but two are the real heavy hitters: Skyline and Gold Star. But let me tell you...there is a HUGE chasm between these two establishments. You are EITHER a Skyline fan OR a Gold Star fan. You can NOT like them both! I think there is some kind of unwritten law or something. As it happens, my husband's family is totally sold out to Skyline.
So what should one expect when one ventures into a Skyline for the first time? Let me try to give you the short version.
3-way=spaghetti, chili, and cheese ( a LOT of cheese, very finely shredded and PILED on top)
4 way= spaghetti, chili, cheese, and onions OR beans (yeah...they don't put beans IN the chili, they put them on TOP of the chili....bizarre)
5 way=spaghetti, chili, cheese, onion AND beans
I've had it. I don't like it. If I remember correctly, the first time I had Skyline, Rog and I weren't married yet. When I announced that I wasn't a fan, I really wondered if our marriage was going to happen. The other really popular thing at Skyline is the coney (hot dog). It's just a hot dog...little mustard, chili sauce, and a MOUND of shredded cheese. I mean...it's a HOT DOG for goodness sake. I fixed hot dogs last night....they were MUCH better than Skyline...just sayin'.
So, our trip to Ohio was really on its way when we were able to stop in Dry Ridge and get Rog 3 little coneys for breakfast.
This trip was different from ones we have made in the past because this trip, we were going to Columbus (before Cincinnati). For those of you who don't know (and really don't care) about ANYTHING related to Big 10 athletics, Columbus is home to THE Ohio State University. Anyone who has been around my husband for longer than about three minutes KNOWS he is a die-hard, to-the-core, bleed scarlet and gray Ohio State fan. So this was a MUCH anticipated journey to the holy land for Rog. However, Columbus is also where Rog began in full time ministry MANY years ago. I figured out that I would have been in Rog's junior high group when he was a youth pastor. I know...that's weird. Anyway...this leg of our trip was going to be a little odd for me because this was the one area of Rog's life I had not yet seen. We were going to go to the church where he served, the Wednesday night we got in town. You know how it is in churches like that. Although Rog has been gone from there over 25 years, there would be people STILL there who would remember him. However, he was not married to me when he was there. Wasn't real sure how that was going to fly.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The REALLY cool thing that happened was that a day or two before our trip, a group of his former teenagers threw together a meeting at one of the local pizza restaurants. Right around 15 of his core group showed up!!!It was SO awesome!! I got to see first hand how much Rog meant to these people. I know I had three or four of them come up to me and say " I don't know where I would be today without him." And seeing him interact with them...wow. SO cool!!! I had never met these people in my life, but I left that pizza place feeling like I had just spent an hour with friends. That hour and a half was SUPER special for lots of people. Talk about a memory!!
So why would I share that particular story on my blog? I share it because it shows the depth of the impact that investing in people's lives can have. So many tmes we get too busy doing stuff.. it may be important stuff...but it's still just stuff. What are we doing that is going to have any long term significance? There is a young married couple at our church (Josh and Michelle, LOVE you guys!!) who is doing this. They are investing in the lives of our young people. Doing things the kids like to do. Spending TIME with them. Developing a relationship with them. This investment is going to pay HIGH dividends some day! God used Rog to impact people's lives. That's stinkin' awesome!!
Ok. On with the trip. We went to church right after the meeting with the former teens. As I said earlier, this was the part of the trip I was MOST nervous about. I knew there were some Debbie fans in this church, and I, ummm, am NOT Debbie. So how was I going to be received? I am happy to say I was received very graciously. There might have been a few whispers going on behind my back, but to my face, everyone was very kind. This was another very cool thing for Rog.
The next morning, we met another of Roger's friends for breakfast at Bob Evans. For those of you who've never been...think Yankee version of Cracker Barrel. It was ok.
After breakfast, we began our trek to (angels begin singing)....THE Ohio State University campus. I have to admit, I was a TINY little bit excited. I mean, it's a COLLEGE campus....an institution of higher learning...lots of really smart people roam around college campuses. So I knew it was going to be kinda cool. We got to go to Conrads, the place for ANYTHING you could POSSIBLY want/need Ohio State. I got a few things for the Buckeye room. And then, we got to go to the stadium. I never dreamed we would get to go IN. But we did!! DANG that place is big!!!! Of course it doesn't hold the same allure for me as Bryant-Denny, but hey...that's ok. My big guy was a happy happy boy. That's what was important to me. Got to see some neat things....took some cool pictures. Good day.
But alas...it was time to head on to Cincy. Roast beef and mashed potatoes awaited....oh wait. I guess that should be Mom and Dad Miracle awaited... So here we go back to a food memory.
Now I gotta tell ya...my mom-in-law is a fantastic cook. So I figured her roast beef and mashed potatoes were probably going to be pretty good. OH. MY. WORD.
You know how when you're starving you could pour a little gravy on some shoe leather and it would taste good? But when you aren't SUPER hungry, but ready to eat, the food has to be really good to be, well... really good?THAT'S where I was. Not starving...but ready to eat. And MAN oh MAN oh MAN!!! Amanda threw DOWN some roast and potatoes!!!! It was amazing!!! And what did she make for dessert? ONLY my absolute FAVORITE thing in the world!! Homemade banana pudding!!! It. smelled. so. good. But, I didn't have any. Not a bite. At all. (****sigh****)
Saturday was really the main reason for our whole trip. And this is the third category of memories. It was Rog's family reunion/80th birthday celebration for his dad. Of course there was lots of great food (imagine that!), but this day was all about...family. Now remember, I've only been a part of this "Miraculous" group of people for six years. There were lots of people at the reunion I didn't know, but I was very happy that I knew a whole lot more this year than I did last year.
All of Rog's aunts and his uncle are all 70+ years old. They are absolutely precious!! Aunt Emma recently published a book detailing her battle with depression. Amazing woman.
Uncle Cecil, 90 years old and legally blind and Elsa, also 90 with a thick German accent, take care of each other so sweetly. And Aunt Betty still makes an unbelievable chocolate cake.
One of my favorite memories was Ralph's face when he saw the sign and the table with all the birthday celebration stuff on it. He is just the CUTEST!!!! I rigged his "birthday crown" so that it was attached to his ball cap. He wore it the WHOLE time we were there. How many 80th birthdays do we really get to celebrate? Not many...this is one I will certainly remember forever.
Then there are all the cousins...wow....I can't begin to name them all. They are just all so wonderful.
The entire day was just perfect. You know the "warm all over" feeling you get when you're with people you love? Well I had that.
After the reunion, we went back to Rog's parent's house. The family fun continued as all Rog's neices and nephews came in. That's when it began. What is "it", you ask? Well, "it" was a majorly intense Corn Hole tournament. Although I didn't play, it was a BLAST watching everyone get into the game. I can honestly say I have never seen anyone play Corn Hole. I didn't even know what the game was. Aparently, I have really been missing something.
After the "tourny" was over, Rog wanted to go to Skyline one last time. A couple of his nephews, one of his nieces and his son went with us. Rog made a comment on the way (talking to Jessica, his niece) that they were the only neices and nephews I would ever have. I had never really thought about that, but it's true. My sister and her husband have, for several reasons, chosen not to have children. So, my role as "aunt" is exclusively for Rog's neices and nephews. And what an AWESOME group of kids these guys are!! (I say kids...they range in age from 20-27 years old!!) I'm in a weird spot with them too though. I wasn't around when they were little. I wasn't a part of birthdays or graduations. So it's a little weird for them to call me "Aunt Kim".
But you know what? I am finding out that it really doesn't matter. I am in their family now. And I gotta tell ya...I REALLY like it when they call me "Aunt Kim".
This trip to Ohio was just fantastic. Lots of good food, great friends, and awesome family. It just doesn't get any better than that!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Magic Rog (not seen in theaters)
I have read in the last week two blogs from women I have never met that talk about the movie Magic Mike. Now, I'm not a movie fan, at ALL. I'm not sure I even remember the last movie I actually went to the theater to see. But I have heard the name of this one from several people on Facebook. I don't have to dig too deep to understand what the movie is about either. It's male strippers. Whatever the story line of the movie is doesn't really matter. The whole reason for going to the movie is to see Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey slither around on a stage mostly naked. And while some of you will say, "Well...YEAH...DUH!!" I have to say, "No thanks!!"
I know some people that read this will probably say, "Oh here she goes. Kim's getting on her pious, holy-roller soapbox." Nooooo....it's just as with all the other things I write, I am stating my humble, yet very valid opinion.
First of all, I will concede that Channing and Matthew are two attractive men. I mean, come on. I'm not BLIND!!! GEEZ!!! There are attractive people all around us, though, not just in the "unreality" of movies, but in our work places, at our churches, in our neighborhoods. God made some realllllly good lookin people (and then He cut a few corners on some of the rest of us!) . It's not realistic to think that a married person can go through life ignoring all the good lookin people around them. But here's the thing. You can't let that thought "Whoa! He's hott!!"start marinating in your mind. THAT'S when trouble sets in. And THAT'S the reason this movie is a bad thing for women, especially married women, especially especially Christian married women!!
Women in general and Christian women specifically, should be smart enough to know these two things:
1- Physical attraction is only a teeny, tiny part of what makes a relationship, because,as those of us who are getting on up there in age know, physical stuff changes. It doesn't take too many years for that six pack to become a keg. And after a couple of kids, that flat, sexy abdomen will look like a topographic map.
2-(probably most important) That little seed when planted in your mind and nurtured, will grow into something extremely dangerous. It's one of the biggest reasons why pornography is SO destructive. Unrealistic expectations are formed. You start measuring your mate up against what your mind has created, and bless their hearts, they just can't measure up. It doesn't matter that what your mind has created is COMPLETELY unrealistic. Before you know it, you are miserable with the man/woman who you once called your soul mate and you begin looking for someone who can live up to that "super hero" image you have convinced yourself you "need/deserve/want". Lives are crushed. Families are broken.
This is where some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, "Come onnnn Kim. You are WAY over reacting to this. It's a MOVIE. It's not real!!" And I come back with, "Dude. You are WAY underestimating the power of Satan! He can do a LOT of damage with this one movie. So if I can get one woman to THINK before she throws away not only her $10, but possibly her marriage...I'm willing to take a little flack."
This is the blog post that got me really starting to think about this stuff (If you haven't read it, you really should):
http://mrsgoresdiary.com/2012/07/08/magic-mike-who/
This young lady did a fabulous job, so I'm not going to rewrite what she said so eloquently. She gave a really long list of what "sexy" and "manly" look like. As I was reading that list, a smile came across my face because on the vast majority of them I thought "Rog does that" or "Yep. That's Rog".
I started thinking about all the things my precious husband does/has done for me:
*sending me flowers when we weren't together just because he was thinking about me
*warming my robe in the dryer before I got out of bed because that old house was SO cold
*going out at 3AM to get me a Diet Coke because I wanted one so bad
*washing dishes MANY nights because he knows how much I HATE doing it
*telling me I am the most beautiful woman in the world even on my worst "fat & ugly" days
*watering the plants that I LOVE to look at but HATE to tend to
*letting me spend a week in Florida (without him) because he knew I needed the down time
*taking me to dinner at Kanpai because he knows it's my FAVORITE (even though it's not his)
*holding me and soothing me when I have a snot-slingin' melt down because of one of the kids
*celebrating Valentine's Week instead of Valentine's Day (because one day isn't long enough)
and the list could really go on and on and on. THAT is what love and manliness is all about. Not some sleazy strip joint flick. So Hollywood can keep their Magic Mike. I don't believe in magic anyway. But I DO believe in Miracles!! And I have the BEST one of them all!
I know some people that read this will probably say, "Oh here she goes. Kim's getting on her pious, holy-roller soapbox." Nooooo....it's just as with all the other things I write, I am stating my humble, yet very valid opinion.
First of all, I will concede that Channing and Matthew are two attractive men. I mean, come on. I'm not BLIND!!! GEEZ!!! There are attractive people all around us, though, not just in the "unreality" of movies, but in our work places, at our churches, in our neighborhoods. God made some realllllly good lookin people (and then He cut a few corners on some of the rest of us!) . It's not realistic to think that a married person can go through life ignoring all the good lookin people around them. But here's the thing. You can't let that thought "Whoa! He's hott!!"start marinating in your mind. THAT'S when trouble sets in. And THAT'S the reason this movie is a bad thing for women, especially married women, especially especially Christian married women!!
Women in general and Christian women specifically, should be smart enough to know these two things:
1- Physical attraction is only a teeny, tiny part of what makes a relationship, because,as those of us who are getting on up there in age know, physical stuff changes. It doesn't take too many years for that six pack to become a keg. And after a couple of kids, that flat, sexy abdomen will look like a topographic map.
2-(probably most important) That little seed when planted in your mind and nurtured, will grow into something extremely dangerous. It's one of the biggest reasons why pornography is SO destructive. Unrealistic expectations are formed. You start measuring your mate up against what your mind has created, and bless their hearts, they just can't measure up. It doesn't matter that what your mind has created is COMPLETELY unrealistic. Before you know it, you are miserable with the man/woman who you once called your soul mate and you begin looking for someone who can live up to that "super hero" image you have convinced yourself you "need/deserve/want". Lives are crushed. Families are broken.
This is where some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, "Come onnnn Kim. You are WAY over reacting to this. It's a MOVIE. It's not real!!" And I come back with, "Dude. You are WAY underestimating the power of Satan! He can do a LOT of damage with this one movie. So if I can get one woman to THINK before she throws away not only her $10, but possibly her marriage...I'm willing to take a little flack."
This is the blog post that got me really starting to think about this stuff (If you haven't read it, you really should):
http://mrsgoresdiary.com/2012/07/08/magic-mike-who/
This young lady did a fabulous job, so I'm not going to rewrite what she said so eloquently. She gave a really long list of what "sexy" and "manly" look like. As I was reading that list, a smile came across my face because on the vast majority of them I thought "Rog does that" or "Yep. That's Rog".
I started thinking about all the things my precious husband does/has done for me:
*sending me flowers when we weren't together just because he was thinking about me
*warming my robe in the dryer before I got out of bed because that old house was SO cold
*going out at 3AM to get me a Diet Coke because I wanted one so bad
*washing dishes MANY nights because he knows how much I HATE doing it
*telling me I am the most beautiful woman in the world even on my worst "fat & ugly" days
*watering the plants that I LOVE to look at but HATE to tend to
*letting me spend a week in Florida (without him) because he knew I needed the down time
*taking me to dinner at Kanpai because he knows it's my FAVORITE (even though it's not his)
*holding me and soothing me when I have a snot-slingin' melt down because of one of the kids
*celebrating Valentine's Week instead of Valentine's Day (because one day isn't long enough)
and the list could really go on and on and on. THAT is what love and manliness is all about. Not some sleazy strip joint flick. So Hollywood can keep their Magic Mike. I don't believe in magic anyway. But I DO believe in Miracles!! And I have the BEST one of them all!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Spandex is from Satan: a discussion on modesty
I have never been a big fan of Spandex. I mean, it has its uses in certain undergarments. It IS nice to have a little help holding in the tummy every now and then. But wearing something that was meant to be used as an undergarment, out...by itself...in public? That's just wrong. And you know as well as I do that the very people that SHOULDN'T wear Spandex in public, are most often the very ones that DO wear it out in public!
I'm not going to address men wearing Spandex right now because that is disturbing on too many levels. (And before all you wrestlers and bikers get all bent out of shape, I KNOW your little singlets and bike riding outfits help you perform better at your sport....but it's still gross. Sorry.)
What gets me, is that some people really think that it is OK to wear Spandex out shopping, or out "on the town". Now I know occasionally, you will see a tiny little, super fit aerobics instructor type run into a Kangaroo or RaceTrac to grab a Gatorade on her way to class, and she will be wearing Spandex. But MOST OF THE TIME it's not the personal trainer types that are out flaunting their elastic. Most of you who are reading this post have been at Walmart at one time or another and have gotten behind a rather hefty lady wearing hot pink (or any other color) Spandex shorts (and usually a tank top). I know the thought that went through your mind because it is the same thought that goes through pretty much everybody's mind! "WHAT. WAS. SHE. THINKIN'?" Repeat after me: "Wearing anything that shows innocent bystanders ever wrinkle, crease, bump and bulge in ANY part of your body is NOT ok!"
But seeing the disturbing sights at Walmart, the mall, or Riverbend is not really the reason I think Spandex is from the Devil. (although those things do make a pretty good argument...)
So why am I so in a wad about Spandex? Because I have daughters, that's why!! A brief anecdote:
Several years ago, my daughter Karly came home talking about the horrendous color guard uniform that had been chosen for the group to wear. She said it looked like a clown suit, and it was tight. She went on and on about how horrible it was. I could not even imagine what in the world the thing looked like. Then. I saw it. It really was worse than what she had described. Now for those of you who know Karly, you know she is very tall and extremely slender. Some would even say she is just plain skinny! If anybody could get away with wearing a Spandex unitard, Karly could. When she tried it on for me, I was appalled. NOT that she looked bad IN it....the outfit itself was just hideous! It left absolutely NOTHING to the imagination concerning Karly's body. And my little girl was going to have to get out in front of hundreds of people every Friday night and dance around in this garb. Every time I thought about the boys (and grown men for that matter) that would be ogling at her and the other girls from the stands, I got more livid than I was before at the idiot who chose those outfits. Obviously, HE didn't have daughters, and HE didn't find anything wrong with prancing around in Spandex unitards, but I sure did!!! The other less important, but still serious issue was the fact that not all the girls on the color guard that year were Karly's size. There were some pretty big girls on the team. My heart just broke for them every week when they had to get out on the football field and dance around in their multicolored, skin tight, non-figure flattering uniform. You could almost hear the snickers and rude comments coming from the red necks in the stands.
So that was my first experience having one of my daughters have to wear Spandex in public. My other experience really just happened a couple of years ago and is kind of on-going. Kelly started playing volleyball when she was in the 8th grade. I had never watched a volleyball game in my life that I could remember. I don't remember it AS MUCH when she was in 8th grade, but when she started playing in the 9th grade, I was dumbfounded at some of the uniforms the girls on the other teams wore. Their Spandex shorts looked like underwear!! Some of them were about a 2" inseam!! I was shocked. (I do want to stop for a second right here and give MAJOR props to Kelly's then volleyball coaches, Becky Forkner and Brandi Womack. They did not let the girls get Spandex shorts for their uniform! And believe me, they got some back lash from the girls AND some of the girls' parents!! That's what I could NOT believe! There were some parents of girls on the team who WANTED the girls to wear the Spandex shorts!!!) Our girls wore a fantastic looking uniform that included blue athletic style shorts. They were VERY classy looking and did not inhibit the performance of the girls AT ALL!!
Now I KNOW that I'm not going to win any popularity contests from many volleyball players and some coaches. Thankfully though, I DON'T CARE!!! It's not about me being popular. It's about me being concerned about how my daughter presents herself in a public arena. BELIEVE me. Kelly and I went round and round about this last year, and I fully anticipate that we will battle it out again this year. When the girls are warming up and doing all those crazy stretches they have to do to prepare for the game, their butts are often in the air. And it's not JUST during warm ups. These girls are all over the floor during a game! When they are wearing skin tight shorts with a 2" or even a 3" inseam, a LOT more is visible to spectators than they should EVER see!! When you consider that a great many of those spectators are men and boys...naw baby naw.... I DO NOT want my daughter's body on display at a volleyball game (or any other time for that matter!!)! I want people noticing what an awesome serve she had, or what a great block she made, NOT that she has a really cute butt!!!
It is no secret that men/boys are very visual creatures. It does not take much to get their imaginations whirling. When a group of teen age girls, some with VERY well developed bodies, pour themselves into skin tight, SUPER short shorts, one can only IMAGINE where a man's mind can take off to! (Actually, I don't really WANT to imagine that, but you get my point!)
And please don't give me the argument that the Spandex shorts makes it easier to move around on the court. Have you ever noticed that most volleyball teams' shirts are long sleeved? The girls use their legs a LOT, but they use their arms even more. If something needed to be unencumbered, would you not think it would be their arms?? If that is the case, then ALL volleyball uniform shirts should be sleeveless!! But they aren't.
You know as well as I do that kids more often than not want to do what is accepted or cool. That is many times NOT the same as what is right or what makes the most sense. So as parents (or coaches) we need to stand up and say, "NO. Your body is NOT going to be put on display at this sporting event. Your athletic ability is." or "NO. You are NOT going to go to the mall dressed like a hooker." Whatever the case may be.
So bringing it all together here...is Spandex really from Satan? No. It's not. Mr. Sandquist and Mr. Shivers did a good thing way back there in 1959 when they created this weird material. It has some really great uses. However those uses DO NOT include, shopping attire (at Walmart or anywhere else!), date night attire (the movies, a restaurant, or Riverbend!) OR volleyball attire!
I'm not going to address men wearing Spandex right now because that is disturbing on too many levels. (And before all you wrestlers and bikers get all bent out of shape, I KNOW your little singlets and bike riding outfits help you perform better at your sport....but it's still gross. Sorry.)
What gets me, is that some people really think that it is OK to wear Spandex out shopping, or out "on the town". Now I know occasionally, you will see a tiny little, super fit aerobics instructor type run into a Kangaroo or RaceTrac to grab a Gatorade on her way to class, and she will be wearing Spandex. But MOST OF THE TIME it's not the personal trainer types that are out flaunting their elastic. Most of you who are reading this post have been at Walmart at one time or another and have gotten behind a rather hefty lady wearing hot pink (or any other color) Spandex shorts (and usually a tank top). I know the thought that went through your mind because it is the same thought that goes through pretty much everybody's mind! "WHAT. WAS. SHE. THINKIN'?" Repeat after me: "Wearing anything that shows innocent bystanders ever wrinkle, crease, bump and bulge in ANY part of your body is NOT ok!"
But seeing the disturbing sights at Walmart, the mall, or Riverbend is not really the reason I think Spandex is from the Devil. (although those things do make a pretty good argument...)
So why am I so in a wad about Spandex? Because I have daughters, that's why!! A brief anecdote:
Several years ago, my daughter Karly came home talking about the horrendous color guard uniform that had been chosen for the group to wear. She said it looked like a clown suit, and it was tight. She went on and on about how horrible it was. I could not even imagine what in the world the thing looked like. Then. I saw it. It really was worse than what she had described. Now for those of you who know Karly, you know she is very tall and extremely slender. Some would even say she is just plain skinny! If anybody could get away with wearing a Spandex unitard, Karly could. When she tried it on for me, I was appalled. NOT that she looked bad IN it....the outfit itself was just hideous! It left absolutely NOTHING to the imagination concerning Karly's body. And my little girl was going to have to get out in front of hundreds of people every Friday night and dance around in this garb. Every time I thought about the boys (and grown men for that matter) that would be ogling at her and the other girls from the stands, I got more livid than I was before at the idiot who chose those outfits. Obviously, HE didn't have daughters, and HE didn't find anything wrong with prancing around in Spandex unitards, but I sure did!!! The other less important, but still serious issue was the fact that not all the girls on the color guard that year were Karly's size. There were some pretty big girls on the team. My heart just broke for them every week when they had to get out on the football field and dance around in their multicolored, skin tight, non-figure flattering uniform. You could almost hear the snickers and rude comments coming from the red necks in the stands.
So that was my first experience having one of my daughters have to wear Spandex in public. My other experience really just happened a couple of years ago and is kind of on-going. Kelly started playing volleyball when she was in the 8th grade. I had never watched a volleyball game in my life that I could remember. I don't remember it AS MUCH when she was in 8th grade, but when she started playing in the 9th grade, I was dumbfounded at some of the uniforms the girls on the other teams wore. Their Spandex shorts looked like underwear!! Some of them were about a 2" inseam!! I was shocked. (I do want to stop for a second right here and give MAJOR props to Kelly's then volleyball coaches, Becky Forkner and Brandi Womack. They did not let the girls get Spandex shorts for their uniform! And believe me, they got some back lash from the girls AND some of the girls' parents!! That's what I could NOT believe! There were some parents of girls on the team who WANTED the girls to wear the Spandex shorts!!!) Our girls wore a fantastic looking uniform that included blue athletic style shorts. They were VERY classy looking and did not inhibit the performance of the girls AT ALL!!
Now I KNOW that I'm not going to win any popularity contests from many volleyball players and some coaches. Thankfully though, I DON'T CARE!!! It's not about me being popular. It's about me being concerned about how my daughter presents herself in a public arena. BELIEVE me. Kelly and I went round and round about this last year, and I fully anticipate that we will battle it out again this year. When the girls are warming up and doing all those crazy stretches they have to do to prepare for the game, their butts are often in the air. And it's not JUST during warm ups. These girls are all over the floor during a game! When they are wearing skin tight shorts with a 2" or even a 3" inseam, a LOT more is visible to spectators than they should EVER see!! When you consider that a great many of those spectators are men and boys...naw baby naw.... I DO NOT want my daughter's body on display at a volleyball game (or any other time for that matter!!)! I want people noticing what an awesome serve she had, or what a great block she made, NOT that she has a really cute butt!!!
It is no secret that men/boys are very visual creatures. It does not take much to get their imaginations whirling. When a group of teen age girls, some with VERY well developed bodies, pour themselves into skin tight, SUPER short shorts, one can only IMAGINE where a man's mind can take off to! (Actually, I don't really WANT to imagine that, but you get my point!)
And please don't give me the argument that the Spandex shorts makes it easier to move around on the court. Have you ever noticed that most volleyball teams' shirts are long sleeved? The girls use their legs a LOT, but they use their arms even more. If something needed to be unencumbered, would you not think it would be their arms?? If that is the case, then ALL volleyball uniform shirts should be sleeveless!! But they aren't.
You know as well as I do that kids more often than not want to do what is accepted or cool. That is many times NOT the same as what is right or what makes the most sense. So as parents (or coaches) we need to stand up and say, "NO. Your body is NOT going to be put on display at this sporting event. Your athletic ability is." or "NO. You are NOT going to go to the mall dressed like a hooker." Whatever the case may be.
So bringing it all together here...is Spandex really from Satan? No. It's not. Mr. Sandquist and Mr. Shivers did a good thing way back there in 1959 when they created this weird material. It has some really great uses. However those uses DO NOT include, shopping attire (at Walmart or anywhere else!), date night attire (the movies, a restaurant, or Riverbend!) OR volleyball attire!
Monday, July 9, 2012
The Before and the During....
I HATE being in pictures. I am totally NOT photogenic. I have a crooked nose, and weird teeth, and my eyes disappear when I smile. So I am not one to want to jump in front of a camera. The only thing I hate more than being in pictures is SHOWING people pictures of myself. ICKY!!!
However, that is exactly what I am goin to do in this blog. Now hear me REALLY clearly on this...the ONLY reason I am putting these two pics on this blog is to encourage anyone reading this who might possibly need to lose a little (or a lot!) of weight. I am a living breathing example of "if I can do it, ANYONE can do it!" So here goes...be prepared to gag, gasp, and giggle...
May 28, 2011 
May 26, 2012
However, that is exactly what I am goin to do in this blog. Now hear me REALLY clearly on this...the ONLY reason I am putting these two pics on this blog is to encourage anyone reading this who might possibly need to lose a little (or a lot!) of weight. I am a living breathing example of "if I can do it, ANYONE can do it!" So here goes...be prepared to gag, gasp, and giggle...
May 28, 2011 
May 26, 2012
Karly's graduation Kerri's wedding
I know, I know...it's gross. But that's where I was for a REALLY long time. When I look at those pictures, I literally gag. HOW did I allow myself to get in that shape?? It didn't happen over night, but it did happen. One (or more likely two) Little Debbie at a time. But I couldn't be THAT bad off...could I? I mean Rog told me all the time how beautiful I was. It was just part of life that I couldn't walk to the mailbox without getting winded. The idea of walking/jogging 4.25 miles (which is what I did this morning) was totally ridiculous.
But then, like I said in an earlier post, when Kerri told me in August, she was getting married in May, I KNEW I had to do something. And I did. As you can see, the second picture looks substantially different than the first. Fifty pounds DOES make a lot of difference. Please be aware, I have STILL not reached my goal yet. But I am working like a crazy person to get there.
If you are a person who is where I was back in May of 2011 and you feel like there is just NO WAY you can do this, PLEASE know YOU CAN!! I didn't join a gym. I didn't pay a ton of money to be on some special program. I did it the old fashioned way.
If you need encouragement or tips, message me. I'm by no means a pro, but I can maybe help you along the way.
I want everybody to feel the way I feel now. I have SO much more energy. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be able to throw Frisbee with Kelly on the beach when we were in Florida last week! I can't WAIT to run my first 5K probably this fall. I want my pals to be able to do that stuff too!
Have a great week! and remember.. "YES, YOU CAN!!!!"
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