Please Pardon This Blogging Interruption

I made a blog for a project in my special ed class. I want to link it here so it will be easy to get to tomorrow for my presentation.

My Guiding Principles



Now back to your regular blogging program....

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

I hope everyone out there in the internet has a happy thanksgiving filled with food, family, friends, love, and thankfulness.



Thanksgiving is a day for everyone to count their blessings from God.



Thus, I am thankful for:

- my God for saving me

- my family

- my friends

- my health and the health of my loved ones

- a place to call home

- stability in an unstable world

- hope

- love

- faith

Total Blessing

I am sitting in class waiting for it to start and I have been trying to figure out how to post from my Blackberry since I got it so we will see how this goes.



Today has gone by in a flash; it was a productive day but I feel behind a little. On thursday of last week I totaled my car and ever since then I feel like I have been one step behind. I did get news about my car today; State Farm gave me a good price for my car and it will be completely paid off.



This whole wreck situation has really been a blessing. I know that sounds crazy but things could not have gone any smoother on all aspects of it. The Lord is really teaching me a lot through this. I have truly trusted Him with it. I have offered nothing but thanksgiving for it all and He has blessed me in return.



Now I just pray that I remember to keep God in it as I shop for a new car. I want to make a responsible choice for my new car. I pray that I remain humble throughout my decisions and that I give thanks for the blessing of whatever car I get.



I would have never guessed that wrecking my car would have been such a blessing but like everyone always says, God works in mysterious ways. Life is full of teachable moments if you open your mind and heart to see what God is showing you.

November is a month of birthdays in the Crandall/Meyer household

Wordless Wednesday- Just Cause I Felt Like It

Blogging Niche

I am searching for my place in the blogsphere......

Mommy Blogger? nope that one doesn't fit

Newlywed? nope that one doesn't fit either

Sex and the City? nope sorry, I don't have random sex and date hundreds of guys

Career Women? nope currently unemployed, thanks

Working Mom? nope, no kids and no job

Adopting? nope, would need a husband for that (in my opinion)

Crafter/Cooking? nope, while I am learning to sew I cannot say I am crafty

Anyway, you get my point. I don't really fit anywhere. Why isn't there a category (and a readership) for blogs about nothing. Come on people, Seinfeld was about nothing and it was the top rated show for a long time. My blog could be the Seinfeld of the blogsphere.

Not Me Monday

This is my first "Not Me Monday" post for the blog carnival sponsored by Mckmama. So here it goes:

I did not plan to wear a hat today so I didn't have to wash my hair last night.

I did not buy 2 boxes of brownie mix at the store because I am on a diet and it would be wrong to buy brownies.

I did not chicken out from writing a post about the 1 month anniversary of my grandmother's death because I didn't want to deal with the emotions.

I did not leave a load of clean dry clothes in the dryer because I didn't feel like folding them. And I did not just lay my other clean clothes on my bed instead of hanging them up.

I did not get up yesterday only to go lay on the couch and sleep for another hour.

I certainly did not debate for a long time about whether it is weird or not to pray while laying in the tanning bed.

Also I did not get a little superstitious about writing a "Not Me Monday" post because the last time I planned on writing one, my grandmother died.

Nope, Not Me, I didn't do any of those things.

A Day At The Zoo

Today was Educator Day at the Houston Zoo, which basically means it is free for teachers to get in, there were classes to take about animals, science, and teaching science curriculum. So I was not going to pass up a chance to go the zoo for FREE. I hadn't been to the zoo in a really long time. The Houston Zoo is awesome and huge, so it did not disappoint.

Aww baby and mommy monkey!

This monkey was posing for each person and moving down the line so each person could take a picture, so cute!

NEMO!!!!!

Lazy Lion.

I loved the giraffes, they were out and playing around.

This was the most beautiful snake I have ever seen. He was grey blue with deep blue eyes.

These were some hungry turtles!

I love the zoo!

Wordless Wednesday- It's About That Time

Happy Birthday Kristina!

I am so disappointed

A completely disgraceful event happened at Baylor on Tuesday, and once again Baylor University is in the news for something horrible.

I am embarrassed to be a Baylor Alumni today.

Get it together Baylor, we are better than that.

He is one insightful son of a gun

Quote from Best Friend Robbie:

"They are not looking for diversity, they are looking for minority."


*In regards to the option to write a diversity statement for the Yale University Graduate School Application

Life Updates

Teach for America:
- I had my final interview last week so now all I have to do is wait for November 17 to see if there is a big move in my future. I can't believe after all the little things I had to do to complete the TFA admissions process that all I can do is wait.

TeXes Test:
- I passed my EC-4 Generalist Test!! Yippee!!! Now I need to start studying for my PPR TeXes test.

ECI Internship:
- Going completely awesome! I love love love love love it. It is going to be tough deciding about going straight into the classroom or working with ECI for a while.

School:
- On December 8 I will be ALL done. Then on December 19 I walk across the stage to officially make me a master. :)

I guess that is the highlights.

Silly Silly DSL Man

Well the DSL Fixer Man called me at 8 am this morning to tell me my DSL was back up and running. I should have wanted to praise him and give him gifts but instead I wanted to go out there and punch him in the face.

No one appreciates getting woken up at 8 am on a Saturday.

Internet Woes

DSL down again.....

Embarq, you have a comment this time?

Divine Inspiration In An Unlikely Place

Excerpt from LOUDER THAN WORDS, by Jenny McCarthy

"Looking back, I'm amazed at the strength it took for me to put one foot in front
of the other, but I did. Day after day. Instead of getting mad at God, like I'm
sure a lot of people do, I decided to make Him my buddy in this. I remember
saying to Him around this time, 'God, I know you gave me an autistic son for a
reason. I know I'm supposed to do something with this, and I don't quite know
what it is yet, but I need you to help me out. I need to be always pointed in
the right direction. I need the messages to be loud and clear so that I can
serve my purpose in your calling.' " (Pg. 90)

When I sat down to read this book, I did not expect to receive a lesson in faith. I didn't know much about Jenny McCarthy and honestly, I certainly didn't expect her to be a person of such faith and devotion. In this book she talks about the beginning of her journey with her son's diagnosis with Autism.

As the quote excerpt points out, when she was faced with a huge challenge and uncertainity she gave it to God and decided to trust Him completely in his purpose. She leaned on him for support and guidance. I like to think that I would do the same thing, but I can't honestly say that I know what I would do. I do not doubt that everything is a part of God's plan and I can do anything through Him, but I don't know that in the face of a great challenge or hardship that I wouldn't get angry or question God. So I am going to take away from this lesson that Jenny McCarthy taught me, and try to remember that no matter what is dealt our way we have to make God our buddy in all of it and trust that He will lead us out of the bad times. All we can do is learn and grow from faith in God and His plan for our life.

Thursday Thirteen- Standardized Test Edition

1. I have taken the 5 ridiculously long standardized tests. (not counting TAAS Tests and all the practice tests I took for the other "official" tests I have taken)
2. SAT
3. ACT
4. LSAT
5. GRE
6. TeXes EC-4 content exam
7. I have at least 3 more ridiculously long standardized tests to take.
8. TeXes PPR exam
9. TeXes ESL Supplemental exam
10. Praxis II- Social Studies
11. After every test I come and take a ridiculously long nap
12. Tests make my brain fried
13. I am pretty much a standardized test taking expert.

Wordless Wednesday- What is wrong with this picture?

I am posting this just so I never forget.

*This is the eulogy I read at my grandmother's funeral. I wanted to put here so that I will always remember it and I can never lose it.

There are no words I can say that will express how much I loved my Mawmaw and there are no words that can adequately describe the amazing person that she is. She was the most wonderful person that you will ever meet and I am so lucky that she is my Mawmaw. She offered me help countless times and she was my source of strength countless times. And you know what, this time is no different. My Mawmaw was there to help me with this too. On the very last page of her bible she had some bible verses written down. Those verses are perfect for today.
First I found Philippians Chapter 1 verses 20- 24 which reads:
“For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that will cause me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live.”
It was definitely better for us that she lived. But now Mawmaw is rejoicing in heaven with her Lord.

Also on that last page Mawmaw had written II Timothy Chapter 4 Verses 6-8 which reads:
“As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me.”
No one deserves that prize more than her.

In this time of great sorrow, all we can do is lean on our Lord God for strength. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord promises to dry our tears and smooth out the road in front of us. We must find peace in these promises.
The final piece of wisdom Mawmaw laid out for me was found bookmarked in her bible. I Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 1 reads “My heart rejoices in the Lord! Oh how the Lord has blessed me!”
And that is true, we must thank the Lord God that we have been truly blessed by being privileged enough to have a woman like Mawmaw touch our lives.

Eating my Feelings

Even though I have had a significant weight loss this past year. My issues with food are not resolved. The past month I have been eating my feelings.

First after Hurricane Ike: I ate when I was anxious, I ate when I was relieved, and I ate when I was bored.

Then it was my birthday: I ate when I was excited, I ate when I was happy, and I ate to finish the cake.

Finally my grandmother passed away: I ate when I was sad, I ate when I was anxious, I ate when I was mad, I ate when I was numb.

I hate that I do this, but honestly I have no idea what to do about it. I know I have put back on some of the weight I have lost but I am too scared to know how much.