what i did today

There is a phrase from a blog post last week that I simply can not get out of my head. I know people get tired of those bloggers who simply copy and paste from larger blogs but I honestly am not trying to do that.  There is just one sentence that this atheist guy wrote about this Christian guy.

…he seems to do what few Christians do these days, that is to say a lot of good.

I don’t have an issue with giving..most of the time…so I wasn’t really convicted that I wasn’t.  It’s just, I don’t know.  I want to be MORE giving.  There is a quote I have on my desktop by Helen Keller that says “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”  And that’s what I want to do.  Sort of like Palin said in her recent speech at the RNC…just because it doesn’t fix all the problems, it doesn’t give us an excuse to do nothing.  I will do what I can to make a difference.  And really, I’d like to inspire others to change that viewpoint that non-Christians have…that we don’t do a whole lot of good.

Acts says the church, that is to say CHRISTIANS should be taking care of others.  I may not ever say it again, but the atheist was right…we should be doing better jobs.

And I really couldn’t believe the first Sunday of my our Sunday School class yesterday talked a lot about making a difference in our community.  And then just last night and this morning I was presented with at least three CONCRETE ways we can help.

1. This is from a local source: I am part of a fundraising organization called Team Bellenger which was put together to raise money for a brother and sister pair both with Stage IV kidney disease and both active on the transplant list. Their names are Stephanie and Matthew.  Long story short we have several things going on that we are trying to promote locally. We are selling t-shirts for $10 and rubber bracelets for $3. We are having a Christian Concert on Oct. 4 by The Ladd Family.Concert Info:The Ladd Family
   October 4, 2008 7:00pm
   Palmetto Room at Historic Old Town
   150 E. White Street
   Rock Hill, SC 29730

   Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. To support Stephanie or Matthew: Make checks payable to: NTAF South-Atlantic Kidney Transplant Fund Note in the memo section: In honor of Stephanie Bellenger or Matthew Bellenger Please mail to: National Transplant Assistance Fund 150 N. Radnor Chester Road, Suite F-120 Radnor, PA 19087 To make a credit card donation call 800-642-8339 or visit www.transplantfund.org

2. That Christian guy I mentioned above posted this today:
   My boy LV asked Pastor Dino what he needed to help the victims…

   “As of Friday, Sept. 5th, power is expected to be out in parts of southern Louisiana for 4-6 weeks; homes are destroyed, and many people in “the bayou” have yet to be reached. They need help!

   We asked Dino what they need and how the Catalyst audience might be able to help.”
   The answer… Blue Tarps.Blue Tarps.Blue Tarps.Blue Tarps.Blue Tarps.Blue Tarps.

   Order your blue tarps at this link and have it shipped hereONE (1) BLUE TARP
   Healing Place Church
   19202 Highland Road
   Baton Rouge, LA 70809
   225.753.2273

3. Hurricane Ike devastated Haiti.  I know I’ve mentioned helping the Haiti Rescue Center before and they had extensive damage.  Check for information on their blog and there is a donation link on their site.

I am working to give to all of these in one way or another.  Please join me in doing some good today.

Ayiesha Woods is a Grammy nominated Christian artist who has toured on the Women of Faith and Revolve tours. She has such a unique, raspy voice that is gorgeous. I love unique sounds like hers. And honestly, the contemporary Christian scene can be quite lacking on that so I’m happy to pass on a recommendation of such a great artist.

And I’m happy to report you can win her latest CD “Love Like This” that comes out on TUESDAY! Take a listen to her music below and if you like it, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll leave comments open until Tuesday morning at 8:00am and announce a winner Tuesday morning. Good luck!

The pageant went well today. I had the girls by myself all morning and it actually was nice and relaxing getting everything ready.  No stress whatsoever.  We got to the pageant pretty early and I put Lexi’s hair up in curlers but an hour later when I took them out there were NO curls.  I had tried earlier this morning with both my flat iron and curling iron and could not get it to do ANYTHING.  Her hair is just straight.  So I hooked up my flat iron and got every wave and crinkle out that the curlers had managed to do and had it looking nice and long.

And boy, did that have me worried.  The pageant changed a lot this year and there were a lot more girls there and they were SERIOUS!  One set of sisters had a dedicated hair and make-up lady.  The girls both had acrylic nails that were french manicured.  Another little girl in the 3 year old category had fake hair.  It’s that curly stuff you attach.  She didn’t have any hair so she had it on top like an up-do.  We felt a little out of place.  But the director had just told me the night before that the judges were looking for natural beauty, a very girl-next-door look and this was definitely not a glitz pageant so I stayed positive.

Lexi was so antsy to get on stage.  Once we got within 30 minutes she was begging every few minutes to go on stage.  It actually was great to be so calm about it knowing she was excited and I wasn’t worried whether she would do well on stage.

She did well on stage.  She couldn’t find the family though until the very end so she didn’t jump around like she did last year until right at the end.  But she did twirl and wave.

During awards, Lexi was the last one to receive anything.  All the girls had received one or more trophies or crowns and Lexi was looking longingly at all of them and even told me she wanted “one of those”. Poor thing. I breathed a sigh of relief when they called her number to announce she had won one of two spots in her division.  You could hear the family go wild in the crowd and it was a great moment for Lexi.

She even put on her crown and sash with nary a complaint!

We had to stick around for pictures and Lexi was TIRED at the end.  She ended up yawning in half the pictures at the end. Not sure if we’ll do this next year.  Lexi will have to walk on stage by herself next year and who knows if she’ll care about doing it or not.  I guess we’ll cross that bridge next year.  The one thing we do need to decide is whether to send her to state in the spring.  The director told me last night that she knew state judges would love her and since she said she would do well today and she won, well, it sounds promising.  But it’s a lot of money.  And time.  So we’ll see.

Anyway, here are the pictures (very unedited) and below are the videos (of just Lexi) meshed into one.

I’ll write more later since we’re starving and headed to eat, but look!

Tomorrow is Lexi’s second pageant.  I got really lucky and the pageant director resells dresses and had one that fit Lexi to a tee and let us rent it for $20!!  What a deal!  And look how cute!  The director told us that Lexi scored really well last year and we really should consider sending her to state.  She said they would love her because she has so much natural beauty and has a great personality.  She sure knows how to butter a mom up!!  She even gave us tips on how to wear her hair and even threw in a clear case bag for us to have.  She was so nice!  I’m so thankful it was so easy.  Mom was nice enough to take Lexi to get new shoes and socks today so really, his has been a piece of cake!

Now Lexi just needs to go out and be a ham like she always is.  And she will I think because Lexi is SO excited about tomorrow.  We’ve been practicing her wave and twirling and it’s just so cute.

OK, enough stage mom gushing for now…there’ll be more posts tomorrow after the pageant 😉

And this one says “My medication still isn’t working and I’m trying to keep them out of my shed.”

It’s duct tape.

I’m sorry.  I just couldn’t keep that to myself.

In an effort to be open and honest, I feel a need to share pictures of me from high school when I was neither hot nor a blogger. Well, that and Melissa posted them on her facebook and I can’t just NOT share them.

Please notice: pasty white face, clear braces, red lipstick, high-wasted pants, gold metal belt and bright pants.  That’s Melissa there are on the right that I saw last night at The Melting Pot.

Please notice: Matching navy leather belt with large buckle.

This was before a party at Melissa’s.  Again white pasty face and red lipstick.  And the white shirt with the black buttons?  So 90’s..or 80’s…whatever.

This may have been one of the first pictures ever taken of Scott and I.  If you didn’t know, we met in his last month of high school.  I was only 15 here.

This is pre-Scott.  I dated the guy in the middle.  What kind of boots am I wearing?? It looks like I’m headed to boot camp.

Please note: ANOTHER way I did my bangs.  I was still in the 80’s-90s transition even though this was ’93ish.

WHY is Michelle looking at me that way?

*Update, there’s more*

Oh, to know what I know now and have that body again…lol

Graduation Party at my house.  I see improvement

Token Prom Picture

And just for our bruised pride, here is Melissa and I just last night.  My how things have changed.  And Thank the Lord!

Do you see that swank little New York studio?  That’s where I’ll be from 8-8 on October 5th taking pictures for the Hot Blogger Calendar!!  Whoo Hoo!!!

Scott is working that weekend so I’m trying to enlist some of my girlie peeps to go with me.  (Why do I use phrases like girlie peeps when I blog?  I don’t ever say that in real life??).  I think Heather is going.  Jill might go.  Dani might go.  I asked Melissa to go but she already has a trip to Vegas planned for that weekend.  So I don’t know what’s going to happen.  All I know is me.  in that room.  taking pictures.  with 23 other hot bloggers.  Oh yeah, baby, I can’t wait!

OK, really, I’m scared out of my mind.  Scared I won’t be able to make it to the hotel.  Scared I’ll get lost on the subway.  Scared I will be extremely socially awkward.  Scared I won’t take a good picture.  Yeah.  Part of me is excited beyond belief but a bigger part is scared out of my mind!!