Month: September 2012

The Words

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Words are like arrows. They have the ability to hit the target if you shoot well. But like arrows, sometimes words sting. And words once used, cannot be taken back. – Unknown

The Words, a movie featuring Bradley Cooper, just hit theaters. Any movie or show with Bradley Cooper will always catch my eye. I have been a fan of his since he played Will on my beloved show Alias.

Here is the review from Fandango.

When shallow wannabe-writer Rory Jensen (Bradley Cooper) finds an old manuscript tucked away in a bag, he decides to pass the work off as his own. The book, called “The Window Tears,” brings Rory great acclaim, until the real author (Jeremy Irons) shows up and threatens to destroy Rory’s reputation.

I think it takes a lot of guts to take credit for someone else’s story, their life’s work.  I also find it disappointing when someone shares your words without truly understanding their meaning or uses them to “stir the pot” so to speak.

Last night, a wise friend and I were sitting on her porch swing talking about this very subject and she made a very valid point. She said, “You can say something to someone in passing, something very light and casual that had little meaning. Then someone can take those words, give value to them, and then they form a life of their own.”

I equate this to the whisper game we played as children. I actually just played this game on Sunday with my Sunday school class. I whispered to the first child “Jesus loves you.” When it got back to me after passing through 14 children, I heard, “rah rah rah”. What?? That is not even remotely close to what I said!

We got a good laugh in the end, but when one word is spoken incorrectly it can leave a lot of damage. I know because once again I am left with cleaning up a mess that should have never been created in the first place. One word taken out of context has snowballed into unnecessary pain for all parties involved.

I’m pretty confident that I will go see this move. A close to home plot combined with a fine-looking actor is getting two thumbs up in my book. As as writer, I know the value in words and how much work is involved in writing a book, and I am hoping the ending gives the credit where the credit is due.

After all, I hoping for the same kind of ending to my own story.

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The Foundation

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The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid. – Thomas Kempi

Roughly four years ago, I was ready to abandon the life I greatly loved in Nashville, TN to pursue God-given dreams in Clarksville, TN. You see a man received $2 million dollars in cash to purchase a Church. The Church would be debt free from the start. It was too big of a miracle to not be a part of. 8 short months later, the Church crumbled right along with my dreams of having a women’s ministry and making a difference in the lives of others.

Three long years later, I found myself in a new Church. This time I was not lured by the miracle of a big fat check, it was the love of Jesus, pure and simple. The Church is old and in need of repairs. The windows in my Sunday school class are pieced together by a poster board looking substance. The water pressure in the kitchen fades if someone flushes the toilet in the nearby bathroom.  Sure, the place has had some cosmetic touches, but we have outgrown the space and we need to make some major improvements.

This time no one is giving us $2 million dollars up front, we have to raise $30K ourselves. Our Church has launched an aggressive campaign 30 by 30 – $30K by the 30th of September.

I don’t know if we will meet our goal or not, but I do know that this Church will last. I know this because I know how the foundation is being laid – by our own blood, sweat, and tears.

If you’d like, you can get a glimpse as to where we are going. And who knows, maybe we will see you there.

Second Time Around

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Love is sweeter the second time around. – Unknown

So as any single gal would do on a Friday night, I found myself sitting on the couch with some wine and watching multiple episodes (too many in fact) of Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta. Girl after girl was trying to find that perfect dress to marry the man of her dreams. I even watched an episode where a girl had the Atlanta Falcon cheerleaders in the store to “cheer” her on. Can you say over the top?

In each opening episode, the consultant first goes through the introductions – who is the bride, who are the people with her, what is the bride’s favorite style of dress, their price point, and what is it about the man they are going to marry. Every girl says something different. They want a ball gown, mermaid style, or a beaded dress. Some spend around $2,000 and some have an unlimited budget. Some of the brides met their man in high school, some in college, some by way of friends. Either way, their man is awesome, a great man, and they are best friends…blah blah blah…

One girl in particular said, in regards to her man, it was love at first sight. I of course teared up at her response. It’s true that “love at first sight” is overused and can be a cliché, but I think when you know you know. It is more than just locking eyes on someone it is a feeling – a feeling that I have once experienced.

As I find myself inching back into the dating world roughly after a 10 month break from my last long-term relationship, I may not be saying yes to the dress just yet, but I am hoping to find love at first sight a second time around.

To be continued…

Soar to New Heights

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The shell must break before the bird can fly – Tennyson

Over the holiday weekend, I took advantage of all the sales and spent the day shopping at Opry Mills Mall, or even better, Forever 21. I love their funky sense of style. You never know what gem you might find. You can find something very 80’s like, a print dress with cats, or more specifically birds. Jokingly, I told my friend I might need a little intervention from all my newly acquired bird collection – a shirt, a dress, a bracelet and a necklace, to be exact.

Now one may think that I am one flight away from the cuckoo’s nest, but I think there is a deeper meaning to my new fascination. Birds are symbolic of freedom. They soar above to new heights.

During the summer, a momma bird took temporary residence in my new Boston fern. I guess it was an ideal location to birth her babies. I paid close attention to the process. Most of the time, she sat with her babies unless I startled her or she went for food.

I think the whole process took around 6 weeks. I know I was getting rather impatient, because I could not water the plant. I just bought it and didn’t want it to die for lack of water. But one day I came home, and the babies were gone. I guess it was time for them to leave the nest for good.

A lot has transpired in this last year. Strongholds have been removed and I find myself in a new place – freedom. Now that the chains that have kept me grounded for most of my life are removed, I am free, like the bird, to leave the nest, take flight,  soar to new heights to a place where my dreams collide with reality.

Stay tuned to my next move…