Featured Flick Friday

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Disney

Two things I love in a movie; sarcasm and endless memorable quotes!  The Emperor’s New Groove has both in spades, or rather because of Spade.  David Spade voices the lead character, Emperor Kuzco, and manages to bring Tommy Boy type humor and sarcasm to this clever film, but he keeps it kid and family friendly.  John Goodman lends his familiar voice to the character of Pacha, a local villager who wins hearts and provides many moments of dead pan humor.  The villain of the story is Yzma, voiced by Eartha Kitt, and she is one ugly Disney villain.  Perhaps one of my all-time favorite villains, Yzma is a diva and a very demanding employer; just ask Kronk, her right-hand goon, voiced by Patrick Warburton of Seinfield fame.  My two favorite scenes of Kronk’s are when he provides his own theme music while he is sneaking out to get rid of Kuzco after Yzma’s attempt to poison him turn the emperor into a llama, and the ending scenes with Kronk leading the Junior Chipmunks and ‘speaking’ squirrel.  I think Warburton and Spade provide the most humor throughout the film.  The best part for me is that it is sarcastic humor for the majority of the film and this is what makes the film adult worthy.  There are so many quotes that I won’t attempt to list them, but I encourage you to check out imdb’s page of memorable quotes and have a good laugh. Of course if you haven’t yet seen this movie,  they are always better in context, so rent the movie!  If you need more encouragement, check out the clips below.  They’ll brighten your day at the very least.

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote of the movie provided by Emperor Kuzco.  It is my go to quote when I’m trying to be sneaky and get caught!

Kuzko: [after throwing a rock at Pacha’s head, acting innocent] Huh? What? I didn’t do anything. I didn’t… Somebody’s throwin’ stuff. You gonna build a fire or what?

Thankful Thursdays Premier

I am thankful for the people and things in my life on a daily basis, but expressing my gratefulness on Thursdays allows for lovely alliteration. The premier edition of Thankful Thursdays features someone and something I have very recently been blessed by.

God works in mysterious ways often, and other times He works in ways that shout of His amazing plans for your life. My recent post, What S.H.A.P.E. am I?, received a very sweet and encouraging comment from the author of another WordPress blog. Jana, of The Secret Life of the Bishop’s Wife. I, of course, checked out her blog and was delighted to find a kindred spirit. Once again, God used an ordinary medium, such as the comment option, to pour His hope and encouragement into my life; and at a time I am earnestly seeking it. Jana had recently blogged on almost the exact same topic as I had, and her heart was so transparent and beautiful. I immediately whispered my thanks to God, or as my darling husband observed, I randomly spoke to the ceiling.

I have since read more of Jana’s wonderfully insightful, funny, well-written, and encouraging blog and my heart has been flooded with joy at her words, and how God is working through her. I also cried, because I am an emotional mush sometimes when my gift of empathy kicks in, as it did when I read the recent post about her darling son, Rowan. In, What are You Believing for?, Jana shares her family’s recent news concerning Rowan’s health, and while the diagnosis is not encouraging, the hope she shares is contagious. I encourage you to check it out and join us in lifting Rowan, Jana, and her husband, Barry, in prayer.

So, Jana, I am thankful for you and your willingness to share your beautiful heart through your words. I too, am grateful that we have become blogging buddies! I look forward to seeing how God moves in our lives!

Site Finding its Shape

Choosing a Path

I figured while I was under construction I would go ahead and give my blog a makeover.  In an effort to blog more I will be adding some new pages that will be a daily post mainly done for fun.  I’m also toying with the idea of changing my blog’s name.  While I named it after a Liz Curtis Higgs book, I did so because it was where I was emotionally and spiritually at the time.  My reasoning behind a possible change is to be more authentic and original.  So, if I feel led to change it, I will.

I am also playing around with the widgets and trying to create a more interesting and appealing site and that it taking the most time.  This may also be a slow construction, (not road construction slow), because the main time I have to tweak or blog is in the evenings after my little punkin is sleeping soundly.  By then I am usually a tad tired and my brain’s creativity isn’t always firing on all cylinders.  In order to provide quality content and presentation I am trying to take my time.  So, be patient with me, but keep checking in for new posts!

Page Previews

The Daily Delights will be:

Must Have Mondays

Ten Things Tuesdays

What Would You Do Wednesdays

Thankful Thursdays

Featured Flick Fridays

Synonymous Saturdays & Songs 4 Saturday (Saturday will be a double day so that I can rest on Sunday and focus on worship.)

Other Page Possibilities:

Panache Photography

Poetry

The daily pages were inspired by a blog I ran across this evening.  Mrs. Chili of The Blue Door Blog writes a very witty and fun blog and I was inspired by her ideas, especially the TTT’s.  She encouraged others to go forth and blog likewise, so I shall.  I hope I can create some quality posts that make her and others smile and maybe laugh out loud.   The photography and poetry pages are two of my passions.

I’d love to hear what you think of the changes or any ideas or help you want to offer.

What S.H.A.P.E. am I?

What did you want to be when you grew up?  Or, like me, are you still asking that question?

It then hits me…. I am grown up; most of the time!  In elementary school on those formative career days, I dressed up one year as a lawyer, another as a writer, and another as a singer.  Only one of those was fun to dress up as.  I mean a fourth grader in business casual with notes, a briefcase, and an up-do doesn’t scream thrilling!

Over the years I stopped asking what I wanted to be and my focus shifted to how was I getting to college, but the question stopped there.  I knew that in order to get to college I was going to have to get a scholarship, and that it would probably be through softball.  So I focused on softball, which quickly consumed a lot of my life and time, and the rest was centered on friends and fun with a bit of school mixed in.  Who I wanted to be or what I wanted to do in the future wasn’t really even on the playing field of my mind.

Church fell far down on the priority list after my 7th grade confirmation class failed to answer some questions I had or to convince me why I should be there.  I was seeking something, but I didn’t know what it was at the time. 

Top 10 of being Micah’s Mom

10. I officially have another holiday to let me know I am special.  (We all need that!)

9. I get to shop and honestly say it wasn’t for myself!

8. No one expects the house to be tidy.

7. Being silly is the expected manner of being.

6. Needing to put Micah on a schedule has finally caused me to have a regular one!

Enduring the Old and New

My heart is aching right now.  I’m not sure why this sadness has taken hold tonight.  I’ve just been sitting here waiting for Aaron to get home from Saul Good, watching, well sort of watching, Braveheart, catching up on facebook.  Darn those kilt-raising Scots; they always bring tears!

Seriously, though, this sadness feels weary.  Is that possible?  I mean, I am tired, but that’s not what I am referring to.  My heart feels weary.  Sometimes I wonder if that was the feeling that is spoken of in Hebrews 12:3- “Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.” 

Surrendering to The Call

I am one of those people.  When someone else’s phone rings, I am usually pretty quick to ask who is calling.  I like to know what’s going on.  I like to know the where, when, why, what, who, and how of most situations.  It’s called control, and yes, letting go of it is one of my personal thorns.  So, waiting on a single phone call that would determine a lot about our life, and not knowing when that call would occur or what might be said, was a big thing for me to take patiently.  Even with knowing the waiting would occur didn’t make it easier.

I knew when I married Aaron that I was, in a way, marrying the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference as well since they would not only employ my husband, but they, by listening to and hopefully discerning and trusting God’s will, would determine a huge chunk of the where, what, when, and who of our life.  So, one would think that I was well prepared and content with almost 5 years (May 13^th!) with which to get used to the idea and acceptance of the itinerant system and all that the itinerancy would bring, such as the waiting, wondering, and general lack of control.  Well, my head knows that in reality I can’t really control anything and those things I want to control are the exact things I need to turn over to someone a bit more capable, namely, God.  However, along with the minor control issue, I am also likely to think and react more with my heart than my head, though in this too I am growing in grace, day by day.  As my loving husband likes to point out, he usually doesn’t rely on my initial reaction to major news, as it tends to be full-tilt emotion.  He likes to give me the needed amount of time and space with which to let my brain regain the ability to speak after being roughly gagged and stuffed in the trunk by my all too eager and somewhat reactive emotions who sometimes take over the controls of my life.  And, yes, we all have trunks in our heads into which we often shut our brains away when thinking is inconvenient and in the way of what we WANT, but may not NEED.

Something New (Finally)!

I know!  It has been far too long since my last post.  I could use the, “I’ve been so busy taking care of Micah,” excuse, but he does sleep well through the night and I could have blogged in the evenings.  No, my excuse is I’ve had a lack of confidence in my blogging.  Not that my readership is exponential, but I still like to offer more than just a quick blurb when I blog, wanting to put out material worth reading! So, as a late resolution, I am challenging myself to dig deep, post more frequently, and hopefully offer a word or two that helps make your day a bit better.

We are getting ready to move back to Oklahoma.  It is unreal how quickly these three years have flown by.  When we first arrived in Kentucky I felt so far from home and as if we would never return; yes, dramatic, I know.  However, our time here has not only provided us with gained knowledge, we have also been blessed by amazing friendships, new experiences, overcome obstacles, and our precious son, Micah.  So, while I cannot say I want to stay in Kentucky, it will be far harder to say goodbye than I ever dreamed possible.  At least we get to take the best of our acquisitions home with us, though there are a few who are fighting to keep him!

A few new items of interest:  We have received our appointment, although I cannot reveal that location at this time.  Check back soon for that tidbit!  If you want a few hints, check out our new family website, Tiger Pause.  We figured we would create a page that had all of our updates and interesting stories in one spot to make it a bit easier to keep track of the family, especially for those of you not on facebook!   While you are there, bookmarking us, you can see Micah’s first photo session.  Below is the family portrait we shot during the session.  And finally, our darling and precocious little boy will be six months old tomorrow.  We can’t believe he has already brought us half a year of joy!  Hope you enjoy and have a wonderfully blessed and beautiful Easter!  He is risen!

Aaron, Heather, and Micah