Halloween: Throwback Thursday Style

Wow, October is over. The year is almost over. Where does the time go? 

Since today is Halloween and it's Thursday, I thought I'd do a little Throwback Thursday post. Here's my  Halloween Throwback Thursday Edition. I'm going to share some throwback pictures of me in some of my favorite Halloween costumes through the years.

My First Halloween

Yes, my mother dressed me as a devil for my first Halloween.

Coolest Characters from My Childhood

I loved ninja turtles when I was younger, so I needed to be one for Halloween.

The Year of the Lost Accessory

The year I was a princess, I went to a Halloween party and lost my magical wand. I was devastated. My mom worked hard gluing that glittery star cut out to that stick. (And my brother is a female kangaroo.)

The Recycled Costume

This year I was a butterfly in a play at church. Naturally, that meant I also was a butterfly for Halloween. 

The Only Time I was a Cheerleader

High socks, pigtails, and all!

Flashback to the 50s

I remember thinking this was one of the best costumes ever. I loved having my own poodle skirt. I even wore it to school. 

I'm Too Old to Buy a Costume but...

I was starting to get to that age where I didn't want to be too into Halloween because that wasn't cool, but I still wanted to participate. I think I'm my dad....he worked at Sony and works with tools. 

Ballin'

For a church carnival, my mom and I raided my brother's basketball stuff. We were in character because we were running the basketball game at the carnival. 

Meet the Flinstones

This costume served me well for 2 years. This is the last time I really dressed up for Halloween. 

What's one of your favorite Halloween costumes that you dressed up in?

The Evolution of Facebook

I feel like I've seen so many posts about Facebook lately. It's really been making me do some serious thinking about my social media use. My first use of social media was Xanga and then Myspace. Although, in those days the internet was dial up so you could only be on for a limited time. I never would have guessed that the internet would take over our lives as it has. Using social media has just become a normal part of everyday life. Most people can access the internet any time they'd like through their smart phones.

This easy accessibility has definitely made me do some reflecting on my own internet usage and how I want to use the internet and social media in my future.

I'm going to focus mainly on Facebook since that's the social media site I've had the longest and it's the one I've used the most. Before I start, you have to watch this funny video that shows how ridiculous some things we do on Facebook are in real life.

                                                     
College Facebook Days (Play by Play)

 I got a Facebook account during my freshman year of college-2006. Back when you had to have a student email address to join. During this time, I "friended" anybody and everybody. We have a class together-friend. I was introduced to you once-friend. We're both in the band-friend. You went to the same high school as me-friend. Every time I logged on, I had tons of notifications because we were constantly writing on each other's wall. I felt the need to update my status about EVERYTHING.



--(One of my first profile pics from a silly photo shoot day with friends)


 
Megan is eating mac and cheese for dinner.

Megan is watching A Knight's Tale.

Megan is heading to band practice.

Megan is studying for her history final.

Megan is excited that class was cancelled.

You know what I'm talking about. Facebook was used as a way to give a PLAY BY PLAY of my every move and thought. This was the way I used Facebook all throughout college. I thought every thought and action needed to be shared with hundreds of my "friends." I took pictures with the thought of this will be good for Facebook. I did things because they would make good statuses. I don't necessarily regret all of this. Facebook was new. I was away at college. It was a great way to transition to being away from home. I could still share everything with my friends and family and they could share everything with me.

Young Adult Facebook Days (Highlight Reel)

Slowly, things began to change around Facebook. Many young people were no longer using it. You pretty much had two categories of people. People who continued to constantly use Facebook by updating statuses and sharing things (mostly older people) and people who barely used it (younger people). I stopped updating several times a day and might only update once a day or a few times a week. I stopped sharing every little thing and only shared the big things-the HIGHLIGHTS.


--(Profile pic from school picture day my first year as a teacher.)



I'm back in Alabama for Christmas.

I'm thankful to have been offered a teaching job.

Please pray for Lee we're back in the hospital. 

It's snowing!

Roll Tide! Alabama won another National Championship!

You know. The important stuff. I continued to share pictures. To me, Facebook is a great way to make sure your pictures are backed up. I slowly stopped writing on people's walls as much and they stopped writing on mine. If I needed to contact someone, I'd send them a private message.


Currently (Advertisements)

--(Current profile pic that hasn't changed in 2 months)


This all brings me to how I currently use Facebook. I still post most of my pictures on there. I love pictures and this is just one more way I know they're backed up in case anything every happens. However as I scroll through my timeline, most of what I see is articles or posts I've shared, books I've read via my connection to Goodreads, or videos I've enjoyed. It's like my Facebook has turned into a place for me to ADVERTISE things I love or am passionate about. Nobody writes on my wall. I don't write on anyone else's. Most of the people who "like" my posts aren't really close friends. They're more like acquaintances. I hardly ever comment or interact in any way with other people. It's really had me asking recently-what's the point?

For me, I don't think I want to give Facebook up completely. I do live 10 hours away from friends and family. So, it is a way for me to kind of keep up with them and for them to keep up with me. It's almost like a security net that I just need to know is there. Let's face it, though, the people you truly want to keep up with and the ones who want to keep up with you will with or without Facebook.

So, here's what I'm doing right now to limit Facebook in my life:

-Cutting my friends list down dramatically. I started doing this slowly and have already unfriended a couple hundred people. I currently still have 363 friends. I don't know that many people well nor do I want to share my life with that many people. So, I'm going to continue to cut that list. I want to limit my friends list to family and people I truly am friends with. If I wouldn't share it with you in person, I no longer want to share it with you on the Internet. This is difficult for me for 2 main reasons: first of all, I'm nosey and want to see what other people are doing and secondly, I don't want people to be offended. I know that's stupid and I am getting better at unfriending people.

-Not checking Facebook every day. Nobody is that interesting that I need to check what they're up to every single day or several times a day. I go through spells where I don't check Facebook all week and then other times I'm checking it constantly. Usually when I'm checking it constantly, it's because I"m bored. So, I need to find other things to fill my time.

-Not over-sharing. I do pretty well with this one already. I hardly ever share things on Facebook anymore. I basically just want to be more aware of what I'm sharing. People don't need a play by play. I want to find a nice balance of sharing the highlights (because my friends list will soon be down to people that I truly care about knowing these things) and sharing great posts, videos, etc. (because social media can be a great tool for spreading the word about something worthwhile.)

-Keep some things sacred. A few months ago, I came across this post from DoubleeBlessedMom. She wrote it to moms, but I honestly think it could apply to anyone. #5 really stuck with me. Social media can prevent us from living in the moment. Similarly, Lee and I have already had a lot of discussions about how we'll handle social media when we have children. I won't share on that now since we don't and that could be a whole post in itself, but it's something to think about.

What are your views on Social Media? Do you have rules for yourself about your usage?  

This was definitely one of those pictures taken because "I can make it my profile picture on Facebook."

Ornaments for Adoption: Positive Adoption Language

Happy Monday! It's Ornaments for Adoption time! Again thank you so much to each of you who've commented, encouraged, shared, and ordered ornaments.

This week's ornament orders get you a chance to win lip gloss and lip liner from Mary Kay consultant, Kelly. The more ornaments you order, the more chance you have to win. Erin won 2 weeks in a row!

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I read a lot of blog posts and articles about adoption. One of the things I come across often is the "things not to say to adoptive parents" posts or something similar. Some people's posts can be downright mean about it. I understand that it has to be frustrating to be asked the same things over and over again or to have the same things said to you all the time-especially when those things aren't said in the best way. However, one day I came across a post on this topic that I thought was written very well. She spoke of treating others with grace and instead of trashing them, we should educate them. I wish I could remember where I read this post, so I could give this person credit and link it here for you to read.

Now I'm not an adoptive parent, but I hope to be one day. So as I already mentioned, I read a lot of things about adoption. One of the purposes of Ornaments for Adoption is to raise adoption and orphan care awareness. I think one thing that others can be educated on is the type of language that can be viewed as negative and more positive language to use in regards to adoption. 

Don't you want your own children?

The Problem: This question is most likely to be the first thing you're asked if you choose to adopt and don't already have biological children.This can be hurtful for many reasons. First of all, there's a strong chance the couple is unable to have biological children. Maybe they have an official diagnosis from a doctor or maybe they've just been trying for a while and have been unsuccessful. You can bring up that pain when you ask that question. Maybe that's not the case, though, and the couple just feels led to start their family in a nontraditional way. So, it can also be hurtful in the sense that you're implying that a child or children they adopt will not be their own child. We understand what you mean, but it's best not to ask.

The Solution: Honestly, I don't think it's really anyone's business whether a couple plans to have biological children or not. They're making a beautiful decision to take in someone else's biological child as their own. Some people do seek adoption as an alternative when they're unable to have biological children. Some people choose adoption rather than having biological children or along with having biological children. I love the saying love makes a family. As I said, we know what you mean when you ask this, but my suggestions would be not to ask it at all. Instead, tell them "congratulations" just like you would if someone came to you telling you they're pregnant.

What about their real parents?

The Problem: This question may be asked in a variety of ways, such as "Do you know their real parents?" or " Will they ever meet their real parents?" It may even be asked more specifically of their "real mother" or "real father." This can be hurtful because you're insinuating that the people who are raising them are some type of fake parents. You're implying that because their family is different, it's not a real family. I would think this could be especially harmful if the child hears others asking this question. It could cause them to question their family and maybe feel like there's something wrong with it.

The Solution: A better way to refer to the "real parents" is by calling them birth parents (birth mom or birth dad) or biological parents (biological mother or biological father). Those people are a critical part of that child's life and shouldn't be ignored; but in the end, the real parents are the parents who are raising and parenting that child on a day to day basis.

Is that your adopted child?

The Problem: Adoption is a process (a noun). Adopted or adopting is a verb. Adopted should not be used as an adjective to describe a child. As stated in both sections above, once a child is through the adoption process, they are simply a child in a family. They may have come into that family in a different way, but it doesn't make them any less of a part of that family. Referring to a child as "adopted child" can make them feel like their in a lower standing than a biological child.

The Solution: This isn't something that should be discussed in front of the child. If you're truly curious about adoption, you could ask about the child the family adopted. For the most part, though, there should be no distinction amongst children and how they came to be in the family. You don't refer to biological children as "biological children" or as "birth children." They're simply a person's children and children who are adopted are as well.

Why did his/her parents give him/her up?

The Problem: When you say you give something up, it's usually something you don't want. It usually has a negative connotation to it. Most of the time birth parents have made a very difficult decision, not because they don't want their child but because they know that for whatever reason they can't take care of him or her. We often have a very negative view of people who "give up" their children. We forget what a hard decision this must be. Many birth parents probably sacrifice what they want for what they think will be best for their child. I'm sure that many children who are adopted or are available for adoption already feel neglected and unwanted.

The Solution: Instead of saying a child was given up, you can say they were placed for adoption, another family was chosen to parent them, or their birth parents chose to make an adoption plan. Again, this is not something that should be discussed in front of the child.

It comes down to thinking about what you say before you say it. Make sure your words match your intent. Adoption shouldn't be treated as something strange and unusual. It's just a different way of creating a family, but it's still creating a family none the less. If you're honestly curious about adoption, I don't think it hurts to ask questions of families who have adopted. If I'm ever unsure of how to say something, I preface it by saying "I'm not sure if this is the right way to say this..." Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes and think of how it will make them feel. On the other hand, if you're just trying to be nosey or rude, it might be best not to say anything at all.

What other negative expressions related to adoption would you wish to educate people on?

13 in '13 October Update

Whoops! I totally dropped the ball on this 13 in '13 goals stuff. Like all good New Year's Resolutions (or goals as I'm calling them), I started out with the best of intentions and I actually was keeping up with them and working on them through about half of the year. Then, life happens and I forgot about them for a while. Although, most of them are still in my head as things I'm consciously trying to work on.

So, here it is- the end of October. 2013 is almost over. I can't believe it. Here is my 5/6 of the way through the year update.

13 Goals for '13

1. Make my blog more about me and less about "what everyone else is doing." {Read details here.}
When I last updated, I had just come back from taking a blog break and honestly I'm about ready for another one. My blog hasn't really grown much this year and I'm trying to just be okay with that. Particularly lately, I'm feeling down because I'm not even getting many comments. Then, I remind myself that I do this because I enjoy it. It's not a job for me. I don't HAVE to post x amount of times a week. I can post when I want about what I want. If people read and comment-fine. If not-fine. I also took away sponsorship when Passionfruit started charging. I considered using something else, but for right now I'm actually enjoying not worrying about it. Even though I was only doing swaps, I still felt like I needed to do a little something to promote their blogs. Right now, my focus is on promoting Ornaments for Adoption.

2. Cut down on excess in my life. I will be reading Seven: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker and I would like to participate as I read. {Read details here.}
This is an area where there is always room for improvement. Of course, we have way more than we could ever need. My intent with this wasn't to necessarily live without any of our wants. It was simply to be more aware of how we spend our time and money and to make sure we don't go overboard. We've been doing this more particularly this month because we agreed to not buy anything that was unnecessary. I plan on trying to continue until the holidays to not buy anything unnecessary. It's really sad because at Christmas, Lee and I have a hard time getting gifts for each other because we always just go out and buy whatever we want when we want it. I'm trying not to do that anymore.

3. Read through the rest of the New Testament. {Read details here.}
I continue to do terrible with this. I get into the habit of reading my Bible for a few days, then I get out of it for a few weeks. I have read through a couple more books, but I don't believe I'm going to get the whole New Testament read by the end of the year.

4. Read a chapter from Psalm and/or Proverbs every Friday. {Read details here.}
I honestly think I have only done this once or twice this year.

5. Plan each month's meals in advance. Look for new recipes and cook a variety of things. Eat out less! {Read details here.}
I got out of this habit for a while when life got a little crazy, but I'm getting back into it. I've been trying especially hard to plan meals this month because Lee and I also agreed to not eat out this month. So, I've had to make sure we had meals planned and that we don't waste what we've already bought.

6. Write a letter every other month to the children we sponsor through Compassion, Alan and Malaiyarasi. {Read details here.}
I wrote a letter to them just recently. I think there was only one time that I missed writing to them.

7. Read at least 40 50 books. At least 10 of those books should be nonfiction. At least 5 of those books should be classic novels. {Read details here.}
I've read 62 books so far this year. This is the one goal I've definitely followed through with. Well, except the part about reading 5 classics. I've read 0. I tried to read a couple, but I just couldn't get through them. However recently, I haven't been reading anything. I read so steadily for most of the year that it's like I'm not coming down from a book high and I just can't manage to pick one up.

8. Get healthy. Exercise at least 4 times a week. Make healthier food choices. {Read details here.}
I started out the school year working out very regularly. Then, work picked up and things got busier and more stressful and my working out went away. I do feel like I'm doing better with my food choices, though. I cut out a lot of the food I used to snack on. I try to eat more fruits and vegetables. I try to make healthier choices for meals.

9. Create the budget with my husband and stick to it! {Read details here.}
This month was the first time we FINALLY sat down together to do this. I've worked really hard to stick to it and the only thing I've bought all month has been groceries. We're working to try and pay off some debt. My husband, on the other hand, is a spender and although he's done better than usual, he still hasn't completely stuck to the budget.

10. Go on at least 2 intentional dates a month. Have 2 nights a month that are technology free. {Read details here.}
We've yet to do a technology free night, but we are using technology A LOT less. I never turn on the TV just to watch. I only turn it on if one of my shows is on. I also am on the computer a lot less. We're both trying to be more aware of how much we use technology. As far as the dates go, Lee recently got a new job and he's working a lot more than he used to. So, we need to get used to it and be more intentional about spending time together.

11. Do at least 10 things that I pinned on Pinterest. (Read details here.)
I'm sure I've done this, but to be honest for this post I don't feel like counting. I have noticed that I think about Pinterest a little differently. I don't just pin things to pin them. I try to only pin ideas I actually plan on using.

12. Learn how to effectively use my DSLR camera. (Read details here.)
Several months ago, I watched and read some tutorials. In the spring, I played around with the camera to practice, but like anything else if you don't use it, you lose it. Next time, I want to make myself some notes to keep in my camera bag. 

13. Create a cleaning schedule (AND STICK TO IT) so that the house gets cleaned little by little throughout the week instead of me having to clean all weekend. (Read details here.)
I'm doing better with cleaning on a more regular basis. I still can't get into the habit of cleaning a little bit each day rather than all in one day. 

Did you stick to your New Year's resolutions this year? Do you plan on making any for 2014?

It's OKAY, Kind Of...

I have several things that I have to be okay with lately, so I figured I'd join Nugget on a Budget for this fun weekly link up.

It's okay... that I have been overworked and stressed at work lately. Okay, not really...but I have to convince myself it's okay. I have stayed way later recently than I'd like. I've had to learn more new programs and ways of doing things than I'd like and I had to work more this weekend than I'd have liked catching up on grading papers. I'd take a "sick" day if it wasn't so much work too.

It's okay...that I haven't read much in weeks. I got back to my love of reading this year and I read A LOT. Since June, I've been reading constantly. However in the last two weeks, I've barely read at all. I have 2 books from the library, but I don't think they'll get read in time. I spent months reading constantly and now I never feel like doing it at all.

It's okay...that I dropped and broke three ornaments on Friday. I was taking some ornaments to my car with me on my way to work so that I could ship them after work. My hands were too full and I dropped them. So, I had to spend Friday night remaking them.

It's okay...that I've ate WAY too much ice cream lately. Lee and I have made too many late night runs to Target to stock up on junk food this month.

It's okay...that I feel very blah about blogging lately and if I wasn't doing Ornaments for Adoption, I'd probably take a hiatus. I think it has a lot to do with how busy I've been lately.

What's okay with you today?

Ornaments for Adoption: Thoughts From Someone Who Was Adopted

It's Monday which means another Ornaments for Adoption post. Before we get to the post, let me give a quick update and take care of some business.

Did you know that each week, I'm hosting a drawing that you can be entered into for every ornament that you buy? Two weeks ago, Brenda Thigpen won a Starbucks gift card. This past week, Erin Gandy won a 16 inch faceted ball chain from Origami Owl thanks to Lynne. This week, you can win an adorable cross door hanger (similar to the one pictured below) courtesy of Megan at Dots and Curlz. Seriously, check out her page. She's always coming up with new ideas and her prices are always reasonable.

I'm keeping my Facebook page, Instagram, and website updated with pictures of the ornaments I'm making. Check out the OFA site to see how you can order your own ornament. Also make sure you meet this year's family and read the update from last year's family.

Today, I'm thankful to have this guest post from Kim who blogs over at The KO Story. This is a side of adoption we don't often read about. Kim was adopted and I appreciate her honesty in sharing the good and bad.

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When Megan contacted me asking that I write up something about adoption, I was overjoyed. After thinking about it for a few more minutes, I realized just how big of task I had in front of me. Should I write about my own adoption story and finding my birth mother this past spring? I could always go the route of sharing all of the things I love and admire about people that choose to adopt. After questioning what I really wanted to share for a good week or so, I settled on an idea: some ideas adopted children might be struggling with, and the reasoning behind those thoughts

There are tons of books from experts and parents who have adopted that inform people what to expect when they start the adoption process, but most times those people really can't understand the mind of an adopted child. My parents got married a little later in life, and after trying to have children for years, they finally decided to try out the adoption route. By the time they got me, my dad was 50 and my mom was 44. (Hopefully they don't see this and kill me for outing their ages!) Honestly, I couldn't have dreamed of better parents. They were, and still are, supportive, loving people who have always cared about me. I didn't see it that way when I was younger.

I've known that I was adopted since I could understand what adoption meant. The Day We Met You is an excellent book to introduce young children to adoption. Even though I knew my parents loved me, I also felt that somewhere out there, there was another family that just didn't love me enough to keep me. The following three issues were ones that were continuously running through my head.

• I don't belong - My parents both have dark hair and hazel eyes. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. They're both right-handed, I'm left-handed. I look nothing like any of my extended family, and I'm more reserved than any of them. Seeing those differences just amplified the fact that I wasn't blood-related.
• You aren't my real mother/father - This was the argument I used most often as a child, even up to high school. The sadness, and later anger, that there was a person out there that didn't want me often ate away at me. When my parents tried to discipline me, I threw this in their face as much as possible. 
• You don't really love me - This is another statement that was part of my abandonment issues. When I was a bit older and learned that the adopting parents pay for adoptions, it really shook me up. I felt more like a possession that could be returned if I wasn't what they wanted. I was constantly trying to please them, and if they got frustrated with me, I thought it was because they had paid for me and I wasn't acting meeting their expectations.

I'm sharing these because I know it might seem like adopted children act out more than other children would have, but that is just because there are so many other thoughts and ideas floating around their heads. It is my hope that people planning on adopting can begin to learn the thought-processes behind bad behavior. I think if my parents had learned to address these issues correctly, our relationship would have been much stronger growing up.

A couple other things I would like to say to all those adopting people out there: let your child know they are adopted as soon as you can. Hiding that fact can make a child feel like their parents are ashamed of it. And my final word of advice, if and when an adoptee wants to learn more about their birth family, support it. Knowing where you come from is a huge deal in my book, and you shouldn't worry about losing your child to their birth family. You are the person that raised that child and was there all along; you are the real parent.

A Call to Action

Happy Friday friends!

My life has been SO busy lately. I have barely read any blogs. I've checked my email, but not had the state of mind to properly reply to much of anything. I haven't even been posting on my own blog. Between work and personal life, I've been quite busy.

So, I'm doing something I rarely do. I'm writing a post the night before I post it. I normally like to have my posts scheduled out in advance, but I'm not having time to write the things I'm scheduling. So, I'm being a little more spontaneous.

I've seen this story of 15 year old Davion circulating around the internet lately. I don't know why, but I often avoid these viral stories. However, I decided to read this one Thursday morning and I was quickly sobbing. This story BREAKS MY HEART. Not just for this young man, but for all children who are without families. I hope if you know nothing else about me from reading my blog, you at least know of my heart for children, particularly children who are orphans or in foster care.

Image via Melissa Lyttle, Tampa Bay Times

Later on Thursday night, I was reading a post from Light Breaks Forth on this subject and a thought came to me. So, I decided to write up my own little post.

This applies not only to this article, but to so many heartbreaking articles that are shared by thousands of people on social media. For example, I've also been seeing this video posted a lot lately. Before I say this, please understand that I think social media and the internet are powerful tools. It allows you to have a voice to advocate for things near and dear to your heart. It's an easy and quick way to share something with many people. I hope you are using your social media influence to spread good rather than to spew negative. Getting the word out and raising awareness about things is important.

However, action is also needed to truly make a difference. Posting an article on the internet is easy. It doesn't cost you anything. There's no sacrifice. If all we ever do is post articles, videos, etc. nothing would ever become better. We need to be out there MAKING a difference.

So, if you're spreading the word about these and other wonderful, touching stories, are you also doing something to help these situations? Adoption isn't the only way to help children like Davion. Not everyone can adopt. I get that. If you can't or don't feel called to adopt, you can donate to someone who is.

I'm currently selling ornaments to help the Thigpen family.
The Ornaments for Adoption family from last year, the Brocks, are in the final stages of raising funds for their adoption through a puzzle fundraiser and selling jewelry.
This family is raising money for their second adoption.
This family is also doing a puzzle piece fundraiser for their African adoption.

These are just 4 families I happen to know of right now. There are so many more out there. Adoption is expensive and it can't be done without help from people like those of you reading this right now.

Giving of your money requires sacrifice, but isn't it worth it so that children like Davion can have a family?

If you don't want to give to a family, there are many organizations out there that help advocate for children in foster care. A WONDERFUL organization I support in my state is Mercy for America's Children.

You can help support children who are orphans or in poverty in other countries through organizations like Compassion International.

Many foster care organizations take donations of bags for these children to have something other than a trash bag to carry their belongings in.

On the other hand, maybe you do feel that tug on your heart that you could provide a family for children like Davion. Maybe if you're not ready for a total commitment, you could open up your home as a foster parent. If you're not ready for the responsibility of children, you could always become certified to babysit for children who are in foster care or you could become a mentor for a child in foster care. You could volunteer for an organization in your area that supports foster children or maybe a pregnancy center that gives support to women who find themselves pregnant unexpectedly.

The point is....opportunities are out there to DO something. Posting and sharing on the internet is a great thing. I find out a lot of stuff from people's posts. I share a lot of stuff that I'm passionate about on my blog and social media sites. However, it's not enough.

Please don't fool yourself into thinking that by sharing stories you're doing enough. None of us can do "enough" until there are no more children left without families.

October Edition of Literary Junkies

It's time for October's edition of the Literary Junkies link up. As you know, I love to read and this link up is always a fun one for book lovers.

1) What are you currently reading? Tell us a bit about it!

I'm currently trying to read 2 books. The library I use is a county wide library, so the books are shared all over the county. Since it's a large county, you have to pretty much request anything you want. Of course, two books I'd been on the list for came in at the same time. Even though I'm reading them at the same time, I probably won't finish them both within the 2 weeks they're due. I'm reading both of  these books for the Autumn Book Challenge.

I'm reading Fly Away which is the sequel to Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. Firefly Lane was about 2 best friends and Fly Away continues the story. I hate to say any more in case you haven't read the first one.

I'm also reading Under the Dome. This is the Stephen King book on which the popular summer TV series of the same name was based. Basically, an entire town gets trapped under this mysterious dome.

2) What are your five most recent book purchases?

 I hardly ever purchase books, so I had to think abut this one. The most recent purchases I can remember are the following:
 1. Protector by Joanne Wadsworth
 2. Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth (I've pre-ordered this, but I won't get it until the 3rd book comes out)
 3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney (This is also a pre-order that I haven't gotten yet.)
 4. Christ Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus by David Platt, Danny Akin, and Tony Merida
 5. Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

3) Have you ever named/nicknamed anything (person, pet or thing) after a character? Who and why?

Um...I don't think so. My friends and I used to give people nicknames but they weren't based on book characters. Lee and I got the bright idea to get fish at one time and there were three of them and I did name them- Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They didn't live long. 

My name was kind of based on a book character. You can read about that here.

4) If you could live in one book, all of its characters and in the town, which would it be?

I would love to live in Harry Potter. I don't know if I'd have been brave enough to deal with the whole He-who-must-not-be-named thing, though. However, I love the idea of the magical world that JK Rowling created. I also love the characters and think it would be a great place to live.

Other than my obvious Harry Potter answer,  I also think it would be fun to live in Whoville with the Who's who love Christmas (because I do too) or in any Nicholas Sparks' book where the men are perfect and romantic all the time and you have all the charm and beauty of a small, North Carolina town. 

5) Can you think of a book you read that taught you something concrete that you've never forgotten? Tell us about it.

One of the first books that taught me something concrete was Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. This book is about a school shooting and it goes through the life of the boy who went into the school shooting. It's so easy for us to think people who do these things are evil, but this book shows that gray area. It shows how this boy had been bullied from day one. I'm definitely not saying it's okay to go into a school and shoot people, but as a (at the time) future teacher, I didn't want to be that teacher who ignored those students who were crying out for help.

Another book I learned something from that has stuck with me is from The Shadow Children series. This book series was about a society where people could only have 2 children. Of course, people broke the law and had to keep their extra children hidden. The series goes through how these "shadow children" try to gain their freedom. In the book, they quoted the saying, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." This quote really stuck with me. We see bad things and injustice in our world every day. What are we, the "good" people, doing about it?

The last recent book I've read that really resonated with me was Wonder by R.J. Polacio. This book tells the story of August who has a facial deformity. He was homeschooled up until 5th grade. This book tells his story from his, his family members', and his classmates' points of view. This story resonated with me again as a teacher and someone who's always enjoyed working with children. I think this book should be read to every middle school aged child.

Ornaments for Adoption: Exciting Update from Libby

Happy Monday! Thank you for the support from those of you who've shared about Ornaments for Adoption, those of you've sent encouraging messages, and those of you who've already ordered ornaments. In case you missed it, the funds from this year's OFA will go to benefit the Thigpens. I also created an OFA website this year to give more detailed information.

Each week, there will be a drawing for those who've ordered ornaments. Last week's winner, Brenda Thigpen, won a Starbucks gift card. This week, you have the opportunity to win a 16 inch faceted ball chain from Lynne with Origami Owl. If you're not familiar with Origami Owl, you should definitely check it out. You can build your own locket to suite your personal taste and style. I've already started one of my own. Lynne has a Facebook page as well that you can "like" and keep up with the latest Origami Owl news.

Today, I'm excited to have Libby Brock guest posting. The Brock family is the family that benefited from 2012's Ornaments for Adoption. She has a very exciting update that I'm going to let her share.

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When I last wrote to you as a guest blogger, I was in complete awe of the generosity and kindness of this community.  Through your encouraging words and selfless giving, you were unknowingly helping me through a very difficult time in my life.  We've all been there, right?  At a place where just the tiniest glimpse of the future seems to be enough to get you to the other side.  I'm so fortunate enough to be able to meet you here today and speak to you through the lens of hindsight.  Hindsight is actually defined as an understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed, and though this situation I like to call LIFE is far from over, events in this latest chapter have definitely developed!  I am beyond thrilled to share with you that we have been matched with a birth mother!  Now, please excuse my bountiful use of metaphors, but it appears our long road of waiting is nearing an end, and we are getting ready to start the journey of parenthood. 

Though there is still so much that can happen in this situation, we are choosing to give God the GLORY through this process.  Our son is due to be born on November 15, 2013 and we will have an open relationship with his birthmother.  We have actually gotten to meet with her a few times, and we've started to form a beautiful relationship.  She has asked that we be present when Baby Broccoli is born, and we are working together to come up with a name so that he will not be referred to as a vegetable for the rest of his life.  We have been given the merciful gift of time, and have had several weeks to prepare, pray, and freak out.   Since I have never hidden from sharing the bad news with the good, please share my excitement despite whatever the outcome may be.  There is still a possibility that this child will not come home with us.  The birthmother can change her mind and choose to parent.  I have reminded myself that everything can and might change when she looks into his sweet newborn eyes!  We are choosing to be cautiously optimistic and we TRUST that no matter what happens the Lord is FAITHFUL.

I'm thankful that I've been able to share our story of working through our heartache and coming out on the other end stronger.  Hindsight usually reveals an inner desire to have done things differently, and though this is partially true with our story I couldn't have imagined changing a single thing.  I did a lot of day dreaming about how things would turn out, and everything that I could have possibly imagined has turned out better.  Every detail from the moment I got the phone call, to the relationship I'm building with the birthmother, to the month that our son is going to be born are so much greater than I could have imagined.  God's plans are so much greater than our dreams!  I ended my last guest post with a hope for days to come when I could watch little toddler hands help me decorate our Christmas tree with our Ornaments for Adoption.  This year we'll get to hold our tiny son, barely a month old, and begin a tradition that will last for many Christmases to come.  Thank you again for being excited with us, and for being a part of our story!

 

Hi!  I'm Libby, Lib, or Bib.  It depends on whose calling my name.  I know we'll be fast friends if you've shortened my name soon after we meet.  I like all things crafty, especially when I get to use power tools.  My specialty is jewelry making, but I have a conflicting obsession with costume jewelry.  I'm married to my high school sweetheart, who I lovingly refer to as My Boo.  I am a lover of spicy foods, a chapstick  addict, I snort when I laugh, and I can find any excuse to take a nap.  I most importantly am a follower of Christ.  My story is randomly chronicled over at Something Heavenly.

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I am SO excited for the Brocks! I'm also humbled that God gave me an opportunity to be a small part of their story.  If you helped with Ornaments for Adoption last year, you are a part of their story too.

This year, we all have the opportunity to be a part of another family's adoption story. Head over to the OFA site to see how to get started on your own ornament order.

What's in my lunch box?

Whoops! I wasn't able to post this last Friday. Last week was SO busy at work! I barely had time to do anything, but work and sleep.

For now, this will be the last post in my What's on/in my _____________? series. I'm considering doing video posts on Friday to try something new. 

I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better by seeing some things around my home. In case you missed anything, I also shared what's on my fridge, what's on my shelves, what's in my purse, and what's in my movie bins.

For the most part my lunch consists of one of three things: leftovers, soup, or salad/wrap of some type. Lately, I've been trying to eat salads and wraps more than sandwiches.

On this particular day, I had some pita bread left over, so I used them instead of a tortilla shell. I also accidentally left my lunch box at work the day before, so I had to carry this lunch to work in plastic bags.

 Of course, I'm going to share with you the lunch I took that was healthy.

I had 2 pita breads, leafy green lettuce (none of that light stuff for me!), kale, a little Parmesan cheese, and a little bit of croutons.

Then, I had baked Ruffles (which are so addictive!) and an apple.

You know what I love about eating healthier food? You can eat a lot more food because it contains less calories. So, you feel full longer.

Do you take a lunch to work? If so, what does your lunch usually consist of? 

**Ornaments for Adoption is only just beginning, but it's the last day to enter the giveaway to help me spread the word.**

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"Follow Me" Thoughts Week 1

I'm participating with Satisfaction Through Christ for the "Follow Me" Bible study. I already had the book Follow Me by David Platt and I decided to just read through it and post my thoughts rather than buying the separate Bible study book.

This is a difficult task for me which is why I write very few serious posts. You have to put so much time and thought into writing about a topic like this. I'll be honest, this week I didn't have the time to put in as was needed. I do want to post a few thoughts, though. So, this will probably seem unorganized and random.

David Platt's books are difficult because he doesn't shrink back from the difficult topics. Chapter 1 is called "Unconverted Believers" and I felt like a lot of the information in it was very similar to his other book, Radical.

He goes through how we've watered down the Gospel to something that fits our needs. We view salvation as a ticket to Heaven rather than a call to surrender our lives. I love how Platt always has stories of believers in other countries who literally give up everything and risk their lives to follow Christ. It's in such stark contrast to our life of ease and convenience.

What's so scary is how he points out how many people are unfortunately deceived. They think they're saved because they "prayed a prayer" or "believe" in Jesus. They don't understand that it's more than that. Our lives have to reflect our belief.

The Bible says that the road that leads to salvation is narrow and many do not find it (Matthew 7:14). It also says that there are many to whom He will say "depart from me for I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23). Those verses are scary. Particularly for someone who grew up in the church. I think when you grow up in church you become comfortable with Christianity. It's normal part of your every day life. It's part of your culture. It can be all too easy to slip into the routine of church and playing the part of a Christian.

The true way to come to Jesus is through repentance. To repent literally means to turn away from something. You turn away from your old way of life or from the world's way of life and you head towards Jesus. This is a constant every day struggle. It's not something you do once and your done. 

This was a good reminder of things I've read in other books as well as in the Bible. I look forward to seeing where this books goes and how I can be challenged to put action to my beliefs.

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The first week of Ornaments for Adoption is halfway over. 

Have you met this year's family? 

Have you ordered an ornament to be a part of this week's drawing for a Starbucks gift card?

Have you helped spread the word to enter the giveaway below for another Starbucks gift card and a name ornament? 

Ornaments for Adoption cannot be successful without your help.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Things I Learned from the movie Titanic

If you've been around here any length of time, you know I'm a little obsessed with the movie, Titanic. It's even the inspiration for my new blog name.

I cannot tell you how many times I've watched this movie. I can practically quote it or act it out for you. You might not even want to watch it with me, because I almost can't help saying some of the lines along with the actors.

Besides learning about the Titanic itself, this movie taught me other things as well. Today, I want to share with you the top 10 things I learned from watching the movie Titanic.

1. The meaning of the word blase and how to use it. When Rose arrives at the Titanic, she's not impressed and her fiance, Cal, tells her that "You can be blase about some things Rose, but not about Titanic." I used my context clues to figure out what this word must have meant. It sounds a lot fancier than saying "You can't not care about some things."

 The word of the day is blase. Use it. Sound fancy.

2. A full house beats 2 pair in poker. I like games, but poker never made sense to me. When Jack wins his ticket on Titanic, he beats the other man with a full house.

3. Holding your arms out with the wind whipping around you would have been a hit in the tradition of "planking" and "Tebowing" if we'd had the internet access and social media that we have today. Don't lie-we've all done it. Holding your arms out saying "I'm the king of the world!" People died trying to replicate this on ships. I don't know what it would have been called. "Jacking" doesn't sound good. King of the Worlding?

4. How to spit like a man. You really have to hock it back and get some leverage according to Jack when he's teaching Rose. You never know when a skill like that may come in handy. I think they'd be more impressed with that skill the further south you go.

 

5. Nickelodeon is more than a TV channel. When Jack kisses Rose's hand at dinner, he tells her he saw that in a Nickelodeon once. I knew he couldn't have been talking about the TV channel that I used to enjoy watching.

6. When eating at a fancy dinner with many utensils, start on the outside and work your way in. Molly Brown helps Jack when he's confused looking at all the utensils when he has dinner with the first class passengers.

7. Poor people know how to party. Would you rather attend a stuffy first class dinner or the fun Irish dance party in third class? My friends and I use to recreate that scene dancing around to my Titanic soundtrack.

8. Starboard means right. Port means left. Stern means back . Bow means front . These terms are mentioned all throughout the movie particularly when the ship is sinking. You can impress your friends with this knowledge the next time you're on a boat of any kind.

9. Being able to get more than one person on a floating piece of wood is a skill that could be the difference between life and death. I don't know about you, but I feel like they could have tried a little harder to get Jack on that thing.

10. No matter how many times I see this movie, I will ALWAYS cry! If I don't cry when the ship is sinking and they're showing all the people dying, then I will definitely cry at the end where you see old Rose sleeping and it shows her pictures. You see that she really did do what she promised Jack.