There are some people whose senses are heightened and their thinking sharpened in a conflict or debate. I see attorneys like this in my courtroom every day. They see the attack coming, and their mind is activated and ready to make a solid, articulate argument... anticipating the other side, sharp in their comebacks, impressive in verbal eloquence, and actually enjoying the debate.
And then there's me. lol
I have some firmly-held beliefs and convictions but have often struggled to articulate them in person. My personality type places a very. high. value. on relational harmony, and with my specific history of friends walking away, I've been in the group where my nervous system gets activated into legit panic mode, where my thinking dulls and slows down, rendering me unable to form a rational argument, anticipating a potential relational divide, and feeling threatened in a way that makes me numb or over-emotional.
So I feel verrry thankful and proud to be growing there. Feeling secure enough in any friendship to have a hard conversation where I'm able to think and speak coherently in the midst of any sort of difference of opinion or conflict is a really big deal to me. And having friends who are in that exceptionally-articulate and quick-thinking category who still choose to listen well, slow it down, and be patient and gentle with me through those conversations where we disagree does not go unappreciated.
In other news, today I'm thankful for the long weekend, short work week, and break week from school!! I had a vulnerability-hangover after that last post, which was written very stream-of-consciousness, and I'm not sure my points came across as intended. The gist is that I've been ignoring conviction about my entertainment choices, and I want to grow in keeping a clear conscience before God day by day there. Because integrity matters, particularly for those who have a wide circle or a deep impact in influence (ie national leaders or Christian counselors/teachers). And because Jesus says we are His friends if we follow His commands (John 15), and to have an invitation to be in His close friend group and turn it down would literally be the dumbest choice I could possibly make as someone who loves Him and values meaningful friendships!
Okay, on to the Labor Day weekend recap:
Dad has 3 suite tickets this year and took me and the Miss K to OSU's first home game this season... fun times!! On the drive home, Kyndal Faith listened to music on her headphones, and I got some details on Dad's young adult life story that I'd never heard before, so I loved that and always value those conversations!
The food and the OSU game atmosphere did not disappoint, and the crowd acapella singing Friends in Low Places after the music stopped was a highlight! Pics = Me and Kyndal and some cute photo bombers, Kyndal's feast of Fritos + one bite of steak + Skittles, her cute bubbly hair, a sweet baby of the couple sitting in front of us that stared back at us for a lot of the game (they had four kids under age five, and I felt for that mom), Bullet and the OSU flags after touchdown... the boys behind us yelled "OSU - OSU - USO - USO!" as they went around the circle, and one of many entertaining gifs/memes on the screen to keep the crowd going!
Gracious, yes, please.
The Wilson fam hosted a Labor Day pool party + cookout on Sunday night. The Mosses, Myers, Youngs, Weatherfords, and Teresa were also there. And clearly, I got in some quality time with Parker Elizabeth, who is a freaking delight at this age. Before my very-short swim time, Chet Lee and I had a good talk about my prior post and the upcoming elections, as referenced at the top of this post.
Just me, standing outside the theater to avoid the horror-fest of movie previews that come out this time of year. I knew the beginning of one of those previews and walked right out. I feel deeply that they should be required to make a separate version for people choosing to see horror films versus regular moviegoers. *And this is unrelated to my last post - it's been a long-time stance for me - I've never seen one of those movies and never will, nor would I date or marry someone who really enjoys them. It's right up there with non-Christian and hot temper on my dealbreakers list. Hard pass.
After sleeping in and seeing a movie yesterday, Triston and I had dinner at Mama Roja's by Lake Hefner. We had a good talk then walked around and looked at the lighthouse afterward, then he took a few minutes to experiment and learn about different settings in the Genesis (some of which I had never known or learned). He gets his driver's license next Friday - get excited!!
I also got to see and hold Jaceman's gecko...
Rach refuses to hold her, so they were surprised that I would. lol
Thanks to Geico, I find geckos kinda cute and endearing now, particularly when they're that small!
And now, a few memes to start your short work week off right! lol
Accurate. lol I went to a football game on September 2nd, wore my Fall-themed long-sleeved t-shirt all weekend, and I'm literally making turkey chili tonight! =)
I'm in between these two on the challenging uphill climb right now, but feeling strengthened and hopeful about getting to the summit!
Lol yep. Now that I've cut down my phone screen time, it's time to do the same with TV. I want to focus on finding better things to fill my downtime with (sleep, homework, proofreading, writing, working out, phone calls, real human contact, and reading all fall in that list).
"You're terrified to look down 'cause if you dare, you'll see the glare of everyone you burned just to get there. It's coming back around... My pennies made your crown. Karma's gonna track you down, step by step from town to town. ...Karma's a relaxing thought! Aren't you envious that for you, it's not? Sweet like justice, Karma is a queen. Karma takes all my friends to the summit. ...Ask me what I learned from all those years. Ask me what I earned from all those tears. Ask me why so many fade, but I'm still here. I'm still -- I'm still heeeere." So fun!! Had to Google this one, but her
Karma song is a nod to the manager who wouldn't allow her to buy the rights to her own songs (which she's gradually taking back
in her own brilliant way now), and I just love it. lol As Kyndal put it, "she is so savage." lol If we live with courage and kindness, then karma should be "a relaxing thought" for us... I'm thankful that people reaping what they sow in either direction is real (and Biblical). As a long-time Swiftie who appreciates her vulnerability and sparkle, Taylor's unprecedented current success makes me happy, and so does the Eras tour movie coming out next month!!
#getexcited
My mindset rapidly shifts from the end of summer to the beginning of Christmas season. Fallll-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! lol
But I'm thankful for getting to swim and have a cookout one last time this weekend!
Okay. Today = exactly 75 days until my Route 66 Half Marathon, which will be the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and very possibly our annual Friendsgiving dinner! Today, I start the 75 Hard plan (along with Kristin, Frankie, and Chet - yay for a support group). The no-sweets thing was a no-go for me right now, but this feels more doable. So YAY for trying new things - yay for tracking and stacking ahead (WW points and Peloton workouts), and yay for being in training and making the most of this season!! It's not all about the numbers, but I would really love to be down 60 pounds for 2023 by Thanksgiving week... and then lose another 15 by my 40th birthday. Following that sequence and avoiding quick-fix ideas, this is something I can attain in a healthy way even if I am pregnant in that early part of next year! So that's me declaring my specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goal. #SMARTgoals #75hard #75pounds
We can do hard things! ...And one of those hard things is buckling down and churning out some transcripts during this school-break week!! lol Okay, byeee.
No comments:
Post a Comment