This is really the first time in my life I have experienced a huge emotional meltdown when I stepped on the scale. I felt angry at myself for not being more careful. But with M’s help, I am turning that anger into motivation to lose the weight and get myself back to where I was, or maybe even better than what I was. So how am I going to do it? By sitting down right now and making my game plan! Here it is:

First of all, I’m definitely not doing this alone. M will not only be cheering me on, but he’ll be going through this as well. He lost quite a bit of weight last year, and wants to continue to do so, which will be a huge motivator for me! Having both partners decide to change their lifestyles is essential for success in this case. My sister-in-law, Sarah, has also decided to be a part of our quest to shed some extra pounds. This is exciting because the more people involved in our weight loss pool, the more competitive and motivated I get, as well as being accountable to more than one person. So if you want to get in shape, drag your significant other into it as well, or a best friend. It will increase your probability of success.

I would have a hard time eating healthy if M sat across from me every night eating a pizza while I had yogurt. Yet another reason why I am glad we are in this together! Now our whole fridge is stocked with healthy food for both of us. There are no temptations when you eliminate them completely, and this is what we have done. We are eating much lighter meals, mostly sandwiches and salad, and bringing healthy snacks with us to work. We have completely eliminated soda, and are drinking mostly water. We have also started drinking hot green tea during or after our meals. I was reading in my Women’s Health magazine that drinking green tea after meals will cut the amount of calories from carbohydrates your body digests by 25%! So now we are religious tea drinkers. Drink your tea!

The part I am probably the most excited about is hitting the gym. A new 24/7/365 fitness center is opening in our hometown in a few days, and M, Sarah and I are just about busting the doors down with excitement. I have gone to the gym with M in the past, but I always felt awkward because I was one of the only girls in there. But now that Sarah will be joining us, I will feel much more comfortable just to have a friend along who is of the same sex.

I know that by surrounding myself by people who have a common goal, I’m going to get exactly where I want to be, which is 125 pounds. If I lose more than that, even better! But I know at least I won’t have to squeeze into my jeans anymore if I’m back where I’m supposed to be! And what’s my other motivation? Hawaii 2008! We’re going as a family, and I want to look awesome in my bikini!

If you want to lose weight with us, leave a message and let us know what your plan is, or if you have any tips. And keep watching for my progress as well! I think having to post it for the world to see will motivate me even more. Wish me luck!

Let’s face it, women are wired completely different than men! Our brains work differently. We think and do things differently. Our physical make up is different. But these are all good things! We were made to be compliments to one another. Generally speaking, women tend to be more emotional than men. This is nothing new to us. However, when a woman starts getting “moody,” they easily get labeled a five-letter word and men give it no further thought.

This is not a men-bashing article. If anything, I want to help men and women better understand their wife’s (or own) emotions. I want to use some personal experience from M and I’s relationship. First of all, M and I rarely fight. But when we do, it seems that I am almost always the cause of it. M would never accuse me of this, but I know it’s true. How? Because every time we fight, its because I am an emotional wreck.

For example, this weekend I got home from school, M got home from work, and we were fixing supper together. Sounds fun, right? It was, until we started sarcastically teasing each other, which we do often and usually it doesn’t bother me. It was all out of fun. But for some reason, words that were exchanged suddenly struck a nerve with me, and I instantly started boiling inside. It only progressed from there. M thought we were still joking around, and each thing he did hurt me even more. The ultimate offense was when he gave our dog something to play with that I had thrown away. When I found it on the floor, I picked it up, apparently yelled “you stupid idiot” (we don’t swear) while throwing the object at him and ran out into the garage, crying.

So what was I feeling at this point? First of all, I was cold. Our garage isn’t heated. Second, I couldn’t understand why on earth I went from having fun to instantly freaking out. I sat in the garage a long time, not to punish M and wonder when he’d come get me, but to punish myself. I felt so stupid. I had never gotten that crazy on M before. And what was even more bothersome was that there was no reason for it. To this day, I still can’t understand what happened to make me so upset. So finally after “calming” down, I swallowed my pride and went back into the house.

M was probably feeling pretty lost at this point. But to be honest, so was I. Was it a combination of stress, hormones, and built up emotion that caused the explosion? I really don’t know. And the sad thing was, my emotional state lasted all weekend. Friday was the explosion, Saturday I was weepy and doubting M wanting to be with me, and Sunday I was down and slept nearly half the day. There was no reason for me to doubt M’s love for me, or to be depressed. But I was.

I definitely don’t mean this to be depressing. I just want to tell men that it really is true; understanding a woman’s emotions is nearly impossible, even for women! I can’t even understand it myself. When M asked me what was wrong, I seriously couldn’t give him a reason. But as with everything else, it will pass. So just stick it out and remember that the woman you married is still under those death-stare or tear-filled eyes. And lots of hugs and reassurance that you still love us helps too.

The great oak tree was once a nut that stood its ground.

It’s amazing to me how God puts little things in your life to let you know He’s with you. A couple days ago in my Immunology class, we had a debate about embryonic stem cell research. I was the only person in my class who was against using human embryos for research. Instead of being nervous, I took it as a great opportunity to share my beliefs with the rest of the class.

Being that I was the only person in the class against it, my professor asked me to start the discussion by sharing my beliefs. I was allowed to talk freely for probably 10 minutes on why I thought it wasn’t a good idea to do tests on embryos. On top of that, people were interested and asking me questions about my views. I really felt like it was a great opportunity to take a stand for something, even when I was greatly outnumbered.

The purpose of this post is not to give my reasons for why I don’t agree with embryonic stem cell research. Instead, I want it to help people to speak up for what they believe in, despite how outnumbered they may be or nervous they may feel. I knew that in singling myself out like I did made me an open target to any opposition. I knew that there would be those that thought I was crazy, or stifling a good thing that science could do. I didn’t let that stop me, and I’m so glad. Not only did people get to hear my side of it, but the two people on my lab bench actually decided after the debate that they agreed with my standing, and not the majority. It felt really rewarding to hear that.

The truth is, even if no one agreed with me at the end of the debate, I knew I had done the right thing for sticking up for what I believe in. There is a satisfaction that comes when you are faced with a conflict and you hold true to your values and Godly principles no matter what the rest of the world thinks. And the more you practice standing up for what you believe in, the easier it becomes.

I felt really good after the debate. I only hope that God was pleased with me for standing up for what I think He wants. On my drive home from school, I came across the quote at the top of this post, which was located on a billboard at a gas station. I had to laugh to myself because it was totally perfect as to what I had experienced that day in lab. And I believe that was God telling me “well done”.

Don’t be afraid to live out your convictions. Don’t waver just because you’re going against the flow. You just may find out that there are people out there needing a “nut” like you to show them the right path.

It’s hard to believe that M was able to keep a secret from me for as long as he did. Usually he’s the one who can’t wait to open Christmas presents, so we open them a week early. When he gets excited about something, he usually wants to tell me right away. So when the day came we were leaving for our anniversary trip, and I still hadn’t heard a peep about what we were doing, I was pretty impressed. The only thing M had informed me was that I would never be able to guess one of the activities he had planned. It was so exciting to be going somewhere and have no clue about where we were going to stay and what we were going to do.

We drove a couple hours to our first destination, and M was right, I never would have guessed what we would be doing! He had planned a three hour segway tour around our destination city. To be honest, I was really skeptical at first. I knew M was Mr. Technology and it didn’t surprise me the activity he had planned. But soon after we got comfortable on our segways and touring the city, it turned out to be such a blast! We drove on bike trails around the river, crossed bridges, toured a little bit of the city, and had a little off-roading time. It was so much fun! Afterwards, I had to apologize to M for being a little unsure about the whole segway thing, because it turned out to be a great time. It was one of those things that I would never choose to do for myself, but M broke me out of my comfort zone and I actually found it to be enjoyable. It was really fun being able to enjoy a new experience together.

At this point, we still hadn’t checked into our hotel. M told me he had reserved a room at a hotel that was on an island in the middle of the river. Hearing that alone sounded exciting! And as soon as we walked into the hotel, I knew he had to have paid a pretty penny for it too! It was very ritzy. Our room was really fancy. It had a Sleep Number bed in it, and we had fun playing with that. We both set our sides to zero and woke up with backaches, but it was a blast. I never would have chosen to stay at a hotel that nice, but it was just another new experience for us to have together, and I was so impressed that he was able to pick something so nice and special for the weekend.

On top of that, we ate at new places and went for a walk downtown in the city, which was a place I had never been. There were so many unique places that I had never seen before.

The next morning before we left the hotel, M had planned a five-course brunch for us to go to. This, by far, was the biggest stretch for me. I was not used to being served such elegant food in such an elegant setting. It was one of those situations in which you don’t know which fork to use. Despite the fact of feeling a little awkward, I enjoyed it very much.

M and I exchanged cards. Of course, I started crying before I even started to read the one he got for me. He had totally blown me away with what he had planned for the weekend, and the fact that he picked everything out himself made me feel so special. The weekend was just about as magical as our wedding day. Everything seemed so new and exciting, and even more exciting because I was experiencing it with the man I love. I wouldn’t trade that weekend with him for any gift we could have bought for each other.

If you’ve got a special day coming up, I’d definitely consider having a surprise getaway. It definitely won my heart all over again. There is nothing better than making memories with the person you love. Trying new things together will only draw you even closer. And who knows, maybe you’ll start a tradition! Maybe next year I’ll be the one surprising M. There are so many possibilities besides buying gifts. I’m so glad that M looked outside of the box to celebrate our first anniversary together.

Don’t get me wrong, because I am really excited about him working on his Master’s degree. He is one of the most hard-working and driven people that I know. But as soon as he walked out the door, a realization came over me that things are going to be a lot different for the next year. M is going to be spending a lot of time doing homework and discussions on the computer, and I’m going to have to keep from interrupting him. We aren’t going to be able to just take off for a few days since he will be so tied to his school work. And even though he will only be gone two nights every six weeks, I suddenly felt lonely.

I have become so accustomed to M always being home in the evenings that it seemed strange when he wasn’t there. It just made me realize how quickly I had adapted to married life. But at least I have our little puggat, Roogy, around. He kept me company. And I figured there were a lot of things I could do while he was gone, like getting things lined up for my last year of school. I printed off some papers for my Biochemistry class, and then tried to figure out my student loans and I got stumped. I couldn’t do it without M. So I hit a dead end.

I tried other things to make myself occupied. I drove out to my parents, only to realize when I got there that I was driving M’s little runner car which has an “I Love My Wife” sticker on the back. That must have looked funny to the people driving behind me, especially because there is also a sticker that says “Marriage: One Man, One Woman”. I also made the mistake by taking Roogy to my parents. My brothers were playing their instruments in the garage, and Roogy was freaked out every second we were there. So that was my second flop of the night.

I got home and decided to unwind with a bath. You can’t go wrong with that, right? I got the water going, put Roogy in his kennel, and hopped in. A few seconds later, Roogy starts barking to no end. And M can attest to this: he is the disciplinarian, not me! So being I couldn’t get him to stop, I let him out. I tried to continue with my bath, but having the dog in the same room as me just wasn’t doing it for me. So yet another failed attempt to have an enjoyable night alone.

I hopped on the couch and flipped on the TV, only to see a kidnapped woman being held captive on CSI. That is not what I needed to see! I turned it off, but that was enough to be a little nervous the rest of the night about someone coming in the house. I gave up and went to bed, and I took Roogy with me. I just kept thinking about how long it had been since I had slept in a bed all by myself. I used to do it all the time before M and I were married, and it didn’t feel weird then. And now, a short year later, it felt eerie. And for some reason I started thinking about how lonely life would be without M in it. I realized how much I have come to depend on him as my husband and my friend, and a warm body in bed next to me. I knew M had a long and late drive home, and I said a prayer for him that he would make it home safely, and I drifted off to sleep. The next thing I know, M is flipping the light on in the bedroom and comes over and gives me a hug. It was 11:45pm. It felt so good to see him home.

I feel almost silly for even admitting how lost and bored I feel when he’s not around. Maybe some may even say it’s not healthy to be that way. Yet, it’s the way I feel. Maybe it is part of being a newlywed, and maybe it will change with time. But I’m actually happy I feel that way, otherwise I would almost feel like something was wrong with our relationship if I didn’t miss him when he was gone, even just for an evening.

I take my time spent with M very seriously. M is leaving for a whole weekend soon to go to Promise Keepers, and I got asked to work the two days before he leaves. Because of my hours, this means I would barely see M for five days. I ended up picking up one of the days, just because I didn’t want to go that long without spending good time with him. And the good thing about it is that M understands it is important to me as well.

I work at an assisted-living facility, and I get told over and over again by the residents there to enjoy time together while we can and while we’re young. Most of the people living there have been without their spouses for years now, and they really see the importance of having time for each other. I just want to make sure I take their advice and keep my relationship with my husband a priority over work, and any other things that are not as important.

I’m excited to see where life takes M and I together. It’s funny how a little time apart can put things in perspective and make you realize how much your life changes when you get married to revolve around the other person. But I wouldn’t go back to life before him even if I could. And I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

“Hey B, How are you doing? Are we back to the rotating schedule for CC? I am planning for this week. So are you pregnant?”

I had to read it twice. Why on earth would she ask out from nowhere if I was pregnant? First off, I’m most definitely not pregnant. And second, where did this idea come from that I was? Apparently somehow a rumor has started spreading amongst some of the young women in the church. How it got started, I have no idea. I have never fallen victim to a rumor before, and the thought that it is circling through church ladies that I call friends is a little bit infuriating. But at the same time, I have to laugh about it because it is so absurd.

So what did I do? I emailed her right back and instead of telling her I’m not pregnant, I decided to keep this little rumor-starting group guessing. Whether that was the right thing to do or not, I’m not sure, but if the personal business of my life is that important to them, I’ll let them have it. Some people just don’t have anything better to do.

The thing that bothers me the most about this rumor is that it is from church family. The last thing Christians should be doing is taking part in a gossip chain. There have been several occasions where I have heard rumors about people in the church. Most recently, I heard that a couple in the church were losing their business. The person telling me about it asked me if I knew whether it was true or not. My reply: I won’t believe it until the couple decides to tell me directly. By saying that, the rumor is stopped directly in its tracks. I let the person know that I don’t believe what they are spreading, and that I won’t be apart of spreading it any further.

So I guess in a way my friend did right by confronting me directly about whether I was pregnant or not instead of taking it as truth and spreading it on to the rest. At least that is what I hope is the case. Just be careful what you say and who you say it to, and even more so, what you choose to believe.

And most of all, remember Psalm 34:13.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.”

In many ways, M and I took a leap of faith when we purchased our new Pontiac Vibe last week. I still have a year of college left, so I won’t be able to contribute finances like I would with a full-time job. On top of that, the cost of commuting to school and expense of books and tuition, as well as M starting his master’s program will cause a little more stress on the paycheck than usual. We bought the car knowing money will most likely be tight for the next months ahead before I finish school. But as usual, God had a bigger plan to take care of us through this time.

Currently at my church, I am a Children’s Church teacher on a rotating schedule. The other night at church we had a Christian Education meeting to give an update of how our classes are going. I voiced some frustration I had been having with the kids, and how having two different teachers who taught two different ways every other week was not helping the kids find the structure they need.

After the meeting, my Pastor and his wife invited us out with them to discuss ministry in the church. It was at this time that the Pastor made it aware to me that he had been feeling like Children’s Church needed to go a totally different direction, and they were thinking of hiring a part-time children’s pastor. He then told me the person he had in mind for the job was me! I was shocked and excited at the same time. He asked me to think and pray about it and get back to him.

So here I am trying to figure out what to do. I know it will be a big commitment to take on the Children’s Ministry at the church as my own. But at the same time, if it is what God wants, who am I to say no? M and I have been discussing it ever since Pastor asked. I have never felt so excited about being a part of something in the church. We both feel like it is what God wants us to do. On top of that, it was His way of taking care of us financially with the whole car ordeal. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.

I guess what I am asking for is any advice and opinions anyone has out there on starting a children’s ministry. I have a lot of ideas of what I’d like to do, but I’ll take any help I can get. Right now I am envisioning having a room just for Children’s Church and decorating it with a fun theme so kids will have their own space in the church to call their own. I also like the thought of having puppets to help with kids’ worship and lessons. Any suggestions?

I really feel like God is orchestrating this whole thing, not only to help us out financially, but because for some reason he has chosen me to be the Children’s Ministry leadership at this time. Thanks for any input. It will be much appreciated.

A few months ago, M sold his Grand Am in order to get rid of a car payment. My Buick had been paid off since the day I got it, and M’s parents let us use their little Festiva as a run-around car. So for a few months, we were living in bliss with no car payment. As we know, that quickly changed when my car broke down and left us stranded in the humid heat of Iowa for 6 hours as we waited for M’s dad to come rescue us. The engine was shot. We both decided we were done with my Buick. It wasn’t worth fixing. So that only means one thing: we had to get a different car.

We spent all day the next day after getting home shopping for cars in a larger city, about thirty miles from our home. We knew we liked Pontiac Vibes for their versatility and gas mileage, but they were hard to come by. We got sidetracked and looked at some other cars, but nothing really caught out attention like a Vibe. After hours of looking, my excitement started turning into discouragement. I never realized car shopping could be so frustrating!

We returned back home with our tails between our legs, until we went to a car dealership in our hometown. They had the largest selection of Vibes we had seen anywhere. Buying new was out of the question, but there were two cars they had closer to our price range. One thing we soon discovered about the Vibes was that they hold their value more than most other cars. For a three year old car with 50,000 miles, they were asking only a few thousand dollars less than what was paid for a new car at that time. On top of that, the interior was not as pristine as what we would like, and the car didn’t even have ABS. But being that we knew we can’t afford a new car, it was really our only option at the time.

Each evening for the next few days, M and I took several trips to the surrounding towns, only to find a very poor selection of Vibes, if any. Supposedly they are a hot item right now, and they are quick sellers, so few dealerships have them. We kept talking with our salesman in town and had him give us a print out of what our payments would be on the used vehicle. Just for fun, we had him give us a print out of a new Vibe as well. We were shocked! Because a new car has a much lower interest rate than buying used, the monthly payments were very comparable. Because of this, M started talking as if a new car was actually a possibility.

Let me give you a little background about our families. I came from a family of eight children. Buying a new car was never even an option for us. And to this day, my parents think that buying a new car is a waste of money, since it depreciates so much as soon as you drive it off the lot. M, however, just has one other sibling. His parents believe in buying new because its the only way you know for sure that you are getting a decent car, as well as a warranty to back it up. I don’t believe either of our parents is wrong in their thinking, but it kind of caused some conflict between M and I. I like the idea of getting a new car, but I kept asking, “Do we really need a new car?” I could tell M was sold on getting a new one, and when he showed me the numbers of our payments and total interest paid, I was convinced. New was the way to go.

So now, a week and a half after my old car died, we have a brand new Pontiac Vibe sitting in our garage. The story I’ve told you is definitely the shortened version. There was a lot of headache involved in making a decision. There were countless times where I felt so unsure about which decision was the right one. There were times when I had a bad attitude because of it. This was the first time in my life that I’ve ever had to go through having to buy a car, and I learned a lot.

If you are in the process of looking for a new car, and like me have never been through it before, here is some advice that will hopefully help you before you start. If someone had told me this before we started shopping, things probably would have gone much smoother.

1. Before even beginning to go car shopping, figure out how much you can afford. M and I had an idea of what we wanted to spend, but until you actually sit down and crunch the numbers, you are just guessing. Write a list of all of your expenses and add them up. Do the same with your income. Doing this will let you know how much extra money you have to work with each month for a car payment. It’s easy when car shopping to start with a limit and soon find yourself saying “but this one is only $2000 more”. If you start with a definite plan, you are more likely to stick with it.
2. Discuss with your spouse who will be doing most of the dealing, and how it will be done. M and I hit a major road block here. I was expecting M to handle most of the dealing, and I think he expected me to do some as well. There was one time in particular where we were looking at a car we were interested in. I was waiting for M to start talking price, while M was waiting for me to. We ended up leaving without ever discussing it with the salesperson, and the whole way home we were both in bad moods because of it. Tell each other your expectations before you even start, and your dealing will be much more pleasant.
3. Explore all options. When M and I started looking at cars, we thought buying new wasn’t a possibility. But by chance we found that the monthly payments and total interest paid between the new and used were nearly the same. We now have a perfect new car with 14 miles on it instead of a scratched used car with 44,000 miles for a difference of only $20 in monthly payments. Not only explore new versus used, but also kinds of vehicles you thought you might now even like. When the Vibe first came out, I thought they were ugly. M, however, liked them right away. Over time, I started to like them more, especially after seeing all of the possibilities for use. And when we started looking to buy, and actually test drove one, I was completely sold on it. So don’t pass anything by. You’re looking to spend a lot of money, and its a big commitment. Make sure you are going to be happy with your decision.
4. Pray about it. I believe that God wants you to make the right decision, even when it comes to picking out a car. He will direct you while you’re looking. Be listening for that still, small voice. God cares about the small stuff too. M and I prayed every day over our car situation, and I believe it’s because of God that we were able to purchase a new car. So don’t forget to pray!

Hopefully with this advice, your shopping experience will go a little smoother than ours did at first.

—

Update: I submitted this to ProBlogger’s: Lists – Group Writing Project. Check it out. I thought B had a great list of car buying tips. -M

We headed down the middle of last week to Kansas to see my friend Jeff. We drove all night and got down there about 9:30 in the morning. I drove most of the way. I love to talk when I drive and contemplate ideas and thoughts. Well, it was late and B was tired so she slept off and on. That left me with time to think. It also made me a bit sleepy. We had smooth driving the whole way down. B’s car would click and flash a few important lights on the console when I would use the blinker. That was a bit scary.

We got down there and Jeff showed us his house he bought this spring. It was a neat house! B was really impressed! He also showed us where he teaches and the town he lives in. It is a really nice town with lots of things to do. It was fun for B and I to see the town with Jeff. His girlfriend is down there also. This allowed B and I to see them together down there and how they acted as a couple. They are happy with each other! We had a great time hanging out with them.

We headed home at around 12:00pm on Saturday. We left then so we could get home to see our Pastor preach again after a time away on a six week sabbatical. I wish more churches would give their pastors a sabbatical. Being a Pastor is tough work! I think we would see more Pastors stay in the ministry if they had time to reflect and dive deeper into the Holy Spirit and seek a refreshing cleanse and a renewal. So, we wanted to get home to support him and hear what message he had from God.

The fun started when we got on the road home in Kansas. Everytime I would use the blinker, the car would act funny. I would use it and it would flash lights and make the speedometer swing to zero. It then started to shut the car off while driving. I ended up driving through most of Kansas and Nebraska withhout using my blinker. I forgot while on I80 in Nebraska. The speed imit is 75mph and I was going 80ish. I used the blinker and the car shut off going that fast. It was freaky.
We got all the way to Iowa and we were 50 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa. The car started to get hot because it was so hot outside. I rolled the windows down and turned the heater on to draw heat from the engine. It worked great. We got to about 25 miles south of Sioux City and we heard a faint knocking sound. It got louder really fast and I took the next exit. We got to the stop sign and the car came to a noisy and clunky halt, never to turn over again with the turn of the key. I was scared out of my mind. This had never happened to me before. God had to have been testing us. I called my Dad to get his opinion and he said to head to a gas station. We were fortunate enough to have had the car break down at an exit with a Shell gas station and a hotel on it. I pushed the car off the exit and onto the side road. We walked to the gas station and asked for help. They dialed one phone number and there was no answer. The said they were sorry and that was all they can do. I didn’t have AAA or a towing service on the car.

My Dad called back and asked how things were going and I said it wasn’t going. He said he was heading to pick up a fifth wheel trailer and come down to get us. That was a 5 to 6 hour drive. I almost cried because of that. I am not a baby either. The gesture he was going to show was priceless and full of love. We broke down around 6pm and he hit the road at 7pm.

It was a very hot day and we were burning up. We went to the gas station after I pushed the car to the hotel parking lot, got some water and a sandwich and headed back to the car. They weren’t real friendly at the station. I guess that is why “Service Stations” are a dying breed and they are now called “Convenience Stores.” It was a frustrating thing. We sat in the car for about 5 hours. It was hot and humid and sticky. It then proceeded to rain and we had to have the windows closed. It was a trying time on our temper and relationship. We were a bit snappy to each other and short. I hate it when that happens because it only makes things worse. We tried to laugh and make jokes and talk about stuff to keep our minds off the heat. It didn’t work too well. We started to play guessing games and time slowly went by. I bet I called my Dad every hour to see where he was. It seemed like I called every 6 hours, but it was really an hour. Amazing how our perception of time changes when we are stressed and frustrated.

I had to keep my hopes and attitude up because B was bummed out. It was her car and it really has given us troubles since the day her Dad picked it out because “It was a deal.” It was hard for me to have a good attitude. I can sweat in the winter. I was sweaty and hot. We talked and also sat there in silence.

My Dad got there and we loaded up in the rain and headed home. I paid for fuel for his truck and we got home around 7am Sunday morning. We were so glad to see him and then get home. Now we have a dead car and now have to go from having no car payment to having one. We weren’t prepared for it at all financially. It was testing on our relationship because it was a trying time for us. We got home and slept and then reflected. I felt like our relationship had gotten stronger because of the ordeal we went through. We saw how we each reacted differently. We learned a lot from the ordeal and each other.

Now we have to look for a car and that is frustrating. We pray about it every chance we get and we have to have faith that God will provide us an avenue to get a car. Please keep us in your prayers. Have you ever had car troubles like this? Let us know by commenting. How did you make it through? I feel it made us stronger even though it was extremely tough. That is how our first road trip turned out. I hope number two and beyond are way better. Make it a great day.

M and I were over at my parents a few days ago, and my sister came walking in the door and plopped a magazine down in front of me. It was called “Short Cuts.” She happened to come across it at work and thought of me, being that she years before had talked me into my first very short cut. I started flipping through the pages and finding so many cute and fun cuts that I liked, and I actually started entertaining the thought of trading in my long locks for something short and spunky.

Even though I loved the thought of having short hair again, I wasn’t ready to make the change…until M gave me his opinion. He wanted me to go for it. He said he had recently been looking through some old pictures of me when we were first dating and I had short hair, and he really liked it. But he made it clear that I could do whatever I wanted. That pushed me over the top. I was ready to get it cut. We took the magazine home and flipped through it together, each pointing out styles that we liked. I finally decided on one that we both were happy with, and two days after my sister gave me the magazine, I made my appointment.

I was nervous! I had never been so nervous about getting a haircut before, and I’ve had it hacked short. But this was different. I had the longest hair of my life, and was actually having fun with it. Was I going to regret cutting it? Is M really going to like it? Despite my fears, I let the hairstylist begin the process. I gave her a picture of what I wanted and just went with it. After the first cut with the razor, I knew it was over, but I was now starting to feel more excited than anything. When she had my hair cut to chin length, before she even styled it, I told her “I don’t know why I waited so long.” I loved it before she was even done. So of course when she made the finishing touches, I was ready to run a mile I was so happy. And of course it helped when a group of workers commented on how cute it looked on me.

Obviously I instantly liked it. But what did M think? I came into the house and I could tell right away that he liked it a lot. He said something to the effect that he was married to a different woman. I took that as a compliment of course. His reaction made it so worth getting a new look. I feel so much better. I think I look skinner. My face is a focal point rather than getting lost behind a mess of boring, straight, long hair. Now its short and fun, and it moves with me. It fits my personality more than long hair. And M has told me I am beautiful even more than usual, which is a lot! You’ve got to love the attention!

So go get a haircut! Find something that fits your face and personality, and go to a salon that knows what they are doing. You pay for what you get. And trust me, it will be so worth it! Your man will think so too!