STARBUCKS, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!

      Addiction can be defined as: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice, or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

              I developed an atrocious, chronic habit in my college years; one from which I am now unfortunately “reaping” the repercussions. The continuing, nagging urge to satiate this dreaded desire is relentless; the invitation is still to this day difficult to decline.

              Every time I saw that dark green and white logo (the origin of the name emblazoned within is still a mystery to me) my heart would skip a beat, and even race as I reached those glass doors and gleefully entered, drifting to the counter where I would order a, "Tall White Chocolate Mocha with skim milk and whipped cream, please". (btw, the irony of “skim milk” and “whipped cream” does not escape me!)

         Though the $5 beverage would leave a dreaded void in a college student’s wallet, temporarily satisfying my “addiction” to the mixed espresso blend made it all invaluable and worthwhile to me at the time.

             Now, being married and fully apperceiving the financial position (or lack thereof!) of newlyweds, it has become quite challenging to break what had become a familiar indulgence. Driving by that sign and denying myself this customary pleasure has become exceedingly difficult. I wonder if it will ever subside?

GO HARD OR GO HOME!- A challenge from Shakespeare, Pocahontas, and Roosevelt!?

        My challenging quote for the week was penned by the wonderfully inspired William Shakespeare. "Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course".
               Most of us deem adversity to be a negative thing, something to be avoided if at all possible. Adversity can, however be a good thing. When Pocahontas came upon a fork in the river, she had to choose between the quiet and mild water, which would have required very little effort to navigate, and the wild, unpredictable rapids. She chose the latter, and to paraphrase Robert Frost, that made all the difference, for had she chosen otherwise, she would not have been rewarded with the life she desired.

        We have such decisions to make in our own lives; we can choose to be complacent and comfortable, to sit on the sidelines and be mere observers of life.  Or we can choose to accept these challenges, to exercise our gifts and stretch our God-given abilities and become stronger for it.

        So, when confronted with adverse situations, situations in which you may have no idea as to the end result, remember it does not have to be as intimidating and paralyzing as it may seem. Though initially it may appear to be a risky endeavor, embrace the challenge. Push through the barriers, real or imagined, which hinder you from reaching your goal; develop the fortitude to overcome the obstacles no matter how large or how unyielding they are. You yourself must determine not to yield, but take the advice of the wise men.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

A SHOUT OUT TO MOM

I would like to take a minute to thank my mom. I was never the little girl who planned every detail of her own wedding or the one who dreamed about the way that day would be. It wasn't until I as actually engaged that I had to play catch up and start planning!


With the encouragement of my mother, I was able to ........be me. I was given the confidence to show my creativity and follow through with the millions of ideas that were overflowing in my head. Even when I got discouraged, she would reassure me that everything was going to be beautiful and people will see and understand it when it all comes together. She was right!


Thanks Mom, for making me be myself and using the wedding as a way of expression. I could not imagine a more perfect wedding for Bill or me....and I have my mom and Dad to thank.

AND THE REST IS HISTORY

Once upon a time there was a girl and a boy. They were living their own lives, passing each other and offering a friendly "hello" occassionally on their journey. Until one special weekend in September, they were forced to offer each other more than just that on a loooonnnng six hour car ride home.


The boy, not at all discouraged by the awkwardness of the long car ride, decided to put himself through more of it by accepting an invitation from a friend to hangout, knowing that it was all a set up by their friends.


After the "set-up" the boy breathed in a massive breath of courage and for the first time, called the girl and asked her to hang out, just the two of them. The girl very calmly and cooly accepted, not knowing what to think.


And........as they say, "The rest is history". They were inseparable. The girl, for the first time ever, let herself fall in love. And the boy, very wisely, decided that he did not want to live without her....so he asked her to marry him....she said yes.