"Quitter"

Today I want to inform you about a book that will change the way you think about your job. Quitter by Jon Acuff, who I’ve mentioned on the blog before, is a piece written to people who have a dream job that is separate from their day job. Now don’t get me wrong…there are a lot of parallels to life in general, so even if you have your dream job already I still suggest you read it. I, for example, don’t currently have a steady day job, so some of the points did not apply to that aspect of my life. However, I still got some advice from Mr. Acuff himself.

The book is written in his typical, satirical style, which is why I might be slightly obsessed with reading his stuff. Nevertheless, I chuckled throughout the entire writing. The points are well thought out, and there is even some pages in the back for you to brainstorm on. I did not do this because I borrowed the book from someone, and I didn’t think they would appreciate me scribbling in their book. But, when you buy this book, you can do it. So get yourself a copy. Seriously, just click on the little link below…very good…and purchase it. Enjoy!

A Slap in the Face

Anybody who knows me knows that I am a HUGE sports fan...this includes the sport of baseball. Specifically, I am a fan of the Atlanta Braves. Some of you who know what happened last night are either: a)laughing at me because you are a Cardinals fan, or b)sympathize with me because you, too (for some reason) are also a Braves fan. If "a" is the case, then don't talk to me...I'm not happy with Cardinals right now. If it's "b", air hugs...lots of them.

For those of you who aren't big baseball fans, then I'll fill you in briefly...hopefully without shedding a tear. At the beginning of September, the Braves had a GINORMOUS lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card race. The winner of the Wild Card goes to the playoffs, which start Saturday. Over the course of the month, the Braves lost a couple of games and the Cardinals tied up the Wild Card race on Tuesday night. So, Wednesday's game was crucial. The Cardinals won Wednesday, so the Braves had to win to force a playoff game tonight. Long story short (I'd prefer not to recap the game because then I really will cry), the Braves lost in extra innings. So, no playoffs. After all that.

Fast forward to this morning. My husband (knowing that I would be devastated) sent me a text that said, "try to have a good day today." That's not really important to my story, but I thought it was sweet. I decided to work out my feelings through a run. I go to a local track. This man and his dog walk up to the area. I notice he looks in a nearby trashcan. "That's weird," I think to myself. Then, I notice, he goes to all of the other trash cans in the area. This man was looking for food.

SLAP. IN. MY. FACE.

It was like God hit me with a 2 x 4 right in the middle of my forehead. There I was, fussing and angrily thinking/replaying the game in my head, and there was a guy looking for something to eat. In the trash can. That just got to me.

Have you ever been slapped upside the head when you're feeling sorry for yourself?

A Day Away to Keep the Blues At Bay

I'm looking forward to my day today...want to know why? Ok, ok...I'll tell you.

I'm getting out of the house. After the ridiculously depressing day I had yesterday (and it was all self-induced), I'm ready for a day out. Now, you might think to yourself..."But you just had a day out with your Mom on Monday?" Very good...and somewhat creepy because I didn't tweet, Facebook, or blog about that...but I have found that when I have a week when I know that I won't be working (at least that's the way it looks right now), then I need my "away" time.

When I say "away" time, this does not always mean going out and spending money. In fact, today I probably won't spend much, but I'm getting out and going to enjoy the company. My away time has a twofold purpose:

1. It takes my mind of things. For a few precious hours, I do not have to worry about the fact that I don't have a steady job. And believe me, that in and of itself is worth whatever I spend.
2. It helps me get recharged for the next day. I come back home in a better mood, and I feel more energized to face the rest of the week. This is crucial to my mental health right now.

Sometimes just going out for a run can do these two things for me, but some days it takes a little more. Like today. So that's why I'm excited about my day. And I hope you are too!

Two Events I Think You Should Know About

There are two pretty cool events that I think you should know about. I hope somebody out there reading will be able to go to at least one of them.

1) Catalyst Atlanta- This is a next-level leadership conference. The Catalyst people are amazing, and they are passionate about teaching young people (and old ones, too!) about being better leaders. They do many different conferences throughout the year...some are one day only and some are spread out over a couple of days. Catalyst Atlanta will take place October 5-7. Some of the incredible people that will be there include (but not limited to): Jon Acuff, Dave Ramsey, David Platt, Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll, Francis Chan, Jim Collins, and Michael Hyatt. How about that list??!! I would love to attend this event or one of their future events.

2) Cross Point Night of Worship- I affectionately call Cross Point Nashville "my Nashville church." I regularly watch their sermons and read their Pastor's (Pete Wilson) blog. If I lived in Nashville, I would attend there. Next Tuesday, September 27, Cross Point is hosting a Night of Worship. No sermon or anything...just worship. Check out this sneak peek of what might happen:


WORSHIP // The Stand from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Looks pretty awesome, right? If I could find someone ride with me to this, I would go in a heartbeat!

Well there you go, 2 events that look freaking sweet. Hope you can check them out.

Have a great weekend guys!

The "I'm Feeling Richer" Effect

I love this commercial. It is so applicable to how we live our lives. Even if the point of the ad is for you to switch wireless companies, I think there a couple of things we can pull from it:

1. We often disguise our conversations or talks. If you notice at the beginning of the commercial, the woman is on the phone. Talking about CRAZY dinner plans. Cornish hens??? Who does that? Answer: nobody...unless you are a CEO or President. So nobody that those people in the commercial would know and (most likely) nobody that you and I know. This woman is trying to make herself feel important because she is talking about a subject that she thinks the other person will regard as high society or important. How many times have you done this? I'm not talking about discussing Cornish hens (although if you have...I apologize), but using our words to make us look important or distinguished.

2. We hide behind our stuff. Clearly this is the overwhelming message of the ad. That normal, everyday Joe couple would never drive the same car as hip-hop music mogul would. They drive a station wagon. Because that's normal. But, when you think you are better than you are or more important than you, you buy a lot of stuff to uphold this image of yourself. AKA...fancy cars, ones like Kanye or Jay-Z would drive (never thought I would ever mention them in my blog...awesome). Way too often, people buy more stuff to hide their "stuff." Their worry. Their pain. Their sorrows. They think that they can't let anyone know that they are just like everyone else, so they try to be BETTER than the average Joe. With Cadillacs...Lexuses (lexii??)...Beamers.

Sure, we laugh at this woman's stupidity for thinking she drove that nice car and could fix Cornish hens at her dinner party. But how many times have we been right there with her??  

One Little Action

The other day I encountered a scenario that brightened my day tenfold. (And no, it wasn't when the Braves or Tennessee won...although that helps.) This instance occurred when I picked up my mail. I was flipping through it and I noticed a bright pink greeting card.

I paused for a second, rolling through the list of who would be sending me a card in September. It's not my birthday, anniversary, or Christmas. So, I drew a blank.

I decided to open it (well, duh), and I immediately noticed it was a Thank You card...because it had "thank you" written on the front. My mind went a hundred miles an hour trying to determine who would send me a thank you note for something I had done. I turned to the inside and discovered it was from my doctor's office. (No, it wasn't for an expensive visit or anything like that) It was to thank me for referring my sister in law to her practice.

Boom. My day was made. Why?

Because the doctor took time out of her ridiculously busy day to send a thank you note to me, a patient who sees her once a year. It was a simple gesture that had a tremendous impact on my day.

What simple gesture can you do to improve someone's day?

Tune In Tuesday

Some great music is being released into the world today. The band Leeland's fourth studio album comes out today, "The Great Awakening." Do yourself a favor and go buy it. I have their other three albums, and they are absolutely incredible worship musicians. I love it.

Just to give you a sneak peek, here is the single "I Wonder":