Agape church

Went to Agape Church this morning with my cousin, Em. Its a non-denominational church that recently started up in Laurel. It currently meets at the Cameron Center, a couple blocks from my house but they've started renovating an old, downtown building that they will use. I've been going to church here with him for nearly a month now and I really enjoy it. I am sorta torn because I am loyal to FBC, Laurel, my home church which I love, and which I teach Wednesday night missions to elementary kids (which starts soon and I am so excited cause I miss my kids!). But, this summer, I've wanted to go with Em and I've really enjoyed the services at Agape.

This morning, Bro. James Hill, the pastor, spoke on prayer-- its the second in a month-long series. He did a great job discussing how we should pray with specificity, commitment and use God's Word to back our prayers up. We should also pray for others. Prayer is something that's really come alive in my life here recently and I'm taking notes on how to make my prayer life even better. For now, I will start praying for specific people and things in my life. Also, they gave everyone a book about prayer-- it lists different topics and corresponding verses to use in prayer (i.e., when you feel lonely, etc.). I am really excited about this book!

Nicholas and I went to Hattiesburg for a quick trip this afternoon-- Target and Books a Million. Bought some photo albums and photo boxes. After my Mamaw died back in April, we've done a good job of cleaning up and clearing out everything in her and Pop's house in order to get it put on the market. I've taken the responsibility of organizing all the photos that were framed on the walls, put into albums and stored in boxes. There are tons. And its really fun to look through. I will post some of my favorites sometime soon. I've tried to label as many of the old pictures as possible and I am going to enlist my Aunt Rita's help (she is sentimental like me and has a great memory-- better, thank goodness, than my dad's). There are some really cool older pictures-- my great, great grandparents in front of their house, lots of my grandfather, Pop and his three brothers, some of my Mamaw when she was young vacationing at the beach, and, my favorites, some of my Pop in Nazi Germany in 1945. I'm planning to frame lots of them! And put the rest into the cheap, black photo albums I bought today-- there were lots of colors and patterns to choose from and I went with safe, boring black, because I was overwhelmed!! Now, off to work on Junior Auxiliary before tomorrow's meeting!!

I'm back!!!

So, it's been forever since I've blogged and lots of things are happening, changing. Its been a pretty stressful summer and I'm extremely ready for the fall. One of the things I'd like to see change in the fall is me. I'm ready for a fresh start. And part of my fresh start is to get back into being more creative. That is, thinking about things other than my little problems, my work and my family issues. I have a tendency to withdraw into myself when things are bad-- its a strange cycle-- I feel sad, I withdraw from my friends, stop communicating very often, stop making efforts to see them, stop doing things, and veg out in front of the tv. Which puts me in a really horrible mood, and then I feel lonely and sad and left out, which makes me even more withdrawn. Yeah, its a dumb cycle. I never said I was very smart! This summer has been a lot of that-- I'm finding myself watching ridiculous, brain-numbing television, fussing with my family, feeling guilty over not keeping in touch with friends, worrying about work to the point I can't sleep.

I'm tired of being this way so I'm going to make an effort to get things together in my life. I don't really have dreams. I've never been the type person to say, "I want to be xyz when I grow up" or "in my five year plan, I'd like to see abc happen". I've never known what I wanted to do or be or act like, and I still don't. I'm not entirely pleased with the circumstances of my life at this second and there is no one to blame but myself. I am now actively attempting to change those circumstances by trying to make my life better for myself and those around me. Although I've never had serious ambitions to be, say a doctor, or married with two kids, or even a lawyer, I've always wanted my life to be in control. My dreams consist of having a clean house, organized life, work of which I can be proud, an active social life (don't mean dating here, I mean, seeing people, throwing parties, going to parties, etc.) I just want to be in control of my life, instead of it controlling me, which happens most often.

This blog is me taking action. I'm going to try to post as often as possible (which will make all my readers to happy, I am sure!) and include ways I'm trying to improve my life. Here goes!!!

GLEE

Watch Glee Tonight!

Fox 9/8c

Its the best thing on TV (thus far) this fall. I'm in love with those show. And I'm tired of the ridiculous tv shows that everyone else seems to love. TV should be fun, interesting, and enjoyable. It should NOT be about watching some twenty-something living in the big city, with a fake job and fake friends and fake drama. It should NOT be about a bunch of skanky girls throwing themselves at whatever man is the subject of that particular show, claiming to be so in love. And it should NOT be about a bunch of people stuck in a house. I mean really? Don't we have better things to do? I admit that I am not discriminatory in my tv-watching, and that tivo has opened up a lot of shows, some great, some otherwise, and that I probably watch more tv that you do. But, I try to at least pick shows that are uplifting, interesting and good for mankind. And Glee is all of these things. Its fun, its different, its positive. Watch it!

Others tailgate, we GROVE!

Its finally fall! I love love love the fall season and its finally here! I know its finally here because I've begun waking up with a sore throat in the mornings. This is the best time of year, and it leads right up to Christmas time!

Of course, for most people, fall is synonymous with football! As all the faithful blog readers know, I've been tailgating at Ole Miss in the Grove for nearly all my life. As a young whippersnapper (fun word!), we mostly just went to the game and visited other people's tents, but as I got older, specifically, in high school, my family began setting up our own tents and tailgating our own way. We've had several incarnations of the tent, several different locations (still mad we gave up our great location at the Crossroads), and many different people with whom we've set up. However, these past couple years, since law school, I've not gone to as many game, and not really been in the spirit of things at the Grove. And when I do go to the Grove, I rarely make it to the game.



Its hard to admit, but there was something missing for me these last couple football seasons. Perhaps its because I have such GREAT, wonderful memories of the Grove, throughout high school, certainly in college, and in law school. And then, boom, I graduate, I leave Oxford, and nothing is the same. It was actually hard for me to return. My sister didn't understand my hesitation about coming back, but for some reason, returning to Oxford for Game Day was much harder than anticipated, and a bit sad. Made me wish I was still up there so much I couldn't hardly stand it. Not to mention it was a heck of a lot more effort-- getting up early, making the 4 hour drive, rarely having a place to stay. Exhausting.

Luckily for me, this feeling has finally passed. Maybe its something all alumni go through-- you must get a bit of time between you and your great memories in order to truly enjoy going back. I don't know. But I do know that I am ready for football season again!

Its really exciting to get ready for the football games, and get to see old friends again! I cannot wait!!! This link is to a website with a really good video from a news show about the Grove-- I cannot figure out how to be all fancy and link it directly to my site (that's way too much for me at this early stage), but its a good watch and got me all fired up for football! I especially like the guy at the end who talks about why the Grove is so special to Ole Miss Rebels-- basically, everyone has special memories from the Grove-- when they were in college, graduations, weddings, game days, etc. And going back to the Grove brings back those great memories. He put it much better than I did!!

Enjoy!

money, money, money, money...MONEY

Money. I don't have enough of it. Not nearly enough. And, I admit, I don't have good money habits (not from lack of trying of the part of my dad, however).

Lately, though I have been working on better money habits. For months now, I have kept a notebook (a really nice black moleskin notebook-- see where my money problems come?!) with all my bills-- one bill for each page. I write down the date I made a payment, the amount, check number, etc., and the new balance on the bill. I am proud to announce to you, my faithful blog readers, that yesterday I was able to pay the final amount for not one, but TWO bills! Granted, they were smaller bills, but you gotta start somewhere!! I was tempted to go out and celebrate by buying this new black leather with zipper detailing purse I saw recently at TJ Maxx! Its so cute and would totally look great this fall. However, in trying to learn from previous mistakes, I suppressed this desire. Instead, I celebrated by writing in huge RED letters, "PAID IN FULL!!!" in my cute little notebook!

I choose not to dwell on the fact that these were very small bills, and, honestly, should have been paid off quite some time ago. Instead, I will be proud of my small accomplishments, and look forward to paying off more bills in the future! Aren't you proud of my, blog-o-spherers?

Power bill nightmares

So today I opened my power bill and got a terrible surprise-- it was WAY more than in previous months-- nearly twice as much as this time last year. Needless to say, I don't have that much money budgeted in to pay for something like this. Of course, I know part of it is that energy costs have risen in the last few months, and its very hot outside, and I live in an old two-story house. But, the energy prices rose several months ago, and though my bill rose at that time, its the highest its ever been this particular month. Similarly, its been hot outside for a while now; its nothing new. For some reason the bill this month seems to really reflect all these changes a lot more than I've noticed in the past.

Therefore, I am making it my new life's goal to lower this bill as much as possible (that and sell plasma for the money to pay for the actual bill!). I am typically pretty tough about turning out lights, raising the thermostat, etc. It comes from being David Carr's daughter. David, as anyone whose ever gone into his house knows, keeps the air on 80 in the summer and 60 in the winter. Its nearly always ridiculously uncomfortable there!

However, my feeble attempts are not cutting it anymore. So, I am on the lookout for ways to lower my electricity bill. I will share all of my knowledge on this blog, of course. Kinda like a John Tesh: Intelligence for Your Life. Instead it will be J. Dawn: Intelligence for MY Life.

Anyone have any helpful hints? Readers? Readers? Anyone?

Catching up...

Wow, its been a long time since I've updated. Course, not as long as my previous spell over more than one year! But, I am trying to do better, so I hope to update more frequently. You know, for all your readers who cannot get enough of my blog. Yeah, you know who you are.

Last night I went to the Buffalo Wild Wings in Laurel for my cousin's birthday. Well, actually, Brandon is my cousin's husband, but its a lot easier to just say cousin. Furthermore, he's been a part of this family for literally more than a decade so I know him as well as any other part of the family! Happy Birthday, Brandon! Brandon's a cool guy with a great repertoire of imitations of minor, often annoying celebrities. His best is the Gotti boys. He also likes golf, Family Guy, hanging out, but he spends most of his time these days working! He's starting nursing school at William Carey in a few days, so Congrats! While many in the family often feel sorry for Brandon because he has to put up with Emilee, Aunt Ju, me, mom, and all the rest of us, I don't. Not only are we entirely wonderful, fabulous people who are joys to be around all the time, but he also had a good long courtship of my sweet cousin Em, so he has absolutely no excuses. He knew how this family was and still married into it! Happy Birthday, B! You are that much closer to 30!

Buffalo Wild Wings (or BWW as my family refers to it) was ok last night. Its only recently opened, and its opening has coincided with the Dixie Youth World Series in Laurel this week. It was a bit busy and there is no counter at which to place your order, so you have to wait for a waitress. But, its good. My family, especially the boys, really like BWW. In fact, I have several good stories about the boys that involve BWW. Another post, perhaps.