Just incase you haven't heard from me in a while, I wanted to update the news. I didn't remember to post last time that Jasmine actually lost her first tooth on August 25th, 2005, and then her second on September 27th, 2005. She is now adorably having trouble eating certain items of food, since her two bottom front teeth are missing. In other news, I am still searching for alternative full time employment, and will be attending a job fair today for a customer service position with Universal Tax Services. I've heard that this company has a very stressful work environment, so I'm going to consider it a blessing if I'm hired or not. If it's meant to be then God will take care of me and not allow the stress to overcome me, and if I'm not hired, then I know God will provide a better blessing if I am patient. I am increasing my skills and community involvement through a training class that I started yesterday, though. It's called CERT training, and CERT, incase you aren't familiar is a Community Emergency Response Team. I am increasing my medical training, and team building skills, plus making a couple friends hopefully. I hope that when my training is over that if I do come in contact with an emergency situation, this has better prepared me to help others, and keep myself calm and safe, too. On my social scene, I have just experienced a wonderfully amazing weekend. I spent time with my special someone and a couple of his friends, Friday night just talking and hanging out. His best friend and I seem to be getting along good, which is really important to me for some reason, because I guess I want her to like me and approve of me, but I also think she's a really cool person, and would love to develop a friendship with her, too. Saturday, I took Jasmine to the Coosa Valley Fair, where we met up with my sister and her two older daughters, and also with one of my best friends from high school, her fiance' and his son. I had fun rebonding with my old pal, my sis, and our girls, but I also really enjoyed getting to know my ol' bf's new family. I got to act like a kid again running through the fun house with the little one's, and there were lots of familiar faces to reconnect with in the crowds. We stayed out past midnight, and were very exhausted at 7 am Sunday morning. I stuck to my plan, though, and Jasmine & I arrived at the Church at Northside early for KidStuff, so she joined me for a few minutes in the worship center for the last official Sunday service in the old building. (Next Sunday we march from the old worship center to the new) I enjoyed the quaint corporate worship service, as I'm guessing the early service normally is, and when it was over Jasmine and I traveled to our next destination. Meanwhile, KidStuff was great, she told me, and she wants to go again, but I will join her next time, as I was unfamiliar with the custom prior to this week. Upon our arrival to West End Baptist Church, I recalled memories of weekends in my youth, visiting this same small church, and then witnessing firsthand my bf's first wedding years later, in the presence of my now special someone, standing on opposite sides in awe of their commitment. I reflected only momentarily, due to the crowd beginning to file between those two faithful doors, collected my offspring and followed suit. No more chance was there to ponder on that place until now, and I wonder, how many times my shoes tread those aisles? How many times did a new boy's face follow mine to that place of holy worship. How many times did I ignore God's message to me and instead wrote my own behind the hymnal & passed it distractingly to my guest or host? If ignorance is bliss, I sure was happy in my rebellion. I sat during the Homecoming songs of praise, full of guilt, but unsure of why & now it is apparent. I am sure that my "religion" was more of a hinderance to God before I was truely saved. I attended that church off & on for 3 years of middle school & high school and never really heard God's word, not because He wasn't trying to speak to me through His messengers, but I was having none of it. I was too self involved and worried about this or that boy to open my ears to His truth. Thank God for second chances (and 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.), or I would be damned. I heard the message! It was good, regretfully, I was unable to hear Bro. Wes, but maybe he's forgiven me. Any way, Sunday's worship experience was great and to follow Southern Baptist tradition, following the Homecoming service, we had an enourmously delicious meal on the grounds of the church, where we all got a little more familiar with each other. The new pastor seemed warm and friendly, but very understanding that I had just joined at TCAN, fairly enough. The chill of the day started to get to us, so before we all set off to see a matinee movie (my family & my ol bf's family), we set off for our coats in our closets at our homes. I walked into the theater with Jasmine as the movie had just begun, sitting cautiously to ensure the least amount of disruption, next to my gal pal, as Jasmine scurried past sets of knees to sit with her new best friend. I enjoyed the movie although I noticed my drowsiness finally catching up with me in the darkness. When the artful masterpiece had concluded, I knew I must retire to my home regretfully, or suffer the consequences of a mobile slumber if I allowed much more time to pass. I would necessarily miss my life group's evening events, as I concentrated on darkness from the reclines of my couch.(ok that was too funny! I had to break the literary nonsense) Anyway, it was at this point that the honeymoon was over, because I got grumpy on the way home from only getting a couple hours of sleep. Jasmine played in the yard with her two neighbor friends, and I listened to them shouting and laughing at the top of thier lungs through the open doors & windows. The biggest excitement for them is treeclimbing, and Jasmine is actually learning how to climb pretty well considering I've only recently let her start doing it. Monday was a milestone for Jasmine, too, though. She tried sushi for the first time, and actually tasted wasabi, ginger & soy sauce with it. The wasabi is hilarious (I love it), even to watch me eat it sometimes, much less seeing her go nuts trying to get rid of the spiciness. I wasn't cruel, though, I only let her try a little, and I warned her that it was hot. Little Miss Jalapeno Lover got burned by a speck of wasabi. We found that she likes the California Rolls & Surimi Rolls with no extra sauces (not even soy). So that was Friday thru today, but today has only begun. I have a full slate of plans for the day, and no sleep so far, so I'm going to do that for a couple hours before I start my recycling project around 8:30 am. Isn't insomnia wonderful for the creative mind! Next time I think I will try to work on a poem or something.
