Full Moons and Public Places don't mix...

So...I already posted today about rainy day blues - how the weather effects those people who tend to visit the place known as the public library. I didn't realize at the time that today is the full moon. While many people may shrug at the thought of the full moon correlating with strange things happening, those of us who work at your local library vehemently disagree....

For example....my morning....

I'm working, doing my thing, when very concerned woman comes up to the desk and whispers that she thinks we need to call the police because of a man in the library. I asked her to explain (thinking in my head that she is just spazzing about something that isn't important) And she says he is talking to himself, that she wasnt concerned about it at first... until he started talking as if people were around him - telling them to get away and threatening to kill them. At this point she was freaked out and I must admit, I sure as heck was too! I mean, we don't have security during the day at the library and we only have one man who works here and I could protect us better than he could - but anyway - I asked her to tell the head of the library and I ran to find my boss. Since my boss is a intelligent woman, she wants to hear if in fact this is going on BEFORE she would call in the police...after about 2 minutes the police were called...

They show up and ask the man to go outside with them. Apparently he decided to reach into his pocket while being lead outside, which caused the officers to start reaching for their guns. Yes guns. Thank goodness the guy put his hands at his sides so no firearms were needed in the library.

THEN as he was outside apparently he told the police that he was undercover with the CIA. Is this sounding like something out of a movie or what! So the police, after 15 minutes of calling people and having 3 cop cars outside the library, they determine that he is delusional and has a history of this kind of behavior, but THANK GOD has never acted on it! They went ahead and took him in to have him taken to Madison Center for our own safety to have them check on him.

Oh, did I forget to mention, that I KNOW THIS GUY! I grew up with his family in my church!! It's kind of disturbing to see someone you somewhat grew up with (he's 4 years older) causing a stir at my place of employment! He comes to the library somewhat regularly and occasionally visits the other library as well, but has never been like this before that any of us had witnessed...

Maybe he hasn't taken his medication...or maybe it's the full moon....who knows....all I know is that I was thoroughly freaked out...and all this before 11 AM....

And people think the library is boring!

Rainy Day Blues...

Have you ever noticed how much the weather effects our moods...

Take today for instance. It's cold. It's rainy. It's foggy. It's just plain BLAH! Today is the kind of day when I just want to stay in my warm PJs and cuddle up with a good book, in a nice warm blanket with a cup of Chai or Hot Chocolate. Hmmm...it makes me all warm and cuddly inside just thinking about it. And then I look outside.

I dread today. For one simple reason. I have to deal with the public in 12 minutes and this kind of weather always brings the worst out in people.

So here's a picture that brightens my day and hopefully will brighten yours too....

I must admit....

I think I have some of THE coolest friends in the world!! Not only can we have insane, crazy fun together...act like complete dorks together...we can also have GREAT conversations and we are always there for each other...plus its a bonus that we can play practical jokes on each other and laugh hysterically whether it has been done on us or someone else....

Speaking of jokes...some of us girls have been looking to even out the score with the guys since Labor Day...The guys got us so good so many times that payback was way overdue...we had done a few things here and there, but Friday night, the unsuspecting guys got hit...and it was FLIPPIN AWESOME! Coming soon will be some pictures of the guys' vehicles...its classic!

But hey, we wouldn't do it, if we didn't love them...we do it with love......

Of course, now I am scared to death to leave my car anywhere near where any of them will be...I know that payback is coming back around........

My nephew....

So everyone...this ADORABLE lil guy is my nephew...for those of you who have seen recent pictures of him know that this was obviously a while ago, sicne he is now a year and a half, but I must say this is one of my favorite pictures!

How can you not love it...he has his little fist in the air like he's saying "Put um up!"

Struggling...

So apparently this last week has been harder on me than I could have imagined....lately I have been so stressed about Son City Kids, but I was still holding up okay....but then Sunday happened with my dad...I thought after a few days of crying I was okay...then I noticed I was having trouble focusing on work (which has happened before, but never to this extent) Someone I work with said it was to be expected after almost losing my dad and that I was probably still in shock...in my head I was thinking I was fine...still a little shook up but I was praising God for performing a miracle in my dad's life...

I was feeling yesterday like it was all going to come crashing down soon, but I didn't actually think it would happen...I was wrong.

This morning I had a breakdown...and for those of you who don't know me real well, I am not good at being emotionally vulnerable...I cry when things happen to other people and I am a very emotional person, but when something hits me deep in the core of my being, I have trouble being weak...as I say...I don't "do" weak. (This first hit me when Doug Coney died in September and I was refusing to completely give in to my emotions...I was struggling with letting someone be there for me...I guess I have a hard time trusting that when I am vulnerable people won't hurt me...I never had this problem before, until high school....then for years I had a best friend who would use my vulnerable times to boost herself up or to control me. She would use those times when I was the lowest to benefit herself...ever since I have a hard time letting people be strong for me) But back to today- I realized that I am not okay with the fact that my dad almost died. I am so grateful to God for saving his life and I will praise Him for giving me more time with my dad, but I am still upset about how close I came to losing my daddy. I have been crying off and on for most of the morning...not sobbing...but tears falling from my eyes when I least expect it.

I am still trying to figure out how to let others be strong for me, and I know that I need to realize that it is okay for me to be vulnerable....I just don't know how....

So last night a group of us got together at LAU-RA's house to hang and talk about our visit to Rob's Bell's church, Mars Hill, Nooma's and Velvet Elvis...I have to say the conversation was awesome and it really made me think...a little too hard at times probably, cuz I am exhausted today! But anyway, it really made me think about what I believe and why and that I am getting to the point in my faith that I really need to start figuring out why I believe what I believe and start digging in deeper...last Sunday someone offhandly asked me how long I have been going to church...I told them pretty much my whole life...and then she asked why I keep going....of course the generic B.S. answers came to mind that every Christian wants to answer, but knows that someone on the "outside" of the Christian faith would not understand. It made me question why DO I believe what I do and HOW do I verbalize this passion inside of me....

God is good??? Yeah, He really is!

So last night I actually asked myself the question...is God really good? I mean, if he was, would I be going through such turmoil...and why put my family through all this...then I stopped and realized, dang, God is good! God had just performed a miracle in my life and I was questioning Him!?! It really is true that you grow in and through problems, and crisis' and hard times...Anyway...here is excerpts from the email I sent out early explaining the ongoings of the "turmoil"...

Sunday was my sisters birthday and when we got home from out of town there was a message on our machine from my stepmom letting us know that my dad had been helping someone and knelt down in some shrubbery and was bitten by fire ants. She said they were at the hospital and my dad was fine but they wanted to keep him overnight and that he would call my sister when he was assigned to a room. She said again that he was okay. My dad called later that night and talked with my sister for only a few minutes. We all just assumed that was the end of the story...

Last night he called our house and told my mom (I was at work and my sister was at a meeting) that he needed to fess up and tell us what else went on. My dad almost died Sunday. We already knew that my dad is allergic to fire ants, but apparently he was bitten by hundreds of them. After he got bit, he went home and took some benadryl and thought he was going to be okay. He started to get dizzy so my stepmom took him to the hospital. On the way, he blacked out and either in the car or once at the hospital he went into convulsions (I am not for sure of where exactly this happened). My stepmom called 911 and they told her she could pull over and an ambulance would meet her...she refused to stop and drove 90 mph to the nearest hospital. When they got to the hospital they had to give my dad a drug (I think it was called epinephrine, but I am not sure of if that is how it is pronounced or spelled). The amount of the drug needed to stop his allergic reaction should have killed him. My dad thought he was dying and started making peace with God and even told God he was ready if it was his time (my dad was a Christian already). I guess God knew there was more still for my dad to accomplish here on earth. My dad has always had a surprisingly strong heart for a 56 year old overweight man who has some family history of heart problems! When he had called Sunday night he didnt want to tell us all that he had been through because he did not know yet if the drug had caused heart, kidney or brain damage.

Yesterday they tested my dad, and he is completely fine! He had no damage at all to his brain, heart or kidneys! He asked his doctor (who is a friend from church) if the doctor thought my dad was going to die on Sunday, and he said he had. I have never seen such a miracle so close in my life!! Against all odds, everything fell together and my dad is alive and fine today! He is actually going back to work part-time today!

So many factors could have led to his death, but everything happened to keep him here on this earth...the fact that he took benadryl might saved his life...the fact that my stepmom never stopped driving...the fact that the nearest hospital which was not my parents favorite, happened to have the best trauma center in the area...the fact that the medicine to save his life could have killed him...the fact that he knew he was dying and God saved his life!!!

My dad is an amazing man who has a heart for helping people...he has a gift of helping hurting young men and helping them get their lives in order, and I believe that there are many more young men out there in need of my dad...and God plans on using him for a while longer!

Even though it still sometimes upsets me to think about that I almost lost my daddy, I can see the bigger more amazing picture that God gave us a miracle! It motivates me to really re-evaluate my life and see if I am really living my life with my all for God.