Does ACME gadgets have online ordering?

Process is my least favorite word in the English Language. Why? Because processes are often tedious and repetitious. Life is full of processes: relationships, growing up, parenthood, pregnancy, spiritual growth, financial/business growth, health, retirement. Processes are often one step forward--two steps back, rarely are they immediate and painless. They are not ever 100% engaging, 100% of the time...often there are stagnant moments that seem like boredom. However, the truth about processes is: that one can not accomplish anything of worth without walking through some kind of process.

Ironically, my favorite word in the English Language is Impossible. I long to achieve the impossible. I dream big and without boundaries. I can't function when I am not pursuing a large dream. Yet, no one can achieve the impossible without a process. I know this, and even still, I detest the red tape procedures, personal hang ups, and unyielding trial-and-error attempts that processes require...even if I know they can lead to greatness.

I would like to blame my intolerance of life processes on my ADHD. However, I know that it is probably more nurtured by my drive to dream. I was born to dream of the unknown. I approach every opportunity with a "this is going to be the one" attitude. I probably resemble the coyote...who, driven by his hunger to capture the roadrunner, approaches every ACME gadget with a sure-fire confidence. Only to run at top speed over the nearest cliff, hanging in the air for a moment to reflect in his failure, and then plummeting.

This week has been the fullest 5 days of life. I have started the last leg of a process that I started a while ago---almost done with my degree. I have been met with opportunities like no other--and I am honored to approach them with my famous "this might be the one" attitude. I have had victories and "super-woman" moments. But I have hit walls too. The kind that don't move or crumble upon impact. The kind that require more work, more sacrifice, more persistence, more resilience, more creativity, and more prayer. And the truth is...all the extra the barricades require, right now, I am not sure I have. I want to be done with the process.

It's funny. In the joy of pursuit of the impossible, the pain of the process is what is often remembered more than the taste of the success. Is this what pushes us dreamers towards the next dream? Or is this memory what allows us to appreciate the impossible all the more? Maybe the struggle is what makes the success so sweet?

Tonight I am the coyote...researching and placing my order for the next ACME gadget. The great thing is I am ADHD and by tomorrow my interest with the wall will have faded and I will know, just know, that this plan is the one that's gonna get my impossible. I will get up and get to work. That's what us coyotes do...

banana boxes, bubble wrap, and life lessons.....

I think, at times, that the life lessons that mean the most come from the most unexpected places, at the most unprepared moments. This weekend, amidst the hauling and lugging, pulling and pushing, the cleaning and organizing, money spent and time sacrificed..behind a stack of banana boxes and bubble wrap I was reminded of a few lessons.

First, I was reminded that family isn't defined by blood lines. Family are those people in your world who seek to know your real heart. They are the people who are cheering the loudest...even when you are in last place. It is these people who count it pure joy to walk through life with you--the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Second, I was reminded that family is the first place we learn true humility. Where else are we given the pleasure of living amongst assumptions, misunderstandings, and opinions and then given the challenge of loving the person in return?

Third, I was reminded that every person has their own process in life. It is a continual challenge for me to remember that processes are often slow and painful, rarely immediate, and subject to change per individual.

Finally, I was reminded that when it comes to family...I am richly blessed. I am proud of where I have come from. I watched this weekend as friends and family alike gathered to do a less than desirable chore and I found myself taken by the amount of blessings surrounding me. Laughter, sweat, a few tears, and hard work...all for what? Because one of ours needed help. Yes, I can say I am proud of where I come from. And looking ahead to the family I became a part of when I married...I am proud of where I am going.

These people that I am proud to call family (no blood line required)--they are extensions of God's heart in my world. They challenge me, make me laugh, make me cry, and I know from experience...when life crashes in on us and it gets too hard to walk...they have been known to carry us until we regain strength. These individuals expect greatness, they demand character and integrity and they only know how to love sacrificially. They have taught me that humility isn't in naming your faults--it is in giving of yourself.

Tonight, I am humbled that God would give me such an amazing blessing as these people in my life. I am overwhelmed at knowing that these people don't just love my little family...they thank God for us. I am moved to tears to know that when I lay down to sleep tonight, God has blessed me with people that are willing to walk this crazy, upside down, sometimes backwards, chaotic, always full life!

Who am I to be given such a gift?

Let the Adventure Begin......

This blog was started as a school project--an attempt to get to those biases and prejudices we hide. The project was finished with the completion of the Spring 2010 semester (and for those of who are wondering...I got an A+). Thank you to those who walked that journey with me.

Now...I am moving on with a new journey. I have thought long and hard about the idea of blogging. In all honesty, I have zero time to keep up with this. And for those who know me well...I detest the idea of being vunerable to the mass majority. But...at the same time...I have thoughts swimming that need an exit point and at times my heart bubbles over with an enormous amount of joy and graditude that I need a way to express it all. So here it is. What started as a project to dig deeper will now become a window to my world. A new adventure begins...