THE Very Anticipated Baby Milestone

My very anticipated 1-monthaversary for living in my first apartment is approaching.  I’m pretty excited.  I wanted to note some of my loves and hates.

1.  Love:  Being off campus!

2.  Hate: It being my fault if I stay inside all day.  Since my kitchen is here, I don’t ever need to leave besides working and going to class on the weekends.  On my days off (like this one) the only fresh air I’ve gotten since yesterday has been through my window.  I can blame only myself for that.  That's one of my goals for this year is to accept it when I'm wrong, not to excuse my error onto something/one else, and be immediate when I don't deserve the credit (giving credit where it's due).

3.   Love:  My door.  I can close it and open it when I want.  This goes for my window.  It’s easily accessible by me at all times. I like my door.

4.  Hate:  Stairs.  There’s not many, but there’s more than 3.  I am grateful for being up high though.

5.  Love:  TRAIN!!! It passes by my window at least a million times a day and I still enjoy it.

6.  Hate:  Duplicates.  I’ve found 3 nail clippers and have enough detergent to last me at least a year given that I do one load a week.  I realized this year that I like to see and to have in stock exactly what I need.  Having bulk or duplicates stresses me out because I feel the need to use it immediately even when that option is not feasible, wise, or of being a good steward.  Thank you, Jesus, for the overflow.

7.  Love:  Large closet and dresser.  I went to go visit another apartment and it had neither of these.  I am grateful for the clothes that are carefully tucked away in them and for a place to store what God has blessed me with.

Although this is an odd number, one should always end with love.

Peace and blessings,

JLP

E.g. Life and curbs.

Some things should not be taken so quickly:  E.g. Life and curbs.

I have a new friend.  Her name is Edith, my bike.  She is a Trek 7.2 FX WSD for anybody who cares about numbers.  I normally don’t but since she’s new, I do remember them.  I also remember the check I wrote for her—ouch..

I’m an extra extreme new baby amateur rider.  I can ride to work and back which is one mile in one direction.  I can ride further, but it’s so hilly here that I tire very quickly.  I love love LOVE my bike.  And it doesn’t hurt that her name is shared with my favorite and most dear relative—my great-grandmother Edith Toussaint who is “101-plus” as she quips.  The names weren’t meant to match, but they do and I’m cool with that.

I just finished posting the next few weeks’ assignments for my students on an online database called Blackboard.  I have spent ALL day working.  I got to my office at 1030, made copies and caught a couple students up in homework assignments, taught at 1130, 1240, and 150, finished teaching at 240, posted assignments online until 945, and rode home.  It’s now 1017 and I’m eating cereal because even heating something up in the microwave is too much work.  Oh yeah.  I went potty at about 5pm.

But I had to tell you what happened on my ride home.  I got geared up to ride Edith and started riding.  It’s wonderful riding home because it’s all downhill and I can get up to 18 mph with no difficult whatsoever.  At the stoplight, I normally pop my front wheel and pedal to get up the curb, but today, I was going a bit too fast.  About 8 miles an hour too fast and didn’t break hard enough or proactively enough.  I made it up exactly 40% of the curb.  Before I knew it, my head leads my body toward the grass and over my handlebars. THUD! I blinked and quickly assessed the situation and thanked my Savior that it happened at night with no casual observers.

The front of my bike was turned almost 360-degrees and the chain was derailed.  I gingerly reattached the chain, checked the gears, picked up the pieces of my bike’s front light and put them in my back, and rode a bit more carefully home.

As I was thinking and meditating on my way home, I thought about how this situation so closely resembles life—mine in particular.  Sometimes we/I can plow right ahead and speed past roadblocks, traffic, stalled cars, and tough situations and assume that I am invincible until I have to switch gears and paths.  I have popped many a curbs in my bike riding days and this one has been successfully popped on many occasions.  What made the difference between the successful pops and the unsuccessful ones?  My speed and attentiveness.  I knew my path and knew the limitation of my bike and what I needed to do.  Also, I mustn’t just assume that because I’ve done something a million times that the “million-and-oneth (pronounced wonth)” time will be the same or be done carelessly.

Life is one amazing substance in our existence.  Just because we breathe doesn’t mean we have life.  It’s fascinating and can only be used/abused/dedicated/other verbs once.

Note to Self:  Watch out for life’s curbs.  

38 Minutes and Counting...

September 2, 2011

So I’m sitting in the Mass Media & Technology Hall at the moment aaaaannddd I can’t go in. I just can’t. In where? Into Gary A. Ransdell Hall. My home for the next 3 years. It’s across the street.

Today is the day I’ve been waiting for for years now. I will be starting my doctorate degree in approximately 38 minutes. I wanted to chronicle this moment because it’s kinda a big deal. I’ll be 24 and 1/3 (24 and 4 months) tomorrow and about to begin my last, final, ultimate, and TERMINAL degree. It shall outlive me…or so I’ve heard.

Am I nervous? Surprisingly no. I’ve had many a first days. First day of all the years of K-12—even preschool had a first day. And I like to celebrate all of my many “firsts.” I think they’re special. So today, my firsts are as followed:

1. First finished week of teaching as an adjunct professor/instructor.

2. First time I’ve ridden my bike to a night class.

3. First time I’ll really have to be an adult in class and not a young adult.

4. Last, but not least—First day of my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Organizational Leader strand (emphasis) at Western Kentucky University, Doctoral Orientation.

All the hoopla for just a really long class this weekend. Friday from 5-9 and Saturday from 8-5.

I was talking to Jesus in my apartment before I rode my bike over here. I usually do that before something new in my life—and also whenever I do mundane things too—and basically all things I do in life. He gave me a verse for this new adventure, my doctorate that is. It is:

Philippians 1:9, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.”

Here, Paul was talking to the church of Philippi and sharing with them how he walk praying for them as the continued to press on in the Christian faith. So if you, my reader, is a believer in the saving power of Jesus and call it your own, and rely on it in your daily life for forgiveness and sustenance, Paul was also praying over you.

So oftentimes, really, really smart people become loveless because they forget about people for they always have their nose in books. I have that propensity sometimes, but no more. There’s another verse I’ve been meditating on lately that I’ll probably share later. Anyway, Paul encourages us to continue learning. In my case, He’s given me the task and the opportunity to learn in an academic forum. Others learn in real life. Wherever you are, he pleads with believers to keep learning. But also, we are encouraged to continue to love and to be overwhelmed with love—the supernatural love that God gives us in order to spread to others; human love is finite.

I hope and pray that I love and that I learn. I also pray that burnout doesn’t set in until I’m at least 2 ¾ way done. I also hope that I still have Cool Points left in m y Cool-Points-O-Meter. I also pray I won’t spend too much time daydreaming that I’m on a deserted island with my Chocolate Blessing during class whilst being in my Extra Single State.

Abba Father,

Give me an extra portion of Your Spirit so I may be a perfect example of a fallen person perfected by Your grace. Help me to love You more and love others the way You love them. Aaanndd…

Thanks for everything.

Your Daughter,

Jenaya