Countdown: 42 Days

In 42 days, I'll be sailing away from the United States on my 25th birthday cruise to the Bahamas. So much can happen in 42 days. I can sit here & countdown each day has it arrives (which I plan to do), but I can also make the most of those 42 days.

My prayer for most of the year has been that I remain patient & obedient & wait on God to make moves in my life. I can't sit here & tell God what to do. If I do he'll give me the o_O look & I don't like that look! Instead I have to move according to what he wants me to do. In the next 42 days, I am going to continue to ask God what he wants from me. I know what Carol wants, but what Carol wants is not always what God wants.

Watching the sunrise on my cruise in 2008

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Unspoken Wordsll

My elementary school best friend moved faaaaaarrrrr away to Indianapolis when we were in 3rd or 4th grade. There was no free long distance phone plan back then so we had to write letters. When I was younger, I went to a camp in Toccoa, GA & the only communication I had with the outside world was a pen & some paper. With those 2 items I was able to tell my family & friends what life a was like in camp.

Just recently I have been reintroduced to my pen & paper. When my friend got deployed I made up my mind I would be his pen pal (well email pal in this case) so we could stay updated with the happenings on our sides of the world. Earlier this month another friend of mine started army boot camp. I now have a 2nd pen pal!

Being able to write someone can be beneficial for the writer & the reader. In my case, I want to be able to let my friends know that although I can't shoot them a text or have a short 5 minute telephone conversation to say hey; I still think about them. Often times we hear of people getting deployed or going to jail, and they become the poster child of "out of sight, out of mind". I don't want people to feel forgotten. I write to let them know that they are appreciated. I write to put a smile on their faces & let them know they are cared about. This in turn makes me feel good on the inside & smile on the outside.

Letters don't have to be written because that is someones only form of communication. Write a letter to your friend that lives in the state next door or your aunt on the west coast. Let people know you care about them without speaking words. Spoken words can be forgotten. Written words can be looked at all the time. When a person is feeling down, they may read that letter you wrote them 5 years ago that said, "Hey, I was thinking about you & just wanted to let you know."

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

4th and Comfort Zone

We focus so much on getting down the field to our comfort zone, that we miss out on the chances to enjoy the sounds of the crowd. And God forbid we fumble at 4th and comfort zone & miss the opportunity to score 6 for complacency for the 346,893 time.

This blog comes after several attempts to invite people to a new church that I've started attending. When my sister told me about the church & invited me to come, I said, "Ok." (I blogged on just saying "ok" back in August.) I have asked several of my friends & even a few family members to join me one Sunday at Courageous. I'm not asking anyone to become members or leave their church or anything along those lines. Every church has a family & friends day, & I would like to participate & bring my family & friends.

"Is it a cult?" "What kind of church is it?" "The name of that church sounds like they accept gays." "How long does it last?" "Where is it?" "I can't get up." "It cuts into football." These are just a few of the questions & comments I've gotten when I invite people to come. I would hope that my friends & family trust me enough to know that I would not invite them to just anything.  

We get so comfortable going to the churches we grew up in & were forced to go to as children that we don't venture out & see if maybe there's a church that can help you grow. And then there are those of us that miss church some Sundays because we're so comfortable in our beds that we become Bedtime Baptists and TV Baptists. It's perfectly fine to accept an invitation & experience something new for just one day. 

This week I challenge everyone reading this to step outside of their comfort zone & take a risk. Cut your hair, paint your nails bright orange, eat some turtle soup, ... JUST BE DIFFERENT!

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Looking Down Only to Miss Out

Looking at the outside of a person will never tell you their full story. I was raised in a family that made friends with everybody under the sun. Company executives, grandmothers, homeless people, janitors, classmates, co-workers, underprivileged children, & the list goes on. There is no one person better than the other. We are all equal in God's eyes.

The problem with many people today is that they think they are better than someone else. I have had many people say, "Dang Carol you talk to everyone." "Yes I do!" From elementary all the way to college, I made it my job to know almost everyone in that school from the teachers to the janitors to the principal to security. I didn't form personal relationships with all of them, but a simple "Hi. How are you ____? Have a good day" can go a long way. Now when I go back to visit those schools, those people still remember me. There is no greater feeling on earth than letting people know you care about their existence. 

When I went to school in New Orleans in 2003, I knew no one except for my roommate & the 4 people I went to high school with. By the time I came back to Atlanta in 2008, I had new aunts, uncles, best friends, brothers, sisters, & friends. Why? Because I took the time to talk to people. When I chat with my classmates from college, they always say I wonder what happened to _____. I'm usually the one that can give them updates on that person. Why? Because I still check up on them.

Story: A group of guys used to sit outside the freshman dorm & try to holla at the new girls. Of course we were warned of the "whoadies" so many just walked past them. My name to them was "Atlanta." I started sitting outside with them & watching the students get on the buses to go to the cub. Next thing I know I'm cracking jokes with these guys. After getting to know them, they turned out to be cool people. I am still friends with them to this day.

People that work in the pharmacy sometimes get a bad rep for not conversing with the other people in the store. I make sure I speak to everyone in the store. We work for the same company & no one is better than the next. And because of that I have formed lifelong friendships. When work isn't busy I stop & talk to my customers. More than the regular, "How are you? How may I help you today?" One customer always asks how my mom is doing & I ask about her mom & family. Yes she talks my ear of, but it's probably because I listen to what she has to say. A lot of elderly people are lonely because no one talks to them.

I could go on with stories of the many people I've taken time out to talk to, but you would be here all day reading. Don't always be in a rush & miss out on opportunities to meet people. You never know the blessings either one of you can receive from the conversation. I challenge everyone to step out of their comfort zone & meet new people. You don't have to make them a friend or invite them to dinner & in your home, but at least learn their name & where they're from. These kind gestures will not only make them happy, but make you happy as well.

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

It's the Little Things

I woke up this morning with a text message from Mommy. "U have a flat tire." Oh joy! :-) Today is my day to sleep late, it's cold outside & inside, & I feel like I'm getting sick. The LAST thing I want to hear about is my tire being flat. I didn't jump up to check it out. Instead I laid there for a few minutes, got up & put on shoes, brushed my teeth, threw on a hoodie, then went to assess the damage. Front driver tire... DONE SON! Once I saw the white thread coming out I knew I needed a new one. Got my AAA card & called them up. Wait... not too long. AAA guy shows up. Oh that tire is done! My hands were starting to get cold so I put them in my hoodie pockets & feel some paper in there. What was it you ask? A FREE standard oil change coupon from Firestone my bff Ashley gave me months ago. Expiration date December 2010!!!!! I thought that coupon was long gone! That coupon had just turned my day around & all I could was smile! I'm long overdue for an oil change so I'll be going to get on ASAP!

The AAA guy went in my trunk to get my full spare & saw my Trey Songz "Ready" CD. "Do you have the new Trey Songz album?" I wanted to say, "Sir, Is my tire flat?" But a simple, "Yes" is all I said. "Go make me a copy real quick." "I don't have any blank CDs," but I really wanted to say, "Sir, I'll NEVER burn a Trey Songz CD!" "If I had an extra CD I would give it to you, but I gave away all the ones I bought." We continue to talk about more tire stuff while he finishes up. Before he leaves, I say, "I'm debating on if I should give you my CD out the car." "You should." I went in the car & gave him the CD. He didn't care there was no case, but he was happy I gave it to him.

Today's events happened because of a willingness to give & help others. Daddy pays for my AAA membership which has been a great gift. Ashley gave me a FREE oil change coupon. The AAA guy helped me by changing my tire & adding air in the full spare. I know that's his job, but he was nice & did a good job. I gave him my Trey Songz CD.

No matter how bad a situation may seem to you, there is always an opportunity to turn it around and make it good. I could still be walking around pouting & upset, but no; I'm about to cook myself breakfast & enjoy the rest of my morning. Giving the AAA guy that CD may have made his day. I'll never see him again to know, but I'll just hope he's happy driving around helping more AAA customers while listening to one of my favorite artists.

Side Note: My tire is DONE SON! (I had to repeat that in case y'all missed it earlier.) Not only was the white thread exposed on both sides, but it was splitting on the inside & wires or whatever it is was sticking out as well. I'm sooooooooo thankful I woke up to a text message about my flat tire outside my house in my driveway. I could have been on 285 going to or coming from work & had a blow out.

Now please excuse me while I go nibble on my bacon & stare at my FREE oil change coupon :-)

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.