hodge podge of a blog

I love the Olympics. I don't mean that they are just entertaining or that they have filled a tv void. I mean I love them. No kidding, I honestly found myself during prayer time last night, thanking God for them. I know, what a nerd. But, as previously discussed, it has just been a rather crappy time in my life and they have been a highlight! If you know me very well at all you know three things, I am very patriotic, I love sports, and I am VERY competitive. The Olympics touches on each of these!! Add on top of that, I also appreciate very nice looking swimmers/divers/water polo players/beach volley players (need I go on :) and it just all adds up to a GREAT thing in my life! I am already having post swimming depression, I am glad I will have college football right around the corner when they are over! This past weekend Louise, Dirt, and Leigh all went out of town and me and Titus stayed behind to keep up with the Olympics. Obviously, from the above picture, he was more into the gymnastics than the swimming but he IS a boy! Last thing about the Olympics (for this post anyway...) if you can watch any athlete from any sport stand on that medal stand while our national anthem is playing in the background and not get a tear in your eye and goosebumps, you are a stronger person than me. I actually swell with pride!

Next on my list of hodge podge issues.... Is there much worse feeling than when a friend experiences something horrible and there is nothing you can do about it? I'm not sure if I have blogged about it but a lot of you have heard me speak about it, heartbreak is the worst thing in the world a person can go through. Whether it is breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife or death of a loved one or the loss of a friend, the actual heart breaking is way worse than any physical pain. A few of these are friends of mine who's hearts are breaking that I ask of all of you to keep in your prayers.

1. Shanon Rice. Shanon is a few years younger than me and is married to the preacher (Brint) in Alex City, AL. They have a little girl, Lily, who will be 2 in September and a baby, Barrett who was born July 16th. Lily had the worst case of colic that I have ever heard of a baby having and now Barrett has it too. For anyone who has ever had a child have colic you know how exhausting and horrible that can be. Sunday her grandfather (Shanon was raised by her grandparents and although her mom is in her life, her Grandfather was her "dad") suddenly had a massive stroke and died. She is obviously crushed and having to handle all of this only a month after giving birth and on colic deprived sleep.

2. Reagan Mckenzie. This is Coach Dean Briggs (that I work with at Faulkner football) little grand baby. She was born Friday with a lot of problems and is now in the NICU at the Children's Hospital in Birmingham. She is his first grand baby and obviously already owns his heart. She is currently hooked up to a machine that takes out all of her blood, cleans it with oxygen, and puts it back in her (all very technical terms!) I know this family would appreciate your prayers.

3. The Hick's. Most of you are familiar with their story and know that they just celebrated what would have been Janey's 1st birthday and they are getting ready to deliver their next baby. Please continue to pray that they will find peace and for a very healthy delivery and baby.

4. I have two friends who are going through major marriage problems. They will, obviously, go unnamed but, please keep them in your prayers. I'm not married and even I know how tough being married can be and both of these are married to non Christians and both have children in the picture, which complicates it even more.

5. The Gee family. I'm not sure how many are familiar with them but they are missionaries to Africa. They have 5 (I think) natural born children and now three adopted from over there. They are some of the most amazing people I know and I am going to copy their e mail explaining the situation because I can't condense it. Dear Family, Friends and Supporters:
We desperately need your prayers concerning our daughter, Naomi. As you may remember back in June, she was in an orphanage (had been there 13 months) before she was relinquished to us by her 75-year-old father (her mother is dead). Now, the mother’s brother is challenging the father concerning his relinquishing her to us. Things are much different in Africa concerning parental rights than they are in America.
Because this uncle is family, the court could rule in his favor and he could very well take her away from us. The court will not care that she almost starved to death in his care when she was young or that before we showed interest he was willing for her to spend the rest of her life in an orphanage. But now for some reason, he wants her. Masai girls are sold into marriage as young teenagers...the family gets many cows from the prospective groom.
We love Naomi and want her to remain our daughter. Please remember her in prayer...ask everyone you know to please pray...that the best for Naomi will be decided.
With our deepest gratitude,
Jimmy & Trina Gee & family

6. Last, I ask you to keep me and my family in your prayers. We are going through some tough, personal things, like all families do at one point or another and we are all doing our fair share of praying about it and ask that you will too. I know and believe with everything in me that "all things work together for good" but also know that there is no time promised of when they will work out and getting from here to there can be rough.

Lastly, I hate my job! I do not speak of this lightly and it is hard for me to believe I am saying it because just a couple of months ago I loved it and had loved it for the past five years. There have been a few things that have contributed to my sincere misery there and I have made the decision not to be there by January. I am too young to make myself miserable going to work everyday! I am now actively looking for something where the benefits and pay are as good as they are there but that doesn't contribute to making me a miserable person.

Oh wait! One more thing.....Only TWO WEEKS until the first Tennessee football game!!! GO VOLS and GO TEAM USA!