Q&A Wednesday

JLI asked:


1.) Biggest pet peeve?

I'd have to say dishonesty - I try to live my life with honesty and integrity, and I don't apologize for making the choices that I do. I've never hidden from the path that I've chosen - good or bad... it all makes me the person that I am today, which is a person that for the most part - I'm proud of. Sure there are some physical things I would change, but personality wise - I am in a good place, and it gets better and better the closer I walk with the Lord.

I don't understand people that feel the need to hide or cover up things that they've done or are about to do. I'd rather own it and explain to you why I'm choosing the path that I am instead of hiding from it.

2.) Do you have a "life verse" from the Bible?

I'd have to say that right now - because I believe that we have different verses for different seasons in our lives - it is:

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

I just think that is beautiful, and I truly believe that - he knows more about what is going on in our lives today and in the big picture, and therefore he can do more than we would even know to ask for. When I first fell in love with that verse, I read it from Kelly's blog - and it really fit with the struggles to have a baby that I'm having right now, but it fits so much more than that really - it crosses into every portion of our lives and covers it all.

3.) The "White Whale" of your sinful nature - what's a major sin that you struggle with consistently? How are you overcoming it?

The first thing that comes to my mind is the issue of our thoughts, and loving people in spite of what they my do or say to us. That has been something in the past that has been extremely hard for me, but I'm starting to see that I'm making progress in some ways on this. For that I'm proud, but I think this type of sin can easily creep back into our lives so quickly.

In some conversations we've had today - JLI herself told me that the devil often speaks to us in our own voice... and boy did that strike a chord. That's exactly what is at work in situations like that because you think they are your thoughts and words - but really they aren't you at all. So I fight a lot to make sure that when I react - I do so out of love... and as much as I can - I don't have those conversations in my mind where I'd tell the person off.

(You know the conversations... the ones where you say all the things that you wish you could, but wouldn't dare.)

In my own life - it has made a difference, because no matter what the situation - when you don't allow yourself to dwell in that place, you'll find a peace no matter what the outcome is.

Staci asked:


If you were president for a day what would be first on your agenda?

Oh gosh - I don't know that you really want to go there... but it would depend on the day... I am against so much of what is happening in Washington today - there seems to be something I'd change hourly.

I think that it is really a tough job and so many things are important, but honestly the most important one to me is abortion right now. It scares me how easily this country, in a lot of cases - can overlook what that truly is. To me it's murder - and I don't care what the circumstances are surrounding the pregnancy.

Some would say that is incredibly judgemental, but it's really not - I believe that life begins at conception, and it doesn't matter how that conception happened... it's a life, and to take that away is to commit murder. It is essentially playing God, and I feel that we as humans are FAR from qualified to make that judgement. You are certainly within your rights to not keep the baby and raise it, but I don't believe that anyone has the right to take a life.

I know that some pregnancies happen because of horrible circumstances, but it just is more of a tragedy to go down that road. The person is never going to get over the crime committed toward them, but they also won't get over the additional crime that they put their body through either.

Are you sorry you asked? I know that my opinions aren't those of a lot of my friends, but that is how I view it.

Christi asked:


Ok here is a question for you. I am kind of hungry, so forgive me. What is your favorite food that is so good you can't believe its good for you. (like I love, love, love sweet potatoes - without the marshmallows - they don't taste healthy.)

A recent thing that I love eating is banana chips... they are great and they've taken the place of crackers and chips for me right now.

As I'm changing my diet again - to incorporate some more healthy choices - I'm finding new things all the time. So that is just the first of many new surprisingly healthy food items on my weekly shopping list.

On a side note - ya'll I just met Donna to pick up the Body Bugg. (older version, but you'll get the picture) She is absolutely delightful... I so enjoyed the meeting - but only wish that we would have taken a picture! I feel like a bad blogger for meeting another one and not documenting the occasion. I hope that we'll get to hang out again in the future, because I'd love to spend more time talking with her.

That wraps up the questions for this week - send me your questions that you'd like answered for next week!