Never A Dull Moment

I know I said I was not going to confront anyone who was stealing, but this guy made it too easy. The other day, I was casually watching a guy who was looking at batteries. Batteries, along with condoms, purfume, preg tests, razors, anacids, and air fresheners are one of the most commonly stolen items. So, after the guy put the batteries in his pocket I told him to give them back and leave the store. He then made on of the funniest excuses I have ever heard from a theif. He opened his mouth, pointed to his upper eight gold teeth, and exclaimed, "I don't have to steal. I have lots of money in my wallet, just look at my grill." Wow.

In the bubble I grew up in, people didn't steal. Yes, a child might slip a jelly bean or two from a "self serve" display while shopping in the grocery store with their mom, but grown people don't steal. Ha, did my job pop that bubble or what? I have encountered many situations in which a person will place any item (seriously, it could be a $6 bag of socks) down their pants or up their shirt. I once stared, with my jaw dropped, at a lady who, while looking me straight in the eyes, put a bottle of Advil down her shirt. And she had the nerve to ask me what I was staring at! As my confrontational skills grew, I became more bold in asking people to put their stolen items back on the shelf. I will admit, several people have even been arrested because of my swift call to the Benton, AR police who have nothing else to do than investigate a crime involving a 19 year-old and a stolen $.69 candy bar. However, after my robbery scare yesterday I decided to handle some situations ...

I am covering an overnight shift for one of my co-workers who is on vacation this week. I have been blessed to get to work with a guy named Alex, who is the front cashier. He is thoughtful and always makes sure not to leave me in the front of the store alone. To give you some background on the overnight shift, there are usually two cashiers and a manager (one Pharmacist filling Rx's in the back). This district has found it is safest to always have two people on the front end of the store. Well, the other overnight cashier is on vacation as well, leaving only two of us in the front of the store all night. So why am I writing about my overnight stint? This morning around 6:45 am, a woman entered the store in what we assumed was a rush to grab her items and get to work on time. She did not speak to Alex or me when we acknowledged her, didn't purchase anything, and all but ran out of the store nervously. While she as in the store we heard the front door open, but no one walked in (...

Today I met Alzheimer's. I pleaded, begged, and tried to force myself closer to understanding just how this disease is invading my mom's mind. Today I met Alzheimer's. I tried to help my mom decipher her emotions. My mom, who is strong, loving, independent, smart, stylish, funny, thoughtful, friendly, Godly, confident, beautiful inside and out, is sometimes lost in a disease. Today I met Alzheimer's. I listened as my mom cried while Alzheimer's fed her lies. I cried as my mom fought to regain control. I prayed because I couldn't help her. Today I met Alzheimer's. I am praying that my mom will always see Jesus even when confused . I pray she will see Jesus, because my mom said she wants to go home.

T onight, as Reid and I are getting ready for bed, I find myself unable to be thankful. Why is this such a struggle? I have had the past two days off work, and yet I am wishing for just one more day of relaxation. I spent my night with Reid, but I am wishing for a few more hours of "us" time. I started catching up on the third season of Grey's Anatomy, but I wish there was time to watch a few more episodes before bedtime. What is keeping me from being thankful for two days off work, quality time spent with my husband, and that I have the luxury of watching two episodes of my favorite TV drama? Frustrated with myself and trying to conquer my negative thinking, I begin to thank God for different things in my life. I start with thanking Him for today, September 11, 2007. I think about what this day means. It means that for the past six years, and even before that, people have been fighting so that I can continue to decide how I spend my day. Passengers fought to detour the ...

So, I was off work today and Reid is in Philadelphia recruiting with Oliver Wyman at UPenn. Lucky for me, I have YouTube.com to keep me company. As many of you know, my dad is a bit of a jokester. At age 7 I stopped playing in the woods behind our house because my dad let me watch a documentary about Bog Foot, and had me convinced he was real. My brother, George, lived in perpetual fear of a monster (complete with orange skin, green eyes and black hair) that made a frequent appearance at the bottom of the stairs. However, it was definitely the youngest child, Eleanor, who got the worst of the scares. Not knowing when someone might jump out of a bush or from behind a car, she ran everywhere she went. Poor Ellie B., she still won't sleep alone. ;) The selections below are the top 5 videos I found most amusing...yeah, I laughed 'til I cried. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3i1mOtP--U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrKIriFVIck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FyLf09qz8c http://www.y...

I began reading this book by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs for a girls group I meet with on Friday mornings. Though I have only read one chapter, I am so excited to read a book that speaks such amazing truth! In Ephesians 5:33, Paul writes, "Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." The bottom line in Chapter One is this: without respect, he reacts without love- without love, she reacts without respect. How wonderful to know that Paul is not just offering a suggestion, but a command from God! Just in my first nine months of marriage I have seen, thankfully not many times, this play out in several disagreements that Reid and I have had. Reid and I knew we weren't understanding each other's needs, but this book clearly states what we were missing.