Wednesday Hodgepodge--10/21/2012

1.  What creeps you out?

Mostly?  People who don't understand the concept of personal space.  I seriously don't need to have a conversation two inches from your face.

Oh, and if I don't know you?  I don't want to touch you nor am I interested in you touching me.  This is why the whole "meet & greet" thing at church weirded me out.  What some people need a handshake to accomplish, I would rather do with a smile and nod.

(Clearly, if we know each other?  I'm willing to break down a few of these barriers.  But the two-inch conversation?  That's a friendship deal-breaker for me.) 

2.  What's your least favorite candy?

Tootsie Rolls.  Oh, and circus peanuts.

3. Are you a fan of scary movies?  What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?

My imagination is constantly on overdrive, so I've learned that scary movies aren't for me.  Before I learned that lesson, however, I convinced Favorite to take me to see The Ring.  Big mistake.  Huge.  I couldn't sleep in a room with a television for over a year.  It even creeped me out to be home alone in a room with a television that wasn't on.

Eventually, I did get over that fear (irrational as it was), but every creak, tap or drip makes me jump and imagine the criminal masterminds who are attempting to kidnap me and my little dogs.  (You know, because we'd be such desirable prisoners.)

4.  What part of life confuses you the most?

People, I suppose--even myself.

I don't always understand a person's motivation or why s/he perceives situations in a particular way.  I don't understand my own personality flaws or why I consistently revert to certain behaviors when I've worked so hard to eliminate them from my repertoire.  Or why many in the Christian community consistently condone pride (or at least turn a blind eye to its presence) while criminalizing a glass of wine.

Any and all of those things draw me to consider what I value as a human being and what Christ calls me to value as a Christian.  And allow me to say, I definitely don't understand why there are individuals who see themselves as spotless and perfect while pointing out the non-sins of others.  Juxtaposition never works when it comes to Christianity.  Ever.

The human heart is a bit difficult to analyze, no?

5. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy...your favorite seed?

I'm a pretty big fan of sunflower seeds--especially on salads.  Over the summer, I added chia seeds to my oatmeal or pancake batter pretty frequently.

6. Imagine your life ten years from today...what's changed?

From September of last year to September of this year there have been few parts of my life remain untouched.  While many of those changes were uncomfortable and frustrating, God consistently prodded my heart for the sake of shifting my attitude and direction (physically, emotionally, spiritually and any other way an attitude can be shifted).  And that was only over 365 days.  Imagining ten years is a little overwhelming.

But the biggest change I see in ten years?  The addition of at least one Little Houseman to our household and all the things that come with parenthood.

7.  What do you a) love most and b) like least about the Hodgepodge?

A.  Most of these questions aren't things I would ever think to address on my blog.  There are also times when Joyce provides access to information or news I would've missed entirely otherwise.

B.  I don't always have time to participate and it really is a regular attendant community.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

In the last week, I've come to realize that there are reasons I became a teacher that will never make sense to the general public.  It doesn't matter how hard I work, how much I manage to help a kid or even how much time I log with my students in/out of the classroom.  There are groups of people with preconceived notions regarding my grading practices--even when a student consistently struggles with one thing I have repeatedly emphasized.  Despite comments to the contrary, I didn't become a teacher to help a kid fail or even perform poorly...liking the student or not liking the student really isn't part of the equation.

On another note, Project Priority is underway.  So far, I'm halfway to my weekly walking goal.  (I probably need to raise the bar a tad.)  And I've committed to reading through the Psalms using the SOAP method for my devotional time.  (I really like this method because I feel like I'm interacting with scripture instead of just reading.)  Ordering my days is starting to become a tad easier, and I'm realizing that consistent goals help me to focus my time and energy on what is important in the minute.