If you want me to

The Pathway is broken and the signs are unclear,
And I don't know the reason, why you brought me here.
But, just b/c you love me the way that you do
I'm gonna walk through the valley if you want me to.

Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first steps,
And I'm clinging to the promise that your not through with me yet.
So if all of these trials bring me closer to you, then I will walk through the fire if you want me to.

It may not be the way I would have chosen, when you lead me through a world that's not my home
But you never said it would be easy
You only said I never go alone.

So when the whole world turns against me and I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer my cries for help
I 'll remember the suffering your love put you through
And I will go through the valley
If you want me to

"If you want me to" : Ginny Owens

I love the words to this song. Tonight at church Mike talked about (in my words) finding your faith, hope and trust when you have lost it, or in times where it is hard to trust, hope and have faith. It made me look back on the past few years. I remember the person I was in high school, the person I was at the end of undergrad, the person I was at the start and end of Grad school and the person that I am now.

Mike also talked about how we tend to daydream about good things that could happen to us, things we would like to happen, and how sometimes we turn those daydreams into prays, and when they aren't answered the way we thought they should have been we blame God instead of admitting that it was our dreams and not God's plan for our lives.

I can remember being in high school and I had BIG plans to be this POWERHOUSE for God. I loved people and I wanted to be there for them...to be able to let God use me however, but somewhere along the line I let life's business push aside my passion. I started making my own plans and started daydreaming. When I was a senior at UT Martin finally awoke and I heard this song.....and it scared me. When I heard the line "Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first steps, and I'm clinging to the promise your not done with me yet."I was sooo afraid that I had blown it....That I chose the wrong path....that God was done with me...that he couldn't or really wouldn't use me anymore.

I know there is not one perfect path to take..that in reality life is like the adventure book where there can be different paths that lead to the end. Like the song says, "It may not be the way I would have chosen" or really" Not the way I would have wanted, " but I Believe that God is not done in my life.

For the past few years I admit that I have been focused on school, even though I know this is the career God lead me into, that was not an excuse to not consistently nurture my relationship with God and allow him to take me where he needs me to go.

SO, even though the road has not always been a mountain top experience I know I have learned from my travels through the valley.

Hockey, Laughs, races and good times

This past weekend my friend Emily and I decided we needed to take a break from the booming metropolis of Dyersburg so we headed out to Nashville to meet Judy and Margaret. On our way out of town we made a pit stop at The Java Cafe to get our coffee fix and then hit the road. Our ETA at Margarita's was approx 12:45pm, but along the way we had a detour. There was a major wreck around the 165 mile marker and the traffic was backed up past the TN river bridge. Emily and I decided to adventure out into the hills surrounding interstate 40 and make a new path to Nashville. Exit 143 was shut down so we had to take an obscure exit and somehow ended up on a gravel road. We quickly turned around b/c we were sure the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" house was around the corner. Rocks were sprayed as wheels spun.....and we were outta there.
We finally made it to the Reeves abode about 2:40pm.

Judy appeared soon after and the laughing commenced. I am sure Emily thought we were out of our minds. We soon headed out to the Mall at Green Hill's to do some shopping before we went to eat. Apparently the mall was testing a new idea of how to separate the weak shoppers from the determined b/c the air was NOT on and you would break out in a sweat riding the escalator. The bathing suit shop was hopping.

We made our way downtown and drove around in circles, even crossing the bridge once, before we decided on a place to park. Although there was some talk about taking the shuttle from the parking lot across from the Coliseum, but I think we might have had a long wait...the parking lot was packed.

We ate at Bailey's where Amy Fulbright came and met us and then headed over to the game. Oh yeah, the service at Bailey's is still very very slow.

The Preds won. My favorite part of hockey happened like 10 times...fights!!! After the game we tried to take some photos but my hair would not cooperate and Judy reminded Margaret that she needed to switch to filtered cigs.

Nate was working the street(Central Parking) over at the Symphony so we headed to see him and then headed back to the house.

Margaret kept everyone up late talking, and we finally had to tell her it was time for bed.

On Sunday we went to church and went to Brother C. Barrel's Sunday school class,where we met a lady who lost an hour of sleep.

I will not comment on the events that took place between church and Sunday school. I will say "RED...Yellow...GREEN" and they're off!!

I had a great time spending time with my friends on our Girls night out.....no comments Jenny!

Over the years I have had the honor of becoming friends with people from all over. Sometimes when I see someone I think I know I have to think about where I know them from.....what school....what city...
I almost never get to integrate pods of friends ( at least not more than a passing hello) but this weekend I really enjoyed seeing 2 of my "worlds" come together. And as in the words of Ozzie, " I love you all..more than life itself, but your all freaking mad!"

Its Sat evening and I am laying on the couch. I am sick....AGAIN. This round is nastier than the last. Just a couple of weeks ago I had a cold that hammered me with a nonstop headache, zapped ALL my energy, took my voice but I could breathe. On Monday afternoon at approximately 4:00pm I could feel the another cold coming on. I was trying not to claim it but after Pilate's class I could not deney it. This time I can't breathe. All week I have been breathing through my mouth and no medicine can clear out my sinuses. The tip of my tongue has wind burn and is wind chapped. The one good thing about this round was that I has enough energy to go to the YMCA and workout....until today. I awoke with my right nostril packed with dry gunk that needed a chisel and hammer to get through and apparently I ran a marathon in my sleep b/c now walking downstairs wipes me out.

But on the bright side I invested in a Rubik's cube.....that is keeping me busy.

On a sad note: this week Goodyear lost two of its employees. The first happened last weekend when a young man was pulled up into his machine and was killed. The other was a young mother who passed away on her way to the hospital after suffering an aortic aneurysm. The Goodyear flag was lowered to honor them both.

Update

Baby Smith came home today after spending 11.5 days in the hospital.

Last Sunday our church met in the new building and it was awesome. David even got out from behind the guitar/piano.

Today during worship we sang My Savior My God. I love this song. It took me back my summer in New York. I made a play list of songs that I would listen to on my IPod as a commuted back and forth to work. I listened to it as I made my way first from the subway station on 68th and down to 14th street, then from the 58th street station. Whenever I hear these songs I feel a wave of remembrance wash over me. I can see myself riding the subway, walking down Park avenue with Grand central in the distance, and looking out the window onto the street while exercising on the eliptical. SOOO many memories.

Goodyear, Births and hospitals

Things have been kinda crazy around here the lately.....

First and most important..my friends Cindy and Katie had their babys.

Katie beat out Cindy on Dec. 28th with the birth of Kennedy Susan Oliff,

and then Jan 13th Cindy to Jospeh David Smith...

I know that Jospeh's pic is small but I took it with my phone ok.

Both Kennedy and JD turned into bathing beauties by spending some time under the Billi lights to take care of Juandice.

BUT, JD is still in the Hospital due to a staff infection. He will be at the hospital for at least a week to get antibiotics by IV.

On another note.....

Gracie is feeling better. Her wounds are healing and she has got a bounce in her step once again.

That pic only shows two of the wounds. If you look down on the left you can make out where there is only a line of hair then she is shaved again.

Goodyear is back at work after a 3 month strike. By the end of the strike we had very few GY patients left, but the census is quickly on the rise again. On Tues, Thurs and Fri the GY clinic opens at 6am, which means I have to leave my house by 5am to get to the clinic about 10 till 6. It really only takes about 35 min to get to union city but at GY you have to swipe a card to get in the gate and then walk into the clinic through part of the plant. You can walk in throught the front and bypass the plant floor, but when it is 23 at 6am, walking through the power house and tire room is warm.....although I have to wear ear plugs and keep my hands around my mouth and nose so I can breath in the rubber gunk in the air....lung cancer anyone?

All in all I like being at the plant. They just got a new plant manager and a local Italian grill sets up lunch across the hall from the clinic.

I awoke Monday to a nasty cold that has settle into my right tonsil. I sound like a man who has laryngitis and my throat hurts like a bad word. I asked my co-workers if anyone would cut out my throat with a butter knife..no takers.

I feel like I haven't gotten to talk to some friends lately so here is a shout out:

Amanda and Cara: WOO HOO about 4 months till beaches !!

Judy, Dinah and Kristen: I miss ya'll

Sarasota: Ken, man I am sorry I haven't gotten a chance to call you back yet. I hope that everything is going good. You realize that you and Joy need to move to nashville!

Joy: You need to move to Nashville, but keep your FL home for vacations!