Family Photo Friday- Rebel without a cause

This is my dad. Hmm, wonder where I get my rebellious streak from. :)

Neglected praise

I blatantly stole this idea from Abraham Piper at 22 Words, but I find myself quoting it so often that I wanted to do my own list.

10 things we don’t mention in worship songs, but that I’m happy God saved me from:

1. Gangs
   
2. Hypochondria
3. Fear of the dark
4. Attracting men with my cleavage
5. Timidity
6. Being satisfied with the ordinary
7. Legalism
8. Internal bleeding
9. Being a theological snob
   
10. The things I thought I would make me happy
    

Family Photo Friday- Willie and Billy

These are my mother's family's Siamese cats, Willie and Billy. The note on the photo says they were 10 weeks old on October 15, 1967. That is my grandmother's handwriting.


This is my cat, Penny Lane, February 2009. :)

My 1 in 2018

My favorite radio show had the funniest opening act last Saturday, where they took the Drake Equation, used to determine the number of planets in the universe capable of sustaining life, and applied it to single people wondering how many potential mates there are for them in their part of the universe. Seriously.

So here is my Drake Equation. Let's call it the Ann Equation.

I'll start by narrowing it down to Oklahoma, even though that's still quite broad for my personal geography.

Population of Oklahoma- 3,450,000

Population of Oklahoma Males- 1,725,000

Population of Oklahoma Males ages 25-34 (13.1%)- 225,975

Population of Oklahoma Males ages 25-34 and not married or divorced (44%)- 99,429

Population of Oklahoma Males ages 25-34 and not married or divorced with a college education (20.3%)- 20,184 (not necessarily mandatory but hey, why not throw it in)

And let's say I find only 10% of men attractive. Let's be honest, this number is quite high. In reality I don't think anyone finds 10% of people attractive. But anyway. That gives me...

2018

That is the pool I have to work with in the entire state of Oklahoma, when applying the principles of the Drake Effect. And let's be honest, that's not encouraging. Because think of all the other factors! Christian, emotionally stable, no felony records, adherence to dental hygiene standards... the list goes on. :)

Anyhoo, see what you learn listening to public radio? Can you figure out your equation?

And let me say for the record, at the end of the day you just have to find one. The right one. :)

With many thanks to the US Census.

Family Photo Friday- Just Married

These are my paternal grandparents. Just married. Aren't they a handsome couple? Still are. :)

Sunrise, sunset

This is how the day began:

And this is how the day ended:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Ps 19:1

Tornadoes on a balcony

Here is a little video (about 2.5 minutes) of scenes from what tornado season is like in Oklahoma. Yesterday's storm system passed pretty close to our school, so we had a good view of it.

Why? Because when the tornado sirens go off, you don't take cover... you grab a camera and head outside! :)

I kid. Please always take necessary severe weather precautions. And as we now know perhaps 15 people died yesterday in Lone Grove, our prayers are with them. Could have been any of us yesterday.

Angels among us

One of my strangest travel stories is also one of my first.

In the summer of 2001, I went to Brazil on a mission trip for 6 weeks. I don't think it's an overstatement to say that that experience changed the course of my life.

On the way home I was so sad to be leaving Brazil. I cried and cried on the bus to the airport, and took one of my relaxant pills to get some sleep on the plane.

I sat next to a woman who I don't remember talking to until our descent. She was an older woman from the northern US who was traveling in her retirement with some of her girlfriends. She asked why I had been in Brazil, and in my muscle relaxant stupor and sad tears, I told her about the trip.

She then gave me the coin pictured above. I'm not an "angel" type person; nothing against them, it has just never been a key point of my theology. But the gesture touched me deeply and made the tears flow more quickly. As we reached our destination I said goodbye and soon forgot her.

But the strange thing is that since that day, I have carried that coin in my wallet. Almost 8 years now. Of all the things I've lost, I haven't lost that coin. Of all the travels, illnesses, wallet changes... it remains in my coin purse to this day.

Such a small token of kindness, but I believe it has reverberated through the years, and I don't think it's done with me, yet.

Family Photo Friday- Frances

I've always been the genealogist in my little branch of the family, and lately I've been scanning in a lot of old photos to help me with that.

That inspired me to do start Family Photo Friday. This is actually the picture that inspired me to it.

Time doesn't change some things that run in the family. :)


This is my maternal grandmother's cousin, Frances. They roadtripped from Arkansas to California, and judging by the photos, had a blast.

Traveling light

The thing about baggage is that you think you need it. Call it preparedness, caution, learning from experience- justify it however you'd like.

It's at the point of speculation at the beginning of the journey that baggage doesn't really feel like a burden, it feels like reassurance.

But it's in moving forward that you have to bear the weight you are choosing to carry.

So choose your baggage carefully. Figure out which things are worth holding on to, and what things you just have to let go.