The fleeting peaceful times

I think humans are made for challenges.  It seems like you're not living life if there's not something wrong going on, no matter the size.

But I am thankful for those peaceful times...albeit a moment, when everything is just right.  And there is some respite before storms come again.

And yes the storms are coming again :-)  Just like clockwork.  I had about a week or so of peacefulness, and the storms have come back...both literally and figuratively.

Timing

Excel

Seeking God

I'm thankful today that we can choose to seek God.  For the past week or so I've been feeling little promptings to be more "Spiritual" and that I feel that a lot of questions I have about life in general..or maybe life in specific..can be answered if I am more Spiritual.

I love that God draws closer to us when we draw closer to Him.  And we can know all things if we are more obedient to His commandments and seek His counsel.

There are little things that I am trying to do to be more "Spiritual".  And I'm grateful to know that He's there for me, even when I don't think that He is.  I need all the help I can get.

I'm sure everyone experiences this..I am going through this cycle of Spirituality, and I'm on the upswing again.  Not that I'm a bad person when I'm retracting, but part of me feels like I'm floating through life at the moment.

I'll look back at this post in a few weeks and see if I feel closer to God.  I think I already know the answer.

Oral B Pulsar Toothbrush

I was introduced to this toothbrush yesterday.  It's a disposable electric toothbrush that costs around $5.  All it does is vibrates to help clean your teeth deeper.  There's one button to turn it on, and another button to turn it off.  No batteries to replace.  No heads to replace.

And I swear, it really did a good job of cleaning my teeth.  It's a great alternative to buying those electric toothbrushes and replacement heads.

I'm thankful for this new disposable teeth cleaning technology.

Power Supply

My desktop computer that I built about 3.5 years ago had been out of commission for the past two weeks.  I haven't had a chance to work on it, but I was suspecting that it was the power supply.

I finally had a chance to go to Best Buy today to purchase a power supply for only $50.  

I use to love tinkering with computers, building them and fixing them.  I don't like to a lot now-a-days, so I kinda procrastinated diagnosing the computer with the new power supply.

So I finished watching "The Negotiator" (awesome movie..I can watch that movie every week, seeing Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey use their wits and skills to get what they need).  And I started watching the "Celebrity Apprentice" that was recorded from the day before, even though I found out that Arsenio Hall won because someone posted it on Facebook. *sigh

Long story short was that I finally determined that it was the power supply and in about an hours time, I got my computer up and running again.

I'm thankful that I can save money by fixing computers myself, and that this fix was on the cheap side.  I probably would have paid about $150+ to have someone fix this for me.

Now if I can do some more repairs on my own around the house, and on my car. ;-)

Giving Thanks

Today I am grateful for:

• Hearing all the positive, uplifting, and Spiritual testimonies at church this morning.  
• for the SA Church Conference this weekend...and that it's finally over.
• the 3.5 hours of sleep, recouping from a long weekend, and signifying the closure of another chapter in my life...preparing a SA conference.
• Iron Man

"I love that as I was forcing myself to give thanks everyday, my thanks slowly changed to 'I'm grateful for what happened to me". That was from a good friend that was attacked by an unknown assailant and has partial loss of mobility from the attack.  She is a rock and a positive influence in my life, and I love how she finds joy in her life, even when these things happen.

Wal-mart

We were trying to get some food items for an upcoming church event.  

Eddie was in charge of food for the event, and was planning a pasta dish that needed manicotti shells.  Unfortunately, there was only one box left.  Well, one of the associates went out of her way to check in the back for more boxes and there was.  She was so accommodating in answering our questions and was so polite.  We told her that she deserves a raise, and she quipped to her manager behind us "Did you hear that?"  We gave positive feedback to her manager on the spot.  A win-win for all.

I know that Wal-mart sometimes gets a bad rap on the quality of the employees, and the customers, but this gem of an employee went out of her way to assist us, and she did it with a smile.  Thank you Walmart lady for your help.

Rain

New Job

Today I started my new job.  It's still quite surreal.  I'm back in the tech industry working a corporate job, and to top it off, I'm working with my best friend from high school for the first time since we've worked at Taco Bell when we were teenagers.

Talk about a world of change.  I was making $3.42 an hour back then.  Now I'm making...well...more than that :-)

It's a good change right now in my life, and I'm grateful that Eric has helped me with that change.  I just hope that our antics won't get us into trouble.

Mother's Day

When my dad was in the Navy and had to be deployed, mom was at home taking care of two young boys all by herself, in a foreign country to her (the USA), and not knowing a lot of people.  I can't imagine the emotional  strength she had to keep it together.  

My dad was gone most of my later years in school, because he was stationed in other parts of the United States and we stayed in Jacksonville.  Mom held down the fort.  We didn't always make it easy for her.  

I'm so thankful for my mom, for taking care of me. I still love to visit my parents, who still live in the same house I grew up most of my life, just so I can ask my mom what's there to eat.  Mom's cooking is always the best, right?

I love you, mom.  

If, Then

I was introduced to this game last Saturday, and today we played it with another set of friends.

Everyone takes a small sheet of paper and then write an "if" statement, ie "If Vladimir was a doctor?"

We then put the folded sheet of paper in a basket and redistribute the sheets to another person in the group, who then answers that "if" question with a "then" statement, ie "then Vladimir would probably have a lot of malpractice lawsuits."

We then put the sheets back into the basket and redistribute.  

As we go around the room, the first person would read their "if" statement on the sheet they are holding.  Then the person next to them would read their "then" statement on their sheet of paper.

As you can guess, this makes for hilarious coupling of "if-then" statements.

And depending on the group you play with...things can start going wrong pretty quickly.

Nonetheless, the game is a gut-busting time of fun with any group you play with.

Thanks for this simple game...and the laughter. 

Being Alive

Sometimes, I complain about little ailments in my life.  The occassional fever, or perhaps an injury that needs repair.  I've broken one bone, needed 15 stitches to close a would on my head from a ice skating incident, and I've needed surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.  But these heal and I go on my merry way.

Some people, though, deal with illnesses that are terminal, or have no cure.  I can't imagine what that is like.  I have my few quirks in my body, but compared to other people's medical issues, mine pale in comparison.

I'm thankful to be alive and relatively healthy.  And for those that have those unique illnesses, I have a desire to support you and do what I can to make your life easier.  

Doctor?

I had a chance to see a friend of mine graduate from the University of Florida with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.  I can't believe it's been four years already since he first started the program.

I loved the ceremony, right in the O'Connell center where I graduated with my Bachelor's degree 16 years prior.  There is a great sense of accomplishment when you finish your degree.

I'm proud of Travis for completing his coursework to graduate today.  He and his wife are expecting their third child.  They have a great family.

Thanks for letting me be a apart of this great accomplishment.

And Go Gators!!!

Recital

Life come full circle.

I had a chance to watch my niece, Cali-marie Paje perform in a piano recital.  She's being taught by the same teacher that taught my brother and me when we were growing up.  Mr. Chancey.

I remembered how nervous I was waiting for my turn to perform way back then.  And the relief once my performance was over.  I was nervous for Cali, and I can tell she was too, but she did great.  She works really hard at playing the piano, and it really showed.

I'm so proud of you Cali.  I'm grateful that you are carrying on the music talents of the Paje family.  You are already a wonderful musician and hope that you will continue to grow that talent through the years.

Paint

Lazy Day

Today was a lazy day.  Besides going to eat lunch with a friend and run very few errands, I just stayed home and watched TV.

I did feel like I was wasting my life away, but sometimes you just need this down time.

Thankful that I had downtime :-)

Service

Helped a lady in my church ward (congregation) move her things in a U-haul storage to her new apartment.  She had two 10'x10' storage full of boxes and furniture.

I'm just grateful for the three men and one woman that helped us today.  Fortunately we were able to get most of her items moved on the first trip.   As always, packing is slow...unpacking is fast.  

But nevertheless, it's a great feeling to serve others.  God really makes sure that we receive those good feelings.

Next task...helping another lady paint her house on Saturday.  Where's the roller?

Ben & Jerry's

So there's Dove ice cream bars, and Häagen-Dazs.  But one of my favorites is still Ben & Jerry's, chocolate chip cookie dough or phish food.  I had the latter over the weekend.  


Good comfort food, especially with the whirlwind of life that is going on right now.


Thanks Ben...Thanks Jerry.