Take 5

1) Flip Flops: I just saw on the news that flip flops are horrible for your feet! This famous summer item is linked to ankle, lower leg, knee, and back pain. I ONLY wear flip flops in the summer. I like that they are comfy and that they keep me at 5'9" and not too much taller than my husband. They said that wearing them around the pool and around the house is fine. Well, I do that, but I've also been known to take walks in them too. I guess I'll have to wear my warm sneakers for that walk from now on.





2) Haircut: I had my hair cut Tuesday. I went in wanting a style that I found in a picture. I also wanted highlights. I came out with shorter hair that didn't look like the style I had in mind, and also a lot blonder than expected. Two of my worst haircuts have occured when I have brought in a picture. Why is that? I thought a picture is worth more than a thousand words. I guess I just get really disappointed when my hair fails to look like that of the one pictured. I'm learning to live with this head of hair and may even end up liking it after a while.

3) Cutting Coupons: I may start cutting coupons. I came across this website that seems to have a great strategy. Stores go through a 12 week (typically) cycle of putting certain things on sale. For instance, household cleaners will be on sale one week and canned veggies the next. You can get outstanding deals on certain items and stockpile those things. Pretty soon, you have stockpiled most of what you need and have saved big bucks. The site keeps track of everything. It tells you where to look, when to buy, and how to use the coupons. Have any of you used this? How did it go?

4) Red Wings: The Red Wings are Stanley Cup Champions. Did anyone catch this game?? Has to be the most exciting ending to a championship game that I've seen in a long time. The previous game built upon that excitement because you knew the Pens could make a comeback in the last few seconds of play. Osgood made the save and we saw the puck travel parallel to the goal line with just 0.01 second left. Wings celebrated and the Pens cried.

5) LOST: After the finale, I have a ton of questions. Here are a few:

• How does Christian (Jack's dad) play into all of this?
• Is Claire alive or dead? Was she unalive like Christian seems to be?
• Is Michael alive? Remember Hurley told Walt he was lying to protect those on the island, like his dad.
• Is Locke really dead? How come he's now Jeremy Bentham and off of the island?
• Where is the island now? Is it still an island?
• Will Sawyer and Juliette become an item since they believe Jack and Kate are dead?

The Stanley Cup

I am so very proud to be a Dallas Stars fan right now. The team played their hearts out. Detroit was just the better team and deserve to be in the Finals. They have my respect.

Every hockey fan desperately wants to see their team lift the Cup. I've seen my team do it once. 1997: Stars lost Game 7 in round one. 1998: Dallas lost the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in Game 6. 1999: Stars won the Cup.------->2007: Stars lost Game 7 in round one. 2008: Dallas lost the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in Game 6. 2009????? :)

If you like hockey at all, you will love this commercial. Enjoy!

This is Your Chance!

Are you one of the many people living in the Metroplex that doesn't get hockey? No hard feelings. I understand we live in Dallas, where football is king and you hear Spanglish while you eat your Tex-Mex. I wouldn't be surprised if futball overtook football here soon.

Thursday, at 11:00 AM, on FSN Southwest, the rebroadcasting of the magnificant Game 6 will occur. This won't be hours upon hours of hockey, but the Reader's Digest version of the most hard-faught periods of the greatest game on earth. Why not take a look on why the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in sports. It's worth just to see the save Nabokov makes on Richards. UN-B-LEEV-ABLE!

May Already?

Can you believe that May has arrived? May means NHL playoffs! The Stars had the chance to close out another series last night, but we'll have to wait a little bit longer. Sure looks like we'll be playing the Red Wings in the conference finals. Tuesday night's game may have been one of the best games I've ever watched. Both teams were playing their hearts out. There were hits (checks) being thrown everywhere, a short-handed goal, a penalty shot, and sudden death overtime. We came out on top. :)

I started thinking last night about that game and how it made me feel. I've heard so many times people wonder why people will cheer at a sporting event but not for God. I get this, but then I don't. The elements of the game that makes one cheer aren't usually present for me when I praise God.

I grew up going to church and reading the Bible. Although the Bible is the Living Word, I don't anticipate that I will read something that will make me jump off the couch with arms in the air. Maybe it would if I were reading the material for the first time. Growing up with it means that I gradually understood the Good News, and I definitely don't fully understand it. I am very thrilled, don't get me wrong, but John 3:16 is more of a mental thing than an emotional thing for me at this time.

I have decided that perhaps one way I will jump for joy will be if/when our children profess to be followers of Christ. If we discover this at home, you better believe I will shout out with joy. If it is at church and my child walks down to the front to be baptized, I'll be more subdued.

What are your thoughts on this? I know that sports truly don't mean anything and God is everything. But do you think I should be ridiculed for jumping up for joy when a goal is scored and not when a sermon is finished?

*** I felt I needed to add that singing may be my most emotional act of worship. I've cried, raised my hands, and done a small little jig while singing before. I'm referring more to the sudden and immense joy that can come from sports. I hope I am making sense and don't offend anyone in any way.

Finally!

Since I have made it known that little Miss Audrey hasn't been sleeping well lately, I should also let you know about the good stuff. Audrey slept for 9 1/2 hours straight last night!!! Can you hear what I hear? It's the choir singing Hallelujah!! Finally!

The Dallas Stars made it to the second round of the playoffs. We haven't done this in years! So now we are set up to play San Jose. Friday night is the first game and it starts at 10 pm. UGH! I don't like playing west coast teams! We should just play all of the games in Dallas. I sure wish I was at the last game. The Stars came from behind in the 3rd period and blew away the Ducks. American Airlines Center was rockin! I heard on the radio the next day that it was the best sporting event that the AAC has ever hosted. It was the first time a Dallas sports team ended a series there. Finally!