Music Madness with Me

In September, we went to the Music Builds Concert at the Virginia Beach Ampitheatre. It was an awesome concert with Jars of Clay, Switchfoot and Third Day. At the concert, there was a unique band that I had never heard about named Robert Randolph and the Family Band!

They had an interesting set up! The lead singer played a mean slide guitar. The guitars screamed, the bass player took control of the songs, it just a made you dance! Robert Randolph and the family band are more of a jam band. Usually, I am not a fan of jam bands but one of their songs was so much fun that I couldn't resist adding it to my workout playlists. With lines like "Do the jerk till it hurts!" and "Sh-Sh Shake it!", you can't help getting pumped up! There ain't nothing wrong with that...

City Girl

Last Friday was a busy day for my husband and I. Bryce had to stay late for a basketball game. One of my students had a melt down. We didn’t get a lot of time to chat during the day, we were tired.

When Bryce got home from the game, I greeted him with a big hug and a kiss! We started talking about the day. While we were talking, he went to grab something from the fridge and I decided to tie up some loose ends on the computer.

"Guess who's going out of business?” Bryce asked.

"Who?"

"Circuit City," He exclaimed!

“Ut-oh, that could be trouble! I read an article on the news today about that. Wavy TV 10 said to be careful about the sales because they may be deceiving. The trick is to mark everything up and then discount it," I shared.

"True, but they are going to liquidate everything, eventually there will be something good!" He responded 

Over the years, I have learned a few things about Bryce. One, my husband loves sports. Two, my husband loves electronics. Three, He will find any excuse to get new gadget! On his way to the stairs, He looked my way. I smiled.

With a flirtatious voice replied, " It’s still trouble.”

At this point, He knew that I wasn't going to give in that quickly. As usual, He headed upstairs to get out of his suit. I was back on the computer finishing up some loose ends. Bryce continued talking.

"Can you believe that the Inauguration is next week?" Bryce asked.

"Not really, it's been kind of surreal,” I recalled.

“It is going to be a hot mess at school on Tuesday, no one is going to be there! I heard that they are still having trouble finding subs for all the teachers that are going to be in D.C."

" Yeah, we are having a bit of a problem with that, too. Plus, people are going to call in sick," I added.

“D.C. is going to be packed. They are starting to close down roads tomorrow." He commented.

“I just can't imagine. It is going to be craziness. Even if I was super excited, this is one event that I would much rather watch on TV. “

“I hear ya," He chimes in.

“I know that people say that it is all about the atmosphere. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity but it just seems like way too much of a hassle to me. I think it would be like watching the ball drop in New York. It's so crowded that you can barely move." I compared.

This was just the beginning of my revelation. Even though I knew that Bryce was still upstairs, I continued  sharing my thoughts.

“There’s so much traffic on the roads. If you don’t get there a few days in advance, you’re guaranteed to be in your car for hours. Then, you find out that your hotel isn’t as close as you thought. You’re bumping into people as you make your way to through crowds, the decorations and the news crews. It's cold and it's impossible to find a restroom! Your feet are tired from walking and standing. To top it all off, you don’t actually get to see the ball drop. Most people are so far away that you have to watch it on a screen. It would be the same at an inauguration. Unless, you have special FBI clearance, you won't actually get to see the President in person. Sure they have speakers so that you can listen to the speech live. I would be willing to bet that they are delayed because of the feedback.”

Bryce finally chimed in from upstairs.“It could be exciting but with HD it is just like we are there. Tough call! I was listening to the radio on my way home. I heard that they were opening the subway up at 4am on Tuesday."

“ See, there's another reason that I wouldn't want to go! You have to buy subs at 4 am. I just couldn’t eat a sub for breakfast. Even if you bought a 12-inch and eat half of it, you would still have to lug it around for the rest of the day. Who wants to carry a sub around all day? There is no way a cold cut combo would taste good by lunchtime. " I exclaimed.

Bryce didn't respond, so I just figured that he had moved on. I continued to type. Slowly, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He peaked around the corner. Trying to contain himself, He looked at me and stated, “ Honey, I was talking about the subway. You know those things underground with trains...”

I looked up, our eyes met. There was a pause. A giggle was rising..

"Opps, I guess I won't need the cooler that I was about to mention!" I joked.

Apparently, I have seen one too many $5 foot long commercials. What else can I say; I am just not a city girl!


Side Note: For anyone who doubted the legitimacy of my nickname “Babbling Brooke”, this post should clear up any confusion.

"Be Still and Know that I am God"

We spent a lot time hanging with family and friends over the break. Spending time with Johnson family usually means good meals, good conversations and good laughs! There is never a dull moment in Johnsonville. This christmas was no exception! For some strange reason, the common theme to the stories this year, the bathroom. Who knew it was such a interesting place for family gathering?

It all began when I noticed the new sign that my mother in-law had placed on the toilet. If you can't read the sign, it says "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10.

It made me chuckle. After eating too much of Frances' special lasagna, being still was the only option that you had. Praying could help since you ate the whole lemon meringue pie and since your tummy was grumbling in ways that you have never imagine, being reminded that God is in control could be comforting.

Anyways, I thought it was pretty funny so I decided to bring the rest of the family into the bathroom . I wanted to share the humor. They laughed but this only lead to more insanity! Enter the bathtub. Stay tuned for part duex of the bathroom story.

Get in the Game

The holidays hit. Actually, they exploded! The decorations, the excitement, the planning, the celebrations, the shopping and the busyness were everything that I had hoped for and more. My favorite thing about the break was quality time with friends and family! It was like a whirlwind swept me up.

I miraculously ended up in the wonderful world of OZ! I was skipping down the yellow brick road of vacation. I must have lost my red shoes because it took me quite some time to find my way home!

As I began to settle into a new year, I realized a few things. God did some amazing things in 2008. There were some moments that took my breath away. Others were not so glorious. Ultimately, when I reflected where my life started at the beginning of last year and where I am now, I couldn’t help but think, WOW! It would be unrealistic to share it all. I imagine it would be like putting a puzzle together without any corner pieces. Don't worry you are off the hook; rather than attempt that, I am going to share my hopes for the future!

I read once, "I am not who I was. And I am not who I will be." (ID: The True You). Life is a process. That book helped me understand that every moment, every thought, every word, every event and every action molds us into who we are going to become. You’ve probably heard this before; it’s not really a new concept. It is one of those ideas that you hear repeatedly yet do not fully understand what it means until you recognize how it relates to your life. I call it an “aww-hah” moment.

I play the what if game, often. What if my dad was still around? What if I pursed dancing? What if I had gone away to college? What if I had become a computer programmer? What if I didn’t have to baby sit so much? What if I stayed in that relationship? What if I didn’t take this job? What if I didn’t eat that whole bag of peanut butter m&m’s? There was so much of my life that I wished I could change.

That is not my desire in 2009. I am learning to appreciate that my past and my present affect me daily but it is God that determines who I am and who I will be. So, now what?

My favorite part about watching a basketball game is halftime. Right now, your thinking, typical girl, she likes the cheerleaders. Well, I do but the real reason that I love halftime is because of the winded interviews. This starts the process of  deciding what to do next. Weather the team is tied, winning or losing, as the players and the coaches’ head to locker room, they are taking in the final moments of the first half. They are strategizing about the next half. When stopped for questions, the players are barely able to spurt out an answer and it becomes clear that they are focused on one thing, The Game.

The next few minutes in the locker room are crucial. The coach reflects on the team strengths and weaknesses. Next he recognizes the other teams strengths and weaknesses. They review what they practiced before game. Then it happens, the coach comes up with a plan, a play that will shock the other team. He lays it out on the board. In an encouraging, confident voice he pulls the team together, and explains that this is their moment, this is their time to “Get in the Game”.

Here is my first “aww-hah” moment of the New Year! I want to take advantage of every opportunity that God gives me to become who He wants me to be this year. I hope to enjoy the yellow brick road of '09. I want to use my past experiences to grow in the present. No more playing the “what if” game. It is time to accept that everything that has happened and is happening will mold and strengthen me.

In short, I want to be focused and strategic. When interviewed at halftime, I want to shout breathlessly, that I am going to “Get in Game”. I want to be mentally, physically, relationally and spiritually prepared for whatever God brings this year. Over the next few weeks, I am going to be laying it out on the board. I am going to look for new ideas, learn new plays and practice. Most importantly, I am looking forward to strategizing with the team.

Music Madness with Me: Christmas Edition

There are many reasons that I love Christmas. The most important reason is that we celebrate Jesus' birth and one of the best ways to celebrate Jesus' birth is to spend Christmas Eve with Water's Edge Church at the Ferguson Center. What can I say, I just couldn't resist the plug. Next to that, I love decorations and lights, especially sparkly red ones! Also, presents don't hurt but my favorite part about the season is the music. For one whole month, the Johnson family listens to 101.3 TWD. Christmas music 24 hours a days. It's the best. 

It is hard to recreate the magic of traditional carols. Every now and then a group will hit it out of the park. I think Barlow Girl did a great job at uniquely rocking out one of the best Christmas songs ever!

Boom

ESPN is a part of the Johnson household. At first, it was not by choice but sports have crept their way into this girl's life. Bryce and I have developed a theory that ESPN has some of the best commericals. There is one small, unimportant flaw with this theory, ESPN is all we watch. It is on our TV 85% of the time!  

Sticking to our theory, we love the new commerical with Greg Oden. I do not know much about him but here is what I do know. He was the NBA's number 1 draft pick for the 2007. He plays for the Portland Trailblazers. He has a slightly dull and goofy appearance. Plus, Greg looks a lot older than 20! There has been much debate about his marketability.  That is why we think this is really funny. 

Check out his face! It is simply laughable when Greg states, "I'm a chameleon". Deodorizing spray, sports drinks, nasal spray, vacuums, he can sell it all! Really, what else can you say, other than, 

"Boom"

Note:  This one goes out to our buddy, Robbie Leffel! We love it, too! 

The Things They Say

Last month my class did an art project with leaves. It is one of my favorite things to do each year. The student get a plastic bag to go outside and collect leaves. We get different sizes and shapes. After we have collected our leaves, we bring them inside, get some plain white paper and we trace the leaves with different colors. The results are always beautiful.

Yesterday while my students were doing individual activities, I had a chance to start clearing my desk. I never quite know what I will find. Incidentally, my bag of leaves were still there. Maxwell had offered to organize some papers for me. He was standing near the trash can so I handed Maxwell the bag and asked him to please throw away the leaves. It didn't seem like a big deal to me. Apparently, it was to him. He stopped, held his chest, looked at me very seriously and told me "Look, I am not a husband".

I guess I know who rakes the leaves in his family. I have to admit that it does fall into the husband job status, you know, rake the leaves, take out the trash, fix the toilets. It was so hard to not laugh and I was slightly taken back. I had never really thought about it that way but I was happy that Maxwell was starting to understand this concept.

"Your right, Maxwell," I responded simply.

I stood up and threw the leaves away myself. A few minutes passed. As if to console me with this devastating news, Maxwell walked by my desk and asked, "Are you okay?"