Does bad breath equal dirty teeth?

Caught your attention, huh?

Here is the situation: I am super tired and trying to get ready for bed quickly. I decide I'm too tired to floss (I usually am a big flosser...not tonight, getting to bed one minute faster seemed like the best choice.) so I settle for brushing my teeth. While I was anxious to get to bed, I did try to brush well, if not a little better than usual, to make up for the lack of flossing, of course. Anyway, I brushed my teeth and they felt clean, but I felt like my breath was not up to par (aka minty fresh).

{sorry if this is a lot of information about my personal hygiene, I promise I have a point}

So , I decide to multi-task... swish around some mouth wash while I wash my face. Then, I think about it more... "does bad breath really equal dirty teeth? Or can your teeth be clean even if you can't taste the minty-freshness? Further, what is really my goal here? To prevent cavities or to have good breath?"

Now, I understand this sounds very odd and not something you share with others but...

Don't we do this with a lot of things???

I do.

I focus on the outside, on the external, on the surface, on what people see ("do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit..." Phil 2:3)... and NOT what God commands me and the apostles urge and plead us to focus on the internal, the heart. ("...he LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b)

I drink coffee a lot. I try to have gum on me always so I can combat the coffee breath once my tumbler runs dry.

My breath may be polar-ice-fresh, but that does NOT mean my teeth are clean.

{disclaimer: this may not be the most ideal example..i am not advocating for the preservation or perpetuation of bad breath..just take this illustration loosely. it is merely the situation that sparked these thoughts conviction.}

All that to say, that I focus too much on how things appear to others, how they make me look, what others think of me. It doesn't matter if my breath is minty fresh---my teeth are still dirty.

I know it.

The Lord knows it.

And trying to cover it is pride.

Lord, please, ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Obsessed.

I tend to have an addictive personality.

When i find a song I like, I usually listen to it in my car on repeat.

For weeks.

Here is what I have been enjoying (obsessed/needing to hear) in my car lately...


disclaimer: i haven't actually watched the full video. i downloaded the mp3 and have been listening to the song in my itunes. you can find the mp3 download below the video on youtube.



Here are the lyrics for those of you who are like me and get more from seeing the words..

(I maybe put in bold the part that I most love to get stuck in my head all day...)

Jesus, Jesus, You are my tower Lord
Jesus, Jesus, the rock I stand on
Jesus, Jesus, there is no other name
Like Your name
So I will wait on You

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him
Oh I will be still
And I will know that You are God
Your loving kindnesses
Indeed they never cease
Your compassion never fails
Jesus, Jesus, You are my tower Lord
Jesus, Jesus, the rock I stand on
Jesus, Jesus, there is no other name
Like Your name
(Oh, Lord)
So I will wait on You

The Lord is good to those
To those who wait for Him
Oh I will be still
And I will know that You are God
Your loving kindnesses
Indeed they never cease
Your compassion never fails

But I am weak Lord
You are strong Lord
I know I must look to Your way
But I am weak Lord
You are so strong Lord
I know I must look to Your way

The Lord is good to those
To those who wait for Him
Oh I will be still
And I will know that You are God
Your loving kindnesses
Indeed they never cease
Your compassion never fails

The Lord is good to those
To those who wait for Him
Oh I will be still
And I will know that You are God
Your loving kindnesses
Indeed they never cease
Your compassion never fails

Sassy Sandals!

hey friends!

i forgot! my friend, vera, also wanted me to get the word out about some sweet footwear. her friend dani went to africa for a semester (or a summer...the details are a little fuzzy. all i know is dani is awesome) and brought these sweet sandals back for her. (she brought v teal ones that are not pictured).






here's the site: http://www.ssekodesigns.com/


they are cute and sassy and go for a good cause! (which is probably why vera loves them so dang much. and well they are real cute). they are made by women who are trying to earn tuition money to continue their education in uganda. the price may seem steep at first (not as pricey as toms) but the money is going to support women as they strive to continue their education in hopes of stabilizing and helping their community.

i highly suggest visiting the site! you can even see the women who make the shoes and hear their story!

not only are the sandals fun and support a great cause, the straps are interchangeable and you can even thread them through the sole in a variety of styles. (i tried to choose pictures that best demonstrated the creativity/variety of the ways you can wear them).

i have my eye on the yellow ones. or maybe green. or brown or black....good things extra straps are only $9!

Miscellany Monday!

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1. Silas is the sweetest little boy in the whole world.

2. I want to start an herb garden. I need some fresh cilantro...

3. because I got a sweet recipe from my back-home bestie, vera. i love her.

4. i am baaadd at blogging. i am contemplating throwing in the towel..

5. i am itching to paint. little c found a picture he wants me to put on canvass.

6. do you ever feel excited that God is teaching you a lot...but also terrified about what lies ahead that He is preparing you in that way...??

7. i am excited for bible study tonight!!!

Ballin' in Haiti

this is my friend, Melinda. (or MemGym87 if you went to high school with us)

Melinda is this:

there are lots of reasons why Melinda is a baller, shot caller-- but the one i'm talking about here is the fact that she is spending her summer in Haiti serving the people there. i am so excited to hear all of the stories and ways that God has used her to impact the people of Haiti. further, i am excited to hear all the ways God has used the people of Haiti to stretch and grow her. (i love how that works. we grow and learn the most from the people and ways that we are intentionally serving. )

she has such a huge heart and is so full of joy that you can read it in her emails.

what is also amazing is the way that God is using her not only in Haiti, but right here in lexington, kentucky!

here is what i mean..(i did not ask if i could use this! but i don't think she will mind!)

"It has been so amazing to see the love of Jesus in Haiti. I have realized how much they fully rely on God, and daily. They don't have video games, tv, computers, etc to distract them from thinking about him. When they have a bad day they don't go to distract themself with a movie, they pray. They rely on him and him alone. It has opened my eyes to the useless things we do in America and the time wasted away from God. At church they all pray outloud, so imagine 800 voices praising and praying to the God of the Universe at once; it was powerful! Many get on their knees--old and young."

not only does this almost bring me to tears to imagine such a sight, it also totally calls me out (but in a good, good way). i feel like i can easily get distracted by dumb, unnecessary things. i focus on the fleeting instead of the everlasting constantly.

and it isn't always the same things that distract me. i am the only one left at the 312 this week and we no longer have internet or tv at our house. you think that i would have way less distractions and more intentional time. no, no, my friend. instead i have focused on getting things checked off my to do list, dreaming about my new room, and trying to get a jump on the moving out cleaning.

further, i came home and felt tense and exhausted--so what did i do? go to God for a little tlc? no. i went and cleaned out the laundry room after eating some ice cream.

can we say...

band aid???

"come to me, all who are weary and burdened and i will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)

i know we probably all know this scripture by heart, but my actions do not reveal that this is capital "T" truth when i run to rocky road ice cream and trying to get more cleaning done, than resting in the Truth of Jesus's words.

man. i still have soo many thoughts and things i am thinking through...

if you, too, are feeling convicted and encouraged/maybe a little sucky..i highly encourage going here:

http://justinemcknight.blogspot.com/2010/05/day-144-want-confidence-click-here.html

for a little encouragement! this is more Truth i need to cling to today!

"that's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do [aka not distracted!! -my own addition and emphasis], grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!" --from Ephesians 1 (message version)

---we are reading through ephesians with the girls i meet with at tates creek--how appropriate the timing. i can't wait to share with them from melinda's email! pray we have some solid discussion!!

RECAP! + Question!

Wow. It has been a week (plus a day..) since I have last posted on my blog. Last week was one big, sleepy blur. Friends, you should know (or you already do!) that I am a bit of an old man. I love going to bed early and I genuinely like getting up early. I don't know if I have ever really liked staying up late and sleeping in late. (I must have been a horrible middle schooler. And youth lock-ins were my favorite till about eleven..) Anyway, just know that last week I had the worst time falling asleep. A large part of my lack of zzz's might be linked to the late nights and the time difference from my time at home. Needless to say, I don't know if I ever fell asleep last week before one or two in the morning. Vomit. Also know that I wasn't up doing cool things either (except one night talking with Syerra and Katie). No, those late nights were spent laying in bed, fretting over the fact that I am going to feel miserable the next day.

Imagine how pumped I was when I felt tired last night around ten and was passed out by eleven! We are getting closer to my old routine!

Anyway, tired Randi is not equal to productive Randi. I, sadly, do not have much to report for days 91-85... and the things I do have to report...I am going to wait on because I left my cord I need to transfer pictures onto my computer with clinton.

I have lots of schemes and plans in the works! Don't fret! I refuse to waste this summer!!

Still taking suggestions for what I should put on my summer to do list! (hint, hint).

ALSO! QUESTION! note the fabric above... what are our thoughts?? I am trying to find fabric for one of my room redo projects and I found this. I usually go for something more simple with clean lines, but I wanted to try to spice it up a little. I also am not positive about the color. Seriously, the past two things I have bought online have come to me as a totally different color than what I thought I ordered! I have been searching JoAnn fabrics and Hancock fabrics online and found a few fabrics I LOVE but I do not feel okay about buying fabric that is $30 dollars a yard. I'm a balla on a budget, you know?

Want to help me in the fabric search? I would love to see what you all would suggest!

home again, home again...

Or not?

It's odd growing up when your old home feels less like home than your new home. You know?

Anyway, i am back. i am exhausted and back.

For those of you who were so curious about the things that got accomplished on day 97...that would be a whopping ZERO. i know. major disappointment. this is why i can't have to much spare time.

here is how the rest of my week went at home..

day 96: (wednesday) my mom, brother, and i cleaned our house like maniacs. not only was clinton coming, but so were my cousins from iowa and arkansas. so we cleaned. for hours. it was good but i was a nasty mess and almost finished when clinton came. needless to say, i gave him a quick hug (not too tight as to not transfer the smell) and hopped in the shower and we went and picked up ARRIS'S PIZZA!! treat!

day 95: (thursday) we made another stop at grandma and grandpa's for breakfast. then, clinton and i ran a lot of random errands. we went to good will. picked up some ice cream, ran to walgreens, and stopped at lowe's. then we got home in time to get ready for our sassy night on the town. it was date night, jeff city style. i took clinton to yen ching...best chinese restaurant i've ever been to. seriously. i have not found one i enjoy more. clinton admits that my snobbery in regards to other chinese restaurants is founded. we then went on a romantic trip to...west gate lanes...bowling alley. it was awesome. i also found out that i am horrible at bowling. we are talking i scored a whopping 56...after my warm up round... needless to say, i owe clinton an ice cream cake...

day 94: (friday) the day of yard work. clinton and i tackled all the tasks my mom can never do alone or doesn't have the equipment for. we cleaned the gutters. trimmed the hedges. chopped down limbs and trees. pulled up a shrub (okay, that was more him). swept the driveway. and hauled brush. it was really draining, but it felt good feel so productive and to do physical labor. it sounds weird, but its true. then, later that night my cousin nicki, and her hubby, scott came to visit! they are expecting a little bean, ava, in august. so fun and crazy to see her pregnant and to feel like ava getting fiesty in the womb. we went to chili's and played tick (my new favorite card game).

(nicki and scott)

day 93: (saturday) we got around and headed t to my grandparents house because my other cousin, blaine, and his precious family was coming into town. blaine and his wife amanda have the cutest little kids.

and their newest addition..

it was really good to see them. i love their precious family. after dinner, we spent the rest of the night at our house playing more tick. (seriously, i better have friends that want to play with me. i am not sure why i love it so much, but i do.)

day 92: (sunday) clinton and i spent practically the whole day in the car on the way back. we stopped in louisville to eat dinner with his family and drove the rest of the way to lexington.

it feels good to be home.