Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Facebook Confessions

A comedian that I enjoy, Kerri Pomarolli, likes to point out that the real reason people our age go on facebook is to see if the girls we didn't like in high school have gotten fat, if old boyfriends have gone bald, and to post perfect pictures of our own lives to make them all sorry they were ever mean to us. I'd like to deny all of this. Those are the reasons I joined MySpace, not Faccebook. I like to think I've grown (I haven't, but I do like to think it).
After sitting and considering what my current status updated would be today I realized that I have a few confessions of my own to make about Facebook. Hopefully some of you can relate, otherwise I look forward to the intervention you will all throw for me later.
1. I snoop. My own security settings are just one step from being a full out FB ninja, but I get a little disappointed with other do the same. I like to look at the page of the person you are dating or have married without actually friending them. Just because I'm not friends with someone doesn't mean I haven't been all over their public profile and albums.
2. Even though I like reminders of when people have birthdays, I feel peer pressure to wish them a happy birthday even if we haven't spoken in years. Then I feel bad if I do snub someone because all my other friends said something, and I was obviously online that day but didn't say anything. Also, I don't like repeating what the last person said on your wall, or repeating what I just wrote another friend. I have 4 friends with the same birthday, I about drove myself crazy that day.
3. It surprises me when I find out people have read what I wrote. I recently was telling someone a piece of news and it totally caught me off guard that they already knew all about it because I had written about it on FB. This is especially true for those who rarely post, but apparently read everything.
4. This one was my status this morning; When I friend someone new I feel pressure to make my next status update witty. I don't want the first thing they see from me to be, "washing clothes, then going to Walmart" I want it to be something that sets the tone for what they can expect from me like, "how do people who smoke and drink not light themselves on fire more often?"
5. It bothers me when a bunch of my friends are suddenly friends with the same person and I don't know them. I often assume that it is someone I either should know or someone I did know and have forgotten.
6. I share too much.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The New Church

Our year long church search is finally over. This morning all four of us joined Cumming Baptist Church. Actually, the kids had jokingly told us that if Rocky and I didn't join this week then they would walk down without us. We have been attending for awhile now not so regularly, but enough to know that this was to be our new church home.
I haven't always been sure. The first week we went I came home and googled the sermon outline. The sermon seemed almost too well laid out to me. I was sure that the preacher had to have been using a box sermon. (I'm not the most trusting of people) After searching I gave up and conceded that maybe Pastor Crocker was just a good preacher. The church had past the first test.
My parents came to visit, which I was sure would be the end of this church for us. There were some weird things that went on that first week. The strangest of which was a clip from Flip Wilson being played during the sermon illustrating the point of view that "the devil made me do it". The funny thing was, it worked. The sermon was excellent, the people were very friendly and welcoming, and although it certainly was a goofy week, we all still had a good feeling about the place. And so, the second test was passed. In case you are wondering, this is the preacher that referenced The Princess Bride one week.
 The third step for us was in seeing if all 4 of us could find Sunday School classes. The kids were a piece of cake. As it turned out, it was pretty easy for us as well. We found a group that has children the same age as ours, they've all been married about as long as we have, and they are just nice people to spend a hour with. Now we are 3 for 3.
As I'm sure you understand, there was a lot more that went into this decision, not the least of which was prayer. We've been there on down weeks where the crowd was small and the preacher took the opportunity to step on toes and make us all think about the direction we were heading in. We've been there when the place was packed, and even on a week with a guest speaker. We have witnessed the church working together, and we are excited to be able to be a part of that now.
It has been a long year, and it hasn't been an easy one. I'm glad the search is over. It has been a year of wandering, and it is a relief to finally be settled once again.
When we went done front and the pastor was introducing us JD stood next to him and boldly said, "I'm JD" just to make sure he had it right. The pastor got so tickled that he gave JD his on special introduction and now everyone at the church remembers JD. We are members 5 minutes and I'm already "JD's mom".