Tidbits

Tid-bits from the day:

• I am sickened and angered by what was allowed to go on at Penn State for so long
• The choir concert tonight had a disappointingly small crowd, but man oh man can that black gospel choir SING!  
• Never ever take a pill that you aren't sure what they are
• CMA = Country my @ss
• My ears are still ringing from that concert
• Looking forward to seeing some family in Indiana this weekend
• I'm excited about the potential for starting a new online Bible study in January, and will post more about it soon.  I'd love to have some of you ladies join in and have some camaraderie!
• Did I say Bradley prefers not to wear pants with buttons/zippers?  Make that refuses to wear them as was evident by the 20 minute tantrum this morning
• Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday

Mooger Mystery Solved!!!

A long time ago- probably when Bradley was around 2 years old, he kept talking about Koobar, and it was the longest time before we finally figured out that Koobar was the Gerber cereal bars that he liked.  Recently, in the past few weeks, Bradley keeps referring to a Mooger.  Nowadays he speaks plainly, so I wasn't sure where the disconnect was, but I certainly didn't know what a Mooger was.  Honestly, I discounted it as something he and his friends made up at daycare.

 

I kept asking B to describe the Mooger, and even had Uncle George bring over his Star Wars pop-up book because B seemed to think he might have seen the Mooger in there.  So this weekend we pored through the Star Wars book, but alas, no Mooger.  I didn't think any more about it until this morning on our way to day-care, Bradley started talking about the Mooger AGAIN!  This time he said that Alex has a Mooger at his house, and that it has teeth.  Mildly interested at this new information, I started to think that maybe a Mooger is some kind of exotic house pet. 

 

As luck would have it, Alex and his mom were arriving at daycare at the exact same time, and still talking about the Mooger, Bradley says something about the Mooger to Alex.  I took a chance and asked Alex's mom, "Do you know what a Mooger is?  Bradley's been talking about it for weeks, and he says Alex has one."  "Well, Alex has been known to smuggle toys into daycare."  She replies, as Alex brightly confirms that he does indeed have a Mooger, and through a short series of questions and answers, we learn that a Mooger is an action figure from a TV show called Samurai Rangers.  "Yeah,"  Bradley echoes cheerfully, "Samurai Rangers."  Clearly, this is not the first time he's heard of the Samurai Rangers.

 

By this time I am cracking up, and so of course, I get to work and the first thing I do is Google "Mooger Samurai Rangers" and up pops a bevy of action figure photos, and video links to what I can only assume is a popular kids TV show on Nickelodeon that's a spinoff of the original Power Rangers, called "Power Rangers Samurai."  As far as I know, Bradley has never even seen the show, but I know one toy I will be hunting down for Christmas this year!

 

Choir Concert this Thursday Night

For all you local readers, Brentwood Baptist Church is hosting a free concert this Thursday night, November 10, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.  This concert is a benefit to support Men of Valor, a local ministry which is geared toward helping prisoners and their families.  The concert is free but with a $5 suggested donation.  Our choir is singing, as well as the Mt. Zion Baptist Church choir, and is being touted as an effort to support this local ministry by bringing together the largest white church in the Nashville area with the largest black church in the Nashville area.

 

If you like great choir music, this will be an event you don't want to miss.  I know what you're thinking.  We're all so busy.  Heck, if I weren't singing in it, I probably wouldn't be going either since I have my own laundry list of excuses about why I couldn't go, but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you a little bit about Men of Valor:

 

·        MOV ministry teaches men how to make real changes so they can begin new lives once they are released.

·        Nationally, 67% of men released from prison will return.

·        For the men who complete MOV’s 120-day Aftercare/Re-entry program, the recidivism rate is 12%.

• Men of Valor’s Family Outreach program supports the families of prisoners.
• The number one indicator of a person entering prison is having a father in prison.
• These children have a 70% greater probability of going to prison than their peers.

Please come if you can!

 

 

 

Obligatory post: Bridesmaids review

If you don't have something nice or substantial to say, then don't participate in NaBloPoMo.  This is purely a blog post out of obligation.  I'm on Day 7 of the NaBloPoMo project.  So this is just a quick re-cap of a movie I just watched, Bridesmaids.  Short, not so sweet, and to the point:

Man, am I ever glad I didn't waste money and see that in the theater!  Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but I thought this film would be like the Hangover, but from the female bridal party perspective, but this was nothing of the sort.  The previews even lead you to believe that they even have Vegas in common, and, well, they don't.  I am not a fan of the female leads, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig, and overall this is a sappy chick flick, masquerading as a comedy, thrown in with a few funny, and mostly mildly-amusing moments.  I will say this:  vomit is funny.  It is also intriguing that Jon Hamm played such a schmuck and then didn't want to be credited in the film for playing this part, and annoying that even the expectations of the all-important wedding dress and (HELLO,) Bridesmaids dresses, are exploited, as they differ from what's on the movie poster.  All in all, a bust.  People will not be talking about this one like the Hangover.

Also out of obligation tonight, once I started this movie, I had to finish it.  There are a few other comedies out on dvd right now that I've waited to see, so fingers crossed that they are better.

Remembering Mark

Every year when November 6th rolls around, I pause to remember my cousin, Mark.  I was 16 on this day fifteen years ago in 1996 on the day that Mark lost his brief, albeit fierce, battle with cancer.  Mark had just turned 15.  This October, he would have celebrated his 30th birthday.  It's hard to fathom how much time has passed and how different things might have been.

Mark's death had a profound effect on my life.  I was in my formative teenage years, and just beginning to understand what it meant to follow Christ.  I could not reason why God would allow Mark to have been taken unless He had some really important job for Him up in Heaven.

Even now as I am walking with God more deliberately, I still don't fully understand why bad things happen to good people, and I can't wait to get to Heaven, to either ask God as soon as I get there, or else have reached such a state of enlightenment that I won't need to ask.

But every year, on this day, I will remember Mark, and his motto of "No Fear," his smile and his courage through it all, and it strengthens my faith because I refuse to believe that this is all for naught and that there isn't a loving God behind it all.

The end of the Honeybadger Era

At the start of soccer season, it seemed like a chore getting up and to the soccer field every Saturday morning.  I was a little bummed I'd have to miss going to Zumba for a few months, too.  But after this morning's last game, as I was saying bye to all the parents and kids I've gotten to know, it will seem weird not having this Saturday morning ritual to attend anymore.

Bradley definitely progressed as the season went on, and I know our playing "keep away" running down the hall with his plush indoor socer ball had something to do with that.  Don't misunderstand me, he never did score a goal, and his favorite part of the game is the snack at the end, but that's okay with this mama.

Team Honeybadgers

The self-imposed Goalie

warming up, kicking a goal



Stretching before the game



Coach Lindsey getting B ready for the kick-off

Throwing it in

Goalie!



Action shot

Check out my freckles



The tunnel at the end of each game



Snack time





The little fashionisto

Keeping with the previous day's theme of fashion, I may not be fashion-forward, but Bradley sure is!  Apparently nowadays, all the teenage girls think that pairing boots with shorts is acceptable, and my son does too.

He has these green mesh shorts that were a hand-me-down from his cousin Garrick that he absolutely loves, and the other morning, he wore the shorts with his pajama top, and Uggs-reminiscent houseshoe boots.  Immediatley I cracked up and commented on how trendy he appeared. 

If I'd have my druthers, he'd be dressed like THIS all the time!

He has his own opinions on fashion right now, namely that he doesn't want to wear any shirts or pants with buttons or snaps.  He prefers plain tshirts and pull-on comfy pants.  On the mornings I coerce him into wearing khakis or jeans, he goes straight upstairs the minute he gets home, and changes clothes by himself into his comfy clothes. 

Judging my jeggings

I'm not what one would call fashion forward.  "Capri pants?" I scoffed, years ago.  "Those'll be here and gone in a year.  No way am I wasting money on those!"  "Bermuda shorts?  No way will this trend catch on," I thought.  "Ponchos?  What a dumb idea- who wants to wear a sweater without sleeves?"  (Okay, so I was at least right on that one.)

I like my classic preppy clothes, thankyouverymuch.  But recently, I finally broke down and purchased a pair of jeggings.  (jean leggings, for those of you who are even less fashion-aware than I am).  But please don't judge me, because I vow to not wear the jeggings with the ubiquitous tall boots, tunic, and wide belt. I recently bought a navy print sheer dress that works great in the warmer months, but in the fall, I needed something on my legs.  I wore the dress previously with nude colored peep-toe pumps, which worked great.  However, I purchased the jeggings to extend the wear of the dress.  If another fashionista has a better idea of what I could have worn, I am open to ideas, as I wallow in shame that I broke down and bought the ridiculously-named garb.

The one item I swear I will not buy are the now-popular, "shooties."  (ie. shoes + booties) Dumb, dumb, dumb, fashion people.  I cannot "make it work."

Happy birthday to...

Yes, it happens to be my birthday today, 31 and proud of it, but I also share this day with many other noteworthy characters:

• Nelly (37 today... boy, now if THAT doesn't make me feel old as he was in his prime during my college glory days!)
• Cookie Monster (42 today)
• Dr. Noemi Lugo, my college voice professor
• Daniel Boone
• Carter Beauford, drummer for the Dave Matthews Band (54 today)
• Ricky Martin (The Big 4-0 today)
• David Schwimmer (45 today)
• Marie Antoinette

I don't believe I see cookies in my future tonight, but perhaps a nice piece (I almost said slice, but I really hate that word) of chocolate cake would satiate my sweet tooth!

NaBloPoMo

Yes, it's that time of the year once again; the time when I choose to participate in the National Blog Posting Month, and vow to hone my writing skills (I really hate that word- Hone- by the way) by posting every day for the month of November.  This will get my creative juices flowing, and will allow me to catch up on some overdue topics and events.

 

A preview of what's to come, that you won't want to miss*:

• Ryan & Whitney's wedding recap
• What do Kim Kardashian & Chris Johnson have in common?
• Worship Wednesdays
• The Not-so-terrible Threesdays
• My trendy son
• DIVA Convention, baby shower style
• My 21st birthday
• Sticking it to the man

... and SO much more! 

 

(*Remember, you can always click that little button over here to your right that says "Follow" and enjoy the Divadomain from the comfort of your own email inbox!)  ---->

Halloween 2011

Bradley is "super" proud of his awesome Halloween costume, complete with muscles!

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's....

SuperMom and SuperMan

After reading an article in the paper yesterday about the trick-or-treating in downtown Franklin in the historic district, we decided to give that a try this year.  It was phenomenal, and we will be going back.  We parked in the lot behind Starbucks at Five Points, and walked a block up to West Main Street, and instantly it felt like we were in a movie.  Everything from the the mild weather, clear sky, bright moon, walking the sidewalk-lined streets, shuffling through the leaves up to each historic home was absolutely picturesque.  There were trick-or-treaters Everywhere; it was amazing.  Houses were decorated, and I mean Seriously decorated, and the herds of people moved slowly down the sidewalk of West Main Street, waiting patiently for their turn to go up to the house. 

This house not only had this great display on their front porch, but they offered a really cool haunted house through their garage.

Slowly making our way from house to house

However, THIS house is the one Bradley will be talking about for the next year.  They decorated their front yard using a Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" theme.  The lady giving out the candy was the Queen of Hearts.  Well B was right in front of her when she decided to let out a festive, in-character cackle, which I happened to snap a picture of... which prompted B to burst out into tears!!!  The Queen felt so bad she gave us extra candy, but all B would talk about for the rest of the evening was that he didn't like the Wonderland Queen.

This house was pretty incredible, too.  I thought B might be scared of some of the decorations, but he seemed to get that all this "spooky" stuff was just pretend, and just for fun... except for that mean Wonderland Queen!  He was paticularly excited to see, and speak to, an adult dressed like Darth Vader.

Trick or treat!

Our Scary jack-o-lanterns

He did all the hard work, and then the adults helped themselves to the spoils!  This trick-or-treat thing is a great idea!  B got lots of Twix- one of my faves- but no Tootsie Rolls, Grandma B's favorite. 

Eating some skulls and bones Sweet Tarts

Showing off his candy

We probably only made it up and back a few blocks on West Main and didn't even venture off to other side streets before Superman was tired and ready to come home.  Plus, just minutes before we arivved home, the caped crusader had to pee, so it was great timing.  If you ask Bradley if he had fun trick or treating, he will say "no."  If you ask "why not?" he will tell you "because of the Mean Wonderland Queen."  But deep down, I know he had a good time tonight.  Come one, come all with us, to downtown Franklin next year!

National Switch Your Bank Day

If you are as unhappy with extra fees from your bank as I am with mine (Regions) then I urge you to take action and do something about it.  There's even a national movement to switch banks by November 5th that you can read about here: http://moneyland.time.com/2011/10/10/bank-transfer-day-urges-americans-to-leave-big-banks/ and RSVP to the event to switch banks on Facebook!

 

I just read an article here: http://moneyland.time.com/2011/10/12/how-to-divorce-your-bank-in-5-easy-steps/ that tells you how to go about the process of switching logistically, that can help you simplify the process, and make sure you have your game plan in tact, should you decide to switch banks.  I am in the process of switching already, and it certainly is a hassle to transfer money while making sure bills are paid on time, plus getting all the direct deposit set up and accounts linked together.

 

After my friend Rachel's comment on my blog about PerkStreet, I have decided to give this a try.  (Who doesn't want 1 to 2% cash back on every single purchase?!)

 

So far, PerkStreet is great in that they seem to have tons of local ATMs where you can withdraw cash (perk!), but the downside so far is that I signed up online for an account a week ago but still haven't received my debit card or checks from them, so my account (and the money that I transferred) is just kind of sitting in limbo.

 

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my switch, but I would encourage anyone who is getting slapped with fees (Citibank, Regions and BOA are the biggies right now) to stick it to the man, and do something about this.  Credit Unions are all advertising free, no fee, checking accounts, as well as ING Direct: http://home.ingdirect.com/products/products.asp?s=ElectricOrange, and the one I'm trying (backed by Dave Ramsey, if any of you care to know), PerkStreet: http://www.perkstreet.com/default.aspx

Whistling Dixie (part 2)

This is an amendment to a post from a few months ago which commented on the abundance of current pop songs with whistling in them.  After a road trip this weekend, the driver and other passenger also remarked on this whistling phenomenon, so we added a few newer songs to the previously-compiled list. 

The Lazy Song- Bruno Mars

Moves Like Jagger- Maroon Five/Christina Aguilera

Are there any others I'm missing? 

Next up, bringing back the sax solo (a la Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night") - gee, I hope that's not a trend! 

I passed the test

I'm still not claiming the "vegetarian" moniker, but I have been eating a vegetarian diet since mid-July.  My family thinks I'm weird that I just up and decided to stop eating meat one day.  And to be honest, I can't give you some big grandiose diatribe of why I'm doing what I'm doing; it's a lot of little reasons, and still very much an experiment,  and yesterday in my little experiment, I passed the ultimate test!

 

We had dinner at O'Charley's for Aunt Peggy's birthday.  O'Charley's, of course, is home to the famous Chicken O'Tenders, the main staple of my diet from childhood through college.  After college my metabolism slowed down and I realized that man does not eat on chicken fingers and french fries alone, lest man get fat... so I started to become more health-conscious about what I ate.

 

This was my first trip to O'Charley's since I started eating vegetarian.  That big green and white sign ominously stared me down as I entered the restaurant.  I already wanted Chicken O'Tenders so bad and I wasn't even in the place yet!

 

Before ordering, I ventured a question to our server that I was pretty sure I already knew the answer to after glancing at their menu. 

 

Me:  Do you have any vegetarian options on your menu?

Dopey Server:  No, I don't think so...  do you eat chicken?

 

Did he really just say that??? 

 

I'm not putting Bradley on the vegetarian diet though, so he sat right next to me and got Chicken O'Tenders while I got a spinach salad, and 86'ed the chicken.  I'm not gonna lie.  When his plate came, I was so tempted to steal one of those chicken pieces.  However, the longer I sat there, cutting up bite sized pieces for him with a fork, while straining to cut threw sinuous processed meat, the chicken tenders became less and less appetizing.  The fries, however, I did steal on occasion from his plate. 

 

I feel like David, just having beaten my Chicken O'Tender Goliath!  If I can conquer a trip to O'Charley's and not give in and eat the Chicken O'Tenders, I can conquer anything.

Peter Piper did not pick a pumpkin today

It was a busy day for us today:  9 a.m. Honeybadgers game, followed by a quick trip to Target to change clothes, and then we headed to Gentry's Farm in Franklin to pick pumpkins.  After a brief stop at home, which was meant to be for a nap time that didn't happen, we left again to go to a family friend's 1st birthday party in Murfreesboro, and by the time we came home, Bradley was sufficiently worn out and ready for bed.

What a difference a week makes, too.  Last Saturday, it got in the 30's overnight.  Today it was, dare I say, almost too warm to be outside, gorgeous and sunny in the low 80's.

We have been to Gentry's every year since Bradley was a year old, but this year we paid the $6 to go into the activity area of the farm, and I am so glad we did!  The activity area was nothing like I was envisioning, and was actually geared more towards preschoolers rather than older kids like I had assumed.

The little log cabin- B loved playing "house" in here

How Tall This Fall

Bradley measured at 37 inches- just over 3 feet tall this year.  I hope we can keep coming back every year and take this same picture to see how much he's grown.

A table of pumpkins

Riding the kiddie tractors

As far as farm animals go, we saw sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, horses, and cows.

Gentry's advertises hayrides, but that's misleading.  Really, it's a tractor ride.  They have this route down to a science, and it wasn't what I was expecting at all.  One big tractor pulls 2 large trailers behind with wooden benches where everyone politely sits one right next to the other.  The 6th generation owner of the farm gives you a little bit of history about the place, and away you go.  We did get to see cows up close, and Bradley was just tickled to be pulled by a tractor, so I'd say the ride was still a success even though the rest of the historic houses on the tour were more appropriate for the adults.

Papa pushing B on the tire swing

I'm so happy playing with corn

Under one open air barn were rows of troughs with dry corn in them, with funnels, and containers of different shapes and sizes.  You wouldn't think pouring corn from a funnel into a plastic bottle was the most fun activity ever invented, but Bradley would have stayed there all day if I'd let him.  It was nice and shaded, plus there were bales of straw for the parents to sit on and rest while the kiddos played.  I caught sight of some amazing That Ain't Right Inspiration, so hop on over here to see a lady with her back barn door wide open.  I also had a conversation with a lady sitting next to me about what the difference is between hay and straw.  According to her, hay is what the animals eat, and straw is what they put down on the ground.  I'm still not sure what the difference is though.

Bradley with Grandma & Grandpa B

Bradley & Mommy

The quintessential Gentry's pictures on the truck- I have to get them every year!

Bradley's favorite part of the farm when I asked him was all the slides, and there were several.  

Not scared to sit in the tree this year

showing off his baby pumpkin

Our last activity at Gentry's for the afternoon was to head out to the pumpkin patch and pick our own pumpkin.  Last year, the Tennessee heat ruined the pumpkin crops, so there were none to be had.  This year, we came too early.  Even though Gentry's baited the field with orange pumpkins placed artfully by the edges of the rows, all the pumpkins still on the vine were green.  I took Bradley by the hand and lead him dutifully into the middle of the pumpkin patch, cautiously watching every place my foot touched.  The serpentine vines covering the ground only served to fuel my fears that we would catch sight of a snake, and be stuck out in the middle of a field!  Bradley, I said calmly, now if Mommy tells you to run, you Run Now, okay?  Luckily there were no reptiles seen on this venture.  But if there had been, man, I was ready!

Our Peter Piper who did not pick a pumpkin

So alas, my dreams of picking our own pumpkin today were shattered.  Oh well.  It was fun to look, and hands down, the activity section of the farm was well worth the $6.  It was a great way to spend this beautiful fall day.

Show me the Money!

Some financial advice needed, here, particularly if you're local.  I bank with Regions, and recently, I am now being charged $4.00 a month to use my debit card.  I'm sorry, but I don't want to pay the bank money, so I can spend money.  I called Regions about this a few weeks ago and they tried to placate me by telling me it's only 24
cents a day, and I responded, "yes, but it's $4 a month, and that adds up!"  From what limited reading I've done on the subject, it sounds like most of the major banks are already charging this fee, or will be soon.

My temporary solution has been to use my credit card soley, and then pay it off as quickly as I make charges, but this is really a hassle, plus it takes several days for the payments to clear, which is annoying.

So I'm wondering if there are any financially savvy readers out there who know a way around paying this type of fee, or if you bank with another financial institution that isn't charging the monthly debit card fee.

A store story

Fall is here.  The countdown to Halloween is on, and Bradley is going to be Superman for Halloween this year.  He couldn't be more proud to put on that costume!  And it's not the cheapie-cheap kind either- this one has real "muscles" on it aka it's 3 times as expensive.  I didn't care how much I paid for the costume the moment I saw him try it on when we got home, and his face lit up!

On that note, Bradley went on a nap strike last Sunday afternoon, so I took him with me to run some errands (getting the costume was one of them), and I warned myself before we left that taking an over-tired preschooler on a multiple store shopping excursion was possibly a recipe for disaster, so I prioritized and ran the important errands first.  You know what?  We had an absolute blast!  Or at least I did, anyways.  Sure, it took me longer to get through the stores because he stops to look (and touch) everything, but to quote one of our favorite bedtime books, Llama Llama Mad at Mama, "I think shopping's boring too, but at least I'm here with you."

I'll tell you another thing- shopping with a child is automatic spend-control!  You can't browse too long in the purse section of TJ Maxx before being urged to move on to something else.  Having Bradley with me kept me on track, preventing me from shopping for items that weren't on our list!

He was well-behaved, and he only knocked down one display at the Gap!  Yeah, I ventured in there because I had a coupon, but decided quickly that this was not a good idea, nor was it a priority today.
Knock down a sign and make a racket?  Time to go- see?  That's automatic spend-control!  I think I'm onto something here, and I'll be taking Bradley with me on all some of my shopping trips from now on!  (Hey, a girl's gotta fall into the Gap flying solo every now and then...)

DZ mini reunion

They say your college friends are the ones you keep forever, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Three of my sorority sisters, Amanda, Colleen, and Stephanie, drove down from Kentucky on Saturday to spend the night, and we had a fun evening out together.  We reminisced and laughed about old stories.  We caught up on each others' lives, and the lives of our fellow Delta Zetas (reporting what we had seen and heard through Facebook, of course) and even started to moan and groan about our newfound aches and pains as a result of getting older!  While sitting around the kitchen table talking, we actually had to Google what was in a Jaeger Bomb was because there was a dispute about what constituted one!  You know you're getting old when... :)  Another "senior" moment occurred at Drakes where we went to eat, when two of us asked our server if they could split a Red Bull.  The server kind of cocked her head to the side and said, "you mean, just a Red Bull, with no alcohol added in?"  Yep, you got it! 

It was a late dinner out, but an early night in for us that started at Drakes, and ended with us falling asleep on the couch watching Saturday Night Live!  What we did and where we went didn't matter.  It was the company that made all the difference.  You could say the Delta Zeta lamps are still burning bright and true for us. 

Eat More Gator

I decided to delay Bradley's bed time on Saturday night and allow him to climb in bed with me and watch part of the Kentucky Florida game massacre.  Upon looking at the Gators' helmets, Bradley asked me why they had Chic-Fil-A on their heads!  It took me a split second to catch on to what he was seeing:

I have no idea how he knows what Chic-Fil-A's logo looks like by memory, but his comment cracked me up!

He wasn't really into watching the game (me neither, Bradley) so he kept asking me to turn back to "the hurricane."  There was a show on the weather channel about Hurricane Katrina.  A preschooler who's fascinated by hurricanes?  Yep, he's my kid, alright.

A tale of two trees

I found this picture of a tree.  How would you describe it?  Green-  leafy- alive?  Now what if I told you it was an apple tree?  What good is a barren apple tree?  What use is a tree bread to bear bruit that for whatever reason, doesn't?


I have pondered this question a lot lately in relation to my faith. 


There are a ton of verses in the Bible that mention our faith in relation to bearing fruit. Sure, the ultimate goal for us is to accept Christ as our savior, and in doing that, we become truly alive.  We are born into a new life that even death cannot take away, but once we reach that point, are we really living, or are we just green trees?  Sure, we may weather the seasons, and get our nutrients, and even grow some... but what if the purpose for which we were created was never fulfilled?  Christ may be our savior, but is He our Lord?  And if not, does that really matter?  I mean, our salvation is already assured, right?


When we become a Christian, we accept Jesus as our savior, but to allow Him to be Lord (master) of our lives, means we have to have a deeper relationship with Him; we have to nuture that relationship, feed it, prune it, and in other words, we have to bear fruit.


If we don't bear fruit, we are living a shadow of a life.  And I for one am tired of being a living, albeit barren, apple tree.  I'm ready to fulfill my destiny which God had in mind when He created me.  And I'll know when I get there. Galatians is pretty clear of the signs:

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Shown at the right is the exact same apple tree.  I've got a ways to go.  I've already got a savior.  Now I need a Lord ... and maybe some apple pie a la mode.