Top Ten Things I Would Like to Tell Nashville Drivers

10. Two words: ALTERNATE MERGE. I think this would solve most of the problems with Nashville drivers.

9. Guy who just cut me off? Waving does not make it OK.

8. If we're both merging onto the highway on a ramp, you zooming in and going around me makes me very angry. It's not polite.

7. Going 100 when the speed limit is 65 is endangering everyone else. Double scary points if you are zooming in and out of lanes.

6. If it's raining, there is a solution to driving more safely: slow down! Not so difficult to understand!

5. I am way far away from a speed demon--I usually go at most 5 over the speed limit--but going 55 when the speed limit is 70 is really aggravating. And somehow this happens every. single. day. when I'm on my way home from work.

4. Please put down your stinking cell phone and pay attention to the road! (Yes, I am an old lady. And totally hypocritical, but I try not to talk on my phone and drive TOO much. And I definitely do not text...especially since it's illegal in TN.)

3. The "edging out" technique is getting old. Someone warned me about this before I even moved to Nashville. This is just trying to make an accident happen when someone isn't paying great attention.

2. My BIGGEST Nashville pet peeve is people getting in the left turn lane before there even IS a turn lane. They get over a mile before they even want to turn left. Then, if you were waiting patiently until the left turn lane was ACTUALLY THERE, for goodness sake, you can't get over because of all the people zooming past. I HATE THIS. VERY VERY MUCH. JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING.

1. And hey, if you feel like you're going to pass out, don't just get off the highway--PULL OFF THE ROAD. Yes, there's a story here. Click on the picture of my lovely car for the whole tale.


For more Top Ten Tuesday, go to OhAmanda.com. {Thanks for letting me rant a little. Real content coming later this week!}

A Year Ago

One year ago today, I had a nasty car accident. Well, I didn't have one as much as someone had one with me. You can read my blog post about it here.

Today, I've spent most of the day staring at this precious little face, feeding her, and napping while I let my parents and sister take turns holding her.

I'd say it's a vast improvement over last year.

Trust and Obey

I just came across this blog while I was commenting on another blog I like--I jumped there from the author's comment. And wow. I am blown away. Probably the best writing I have seen on a blog in ages and a fascinating story. From someone who's not afraid to admit she was dead wrong about God and He saved her. Please go visit Conversion Diary at that first link.

My Tuesday-night Bible study just consists of me and two other women for now. I am fine with it that way and I love both of these girls fiercely! One of the women, T, was an atheist until about two years ago. We met in another Bible study where she made a confession of faith although she'd already had her up close and personal encounter with God. Last night we were talking about trusting God, and T wanted to know if we (me and A, who have grown up Christians) truly trusted God, and what did it look like.

I think I trust God! Really, I do. How I explained it to T is: how do we come to trust someone on earth? We trust them with little things first. Will she keep a secret? Will she be there if I need her? Then things progress from there. As much as I believe God has a plan for me and is my Protector, I often find myself doing things that don't exhibit true trust in Him. I start worrying and wringing my grubby little hands as I take back the things I've offered to Him.

Sometimes I think this is most evident in my extraordinary fear that I will have another car accident, one worse than the last and where I will be seriously injured or killed. I am not scared of dying, but I am scared of severe pain. Half of the time when I am driving I picture what could happen--someone running a stop sign, stupidly changing lanes, even passing out (again!). I seem completely unable to trust in this situation. I don't trust any other drivers, and I don't trust God's protection. Over my life, my work, my child, yes. Over driving, no.

I do desire that complete trust, complete surrender to God. And the closer I am to Him, the more in-depth Bible study and prayer I am involved in, the more I inch toward that goal.

But I am not there.

T is a very all-or-nothing person, and I think she struggles with how that works with faith. I wish I were wiser and could explain better! I only know that trust comes with time and maturity in the faith.

Don’t hide Your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.
Let me experience
Your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in You.
Reveal to me the way I should go,
because I long for You.
Rescue me from my enemies, LORD;
I come to You for protection.
Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God.
May Your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.

Psalm 143:7-10, HCSB

Scarred

I was in a pretty wretched car accident last year on October 30th. I wasn't hurt at all except for a little "hole" in my left arm where glass from the window got me. I have a little scar there--a little raised circle. And it's still pink.

The doctor told me it would be red for awhile, but fade within a year. Well, since that whole week of October 30th is what I am counting down to, I can tell you that is now 72 days away. And I'm still pinky-red. It kind of bothers me. The scar itches sometimes. It's the only noticeable scar I have, and I don't like it.

I have a few other interesting and less noticeable scars. I can feel one behind my ear where my parents' dog tried to take off my ear when I was a toddler. I have a small line on my foot where someone/I? managed to open the door at church onto my foot. And I have a scar on my chin, from when I thought it would be a good idea to walk on the garden planks in my grandma's back yard with my eyes closed while playing hide and seek with my cousin. Fell on a plank and busted my chin straight open. I was 6.

I've worried about the possible scars from having this baby. I really, really don't want to have a c-section. I'd never even been in the hospital until two years ago (except for above incidents, which I don't remember) and I am truly horrified of having surgery. I've been nervous about just staying overnight in the hospital since I haven't ever before. But, you know what? Some things are just not worth worrying over. What will happen will happen. Maybe I'll have this ideal non-medicated childbirth where I only have to push for minutes. Probably not. But it's something I am forcing myself to relax about.

As Someone very wise once said, all this worrying is not going to make me one stinking inch taller. Unfortunately. So I need to let it go.

I Was Totally Smashed, Dude

So life seems to have been put on hold lately due to a small thing that happened Tuesday night. This:



I was driving home from Bible study with another girl I take turns driving with in the car. We were stopped at a red light at a fairly major intersection, and someone across the intersection passed out at the wheel, drifted across, and hit my driver's side. I am still bothered at how I didn't see it coming at all. When we drove past yesterday, though, I realized it isn't a very wide intersection and I don't think I could have done anything to veer out of the way had I seen it.

So anyway, I've been a bit of a mess since then. My mom flew down on Wednesday night and stayed until yesterday morning, which was wonderful. I was pretty much glued to the couch other than a few short outings until yesterday.

I know I should be contemplating the whole meaning of life since I honestly thought I was going to die and managed to get out of the car (well, got carried out after having my door removed!) with only a small gash and some bruises. I really haven't gotten to that yet, and maybe I won't. I do feel incredibly protected and I know for sure that God must have some reason for still wanting me here, because He could have brought me home pretty easily. I am eager and praying to see what that is!

Now it's all the mundane insurance stuff and having to buy a car (again). We had only had this used car for 11 months since I was rear-ended last November!! I seem to have a sign on my car that says, "Hey! I'm just sitting here obeying the law, why don't you come and hit me??"