A Long List

Those I love most want to know what I will blog about. Good question. In many ways, it feels egotistical and self-serving to expect anyone to read my ramblings. I get that. But truthfully, this is more for me to write than it is for anyone to read. I've never been one to journal much, but I enjoy writing and find it theareputic and empowering. And in high school I learned the 21 comma rules really well, and I took umpteen journalism classes in college, so shouldn't I put that to good use? And what's more fun than writing about myself and the things most important to me? (For the record, I got both "the question" last night and an admonition for the split infinitve in my first post. This from the one with the nursing degree, putting my communication degree to shame.)

But in all seriousness, God has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined, and I hope through my blog I can encourage others and bless them, too. Here are some of the things I love, which means you will probably read about them here.

• Faith - Above all else, I am a follower of God. This is the foundation of who I am, and my prayer is that my life is glorifying to Him.
• Bob, the husband - Perhaps the greatest blessing in my life is being Bob's wife (since 2005). He is very cheerful, loving, fun, smart, and sweet. He loves me most when I am the least lovable and makes me feel special every day. He loves spreadsheets, budgeting, and economics. He loves to play golf and really any sport at all. He loves God and leads our weekly small group and teaches our Sunday School class. He makes the bed every morning and always cleans the shower. He leads our family and takes wonderful care of me. He is my soulmate and best friend, and I truly could not ask for more. 
• Lisa, the live-in nurse/sister - I never imagined how much I would enjoy having a sister for a housemate, but she also brings me joy every day. She is smarter than a button and has an amazing memory. She is loving and thoughtful and beautiful and good. She is honest and blunt and describes things in ways that always make me laugh. She teaches me songs and explains movies to me. She loves to read and learn. I always heard that love multiplies, and that perfectly describes how I felt when she moved in. Now I live with not one, but two people who love me and share their daily lives with me. It's okay with me if she stays here forever.
• The family - my parents and two of my other siblings are still in my homeland of South Carolina, and the other brother is in Texas. I love them dearly and will surely give updates on their lives, too.
• Cooking - I love to cook and try different things, although I rarely use actual recipes. I give Racheal Ray credit for this. I especially like things that are healthy, easy, and budget-friendly. When I find something great, I like to tell the world.
• Bargains - All my life I have loved a good bargain. I'm a bit of an expert at finding amazing deals on clearance racks or at thrift stores, as well as couponing for groceries. This will be a good avenue to share my favorite tips and inspiration.
• Sports - This is a big part of me, both playing and watching. I am competitive to a fault. I really love basketball, but also enjoy football, volleyball, biking, ping-pong, and my newest obsession - running!
• Health - I place a high value on being healthy and making good choices. I don't know how that will translate to blog world, but I always want to encourage others to take good care of themselves.
• Finances - I am incredibly grateful that my husband makes wise financial decisions and is very disciplined to stick with them. He has taught me so much in this area, as has God, and we have been so blessed because of it. Anything I can do to help others use their money wisely, I am anxious to do.
• Church - We are blessed to be members of a large, outreach-focused, Bible-believing church. Bob and I are very active in the sports and adult ministries, and I also work in the infant nursery. As a newly married couple in a place where we didn't know anyone, this church quickly became a huge part of our lives. And we are grateful.
• Friends - Old and new, near and far, I have amazing friends. I hope to share some of their love and stories here, too.

Wow, that was a long list. I told you I had a lot to say.