a Friday flashback

Friday is my favorite day of the week. I thought maybe on most every Friday, I would write a little Friday flashback.

I love to write down stories. Especially ones that I've lived through.

So, quite often on Fridays, you can expect a fun story from my childhood, a family vacation, a newlywed story, or maybe something that happened the day before.

To get the Friday fun started in the right way, I'll try my best to entertain you with one of my favorite childhood stories...though it was quite traumatic at the time...

Flashback to...1991

When I was 4, my parents sent dragged me to a half-day preschool a couple days a week. I cried every day that I had to go, making my mother feel terrible for "torturing" me so.

I have vague memories of preschool. Mainly of sitting with my teacher sucking my finger and being too shy to join in on much else. Pitiful, I know.

One preschool memory does stand out, and I remember it quite well to this day.

On a chilly New York Day in 1991 my little preschool class piled into a couple of the teachers cars to take a field trip. Yes, their cars. Oh how times have changed...

Anyway, I ended up in the front seat next to my teacher (again, how times have changed...I think 12 is now the legal age to ride up front?) since I didn't have any friends that I cared to sit with.

We headed off to the tiny airport nearby where we were going to get to go see a real working helicopter! Oh boy!

I was modestly excited about this.

When we arrived, the teacher got out to let the kids out of the back. I waited patiently in the passenger seat for her to come around and let me out. I wasn't crazy, you know? My mom would always come open my car door so it was safe to get out.

I waited. And I watched as they started to line the kids up. And I waited some more.

But, hold on a minute.

They started walking away.

I sat staring out the window, apparently too dumbfounded to knock or scream or open my own stupid door.

Well, I guess I wasn't going to see any helicopters that day.

I sat down and thought about the pickle I was in. No use in getting kidnapped today. I locked the car and sank down to the floor. I don't remember crying. And I don't remember how long they were all gone.

But eventually I heard the loud excited murmurings or four-year-olds that all got to see a helicopter and I sat up on the seat again.

I watched my teacher making sure all of the kids were following along. And then I watched her glance at her car where she saw my puzzled little face in the window.

And then she started running and looking quite upset.

I unlocked the door for her.

"Whitney! What happened? Were you here the whole time? I'm so sorry! Oh no! Are you ok?!"

I just nodded.

She felt terrible. The poor lady.

At that point I was ready to go home. My teacher was so shaken up that one of the other teachers asked me if I still wanted to go see the helicopter. I shrugged.

"Well, you can have my helicopter pin that everyone got."

Gee, thanks.

But I still have it.

There's my first Friday flashback! Don't worry, no one got sued. And I'm pretty sure that probably started all of the safety regulations that we have in preschools today. ;)

Bible musings

This week for Journey18:25 we were challenged to read Acts 9:1-19. This is the story of the conversion of Saul to Paul in the New Testament.

Now, this is a story I've read and heard hundreds of times. But you can always get something new when reading God's Word. Because it is living and breathing and always relevant.

When I read the story of Saul this time, I was drawn to the other guy God mentions in Saul's conversion. Ananias.

10 In Damascus there was a believer named Ananias. The Lord called out to him in a vision. "Ananias!" he said.
"Yes, Lord," he answered.11 The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. Ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying.12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias. The man has come and placed his hands on him. Now he will be able to see again."13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I've heard many reports about this man. They say he has done great harm to God's people in Jerusalem.14 Now he has come here to arrest all those who worship you. The chief priests have given him authority to do this."15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen this man to work for me. He will carry my name to those who aren't Jews and to their kings. He will bring my name to the people of Israel.16 I will show him how much he must suffer for me."17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. He placed his hands on Saul. "Brother Saul," he said, "you saw the Lord Jesus. He appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He has sent me so that you will be able to see again. You will be filled with the Holy Spirit."18 Right away something like scales fell from Saul's eyes. And he could see again. He got up and was baptized.19 After eating some food, he got his strength back.

Ananias is like, "God, are you saying you want me to go to this person who's probably going to hurt me?"

Ananias was pretty uneasy about that idea. I am uneasy about talking to strangers too! And most strangers I see today are not going around persecuting Christians like Saul had been!

But God doesn't ask us to do something that He doesn't really want us to do. He said to Ananias (and to us) more emphatically "Yes! Go! And here's more reasons why this will be a good thing!"

Paul was chosen to carry God's story to the Gentiles. That's me. That's probably you. And because Ananias trusted God's plan, We know about Jesus today!

I have prayed this week that I will trust God's plan for my life every day and not miss out on an opportunity to share His story with the people I run into!

about compromise

My mom, who has been with me since before I was even in the world, is one of my very best friends. 

She is a complete perfectionist. And I love this about her.

I inherited her perfectionism a pretty decent amount, but not quite as bad. (Love you, mom!) ;)

Aaron knew this about me when we got married. 

And I knew about him too. I knew that he was not necessarily messy, but he was indeed windy.

Aaron Jack works in piles. I often refer to his study or his nightstand or his sink as a "tornado."

I quickly learned that this was just going to be part of my life. Picking up tornado disasters.

Aaron of course does his best to help. And he'll clean it up eventually. But I have discovered (and am still wrestling with) that I will have to do it for him if I want a clean, tidy house on my time.

To add to that, we now own a sweet puppy who is a little tornado in and of herself. She simply cannot enter the living room and upon seeing her basket of toys picked up, leave. them. alone. Straight over there she goes to tip it over and scatter them out and about and under things.

So, yes, I am learning to compromise with my husband and my dog. They will make a mess. I will clean it up. One of them will help me if asked. And then we'll do it all over again the next day.

Hey, even I am learning to leave my own mess sometimes. Just for a day or so, mind you. I can't stand it much longer than that!

Just preparation for kids...right?

*Penny does not have two beds. She's spoiled...but not that much. My parents' dog was here for a visit.

a warning

If you come to our house one day, you must watch out for the army that is poised to attack you in Aaron's study.

They are lined up and ready for battle.

They grow in number almost weekly.

They may look cute, but watch out. They sneak up on you.

You've been warned.

What are those, you ask?

They are Vinylmations.

Still confused?

Run along over here for more help.

*That post is dated and he now has like 160!

about babies

I love babies. I have always loved babies.

So I have had baby fever since the minute it was Biblically right for me to be able to have one.

But, that would have totally freaked Aaron out. And I was definitely willing to wait and have some quality alone time for a couple years or so.

About 6 months after we were married, I got a job as a full-time nanny to a 10-month-old baby boy named Bensen. We were quickly the best of buddies, and despite his cuteness and fun, he was still a good form of birth control. At the end of an 8-hour day, I could not imagine how to keep going. :)

Three months after I started caring for Bensen, his mom and dad sat me down to let me know that to their greatest surprise (and mine!), Bensen would be a big brother in about 8 months.

I was definitely going to be getting my fill of babies! Baby Keyen was born last September. And after a couple months of hanging with mom and dad, Keyen joined Bensen and I on our daily adventures.

Over the past year, I have definitely been challenged in caring for two boys two and under! They are a lot of hard work, but it is worth it! I would say the most important thing for me to function every day is to have a routine planned out. The days where we have a play date or a plan go by much faster!

So, about babies?

Aaron and I are definitely getting closer to being ready for babies of our own, Lord willing!

BUT, not quite yet.

In the meantime, we'll care for our baby puppy and I'll care for my sweet baby boys during the week!

Me, Keyen, and Bensen

about Journey18:25

Back story first.

During my Junior year of high school, my pastor, Jimmy Carroll, felt called to start a church in North Raleigh. My family immediately felt God's calling to partner with him, his family, and few other families to begin a journey that has completely changed my life.

Journey Church started to rock my world that year. I grew up from the day I was born knowing about God and Jesus and church and Christianity and religion and the Bible and hymns and communion and dress code and scripture and on and on and on.

That stuff is great. But after 17 years of all that great stuff becoming routine, I had lost the simplicity of what it meant to be in a relationship with Jesus. You know? It's not really about all that stuff. I fell in love with Jesus all over again.

At the start of my Senior year, Journey officially launched. Myself, along with rest of the core team were all in. If you have never experienced planting a church, do it. Do it. It is awesome. I am so glad God didn't let me miss this.

As I figured out where I was going to college, my decision was pretty much based on that I had to still be a part of Journey. College was important, but I couldn't imagine being away from what God was doing in this young church that I had a part in.

My best friend, Renee, had always wanted to attend Campbell University. I had always considered it too. It was 30 minutes from home (in the opposite direction, but that was doable). It was a private school (what I had always grown up in). It was a great school.

So, I applied. I got in. I accepted.

Back story now gets into what I'm supposed to talk about.

During college, I lived at home by choice. 

As far as school went, I attended classes and mandatory things. I maintained my best friend-ness with my best friend. That was about it.

I guess this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I pretty much totally missed out on a typical college experience.

My focus and priority was mainly with Journey, my small group at the time, and my family.

Looking back, I sort of wish I had experienced more of what college had to offer. College students are interesting to me, yet I feel like I can't relate to most of them.

Aaron, for instance, moved away for college, was very involved, and made most of his good friends in college.

I have none of that.

Again, I wouldn't trade what I did during college. Especially since I started dating Aaron while I was in college and was engaged to him during my senior year! But, you know...there's the what ifs...

Ok, now really, what I'm supposed to talk about.

Journey18:25.

For people ages 18-25.

Journey18:25 is a new ministry that Aaron and I are leading at Journey. It is for college-age people. Most are in college. But some are just working. Or searching.

We have been meeting for two weeks now. It's been great!

It is pretty much totally out of my comfort zone to talk to people I don't know. So, you know, leading a group is definitely out of my comfort zone. But I am doing it! Or trying to!

I am excited about this for these reasons:

1. I know God has called us to this. And I know from experience I don't want to miss what He calls me to.
2. I know it will stretch me since I am so uncomfortable doing it.
3. It is keeping me accountable. I can't challenge them about something I'm not doing.
4. I am having fun hearing what college is like since I had no idea!
5. I LOVE doing anything alongside Aaron.

If you are 18-25 or know people who are, send them to Journey Church on Wednesday nights! We meet in STUDIO 4 at 6:45 every Wednesday night. Follow us on Twitter for more info!

in a timely manner

At least that's my plan.

Like I said in my previous post, Aaron and I have written on our blog in spurts. It's pretty easy to get bogged down by our busy life. We both work a full-time job, and Aaron's job at Journey often requires evening and weekend commitments. On the rare occasion when we have an evening or a Saturday to crash at home, sitting down and trying to write a blog is not usually on the top of our to-do list.

On the other hand, I love to follow blogs of many of my friends, and I look forward to when they update their blog. I find myself checking a couple times a week, at least.

And if any of you check our blog like that, you would find yourself sorely disappointed. Sorry.

All that to say, I would not wish for Whitney Writes... to be a disappointment in the slightest. And since it's my sole responsibility, and I hate to disappoint anyone...I think this will work out well for the most part.

So, this blog goes in my priority list. Why?

1. I do enjoy writing. For fun. Not papers.
2. I am not always good with the words you know...speaking. But writing is easier.
3. Scrapbooking sounds like death to me. But this is doable. Especially for when we have kids. (NOT yet)
4. Free space to store memories that are safe from you know...like fires or floods.
5. Sharing life updates with family and friends because there are so many and they are scattered about.

And for other reasons I'm sure.

Feel free to send me a tweet or post or comment to keep me in line.

I do always like to be timely.

about my back

Since I referenced my back in the link that most likely lead you here...



Back in April I hurt my back. Don't know how. Or when. Or why.

One evening it hurt different than it had times before. It was my lower left back. And down my lower left thigh.

I kept quiet at first. But it didn't go away. And I had a sinking feeling because this was not unfamiliar to me or my family.

A history of bad backs plagues my dad's side of the family, and more recently my mom's mom. Bad backs in the form of disk problems. Meh.

I mentioned it to my parents after a couple weeks. Slight panic from them because I had the symptoms.

"Go to the doctor." Said them. Said Aaron. Said the responsible me.

But I dislike borderline hate going to the doctor.

After a month of progressively worse pain, I made an appointment.

I do like my doctor even though I don't particularly look forward to the whole doctor experience. He's nice. Dr. Pleasants. How could I not like him with that name?

He asked me about my symptoms. "Sounds like a herniated disk."

Right.

"But let's not move too fast here." Agreed.

He set me up with a steroid pack. Harmless enough.

Also useless. As was the second one.

Moving on to the next least-scary thing:  physical therapy. He set me up with a nice physical therapist in Wake Forest.

I went for two weeks and as much as I tried and she tried, again, useless. The pain was just as bad, and now my left calf had become numb to touch.

So Dr. Pleasants got down to the last options. You know, the scarier ones.

First, an x-ray and MRI was required to verify the actual problem that we all figured.

Being a bit claustrophobic, this was not appealing. But off I went to the Wake Radiology sketchy MRI tractor trailer in Wake Forest. What? Exactly.

I prayed my way through being in a tiny tube to hear the results the next day. Yes. A herniated disk.

They shipped me off to a neurosurgeon.

Well, he was super nice and quite insightful. He laid it out simply enough:

• I had a couple herniated disks. One bad one in particular.
• It protruded out and pinched my sciatic nerve, explaining the numbing and pain down into my left leg and foot.
• It was not life-threatening.
• I could leave it alone. Ouch.
• I could have surgery. Permanent. Long recovery. 
• I could have steroids injected in my spine. Hit or miss. Short recovery.

My dad has had 3 back surgeries. Once you have one, your bound to need more he says. Last time his back was really bad, he had steroid injections. He said they hurt like a sucker. But they did help.

I know a few other family members who had the injections. They all said they would help.

After thinking it over, it was decided this was the best option. No matter my fear of shots and needles. 

Bother indeed.

So, today, I had steroids shot into my spine.

Most. Awful.

I'm a bit of a baby but I tried to be brave. I didn't cry until I got to the car.

Besides numbing my left leg for a couple hours, I won't feel any results for a few days.

I'll let you know how it goes. Praying and hoping and praying that I won't need the other two injections that are temporarily scheduled on my behalf.

After 5 months, I sort of forget how it feels for my back not to hurt.

So here's to believing in my Healer.

And that's the story of my back. But not the end.

to say, "Hello."

Hello.

I'm Whitney.

I'm not entirely new to this whole blogging thing. You see, my husband, Aaron, and I have this other blog together. We created it after we got engaged. And we have written on it occasionally. You know, in spurts. It is somewhat random, but in essence, it is about us and our life. And right now, is is on pause until we can bring ourselves to continue our viewings and commentaries of all 51 Disney Animated Classics. We our stuck on Ichabod and Mr. Toad... My thoughts, exactly. 

Anyway, you can find the link to our blog over there. -->

So lately, I've had this idea or muse or wish type-thing to start my very own blog. You know, that's just for me. Where I could still write about Aaron and our life. But it could be a Whitney blog. In addition to our Aaron and Whitney blog. And, in all fairness, Aaron has his own Aaron blog. For work and such. So it's only fair. Right? (You can find Aaron's blog that he forgets to update over there too. -->)

After coming to the conclusion that I would indeed do just that, here it is. My blog. 

And the title came to me quicker than I thought it would. Because I'm a horrible decision-maker.

Whitney Writes...

My name just so happens to allow for cleverness, you know?

Writes about what, you ask?

Well, all those other alliterate "w" words at the top. Which, I feel, umbrella any and all topics I would ever write about. Namely:  Jesus, Aaron, faith, life, marriage, babies (NOT yet. NOT in 9 months. BUT soon.), family, and funny stories that come my way. 

So, the title of each post will tell you what I will be writing about in that post. (i.e. this post tells you Whitney Writes...to say, "Hello.") Easy enough. (I will say the idea for that comes from Friends, where all episodes are "The One Where..." or "The One About..." etc.)

I'm excited.

So, there you have it.

Hello.