Gym Rats - get your workout on

Just a little bit of my people watching at the local YMCA.  
What does your gym look like?

                                                                                   Source: etsy.com via Leigh on Pinterest

The jelly bean - you know, that guy who carries around a string clinch sak full of energy gels and beans. How he doesn't have massive diarrhea by the time he leaves is beyond me. 

The mermaids - I love these sweet little ladies that workout in the pool everyday.  But they could put a towel wrap on between showers and changing.  Don't love them that much.

The humper - a unisex achievement. This is the one who is still holding on to the Jane Fonda workout days. You know the ones where you get yourself into the weirdest stretching position and pulsate thru it. Not for the faint of heart. 

The overachiever - the tiny little one who lifts weights bigger than her and never sweats.

                                  Source: flickr.com via Claire on Pinterest

The Barbie - always perfect, always pretty, always smiles, never sweats.  I have a severe dislike this group.


The coffee crew - sweet little men who wear workout clothes only to come drink really bad, all be it free, coffee. 

The angry man - there is only one. He screams at himself while he runs. Then takes a break to read the Wall Street Journal. That is probably why he is screaming. 

The bored housewife - oh my! She rides the stationary bike slower than a woman with a walker and watches soap operas on the exercise tv. Secretly, I wish I could be her. 

The wannabe teens - you between college and the real world. Not sure what to wear. Knowing that soon their bodies will turn against them so they better get used to this workout thing now. 

The lady who just left her kid screaming in the nursery - and mows you over on her way to the downstairs bathroom so she can just sit in their and cry -- doubting her mothering abilities and thus never working out. 

                                                                           Source: google.com via Kelly on Pinterest

The college boy - jerk with muscles and little ..........well you get the idea -- brain.


 The man in jeans - admire his tenacity but I just sweat looking at him. WHY? 

Then there is me.
A pillar of athletic ability.
A rold Model to all. 

Me

                                                                      Source: buzzfeed.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Blissdom 2012 I'm a New

I really don't want to write this post for so many reasons.  The biggest reason being if I am writing this, then it is over.  It probably means I am a little depressed.  The last three months have been spent preparing for this trip.  It is the highlight of my year - and it is only February.  I am sad.  My four days of fellowship, encouragement, transparency, parties, little men picking up my plate, free mochas, amazing workshops, captivating speakers, wonderful roomie, remembering to shower, actually wearing makeup, dressing like an adult, and learning like I was in college again are all over.  


Or did I leave Blissdom with a beginning?  I think I just might have!  Thru a group of amazing sisters I found a new belief in myself.  The artistic voice I have inside of me is important - a gift from God, and needs to be shared.  I once again found the strength to believe that despite the pitfalls, life is beautiful still. Everywhere I looked - I found inspiration.  Inspiration not by accident.  Imagine being surrounded by 699 women (a shout out to a couple of men) who believe in you with absolutely no prejudices?

Author Jon Acuff - Quitters

That is my Blissdom. It was awesome, wonderful, super, encouraging, supportive, open, allowable, revealing, insightful, educational, hugging, peaceful, crazy, and a gift.  

Picture blissdom conference

I will share the details soon there is just too much swimming around to pin it down.  Just know that I didn't just have a good time, I found a bit of a calling.  There are still some details to work out of that calling but that will happen on its' own.  For now I blog to encourage you just as I was blessed to be encouraged this past weekend.  Some gifts are meant to be shared.  

Moses and Billy Idol

Average Family @church

Moses is a given in any children’s church curriculum.  Why wouldn’t he be?  He is great.  His story is amazing!  But Billy Idol?  Billy Idol is generally not a part of traditional church curriculum.  Especially at a Southern Baptist Church. That is unless one of my little ones is in class.  Yes folks you read that right, Michael and I are training are children to love Jesus via 80’s rock n roll.

              Source: projekt-klangwelt.com via Klangwelt on Pinterest

It began at the Friday night school dance.  W decided it would be a good idea to dress like a rockstar, thus was born the 6 year old version of Billy Idol.  This “Billy” had blue jeans, a red bandana around his head, and a sleeveless cut off flannel shirt in a lumber jack type plaid pattern.  Sounds

more like a version of Larry the Cable Guy if you ask me.  Instead of Billy Idol, it would be more on key to call this one “Billy Jo.”  But redneck or not, my son proudly came in 5th in the costume competition at that night!  He was living the dream.  He would continue to hold onto that dream well into Sunday morning.

That is when he decided it would be beneficial to introduce his church friends to the likes of his new rockstar status.  No, he did not sing “White Wedding” or make perverse dance moves.  He waited during the Moses lesson for a quite moment to blurt out, “does everyone know who Billy Idol is?”.  If you blurt out anything to a group of kindergarteners, of course they want to know.  And if you are a 6 year old who friends want to know about something you seem to know about - you are suddenly a celebrity.  This is the perfect storm for a kid like W.  

So, next time your child’s Sunday School teacher says, “You won’t believe what your child did in class today.”  Don’t ask.  Just hang up the phone. They will ultimately understand. 

This is more of a club than a post.  A place where you know you can be excepted - even on Sundays.  As much as we try to get to church with everything in place, it just doesn’t happen as we planned -- never.  So come along with the Cloudt’s as we candidly share our not so perfect Sundays.