100th Post! (Updated)

Well! I just logged on to put up a new post, and I saw that this would be post number 100. So, in honor of blogging tradition, I'll try to list 100 things about myself. I seriously doubt that I'll come up with the whole number, but I'll give it a shot. Minor things like Paul and Apollos can wait until later...

1. I am 30 years old. I was quite traumatized when I left my 20's, but now that I am 30, I think its fantastic.

2. I grew up as a missionary child in Taiwan. I know, cool, huh?

3. I am one of three siblings.

4. I love pizza and would probably choose to eat it over a fancy schmancy meal anytime.

5. My favorite color is lavender, and favorite scent, too.

6. I love champagne and dark chocolate.

7. I studied speech communications in college because I was more interested in chasing fraternity boys than applying myself academically. I really regret that now, by the way. Still, I graduated with a 3.98 GPA in 3 1/2 years.

8. I got terrible grades in high school because I was too smart to bother with homework, and too lazy to care about it. Another regret.

9. My hair is naturally curly, but I wish I had straight hair.

10. The two worst things that ever happened to me turned out to be solid foundations that God would later build on.

11. I was only 21 when I got married! A babe in swaddling clothes!

12. I hate spiders. Like, really, really, seriously and with unreasonable dread hate spiders. I have run naked and screaming out of the bathroom because a spider was in the shower. My husband has little patience for this phobia.

13. I always think that I need to lose 5 pounds, no matter how thin I am. I've been working on that. Body issues anyone? You don't think our culture encourages that do you?

14. My life's ambition is contained in Psalm 40:8-10. Look it up.

15. I cry and sing in the car almost daily. I'm sure other drivers think my life is in shambles. What they don't know is that I'm praising God, tears and all.

16. I've spent so much time studying the Old Testament that I'm a little frightened of studying the New Testament in-depth. I cry almost every time I read the New Testament. I don't like to cry, despite doing it regularly.

17. I'm a horribly unorganized person. But I'm trying to get my "stuff" in order, because I don't want my children to be cursed with clutter and disorganization throughout their lives.

18. I'm pretty sure that one of my children is going to rule the world someday. If not THE world, certainly her own little corner of it.

19. You can find my prayer for my family in Isaiah 44:3-5.

20. I hate salmon and blue cheese.

21. I worry a bit that other women think I'm strange. All that talking I do about Cyrus being the instrument of the Lord, but not even realizing it and all...

22. Probably my most annoying habit is that I finish people's sentences for them. All the time. I'm terribly sorry if I've done that to you.

23. There are very few people in this world that I can't get along with.

24. I don't lose my temper often, but every once in a while I do have a fit of righteous indignation. Especially if one of my friends is getting picked on. Also when dealing with the phone company, but let's not talk about that.

25. I went on a mission trip to an orphanage (for children with living, but unfit parents) one time. I didn't sleep the whole week. I was too angry at the parents who refused to take care of their children. One tough little boy named Jacob said to me during lunch one day, "I bet he wishes that he had a mom just like you." Jacob was talking about the little boy sitting next to me, but I knew he was really talking about himself. That still makes me cry.

26. One of the things in this life that bothers me the most is the sexual exploitation of women. Even if the women are happily participating.

27. I know what it is like to lead a double life, to pretend to be something I'm not. I don't do that anymore.

28. I'm a huge snob about hotels.

29. I do ridiculous dances with my kids and sing silly songs.

30. If I could eat chocolate cake every day and not get fat, I'd be all over that.

31. I was the homecoming queen in high school. But really, it was only because I had the biggest, well, you know... I don't necessarily think of that as an honor.

32. I used to sit in English class and think in Mandarin Chinese. I also would speak Chinese during French class, causing my teacher great consternation. I didn't do it on purpose.

33. I hide candy from my kids and eat it in secret. Ice cream bars too, during the summer.

34. Putting my toes in the ocean is an annual requirement. My dad always believed in great vacations. He's a smart man.

35. My idea of ecstatic fun would be giving away millions of dollars.

36. I'm a total sucker for diamonds. Big ones. I hope there are the equivalent of big diamonds in Heaven.

37. I realized that my scripture memory skills were woefully underused one day when I quoted a long passage from "Pride and Prejudice" without even thinking twice.

38. Earthquakes are scary.

39. In my childhood room, in Taiwan, small mushrooms would sprout along the wall once a year during the monsoon season.

40. Many people struggle with feelings of inadequacy. I struggle with pride, and feelings of superiority.

41. I never realized the importance of a servant's heart until I hit a patch in my life when I couldn't do it all myself, and I really did need help from those around me. I get it now.

42. I don't worry too much about growing old. I see it as one day closer to Heaven.

43. I tried to read "Blue Like Jazz" because so many of the younger women I know like the book. I was so annoyed after the first 2 1/2 chapters that I had to put it down.

44. I'm in the researching phase right now for a bible study on the book of Ruth. You can't imagine how excited and terrified I am at the same time.

45. I love being the center of attention. Probably too much.

46. I hate polygamy. Bothers the stew out of me. I wish I could go over there and set 'em all straight.

47. False teachers make me quake with anger and then horror, at what is coming their way in the end.

48. I find great comfort in knowing that God sees all of it, even the things people think they got away with.

49. I am chief among sinners, and I hope that I never stop mourning it.

50. I am also God's perfectly redeemed and justified precious daughter, and I hope I never stop rejoicing over it.

51. I love to make people laugh. I love it when other people make me laugh.

52. I see beautiful women all over the place. But I bet they wish they could change something about the way they look.

53. I hope you aren't bored to death reading all of this.

54. I get ahead of God all the time. I'm almost always wrong about what He is working out. But I still try to guess.

55. When I was losing large amounts of blood and having my child cut from my womb two months early, my husband was making seagull noises in my ear. You'd have to be one of us to understand why that is not nearly as obnoxious or bizarre as it sounds.

56. Thank goodness for spell check, or you people would know that I was a lazy student in elementary school too.

57. Once, as a child, I bought food from a street vendor and fed it to a mangy dog covered with burns right in front of the food cart. The vendor had just kicked the dog. It made me mad.

58. I used to do pilates several times a week, before I had kids. I was always super friendly to the man who lived next door to me on the days when he came to the class, smiling and asking him how his day was. Then one day I realized he was not in fact the man who lived next door to me. I was so embarrassed that I never went back.

59. Love covers a multitude of sins.

60. I'd like to write children's stories. I have written a few. I don't know how good they are. My mom's opinion doesn't count.

61. I think all Christians would be helped if they thought of this life as a split second compared to eternity.

62. I hate Grey's Anatomy. I wish people would quit watching glorified adultery and fornication.

63. I do push-ups and squats in my kitchen. But I cannot abide a sit-up, wretched things.

64. I think that's enough about me. One thing that irritates me to pieces is when people go on and on about how adorable they are. My apologies if this list struck you that way.

65. Come back later, I really did have a much better post about Paul and Apollos in me. Maybe I'll get it up tonight.

Wait, here are some more things:

66. It bothers me that someone might think I am perfect, or that I have it all together all the time. I struggle with the balance between transparency and encouragement by example.

67. I'm a very good liar, or at least I used to be. I was also born with the ability to manipulate people with ease. Those are parts of me that God has been continually sanctifying throughout my life.

68. I hate to disappoint people.

69. Studying the Bible is my favorite part of the whole day. Well, getting my baby out of the crib first thing in the morning is a close second, but still, I would choose the Bible study.

70. This passion for God's Word is fairly new in my life.

71. I spent many years attending church without really understanding my need for a Savior. My real, deep down, relentless need.

72. I am thankful more and more as I grow older for the blessing that my parents are to me.

73. I believe Romans 8:28.

74. I want to love God with all of my heart, all of my mind and all of my strength.

75. Then, I want to love my neighbor as myself.

76. My husband and I have a song: Dancing Queen by Abba. You really don't want to know.

77. I love it when people tell me that my kids look like me. (Vanity, thy name is Hadassah)

78. There are some scary people out there. A few of them have visited this blog. Don't worry, I'm probably not talking about you.

79. Do you think that every woman who has ever given birth goes looking for Eve when she first gets to Heaven? Nah, probably not.

80. Apparently, when I stand up and speak in front of people, my southern accent disappears. Shame.

81. I hardly ever go to bed on time. I always regret it the next day. That can't be a sign of intelligence.

82. This world breaks my heart.

83. I want my children to be better than I was when I was young.

84. I know that God is in control of everything, and that nothing can prevent God's plan from being accomplished.

85. I'm so thankful for all of you who read this blog. Even those of you who never leave comments. I'm glad you think I have something to say that is worth listening to. I try my best to guard against this blog being all about me, I want it to be about Scripture, and the LORD, and then maybe a little tiny bit about me. This post is a major violation of that standard, but well, its blogging tradition. And one thing about me, I stick pretty close to tradition, always have.