Modern Day Eye Openers

The thing about volunteering to be an audience member on the Dr. Drew Lifechangers show is you basically have no idea what the show will be about until you arrive and are getting "warmed up" by funny guy, Roger.

I have to be honest. There are a lot of things I know nothing about.  I wouldn't say naive, just unaware.  As a stay-at-home, homeschool, sports-minded mom,  there's not much time to watch television.  I find it nearly impossible to keep up on the latest programming, celebrity gossip, fashion trends, and the like unless it's part of news talk radio updates I catch in the early morning.  I don't know who is on Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, or Survivor.  I've never watched any of them, but I do know Lindsay Lohan evaded another trip to the clink.

I hoped the topic of discussion on Lifechangers would be something I could relate to.  After visiting Dr. Drew's website, I was a bit nervous to learn what the episode would be about.  I secretly hoped we'd be sitting in on a talk about finicky eaters or quick wardrobe fixes and not a topic familiar to the set of Jerry Springer.

I was hoping.

Well, when we arrived Roger told us we'd be part of a taping following up on the "Bunny Ranch."  I'm thinking 4-H, lopped-eared, little hoppers.

I looked at my friends.  I don't think they knew anything about it either.

Once again I felt like, country girl in the Big City.

Huh?

As it turns out, the bunny ranch is nothing sweet and innocent like I was thinking. It's apparently a place, in Nevada, where women go to become prostitutes.

Sad.

Dr. Drew followed two gals who were considering going into this age old profession to earn big bucks to support their families during this season of economic downturn.

Seriously?

The owners of the "ranch" talked about it like it was Disneyland or something.  "It's so fun!  So glamorous.  So exciting!"

Give me a break!  Such lies!

Dr. Drew, knowing the price that would actually be paid if either of the girls chose this profession, did his best to talk them out of it.

One gal opted not to seek a life of prostitution and said she'd continue on as an in home nurse.  Thank goodness!  She has a three year old.

The other gal was questionable.  There was a distinct strangeness about her.  One minute she'd sit crying her eyeballs out and the next she's checking herself out on the prompters, messing with her hair, lips and dress.  Something was just not right about her and her family.  She left telling Dr. Drew she was going to "give it a try." Yikes!

So...what came to mind watching this?

Well, first off...WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?????

There is NO money in the world worth making this type of decision!  Money will never buy happiness, peace of mind, purity, or fill the voids of life.  The cost of making a decision to live the life of selling your body will never be matched by dollars.  My momma heart wanted to walk up to the stage, give those girls a hug and say, "Don't do it!"

I couldn't help but think of International Justice Mission.  They go around the world rescuing girls from the terrible life of prostitution and yet these gals were willing to walk into it.  They made it sound like it's all about money.  So sad!  Around the world young girls are being sold into sexual slavery- all for money.  Fathers sell their daughters.  Young girls and young women are unknowingly captured or persuaded into the slave trade in the hopes of providing for the family.  This is SO wrong! This is why people from organizations like IJM are risking their lives to help these girls, yet here in Nevada, we have beautiful young women willingly walking into the same deceptive trap. Heartbreaking!

So what to do?

Recognize the reality of the world.  Prostitution is nothing new.  Even in Jesus's own lineage he had a prostitute, Rahab.  As we learned with Rahab, there is a renewed life of blessing for those willing to live lives surrendered to God.

Support International Justice Mission or similar organizations that fight against these evils.

I heard Mark Driscoll once talk about Annie Lobert and Hookers for Jesus.  These gals have experienced the life of prostitution and escaped it.  They have found a new life through Christ.  I read Annie Lobert has also been on Dr. Drew's Lifechanger's program.  Too bad she wasn't there for this episode.

Reading Annie's story reminds me there is always hope.  Hope for something better. Hope for tomorrow.

I hope these gals figure out there are other options in life than seeking out the lies leading down the road of destruction.

Bucket List: Live Like You Were Dying

A number of years ago Tim McGraw came out with his song, "Live Like You Were Dying."

Even though some may listen to the song and think it sad and depressing, when I hear it I think, "Make the most of everyday!  It's a GIFT!"  I try to never take for granted waking up to enjoy another morning.  I cherish every night falling asleep holding the hand of the love of my life.  Daily, looking into the eyes of three precious children and watching them do what kids do is a gift!  I never want to pass up the opportunity to hug one of our kids or let them play with my hair.  As I type right now, one of them is sitting on the same dining room chair with me with his head on my shoulder.  Love it!

The days pass much too quickly and at the end of this blessed life I hope to say I did the best with what I had.  My mom gave me a quote by Erma Bombeck.  I have it hanging in my office.  It reads:

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"

Now I could get all hung up with the fact that I don't have any recognizable talent.  I can't play an instrument.  I'm not very coordinated or athletic.  I CAN'T sing!  I can't dance, unless you consider the jerking motion displayed by Elaine Benes dancing. But this "idea" of talent may not be what real talent is.

Webster defines talent as, "A natural ability or power."

Natural ability or power.  Hmmm...  Natural abilities.  I like that!  We all have some natural abilities to share with others.

One ability could be the art of exploring, experiencing and having fun. Remember...make the most of and appreciate every day?

Organizing outings seems to be a natural ability.

I'm beginning to formulate a bucket list for Southern California.  One item on the list is:

VIEW A LIVE TAPING OF TELEVISION TALK SHOW

I've been trying, without success, to get tickets to The Ellen Show.  I'll keep trying.

In the meantime, last month I received an email asking if I'd like to attend a taping of the Dr. Drew Lifechangers program.  To be honest, I thought it was junk mail.  I had never watched the Dr. Drew show and actually never heard of it.  I've seen Dr. Drew Pinsky before, but didn't know he had his own program.  I deleted the email.

This month, I received the email invitation again.  I looked into it a bit more.  It sounded interesting.  I went ahead and responded requesting four tickets.

This week two friends and I went to a taping.  It was an experience to say the least!  For the last two days since the taping, I've been thinking of how to blog what we saw and heard.  So many thoughts have swirled around my brain.

I think I'll have two more posts following with the events of the shows.  One show was about the Octomom, Nadya Suleman, and the other was about the growing number of women looking to pursue careers in prostitution apparently as a result of the economic downturn.  Needless to say, with an afternoon on those two topics we had plenty of conversation for the three hour LA traffic mess on the way home.

My brain is still swimming with thoughts.  Until the next post...

A Dreamy Date Night

It seems that every marriage book recommends regular date nights and warns of the marriage perils if couples do not adhere to a scheduled date night routine.  Yes, it would be great to have a disposable income and to take advantage of weekly date nights (or even monthly), but that has never been a reality for us.  It's not that we don't recognize the benefits of spending alone time together, we have just never had the extra money sitting around to 1. Pay for the date and 2.  Pay the babysitter.

Now that our oldest is into his teen years we're able to get away close to home for a coffee or to go for a run.  We're usually gone for a short period of time and are close enough if anything were to happen we're no more than 2 miles away.

Every once in awhile and I'm talking ONCE in AWHILE we get out on a REAL date!  We went out once in the spring, on my birthday, and now once in the summer.  Maybe we're a seasonal date night couple.  In the spring we had our former babysitter visiting with us and she offered to watch the kiddos so we could get away. 

Maybe she wanted to babysit since we showed her such a great time at RAINY Disneyland

A good babysitter lets the babysittee apply crazy make-up

Or maybe she let us go on a date because I fed her yummy food!

Here she is with 2 of our 3 kiddos

About a month ago, my hub sent me an email letting me know he had purchased tickets for an Angels baseball game followed by a Dierks Bentley concert at Angel Stadium.  I cannot turn down a date as GREAT as that!  We only feel comfortable being further away from home for many hours with a friend hanging out with the kids.  Fortunately, I was able to secure someone I know and trust to spend time with our precious three.

I didn't know what to expect from our little evening out.  I tend to be the person who only deals with what needs to be done at that given time on the given day- some people might say procrastinator, I just think it's living in the moment.  On the way to the Sold-Out game, I was teasing my date a little.  I asked him questions like, "Is this a REAL date, like the kind where you don't ask me if I have parking money?"  He reassured me he had the cash on hand.  I had no idea what section we were sitting in or even what time the game was.  Bummer for us as we were an hour late to the game, but no problem.

One of the three home runs was hit to our section!  The sun was bright and the evening was great!  The Angels beat the Mariners.  I felt a little bad for the Mariners again, but that's the way it goes.

Love the sun!

Following the game we proceeded onto the field for our up close Dierks Bentley concert.  Not only were we going to see Dierks live, we were going to watch him from Angel dirt.  The band and the stage were wheeled out onto the field right after the game.  If you had a wristband you were allowed out to watch.  I can honestly say it appears Country is going strong in Orange County.  Many fans in the stadium stayed and enjoyed the concert in the stands.  It was so cool to look up in the stadium and see all the people dancing and singing.

Dierks Bentley

The Crowd

The Couple

My Feet on the Angel Field

The night was going so well.  We were having a blast.  Word at home was the kids were having a blast.  It was successful date night.  Then I glanced to my left and saw a familiar face.  Since we don't have cable and I pretty much don't like the content of what is available on television we don't watch much.  We do have Netflix and Hulu and follow a couple shows.  One show we watch is Friday Night Lights.  I think it's my small town fix.  Anyway, I glanced over and who do I see?  Tim Riggins!  Okay, at this point I didn't know his real name, but I was pretty sure it was Tim Riggins minus the long hair.  I so wanted to go up and ask him, but what if it was just a look alike?  After the concert we walked away.  My supportive hub (who thinks I'm a wee bit silly, I'm sure) told me to go ask, be the high school girl that I truly am, but I was too embarrassed.  When we walked to the car I knew my chances were gone.  Big stadium, big parking lot.  As we were waiting for cars to leave, I glance up and who was there...Tim Riggins, actually his name is Taylor Kitsch, thank goodness for internet phones.  He was there again!  I so wanted to take my famous self-portrait with him...just because, but I lost any nerve I may possess and we left.  Drove home.  End of story.  This is the second time in my life I've chickened out on something like this.  Bummer!  Note to self:  You're too old to be a chicken! 

Taylor Kitsch?

The good news is I drove home with the love of my life.  We had a WONDERFUL date night!  I'm looking forward to another exciting one.  I wonder what he has planned for the fall?