Originally Unoriginal

Boy : Ms. Rigney, have you ever felt like you had to prove yourself to people? Me: Sure. It's not such a great feeling, but sometimes you have to. Boy : Well I'm having to do that, and I just don't know if I'm up for it. Me: Well it's tough to have to prove yourself when people are waiting for you to fail. But it's always great when you can actually do it...prove yourself to them. Boy: A lot of teachers here at school know that I use to act up and get in trouble. Now they all still give me a hard time and won't allow me to change. Me: Well you've got to keep at it. Stay on the straight and narrow. Make good grades, stay out of trouble. Prove you are responsible. Boy: I've started saving for college, but I know the only way I can afford it is to get a football scholarship. The coach won't give me a chance. I failed 9th grade last year, and I wasn't able to play ball. Now the coach is always on my case about other people a...

I love the country band Rascal Flatts (RF). Ever since they released their first album, I've been a fan right from the very start. But there's a history behind this band... When they were just beginning, they were going to do an outside concert in a small town at a balloon festival a few miles away from my home. That night it started raining so we didn't go to the concert. Come to find out it didn't rain in that town and they had the concert. From that moment on it was my desire to see them. Then Last year I had tickets to see them in concert and I had to sell them to someone else because I couldn't go. I've always heard, the third times a charm, and I had high hopes when I found out RF would be in Little Rock, AR. I joined the RF fan club so I could order VIP tickets and be right up front. I requested the tickets just like I was suppose to, I got a confirmation email, and followed the directions in order to purchase my tickets. My directions were to call the bo...

what do you want from me? do you want me weak? my strength is gone. do you want me with no one else to depend upon? i'm all alone. do you want me with no where else to turn to? i'm at my wits-end. do you want me without my own answers? i'm clueless. do you want me broken? i'm shattered. what do you want from me? do you want my faith? i'm not sure if i have any. do you want my trust? i'm not sure i can trust again do you want me? there's not too much left of me.... but if you can find even one piece, it's yours.

I went back to the dentist this past Wednesday to get the other 2 teeth pulled. My sweet dentist had mercy on me and offered me Nitrous gas before giving me the shots! I was relaxed and didn't have any problems. He pulled those teeth right on out, and I was doing great. The key word there in that last sentence is WAS. I WAS doing great, until Friday night. With all the madness in Memphis, my mouth started hurting pretty badly. I took some advil and went to bed that night. Saturday morning, I still wasn't doing so hot. I took more advil until Saturday night when the pain was just unbearable. My dentist had given me a prescription for pain pills, but I never got it filled because I wasn't having any problems. So Saturday night my mom gave me an old pain pill of hers. 30 minutes later I was feeling fine, and I got in bed around 1:00 am. Well 2:00 am rolls around and I wake up. I thought my gums were swollen because I couldn't feel one of the holes in my mouth where the too...

Being an adult is not always the best job. Sometimes we are called on and forced to step up to the plate. There are moments when we must see the world in the cruelest of light. One of these harsh moments took place for me Friday afternoon. Friday began well. I was invited to go on a field trip to Memphis with O'Bannon High School, the school that I did my student teaching at this past fall. I was excited to be among the 100+ students to visit the Civil Rights Museum, do some shopping, and see the Memphis Grizzles play the Denver Nuggets in basketball. The Civil Rights Museum was so moving. Being the history buff that I am, I was awe-struck to stand in the place where Martin Luther King was assassinated. I stood in wonder as I looked out the window where Ray sat as he pulled the trigger that killed one of the greatest men ever. Then the day began to shift. I had no idea that soon I would see just how it felt to be treated differently because of the color of your skin. Now, I live in...

I discovered that yesterday as I laid on the couch in our living room with a bloody gauze in my mouth. I've come too far now; I can't turn around. After years of procrastination, I finally got braces in January. A little late for someone who's 22, but I've never been fond of committing when it came to metal and pain. Anyway, I've had to deal with the soreness of braces and the ulcers and scrapes one gets in her mouth. Then yesterday, I had to have 2 pre-molars removed. What an experience! So I go to the Orthodontist Monday morning at 9 to get my braces tightened. Then I head over to my regular dentist an hour later to have 2 teeth extracted. Well the doctor began to give me the novicane, or whatever numbing medicine it was. I'm sitting in the chair, squinting my eyes because it's stinging just a bit. Come on, there's a needle going in my gums here! Well after that, the doctor leaves me there for a few minutes in order for the medicine to have time to tak...

Well here's an update of some things that have been going on around here: My Best friend Sunshine finally had her baby last Friday. She had a girl, 7lbs. 14 oz., 19.25" long. I skipped work last Monday and went up to see her. She's precious, and she loves her Aunt Kim! Our Youth group had a concert, aka The Grub House, this weekend. About 100 people showed up to see True Worship Band perform. Loud Music, Great Food. A good time was had by all. Tomorrow I have to go get my bottom braces put on and get 2 teeth pulled. I'm actually suppose to have 4 teeth pulled, but they'll only do 2 at a time. I'm going to beg them to take all 4 at once. I have spring break this week, so I'll have the time to recover if it's really painful. Warm weather is finally approaching us. It was 87 degrees yesterday. I'm looking forward to the summer. I'm tired of cold weather, even though here in Mississippi we hardly ever have cold weather. Everyone Have a GREAT week!

The whole idea about evolution is that creatures are suppose to adapt, change to fit their surroundings over a period of time. Well I'm boldly proclaiming that this theory is false. No, I'm not standing on any religious soap box; I'm going strictly by observations and facts. Here are some of my findings: I've lived in the Mississippi Delta for 22 years. If this evolution thing really worked, you would think with the time spent in this southern area that my body would have adapted. However, my hair still grows 2 times its normal size on humid days. There is no biological adaptation that I have received in all my years to stop this horrendous phenomenon. No matter what type of hair product I may use, when it's 500% humid outside, like it is today, my hair is going to be fro-city. Another change my body has never made is an adaptation to the pollen count here in the MS Delta. It seems as though my immune system refuses to evolve into the proper defense mechanism. Even ...

This is another excerpt from Hadassah: One Night With the King. Queen Esther is talking about ways to win over the king's affection... "First, you must be someone who knows who she is and how she fits into the world, who needs no one but God to make her a whole person. Neediness can be highly seductive, but only for a very short incendiary period, and usually only with a man who is flawed in his own right. After that first blush, a healthy man will want to shrug you off as quickly as he can. What attracts him the most, and the longest, is a woman who does not need him to be complete yet chooses out of her wholeness and completeness to give herself to him."

With the blog war in action, some talk has gone 'round about " Mr. And Ms. Perfect ." Is their a perfect guy/girl ? Is there someone just for you? Do you know what you really want in the opposite sex? With all the hoopla, I wanted to get in on it and voice my opinion. This past weekend, part of our Youth Group went to Tupelo, MS for something called Wintervention. (Late, I know but b/c of hurricanes, everything's been thrown off track.) I was excited about going b/c a truly great preacher, Rich Strawcutter, was going to be ministering. Not very long after Bro. Strawcutter began preaching, a lady that works with our youth had a thought. This is the guy Kimberly needs to marry. Of course, I had no objection to the thought. I mean, not only is the guy anointed with a great ministry, he's not too bad looking either. For the whole weekend, my youth group had this "joke" about me getting together with Rich. (The joking went even further when we discovered he w...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE one old love she can imagine going back to.. and one who reminds her how far she has come... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a youth she's content to leave behind... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retellingit in her old age... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a set of screwdrivers, cordless drill, and a blacklace bra... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE one friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family.. A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.. A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny... EVERY WOM...

Romance. I can say that I've dabbled in it a little, but never had the pleasure or misfortune (depending on your view point) to dive head first into it. However, through use of Movies and TV, I got a few glimpses into what I'd certainly like to have. Exhibit A: I just purchased and watched the newest version of "Pride and Prejudice." The story was not new to me, but I did need reminding that Mr. Darcy is one of the greatest, fictitious men ever created. I made the statement to my father, who had the privilege of walking in on the end of the movie, that I would marry a man if he was like Mr. Darcy. What is it about Mr. Darcy?? He pushes Elizabeth; he challenges her. They both make each other see their faults and realize their dreams. Together they are greater than they ever could be apart. He makes her push past all her preconceived notions. He forces her, though without physical force, to trust him. He does things to win her affection, knowing he may actually never ga...

An excerpt from Tommy Tenney's Hadassah: One Night With the King .... "And then Mordecai asked the fateful question. "What was it really like to enter the Holy Place, the dwelling of the Almighty?" "God really does have a presence, do you know?....My whole being would throb with this awareness of His person. I thought I could feel His heart. And at such times I was glad everyone else kept their distance, because often I would dance and laugh and weep and sing and shout all at the same time because my chest felt like it would truly, truly burst if I did not. I felt -- I felt...well, have you ever seen a young child greet a beloved father after a long absence? The little arms pumping, the little legs churning, the leap into his arms, the tears in the father's eyes? I felt like that. A child so overcome with joy at His return that all I wanted to do in this world was to leap as high into His bosom as I could. And I could feel His tears, too. That's the wond...

....Not to rant, rave, or depress with this post today. Today I promise to be uplifting, fun, and possibly even encouraging. Even though I've stated that I'm going down this " dark road " and that I've been a bit aggravated doesn't mean that my whole being is gloomy and melancholy. No actually, I try not to focus on those issues all day, and most of the time I enjoy myself. So here's to a good day! First, interesting news for blog fans out there. 2 bloggers listed under my links, Shana and Robert , will be having an all-out blog war. No date has been scheduled, but it should be coming to a blog near you in the upcoming days or week. They will be taking questions from and moderated by the original ninetyandnine.com blogger Wendy. Shana and Robert will be tackling this subjects from the female and male perspective and giving us all some insight into the minds of the opposite sex. Secondly, my good friend Sunshine should be popping out a baby any day now. We...

You have been warned.... Why are people irresponsible and not dependable?? It's one of the most nerve-racking things to deal with people who are so wishy washy. They can't give you a straight answer, you have to pet them and beg them and remind them of every little thing. GROW UP! Get some accountability about you! I'm about to get down right personal here. Tonight as soon as church service was over I briefly announced in a microphone to the whole entire congregation that all the youth needed to meet with a certain person and let them know if they planned on going to Tupelo for something called "Wintervention." I made the statement that whether you planned on going or not, you needed to meet with her immediately. So the responsible person that I am, I walked over to the lady and told her I was going. She asked me if I would mind rounding up everyone else. I looked at her and I said, "Yes, I would mind. I made the announcement on a mic and everyone heard me. I...

The past 7-8 months have been some of the worst times in my life. I know that some of the greatest things happened to me during this time, including graduating from college, but even those memories are marred by all the bad that took place. To those who have asked, "Are you ok?" I've simply replied that I'm just going down a "dark road." Most everyone around me knows of certain circumstances that have hindered me. I don't wear frustration and anger well. However, I try to cover sadness and loneliness as best as possible. Only a few times during my "dark road" have I broken down, and these times have only been in front of God. I've screamed at him for answers, clarification, justification....All to no avail. Yes I've cried, even spoke in tongues, but when it's all over I still feel as if my prayers were thrown out of heaven and right back at my feet. There is a poem most know by Robert Frost where he says, "I took the road less ...

I pride myself in being balanced. I'm not too liberal or too conservative. I'm not too girly nor too much of a tomboy...etc. Well today I'm throwing my balance to the wind and I'm going to be shallow. I went to the mall in search for a jersey for a friend. Well why I was there, I had to stop by a few stores and check out the clothes. I found not one, not two, but three new skirts. What's even great is that 2 of them are blue jean, and for all of you apostolic girls out there...you know how hard it is to find a good blue jean skirt. One even came with this really trendy scarf belt. I'm very excited about it! I've never noticed how much clothes I actually have. Some of the students have made the comment that I have not worn the same outfit since school started on January 3rd. What's sad, or good, is that they're right. I may have worn a skirt twice, but it was always with a different top. Somehow I still look at my closet and say, "I have nothing ...

I'll admit it; I have no life. No real life that has any purpose. Nope...None. It's ok though because at least I can admit it. Here's the proof.... Tonight was "group night" on American Idol. I cried because my cowboy that I blogged about recently got sent home. He was just so durn precious. Who cares if he couldn't sing. I just have a soft spot for the underdogs....Guess that's why I'm a Mississippi State Fan. What got me was that he was ok with going home. He knew that he wasn't ready; he was just glad to have the experience. SeeI have no life....I rest my case.

I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day for the obvious reasons. I don't have that special love in my life to send me roses or chocolates. Also it bothers me that people give gifts on Valentine's day more out of obligation than because of love. Cultural peer-pressure stinks! Anywaz, I was sitting here at work thinking "Where did this dumb holiday come from??" I was sure it was some plot by a flower shop union and Hallmark, but I was wrong. This holiday goes back all the way to the middle ages... One legend tells the story that Emperor Claudius II made a decree that no young men could marry. He wanted men to join the army without the baggage of a wife and children left at home. The priest, Valentine, would still perform secret marriages for these young men. When the King found out, he had St. Valentine killed and so we celebrate this day in honor of his death. Another theory says that Valentine was put in jail, fell in love with the jailor's daughter, and sent he...

First, I ran across this blog that cracked me up. It's entitled "Insecure People Suck." It's listed with the rest of my links, so feel free to go check it out. Secondly, I'm very exhausted with drama. I hate drama, yet somehow it finds me. I hate being caught in all the mess. Drama is caused by insecure people, and you know what...Insecure People Suck! Maybe that's why I liked that blog so much?? I have a lot that I could say, but I'm afraid of who may read this blog, so I won't say it. However, I will say.... if you feel the need to kiss and hug all over your significant other...GET A ROOM! It's fine if you hold their hand, put your arm around them..ok. It is not ok to blow in their ear, rub all over their neck, face, hair, or kiss numerous times in front of everyone else. That type of PDA is something 15 and 16 year olds do with their first boyfriend/girlfriend b/c they don't know any better. It should not be accepted by 20+ year olds. Sorry....