Stubborn

Today I became a Pandora user. I've known about it for a while and feigned interest when others talked about it. One could blame it on grad school life as to why I never took the time to sign up and create my own radio stations to play according to my whims; I attribute it to my stubborness.

A favorite story of my mom's is her sharing of my most used phrase as I went through the terrible twos, threes, fours...etc. "I do it myself," the toddling youngster proclaimed. That was probably right before, after, or somewhere in the mix as to the time I told my dad that the spanking he just expended "didn't hurt"; I didn't repeat that phrase a minute later. Again, stubborn? I think so.

I retell these tales to give you a bit of humor in your day, let you know a bit more about me, but most of all to see how far I've come, or haven't I?
I mean honestly, I no longer throw temper tantrums and get all red in the face over minimal things. I do go out for long hard runs or lifting sessions and get all red in the face over things that prick me in the wrong place.
Really, I have changed; I no longer stuff back the tears and act all tuff and indifferent when people come and go. Well, okay we're still working on that one.
Seriously, I mean who would still make their mom's Christmas present using paint, glue, the occasional glitter, patchwork of memories really? Ummm...gosh, this isn't working out for me.
Okay, so my point being, I have grown, we all do. There are things I think, contemplate, live for that were not on the radar years ago. Does this make me a completely different person? No, God created my personality and personally placed it inside of me to make me who I am then and now. Sure, I've refined it, learned when to control different parts of it, identified certain redeeming qualities that it brings forth, repented for those that i have trouble harnessing, and I'm still a work in progress. The stubborn thing, it's always gonna be there. Deal with it.

I think being stubborn's a good thing. I am too stubborn to stop believing I can make my body my slave (1 Corinthians 9:27) and it will carry me many, many more miles before it gets a long rest. I am so stubborn that I think all my prayers will be answered and every person will answer directly to Jesus one day. I am stubborn enough to entertain thoughts of my future as pole-vault coach, dance instructor (for friends of course:), part-time international PT clinic worker, 70.3 Ironman woman, professor to those needing professing, the list goes on, really wherever, whenever, whomever, however God wants me. Yeah, I'd call that stubborn.