7 weeks down, 6 to go!

Wait . . . does that mean there are more weeks behind us than in front of us?? YES, I believe so!!!

6 weeks from today my boy will graduate!! The more I think about it, the more excited I get, so…calming down. Calm. Quiet. Not excited. Can’t think about it ’til it’s closer.

He’s doing beautifully, of course, but I’m SO sure that just as soon as he gets his body used to this schedule, he’s gonna have to change to a new schedule. The new schedule (swing shift), which begins May 11, is much easier schedule to get used to…1600h-0000h. HALLELUJAH. It might even be better than a normal day schedule. We’ll see!

I have the opportunity to go with S’ mama, sister and cousin to South Carolina this weekend for a women’s luncheon where one of his mama’s best friends goes to church- should be a blast, and I’m very much looking forward to spending time with some REALLY great women. (Getting away to a great house in a great town for a weekend always helps, too!)

My best friend is coming in town tomorrow, which I am SO looking forward to because I haven’t seen him since last year sometime. Waaaaaay too long to only live 3 hours apart!

I set my next hair appointment for the biggest haircut of my life so far, I believe. I’m cutting off all my hair- well, let’s revise that. I’m cutting off at least 10 inches of my hair to donate to Locks of Love…and that will be on June 5. It’s the Friday before S’ graduation. I’m certain he’ll be quite surprised- not the point, but a perk, anyway!!!

Continued prayer requests include restful, recovering sleep (especially since he’s sleeping in the middle of the day!), some fun , continued time alone with our Lord, focus and ability to concentrate while in class (especially since he’s going to school in the middle of the night!), development of relationships with his friends and comarades and a strong, healthy, shielded immune system. THANK YOU for your continued prayers for him, his family and us! 

6 weeks down, 7 to go

Almost to the halfway point, we are! Hallelujah!

My boy is doing splendidly in Wichita Falls, Texas. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t WANT to be there, but since this is what he’s been called to do now, he’s making the best of it.  :)  He has scored beautifully on each test he’s taken so far (3 down, 3 to go) with a 98 and 2 perfect scores!!! An excellent man, I tell you… I’m so proud.

We found out that his schedule is changing yet again- it’s the military, so of course, we should expect this. He and his comrades weren’t thinking that it would change, but it did. They will now be on mid-shift. Instead of going to school from the normal 0700-1600h like he has been, his flight will go to class from 2300h-0700. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! “Just a standard military shift”, he tells me last night. His flight has details all day today, then they stay up all night (oh, joy), go to PT with the swing shift, then start classes. So instead of going to classes in the morning Monday through Friday, he’ll go Sunday nights to Thursday nights- same thing, just backed up 8 hours. Interesting. The good thing (always looking for these, aren’t we? ANYTHING to make it better or more reasonable!) is that it doesn’t change much, if any, our communication standards so far- I still won’t be able to talk to him when I couldn’t during his normal schedule, so if he can get through these next few days, he’ll be good.

He’s such a warrior, that one. I just adore him- I love his spirit and his drive and his work ethic and his self-presribed achieving standards and his attitude toward life.  He is SUCH the man that was made for me and me alone, and I am so thankful God brought him to me. I can’t wait to see what happens over the next few weeks and months and how God continues to grow this relationship He’s begun.

Continued prayer requests include continued health and sustainance of spirit, ability (and desire) to focus during classes and then on homework at night (or whatever time it is now that he’ll be doing homework), a strong and injury-free body, a Christ-shining attitude and demeanor (as always!), the ability (and desire) to have alone-time with the Lord, confidence in his abilities, strength for his family to get through the next 7 weeks…and continued good communication for the both of us.

The WONDER of our salvation- HIS cleansing, healing, soul-saving blood

Our regular pastor, Dr. Platt, was out of town this Sunday, so we had the honor of having our newly accepted Pastor of Biblical Training teach us today from the pulpit of Brook Hills. His name is Bart Box, and he is incredibly passionate about preaching, teaching and learning the Word of God. One of the friends I was with today and I both agreed that we are SO excited about what’s coming to Brook Hills, and we can’t wait for them to get started so we can begin hitting those classes up! The chuch is starting a Bible Training Facility where classes will be taught, either for earning a degree, for further, in-depth Bible study or just for brushing up on ill-remembered facts and figures that bring everything together. We are SO excited Dr. Box and his family have come to join the Brook Hills faith family! But I digress…

Passionately and with great conviction today- as always- Dr. Box geared us toward remembering the wonder of our salvation, and there were more than a few things he said that really stuck with me. A#1 that really hit home (and has actually been on my mind a good bit lately) is that he said he’s preached this exact sermon on 2 very different continents, here and in South Afica, in a place where the literal translation (in the native tongue) of the town he was in was “hell”. He said he preached it here and MOST of the time, he got a “great sermon, preacher- great job, I really needed that…hey, how was the game last night?” However…in South Africa, when people hear this sermon and hear what Dr. Box preaches, it’s “AMEN” and “HALLELUJAH” and “JESUS SAVES” and people falling on their knees and faces with their hands raised in the air. Not, of course, because of the greatness of Dr. Box…but of the GREATNESS of Jesus Christ and the power of His cleansing, healing, soul-saving blood. Dr. Box said he doesn’t know why that is- that power is POWER wherever we are in the world, and when it TRULY is life-changing, it IS life-changing. So why do we take it for granted here? Why does is not “mean as much” here? Why aren’t we on our faces and hands and knees every HOUR of every DAY, especially at church around our faith families who are supposed to, praising Jesus for His awe-inspiring very nature, His life-giving breath each and every day and the many blessings we so blindly take for granted every day, like we’re owed something because we were born as Americans.

I think I know why, and Dr. Box touched on it ever so briefly in his sermon this morning- he mentioned our affluence. And I’m very much inclined to agree. My daddy has actually mentioned it before, and ever since he did, it’s aaaaaaaall started to make sense. I GUARANTEE you that being a Christian in Mountain Brook (or any other “over the mountain” area in Birmingham) looks very different on a daily basis than being a Christian in downtown Birmingham or Roebuck or Centerpoint or on Lorna Road. I guarantee you that being a Christian looks different in the affluent suburbs of _____ (pick a place) than it does on the borders of Texas and Mexico or in the slums of a major metropolitan city or on the outskirts of a poverty-stricken town where few dare to even set foot in America. And I can without a DOUBT guarantee you that being a Christian here in America is vastly different than being a Christian in the Gaza Strip…or in Uganda…or in South Africa…or in China. Does not the same faith and grace alone that saves the unemployed, AIDS-infected, uneducated widow in ____ (again, pick a place around the world) save us here in the United States? Of course it does. SO WHY DOES IT SEEM TO MEAN SO LITTLE???

I think- no, I’m certain- it goes back to our affluence. Now I’m sure many of you (rolling of eyes- of maybe the 6 people that read this blog!) are thinking “affluent? Have you SEEN my bank account lately? I’m not affluent in the slightest- you have got to be kidding me.”. And you’d be sorely mistaken. Take myself, for example. I moved last week to a different apartment- and I couldn’t help but think over and over again….” I don’t use half of this stuff. And really, I probably only use about 30% of this stuff.” Why do I have all this STUFF??? It’s just stuff!! Really! And it’s because we live in America, where the unmistakable mantra is “the American dream”. More and more stuff. More money to buy more stuff. More hours at work to make more money to buy more stuff. A bigger house- which means more money to make which means more hours at work- then you add in…let’s say….time with the family (soccer games, recitals, shopping [inevitably for more stuff], watching TV and movies, bath time, etc.), dinners out to eat with friends and family, going to the gym, church on Sunday morning, gotta have some alone time in there somewhere….oh, and gotta fit God in there somewhere because if I don’t, I might feel guilty.  ? ? ? ? ! ! ! ! ! ? ? ? ? ! ! ! ! ? ? ? ? ! ! ! ! What is wrong with this picture?

And I’m speaking to myself, as well, because I am FAR from perfect- but I am called to REGULARY examine my life and right myself back on the straight and narrow. Here’s one of my sins- it’s easy to be a Christian here. We have it SO easy here in America- we can go to church each Sunday in a beautifully orchestrated, well-oiled machine of a church, with its air conditioning and/or heat, its children’s programs and up-front parking for first-time guests, bikers and the handicapped. We can buy a new Bible when the “old” one has a tear in it. We can hear Christian songs on the radio, sung by artists with God-given talent doing what they know they’re supposed to be doing….listening to them on a radio…in a great car with A/C and heat and leather and a sunroof…driving down a paved highway or interstate…in really great clothes that were most likely bought within the past 6 months to a year…drinking $4 bottled water which we’ll conveniently throw in a garbage can on our way to a meeting or lunch with friends or the job that has been so graciously provided to us. Where does God fit in to all that? To the typical (and yes, I say TYPICAL because that may or may not be you) American, God- the Holiest of Holies, the one and only Living Savior, the God of Universe, the One who decides whether you take your next breath or not, the Almighty Father, the Trinity, the Most High God, the God whom our predecessors trembled before and had such fear that they literally DIED- yes, that God… is an afterthought. Maybe. If you’re “lucky”. Maybe you think of Him and say a quick prayer for “a good day” or to pass your test or thank Him for the [over-priced] meal you’re about to inhale on your yacht before cruising to the next destination. Maybe you take His name in vain when someone pulls out in front of you in traffic or takes your parking space at the mall. Or maybe you treasure the time you get to spend alone with that God, making time throughout your day to praise His HOLY Name and thank Him for what He’s done and is doing in your life. Maybe you make it your goal to give 10% of your income each month in a tithe to your church and then give another 10% to it’s missionary fund that gives necessary income and essentials to its teachers and preachers around the world.  Maybe you have a heart for people and a desire to see those around you and those around the world come to know and have a true, honest, DEEPLY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with the Living God. Maybe you are regularly astonished at the state of our nation and those around you and find yourself turning your personal compass back to Him on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis, always  keeping in mind that everything we have is a gift from God and HIS name is to be glorified and praised and honored. OH, I hope to be something like the last person.

Here’s what Dr. Box was touching on today- it’s easy to be a Christian here in America for one specific reason I can think of off the top of my head. The typical American has NO idea what it’s like to be a true Christ-follower, a “Christian”, for we have turned the term “Christian” into something wholly wrong and ugly and totally unlike what Christ wants of us. We do not identify with the Christ of the country club, the $90K SUV, the vacation homes in 3 places or the excessive “bling” we wear when going out to fancy $200 dinners at trendy bistros. We, as Christians, saved by the redeeming blood of the Son of the Most High God, should identify with the poor, the needy, the destitute, the diseased, the filthy…with the nails on the cross and the throngs of people yelling and spitting on Him. We, as “owed Americans”, have taken Christianity, removed all the things we don’t like about it and turned it into something “easy” and “light” and “mainstream” so that everyone is “loved” and nobody’s feelings are hurt. (Yep, that sounds like an American response to things these days..) It’s not a term to use lightly or that anyone can just “pick up on” and run with and claim they are, not a “good person mentality” or throwing money at the church every month or even volunteering in the nursery or going on misison trips. It’s a lifestyle, it’s a total sacrifice of this earthly life for the next life spent praising and glorifying Christ, it’s a “dying-to-self-and-living-for-Christ-day-in-and-day-out-no-matter-who’s-looking” kind of life. Is affluency bad? No. Is “stuff” bad or inherently wrong? Of course not. But we are used to a lifestyle here in America- rather, we have been ABOVE AND BEYOND graced with these lifestyles- and it’s way too easy to depend on ourselves for everything we do and need and buy and see and think. We don’t have to wholly and assuredly depend on our Savior for our every need every day. Our faith is so small because our problems are so few. Our walk with the Lord is so backward because every day life is so easy. Our faith would look a lot different if we depended on our Savior and our local church for our food, toiletries, any sort of medicine we might be able to get our hands on, clothing and some sort of shoes to cover our feet.

It’s very easy, we talked about Sunday, to miss out on the WONDER of our salvation. On the very wonder that we are by NO means owed ANYTHING in this life, yet we are graced with so many blessings we take for granted on a daily basis. On the very wonder that the Father was not only able to save us from our sins, but was WILLING to save us from our sins and watch us mess up on a daily, hourly and minute-by-minute basis, only to forgive us (should we ask) over and over and over again. Missing on the WONDER that we were DEAD in our sins- not sick, not diseased, not dying….DEAD. Not flailing about in the sea begging for a savior, but DEAD  at the very bottom of the abyss of the sea, and the Father dove to the bottom, pulled up our lifeless corpses and brought us to the top and then to shore, then breathed His breath into us, thereby giving us NEW life. And again, we come back to the fact that dead people can do NOTHING- if you’re dead, you’re DEAD. No life whatsoever, so to say that we “accepted” Christ isn’t entirely accurate. No, instead, we were GRACED with the very ABILITY to believe that Jesus Christ was the one and only Son of God who came to the earth as a baby, born of a virgin, lived a sinless, perfect life, taught and preached and lived every emotion and feeling that we do as humans created in His image…and then died a horrific, torturous death on a cross 33 years later, was buried and RESURRECTED HIMSELF TO LIFE again 3 days later.

And we have the audacity to take that for granted?

OH, MY…how I need to be reminded of that every second of every minute of every hour of every day of the rest of my life.

BIRTHDAYS and 5 weeks down (8 to go)

First and foremost . . .  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET BOYFRIEND!  28 years old…happy birthday, babe!!!

Second… I have been in the midst of moving (OH, jooooy…) so I completely missed my update on the progress of school- and time away from each other.     It’s been 5 weeks (5 1/2 now that I’ve written this), and I feel every bit of it.  I miss him terribly and wish every day that I could be out there with him or at least see him. I don’t like being away from him- I can only imagine how hard it is on his family who’s been with him for (now) 28 years.    However, as has been previously touched on, I have the right to feel that way because I AM in this relationship with him- and I’m the ONLY one that gets to share THIS relationship with him…the only one on the face of the earth!!!! How fortunate and blessed and incredibly grateful I am to have that knowledge!!!

He is doing well- acing each test, accomplishing all of his goals for airman leader and staying focused. He’s been sick a few times, and I guess that’s to be expected when our bodies undertake such stress and determination as his has in the past few weeks. Poor kid- he sounds all “nasal-y” and “cough-y” (like that?! Haha- you know you use those words, too!), and I can’t do anything about it. I know our God is sustaining him, though, as He has promised to do. We all know that just because we were accepted by Christ and became His followers that life will not be easy… no, THAT was never promised, as we continually learn and accept every day, right?

Thank you all for your prayers, your emails, your letters, your phone calls and texts and your concern. Keep it up! 8 more weeks of this! I’m so THANKFUL there’s not 11 weeks to go!!!

Continued prayer requests for my man include making time to steal away and be alone with our Savior, a buffered and healthy immune system, time to study and get all of his homework done without going too late into the night, a healthy appetite, a strong and injury-free body…and time for good, solid, dependable, significant communication for the both of us. That’s a struggle sometimes when you’re exhausted and just want to close your eyes for a few days…

Easter, part 1

Below is a link to the blog of one of the Godliest men I know. He is incrediby intelligent, generous, diligent, kind, has an incredible heart for the Lord and will make a fantastic doctor one day. He also happens to be my “little” brother.

http://michaelldouglas.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/worthy-is-the-lamb-who-was-slain/

Here’s a bit of what he says.

A blog that I frequent a lot had a link to a video that, to be quite honest, shook me up a little bit.  It is one thing to make statements like the title of this post (”Worthy is the Lamb Who Was Slain.).  It is another thing entirely to make that real.

Imagine yourself in Israel 2500 years ago.  You are a farmer, or a wife or son/daughter of a farmer.  You live a nice little life(for 500 BC standards).  You grow enough food for you and your family, you enjoy your children, you enjoy going to the tabernacle.  But every year, this thing called Passover comes around, and it just tears you up – as it should.

Passover IS the Gospel.  That God would accept the death of an innocent lamb as “payment in full” is the best news ever.  Now imagine your family preparing for Passover.  You don’t just take any lamb in your flock.  You have to take a young lamb, a lamb without any outward spot or inward disease.  Perhaps it’s your favorite, because it is the one that gives the best milk or the one that you think follows your lead the best.  Nonetheless, the Torah is clear – only the best.

So you prepare for Passover.  You make sure all of the food is ready.  You make sure the choice wine is ready.  You have the children all ready, maybe even teaching your older children what you’re doing.

And then it’s time.  Now you take that unblemished lamb, the best of your flock, the one with the most potential, and you take it to the High Priest.  He prepares the lamb.  He shaves its neck to make sure that bare skin is available.  He has his assistants hold the lambs legs.  Imagine being the lamb.  “What are they doing?  Why are they holding me down, and why is everyone chanting and singing.  Now why is it so quiet.  What is this guy doing?”  And the Priest says, “Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the world, who has sanctified us with his statutes and commanded us concerning the [ritual] slaughtering.” And the priest takes a knife, and with bowl underneath, slits the throat of the lamb.

Now imagine that lamb is a man.

Could you imagine having to kill your own lamb?  How about your own son?

Maybe this helps… (and an explanation of why this is important)

Now imagine that lamb is a man.  Imagine that lamb is your son, your only son.  This is hard to stomach.  It’s not easy.  But this IS the Gospel.  That God would send His Son here, for you, and that His Son, named Jesus, would die in YOUR place.  The name for this is Substitutionary Atonement.  Substitutionary because it is your sin and his death, not his sin and his death or your sin and your death. Atonement because by His death, your sin is atoned for – forgiven, cleaned, taken off the ledger sheet. And not only is your sin taken off the ledger sheet, but you are given the righteousness (perfectness, in God’s eyes) of the Man that just died for you  Both Christ dying for Christ’s sins and you dying for your sins don’t solve the problem.  If you die for your sin, then you can’t live with God.  If Christ dies for Christ’s sin (Christ didn’t have sin, but for argument’s sake), it would be the same thing – it doesn’t take care of us (or him, for that matter).  The only way salvation works is if someone innocent (without sin) does for someone who is sinful.  And that’s what happened two thousand years ago.

Jesus was real.  He died for you, in your place, taking your punishment on Himself, that you would be able to live with Him and God forever. Yes, we can celebrate Easter on Sunday, and yes without the empty tomb, Christ’s death would be pointless.  But the Cross – the alter of the Lamb of God – IS the Gospel.  “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10.

4 weeks down, 9 to go

Today is the first time that blogging about S being gone has actually sneaked up on me…yay! Does that mean time is moving faster???

I talked with S’ mama today- about lots of different things – and she said she couldn’t believe it had already been a month since he’d been gone. I (very much) begged to differ- I feel like it’s been every BIT of a month! I miss that kid something fierce, and there are MANY days where it feels like he’s been gone TWO months!

He’s doing quite well, my boy is…he’s studying hard, learning a lot (sometimes too much, he would say) and making his intentions for leadership as an airman known. Poor guy is SO busy- he’s up early every morning, in classes from 0700-1600 (that’s 7:00a-4:00p. by the way), then goes to PT, then has meetings…and may get in bed before 2230, if he’s lucky. BIG change for him. He’s tired and worn out, pulled in different directions, trying to get 50 things done before he goes to bed and only having time to do maybe 20 of them. He’s definitely feeling the pinch of being out there for a month…and still having 2 months to go. He’s definitely had the opportunity to get off of the base and chill for awhile- going to a movie, getting a decent steak at a local restaurant, etc. He’s made some great friends in his flight and his squadron, so they can all support each other and hang out when they have (a little) down time. GOD IS GOOD!

Easter is coming up this weekend, as you all know (I hope!), and I hope you all are planning on being at and/or volunteering in your church on Sunday. This Easter will be hard for my man because he won’t be able to go to our home church with the greatest pastor we’ve ever heard. He will be on base with the church they have there, but it’s just not the same. (Any of you who are in love with your church know how this is when you go away for a weekend or on vacation…or are sick on a Sunday and have to deal with “televangelists”.) I almost feel guilty that I get to go and he doesn’t- but not for long! Then I get to go spend Easter afternoon with his family- if I haven’t told you lately, I CONTINUE to be blessed and awed by this family. The love, support, acceptance and laughter I get from them on a daily basis are things of which I’m just not worthy and deserving!!!

Continued prayer requests include strength and courage of spirit for S, restoring, recovering sleep at night, continued immune system protection (as he’s going through a bout of sickness currently) and focus during the day while he’s in classes. As most, if not all, of us have never gone through what he’s undertaking on a daily basis, it’s hard to know what his days are really like and what to ask about and what to leave alone.

On another note… I’m moving YET again. Can I just YELL from the top of whatever is the highest that I H-A-T-E moving??!! I hate it! I don’t want to do this again until…well, let’s just say I hope that next time is the LAST time I move for a looooong while. I have a roommate this go ’round, so hopefully I’ll be able to sock away some cash, pay off some debt and get my credit rating back to a better score! Yay for forward progress!

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

more Blue Angels pictures

Here’s the link to my Picasa web album-  THESE are the best pictures I took. 

http://picasaweb.google.com/jenbushjj/BlueAngelsTuscaloserRegionalAirport04032009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIWEktCxmMH-fw&feat=directlink

Blue Angels, baby!

or maybe THIS one is my favorite...

                                                             * * * * * MY DADDY AND I WERE ABLE TO GET PASSES TO THE FULL DRESS REHEARSAL FOR THE BLUE ANGELS SHOW THIS WEEKEND. IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!  I HAVEN’T SEEN THOSE BOYS FLY IN AWHILE, SO IT WAS GREAT TO GET OUT THERE ON SUCH A GORGEOUS DAY AND GET UP CLOSE (ISH). WE HAD SO MUCH FUN, AND IT WAS A GREAT DRY RUN FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW . . . . . IT’S NICE TO KNOW PEOPLE AND BE ABLE TO PULL STRINGS SOMETIMES, ISN’T IT???     * * * * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, maybe this one's my favorite...and YES, they flew directly over my head!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or maybe this one is... BEAUTIFUL.

AMAZING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

love this one

goooooooorgeous

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

too many good ones to choose from!

love this one as well- a favorite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

whew- is that cool or what?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gooooooorgeous!!!

3 weeks down, 10 to go!

So it’s been 3 weeks since my boy left for Texas. 3 weeks down, 10 to go. Whew. This is harder than I thought it would be!!! I miss him terribly, but I’m trying to stay busy to keep my mind off of it all…unfortunately, that only works for so long and I’m back to the same thoughts again. J We women….we’re thinkers, aren’t we?

           
       He’s doing well- studying, learning, working his tail off to keep his over-achieving, top-of-the-class streak alive. J It’s basically 12 weeks of books, lectures, PT, early mornings, average nights and limited communication. I say that last one because with all the studying and class time, there’s not a lot of time left over for talking, emailing or writing- and they certainly can’t have their phones on them during the day.

            Of course, he misses being here- misses the day to day interaction with family, friends and coworkers, misses his own “stuff”, his routine, his job (ironically)…and he really misses church. I’m on self-assigned double duty at church on Sundays, keeping up with my own notes, but also making the same notes for him. I then put my notes for him and a blank copy in the mail on Monday morning so he can go through everything when the link to the sermon is posted on Tuesday or Wednesday. It’s fun for me, but more importantly, it keeps me even more focused on listening and paying attention in church (as if I had any problems with that ever!). More chances to send mail, more chances to use stationery….? I’m all for it!

Please pray for continued clarity when studying for and taking tests and exams. S is an airman leader, which basically means the students in his group answer to him…and he answers to his commander, of course! He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and a lot of studying and scrutiny that goes along with it. Please pray for energy throughout the day and into the night when his energy stores are down and he’d much rather go to bed than continue studying- he’ll do beautifully, of course, because he doesn’t know how to do things otherwise!

On a brighter note . . . I was getting to know the family of this wonderful man even better than I knew them before I met him , and now I get to know them even better. I have seen the love pour out of this family- on to each other…and on to me. I am so fortunate, so completely and totally (undeservedly) blessed to have all of them around. I love them, and if you don’t know them, you need to GET to know them!!!