Brit Brit's Breakdown and 8 Things About Me

I try not to focus much on the downward-spiraling lives of the mentally insane and absolutely over-exposed celebrities but recently it seems that the media outlets, even the most respectable ones (if you can apply that adjective to any media these days), won't let me ignore the fact that there are some just plain crazy people out there.

Case in point: Britney Spears. The girl is completely insane and we are now seeing the effects of it as her kids are being passed around to different people from one day to another. However, I kind of feel sorry for Brit Brit. Since she was 11, she's been bombarded everyday (and every night for that matter) by relentless papparazzi. They never give it a break. And it seems that the worse life gets for her, the more coverage she gets. It's sickening.

I think the paps are mostly to blame for her recent breakdowns and crazy antics. Car crashes and crazy driving, public outbursts, weepy eyes in every picture. Who wouldn't be subject to this kind of behavior when there are 20 or more flash bulbs going off in your face? I sure as heck wouldn't be able to keep my cool for very long if I had people in my face 24/7. No wonder some people go off the deep end. I'd bet running over people's toes and maybe even running over people because I wouldn't be able to see where I was going for all the lights.

I hate to be channeling the YouTube guy but leave the girl alone people! You're the reason she's going crazy. She craves the attention and you are enabling her addictions. Let her be and maybe she'll having nothing better to do than check herself into rehab, for good.

Anyway, on a lighter note, figured I'd do this "Things About Me" thing that's been going around. My favorite numbers are really 74 and 46 but I think I'll just stick with my single-digit fav....8.

So here goes...8 Things you may or may not know about Katie:

1. When I was four, I almost die from chicken pox. Yes, it's true. I was in the hospital for a week...chicken pox outside of the body and inside...down the throat, in ears and everywhere you could think. The day I checked out, the doctors looked at me and said, "Well, Miss Katie, we almost lost you." However, my dad had just entered the room and heard what they said, he didn't like it.

2. I like to categorize things. Call it OCD, I call organized. I categorize everything, by color, size, year, alphabetically, etc.

3. My right index finger is shorter than my left.

4. I have a slight obsession with duffle bags...and now scarves.

5. I am very bothered when something stumps me. I research and use trial and error until I get it right.

6. I'm quite the technological guru.

7. Painting is cathartic for me.

8. I've climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph (or however you spell it).

Presidental Candidates and Year In Review

We had two presidential candidates in Birmingham over the weekend. I can't remember a time when I've been in the same town as a presidential candidate. Well, except for that one time when I was little and George Bush Sr. came to Jackson. I actually went to that one. Not by choice...I was five...I think.

Anyway, Mike Huckabee was here on Saturday. He actually spoke on campus at Samford but I didn't get to go because in true Samford fashion, the Samford scheduling committee or whatever they are called scheduled it at the same time as a basketball game like they do everything else. I wish I could have gone to hear him speak. He's definitely my pick right now to be president. I agree with just about everything he says and he's a man of God. Good stuff.

Barack Obama was here too. He spoke Sunday at UAB, which I'm convinced is the Berkeley of the south. There are way too many protesters and just down right weird people that go there. Plus, they let Walter Sharpe play on their basketball team. I hope he makes it on time for the bus for them. Anyway, I listened to a bit of his speech on Sunday afternoon, which was televised. He made some good points and even dispelled a rumor about him being Muslim. He said that he had respect for the Muslim faith and those who practice it but that he has been going to the same Baptist church in downtown Chicago for 20 years. However, I've heard his little church is mega-anti-white people. But I guess that's how it goes sometimes. Then he started playing the race card and became an oppressed southern black man for the rest of the speech, saying "it's not a black-white issue (which was very contradictory to his tone) but it is a past-future issue. Whatever. He even started giving a "let freedom ringish" speech. Something, I'm sure he didn't do in Iowa or New Hampshire. Sorry Barack, you don't get my vote. I don't vote for actors.

On a different note, I saw this little year-in-review quiz on Claire's blog and thought I'd do it myself.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Went to Honduras on a mission trip. The best time of my life. (See sweet picture below of me and Julio. He taught me so much.)

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year? I don't make resolutions. I figure why use a new year for motivation. If I can't do it during the year, what's the point?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Definitely. My sister had sweet William, and my cousins Amy and Cindy had girls.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes. My papaw.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just Honduras. However, I did visit Miami for a few hours and that's a whole country in itself.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Money and a real job...NO MORE INTERNSHIPS!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hmm...probably getting over someone...it was pretty hard...and making new friends. I suck at that.

9. What was your biggest failure?
That's hard. I don't focus much on the failures so I don't remember them all that well.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Besides, a week of back spasms and the every present two-day headache every month...nope...nothing.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I haven't really bought anything of significance in the last year.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Hahah...maybe Firesheets. He actually grew up a little bit. He was as rude or annoying as he was when I first meet him.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Jason's.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent, food and gas.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My sister having a baby, Honduras, Ben Harper concert

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

Hmmm...maybe Switchfoot's 24

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?

Happier, fatter, poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Praying

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Whining and wasting time on boys

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent 12 days in Madison with the fam, except for the two days I was at the Liberty Bowl.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes. With with my sweet nephew. And a little bit more in love with Jack Bauer. Oh, and Julio.

23. How many one-night stands?
Yeah. Um. No.

24. What was your favorite TV show?
24, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, and last but not least...Chuck

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope

26. What was the best book you read?
Searching for God Knows What

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

James Morrison, Matt Wertz, Sara Barielles, Natalie Grant

28. What did you want and get?
A fantastic church with great friends

29. What did you want and not get?
The man of my dreams

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Kingdom

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 24 and I went to dinner with friends from church and work.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Money to go to South Africa...and a full-time job.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I've been pretty fashionable this year. Surprising, I know.

34. What kept you sane?

God's grace, my daddy and Bethany

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Channing Tatum

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I really don't know.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
That's hard. I guess Leslie.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Just because you pray for it, doesn't mean it's going to come right away. God's going to give you what's best for you and his timing is perfect. PERFECT.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Hmmm...can I do a whole song?

"24" by Switchfoot

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies

Twenty four failures

Twenty four tries

Twenty four finds me

In twenty-fourth place

Twenty four drop outs

At the end of the day

Life is not what I thought it was

Twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong

With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out

When You're raising the dead in me

Oh, oh I am the second man

Oh, oh I am the second man now

Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices

With twenty four hearts

With all of my symphonies

In twenty four parts

But I want to be one today

Centered and true

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

You're raising the dead in me

Oh, oh I am the second man

Oh, oh I am the second man now

Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change

Wrestled the angel, for more than a name

For more than a feeling

For more than a cause

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

And You're raising the dead in me

Twenty four voices

With twenty four hearts

With all of my symphonies

In twenty four parts.

I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.

Famous Amos

Ok so the guy in this commercial is a teammate of my roommate's ex-boyfriend. She knows this guy in the ad and says that he is an awesome guy. Mad props to Nike for the innovation of this commercial. It's pretty sweet!

Christ In Me

My pastor has been preaching for the past two Sundays about being desperate for Christ, especially for his Spirit. He's been challenging us to really focus on the Spirit of God that lives within us because it is the only thing that we should, can and need to depend on to get through this life. A lot of times we go encounter circumstances that seem to put a wrinkle in our plans for life and we think that we can get through them by ourselves. However, we soon realize how wrong we are and recognize how only through trust in Christ and his Spirit do we gain the strength to fight the battles that we face in this life.

My pastor read an except from this poem by St. Patrick last Sunday and it touched me so much that I thought I share the entire poem with everyone. So here goes:

"I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the
Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession
of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature, against everyone who
shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose
my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,
against spells of women [any witch] and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul.
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning, against drowning,
against wounding, so that there may come abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right,
Christ on my left, Christ in breadth, Christ in length,
Christ in height, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation
of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the
Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Christmas Wrap-Up....Finally

So almost a month later, I'm getting to my Christmas wrap-up. I love working at a university because I'm pretty much on the same schedule as the students. Well...maybe not. There are many days that the whole university gets off that I don't get off just because I work in athletics, but Christmas is a different story. And because I don't have winter sports, I got 12 days off! 12 days! I was so excited! So Dec. 21, I packed up and headed to Madison to spend 12 days with the fam.

Christmas was no different this year than most, except for the fact that we have a brand new baby in our family, William Charles Johnson. He's my mom and dad's first grandchild, my mom's mom's eighth great-grandchild, my dad's mom's third, and my brother-in-law's parent's third grandchild. And he's precious. Take a look.


This is also the first Christmas without my Papaw so that was kind of tough. On top of that, we've had some issues with my dad's sister and my mom's mom was put in the hospital early Christmas morning. She out now and doing better and hopefully she will be well enough soon to go back home to her apartment.

Two of my best friends got engaged over Christmas as well.

Lauren, or LB, has been my best friend since we were like 2. Our moms taught together and we attached at the hip for so long. Her mom died from breast cancer when we were in the eighth grade and a year later her dad got remarried and they moved away. We lost touch with each other and by the grace of God we found each other my junior year at State and picked up where we left off. She's marrying Joey, a guy who we've known forever. We all were in the same class in first and second grade and then he moved to a different school. A little over two years ago, Lauren and Joey met again and have never spent a day apart (well maybe a few). I'm so excited for LB. I can't contain myself. We've talked about this day for years and now it will come true on April 12th. Since I don't have any recent pictures of us on my computer, I'll share and old school one from my four-year-old birthday party.


Casey and I have been best friends since my senior year of college. We meet my junior year in Rick's Rowdies and grew closer as we were given the job of co-presidents of the Rowdies my senior year. We've had some interesting times together -- roaming the streets of New Orleans, running in to MSU basketball coaches on Bourbon Street and then following those coaches back to what we though was our hotel (which was right next to the team's hotel) and ended up at Harrah's, treks to Birmingham, Oxford, Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge and Nashville for ball games, Dave Barnes/Andy Davis concerts, and numerous random nights in Jackson. I don't know what I did before I met Casey. I was probably not as outgoing. I'm so glad that a year ago Dane walked into GAP and then in again the next day and the next day and got her number and asked her out. Casey's had a series a bad relationships and Dane is the "knight in shining armor". I couldn't ask for a better guy for her to marry. Yay!


And last but certainly not least, the Liberty Bowl and New Year's both were great. I went to my first bowl game with my mom and several old friends from church. It was great! I didn't even mind the cold. I wasn't really that cold at all. I'm sure glad we found that Walmart and were able to by some Longjohns though because I would have frozen if we hadn't. I enjoyed the quality time with mom and it was good to see her enjoying herself rather than having to deal with my grandmother in the hospital for once. It was a good two days off for her. I also ran into Amanda Bousson Cantrell and Lindsey Blackwell on the way in. It was good to see both of them. Good times and fun had by all. Yay for a boring win, 10-3! Go defense!


New Year's Eve was spent with Casey because everyone else was out of town. She was going to the restaurant were her fiance` bartends and she was going to be by herself so I offered to go with her since I had nothing else to do. We had fun but realized quickly that we were getting old as I headed out soon after the clock struck 12. But Casey finally got her first New Year's Eve kiss. Here's some documentation of the night.

The Play Pump

I know I've slacked a little bit and I promise I'm going to put up a Holidays post like everyone else to give you a peek at what I did, but I received this info today and I felt like I had to share it immediately. I'm on this Africa kick right now. Well...I shouldn't say it's a kick. I should say that my awareness has been hightened about the needs in Africa these days -- both physical and spiritual. I'm trying to find a way to go to South Africa sometime soon but I've got to get the funds first.

Anyway, go to this link. It will take you to a page about the water in South Africa. There is a man that has invented a pump that is a suedo-merry-go-round that actually pump cold, clean water into a tower and the people can come get clean water from a faucet. They've placed them all over South Africa and hope to extend it to neighboring countries soon. The U.S. gave $16.1 million (I think) in September and that helped the inventor move to a bigger factory to create these pumps while also giving African locals jobs.

This is awesome! Go to the page and click watch video.