Sometimes Heroes Wear Tie-Dye

August 1996, I walked into my first high school art class. As soon as I walked in THERE HE WAS, my hero. Standing there basking in the glory of his purple tie-dye jeans and Nirvana tee shirt was the rockstar that would change my life forever. I didn’t know who he was from Adam but I was about to find out. After meeting him my life was never the same.

The weirdest part about this friendship is that we weren’t really close friends. He was two grades older than me. It appeared to be the stereotypical freshman crush. I tried to talk to him almost every day. He made fun of me every day. His teasing was hilarious. He nicknamed me “total embarrassment”. My best friend was appalled by this but I never took offense. I knew he was just kidding. But what I didn’t know was how God was using this brilliant young man’s example to change my life.

If I were to describe him to someone who knows me now they might think I was describing myself. But this is the before part of the story. When I was younger I desperately and unsuccessfully tried to be “cool”. I wanted all the cool kids to dote over me. I just knew if I could be friends with them my life would be exactly the way I wanted it. So I waited and waited for that ship to come in. When it did I would dress, talk and act just like them. No matter what school I went to this never happened. I felt trapped. How could I be awesome without their friendships? It went against every social concept I had. Acceptance through compliance is the key to “awesomality”, right? That 17 year old junior flopping across the art room would forever shatter that lie for me.

Rockstar lived unapologetically. He loved Jesus and liked Nirvana. He loved his momma and drove really fast. He pushed every social boundary he viewed as ridiculous. He kept the boundaries that kept him true to himself. He did and said what he saw fit. Some people loved him and some did not but he didn’t change himself to suit each situation. He was one of those people that regardless of if you loved him or hated him you wanted to know what he was up to doing. He was himself from the minute he was born. I had always felt a little “weirder” than others. Before Rockstar, I always tried really, really hard to get people to like me. Epic fail. Watching Rockstar day in and day out inspired me. It was like he was handing me a ticket to be myself. I had never met anyone similar to me before. The other “originals” I had met before were rebels without a cause. Rockstar had a cause.

My transformation to “Rockstardom” didn’t happen my freshman year. But the concept was engraved in my heart. I moved after that year. I went to a school where I just knew this was going fit in. The coolest of the cool were going to love me: THIS WAS IT. It wasn’t it. Actually my popularity at my new school seemed to be a record low. I didn’t make any friends at all until November. Then I made a few friends but something didn’t feel right. They were wonderful girls. They accepted me as I was but my heart still felt really unsettled. I felt like I was living half my life. I didn’t know what I wanted but I knew I hated I had. I hated feeling like I was still waiting for my ship to come in, waiting to be myself. Then one day I really started thinking about it. What did I want? I really didn’t want to be friends with the kids I thought would make all my dreams come true. They were not that interesting. I loved my friends but they were not resolving this problem either. I still felt trapped. If I didn’t want what I thought I wanted, WHAT DID I WANT? Who or what was going to bring me the peace in my heart? I was trying so hard but I couldn’t even tell you why any more. I wish I could tell you the next moment was the Holiest moment of my life. I wish I could report that utterances of the Holy Spirit came out of my mouth in that art room (see the trend here). They did not. I won’t repeat what I said but it can be loosely translated “forget this”. At that moment something broke in my life. Whatever was holding back the full extent of the Shala Peeples experience died that day.

Boom, just like that freedom came to me. I was free to be myself. I began to live unapologetically. I served my God but was honest about my shortcomings. I didn’t hide them. I didn’t beat myself up over them. I just put them on the “to do” list for Jesus and myself. They were part of me and my journey. I also didn’t pine after friendships I didn’t have. For the first time in my life I felt free. Others began to notice. I began making friends everywhere I went. By the end of that year my life had completely flipped. I had engaged in a one on one conversation with almost every person in my class. The days of waiting to see what life brought me were over. If I wanted something I went after it. It was amazing. I was able to bless others with a part of me that before I was saving for only God knows what reason.

Another gift from my short lived friendship with Rockstar was the nickname. From age 15 to present every time I do something embarrassing I can hear him say “total embarrassment”. It always helps me to remember to take the situation lightly. Embarrassing moments come and go but knowing and loving who you are and who God made you to be is permanent, just like that brown paint line Rockstar left on the school building with his truck.

August 2010, 14 years later, Rockstar and I communicated via Facebook. He seemed exactly the same the way I remembered him. He still loves Jesus. He still cherishes his family, which now includes a beautiful wife and an adorable mini-Rockstar. He still makes art. He still says and does what he see fit. He still lives unapologetically. What I found interesting about our conversation is that he seemed to view me in the same way I viewed him. He commented on our kindred spirits. I guess he could see the rockstar in me before I could see it in myself.

I knew I picked a good hero.

One of My First Loves

The one, the only, Strawberry Shortcake. This was the cake pan that started it all. I made this one for the Sunbeams' Valentine party in 2009. She was a huge hit with the girls.

More Things I Love

HAVING FUN WITH SARA


WE LOVE TO MAKE STUFF


I MADE A CAKE FOR HER BITHDAY AND SHE MADE ONE FOR MINE

It's Serious Thirty

About a year ago I was in a store. Over the sound system I heard a phrase that I mistook for "It's serious thirty". I thought the announcer was creating a play on words to acknowledge that it was time to get serious. I instantly fell in love with this phrase. I began using it all the time when composing and completing my agendas. I later discovered that the radio station that I was listening to was accessible on a satellite radio named Sirius. It was channel 30. However, Serious Thirty was locked in my brain for life.

Last night at church my pastor was speaking about a woman named Hannah in the Bible. He shared that she was really desperate to birth a child. She was so desperate that she was willing to give her child completely to God after he was born. She was serious. I began weeping. Luckily, I sit in the back of the church so I was able to ask a young woman who was headed to the rest room if she could bring back a tissue for me. As the tears were rolling down my face I began to mentally stack up the issues of desperation in my own life. By this time my pastor was clarifying the importance of Hannah's offspring. God needed Samuel to complete His plans. Samuel was not just a "show up for Sunday" follower of God. From birth Samuel's life was set aside for the purposes of God. He went on to do amazing things for God. These things not only changed the course of His life but the lives of every believer that has ever gleaned anything from his book. His book is located in the most Holy of all compositions, the Bible.

After church, I began to contemplate the common denominators in my life and Hannah's life. Desperation at the feet of God is the most significant on the list. Public humiliation ranked second. My next thought was the most important of all. Hannah did not back off of her pleading with God and her offspring(end result) was amazing. I imagine it was far more than she had planned for her infant. I really had not considered the possibility for my delays might be because I need a situation as specific as Samuel's birth. It was the right person, time, and place for God to do exactly what he wanted to do.
I have a situation in my life right now that I loathe. I want to run away from it and leave it to it's own demise. Well, that is not entirely true. Only the bitter and hurt part of my heart wants to do that. The other part wants to go to the throne of God and plead and plead and plead that my plans will be transformed until they are a perfect replica of God's blueprints for my life. Taking 2 Corinthians 10:5 into consideration I will take the thoughts of aborting the mission completely captive. And I will consider the inspiration of Hannah not backing down to fuel to keep my heart super charged.
It's time to get really serious about Matthew 6:10, "Your Kingdom come, YOUR WILL BE DONE". It's time to do what I have to do to sort out my plan, Satan's plans, and God's plans for my life. It's serious thirty.

The Pity Party Has Been Canceled For This Evening

An event took place in my day today that I hate. This situation has happened more than I would like to admit. One minute I'm fine, then as soon as the data enters my brain I am no longer fine and my heart begins beating twice as fast as the speed of sound. I hate it. Hate is a strong word but it is not strong enough. I wanted to cry. Correction, I did cry. The most pathetic of all noises came from my mouth. I can not describe this noise as a sound. I can only describe when I have heard it before. This noise can be heard when you demand that a three year old girl stop crying. If obedient, she will give full effort to silence herself. She will have little success and the product of her attempt will be a replica of my response.

It is my hearts desire to be walking on a path with God that I have never walked before. Today's event was like walking in on a trail only to see that I have made it to the same old tree that I have stopped at dozens of time. Then I began to remember the Isrealites. They walked in the desert for 40 years. I can tell you I don't want to be here 30 more years. I didn't know how to guide myself off of this path so I hit my knees and asked God to show me how to get off of the current trail and onto the path to the promised land. As I did this the same old thoughts were bringing their supplies for the grand pity parties that they are accousomed to hosting. Instead of welcoming them I began reflecting on the promises I made to God ten years ago. Ten years I would have had more hope in my Heavenly Father's plans for my life. I would have trusted that He knows what He is doing with me. God is not any less holy, honorable, kind, forgiving, or loving than He was ten years ago so today I refuse to respond to Him as anything less than the Highest regard.
I'm sure that the usual attendants of the Shala Peeples Pity Party were surprised at my reaction. Quite frankly, I was too but a lady's got to do what a lady's do.

Sometimes You Gotta Put Your Money Where Your Lipstick Belongs

When I was a little girl I used to get very angry at women who refused to go out in public without wearing make. I thought that concept was insane. I questioned, "Why would you let others have fun 'out there' while you stay in here hiding from the world?" I hoped I would never be one of those women.
For most of my life I stayed true to that mindset. It has only been in the past few years that make-up has become a part of my everyday life. Now, I love make-up. I must confess that the compliments and adoration I receive when I am all dolled up is the biggest reason I wear it. I love looking cute and I love people telling me I look cute. I love the response I get from cutie patooties. The only thing I love more in life than cuteness is God. I am in a stage in my life in which I am desperately trying to lift God above everything else in my life. I'm trying my hardest and my biggest opposition is proving to be me.
Last week I got an opportunity to "put [my] money where my mouth [was]". I was 20 minutes away from my church and I realized I had left my make-up at home. It takes me an hour and 15 minutes to get to my church in Shawnee so there is no turning back at that point. If you are a single Christian woman you already know the high level of panic happening here. If marital bliss has already caused you to forget past woes let me remind you. This is one time in my week that I might see cutie patooties that love the Lord.
My first thought is to stop and purchase all the beautification products I need. There was not even such much as a Walgreens to save me at this point. My second plan was not going to church but just going on to my mother's house. It was at this point that I remembered the promise I made to myself as a little girl. I could not have created a better way to show God and myself that I would keep that mindset. I walked right in that place like I was princess of the whole Kingdom of God. I felt like I had a chance to show God He was of most importance in my life. I actually couldn't stop smiling I was so proud of myself. And the inside, I knew God was smiling at my bare little face too.

Obsess Much?

There are a few inanimate objects that I am OBSESSED with adoring. Robots, of the 80's persuasion, are among them. Buttons, tea cups, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and wedges make the list as well. Since my favorite holiday, Valentines Day, is coming up I decided I would begin sharing pictures of the things I love with you.