NAsty Syndrome

I've learned something new: If one plans to buy a train ticket, one should buy a train ticket when it first comes to mind rather than waiting a few days. Why? As days go by (approaching the desired departure date), the price of the tickets increase.

I purchased a round-trip train ticket today so that I will be able to travel home to see my parents (and friends, I suppose) over fall break. I've been planning to purchase the ticket for quite some time, but I just felt like it would be too premature to purchase the ticket before today. Additionally, I didn't want to invest so much money in a ticket in case I was able to snatch up a ride with another student. Needless to say, I did not find a ride that would work with my schedule, so I resorted back to the train ticket...a few days too late. Between Friday and today, the ticket had increased $18 (round-trip)! In all reality, it's no big deal...my parents are willing to cover the cost :) They're so sweet.

I've learned another something: Negative attitude syndrome is not good.

I have a tendency to have periodic outbursts of Negative Attitude Syndrome ("N.A.sty" Syndrome, as I like to call it). I was hit by one of these this morning during Sunday School. Over this past year, many of the things I've learned have led me to this new discovery. I used to accept my negative attitudes as part of who I was - my personality. This, however, was a lie that I used to subcontiously justify my attitude. You see, if I justified my attitude, I didn't have to own up to my wrong actions...I could simply blame them on a "conflict of personality" with whoever I had offended or hurt during the course of my NAsty Syndrome outbreak. Today, however, perhaps for the first time, I was able to catch myself in a negative attitude and identify it while I was experiencing it. Because I was able to identify it, I was able to allow God to change my heart...which allowed my negative attitude (which would have normally lasted all day...or perhaps a couple days) to be contained to a few minutes during the Sunday School period. Golly, I've still got a lot to learn. God is so good...and so faithful in teaching me new things.

What have you learned today?

-Melissa