Read today....

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in him!"
Philippians 4:4 (The Message)

"...I've learned by how to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little....Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."
Philippians 4:11,13 (The Message)

Read this post (you have to look at the pictures. I've been admiring them all day!) today. These verses jumped out at me. I dove into my little version of the Message that I've had borrowed from the library for the last few weeks. I sat and just soaked in the whole book of Philippians. It was one of those "oh, right. That's why I've been feeling so lousy" moments. Must keep priorities in check. Must focus on the most important Thing and leave the "things" to be forgotten. Must live in a way that He is overshadowing all the other thoughts in my head. Must "revel in Him" more. Revel! What a cool way of describing it! I can revel in so many things, but it's not very often that it's Him and Him alone and not the things I want Him to do.
Good lessons today. Off to enjoy our first thunderstorm of the year! Yummy smell of rain. Windows open. Enjoying Spring.

Sunday tree climbin'

Row houses in the city

strange mix

Have you ever taken a step back and looked at the things that interest you? The things that make your heart beat a little faster. The things that you can't wait to be involved with. Do you ever think about how very diverse and almost contradictory they are?
For instance.....

• I'm super excited for Battlestar Galactica's season finale tonight. Really, really excited. Space ships, Cylons, Caprica, Gaius Baltar, the Adama's, dead Starbuck. However, I am sitting at my desk getting ready to play with paint and glue and paper while listening to Joshua Radin's Winter and wiping away the tears from the episode of Scrubs I just finished watching that used that song at a tear filled moment. And my favorite books are Anne of Green Gables. Don't those things seem totally opposite?
  
• I hate reality TV. I can't stand Survivor, no that's too nice. I despise it! But I can sit in an airport for hours upon hours and watch people. It's so fascinating to me. Aren't those things similar?
  
• I don't like playing games and am not competitive. Yet, for 5 summers I was the program coordinator for a camp and was in charge of games and coming up with them and leading them and doing the 3 times a day for 8 weeks. I LOVED that job. The only reason, other than God saying time was up, that I quit was that I was mentally tapped.
  
• When I was growing up, I hated babysitting. The kids drove me crazy. I did it cause I needed the money and I was good with kids (yes, I was). I've worked in ministry with kids for almost all of my life. I LOVE that part of ministry. I love working at a camp with kids. LOVE it. There is nothing else in life that I would rather do right now. Yet, I still try to avoid babysitting like the plague. Of course all that changes when those little ones belong to my best friends. Then I can't get enough of them! I want to spend too much time with them. Doesn't that seem wacko?
  

It just makes me think about how very diverse some of my likes and dislikes are. Guess that makes me either well rounded or just plain crazy. ...... ..... ... I'm hoping for well rounded....

hmm...

Okay, so today I was clicking in on one of my daily blog fixes. I read a ton (as in 20 in my favorites and another who knows how many I click on as a link from one of those). I have 4 favorites that I *need* to read everyday (Ali, Tara, Gblog {password protected so I can't share}, Elsie...these women are constant sources of inspiration) or I feel like I'm missing out on something important. I love it! I've *met* so many new *friends* and learned SO much on so many different subjects. I have 3 different folders for my little bloggy friends and almost all of them fit into one of the 3. *CHINA* *PHOTOG* *SCRAP* Guess those 3 little words say a lot about where my interests lie. There are, of course, a couple that definitely don't fit into those categories, like my sister's, Zach Braff, Pam Beesley and Poppy Ink (which isn't technically a blog).
Anyway...I was reading Tara's post today. She added some new links on her blog. {{{I LovE it when people put links on their blogs. That's how I found 3 of my top 4 favs. I was looking on a China adoption blog one day almost 2 years ago when I found a link to Tara's site which lead me into the whole world of scrapbooking and paper crafts.}}} One of the links was this which was so cute and fun that I followed the other link on that page which lead me to this blog. Now, I'm obsessed! It's that undiagnosed OCD again...Please follow my link game one more time and read this post. I think I've re-read it about 10 times since this morning. I can't get it out of my head! I actually went to Whole Foods and bought a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Almond Soap. Mostly because it was cheap and my skin has been very unhappy as of late and I'm ready to try anything. I've tried a bazillion different type of soaps and cleansers and toners and lotions and acne creams. Now, the older I get, I see how much damage I've done thinking I needed something stronger and harsher to kill whatever was causing the problems. This little post made me think. This isn't the first time I've heard about all natural stuff. The organic food craze is HUGE here where I live. We have 2 of the big chains, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's within about 5 miles of each other. Plus a couple other little co-ops. It's a very trendy area full of people with lots of money. But I've never bought into it. That post, I'm tellin' you, just made me think. It's worth a try, right? Who knows how much cancer and disease is caused by the way we live today.
These are the thoughts rolling around in my little brain. I tend to over think something I find interesting. Over think = research and beat to death until I come to a conclusion I feel comfortable with.
What do you guys think? Is all the organic/natural stuff worth it's weight? And do any of you read good blogs? Any good links to share? I'm always ready for a new one to add to my favorites!!!

If I had cash to spend...

it would go here......at URBAN OUTFITTERS....

I would get this

And this

Ooo and this

Plus this (in blue)

And this is my favorite


Their catalog is a work of art. So many fun ideas and colors and mixtures. It like instant inspiration to create something.

This morning

wish I was in Vacouver BC.

My mom talked up this city before we left on our trip last September. There are so many really cool cities (Seattle, Annapolis, NYC, Boston, Paris) that I didn't see how this one could be so different or amazing. But oh, how she was right. I just fell in love with it. I miss Lion's Gate Bridge and Stanley Park and film crews everywhere!!

Have this CD on repeat.

Even if you don't love the show, this CD is incredible in it's own right. Number #13 has been on repeat for almost a half an hour now. It's just a beautiful piece of music with lovely violin melodies. They used it (#13) again on an episode this season and I literally stopped listening to the diologue and just listened to the music. Enchanting. Plus, Sunday is the season finale and it's been picked up for season 4! Glory hallelujah!

Thinking about these photos by Tara Whitney.

She inspires me. Her post today is just a taste of why she is so amazing. Everytime she posts a new photo, my eyes are glued to the screen. I would love to meet her one day and just watch her do a photo shoot.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm going to see HIM next weekend?!!!

Happy early birthday to me from my dear little sister and her hubby.

pass along

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning.

Ali's blog is always full of fun new ideas and creative tangents.

Here's today's entry.

It had a link to the cutest little B&B in Oregon. The Sylvia Beach Hotel.

There was also a link to a magazine article that explained the journals in each room.

I'm ready to jump on a plane and spend a couple days there. How about you?!!

just around the river bend

Come on summer!! After a few days of wonderful, warm weather (even though today is rainy and cold again), I'm so ready to be in the thick of summer again.

***photo edited in picnik. They have tons of new, super FUN, FREE features to play with.

Defining

This post from Elsie's blog has had me thinking. The question

"Can you name one moment in your life that has defined you? How/Why?"

I've been thinking about it for a couple days. There are 2 distinct ones that always stand out to me.

#1 A girl in my church gave me a scholarship to a college that I wasn't even considering. It wasn't even on my radar. After I got the scholarship (which wasn't huge, but significant), my parents made me go and try it out. It was a good school and not at all a bad choice, but I was terrified. I was so insecure and shy in school. REALLY shy. The thought of going to a place where I didn't know anyone and staying in a dorm room with girls I had never met made me want to throw up. But I went. I think that weekend changed the path that my life would take. I honestly don't think that I would be the person I am today without that weekend and the people I met. That place instantly felt like home. Isn't that the coolest feeling? A place you have never been, but you could swear that you were there last week. God was there waiting for me. I had a fantastic weekend and left after giving the girls I had stayed with a big hug and a huge thank you. Went home, filled out my application and prayed that I would get accepted even though I just knew that that was there I was supposed to be.
The next 4 years were some of my favorite in my entire life. I met my best friends. They helped me grow up, laugh and just become who I am today. I love them just like they were my sisters by blood. They are constantly in my thoughts and on my heart. You know who you are girls!
I found classes and professors that taught me more than just school learnin'. I did projects and learned to develop pictures in a dark room. I edited videos, studied musicals, tried to figure out life in Philosphy, dove into the Old Testement, did hours of praise and worship at Wednesday night campus church. I was exposed to amazing speakers and bands and pastors.
I became independent. Had my first apartment, paid rent, learned to conserve electricity and drove my blue Sunbird. I lived on a 20 hour a week job salary at J Crew's catalog store. I learned to manage my time and my time became valuable.
My graduation day was one of the proudest of my life. I couldn't stop smiling. It was like God was showing me in a slideshow in my mind all these blessings that I had been given over the past 4 years. That diploma, where ever it may be now, is so much more than academic achievement. It was like being recongnized for growing up. It represented all my memories and lessons in life learned.
But the best part, the absolute best part, was that I truly began to understand who God was. I was challenged in 100's of different ways to explore and learn and find out who God was. He became real to me. He wasn't just the God I had known growing up (and those years were important too to get me to the next level), but He was alive, next to me, loving me, guiding me. I was put in a place that constantly challenged me and made me want to grow. My friends were girls who wanted the same things. We had long discussion about life and scripture and who GOd was. It was like a drug that I couldn't get enough of, this constant search for God, and I when I left I thought I would never find it again. (how stupid was that?!! Like God is confined to that one place in this world. I never said I learned everything...) But knowing that I wanted to follow where God was leading, I had faith that there was more amazing things in life to come.

That place changed my life. I am the person I am today because of it. That little school in Lynchburg. Liberty University. It holds a dear place in my heart.

And there is a #2, but I'll save that for another time...

Caught my attention

Just a couple things that have been running through my head lately. Bits and pieces of things that I've found in the last few days.

#1 This book recommended by several of my gal pals. Really interesting. It's really hard for me to read non-fictions sometimes. It has to capture me in some way. This one did. Really enjoying it right now.

"Creation itself is a great work of art, and all works after it are echoes of the original." -quoted from what I read in it today.

#2 This book I picked it up at the library. After reading the Bible for years upon years, sometimes it feels so amazing to try a different version without my underlines and notes on the side. It's like re-discovering all the amazing things that God continually says to me in new ways. Example:

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen, When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." - Jeremiah 29:11-13

#3 This post from Elsie's blog. I couldn't stop looking at the pictures. And the question about a defining moment has had me thinking for a couple days now. Do any of you have a defining moment that really changed you?

#4 My journal. I can't stop writing. My thoughts have been pouring out by the 100's. It's been a life saver lately.

#5 "Patience is a hard discipline. It's not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not waiting passively until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to its fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand." Henri Nowen

This quote is so good for me, a girl who stuggles so often with patience on so many levels. Found it on another blog. The entry was about how a family was waiting for their daughter in China.

#6 Just talking to God. Where-ever. When-ever. Long conversations. Short ones. Words out loud. Thoughts. It just feels like He's getting ready to do something big and wants me to be ready. Exciting and terrifying at the same time.

My thoughts are always a million different directions. Different things catch me off guard at the weirdest times. Like finding a God-lesson in the middle of Harry Potter #6. Or the out-of-the-blue generosity of a friend reminding me how blessed I am to have the friends I have in my life. Just having my eyes open for new things is a fun lesson to learn over and over.

New tunes

Cool music I found last night....

Jeremy Larson My favorite is "Swim." It was on repeat last night for a while.

Have I mentioned how much I love Myspace Music!! Entire songs for free!

One on one

Two nights ago, God and I had the coolest talk. Ever had one of those? Where you just know that He's sitting there next to you listening intently. I was pouring my heart out and just being totally honest (so, so hard to do) with Him. It was amazing. This photo was taken just a couple minutes before the talk. Kinda looks like He was waiting for me, huh? Totally cool. Moments like that give me chills. Moments like that make everything else I worry about seem so stupid. Moments like that give me the kind of peace I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Love that this photo will always remind me of that talk.

last night...

The new camera...tweaked it in www.picnik.com but only a tiny bit. The sky really looked that amazing outside of my living room window last night!

Totally rad find...

I haven't been taking pictures with my new photgraphic wonder very much. It's just not at all inspiring to look outside and see trees with no leaves and brown dead grass. But the other day, I couldn't take being stuck inside anymore and the day was warm (at least for February). Found a totally fun place to take a picture! I'm dying to take one of a family or a group of friends sitting on these benches. Decided to try one of myself to see how it looked. This picture turned out really bad (still figuring out all those manual settings..). So I messed with it some and this what I came up with. I used a new program that is FREE to all!

The wonderful,Tara Whitney, to whom I bow in regards to anything having to do with photos, posted a link to this site on her cool blog. Want to make those pictures look better with just few clicks? Head on over and play.

www.picnik.com

It's one of the best free sites for manipulating your pictures that I've ever used!

Mmmmm.....

Went here today. Cool stuff to tell. So much inspiration. It was amazing. And wait till you see what I bought.....

Warning...girly movie alert...

Thank you, Jane Austen.....

For these two amazing stories....I watched them one right after the other tonight with a friend who had never seen them before (shocking, yes, I know!)

This one is my all time favorite. I think I know it by heart now, but still can't stop watching. It was when I fell in love with Kate Winslet's characters. Her Marianne performance in this is probably my favorite of hers, but then again it's tough to choose out of so many Oscar worthy ones.

And this one...just lovely. It doesn't get old either. It's still "new" to me since I haven't memorized it yet. We (my 2 gal pals who watched it with me tonight) were commenting on how Mr. Darcy becomes more adorable as the movie goes on. By the end, you just love him to pieces. Just talking about it makes me want to watch it again right now!

And yes, to all you English majors out there, I read Sense and am in the process of reading Pride. I never read either in high school. Pity! I am terribly behind in the normal classics that most kids read in high school. Been trying to rectify that in the last few years. These 2 books have quickly become some of my new favorites.

And this one has always been one of my all time favorite movies. Gwyneth is perfect. And if you don't just fall in love with Mr. Knightly...well, shame, shame on you!

Such great flicks. Great night of laying on the couch watching movies with the old English language and yummy British accents. Great, great, great.... My hat's off to you, Jane.

Surrender

The green eyed monster won. My tax returns were out of my pocket before I even got them. And every penny was worth it.....

Can't wait to practice with this baby. The Nikon D50 is mine after a long search.

Anyone need photos of their families? I'm dying to take some family shots!! Time to go visit Luke again.

Flashback

Have had these pictures sitting on top of my computer monitor for a couple days. Crazy how little we were.

This picture is so awsome! #1 I look like I have really long legs and am probably really tall (wouldn't that be nice!) #2 We used to have ice cream cones every night after dinner in the summertime. They had a name on them, so we would call each other that name until the cone was gone. Plus, we were allowed to ride our big wheels and roller racers (how awesome were those!) out on the concrete carport while eating at the same time. #3 I love how little and cute my brother looks with his two big sisters.

ice storm pics

Here are a couple shots from the ice storm last week. The last one is the day after. All the ice fell (cause of the horrible wind) and just stayed in these weird broken bottle shapes cause it was so cold. It would be fun and beautiful if it didn't mean no electricty and no heat as well...

creating

Here's some stuff that I've made lately. There's more, but I've been bad about taking pictures of everything.

A birthday card for a friend

My playing card art journal. I am loving this project. Find out more about it here.

Another card in the journal.

Finally, this is not my creation, but I am so enjoying using it while I'm using the paper and glue. It's a fantastic-o CD. Listen here.

This week has been a crazy one. We've had some nasty weather here in the Mid-Atlantic. Ice storms. Yuck, yuck. Power out. FREEZING COLD. My little cottage is cold when the heat is on (no insulation) and with no heat...let's just say I spent the day on my couch covered in 5 blankets reading Harry Potter #6. Dinner was grilled cheese and tomato soup cooked over a camping stove by a friend. Fun memories, but not so much fun to actually live through. Please, please come soon Spring! I'm really ready to be done with the cold weather!

Happy Thoughts

Of course this little guy is #1 right now!

#2 This picture that I keep on my desktop. It makes me stop and dream about standing on that beach at least once a day.

#3 This CD. Heard about it here. You have to listen to "oh, it is love." Can't get enough of these fun songs right now.

#4 The Weasley's. Harry. Hermione. Snape. 2nd read is just is as good as the first. CANNOT WAIT FOR THE LAST BOOK!!!

#5 Layouts galore. Inspiration is brewing. Her style is addictive.

#6 Jack Bauer. 2 hours last night. Edge of your seat fun.

#7 Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I'm not depressed about it. That's encouraging...

#8 Pictures in my hands and not on the screen. That's right. I printed out my photos!

#9 Tax returns...mmmm...here comes my new camera.....

#10 My little bloggity blog. It makes me so happy. And all of you that read it!

4 states away...

is just too far. Oh, my gosh! I love this kid!

Had to go back home today. Yes, I know it had been a whole week and work was calling, but man-o-man was it hard to walk out that door and give that little cheek one last kiss. I keep smelling my clothes hoping I can smell his baby smell. And hugging my sister goodbye was super hard this time (don't cry sissy-poo!). She has just become the most amazing mom since the very moment Luke was born. And not to ignore my brother-in-law (or Darth Vader as the kids call him)...he's pretty darn amazing too.

Seriously...babies are magic and any person that they touch seems to catch some of it.

How cold?

Still alive and kickin' on the frozen tundra. It has seriously been colder than cold here. The day Luke came home, it never reached above 7 or 8 degrees and it was windy which made it feel like -10. The past few days have been fridgid. I know I complain about it being cold at home, but nothing compares to this!

Luke is getting better and better each day (and yes, Steph, we called him Lukey from the first moment too! I think of you each time I say it.) He's such a sweet baby. He doesn't mind that we cover him in a million kisses every day and just stare at him for hours on end. We are just smitten! And I can't even begin to articulate how incredibly excited I am that he and his mommy and daddy with be with me all summer. That will make leaving on Friday so much easier.

Thanks everyone for the comments! Each one is so special.

and now...

without futher waiting, praying and hoping, I proudly present to you my dear, sweet little nephew, Luke Everett. Isn't he adorable?!!

He arrived at 7:52am on February 2nd. He's 6lbs 11in. A little bundle of huggable, yummy magic. You can see more pictures on his mommy's blog.

Don't know why...

but I adore this picture.

It's from the cruise in September. The fun story behind this photo. I got majorly seasick this night. It was fancy dress up night for dinner. When the bro and I sat down at the table with our fam and 2 other couples (don't you just love meeting your new "tablemates" on a cruise.) they looked at us and kinda stared for a second before saying, "well, you look a lot different!" (in a good way, of course. We aren't the dress-up type.) Then as dinner was served seasickness won and I had to leave the table. My brother was quite the gentleman and took me back to the cabin where I happily popped some medicine and then we went back out to enjoy the evening. We ended up going to all the stupid little photography set-ups that the ship sets up for you to have your pictures taken when you are dressed all fancy. We, on the other hand, took stupid pictures. Those (example...the bro with his eyes crossed and me smiling overly happy) were hanging up with all the other serious couples who were smiling their best.
This picture now hangs in my room and I still smile at it a couple times a day. I just love how dumb we both look.

surfin'....

the 'net tonight cause I don't feel so well. Found 2 things I can now not live without. Come on tax return....

Item #1 Photographic wonder because of images like this (click on Holga in the top left corner. I LOVE the palm tree shot!). Makes me want my own dark room even more.

Item #2 Elsie yumminess. I want the whole sha-bang. The papers are just begging to be used!

What fun things have you found today?!

New project

I've started a brand new, little project and am LOVING every minute of it. Will post pictures as soon as I remember to take them....

Here's the totally cool idea:

Emily's art journal (Thanks Emily! Such an amazing idea!)

Too cool

Updating my blog with the "new Blogger." New links on the right
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thinking

I've been pondering lots of big questions lately. Huge, life altering things. Brought about by a tragic event. Been thinking about life and why we are here on earth. Why God decides to "take" people when He does. What will my legacy be when I leave the earth? Do I live with an eternal perspecive? Do I put my time into other people and invest in their lives? Do I stand up for what I believe? Do I put my trust in earthly things when I know they won't be here forever?
So many questions. Again, I am reminded that I don't have to have the answers, I only have to trust the ONE who does. That's my comfort. He's my rock. Life is short. So short.

While my mind has been on these things, I came across this quote on another person's blog.

"Grand and mysterious things are in operation. We are not alone. My prayers are perhaps a single note in a symphony, but a necessary note, for I believe in the communion of saints. We need each other." -Elisabeth Elliot

While praying this week, I felt almost silly and useless and didn't understand why God would even want to listen. This quote and Bible study this week on Psalms 10 reminded me of this one important thing. God loves. LOVES. He invented it. He does it far beyond what I think I can understand. He loves to hear my prayers. He loves even more when they come from an honest heart who is searching for him. And that's exactly where I am right now.