Lately & Links

An awesome music video:



< <  ........................................  > >
And this is what happens when you type something out on a keyboard your fingers aren't used to:
Amd tjem tjere
s tje ever [p[i;ar
(supposed to say 'And then there is the ever popular...')

< < ........................................ > >
I find it awesome & highly ironic that The Office airs on the tv after my dad falls asleep with it on.
Especially since he doesn't like the show.
It's like the most awesome poetic justice ever.
......Take that Dad! You're still watching it : )

< < ........................................ > >
This lady is awesome!

Her book is so intriguing and captivating.

< < ........................................ > >
I'm itching to find a cheap plastic platter/plate to make one of these cute things!

from this lovely lady

< < ........................................ > >

My older sister is way into infomercials.

It's kind of her hobby.

It's her thing with my dad.

I like comics with my dad.

But she likes infomercials with my dad.

No joke, after eating dinner on my birthday, they sat around talking about their favorite infomercials.
We thought they were crazy.

Anyways, I was at her house the other day and she said, "Look! It's my first infomercial purchase! It's a spice rack! Look- it swivels."

Like it was a big accomplishment.
Like getting her first Kitchen Aid mixer or adopting her very own dog. (her 2 other big accomplishments : )
...Geez, she makes me smile.

.....And laugh.....constantly : )

< < ........................................ > >

Apparently when I play tennis or badminton, (which has been a lot in the past two weeks), I tend to kick up my back leg whenever I hit the ball/birdie.

Kind of like how Mia wants her foot to pop when she gets her first kiss in The Princess Diaries.I finally realized that's why my butt hurt so bad after the first time I played badminton with my twin.

So when I played tennis with my older sister and her roommate's brother, they both laughed and made fun of me every time I would kick up my back leg.
It was funny after awhile when we realized that I couldn't return a ball without popping my foot : )Kinda ri-dic-uh-lous!

(I watched this movie maybe 20 times after it came out. I liked it alot. Julie Andrews + a princess + a mustang + a cute boy? =any 7th graders' fantasy : )

< < ........................................ > >
My older sister makes lots of squawks that my Dad affectionately termed her 'chicken squawk' years ago.
She will squawk when she's startled (which is very often), surprised, happy, or frustrated by certain things.
It's pretty funny.

While playing tennis at a court in a park with a nearby enclosed pond area with geese and ducks, she squawked after hitting a ball.
And then a goose honked right back.
It was hilarious.
And awesome!

And when I told her what happened, she smiled really big : )

< < ........................................ > >

On Thursday night, my mom was flipping through the channels on our local-stations-only-tv.
And she found my korean soap opera tv show!
The show includes three characters who are in never-ending chef-type cooking competitions.
And on that night?
Well, they were competing over the best cow carcass?
(Like the kind you see in a meat packing plant...hanging from the ceiling.)
Needless to say, my mom and I were very confused.

And that is what is happening in my neck of the woods. How about you?

letters to God

Lately, this song has really been speaking to me because I've been journaling a lot.
After reading a passage from Psalms, I'll write my recent thoughts/fears/or prayers to God.
Kind of like writing an unending letter to God.

I started writing a lot.
More frequently and more pages.

And after awhile, I began to think,
"I really hope that I'm not just writing a lot of pretty looking words and nice sounding ideas.
I want these things that I write to actually mean something. To not just write good things that I think or like -that are void of any meaning or truth. To have good intentions, mean what I write, and actually follow through on and live out those good intentions."

And then I thought about that for a few days.

Whenever I heard Breaking Through, I remembered these thoughts and it quickly became my prayer.

Are these just some words that I say aloud?Breaking Through -Audrey Assad

Is this just the sun breaking through the clouds?

Oh, I know it's more and I know somehow that

Heaven is breaking through
And it's You

I am a blind man trying to find the way
A deaf man with my ear to the ground
Just listening for what You say

I've got no voice to sing the songs
Written by the prophets on the subway walls
The kingdom is a golden table and we are beggars all

Are these just some words that I say aloud?
Is this just the sun breaking through the clouds?
Oh, I know it's more and I know somehow that
Heaven is breaking through
And it's You, it's You, it's You, it's You, You

I've wandered deserts looking for a sign
A wild flower in a valley low
Just reaching for the light

I have no place to lay my head, no sanctuary of my own
The kingdom waits with open arms
For pilgrims headed home

Are these just some words that I say aloud?
Is this just the sun breaking through the clouds?
Oh, I know it's more and I know somehow that
Heaven is breaking through
And it's You

(I am a blind man trying to find the way)
I'm looking for
(I am a blind man trying to find the way)
Heaven is breaking, heaven is breaking
(I am a blind man trying to find the way)
Heaven is breaking through
And it's You, it's You, it's You, it's You, yeah
It's You, it's You, it's You, You

I am a blind man trying to find the way

a still small voice

Lately, the song "Restless" by Audrey Assad has really been speaking to me.

I haven't resonated with the overall message of the song as much as I usually do, rather I've resonated with a few specific lines.

You dwell in the songs that we are singing

Rising to the Heavens
Rising to Your heart
Our praises filling up the spaces
In between our frailty and everything You are
You are the keeper of my heart

And I'm restless
I’m restless
'Til I rest in You
(Oh God I wanna rest in You)

Oh speak now for my soul is listening
Say that You have saved me
Whisper in the dark
'Cause I know You’re more than my salvation
Without You I am hopeless
Tell me who You are
You are the keeper of my heart

Still my heart
Hold me close
Let me hear a still small voice
Let it grow
Let it rise
Into a shout
Into a cry

I am restless until I rest in You


I have felt restless for awhile now.
Quite a few loong months actually.

Lately I've been more consistent with reading my Bible in the morning.
And it's been good, but I've wanted to have a truly [q.u.i.e.t] time.

Where I'm quiet and God shows up.

Basically, because of everything I've been learning.

During my daily reading  through Psalms, I've seen the need to be still before God, wait patiently for Him, and put my trust in God. And a few months ago, the purpose behind the devotional Jesus Calling really spoke to me. More recently, I've been listening to Angry Conversations with God which has really spoken to me about my daily walk with God and the type of conversations I have with him.


....So, I've been restless.
And every time I hear "Let me hear a still small voice"

I feel that longing again.

I long to hear God's voice.
To clearly see his direction in my life.
To get past my immediate humanness and see others, their needs, goals, and dreams.

My prayer is to:

Be still before the LORD

and wait patiently for him...
Psalm 37:7

Sunday

This morning,

...I woke up without using my alarm.....such a good feeling!

...I played badminton with the seester at the tennis/volleyball court ..........(which feels super wimpy after playing tennis yesterday)

...and got super sweaty in the 100+ degree weather

...and then jumped in the nearby pool to cool off

...ate some yummy leftovers from last week

...and then a yummy quesadilla on the George Foreman via the seester

...showered, did a random assortment of things, and then headed off to church

...helped the seester with 2nd & 3rd graders at Kids Connection

...got a BRC burrito at El Pollo Loco

...went to 'the 7' (7pm church service) ............& was challenged, fed, and stretched

...went to Target for some un-fun essentials

...came home, ate some ice cream & watched the finale of Castle


Needless to say, it was a lovely day.
: )


And a Song for Sunday:

{The Altar}  -Nichole Nordeman

I'm at the end of myself,
I just dropped out of the running
I don't recall when I last pulled the shades and said
"here comes the sun, here comes the new day"
Someone remind me again that joy might show up on ocassion
I'm sitting here with my hands on my head, and my eyes on the ground, wondering if I'll be found by You

Will you make me new? Will you take what's left of me?
I guarantee that it won't be a fair trade.
Will you set me free from what's keeping me afraid?
I know I've prayed it all before, but I'm back on the altar

I don't believe what they say about one foot in front of the other
If my life was a map, you'd see every last step just circling around, still lost, never found by You

So will you make me new? Will you take what's left of me?
I guarantee that it won't be a fair trade.
Will you set me free from what's keeping me afraid?
I know I've prayed it all before, but I'm back on the altar

Maybe last year I'd have made empty promises
Maybe last month I'd have tried to pull strings
But I don't have one single chip left to bargain with
The only thing left is me needing You to make me new

Will you take what's left of me?
I guarantee that it won't be a fair trade
Will you set me free from what's keeping me afraid?
I know I've prayed it all before
But I'm back
On the altar

thoughts in captions

Here is a little prettyness on this Saturday!


LOVE this.





a song from 2007 : )

rescue -by Newsong



a little bokeh for ya

Happy Saturday!

friends & blessings

Resolve:

 Good friends are worth it.

That is just chalk full of truth!

Over the past few months I feel like I've been in a different season of friendship.

For a long time I struggled with not having a physical support system of friends.

Although I have many friends,
I mostly connected to them via facebook/texting/occasional brief chats at church.

-

all 'normal' modes of communication, but.....
-

it just wasn't face to face talking and one-on-one hanging out.

This was a rough time for me, especially with everything else going on in my life which I correlated to my need for further support.

I became pretty discouraged and frustrated from the {seeming} lack of effort from my friends.

I know, I know, I'm getting pretty close to whining/complaining.

Attempting honesty though.

For awhile, it felt like I was the one giving.

all.

the.

time.

In every. single. friendship.

It seemed like it was getting harder and harder to find someone every time I wanted or needed a friend.

And soon, it seemed more like work than friendship.

But then?

God completely blessed me by placing me on the other end, finally being the receiver!

I also had one friendship completely start up again out of the blue.

-

without pretty much any effort on my part.

Which was a huge blessing.

It was such a needed repreive.

A break.

A breath of fresh air.

A friend who wanted and needed me.

Without prompting by.

And not just for a few minutes, but much longer.

My friend Amanda and I have been kind of getting to know each other again over the past few months.

And it has been lovely.

As a true friend, she is truly a blessing from God.

The friendship, characteristics, and values that we share are just a few things that God has blessed us with.

Basically, we share the same neurotic tendencies.

--Like being people pleasers/harmonizers,

having sisters as best friends,

and worrying & stressing about the same things.--

Looking back now and reading through my journal over the past season of my life,
I can very clearly see my cries and petitions from God.

And now, I have seen, tasted, and experienced His answer.
I am certain he is good.
He most certainly does answer prayers.

Also, looking back over the past few months, I can see how God has blessed me.
He has give me many great moments.
Moments of friendship.
Days with joy. laughter. hugs. love.

And then I realized a few days later......

How often do I treat God like this?

How often do I put him on the giving end instead of the receiving end?

My answer: I'm still a work in progress.

I will daily be striving, working, and trying to put him first -not delighting in me from afar, waiting patiently until I turn to him to taste his goodness.

A verse that I'm choosing as my anthem for this lesson of God's goodness and delight:
Psalm 34:8
{Taste and see that the Lord is good:blessed is the man who trusts in him.}

So tell me,
 What is the verse for your current season of life?

I Can Do, List

When I'm at home, bored, & trying to use my time more wisely, here is the list I gave myself of things I can do.

Thus, my I can do, list:

. make birthday bookpage garland  .......done! Turned out great!
. make rachel's card
. crochet a yellow flower   .....postponed to a later date
.  & wrap gifts
. submit bill to dad
. read hospital volunteer handbook
. copy down quotes from Georgia On Her Mind 
.  & Shauna Niequist
. journal        .....done, but kind of ongoing : )
. listen to last week's sermon podcast
. finish draft blogs
. finish & update playlist to blog
. work on a header for Rachel's blog
. wash sheets    .....ongoing though
. iron UO skirt
. do the dishes  .....ongoing though
. chalk up round flowery frame
. paint my nails
. paint moms nails
. write a note-a-day  .....moved to be my goal for August
. clean off desk
. clean corners
. switch winter clothes to back of closet  .....done
. make one thing off of summer to-do     .....ongoing though
. weed out/delete e-mails   ......ongoing though
. write activities in planner  ......ongoing