A Million Miles In A Thousand Years

I am huge Donald Miller fan. Did you know that about me? Yep, I am.

He is coming out with a new book... here is the first 30 pages:

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller

I have just ordered my copy. Have you? I think you should! I also think you should follow his blog. Seriously, I feel smarter when I read his stuff; it makes me think but doesn't go over my head. What authors make you feel that way?

5 Things I Love Right Now

Saw this post and was inspired! So, what do I love right now?

1. (In)Courage. It has been just that for me... encouraging. It has also given me courage. If you haven't stopped by yet, you're missing out. What are you waiting for? Go! Now!

2. Reading the Bible. I am using this plan and I LOVE it! I have always wanted to read the Bible all the way through (never done it) and began searching for a plan that seemed feasible. God has honored my step of faith and is revealing things to me everyday as I read the passages. I think the thing I love the best about the plan is that it gives you an OT reading, a NT reading, a Psalm reading AND something from Proverbs. How perfect you know?

3. Productivity. I have been getting through the things I have been wanting to recently. It is great!

4. Laura and Rachel. Two amazing friends... blessed that they would call me friend. I love the support the offer me and am humbled that God allows me to walk with them through things.

5. Anticipation. This time of year is full of it! I love the countdown to things... 8 days until Maine; 74ish days until my birthday; then a trip to UM for THE game; then Thanksgiving (where I'll get to see our cottage!); then Christmas; then Disney World with the family! I mean -- lots of things to look forward to.

What about YOU? What are things you LOVE right now?

She-Woman!

I am pretty independent. I like being able to do things on my own. There is part of me that really likes it when I can fix something on my own, or when I put furniture together.

Three years ago when I moved down here (WHOA!), I put together our dining room table.

And this past weekend... I put together my desk! YEA! Want proof? Well, good... I took pictures!

The before and the after... not too shabby, huh?

1000 points to whoever can tell me what I did wrong on the finished project. Here is the box cover for reference:

Anyway, I am probably going to buy my new book shelf in the next couple of weeks. I'll also have to put that together -- but I am looking forward to it! :-)

Have you put anything together recently?

The Courage to be Me!

Wow -- such a timely article for me... and for where I am at. I'll try to process it more today and share with you sometime soon. But more than anything I wanted to share it with you all.

Hope it hits home for more people than just me!

Maine

We did it! Laura and I booked a trip to Maine over Labor Day Weekend.

Laura has always wanted to go and I am up for travelling almost anywhere. So, on Friday we booked our trip through Expedia. We're pretty pumped. :-)

We are going to Bar Harbor, Maine. We'll be staying for 4 days, 3 nights. We arrive on Saturday and come home on Tuesday. We don't have many "actual" plans -- more we want to go to Acadia National Park, go kayaking, maybe rent some bikes to ride around on, go the lighthouse. Really this is a weekend of relaxation.

Oh, and check out the cute place we are staying. :-) Be jealous.

Accountability Update #4

Here is what I have learned about myself: I can be productive on a Friday night. I can be productive on a Saturday at any time. I am absolutely incapable of being productive of a Sunday. There is just something about coming home after church that equals being lazy. I tried multiple times yesterday to do stuff -- and it didn't happen. Good thing I was productive the rest of the weekend.

Sorry for the boring update, but it has been helping me to have to keep track of it and tell blogland about it.

This past weekend, I:
- booked a trip to Maine!
- blogged TWICE!
- had roomie time w/ Rachel (& Laura, too!)
- put together my desk (wait for photos, they're coming)
- did ALL of my laundry (including the sheets... and I folded it and put it away)
- Ran my errands: Gas, Target, Lowe's Food
- planned Sunday School
- made Vocab Cards for GRE
- picked up my bathroom (now for a good scrub)
- church, ACTS Forum on Sunday night

What do I want to do this week?
- get computer from Nick. set up, finally!
- Finish Registrations from work
- Christy, clean out Inboxes
- Org photos
- begin to exercise regularly
- Study Schedule for GRE
- Finish Vocab Cards
- Make appts at Grad Schools (or at least research)
- Dentist Appt
- Scrub bathroom
- Coffee w/ Teal
- Dinner w/ Anna

Ok... here goes another week of being disciplined and focused! ;-)

What are you working on right now?

A Good Beach Read...

As we get closer to having a cottage (have you seen this post or this one?), my family and I are beginning to collect things for the cottage.

Mom is on Craig's List daily looking for good deals for furniture and for the kitchen.

Ross has said he is going to either buy the pool table for the basement... or the jet ski. Whichever, it will be good.

I have spoken up and said I'll provide the (used) library... and I am thinking of throwing in some games and such.

But, now I need your help. What books should be added to the library? As this place is meant to be for relaxation, I want some good beach reads. You know, where no thought is involved. Or little thought. I want a great "Cottage Reads" Library, for all ages! Here is what I have so far:

-Anne of Green Gables series
-Harry Potter series
-Dick Francis books (some of mom's favorites)
-plethora of Agatha Christie books

I want some standard pre-teen/teen books; I remember being at the cottage growing up and thinking "these are all adult books. what about me?" Here is what I am thinking for those:

-various Baby Sitters Club Books
-Judy Blume
-Ramona Quimby
-Twilight Series

And, because we want this to be a family cottage... how about these classics:

-Love You Forever
-Berenstain Bears
-Dr. Seuss

Now for games...

-Decks of Cards (notice the plural, you can't have enough)
-Uno
-Catchphrase
-Cranium

What am I missing? Feel free to add any ideas to any list. If there is a category you think I am missing, let me know.

Oh man... I am getting excited!

Dirty Dancing

There are movies, books, TV series, etc that define each generation. Is Dirty Dancing one of those movies for girls my age? I loved, LOVED this movie growing up. Now I watch it and think... what were my parents thinking letting me watch this? But of course I have no clue what was going on. I really liked the dance scene at the end.

What movies did you love as a kid?

And because we all love this scene (just admit it, you do!), here it is. Go and watch it for old times sake. ;-)

Accountablitity Update #3

It is the end of the week. How much have I gotten done? Not everything... but again, I made progress. Here is how the list shaped up this week:

• Jenn's Surprise B-day Party on Monday
• The Gathering on Wednesday
• Blogged everyday! Sometimes even TWICE!
• Updated work website
• Got both the mirror and the desk out of my car
• Put together the mirror!
• Worked almost 50 hours this week (and that is through lunch, people!) -- had productive days, too!
• Studied for the GRE on Wed & Thur
• Began to get stubborn about healthy eating again
• Set up dinner dates w/ Anna & Gail

So, not too bad, I guess. But not enough. Do you really care to know what I want to get done this weekend? Well, too bad! Here's the list:

• Put together desk!
• Get computer from Nick. Set up!
• Finish registrations for work.
• Email Interested Volunteers for work.
• Blog: Books for Cottage, maybe one more?
• Plan Sunday School
• Grocery Shopping. Target Shopping.
• Email Christy (oh boy, that one is overdue).
• Organize photos
• Begin 5k training (better get on that one, too).
• Study Schedule -- make
• GRE: finish Vocab cards, read Reading & Writing section of GRE book, con't working through math section.
• Research school programs: NC State & UNC this weekend
• Set up Dentist appt.
• Clean bathroom.
• Josh Wilson concert OR Annette's Birthday Party
• Roomie time w/ Rachel
• Book trip to Maine OR somewhere else for Labor Day!

Ok -- that is a LOT. I won't get to it all. But a girl can dream! You'll get an (unwanted) update on Monday!

Jenn and Josh meet North Carolina!

The best friend came to visit me!!! Do you know how much that excited me?!?!? Since I moved to North Carolina (July 2006), Jenn has been saying "I'm coming down!"


And it finally happened! Here is the week in review:


Aug 1: They arrive. I had to work. They entertained themselves w/ Angela Darket (who recently moved to Winston-Salem). I got home in time for dinner. We went to Mellow Mushroom (YUMMY!!!). I realized I left my computer at Campbell University (not good). We went for ice cream at Coldstone (YUMMY! again).


Aug 2: Church. Afternoon stroll around UNC's campus. Attempt to Shag Dance at TJ's (no one there...). Watch The Mummy 3 -- skip it. It isn't worth it.


Aug 3: Hanging Rock:

Aug 4-6: They head to the beach, because I had to be a real adult and work for a couple of days.


Aug 6: Coldplay!!!


Aug 7: Durham Day! We explored Duke's Campus, Duke Gardens and ate some good eastern NC bbq from Bullock's. We also watched Just Married and made ourselves spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

Aug 8: We had to say good-bye. But it was a week of fun!


Thanks for coming to see my life here in NC. It was so fun to have you here!

The Shack by William P. Young

I am old on getting this post up. I read this book last July (so 2008, people). I kept meaning to write a review... but I never got around to it. Why? Because it daunted me. So many people have so many opinions on this book...

Everything from:

"It's so awesome!!"

to:

"It's blasphemous!"

There are lots of articles and other blog posts on it. However, I have been meaning to give my opinion on it, so here it goes.

The story draws you in. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened. But mainly because I could see what was happening from about a mile away and wanted to know if I was right of if I was going to get fooled. It was predictable. It wasn't always what you expected (God as a woman...). Some statements I agreed with. Some I totally didn't. But, there are times I agree with a sermon at church and times when I don't. Isn't that normal?

Overall -- you can read the book. I personally would only recommend it to strong Christians who are looking for an easy read or to be challenged in what they think theologically. I wouldn't recommend it to new Christians or non Christians because I wouldn't want them to get confused or mislead or ... well, you get the picture.

And because it was such a hot button topic for a while... here are various posts and opinions on the book.

Post 1: Burnside Writer's Blog
Post 2: Ideas from Tim Challies

Post 3: Bryan Allain

But my final opinion on the book? It won't stand the test of time (Sorry William P. Young!). It is a passing fad and soon it will be some other book people are ranting and raving about.

Have you read it? What do you think?

Just bought the not-so-new Brad Paisley album. I really enjoy Brad because his songs are stories -- and often times are just what I need to hear. And many times, too cute when he is talking about his lovely wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley.


Here is the song I needed to hear:


No

On my fifth birthday, I got so upset,

About the brand new bike, that I didn't get.

I'd prayed my heart out, and it didn't seem fair,

I told my grandpa, I guess God doesn't care,

And he just smiled, and said my child,

Make no mistake, every prayer you pray,

gets answered, even though, sometimes, the answer is no.

Five years later, out behind the shed,

With a stolen pack of grandpa's cigarettes,

I struck a match, and held that first one to my lips,

And prayed to God please let me get away with this,

And through the smoke, I saw grandpa standing there.

Make no mistake, every prayer you pray,

gets answered, even though, sometimes, the answer is no.

When I think of all the answers in my life,

I would have to say,

There's no doubt it was always for the best,

When I didn't get my way.

Grandpa got older, like grandpas do,

His health was failing, and I guess I knew,

It'd be best if he was called on hold,

but selfishly I prayed that God would keep him hanging on,

And when he passed away, in my mind I heard him say.

Make no mistake, every prayer you pray,

gets answered, even though, sometimes, the answer is no.

Sometimes, the answer, is no.

There has been a lot recently that God has said "No," to -- but isn't that always for the best?

Jaye P-ology

I saw this on one of my friend's Facebook notes... I liked it, so I thought I would torture all of you with it. ;-)

*****Foodology*****
What is your salad dressing of choice?
Italian... sometimes I splurge and get ranch.

What is your favorite sit down restaurant?
hmmm... Kanki! Yummy! And it's a Japanese steak house. Who doesn't like to watch the chef cook it all up for you?

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Chick-fil-a... breakfast, lunch, and dinner for sure. I might be a balloon afterwards, but I could so do it.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
meat. any kind of meat.

What do you like to put on your toast?
Butter & Cinnamon Sugar OR peanut butter -- both are amazing.

*****Technology*****
How many televisions are in your house?
two, although only one is hooked up. The second is being donated to my parents cottage.

What color is your cell phone?
white and blue

Do you have an iPod?
YES! And I love, LOVE it.

*****Biology*****
Are your right or left-handed?
right. I can do almost nothing with my left hand. Even in typing my right hand does most of the work.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Do wisdom teeth count? How about an additional 4 adult teeth?

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
boxes yesterday at work -- we are handing out program packets and those suckers are HEAVY!

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Nope!

*****Bullology*****
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No. because I may seize what time I have left, but I think it would make me dread having to say good-bye to people here.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I have never wanted to change my name. I love being Jaye Patricia.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
No. 1,000,000? yes!

*****Favoritology******
Disclaimer: I am NOT good at favorites!

Season?
late spring -- warm enough to start enjoying summer activities like the beach, but still cool at night (I don't do oppressive heat)!

Holiday?
Christmas! Something great about the hope and excitement of what is coming (Jesus!); time with the family; and Christmas Day has a peace of its own that I love but can't put into words.

Day of the week?
Friday -- work week is done.... weekend is just beginning!

Month?
ummm... never thought about this before. April? May?

Christmas Song(s)?
All of them. Not that isn't true -- I hate, HATE "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney.

*****Currentology*****
Missing someone?
nope. not right now.

Mood?
Good -- day 6 in a row of good days! :-)

What are you listening to?
"Encourage My Heart Lord" playlist on my iPod-- Amazing Grace is on.

Current worry?
what does my future look like? will I go back to school? will I be able to afford it? will I ever be married? or am I called to singlehood?

*****Randomology*****
First place you went this morning?
bathroom. then to get my bible to read.

What's the last movie you saw?
Definitely, Maybe. Glad it had a happy ending. Still didn't like it -- didn't think it would actually happen that way.

*****Other-ology*****
How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
4, I think. 2 rainbows, 2 Old Navy.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
Summer of 2005. Since then I have been on my best speeding behavior (5-7 over, no more).

Last person you talked to?
I'm at work -- people are stopping by the office every five seconds.

Last person you hugged?
Jenn Lowther. It was her birthday on Monday. Gotta give the birthday girls a hug!

Do you always answer your phone?
nope. I screen phone calls!

If it's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
someone who put in the wrong number. and a dead person. don't text me at that time.

If you could change your eye color, what would it be?
I wouldn't. I really like my green/blue eyes.

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
I don't -- why ruin what you like?

Do you own a digital camera?
Heck yes.

Have you ever had a pet fish?
When we were little. They didn't last long. And they weren't as fun as the dog/cats. So we never replaced them.

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
a Wii. and a Wii Fit.

Can you do push ups?
nope.

Can you do the splits?
At one point in my life yes. not anymore.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
even now, in the valley -- excited. I like the adventure.

Do you have any saved texts?
yep. I do delete, though.

Have you ever been in a car accident?
Yes... only minor rear endings, thankfully!

Do you have an accent?
I don't think I do -- but yes. Everyone does! My southern one is becoming more pronounced now that I live in NC.

What is the last movie to make you cry?
Hmmm... good question. I don't know. I teared up at HP6. Catch and Release got me the other day, too.

Plans tonight?
The Gathering!

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Yes. In the midst of it right now.

What are three things you bought yesterday?
I only made one purchase all day... so does Wendy's hamburger, fries, and a drink count?

Have you ever been given roses?
By my daddy many times... and my boyfriend in HS was really good about putting them in my locker.

Met someone who changed your life?
Yep. Lots of good influences in my life, thankfully.

How will you bring in the New Year?
This year I'll be in Disney World with the family... so somewhere there.

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Yea. Again, the adventure... finding out the unknown.

Would you be a pirate?
probably not. don't like the idea of pillaging.

What songs do you sing in the shower?
whatever comes to my mind -- recently it has been praise songs.

Ever had someone sing to you?
nope. don't know if I would like it -- I might laugh.

Do you like to cuddle?
YES!

Have you help hands with anyone today?
Nope -- any takers? ;-)

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Jenn and Josh when they were visiting? I think that is right.

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
both.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
nope. and I really don't like orange juice.

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
I don't take teasing well -- and I think it shows. So most of my friends are respectful of that. BUT, the more I get to know you the more I can handle it. Mostly I get teased for saying stupid things.

The Cottage, Part II

It is still going up -- these pictures were taken about a week ago. Still having a hard time believing this happening!

Who wants to go with me when the cottage is complete? I'll be spending a week up there next summer if I can help it!

A Sad Good-bye

What was the first roller coaster you went on? Do you remember?

I do!

It was the Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. I remember being really excited that summer because I was finally able to ride the Big Bad Wolf. I also remember being terrified as I stood in line. My stomach was in knots. I could barely breath. But I wasn't going to back down. My brother was going to ride. Jessica and Kelly were going to ride. No way was I not going to.

And you know what? I survived!

I also took the boys I nannied for one summer on it for their first roller coaster ride. Aiden screamed bloody murder the whole time so it sounded like I was torturing him. But Riley, the youngest, he thought it was the best thing. He laughed. He wanted to ride again and again.

Want to know what it is like to ride it? Check out this video:






Now for the sad news.

According to this article, it is the Big Bad Wolf's last summer. It is going into retirement. It is a sad day indeed.

Here is to all the good memories! RIP Big Bad Wolf. It was never the fastest, or the tallest. It was never the scariest or the meanest. But it will always be my first conquered roller coaster.

High Cost of Friendship

Probably one of the best articles I have read in a while.

Makes me think about the high cost of friendship... and I decided that friendship, true friendship, is worth every penny, emotion, hurt, smile, laugh, minute.

Read it here.

Accountablity Update

So how productive was my weekend? Only semi - but I always overshoot anyway, right? Here is how I did:

• bought the desk (didn't put it together)
• bought cat food
• balanced checkbook
• made a rough "bare minimum" budget (so if I quit work, how much would I need to live)
• made Pigs in a Blanket AND pasta salad for the potluck
• went to the Potluck Dinner
• studied for the GRE - total 4 hours! :-)
• Building Together Banquet
• Keli's (coworkers) b-day party w/ Jenn; also watched Definitely, Maybe
• finished my planner/calendar for the year
• answered work email
• planned Sunday School lesson

There were things that got done, things that didn't even get close to being done, and things that I will now try to get done for the week. This week (before Friday), I want to get done:

• Get desk and mirror out of my car.
• Put together desk.
• Set up Over-the-door Mirror.
• Get computer from Nick. Set up.
• Finish Registrations for work.
• Update Website for work.
• Blog each day (26 things update, Jenn and Josh visit update, etc)
• Email Christy and clean out Personal Inbox.
• Organize Pictures. Choose what to Scrapbook next.
• Start training for 5K.
• Jenn's Surprise Bday Party.
• The Gathering on Wednesday.
• Come up with Study Schedule for GRE.
• Make appointment w/ schools to talk about application process for Grad programs.
• Study for GRE each day.
• Schedule dentist appointment.

I think that is it -- again, probably overshooting it a bit, but hey, at least I am trying? right? Sorry that these posts are boring. But it helps keep me keep my mind straight.

I'll post another, more interesting update later on today. Have a grand Monday!

Accountability

I need some accountability. I want to have one productive weekend. We'll see how that goes, but sometimes it helps to write it out. Want to help me? Just ask me on Monday what I got done... K?

Here's the list:

• Buy Desk. Put together Desk.
• Get Computer from Nick. Set Up.
• Make Pigs in a Blanket.
• Go to Potluck dinner on Friday
• Go to Building Together Banquet on Saturday.
• Go to Keli's Bday on Saturday
• Study for GRE. (total 4 hours)
• Finish registrations for work.
• Buy Cat Food.
• Blog (2 posts is my goal; hopefully an update on 26 Things).
• Email Christy, Jenn.
• Finish Calendar for Program Year.
• Plan Sunday School Lesson.
• Organize pictures (in the move they got everywhere).
• Try to Scrapbook one page.
• Start Couch to 5K program (go for a run!).

Ok, I think that is it. Some of them will be easier to do. Others will be harder. I just have to be disciplined (HA!) and do things while I am sitting. But I just like surfing the web (looking for who knows what) better.

What are you plans for the weekend?

Coldplay

Last Thursday I went to see Coldplay.

Talk about a fun show!

For the song "Yellow" they released these HUGE beach balls for the crowd to play with (in the seats and on the lawn).

For "Lovers in Japan" the blew confetti all over the place.

They went out to the seats and played two songs.

They went on the lawn (close to me!!) and played three songs.

PS. The first picture is more accurate to how close I was. I stole the second off of a friends Facebook page. ;-)

They covered Billie Jean.

They interacted with crowd and let us sing loud and proud.

They asked us to do a cellphone wave (pretty cool and cheesy, I have to admit).

It was fun concert. I could tell they loved performing, and I loved being there. Go see them in concert if you get the chance. It is totally worth it!

PS: I went to see it with these lovely people:

Couch Potato to 5k?

My mom has always tried getting me to exercise/work out more. I think that may be on her Top 5 things to do list.

Her most recent attempt?

To get me to run a 5K.

If you know me, you know I don't like to run. Hate it. Abhor it. Think that Satan invented it to torture me.

Yep, that sums it up.

But there has always been a small (albeit, very small) part of me that want to be a runner. Nope, not even kidding. What would it be like to run non stop for a whole mile? I can't even imagine as I have NEVER been able to!

My mom wants the whole family to come home on Oct 17th to run/walk a 5k together (for Race for the Cure). And I have been tossing around the idea of actually running it.

Am I crazy?

Here is the program I would use.

And... didn't I set one of my 26 goals before 26 to run a mile non stop? and wasn't another one to work out regularly?

Should I go for it?

Anxious

I woke up this morning very anxious.

It has been a pattern recently. I am good for a couple of days. Loving life, ok with where God has me. Then BAM! I wake up overwhelmed and not trusting God, not trusting His plan.

I'll never be out of debt.

I'll never be married.

I'll never be good at my job.

I'll never be a good friend.

I am not good enough. funny enough. pretty enough. smart enough. disciplined enough.

I think this is the valley and season God has me in right now. Just trusting Him and His plan. Clinging to His truth and His will for my life (even if I can't see it right now).

It was so encouraging to have God use this blog post to remind me of that.

We all have our struggles. But, "courage isn't natural; it's a choice. It is an act of obedience and trust."

Today I am making a choice. To be brave in uncertainty. To trust God when all I hear is Satan's lies. To know that God has His best (and my best) at heart. God is a good God; He is loving; He is faithful; He hasn't betrayed me yet and He won't ever. Because He is my God who is merciful. I am His and He is mine.

I am so glad I found (In)Courage, because it has been something I have needed all week long!

Seriously, (In)Courage

I am going to encourage you (again) to go and visit (In)Courage, the new website meant to be a safe space for women to share their lives.

Today's posts hit home. Don't even know if I can put it into words yet why.

Just want to share it with you. Go! Now! It is worth it!

It's Really Happening!

My favorite place on Earth is Little Sable Point, MI. It is about 30 minutes from Pentwater. And it is gorgeous.

It is right on Lake Michigan.

Surrounded by forest.

And there are sand dunes.

It is where I spent every summer of my childhood for a week. We got to stay up super late because the sun doesn't set until 9:30ish in West Michigan during the summer. We went horse back riding. We would climb the dunes. We would go for a dune buggy ride. We would build fires every night. We would fly kites, play bocche ball and crolf (yes, it is real). There was berry picking, bike rides to Cherry Point Market, and learning to drive on the back roads.

It doesn't get much better than a week a Little Sable Point, Michigan.

When I was in Middle School, Mom and Dad bought land up there. We have talked for YEARS about actually building on it. And it is finally, FINALLY happening! Want proof?

This is the first picture we have of the building going up.

OH MY GOSH! I squealed when I got the email from mom and dad. :-).

Next summer, I will be spending some time up there!

(In)Courage

I have found this awesome site. You need to check it out. As part of their launch, they want women to write about what has been encouraging them lately...

As you all have heard me say these last couple of entries -- this has been a hard summer. Actually, this has been a hard year. Ever since I turned 25, it has been one thing after another... and at this point, I don't know how much more a roller coaster I can take.

That being said, I want to take a moment to write about what has encouraged me recently... because despite being in a valley there have been moments where i could just feel God wiping away my tears.

Here it goes:

FRIENDS!

A couple of weeks ago, I was thisclose to tears at church. Then one of the newer girls in my Sunday School class leaned over and said (and not knowing how unloved I felt in that moment), "I know you are getting ready to move. I would be glad to cook you dinner sometime this week just to help take a load off of what you have to do. Let me know, ok?" In that moment I felt God also say, "I will take care of you. Trust me."

FRIENDS, again!

I am blessed by friendship. I won't go into details, but it is a struggle for me to believe that anyone really wants me around. Most of this can be traced back to some pretty bad/selfish friendships in middle and high school. However, God has given me friendships that I do not deserve since college and post grad. There is Jenn (who will forever be my carbon copy and consistently reminds me of truth); there is Christy (who no matter how long it takes me to email her back consistently loves me); there is Laura (who continually points me to Christ and has allowed tears to flow whenever I have needed it this summer); there is Rachel (who will hope for me when I can't hope anymore); there is Amanda (who will serve me and others even in her depths of despair, she loves unconditionally); there is Laurie (who loves people for their good and who loves me despite the time passed) there are also many more who I can't even begin to name. God loves me through these people... and I am thankful for that. During this valley each one of them has been used by God to just love on me.

MUSIC.

There have been more songs than I can name in the last two to three weeks that have literally touched me in the depths. There is a playlist that I have been listening to almost constantly and I called it "Encourage my heart, Lord." Here is just a snippet of the songs that have been put on there:

Come Ye Sinners
More Beautiful You, Jonny Diaz
You Know, Revive
Blessed Be, Jason Gray
Beautiful the Blood
In Christ Alone
Glorious Day, Jeff Johnson
I Will Not Stumble
Prince of Peace
Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners
Trading my Sorrows
Do Not Fear
I Rest, Skillet
Jesus, I am Resting
Meet with Me
Seek You first
Beautiful One
Marvelous Light
Mercy, Luke Williams
Joyful, Joyful
Amazing Grace
I Love You, Lord
Jesus Lead On

There have also been a couple of Coldplay songs (went to there concert on Thursday -- more on that later) that have been pretty awesome, too!:

Fix You
Till Kingdom Come
The Hardest Part
The Scientist

So, that is what has been encouraging me lately. What about you? Be (in)couraged today! I know that even this post has given me hope for a good day!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I love all things Harry Potter. I am just this side of obsessed -- I can honestly say that I never dressed up for a book and/or movie release. BUT, I have gone to midnight releases and showings... and I did go see the first Harry Potter movie for my 18th birthday party.

Yep. I am that awesome.

You should be jealous.

ANYWAY... I FINALLY got to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on Tuesday night. I know, for someone who loves HP so much how could I wait so long?

Well, life has been extremely busy folks.

At first I loved the movie. I was laughing out loud (who doesn't love awkward teenage romance interactions?). I thought it moved quickly. I didn't mind that they had to add a couple of scenes that were so NOT in the book; as a movie you sometimes have to adjust to make it work.

But towards the end I just couldn't love it. The most action packed part of the movie, the stuff that would have you on the edge of seat felt like it was jilted... like there wasn't enough to it. What happened to having to protect the castle? That battle scene would have been AWESOME! Not to mention -- a HUGE part of book 6 was Dumbledore mentoring Harry and walking him through the process of learning about Horcruxes. I felt like it was lacking in that. You learn so much that is important to the story (and to book 7) that you miss in this movie. I would say without all of that information, it makes the movie (and ultimately movie 7) very confusing. I would even venture to say too confusing to watch if you have never read the books.

Now, ordinarily I can separate a book form the movie and not compare. But for some reason I can't with this movie. And I think it is because you loose so much of what makes the story GOOD in this movie.

BUT, this is all just my opinion. So take it for what is worth.

And I still liked the movie. I'll probably still buy it. Because i do love all things Harry Potter.

Have you seen the movie? Did you like it? hate it? love it?

Good Things: July

It has been a hard couple of days and the last thing I want to do is look at my "good things" (yep, I am in one of THOSE moods, where I just want to pout). Especially since I have a feeling that my good things will center around a lot of what has made me feel like BLAH this past week (how is that for cryptic; I am working on an update post).

Anyway, here it goes:

1- The Gathering. It was one awesome sermon that night
2- AWESOME night at North Hills; fun times and laughter at Amanda's
3- Topsail Beach trip -- so much fun, good convo with people
4- quality time with Laura
5- dancing at TJ's was great, despite a very emotional afternoon
6- Mellow Mushroom! YUMMY!
7- one hard, but very good conversation with Laura and Rachel
8- really enjoyed my Try-It Troop; good convo w/ Laura
9- got a random pick up line ("just knew I had to dance with you") at North Hills and a phone number -- some one must have been HOT that night ;-)
10- got some packing done
11- Billy and Bethany's wedding :-); we signed our lease!
12- lots of packing fun w/ Rachel; had good convo with Meg and Amanda
13- Building Together, Boylan Bridge for dinner
14- not a great day... got a flat tire. But I came home to Laura and Rachel so that was good
15- one of those "I made it through the day" days
16- some dancing at North Hills... a whole lot more laughing at Amanda's
17- took a day off to begin THE MOVE
18- MOVING DAY! It went smoothly, I had a riding partner in the U-haul AND Brian made us dinner
19- went dancing... as always
20- took a day off... got settled, which felt GOOD
21- met Rachel's Jon :-)
22- ... I don't remember anything from this day. Is that sad?
23- dinner at the Nieman's. always a good time!
24- Tennessee, here I come! I needed to get out of town and this trip was perfect timing! we were able to surprise Jenn and Teal w/ Laurie and it was so encouraging to be around those girls. PS- Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Need I say more?
25- Tennessee: shopping and daiquiris!
26- hard night... just because I have made myself vulnerable. But it was a good night, too
27- Boylan Bridge again for dinner (YUM!)
28- got laundry done (yes, it was that exciting to do so!)
29- The Gathering... felt like people REALLY wanted to talk to me
30- dancing... an ok night... just felt excited (but for what, who knows)
31- Laura's Bday party -- dinner and roller skating. It was so much fun to go roller skating, too!

Yep, just as I thought. Amazing how much can change in a month. Again, I am sorry I am being cryptic. I'll try to process some of what I feel and will let you know what is going on at a later time.

It is nice to smile about all the good things, though! And even better -- it is good to remember that I have amazing friends who have and continue to give me unconditional support. I praise God for that!

Hope July was awesome for you all!

Stellan Update!

Want to see what God has done? Want to see how God answers prayers of those who storm the gates?

Click here! It is an update on Stellan and MckMamma! The family is doing really well!

Praise God!

Over It.

Life is rough right now.

I don't have the energy to explain it all.

But will you pray for me? Pray that I will trust God and His timing. Pray that I find my way back to contentment.

Thanks.