General musings...

Italian dreamin'

2011-05-18T18:24:00.030-04:00

Ok so now for the Italian honeymoon post - I'll keep it relatively short and spare you allllll the details. =)

After the wedding, we stayed Saturday night at the Dr. Phillips House - one of the houses that make up the Courtyard at Lake Lucerne. It was great and our friends Brandi Michelle and Kirk had even left the wedding early to decorate the room for us which was a perfect addition to the evening. Sunday was SUCH a relaxing day after weeks of NON-stop activity leading up to the wedding, and it was the best decision we made to not book our flights to Italy until Monday morning. We slept in, went to Barnes and Nobles to buy books for the honeymoon, went to lunch at 903 Mills Market (a local Orlando fav spot) and then took a nap by the lake right by 903. We stayed that evening at the Airport Marriott just to be closer to the airport the next morning, which was also a great decision for the ease of Monday morning.

So Monday morning began our travel adventure that didn't end until Tuesday afternoon in Italy. We started with MCO-JFK-Paris CDG-transfer bus-Paris ORLY-Pisa. Then from the Pisa airport, we got on an airport train to the Pisa train station, where we caught a train into Vernazza, the city in the Cinque Terre where we were staying. We stayed the next few days at the Rose Camere Guest House with views of the main street from a private balcony. After checking in though, we didn't have the energy to do much else but eat dinner that night and then head to bed - we were so tired from all the travel!

For the next few days, we explored all the towns in the Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Some days we chose to hike between the towns, sometimes we took the train, and one time we took the ferry, which almost ended with us stranded in one of the other towns with no way to get back to Vernazza for the night! We ended up sprinting (with bags and purchases) about 3/4 of a mile back to Riomaggiore across the romantic Via Del Amore JUST in time to catch the last ferry of the day. We were quite the spectacle and so many of the locals just stared (stupid tourists, I'm sure they were thinking). This incident was only AFTER the time we almost missed the train and had to run across the platforms to make it.

We spent a LOT of time climbing stairs and hiking, as that is really what the whole area is made of. We ate lots of yummy pasta. Nick's favorite meal was probably the seafood pasta dish and we both loved the homemade pesto with fresh pasta. And the best dessert? Hands down: Tiramisu. We explored alleyways, took in beautiful views from clifftops, poked around old cemeteries, ate delicious gelato as many chances as possible and watched amazing sunsets every night. We felt that it was a perfect balance of relaxing and sleeping in mixed with good exploring, and nothing too touristy. We were so sad to leave on Saturday morning, but excited for our next adventure!

We took the train Saturday to Pisa, since we flew out from there early Sunday morning to go to Paris. I'd been to Pisa before, and seen all that it had to offer (which is really only the Leaning Tower...), but Nick hadn't so of course we poked around town a bit.

Then had a delicious Tuscan dinner complete with more homemade pasta before calling it a night at the Michele Guest House. We decided we are OK if we don't ever make it to Pisa again - it's kind of dirty feeling. Sunday morning, our host, Michele himself, made us an early breakfast and then drove us to the airport for no extra charge "because it was our honeymoon."

We flew into a rainy Paris, but embarked on a FULL day of sightseeing nonetheless. First stop: Hotel Lutetia.

With the help of Jetsetter.com and a "thumbs-up" from our friend Zac who used to live in Paris, we landed a pretty sweet deal on this luxury hotel in a great area of town. Walking distance to the Luxemburg Gardens, across the street from a metro station, and with beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower in the distance, this place was pretty awesome. When we checked in early, our room wasn't yet ready but they just decided to upgrade us to a Junior Suite on the next to last floor with views of the Eiffel Tower instead of making us wait. I'm pretty sure the note on our reservation about it being the last night of our honeymoon helped pull some strings. We set our stuff down in our awesome suite and explored the two closets, sitting room area, bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, and THREE balconies overlooking the Eiffel before heading out to see the city. I knew in advance that I loved Paris - I went there once in college. But Nick had never been and was skeptical based on some friends' reviews. I was determined to convince him of the awesomeness of the city, and I believe that Paris (I mean, really, the city speaks for itself) convinced him.

We only had about 6 hours, but in that time, we saw the Luxemburg Gardens, the Notre Dame, the outside of the Lourve, Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower (where we decided it was smart to climb MORE stairs because we are cheap??) and the Sacre Coeur. PACKED day, but worth it. After checking in, we went to our room twice during the day - once to change for dinner, and then again after dinner. The first time, we found a bottle of champagne, pastries and chocolates waiting for us on the coffee table. The next time, our bed was covered with robes in the shape of hearts and rose petals leading to the bathtub that they had filled for us. They really celebrated us well! It helped that we could enjoy all of their goodies while watching the lights of the Eiffel Tower off our balcony.

Monday morning, we woke up to the reality that we had to head home, leaving beautiful Europe behind. But, what an amazing trip it was! People talk about you honeymoon being great for all sorts of reasons, but for us, we really enjoyed not only exploring the location we chose to visit (when can we go back to Europe, please?!), but also just being on our very first vacation together - with no one else there, nothing specific that we HAD to do, no set plans, no responsibilities, and absolutely no email, phone calls, or any other form of communication with the "outside" world. Sweet bliss.

We get to go on honeymoons yearly, right?!?

Married.

2011-05-04T09:24:00.001-04:00

The past few months have been a WHIRLWIND and I am finally taking a few minutes to record some of it here on my neglected blog.

My last post was about all the change that was coming in my life, and I can say now that I have been through the change, am living in change, and still have more change to come, I am sure.

Since so much has happened in the past month, I’m breaking my blogging into chunks, and so today…. WEDDING!

I’m married. Still a little weird, but great. March 26, 2011 is a day I will NEVER forget. Seriously, you spend all this time planning and putting creative energy into making your wedding day exactly what you want it to be, and then the day when you see it all come together is just so memorable, for multiple reasons. Since Nick and I’s wedding was very do-it-yourself, we spent what felt like a TON of creative energy and TIME on making the day our own. We had non-stop projects, from wine bottle vases AND refill pitchers, tin can lanterns and vases, photo window frames, wooden signs, yard games, etc. Really, the projects seemed never ending, but they were fun. Most of them… Nick might not say that about the poking of star-shaped holes into 80+ cans. =) But at any rate, we loved seeing how it all came together. We loved every minute of our wedding day. We loved having so many there to celebrate with us, the great amount of friends we had willing to lend a helping hand, the beautiful weather, the amazing venue (and the couple who owned it!), the food, the flowers, the time with friends and family the week before, our photographer(s), the ceremony, Uncle John’s message, the music, the reception, and the list could go on. Everyone says you won’t remember your wedding day and that your morning will be rushed, and all that, but honestly, I felt pretty relaxed most of the day, and I remember so much about the day! I don’t feel it was a blur, and I’m really grateful for that.

Above any of the details I mentioned above, the defining moment of the day was when I finally saw Nick at the end of the aisle (and I won the bet we had because he cried when he saw me), and I knew that I was about to marry him. Forever. I think we made almost everyone in the crowd cry throughout our ceremony (ourselves included), but we were so touched by that (you can click here to see our photographer’s post on how much she cried: http://ktcrabbphotography.com/blog/?p=315). We just pray that our ceremony was what we wanted it to be – a picture of Christ in every way possible. And we pray that those who were there who don’t have a relationship with Jesus would have seen him glorified far more than any of those lovely little details of the day that still did make us so happy.

I’ll try to continue blogging the next few days and weeks about all the other big things (honeymoon, packing, moving, Colorado, etc.), but in the meantime, why don’t you go check out some of our amazing photographer’s photos from the wedding?

http://ktcrabbphotography.com/blog/?p=351 and http://ktcrabbphotography.com/blog/?p=387.

A change will do you good...

2011-02-11T10:51:00.003-05:00

I'm really hoping the lyrics of Sheryl Crow's song prove true, because it would seem that this year is destined to be the year of CHANGE for Nick and I.

Apparently we aren't satisfied with the change that marriage is going to offer...because we've decided to tack on the huge change of MOVING across the country in the same month. Yep, it's true. We are moving to Colorado. Nick has been offered a job opportunity with Wycliffe in Colorado that we are really excited about. Though we aren't sure exactly where yet, we'll either be Denver, Fort Collins, or somewhere in between. And everyone says that the Denver area is GREAT, so you should all begin planning your next vacation there.

So really, this all just means a lot of change in a short amount of time. Wedding on March 26 (that's 43 days - wow!), return from honeymoon on April 4, and start driving (if you were curious, it is in fact THIRTY hours of driving) to Colorado on April 21. Talk about a whirlwind!

We are definitely excited, but the reality is also beginning to set in. The wedding planning has kept it at bay some, and we are yet to see if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully I don't become a basket case as soon as the wedding high ends.

We both know that it will be a harder move on me than on Nick, if for no other reason that this has been my home for so long, and only his home for 2 years. I have invested so much time into friendships here that I can't even imagine leaving and starting over. This was my first foray into life on my own. I have never been 30 hours from my family. I don't know how to bake at high altitudes! I might die trying to run at an elevation of 5,280 feet! But, even with all the things I could worry about, I can't think of someone I'd rather follow thirty hours from home, and we are excited to start a new adventure together. Plus, Nick has been dying to get out to the mountains and out of the Florida heat for as long as I've known him, so really, it's a perfect fit.

So, here's to a couple months of CRAZY, a whole lot of change, and cold weather, which will be a totally new concept for this Florida girl!

An overdue announcement

2010-12-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

So, the way overdue announcement is that I'm engaged, but I assume any of you reading this probably already know that. And actually, at this point, Nick and I have been engaged almost 3 full months, and we only have three more to go before our wedding on March 26, 2011! BUT, I meant to post the story of how Nick actually proposed on the blog here and I kept forgetting. Well, actually, clearly I forgot to post a lot of things on here since my last post was about the SUMMER. Oops.

So, without further ado, here is our engagement story:

Nick had gone home for a couple of weeks in September, and so on Monday evening, September 27, I was supposed to be joining him for a Wolverton family vacation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We were scheduled to have a day together on Tuesday before joining up with the fam that evening in the U.P., though I didn't know the "mystery"plans for the day. After hours of delayed flights on Monday evening, I finally got into Flint, MI at 2am (almost had to be delayed until the next day, which would have caused Nick GREAT problems) EARLY Tuesday morning. By 8:45am though, Nick and I were on the road to our “mystery” date that he had planned to celebrate our one year anniversary (just a little bit late). By the time I finally knew where we were going, we were buying our tickets to the Mackinac Island ferry in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We rode the 1:30pm ferry to the island and since there are no motor vehicles on the island, we promptly rented a tandem bike to ride together to explore.

After one full 8 mile loop of the island, we bought some fudge and then headed back to this certain spot that Nick really wanted to re-visit. It was some large rocks all along the shoreline of the lake in a spot that also had some beach area. Out of his rather full backpack (which I had questioned him about multiple times all day), he pulled a blanket, and spread it out on one of the flat rocks.

Once we got situated, he pulled out a present he said he had made me for our one year anniversary. I untied the ribbon from the box to find three separate pieces inside – labeled Part 1, 2, and 3.

Part 1 was for the past. It was a mostly empty mason jar of mustard seeds and in the attached note he spoke of how he had placed a mustard seed in it for every day that we had been dating (377). He also had written out two scriptures (Matt 13:31-32, Matt 17:20) about the concept of faith as big as a mustard seed.

Part 2 was for the present. It was a small hand towel. In the attached note, he spoke of sacrifice and service and the parallel of how a husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church. He then shared John 13:4-5, 14-17 and wrote that he wanted to love and serve me daily. He then pulled a bowl out of his backpack, filled it with water from the lake, added some hot water from a thermos he’d brought along, and washed my feet while talking about servanthood and how he wants to love me in that way daily.

Part 3 (a) was for the future, and the note was tied around a full jar of mustard seeds. His note talked about 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 and how love was all we needed. Then he said that since he hadn’t put the mustard seed in the jar yet for that day, he’d like us to do that together. Before we could pack everything up, he said that there was still a 3b section, and proceeded to fish in the mustard seed jar until he pulled on a little tab of paper that was tied to my RING. Then he got on one knee (kinda… we were on a rock and I was sitting) and asked me to marry him. Duh, I said yes! Then he sealed it with a kiss, which was monumental since that was the first time he had ever kissed me. Then we went to dinner at the Woods, a cute little Bavarian style wilderness lodge that had really yummy food. After dinner, we took a horse drawn carriage back to the ferry dock to catch the last ferry off the island.

When we got back to the car, I thought all surprises were over until I found in my seat a huge pile of letters from all of our closest friends and family. Because so much of Nick and I’s budding friendship had been through emails, we began to jokingly refer to each other as pen pals, so he thought letters were suited well to our relationship, and asked a lot of people to send letters to us so we could read them together. Perfect ending to a perfect day.

Even better was the fact that we then went on to spend about 4 uninteruppted days in the U.P. with NO cell phone service and barely any internet. Made it hard to fill people in on the big news, but kinda nice to be forced off the radar. That week, one of my "assignments" was to write this story down (this version and a longer version, which I've spared you from) so we would have it to keep for years to come. And to share with lovely people like you.

So that's that. We are in the thick of wedding plans, though currently, there is a bit of a lull which is nice for the holidays. I am loving it. We are getting married on March 26 in Titusville, Florida. From there, who knows... =)

Summer has arrived!

2010-06-07T16:28:00.011-04:00

This weekend was filled with Robin Hood, throwing a bridal shower for Kimberly (roomie picture to the left), two birthday parties - one for Mom/Dad and one for Jaclyn, church, introducing Ni and Zhenkai to pancakes and a few other things thrown in (a couple of good workouts, sleep, cleaning, etc). And I know that THIS weekend is over, but when a friend asked me what I did LAST weekend, her response was, "That sounds like the ultimate summer weekend!" I hadn't really thought about it, but it's kinda true!

What do you think? Here's the run-down of last weekend:

Clearwater Beach condo with 12 girlfriends Friday evening and all day Saturday (I mean, we can take out the part where I got super dehydrated and kinda blacked out and ran into a table...)
Outdoor concert/festival Saturday evening with the girls featuring Lonestar and Martina McBride in St. Pete right on the water

2 hour road trip home with lots of sing along music, Jaclyn, and Brandi Michelle

Sunday evening was the book-end, spent grilling up a FANTASTIC meal with Nick, David and Laura

And by a fantastic meal, I mean a FANTASTIC meal.
Goat cheese turkey burgers with an apricot glaze from my new favorite blog find, Iowa Girl Eats
Grilled sweet potatoes with lime and cilantro
Grilled corn on the cob with garlic butter, lime and cheese
And, for dessert, grilled fruit with nutella and marscapone topping

What a summer weekend! What about yours? Are you enjoying the summer weather?

Memorial Day weekend in Texas

2010-06-03T15:16:00.010-04:00

After just seeing the MAXI ladies for a weekend at Lake Oconee in early April (picture to the left - oops, never blogged about that), I got to visit Texas for Memorial Day weekend and see a couple of them again! I wanted to take Nick and introduce him not only to the great friends I have in Longview, but also to the great state that I love so much. The weekend was full of tours of LeTourneau, cruising Longview, cuddling with Emily, back scratches with Lolly, playing games, eating at my favorite restaurants, enjoying the backroads of Texas, LAUGHTER, spending time on the lake, and more. Clearly, it was a GREAT weekend.

We started out by spending some time with Crystal and Kenny around Dallas. We went to Central Market (YUM! Free samples!) and Half Price Books. I've decided that Florida should get those stores.

Emily and Lauren got there to pick us up and we joined Benny, Andy, and Tim at Campania Pizza, which was delicious. Topped it off with a *free* cupcake from Dimples - yum yum. Plus, who doesn't love free?? What was not so pleasant was the 2 hour drive back to Longview that became a 3.5 hour drive because of a wreck, and caused us to get home at 2:30am.

Saturday morning was not the time for slowing down though, so by 8:45, Nick and I were at Chad and Sherene's to spend time with that sweet sweet family that I love so much. Then we went STRAIGHT to cook out with Brenda, Robert, Ryan and Samantha. I love the back woods of Texas, and Robert lives a BIT out of town. Good to reunite with my bookstore family, too.

We might have been exhausted, but then we went to spend time with Em, Ben, Lolly and Kyle (and Boo stopped by too) for the rest of the afternoon/evening. Longview Bingo Hall was probably a bit annoyed by how loud we were, but we had a great time laughing at the things that go on at the Bingo Hall on Saturday night. Oh the fun to be had in Longview...endless possibilities.

Sunday morning, we headed to Macedonia Baptist for my first visit since graduating college, I think! It was good to walk in and still feel at home and as if I know so many people still there. Then, lunch at Papacita's (of course) before heading out to Caddo Lake for kayaking/canoeing and grilling out with Lolly, Em, Ben, Chase, Jason, Natalie and Jamin. So relaxing and beautiful outside. We took it easy that evening, playing games at the apartment.

Benny cooked breakfast on Monday morning, and then we just hung around until time to meet with Lolly and her parents for lunch at Bodacious before heading to Dallas to catch our flight.

It was sooo good to see everyone again, athough it is always a little hard to leave them all behind everytime I have to fly back to Florida. I know that was a season of life, and I'm totally happy in my current season too, but sometimes I just wish the two could coincide more often. I guess I just have to learn to enjoy what times that I do get to make the two intersect, and Memorial Day weekend was a perfect little getaway.

Until next time, Longview!

Filipino cooking

2010-05-27T09:55:00.006-04:00

I made time to do some ethnic cooking this weekend, and was NOT disappointed. My lovely roommate, Kimberly, got me a pressure cooker for my birthday in March. I have used it to make some delicious parmesan risotto a few weeks back, and decided to bust it out again Sunday afternoon to cook lunch for Nick, Bekah, Nick and I. I chose to cook up some Chicken Adobo, a Filipino dish that is also popular in Spain, Latin America and other Asian Pacific places. Accompanied by simple jasmine rice and broccoli, this dish was delish! We all cleaned our plates.

Here's the recipe:

8 or 9 chicken thighs (I used skinless bone-in thighs, simply because I couldn’t find any without the bone, but we de-boned them before cooking. I would HIGHLY recommend boneless thighs if you can find them, but I wouldn’t substitute chicken breasts because the dark meat of the thighs works with the dish much better)
2 cups water
2 cups low sodium soy sauce (WOW, you MUST use the low sodium or you might experience salt overload)
1 large onion (cut into rings)
8 garlic cloves (chopped up)
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon olive oil

In pressure cooker, combine water, soy sauce, onion, garlic, bay leaves, sherry wine, black pepper and molasses. Place cooker over medium high heat with lid off so the liquid can start to heat up.

In a separate pan, heat olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Once browned, add directly to the liquid in the pressure cooker. Stir a bit to get the chicken thighs down into the liquid.

Place lid on pressure cooker and bring heat up to high. Once the pressure cooker valve starts whistling and rocking around, drop the heat to medium high and set the timer for 25 minutes.

Use this time to cook some jasmine rice. Make as much as you like and simply follow the directions on the bag. When the rice is done, remove it from the burner so the bottom doesn't burn and get hard.

Once the 25 minutes are up, remove the pressure cooker from the heat and run cold water over it to release the pressure and open the cooker. Remove the bay leaves. Serve chicken and sauce over jasmine rice.

Yum-o!

Mother's Day, a little late

2010-05-17T21:21:00.009-04:00

Mother's Day was a little bit ago, I know. BUT, I am consistent in being an inconsistent blogger. That's just how it is, I suppose.

Anyways, I decided to cook my mom lunch for mother's day, and must say that the recipes turned out to be a GREAT mix together.

I tried a new chicken dish, which I also did for a wedding shower I helped host Saturday night of this past weekend, though it was slightly adjusted for the wedding shower. Basically, I took this recipe and adjusted it a bit. Instead of goat cheese, I used cream cheese - partially because I couldn't find the goat cheese at the grocery store where I was and I refused to go to another, but also because in planning to use the recipe again to feed 25+ people at a shower, I thought a trial run with the *cheaper* cream cheese wouldn't be a bad idea. Also, for the shower, I used basil pesto because I didn't have the sun dried tomato pesto on Saturday. And it turned out fine, though the red color of the sun dried tomato looked a little better than the bright green basil pesto in the chicken. =)

So next, I made these sweet potatoes. YUM with the maple syrup. Perfect addition to the chicken. I found that they didn't need a whole lot of half/half or milk, but did add a VERY small amount of milk at the end.

To add some green to the plate - didn't your mom teach you that? - I made this asparagus recipe, and wow, it was one of my favorite ways I've eaten asparagus. I'd be interested to see what it would taste like steamed first, then skillet-ed in a LOT LESS oil/butter to be a little healthier. But it was definitely tasty just following the recipe.

For dessert (the most important part, of course), I made a flourless chocolate cake, which happened to be from my Healthy Cooking magazine. So it's healthy(er) and that makes me happy.

So, if you were trying to think of a plan for a slightly "nicer" dinner, this is a good one, and it isn't too very difficult. Including making a dessert and cooking time for everything, it was about 2 hours from the time that I started to when we were sitting down on to eat. And for the record - I think mom liked it. =)

Here's the recipe for the chicken typed out, since I adapted that recipe just a little:
Baked Chicken Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Basil, and CREAM Cheese
(6 servings)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup 100% whole wheat pastry flour
3 eggs, beaten well
2/3 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
6 oz. cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
6 oz. Sun-dried tomato pesto
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped (I didn't worry about chopping this extremely fine, and didn't really measure it - I just bought one package and used all of it)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts. Put chicken breasts, one at a time, inside a heavy plastic plastic freezer bag and pound with meat mallet or other heavy object until 1/4 inch thick.

Put pesto, cream cheese, and chopped basil in food processor and buzz a few times until mixture is combined but not completely blended. Spread 1/6 of pesto/basil/cheese mixture on each chicken breast. Roll up chicken, starting with smallest end, tucking in loose pieces and securing with two toothpicks. (Note: this part was pretty messy for me, as the mixture kept oozing out the sides. I adjusted how I was doing it as I went along, putting a little less on the chicken, or trying to keep it in the middle of the meat, but it was still messy enough.)

Put flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs combined with parmesan cheese into three separate flat dishes. Roll each chicken breast, first in flour, then in egg, then in bread crumb/parmesan mixture. (Another note: this doesn't "roll" quite as easy as it sounds necessarily, but the crunchy addition of the chicken baked with the parm/bread mixture is worth it. Sometimes I put fresh whole wheat bread in my food processor and make my own fine bread crumbs and that works great.)

Spray glass casserole dish with nonstick spray and arrange chicken so pieces are not touching. Bake at 350 F for about 50-60 minutes, or until chicken is slightly browned and firm, but not hard to the touch. I recommend you start checking it after 40 minutes, and remove from oven as soon as the chicken feels firm and is slightly browned.

ENJOY!

Red beans and rice... caribbean style

2010-05-05T15:39:00.004-04:00

I was really craving red beans and rice the other day... odd.

So I decided to make a bunch to have for lunches this week (I am cheap and rarely eat lunches out). I found a recipe for Caribbean red beans and brown rice on the Mayo Clinic's recipe list. I actually find their recipes to be pretty good, and they are always healthier, which I love, so I was excited they had just what I was looking for.

This is the real deal recipe, using dried beans soaked overnight, not the canned stuff. Sometimes I cheat on that step, but not this time around, and I like the outcome! They did suggest using various varieties of brown rice for a more "dirty rice" feel, but I didn't do follow that little instruction.

My only hesitation on the recipe is the addition of the allspice and cloves. They are a little overpowering in flavor, so in the future, I would not include as much of them - possibly cutting the measurements from a 1/2 tsp to an 1/8 tsp of each.

Other than that - super tasty - if you like red beans and rice. Enjoy!

Caribbean Red Beans and Brown Rice (Mayo clinic)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried small red or kidney beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
6 1/2 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups assorted brown rices, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock or broth
1 tomato, cored and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

Directions

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the beans, 4 cups of the water and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaves.

While the beans are cooking, combine the rices, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; saute until the vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the allspice, cloves, cayenne, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cooked beans, the vegetable stock, tomato, thyme and hot-pepper sauce. Cook until the vegetable mixture is heated through, 6 to 8 minutes. Divide the rice among warmed individual bowls. Top each serving with beans and sprinkle with the cilantro.

A new direction

2010-04-27T07:34:00.003-04:00

I have realized I am really horrible about blogging about my normal, everyday life. Perhaps this is because I don't feel that I have anything to report, or really, it is probably much more likely that the things that I do have to report are on a more personal nature, and I'm not sure the whole blogosphere (I think I have always wanted to use that word in a sentence) needs to know.

Either way, I have decided that the one thing I can blog about and enjoy immensely, is cooking and baking. So, the format of the blog may change slightly to mostly report of the food I've been cooking, the sweet treats I've been baking, then the recipes (good and bad) that I can then report on. I have so many friends who request this sort of information from my constantly, so I've decided to give in. Also, a while back, Nick and I decided to cook ethnically (trying new and exciting recipes) as much as possible, so those recipes may show up here as well, and since we've done this about three times since that decision, I may have some catching up to do.

For now though... dinner last night. Mark came over since he recently moved to Oviedo, so we had a little Italian themed dinner party.

Main dish: Italian meatloaf in the crock pot (recipe here). I followed the comments on the recipe and crumpled up foil under the meatloaf to let the fat cook off and not saturate the meat. The only problem was that the meat turned out a little dry. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with some extra spaghetti sauce, but still... not the best ever. BUT, I figure it was a whole lot healthier, so I'm ok with that.

Side dish 1: Risotto (recipe here)! I had yet to use my new pressure cooker, so I decided to find a recipe so that I could remedy that. Granted, the pressure cooker is a little, um, scary as it bangs around and shoots steam out for 10 minutes straight, but the final product was delish.

Side dish 2: Broccoli. Simple - steamed in my little electronic steamer.

And then of course, the classic Italian dessert of tiramisu, which I actually had never made before. Again, a HIT of a recipe - one I'll keep to use again, though I will say that my egg whites almost didn't set up right. I think the 160 degrees in the sauce pan is pretty important, so next time, I might opt towards using my candy thermometer, which I didn't do this time. So, not the simplest recipe, but definitely delish. And pretty light on the coffee flavor actually. Nick who doesn't like coffee (what a weirdo!) even liked it. Bekah on the other hand? Not so much. I got the recipe from tasteofhome.com, and it was a subscriber only recipe, so I'll post it below. (Sidenote: it was delish AND a low fat recipe.)

Sensational Tiramisu

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 cup water
2 packages (3 ounces each) ladyfingers, split
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon baking cocoa

Directions

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; set aside.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, egg whites and water in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. With a hand mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating on low over low heat until mixture reaches 160°, about 8-10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
Arrange half of ladyfingers in an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. dish. Combine the boiling water, coffee liqueur, coffee granules and remaining sugar; brush half of mixture over ladyfingers. Top with half of cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Spread remaining whipped topping over the top; sprinkle with cocoa. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

So, that was dinner last night. Yum! And it was really great to spend some time with Mark and others as well. Welcome to the area, Mark!

Birthday week

2010-03-16T19:23:00.001-04:00

I decided to celebrate my birthday for a whole week this year. Well I guess I didn't really "decide" so much as it just happened.

Starting on Sunday the 7th in Laguna Beach, CA, I got to hang out with my cousins Sean and Tyson, as well as Erin, Megan, Jess and Matt. We played beach volleyball and then ate dinner at Mosun Sushi, the best sushi place ever. Then in celebration of Matt and I's birthdays (on the same day), we went to BJs for a pizookie platter. Yum!

Fast forward to my actual birthday on Wednesday the 10th... I went on a walk with the roommates to start the day and they said they were going to cook me breakfast after that. Well when we got done with our walk and came home, Dustin and Nick were sitting on the couch and breakfast was in the oven. Surprise!

Next up...the flowers that showed up on my desk when I was away for a minute, and then Lauren and Erin Welch surprising me by dropping by my desk with a present, including yummy baked goodness... Both made my birthday fin and exciting. And lunch out with Bek!

That evening, Bekah, Ryan, Nick and I headed to Eustis for family dinner in honor of my birthday and our cousin Zac's too.

Friday night was birthday date night at Seasons 52, another lovely surprise, followed by a drop in at Cara's surprise party.

Saturday, I spent the morning/early afternoon at Animal Kingdom w/ friends and then went home to get ready for the play that my roommates and I were going to with Jaclyn that night. At the last minute, Jaclyn needed a ride b/c her car broke down, so we went to pick her up only to find 25 of my closest friends hiding in her living room waiting to yell surprise. There was never a play and Jaclyn's car was just fine, I just have a great boyfriend and friends that planned a fun surprise "breakfast for dinner" party for me that make me feel so loved and appreciated.

And that isn't all! Sunday I flew to Dallas and got to spend time with Emily, Lauren, Ben, Andy and Jamin in the afternoon followed by another sushi birthday dinner with Tim, Crystal, Jess, Lauren and Emily - complete with fun presents from the Maxi and all!

I am one blessed girl. What a great week!

- Posted using BlogPress on my phone

24.

2010-03-12T15:06:00.009-05:00

My birthday was on Wednesday. I’m now officially a quarter of a century… I know, a baby to most of you. In titling this post, I realized I disagree with how we talk about birthdays. At this point, I have actually already lived 25 years. When I turned ONE, I had been alive for one year, so in turning 25, I have already been alive for 25 years. Whatever, that isn’t how we seem to talk about things, so I guess this is a reflection of my “24^th year.” At breakfast the morning of my birthday, my roommate Jillian asked me about the highlights of my 24^th year, and though it was kind of a tough question, I enjoyed the reflection, so I thought I’d fill you in.

My favorite moments of my 24^th year…

Ben and Emily’s wedding in Texas – March 2009
Dallas with the Orlando roommates to visit Crystal and Tim – May 2009 (good trip…lots of “learning about me” involved)
Chicago trip for Steve’s graduation – May 2009
Lauren visiting me in Orlando! – May 2009
The year of the broken septic tank in North Carolina – July 2009
Cake decorating classes – Spring/Summer 2009
West coast trip with Dustin for work – July 2009
Beach with my family (PLUS significant emotional processing for me at this time…) – August 2009
Starting a new job! Wow…this was a learning process and still is! – August 24, 2009
Andrew and Tiffany’s wedding w/ the fam in Philadelphia – August 2009
Started taking guitar lessons – something I’d been wanting to do for a while – September 2009
Gator football season opening game with the roommates, Bekah and Ryan. Think I laughed my butt off that day – September 5, 2009
September 8
September 10
To quote HSM, “The start of something new…” First date – September 15
Though sad for my old House Church to be ending, starting a new small group has been GREAT too – September 2009
Bekah and I visiting Charis and Pete in San Fran! I love new cities! – October 2009
Muse/U2 concert – October 2009
Moody Radio campaign at work…lots of work and HUGE success (including trips to Panama, Peru and Spokane) – October-November 2009
Thanksgiving at the Tidwells… though a really emotionally tough week, still a marking point in my 24^th year and I do love Thanksgiving holidays so much – November 2009
HALF MARATHON! – December 2009
Urbana – good work stuff and personal stuff – December 2009
Visiting Kanoe in Tucson – January 2010
California – March 2010

Now the funny thing is that Jillian actually asked me for the top three highlights. Clearly I am not (and never have been) good at picking highlights or favorites, though if you know me, I will ALWAYS ask you to do that. So, I’ll do my best to narrow it down to five highlights (in no particular order) – how’s that, Jill?? And I will tell you why each thing made the top five list.

Chicago, May 2009 – This made the list because of the fact that I spent time with most of my closest friends from college in a GREAT city, with GREAT weather while we were there. It was fun and more adventurous than things we had done together before.

I’m entitling this one “Learning new skills” and cake decorating and guitar lessons fall in this category.

Starting a new job, August 2009. I wasn’t too sure about the idea when it was first brought to my attention… I thought – Why apply for a new job within the same organization? What’s the point? Well, I felt like it was something I should do, so I pursued the option, got the job, and have grown quite a bit as a result and while having some really great experiences.

First date with Nick on September 15. Though his presence in my life has turned “normal” upside-down, which hasn’t always been fun and easy to accept… it has been totally worth it and this day marked a huge change (for the good) in

Half marathon, December 2009. This makes the list because I like each year of my life to be marked by a fitness goal. In my 23^rd year, I completed my first sprint triathlon, so in my 24^th, I did my first half-marathon. This year? Working towards another (LONGER) triathlon.

Urbana recap

2010-01-06T16:36:00.005-05:00

From December 26 through January 1, I was in St. Louis (actually, I flew in the night of the 25^th – it was weird to travel on Christmas day!) for the Urbana conference. Urbana is a student missions conference hosted every three years by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and Wycliffe had a large (and AWESOME) booth in the global expo center, as well as a few seminars that were hosted by various members of our team.

It was a good week… for a lot of reasons, and many of those were personal in nature. Prior to going, I wasn’t sure what to expect since it was work, yet also an opportunity to attend a great conference. But once I arrived, I very clearly felt the Lord telling me that it wasn’t about “expecting” anything or worrying about any specific outcomes. Rather, I very clearly felt God just tell me to focus on Him, which, go figure, turned out to be a really great thing.

My main job for the week was to work our booth during certain shifts, as well being available to stop to talk, answer questions, etc. for anyone I may run into that saw my Wycliffe shirt. I also did “help out” (more “attended”) at the Communications Arts in Global Missions seminar that our fearless leader Ruth put together and led.

So, since I was basically just supposed to be engaging with students and talking to people, I thought I’d spend a minute reflecting back on some of my more memorable conversations and experiences.

Talking to Jono at our booth. Instead of typing out a new version of this story, you can read about my encounter here on the Wycliffe USA blog.
The girl at Starbucks. I believe her name was Marissa, but one can’t be toooo sure about that. Anyways, I was waiting to meet Jillian (my Orlando roomie and I meeting for coffee in St. Louis might have been the most time we’d spent together in weeks!), reading or something, and the girl next to me noticed my shirt and proceeded to ask me if I worked for Wycliffe. Turns out this girl is an artist – interested in graphic design and other forms of art as well. She had TONS of questions for me about how marketing, art and design can be used in missions, and was so excited that I was able to answer many of those questions from firsthand experience. So Marissa (?) and I talked for close to 30 minutes, and I was overjoyed to see her face light up as she learned about how marketing and ministry can go hand in hand. It was a really sweet moment to be able to pray together before she had to go.
The line for dinner the first night was RIDICULOUSLY long. So, as my cousins (Charissa and Pete) and I were making our way through line, I again had someone notice my shirt and stop me to talk. This girl's boyfriend pointed my shirt out to her, saying, “Hey, look, she’s with Wycliffe!” Apparently allll day long people kept pointing her to our booth, but she had yet to make it over for a visit. The reason for all those referrals? She is PASSIONATE about linguistics and languages. What a gift to have – and a perfect fit for Wycliffe! So, again, as a result of simply wearing my shirt and walking around, I was able to have a very significant conversation with someone who was extremely interested in our work – in a place I was not expecting that to happen. I mean, Ruth told us if we wore our shirts, we needed to consider ourselves “ON” but I just didn’t know how true that would be!
Not everyone that came to the booth was a future Wycliffe-ite. Some of them were simply meant to be Bibleless People Prayer Project (BPPP) partners, and one of my favorite conversations at the booth was with someone just like that – a kid named Adam. Adam is passionate about the ideas of urban ministry in LA and has plans to move there soon. He has a plan that he feels the Lord has called him to, and I was able to rejoice in that with him, even though it isn’t “with Wycliffe”…we just want him to be where God wants him! So, he and I still had a great conversation about prayer, and before he left, he joined our BPPP list and was really jazzed about the idea. Just in the other times during the week that I was at the booth (not counting times I wasn’t there), I saw Adam bring at least 4 or 5 other friends back to the booth to get them signed up to pray for a people group as well.
After the communications arts seminar, which happened to be on the last day of the conference in the very last seminar time slot of the day, I had a girl tell me that she felt like God had spoken so clearly through my colleagues who shared. She expressed that for the first time in her life, she was able to clearly see how God could and WOULD use her gifts in graphic design to further His global mission. She had never had someone explain that possibility before, and had been trying to figure out where she could be used by God. Man, do I get excited when people that are passionate about art and marketing finally see the connection between those passions and God’s heart. LOVE IT. Do I believe that you HAVE to be working for a ministry or mission of some kind do be using marketing or design or the arts for His glory? Absolutely not. But, I do want to be sure people realize that God can use ANY of our passions and gifts for missions or ministry IF that is where we feel called.
One girl named Katherine came by the booth repeatedly and the phrase she kept saying that stuck with me was “It always comes back to Wycliffe for me. It’s always been Wycliffe.” She still doesn’t know where she’s supposed to go or what she is supposed to do after college, but I do believe that if she continues to flesh out the idea of “It always being Wycliffe,” I may not have seen the last of her.

After graduating college and realizing that it is not exactly the purely euphoric experience that it is cracked up to be, I have become pretty passionate about helping students process through what God may be calling them to in life after college, while being honest about the difficulties that come with that process. It isn’t always easy, but our God is always faithful to provide.

Just today, I wrote a few cards to students that visited our booth to let them know they were being prayed for, and the verse that came to mind to share was one that meant a lot to me during my senior year of college, Colossians 1:9-10: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…”

Still applicable today.

PS - Visit http://www.facebook.com/WycliffeURBANA09 to see photos!

ABCs of Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T15:50:00.015-05:00

I know, this is MUCH later than Thanksgiving, but Krisan did this on her blog around that time and I thought it was a great idea...it just took me a while to make it happen.

So, here's my list...the ABCs of things I'm thankful for this time of year.

Accountability group – I have been meeting with these two weekly (or as close to that as we can!) for the past year and I’m so thankful for their presence in my life! They encourage me, call me out, pray for me, offer advice and support, etc. LOVE them.

Baked goods – I have a newfound love for cake decorating as of this year, but I’m thankful for sweets and baked goods of all kinds, especially if I get to make them too - that's half the fun!

Cousins – I have lots of good ones… there’s not enough space to mention them all, but since I just got home from Thanksgiving with the Tidwell side, they are in the picture to the left. These boys are like the brothers I never had, FO SHO.

Debt-free – Not having school debt or credit card debt of any kind, my only form of debt has been a car payment to my parents which I paid off this month – just one year after buying my dear Trina (Trashy Trina, as I like to call her). It is a GOOD feeling.

ECBs - Now some of you may not know this phrase, but it does in fact stand for Extra Care Bucks at CVS. I am so thankful for the money that I am able to save through coupons and stores like CVS, Walgreens, and Publix (hello, BOGOs!). Seriously, CVS and Walgreens pay ME to take things out of their store. That is the way to do it!

Family – Wow, this has been a tough year for our family, but I have really seen my immediate (and extended) family come together in way I’ve never seen before. It’s been good to have that in the midst of some really trying times.

Guitar lessons – I’ve been wanting to take lessons for a while, so I decided to finally do it! Ben is a GREAT teacher, so that helps.

Home - My roommates have been SUCH a blessing in my life. Plus, it is a GREAT thing to come home after a long day and feel comfortable and literally "at home".

Instruments - I'm thankful for all the instruments and vocals that go into making music. Music is definitely one of my love languages =). It is one of the best ways for me to relate to the Lord, and one of my favorite ways to spend my time...just listening. And concerts...don't even get me started. My favorites lately, that I cannot stop listening to: Phil Wickham's new album, Imogen Heap's new album, Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb album (hello, it's Christmas time!), Mutemath's new album, Owl City, Shane and Shane's new album, and MUCH more.

Java - I'm thankful for yummy coffee. I love that it can enhance my morning when I have the time to sit and enjoy a cup with my Bible at the kitchen table. I also love going on coffee dates with friends and finding good little hole in the wall coffee shops when I am in new places. Oh to one day create my dream coffee shop/bakery...

Kitchens - My kitchen is one of my stress relievers. Just put me to work on baking or cooking something and I'll be in a MUCH better mood.

Laughter - Makes every day better. Especially when I'm able to laugh with people that have just as obnoxious of a laugh as I have.

Maxi girls - My college roommates STILL play a huge part in my life. I miss them being a part of every day activities, but we make it a point to see each other at LEAST once a year for a Maxi-style reunion.

Nick. Um, yeah.

Orlando - Never thought I'd say that, but I am. I'm thankful for what this city has meant for this stage of my life.

Pastor Uth - Seriously, there are so many Sundays where I just sit there after church and say to those around me - MAN, I just love Pastor David! I have such respect for his love for the Lord and the leadership and teaching that he offers our church.

Quality time with people I love!

Restaurant.com. Seriously, this website has saved me tons of money and I feel like it is a little unknown treasure. Plus, it encourages me to visit new restaurants, which is my favorite! Go check it out, now!

Shopping at H&M...in ORLANDO! That's right, we have one now. Pumped.

Thursday Thunder – our Thursday night Bible study/House Church/small group/”Group” has been God-ordained from day one, which has been cool to see.

Unexpected friendships - I think my most favorite stories of friendships that blossom out of the most unexpected places is my friendship with Courtney Clark Cleveland. We met at Back Booth at an Over the Rhine concert (it's fun to say she's my "bar friend") about 2 or 3 years ago and have maintained seeing each other as often as possible. I reallllly love this girl - and her husband, Michael! They have both been such a blessing in my life, and I'm thankful for our random chats and hang outs. Clearly, we don't have a lot of good pictures together... sorry for the crap quality of this one.

Visiting new (and old) places - I love TRAVEL! In the past year, I have visited California (at least three times - SoCal and SanFran), Savannah, Seattle (two or three times), Texas (go figure), Chicago, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Peru, Panama and Spokane (including a foray into Idaho).

Wycliffe - Wow, I have been blessed with an AWESOME job. I couldn't ask for a better place to have been placed in post-college. My job puts into practice what I learned in college, but also teaches me new things and causes me to grow professionally quite a bit. I have had two bosses since beginning my time with Wycliffe and both have been great. I'm spoiled, for sure. Not only do I get to do what I want, it is for a cause that I believe DEEPLY in. Praise HIM!

Xercise - Though I usually can’t stop thinking about how much I hate running while I actually am doing it, we have a love/hate relationships and I seriously can’t get enough of running, working out, riding my bike (I’m ready to do another triathlon!). My first half-marathon was on December 5, 2009 and I completed the whole thing without stopping. So thankful for Cara to run w/ me! I'm just really thankful that I can be active and want to make the most of that as long as I am able.

Youth Ministry at FBCO - I jumped into teaching 9th grade girls' Sunday School at First Baptist over 2 years ago, and now they are now 11th graders! CRAZY! It has been such a joy to be involved with this ministry. I deeply believe in what they are doing in the lives of teens. Below is a video we created last week for a Sunday School competition. They crack me up...

Zenni Optical - where else can you get prescription glasses for under $20?? It allows me to act on my desire to use my glasses as a fashion accessory, not just a functional and necessary item, because it's so cheap!

The God we serve

2009-10-15T09:23:00.004-04:00

When telling us about his journey from South Africa to America to serving with Wycliffe in Panama, Keith Forster repeatedly said, “This is the God we serve.” How else do you explain an airline providing Keith a ticket when there was no money to buy one as he was trying to get to Columbia for his first summer assignment with Wycliffe? Or what about a whole jungle village of Kuna people in Panama kicking the Forsters out one day to welcoming them with open arms and promising to provide housing for their family the next? And there would be no other explanation for the son of a Kuna village chief deciding to anger his family to assist Keith in the translation of Scripture and pastor a Kuna church.

Hearing Keith and Wilma Forster’s story last week in Panama has confirmed in me the truth that we serve a God who specializes in the impossible. I’m reminded of a plaque I saw hanging in the home of Ralph and Marilynn Toliver, missionaries in Peru: The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you. Wilma and Keith would be the first to tell you that God called them both very specifically to the ministry of Bible translation. And though there were days when it seemed that God had called them to something impossible, by his grace, he always provided just what they needed to continue.

I heard story after story the past two weeks, both in Panama and Peru, which give true validity to the statement, “This is the God we serve.” And by leaning on that truth, Keith, Wilma, and countless others, have had the opportunity to affect lives for eternity by being a part of translating Scripture into the heart languages of minority people groups all across the world.

This truly is, the God we serve.

One down, one to go

2009-10-03T17:04:00.010-04:00

One week down in Peru. Now I'm in Panama and have 5 more days here before hitting American soil again. I'm tired, but it's good.

Peru was gorgeous. We have NOTHING like the Andes in the US - at least in my opinion. Seriously - we drove over a 16,000 foot pass. 16,000 FEET! There isn't even anything that high in the continental US, I don't believe. Gorgeous.

On Thursday, we drove out of Huanuco to see some of the more remote villages. I have NEVER been on roads this bad. It was CRAZY and I might have a bump or two on my head from the times I hit it on the side or top of the truck. . Here is a taste of our trip to the Quechua villages (check out that road!):

Over all, Peru was a GREAT trip. Then, I headed straight to Panama yesterday. Got in last night, and this morning I was able to hang out with one of my all time fav MDB teachers - Uncle Dave (Carter)!! In Panama! How fun. He was a great tour guide, too.

In just a few hours, we will head out to pick up the NEXT Moody Radio team joining us. Tomorrow, we are hitting the ground running for round two of these trips with Moody Radio folks. Hoping this trip is as successful as the last! I'm confident it will be.

I am thankful to work with some really great and talented people, and ultimately for an organization that continues to blow my mind. I had a few teary moments in Peru, I'll be honest. It's hard not to when you hear the stories that I am blessed to hear. Hoping for the same in Panama and that God continues to teach me more about his heart for the nations.

Leaving on a jet plane

2009-09-25T23:48:00.002-04:00

Life's been full lately. Sometimes too full...overwhelmingly full. BUT, it's been full of great too. Lots of new things happening that are good. Great. Exciting. Maybe updates will come later. For now, I'm content to sit on some of it.

For now, I'm really trying to learn balance. Balancing work, personal life, friends, ministry, family, etc. The fact that my blog has been very neglected is proof that I'm not always getting that. I have a few people that care for me deeply enough to see that I continue to work on this... I'm thankful for that.

I have been going non-stop on one project at work, and today was my last day in the office to work on it all and now hope for the best, as I'm headed off to Peru on Sunday. And straight from Peru to Panama City...the next two weeks are going to be busy, but I'm hoping that the work ahead of time has paid off. I keep thinking I forgot something really important at the office or that I left some ball in the air that's about to drop in my absence. I'm praying against that for sure!

If you think of it - be praying for our trips...you can read more about the Panama trip on Scott's blog...and then on October 8, please pray for our family too. Big day for us.

Ok - seriously exhausted. Night.

Where did the last month go??

2009-08-11T22:21:00.014-04:00

Figured it's about time to post a quick update on here about the past (almost) month of my life. Pictures to the left are of the various activities mentioned in this post.

First off - an announcement. I have a new job. For the past year and 10 months, I have been happily working for Wycliffe Foundation as their Marketing Communications Coordinator. In that time, I have worked closely with Wycliffe USA's (the Foundation's parent company and the US headquarters for Wycliffe Bible Translators) marketing department on a number of projects since we are all housed in the same building. A few months ago, a Marketing Strategist position with Wycliffe USA opened up, and though at first I didn't even consider it, I eventually applied and was hired. I prayed a LOT about this decision, sought Godly counsel, and ultimately decided that it is the best step for me right now. My official start date is August 24, though my last day at the Foundation was THIS PAST FRIDAY (wow!) since this coming week is my family's annual beach vacation. It is definitely a bittersweet time. I can't really imagine not chatting with Dustin over my cubicle wall ALL DAY or having Katie call me sketchy every time she walks by my desk. I'll miss coffee breaks with Virginia and laughing hysterically with Mariah, Deb, Donna or any of the aforementioned people. I will definitely miss working for Scott, but am excited about working for Kristie as well. Yep, bittersweet is definitely the best description.

Other than that (and partially BECAUSE of that), the past month has been full. So, instead of details about a few things, I'll give a top-line overview by category. In the past month, I have...

Seen the following movies: Harry Potter (oh.my.gosh....I LOVE these movies...and the books are just that much better. Yes, it was worth the 2 hrs we waited in line for the free screening), Away We Go (LOVE Jim), Julie and Julie (who wants to move to Paris and attend Le Cordon Bleu with me??)

Hung out with the following people that I don't get to see often: Deena, Emily and Ben in Florida; Brittany and Kamal in Philly; old Camp Gilead buds (including Tara - twice!); Andy, Matty P, and Kyle in Cali

Attended two weddings (John and Jennifer, Andrew and Tiffany) and officially catered the cake (and cupcakes) for my very first wedding. It was a blast! Hire me for your next party, event or wedding!

Attended only one concert sadly...Rascal Flatts with Darius Rucker

Traveled to: San Diego, Orange County CA, Seattle, Philadelphia

Created the idea and name for my new baking/catering company.

I have been getting back into my more frequent reading habits (which I am excited about, so in the past 3-4 months, I have read the following books: the Twilight series, Coming Attractions, The Shack, To Live is Christ, Nights in Rodanthe, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and am currently in The Irresistible Revolution, and about to start My Sister's Keeper. Also, presently going through Stepping Up with the ladies at work once a week and receiving a royal butt kicking from that study.

I may often complain of things going far to fast and being way to busy, but ultimately I am learning so much through this phase of my life, even with the tough times and stressors that come. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Something new every day

2009-07-16T13:47:00.004-04:00

God really smacked me in the face with TRUTH this morning, and from such a common Biblical location that I would have thought we'd have already been through this. Apparently not.

I've been continuing down this path of reading through the Bible chronologically, and that has brought me this week to Jeremiah and Daniel, since Jeremiah was the prophet who was present during the time when the Israelites were exiled to Babylon (AKA the time when Daniel was sent to Babylon and the whole lions' den thing happened). So I'm reading Jeremiah 29 this morning, already anticipating the verse (11) we all know to be a key verse in my reading, "For I know the plans I have for you..." Call me crazy, but somehow I have either never connected the two, or I have forgotten the connection, but those words were spoken by the Lord to the Israelites during their time of EXILE.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure most people don't like being exiled from their homes. The Israelites had just been forced to leave their home and go to captivity in Babylon, a place they were NOT familiar with or comfortable in at all. Putting myself in their shoes, I'm pretty sure I'd feel forgotten by the Lord...as if he wasn't present. I've felt that way at times in the past few months, so I can imagine this emotion pretty well. And then, God speaks. But he doesn't say, "Don't worry, I'll save you soon."

Read it for yourself:
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

Woah. Knock me off my feet (well, not literally, since I read this from the comfort of my couch and was already off my feet...). Not only does he not promise to make things right immediately, he pretty much says make the most of it. Build lives for yourselves. Settle in... you are going to be there for a while. 70 years to be exact. 70 years! And yet, he then still has the audacity to say, I know what I'm doing and I have great plans for you. Only, to see those plans, you have to stay put in this uncomfortable place for a while, and oh yeah...this place? It's a part of my big, great plan. Um, not exactly what the Israelites (or I!) were expecting, I bet.

God also made it clear they were not to be idle. There were things for them to do. They were not to lay down and wallow in their self pity and frustration. They were to LIVE LIFE in the midst of captivity, hardship and strife. And more importantly, they were to be calling on God and seeking his face. Even when he promised they'd eventually be led out of captivity, he still expected them to seek him and, in that way, hold up their end of the bargain.

Hmmm... that's good. I needed that today.

2009-07-11T13:49:00.009-04:00

I returned on Monday from one of my favorite weekends of the year: July 4. Every July 4, my family has a reunion in Cashiers, North Carolina. There are five houses owned by different members of the family all on one street, and almost 80 of us were up there for the weekend this year.

We got there late Thursday night, and woke up Friday morning to my dad screaming, "It's POOP!" He had woken up to discover that our septic system had a slight problem, and was out of commission for the rest of the weekend, as it was a holiday weekend and no one could come out until Monday. Needless to say, that was an issue since we had 18 people in the house. Thankfully, there were four other family houses to "visit" as necessary, but that was only until the second house had septic issues and left us with only three working septic systems. Ingles (the local grocery store), had many Cowen family members visiting the restroom in the back corner. GOOD TIMES. Showers were a blast too - taken in 2 minutes flat at another house, or by allowing all the water to run into a tub that could later be emptied outside (and not in the septic system). I would say that the most fun would be the dish washing. Imagine enough food to feed 80 people, and all the dishes it takes to cook and serve that food. Now, picture all of that being washed in Rubbermaid tubs. Three of them.

The weekend was wonderful, Friday we went rafting on the Ocoee river. Friday night, we had dinner for all the "Gen3ers" at our house, and then followed that with lots of NERTZ, only the best card game ever.

Saturday was our huge meal, followed by family pictures and "history" time. Then of course a few rousing games of volleyball before headed out to fireworks. Most everyone started heading out on Sunday, but some of us stayed to enjoy a lazy rainy day on Sunday, and then some amazing hiking on Monday.

I love my family. I love the mountains.

My new passion

2009-06-29T21:58:00.020-04:00

I'm pretty passionate about all forms of baking, and lately, I've been focusing on cakes. I have been taking the Wilton cake decorating classes at my local JoAnn fabrics for the past few months. There are 4 courses (1, 2, 3 and fondant) and each lasts 4 weeks, so a total of 4 months of classes, and this past week marked the END of my final class! I wanted to let you all see the fruits of my labor, so here are the cakes I have created over the past 4+ months (most for class, some for fun/friends).

Course 1:Fondant course:
Course 2:
Course 3:

And then, I've done these for fun. The first was for a friends' baby shower... and I made the matching diaper cake too. The second was actually a reinvention of the cake above (from course level 3) because I felt like a cake that looked so much like a tiered wedding cake was a little too elegant for a friend's birthday party. =) So, I disassembled it and created the cake below.

So, what do you think??

It's been really fun and I'm looking forward to furthering this in the future. My first wedding cake/cupcake event is in August so that will definitely be a fun experience. Even though I may not make it look quite as good as the professionals (*yet*), I'm actually more passionate about the actual BAKING of the cake and trying new and exciting (and tasty) recipes, so the fact that I get to do cupcakes in addition to a cake is really fun because I can do four different recipes! I've landed on: chocolate cake w/ raspberry filling and cream cheese icing, chocolate mint chocolate chip cupcakes w/ chocolate ganache icing, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing and white wedding cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

If you live in the Orlando area and need a cake for a party or shower or some other event - contact me - I'd love the opportunity to give it a shot.

New look

2009-06-23T21:12:00.001-04:00

I decided to upgrade my blog look... what do you think?

2009-06-15T13:03:00.003-04:00

Wow. Life's been pretty crazy lately... and as a result, I have a lot of stuff running through my mind. To be completely honest, I don't even want to give myself time to think about it all because I know I'll get overwhelmed, frustrated, sad, disappointed, confused, [insert tough emotion here], etc. I have been feeling very heavy... burdened... like I am in the desert.

Therefore, I've been CONSTANTLY listening to The Desert Song by Hillsong (and I did just see Hillsong United perform this live 3 weeks ago - that was phenomenal).

This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

Now, maybe I'm the only one, but my first inclination when I'm in the desert, when I don't hear the Lord speaking as clearly as I'd like him to or when I am in the battle and triumph is "still on the way" (aka NOT here yet) is NOT to bring praise. That's the harsh dichotomy that I am living in right now, though. I know I should be praising simply because God is still the God who provides and therefore I do have a reason to worship. But sometimes what my head knows and what my heart feels are two totally different things that don't seem to add up. I know that the Lord is here in the midst of one of the stormiest times of life to date. But it is hard not to be swept away by all the waves that life is sending my way. It is hard to remember that he's still there when all I see in front of and behind me is hard and dry and void of what the world defines as joy.

And so, my focus this past week has been to thank God for all the crap. To PRAISE him for the situations that leave me scratching my head not knowing how to respond and feeling like I don't hear the Lord guiding me one way or the other right now. To PRAISE him for the harsh fires my sister is walking through that continually get worse. To PRAISE him for the life decisions that I'm facing with no direction to date. To PRAISE him for suffering. To PRAISE him for heaviness. Ultimately, the only reason I will be able to praise him through all of this is if I keep in perspective what the Lord tells me in Isaiah 55:8-9 (the Message):
"I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
"For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

God knows what he's doing.

God also keeps impressing on me this idea of a chess game. I suck at chess, so when I play, I am only thinking of the one move I am about to make. But, for really great chess players, they know and anticipate the the next multiple moves that they will make, and at times, may even be able to see how they can have me in checkmate LONG before we make it to that place. That's kinda how I see me and God right now. I'm sitting here playing this game called life only seeing one move at a time and having no idea of the end result. He's gently asking me over and over if I will just trust him to play for me and trust that he knows not just the next move, but the next 50 moves, the next 100 moves, etc... And he's got Satan in checkmate already.

God's pretty great at this thing called my life...and I'm not so great at it, so why do I not trust him to make my moves for me??

Orlando tour guide

2009-06-01T20:28:00.020-04:00

I got the chance to be an Orlando tour guide this weekend. My old college roommate, the beautiful Lauren Hammer, came to visit me this weekend. She got in on Friday and I took her to see my work before heading home to cook dinner before I took her to my favorite little dessert place downtown. Jess, Kristi and Jillian joined us at The Dessert Lady, so please don't think that Lauren and I ate all this on our own.

Then, we headed to the Grand Bohemian to meet up with CBell and hang out while enjoying the live jazz that they have there every weekend...What a great little gem in downtown ORL. While there, Jess says, "Hey, I think that's Lebron James!" Sure enough, Lebron and a few of his fellow Cavaliers teammates were hanging out in the same lounge since it was a night before the big game where they got BEAT by the Magic.

Saturday we started the day at the Winter Park Farmer's Market, a favorite Saturday morning activity for me. Then, Jillian and I took Lauren to Briar Patch, my fav little brunch place on Park Ave. Because of the cookies we tasted at the FM and the zucchini bread at BP, we decided to go home and bake... you guessed it: cookies and zucchini bread.

Then, it was off to Urban Flats downtown where we met up with Virginia and Bekah for a lovely dinner outside, before we all headed to meet up with Kristi at Rising Star Karaoke bar. This place is LEGIT. There is a live band, complete with back up singers/dancers. And yes, we did all make our appearances on the stage. Lauren and I sang Walking in Memphis, Bekah and Kristi sang Free Falling, and Virginia and Kristi sang our fav of the night -- Redneck Woman. Of course, there were MULTIPLE things to laugh at and about during the night, including the drunk girl who was also named Rebekah who swore it was her turn to sing, the dancing man and his mom, V spilling her drink on her jeans 3 minutes before having to go on stage, V and Bek changing jeans only for more to get spilled on V's jeans that were now on Bekah, Kristi's song choice for her and Virginia, the "Host" who thought he was a star, and the list goes on and on...what a fun night!

Sunday was relaxing. Took Lauren to FBCO with me - she even joined me while I taught my 10th grade girls at Sunday School. Then we had a little picnic at Lake Eola, which was so fun complete with AWESOME people watching and great weather, and then met Jaclyn at Jeremiah's. YUM! After a little afternoon nap at the house (OK, I admit it... I spent much of my naptime reading New Moon...don't judge), we headed to Status where Lauren got to meet many more of my friends, and confess her love for Tony. Or maybe she was just telling him where she lived... who knows.

Monday I had to take Lauren back to the airport before heading to work, which made me sad. I have seen her for the past three weekends in three different cities (Dallas, Chicago, Orlando). What ever am I going to do now that I don't know exactly when I will see her again?

Well, I hope that this little run-down has convinced you (and me!) that Orlando does have some pretty fun things to offer, outside of Disney, and has therefore made you realize that you MUST come visit. My house is always ready for visitors.

iTravel

2009-05-26T09:43:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to give a small taste of my past two weekends of travel, until I have time to update more.

This first picture is from my time in Dallas May 15-17, visiting Tim and Crystal. Jillian and Kimberly also joined me from FL, and Kenny is the other person to mention in the below picture outside of the Richardson Wildflower festival. Elvis impersonator? Check.

Next up? Memorial Day weekend in Chicago with great friends. Here is the whole group from LETU and a few more, on the boat where we "officially" celebrated Steve's graduation in style, though I submit that the whole weekend was a celebration of amazing friendships in a great city. FUN!

Raindrops keep falling on my head

2009-05-19T21:12:00.004-04:00

I'm sitting on my back porch... listening to the crazy rain (that has been going non-stop since yesterday morning), journaling, thinking, praying, processing...A LOT of stuff.

It's been a long time since we've had this sort of rain, and I'm kinda loving it, though it doesn't really help my semi-somber mood. Oh well, at least it matches it.

I have had a lot of heavy stuff on my heart lately, and so I have been feeling a void when it comes to blog topics, but I just wanted to share my love for the rain (as long as I'm inside and not out in it) and assure anyone who does read this that I am, in fact, alive.

And, wouldn't it be just like God to provide me with a fitting piece of Scripture to be memorizing these past few weeks. It's a good one... you should commit it to memory with me. Especially fitting when life isn't looking exactly like you think it should, and it feels like a lot of rain is pouring on top of you instead. Choose joy.

Habakkuk 3:17-20

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

Be encouraged with me.

Blind faith

2009-04-15T14:04:00.003-04:00

I spent my lunch hour today sitting outside (in the GORGEOUS spring weather), journaling, reading, etc. While journaling about recent events and discoveries in my life, I started thinking about the concept of faith, and more specifically, how I want my life to really embody the principle of BLIND faith.

When a person is blind, they are totally dependent upon someone or something else to lead them when they are walking. It might be another person, a dog, a walking stick, etc. For the sake of this illustration, I'm going to be talking about that leader being another person, and how I want to be that blind one, who is totally dependent upon the Person leading me - that Person being Jesus.

Think about it. The blind one has to totally trust that the person leading them is trustworthy and will lead them well. They can't see ahead of them to know if the pathway is safe. They can't see ahead to know if there is an obstacle or an incline or even a scary creature. They trust. They follow the lead of the person they are clinging to. And when there is an obstacle or unexpected hill on the path, they just lean more heavily upon the one leading them.

Too often, I steer clear of certain decisions, simply because I am unsure of how they might turn out, and that scares me. I walk the easy path, the one I can see in front of me, and very rarely do I venture off it. But that is because I desire the control in my life, instead of relinquishing it to Jesus. Sometimes I think it might be easier if I couldn't "see" in life - ever. Because then I'd be forced to be totally dependent on Jesus. I'd have to trust that where he was leading me was where he wanted me to be. I wouldn't be able to see obstacles in my path, but I would just lean more heavily upon Him when they came up. I wouldn't be able to know what was coming with my next step, much less with my next 20. I would just depend upon Jesus, my guide, to take me the right way. I would have to trust that if he led me through a pit, there was a good reason for it (perhaps protection from something else?), and yet again, I would just lean more heavily upon him to make it back to solid ground. I'd have to trust that if we slowed down, there was a reason, or if he asked me to run, yet again, it was for a purpose.

I have a lot more thoughts on this topic, but yeah...I wanna have blind faith.

Where have I been??

2009-03-31T13:14:00.012-04:00

What have I been doing since my last post in late February?? Well, let me tell you:

Feb 27-28, FBC Orlando hosted the Student Life Tour for the weekend and we took our students. I spent the whole weekend with the 10th grade girls (there weren't too many in attendance), including a slumber party. It was exhausting, but Francis Chan and Kristian Stanfill did not disappoint.
March 4, I left for Seattle, for my very first trip to that beautiful area of the country. It was work and pleasure combined (thanks, work, for being so amazing to provide these opportunities!) and my mom went with me. It was good mother daughter time, and I love love loved the city. I'll post more about that at a later date, I hope. At least some of the pics! But for now, here's a teaser:

Cake decorating class. What began as LaurieAnn (who is now blogging!) and I in class level one has become a goal of me (now by myself) taking all four levels of classes, and just now being only half-way through. It's an every Monday night (soon to be Tuesday!) occurance and I've made a LOT of cakes. Below is a picture of our first cakes.
Jillian, Cara, and I ran our first 10K together on March 14th, an altogether crazy day. 10K in the morning (I beat my goal time!), wedding at 1:30 for a dear old friend in Lake County (pic below), and Cara and I's joint bday party that night at Tavern on the Lake. Dinner and dancing...so fun. And lots of great people were there to celebrate with us.
Jaclyn's bachelorette party was Friday the 20th...she's getting married so soon and it is crazy! Here's just one picture from that night:
Saturday the 21st was equally as crazy as the 14th! My weekend give no rest for the weary, seriously. First, met the fam at Disney in the morning and spent some time there with Elizabeth and the kids. Then, it was off to pick up Kanoe and Corey (visiting from AZ!) for an evening of fun in my city. Sunday, I was able to spend more time with Kanoe, which was awesome. Especially visiting Little VietNam near downtown. Yes, this poster really did exist.
Wednesday the 25th, even though I was VERY sick the night before and still not great that morning, I flew out to Texas, the state that still holds a large portion of my heart. I will DEFINITELY write more about this experience later, and I don't have all my pictures right now, so I'll post more of them later too, but I just got back last night (Monday) and haven't yet sorted through them all. It was a great vacation, full of fun times, good conversation, and moments where my heart felt so full it could burst. Then, there were of course the moments when my heart might have felt it could burst for other reasons too... but those are for me to process through (with the help of a few key friends, of course). Here's one picture I DO have right now... more will come later.

So though I have never been to San Francisco, and I can't sing about that city, I can say that I think I left my heart in Texas instead.

I wanna talk about me!

2009-02-21T21:33:00.007-05:00

I know, I know... I'm jumping on the bandwagon a little too late. But, as you'll soon see, I don't really like following rules. And this is long, so if you don't make it through to the end, I won't hold it against you.

But, here is my list of things about me...

I am the youngest of three girls. My sisters are two of my best friends. I'm sure I was the annoying little sis growing up, but I don't think I fit into the "youngest child" stereotype on most levels.
I hate having internet-only friendships. Or even internet-heavy friendships. Let's be REAL friends and then we can be internet friends.
I have played piano since the 1st grade. It is my emotional release and I love it.
I lead a generally overcommitted life. I constantly fight this tendency.
I think music is my love language (though according to the book, I'm a mix of 'words of affirmation' and 'quality time' with a little 'acts of service' mixed in)... picking a favorite musician or song is like picking a favorite child. Impossible.
I'm blunt and I don't think patience or compassion or huge gifts of mine.
I am admittedly a Betty Crocker. I love to cook and bake...in fact, right now, I'm taking a cake decorating class. I could pore over cookbooks all day long, and spend hours in kitchen stores.
I get joy out of organizing things... and I kinda like to clean too.
I'm planning on taking guitar lessons soon. My poor guitar hasn't gotten too much attention lately, and I'm tired of trying to teach myself.
I sleep with 2 stuffed animals that I have had since 4th grade. Extra friend points if you can comment (a) what "species" they are and (b) their names.
I hate traffic. It makes me jittery and uneasy and really IMPATIENT.
I wore a pair of Nikes to school in Kindergarten grade, was convinced the boy I thought was cute stared at them oddly, and I went home upset and swore to my parents that I would never wear them again. And I didn't.
I ran the hurdles on my high school track team for two years. I loved it and I miss the hurdles.
I am a deal shopper like crazy. I get excited about the Sunday paper just to look through the sale ads and coupons. I have perfected the art of having stores PAY ME to take things out of their store. But, the negative part of this is that I am the person who buys something I don't need just because it is SUPER cheap and I have a coupon.
Cheesecake is my favorite dessert. But I don't discriminate against other desserts.
For 20 years of my life, I thought the word miniseries (referring to a short tv series) was pronounced men-is-her-ies. I thought, though similar in meaning, that these were two different words.
I am really clutzy. In the past 5-7 years of my life, I have: fallen while taking down most of a bulletin board and landing with a pushpin in my elbow, cartwheeled over the handlebars of a bike (taking a handlebar to the gut), slipped in a gas station and taken down the tree of gummy snacks with me, taken a HARD served volleyball to the face during a college level game, twisted my ankle while making fun of someone else, broken 4 glasses/cups at a friend's house in one night, face-planted in front of the Eiffel Tower...and I'm sure there's more.
I was a cheerleader from 7th grade through 10th grade. WHAT was I thinking?
I LOVE traveling. Some of the places I've gone abroad include: (abroad) China, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Guatemala and the Bahamas. Just in the past year and a half (mostly thanks to work, but not all), I have been to: NYC, DC, Chicago (three times), Philly, Miami, Dallas, Charlotte (2 times), Phoenix, Boston, Nashville, Baltimore, LA, San Diego, Savannah and Guatemala. Many of those were first time visits.
I fell in love with Chinese culture and the people when I spent a summer there. I plan to adopt a Chinese baby one day. It's a non-negotiable.
I have had 4 speeding tickets and 1 ticket for a wreck in my life. I don't have the BEST track record with cops, clearly.
I played competitive volleyball from 8th grade until my sophomore year of college.
I have been to more concerts in my life than I can even count. Remember when I said music was my love language? Well, concerts are one of the best ways to experience music in my opinion.
I have a great fear of what is under the surface of bodies of water. I love to swim and don't mind going in lakes or the ocean, but only if I can't think about what might be underneath me. I hate watching scenes of movies that are set underwater.
I completed my first sprint triathlon in September of '08. I plan to do at least two in '09. I love it.
Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out.
When I was really young, my foot got caught in the spokes of a moving bicycle and I ended up with one of the worst sprained ankles of all time. My mom thought it was broken.
I spent a lot of time in detention during the fourth grade. And it was ALWAYS for talking.
I love reading. One time in the third grade, I was so engrossed in reading on the rug in our classroom that the whole class lined up and went out the door before I even noticed, which only happened when they turned the light out on me.
I find shopping slightly addictive.
My friends and I had a very elaborate detective club when we were in elementary school. We played every Sunday night at church while our parents were in choir practice.
When we were building our house in North Carolina, there was a huge build up of dirt around the house since it has a basement level and had to be dug out a little bit. I was probably about 10 and a friend and I were playing on the top of this semi-mountain when I slipped and fell 15-20 feet to the bottom, where I blacked out.
I want to live in a big city. REALLY bad. And Orlando does NOT count.
When I was little, I got scared REALLY easily. Sometimes, when I saw or heard something scary, I wouldn't be able to be in a room by myself for weeks. I wouldn't even close the door when showering because I was so terrified. I remember sitting on the floor of the kitchen for no apparent reason just because my mom was doing the dishes and I needed to be near a person.
I have a large collection of Cherished Teddies from my elementary/middle school days. I also have one of Beanie Babies. Don't judge - I'm hoping they are worth money one day.
I'm not that good at accepting change.
I'm a big fan of nicknames and code names. My friend Emily and I had some of the best names for things/people when in MS and HS. Some of our favorites were: 'Red,' 'the Reason' and 'the Bake'... We also liked to create concoctions in the kitchen and name those: Whipped Torte (tasted awful), Co-Co-Co brownies (Bekah loved them), Cha-Cha bread are just a few of our favorites. My cars always have names too. The jury is still out on my new car, but in my last car, even the stereo system had a name and personality.
When I was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck and I was VERY pale from a lack of oxygen.
I am missing two permanent teeth. One of them didn't even exist as a baby tooth, and one of them, the baby tooth is still in my mouth because there was nothing to push it out of the way. I have nightmares (no lie) about my teeth falling out prematurely or getting loose when they shouldn't. I have a complex and I blame it on the fact that my dad's a dentist.
I was a camp counselor for 3 summers. Those were some of the best summers of my life!
I had amazing college friends and roommates. 4 of those roommates are still 4 of my BEST friends in the whole world and I talk with them regularly.
One time, I cried through an entire wedding. SOBBED would be more like it. It was rather distracting, but I was only 13. I blame it on immaturity.
The beach is my favorite place in the world. Except maybe Central Park. I love the beach because that's where I see God the most in nature. I love CP because I love nature but I also love huge cities and it mixes the two perfectly.
One time, I had to attempt to shave a girl's (well, woman's would be more like it) face. Ask me about that sometime. It was awesome (not).
My favorite class in college was The Life and Teachings of Christ taught by one of my fav professors: Renate Hood.
I was a ministry minor in college and because of studying all the mega churches in America in my classes, I have made it a goal to visit as many as I can. So far, I have marked Brooklyn Tab (Jim Cymbala - New York), Saddleback (Rick Warren - SoCal), Willow Creek (Bill Hybels - Chicago) and Lakewood (Joel Osteen - Houston) off my list. Some were great - some I hated. You can ask me for details if you so choose.
I have a love-hate relationship with running, and I run anywhere between 3-6 miles at least 4 times a week. My goal for 2009? 10 miles. Slowly (maybe) working my way to a half-marathon.
I might have one of the loudest laughs you have ever heard. And I "use" it frequently.
My favorite time of day is about an hour before sunset. And my favorite thing to do during that time is (1) go on a drive in the middle of nowhere with the windows down OR (2) go on a run.
I have the inability to hear a song I know and not sing along. I'm the worst in cars.

Ok - so as you can see, I didn't follow the rule of 25 things (as most were doing via Facebook). It is mostly because I can't pick favorites and have a hard time with decisions, so narrowing a random fact list down to 25 would be too difficult. Thanks for sticking with me (if you did).

Early predictions

2009-02-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

If you didn't know, I am an avid American Idol fan - I have been since season 3 or so. And just so I can say "I told you so" later (I HOPE!), I'm calling Danny Gokey RIGHT NOW. Granted, my early pick last season was Michael Johns (who made a guest appearance last night and I almost peed my pants a little) and he didn't win, so I admit that I could be wrong. But Danny has blown me away since his first appearance in front of the judges when he got his golden ticket. And then his rendition of Mariah Carey's Hero? Seriously?! Amazing. Plus the fact that he's a church music director and has overcome a lot in life to be where he is... pretty sure the cards couldn't be much more stacked in his favor (in my book).

Not your average chick flick

2009-02-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

I have heavier stuff in mind for a blog...

but for now, if you have (or haven't, for that matter) seen He's Just Not That Into You... this little video made me laugh this morning.

Accountability

2009-02-05T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have been really blessed by accountability in my life. And one thing I have learned is that accountability is not necessarily something that comes easy, but in our Christian walk, it is beyond important. Sure, some relationships are just that close naturally, and I do have a few of those (one KEY person has been that for me since the 10th grade!). But sometimes, accountability - true, real and deep - comes only by intentionally seeking it out.

I think that is how my first real encounter with this occurred. In college, I was in a place where I knew I needed help, and all of my close friends were either not going to see eye-to-eye with me on the issues I was struggling with (therefore providing no accountability) or in a place where I felt ashamed to tell them where I was struggling (stupid, I know). And so, I sought out a friend that I had a deep amount of respect for, but not one that I had not ever been that BRUTALLY honest with, and asked her to meet me, hear me out, and then keep me accountable. It was amazing what a turn around that made in my life. Even just knowing that one other person knew what was going on and was going to drill me about it later made me want to make better decisions. She prayed with me and for me and that was most important. That alone made me want to get out of the stupid pit I was in.

After that situation, I have made accountability relationships more and more a part of my everyday life. It didn't hurt that my last two years of college were spent living with 4 ladies who would constantly kick me in the butt if I was doing something stupid and guide me back towards the right path. Because of the honesty that was built in those friendships, those 4 women are still 4 of my closest friends and I cannot imagine life without them, even though we are now separated in 4 different states and areas of the country. But, since I don't them every day and they are not a part of the ins and outs of my daily life anymore, they cannot keep me accountable spiritually in the same way that someone here - in Orlando - can do.

When I first moved to Orlando, I joined a small group (my House Church) of people that have become my second family. The relationships in the group have sustained me, spurred me on, encouraged me, and provided me with some of the closest friends I could have asked for in Orlando. Within that group, there is a great amount of honesty and accountability, but we have even discussed lately how we want more of that. As I have reflected on our group, I came to the realization that I might not ever have DEEP accountability in a group of 20+ people, but that doesn't mean that they don't play a massive role in my Spiritual walk, because they do. And over the past few weeks, I have realized just how much of a role, and I have been thanking God for that group... a lot.

But, if deep, personal accountability wasn't going to come in the form of a group of 20 of my closest friends, I knew I needed to seek it out somewhere else. And so, a few months back (a lot of months actually), I began an intentional accountability relationship with two women that I have a deep amount of respect and admiration for. We started on unsure feet, not knowing how it would work or what we even wanted from it all, but it has grown into two of the most edifying and uplifting relationships in my life. Some weeks when we meet are harder than others. Sometimes we just talk about life. Other times we dig deep into the crap under the surface. We challenge each other to grow, to strive after God more, to rely on Him to fix our stupid imperfections and to reflect Him more in our everyday lives. No matter what, there is always a level of honesty and vulnerability that is unmatched by many other relationships in my life.

This post was spawned by recent meetings with these two friends. I have been SO THANKFUL (more so than normal) for them in the past few weeks, I have felt so encouraged by them, and I am constantly excited to see what God has in store for the three of us as we continue to meet and seek Him together.

I also wanted to post this to encourage anyone reading it to be sure that you have relationships like this in your life. Do you have someone that is intentionally keeping you accountable? Sometimes, even with the closest of friends, it is hard to move past the normal conversations to the ones where we ask the tough questions. But, I'd encourage you not to be scared of that, because I am a firm believer that we ALL need that in our lives. If you aren't there with anyone, get there. Please. We weren't made to walk through life alone. We were created by God as relational creatures. I mean, come on, God created Eve just so that Adam would have a companion!

I am confident that I would not be the person that I am today if it were not for those people in my life who are not scared to call me out, but who are also not scared to love me and to love God with everything that they have. So, if you have played that role in my life...thank you.

*Just as a side note, I typed this early yesterday but had yet to publish it, and then late last night had a completely God-inspired night with my best friend and two of our very random out-of-town friends. Amazing. It was total confirmation of that fact that we are not made to walk this walk alone.

And isn't it ironic?

2009-01-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday evening, I went to the movies with two of my dearest friends. We went to see Revolutionary Road...and it WRECKED us. I emotionally invest myself in movies, and by the end of this one, I was exhausted. I was stressed. I was DIStressed. I was angry. I was sad. I was limp.

And somehow, by the time we were finally able to move from our chairs, there were only two other people left in the theater - who were also sitting in emotional shock. Was no one else affected?

We spent the rest of the night evaluating our thoughts and feelings after seeing this intense movie. At first, I was angry that I had seen it, but as time went by, I realized that maybe, just maybe, Revolutionary Road got it right.

In some odd way, I have never seen a movie capture so much of our depraved society. And as it painted the picture of the crap that our society lives in, there did not seem to be one character in the whole movie who was shown not living in an empty, void place. For once, the empty life wasn't glamorized. The whole movie followed two people's desire to get away from living the American dream... and to live life to the fullest... to "really feel things"... to live life in a revolutionary way. And yet, what they got was the opposite of that. They tried to fill themselves with love and adventure from all the wrong places. And it didn't work.

Adultery left characters feeling empty, which was only a slight consolation to the intense anger I felt every time a situation like that arose. Anger and unresolved conflict made me squirm in my seat...similar to the unrest it clearly left them in as well. Abortion led to the most extreme of circumstances, and was definitely not the bright spot or the well-deserved choice that so many people think it is. It hurts. It kills. It SUCKS and I hate it with all of my being.

There was so much irony wrapped up in Saturday evening. Ironic that this family lived on Revolutionary Road and yet experienced anything but a revolution in their life. Ironic that the movie clearly painted a picture in my head of just how much our world needs a revolution...needs to know the revolutionary power of Christ. Sadly ironic that a movie that depicts the horrors and evils of abortion is showing at the same time that our country is taking steps towards abortion rights in a way that it never has in the past. But ironic that my pastor talked about the sanctity of life on Sunday morning and a woman who was affected by our crisis pregnancy center was baptized? I think not.

Our best description pf the evening was that it felt like we had just sat in a theater full of lives just like those we had watched on the big screen. People that do not know how to deal with the stressful moments of life. People that find adultery and abortion and anger and conflict something to be laughed at. And so they laughed. There were so many moments in the movie that Becca and I both wanted to yell out, "WHAT'S SO DANG FUNNY?" When the tension became to great to handle, they decided not to even try, which is, ironically, exactly what happened to the characters of this movie.

And so, the night was ultimately ironic in that we watched this movie with a room full of people who very likely live lives in one way or another all to similar to the depressing lives of Frank and April Wheeler. Kinda makes me want to start a revolution.

It's [not] a lonely night in Georgia

2009-01-23T08:26:00.000-05:00

Four amazing girls and I went to Savannah for the long weekend and it was a blast. Full of laughter (lots, if you can imagine), honest conversation, music, eating, shopping, etc...

And I really wanted to take the time to write a nice long post about it, telling fun stories, sharing pictures, etc. BUT you see, my friend Kristi has already done that here. And so, in light of the fact that I would say a lot of the same things, I am just going to point you there. Please go read it if you are interested in what we did in Savannah because she lined out a GREAT rundown of all our activities. And she included a few pictures.

The one story she didn't tell that is totally worth telling is this:
We went to Jazz'd, a live jazz and tapas bar in downtown historic district, on Saturday night. Just before leaving, we went to the bathroom, and as we were waiting by the door for everyone to get done, a RATHER intoxicated lady comes up to us and says, "Can I just be drunk and obnoxious for a minute?" To which, of course we responded YES. What could be more entertaining than a drunk lady in the bathroom??

She proceeds to ask us, "Am I chopped liver?" Um... no? We weren't quite sure where she was going with it all. Then we find out (more than we wanted, I might add) that she is trying to make it happen with a man at the bar, but she brought her friend with her who happens to be hot and have a large chest (she didn't use such censored language). Well, her friend was stealing the show, even though she knew that this lady wanted to snag the hot guy at the bar. As a side note, she described him as a surfer type, which was totally NOT what he was when we saw him later. So, she's angry at her friend for stealing her thunder, asking us if she should just have left her friend at home, asking us why this guy might be paying more attention to her friend than her, etc. Our favorite part was when she told us that situations like this are what "keep her at home on Saturday nights, making love to her dog...not really...but seriously (please remember, this was all out of the mouth of a drunk lady, as inappropriate as it may seem)." So we try to give her some pretty solid advice for a drunk person, mostly telling her that she is beautiful and that if this guy wants to choose someone else over her, than maybe he's not worth it. Yes, that is the 100% girl-type of response, but all we had. And before she left, the 5 of us, with a completely drunk stranger, enjoyed a large group hug in the bathroom before she went back out to face the guy and her friend. Gooooood times.

Anyways, it was one of our favorite encounters of the weekend, besides, of course, getting the lowdown on the Mark Zuckerburg, of Facebook fame, from his Harvard professor. That was fun too.

So, now... go read Kristi's write-up of the weekend.

What a day

2009-01-12T10:55:00.000-05:00

So, I typed this out a few days ago and saved it without publishing...oops.
Anyways, here it is. I've decided to share two songs that I've been listening to A LOT during my drives to work this week:

What a Day, by Greg Laswell

What a day to be alive
What a day to realize I'm not dead
What a day to save a dime
What a day to die trying

What a way to say good bye
What a wonderful life now
What a way to use your mind
What a day to say good night

"Bring on the evening hours," I cry
"Bring on the evidence of my life"
(My life)

What a day to give a d*mn
What a day for "Gone with the Wind"
And what a day to start again
What a day to give up dry gin

"Bring on the evening hours," I cry
"Bring on the evidence of my life"
"Bring on the evening hours," I cry
"Bring on the evidence of my life"

Let it go
Let it go from here, I don't know
Let it go
Let it go from here, I don't know
Don't know

What a day to visit Seattle
What a day for San Francisco
What a day, holy Toldeo
What a day to get in the air and go
What a day to give up smoking
What a day to absorb
What a day to welcome a baby
And to begin breathing (To begin breathing)

Granted, everything in this song doesn't necessarily apply to me, but Greg Laswell is a musical genius in my opinion and this is a personal favorite of his, so far. Best line? "What a day to get in the air and go." Personally, I believe EVERY day is a good day to get in the air and go. But, whether I am going or staying right where I am, every day has the right to be greeted with the phrase, "What a day!" Every day has the chance to bring new opportunities and great joy, even when mixed with the pain and sorrow. It's all what we make of it, isn't it?

Another one:
The Good Things, by Jill Phillips

Every once in a while the world stops spinning enough
That I can take a step back and get the picture
I see the twists and the turns
I see the patterns they form
I see how perfect they are and I remember

All the good things
All the good things
All the good things
you’ve done for me

Though the feeling is real I know it’s fleeting to feel
One day I’ll forget you are here and start to wonder
In that season of doubt, You’ll still be showering me
With blessings I can’t see, that can’t be numbered

All the good things
All the good things
All the good things
You’ve done for me

Forgive me for my shortsighted look at this world
Where you keep proving that you know what you’re doing
If I could see like you do with your perspective view
The fires I’m walking through would look much different
I’d see those difficult days for who they made me become
And I would count them among

All the good things
All the good things
All the good things
You’ve done for me

Man, this is such a powerful song. Seriously could and should be my life anthem I think, because my perspective on those crappy situations of life is always totally wrong in the heat of the moment. And yet, my shortsightedness fails in light of God's eternal plan. Every time. "I’d see those difficult days for who they made me become, and I would count them among, all the good things..." That's my prayer for 2009.

Transplant, please

2009-01-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

Well, after my relaxing day on Friday, we were up and on our way to San Diego on Saturday. It wasn't a great day for weather, but we had fun just the same. We spent some time in La Jolla (pictured above), Old Town, Balboa Park (joined by Jenny and Justin - in the picture below - my friends from House Church that recently moved to CA), the mall, and then had a nice dinner in the Gaslamp district. Every restaurant was over-run with SD Charger fans, and it was, in fact, a great game that went to overtime and caused some raucous fans to be on the streets afterwards.

Sunday was so great. Church at Rock Harbor, Kimberly's old church, which was great. Then on to Balboa Island where we borrowed her friends' beach cruiser bikes and had a GRAND time biking all around Balboa Island, and the peninsula. We ended up biking all the way to Huntington Beach, which is, for the record, a pretty long ride on a beach cruiser. The weather could not have been more perfect, and the scenery was, of course, beautiful. I did enjoy a Balboa bar, a la Christy Miller, before leaving the island after 2+ hours of biking and relaxing. Then, last night, we had sushi for dinner at Mosun in Laguna with Jason. Best. Sushi. Ever. And I don't even love sushi! Wish there was somewhere like that in Orlando!

Today has been good too. After another beach-side run this morning (Orlando is seriously lacking the scenic running trails), we went on a hike near Dana Point/Laguna Niguel. The scenery was amazing - beach on one side, snow covered mountains on the other. Tonight, we'll enjoy Happy Hour at Fisherman's restaurant out on the San Clemente pier and then, we will head to LAX to make our way back to Orlando.

It has been a great trip full of friends, laughter, celebrating the New Year, football, parades, good food, Jesus time, reading, exercise, fun activity, relaxing, shopping, etc. I have had time to process over the past year and look forward to the coming year of 2009. I am not quite ready to go home, but alas, we must live normal lives, I guess. Next time I blog, I'll be back in Orlando...home to things, work, family and friends that I love, but not quite the city that wish... can we transplant San Diego or Chicago or NYC or Boston or something right into Orlando, please?

New Years' in California

2009-01-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year from sunny (well, not so much today...) Californ-I-A. My roommate Kimberly and I decided a while back to take a nice trip to California to ring in the new year, and of course, to take in the Rose Parade and bowl game. So, needless to say, yesterday was a great day. But, before I get ahead of myself, let me go back to the beginning of our adventure.

It started with Crystal taking us to the airport (by the way, if you are reading this Crys, you need to blog from TX) and having to say goodbye to her for good as she is moving to TX before we return from our trip. Sad. But, we actually got to see her again since Kimberly forgot her phone at home and Crystal had to go back to get it and then back to the airport. Perks of living near the airport! So, our trip was off to a great start.

When we arrived in Los Angeles, the friend picking us up from the airport couldn't get there for about 2 hours later. So, we decided to go in search of a coffee shop, which was actually closed once we walked all the way there. But, the perks of being picked up late? A star siting. And not just ANY star. Meredith, from The Office. And so, we saw her while walking to the closed coffee shop, but were too shocked to do anything about it. Then, we found her again in baggage claim, waiting for her bags, so we stalked her (and her family?) for a bit until they were leaving and we rushed for a picture. She was in a rush, but very nice and gracious enough to take a picture with her adoring fans. We withheld all questions about her flask or her near rehap experience with Michael Scott...

Then, I thought I saw a man being suspicious, so Kimberly went to check it out but after walking towards him (assuming him to be stealing something and that she was about to stop him), she saw the dog he had let out of his bag to pee around the corner...just out of our line of sight. But, at this point, she had gone too far towards him and was too close not to say anything, so she awkwardly asked him, "Is that your dog?" Yeah, she got a weird look for that OBVIOUS question and I laughed. A LOT.

Now for Wednesday. We got up (after a very late night at the airport) and went to Pasedena to the Rose Palace, one of the locations where they build the floats for the Rose Parade. We got there just after 12, not knowing that they stopped selling tickets at 12. The viewing area was open until 1 though, so along with a few others, we protested them not selling us any tickets and somehow ended up going through without paying a dime. Awesome. And, it was cool to see a few of the floats up close! Traffic was crazy and kept us from doing much else besides heading home in time for the New Years' Eve party that Kimberly was hosting with lots of her Cali friends. That was a good time, but after watching the ball drop in NYC and realizing we still had 3 hrs to go until California's midnight, we went to bed to prepare for our early and long New Years' day activities. 5 am came early, but it was worth it.

New Years' day was spent in Pasedena. We started by going to the Rose Parade (one of our favorite floats is pictured to the left), where we had a great viewing location with our new friends Adriene, Pam, and family. Pam had been out on Colorado Blvd since 5am...on the 31st. That's over 24 hours waiting on this parade. And, she has been doing that for 30 years! WOW! We got there at about 7am, found a great coffee shop, and meandered our way down the street until we found a place we could watch with no obstructions. It was such a great experience - I've ALWAYS wanted to go to the Rose Parade! Then, we walked (for what seemed like hours) to the game site, and enjoyed "tailgating", which for us really just consisted of a picnic lunch and lots of people watching. People were throwing drinks and food at us left and right though, since most outside drinks are not allowed in the game, and of course, people had way too much.

The game was great. We sat near some fun people... some USC fans and then the Penn State fans that I wanted to take duck tape to their mouths for the first half of the game, but ended up being OK once their team was clearly beyond a come back. And to those of you wondering, no I have not forsaken the Gators, but I did have to make the day fun by cheering on a team with Kimberly. It was for her that I chose USC and not Penn State, and as she said... I can be a hottie fan without being a USC fan. Go Mark Sanchez.

After the game, we met up with Nicole (see the contrasting picture to the left) for dinner at Fred's. It was so good to see her, even though I just saw her in Orlando. But, she is always a joy to be around, and it was fun to see her in her new home area... and to visit Scoopers, or Squeeze'ems, or whatever that place was called. Squeeze and Scoop maybe? I don't know - I could never get it right.

This morning has so far been a relaxing day full of sleeping in, running on the beach (yeah!), eating a late breakfast, and sitting by the fire reading my Bible and journaling. I've decided that it would be my dream world to be able to have days like this muuuuch more often. But, I'll just enjoy them while I can since that dream world doesn't exist. It has been crazy to make sense of yesterday's weather - bright, sunshiney, 80 degrees at the game - and today - overcast and cold enough for a fire. Weird, but it is a great day to be lazy before another full day tomorrow with a day trip to San Diego. Can't WAIT! Now off to more relaxing, and perhaps an afternoon beachside hike. I love California.

The TRUE tall tale of the coming of Christ

2008-12-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

I want to take a minute to plug an amazing Christmas album. Have you heard of the Behold the Lamb of God (the TRUE tall tale of the coming of Christ) album? It's a collaboration album performed by Andrew Peterson and others. Andrew Peterson wrote it to tell the story of Christ in a new way. A few friends and I went to see the corresponding tour on Saturday night and I was blown away. First off, the talent involved in this 2008 tour (Peterson, Bebo Norman, Jill Phillips, some Caedmon's Call guys, Gabe Scott, etc.) was crazy good. But, as my roommate Crystal and I were discussing later, this show really put the story of Christmas foremost in my mind and I saw it in a totally new light. I was in tears at times, just thinking about my Jesus...as a baby...and how the whole of Scripture that is really about telling his story. Church Sunday morning was also about this idea. As a result, I've been reflecting a lot on the Christmas story this season. More than usual. So anyway, here's a run-down of the album, and you can see what I mean about how it really does tell the WHOLE story:

(1) Gather 'Round, Ye Children, Come - starts off the story

(2) Passover Us - talks of the Israelites in captivity and the establishment of the Passover in the days of Pharoah, along with the need in those days for sacrifices. "...and only sacrifice atoned for the sins of the land, so you see the priest he placed upon the holy altar, the body of a spotless lamb...Lord, let your judgement pass over us..."

(3) So Long, Moses - this song talks of the journey from Moses, to Joshua, to Saul, to David, to the prophets, and of how the people were constantly looking for "...a king on a throne, full of power, with a sword in his fist...will there ever be, ever be a king like this..." And yet, Isaiah prophecied something far different about our King. "He'll bear no beauty or glory, rejected, despised, a man of such sorrow, we'll cover our eyes."

(4) Deliver Us - this one talks of the constant need for deliverance and how animal sacrifices just couldn't cut it. "Our sins they are more numerous than all the lambs we slay, these shackles they were made with our own hands, our toil is our atonement and our freedom yours to give, so Yahweh, break your silence if you can."

(5) O Come, O Come Emmanuel - the classic song we all know and love, in an AMAZING arrangement by Gabe Scott I believe. Perfectly placed here after a song about the need for deliverance and before the chronology of Jesus' birth. We need you, Jesus. O Come, O Come...

(6) Matthew's Begats - you absolutely must listen to this fun song. I am amazed that someone could put the geneology of Jesus (you know, those things we all avoid reading through in Scripture) into song form, and actually make it fun and exciting. I love that Rahab, a prostitute, and Ruth, a Moabitess, are listed here. God really can use anyone to bring about his purposes.

(7) It Came to Pass - "So it came to pass that Joseph was the noblest of men, with a woman on a donkey on their way to Bethlehem. And I wonder whether either was aware enough that day, to know the child would bring a Kingdom and the old would come to pass away." As a result of this song, I've lately been struck by how truly NOBLE Joseph was. He could have walked away...but he didn't. He stood by Mary's side, in the midst of what I'm sure proved to be a very stressful time.

(8) Labor of Love - this song kills me everytime. SO POWERFUL! "But the baby in her womb, He was the maker of the moon, He was the Author of the faith...that could make the mountains move..."

(9) The Holly and the Ivy - Best. Arrangment. Ever. Definitely deserved a standing O in concert...or at least looooots of applause.

(10) While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks - the classic song... and of course, a GREAT arrangment. "Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Christ is born!"

(11) Behold the Lamb of God - After Christ comes... we finally have that Lamb that we've always needed...the one who takes away our sins. "Son of god-Emmanuel, Son of man-we need you, behold the Lamb, the hope of man, behold the Lamb of God"

(12) The Theme Of My Song/Reprise - powerful ending

So, in short...go listen to this album. It might change your life...just sayin'

Funniest moment of the weekend

2008-12-11T15:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was a good weekend: Avenue Q on Friday, catching up with Jaclyn finally, Christmas brunch at my place for 20 or so of my closest girlfriends on Saturday morning, delivering baked goods to the neighbors with Jillian and Crystal, and a good old fashioned sleepover with Tiffany and a couple of our 10th graders on Saturday night. But, the most hilarious moment was, by far, Sunday after church.

Right after I left church, I went to the gas station, as the gas light in my car had been on since the night before. I think I was running on fumes. So I stop in at the local Chevron, and fill ‘er up. As I’m pumping the gas, I notice the screen in front of me says that you get a free coffee or soda with 8 gallon purchase. If you know anything about me at all, you know that I LOVE a good deal. Did I need to free drink? Nope. Did I want to take full advantage of something free? ABSOLUTELY. So, though I had used the pay-at-the-pump option and had no need to venture inside, I went in for my free drink. I ask the man behind the counter about the deal and he directs me to pick any size fountain drink I want. After getting my drink, I turn around to leave. Now, remember, I just left church and am therefore in church clothes: an outfit including a skirt and boots. Just behind the drink area, there is a very slippery section of floor that I had somehow missed earlier. I was not so lucky the second time around. I begin to feel myself slipping, so I try to stop the process at a slight falter and not an all-out fall. Though it seemed to be in slow motion because of my efforts at stopping the fall, I was not successful. This was, in part, because the only thing near me that I might have been able to grab onto was a little free-standing metal “tree” holding every gummy snack you could imagine. Clearly, I knew that wasn’t going to provide me any stability, so I tried to avoid it. This attempt was also not successful. Are you getting the picture here? I finally collapsed to the floor (very gracefully, I might add… no skirt over the head or anything UTTERLY embarrassing), taking the stand of gummies with me. All of them. So, there I am, sitting on the floor in a heap, my drink, cell phone and wallet somehow unharmed, with a metal store fixture on top of me. The gummy worms, bears, etc. were scattered ALL OVER the floor around me. I couldn’t decide if I was embarrassed (unlikely, knowing my track record in situations like this) or if I just wanted to die laughing. But, since I was alone, I decided to make the quickest exit possible before either emotion took over. A nice man saw the whole thing (including my awkward struggle to keep from falling) and immediately came over to help and see if I was OK. He tried to pick up the metal thing and found that the leg had been bent and it would no longer stand up unaided. Oops. The foreign man behind the counter also came dashing around the corner to the sound of his store being destroyed and immediately began apologizing all over himself as I explained the slick floor and reason for my spill. I was, thankfully, able to point out to him the exact spot that was so slippery, and I was not mistaken. Something had been spilled. I tried to pick some of the scattered gummies and he told me not to worry about it. I wasn’t fighting with that and made a quick exit, leaving quite a mess behind me. Oops again. HAHAHAHAHA even as I’m typing this, I’m remembering just how freakin’ funny this whole thing was and how it MUST have looked. I called Bek immediately because I HAD to laugh about it with someone ( clearly, I made the decision not to be embarrassed but rather to see the complete hilarity of the situation), and soon we were both crying we were laughing so hard.

Someday, you should ask me all about some of my other clumsy moments. I have 23 years full of stories much like this one. In fact, I believe I once blogged about an experience while in Paris. Check it out here. I thought I had finally left that stigma behind me (or, as it would seem at times, passed it on to my sister), but clearly, I was mistaken.

Is anyone else a clutz? Got a clutzy moment to share? I love a good story…at least then I feel like I’m not the only one.

Mocha Club

2008-12-02T09:12:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share this video from an organization I care about and support: The Mocha Club. Also love the song "Shovel" by Katie Herzig.

Overdue life update

2008-11-24T07:06:00.000-05:00

I have been absent...

It has been a very busy last few weeks. At work, we were gearing up for a huge event that happened last Saturday. We got front page coverage in the Orlando Sentinel (see here) thanks to an amazing man named Sam, my boss' hard work, and our PR team. All of this was for the launch of our Last Languages Campaign which has now "officially" begun. I have also been busy working on a partnership with Moody Radio, and as time goes by, I'm getting more and more excited about that. It is a big undertaking, and I'm definitely being "professionally stretched" into arenas I never saw myself working in, but I love the relationship building, the planning, and honestly... I love the challenge. I just need to remind myself of that on the days I get overwhelmed.

I have been winding down with the Bible study at Rollins College and tonight is our last night of the semester. I'm making the girls dinner. Remember, I love dinner parties.

I have been loving my involvement with my two churches: First Baptist and Status. God has been stretching me and teaching me a lot through the leadership and people of both of those communities. I am blessed to have two amazing places to call home. Now, I know that some people think it is crazy to be so attached to two churches and would encourage me to narrow my focus to one. But, for now, I feel as though both places are playing an important role in my life and hold a special place in my heart.

My house church (above picture at Ben and Alicia's wedding in the Panhandle) is growing more and more amazing each week. I love the fellowship we have on Thursday nights. I love that it doesn't stop on Thursday nights. I love the vulnerability we have with one another, that is continually growing (Praise God!!). I love the time I get to spend with these amazing people. And as we have been reading through the Bible together, I feel as though we are learning so much from our discussions and I cannot wait to see what the rest of this journey produces!

Greg came in town last weekend.

It was fun to spend time with an old friend, and to be around someone who reminds me of the life I loved in Texas. We had such good conversations about life...we laughed a lot...we relaxed... it was nice. I will see him again this weekend, hopefully at The Red Bar.

Went to see the night shuttle launch near the Cape in Titusville on Nov 14. Had a great group of friends there... had the perfect viewing location (thanks to Jaclyn) and really enjoyed the evening. I've lived in Central Florida my whole life and had yet to see a shuttle launch from the Cape. This might have been the last night launch EVER, so it was a good one to see.

Gorgeous... looks a little like the sun, but it is in fact, the shuttle.

Robert, Kimberly and I

Tony being interviewed by ABC. We were right near all the TV cameras and Robert, Tony AND Jaclyn were all interviewed. I know for sure that Robert was seen on NBC's nightly news at 11 that night, not sure about the other two on ABC.

I cannot wait for Thanksgiving break. We are headed up to Niceville for a much anticipated family get-together with the Tidwell side. I plan on laughing (A LOT), cooking and eating (A LOT), Black Friday shopping (A LOT), and enjoying my fam. I'm excited that my dear friends Andrew and Virginia get to join us on Thursday. There have been a lot of uphill battles in our family lately, and so I'm really excited for some time to be together.

Speaking of uphill battles... all this family stuff that has been going on has been causing me a lot of turmoil. I don't know how to describe it, but my brain feels like a battlefield lately. Every day. Lots of tears have been shed. Lots of yelling... lots of discussion... lots of anger, coupled with intense sadness. Confusion. It is a constant struggle between the truth I know of my God and the reality I am living in. I'm trying to make those two fit...to reconcile what seem like disconnects between the two. Because at the end of the day, I know there are no mistakes in God's plan, but sometimes it is DANG HARD to believe that. I'm learning to trust my Lord...in the midst of having broken trust for His people. I'm learning to forgive. I'm choosing (most days) to love. I have to stop - I'm tearing up even as I type about it. As often as you think of it, please be in prayer for my family. We couldn't need it more than we do right now.

WHEW, how's that for an update??

i want it all to be over...

2008-11-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

...all the election stuff, that is. i'm tired of it. after what feels like 2 years of campaigning by the candidates, i cannot believe that today has finally come and that hopefully, no matter the outcome, we can be done with all of this very soon. don't get me wrong, i care. i voted. proudly. but i really have had a growing hatred for everything political these past few months, and i'm glad that i will soon no longer have to see the personal attacks, bashing, anger, constant BLOG POSTS, tweets, rants, etc.

i'm tired of a lot of stuff right now, and i think my fear of allowing my emotions to rule a blog post in the way that they shouldn't has kept me from posting anything lately.

there have been a lot of good things going on (new york, which i still need to post on, ben and lish's wedding in the panhandle, friends that are amazing, church stuff, work stuff, house church, Bible reading, growth, etc.) but there have also been a lot of crappy things going on. and those are the things that make me apathetic to other stuff in life as i realize that there are so many issues going on that matter more. more than ever i'm needing to remember that God is sovereign in all of it.

wow - this is a really odd and ambiguous post. sorry, my mind is a jumble... constantly.

NYC...

2008-10-16T15:57:00.000-04:00

...here I come! Can't wait for tomorrow. Seriously. I get to experience real FALL weather, the big city that I love so much, time with one of my dearest friends, the Lion King on Broadway, good food (HELLO, CHEESECAKE!), relax time, and who knows what else. We have decided this is not a "tourist" trip - this is a retreat. A vacation. Literally. We are going to sleep, go on nice (fall) walks, SHOP, read in the park and coffee shops, and just enjoy each others' company. Can't wait. I'll be sure to blog and post pics when I return.

This could not be coming at a more "timely" time. The past week or two have been really emotionally taxing and I have hit the wall a few times. Spent a few nights crying on friends' shoulders. Needless to say, I feel the need for a break, and I am going to get just that come tomorrow at 6:15pm.

Be back Tuesday night!

(Shoutout to my girls in the picture. I'm sure I will be flooded with memories of my most recent trip to NYC with these girls. Man, I sure do miss and love them.)

"It seems it's always the crazy times"

2008-10-07T15:50:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd list out my crazy next few weekends (not even including the weeks!):

Oct 10-11: Unveiled Conference at FBC/O, Danny and Courtney's wedding
Oct 17-21: NYC!!
Oct 24-25: HSM 3 opening, working a 5K, Melissa and Andrew's wedding, Brooke Fraser and Ingrid Michelson concert with Kristi...busy, but at least I'm home =)
Oct 31-Nov 2: Ben and Alicia's wedding near Destin
November 7-9: Coldplay concert, Greg visiting
Nov 14-15: NO PLANS YET though there is a downtown Orlando Food and Wine festival that Saturday that sounds fun
Nov 21-22: LLC Launch weekend at work, MAYBE UF/Citadel game *crossing fingers* depending on work - I already have a ticket
Nov 26-30: Thanksgiving with Tidwell fam in Niceville

"The holidays" will not slacken in craziness I'm sure... it is just too far in advance to really know

The title is a throwback to an old school Christian band - anybody got an idea who??

Excitement!

2008-10-03T11:32:00.000-04:00

First of all, I'm excited about these two new albums that I just bought:

And I'm excited about my weekend.

Tonight, this concert

with Sean, Erin, Tyson, and Megan (in from Atlanta for the weekend), Jillian, Lauren, Bek, Kristi, and Melissa. So, pretty much an amazing outdoor concert in great fall weather (pray it doesn't rain or something crazy like that!) with some of my favorite people in the world. Couldn't ask for more. Then, after a slumber party at my house - I think there's 8 people sleeping there tonight - tomorrow, the Atlanta visitors and Bekah and I will be headed to spend the day with

Courtesy of Kristi and Ryan. THANKS in advance!

Needless to say, this week couldn't have gone much slower.

Let's talk about the weather

2008-10-02T11:13:00.001-04:00

Today's forecast:

Now I know that some of you look at this and see 87 and think that's too high for October. I look at this and see upper 60s and low 70s most of the day and think that's AMAZING. Now starts the time of year when I actually enjoy Florida's weather.

Fall = football season

2008-10-01T22:07:00.000-04:00

College football season makes me happy. I love watching my Gators play... though obviously, it is a little less exciting when they LOSE. To OLE MISS especially. But, Saturday was a lot of fun, and as I am mulling over some blog topics in my head, here's a picture to enjoy from the game Saturday.

Needed a change

2008-09-25T13:35:00.000-04:00

I felt inspired to find a new design for this thing. I may change it again in the near future if I decide I am unhappy with this one. We'll see.

Lots of blog posts in my head...not many making it to the keyboard. Soon I hope. It has been a crazy busy week and my computer and I haven't been spending too much time together when I get home late in the evening.

Please be praying for the Schwarz family. I went to school with Michael...he passed away Sunday. Like I said, a crazy week, full of a lot of different emotions - sadness being one of them. Perhaps more thoughts on this to come...perhaps I'll keep them to myself.

Bitten by the bug

2008-09-17T12:50:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally did it. It began as a "I'd like to do that before I die" thought in May of 2007. Then, May of 2008, I decided on a September 13th date with three friends, and June 1st began the training period. And this past Saturday, September 13th, I did it - I completed my very first triathlon.

And what I never wanted to happen has happened - I've been bitten by what I like to refer to as the "tri-bug". Training consumes so much of my time, and it is so hot and tiring that I was really hoping that I'd do this one and get it out of my system. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to put up with the heat, the knees, the bunions (don't ask - I'm old), the scary lake swims with potential alligators, the early morning workouts even on Saturdays, etc. I was looking forward to settling back into my routine of just going to the gym 3 or 4 days a week with a few runs thrown in the mix and feeling the freedom to miss days here or there. But, I am no longer satisfied with only the gym - I have to mix it in with all the other craziness. The feeling of finishing my triathlon was just too good to not experience it again. And, let's face it, the motivation to stay in shape is helpful. So, my friends have to know that I can't hang out until AFTER my bike ride or I have to get home early enough to go on a run before bed. That's just how it has to be.

Saturday started early. BEcause my other friends had backed out, it was just Crystal and I. I'm so thankful for her! We got up at 5:40 in order to eat some food and leave the house by 6. Trying to guess what would be good to eat for energy but not make me sick was tricky. We made it to race site around 6:30 with our bikes in tow and began laughing. Laughing at how ridiculous we looked in spandex, laughing at how inexperienced we were compared to everyone else, laughing at how we would probably finish hours after the people surrounding us, laughing at ourselves for ever thinking up this crazy idea, and laughing with others around us who seemed as new as we were...

But, we set up our bikes and tried to get ready. We got markered up and put our numbers on our bikes and helmets. We set up our transition area, making note of what those around us were doing. I honestly wasn't that nervous. I think this was because I knew I could finish it, I knew (hoped) I could make it in my time goal of 1hr 45 min, and I knew I didn't care if people beat me. That's freeing. This was for me and I was going to feel good about finishing whether I came in first or dead last. Ok, I'll be honest - I might not have been happy with dead last.

We were the fourth wave to get started, and the treading water while waiting on the start was long. We were all getting tired and frustrated. Plus, Lake Underhill has lots of seaweed that I was ready to swim away from. Except for that never happened. Contrary to the belief that seaweed is only near the shore, Lake Underhill has seaweed about 2 feet from water surface EVERYWHERE - even out in the middle of my swim I was struggling to free my ankle from pieces that were grabbing me. The bike could not come fast enough.

That first transition was a little slow, but once on my bike, I was happy. I love my bike, and even though my legs were burning as I pedaled faster than I ever have before, at least my breathing was a little more normal than in swimming or running. Muscular guys of all ages were flying past me, but I only cared if a girl my age passed me, and in my 11.7 mile bike, only 2 did. And they were still in sight when we reached the transition to run, so I felt OK about that. As a side note here, I did see one woman TOTALLY wipe out on her bike and I felt bad that I had to circle around her without stopping. I felt a little bit like the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan. Sorry - hope someone else played the part of the Samaritan.

Transition to the run was better, until I was leaving the transition area and a guy tells me - "you'll get disqualified for that iPod (which I had been wearing since I started biking - I like my tunes!)!" What?? I never heard that! Clearly, I'm a tri newbie. So I pretty much chuck my iPod at some boy I don't know who's over the fence, near my bike and ask him if he can throw it by bike 262. Whoever he was, I'm thankful, because he actually even took time to hide it under my bag and it was still there when I returned a couple of hours later after the race. But, the damage was already done. Athlete 262: Disqualified for "endangerment". Oops. Good thing I wasn't trying to qualify for an Ironman or something! Who cares if I am in the official rankings? But, I did learn a lesson and I will read the fine print on my waivers before signing them next time. I guess that has to be where that rule was listed. Anyways, it really doesn't bother me because my times are still online for me to check, and I finished. Finished well. I finished in 11.5 minutes under my goal time to be exact.

The run wasn't super fun, but the first 2 miles are the worst - after that, it gets easier - something about "hitting your stride". My legs were feeling the biking and telling me to stop and walk those first two miles especially. But I didn't. I ran 3.9 miles at a 10 minute mile pace, and that was just fine by me. It was hot and I was tired. Again, I believe only 1 girl my age passed me during the run, and that was at the very end. And, I passed one in front of me around mile 2, so I guess I made up for it.

I had a little moment of pride as I was running down Livingston, and a man yelled out that we only had 4 more blocks once we made the turn on Orange. At that point, I knew I had done it. I think I even smiled to myself, which likely looked ridiculous to any on-lookers.

Finishing was so great. My mom, dad, sister, BFF, roommate and her friend were all there to cheer Crystal and I on. I looked at the time and realized that I finished at 1hr 33.5 minutes and was ecstatic. 11.5 minutes under my goal time. Had my time counted, I would have finished 8 in my age group (20-24), out of 23 runners. In everyone under 30, I would have been around 27 out of 61. Right in the middle is fine by me.

I took two days to let my legs recover - they were a little sore - and I was back at it all yesterday evening. The craziness continues as I think about competing in this race on Valentine's Day.

Here's a couple of pictures for you to laugh at, but you are only getting two because I don't think anyone has done anything bad enough to have to relive that spandex.

Fitted for holiness

2008-09-09T14:26:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday was a good day to be refreshed and refueled in the Word. I'm really thankful for good church communities to be a part of, and feel super blessed by the leaders and the wisdom they share each week.

Sunday morning, during HS Sunday school (where I help lead a table of 10th grade girls), we were talking about being holy. A question we were prompted to ask our girls regarded being "fitted for holiness". I began thinking about when you get fitted for a dress (go with me here, guys). You go that first time and the dress doesn't fit at all. You need them to take it in, take it up, whatever. So, the seamstress pins it all up and goes to work. Next time you try it on, maybe it fits, but there's a chance that one part might still need some work. Perhaps the length is good, but the hips are too tight now. So you try again. You re-pin it, and the process continues. And then, once you get it right and wear it that first time, there's always the chance that you will either gain weight or lose weight by the next time you put the dress on, and then the process would have to start alllll over again. As I was processing through this, I realized that is exactly what it is like to be fitted with holiness. We go to Christ, asking to be fixed - to be cleaned - to be holy. And then, the very next day, we have to go to him, confessing something new, and asking for grace to be "re-fitted" for holiness. Again. It's a continual process, and it's frustrating, but, in the same way I want the dress to fit, I want holiness. I want to go through the process. I want to do whatever it takes to make myself more like Jesus, and I've realized that it is always going to seem repetitive, as I throw myself at his feet again and again, but He expects that, and He's waiting for it. Funny that in teaching those younger than me, I'm reminded of all-too-important truths for myself.

Trash cans and beach engagements

2008-09-09T13:55:00.000-04:00

I feel like I constantly have ideas for blog topics, but never get around to writing them. Oops.

I am finally home for a little while. Until October 17, to be exact. That may not seem that far away, but when you've traveled as much as I did this summer, over a month at home with no travel is a nice break. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE traveling, but it makes friendships, community, church involvement, etc. a little hard. I am sure I'll get bitten by the travel bug again very soon, but for now, it is nice to have some consistency in my life. Still...Labor day weekend was a great time. Lauren and I (high school and current BFF) went to Chicago, my second visit of the summer. Amazing weather, amazing friend time, amazing city...well, you get the picture. Speaking of picture...wanna see one?? I thought so.

This past weekend was good. Spent some time with my family since my sister, bro-in-law, and the kids were in town. Natalie and Nathan are pretty much the cutest kids EVER and so freakin' funny. Nathan and I baked a cake together Saturday night. He's three and, actually pretty good in the kitchen. Funniest moment was when Nathan wouldn't stop talking to Natalie when they were supposed to be going to sleep. Brad went in to scare them into staying in bed and being quiet, and then at 11:30, when Nathan was still babbling, Elizabeth and I went in there only to find that Nathan had pooped. In the trash can. He was too scared to leave the room after Brad talked to them about staying in bed, so his alternative was to poop in the trash can. It is always so hard to keep a straight face when kids are in trouble for doing something that was "bad" but also realllllly funny. Good thing I'm just an aunt and not the mom.

Saturday, I started the day with a mock triathlon workout of shorter distances, since my tri is next weekend. I wanted to know what it is going to feel like to do all three events in a row. My cousins did their tri this past weekend, and so I enjoyed being able to read about their experience in preparation for mine.

After the workout, I headed to the beach with some great friends in order to help Mancel and Jaclyn get engaged. We had to do the set up and then had to blend into the beach-going crowd and take pictures during the actual proposal. After shocking Jaclyn with our presence, we all had fun just hanging at the beach. I'm so excited for them!! CONGRATS!

Guatemala through pictures

2008-08-20T15:04:00.000-04:00

I wanted to give you all a little taste of my trip to Guatemala though pictures. Above is Lake Atitlan in Panajachel, touted to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, surrounded by three volcanoes. I would tend to agree with the claims.

This little boy was one of the cutest I've ever seen. He attends the Light and Life school (AKA Luz y Vida Escuela) in Salquil, just outside of Nebaj.

This girl threw spitballs at me for about a half an hour during a Faith Comes by Hearing presentation we were attending at her school. Somehow, that was a bonding experience for us.

Isn't is beautiful to see children reading the Bible in their language (Ixil) for the first time??

Ahhh... this little boy was too cute for words.

In case you couldn't tell, I REALLY like kids.

Here Bruce and I are eating one of the weirdest things I have ever tasted. Bruce would probably tell you it was also one of the nastiest things he had ever eaten, but I guess similar to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", taste is in the mouth of the...eater? This is one of their best dishes in Guatemala apparently. And, surprise, surprise, it was made of corn.

These are some more of the children at the Light and Life school that we visited.

Smiles know no language

2008-08-14T16:32:00.000-04:00

(Pretend I wrote this on Tuesday - we were having internet issues)

For those who don´t know this, I am in Guatemala right now. I am here with a team from work. I´ve been here since Saturday, though some of our group got detained in Miami and didn´t arrive until Sunday. We finally made it together in Antigua on Sunday and have been going non-stop since. Yesterday we visited the Light and Life school and today is the Scripture Dedication of the Ixil New Testatment. Various people within Wycliffe Bible Translators have been working on this translation since the 50´s. We´ll be heading to the celebration shortly.

Sunday consisted mostly of a drive from Antigua to Nebaj. Roads here are not exactly like we are used to but if you can imagine bad roads on the worst curves you´ve driven, you might have a picture. We are lucky when the roads are paved. At any rate, a 6-7 hour drive on these roads in a crowded mini-bus was clearly a highlight. (sense the sarcasm?)

We made a stop in Chichicastenango where we walked around a little market for a while. It was there that I saw this sweet little girl. Now, there are lots of cute little kids and beautiful people here, but this one 6 or 7 year old really captivated me. Hair back in a ponytail, black sweatshirt on, wide-eyes, and a ready smile and she was staring unabashedly, at me (Ok, I know my hair and skin might make me stand out a little bit). We shared multiple smiles and in some odd way, those smiles spoke words that she and I would not have been able to. And yet, a smile wasn´t enough with her. I couldn´t stand expressing myself to her simply through a smile. Physically, I needed to touch her – to communicate with her through touch. And so, as I was leaving, I gently touched her head, and I smiled. Because smiles know no language.

I have found that I may not always understand what is being said or how I should respond. Maybe you are trying to tell me you like my shirt, or sell me a necklace. Perhaps you are trying to tell me to look up because a cement block is about to fall on my head. I don´t understand you, but I can smile and you will smile back (unless it really was a cement block). That we can understand.

As I was thinking back on my encounter with this young girl, I began to tear up, thinking of the reason that we are here – to facilitate these people having the Bible. Most of the people I have seen, including this girl, are lost and without Jesus. It´s so easy to walk through life with blinders on. I observe the people around me, especially in foreign places, and somehow I am able to separate that observation from that of their souls. Often, I don´t feel for their loss and for what they are missing. My smile doesn´t really do too much in the grand scheme of things, but it is sometimes the best I can do. I want to do so much more for these people. I want them to know about what I have that they don´t. I want them to smile as I do – to smile because they know and love Jesus Cristo.

Trip to the Windy City

2008-08-03T13:09:00.000-04:00

I love big cities. Everytime I visit one, I want to move. My recent trip to Chicago was no different. Granted, I'd hate the weather in the winter, but the city is amazing. It was a combined business and pleasure trip. I went with work friends for a conference, but since we went in early, it felt like we had just as much fun time as work time.

Here are some pictures from our time:

On the architecture boat tour with Dustin, Scott, Mariah, Virginia and Andrew.

With Mariah and Virginia at the Bean. If you look closely, you can see Andrew, Scott and Dustin in the reflection!

Our celebrity sighting of the weekend: Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel. We ran into her and her team filming at the Bean in Millenium Park.

After going to Ravinia Festival to see the Chicago Symphony orchestra, we made our way to Navy Pier to see the fireworks.

Rona, Virginia and I outside of Gino's East after eating yummy pizza!

V and I at the Signature Room on top of the Hancock Tower. What great views of the city, espeicially from the women's restroom - thanks Nadine for the suggestion!

All in all, a great weekend. Can't wait to go back Labor Day weekend with my best friend!

Good morning! How are you?

2008-07-18T08:23:00.000-04:00

If someone were to ask me that question today, I would probably say "Good, how are you?" The pat response that I hate and yet take part in almost everyday.

Because, what I'd really want to say is that I'm tired. I'm frustrated and disappointed in myself. I'm emotional. I'm tired of having to make decisions that I don't want to make. I'm tired of life not making sense. And I want God to reveal his plan to me. Now. Why can't everything just be easy?

But, what I'd also like to say is that I'm thankful for friends that keep me grounded when I have minor meltdowns. I'm glad that when I am going through times of beating myself up and feeling rather crappy about life, I have friends who aren't in that place. Because, let's be honest, if we all felt like crap at the same time, we would never have anyone to lift us up and encourage us in a way to break free from the depression that can try to set in.

And so, how am I doing? I'm OK. I'm learning to trust God and I'm trying really hard to allow the Holy Spirit to invade every part of my life - even those parts that I've been trying to handle on my own and have subsequently become frustrated and felt lost. I'm learning to live with a "victorious limp" (to quote Brennan Manning in the Ragamuffin Gospel).

Prayer

2008-07-11T14:49:00.000-04:00

I love it when I see a prayers answered. Prayers you (and others) have been really devoting yourselves to for an extended amount of time and then God answers and it is so clear that he has been working all along. You definitely go through the emotions of getting frustrated along the way, wondering about the Lord's timing when he doesn't necessarily answer when you want, but the end result is extended patience and a deeper faith in the Lord and trust in his plan. If only we had that perspective all the time - even while living through the seeming "unanswered" prayers.

Dinner parties and such.

2008-06-20T16:13:00.001-04:00

I like dinner parties. More specifically, I like hosting dinner parties, because I love to cook. And when I host a dinner party, as most of my friends would attest to, I usually do most of the work myself, even if others offer help. It isn't because I don't want help or think you incapable. It's because I like to do it. I also like birthdays - mine and other people's - I'm not picky. Last Thursday night, I had about 8 girl friends over for a dinner party to celebrate Jaclyn's birthday. She is such a special lady and I really wanted to make a big deal of her birthday because I knew she wasn't going to. Plus, I always jump at the chance to cook dinner for people!

The point is this: I love using my gifts, talents and passions to serve other people. It makes me happy; it fills me up. I guess that's how God created it. And yet at the same time, I feel like some people use their gifts and feel drained afterwards (and I can feel this way sometimes, too). I wonder which is more common: feeling full or drained after using your spiritual gifts?

On another note, I feel pulled in a lot of directions in friendship lately. There are so many people I genuinely want to spend time with, and yet it is so hard to schedule time to see all of them. I am a quality time person, so just seeing someone is not enough. I want to really spend time with them - to know them deeply. It is especially hard because not only am I just plain busy, but, many of the people I would love to spend time with are from completely different areas of my life (old friends, FBC/O friends, Status friends and my HC family, work people, roommates, random friends, etc.). It isn't even like I can combine hang out times when people are not in the same groups of friends at all... Ugh, if only I had more time in my week. I'm sorry if you feel like I haven't been spending enough time with you lately. I want to. I just don't know how.

Storms

2008-06-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about Florida summers - afternoon thunderstorms.

Recent music purchases

2008-06-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

All of the sudden, I'm finding multiple worthy blog topics...after a few weeks of nothing.

Recently, I have expanded my music library by quite a bit. In my "Recently Added" playlist on the iPod:

Five Times August - Brighter Side
Augustana - Can't Love, Can't Hurt
OneRepublic - Dreaming Out Loud
Gavin DeGraw - Gavin DeGraw
Death Cab - Narrow Stairs
Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal
Warren Barfield - Worth Fighting For

I'm not LOVING the Five Times August album as I thought I might after seeing him play the other night, but seriously - every other one of these albums....AMAZING. The Augustana one is better than the first album in my opinion. OneRepublic has seriously surprised me. I think the collaboration with Timbaland really threw me off at first b/c I didn't know what to categorize them as. I've waited FOREVER for Gavin to put out a new record. Death Cab grows on me more with each listen - I think it might be my favorite album to date. I'm loving the Jason Mraz collaboration with James Morrison on the song Details in the Fabric. And Warren... I seriously think he's way underappreciated.

Let the training begin!

2008-06-02T14:50:00.000-04:00

This weekend marked the beginning of my training for a sprint triathlon. Quite a few of my friends and I are all going to do the event in downtown Orlando this September. I want to give myself plenty of time to train and June 1st was my official start date, though I actually started on Saturday when Cara and I went on a 10+ mile bike ride (my first on a road bike) down Cady Way Trail. Running after the biking felt super weird and Cara was feeling lightheaded, so...we decided to walk for 3-4 miles instead of running. Definitely going to have to work on the transitions from biking to running! Last night I went on a longer run than my usual, and pushed my time as well, so that felt good. But, dang, it's hot here - even late at night.

I figure there are a few factors keeping me from coming up with any excuse to back out of this thing:
I am doing it with other people.
I just wrote about it on here and I've been telling people my plans.
I spent money this weekend on new running shoes (which I needed anyways), running tops, socks, goggles and a lap swimming suit.

This is only the beginning...I've got a long way to go until September.

Learning

2008-05-29T15:34:00.001-04:00

I feel like I've been learning a lot lately. A lot about those around me...a lot about myself...about life...just a lot.

I went to South Beach a couple of weekends ago with 9 other girls from my House Church. What a great time! But, I learned I could not live that lifestyle all the time - the aimless game of who can look the best, who can turn the most heads, who can own the most "toys" and who can impress the most.

I've learned lately that though I've always thought of myself as an extrovert and super outgoing (which I still believe I am), I have reached a place in life where large groups of "new" people and things of the sort are uncomfortable at times. It has been a challenge to try to start completely new in friendships and not be in a controlled environment (like school) where everyone is in the same place of life. And I've been dying to break free from this stage where I feel like many people don't know the "real me", but I couldn't force it, as much as I tried. SoBe and Memorial Day were both good times to feel myself opening up and feeling like I'm getting to know more people on a deeper level. I've realized that at times I have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable. I'm looking back over a few months of feeling uncomfortable and as if I didn't really know anyone and they certainly didn't know me...and looking forward to a time when I can honestly say I have great friends in Orlando that I am really comfortable with.

I've learned that the first conversation with someone is so much easier than the second or third.

I've learned that everything I grew up with is definitely not bad and I wish others my age realized that as well. The more conservative backgrounds...the more traditional churches...all of that is not to be thrown out, but rather a starting point for the place we are in life now. A place to appreciate and something to learn from.

I need to grow in the areas of time and money management.

I need to truly, deeply discover God's MISSION for me. Not his present will for me - because I honestly believe I'm living in that. But, his overarching mission.

I always say that I want to be pursued, but I've learned that knowledge comes first with learning what it is to let God pursue me. It's hard for me to admit that many times I don't really think I've been allowing him to do that.

I really appreciate honesty. And the friendships that mean more to me than anything are those in which I can be brutally honest, even to the point of pain, and yet come out on the other side with a stronger friendship.

That's a small RANDOM taste. It has been a full past few weeks.

Texas highlights

2008-05-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

Almost one year to the date of graduating from college, I went back to my "alma mater"...
Highlights of my trip to Texas (in no particular order):

Lunch w/ Brenda and Ryan...I wish we had a McAlister's!!
QT with two families: Brian/Brooke and new baby Briley! AND Chad/Sherene and kids
Mexican food - especially hot and fresh flour tortillas at Papacita's
Having a table of 15 people at dinner Thursday and looking around to realize I deeply love (and miss) each person at that table
Visiting my old apartment - 15B, even though it was sad
Driving down Noon Day Rd in Hallsville near sunset... one of my favorite country drives
Seeing my future husband and planning our wedding (and no, I don't have any news for you)
La and Em taking off work early to spend time with me
Making dinner with my friends two nights in a row
Bonfire in the country
Breakfast with Christa, just like old times (except it was lunch back then)
Watching the Office with 7 people on a couch
Somehow having catch up time with WAY more people than I thought I'd be able to!
Beautiful weather on Saturday
Em and I making Jason's grad card on the hood of her car on the side of the road out of blue poster board
Benny trying to kill me with the frisbee.... multiple times....during our late night sports outing
The boys participating in a walk-off. And Jason winning.
Pillow talk w/ Em and Lolly
Naps on the Bean
Tornado sirens
Seeing some of my Texas parents (Brenda, Judes, and La's mom & dad)
Getting to fill people in on my life and through that verbal processing, realizing just how much God has blessed me (new job - especially this, house, friends, etc)
Coming home to a dinner date at Jason's w/ Lauren...I would be lost without that girl

Lowlights?

Didn't go to Bodacious but I did have homemade TX BBQ at Jason's party
Realizing I am one of the few of our group of friends that cannot still hang out whenever I want.
Small amount of drama... we're working on this.
I was reminded how fun college was. Growing up isn't always as fun. BUT, I do recognize the need to move on and start this new stage of life.
I'm missing Texas friends a LOT right now. I'm especially missing the level of comfort I feel with all of those people. They KNOW me. I sometimes feel like people here still don't. How long does that process take? I'm tired of being close acquaintances... I want deep friendships (in Orlando). I have a few and some are growing for sure, but I realized that it is hard to replace what friendships I had in Texas.

If you are reading this and are a Texas friend, know that I miss you a lot and I really treasure your friendship. If you are an Orlando friend, don't take this to mean you aren't important. Because you are, and I'm so thankful that I have had people surrounding me to help me through the transition from college to the real world. You all are special and you definitely play a huge part in my life. This weekend was a good reminder that life changes. And change is good. But treasuring the important pieces of your past is OK too. We learn. We grow. I know I have been for the past year.

God of this City

2008-04-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

Went to an Indelible Grace worship concert last night and it put me in the mood for good worship music. So, I began listening to lots of things (seriously, I was all over the place... Josh Bales, Hillsong United, Passion stuff, etc), but one of the songs I got stuck on was God of this City, as sung by Chris Tomlin. Chris Tomlin wasn't the first person to sing that song though - an Irish group by the name of Bluetree wrote it and originally sang it. The story behind the song is what makes it good to me, so here are links to two different versions of the background of this song:
Link 1
Link 2
Pretty powerful stuff.

Concerts and shows

2008-04-17T09:27:00.001-04:00

I have been enjoying excellent shows and concerts lately, and there's more in the near future.

Last Wednesday, saw the traveling Broadway production of Rent in Lakeland (for $20!)
Last night, saw Honey, Honey open for Matt Nathanson and Lifehouse at Hard Rock Live. Went for Matt, and haven't listened to Lifehouse consistently since hmm... high school? But, I was "pleasantly surprised" (to quote my dear Emily) at the show they put on. I was not so pleasantly surprised at the 15 year olds making out all over the place. Seriously, all ages shows have GOT to go.
This Saturday night is Between the Trees and Mae at HOB
Next Friday, WICKED(!!) at the Bob Carr
And then, at the end of May, I will be seeing Augustana

Think that's all that's on the agenda for now... I think I could go to a show at least once or twice a week and be happy. But, I'd also be very tired, as I am today.

Brooke Fraser

2008-04-11T11:15:00.000-04:00

I think one thing I will be able to most consistently blog about is music and how it speaks to my soul. I am sitting here at work, in a very quiet office (lots of people are out!), so I have my iPod on, trying to drown out the silence (sounds crazy, I know), so I can actually accomplish some work. And for the record, Google Earth is working for me right now, creating some videos, but it makes my computer slow and I can't do much else while it works.

If you have never listened to Brooke Fraser, you should. She has solo albums, but also sings with Hillsong United at times. Her song writing is phenomenal. She's real in what she writes about and you can sense the emotion in her lyrics. Besides all of that, she has a great voice. Here's a taste of some of her lyrics. This is from a song off of her Albertine album entitled the C.S. Lewis song, so you already know it is going to be deep...and she does not disappoint.

"If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary,
then of course I'll feel nude when to where I'm destined I'm compared

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan as I wait for hope to come for me

Am I lost or just found? On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
is this a soul that stirs in me, is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth of who I was born to become

For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath, so we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live, I was made to love, I was made to know you
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming"

Welcome back

2008-04-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

It's time to enter back into the world of blogging. Not that I have ever been a very regular blogger, but we'll see if maybe I've changed since my last attempt.