Procrastination A Gift for my Readers

I am procrastinating. I am quite good at that, as anyone who knows me well already knows. I am supposed to be cleaning my house in preparation for leaving town tomorrow. Instead, I thought I would create another post for the 5 of you who regularly check this thing. So, really, I am not procrastinating at all. I am just thinking of you, right? I'll go with that...

On that note, I have a confession: I am really bad at laundry. I mean, really bad! I don't think that I hate doing laundry, I am just not very good at it. For example, I have now washed the same load of laundry three times because I can't seem to get them into the dryer before they start to stink. Three times. That's getting a little ridiculous, I know. It is not that difficult to throw the clothes from the washer into the dryer, but somehow I just forget. I am happy to report, however, that this load of clothes has finally made it successfully into and out of the dryer and are sitting on my couch waiting to be folded as we speak. It is especially noteworthy that they made it out of the dryer, because that is another little problem that I have. If the clothes make it into the dryer to begin with, then they often stay there for an extended period of time while I am content to pull things out one-by-one as I need them. Silly, I know. And, lazy! But it works for me, I guess. What's funny is that someone recently asked me to help teach a friend's children how to do laundry. (This is the friend that I mentioned in this post, who is currently back in the hospital with an infection in her incision site, so please keep praying for Christy and family.) While I am perfectly able to teach someone how to do laundry, I am a poor example myself. But, we all have our flaws, right?

......................................................................................................................

I am obsessed with chai tea and soy milk. Both together and apart. I love chai by itself. I love soy milk by itself. I really love a chai tea latte with soy milk. So good. I mean, really really good. You should try it. And I should stop talking about it. But, I'm obsessed...

......................................................................................................................

I went shopping today. I haven't been in a while, and to be honest, I am not that much of a shopper anymore. I used to be. I used to love to shop. I used to practically live in the mall. These days, though, malls kind of stress me out and I would rather avoid them most of the time. Maybe that means I've changed. Or entered a new phase of life. Or that I am getting old. Who knows what that means... Regardless, I went shopping today, and bought some fun new things. I bought a baby gift for my best friend who is expecting her second child, and it is a girl! Baby stuff is so fun! Especially the girl stuff. I would show you a picture of what I bought, but she is one of the 5 who read this, so I can't. I also bought a new bathing suit and (get excited Lacey Passman if you were reading this) some real shoes. Two pair, actually. We'll see if they actually make it onto my feet. My flip flops are always so tempting! Speaking of, I also bought some new black flip flops! (This is where Lace would be disappointed, if she were reading...)

.....................................................................................................................

Oh wow...it's after 10pm. I should really stop procrastinating go take the next load of clothes out of the dryer and get to packing. I am heading to NC for Camp Courage, which is camp for the kids from the hospital where I used to volunteer while I was at Furman. This weekend is a teen retreat, and I am looking forward to it! It will be great to take a break from the city, get into the mountains and have some fun! I am sure there will be opportunities to play with the new camera - it is such a beautiful place. AND I will get to see Emily, my roommate from college on the way back! So fun!

And, just to make this post a little more lively, here is a picture of Em and I:
I love this girl! Can't wait to see her! So, here I go to pack...

Thankful Thursday Wednesday

(Note: When I first posted this, I was definitely thinking that today was Thursday! I have had my days all messed up this week because I worked on Sunday, which I usually never do. Anyway, I decided that there was no reason why I can only be thankful on Thursday, so here is the Thankful Wednesday post!)

Today, I am thankful that I am off from work! The last three days were completely brutal and exhausting! As much as I love my job, I am thankful for this day of rest and renewal. I am also thankful that I am headed off to camp this weekend! Fun times!

Other things that I am thankful for:

the sun that is shining today (I am going to go out and partake in it in a little bit.)

friends that love me and pursue me despite my ridiculous schedule that is not friendly for trying to plan time to hang out

freshly picked strawberries

chai tea with soy milk

drive-thru car tag renewal with no line!

that I serve a God who is still the in the business of answering prayers

I would love to hear what you are giving thanks for today!

Strawberry Creations (Part 1)

Creation Number 1: Strawberry Pizza (which turned out looking more like strawberry pie)

This concoction involves the following:
1. Bake store-bought sugar cookie dough for the crust.
Disclaimer: While I usually vehemently oppose packaged cookie dough, I make exceptions for projects such as these when the dough is simply a foundation rather than the finished product. Other exceptions include anytime my craving for cookie dough leads me to purchase and eat the entirety of the dough without actually ever baking any of it.

2. Mix various things together in random quantities to make the "sauce." For us, various things = cream cheese, cool whip, strawberry jello powder, and confectioner's sugar. Random quantities = however much of each necessary to create a delectable frosting in a lovely shade of pink.

3. After sugar cookie crust is cooled, cover with "sauce" (see description in Step 2).

4. Cover with as many sliced strawberries necessary to cover top of pizza. In the event that you have enough strawberries to feed a small army (as I do), I recommend a lot.

5. Cool in refrigerator before enjoying.
(Side note: I chose to leave out the step where I fought with a roll of plastic wrap in my attempt to cover the finished product before placing it in the refrigerator. This battle ended with me sawing the end of the roll of plastic wrap off with a large knife. The portion of the roll that remained was then used to cover the finished product. I believe that it was largely the fault of the aforementioned uncooperative roll that I completely forgot to photograph the finished product. My apologies.

I would like to thank Ana Cristina and Alexandra Cabrera for spending the day with me and assisting with all of this strawberry fun.

Playing with the New Toy

I got a new camera for my birthday. I am so excited about it! It's a Canon Rebel XS - which is a digital SLR. I have had a film SLR camera that I bought in college, but I have been wanting a digital one for some time now. So, I decided to just bite the bullet and (with the help of birthday money) go ahead and buy one. What I have learned right away is that I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to photography. But, it is so fun to play around! I love the freedom that digital cameras give you to play and then be able to delete all of the bad shots. So, that is exactly what I have been doing the past few days. My picture-taking adventures have included a nearby park, the top of Stone Mountain, my friends at an Earth Day party, and strawberry picking. Here are a couple of shots (don't be too critical...I still have much to learn!!):

View of the golf course from top of Stone Mountain

Monk walking around on the mountain

The gum rock (which I think is gross, for the record)

Trey, Kellyn, Lauren, and Rachel celebrating Earth Day (read: any excuse to have a party will do)

Lauren and I

The fruit (literally) of my strawberry-picking labor

Playing with the macro setting...

And again...

I am sure there will be more to come. Perhaps I will photograph all of the strawberry creations that I will have to come up with in order to consume all of these yummy strawberries before they go bad!

Our Prison

I used to have a hard time thinking about heaven. Sure, I learned about heaven in Sunday School, and I wanted to know that I would be there when I die... just as long as that wasn't any time soon. Over the past few years, though, my perspective has changed. As I have watched firsthand some of the broken things of this world, my heart longs for the day when restoration will come, and the Earth will be restored to the way that it was intended from the beginning. Even as I type that, I feel a literal ache inside of me for that day. I want a world where children don't have to suffer while cancer ravages their little bodies. I want a world where women don't sell their bodies because they recognize their worth as God's beloved. I want a world where the poor are not oppressed because there are no poor. I want a world where children aren't trafficked as sex slaves. I want heaven to come down. I want Eden. I want the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords to reign and for all things to be made right again. I long for that day.

Come, Lord Jesus.

I was talking today to a sweet man who is a beautiful example who what it means to be a servant of Jesus. He has been a missionary in Peru with his family for many years. I love to listen to him, because His words are so often full of Truth and encouragement. His wife, Christy, was just recently diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. As we were talking through some things related to this new battle that they are facing, he made a comment about how in reality this world is our prison. It is not our home. Here, we are often bound by the things of this world and the consequences of sin. One day, that will not be the case. When the end of this life comes and we are face-to-face with Jesus, we will be completely free. Until that day, we must trust the Lord and cry out for His Kingdom to come on this earth as it is in heaven. I want to see more of His Kingdom. I want to live in freedom.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Please pray for my friends Ale and Christy and their family. Even though they have great faith in the Lord and have hope because of His promises, this is still a very difficult path to walk down. Pray for them as they make decisions about treatment in the coming weeks.

Funny

I am reading my new camera manual and found this funny:

Steps for Holding the Camera:
1. Wrap your right hand around the camera grip firmly.
2. Hold the lens bottom with your left hand.
3. Press the shutter button lightly with the right hand's index finger.
4. Press your arms and elbows lightly against the front of your body.
5. Press the camera against your face and look through the viewfinder.
6. To maintain a stable stance, place one foot in front of the other.

And, never fear...if you are still having trouble, there is also a picture demonstration.

Seriously?!?

Tuesday Morning Thoughts

~Wow...waking up in my bed feels much better than waking up on the couch. My hips don't hurt! (This after falling asleep on the couch more often than not the past couple of weeks...)

~Thank you, Lord, for your Word and the way that you are so faithful to speak into me when I am willing to take time to listen.

~Mmmm...Coke cake is SO yummy! (Thanks, Lauren!)

~Hmmm...there is so much more power to be experienced through the Holy Spirit than I know. Lord, rain down Your Spirit!

~Yay! My new camera is here!

~Boy, do I love days off! Sitting on my couch with my cozy yellow blanket reading the Word without anything pressing that I have to go do - so nice!

The Formula for Success

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Happy Easter!

"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." (Luke 24:1-3)

Praise the Lord that Jesus was not bound by death, but overcame it, and lives today! I pray that as you celebrate Easter, you know personally of the abundant grace that Jesus offers to us through His death on the Cross, and the power of His resurrection.

Happy Easter, friends!

On the Radio

Most of you probably don't know that my dad has a new radio show. Well, he does. It's a long, but very cool story of how the Lord has directed his steps and worked in extraordinary ways to open up this opportunity. It all started a couple of years ago when he was lead to start Christ's Starfish Foundation, which is a foundation that serves families of chronically ill (non-cancer) children in the Jacksonville and Gainesville areas of Florida. While there are two big foundations in Jacksonville that serve families of children with cancer, there is a big need for support for families of children with other chronic illnesses. The foundation has done some pretty cool things, like raise money for a new van for a teenager with spina bifida, provide financial support for lots of families for groceries, travel to and from the hospital, or utility bills so that they can focus their attention on helping their child to get well, and provide hundreds of Christmas gifts for the children that are in the hospital on Christmas day. The foundation has brought my dad so much joy, and it has been cool to watch the Lord at work through it.

But, I digress... The radio broadcast is called Journeys with Christ and it airs at 11:00pm eastern on Way Radio. Basicly, the show is about ordinary people and the way that the Lord is doing extraordinary things through their lives. The show aired last Saturday with yours truly as the first guest. That is precisely why I waited until now to let you know about it! :-) My dad asked me to share my heart about the ministry that I have been involved with in Peru, as well as about my job at the hospital. This week's guest is the mom of an old friend of mine. Scarlett and I went to school together from elementary through high school. These days, she is a fabulous wedding photographer, and you should definitely check out her site! Her mom, Rene, is a breast cancer survivor who recently lost her husband after his own battle with lung cancer. The story that she has to share is one worth listening to. Her unwavering faith in the Lord throughout these storms in her life is definitely an encouragement. During her husband Johnny's illness, she maintained a blog where she shared their journey and her heart. She is a very gifted writer, and I was always encouraged as I read by the way that she constantly gives glory to God. If you would like to listen to her story, go to www.wayradio.org at 11:00 eastern on Saturday night!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for all of the fabulous people in my life who are such a blessing to me. Thanks for making my birthday special with all of your calls, texts, Facebook messages, and emails. I am also thankful for the gorgeous day outside, and for the chance to have breakfast with my dad this morning!

What are you thankful for today?

Augusta (in photos)

Good Word

"It is in Cross-examining that which is happening in my life; it is in looking at everything through the lens of Calvary, that I have absolute assurance that, although I may not understand it, everything taking place in my life is for my good. If Jesus loved me enough to die for me, surely He will do what's best concerning me." -Jon Courson

As I try to take time to contemplate the events of Holy Week, I am humbled to serve a Savior who endured the Cross for me. Not only that, but I am thankful to serve a Savior who is also Creator of the Universe, the One who holds all things in His hands. Surely, He is worthy to be trusted with my life.

Fun Times with the Hermanita!

On a last minute whim, I am in Nashville for the weekend visiting my fabulous hermanita (translate: little sister) Pam and her husband Jeremy. After spending an hour or so this morning stuffing support letters (they are getting ready to make a big move to Fargo), we spent a delightful afternoon outside enjoying the sun and the beauty of Spring. It was such a gorgeous day! A great day for a picnic, a little game of Phase 10, and some Frisbee. Now, on to a relaxing evening of movie watching. Hope that you are enjoying your Saturday!

Thankful Thursday

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 118:1

"...give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thessalonians 5:18


I have much to be thankful for. I have been richly blessed, and I do not take time to give thanks often enough. SO...I thought that since it is THursday, which starts with the same letters as THanks, what better day to celebrate the things that I am thankful for this week!

So, here they are (in no particular order). I am so thankful for:

the Bible.
I am so quick to forget the Lord's faithfulness, even though He shows it to me over and over again in my own life. I am thankful that in those moments I can go to the Word and read the record of the ways that the Lord has been faithful for generations.

my community group.
The Lord has SO blessed me with a wonderful group of friends to walk through life with. They are HILARIOUS. I love laughing with them over dinner on Mondays nights. I also love that they love me and want to know my heart.

cilantro.
I love the flavor and the way that it can make a dish! It also reminds me of Peru.

Spring.
I love all of the new life that is blooming around me!

my family.
I love that my dad is changing people's lives through the work of the foundation, and that impacting others in that way has brought him so much joy. I also love his excitement about how the Lord is at work in it all. I love that my mom shows me faithfulness in her life. She is a faithful friend, a faithful wife, a (more than) faithful mom, a faithful choir member, a faithful servant to the Lord. I love that my older sister is an introverted actress who loves musical theater, has been known to do interpretive dance across the living room, and often talks with her hands. I love that she loves to laugh (often at herself). I love the way that the Lord has uniquely gifted her to love middle schoolers and to pour into their lives. I love the way that my younger sister makes me laugh, even when she is not trying. I love that she sings in the shower at the top of her lungs, and could care less who is listening. I love that she loves people so well, no matter who they are. I love the way that her heart breaks for many of the things that I think break God's heart, too. I love that my brother-in-law loves my sister so well. I love that he loves my family, too, and that he just fits right in. I love his passion and desire to share the love of Christ with the lost.

fruit and soy milk.
This Lenten season would be much less enjoyable without them.

my job.
I am thankful that I get to make a living doing something that I really enjoy. I am so blessed that I have work that provides me with enough to meet all of my needs and many of my wants.

What about you? What are you thankful for in your life right now?

"Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting." Psalm 147:1

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and springs in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people who I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.