CRAP

There's a Twilight convention in Nashville.
There's a Twilight convention in Nashville next week.
There's a Twilight convention in Nashville next week and it's less than 5 miles from my house.

Save me?

(details here if any of you actually want to GO to said convention. Shudder)

Amen

Yesterday morning I was leading worship at my church, as I do regularly on the "3rd Sunday" praise team.

It was a powerful worship, and we ended it with the song God of This City. You may know it (I'll include a youtube video and lyrics at the end of this post if you don't). It ends on a powerful crescendo of "greater things are yet to come; greater things are still to be done in this city" followed by the softer yet powerful truth of "there is no one like our God...there is no one like our God"

In an acapella setting, the voices linger and resonate throughout the sanctuary for a few moments after the last note is cut off. As we basked in that moment a small child's voice, no older than 3, echoed through the auditorium:

"Amen!"

Amen indeed. There is NO ONE like our God! If the smallest of children can feel that so powerfully in her soul...who am I to question?

And yet sometimes I do.

Help me to be like a child on her Father's knee...
to grasp the most awesome and complex of truths
in the simplest of ways.

AMEN




(lyrics are included on the video--and it is the original version from Ireland so they are slightly different, so it's definitely worth a listen)

*God of This City was written by a worship band from Ireland (possibly why it's so close to my heart!) on a missions trip to Thailand. They set up the band in a brothel and sang worship songs right in the heart of the sex trade district...and this song came to them than night as they witnessed the brokenness that surrounded them--that the God they were worshiping was STILL the 'God of these people' and the 'Lord of this nation'
Makes it all the more powerful to know the story...*

delurk for Haiti

Unless you're somewhere in a hole, you know what's going on with Haiti and the aftermath of the earthquakes there. If you're anything like me, you're wondering how in the world you could do something to help out in a situation that seems so incredibly hopeless. Again, if you're like me, you're thinking that there are so many bills to pay and limited funds coming in...but yet, you feel compelled to help.

Yesterday I saw a great post on Amanda's blog and decided to adapt it somewhat to my own blog. Then this morning at church they announced that next week there would be a special contribution for Haiti, and that all of that offering would go directly there. So I'm kind of combining the two.

I have a dollar amount in my mind of how much I will contribute on Sunday morning. Those of you who are following me regularly know that I don't have a *ton* of disposable income right now, being that I'm still un/underemployed. However, I am stepping out on faith here and trusting that God can take care of a couple of bills while I try to help a couple of His kids.

So here's the deal. For every comment left on this post between now (Sunday afternoon) and midnight on Friday, I will donate a minimum of 25 cents. That doesn't seem like a ton of money, until I think that I have 84 followers (thank you--love you all!) and who knows how many of you lurking about! :)

I will NOT disable comments on this post after Friday. After Friday I'll be re-evaluating and probably setting up some jewelry sales to benefit Haiti...and any comments that are made after Friday will be totaled in with those funds and donated to Compassion International (or possibly directly to an orphanage in Haiti if I can find a place to do that).

So...Delurk for Haiti! Even if you're a regular commenter, please do comment on this post so that I will donate more :0)

I would encourage you to do this on your own blog if you feel so moved...and not to think that you can't possibly make a dent in this. It's all of us working together that gets the job done!

Weekend Wordle

(visit Shannon to make your own)

Not much going on this weekend except football, football, football.

Go Colts!

Thursday's Ten: Wish List

I know we just had Christmas, so our lists of wants/needs may be a little short right now (or not), but I thought it might be fun to share our lists of wants--silly little (or big) material things. I will say that I only plan to buy one thing on this list for myself anytime soon, so this is more of a "back of my mind" list

:)

Please share yours so that I don't think I'm the only materialistic girl around here!

1. Ugg boots.
Reason I have fake ones: I live in Tennessee. There's just not much of a need for actual Uggs.
But they're soooo pretty...

2.
a Wii
(this is the one I'll actually be buying...most likely around my birthday in March. With a WiiFit)

3.
a trip back to Zuma beach. The Pacific waters are calling my name!
4.
a North Face jacket
Maybe that would motivate me to atually walk/run in the cold?
5.
a food processor. Ok, this is the other one that I'll probably be buying in the next few months. I have a teeeeeeny tiny 1 cup one that doesn't do squat. I don't want anything this fancy, just this size.
6.
staying in the kitchen for one more (although I have to stop myself--I could do a ten list of items I'm wanting for the kitchen)
a stand mixer. how much easier would life be!
7. One of these in the travel mug version. I had one a few years ago, and I left it at work one day (teaching at the time) and I've never seen it again. :( It's the Chicago skyline. I do have one from Boston like this.
8. A really cool coupon organizer for that geeky side of me.
9. lulu lemon yoga pants. I hear they're AMAZING but expensive, so they'll wait.
10. lots of things on etsy, but specifically fingerless gloves. aren't they cute? and great for typing OR for my iPhone which only responds to human touch...

What's your list? Sign MckLinky and grab the button!





Next week's list will be 10 of Your Favorite Things, Home Edition
(please take pictures of 10 of your favorite things in your home! I can't wait to see them!)

Recipe of the Week: The "Perfect" Bloody Mary

One of my absolute favorite drinks: the bloody mary. The spicier the better, and I am fully aware of which restaurants in town have the best. I have looked for the perfect bloody mary mix for...ever...and finally just decided to make one from scratch. Can't be that hard, right??

I started by googling "perfect bloody mary recipe".
Several came up.
After reading plenty of them one finally caught my eye.
I made a few modifications, and voila! *My* perfect bloody mary. May not be your, but there's room for more in this world!

*disclaimer: if you hate bloody marys or tomato juice in general, you may want to stop reading now.

**additional disclaimer: if you love/like bloody marys, yet have no idea what goes in one save the tomato juice and vodka, and you're somewhat picky about stuff...you may want to stop reading now. Some of the ingredients are interesting!

Tomato Juice (you can use V8 Spicy for a bit of a shortcut)
vodka (cheap = fine in a bloody mary. who knew?)
pickle juice
olives and olive juice
pepper (freshly ground)
celery salt
cayenne pepper
Cavenders all-purpose Greek seasoning
lime wedge
shake of Worcestershire sauce
pinch of horseradish
Tabasco sauce (more if you're not using spicy tomato juice)
ice

Put as much ice as you see fit in a tall glass
(my personal philosophy on ice in alcoholic drinks, particularly vodka drinks, is that less is more. no need to dilute the vodka!)
shake celery salt, freshly ground pepper, greek seasoning, and cayenne pepper into bottom of glass. Add horseradish, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Pour in about a tablespoon each of pickle and olive juice. Stir. Add vodka to the strength you desire. Top off with tomato juice. You can stick a stalk of celery in it, spear some olives (though if you're like me you ate them while pouring in the olive juice), or do whatever you feel like to garnish the thing...

Bottoms Up!

(sorry for the crappy picture...but this is the first one I ever made! I have discovered that the V-8 makes for a much more red drink)

Painting Pictures

At retreat this weekend, I shared this song with those at my table while explaining it's where I've lived my life for the last few years.

I had to laugh at the timing
as I consider old patterns
and how much easier it would be to use them as I set out to lose this weight.

There's no guarantee I will never slip back to Egypt
it's pretty tantalizing
but I've found life so much better through the desert.

Not sure what I'm trying to say here
but maybe someone else needs to hear this song

So here it is, on youtube
(lyrics following)



Painting Pictures of Egypt
Sara Groves

I don’t want to leave here
I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me either way
The places I long for the most
Are the places where I’ve been
They are calling after me like a long lost friend

It’s not about losing faith
It’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable
When you move so much
The place I was wasn’t perfect
But I had found a way to live
It wasn’t milk or honey
But then neither is this

CHORUS:
I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I"ve learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
Caught between the promise
And the things I know

BRIDGE:
If it comes too quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

I need a makeover!

A bloggy makeover, that is.
I don't really need a "design" persay...because I like changing up the backgrounds and all.
What I would LOVE is a button.
and a header.
and possibly a signature.

I have my sick attempt at header and signature visible.

If someone could recommend a site for me to make uber-cool items in all of the above categories, I would be forever grateful.

I don't have monies to pay someone to do all this for me...but I would be more than willing to barter something--jewelry from my store, whatever. If you're interested in that please comment or email me!

And if you recommend a place to go that has the best do it yourself designs for buttons and headers...I'll give you an extra entry in the giveaway that I'll be doing soon!

Help a girl out?

Keep Your Friends Close

and your frenemies closer.

Is it just a female phenomenon--the frenemy?
Do you have one?
I'm beginning to think I do.

I do know her in real life, although I don't know her well. And quite frankly I don't care to. The snippy comments she's posted on facebook and her blog make me realize that I have no interest in actually being friends with her. If they were the exception that would be one thing, but it seems that they are the norm.

I tried for a long time, I really did. Commenting on statuses and blogs and truly trying to weigh in with good stuff. On the surface it seems like we should be great friends--several things in common and I do occasionally find her funny or entertaining. But the vast majority of the time, I'm simply annoyed by her.

I find her snobbish, condescending, and alienating. And though most of the time I can't stand her...I sometimes wonder if I'm giving her a fair chance (in my head) and start to feel guilty.

And then I remember. that I've truly tried to be a friend.
or at least friendly.
both in person and online.
and as long as I continue to be friendly... it's ok.

right?

maybe one of these days she'll come around...

(I'm sooooo not used to not being liked...and I get the distinct impression that she doesn't like me...and I think that's what bothers me more than anything!)