Pinterest!

Took a bit of hiatus but now I'm back! I want to take the next couple days to recap my August since I've been gone for the last two weeks.

Today, it's Pinterest! I only discovered it this weekend but I must say it has enabled me to do what I've already do--surf the web and actually save and store what I find! Once a day at least, I find my self on google images, looking up pictures of things. Now I can just pinterest! They also do a great job in laying out the site and the ideas/things you "pin". Here's my board so far! Mind you, it's only been a couple of hours.

If you don't have one, you may be better off...it's basically a distractor tool :)
If you want to join on the fun, let me know and I'll invite you! If you're on, let me follow!

www.pinterest.com

Stranger Danger

My bestie Maizeanne will be taking off to Haiti early tomorrow morning for a week-long mission trip with a group of friends.

I'm excited (and jealous) for her. She has always had a heart for missions in Africa and abroad, specifically in French-speaking countries.

She's going to touch lives there, make a difference and come back with a new appreciation for her life, her blessings and possibly a refreshed perspective on life. The perspective of Christ, I hope.

At the same time, the week before has been one of anxiety and... well, it's just been plain scary.

Most recently, several storms have hit Haiti, increasing the outbreak of cholera and making it very hard ot maintain infrastructure there.

This report came out from the U.S Embassy and it scared her (us) even more.

If that wasn't enough, the weather is predicted to be stormy all of next week, making the purpose of Maize's trip (building houses) nearly impossible.

I'm so glad this information is out there. It keeps us aware about what's going on and ensures that groups who are willing to make that trip to a broken country take the necessary precautions before traveling.

At the same time, it either allows doubt to creep in or faith to grow stronger and deeper in Christ. It means that either you think this trip is going to suck and nothing is going to get done or you believe that God is going to surpass all human limitations to do something bigger and better than any one of us could fathom.

You know what's funny is I'll ask God for a burden, He gives me one and then I question whether or not I should do it, whether or not I'm capable, worthy...I become discouraged by the smallest things and forget... GOD GAVE ME THIS. Why am I questioning?

Every day is a new opportunity to do something in His name. Do we take it or do we run?

Bert and Ernie are just friends, Love and Children

Today has been an ear to the ground kinda day.

Here's what I've been reading.

Bert and Ernie are not gay, says Sesame Street
I'm glad they cleared this one up.








Donald Miller on How to Live a Great Love Story
A long read but pretty insightful. He writes on for guys and girls (the link goes to the girls' post). He's very candid so it's easy to make a call one way or another.

NYTimes Lens: Where Children Sleep
Yes the title sounds creepy, but the images speak stories louder than words.

If you read any of these, let me know what you think.
They all sparked something in me, hope the same for you.

WISDOM!!

Can you discern it when it slaps you in the face?!


I was reading Ecclesiastes last night when I came across these words from Solomon.


What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
-Ecclesiastes 3:9-15


Rick Warren, did you steal this from King Solomon?!
Just kidding.

80's movies. Close your eyes.

I've been learning more and more about the decade that I lived in for 2 years especially since my boss has been lending me DVDs of the "classics." From the likes of Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...and as I'm watching them, I cannot believe how crass they are. PG-13 movies with nudity and profanity?

I'm not a prude (or am I?) but I just wasn't expecting little Molly Ringwald to say that! Or her grandmother to DO that...

And really? Monsters raid the house after Gary and whatshisname try to make another woman?

I wonder if John Hughes was just trying to see how far he could push it and still make money...ha.

Planning=no fun.

Now that my friends and I have all graduated and live in "real world" and in four different cities, we have to PLAN to see each other.

Not a big deal, IF you're not a spontaneous person.

The kind of person who makes a trip to Waco on a Wednesday night because your friend is bored.
The kind of person who makes a trip to Missouri for a wedding and has to get there and back in three days.
The kind of person who has no idea what she's doing that weekend until... Friday.

The non-committal kind of person who'd rather not make plans in case something else comes up.
that's me.

And I have to make plans to see my friends...in SEPTEMBER? Really? It's going to be a whole different season by then.

Lame work schedules and limited vacation days. In one of the first interviews I had, the boss told me, "When you have money, you don't have time and when you have time, you don't have money."

Ain't that the gosh darn truth.

P.S--Maize and I (others are invited) will be backpacking through Europe in a couple of years...once we can afford it and have the vacation days. LOOK OUT FOR THAT BLOG JOURNEY.

Go ahead and plan ahead for that one. ;)

Telling time.

My brother and I picked up my parents from the airport last night. They are finally back from the motherland after a three-week vacation there. It was good to see them again, hear their stories, imagine what they saw while they were there (since they didn't take many pictures).

Though that was all great, the funny part was getting to the airport. You see, my father emailed the brother ahead of time with the detailed itinerary. He also checked the flight time on the website before we left for church that morning.

The flight was coming in at 10:45 AM which was late enough that we could go to church, skip out a little early and head to the airport.

So we did and when we got to the baggage claim, it was empty. We look at the arrival times screen and flight 479 arriving from NY wasn't on the list...my brother checks his browser once again, totally confused.
He asks someone at the information desk for help and so it turns out...

The flight was only coming in at 10:45 PM.

Wow. WOW. My brother cannot tell time.
It always priceless when my brother makes a mistake. That sounds mean but I speak from a big sister perspective.

In high school, my senior English teacher always said that the superior race would be those who could read an analog clock. Those who couldn't would eventually become extinct.

So long, bro.

The Versatile Blogger?

Sweetness! My fellow Baylor PR alum and soon to be bride (!!) Amanda Molleur nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Amanda for the hat-tip-- you can read her blog right over here at "The Next Chapter: Blog of a Baylor Graduate and Bride-to-be". And thanks for reading my blog!

Official Rules:
•Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.

•Tell your readers seven 7 things about yourself.

•Give this award to up to 15 recently discovered bloggers.

•Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

Here we go:

1. I think of most of my blog ideas while brushing my teeth. Only if I could type them out while foaming at the mouth; there would be more to read here.

2. I'm enamored by HOW mysteriously God works. The way he specifically answers prayers in perfect timing specifically with the friends He's provided for me in college and since. I seriously have NO WANTS. Well. maybe one but I absolutely sure God will provide :)

3. I used to be obsessed with chocolate. As in eating it. As in I would lock myself in the bathroom and eat Ovaltine out of the can. It was a low point in my life.

4. I've kept a journal/diary since I was 12. Oh, you would LOVE to know what was in there. To keep with the writer/bookworm theme, I also have a library card and YES, I'm proud to say I still use it. I also vote. Haha.

5. I like yellow. I mention this because my parents bought me a highlighter yellow salwar (indian suit-dress thing). I'll look like a yield sign on Sunday but a very happy yield sign.

6. I don't like shoes all that much. It's probably the most frustrating part of getting dressed in the morning. Flip-flops go with everything anyway.

7. I have two dogs that I'm in love with. I may love them more than my family...
A close second, at least.

And now I nominate my writer friends!

Bindu and her friends- FemmeFuel
Brice (this guy actually has no idea that I read his blog. I'm such a creep.)- irresistibly graced.
Lisa - with reckless abandon
Caroline - the yellow backpack
Sarah - Blondie

Awestruck.

Just finished reading "Heaven is for Real." I heard about this book a few months ago and knew I wanted to read it. Thanks to my friend Christabelle, I finally got the chance.

I thought I was opening up a book that was going to humor and entertain with a couple of short stories and glimpses into a kid's "trip to heaven." Instead, the book had me reeling, crying, laughing and now just absolutely awestruck with what little Colton saw and experienced when he was four.

I don't want to give away all of the stories from this book, but I want to share this one thing.

http://www.artakiane.com/

This is a portrait, "Prince of Peace" painted by Akiane Kramarik. She was 8 years old when she painted it. Akiane also had visions of God and heaven at the age of four. Her parents were atheists and she had no external influences in her life at that age; television or preschool to guide her in any way.

Todd, Colton's dad, recalls in the book that his family often ask Colton what Jesus looks like...


"Still, of the literally dozens of portraits of Jesus we'd seen, Colton had still never seen one he thought was right." 

"Take a look at this," I said nodding toward [Akiane's painting on] the computer monitor. "What's wrong with this one?" 
He turned to the screen and for a long moment said nothing.
"Colton?"
But he just stood there, studying. I couldn't read his expression. 
"What's wrong with this one, Colton?" I said again. 
Utter silence.
I nudged him in the arm. "Colton?"
My seven-year-old turned to look at me and said, "Dad, that's one's right." 


And now I can't stop looking at this painting of my King.