Wow, its been a while since I last posted... almost a year! So to kick things off, I thought I would write about a few updates in my life.

1. My car of 9 years started to have more problems than I was willing to fix back in May. I did what any logical person would do and SOLD IT. Now I am car-free... unfortunately that means I'm back in "junior high", hitching rides from friends and borrowing rides from benevolent friends. I check craigslist every day for some killer deal that still evades me. However, I am looking for 2006 Honda Accords, so if you hear of any, let me know :)


2. I'm feeling a bit creative this summer. I happened upon this great new website that my friend Emily has on her blog roll. Its called Design* Sponge. There are a ton of great ideas on it, some easy to do and some that might be a little bit more difficult (mostly expensive), but nonetheless, really cool! If I owned a home to decorate I might try my hands at this project. I actually still might, since it looks like so much fun!



3. Also on this website, I found this really cool site called the Sketchbook Project. The premise of this, is that you purchase a mole skin for $25, choose a theme to sketch about, you're given a bar code that is associated with your name and theme and then you have a couple months to do almost whatever you want to the sketch book but change the dimensions of it. How cool! There are some really great examples on the site too. Then when you turn it in, they take your book on a tour of the country and people can come and browse the books, they can even check them out to look at. Each time someone checks out your book, you'll be notified. They are even up for purchase if you so choose. I'm thinking about trying it. I'm no real artist, but whatever I create might resonate with someone out there somewhere.



That's what I've got for now! Hopefully I'll be back sooner than my previous post!

Check out this website! If you have ever "googled" your name (and you know you have) this website searches the web for you and shows how the internet views you!

So its been awhile since I blogged last (about 2 months!). I told Tj and Greg that I would try and blog more, so here it is!

This post is going to be about Susan Boyle.
By now I'm sure most of you have heard of her. Watch the video below to find out more (when i first watched this video it had been viewed 12 million times, now it has been viewed 55 million times!!).

Susan Boyle

This, to me, is an amazing story and so true of all of us. Like the judge in the middle said, "Every body was against you..." In all of our minds we were setting her up for failure and when we least expect it, she blows us away. How convicting is that! How many times have I judged someone based upon what they looked like or what I thought their capacity is. My prayer is that God would open my eyes to the beauty around me, not just because it is appealing to the eye, not just because it is easy to love, but because it has been created by God. Especially people, who are created in His image.

Praise God for our uniqueness! He is a master artist!

I'm reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Elliot (notice quote on top of blog). Not only has she lived an amazing and adventurous life, but it has been one devoted to the Lord and to bringing others along side her in her journey. The book I am currently reading is called, "The Path of Loneliness: Finding your way through the wilderness to God". The title doesn't really reach out and grab you, and actually when I first decided to purchase the book it was through the referral of a friend. The summary of the book reads like this: Let E.E. enable you to see lonesomeness as a field with a treasure in it, leading you to hidden, divine blessings. And that is exactly what it does. There is a chapter in the book called "A Strange Peace". Below are a few excerpts:

The way I respond to the "givens" in my daily experience determines my growth in holiness. When we pray, "Give us this our daily bread," God answers that prayer, measuring out just what we need for spiritual as well as physical growth. He knows that spiritual stamina cannot develop without conflict. We must take with both hands the thing given, submissively, humbly, sometimes courageously, or even as one friend put it, "defiantly" -- saying to ourselves, this is part of the story, the story of the love of God for me and my love for Him.

This is acceptance in the truest sense. This is where real peace is found -- that strange, inexplicable peace Jesus promised.

Rumer Godden, in her novel "In This House of Brede," describes the meaning of the monastery's logo:
The moto was Pax, but the word was set in a circle of thorns. Peace: but what a strange peace, made of unremitting toil and effort, seldom with a seen result; subject to constant interruptions, unexpected demands, short sleep at night, little comfort, sometimes scant food; beset with disapointment, and usually misunderstood; yet peace all the same, undeviating, filled with joy and gratitude and love. "It is my own peace I give unto you," not notice, the world's peace.

The only crown Jesus ever wore on earth was a crown of thorns.

Later on in the chapter she tells this story about her grandson:

One evening when my grandson Jim Elliot Shepard was almost three, he found that his parents were going out and he was to be left with Granny. He began to cry, and when the door closed he threw himself on the floor in the hallway, kicking, screaming, beating his head on the carpet. I picked him up in my arms, which required no small effort as he stiffened and howled.
"Jim, would you like me to read you a story?"
Vigorous head shaking and howling.
"Let's go and rock in the big chair."
More howling.
"Jim, sweetheart -- shall I get you some apple juice?"
The very personification of desolation and misery, he only roared and bellowed -- "No! No! No! I want Mama!"
I tried everything and then, in my desperation, remembered to pray. Why hadn't I thought of that first? I asked the Lord to show me how to comfort him.
"Shall we go outside, Jim?"
Instantly he relaxed in my arms, turned his tear-stained face up to mine, and, choking with sobs, nodded Yes.
Still holding him in my arms, I opened the door to the carport. The heavy sweetness of jasmine filled the warm Mississippi night. He took a deep breath, as though inhaling the very peace of God. In a tiny whisper he said, "Granny -- maybe we'll see some stars."
I carried him into the backyard where we could look up through the trees. He was quiet for a long time, nestling into my shoulder, gazing silently at the spangled sky. Then -- "Granny, those are crickets I hear. Do you hear them, Granny?"

The quest for satisfaction apart from the love of God is as futile as poor little Jim's refusal of the only comfort that was available to him that evening. He wanted Mama, and Mama was not there. Once he accepted what was offered, he came out of the howling wilderness of his misery and found peace.

The Path of Loneliness, Elizabeth Elliot pages 135-140

I could quite possibly put her entire book on my blog it is so good. However these two parts of this particular chapter have been encouraging me and challenging me lately and wanted to post them on my blog to encourage others.

Today my friend Teej texted me to turn my radio to 92.3, however I don't have a radio in my office, so eventually I found it online (thank you Al Gore... j/k) and was able to listen to Part Two of a sermon series by Dr. Charles Stanley (on of my grandma's favorites). This particular sermon was titled "The Power of Persistence". This sermon comes at a great time because Tj and I were just talking about our goals and what our dreams are for our lives. It's so interesting how our current situation affects so many different parts of our life when it really shouldn't. Here are some of his closing thoughts from the sermon on reaching and setting Godly goals in our lives:
http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.4943197/k.9362/Today_on_Radio.htm

1. Set a goal high enough so that it demands your best.
2. Develop a burning desire to make it a reality.
-- ask God to reignite your heart
3. Keep your eye on the goal
-- it must be worthy of your energy, don't let other things get you side tracked
-- refuse negative criticism and negative attitudes (but that doesn't mean refuse criticism)
4. Surround yourself with people who encourage you
5. In every defeat or mistake, look for the personal lesson, if you blame someone else you are going to miss the lesson.
6. Rely on God to strengthen you, enable you, give you wisdom

Lastly: Why shouldn't we give up? Because God doesn't give up (he never has and never will give up on us).

Wow, what an encouragement to set out to achieve your goals to further the Kingdom of God!! Praise be to the One who will never give up on us no matter how many times we fail.

Rekindle your Goals!!

Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"

I came across an interesting article today. It is titled "Our Prejudices, Ourselves". Granted, I don't know if I agree with everything this article states, it's an opinion article, but it something to think on... to ponder... possibly to grow from. Here is an excerpt:

"Let me cite a non-volatile example of how prejudice can cohabit unchecked with good intentions. I am a huge fan of David Letterman’s. I watch the opening of his show a couple of times a week and have done so for decades. Without fail, in his opening monologue or skit Mr. Letterman makes a joke about someone being fat. I kid you not. Will that destroy our nation? Should he be fired or lose his sponsors? Obviously not.

But I think that there is something deeper going on at the Letterman studio than coincidence. And, as I’ve said, I cite this example simply to illustrate that all kinds of prejudice exist in the human heart. Some are harmless. Some not so harmless. But we need to understand who we are if we wish to change. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should confess to not only being a gay American, but also a fat one. Yes, I’m a double winner.)

I urge you to look around, or better yet, listen around and become aware of the prejudice in everyday life. We are so surrounded by expressions of intolerance that I am in shock and awe that anyone noticed all these recent high-profile instances. Still, I’m gladdened because our no longer being deaf to them may signal their eventual eradication.