Tuesday, April 29, 2008

10 things...

You already know of my great love for taking pictures. Now you shall see how wonderful, albeit random, I am. Er... my pictures are. Anyway, enjoy this mess :)































We'll start at the very beginning (a very good place to start... ten points if you can name that song).
1. A lovely pile of books used to research for my Christian Science paper... I worked so hard and pitched a fit when I saw the grade: 100. I doubt my prof even read the paper (still a little bitter).
2. I LOVE this picture of Scott. First picture I took with my dear new camera. I like the green walls (if you didn't know my favorite color is green) and the fact that Scott's eye looks like a huge red spider. Red eye remover just didn't want to work on it.
3. The view from my bed, one of my favorite places to sit with my laptop and study... very common scene: Mini walking around on my bed, the many pictures around my room, crooked frames because I couldn't find the level, the pen handy on my bed.
4. My catch-all dresser; and me, favoring my dorky side. I love my dresser and had always wanted one like this because of the mirror over it... but especially so I could put lots of picture frames on top!
5. Typical family scene: Dad comes in, having done something to one of the dogs. Dog, highly embarrassed, will not look us in the eye. Dad poses for picture with wide eyes and a Cheshire smile. I love my dad. {fyi: the thing on Mini's head is a jewelry hanger of Becca's that dad took down during Bec's most recent re-arranging session}
6. My terribly messy desk. This is my other study spot, the place I'm supposed to be studying. Books I use frequently/books I don't use frequently but didn't have room for on my bookcase, camera cord, monkey that whistles that I received for Valentine's Day (guess who THAT'S from...), an orange to snack on, and a box I covered with paper during a moment of creativity.
7. Daisy, looking very pitiful in antlers (darn those hound dog eyes). Doesn't she look like the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon one)?
8. An attempt at capturing the rainy day on my balcony... after not lucking out on my multiple "raindrops falling in puddles" shots.
9. Our new tree. A lovely new oak tree arrived earlier this week to be planted in the circle of our driveway. There wasn't much contrast in the picture and the tree blended in with those behind it so I took advantage of the "focal black and white" option in Picasa.
10. Me, taking a break from my computer to take a picture of my braids. I love wearing my hair in braids, because it's fun and because my hair was too short when I was little to satisfy my love for braids (*weep weep*)... though the coarseness of it makes it stick out, giving me a frightening resemblance to Pippi Longstocking by the end of the day.

Ugh. Now I'm frustrated beyond belief because the pictures aren't lining up correctly. Anyone know how to remedy this? It's driving me bananas!

Monday, April 28, 2008

wide eyed and innocent

Isn't it amazing how many other things get accomplished when you're procrastinating?

...not that I'd know or anything.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

just so pretty

The Beaufort River, green marsh grass, and sunshine making the water sparkle...

Aren't you glad spring has come?

Thursday, April 24, 2008

not a sugar rush

I don't usually have "thoughts" when I wake up. I think, "What's that noise?" (alarm) and "Oh my goodness is it really that late?" but today I had a complete thought.
To wake myself up this morning, I had placed my Bible on my desk so I would actually have to get up to grab it. It's like two steps, but that's usually enough to make my eyelids stay open. Anyway, as I was rubbing sleep out of my eyes I glanced at the clock: 7:35. Yeah, I was exhausted and I'm not even going to tell you how many hours of sleep I got (not a pretty number). I started making the mental list of my morning routine, thinking of what I was going to wear, wondering if taking a shower was necessary (it wasn't, I really didn't have time)... and then I had my thought:

Reading God's Word isn't supposed to be a sugar rush. Um, what? Why did I think of that? I hadn't even considered not reading my Bible this morning. Of course it was going to be a quick read but I planned on reading the Bible this morning. AND I was going to ask God to let me understand what it was saying and to learn more about Him (aren't you awed by my generosity toward God?).

A sugar rush, as we all know, is that really quick rush of energy we get when we've had a lot of, well, sugar. Nothing but momentary, temporary. It's a "quick fix" but won't satisfy our hunger. Like when I asked God to "show me something", I didn't really care what, I just wanted something from Him.

He showed me this morning, in terminology that I don't usually use, that what I've looked for is that tidbit of His word to get me by until tomorrow, or at least until I come home from work. I don't usually "study to show myself approved", I just study. By doing this, I also have the problems that come from having a sugar rush: extreme highs and lows. Instead of this, I could have a "balanced diet" of His Word. I could be learning, growing, meditating, consuming God's Word and I just DON'T!

Is your morning quiet time your sugar rush?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

they lied

I have been lied to all my life.

Someone told me way back when that when I'm not in this life anymore, I will die. But that isn't true. How could something dead live forever? When I pass out of this life I will be so much more alive than I thought possible. I will be in the presence of GOD Himself. I will live and live and live. I will not just "exist" on this planet.

"Death" is just about the coolest thing ever for believers, if you think about it. I mean seriously. Who on earth could make this stuff up? Babies born with heart defects are absolutely perfect and healed and complete. Blind people: can you imagine the first thing you see being JESUS? Deaf: how would you like to hear the constant praise going on all around you to your Maker? And the mute? The first thing to pass out of their lips is thanksgiving and praise and worship.

So you say you're afraid of leaving this world? Don't want to die? Are you for real????

(You know that I like to explain the "why" behind my posts. Well actually, I've been contemplating death over the past few hours. Not in a morbid way, just reading blogs of people whose children have died soon after birth, blogs of children who are aren't expected to have long lives, and those that weren't supposed to make it, but are. These really have given me perspective [because in no way, shape, or form have I endured those kinds of trials] and a desire to live for God no matter what... the testimony here - wow [links if you run over the words])

Monday, April 21, 2008

catch up post.

Sunday School: the past few weeks have included long lessons and substitute teachers so I didn't get to meet with my small group until yesterday. Since it was such a pretty day, we decided to walk around outside and finally ended up perched on either side of the bridge that allows people to cross from the gravel parking lot to the children's building. It was more of a catch-up small group than anything. We talked about school, school trips (I must say, I cannot envy the chaperones on the upcoming BA 8th grade trip to DC... they are going to be worn out!), remodeling projects, and boys. That last one is inevitable and I don't think we've had a small group that didn't include something to do with them. Yesterday they started by asking me about people I've dated. This part of the conversation lasted longer than you'd think, only because they couldn't get over the fact that there wasn't anyone to talk about. They had bug eyes. It was my turn for bug eyes when one of my 5th graders informed us with a sigh that a boy in her class whom she does not like asked her out. I pondered that for a moment... how does one date in the fifth grade? And whose parents are on board with that? *sigh*

Saturday Night: Went to a birthday party/going away party (Dustin, Brandon, Morgan). There was typical small talk at the beginning as we ate but then later it was fun. We danced a lot. I stink at dancing but I love it and had such a great time. I'm really sore now from standing on my tip-toes to dance (Morgan noticed that all girls stand on their tip-toes to dance... odd, isn't it?) but I would definitely do it again. Good times, Saturday.

Sunday Afternoon: Lovely day outside so we chose to have a picnic downtown by the cannons. The guys bought the food and the girls made it. I wonder if they discovered the dirt we put in there? It was very much a lazy Sunday afternoon, as we just sat around and talked and laughed. Thomas and Fred were the only active members of the group; they chose to toss grapes and catch them with their mouths. Facebook has pictures :)

Support: I am officially provisionally accepted for the team this summer because I haven't gotten fifty percent of my support in. If I don't have it by May 4th, I suppose I shall be attending Water Festival because I'll be staying in Beaufort.

School: The end is near! April 29th I start finals and intend to be done by May 3rd. The semester has flown by but the last three weeks are always the hardest. It's like "senioritis" but not... "end-of-semester-itis"?

Camera: I have a new one. Brandon and Dustin graciously agreed to meet me at Best Buy to see if the warranty would allow my camera to be replaced or fixed (because the battery door kept popping open... it was annoying but not major... I pretty much wanted to see how good the warranty was). I didn't have anything to do with the exchange of it and didn't really pay much attention because we pretended that it was Brandon's camera. They were going to replace it with another 450... but Canon quit making the 450 so instead we got to choose any camera under $300... the 1100 was $249 so we went with that. It's a lot nicer than my other camera, the battery door doesn't fly open, it's blue, and I have another 4 year warranty on it... thanks guys! (and note to all of you... Best Buy is awesome... buy your cameras there)

Cleaning: I have a ton of clothes and shoes that I bought 5-7 years ago that I still wear. Yes, that means I still own things I wore when I was 12 (no, not all of them fit the same). But anyway, I have a LOT of really ugly stuff, because a) styles have changed since 2001 and b) I used to like ugly things (apparently) and just never got around to donating them/throwing them away. So last Tuesday, I came home from work and realized that my closet was way too full. I started out by moving winter stuff to drawers and shuffling things around all over (my room was a gigantic wreck during this process). I went in my attic to find a box to put non-seasonal things in and discovered that I had a lot of stuff in there that I never plan on wearing... so I sorted through them, sorted through the huge box of shoes I haven't worn in ages (I seriously think my feet have shrunk, because many of the shoes I used to wear are an 8 and now I wear a 6.5 - 7, I couldn't wear this stuff if I'd even wanted to!). Now my closet is much less full, I have a box, two trash bags, and a pile of junk sitting in the corner ready for the dump or Goodwill, and I can breathe easier. I didn't know I had so much junk!

Strange thing: I woke up to my phone ringing at 1:15 am. I didn't recognize the number (just looked up area code and it's from somewhere in Maryland) so I didn't answer it (would you???). I woke up later this morning and looked at my phone. It said I had a text so I read it... from the same number. It said (and I quote): "I love you baby". Apparently someone has the wrong number.
(edit: I received a second call from this number this afternoon and I decided that answering it was the only way to stop all the calls from whoever this strange person was. He asked twice for Wendy [why do people calling ALWAYS ask for someone named Wendy?] and was a little disappointed that I couldn't help him out. I was tempted to give him someone else's number, just to have a little fun, but I don't want him calling back...)

I am happy about: Tax refunds (never filed taxes before this year), my hair growing fast (finally! It's really long when I straighten it!), dancing the other night, school being almost finished, finding old(ish) pictures on the other computer and looking through them, summer weather...

Friday, April 18, 2008

so amazing

WHO is like our God? He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He exists beyond time and space and defies all our preconceived notions of how life should be... because He IS life. None can compare.
We serve an amazing God...
Related Posts with Thumbnails Follow Me on Pinterest