Friday, August 5, 2011

Show me the MONEY.

I know it has been a while since I have posted, but I decided to break the silence with something that has been on my mind lately.  I have been struggling with this whole concept of a budget and spending money wisely.  I recently went through a job change, which is very stressful, cue the stress spending.  You almost don't realize you are doing it until afterwards, when you are looking at your bank account dwindle.  I have always prided myself on having a nice cushion or as Dave Ramsey would say "Emergency Fund".  The cushion took a hit...a big hit.  So now I am freaking out, because as most of you know, women love security.  Emergency fund=security.


Here is the crazy part.  If the timing of the old/new job would have shifted a few days, I would have had the potential to make extra money in the midst of my job shift.  But...timing didn't shift...and I didn't make extra money, so now I am stuck wondering why.  I think this is a teachable moment for God (you know how parents always talk about teachable moments with their children).  He was going to use this to teach me something about wise money management, something about WHAT I spend my money on, something about HOW I spend my money.


Then I saw this:





Dang it...........So I am now on a mission to be an excellent manager of my God's money. 


Matthew 6:24
"No one can serve two masters. Either he'll love the one and hate the other, or he'll despise the one and be devoted to the other.  No one can serve both God and money."

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

When Christy and Jennie Disagree

An excerpt from a real conversation between Christy and Jennie:

Setting: the mall, watching a video on a screen.

Christy: That looks like Justin Bieber with shorter hair.
Jennie: Ha, Justin Bieber with shorter hair.
C: It really looks like Bieber, though.
J: That is Justin Bieber with shorter hair! He got a haircut and he's singing with Rascal Flatts!
(both watching video)
J: He does not look cuter with shorter hair.
C: I know, I know. He's cute with whatever hair. He looks cute all the time.
J: No, I said he does not look cuter with shorter hair.
....
....
.....
C: Well, I guess we'll just agree to disagree.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

FREE ebook download

I finally did it. I published an ebook of my poems (you can read a bunch of my poetry at my secret writing blog). Those poems and more are now available for download as an ebook here. And, for the month of May, it's available for FREE using this coupon code: ZX95YSo go ahead and download, read and enjoy!
If you end up downloading (and it's free, so why not?) I really hope you like the poems!
So... now I'm off to work on the next ebook...

Monday, May 2, 2011

More Texts From My Mother

(I already forewarned her this was going to happen.)

This past weekend, Jennie, KatieClack & I had our amazing big event: concert & silent auction to raise money for charity: water. And what success! We have online donations totaling $548, which will provide 27 people with clean water who did not previously have access to it! (And that's not even all of the money from the concert!)

But, as you can imagine, it was a stressful weekend. So my mother texted me a message that I'm sure she hoped would be calming. And yes, I felt much calmer when I finished laughing after I read it. Here you go!
From: Mom & Dad
My prayer for u is to ... Relax and be filled with joy, as you allow God to bring the blessings. I PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY EVERYTHING TDAY .... FYI I DON'T know why caps were on or how they came off.
I love u and am proud of u.
m
xoxo

Ahhhhhh, Moms are the best!
When I told her I was going to blog that text, she wrote back: Is nothing sacred? Who knew I was so quotable!
Well, Mom, we all know.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

New Advice from Cassidy

The latest advice from my 5-year-old niece:

Cassidy: AUNT CHRISTY! Your jeans have a hole in them!
Me: I know.
Cassidy: How did you get that?
Me: I bought them with the hole. I didn't know they had a hole when I bought them. Isn't that silly?
Cassidy (laughing): YES. That's so silly!
Me: Seriously, though, listen to me. Never buy jeans with holes in them.
Cassidy: I won't! That's too silly!
Me: No - really. Pay attention to this: Promise me that you won't buy jeans with holes in them, no matter what the style is.
Cassidy: I won't! You're so silly!


Another day:
Cassidy (holding up a DVD in a store): I saw this one! It's about a girl who kisses a frog and he turns into a prince and then they get married!
Me: Wow.
Cassidy: But .... NEVER kiss a frog.
Me: Why? Because then you have a marry him?
Cassidy: No, because then you turn into a frog.
Me: (laughs)
Cassidy: Really. NEVER. KISS. A. FROG.
Me: Okay.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

For Once, I'm Ahead of the Game

I've blogged before about being late to the party when it comes to catching on to things. For example, here are some things that have recently happened in my life (and by "recent" I mean, in the past 2 months or so):
* I got Internet service at home. For the first time in my adult life. Think about that.
* I just got super into the television show Veronica Mars. Which was canceled in like 2007. You guys.... it was really good.
That's all I can think of right now.

But I actually have something to share that you didn't hear about 5 year ago. Probably.
1. Stop whatever you're doing and go and listen to Concerning Lions right now. RIGHT NOW. Seriously. GO.
I'll even do all the work! First listen to Preacher's Son (it's even better live, if you can believe it). Then listen to Bell Jar. Then Albatross. Then Young Curmudgeon. Then, for the love of all that is good, just buy the CD!
And I'll leave you with these amazing lyrics that I love:
(From Young Curmudgeon)
Run to him like a boy runs to the sea 
Weigh his gentle hand down with your ring  
The one I’ve often seen and hoped you might one day make mine 
You listen to my long withheld complaint 
I deserve your love and he your hate 
You say before you go though he was dead. He’s alive!
And I won’t raise my voice or hand against your choice to set your arm round the son you lost 
And I will love your earth and grow to see the worth of who he is and who I am not 
(From Albatross)
I’m nothing like the boy I was
Or the man I want to be
But you’re still the girl I love
Forgive and wait for me
Forgive and wait for me
Yeesh, I love those lyrics.
And now:
2. Mackenzie Scott is amazing and young and has a gorgeous voice. Like... the type of voice you hear, and you're like, "Maybe my voice sounds like that..." so then you sing crazy loud to songs and suddenly you're like, "Nope. No. My voice isn't like hers."
Listen to Moon and Back. This girl is in college. Studying stuff, and not using her voice to sweep American Idol. It will only make her better.
Thanks, Nashville, for having such amazing musicians!!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

April - National Poetry Month

I had no idea!
April is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!

This is very exciting for me, as I've been putting some poetry on my writing (secret) blog.
And... Just last night I was thinking about my favorite poet, the mystery of a man that was Edgar Allan Poe.
I know, he's a weird choice, but he's so quirky and strange and wrote such great, creepy stories!
But really, it's his rhyming that has always captured my heart. I love the rhythm, the tempo, the beats to his words.
Here are some bits of his poetry, some of the ones I love.
From Annabel Lee:
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love -
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
From The Bells:
Hear the sledges with the bells -
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.
Ahhh, just the beginning-- read the rest for the whole story of the bells. So many sounds, so many stories.


Not rhyming, but still amazing...From The Tell-Tale Heart (we had an awesome English teacher in 7th grade ((Mr. Ferraro)), who had us memorize the beginning of this story, and my sister still shouts the opening lines anytime I say Poe's name):
TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
Oh my gosh. I love that story. I love that you are so convinced right from the start of his madness as he tells you he's not.

And of course, I'll quote The Raven, evermore. (Same English teacher had us memorize this poem -- in its entirety? I can't remember. But he was a great teacher. Always so excited about this stuff):
`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
Oh, Lenore....

Friday, April 1, 2011

Lent, Revisited (Unfortunately)

I've been avoiding this.

I know I said I'd write a poem a day for forty days for Lent ... and that I'd write about my progress during Lent ...

But the thing is (and this always happens with me and Lent!)

        I totally forgot.

I wrote three poems. I wrote one the day I wrote the blog and then kept the momentum up for the next two days. And then the week later, I was like, "LENT?! I forgot!!"
and I told myself I'd get back to it, but before I could even touch pen to paper (or finger to keyboard, as the case may be), I forgot once again.

Also, this forgetfulness is really starting to grate on me. I'm for real praying about it because it's getting in the way of my actual life at this point.
Anyway: the poetry thing is done, gone. But it's cool because I actually have written a few poems during this time without remembering I was supposed to be doing it.
Last night, I wrote a fun poem that kind of touches on Cupid and Psyche because I've been obsessed lately. Years ago, I saw Antonio Canova's intricate and breathtaking sculpture at the Louvre: Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. Then, just last week when Jennie and I were in Nashville, we saw a mini-copy of the sculpture in the Belmont Mansion, and it revived my heart.
I also tried to sketch it last night, which is totally a different story. I write, I create and I can even make cute/fun illustrations for my niece and nephew's stories, but ... sketching is ... Well, maybe I'll just call it practice.
So the update is: I forgot, and I'm throwing in the towel. But poetry will be written, it just will have nothing to do with my Lenten activity.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Texts from My Mother


I once read a text from my mom out loud (to try to understand it... she had written out the word question because she couldn't find the question mark.... so: "where is tennis question") and someone said to me, "Your mom texts?"
Yes. Yes she does. And her texts are like... well, like haikus.
Or telegrams.
I've deleted some of the best, but here are a couple of from this past weekend. Things to know:
*My mother is a stickler for proper punctuation (like mother, like daughter!), so although she can't find the apostrophe on her cell phone, she refuses to type the words without something denoting the break in the words.
*She's still working on getting a strong understanding of txt msg abbreviations.
*I have no idea who E is.

Here's the text:
E,
raining here. Hope
you,re having
better weather.
can,t wait 2 hear.

The next day:
How,s tn? hope
you,re having fun.
will u b able to have 
dinner w us mon.
nite?
c u soon.
love
m
xoxo

Gotta love it!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A Neglectful Blogger

A couple of things have been happening lately that have made me a neglectful blogger. But... it's okay, right? Because I'm doing productive things...
But here's what's happening in life:

WE'RE HAVING A PARTY!

(kind of.)
Jennie, Katie of-the-family-we-adore and I are holding a benefit for charity: water.
It will be the most amazing of all concerts and a silent auction that will make you want to throw money at the artists. Seriously. I've seen the paintings we've received so far, and I'm trying to figure out what to sell so I can bid on them.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Announcement!!

I am proud to announce the birth of my first NEPHEW!

Colten Miller
8 lbs. 3 oz.
21 inches long
He is beautifully perfect and cuddly. God knew I needed a cuddly nephew :)

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Lent Season

I asked on my facebook status yesterday what people were giving up for Lent and what suggestions they might have for me. Here's what folks answered:
Carbs :( Yeah, the sad face was included in the post, and for good reason. Giving up carbs is NO FUN.
Chocolate was suggested to me by none other than our very own Jennie Waller, who obviously knows nothing of me if she thinks I can sustain a 40-day period without chocolate. (I'm drinking hot cocoa as I write this)
Soda, fried food, cursing, drinking & texting while driving. Uh, wow. Either this person has a lot of vices, or thinks that I do. I kid, I kid!

Monday, March 7, 2011

The Oscars, A Week Later

So, the big question for the evening at the Clack's annual Academy Awards Party was: Is Oscar naked?
Is he nude and weirdly missing his God-given parts, like a Ken doll? Or is he wearing a bodysuit (a gorgeous gold lame one!)?
Either way: I went to my FOURTH Clack Academy Awards Party this year. It boggles my mind that it was my fourth year, but it was.
My dates for the year were Ed Norton and Marky Mark Wahlberg. Jennie's date was Joseph Gordon-Levitt (I didn't see him all night, though!). Other dates of the evening:

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

It literally rained...

So there we were, getting ready for the benefit concert at The Channel -- the concert that would fight to keep the doors open to our favorite place in downtown, and the skies opened up.
And my first thought was, "Oh, no... this will keep people away!"
The Channel is a family-oriented, Christ-centered music venue downtown that features local bands, as well as major names in the music industry, and Jennie and I have been blessed to be volunteers there for a few years.
And, uh, we've written about it ... a few times.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Help us Help the Channel!

HELP! The Channel needs to raise $20,000 this week to keep operating. The Channel means so much to so many, please consider donating to help them keep the doors open.
Here is a note from the owner/operator.





"Dear Channel Family,

Jay here. I just wanted to take a minute to share an urgent need with you. As you know we moved back to Downtown in June of 2010. It has been an exciting time, but it has also been a trying time. During start up in the new location, and with the projections we had for the restaurant, we hoped we would be in a much different place financially.

We have had several obstacles as we have moved forward with our vision for The Channel. For those of you who may not have had the chance to come to the new place yet, we have moved to a 14000 sq ft building in the heart of the city. Our renovations ended up costing more than we had planned for, as it always seems to happen that way. We opened Grille 33 on June 12th to help generate some cash flow as we continued to work on the venue. We had to be out of the old location on Orchard Park by the end of March meaning we were closed for almost three months between locations.

We had our first show at the end of July with Brian Head Welch. For those of you who are, and have been faithful supporters/concert goers, you must have noticed that our concert numbers haven’t been what they were at the old location. The reason for that is we needed to build another staircase to provide a second entrance/exit from the venue level. With that being said, we have taken a pretty hard blow financially. We went from doing 20 plus events a month to prior to this month only doing at the most 11 in any given month. The next part should be real easy to understand. Our expenses went up with the new location, but our show numbers went down. That can only do one thing, and that is create a gap.

As you all know, or should know by now, The Channel isn’t about Jay and Amanda McAbee. It’s about YOU! We exist as a place where everyone can feel like they are a part of the big picture. From the local opener that gets booked to play a show with their favorite National artist to the regular concertgoer. The Channel is here to meet many needs, and fill many voids in the community. The exciting part for us is meeting each and every one of you, and developing new relationships.

The Channel was actually started 15 yrs ago as The Carpenters Cellar. It was located in downtown, but in an underground location that was very small. My wife and I took it over 5 years ago with a new and fresh vision. We have grown, moved twice, and outgrown every location we have been in up to this point. With growth comes change, and with change comes responsibility. We opened Grille 33 as an attempt to help fund The Channel. Within the first several months of opening, we found ourselves in a tough place. The Channel is a 501(c)3 non-profit, but Grille 33 is for profit. The issue was that Grille 33 had only made about 20% of its projections from start up. There were factors that contributed to this that were out of our control. It forced us to shift our focus from The Channel to the Grille. We have worked very hard over the tough winter months to turn the Grille around and get it to turn a profit. Just to build your faith as you are reading this message, 3 months ago the Grille was over $33000 in the negative. Today it is now starting to turn a profit. The turn around for the Grille has been an awesome testimony of faith, and a belief that anything is possible if you just believe.

The last week of December we got a donation to build the staircase that I mentioned. We worked so hard to turn the Grille around that The Channel had taken a back seat. The staircase was started in January, and I have started booking heavily again. We had 26 events this month alone, and I have dates booked out into June already. Events in March include 5 dates with National artists. One big one is March 25th with Brian Head Welch returning to The Channel for a second time.

What we have at The Channel is something very special. It’s a place to connect, to build relationships, to have accountability, a place to belong. Being a non-profit, we have weathered the storms of financial struggle with fundraising, and donations, which leads me to the hard question: does The Channel mean something special to you?

If so we need your help. We need to raise $20,000 in the next seven days. I know I may have just lost some of you, but hear me out first. We have 737 followers of our group on Facebook. What we have is strength in numbers. If everyone would get involved we could meet this need with no problem. If all 737 people donated $27 we would meet our need or if only 200 of you gave $100. It’s a small request to make if you believe in The Channel.

The reality is The Channel is not just a cool place to go see a show, or to hang with friends. Don’t get me wrong, it totally is that, but it’s more. It’s a story of Faith, a belief that, “All things are possible.” We could’ve never made it this far without YOU. I hope every person that reads this will consider how he or she could help. Please don’t just read this and say, “someone else will do it”, because what if they don’t. I’ve never sent a message like this before, so please understand the need is real. I can’t say what will happen if people don’t respond, but I can say our future is bright if you do.


Thanks for your time and consideration,

Jay


How to give:

Come to The Channel
Call the Channel 552-1945

Send it in the mail:
The Channel
221 North Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601

Through Paypal via:
http://followmegreenville.blogspot.com/p/how-to-give.html

Please include your name, address, email/phone number if you would like a tax deductible receipt."

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Mighty Hand/Oustretched Arm

Check it.
God has been moving

   Swiftly

lately.

Awesome.
It's not just in my life, and it's not just in the lives of my friends and the people around me. But it's all of that: my life, my friends' lives and the lives of the people around me.

I love it.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dreary Day...


Today is a bit...

dreary.

It's a little bit rainy out.

The sun is hiding.

And I'm in a bad,
bad mood.

So I'm adding this picture of sunshine to the blog, to make me feel better.

One of the ways I get out of a funk like this, is to listen to good, up-tempo music. I think once I'm done typing this post, I'll put on some of my favorites, like Switchfoot, or House of Heroes ... or maybe my soundtrack from The Sound of Music. Yeah - that might really make me feel better! Ooh, maybe some Needtobreathe.
Yes - even just thinking about what music to listen to is lifting the fog from my head!

It also helps me to write when I get like this, so that's an option, too. Or maybe I'll just head over to Jennie's little square of space and chat with her, because that always puts me in a better mood.

Here's to sunny days and rainbows and butterflies and all that good stuff! And hey - it's supposed to be really warm and sunny tomorrow, and that's always good news!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Pictures

I went to the Greenwood to take a few pics of the Mommy and Daddy to be.
Here are a few of my favorites:






We are getting close!

Monday, February 14, 2011

A New Version of the Cat Lady

I have a confession to make: I think I am becoming a cat lady. Well, not quite cat lady...

I am always on guard. Always. I designed the Cat Lady Equation specifically for this -- to make sure that I do not become a cat lady and to help prevent friends from becoming cat ladies. (I can only help those who want to be helped ... Loggins).
But as I recently mentioned, I'm trying to do a lot more crafty stuff ... like do-it-myself (DIM) things around the house. But since I'm cheap, the DIM things are pretty limited.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Part of a Bigger Group!

Check it out:
Our blog is featured on Faithblogs.net - a web site that acts as sort of a fun (and pretty!) database for awesome Christ-centered blogs.
Yay!
We're under the "loving life" group, which is rad, since Jennie and I do have that je ne sais quoi, that zest for life, that joie de vivre!
So while you're there, browse around for some more blogs you might love. One of my favorites is Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary (who, by the way, is not the very worst missionary, but she is one of the very best bloggers and I always look forward to her posts.

I will be looking at the crafts blogs on the site, because ....

I'm going to be an aunt!







In about a month, I will turn 27 years old AND I will become an aunt for the FIRST TIME. I am beyond excited! I plan on being the cool aunt (like most want to be) by:
1. Spending enormous amounts of time with that child
2. Making sure he/she is the best dressed child
3. Spoiling him/her beyond repair
4. Praying for him/her relentlessly
5. Taking rock star photos of him/her growing up

do you see a theme? We don't yet know the sex of the baby. It will be a surprise for the BIG day!
I can't wait. Any guesses on what the baby will be?

BOY or GIRL?

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Confession time.


Confession time: I have been dragging my feet. BIG TIME.
Procrastination is definitely something I struggle with and people close to me can testify to that one!
One example of my extreme procrastination occurred in my Senior Seminar class at Upstate. Every student is required to take some sort of Senior Seminar class before they can graduate. In my senior seminar class, I had to conduct a research project. All I can say is the class is an entire semester for a reason. You are supposed to work on the project the entire semester. I waited until the last three days of the semester to begin working on mine. I did nothing but type and drink coffee for three days straight to complete my final research paper (that I had to pass to graduate). I got a B+.
I often feel like maybe if I was given consequences for my procrastination, then I wouldn't do it anymore. Although, I am not completely sure that would make a difference.
I was listening to a sermon by one of my favorite pastors, Pete Wilson, titled More. He was talking about how when God calls us to something faith-filled, we often run to our hiding place. We can run to insecurity, fear or procrastination. He wanted each person to take a minute to think about what their hiding place was, but I didn't need a second to think. I knew instantly. My hiding place is procrastination. It is so easy to run to procrastination and people understand the excuse: "I am just too busy." or "I haven't been able to get around to it yet."

"Big moves of God are almost always preceded by obedience to Him in the small things." Start with the small things that God asks of you and build on those. How do you break the cycle? Intentionality in spending time with God and being disciplined in staying in the Word.
Where is your hiding place?

Monday, February 7, 2011

The Channel - Everything is happening

Head on over to Amanda's blog to see what's going on at The Channel - the place where Jennie & I love to volunteer and see our favorite bands. Very exciting stuff. I love seeing what God does through and for Jay & Amanda!

www.followmegreenville.blogspot.com

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Two Short Stories for the Price of ... well, none -- it's free!

I've been working on my fiction writing, and getting better about submitting my short stories to online literary magazine to be published, and it's paying off!

Two just went up online this week:
Hot Heat
This is a twisted story about a twisted kid. It's Jennie's favorite short story of mine, randomly. :)
There's actually a lot I like about this kid - even though he's a sociopath -

Friday, February 4, 2011

More Things Jennie Says

It's been forever, and unfortunately I don't have time to really plan a post, but I wanted to share a few wonderful bits of advice from Jennie that have tickled me lately.

This quote is best taken out of context and explained later, so:

"Christy, STOP LISTENING to your family!
They are ruining your reputation!"

Explanation:

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Feminine/Masculine

We really missed the boat in the English language, as far as I'm concerned...
When I was learning French in high school, the nouns are either feminine or masculine words, and you need to know which one, so that you know whether to use "la" or "le" before them (la is for feminine nouns, le is for masculine). So "the cat" is: le chat (masculine), and "the house" is la maison (feminine). Interesting, huh?

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Cherry on Top of a Great Friendship

"What is wrong with America today?!"
That's what Jennie exclaimed at lunch today, in response to something I told her.
I'll back up and start at the beginning:
Jennie has my back. Always. This is a truth that I can rely on, and I love it about her, and I hope that I'm the same kind of friend to her that she is to me.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

God and His Wacky Sense of Humor

People say this a lot: "Well, God has a sense of humor!" and it's never in response to a funny joke you just told them, like they're commenting on how God created us and our funnies. It's always stated in response to some weird thing you're dealing with, like how something crazy nutso is happening in your life and you're like, "What? And, also, why?" and that's when someone comes along (usually my mom) and she's all, "Well, God sure does have a sense of humor, right?"
So this:

Monday, January 17, 2011

Lessons from my Niece

Kids teach us so many lessons. But I have to say, I've learned more about "being a woman" from my niece than any 30-year-old should learn from a 4-year-old.
I will say that she has been extremely girly, ever since she was little.
She makes sure that she always coordinates everything. And maybe it's Gymboree's fault, with their tights that match the skirt that match the cardigan that match the hairbow. But my niece is all about matching.
She takes risks with her looks, too, though. She'll put together shades of colors that would make any fashion expert cringe, in theory. But when she's tearing through the house and all you see is a blur of orange and pink, somehow it works.
And, every day is a fashion show.

Friday, January 14, 2011

One Word 2011

I read several blogs in which they have decided to choose
ONE word
that will define their year (instead of making resolutions).
I really liked the idea, but I had already made my resolutions. So, I have decided to do both.
I knew my word, instantly! I even commented on one of the blogs with my word: Challenge.

"Good word, Jennie. Good word."

Then...BOOM!
I started to feel like God was giving me a different word to define my year, and I wasn't happy about it.
Contentment.
Man....God, Why?! Why contentment?!
I struggle with contentment. I am restless a lot....with my life and circumstances.
I need to strive for Contentment, not in the sense that I will be complacent and inactive in my life, but okay with where God has me. I still have desires that I feel are God-given, but I have to be content with what God has given me. So here goes trying!

Matthew 11:28-29

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Philippians 4:11-13

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


Friday, January 7, 2011

A Verse for the Year

I used to be totally into celebrity gossip. I don't even know how I got into it... it's just one of those things that starts out slowly and snowballs out of control.
It could start like this:
Me: I like this song... who sings it?
Someone Else: So-and-so. Did you know he's dating (someone else famous)?
Me: No way!
.... a few weeks later ...
Someone Else: Oh, remember that singer you liked who was dating (someone else famous?)
Me: YEAH?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Happiness


What brings you happiness?
Money? Success? Dream Job? Spouse?
When you look at wealthy people, what do you see? More possessions than any normal person could dream of.
They aren't truly happy. They buy things because they think it will make them happy, but it is an endless cycle.
I often think that I know what will bring me happiness. Marriage, a bigger house, a nicer car, a skinnier body.
Sure, at first, all of those things will make me happy. They will not, however, bring me true LASTING happiness. The joy will be momentary.
If someone asked me to describe myself, I would not list CONTROL FREAK as one of my characteristics. When I take a look at my life, my decisions and my desires, I am the biggest CONTROL FREAK I know. I bargain with God to get my way. I try to manipulate situations to get what I want. I do what I want without asking if it is God's Will. Most of the time I don't even realize I am doing it....
I try to control the situation because I think that if I get what I want....it will make me happy.

Matthew 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Memory Loss

I've mentioned this a couple of times, but my memory is pretty bad. And it got a lot worse this past fall with all the stress I had (I know, I know, I'll stop mentioning it!).
So, when netflix recommended a documentary to me about a guy that loses his memory, I totally jumped at it.
Here's the story: a man *wakes up* or *comes to* or whatever, on a subway in NYC. He has no identification and doesn't know who he is, where he's going, or where he came from. He has a backpack with a few items: a language/travel book, some medicine of some sort (later found out to be dog medicine) and two sets of keys. Also: he has a British accent.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Years Resolutions


We are officially in the NEW YEAR....2011. Wow, how did that happen so fast?

Christy and I were discussing how well we did on accomplishing our 2010 Resolutions last week. So, I am pumped to start working on my 2011 New Years Resolutions. So far, I have been pretty lazy this year :) but I think I have some great resolutions to work on.

So here it goes.

1. Read MORE books, Buy LESS books.

I have the tendency to buy books and never read them. It will also help me financially to use the library for the majority of my reading material :)

2. Apply/Attend Graduate School.

I have decided to pursue Graduate School. So my goal is to apply and start in 2011!

3. Skydive

I have wanted to do this for a few years and I think this is the year!

4. Reach my Goal Weight.

I have been doing weight watchers for several months and haven't been too serious about it. So I want to buckle down and reach my goal weight. It is VERY possible and I would only have to lose about 5 lbs. per month.

5. Start running again.

This one is tough for me. I have a love/hate relationship with running. In my mind, I want to be a runner. I used to run. I hated every second, but I loved the way it made me feel. So I am going to give it another try. But I want to lose about 10 more lbs. before I start.

6. Travel.

That is ALWAYS on my list. I love to travel, so every year I want to go somewhere new, somewhere I have never been before.


So here it goes! I am ready! Are you?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Fortune Cookies and Such

"A friend will soon tell you an exciting secrets!"

"Keep smiling. It makes people wonder what you've been up to."

"Don't trust a ho, never trust a ho. Don't trust a ho, don't trust me."

These were the fortune cookies I've gotten in the past 24 hours (and I didn't even order any Chinese food!). On New Year's Eve, I partied with the Clack clan, and we wrote our own fortunes and folded them into home-made fortune cookies. Yum! That recipe made the best fortune cookies I've ever tasted. I got the last two fortunes listed (and as you can see, we had a wide range of fortunes written for those!). Then, today on 1/1/11, I stopped by my parent's house, and ate a fortune cookie that my mom had gotten from her lunch today. That was the first fortune I listed.
So I guess that if the last thing I did last year, and the first thing I did this year (well...one of the first things) sets the tone for the rest of the year, then I'll be eating a lot of yummy food this year!
Or maybe... I'll be traveling to foreign lands and experiencing new cultures.
OR MAYBE... I should expect an exciting secret, keep smiling, and never trust a ho.

In other news, feast your ears on this: