jetsetting

I realize I've neglected to write anything of substance for quite some time now...so I'm hoping to use my upcoming week of travel/vacation to actually "vacate" my mind and sit and write a bit. We'll see what happens. I have high hopes for reading and writing when I travel, but I always end up people-watching instead. Or playing spider solitaire. Pray that I get motivated to read or write!

This weekend is my post-NYE trip with the BCG's (well, part of them...just me, Faith, and Becka)...which was originally planned to be in the Caribbean, but it has now become a weekend in Florida. I'm just happy to see a beach for 2 days...better than snow and negative temperatures!

So tomorrow I fly out to NYC, where Becka currently lives, to meet up with her. I'll basically be in the city for about 12 hours...just enough time for me to hang out at a coffee shop (OR maybe grab some Pinkberry if I'm lucky..., maybe catch up with Whitney Port? Just kidding...) until she's able to meet me, and then we'll get some sleep before catching our 8 a.m. flight to Ft. Myers, FL. Faith currently lives in Boston, so she'll meet us at JFK. She's moving back to NYC in about 3 weeks, and we're using up her last few buddy passes through JetBlue to enjoy our little excursion! So thankful for that!

After spending the weekend in Ft. Myers, Becka will head back home to NYC and I'm going back to Boston for a few days with Faith. I've never been to "Bahston" before, so I'm excited to explore a new city!


Here's to hoping I come back with a little bit of a tan...just 2 days worth...

inauguration comments, pt. 2

I think it's so interesting that CNN has now embraced the "power" of the facebook status. It's blowing my mind how the world is using facebook status to communicate about the inauguration, and really, about anything.

More to come on this, but if you're interested in laughing as much as on election night, tune in to www.cnn.com and watch the ongoing live stream that shows a parallel facebook stream of statuses.

inauguration comments

If you remember, I posted a list after the election results of all of the ridiculous facebook statuses that I saw. I considered doing it again, but I think MSN.com captured it well enough by allowing America to share their thoughts in a 20-word-or-less thought on their homepage.

I've been watching it for 5 minutes and I'm already entertained and intrigued.

Been a Long Day

I really like this song, and while posting the lyrics to a song is kind of a cop-out post, I really don't have much to say...except that Rosi Golan's voice is beautiful, and so is this song. You can listen to it here.

Been A Long Day

Its been a long day and all I’ve got to say is make it strong

Its been a long a day and all I’ve got to say is I’ve been wrong

So take a leave of absence,

tell me you’ll be gone,

I don’t want to see your face.

Its been a long day and I just wanna hide away

Its been a long week and all the lines come down heavy on me

Its been a long week I’m finally feeling like its ok to break

Into a thousand pieces,

no one can replace,

only I can find my way.

It’s been a long day and I just wanna hide away
It’s been a long year and everyone around me disappeared

It’s been a long year and all this mess around me is finally clear

So can I have a moment?

Just to say hello.

Can you let your anger go?

It’s been a long year and I’m finally ready to be here.

Thanks to One Tree Hill for always having awesome music...

And in case you're a fan of the show's music like me, you can find music from any episode here.

if you need a "laugh"

You should go to this "website"

Did I catch an oh-niner in there?

It's funny how a New Year comes upon us. Literally one minute--no, one second-- it's 2008 and then suddenly, it's 2009! It creeps up on you, without harm and without any room or time for slowing down and somehow along the way giving us reason to celebrate.

I enjoyed the company of 2 friends of mine at a nice little piano bar on New Year's Eve as we toasted the end of 2008, which wasn't so much our favorite year, and celebrated a fresh start. I'm always up for change and new beginnings. At least if things aren't going as planned, I like a chance to start over. Even if life is going just smoothly, I'll always welcome a chance to begin again. It kind of reminds me of grace.

2008 wasn't bad for any particular reasons, but every year (at New Year's and on my birthdays...) I claim that "this is going to be my year!" 2008 wasn't really "my year" if I'm looking back on it. It was alright, but I wish it would have been better. I'm hoping 2009 will be the year...for what? Again, I don't know. For newness, for change, for good things. I'll always welcome that, and I'll do what I can to make it happen. I want to live boldly this year and choose the Kingdom over myself, even though my tendency is to choose me.

I'm always excited to see what the future holds...and though I wish I had a crystal ball to see into it, I'm a little perplexed by the mystery that is the unknown.

But here's what I do know about this year:

~I get to spend time with Faith & Becka for our post-New-Year's-celebration (for the last 3 years we've spent New Year's Eve together...originating in Times Square in 2006...but postponed this year) to go to the Caribbean!!! Though it's only about 2 weeks away, we're still not locked into where we're going, but it will either be Cancun, the Dominican, or a cruise to Cozumel/Costa Maya...thanks to Faith's final few weeks working for JetBlue and her buddy passes she's so willing to share!

~I have the honor of witnessing the beginning of marriages for several of my friends in the upcoming year...

~I will be taking my third group of LCC students to Romania to work with Rachel Ross & Forget Me Not Ministries...and I'm so excited to see those sweet kiddos again.

~My family will be going to Florida together for probably the first family vacation in, like, a long time...definitely since Cory & David have been married and Maddy & Evan were born.
~I'm hoping to start embracing my creative side a little more. I've been inspired lately and love how artistic, creative activities make me energized. I'm realizing more and more this is from God and not just an outlet for me, so I'd like to use it for bigger purposes. Maybe taking classes, maybe just painting some canvases for people, maybe learning some graphic design, who knows?

~I'm definitely going to read more. I've slacked off (big time!) this past year, and I hope to read and finish at least 15 books this year. That's maybe lofty, but it's a goal I'm setting.

~I will learn to be where I'm at completely. I'm always looking forward to the next thing, but I'm learning to be right here, right now.

~I am going to learn to save my money, which I'm completely terrible at doing. I'm not sure how this is going to happen...especially with an upcoming cruise, family vaca to Florida, overhanging credit card bill, student loans, car payments, my hope to buy a Mac sometime soon, my need to pay my mom back for my furniture, etc... I WILL save money. Maybe I need to find a second job or something.

~I will be 27 this year. Wow. At least I've got like 8 months till then.

What's happening for you in 2009?

I should be cleaning...

I really hate when people avoid things that need to be done, but I have to admit I'm one of those people when it comes to overwhelming projects.

I am off from work this entire week, and I have a few daunting tasks that I'll eventually guilt myself into getting done. For right now, I still haven't showered for the day and I've only accomplished one load of laundry (that has yet to be transferred to the dryer), one load of dishes in the dishwasher, and created more of a mess on the floor of my 2nd bedroom than previously existed. I'm clearly avoiding my mental to-do list.

I might need to write it down or type it out.

I have so many projects I need to do, and I'm in the mood to purge my apartment of the things I don't need anymore. I take after my grandma Shirlye in that I hold onto anything that has any sentimental value, memory, or tradition. I have a hard time getting rid of things. I'm ready to purge, clean, organize, and sort. I feel like when my home is clean and organized, so is the rest of my life.

My projects are going to be these this week:

• Sort through old paperwork, bills, etc. and find a filing system that will work for me
• Reorganize my kitchen cabinets
• Purge my closets of the plenty of clothes I DO NOT wear but think that someday "I just might need..."
• Go through all of the stuff that is taking over my 2nd bedroom and throw things away!!!
• Put away my Christmas tree :( (maybe...I might try to keep it up a little longer...)
• Organize and utilize the recipes that are not in cookbooks I've collected in one kitchen cabinet
• Sweep, mop, dust, vacuum, etc. (typical cleaning)
• Clean out the bathtub and scrub the kitchen floor (which happen less than they should...)
• Redecorate my living room getting rid of red & green accent colors (not from Christmas, but those have been my accent colors for a long time) and bringing in brighter colors--orange, yellow, and green. and maybe turquoise.

I clearly have a lot to do. I'm just not sure where to begin. But I've begun getting out all of my paperwork and filing folders to attempt the first task on my list. Right now it's all on the floor.

Any suggestions for organizational methods? I might have to go through some RealSimple magazines to find ideas.

Clearly I have a lot to do...

2 years.

A lot can happen in 2 years.

People grow up. People change. Some might fall in love and get married within 2 years. Some have babies (or maybe two) in 2 years. And sometimes things don't seem to have changed much even though they have.

Just today in the backseat of the car, my 5-year-old niece Maddy asked me, "Do you miss Papa?" out of the blue. We weren't talking about him, nor did we see any fire trucks, and we were probably just singing along to the Jonas Brothers in the car. But something triggered this question in her mind...maybe some innate reminder, maybe she somehow knew...that tomorrow marks 2 years since her Papa, my dad, has been gone.

I turned to her and said, "Of course, I miss Papa...but he's in heaven now."

Her response wasn't quite what I expected: "I bet he's mad..."

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"Because it's probably not fun in heaven. If he's sick there by himself there isn't anyone to take care of him."

So I explained to her, amidst her many questions about fairies flying in heaven and thinking that you just lay in bed sick in heaven, that it's a good place. (Because she last saw my dad in the hospital, she has a hard time comprehending that heaven is not a glorified hospital.) I tried my best to assure her that Papa is happy there and that he's just waiting for us to join him there someday. She asked about Papa Don's wife (my grandma) being there, and I let her know that it's her Papa's mommy, my Grandma Mary, and that she's taking care of Papa there. They're both there having fun and waiting for us.

It's an interesting thing to think about what heaven must seem like to a 5-year-old, or even a younger child. I remember the morning that my dad died wondering how Cory & David were going to explain it to Maddy's 3-year-old little self. They told her that Papa went to go be with Jesus. Her response was this: "I don't like that Jesus..."

We had to laugh a little, even amidst our sadness. It was hard not to want to feel the same way. Though she didn't and still doesn't quite understand who Jesus is, I pray she'll come to know that Jesus came to give us a hope that we can cling to even when we don't want to like our reality.

When you go through a loss, even if you love Jesus, it's hard for some not to blame Him and to understand why God could take someone you love out of the world. But in all things, good or bad, there is a purpose that we cannot understand or comprehend. And we wait in hope for the day when someday our lack of understanding combined with our faith will become knowledge and sight.

So as tomorrow marks a reminder that someone I love is no longer in the world, I also remember that there is a heaven we long for, a purpose I cannot understand, and a hope I can cling to even when it doesn't make any sense. There is a place we can look forward to...where there is no more pain, no more crying, no more hurt, and maybe, just maybe...there are even fairies flying around.

While 2 years have gone by both quickly and slowly at the same time, life is much different. I've learned a lot, maybe haven't changed much, but I am surprised by the peace I've had that I don't understand and the hope that constantly sustains.

And I know this:
Heaven is only something we can imagine in this life, and at that, probably far from its glorious reality, but I'm certain that it's going to be good...with or without fairies.

-ings list

It's been awhile since I've made one of these lovely little dangling participle lists, so here's what I'm up to:

Eating--Vienna Finger cookies and leftover chili from last night. And some fresh walnuts...

Reading/Finishing--a great little novel by Laura Dave called London is the Best City in America

Listening--just downloaded today the album Advent Songs by Sojourn (my favorite church in Louisville) for FREE on Noisetrade. You should check it out--there are tons of great indie artists and others who are willing to share their music for free as long as you share it with other people!

Looking--for the last few Christmas presents I need to get for my mom and sister

Wondering--how warm it's going to be in Cancun or Aruba or the Dominican Republic in January when I go there to celebrate NYC (New Year's Caribbean...though in late January) with Faith & Becka...

Waiting--for lots of things...I'm always waiting.

Praying--for Ben Towne and his family in Seattle, who continue to watch his 3-year-old body suffer through a horrible cancer that somehow has yet to steal his joy. Read their journal here...

Planning--our annual HS Girls retreat, Awaken, at LCC and getting excited about it!

Loathing--this cold weather. And wondering why I still live in Illinois?

Loving--Paperbackswap.com. I keep getting great books from people around the country and I'm able to share books I don't really want/need anymore. And the best part is--you only pay for the books you ship out, but you get the ones you want for free! I'm awaiting the arrival of He's Just Not That Into You...which I feel I need to read these days. And looking forward to the movie coming out in February!

Mourning--that I just finished Season 4 of One Tree Hill and don't yet have Season 5. But I'm sure I'll find it online :-)

Avoiding--lots of little projects around the apartment that I need to go do...

Digging

A few weeks ago I was reading through Hosea, and for some reason kept reverting back to the same verse over and over again. Hosea 10:12 reads:

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

I had memorized it, repeated it to myself, planned on doing a devotion on this, and changed my mind at the last minute, because I couldn't figure out how it was yet to play out in my life. That "break up your unplowed ground" part kept haunting me, and I couldn't figure out what my unplowed ground was. I think I'm starting to dig.

If you've read my blog before or know me, you're probably well aware that we're approaching the 2 year anniversary of my Dad's death. It hardly seems like it's been 2 years, but then again sometimes these 2 years feel like forever. And this time of year, though joyful for most, can be difficult for some who are grieving. Don't get me wrong, I still love Christmas and I still get excited to listen to my Christmas music and drive around to look at Christmas lights and love that magical, whimsical feeling that comes in this season. (Except for the cold...which I think is absolutely anything BUT magical.) But it hasn't been the same for the past 2 years. It's harder (not impossible, just harder...) to find reasons to be thankful in the midst of loss, and it's hard to celebrate when you feel like there's someone missing out on the celebration.

As this 2 year mark approaches, we're beginning to dig up some truths in the circumstances surrounding his death, which is bound to be a difficult and long road ahead. We're finding ourselves in the beginning stages of a lawsuit that will hopefully uncover truth, answer questions, and give our minds some peace and resolution. We know that no lawsuit, no amount of money, and even no apology from doctors who may or may not have been negligent in his case will bring back my dad. But we do know that the truth can set you free, and in this particular case, the truth might just bring solace and peace and freedom in that way.

So we're digging.

And tonight, after a long day of being in Chicago, I just happened to sit down to relax and catch up on my regular blog-reading, and found a couple posts from 2 friends, completely unrelated to one another, with which my heart resonated. Christine and Chantell have had this similar struggle in the Christmas season to truly celebrate and realize what hope Christ brings, is, has been, and will always be, but they reminded me tonight of these very truths.

Christine, in the midst of decorating her house and seeking that whimsical feeling we all long for amidst the twinkling lights and that cozy feeling of Christmas, felt that something was missing. She reminded me tonight with this post that it's the Word becoming flesh that we all seem to be missing.

Chantell, while celebrating the life of her grandmother, now mourns the loss of her granny's life here on earth as well as the earthly life of her daughter Regan, who passed away earlier this year. It seems that when loss rains, it also pours. There is so much sadness sometimes, and grief can be overwhelming. I realized as I read this post of hers that our gratitude for Jesus, simply, should be just as overwhelming. HE IS HOPE. There is no other hope.

So tonight, after I read these two friends' thoughts, I realized that the unbroken ground I needed to dig through was simply to get to the heart of Jesus. My unbroken ground was dirt that had hardened, my heart that had hardened, with complacency, apathy, and lack of gratitude. It is HIM that I have not recognized. I haven't been thankful for HIM. And tonight I am getting out my shovel to break past that hardened ground and find the heart of Christ in the softer soil.

And so I will continue to dig...

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

I really love my Christmas tree. In fact, for the past 2 nights I've slept on my couch (not that I don't already love to for the fact that it's so incredibly comfy!) just so I can lay and look at the pretty lights and ornaments sparkling in the corner. There's just something about having a Christmas tree in my living room that makes it so much more comfortable, takes me back to my childhood and traditions and memories, and leaves me in peace and wonder.

I remember decorating the tree when I was little, with some of those old Avon and Hallmark ornaments that used to be collectibles, and some ornaments that we made at the church Christmas night, and one in particular that I remember my friend Bo giving me when we were probably about 7. It's a little elf man whose legs curl up under his arms and when you pull them out he looks like a jumping elf. Kinda strange, but the memory is still there.

We'd usually decorate the tree with an old Christmas record spinning under the needle, usually Kenny Rogers Christmas or Amy Grant or the Chipmunks. I miss that old record player. Boxes of decorations and ornaments would be strewn about the living room, pieces of silver tinsel mixing in with the carpet, and lights all tangled up. Maybe we'd have just baked some cutout cookies with the powdered sugar & milk icing (with red and green food coloring) and sprinkles, or some wreaths made out of marshmallow, Corn Flakes, and Red hots as the berries...

We used to buy real Christmas trees until one year when we awoke on Christmas morning to presents covered in sap and little spiders stuck in the sap all over the place. Needless to say, we took the tree down that day and my parents bought an artificial tree probably the next day for future years. (That happens to be the tree i now have in my living room, I believe...)

I have always been one for tradition, and this year I think a new one began. Kate started "The Great Ornament Exchange" on her blog and about 80 people around the country, mostly complete strangers, participated in this opportunity to exchange ornaments and little notes with one another. I just sent mine off yesterday to someone in Oregon, and I received mine today from someone in Massachusetts. How fun that complete strangers are brought together over Christmas ornaments?

And I must say a heartfelt THANK YOU to Jenn Z. for sending me not one, but TWO great ornaments that look beautiful on my tree, along with a great little book and a note! How thoughtful! Here are the ornaments she sent me:

And here's my colorful tree in its entirety...with the flash.

And speaking of color, though completely unrelated, here's a long overdue picture of me and my darker hair. It's not all that dark, really, but a little reddish. And still a change :) I already need it cut and possibly a touch-up on color. My hair grows like a weed.

Back to the Christmas trees...I hope yours offers you some peace and wonder. Take a few moments each night to just sit and stare at it. Maybe sleep in your living room with the lights on one night, just for the fun of it. And enjoy the treasures of each ornament, each tradition, each Christmas memory.

I Need Africa...

If you haven't read my post from last week, you might be wondering what I'm talking about when I say "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." So read on, and check out the Mocha Club website to find out more as well. They are launching a campaign to help move our hearts "from pity to partnership" with Africa. Check out their page for more info on this new campaign launch!

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]


Also, if you need any great gift ideas for someone and would like to support the Mocha Club in the process, check out these great new American Apparel (super soft) t-shirts for the campaign!

I need Africa more than Africa needs me...

I was asked by the Mocha Club to write about why "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." If you aren't familiar with it, Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

When I joined Mocha Club a couple years ago, I cannot honestly say that I would have agreed with the statement that "I needed Africa more than Africa needs me." My intentions were good and compassionate, filled with hope to provide change for women and children in Africa that desperately needed it. I knew that my $7 a month could do something to help them and felt I was making a difference, and like many of us do in those times, I felt proud to be giving and compassionate and generous. I realize now that my $7 giving each month has not only helped change other people, but it's changing me.

You might think I'm crazy. Sure, Africa needs our help! America is wealthy, and with the trendiness of so many celebs reaching out to adopt babies or dig wells or raise awareness, it might seem that Africa would be devastated without our help. I beg to differ. God created Africa for a purpose, and it wasn't so that we would learn to give and be generous. It was so that we would realize that we may have needs even greater than theirs.

I've never been to Africa, but what I've seen in pictures and heard from those who have, it is much different from what is portrayed through the media. When watching the news it seems like Africa is dark and dim, filled only with devastation and poverty and hunger and death. But from what I've seen, we are not in a much different place here in America. We face a different kind of death and poverty and hunger and devastation.

I look at our culture, overflowing with iPods and GPS systems and the latest trends and gadgets. I see that real relationships have been replaced with a somewhat false sense of community through facebook, myspace, and texting, and humans have no idea how to build relationships face-to-face without an iPhone in hand. We have plenty to eat; in fact, we are probably wasting more than Africans or other people in the world see in an entire year. We have clean water. We even pick and choose what brand of bottled water we want, with flavors and minerals and vitamins added. We complain about jobs that require 40-80 hours a week, but they provide a salary of more than $2.00/day and ample healthcare (even in our changing economy) and plenty of other resources.

It seems to me that America, too, is a country in dire need. We need to recognize that our needs might not be materialized in the form of water, food, housing, or clothes. Instead, what we need to find is how to love, how to hope, and how to live. I pray that along with the coming "change" that is proclaimed with our upcoming president will come an open, teachable spirit in America. We often think we're the ones to become the "Savior" to other countries in need, but what can they teach us? What can we learn?

To think that Africa needs me is completely selfish. Our God is bigger than America; He is bigger than my $7/month, and He is bigger than all of the world's wealth. He is bigger than any world leader and any strategic plan to eliminate hunger and poverty. He doesn't need us to save people, but He does desire that our hearts will seek to create change and love people.

When we look at countries in poverty we often attribute to them a lower status in our self-created hierarchy of humanity. But if you're anything like me, when you visit another country that seems more in need than we are, you return to America realizing that we are in fact the ones in greater need. I have seen deep need in places like Haiti, remote gypsy villages in Romania, and in the post-Katrina state of New Orleans. Each time I return from one of these trips I find it odd that I have been the one more blessed. My work may have made a slight difference, but it never compares to the difference in me.

In giving $7/month to Africa through the Mocha Club, I'm doing very little, really, to help. But in doing so, I'm recognizing the need in me to give, to be selfless, and to be humbled.

The people of Africa have hope much stronger than mine in much harsher of circumstances. For that, I need them.

They know how to love one another and live in true community. For that, I need them.

They know how to live with little and with simplicity. For that, I need them.

They live with greater joy, a deeper hunger for the Lord, and a mightier thirst for His Word. For that, I need them.

Indeed, I need Africa more than Africa needs me...do YOU?

PLEASE...share your thoughts in my comments section. Start a dialogue about this. Write on your own blog about this. Join in the worthwhile cause of recasting the damaging images that force pity over partnership.

still alive...

I am still here, despite what little writing I've done lately.

I've been in Tulsa this weekend for the National Missionary Convention, and I really should have worked on compiling a list of all of the crazy Christians that were there. I have been to enough conventions like this and the North American Christian Convention to be able to say that some Christians are just strange, weird, socially inept people. And I always seem to have the privilege of running into them.

I had my share of people come up to the table at our LCC booth to ask a question, and not unlike many strange kids at college fairs, they continue to stand there expecting the conversation to continue. Now my job requires quite a bit of small talk and the ability to hold a conversation, but sometimes it is just impossible. And I'm not yet sure what to post about the girl who walked around holding a sign offering "Free Hugs" to everyone there. A sweet gesture...but really? I just don't get it. Maybe I'm too cynical and mean.

But aside from all this, I plan on writing a bit tomorrow about this concept of missions we have...

update

I now have brown hair. :) I'll post some pictures someday soon.

I'm exhausted. After several days of being very "on-the-go" I'm ready to just chillax on my couch and watch TV that doesn't involve thinking.

Did you know that Chapstick was made of animal carcasses? Yeah...I just found that out. Pretty sure I'll be altering what I put on my lips from now on...

In a quick trip to Louisville for a college fair last night, I got to enjoy some good sushi w/ my bestie Amanda! Only my 2nd sushi experience, but I made another good choice w/ the lobster rolls.

If you notice to the right of my page, you'll see a link for The Great Ornament Exchange! Check it out... Kate McDonald is hosting this via her blog and will be organizing a way for 60+ people around the country to trade ornaments and begin a new tradition. Wanna join? You have to respond by emailing her before midnight THIS THURSDAY the 14th!

Please continue to pray for Ben Towne, the little boy I posted about last week after reading his CaringBridge site. He is still hanging onto life and fighting with a strong will to live, according to the journal his parents have been keeping up online. Pray for their strength as they walk into the unknown.

Please pray...

I apologize for the mental whiplash, but this is not at all humorous like the previous post.

After finding this on Kate's blog tonight and reading journal entries from complete strangers on the other side of the country, I'm sitting here crying my eyes out. Please take just a moment to plead with God on behalf of a little 3 year old boy named Ben and his mom and dad in Seattle, WA.

I realize I just posted a list of things to laugh at below this, but I hope you'll find this much more meaningful and take a minute to pray. If blogging can be used to make people laugh and think, then surely it can be used to share things like this.

Please pray.

"the list"

Well, well, well...

Friends, we have certainly witnessed history with this election, but my favorite part has been the ridiculous response that many have made public via facebook. If you're not familiar, facebook allows everyone to have a "status." Your status might be what you're doing, what you're eating, some random song lyric, where you are, something really emo to make people feel bad for you, etc. But apparently it is now the place for publicly making your political statement known--whether for or against Obama. As if your facebook status could change the world...

So last night I took the liberty of compiling a list of the hilarity I found in many facebook statuses. The list grew today and just might continue to grow if people continue to make ridiculous remarks. Just don't let it be you. :)

So because I've been asked for the list several times today, I thought I'd share it here.
Here goes:

____ oh well, america had a good run

____ is enjoying her last days as a free american

____ thinks that it's a shame that an election can bring out the worst in people...some of you aren't even acting human tonight. Freaking grow up!

____ is weeping and gnashing her teeth.

____ knows that god has a plan and everything WILL work out

____ How can people be pulled into Obama's lies and not even understand how ignorant he is? This is stupid.

____ Sweet, now i can live out my dream of living in a van down by the river because the government will take all my money and give it to those who do nothing!!!

____ is really scared & nervous about what is going to happen to this country...dear God please help us! what the hell was America thinking! what did we do?!

____ thanks uninformed and ignorant American voters...get ready for the biggest depression in United States history

____ is angry and will probably hide his guns from himself because he is suicidal

____ like the israelites there are evil and godly rulers...hopefully we won't wander for 40 years

____ will pray for the new president but cannot and will not support him.

____ is going to enjoy their plethora of tequilla and great tans in mexico

____ moves into a state of loyal opposition. Equal emphasis on both loyal and opposition. Yep, learned that concept from Mr. Brown.

____ is yup its offical we're screwed!!

____ is wondering what ever happed to the phrase "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL" it doesn't state anything about African Americans or Americans WTF? We're all the same

____ WE'RE ALL SCREWED! HOLY CRAP! THE END TIMES ARE UPON US! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

____ is worried about the future and happy that at least mcconnel won. (welcome to the USSA).

____...only in America can being charismatic and having a celebrity following but no actual experience get you elected President...GOD be their solution!

____ is a citizen of a socialist country? Seriously? ....dangit. Oh well, God rules. God Help US ALL!

____ wants to move... somewhere. too bad Kenya is out of the question...

____ is thinking the only real bummer is that Heidi Klum and Seal won't be leaving the country now.

____ cannot in good conscience support Obama... she cannot and will not...

____ was told that when a democrat is in office Christians give more to the church....get these churches out of the budget crunch.

____ now realizes how many idiots live in the USA.

____ is people are saying welcome to 8 years of hell but they forget we have been living it for the past 8 years. Go OBAMA!!!!

____ is PRESIDENT OBAMA IN YOUR FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

____ is moving to Italy instead, it's warmer and has better food.

____ How can people be pulled into Obama's lies and not even understand how ignorant he is? This is stupid.

____ knows God will bless this is some way...

____ is pretty sure God is still God no matter who the president is...may wisdom and grace be his life's action.

____ is welp I am alive to see history made.

____ cannot believe this....oh my gosh.

____ would like for people to pick up a Bible and read Matthew 6:25-34.9:59pm

____ Obama we trust.

____ Jesus still resurrected.

____ maybe i shouldn't be...but i am actually surprised at how people are catastrophizing in texas today. Xanax for everyone!

____ agrees with libby steinberg, we are a United people in America!! Stop acting so negative towards such a historic day in America.

____ is The sky is falling, The sky is falling!

____ says put on your big girl panties and suck it up!

____ is “Well, there you have it.”

____ is wondering if Bob the Builder is going to sue Obama for using ‘Yes We Can’

____ might as well quit my job and go get in line for welfare.

____ it’s silly to say this is the end…we’ve been saying that for a couple thousand years.

____ is considering building a fallout shelter.

____ 2012 baby... ‘you betchya!’

____ “wait for it...wait for it...CHILL!”

____ is not shocked Obama won. He is shocked that 9/10 people I talked to said they only voted for Obama because he speaks better.

____ wonders what change means.

____ thinks that we should have elected an Amish president.

____ is more interested now that the race is over. Funny how that works.

____ made it through the Clinton years alive...

____ just removed 1 friend for racial slurs about our next president. Don’t be next.

trying to avoid all the election talk but i can't...& other random stuff...

I'm trying my best to avoid so much talk about the election, because I'm just ready for it to be over. But I can't completely leave it alone. I am not 100% apathetic. I do care. But in reality, it all comes down to this: No matter who wins, we ought to respect our nation's leader. I'm not sure what happened to good old fashioned respect and submission to leadership. I guess democracy. And rights. That's what happened.

It seems that we think we have the "right" to so much in life. And I hear people saying that as long as they vote then they have the right to complain later if their choice doesn't win. I disagree. (We can differ on this, and that's ok.) I suppose some complaining is fine, but honestly can't we just learn to respect whomever is given such a high state of authority in this country? And can we trust that God is bigger than one person? And can we trust that our entire country does not rest in one man alone, but on Congress and many advisory boards as well? And whomever is picked will most likely not follow through with most of what his intended plans are, so if we're fearing a plan that has been mentioned, it may not even happen.

And on a different note, I think it's funny how secretive people are about who they vote for. I'm not sure why that is, but it doesn't bother me to tell you who I voted for. But because I don't want any arguments here, I'll change the subject.

This is where random comes in.

I really want to play in the leaves outside. And at the same time, I really want to go lay on a beach somewhere really warm and get my summer tan back.

I'm hooked on listening to the music from the movie The Holiday. It just makes me happy. And also the song "January Rain" by David Gray that's on the movie Serendipity. That song gives me the chills...just picturing the snowflakes falling in the Manhattan sky over that wonderful little dessert shop, Serendipity III, and over the skating rink in Central Park, and the magical way those two people meet and meet again years later. I could listen to it over and over and over. And I will.

I think for the first time in my life, I just made the perfect fried egg. I never used to be able to. My dad was the only person who ever seemed to make them just right. They always end up burnt, or my yoke would break all over before I even got it off the stove...except tonight! I just enjoyed a great fried egg on toast with feta cheese. Because feta makes everything better.

Back to Serendipity...if you've never been there in New York City, you really need to. Their famous Frozen Hot Chocolate is worth whatever 3 hour wait they say you'll have to endure (I promise you it will only end up to be about an hour and a half...or half the time they tell you to begin with. Just don't go out to eat first and be full when you get there--not a good idea. And know that they don't take reservations, so get your name in and then wander around Urban Outfitters or Dylan's Candy Bar down the block.) Anyway, I rediscovered the recipe for this glorious goodness just yesterday, and I'm going to attempt to make one sometime this week.

So as you watch the election results come in, don't freak out. In fact, see Kate's blog for more on comfort amidst the election and a comfort food recipe to try as well. And here's the "secret" frozen hot chocolate recipe that I'm going to try out (let me know if you do too!):

FRRROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE INGREDIENTS
6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates (dark chocolate for me please)
2 teaspoons of store-bought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups of ice
Whipped cream
Chocolate shavings

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and slowly add ½ cup of milk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the room-temperature chocolate mixture and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. And...share with your friends if necessary or desired. ;)

Sitting in a coffee shop...

I love being an anonymous observer.

I'm used to doing a lot of things by myself, which can become boring after awhile, so I've grown accustomed to a great deal of people-watching. And it takes no genius to figure out that in general, people are weird. But then again, so am I. There is no normal. And if there was, it would certainly be boring...wouldn't it?

I remember every winter when I was little we would drive around town and look at Christmas lights, and I loved being able to see inside the windows of people's homes. It wasn't like I was a peeping Tom or a stalker, but I loved seeing just a glimpse into the lives of people I didn't know. Sitting in the backseat, usually next to my sister, we'd ride around "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing" at all of the great lights and decorations (sometimes singing Christmas carols, if I had my way...), and I'd daydream and wonder about the stories of the people inside those homes. I guess I've always been a little bit curious.

Now as I sit in a coffee shop, I wonder what the people around me are here for. These days it seems that no one is without a laptop in front of them, and it makes me wonder what kind of work they all do. I assume there are businessmen here trying to enter sales calls or complete spreadsheets and pie charts and strategic plans. I can see high school or college students working on assignments together, studying for tests, and writing research papers. I see other people like me who may be simply writing, for work or for no reason at all, about something meaningful or ridiculously pointless like many things I write. I see others engaged in friendly conversation, catching up on their days, talking about relationships, life, and work.

I wonder sometimes if I am the only one so observant of the world around me. Are people watching me like I'm watching them? Is there some innate quality in me that makes me so curious? Of course, I'm not staring them down or listening to their conversations or reading over their shoulders. (However, I can't help but overhear the man next to me as he repeats three times to the person on the other end of his cell phone that he's at "the cof-fee-house...the coffee-house...the c-off-ee-house.") But do people wonder about me as I sit and type on this silly blog about the very things I see around me?

While I like to imagine the stories behind these people's lives, I never go beyond the imagining. There's something about the anonymity of it all that I enjoy. I like to be curious and to pretend I know what these people are about, even though I really have no idea. I'd like to make up stories about who they are and what they do and what they dream about for the world. I'd like to think that the group of people in the corner is strategizing for a business plan they're putting together to do something grandeur to help the community, and the girl by the window talking to her friend about making a college decision will maybe end up on the mission field someday, and the guy next to me reading is just taking some much-needed time away from his family to read his magazine and enjoy a good cup of coffee.

My favorite place to people-watch is the airport. There's something about a person traveling that brings out the curiosity in me. Where are they going? Where are they coming from? Why are they going there? Maybe it's for business (usually the business suit is a dead giveaway...) or maybe it's a vacation (usually the touristy souvenirs, Mickey Mouse ears, or sweatsuits and fanny packs give this away), or maybe it's for a honeymoon (the constant PDA is the giveaway here...). Maybe they have to fly somewhere for a funeral or a wedding or the birth of a baby. Maybe they're going to visit a friend they haven't seen in years or they're going on a mission trip (usually a group in matching t-shirts gives that one away...sidenote: I will NEVER make my groups going on mission trips wear matching t-shirts for this reason...).

No matter where I am, I always wonder about people. There is so much more to a person than what they look like, how they're dressed, or what they're currently doing. Everyone has a story. And it makes me recognize the reality of humanity.

We all have a story. But do we really have the capacity to find out all of the life stories around us? While I enjoy finding out people's backgrounds, sometimes I like leaving it up to my imagination as I sit back and conjure up some unlikely account of their lives.

So here I sit, in the coffee shop.

Just observing
wondering
imagining...

my humble abode...

Above is one of the 4 entrances to my building. I love my apartment in Lincoln. I live above what used to be a coffee shop, but it has since closed and been turned into a thrift store. And since I've been meaning to post pictures of my wonderful new couch, I thought I'd share a few others from the place I call "home."

My apartment building is obviously an older building that has been renovated by my very talented landlord who has turned the upstairs of our building into 6 amazing and very coveted apartments in this town. Three of them are loft apartments and three are not. Mine is not, and it may be the smallest or second to smallest apartment in the building and it's still quite large. They have incredible character--original hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, beautiful crown molding, and very cool Tiffany-esque lighting fixtures. The apartment I have here would cost about 3 times more than what I pay in any other city I'm sure. It will be hard to move someday!

But what I love about this place I call home is the way I've made it my own. I love being able to decorate and get creative on a limited budget. My absolute favorite thing in this apartment (now second to my couches, however...) are these:

Before I moved in, my mom and I were going to garage sales and searching for bargains...something I love to do. I found these amazing cabinet doors--5 of them--for 25 cents! ALL 5 for 25 cents!!! I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I cleaned them off and ended up blowing up 8x10 photos from my trip to England and lightly nailing them onto the doors.

One of my other favorites bargain finds is this wine rack I found at a garage sale for $5:

The wine rack was originally from Crate & Barrel and had a scratch on the brown wood on top, so my brother-in-law sanded it down and spray painted it black for me. I love it.

If you're a fan of living inexpensively (or if you're not a fan but you just have to...), I am telling you...GO TO GARAGE SALES!!! You have no idea what you could find. I love finding something old and turning it into something new. I love telling people about my great deals, because too often people spend way too much on things that could be found for much, much less. And I'm more than willing to hunt for a bargain when I have the opportunity.

However, my new couches are not so much one of these bargain finds. But they're worth every penny spent. I love these things. I haven't slept in my bed since they arrived this past Monday. There are basically 3 massive chaises and an ottoman, all shaped like jigsaw puzzle pieces, that fit together in various ways as a sectional. I'm still deciding on accent colors...I'm thinking yellow and green or turquoise...but that could change. I just like bright colors. Anyway, here are pictures...but you won't get the true feel until you see them for yourself. I now have plenty of places for people to sleep over! I can put all 4 pieces together and it's basically like sleeping on a king size bed. So come on over!!!