as of late

My life has certainly changed recently.

For the better. Or worse. Till death do us part.

Life is always about change.

Rearranging.

Styling.
Hanging... on to the edge of your
seat. breathtaking.

Sometimes it is all you can do to hang on in life.

But I want to do more than just hang on. I want to
LIVE.
(Though at times living means grabbing at slippery, loose, wet branches).

Don't hold the things of this earth too tightly.
White-knuckled scared.
Big fat scaredy-cat.

Be bold and brave.

Or the wild geese may come and nip at your heels with their fangy bills.

Enjoy the ride!

So... once again, an incredibly lengthy period of moments have elapsed since I last posted anything.

One constant that seems certain in my life: it is ever-changing.

Life is about the choices we make everyday; the process of being and becoming what we decide. As Andy Stanley has said, "Your direction, not your intention, determines your destination."

And I'd like to think that I have a pretty good destination in mind. But I don't want to focus so much on the destination, that I miss out on the journey of getting there.

I don't want to wish my life away.

I'm trying to enjoy each day for what it is at that moment. And the people I meet along the way, some stay & some go, but it is they who make the trip worthwhile.

thankful

So, it's been a hundred years since I last wrote anything, but I wanted to write this down because I really want to work on it in my life. I wanted to share what I am thankful for, and not necessarily because this happens to be the month that we celebrate Thanksgiving, but because I really feel God wants me to be more thankful. I am often whiny, selfish and discontented.

I am thankful for...

* my family & friends
* my relationship with Jesus
* the freedoms we have in America, that don't exist in other parts of the world
* my health
* my church
* my career as a nurse
* the fact that I am employed
* my car
* enough to eat
* my cozy apartment
* the ability to run
* being outdoors/nature
* laughter
* education
* peaceful sleep
* Christmas trees (they smell so good and look so pretty)
* electricity
* clean water
* random acts of kindness
* moments when I get to share about my faith
* Asics running shoes
* visits with family
* my couch

I could keep going; I certainly have much more to be thankful for!

untitled

Lord Jesus draw me close to you! I pray that my heart will be Yours... completely, solely, exclusively and entirely Yours.

Give me an undivided heart.

I have been blessed in so many ways. Help me to see the good things You have brought me. Let me recognize that Your plan is best. Help me to be content. May my heart be obedient and humble before You.

May the desires of this world fade.

Let my eyes forever seek You, my feet firmly planted in Your word.

turn up the heat

In case you haven't noticed, north central WV has been getting a little hot lately. Summer is here! My friend Katie is no doubt singing the praises of the sunshine & warm weather. My friends Becky, Allison & Malinda will be lounging around the pool the next few months. Vacations will take place, families will reunite for cookouts, hay will be baled, and we will revel in the long days of sunshine. I love summer.

How will you spend your summer?

My hope is that you will lift your eyes to the hills, to find your hope in our faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19). What a beautiful description: your Maker loves you far to much to leave you! Psalm 145:13 The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

Seek Him this summer. The journey will be one you will not soon forget.

Psalm 23~ The Song of a Passionate Heart

And so it comes to this: There is no earthly satisfaction. Marriage, family, achievement, money, celebrity, enlightenment, travel, collections, artistic creation, flamboyance, excess- nothing completes our joy. There is always that elusive something more. No lesson is more comprehensively taught in this world.

It is indeed strange that we go on "mad in pursuit," making the same mistake every day, trusting that life will someday reveal its long-concealed and exquisite plan, even though experience has taught us that no matter what we achieve or acquire, it does not contain the contentment we seek.

Why do we keep on seeking?

Simply put: because we have to. Our seeking is a stirring of absolute need, one that must be satisfied- our eternal need for God. Every desire, every aspiration, every hunger and thirst, every longing of our nature is nothing less than desire for God. We were born for His love and we cannot live without it. He is that "one thing" for which we have been looking all our lives. All that we desire is there, and infinitely more.

~David Roper

Top 5

1. 5 things under $5 I couldn't live without

chapstick, toothbrush, toilet paper, nail clippers, hair ties

2. 5 favorite movies

Charitots of Fire, Hoosiers, Gone with the Wind, Little Women, Almost Famous

3. 5 favorite baby names I love

Caleb, Kelley... those are the only two I am obsessed with.

4. 5 songs I could listen to over and over again

Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice
Sons & Daughters- Bebo Norman
Last Dance with Mary Jane- Tom Petty
Carried Me/The Worship project- Jeremy Camp (the whole cd)
Shackles- Mary Mary

5. 5 people who have influenced me in a positive way

my parents & grandparents
Lorna Bain
Jane Hodson
Lauren Reynolds
my homegroup!! (quite possibly one of the best things about moving to Morgantown)

6. 5 things always in my purse

wallet, check book, kleenex, chapstick, keys

7. 5 moments that have changed my life forever

recovering from illness in 1994
accepting Christ in middle school
deciding to move away from a (ex)boyfriend
talking with Carrie Walker in camp 2002
the rainbow in Colorado 1999

8. 5 obsessions I have right now

finding a man... waiting for a man... trying to be content anyway...
ultimate frisbee
running
Strong Bad
the sunshine

9. 5 places I would like to go

California
Europe, especially Germany
back to Summer's Best Two Weeks
Grand Canyon
a tropical paradise

10. 5 appliances/kitchen utensils I cannot live without

microwave, toaster, knife, spoon, can opener

11. 5 people's top 5 I would like to see

Jane Hodson
Tammy Mesko
April Pierce
Nina Hancock
Pam Swope