"Very Doubtful"

I did one of those things I hate.

It's in the category of unrecoverable.

Thankfully only my grandfather saw me, but the mere fact that it happened embarrassed me.

In my defense it was dark outside and I was staying somewhere new for the first time.

But alas, there really isn't a good excuse.

I squinted my eyes to see if the glass door really was shut. It would have made more sense to actually reach my hand out to be extra sure, but then again this is me we are talking about. So, trusting my eyes, which tend to fail me often, I stepped out in faith.

Faith laughed when I ran straight into the closed glass door.

I sighed in embarrassment.

Pop snickered.

I opened the door and wondered if I was ever going to not do stupid stuff like that. If I had a Magic 8 Ball I'm pretty sure it would read "Very Doubtful."

thunder

I felt thunder shake the ground today. I haven’t experienced the sensation of that kind of power in a long time! It came rumbling over the distance and as soon as it hit my ears it also rolled along the ground and trembled underneath my feet. I was blown away. The sound was that great, that strong that the earth beneath me shook. I know I’ve felt thunder before; maybe I was just more aware today. It shook the highway and made my car tremor. It was amazing! In that instance I felt realization, awe and fear all at the same time. The realization that I am so small. Fear because something that is nothing more than a noise could cause the earth to shake and also startle me. Following all of this I was just in awe of God. He thought up the idea of Thunder... I usually think of it as a reaction to the temperature change that happens in storms. But that takes all the creativity out of God. I like to think of thunder as a creative aspect of storms, not a scientific occurrence.
I love laying in bed at night in the summer time and hearing the frequent summer showers coming in. I count the seconds between the claps of thunder and the lightening that sends light tearing into my pitch dark room. Flash….One, two, three, four….BOOM; 4 miles away. Flash…..one, two, three….BOOM; three miles away. This is my favorite way to fall asleep. I just love storms. I feel like its God’s way of reminding us just how big He is. I’m always aware of the Lord’s power during those storms and it gives me a good fear of the Lord and at the same time I’m so aware of his mercy that He doesn’t just blow me away with the leaves.
So here’s looking forward to many more summer rains…

Giant freezers and Running dogs

So I've always viewed myself as a brave person. No real big fears besides the basic gender ones...bugs and anything that could creepy crawl up on me and scare me. Nothing crazy. Pretty normal legit "Um I don't really like that" things. However, the past couple months I have realized I have had some closet fears I was unaware of (hence the word closet)
First, I was visiting my best friend up in D.C. (shout out to Lauren), who I might add probably lives in the coolest house in Arlington (very jealous). I decided to take advantage of my nice vacation time, the beautiful weather, and her relatively safe neighborhood and went for a nice run. Ha, well being that I was out of shape this quickly turned into brisk walk. I admired all the nice families that were out walking...babies...couples. It was like out of a movie. Then I saw what is very normal....someone walking a dog. I smiled....I love dogs. And this is when I realized my secret fear because here was my thought process as the dog grew closer:
aw what a sweet dog. I want a dog someday. Man I would be in great shape if I had one. So sweet.....ummm kinda getting close (dog gets nearer) uhhhhh looking at me funny.....(I start to run on the grass away from the dog)....still really close....(as I pass the dog) DEAR JESUS DON'T BITE ME!! DON'T BITE ME! DON'T BITE ME!!! AHHHHHHHHH.
Sigh of relief after the dog passes. Really?? Where did that come from? I love dogs! But as I ran by the dog and his owner the only thing I could think of was that at any moment he was going to lunge out and take a hunk out of my butt! Then I remembered, in college I had run by a dog and he did lunge out and rip a hole in my pants as he bit my ass. It all came together. I wasn't afraid of dogs...unless I was running with my apparently delicious pants on that dogs cannot resist. So kinda embarrased of that fear but if you ever run with me and we pass a dog I will run in the road and on coming traffic to escape the potential of teeth being sunk into my rear.

Another random fear: I'm a Unit Marketing Director at a Chick-fil-A (blog party foul, but my stories will be better in the future if you understand where I work.) So anyway, we have a HUGE walk in freezer and refridgerator. At first I found these awesome. Totally would want one of these in my house someday. However, when you walk in these the door automatically closes behind you to keep the cold in. The freezer is so cold that one of the managers told me you would probably only keep consciousness for 30 minutes without a coat on.....ehhhh enter fear here. Whenever I go in them (which praise the Lord is very rare) I have a mini anxiety attack. The door seals and closes very tight so you have to push it hard to open it. I'm always afraid the guys I work with who LOVE to mess with me are going to lock me in there. So everytime I try to push open the door my blood pressure rises and breathing increases....I have an adrenaline rush to push open the door and at the same time start praying to the Lord to make my death quick and painless because I ALWAYS fear the door won't open. I breathe a sigh of relief everytime the door does open. I find this amusing because I've never been stuck in there before...and yet everytime I go into a panic attack. I bet anyone watching me come out of the freezer probably laughs because I bet I look like someone running out of a burning building.
Sigh. Silly fears.

Truth

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD's renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed."
Isaiah 55:8-14

wanderlust

I'm feeling the desire to wander again. My Freshman and Sophomore year in college I spent much of my time wandering.....wandering in different countries....wandering about here in Athens. Just wandering. Thinking. Seeing new things. Exploring. It was a drive I couldn't ignore and it pulled me to some of the most amazing places and experiences I've ever seen. I embraced this desire and went with it. Looking back I'm so very glad I did.
I thought that part of my life was over. An itch I had scratched. Every couple months the itch would come back and demanded to be noticed. So I scratched it and have been so very blessed to have been able to experience all that I have.
For about a year or so now that desire has remained dormant. Maybe due to reality....maybe a little to the rational side of myself that has grown since I was 18. But once again....ever so quietly this time....its whispering again to me.
Go....
See...
Experience...
Feel...
Explore....
Live..
College provided wonderful ways to fulfill this desire through study abroad and trips with friends. God revealed this love for seeing His creation through mission trips and other life experiences.

You ever just get that feeling that if you don't do something you may be missing out on something very significant to who you are and what drives you. That's what I got right now. Something beyond curiosity. I would even go so far as to say design...how and who I've been designed to be by the One who knows best.
The desire to see and feel beauty. To be in awe. To be speechless by what surrounds me in nature.
The drive is back and cannot be ignored.
Now I just need to figure out why it is there....and how to fulfill it and continue to do His will.

It's not Christmas without Amy

So Will and I are going to Ultimate Christmas concert next week. I'm pretty excited about it....bringing back the 80's with some mistletoe and eggnog.
Yup...we are going to the Amy Grant/Vince Gill concert at the Fox.
Don't judge. (well we may be that lame couple..but I'm OK with it if it includes Amy)

I heard on the radio that she was in concert with Vince (we are on a first name basis) at the Fox and I almost peed in my pants with excitement. When I was little Christmas wasn't officially Christmas until I had listened to the Amy Grant Christmas Album. For those of you that know...I can hear you screaming "Oh ya!! Totally!" over cyber world...for those that don't, I shed tears for lost childhood memories for you. Amy Grant's Christmas CD is still by far the best Christmas compilation ever. I remember interpretive dancing to "Mary did you know" in my playroom when I was younger.
(Yup...I use to pretend interpretive dance....I was pretty good...and maybe a little in college. sigh...sorry for those that witnessed those)
Amy is necessary for me and Christmas. Can't have Christmas without her...it be like eggnog with out the nog...then you would just have eggs. Gross and not very festive. When I heard about the concert I had to go! The only question...who could I get to go with me who wouldn't think it was lame. Hmmm. That was a tough one. Will!! Well....I'll just leave the part about Amy out and say its a Christmas Country Concert with Vince. So I told him...and he sounded interested...ya go ahead and get the tickets...it will be fun. Here's where I thought I should at least let him know Amy was involved too. So I sandwiched it in with the time and location hoping he wouldn't notice. Kinda like when your mom asks what you did last night and you say....Oh you know....grab some pizza with friends, watch some T.V., almost get arrested....got some ice cream and called it an early night. (warning: that never works. They always catch the part about the 'almost' arrest. But I digress...that's a story for another blog)
So Will of course heard the part about Amy that I tried to squeeze in.
"Oh ya and it's this Monday at the Fox with Amy Grant at 7:30...we should grab dinner before!"
" WHAT!! AMY GRANT!!??"
I paused waiting for the " We are NOT going to that concert! That's just cheesy...etc etc. But I was surprised...instead of back pedaling from the 80's princess concert I heard....
" Oh my gosh!!! Her Christmas CD is my favorite! We HAVE TO GO!! Ahhh Tennessee Christmas is such a good song!"

I was shocked. Amazed...and slightly impressed. So next Monday be thinking of us...we will be reminiscing of old childhood Christmas joys with Amy ...oh and Vince will be there too.

But let's be honest...everyone is there for Amy.

Mug from above

Coffee is crucial in the morning. In the summer months this nectar of the gods provides caffeine...but in the winter it has a dual purpose.
Warmth and Energy.
I took a hiatus from coffee for a month or two...just because I'm lazy. But now that its -30 when I wake up in the morning, coffee has made its way back into my life.

The dilema with coffee is the travler mug.

For those that have the perfect traveler you would not understand the difficulty that comes from having a bad traveler. It's like taking a newborn to a movie...just not worth it in the end. So it is with bad travel mug. The only one we have in our house is one of the short pudgy ones. I have the Danny DeVito of coffee mugs (compared to the ideal tall, skinny travler...aka Heidi Klum). Now let me explain why the DeVito mug looks cute..but fails miserably!
1. Too fat to fit in cup holders. This COMPLETELY null and voids the purpose of a traveler. Instead of being hands free I have to either drive with one hand or master the art of driving with it in between my legs. (This never ends well)
This leads me to number 2....
Devito Mug is not air tight. Nope. When this thing tips over (see #1) coffee goes everywhere. You might as well take the lid off and just pour it on the floor- exact same end result.
These are the main reasons I gave up coffee. I'm too lazy and the effort to enjoy it in the car wasn't worth it! Also, I was way to cheap to go buy a new one and I hadn't seen the Ideal Traveler. I wasn't going to drop $20 bucks on another "accident waiting to happen". So I just gave up.

That is until the "Mug from Above."
I came home the other week and there was a stainless steel coffee traveler sitting in my drive way. You could say it looked like it was waiting for someone. (Me? I asked) I racked my brain for who's it could be....none of my family drinks coffee. No one had been at the house (that I knew of) for a couple days. And yet this Perfect traveler sat in the driveway. Could it have been forgotten....travesty. Or possibly a gift....I like that idea. Well, honestly either way I was going to take it. It looked perfectly clean...no left over coffee inside(thankfully!) I took it as a present from above. The Lord knew it was going to be getting cold soon...so he left me a mug :)
I did't realize "Mug from Above"'s full potential until our first experience together. This miracle mug is completely spill proof. I could launch that sucker into the air and not spill a drop! Also, I press a button to trigger the mouth to open so there is no whops I left the mouth open now my coffee is freezing...or spilled. And the most impressive thing....I brewed this coffee at 7:30 this morning. Didn't drink all of it....decided to see if it's still decent.
2 PM...Coffee is STILL WARM! Impressive!
This mug will make these winter months so much more bareable...and accident proof. So thank-you mysterious mug giver... I appreciate it!