Thursday, December 9, 2010

Joy at All Times

This is so, so, so relevant.
“We must recognize that there is all the difference in the world between rejoicing and feeling happy. The Scripture tells us that we should always rejoice. Take the Lyrical Epistle of Paul to the Philippians where he says: 'Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice'. He goes on saying it. To rejoice is a command, yes, but there is all the difference in the world between rejoicing and being happy. You cannot make yourself happy, but you can make yourself rejoice, in the sense that you will always rejoice in the Lord. Happiness is something within ourselves, rejoicing is ‘in the Lord’. How important it is then, to draw the distinction between rejoicing in the Lord and feeling happy. Take the fourth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. There you will find that the great Apostle puts it all very plainly and clearly in that series of extraordinary contrasts which he makes: ‘We are troubled on every side . . . yet not distressed’, ‘we are perplexed . . . but not in despair’, ‘persecuted but not forsaken’, ‘cast down, but not destroyed’ – and so on. In other words the Apostle does not suggest a kind of happy person in a carnal sense, but he was still rejoicing. That is the difference between the two conditions.”

Written by Martin Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) and published in Hymns for the Family of God.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Inspired

{Inexpensive}wall decor, my latest artistic endeavor:
{And the Sepia tone gives it nice dimension, I think.}





Thursday, December 2, 2010

November's Reading List and Educational Update

November’s reading list is in a sorry state for I have not completed many of the books I started way back in October! {Frustration!} Instead, I read alternate material.  Before I introduce the two series’ that filled many hours this month, I must first explain that {in general} I spend a good deal of time in the home of my Aunt and Uncle.  And as they home school their youngest two daughters, I have been around during their school time.   This has influenced me to read literature from my youth! Now with that in mind, here is November’s reading list:

The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder:
-Little House in the Big Woods
-Little House on the Prairie
-Farmer Boy
-Little House on Plumb Creek
-By the Shores of Silver Lake
-The Long Winter
-Little Town on the Prairie
-These Happy Golden Years
-The First Four Years


I grew up loving these books! I Think “These Happy Golden Years” was one of the first novels that I read {and liked} that included romance. ;-) It is interesting though, that I identified more with “Ma” in this reading of the first few novels. . . I suppose Ma wasn’t much older than I am now at the time of the series’ beginning. Crazy.

I’m also currently Reading Little House in Brookfield by Maria D. Wilkes which is based on Caroline Quiner {who grew up to be Laura’s “Ma.”}
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis are also on the list.  I read the first couple books in the series when I was young, but I’m revisiting them now.  I’ve also been listening to Focus on the Family’s radio drama of the series on my trips down to So Cal.  {They are very well done!} I’m currently reading the fifth installment of the series “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”  I’ve heard that C.S. Lewis didn’t intend to parallel the Bible through these novels, but I can’t believe how many similarities there are still.



And lastly, I have continued to read Billy Graham’s Autobiography entitled “Just As I am.”



Now, I will diverge from the topic of reading material and move on to another topic that is currently relevant in my life: education. As most of my friends and family know, I’ve taken an alternate route in pursuit of higher education. My first year experience was at a Small Christian University, {which I would still attend if it didn’t cost a fortune and a half!} my second year experience was at the local Jr. College, and now my third year I’m up in Chico. And due to numerous complications with CA budget, transferrable general education courses, and service area requirements I was not accepted to CSU Chico for this fall semester. However, I WAS accepted for this coming spring! {yay!}

Things are really starting to look up. I’ll most likely be able to graduate in 3 semesters, which is GREAT. I’ve worked so hard to be ahead that it would be difficult to bear a delayed graduation. From there, I’ll most likely go to a graduate school somewhere . . . studying who-knows-what. But, it’s okay. The realization of God’s plan is going to be awesome.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Hallelujah

Watch THIS awesome video. It's a spontaneous Christmas food-court musical. I hope to be caught in the middle of one of these someday. :-)

{I usually embed these types of videos onto my blog page, but I'm have some layout conflicts so a link will have to suffice.}

Anticipation

I seem to go through phases with this blog! Sometimes I update it multiple times a day, and other times {like recently} I’ll not update it for a month!

Anyway, December is upon us! And with this season comes such a mixed bag of cheer and sadness, anticipation and stress. I hope most of all, that I will remember to spend this season in celebration of Christ’s birth, and leave all the other trivial things {that don’t usually seem trivial} behind.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Never give up on me

You never give up on me
No, You never give up on me
Though I’m weak you are strong
You told me I still belong
No, you never, never give up on me

-Josh Bates
"Never give up on me"

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Snapshots

I've taken to traipsing around Chico with my camera to take pictures of any pretty tree I can find.
Here are some samples:










Monday, November 1, 2010

Take it all in

 Fall colors are food for the soul!
Enjoy~





Yes, I devoured that Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin.


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lookie here

A Southern California wedding website called Green Wedding Shoes is one of my guilty pleasures. . . I frequent the website at least once a week.  One of the most recent couples to be featured on the site just said their vows in September before heading off on a six month journey around the world.  That is seriously brave, and probably a little crazy.  I’ve heard that the first year of marriage can hold a good deal of twists and turns so I can’t imagine how that would be compounded while traveling the world together.   Anyway, I digress; this couple also has a travel blog that I have become hooked on! It’s so adventurous and free spirited. I just thought I’d share some link love!  

Starting Afresh - Again

As an introvert, starting anew in a social setting is difficult. While I enjoy nurturing and deepening friendships, initiating them is always something I’ve had difficulty with. Recently I have had renewed inspiration for social interaction, and I’m taking advantage of it by getting out of the house and going to events alone. . .


So far so good!

I am just excited to have friends that are fewer than 600 miles away!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Slap my hand away. . .

Fall is definitely here. I’ve broken out the pea-coat and scarves, and my closet is bulging with all the old sweatshirts I’ve collected over the years. Yet, with this change in season I’ve contracted a case of the “Gimme’s.” Or, to put it bluntly, I’ve been materialistically minded. Everywhere I turn I’m confronted with a “great” deal on a pair of boots, a cute coat, a cap and suddenly what I own doesn’t seem to be enough. I’ve also been working with a personal trainer for a few months now, which is great for fitness, but not so great with temptation. I now see styles of clothing and think some of them might actually look NICE on me . . . and I therefore want to try them out.
When confronted with temptations like these, I’ll often think: “When I have a steady job, I’ll let myself splurge a little on them.” Just behind this thought is another one: “Would buying _________ (Insert: boots, scarves, coats, hats, jewelry etc. here) be fulfilling?” {And then a little “no” whispers back.}

And here we come to the heart of the matter. I hope you don’t mind a little play on words because the "heart" of the matter truly is the heart. It is so easy to fill my heart up with layers and layers of junk {in this case – fashion lust} that God gets pushed to the fringes. He faithfully stands in the background {because I’ve put Him there} and watches as I fill my head and heart with discontentment. . .

Until at last, I see it for what it is: {junk}, and I wonder. . . “HOW DID I LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!?”

Monday, October 25, 2010

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Lessons in the Works


I have to say this semester has been a hard one so far. I’m learning a lot. It’s interesting to me that in the past few years God has brought me to new stages of the same pain. These lessons are not new; they’re just more intense than the last struggles. But, they all end up boiling down to the same basic model. I thought I’d share some of the main lessons I am being taught:
1. To get over myself. {In so many ways.}
2. To extend the Grace I’ve been given. {This can be extremely difficult at times.}
3. To hand it over. {All of it.}
4. And, as always, to wait. . . . wait. . . wait on Him.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. "
Ephesians 2:8-9

Thursday, October 21, 2010

October's Reading List

I love words. I love the way one can put words together to create ANYTHING! And as writing is my release, reading is my nourishment. Here are some books that I have read recently or I am currently reading:
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
I just finished this one (for the sixth time) about a week ago. It’s one of the best books around. Don’t even argue with me.


Wuthering Heights:
Emily Bronte
Okay, so I’ve partially read this one. I read {sections of} the book from beginning to end, I still can’t believe such a young and inexperienced woman could write a novel with such warped characters. It kind of creeps me out.


Just as I am
Billy Graham
I’m not very far into this autobiography, but so far it is really interesting. I remember going to a Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles when I was younger and the man has captured my interest ever since. What an amazing guy!


Munich Signature
Bodie Thoene
This is the third installment in Thoene’s “The Zion Covenant” series. I’ve read the first two as well. The setting is primarily in Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, with America, England and France as smaller influences. It chronicles World War II in such a detailed and gripping way that I sometimes need to take a break from the Third Reich and read some lighter material!


Mere Christianity
C. S. Lewis
This is another book that I’ve quoted and read parts of. I still haven’t made it all the way through . . . not because I find it dull! I simply seem to always become distracted with other material before I finish. :-/ But I am determined to finish it!


The Long Road Home and The Princess
Lori Wick
Hmmmm . . . these are definitely “easy reads” and fairly shallow. Wick doesn’t develop characters, plot, or setting well, which makes me wonder why I read these. I also found several grammatical errors which bugs me!



The Sacred Romance
Brent Curtis and John Eldredge
I’m only on chapter three, but I like it so far! Though, as it is of a theological nature, I’m not going to promote it until I finish reading it. . .
**Clicking on the title of the book will connect you to Amazon.com**

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Hurry up and Slow down

This October has been a month of weddings. In the midst of travelling, planning, preparing, communicating, taking tests early, classes, and other such wedding festivities I’ve thought a lot about what it really means to be married.
This is where my thoughts have landed:
Truly becoming united to man in every way seems daunting. Maybe the reason for this is that I don’t have a unique individual to place into my idea of “the one” or maybe it’s just that I have very little experience with relationships. Whatever the reason, I feel slightly frightened (and excited) about the prospect of marriage being a part of my future (hopefully). I am simultaneously glad and sad that I’m not there yet.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Autumn


Blogging is my artistic release. When I am most overwhelmed with thoughts, my first instinct is to write about it! Sometimes though, I can’t find time to blog, and my thoughts clog up like an unused ketchup bottle. It takes some pounding on the base of the bottle to get cohesive thoughts to form. So, here it goes:

Fall still hasn’t decided if it wants to come to Chico yet, but I’m praying that it’ll hurry up and decide! Here is a picture of a nearby street; I want to keep track of the color changes through the autumn.

I’ve loved living so near my cousins. We have some awesome moments.


And last blog topic for the day: my cousin Autumn, who is the closest thing to a sister to me, pledged her life to another this weekend. Everything about it was beautiful.



Monday, September 20, 2010

Contentment

In the last three days I have driven nearly the entire length of California! (Twice actually: it was a round trip.) It was a fairly spur-of-the-moment journey home, but well worth it. Not only did I have a wonderful, albeit brief, visit with family and friends, I also was able to accomplish some long overdue tasks. But the best part about this weekend, I think, is the fact that I didn’t dread returning to Chico. I was fine! Happy, even excited to get back to life here! This contentedness has surprised and pleased me. There’s nothing like embracing the season in the midst of living it!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

100


This is my ONE HUNDREDTH blog.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, I decided to do a “blog in review” post.
Over the last 100 blogs I have:
moved 3 times
Changed my hair color 3 times
Changed my major 5 times (I am not proud of this one.)
Completed 85 college credits
Driven across the western region of the United States
Lost contact with many acquaintances
Made new ones
Read life changing books
Returned to Jr. High for a year of leadership
Had many, many, many conversations about the future
Critically reviewed popular media
Held 4 jobs – (Pray that it will soon be 5 for my savings account hates me!!)
I know there are more . . . but they are eluding me at the moment. I suppose I’ll just continue to edit this post as I think of additions.
Thanks to all who have actually read my unceasing banter and still love me.
Much Love,
Natalie

Monday, September 6, 2010

Endurance

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

Un Mes

Tomorrow, September 7th marks the one month anniversary of my move to Northern California. As usual, time has both flown and crawled depending on the perspective I choose to take. The little “College Cottage” as it is named has turned into a fairly comfortable home. It is still sparsely furnished, but comfortable all the same. I’ve even begun to try the word “home” on for size. It takes some effort but it’s not a completely awkward term to use. That’s progress!

I still notice differences between the way of life here and the way of life at home, but they aren’t as prominent anymore. Life has settled into a routine of school, homework, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing!
Adria and I are still in the church-hunting phase, but I’m really looking forward to sticking with one and feeling at home there. There’s even a possible small-group opportunity opening up in the next couple of weeks! Yay!
Picture updates:

My sunflower is still alive!

Just for fun

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Glamorous ingenuity

My new and improved vegetable steamer includes:

1. Small pot
2. Even smaller colander
3. Two strong metal forks
4. 1 cup vegetables

Oh yea, and a stylish lid:


Yields fairly decent steamed broccoli!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Classics and Coffee

This is how we spent nearly ALL of saturday afternoon.
LOVE

Class: Day 1

Today was the first day of class. Yes class; singular. I only have ONE class this semester! It’s such a change from any other semester! I’ve always carried a full load of classes, and this last summer was the first time that I didn’t take inter-term courses as well. I have every intention of being a full-time student again next semester at CSU Chico, however, that whole dilemma is an entirely different blog post to be written at another time.

I’m currently a student at the local Junior College (yet again, grrrr!)and I am taking one math course. My first impression of my professor is that there is a striking similarity between her and Mrs. Fowl in Jimmy Neutron, the children’s television show! She’s eccentric and animated and has even invented sound effects to accompany several math strategies! I spent a good deal of the class repeating this in my head: “don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh!”

In the 50 minutes I spent in her class, she used an entirely new vocabulary to me. A quantity that is squared is called a heffalump! (Example: (x+y)^2 is a heffalump^2. Don’t ask me why! I don’t know.) To “cancel” out fraction and still have a factor of 1 is a Shizzam, and to “cancel” out a fraction to yield a zero is called a poof-gone.

What a character!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Neighbors:

Everyone has read or heard of the verse which says “love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Lev 19:18). Although I am fully aware that this verse does not speak solely about geographic neighbors, I find that it may become a verse which I need to pay special attention to in regard to my new neighbors. Our cute little “cottage” home is situation on a cozy street in Chico that also houses many young men whose pleasures are not what they ought to be.

I’ve had the honor of an invitation to a fake block party, and numerous BBQs. And while it is very considerate of them to extend the invitation to include me and my roommates, I feel like the main dish at these functions is not likely to be meat.

I have hope that many of these guys can be upstanding men that I can respect. But my experiences up until now have not been entirely positive. The guys I have met in passing so far seem to bring out my prickly side. . . and that is a side of me that I’m not fond of. Henceforth I will endeavor to be kind and firm and, well, neighborly!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Week 1

Today marks the one week anniversary of my move to Chico. As I mentioned in my last post, it has been quite a transition! I’ve moved from the barren desert to rich farmland. Everywhere I turn there are orchards of almonds, walnuts, and various fruit. The little peach tree in my backyard was even able to muster up one cute little peach to greet us this week. (Either that or some neighbor jumped the fence and stole all the others! I pray that’s not the case!)
I hadn’t noticed how much I value open space until I came here to find hearty vegetation blocking the view upward and outward. I suppose it won’t be too hard to get used to it because it really is quite beautiful.
Another marked difference between Chico and home is the farmer’s market. I think there’s a farmer’s market going on six days a week up here! It’s just normal to go to the market to buy local produce . . . I love it! My designated shelf in the fridge is overflowing with edible greens! Yum!
I’ve also started a workout regime with Adria and Aunt Penny at a nearby fitness center and I’ve works out several muscles that have been dormant for far too long! I’m feeling sore, but good knowing that I’m actually doing something proactive about food intake and weight loss etc.
Nearly every day has been full to the brim of activity which has been tiring but helpful in that it doesn’t allow me to meditate on any little twinges of home-sickness. When I first moved to San Diego, homesickness hit me around three weeks into the semester, so I guess I’ll get back to you on this topic in a couple weeks!
I also have been trying to get a job up here. So far, the search has been fairly half hearted due to all the newness of life up here. But today I began my search in earnest! I’m really hoping to be hired at a cute little shop in downtown that sells dishes and soap and chocolates and imported cheeses! Seriously, can any job seem more perfect!? I’ll promise to keep you updated about that if you promise to pray for me.


My little sunflower!

Mint

Basil