Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Based on how excited I was when I opened my Easter basket, [I think] I'm growing up. :)

Spatulas

Spoons

Paring knife

kitchen timer

measuring spoons

basting brush

grocery list tablet

Also:
Meet my new [used] car Maxine

:-)

Reading this book is similar to stumbling upon a pot of [eternal] gold

Don't Waste Your Life

by: John Piper

"Delighting in God [is] not a mere preference or option in life; it [is] our joyful duty and should be the single passion of our lives."

A Little Inspiration for the Day

I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship.
-- Louisa May Alcott

This One's for Aurora

Love in a Cactus
:)

Sneak Peak

I am now a qualified elk whisperer

Cathedral Rock In Sedona, AZ

Angels Baseball in Phoenix, AZ

More to come later! Maybe even a slide show? :)

Goodbye California

. . . Hello Arizona!
I love spring break!

Leave a Candle Burning

It is unbelievable how fast I can come down with a serious case of burn-out when I’m not feeding myself with the daily sustenance that only God can supply. I can quickly reduce to a small piece of smoky ash. Similar to a match, I’ll be on fire for just seconds before I have nothing left to give.

The flame of my life is so much brighter, more fulfilling, and it even smells good when I remain connected to the source of eternal nourishment.

Just today's food for thought. =)

Life in the fast lane

I think it’s time to admit, I have an addiction to speed. Typical of a Southern California driver, I’m in the fast lane more often than not. If I ever get a ticket, I’m pretty sure it will be for speeding. This need for speed doesn’t only impact my driving; I also notice it when I’m on the ski slopes. It is SO hard for me to simply weave my way gracefully down the mountain. I have to race. When I type, I have to make sure that my fingers are practically flying across the keyboard. Instead of building a quality sentence from the start, I race right along and consequently hit the ‘backspace’ button at least a dozen times.
This principle follows me into my overall perspective on life! I always have to be ahead of the pack, the overachiever, the one who’s overly prepared, the one who’s always five minutes early, the one who accomplished the most. . . first. This is both something that I’m proud of and something that I find shameful to admit.
It has begun to sink in that life is not all about accomplishing some goal in the most economic, efficient, organized, and time-conscious way possible. It is so much more about the sights along the way!! How sad is it when I’m in the fast lane and all I can see is the center median on my left and a solid line of cars on my right!? I think it’s pretty unfortunate to miss the beautiful landscape along the way. Even if it means that I reach my destination a little later than I had planned, maybe it’s worth it to glide along in the slow lane.
I don’t understand why I’ve always had this notion that I need to plow through my school years full speed ahead. As always, the Lord’s timing for my life is not my own! The motto for my life should definitely be some version of “let go, let God.”
So I’m going to focus on taking it slow. . . spend more time in the slow lane. Enjoy the feeling of coasting down the ski slope, take pride in a well constructed sentence without needing to hit ‘backspace’ after every fourth letter. And maybe even take an extra semester to graduate from college. What’s the harm in that?

If I Were. . .

If I were a month, I’d be April.
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Sunday.
If I were a time of the day, I’d be mid-morning.
If I were a planet, I’d be Saturn
If I were a sea animal, I’d be a Sea Turtle.
If I were a direction, I’d be East.
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a bookshelf.
If I were a liquid, I’d be coffee.
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a (non-conflict) diamond.
If I were a tree, I’d be a Liquid Amber.
If I were a tool, I’d be a level.
If I were a flower, I’d be a Lily.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be clear skies with a high of 90 degrees.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a cello.
If I were a color, I’d be yellow.
If I were an emotion, I’d be peace.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a peach.
If I were an element, I’d be Sodium (Na).
If I were a sound, I’d be the waves crashing on the shore.
If I were a car, I’d go fast!
If I were a food, I’d be a chocolate cake without frosting.
If I were a place, I’d be the coast.
If I were a material, I’d be cotton.
If I were a taste, I’d be fruity.
If I were a scent, I’d be vanilla.
If I were an animal, I’d be a swan.
If I were an object, I’d be a book.
If I were a body part, I’d be eyes.
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a big dimpled smile!
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be rainbows.

Name Change

The name that I chose may come as a bit of a shock! However, here are my reasons for changing the name of my blog:

First of all, I wanted to choose something a little more “catchy.”

Secondly, I have been thinking a lot recently about what it means to be a Christian in our current culture; how to be in the world, but not of it and how to aspire to more than the “American dream.” I can’t say I’ve come to any solid conclusions, yet I would still like my title to display the theme.

Leave a comment with your thoughts! (Positive or negative)

The Music of Our Lives

Not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the "rests." They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sadly say to ourselves, "There is no music in a 'rest,' " let us not forget "there is the making of music in it." The making of music is often a slow and painful process in this life. How patiently God works to teach us! How long He waits for us to learn the lesson!

-John Ruskin

The Wedding Dance

I know that posting YouTube videos isn't very creative on my part, but when I find a gem I just can't let it go unseen!

I think everyone will enjoy this one. :-) I would LOVE to do something like this.