a new project...

I think I was born with an inherent need to constantly carry around a project. Whether it be in my mind, in my purse, or in my pocket, it seems there's always something brewing. Aye, the curse of a doer, I suppose!

My latest whim is this: take a picture each day for a year, documenting some moment of that day, and share it on my blog. Maybe I write a post alongside the photo, or maybe I just share the photo. Either way, I think it'd be fascinating to look back in a year and reminisce about all the sights along the way.

Now, I realize that my blogging consistency hasn't really been very, well, consistent. So I know that committing to taking a picture a day may be a giant leap for me. But I'm thinking it may just be the extra "oomph" I need to get my blogging consistently. (Not as an obligation or rule, but honestly because I actually enjoy blogging and writing as an outlet....and most of my outlets/hobbies seem to be lacking some major TLC lately.)

Ok, now you're informed. And I'm committed. So, without further ado, I will tie off this little ditty and commence my first days' photo posting.

Stay tuned for regular photo updates. :)

Of All Else

So there's this song that we've sung a lot this weekend at DNOW. It's called "Forever Reign" and I so appreciate it. It resonates within me, hardcore. Typically, I tend to gravitate toward the idea of only Christ being good and the acknowledgement that there truly is nothing good in me. However, this weekend, the phrase "of all else I'm letting go" struck me in a way I apparently needed striking.

Inevitably when God has something big planned, the enemy attempts to distract and devour. Thankfully, God is so much bigger than anything anyone could ever imagine or scheme. (Whew!) However, this weekend was no exception. God's been preparing our students for a long time for this weekend, and I know He's been moving. (He's always so faithful like that.) With some unexpected and hard-to-swallow family news I received Friday morning, my heart and my brain entered a teeter-totter state of overwhelmed vs. trusting. This is where the song really hit. I know that as long as I'm holding on to something-or anything, for that matter-that Jesus doesn't have all of me. As I silently voiced my prayers of surrender in regards to my family situation, the Lord immediately brought to the forefronts of my heart countless other things-big, small, old, new, neat, messy-that I needed to give up too. Easy? No. Necessary? Yes.

"Of all else I'm letting go."

See, I can't say those words and mean them, yet still hold on to anything. That's just not how it works. My desire is to live in a constant state of surrender, in which I continually and completely relinquish control as the need arises. (I know, I dream big. It's okay though; my God can handle it.) I don't want to live a half-hearted faith that only trusts God when it's convenient or easy or crystal-clear. I don't want to trust in the things that I think I'm supposed to trust in and then figure out the rest on my own; no, I want to trust in everything. I want to let it all go. Give it all up. Get rid of it.... ALL.

So I did. And I have some more. And I know I will again. Because it's a constant process for me. I'm so grateful that He's patient enough to walk alongside and lead me. I definitely can't do this on my own.

What about you--have you given up "all else"? What's still festering in your heart? What's holding you back?

eat. shop. drive. laugh.

Let me first begin this post by acknowledging that I am a most dreadful blogger these days. When life gets extra hectic, the first thing to go are my hobbies (the few that actually exist-ha!). So, please forgive my lack of posting for the last month. Prep work for DNOW has consumed much of my evenings and my weekends have been spent either catching up on housework, spending time with family, or traveling with my bestie....which brings me to my topic for this post:

Spring Break 2011.

I know, I'm not a student. I know, I don't get a spring break.... but I took a few days off this past week to enjoy a spring break adventure/celebration with my best, Rachel. Tuesday after work I drove up to Lawrence where Rachel abides and is finishing up her Master's in Counseling (so proud of her, btw!). We had intentions of heading north--waaaayyyy north--Wednesday morning to the Mall of America, but got vetoed by the massive amounts of snow they received last week. (Boo, snow!) However, we made the best of our time together anyway. With our plans thrown to the wind, we decided not to make a new one. The better part of Wednesday morning we spent in verbal vomit. It'd been since before Christmas that we'd last been together in the flesh, so, needless to say, we had much to catch up on. I have to admit, I had no idea how tightly wound I was until my sweet friend found my string and gave it an ever-so-gentle TUG. (She's really good for me. Do you have a friend like that? Someone who can pinpoint what's driving you mad and isn't afraid to call you out on it--honestly, but in love? I hope you do.) Anyway, one thing led to another, and we hashed through some pretty deep issues, some of which (for me) may have never seen the light of day. What a way to start a spring break, eh? :)

Anyway....Wednesday afternoon we ventured out to The Legends for some shopping. We stumbled upon a perfect bridesmaid dress for me to wear in Rachel's wedding, that just so happened to be going on sale the next day, which was a perfect start to our shopping escapades! While at The Legends, we met up with some of Rachel's fiance's family and shared fun conversation and appetizers together, which we then followed with some more shopping and then sushi (our signature!) back in Lawrence. All in all, Wednesday was super satisfying! :)

Thursday morning came a little early as we decided Wednesday night to take a little road trip to what we affectionately refer to as "The Neb." Rachel's fiance is from Nebraska, as is my mom's. So, we jogged on up to Lincoln via the 2 lane country highway that runs from Lawrence to Lincoln. Thankfully, the company was not nearly as boring as the landscape (despite its soothing open spaces). I think every so often my soul just longs to get lost in one of those vast prairies, just to escape and hide in some solitude. I probably should honor that at some point. Hmm.. In Lincoln we met up with my mom and enjoyed a late lunch at Village Inn. I'm just saying, Mom's Nutella crepes were TDF! (That's "to die for" for all of you not up to snuff on abbreves...hee hee.) My banana walnut pancakes weren't anything to complain about either. Seriously, can you go wrong with a heavy carb meal? After lunch we visited my Grandma in her new assisted living apartment. I didn't realize how badly I needed to see her until I hugged her. I love that woman. We so enjoyed visiting with her. Her sass was in rare form and quite the entertainment. For dinner on Thursday we met up with Rachel's soon to be sister-in-law at the Olive Garden. Again, YUM. And again, CARBS. Once we had satisfactorily stuffed ourselves with pasta, salad, and breadsticks, we walked over to the mall in search of hot pink heels for the Rachel's bridesmaids. We had no luck with the heels, but did happen upon some pretty rockin' prom dresses that screamed our names so loudly we had to don them temporarily. Following our catwalk debut, we emphatically decided it was time to consume more calories, so we followed our noses to the nearest Starbucks, and then, the nearest Redbox. (Did I mention it was SNOWING in Lincoln on Thursday and Friday?! Crazy!) For the record, "Life As We Know It" comes highly recommended from these besties.

Friday brought more visiting with Grandma and a day trip to Omaha to visit my Uncle Dave in the hospital there. Uncle Dave survived a pretty insane ATV accident three years ago (check out his story here), but recently was admitted to the hospital with some significant issues. It was good to see him; as selfish as it is, he is so encouraging, even in the midst of his great pain and illness. I know that God is really using him in mighty ways. At the hospital, we picked up my cousin, Jiree, and headed for a nearby Omaha mall, again seeking hot pink heels. Again, we had no luck, but did enjoy some good laughs together. We loaded up and then headed back to Lincoln for dinner with Mom and Uncle Doug and Aunt Cindy, who were fabulous (last minute) hosts for the weekend.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y meant more driving....this time back to Lawrence, and then back to Springfield for me. However, you better believe we didn't make it more than an hour outside of Lincoln before we stopped for a shopping break. Gotta love the Neb City outlet mall! :) Then, since the BCBG bridesmaid dress was on sale for the weekend, we made a quick stop (again) at The Legends before pulling into Lawrence. For lunch on Saturday, per my request, we dined at what may be my newest favorite restaurant: Esquina. They have the most unique and delish tacos I've ever tasted. My fave is the Pastor taco: shredded pork, pineapple salsa, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, and pureed pumpkin. Seriously, it's like heaven for my taste buds. Despite being filled to the brim with unfathomably good food, we of course jogged (not literally) over to 3 Spoons for some fro-yo before finishing up our spring break adventure. As we walked out of 3 Spoons, we both vowed that our spring break eating patterns would most definitely change first thing Sunday....or maybe Monday. :)

We had quite a spring break adventure. I think our entire 5 days together could be summarized in 4 words: eat, shop, drive, laugh. So good. I wish I could remember all the things we laughed about along the way. It was definitely not ideal to part ways, but I'm already looking forward to our next shenanigans. (What's the plan, R?) I so needed the time away to relax and BE, to just enjoy life and good friends. I'm so blessed in so many ways and I'm so grateful to have gained some perspective through my time away.

Cheesy bestie pic :)

Here's wishing you some good time BEING in the near future...along with some gut-wrenching laughter with someone you love. :)

Be blessed.

P.S. If you seriously just read that entire entry, THANK YOU and I'm so sorry for consuming so much for your time. I'll try to blog more often so that my "posts" don't more accurately resemble novelas. :)

weekend to-do: out with ordinary!

Last weekend, I sat down on Friday morning, as I normally do, and compiled my weekend to-do's. What made the list? Laundry. Clean my bathroom. Dust. Sweep and mop the tile. Pay bills. Clean out closet. Choose a grad school. Sweep out the garage. Get groceries. Work out.

Mostly ordinary, boring weekend stuff. After reading over my list and feeling a few shades of overwhelmed, I decided I desperately needed to add something positive--something for ME. So I made a few additions. Do something fun. Get creative. Escape. Rest.

I am pleased to report that I did indeed manage to cross each of those additional items off my list. It felt most wonderful and fulfilling. (I also crossed off everything from the usual part of my list...with the exception of "choose a grad school." Just in case you were curious.)

Escape and rest both came without much argument or hesitation. Friday was delightfully sunny and warm, and I very easily gave into the temptation to lounge on my deck with a Jodi Picoult novel in hand. Lovely. My something fun and get creative collided on Saturday afternoon after a much needed inspiration adventure around Michael's. Here's what transpired.

These three skeins got my wheels a-turnin'...

...and this is what I eventually produced!

I'm so excited with my new spring wreath. Partially because I'm completely 150% so over winter and the thought of warm, welcoming sunshine invites me so strongly that I almost want to go put on my swimsuit and run outside right at this very instant....ALMOST. Also, I just love that I went into Michael's with a vision, but not really knowing exactly how to execute it. When I freed myself to think outside the box and get a little creative, I had such great fun. An added bonus: I already had all the yarn I needed to wrap the wreath mold, so I actually saved money too! ;)

So that was last weekend: a highly appreciated oasis that offered just the right amount of nourishment for my soul. Isn't God good like that? Mmm. He totally knew I needed that and could afford it last weekend, especially given that this weekend, week, and next weekend are all a bit overloaded with activity. Nevertheless, I'm taking measures to continue resting in Him throughout the hustle and bustle.

Ahh...speaking of hustle and bustle...it's nearing time for me to meet up with a fabulous former student and then head over to Skateland for a skate party. My muscles are already dreading the taxation... :) Nonetheless, it will be blast, I'm positive!

a little taste of lately

To say it's been crazy would be a bit of an understatement. I don't even know how or where the time goes, but it certainly moves way too quickly. And somehow I can't manage to finish my to-do list before time is up... Note to self: reconsider the items that make the list. Hmm.

Anyway, it's been a few weeks since I last blogged, and I must say, I've missed it. When things get busy (or more accurately, "busier"), my creative outlets tend to be the first thing to go. Not good for stress management, let me tell you. Thanks to a week spent on my back with a nasty virus, I've learned recently that I must do a better job of taking care of myself. I can't afford (financially or hourly) to be laid up for so long. Although, admittedly the few days snuggled up in bed proved to be a cozy escape from daily stresses. And thanks to what I oh-so-affectionately call "Snowpalooza 2011," my sick days aligned perfectly with work snow days.

My snowy, lonely dumpster...

A peaceful drive to work.

As I've realized my need for a release lately, I've opted to pursue a new creative outlet: cooking. So far it's proved to be pretty fruitful. No pun intended. ;) I've gotten a little more creative than usual and tried a few things outside of my comfort zone. The more I've tried, the greater my confidence has become. I'm sure hoping this is a permanent change (both the cooking and the increased confidence).

Hearty tomato & dumpling soup. Delish, to say the least.

Turkey, cheddar, & hummus panini with sweet potato fries

Pumpkin pancakes...a current fave for sure!

Yes, you may call me Jessica Ray. Hee hee. Also high on my list of stress relievers: working out. I'm SO thankful I finally got my treadmill fixed! I've really missed running lately with all this winter weather. This last week, I began a new workout regimen to prepare for summer missions. Consider my booty kicked...but not for long. I'm so up for the challenge.

Well, it's officially my weekend, and-no surprise-my to-do list has already grown even as I've typed this post. Erg. Time to roll up my sleeves and take care of business...and as creatively as possible!

a few of my favorite things.

Near the top of my list, and in no particular order, are the following:

*A bedtime bowl of cereal. I know it's bad to eat before bed..I'm working on it.

*My iPhone 4. Yes, I just joined the club last week.

*A good read. My current projects: So Long, Insecurity (Beth Moore), Radical (David Platt), and Whispers from God (Bill Hybels). All are highly recommended.

*Good hair days. In all modesty, I was pleased with today's results.

I know, I'm behind a few years on the "MySpace" pics...

*Worship. Enough said.

*New music. Love comeandlive.com for great musical additions to my library.

*Loyal and godly friends. I don't know where I'd be without them.

*My sister and her beau. They're disgustingly adorable, and such dear friends to me.

Pretty presh, huh? :o)

*Well-written words. Sometimes I actually miss diagramming sentences. (HA.)

*A nighttime sky threatening snow. It currently rests at a midnight purple hugh. Absolutely stunning. Something about tonight got me thinking deeply. The haunting tones and quiet comfort remind me that there is something on the horizon, even when I don't see it or feel it; He's still working and moving. I love that reassurance. Mmm.

*Early morning workouts. There's nothing like getting my blood pumping first thing.

And on that note, I'm off to catch some zzz's so that I have the energy to bust a move first thing tomorrow. I have a very important appointment, and Jillian does not like to be kept waiting.

savoring saturday

As much as I thoroughly enjoy socializing and galavanting around, I so cherish Saturdays. Especially quiet Saturday mornings, which is exactly what today was. A luxury only select Saturdays can afford, I slept until I woke up (which was about 9am, if you were curious), then started my day with a little John Mark McMillan and some baking. On the menu: strawberry cake cookies, a personal fave for sure. Hopefully my small group girls enjoy them as much as I do. :)

The picture hardly does it justice, but this batter gets so fluffy I half expected it to float away!

The finished product. Yum-o.

Just a little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top and they're more than ready to enjoy.

Days like to today are so easy to fill up with unnecessary to-do lists and beckoning projects. Today, I made my list with extra care and checked off only the most essential bullets. I must say, I could savor a few more Saturdays tacked on to the end of this one. Admittedly, this weekend started off as quite a Debbie Downer. All of my pre-made plans fell through the cracks, but honestly, I think that's exactly what I needed, despite my initial disappointment. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to rest and breathe without the slightest weight of expectation or need from anyone. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to just be.

That said, I think I shall take full advantage of the next hour or so of my Saturday and savor it through being just a little more.

I hope you've been able to savor your Saturday. If not, why not start now? :)