The lonely times...

It took me 4 hours to do laundry tonight.Yup. 4 whole hours. Normally it takes me an hour and a half to do my usual 2 loads. Why you ask,did it take 4... Well, because I got busy watching The Ramp online.

Normally I would have been there live, but not this time. And for the first time in a while-I felt lonely. I sat in my living room floor interpreting Damon's message and wondering what Jeffrey was thinking about it. I could just see us sitting beside each other~Me furiously taking notes, and him tapping my leg when he wanted to make sure I wrote something down. We have a pretty good system. I take pages of notes-He takes maybe 1/2 a page...

Then towards the end I was earnestly starring at the screen to see if that bald head I saw was his-it wasn't. But I realized that no matter how happy you are, somethings will still always make you miss home. Maybe it's a smell, or the way going shopping by yourself just isn't the same. Maybe it's wanting to be forced to switch back and forth between SportsCenter and Grey's Anatomy. Maybe it's reading something and immediately wanting to pull out the concordance-but realizing that you don't actually OWN the concordance-He does.

Growing up is crazy hard. Being apart from people you love is super crazy hard. Finding your place in the world is harder than I could have ever believed. I feel like I'd like to have my entire life story laid out in a nice neat book. But lately, I feel like I'm getting a sentence at a time. But I suppose that's all I need.

So here I am. In a bit of a lonely time. But I feel that in a year-things will be different. Lonely won't follow me around forever. A wise man once told me that this time would be lonely, but when I finished I'd know some things beyond a shadow of a doubt. So each time lonely comes-I just stop and ask God what He's trying to tell me. And then I get it- one sentence at a time...

Tulips and Izzies

Ever notice how flowers just make your day better. When you put them in a vase and wake up the next morning, and say "oh hello beautiful bright flowers!" I bought these tulips from the grocery yesterday. When I got them they were a bit droopy. So I put them in nice cold water. Then I went to bed. When I woke up today, they were much perkier. Then when I got home from work, I realized they were not droopy anymore, they were standing up straight-as straight as tulips stand-
Then I remembered this cool passage I'd read while I was at work. Yup. I get paid to sit and read books sometimes...I know. It's such a blessing!

The book is called "Primal" it was written by the pastor of the church I go to now...www.theaterchurch.com
He was talking about how as Christians we are constantly asking to "be fed". And if we feel we aren't getting fed, we stop going to that church or Bible study. Then he said this. "My kids starting feeding themselves when they were toddlers."
Ouch! I've been around quite a few kiddos in my life. Some of them eat table food earlier than others, but eventually they all takeover and feed themselves. We are responsible for "Feeding off the Word". Just like my tulips- I gave them the "food", but they had to drink it up and soak it in. Then instead of being droopy they stood tall and are about to bloom.
How much more would we be able to stand tall for Jesus if we fed ourselves from the Word, instead of just solely relying on our pastors and worship leaders to feed us on Sundays.

I'm talking to me too! I realized today that every day we should be looking for that one person God's placed in our path to witness too. I like days where I get to read my Christian books at work, and people always say, "Hey, what'cha reading?" Well actually.... It's a great witnessing tool. And I decided today, that no matter what people might say about me to my back- when I'm facing them, I want to be "full enough" to say This is whom I have believed in-His name is Jesus and He can give you the best life you've imagined.

That life definitely includes Pink Tulips and Pomegranate Izzies!~

City.

Today I realized that I'm getting a little "City Spoiled".
Definition~ When you realize that going for groceries only means a 45 minute trip-total. Drive time included.
When the movies are a block away and you can get a milkshake right next door. Having an Ann Taylor and New York &Co. less than 5 minutes away! Oh the city sure is sweet!

Mommy Week

This week was full of my momma. She visited from last Friday until this Sunday, and what fun we had...
Opening Ceremonies.Pairs Figure Skating. Men's Figure Skating. Snow Boarding. Veggie Soup. Museum of Natural History. Chicken Casserole. Walks to the grocery. Milk. Cupcakes.(which turned my hands red!) Shopping trip. The 2nd longest escalator in the world. (mom did that one by herself, you should ask her about it) Georgetown. Georgetown Cupcake. Church(twice). A spattering of more Olympic events and lots of laughing!
We also got to see the "most beautiful room in Washington"...The main reading room of the Library of Congress! It was too beautiful for words...