Soli Deo Gloria

The One with a Farmhouse

2010-05-13T20:59:00.000-05:00

secretly I wish I could live on a farm... seriously. This city slicker would LOVE that a lot!

http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/

The One with yet ANOTHER blog

2010-05-11T09:16:00.002-05:00

http://thesavvyphotographer.blogspot.com/

A good dose of inspiration. We all need that every now and then...

The One Where I may have peed a little :)

2010-05-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4&feature=youtu.be

Watch this. It will change your life. Or it won't. But at least you'll laugh a little. :)

The One with Good Advice

2010-05-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

Good advice for ANY small business, especially those just starting up!

How Should I Price My Photography Business

enjoy.

The One where it's been a while

2010-03-04T10:01:00.000-06:00

After the whirlwind of my last post, I've completely fallen off the train of blogging... but with good reason! At least that's what I'll keep saying :)

Life as an engaged couple has been so very sweet. Hard because we don't get to see each other that often. We got to hang out for about 45 minutes last night, and we both agreed we can't wait for the day when we can hang out and NOT talk about wedding stuff. As much as I love planning this day, I can't wait for it to be here and be over!

We're both wiped out this week! A cold of some sort crept up on us which is contributing to the insane urges to simply crawl back into bed and sleeeeeeep for a long time! So we're working on getting better! We also start our marriage counseling with Brett on Sunday afternoon - we are super pumped about that! It's going to be a sweet time for sure. It's been interesting to watch others around us preparing for marriage in such different ways; it's amazing how so many people have distorted what a marriage should be, elevating their intended spouse to places they shouldn't be in - living in a false reality and projecting on their significant other a role they will never be able to fill. I am absolutely thankful I have Aaron to journey this life with, and love that we share the same views and stay rooted in scripture!

Life, while never easy, is so good right now. However, life as of June 19, 2010, will be even better :)

The One where I'm ENGAGED!

2010-02-11T09:56:00.002-06:00

Well, since the title of these blog posts follow the show, Friends, it was only fitting to name this one after Monica then Geller the night Chandler proposed to her. Not shouting, "I'm Gay! I'm Gay!" but "I'm Engaged! I'm Engaged" for the whole world to hear! From the rooftops! :) Before the story, an email from my sweet friend, Cass, this morning, titled "You're marrying THIS guy!?!? :)" with this picture attached...

OH YES I AM MARRYING THIS GUY! How handsome is he?! :) He is such a picture of Christ's love for me - I love his heart for first and always foremost, the Lord. Then his heart for me - he loves me so well! I love this journey we are on, two imperfect people living for the fame and renown of the Lord, messing up, having fun, loving the Lord and each other with everything within us! The studying the Word, the laughing, the cooking, the hanging out, the working hard together, the wild card moments, the dance parties in the car, every little thing most people wouldn't even think of mentioning - I get to share every moment with this man, my cowboy, until the Lord returns to take us home or calls us home before then!

So the story...
Last night I was picked up for an 8:30pm reservation at Sarello's in Moorhead, an amazing restaurant! We both ordered the fillet mignon, just cooked a bit differently (Aaron's mooing, mine, still pink, just very dead). It was an excellent piece of meat served with snap peas and baby asparagus, the best mashed potatoes, and this incredible gravy/sauce goodness! I wussed out of wine, and ordered a Diet Coke and felt like a 13 year old, but it's OK, it was worth it! After we finished eating, just sat enjoying each other's company. Then, it was after eating, so of course Aaron had to go to the bathroom. After Aaron got back from the bathroom, we ordered dessert, Aaron the cheesecake, and me, a chocolate torte. When the server brought them out, my plate had two plates, with a napkin folded swan sandwiched in between the two plates. The swan's neck/head was curved over to hang over the dessert and the ring was clutched in the swan's mouth (in Aaron's words, in mine, the ring was hanging from the bird's neck :) ). I couldn't even tell you all he said, but I know it ended with something along these lines... "I want to share forever with you - will you marry me?" And well, as you can tell, I said YES! :) After calls were made and we were back at my place, I promptly beat him in a game of scrabble... I'm not sure he's ready for me :) Oh how I love him!

For those of you who enjoy diamonds... it's exactly what I wanted - nothing traditional or solitaire that could get stuck on gloves and things - I LOVE IT :) And well, even more I love what this ring represents!

The One If I Had a Mac...

2010-02-02T09:51:00.000-06:00

If only I had a Mac... how cool are these!?!

http://twelvesouth.com/products/bookbook/

I love clever design! Aaron and I also saw sweet messenger bags made from recycled canvas banners in Europe in Helvetica, also a great movie :)

The One with a HUGE Blessing!

2010-02-01T12:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Aaron and I went to a core team meeting at River City. There, God gave us all the confirmation we were praying for to call RC our home. I am UNBELIEVABLY excited! It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off - it's been a looong while since I've been a part of a church that I agree with so many (if not all) of what they do, their mission, beliefs, how they operate, etc. I've also been in such a holding pattern not really being involved in any church for the past long while - funny how wrong that feels... perhaps we are supposed to be investing in the church we call home? :) I think so! Now we won't be super involved (a.k.a. so busy we don't do anything else!) but we'll join a missional community (small group) and pray about where else we could serve the body with the talents and desires the Lord has given Aaron and I.

*side note: I've been eating lunch while writing this post (a popcorn chicken bowl from the marketplace grill) but it really can't be called "popcorn" chicken when half the pieces of chicken are so big, they're not popable! there's a weird pet peeve of mine for ya! HA!

Now, on to finish my chunks of chicken bowl...

The One with a lotta love

2010-01-28T08:57:00.000-06:00

One of the best parts about last night? Dance party in the car to Black Eyed Pea's, I Gotta Feelin'? Two for One burgers at Grizzly's with a coupon? Making a large, rather sparkly purchase? Nope! Nope! Nope! Getting to share all those experiences and so much more with the man of my dreams? Bullseye! :)

The One with a blizzard

2010-01-26T10:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was an unexpected yet WONDERFUL snow day! A blizzard came to town with high winds and low low low visibility. Aaron and I got to hang out most the day! NDSU was open until 10am, so we both had a class for the first bit, but then we got to watch a movie, take a nap, cook lunch, hang out at the mall (only place open with free wi-fi), play scrabble, make cookies, and watch the Big Bang Theory! Phew! We weren't even supposed to hang out yesterday :) BONUS!

Today is a full day at work playing catch-up from yesterday's day off. But that's good - I actually have things to do all day today! :) Tonight is laundry and rest! Perhaps a bit of HULU or perhaps some Bundy lovin' - Greta just texted me, so we'll see what happens there!

The One with a kick in the pants

2010-01-22T10:39:00.000-06:00

Desiring God's newest blog post:

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2204_rethinking_perfection/

"Jesus keeps us off balance. We think we know that perfection is a fastball of justice, and he throws us the curveball of grace.
When I read Matthew 5:48 abstracted from it’s context, I’m thinking mainly in terms of justice.

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“Perfect,” ah yes, surely that’s mainly about being just. But Jesus’ context gives this charge some wicked spin.
Despite what I would guess in extrapolating from verse 48, with my innate definition of perfection, Matthew 5:38-47 is all about moving beyond mere justice to God-like grace. “Perfection” in God is not merely “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (verse 38) but turning the other cheek, giving more than is asked, walking the extra mile (verses 39-42).
The just thing would be to love those who love you and hate those who hate you (verse 43), but Jesus disorients us with this strange conception of perfection: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (verse 44).
Who is this guy—and what kind of serious rethinking (call it “new birth”) do we need to get in line with his Father in heaven?
I would think that “perfection” means giving the unrighteous what they deserve: no sunshine, no rain. But Jesus says about his Father, “He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (verse 45).
The kind of perfection that Jesus says comes from his Father—and the kind he calls his disciples to pursue—does not find its sense of completion in delivering retribution for wrongs done. Rather, it is the perfection of a heart that finds so much fulfillment and satisfaction in the God of grace that it is able to extend grace to those who don’t deserve it."

So good! Just what this "perfectionist" needed...

The One with MORE SNOW!

2010-01-22T08:51:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Friday (thank goodness!) and we're supposed to get another big batch of snow this weekend. Although right before the snow, we're supposed to get rain... so we'll have fun skating around on ice for a while :) but what's new?

I feel exhausted! It was a good week, though, just busy! Started reading John Piper's new book, A Sweet and Bitter Providence - boy is it good! Also started reading Tim Keller's book, The Prodigal God - an equally amazing book! I love books like these 2 that, yes, are books, but follow so closely and almost turn into a commentary to the actual book in the Bible, Ruth and Matthew respectively!

I am SO proud of Aaron - he's been up early this week to stay on top of homework and life. He is making so many wise decisions and is so good even when all his friends are in a very different spot than he is. I know how hard that can be! I miss him so much it hurts, though! I haven't actually seen him since Monday and won't get to until tomorrow night - I hate it... a lot! Now I have seen just a bit of him for a total of about an hour this week, but haven't been able to hug him or be close. Tomorrow night will be good :)

Meetings today... boring meetings... sigh - but I can go home after that to snuggle in for the night! Yesss!

The One with a re-cap

2010-01-19T09:57:00.000-06:00

We just had a wonderful weekend with lots of random activities. Here's what went down...

Friday night I met Cass at Dunn's for some coffee - it was SO good to see her for a bit! Then she left for other dinner plans and I left to pick up the Bundys for some NDSU men's basketball! It was a good game against the Jackrabbits... mostly because we won! And seeing Zoe and Grover at their first basketball game was so precious! G made sure we had lettuce to eat like at the Redhawks game this summer... and by lettuce he means licorice! :) I love that kid! And Z made sure to announce the new score every time the scoreboard changed after Greta taught her how to read it! So fun!

Saturday morning I slept in!!! It was GLORIOUS! Then Cass and Katie picked me up and we went to see Leap Year - which was very good actually, AND there were great previews on the front end, so there are more decent looking movies coming out soon! :) Saturday afternoon, I spent some time at Dunn's writing thank you's from Christmas/my birthday, reading a bit, and playing Wheel of Fortune on Aaron's iPod! It was a good couple of hours! Once Bear got off work, Saturday night was spent enjoying sweet time with each other! We recently started a tradition of going to the mall Saturday evenings, first to get a soft pretzel from the Pretzelmaker, then to browse around, just having some fun! This night was no different! I found a pair of badly needed jeans and a SUPER deal on Diamond Scrabble! We also stopped to chat with Ashley Young at Helzberg's which turned into a fun time of looking at rings and learning about diamonds from an ever patient Ashley :) Not gonna lie, that was probably the best part of the night :) When we finally left the mall, we went to Famous Footwear to get Aaron good shoes to run in for our relay training! Final stop was Scheel's to get me an under armour turtle neck for running outside, cuz I'm going to be stubborn and not pay for a gym membership! I won't do it! We threw in a pizza when we got back to my place and played a mean game of scrabble, breaking in the new Diamond Scrabble board! When Aaron finally admitted defeat, we stuck in All About Steve - not that great of a movie, but had some funny parts!

Sunday morning, Aaron came over and I made him Egg English Muffin sandwiches! Yum! That afternoon, we headed over to the Bundy's home to watch the first round of the playoffs - the Vikes did not disappoint! We had fun hanging out with friends! Sunday night, we went to River City - which we love more and more each time we go there. The teaching, the worship, the structure, the mission, the people, the Lord may have provided us with a great new church home! We'll see what happens in the next few weeks, though! After church, I came home and hung out with Mary - did laundry and watched a couple movies... it was so good to relax!

Monday morning, I rendezvoused with Aaron at Barnes and Noble for a few hours. Then we splurged and went to the Huhot that afternoon. Then, we picked up Z and G for their first real sledding experience - it was awesome! Except the time Aaron and I went down and we hit a bump wrong - ending up slamming my head hard on packed snow. But it was still fun! Monday night, we played some pool with Jon and Carissa at Billiards on Broadway, then went down a few doors to Atomic so Aaron could work on some more homework, and I started reading Tim Keller's book, The Prodigal God. So good!

But now I find myself Tuesday morning, tired! And getting Aaron's cold :( I don't have anything going on tonight, though, and am keeping it that way! I've got a bed with my name on it!

The One where it all starts again!

2010-01-12T09:45:00.000-06:00

Today was day 2 of getting up at the ungodly hour of 6:15am. That, I don't miss one bit from last semester. Well there's many things I don't miss from last semester come to think of it! This semester so far is so very different than the first. I'm having a hard time transitioning from way too heavy to almost too light, or at least it feels that way after last semester. I'm not complaining... not even a little bit! I just have to get used to a normal schedule now with time to design, build my portfolio, study for the GMAT and that marketing module needed to finally start taking classes! I've made some big adjustments to 2 of the 3 classes this semester and am excited to see how the changes better the courses!

Change is happening again - a new semester starts for me as well as for Aaron just in a different way. I'm so proud of him finishing his degree even though he doesn't want to! It just means time is even more precious this semester than ever. It should be an easy transition for Aaron, but a very difficult one for me. As Cass told me last night, I need to simply abide and be ok with that. That may be the hardest thing I ever have to do. It means a much different life this semester, not bad, just different. I hope it's the last like it! But there I go again, not abiding, not trusting, wanting to take things into my own hands... will I ever learn? :)

First class is in an hour + 15... bring it on!

The One with all kinds of love

2009-12-21T09:46:00.000-06:00

OOO I'm tired! But had a fun weekend with Aaron's fam and the Johnson side of that family. It was a wild and crazy Saturday, but Friday night and Sunday were relaxing so it balanced out! Aaron was sooo tired, he actually let me drive home last night. I think that's the first time I've driven on the interstate with him in the car. I can't tell if he's just taking care of me, not wanting me to drive or if he just doesn't trust me/doesn't like how I drive :) well, either way, he and I both survived me driving. I think he just forgets how independent I was before we started dating. I didn't have anyone taking care of me, so I did all things by myself. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having him take care of me - I just don't need it. Which I think is a wonderful thing :) Oh how I love him!

I'm just packing up at work, not to return for almost 2 weeks! HAPPINESS! This break is very needed :)

Merry Christmas!

The one where I'm DONE GRADING!

2009-12-18T11:27:00.000-06:00

11:20am on Friday, December 18, Professor Free As A Bird (as Greta called me last night) finished grading for the semester! YAYAYAYAYAY! Oh what a load off my shoulders! I'll finish a few things up early next week to help get ready for spring semester, but for now, my brain is FRIED and ready for a break... even just a week! It's time to enjoy this glorious Christmas season, celebrating the gift of eternal LIFE our God offers us so freely! sigh... Christmas #1 this weekend! Bring it on, Johnsons! :)

The one with a blog from the Village Church

2009-12-16T11:47:00.001-06:00

Why Design Matters To The Church

good stuff.

The One with icicles!

2009-12-15T09:37:00.000-06:00

Yes, the one with icicles... in my room! This morning I woke up shaking like a leaf I was SO COLD. SO naturally I thought the heat was broken, but it turns out it was just turned wayyyy down! Phew! But not so fun for getting out of bed into a frigid room! brrrrrr!

Grading and presentations today! yippee! Zoe and Truett tonight, then hopefully a coffee date with my guy with some Christmas lights! Oh please let that be! :)

The One where it feels like Christmas!

2009-12-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

This weekend was jam-packed, but oh so good! It was the first weekend I didn't work, not because I was ignoring things, but because I truly didn't have anything to do for the semester! It was REFRESHING! Friday night Mary, Katy, and I made some really good Chicken Parmesan with Texas toast and gooey brownies and ice cream. I could barely move :) We watched Julie and Julia while making everything/eating... this time I almost finished it :) But then I left to grab some coffee at Dunn's to visit Aaron during his first real night of working there - the Chocolate Steamed Nirvana he made was HAmazing ;)

Saturday I got up early, stuck in a favorite Christmas movie (All I want for Christmas), and made sausage links and caramel rolls for Aaron. We had some sweet time eating ourselves sick and just enjoying a lazy Saturday morning! Then things picked up a bit and we went to conquer Christmas shopping for my fam - got everyone checked off the list and found some sweet deals doing it :) Adventure #1 for the day: finding free air at a gas station for my tires. We checked 4 stations... with nothing. We either had to pay for AIR or it was out of order... oy - let's just say it's now Monday morning and my tire pressure symbol is still on in my car :) After that fun detour, I dropped Aaron off at Dunn's for an afternoon of work and headed to NDSU for Jessica Wachter's senior Art Show. She is so amazing! It was a large college reunion that afternoon which was FUN. I love connecting with people, seeing where they end up, etc. It was very refreshing to be there, albeit as short as it was! I jetted from there over to the Bundy's to pick up Truett, the littlest and arguably the cutest Bundy child, and headed over to Dunn's with him. We said hi to Aaron :) then sat down with Cass for a couple of fun hours in the corner of the coffee shop playing peek-a-boo, sliding on and off chairs, reading books, putting puzzles together, and all kinds of fun things. And Cass and I got to catch up and simply hang out - something I miss a lot! We used to watch a movie or grab an appetizer together frequently, so it was good to finally do something like that again! Truett and "Ant" Roxie also had a great time - if I had to have a kid right now, I'd pick him! He's just so dang cute :) After Aaron got off work, he and I went to Sam's and then to his place to make chicken and risotto with mimosas - then we chilled out/half passed out watching some Lie to Me on Hulu - I just love relaxing with that guy! He takes such good care of me!

Sunday, Aaron was quite the man yet again and picked me up for church. We ran into friends we hadn't seen in a while, and heard such good Truth about Godly men. How blessed am I to have Aaron striving every day to love the Lord with his whole life then loving and serving me? I love that we're both able to say, I'm sorry I can't love you perfectly, but I'll live every day devoted to only you learning how to love you better every day. I just love that - and him! After church, we made brunch while the Vikes were on that subsequently turned into naptime while the Vikes were on... at least for me :) Aaron finally caved and napped too later that afternoon - in true Aaron and Roxie Sunday evening tradition, we made popcorn for dinner and watched Elf! Finally, we went over to the Bundy's to pick up some pork something that Aaron was really excited about and chatted with Jonas and Greta for a while. Love them!

This week is a little bit nuts :) Today, the final projects come in so I can start grading! And tonight I get to be alone, doing laundry and finally getting around to cleaning my bathroom! Yeah! Then tomorrow night, I get to hang with the Bundy kiddos then a short, but so very sweet time with my man with coffee and Christmas lights after he gets off work! Wednesday I get to quick enjoy dinner with Aaron and then hang out with Greta and the kids for our weekly night of fun :) Thursday both Aaron and I are hanging with the Bundy fam for Zoe and Grover's Christmas performance! Friday, Aaron and are jetting to the cities for the Johnson Christmas! Phew! And I hope to be done grading before leaving for the cities on Friday... am I crazy? Quite possibly :) We'll see what happens!

A very small side note: since starting to write this post about a half hour ago, I've had one student in tears about not finishing the project on time and one with HUGE attitude asking me how I wanted something, but then saying no way I'm not doing that... I'm going home to sleep. You do that. Hope you're OK with your grade after that... Let the craziness begin!

The One near the end...

2009-12-11T09:22:00.000-06:00

Friends, it is Friday - the LAST day of classes for the semester. I can almost say I've survived the first one... what's even more exciting is that I only have 3 left! Boom. I'm exhausted, but seeing that light at the end of the tunnel makes the exhaustion worth it.

Growing pains hurt a lot, but are unavoidable. How easily do I fall into "normal"? And when I LOVE what normal is, it hurts A LOT to have that normal change when I really don't want it to. It's also amazing to me how the order of top love languages can change based on how life is functioning at the time. Mine used to be tied with words and touch with the other 3 much lower than those two. But recently, I think I can safely say quality time is very rapidly climbing up the list... Or how differently even one love language can be interpreted. For example: touch. It's one of my top ones, probably always will be. But what kind of touch is it? Is it simply holding hands, or an unexpected hug? A back rub? A reassuring side hug? Laying next to each other not needing to say or do anything else? Or once married, is it that most intimate form of touch, unifying a husband and wife like nothing else can? I also don't want to be a weird selfish person so I'm trying to filter through what's selfish and what I simply need to "fill" my love tank I guess...

It was Mary's birthday yesterday, so Katy, Mary, and I are making dinner together tonight - for the first time since we've moved in together... should be fun :)

The One with a Shot

2009-12-08T16:23:00.000-06:00

Today, I finally got the H1N1 vaccine... much to the chagrin of at least one "friend" on Facebook who spouted off about how bogus the shot is, asking me if I had even done any research about it. Here's what I say to her: have YOU done research about the shot... I mean, REAL research. I've read many articles about BOTH sides of the coin, and talked to many pharmacists and health care professionals, carefully weighed my decision based off all data gathered and most importantly, prayed about it - landing on yes! I WILL get the shot. I work in Higher Ed and am a Type-I diabetic, so bring on that shot! When I'm surrounded by 50 students who don't take care of themselves... not even a little bit - I'll take all the help I can get at staying healthy.

Today also marks the day where 2 of my 3 classes are completely caught up with grading until the final projects are turned in next week! WAHOO! (Hopefully) By the end of the week, the other class will be caught up, too! I'd love time to also get started with next semester's classes, but that may be asking too much for this girl...

The One with some Travels

2009-12-03T11:30:00.000-06:00

Montana is calling my name! Aaron, Mikey P, and I leave tomorrow at the ungodly hour of 6am for Lion's Ridge near Bozeman, MT! WAHOO! We're going to be shooting some promo videos along the way with an Oregon Trail theme to them - should be pretty funny/actually ties in well with our theme this year (not titled yet) about identity! I am JACKED for this quick weekend trip and then the actual trip with students in June! Mostly, I'm excited about two things for this weekend: getting to spend LOTS of quality time with my favorite guy and a good friend and being in the mountains where there's actually snow :) throw in a little bit of grading on the car ride, and you've got yourself a pretty happening weekend!

I got to quickly organize my office this morning to get the piles in order for what needs to be graded yet by the end of next week. All normal projects/assignments have to be graded before finals week starts - all final projects get pulled in for grading on Monday with a test on Wednesday and then it's a race to finish grading before Christmas :) oh my goal is before Christmas with the Johnson's though - so by the end of finals week. Am I crazy? Quite possibly - but a girl can dream right? Plus I'd enjoy that weekend with new fam waaayyy more if I didn't have weird grading things over my head!

A bit of rest over break, and prepping hardcore for semester #2 will ensue - then a summer off! BOOYA!

The One with the List

2009-12-01T11:48:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but here are a few things I'm thankful for this year:

1. The love of my Savior - His Grace and Redemption! His guidance and correction!
2. Health Insurance
3. A guy I get to journey life with, who loves the LORD, is faithful, leads me well, and loves me well, too
4. A place to live with 2 fun roommates
5. Family, both old and new
6. A car that works well
7. A job, even if I hate it...

For these things and so many more, I am undeserving, fortunate, and blessed beyond words!

Now the race to the end has started - I'll be ready to submit grades by the 22! If only there was also time to get ready for next semester :)

The One before Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T08:41:00.000-06:00

I had some sweet, sweet time with Aaron last night. We made Mac 'n Cheese with these GIANT dome dogs cut up in it - it was delicious! And I made him his favorite: yellow cake with chocolate frosting, chilled! We watched The Traitor correction: HE watched The Traitor... I fell asleep. I ALWAYS seem to fall asleep during movies - ask any of my friends, but especially Aaron :) poor guy - I'm not sure we've ever watched a whole movie together without me falling asleep! He's a trooper though and doesn't complain too much - he's just great :). He's leaving for home this morning and will be missed a lot! But I'm excited for him to be home with fam for 5 days! It will be good for him! Liz and I leave this afternoon at some point for home, too. Grand Forks is calling our names! Along with turkey, stuffing (my favorite), lefse, pumpkin pie, and family of course! I also get to help Leah move into her new townhouse on Friday! Yeah! And the fam's going to see The Blindside Friday night, so the weekend should be good and relaxing!

I just ordered the marketing module needed to enroll in the class this spring - not sure if I'll even be able to enroll in the course this spring... we'll see I guess... I hate all the red tape universities have - oy...

Now onto finishing the last lecture for the year with 161!

The One with BLEH

2009-11-24T08:37:00.000-06:00

It's funny how the LORD will work, how He will move often right when I get settled in one spot. Right when I need to get shaken the most, for sure, He sometimes gently and others not so gently pulls the rug out from under that place of "settled-ness" I think I want so badly. When I'm moving too slowly and I should be picking up the pace, when I settle in a place I think is good but in reality is not anywhere near where I should be, when I settle anywhere and get comfortable, forgetting that life is not supposed to be that way. I want to always be ready to run/fight/sprint/lay down my life for the King and that means not finding an "easy" place to settle. Lord help me be ready!

A short little/long coming vent about a certain person (you know who you are...) when you're teaching a course and passing that stuff off to me, don't expect me to bend over backwards for you when you've procrastinated enough and need help finishing something! Snarkiness won't help either! Why are you so hard to love? ... oh yeah, because we all are imperfect and hard to love, yet the Lord loves us just the same... help me love her as best I can! 3 more weeks...

Wishing I was somewhere else right now...

The One with a quote

2009-11-23T15:51:00.001-06:00

So I was Facebook stalking a friend just now and found this quote on their page:

"Lovesick is being so deeply affected by love as to be unable to act normally. Awaking every morning, thinking about your love, having dreamed of them all night, the pain of separation searing your heart every time a site or smell brings back the memory of your last encounter. Daydreaming, drawing hearts in the sand, constantly thinking "I wish they were here so I could share this moment" even when pulling weeds or walking the dog. The consuming fire within the heart for even one more moment with ones love that defies rational thought, knowing full well, one moment would never be enough, yearning for eternity together."

Now in the context I took it from, this paragraph refers to earthly love between a man and a woman. Which, don't get me wrong, can totally work for that kind of relationship... But what if this paragraph was written to the LORD? What if I was lovesick for more of the Lord "the consuming fire within my heart for even one more moment with God that defies rational thought, knowing full well, one moment would never be enough, and yearning for eternity together"? How incredible would that be? How different would my life look if every moment of every day was spent with that passion in my heart directed at the right person/thing at the only one worthy of such passion and consuming devotion? I yearn for eternity with the only person who loves me perfectly - with the only person who knows the depths of my heart - with the only person who despite those depths, loves me with that perfect, undeserving love.

Oh if only I knew how to love well...

The One after a looong weekend...

2009-11-22T16:25:00.000-06:00

I just got home from Art and Mary's after being mom to Lex for the past 4 days. It went a lot better than expected thankfully :) but I think that was because I very carefully chose my battles. It's hard watching kids that aren't your own (this coming from someone who doesn't have any kids...) especially when those kids are parented in much different ways than how I would do things. I've spent quite a bit of time with her over the last 7 years, though, so I love that kid! It was a very small glimpse into life should I ever be blessed to have kids of my own - oh how I want that! Minus the lack of sleep of course :) but what a picture of selflessness parenting brings. It's crazy how many different things the LORD has designed to remind us of Himself and the beautiful picture of His relationship with His bride (that's us!).

Aaron and I had some sweet time with Mike and Lizz Peterson this afternoon, too - we pretended it was summer and grilled burgers while watching the Vikings own the Seahawks. There was a fan there with a sign saying: "We're not having turkey for Thanksgiving... we're having Seahawk" I laughed a lot :) We also started planning our trip to Bozeman in 2 weeks! Oh I can't wait for that! Our JH trip with Bethel this summer will be at Lion's Ridge near Bozeman instead of at Noah's Ark in Colorado. Which I'm bummed a little bit about - we've been to Noah's the past 8 or 9 summers, but Lion's Ridge is closer, cheaper, and provides us exclusive rights to their site along with SUPER flexible and custom designed schedules to fit our JHers well! I am PUMPED to design a week for 40 JHers where they will be challenged with new experiences physically, mentally, and most importantly spiritually! Mike, Aaron, and I are leading this excursion both the first weekend in December and then June 8-13 this summer. There's just something about the mountains and pointing people to Christ that I could do for the rest of my life! The Lord has definitely wired a big part of my heart around the outdoors, the mountains, and journeying life together with imperfect people.

The semester only has 3 weeks of class and then finals left - YIKES! But oh I can't wait :) The countdown begins folks...

The One with BDubs...

2009-11-20T12:35:00.000-06:00

In just a few minutes, the man of my dreams is picking me up for some lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings near campus... it's going to be a good time :) I am BLESSED! Time spent with Aaron is a gift - oh how I love this man!

The One with a Few Thoughts...

2009-11-20T08:54:00.002-06:00

ONE: I finally have direction to start grad courses this spring... holy student batman - never thought I'd be a student again, even just part-time. We'll see how this goes :)

TWO: as I started my computer this morning, the background wallpaper is from Don't Waste Your Life and the words remind me every day...

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him
Living to prove that Jesus Christ is more precious than life
God created us to live with a single passion to joyfully display His supreme excellence in all spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work, not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives.

This is what I want: to lay myself down every moment of every day, living to prove that Jesus is more precious than life - that at the very least is what He deserves!

The One Where My Brain's Overloaded

2009-11-19T12:08:00.000-06:00

I've been grading 151 projects all morning with one surprising and pleasant interruption: Brittany and Honor (or Hono if you're talking to Aaron :) ) called to chat. She is such a sweet friend - I wish we weren't both so very busy! Got to share some web stuff with her as she begins to dabble in starting her own business. I wish I was in a place where I could do that right now. But first things first, finish this contract at NDSU and start working on my MBA.

Grading remains right at the top of those things that suck all life and brainwave activity from me. Good news is, there's only one more month of this semester left! OH WOW! That may not be the good news I thought, as panic starts coursing through my body... :)

One thing I'll say about grading to certain students: You are not always right, life isn't always easy or fair, and before you come ask me 57 questions, READ THE DIRECTIONS. Oh and perhaps read through a project assignment once more before turning something in just in case you missed something... or 7 things...

It's time to slam the students one more time before the end - two projects left with 151 and they're going to require some good time to complete them well. We'll see if the projects I wrote will be the challenge they need to step things up another notch or the hole that sinks the boat... we'll see :)

I get to play "mom" for the next 4 days with my cousin, Alexis, while her parents are in Vegas... one of us might die before Sunday and chances are pretty good it won't be me.... it'll be an interesting weekend for sure!

The One with some Business + Creativity

2009-11-19T08:48:00.002-06:00

I was doing some research this morning as I've started reading two different books by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Made to Stick and Switch, and found some interesting clips from a few different books that now sit in my Amazon shopping cart just waiting for me to hit "proceed to checkout".

From Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod
MacLeod has opinions on everything from marketing to the meaning of life, but one of his main subjects is creativity. How do new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person?

* Selling out is harder than it looks. Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less.
* If your plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.
* Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether. There’s no point trying to do the same thing as 250,000 other young hopefuls, waiting for a miracle. All existing business models are wrong. Find a new one.
* The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will.

This dude seems a bit crude with his style; however, even this short, bullet-ed list gets right to the point, especially with creative fields... ANY creative field!

Change By Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation by Tim Brown is another fantastic resource...

And as I start shifting and transforming my Interior Design degree into more of the business world, a book by Tim Roam, Back of the Napkin, has hit the mark yet again, this time taking my knowledge and talents with ID and teaching people, any person, how to be creative and relate ideas most effectively to an audience.

Now if only I had the time to read these books and have the time and ability to process through them to apply to all I'm doing right now...