Clothes, Food, Taxes, and Mail... aka Adult Life

As has become my usual, I am linking up with the ladies of The Good Life, A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, and Hello Happiness for "5 on Friday." Please join us!

One. I love fun mail... Especially when it makes Christmas last a little longer.  I also received a textbook order today, but I'm conveniently ignoring that.

Two. I made a cinnamon roll tree from scratch this week. I contributed baked goods to this week's holiday feasts and that was it. This was a new roll recipe and while it was pretty tasty overall, I know now what I will change for the next time go-around. Which probably won't happen until next year. In 2014. (How is 2014 only next week away??)

Three. I am in the midst of packing for a quick weekend trip to hit up Michele's engagement party tomorrow evening and to spend Sunday with Amy. After a couple of days of not feeling the greatest, I'm looking forward to a quick couple of days catching up with a couple of my favorite ladies.

Four. The first thing I accomplished today was finishing my tax binder. I moved some files around and made a space for this year's documents. Rarely do I stay on top of anything in life, but my tax binder is one less stress now!

Five. I love my new infinity scarf from Kelly! It just might be so fluffy that I could die! But it's also soft and ginormous and warm and I'm planning on wearing it tomorrow! Kelly's fun mail Christmas gift was a great way to end the week!

Safe to Die (A Christmas Greeting... I Promise!)

I've already fessed up to some my Scrooge-ish tendencies this year, so I was praying quite hard that Christmas Eve service would bring something new to my heart. After Pastor Brian promised Part 2 of his sermon for Tuesday evening, my sister and I were not so jokingly looking forward to possibly getting out of yet another well-intended, but still awkward, Yuletide monologue. The monologue was avoided and truth was spoken... I walked away blessed. I'll be working out of Luke 2:26-35, per Pastor Brian's teaching. These are my sermon notes over the last two service times. I don't promise eloquence and beauty, but I do promise truth and grace.

Simeon was told he would not die before he met the Lord's Christ (v. 26). However, Simeon knew it was safe to wait because he had Go'ds promise of an advent moment- that is, the Christ child. Like Simeon, we can live in the promise of an advent moment because God has promised us that Christ will return- that we too will have our advent moment and that the best is yet to come.

Like God will eventually do for us, God delivered on His promise to Simeon (v. 27). However, Simeon did not live his life only for that moment. Instead, he lived his live in anticpation of that moment while living as wholly and fruitfully as possible until that moment came. 

Finally, Simeon realized that God had delivered and declared that he could die safely now (v. 29). Like Simeon, Jesus Christ came to earth, through His birth, to make it safe for us to die. Jesus came because each person has a soul to save and sin to be saved from. Simeon also understood that Jesus came to be a public savior (vv. 31 & 32). Jesus came so that we, as humans, could see two things: our Father God and our own sin. Jesus is a direct reflection of God in behavior, mind, spirit, etc. and it is only by Jesus' sinless life that we are able to see our own sinless, broken lives.

It is only by Jesus' birth that He was able to die on the cross which, ultimately, allows us to exchange our earthly, selfish glory for the eternal, selfess glory that God allows us to share with Him (v. 32).

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6) who allows us to die at peace with our creator.

This is what I needed to hear last night. This made Christmas new for me last night. This brought my heart the touch I needed to gain a glimpse of understanding of the celebration of our Christ's birth. This, my friends, caused me to stop and to wonder about the ginormous blessing that is our salvation in Christ Jesus. 

PS- If you're looking for another good Christmas read, I enjoyed this piece this morning as well. Consider, especially, her third point.

Vacation, Whales, Goals, Christmas, and Word (To Your Mother... Or not so much)

As has become my usual, I am linking up with the ladies of The Good Life, A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, and Hello Happiness for "5 on Friday." Please join us!

One. Today is our last day of school before Christmas break and my brain is in vacation mode like noboday's business. In fact, I'm pretty sure Thanksgiving was about two months ago and not the mere three weeks ago like the calendar shows.

Two. I feel like a big ol' bloated whale. I had gotten myself in a decent exercise routine in October and for the start of November, but then volleyball tournaments happened and it was all over from there. I am looking forward to getting my butt back in the gym tomorrow and hopefully giving myself a little bit of a head start before the start of the new year.

Three. Speaking of said gym goal, I have set a pretty big personal goal for the next year and I have already started mapping out what my year is going to look like and will need to look like to make that goal happen.

Four. I have one Christmas present left to take care of and I will do that on Tuesday before we open gifts. It's a fairly time sensitive gift, so I have to account for that. Otherwise, all of my gifts are purchased, wrapped, and under the tree. This may be a new record for myself.

Five. Watch your words, people! I found this article fairly enteraining. I feel as if people have regressed in the art of communication in multiple ways and apparently I am not the only one in America who feels this way. Personally, the phrase "Oh! By the way..." or simply "By the way..." rubs me completely the wrong way. Shudder. (I also found this article completely entertaining. Seriously people?! Maybe if we knew how to speak better, we wouldn't have this problem.)

Thursday PSYCH!

I'm blaming my inability to keep track of time this week on the fact that this is our last week of school before Christmas break. I woke up this morning and thought that today was Friday. Too bad today is only Thursday... PSYCH! Wishful thinking? Yes. But also a darn confused inner clock.

I can't believe that at this time next week, we will have already celebrated Christmas Day!

One of my students has already started a countdown to the last day of school and I'm totally okay with that. (Plus, she's a senior, so I figure she's more justified in making just a bulletin board.) Like usual, that number seems to big but so small at the same time.

I've had a really hard time focusing on just Christmas this year. I moved into Christmas mood in early November, did all of my Christmas shopping, moved into basketball mode, and am now transitioning into 2014. It doesn't help that Pinterest has already switched over to Valentine's Day and will probably be featuring the Fourth of July by Easter!

I feel like I should be more sad that I've already mentally moved past Christmas. Don't get me wrong... I am very much looking forward to the couple of days off from everything and I am certainly looking forward to the time I get to spend with my family- but I am okay with the fact I don't have as much anticipation as I usually do.

Truth be told, 2014 is going to bring some big changes for me- some of which I know right now and some of which I am yet to anticipate- and I am looking forward to the fresh start. Not everything is going to happen on January 1 and I don't wouldn't want it that way. But still, I'm looking ahead to what will come as well as what may come in the New Year.

And I feel like Christmas is simply a blessed bonus in the in-between. :)

Monday PSYCH!

My alarm went off this morning and I thought it was Sunday morning. Too bad it was actually Monday morning. But this is my last week of work before Christmas break! And it's not like I won't be earning my paycheck this week... As things stand right now, I have a full week of teaching and then a game every night this week. On Tuesday, we have both a game and a practice so that will be an extra busy night.

If I survive, though, I will have two weeks of minimally interrupted break time and that will be fantastic!

Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

Grad School, Pinterest, Food, Greece, and Franklin

As I am hoping becomes my new usual, I am linking up with the ladies of The Good Life, A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, and Hello Happiness for "5 on Friday." Please join us!

One. I finally finished my grad school class this week and submitted my initial thesis write-up. I wasn't sure this semester was ever going to end. This was the first class of my grad work that I really just didn't enjoy. I've taken other classes from this professor so I know it's not anything to do with her, but I really just didn't enjoy the course content this time around. I'm looking forward to my spring semester classes, but I am welcoming the three week break... To finish one other class and knock out my CITI certification.

Two. My Pinterest boards are out of control... Good grief. I need to separate my books from my school board and fish out my healthy recipes from my desserts. Good thing I have the Christmas break coming up to take care of such pressing issues in my life.

Three. Speaking of Pinterest, I'm excited to try this soup! I love anything buffalo flavored and I love chili, so I'm failing to understand how buffalo chicken chili coule be anything less than the-bomb-dot-com.

Here.

Four. I currently have Greece on my mind. I started researching cruises last night when I should have been writing my thesis proposal. I'm hoping to make it happen in the next couple of years? But we'll see. Something may come up... Like needing to reorganize my Pinterest boards or something.

Five. Yesterday I ordered new planner pages. I tried to switch to a more minimal planner this fall, but I just can't do it. So I'm counting this fall semester a loss and am starting fresh in January. And I'm hoping and praying my package ships early so I can get myself organized over break. Because I have nothing else to do. (Ahem, see #1 and #2.)

30 Before 30 Update, v.25.5

Today is my half birthday. I'm the only one who ever celebrates it. Well, Sam did one year too. But mainly it's just me. But I thought today would be a great day to do an update on my "30 Before 30" journey! I picked a few specific goals to comment on... I haven't finished anything yet but I'm only six months in. Here's to the next 4.5 years!

1. Finish my Master's degree. Not done yet, but I made solid progress this summer. I knocked out 9 credits and will be working on 6 more this fall!
2. Knock out Baby Steps 2 & 3. I'm making some progress here. I actually took a little bit of a hit back on Baby Step 1, so I'm back to building that back up while still hitting Baby Step 2 as hard as possible.
3. Visit at least 15 states.
4. Serve at a soup kitchen in each of those visited states.
5. Take an international vacation... alone. I've been brainstorming ideas... Any suggestions?
6. Coach in a state basketball tournament. I watched one this spring but that doesn't count.
7. Buy a nice camera to document life's adventures. Not yet, but I'm getting more excited to make a purchase!
8. Read and notate through the Bible five different times, in four translations (NIV, NKJV, ESV, NASB). (0/5) I need to get my rear in gear on this one.
9. Run a marathon.
10. Hit my goal weight (160 pounds... Dream weight is 145 pounds). Not yet, but numbers are heading in the right direction.
11. Do something really nice for somebody... something I never thought I'd be able to do... somewhere, at sometime. Still not sure what this will look like.
12. Go an entire year being gluten-, dairy- and soy-free. I need to get myself organized to make it through this!
13. Read 100 new (never before read) books. (10/100) I've made a decent amount of progress here! So far, I have read 1Fat Angie. 2Single Infertile Female: Adventures in Life, Love, and Infertility. 3Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn. 4The Help. 5Monster. 6The Book Thief. 7Eat, Pray, Love. 8Same Kind of Different as Me. 9Winning Balance. 10Thirteen Reasons Why.
14. Try at least 30 new recipes. (0/30)
15. Write 500 notes of encouragement to those around me. (0/500)
16. Go skydiving.
17. Crochet a baby afghan.
18. Have a photo shoot done of myself... Insecurities set aside.
19. Go on another missions trip.
20. Complete a semester of calculus.
21. Earn my permit to carry a concealed weapon.
22. Sleep a night under the stars.
23. Get three stamps in my passport. (1/3) I received my first stamp in Thailand this summer!
24. Make a kite and fly it.
25. Achieve complete financial independence.
26. Take a dance class.
27. Tear a phone book in half.
28. Solve a Rubik's cube.
29. Learn to swim. Amy taught me one stroke this summer!
30. Visit New York City... Perhaps for a 30th birthday celebration?

Start date: February 15, 2013
End date: February 15, 2018

Mulligan?

I don't really think I'm using that term correctly, but it's what I've got right now. I think a "mulligan" is something of a do-over, but what I'm looking for is a fresh start. Clearly I've done really well keeping this ol' blog here updated.

I have thought a lot about why I even keep this space open. 

I have thought a lot about shutting it down.

I have thought about giving it a new name. 

But in the end, I realized that I really don't want to change either the name or the location of this little spot on the Internet. I still stand by the name I gave this little place not so many years ago. I still stand by what that represents for me and I still want to make that known in my life. 

Truth be told, I feel like the whole "be.do.say.go." idea may be gaining even more traction in my life. As I'm writing, I'm sitting on an airplane somewhere between Tokyo, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand. I went out for gas last week and it was only supposed to be a three hour tour... JK. I'm traveling back to Thailand with Amy to hang out for a couple of weeks as she prepares for her upcoming school year and I try to recharge from my summer school madness. But I can't shake the feeling that this trip is more than just visiting a BFF overseas. I've felt a tugging at my heart that this is God preparing me for something so much more. I have no idea what that is... I have an idea of what I'd like it to be, but I'm really trying minimize my expectations and just let life unfold. God has it planned better than I could ever do for myself and for that I am grateful.

I know the calendar year goes from January to December, but the teacher in me cannot shake the August to May calendar. And since summers are spent recovering from the previous nine month madness (now it sounds like I give birth every year but I promise I don't!), I guess my calendar really goes from August to July. So all of that to say, I am recovering from one if the craziest school years to date... And I haven't exactly spent the summer relaxing yet, but that's okay. I'm excited to see what this next year brings, but I'm also excited for it to continue developing in the ways that life has kind of settled in the last couple of years. I am plenty aware of some changes I need to make in my personal life and I'm excited to get started with that. No day but today to begin anew. 

Life is big but God is bigger.

Life is good but God is better.

May your day (or the middle of the night as it currently is wherever we are right now) be blessed. Soli Deo gloria.