I was incredibly difficult to get out of bed this morning... but I have so little time in Oregon this week, I don't want to waste a minute! I didn't blog yesterday, I know, but you'll have to have a little grace on this "a post a day" summer goal of mine... I'm on vacation. It's okay - this week is abnormal. Next week I'll be back into the swing of things. (Whatever that even means.)
Today is a beautiful day in the Northwest! I had a wonderful time chatting with my Aunt Terri and drinking coffee this morning. I drove the back roads there and back, wore my sun glasses, and listened to country music. (Clearly, living with Jamie has influenced my music choice... and it just felt right, driving in the country and listening to country music. haha) Yesterday, I went to the beach with my grandparents, mom + brother. We stopped for a minute at the beach, ate a delicious lunch at Mo's, had a very successful shopping trip at the outlet mall (thanks, mom!)... but then it rained... so we got ice cream cones and headed home. Typical Oregon coast! After a pizza dinner at home, I met up with two friends from high school (Lindsay + Taylor - we missed you, Benita!). We went to Rose's Deli for dessert... yummy cheesecake! It was so nice to catch up with such great friends. Today, my mom and I are driving down to Eugene to have a girl's night with my older sister and Aunt. So looking forward to a fun dinner!
Something I've been thinking about since being home: Trusting the Lord requires talking the talk AND walking the walk. It's not just about saying the right things, but actually thinking and acting in a way that reflects truth. God provides, so I'm going to be generous and not anxious. His plans for my future are GOOD, so I'm not going to worry about it or build up my own idea of what I'm supposed to be doing. He has provided things in life for my enjoyment, so I'm going to slow down to enjoy the little things that bless me everyday.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Short + Sweet
This is going to be QUICK because it's 1:53am Portland time, which is 2:53am Boise time, which means I am exhausted! I have been going strong all day... this tiredness really just hit me in the last few minutes.
What an eventful day! I had a safe and unexciting drive to Portland. I was a little surprised to wake up to snow/sleet outside... we checked tripcheck.com and saw there was potentially nasty weather in the mountains... so I borrowed Robbie's truck for the week - just to be on the safe side. I discovered I really like driving a truck, which is not necessarily something I would assume about myself. ha! :) Six hours on the road and I only stopped once for gas. I must take after my Dad in the "we're only stopping for emergencies" sense. Normally, I enjoy stopping at rest stops and getting fun road trip snacks, etc... but for today I was just ready to GET here. I had a delicious dinner at Red Lobster with my Dad, visited with some family friends, then came to my grandparent's house and hung out with my mom and brother until they both fell asleep. Tomorrow we're all going to the beach - my favorite place! I'm so excited!
Well. I'd better get as much sleep as possible to fully kick off my jam-packed 3 days at home.
What an eventful day! I had a safe and unexciting drive to Portland. I was a little surprised to wake up to snow/sleet outside... we checked tripcheck.com and saw there was potentially nasty weather in the mountains... so I borrowed Robbie's truck for the week - just to be on the safe side. I discovered I really like driving a truck, which is not necessarily something I would assume about myself. ha! :) Six hours on the road and I only stopped once for gas. I must take after my Dad in the "we're only stopping for emergencies" sense. Normally, I enjoy stopping at rest stops and getting fun road trip snacks, etc... but for today I was just ready to GET here. I had a delicious dinner at Red Lobster with my Dad, visited with some family friends, then came to my grandparent's house and hung out with my mom and brother until they both fell asleep. Tomorrow we're all going to the beach - my favorite place! I'm so excited!
Well. I'd better get as much sleep as possible to fully kick off my jam-packed 3 days at home.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Packing for Portland Post
(I like alliteration. haha)
It's currently 1:08 in the morning and I'm leaving for Portland in 8 hours. Oh yeah, and I still need to pack. My mom would think this is hilarious - I used to get so excited about traveling I would pack WEEKS in advance. I still get excited; I'm just a little bit more absent-minded. Today after church I was standing with a group of friends and suddenly realized (and exclaimed aloud) that I get to see my MOM tomorrow! :)
Today was a great day, except I'm not sure why the weather turned cold again! It was in the 40s and rainy. I don't doubt that Portland will look like that all week... even at the beach. Oh well. This week at home is going to FLY by... unfortunately, I'll hardly be able to see anyone because I have such limited time! Definitely looking forward to seeing my family, though... I haven't been as homesick as I was a few points this semester since my first year in Texas. I haven't been home since Christmas and I am VERY much looking forward to it.
I'm also looking forward to a nice 6 hr drive through eastern Oregon by myself to think, pray, and sing as loudly as I want. :) I'm introverted and definitely appreciate my "alone time." I've been SO insanely busy the past few weeks wrapping up the semester that I know my "alone time" has been lacking... and it definitely wears on me. So it'll be great to be by myself. That's how I get energy.
I'd just like to end with... God's peace really does pass all understanding, and I'm grateful for that. He understands my heart, even when I don't, and he brings me just what I need at just the right time. Thank you, Lord.
It's currently 1:08 in the morning and I'm leaving for Portland in 8 hours. Oh yeah, and I still need to pack. My mom would think this is hilarious - I used to get so excited about traveling I would pack WEEKS in advance. I still get excited; I'm just a little bit more absent-minded. Today after church I was standing with a group of friends and suddenly realized (and exclaimed aloud) that I get to see my MOM tomorrow! :)
Today was a great day, except I'm not sure why the weather turned cold again! It was in the 40s and rainy. I don't doubt that Portland will look like that all week... even at the beach. Oh well. This week at home is going to FLY by... unfortunately, I'll hardly be able to see anyone because I have such limited time! Definitely looking forward to seeing my family, though... I haven't been as homesick as I was a few points this semester since my first year in Texas. I haven't been home since Christmas and I am VERY much looking forward to it.
I'm also looking forward to a nice 6 hr drive through eastern Oregon by myself to think, pray, and sing as loudly as I want. :) I'm introverted and definitely appreciate my "alone time." I've been SO insanely busy the past few weeks wrapping up the semester that I know my "alone time" has been lacking... and it definitely wears on me. So it'll be great to be by myself. That's how I get energy.
I'd just like to end with... God's peace really does pass all understanding, and I'm grateful for that. He understands my heart, even when I don't, and he brings me just what I need at just the right time. Thank you, Lord.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Summer List
I happen to be a big fan of summer AND a big fan of lists... so I thought I'd combine them and write a list of summer "goals." For lack of a better word. "Goals" for the summer sounds a little nerdy... but, well, maybe I am.
1. Blog more! I'd like to blog everyday. Even if it's short. Writing helps me process a LOT... so I know that it would be good for me to get in the habit of writing everyday. Besides the fact that I love it.
2. Read 10 books. I don't know if that's realistic... but I have 5 books sitting on my nightstand, so that's a start.
3. Exercise at least 5 times/week. I'm going to have SO much more time and it's finally beautiful outside, so this one shouldn't be an issue.
4. Try new things! I've got a few things in mind... there's a greek food festival coming up, Indian food, frisbee, rock climbing.
5. Put a minimum of $600 in savings
... that's all I've got for now, but there's a chance I'll come back to this list. I'm excited for summer! Headed over to the Miller's to watch Channing and Gannon tonight and hoping that those incoming gray clouds will bring me a nice thunderstorm.
1. Blog more! I'd like to blog everyday. Even if it's short. Writing helps me process a LOT... so I know that it would be good for me to get in the habit of writing everyday. Besides the fact that I love it.
2. Read 10 books. I don't know if that's realistic... but I have 5 books sitting on my nightstand, so that's a start.
3. Exercise at least 5 times/week. I'm going to have SO much more time and it's finally beautiful outside, so this one shouldn't be an issue.
4. Try new things! I've got a few things in mind... there's a greek food festival coming up, Indian food, frisbee, rock climbing.
5. Put a minimum of $600 in savings
... that's all I've got for now, but there's a chance I'll come back to this list. I'm excited for summer! Headed over to the Miller's to watch Channing and Gannon tonight and hoping that those incoming gray clouds will bring me a nice thunderstorm.
Friday, May 13, 2011
School's out... for the SUMMER!
First of all... Shoot, I am SO glad it's summer! I could probably cry. tears of joy. and thankfulness. I slept until almost 10:00 this morning and it felt WONDERFUL! For the most part, it was a great week of finals. I feel very confident about 3 classes and very not confident about 1 class. Worst case scenario, I retake it. Oh well. (wow, my perspective has changed drastically from yesterday.) I applied for a job at a nearby daycare that my friend, Christina, also works at. They hired someone the day after I put in my application and are not planning on hiring anyone else. I'm meeting with Kerinda tomorrow to hash out a summer schedule for nannying. After that I'll decide if I want to keep looking for a 2nd job or just leave it as is. I'm sure I'll be able to fill my time with other things... hiking, soccer, camping, reading, sitting by the pool, etc. I think I'll manage. ;-) I'm driving to Portland on Monday to visit friends/family for the week. I haven't been home since Christmas... which is pretty funny to me. I went home more frequently when I was in Texas. I can't wait to see my Momma!!! I really am just looking forward to the peacefulness of summer. Next semester I'm taking 15 credits and it will be a LOT of work. My schedule is packed. So it's okay to have a time of rest. I have to remind myself that sometimes.
I'm reading a great book right now by Paul Miller called "A Praying Life." I'm getting a lot out of it that I want to process through more and blog what I'm learning... but I'll save that for another time. I'll keep this short and sweet because I'm getting ready to head out to Uswirl - this awesome frozen yogurt place - with my friend, Jake.
I'm reading a great book right now by Paul Miller called "A Praying Life." I'm getting a lot out of it that I want to process through more and blog what I'm learning... but I'll save that for another time. I'll keep this short and sweet because I'm getting ready to head out to Uswirl - this awesome frozen yogurt place - with my friend, Jake.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Studying pays off. Procrastination, not so much.
Hello there, friends.
I feel like Christmas is coming because I'm going to Virginia in a day and a half to visit two of my best friends (Heather and Emily... pictured on the right side bar.) AND we get to go to ATF and cook together and talk face to face and it's just going to be so wonderful. Possibly better than Christmas. Just a little.
Anyways, that has absolutely nothing to do with what I set out to write... I just wanted to share it because it's probably the cause of my procrastination anyways. You know, you just get too excited to even sit still?! Yeah, that's me. :-)
I learned something very valuable today: Studying pays off, but procrastination costs you. (Oooh, that's some good word choice right there.) I studied this morning for my test in interpersonal communication on Crucial Conversations. (a really good book on "talking when the stakes are high") This "studying" business is something that you would ASSUME that people typically do prior to taking a test. Eh, it's kind of hit or miss for me. My perspective has generally been, "I either know it or I don't." I read the material, look over my notes, attend class, and do whatever else I need to do... but I've discovered that I'm generally a very poor studier. Well, this morning I actually whipped out the study guide and answered all the questions and reviewed the material and then read through my answers multiple times... that's called studying, right? ;-) I took the test tonight and lo and behold it was awesome! I knew the answers and was SO relaxed. (I've dealt with some test anxiety since high school... probably due to a lack of studying. ha!) It was great! What a revelation.
On the other hand... I have a final paper due tomorrow night in my Perspectives of Inquiry class - the really difficult, philosophical one. I've learned a lot through this class... mostly having to do with perseverance, self-talk (positive - I can do it!), being a critical thinker, etc. All I have left to do in the semester (for this class) is write the paper by midnight tomorrow, take the final on Thurs of next week, and attend class tomorrow. So close! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! For some reason, though, it's not motivation enough because I am practically dreading this paper. (That's probably why I started blogging instead!) I just need to psych myself up for it... almost done! My trip to VA will be that much more refreshing knowing that this is DONE. Yeah! I got this!
Okay, I'm ready to go write now.
Actually, I'll probably make it about 20 minutes until I can't keep my eyes open anymore and fall asleep. Oh well.
I feel like Christmas is coming because I'm going to Virginia in a day and a half to visit two of my best friends (Heather and Emily... pictured on the right side bar.) AND we get to go to ATF and cook together and talk face to face and it's just going to be so wonderful. Possibly better than Christmas. Just a little.
Anyways, that has absolutely nothing to do with what I set out to write... I just wanted to share it because it's probably the cause of my procrastination anyways. You know, you just get too excited to even sit still?! Yeah, that's me. :-)
I learned something very valuable today: Studying pays off, but procrastination costs you. (Oooh, that's some good word choice right there.) I studied this morning for my test in interpersonal communication on Crucial Conversations. (a really good book on "talking when the stakes are high") This "studying" business is something that you would ASSUME that people typically do prior to taking a test. Eh, it's kind of hit or miss for me. My perspective has generally been, "I either know it or I don't." I read the material, look over my notes, attend class, and do whatever else I need to do... but I've discovered that I'm generally a very poor studier. Well, this morning I actually whipped out the study guide and answered all the questions and reviewed the material and then read through my answers multiple times... that's called studying, right? ;-) I took the test tonight and lo and behold it was awesome! I knew the answers and was SO relaxed. (I've dealt with some test anxiety since high school... probably due to a lack of studying. ha!) It was great! What a revelation.
On the other hand... I have a final paper due tomorrow night in my Perspectives of Inquiry class - the really difficult, philosophical one. I've learned a lot through this class... mostly having to do with perseverance, self-talk (positive - I can do it!), being a critical thinker, etc. All I have left to do in the semester (for this class) is write the paper by midnight tomorrow, take the final on Thurs of next week, and attend class tomorrow. So close! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! For some reason, though, it's not motivation enough because I am practically dreading this paper. (That's probably why I started blogging instead!) I just need to psych myself up for it... almost done! My trip to VA will be that much more refreshing knowing that this is DONE. Yeah! I got this!
Okay, I'm ready to go write now.
Actually, I'll probably make it about 20 minutes until I can't keep my eyes open anymore and fall asleep. Oh well.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Refresh.
Just want to post a few quick thoughts:
I am so incredibly thankful for a little refreshment every now and then. Refreshment looks different to everyone, but I fully believe that God knows each little significant touch that will refresh each of us individually. Today those "touches" for me have been: Obedient kids, Kerinda bought me dinner, time at a coffeeshop, a great deal on something that I've been wanting for a while (Timbuk2 messenger bag on ebay for $20!), a nice phone call with my momma, surprisingly feeling caught up in school (except for reading... but I've kind of lost hope in that area. I've come to terms with that.), and a good attitude. It's just been a great day and having a good attitude and actually recognizing these little "touches" as blessings from God definitely raises the level of refreshment.
It's all about what you choose to focus on. Are your eyes open to see the blessings are are you too focused on what you lack (sleep, time, friends, money, etc)? Just look around. You can see God in it all.
I am so incredibly thankful for a little refreshment every now and then. Refreshment looks different to everyone, but I fully believe that God knows each little significant touch that will refresh each of us individually. Today those "touches" for me have been: Obedient kids, Kerinda bought me dinner, time at a coffeeshop, a great deal on something that I've been wanting for a while (Timbuk2 messenger bag on ebay for $20!), a nice phone call with my momma, surprisingly feeling caught up in school (except for reading... but I've kind of lost hope in that area. I've come to terms with that.), and a good attitude. It's just been a great day and having a good attitude and actually recognizing these little "touches" as blessings from God definitely raises the level of refreshment.
It's all about what you choose to focus on. Are your eyes open to see the blessings are are you too focused on what you lack (sleep, time, friends, money, etc)? Just look around. You can see God in it all.
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." Psalm 23:1-2
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." Psalm 62:5
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