I look back at how much different a year makes.
God is faithful to answer prayers and give us what we need, when we need it.
Grace for today.

I am blessed BEYONG measure to have some really great friends in my life.
This past weekend I spent some time in Chicago cheering on friends running Merrell's Down & Dirty mud run.

And if you're ever in the mood to eat Italian when you're in Algonquin, Illinois, try Mandile's.
Our friend Nick's review on yelp.com pretty much sums it up.

Five for Friday.

...Don't be confused by Five for Fighting.

Anyway, in no order are these listed, but these are the top five albums that have pulled me through the last month or so...

1) Heart by Audrey Assad. Lament is the story of my life lately.

2) Love & War & The Sea In Between by Josh Garrels. AND he is giving away this record for FREE.

3) Give Us Rest by David Crowder. Apropos for this time of year.

4) The House You're Building by Audrey Assad

5) Open Your Doors by Jenny & Tyler. Sample their music for FREE on NoiseTrade.


Yes, that's right, Audrey Assad make my list twice. She speaks my language.



Still looking for some new music? Check out my friend Katie's blog. She has even more ideas for you.

Searching for Sabbath. (Part one of probably a lot.)

For the past year or so a question has been mulling around in my head. What does it mean to celebrate sabbath?

This question has spurred on other questions such as: Are we required to hold to a sabbath? What does rest look like? What boundaries do I set? Should there be rules? Ect., ect.

And so I set out to hold to a sabbath - to "rest" from Saturday 7pm to Sunday 7pm.

And I find that I want to do the dishes. I want to clear my closet from clutter. I want to weed the garden. In fact, I succumbed to writing thank you notes so that I could cross it off my to-do list.

Audrey Assad begs this question in her song, Lament, "Why is it easy to work but hard to rest sometimes?"

I think Josh Garrels aptly gives his desired solution to this question in his song The Resistance, "My rest is a weapon against the oppression of man's obsession to control things."

I want my rest to be that.

In all my searching, I believe the rest is found in the coming to Jesus (Matthew 11:28) to give up the "obsession to control things" and yield to Him.

But it's hard to rest sometimes. Why?

Weekend in Review

Poor Nick was cropped out of this picture. But I am truly blessed for the friends that helped me in the office on Saturday. And for Starbuck's Happy Hour.

Also, you'll probably be seeing more of me on this blog. One my (many) New Year's resolutions was to do something creative everyday. And this has become my outlet. So if you decide to unfollow me because of the influx of posts, I won't feel bad. 

The Good Life

I don't like posting pictures on Facebook very often, because, I think, there is tendency to make (my) life look better than it actually is. To paint a perfect picture. And I'm not sure what makes a blog any different, other than there is more room for explanation. In that explanation, I would like to say sometimes life stinks. It does. But God gives us so much grace and good things everyday life that I often forget.

So here is to remembering I have a good, grace-filled life.
Specifically so this weekend.

"You make know to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  - Psalm 16:16



PS: A few things that should have been pictured had I taken pictures of them- 1) The perfectly sweeten ice tea one roommate made 2) left over Kroger bakery sugar cookies the other roommate brought home (I have no idea why I enjoy those things so much) 3) sitting on the front porch.

Choosing.

So in honor of my friends, Mark and Heather Miller, and the fact that I haven't posted any art for awhile, I am posting this:

[It's been my laptop's wallpaper for quite awhile now.
(And truthfully, it's probably time to remove it.)]

They wrote these lyrics. They speak to my heart.
It's a good reminder to forget what is behind. To press forward to what's ahead. (Philippians 3:13.)

I am all about music that heals. Art that heals.
Their art heals.

Check them out at http://www.solongsolo.com/


And if you're really interested, they'll be playing a show at my house TONIGHT. Let me know if you want the details.

HAIRCUTS = COUCHES

For me, my hair was my couch. [See earlier post]
It was something, that for some reason, I couldn't let go.

I guess I had this idea, that somewhere, sometime, in my early to mid-twenties I would get married. And so in the recesses of my mind spawned this thought that I should grow my hair out for the wedding.
Whenever it would be. Because up-do's just don't work with short hair.

It was all subconscious - I swear.

So for the past four years I've been growing my hair out unknowingly why.

Until one day, several weeks ago I came to this realization.
I couldn't go on holding out for my future wedding day.
(I know. Such a dumb girl-thought, right?)
I have to live in the present.
So I decided to chop (this thought) off, so to speak - and made an appointment.

And so maybe you could consider me bitter and cynical for cutting my hair.
But I would like to think of it more as hopeful.
Hopeful that a wedding will one day happen.
Hopeful that I do have a future - up-do or not.

But not allowing that idea that I need long hair in order to get married to hold me back.

I need to keep going.
I need to stop holding back.
I need to Just Do Something.

It's kind of like letting go. And being free again.



So, what's your couch?