The Castle

The waves crashed peacefully into the shore. The water rushed up the beach and then back into the ocean... up and back.... up and back. A tiny girl sat at the waters edge, shovel in hand, the flat beach stretching at both of her sides. The sun was shinning down, beating warmly onto her back as she worked. She was silent, hard at work, trying to make it perfect. It was hard to tell what her creation was going to look like, but slowly with each bucket of sand, the castle took its shape. Four towers stood tall at the corners as the castle wall wrapped around the sand structure. There was a bridge arching over the tiny mote that surrounded the castle. On each of the towers she had meticulously placed windows where her Prince and Princess could look out onto their kingdom.

She stood up from her knees, and took a small step back, smiling as she admired her creation. Just as she was getting back down to make one more final touch, two small feet maliciously stepped through her castle knocking it to the ground. She could feel the anger boil beneath her as her castle was now a mere pile of sand on the beach. She didn't move, instead she just sat there, looking at the spot where her castle had once stood. Without saying a word, she picked up her bucket and shovel and returned to her knees, working again to rebuild what had been destroyed.

The playful boy had run off in the expectation that she would have chased after him down the beach yelling and screaming... but she hadn't. Surprised, he returned to her side.

"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Rebuilding my castle" she replied.
After a long pause she looked up at him standing by in shock, "if you help me I bet we can make it even better this time"
"Really?" he said confused that she would let him play, "you want ME to help you"
"Sure, why not?" she said, smiling with a love that came from deep within... the place where Jesus resides... her heart.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21

Garden State

"If you can't laugh at yourself, life's gonna seem a whole lot longer than you like."
- Sam, Garden State

That's how I feel today... all I can do is laugh.

Being Young and Growing Up

While sitting with some friends this weekend talking about life, love and the pursuit of happiness, my friend Dan said something that I can't get outta my head... He said, "Being young is thinking that you know everything, and growing up is realizing that you don't know s#@t!"

The older I get, the more I realize that I have to learn. It is so crazy for me to think back to college... I thought I had it all figured out. I was so sure of who I was, and yet I wasn't even sure of it? It was alot easier to convince others of who you were than to try to figure it out yourself. Reckless...stupid...invincible! Youth is like a game of chutes and ladders, with some people helping you up the ladders, and others pushing you down the slides. You never really know who is on your team, or which road map to follow. You question yourself, your friends, and the things you always believed in. But from the journey of youth emerges wisdom, discernment, and faith like never before.

I don't pretend to be done growing up, but there is one thing I know I have learned thus far... IT IS MINE! It's mine to screw up, its mine to learn from, and its mine to turn over to God. I don't need anyone to sit back and tell me how to live my life, its taken care of... its mine, and I choose to make it HIS.

Fashion... yikes!

I was looking back at some old pictures this past weekend. I was embarrassed by some of the fashion trends that I was sporting, 5-10 yrs ago. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being in fashion as much as the next person. But as I was looking through these old pictures, I couldn't help but think about some of my current fashion trends that I will definitely cringe at in 10 yrs.

1. Pointy toed shoes - Heels should not double as weapons.
2. High-water pants and capri pants- Just in case there are floods.
3. Shawls/ pashmina- Wouldn't it be just as easy to carry a blanket around?
4. Popped collars - How did this trend start? Were people worried about getting sunburn on their necks? This trend is especially ridiculous when there are multiple layers of popped collared shirts! unnecessary!
5. Ugs - Especially silly when worn in 75 degree weather in Texas?!?
6. Sequin purses - Is that a disco ball on your shoulder?
7. Jeans and heels - It is a casual outfit or is it a dressy outfit?
8. Scarves - Should be reserved for warmth, right? But scarves, but no jacket? what?
9. Chandelier earrings- Is it one dangle earring, or is it six dangles?
10. Jean mini-skirts with cowboy boots - Nothing to be said... you definitely won't find pictures of me EVER sporting this trend!

If only Adam and Eve had left the apple alone?!?

Complain

Why is it in my nature to complain, to be totally frustrated when things don't go my way. Why do I argue with my superiors when I should be submitting to them? Why do I argue with my loved ones, when they are acting out of love? Why do I argue with God when his plan is different than mine?

The dictionary defines complaining as as “an expression of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or discontent.” Basically complaining is the outward expression of discontent from within. But wait... I am not discontent with life! I love life... I love my family... and I love my God! Why would I want to act in a way that expresses to others that I am discontent, when my heart is right with God and my loved ones love me more than I deserve?

When I complain I make God displeased because I am not being thankful for all that He has given me. Regardless of whatever circumstances may cause discontent or dissatisfaction in my life, complaining is always an expression of unbelief toward God’s order in my life. My complaining opens doors for the Devil to come in and cause havoc in my life and in my heart. People don't complain because they have problems, they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn't change anything or make a situation better, it merely amplifies frustration. I have no reason to complain. The Lord blesses me EVERY DAY! Instead of complaining, I should do just the opposite... I am to be filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving. God is Good!

I Am Wonderfully Made

Mother Nature did not make me,
Fate and chance did not shape me,
I am wonderfully made.

It wasn’t just the DNA,
My parent’s love that had its way,
I am wonderfully made.

Before my birth out of the womb,
Beauty in me He planned to bloom,
I am wonderfully made.

He knew my likes and dislikes too,
My silence and my patience few,
I am wonderfully made.

All of the things that are unique,
Those are the things that He would seek,
I am wonderfully made.

Mother Nature did not make me,
It's God’s perfect love that shaped me,
I am wonderfully made.


You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14

Seasons change

Seasons shift, daylight waxes then wanes, as nature slowly changes her face. Autumn ushers in crisp, chilly mornings and evenings. There is a shortening of days and a lengthening of shadows. Winter creates a bare landscape bathed in bright, pure light. Spring is a time of re-growth and new possibilities. While summer is a time of long days during which the rich fullness of those possibilities can fully blossom. The changes in the seasons are like the cycles of our lives... the ups and downs, the light and the darkness, the cold and the warmth. These changes in life are what shape the very core of who we are. It's our experiences, our seasons, that make life so great, and that make our GOD SO GOOD. In each season, there is a prevalent mood that can inspire reflection. Don't miss this season... God's beauty is so often expressed in change, in growth, and in mystery.

Subway

I was reminded of something that happened to me about a year ago... I wanted to share this story with you, it is such a great reminder to me, hopefully it will be to you as well...

Stress... I was stressed. And in a hurry. Trying to get somewhere and get there quick. I had to stop and get food. I promptly stopped in at the Subway right near my apartment and got a sandwich. I got back into my car and headed toward the highway. As I pulled up to the light near the interstate, I saw a man sitting in the median. He wasn't very old, maybe 30 or so, with a long hair and an unshaven face. He looked unkempt, but not crazy. In fact he almost looked embarrased that he was having to beg. He held a sign written on a scrap of cardboard, it read "hungry, will work for food". Without even thinking at all, I reached into the passenger chair and grabbed the Subway bag. I rolled down the window and stuck out my arm with the sandwich.

"Hey man, you hungry?" I yelled out at him. Quickly he jumped up, ran toward my car, and thanked me for the food that I handed him. I smiled, "God Bless" I said, and I rolled up my window.

Before the window was even fully rolled up, I let him in. No, not the hungry man... Satan. Satan didn't just come into my head, he bombarded it. I started stressing... even more than before. Thoughts raced through my head... "How could I have just given away my sandwich, grrrrrr! Now I am going to have to stop again!" "I am going to be even later to bible study than I was already!" "I am starving!" "You were trying to save money, now you gotta go spend another $5 on another sandwich!"

STOP...silence... what was I doing? I can't believe I just convinced myself that helping out someone in need was wrong?!? At that moment, I composed myself, and prayed.

I stopped in the shopping center near my destination to pick up another Subway sandwich. I ordered and went to pay. As I was almost out the door, I realized that I had forgotten to get my subway stamp (I don't think they have these anymore, but you used to collect 8 stamps on a card and then you would get a free sandwich). I turned around and walked back to the counter and asked the man for my stamp. "Oh, sure" he replied, as he winked and handed me EIGHT STAMPS.

As I walked away from that Subway with a sandwich in one hand and enough stamps to get me a free sandwich in the other, I realized that I had just learned one of the most valuable lessons I could have ever learned.... God will provide. To this day, I have those eight stamps hung on the wall in my bathroom so that I am reminded each and every day that serving God is not easy. Sometimes serving even requires sacrifice, but no matter what, if my heart is pure and I serve in a way that is glorifying my Lord, then I don't have to worry. I can't let Satan in.

If I am in His will... He will provide.

Buds

The rain comes down from the sky. Not hard, but constant, as if it will never cease. The cascade pounds down, covering every inch of the ground. The much needed water is sucked up into the earth, absorbed liked a sponge under a running faucet. The sponge fills until it can fill no more. The water runs off the earth and down, collecting in a puddle. Saturated... wet...heavy. The tree's brown bark is so wet it appears black. The branches that had once been stripped naked by winter reach up to the sky, pleading for the clouds to open and for the sun to appear. At the tips of each branch, there is a tiny little green bud, pushing its way out... for life... for growth... for Spring. The colorful buds shout out while the rest of the earth is silent... they remind us...

The buds remind us that growth will come in the darkness of storms. They remind us that we should have hope, even when we feel as if the downpour will never stop. They remind us that beauty lies within everything and everyone on God's great Earth... sometimes we just have to look for it.

My Shamrock

My shamrock is not lucky,
It's not put on display,
My shamrock is not big or bold,
But in me year round it stays.

My shamrock is not magic,
It's not for me to hide,
Instead it just reminds me,
Of what I have inside.

My shamrock is not a four leaf,
Instead there's only three,
St. Patrick used the clover,
To teach the Trinity.

My shamrock is a symbol,
Of all that I believe,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
And the gift that I receive.

Can guys and girls really be JUST friends?

Excerpt from When Harry Met Sally...

Harry Burns: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally Albright: Why not?
Harry Burns: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form - is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally Albright: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry Burns: No you don't.
Sally Albright: Yes I do.
Harry Burns: No you don't.
Sally Albright :Yes I do.
Harry Burns: You only think you do.
Sally Albright: You say I'm having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry Burns: No, what I'm saying is they all WANT to have sex with you.
Sally Albright: They do not.
Harry Burns: Do too.
Sally Albright :They do not.
Harry Burns: Do too.
Sally Albright: How do you know?
Harry Burns: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally Albright: So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry Burns: No. You pretty much want to nail 'em too.
Sally Albright: What if THEY don't want to have sex with YOU?
Harry Burns: Doesn't matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally Albright: Well, I guess we're not going to be friends then.
Harry Burns: I guess not.
Sally Albright: That's too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York.

So what do you think? Can guys and girls really be JUST friends?

Texas Dictionary

While I live in Dallas, sadly I will admit that I do not really have an accent at all. However, I work with several "real" Texans. A co-worker of mine (from NE Texas, near Texarkana) shared a book with me, The Illustrated Texas Dictionary of the English Language, to help me to understand him. I thought I might share a few, they were pretty funny...

yew- used to refer to the one or ones being addressed
"Yore one of them girls, ain't yew?"
warsh- to cleanse by running or scrubbin in water
"Pardon me, ah'm gonna warsh mah hands."
all - petroleum
"They found all on mah land!"
doll - the process used to operate a telephone.
" Why that's alot of numbers to doll long distance!"
banes- large, smooth kidney shaped, edible seeds.
"Ah could eat mah weight in pinto banes."
slave- the part of a garment covering an arm only.
"Are you saying mah left slave is shorter than my right slave?"
paypal- no, not the way to pay on ebay, this is a body of persons.
"Where'd all them paypal come from?"
kaint- contraction for "can not"
"Stop it! Yew kaint do it that way!"
sep - to obmit or bar.
"Everyone can go sep yew!"
are- sixty minutes
"Ah'll meet yew there in about an are."
kwat - free from noise or disturbance.
"Be kwat; yawl are makin' too much noise!"
and last but definitely not least...
bear - a fermented liquor brewed from malt and flavored with hops.
"All ah had was one bottle of bear."

What can I say but God Bless TEXAS!

I can do it.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

Left and Right

You went left and I went right,
Never knowing of what wasn't in sight.

The past of youth was a winding road,
Paths cross but there were seperate loads.

The walk alone shapes and molds the heart,
To find a new path on which to start.

One and one will always equal two,
I know we are some of the lucky few.

You'll have left and I'll take the right,
Night then day, day and night.

Their place once empty, now there's two,
I was just keeping it warm for you.

Carpe Diem

What lies within you? Now, I am not referring to your resume, or your past experiences, how you look, or what other people think of you... I am talking about that thing that lies deep within your soul... the thing that makes you strong when you think you can't be strong any longer, the thing that makes you reach when what you are reaching for looks too far away, the think that makes you believe in yourself when no one else can, or the thing that makes you keep dreaming when everyone else thinks your dreams are crazy. To find your passion is to unleash your excellence. And to unleash one's excellence is to find more than success... it is finding yourself. The past is gone, and the future isn't here yet... so all we really have is the present. What are you gonna do with yours?

Why are they so different?

I was chatting with some girl friends yesterday about how differently men and women communicate. When I got home I pulled out one of my favorite note books from college, my notes from "Gender Communications" class. I thought I would share a few things I had written down...

Men take up more physical space when sitting or standing, arms and legs stretched away from the body.
Women tend to sit with arms and legs toward their body, like crossed at the ankle or knees.

Men tend to display frowning and squinting when listening.
Women display smiling and head-nodding when listening.

Men try to solve problems.
Women try to match troubles by relating similar negative experiences.

Men have a more analytical approach to problems.
Women have a more emotional approach to problems.

Men are less likely to ask for help with their problems.
Women are more likely to ask for help and more likely to accept it.

Men are more task oriented "What is everyone going to do?"
Women are more maintance oriented "Is everyone alright?"

Men are more likely to yell, shout and swear to release anger.
Women are more apt to cry when angry.

Men speak in a louder voice and they use loudness to emphasize points.
Women speak in a softer voice and they use inflection to emphasize points.

Men talk more about what they did, where they went and less about relationships with others.
Women talk more about how they feel and more about relationships with others.

Men make direct accusations (i.e., "You don't call").
Women make more indirect accusations. They use "why", which sounds like nagging (i.e., "Why don't you ever call?")

Men use more interjections when changing topics (i.e., "Hey!", "Oh", "Listen!")
Women use more conjunctions when changing topics (i.e., "and", "but", "however")

Men interrupt others more and allow fewer interruptions.
Women interrupt others less and allow more interruptions.

Men rarely discuss their personal life in business.
Women tend to establish more business relationships through discussing their personal life.

-If you want to know what I think... God created us different like this so that he could sit back in his recliner at the end of the day and chuckle... God sure does have a sense of humor, doesn't He?

Thirsty

Parched. Dry. Dehydrated. The soil beneath her is cracked, barren, and dead. The tiny fractures in the ground divide the once fertile land into hundreds of little chunks, each longing for moisture. She feels as if she is choking as she tries to swallow, her tongue stuck to the back of her throat, sticky and dry. The once wet pallet is now longing for water...yearning for water...thirsting for water... needing water more than she has ever needed something before. She tries to get up, but stumbles, too weak from dehydration. One knee at a time, she crawls slowly... searching... longing.

In the distance she hears a faint trickle. With barely any strength left, she lifts her head to see if what she hears is true, or merely an illusion. There, in front of her was a stream among the barren land. As she nears, she beomes thirstier and thirstier, no longer just the thirst of her body, but thristy deep within her soul, for this the living water. When close, she cups her hands and dips them into the water... cold, wet, and refreshing. The water ran down her throat, soaking her once parched tongue. She drank, and the water never ran out. She washed, and her soul was cleansed. She drew near, and she was satisfied... never to be thirsty again.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalms 42:1-2

Stars

The darkness of the evening sets like heavy curtains closing across the most magnificent stage. The day bows, slipping behind the curtain as the applauding fades and the silence of night begins. I lie in the brittle grass of winter staring into the vastness of the sky, nothing obstructing my view. The stars don't just twinkle, they flicker like the flame of a candle lighting up a room. The perfect placement of each gem in the sky is beyond my understanding, the work of the most skillful jeweler. His work is beautiful, majestic, flawless, and yet unseen by many. So often I let the lights of the city obstruct my view... man-made lights, my lights, not like His. My God has created these gems, these stars, like promises in the night ...the darker the night, the brighter they shine.

Journey's Faithfully

So, last night I went to dinner with a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. We enjoyed some good ole Pei Wei and then decided to stop by the new local ice cream shop Pokey O’s (for those of you who live in Dallas, I highly recommend it- It is in Park Cities Plaza at Mocking Bird and 75). My friend and I get our AMAZING ice cream sandwiches and then we sit down, I set my purse down on the table, and we ate. We said our goodbyes and we got in our cars to leave. As I put the keys in the ignition, I was delighted to hear Journey’s “Faithfully” come on the radio. Immediately, I got super pumped up… there is something special about being in the car by yourself and hearing a great song. In the music lover’s handbook, it clearly states when songs like Journey’s “Faithfully” come on, you are required to turn it up and sing at the top of your lungs… so I wouldn’t want to go against the handbook! And let me just tell you, I was BUSTIN’ IT OUT, crazy Journey voice and all! Being the sweet girlfriend that I am, while singing this song, I was reminded of my boyfriend who once started a group sing-along of “Faithfully” at a bar (classic moment for a later blog entry). I decided that I should call him to tell him that the song was on, so I reached in my open purse to get my phone and I realized that his name was on the phone screen… oh it gets better…the timer was going on about 10 min.

I put it to my ear “Hello?” I asked.

“Hey baby!” He said with a chuckle.

“Did I just call you? I was going to tell you that Journey’s Faithfully is on the radio, can you hear it?”

“Oh yeah, I heard it, and so did Matt, Vance and Kelly (his co-worker, his boss, and his boss’s wife). You were on speaker phone!”

I WAS MORTIFIED!!!!!!

God Bless Texas!

Oh by the way... I totally forgot to mention that today is a very special holiday...

It's March 2nd, Texas Independence Day !

"We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations."
- from the Texas Declaration of Independence signed March 2, 1836

"Independence is declared; it must be maintained."
Sam Houston - March 2, 1836

The Interview with God

I know you have probably all seen this before... but it is one of my favorites. Everytime I watch it I am touched by God's majesty, and by his great beauty...

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/

Ash Wednesday

I am sinful, I am guilty, I am low.
I am rotten, I am broken, I am blemished.
I am hungry, I am needy, I am lonely.
I am wrong, I am unworthy, I am ashamed.
I feel remorse.
I mourn.
I repent.
I sacrifice.
He sacrificed.
He saved.
I am saved.

Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:6