Remember...

...When this was your to-do list? Ahhhhh those were the days!

Weekend Blessings

It's Saturday at 1:15, and my weekend is already fantastic. A few reasons why...

• I had a fun, delicious dinner with my sweetie last night.
• I ran 4.1 miles this morning- especially great because the crazy, gusty wind kept me from barely being able to do 3 during this past week!
• I went to buy a couple things from a certain beauty supply store, coupon in hand. The cashier told me, "This coupon doesn't start 'til tomorrow." She tried it anyway, and it worked!
• One of the things I bought totally works- I'm pretty impressed!
• I stopped at a sandwich shop to get some lunch. The cashier, feeling generous and/or flirty, filled up my punch card, letting me have my sandwich on the house. He even gave me a new card with two punches on it!
• As I write this, my iPod is on its dock, on shuffle. And the random tunes it's selecting are just perfect for the afternoon.

Brunch Hut

One of the first things I loved about Little Bear was his big group of friends.

One of the things I like best about his friends is that the regularly plan fun parties.

One of these types of parties is Vinyl Brunch- a Sunday morning/afternoon of food, drinks, and records. This past Sunday, the brunch was in honor of the host's girlfriend's birthday. The guy hosting it had constructed a rustic canopy where we could eat. It provided shade, let the cool breezes waft through, and housed the sound system. I had to take pics because the structure was just so stinkin' cute. I'm sure it had way more charm than the canopy he had planned to purchase from Target! Also, there were 2 adorable toddlers there. :)

New Orchid

Recently, my boyfriend asked me, "You like that kind of stuff, huh- plants and stuff?" I guess I do. I think orchids are especially interesting, because they look so elegant and delicate, but are not that hard to take care of (in my limited experience, anyway).

This morning I went to the Fort Worth Orchid Society's orchid sale, held at the Fort Worth Botanic gardens. There were so many gorgeous, amazing orchids! Some had huge, bright blossoms. Others had tiny, delicate flowers. Some didn't have any blossoms at all- a great purchase for a patient person!

I got exactly what I came for. With the help of an older lady with painted-on eyebrows, I located Maxillaria tenuifolia: the "coconut cream pie orchid." She parted its leaves so I could lean in to take a whiff of its two tiny flowers. YUM! Tropical deliciousness.

I took it home, admiring its shiny leaves and robust pseudopods (whose function I'm still not exactly clear on). I did a bit of research, and went to find some potting supplies. As I write this, it is happily (I hope) perched on my dresser, near a south-facing window. Take a look!

An Observation on Timing

Sometimes things don't seem to be changing. Day in, day out, they look the same.

But then, in a single day, a lot happens.

Seeing my orchid bloom today reminded me of how impatient we humans can be, and how God has His own timing. However much we try to rush, procrastinate, or prolong things, they will never fail to occur exactly when they are meant to. Lord, help me to be at peace with that fact!

Interwebs

So here are a few sites I've been infatuated with recently, which I highly recommend:

How to Be a Retronaut: Daring voyages into the past via rare photos and video clips. Check out the lovely but haunting Detroit in Ruins.

Sharenator: Pics, Ask, Video... User rankings go up and down based on points they receive on their comments and posts. It seems to be run mostly by nerdy teenage boys who like video games and anime, but it's still fun and funny.

Gives Me Hope: A self-described "FML for optimists," it's sure to brighten your day.

Happy clicking!

Lost & Found

I lost my job yesterday. Quite honestly, I wasn't that surprised it happened, nor was I too heartbroken. The hardest part, I knew, would be that in-between-jobs uncertainty. The challenges would be trusting God, and filling the days to come, so that I wasn't too bored or cabin-feverish.

Yesterday evening, I headed over to my neighborhood Chipotle to grab dinner before a meeting at church. The guy behind me, as I did, had ordered a bowl, to go. The cashier looked up. "Are these together?" He asked. "Nah," I said, "Lost my job today, so I'm not feeling very generous." It was true, but I didn't mean anything by it.

Before I knew what happened, the guy behind me had paid for my dinner! I was so floored, I couldn't even formulate a response, save for getting teary-eyed and thanking him profusely.

I got into my car, still dazed. I felt like God had [lovingly] smacked me and said, "See? You can trust me with this. I will provide for you and take care of you in ways you can't even imagine." That guy was an angel. A bespectacled, Asian angel who likes chicken burrito bowls.

Sullied Snow Day

Nothing kills the buzz of a good snow day off like hearing that one of your co-workers courageously made it into the office to take care of business. Not to mention the fact that she has more business than you at the moment. Rats.

Dreams

I was just telling my co-workers, "I had this dream, where I had to get these routine transfusions of some kind, but the hospital was on a boat, and our boss was the captain, and then there was a hurricane..." Imagine my shame this morning when I saw this cartoon on one of my usual webcomics! Oops!

Daniel Fast: Crossing the Finish Line

"... Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

WOW! Saturday, January 29 was the final day of my Daniel Fast. I am so thankful that I did it, and I am also glad it is over. I have gotten a lot out of this experience.

What I learned about God:

• He's shown me new levels of His faithfulness and power
• He loves me, and wants me to grow stronger in Him
• He provides help and sustenance when it doesn't seem possible

What I learned about myself:

• I can effectively practice self-discipline... when I seek God's help
• I can survive without having the foods I want
• Caffeine, processed carbs, and sugar really had a hold on me
• I'm excited to have my usual foods again, but I'm just as eager to be able to exercise moderation with these foods

Overall, I'm glad I did this fast, and I recommend it highly. It's not just about abstaining from certain foods. It's also about devoting the time to prayer, reading Scripture, and listening to God.

Song of the day

"Airplanes" by Local Natives. I was telling Little Bear about this song, and its awesome accompanying video, this weekend. Here it is!

Whole wheat crepes with fruit and nut compote

OK, I have to brag. I just made the best meal yet on my Daniel Fast! It was beautiful, delicious, nutritious, and surprisingly easy.

I made this recipe, making some substitutions for the sugar, all-purpose flour, and soy margarine with applesauce, whole wheat flour, and vegetable oil. I made the batter last night, covered it, and stashed it away in the fridge.

This morning, I concocted what turned out to be a very tasty topping/filling for the crepes:

-1 C fresh blueberries (or any other berries would be good!)

-1 sliced banana

-A dollop of no sugar added applesauce (maybe 1/3 cup or so?)

-Handful walnuts, crumbled into smaller pieces

-Enough water to make it sort of soupy

-Cinnamon (I didn't have any, but I think it would've been perfect in this.)

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Smush some of the berries with a fork. Heat on high. Allow mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Look for fruit to soften, and sauce to turn purple and thicken up a bit. Spoon into crepes. Roll crepes up. Top with remainder of sauce.

Here's how they turned out!

Daniel Fast: Day 5 Observations

I am now on day 5 of my 21 day Daniel Fast, as you probably guessed by the title of this post. So far, a few things have become very clear to me:

-I eat a LOT more food on this fast! I guess it takes a lot of vegetables, fruits, and nuts to fill me up.

-I also eat much more often- and I normally have 3 meals a day, along with a morning, afternoon, and sometimes evening snack!

-Each day, it gets a tiny bit easier.

-It's surprising how not having my one morning cup of coffee left me with a splitting headache!

-It's great how having a couple ibuprofen with breakfast helps that problem.

-And finally, God is amazing. He's showing me what sustains me; He's providing me with all I need.

Oh, and I heard this song today, and was so encouraged. Enjoy!

Love for the Day

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

-Lamentations 3:21-23

New Year

WOW I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged! I hope you have had a fantastic Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've been thinking recently about New Year's Resolutions, and I couldn't really think of any...until today.

Allow me to share with you what I ate last night- after dinner, mind you:

-A bowl of oatmeal

-A veggie sausage patty

-3 Rocher chocolates

-A 3 oz. cup of Haagen-Dazs ice cream

Needless to say, I awoke this morning with that familiar feeling of "Oh no, I didn't...I did." I don't know how much of my late-night eating is emotional, and how much is a side effect of my nighttime medication, but the entirety of it is, well, not needed. I get plenty to eat throughout the day.

I get a daily devotional email for women, Encouragement for Today, from Proverbs 31 Ministries. Today's edition contained a verse that really resonated with me:

"... make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance..." -2 Peter 1:5a-6a (NIV)

I pondered this verse. I lacked self-control, but it is something that is added to knowledge. Do I have knowledge? Do I have goodness, onto which knowledge is added? I did a Strong's number lookup for both of these virtues. OK, I concluded. I have faith. That's a start.

Then, somewhere online this evening, I stumbled upon the Ultimate Daniel Fast. It is a three week partial fast, based on that of Daniel. It involves abstinence from certain foods, combined with ample prayer time. Call me kooky, but the idea of fasting intrigues me. It is definitely a neglected spiritual discipline these days. Perhaps it can draw me closer to God and away from food for comfort. The website is here, if you want to read about it for yourself.

Just to be sure, I'm going to read the book of Daniel tonight and pray about it. But I'm considering participating in the January 2011 fast, from the 9th to the 29th.

Sooo... anyone want to try it with me? Anyone??

Thank you, internets...

...For the adorable hilarity that is Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Squeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Alexander: "Truth"

This song makes me feel so many different things (inspired, shaken, strong, lonely...) I had to share it. I think it's so honest and beautiful.

Heart at Work

Last week at work, the condensation from my drink dripped onto my call sheet. It formed the shape of a heart! I liked it. I picked it up to show my co-workers, that's why it has that drip from the bottom. Here's a pic:

Best Coast: Boyfriend

This song has been sloshing on the shores of my brain for a couple weeks, like some lazy late-summer wave. Enjoy!

Politeness

I really value politeness. I try to be polite to everyone, but I don't adhere to it at all times. I am a firm believer in the hand-written thank-you note, the timely RSVP, etc. So when was watching a rerun of The Office recently, I cracked up when I heard this quote by Andy Bernard:

You give me a gift? BAM! Thank-you note! You invite me somewhere? POW! RSVP! You do me a favor? WHAM! Favor returned! Do NOT test my politeness.