for kaci.

Reading Kaci's blog today, she said she wished her friends updated more. So this is for you! :)

I really dropped the ball on my list of February thankfuls. :( It really was the best I've had in years.
And BAM! It's just about April. Crazy.

Kaci is pretty awesome. She is hilarious. I pray for her often, especially when I eat peanut butter. :) Speaking of peanut butter, a friend of mine introduced me to Peanut Butter & Co.'s White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter. It's AH-mazing! I gave up sweets for Lent, but it's peanut butter, right?! It's my new favorite snack on a rice cake. YUM! They sell it at Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie. They also have Cinnamon Raisin and Dark Chocolate. Do yourself a favor and go by some. You're welcome. Back to Kaci... she's pretty rad. If you don't know her, you're missing out, especially because she has this awesome little boy in her life now! LOVE HIM! I need to see the g-man soon.

P.S. I played with marbles as a kid, Kaci. I probably didn't do it right, but my cousin and I tried. We were more obsessed with these marble tracks our Papa made us, though. So yes, people played them!

So... I don't know what to blog about. I feel like my life is boring. I'm content with it, though. I really like where things are, and I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am. You're reading this... what do YOU want me to blog about?

I don't like pencils. I despise them. I love a good roller/ball point pen. bic's velocity are my fave. How's that for random?!

We're trying to sell our house. Perfect starter home. You should buy it. :)

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. Anybody with me? Love and hate the convenience of it, but I think I love it a little more than I hate it. Makes it super easy to keep in contact with people at the drop of a hat. I love getting a text that says, "You've been on my mind today. I've been praying for you." That would take days and 44cents to get to me! And the Lord knows that I needed that in THAT moment. So yea, I love it more than I hate it.

I really love the Lord's timing. I catch myself not liking it sometimes, but I am always, ALWAYS reminded that He is faithful. I remember how I wanted things in the past, and when/how He made them happen (or not happen sometimes) was so much BETTER.

Several of my friends are about to embark on some incredible, God-anointed journeys. I praise His for their obedience, for the impact they have made, and the impact they have yet to make. You are all so loved and admired.

I need some accountability.

Let me just say that, so far, February has already blown me away. So far, it's the best in years. Alright, let me reflect on the past few days... or week, rather.

Day 5 continued.
-The Super Bowl commercials made me laugh.

Day 6
-I don't remember anything specific. I'll be honest. So, I'll say it was a good day! I know it was, because I haven't had a bad one yet.

Day 7
Boy, was I blessed this day.

-So many phone calls, texts, facebook comments, etc. to wish me a happy birthday. I am SO LOVED!
-Abundant sunshine & beautiful weather.
-I was able to take the day off and spend it with my sweet hubby, who just happened to have the day off already. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just enjoyed being together. (Sorry for the sap, but it's the honest truth!)
-ICE CREAM CAKE! YUMMMMMM!
-Being with my family.
-Sharing the candles with Granny. It's against my nature not to lick the icing off of them.
-Loving on my sweet nephew. :)

Day 8
-Dinner with friends.
-Being able to look back and laugh about moments that originally weren't so funny.
-A patient husband.

Day 9
-Encouraging, unexpected text messages.
-Girls' night! It's been too long!
-Yummy dinner.
-Left-over ice cream cake.

Day 10
-Productive work days.
-Lunch with my best friend and her hubby at a new establishment.
-Friendly people.
-A quiet Friday night.

Day 11
-My best friend's birthday!
-Great dinner.
-Laser tag!
-Hanging out with my in-laws.
-Lots of laughs.
-Running into old friends.

Day 12
-Christ Community Church. I just love it.
-Serving communion. Love being a part of the Lord's supper. Such an honor.
-More info on the special needs ministry! Can't wait for Access 18:16.
-Gabe Lesley. LOVE.
-LL Cool J just said a public prayer on the Grammy's for Whitney Houston. Major props.
-Naps.
-Doughnuts.
-Hearing Luke Smith sing "10,000 Reasons."
-The new song we learned at church today, "Sometimes."
"Let's risk the ocean, there's only grace."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhdZtejGxQc

Days 2-5.

I'm behind already. Eeek!

Feb. 2
-Gabe Lesley. Sweet little man. Loved meeting him. LOVE him.

-Roses from my mother-in-law just because. Even better - my favorite kind of rose- two-toned. The tips are a different color from the actual bloom. I LOVE those. And those happen to be the kind sitting on my kitchen counter. Sweet Pam.

-Gabe Lesley. He deserves a second mention! So happy for the Lesley family!

Feb. 3
-I walked into the office and heard "Happy Birthday!" from everyone. No, not my actual birthday, but we only all see each other once a week at our meetings. The center table was covered with doughnuts, coffee, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and strawberries. YUM!! So sweet of them. I was craving doughnuts and coffee like crazy that morning! I love my co-workers. And my job. So blessed!

-The fact that Friday starts my actual weekend. I worked in retail for awhile, and I love actually having a weekend. I try to never take it for granted!

-Running errands with David. We always have fun. Grocery store, TJ Maxx, Target... doesn't matter. He decided to steer me at Wal-Mart that night. Never a dull moment with him.

Feb. 4
-Dinner and Wii games with friends. Loved that they hosted us! So sweet!

-Sleeping in.

-The tree in our neighbor's yard is just GORGEOUS! I don't know what it is, but it only blooms a few times a year. So pretty.

-This weather is crazy for February, but it's beautiful. I'll take it!

Feb. 5
-Loving on the little ones at church. I love it. And I love doing it with my best friend.

-Found out they are starting a special needs ministry at our church. Exciting!!

-Reading for fun & NOT studying. So nice.

-Open windows. Sunshine. Fresh air.

-Clean clothes. Thankful I don't have to use a laundromat; though, I'm not above it.

-Officially meeting Cailey. She's awesome! And so sweet! Thank God for great leaders at our church.

FABULOUS FEBRUARY

Alright, so... I'm not the biggest fan of February, BUT I'm determined to stay positive throughout this month. I believe that February can prove me wrong. I believe that my sweet, gracious LORD is bigger than February, and that this year it's going to be FABULOUS! So, I'm trying to extra hard to look for the little things to laugh at, be grateful for, etc. That being said, I'm going to try to make a happy list everyday throughout the month. Keep me accountable!

1. I told one of my co-workers to have a "funtabulous" day. I just love that word. It makes me laugh. And I really want everyone to have a fun/fabulous/fantastic day every day :)

2. The weather was BEAUTIFUL this morning. Absolutely perfect.

3. Rihanna's new song "We Found Love." Yes, it's on my list. The beat makes me happy. It's catchy. It makes me want to sing, dance, clap, and run all at the same time (which I envisioned myself doing and laughed out loud to myself a little).

4. David cooked dinner.

5. I've got some pretty sweet friends and family who help keep me going and know exactly what I need to hear.

6. When I got home, David told me, "We're going to Chill tonight." Dang. He really had to twist my arm for that one. NOT. Mmmm. So good!

7. Walked into Subway, and they were playing "Wannabe" by Spice Girls. Awesome.

8. I get to meet a sweet baby boy named Gabe tomorrow! So excited!

9. Trader Joe's movie theater popcorn. YUM!

10. I made it to 10! My goal was 5!

for your entertainment.

I am the klutziest, clumsiest person I know.

Here's a highlight reel from the past few weeks. (Key word "highlight," as in not ALL that happened.)

1. A few weeks ago I was deep cleaning the kitchen. Our sink is white-ish. The faucet is just white. The spray nozzle is the same as the faucet - no separate sprayer for this sink. I realize it's dirty. I turn it 180 degrees to clean it. I have no clue why, but I got the ingenious idea to put my face right up to it and pull it as I turned it, at full force. I SLAMMED myself in the nose and had to sit down for a minute. That hurt.

2. Last weekend I took my silicone cover off of my phone so that it would fit in my pocket of my dress for a wedding. (For pictures, people, not texting.) As I'm leaving, I feel it in my pocket. I get in the car, and it's not there. We backtrack, we don't find it. There's a small search party. We go back to the car. It's between the seat and the center console. At least we found it!

3. Also last weekend, while heading to the Braves game a group of us decide to take Marta. (Side note, I highly recommend this option if you go to a game this year!) We purchase two round-trip tickets. We go through the gate and wait for the train. As we board the plane, my ticket flies out of my hand. Where does it fly to? Not the ground. Not 5 feet away like in the movies where I can dash after it. Nope. Not me. That little piece of paper goes straight down about 5 feet through a 6-inch crack between the boarding area and the train. Guess who bought a second ticket.

4. I saved the best for last on this one. It's really a tie between this and number 3. Lately, I have been lazy and driven from my house to the park (a whopping .2 miles). It's hot. I'm tired after my run. Etc. Today, I decided to be green and use my 5-minute warm-up walk to go up there. I put my key in the little key pocket of my shorts, turn on my music, and hit the trail. I get back to my front yard, reach for my key, feel it in my fingers (I think) and then it's gone. "It probably bounced off my shoe and landed in the grass or under the car," I think to myself. So I hunt for about 10 minutes. No sign of the key. Lovely. Thank God I have code for my car, so I rummage in it to find something like a plastic credit card (this time it was a hotel key card) as David has previously proved that when the front door is not dead-bolted, we can get in after about 2 attempts with a credit card. (Safe, huh?) Takes me about five times, but I make it in. Woo-hoo. Success. The story, however, does not end there. About five minutes ago, as I finally change out of my running clothes (been home about 1.5 hours), I hear something hit the ground. A pretty, shiny silver key. I am baffled. Speechless. Where on earth was that thing hiding?!

I hope you laughed as much as I did.

I want to be a runner.

I used to run almost everyday. At least 5 times a week. I typically did at least 3 miles, sometimes 5. Confession, I can't even do one full mile right now. It frustrates me. I'm doing the Couch 2 5k plan right now. Partly so that I have a set schedule, partly to see what my abilities truly are. I'm on week three, I think. 2 repetitions of: run 1:30, walk 1:30, run 3:00, walk 3:00. I have timed out on 3 out of 4 3:00 running stretches. It's annoying. I always punish myself by running during my walk time, and I add all the time I "took off" back to the end of the routine. And I run it. I'm mad at myself, but I do it.

It might sound like I'm complaining, but here's the good part. For a long time, I have tried to think of people who "can't" run and run for them. This really humbles me and pushes me. Sometimes it's my granny. Or my uncle who had knee surgery recently. Or Christopher Reeves. Or someone I saw that day in a wheelchair.

Today, it was Adam Hubbs. Who is Adam Hubbs? Adam is a 16-year-old boy battling a rare blood disorder, who also recently suffered a stroke, paralyzing his left side. He lives in Illinois. I've never met him. David and I were watching ESPN the other night when they aired a segment on different athletes from different sport granting "wishes" from kids who are part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. By the end of the segment, tears were streaming down my face. This kid grew up playing football. Even as a little league-er he dreamed of going pro. (Ok, so a lot of kids do, but that's besides the point.) Slowly, that was all stripped of him. But here he is, 16 years old, walking around as best as he can and trying to live fully.

That wasn't always the case, though. If you watch the segment, you'll hear this kid talk about how he wanted to die. He couldn't take anymore. He was miserable. And then he turned. Maybe he doesn't always have a 100% positive outlook everyday, but something he said really got to me and pulled on my heart:

"I guess God picked my because I'm strong enough and other people aren't."

Very simply put, but what courage and humility did that take! Yes, I should be grateful to be ABLE to run. Even more-so, I am grateful that God picked me for the life I've had. In my flesh, I would go back and change a lot of things. A LOT. I still get mad about things that have happened to me and to those around me in the past. But in my heart, I "know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." Romans 8:28.

I also know that God never promised things would be easy. In fact, he says the opposite!

"I have told you these things, so that me you may have peace. In this world YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

People say the road isn't always easy. Honestly, it rarely is. But how pretty the roads in heaven!

For Adam's segment with Tim Tebow:

My Wish: Adam Hubbs meets Tim Tebow - ESPN

Oh, how He loves us so...

Everytime I hear this song, I cry. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

The first time I heard this song was the night that Heaven gained a new angel (Hey, Heath!). This was so hard to hear... "But Lord, he's gone... you took him from us..." were my first thoughts when it began to play. Yet somehow, I became overcome with the desire to reach to the heavens and worship. Though I didn't understand God's plan or why things happened, I knew without a doubt He loved me... I've always known it, but I know many of us needed reassurance that night. I think we got it.

Now, nearly a year later, that song still makes me well up. My throat gets tight. My eyes get watery. I get a little sweaty. I am overcome and overwhelmed by how completely and unconditionally He loves us, how He loves ME! When I really thought about it, my conversation with God went a little like this:

"I'm a sinner."

"I love you."

"I don't always say nice things."

"I love you."

"My temper gets the best of me at times."

"I love you."

"I wasn't a good example of you today."

"I love you."

"You make me mad sometimes."

"I love you."

"But why?"

"I just love you. Always have. Always will. Nothing, NOTHING!!! will separate you from My Love."

He loves the sinner. He is good when there is nothing good in me. I am only "good" because He is GOOD. I only love because He loves me. I want to love like that.

I was raised never to judge people. My parents and my sisters taught me so well how to do that. I admit I slip up some (a lot of) times. I give a "once-over" to a passerby, and my thoughts go where they shouldn't. I want to see a passerby and look at them and see them as Christ does. Full of awe and wonder and delight and love. I want to whisper prayers to God to bless them on their way.

I am not perfect. I don't even strive for perfection anymore because the only "perfect" that every walked this earth died thousands of years ago. So, I strive to be more like Him. I will never be perfect. I'm okay with that.

Man... can you believe the Love He lavishes over us? It's incredible.

I probably sound like everything in life has always been peachy. That this was an easy road to find and that I've always followed it. Not the case. But I learned a long time ago to look for Him in it all. The beauty in the rain. The way the colors change in a burning flame. The precious smile in the "deformed" person. (I don't like words like that. I put them in "" because I use words of the world.) The intellect and creativity in an autistic. The joy of a child with Down's. The colors of fall. The blooms of spring. The cozy blanket and hot chocolate in the bitter winter. The life after death.

He moves. He breathes. His mercies are new every morning. He wipes our slate clean everytime we cry out His name. He hurts when we hurt. He laughs when we laugh. He holds us when we're mad, even we're mad at Him. He rejoices over us and delights in us, despite our sinful nature.

How great His love for us.

God just made me laugh. As I was trying to pull some lyrics, "How He Loves Us" began to play on Pandora (my favorite version, too!). Thanks, God. I'll take that as affirmation to hit "publish post."

"We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us
Oh how He loves us,

How He loves us all..."