Finals have a way of sucking the fun out of life.

My deepest and profound apologies the -3 of you who read my blog-- I am 47 pages and 2 exams shy of completing this semester-- pray me through this and I'll be back as soon as possible!

Stuck in a Mon-daze.

Ohhhh mondays.

I wouldn't dread the first day of the American work/school week if it didn't entail sitting at the office till 5 followed by class till 7:30.

Tuesday thru Friday are either solely dedicated to work or school, and when I'm done I can shut my brain off, go home, and take time to reorient my brain for the next day and it's challenges.

But...Mondays have an upside.
at 7:30 i get a ride home in a car i don't have to drive, eat a dinner that i don't have to cook, snuggle with a husband I haven't seen all day, and watch a new episode of the Event which I haven't seen in a week.

and, best of all, I don't have to wake up and do another Monday for another 7 days:)

~~~~

Currently, I'm sitting in Med Mal, law school slang for medical malpractice. Over the course of the semester I have come to one conclusion regarding this class: mixing lawyers and doctors is a bad idea. Generally ((not always)) it involves two of the most heartless, money-hungry, desensitized, generally amoral people you could possibly imagine fighting it out in a court room. Our time and money would be better spent putting two dogs in a cage and letting them fight it out ((which is essentially what happens anyway)) to determine a winner in a a malpractice case.

blah.

I don't want to be a lawyer.

~~~~

As a sidenote, Med mal generally= tetris. lots and lots of tetris.

I'm on the verge of ranking down in Arena. That shouldn't mean anything to you...if it does, you are as desperately in need of a tetris intervention as I am. In searching for tetris images I happened on a few of things that caught my fancy:

Tetris item #1: Tetris skirt.

Originally thought this was a bag, which was more appealing to me. However, the tetris image is painstakingly awful. I hope the person that created that tetris layout was 4 years old and blind. If I ever owned this, it would haunt me unceasingly.

Tetris item #2: Tetris necklace.

Love this, would never wear it obviously, but love it.

...ok. maybe i would wear it at home.

...or when I went out once in a while...possibly.

Tetris item #3: REAL LIFE TETRIS GAME!

This, I simply need.

Jonathan and I would probably never leave the house again.

So maybe what I actually need is to never EVER have this.

Good night all, enjoy your evening. I'm looking forward to being only ONE hour away from the best part of my day :)

A time to keep silent and a time to speak

I am, and have always been considered, a fairly outspoken indivdual. Not afraid to state my case or my mind. Thankfully, suprisingly, (and painstakingly) law school has humbled me and made me virtually shy in some respects. I have a hard time fitting in to this newly developed "nook" sometimes, but I think it is for the best. I think before I speak more frequently. And Iam finding that I listen better. But for all the good it's done for me in some ways, it's take a toll on me in others. I don't stand up for things as passionately or trust my brain as surely as I used to for fear of being wrong or, worse yet, for fear of being verbally and mentally beaten down by someone who knows more that i do. In law school, a great variety of topics come up that merit heavy debate. However, as liberalism has a virtual monopoly on my school (and, as it seems, my generation), the debate rarely arises. While I often consider myself a donkey/elephant crossbread (a delephant?), I hold several conservative opinions upon which I do not waiver. If I could wind back the clock this semester I would kick myself a handful of times for not speaking up when I know I should have. Not in defense of a political party, but in defense of justice, of rightness, of the Gospel.

My prayer is that the Lord would give me the strength and wisdom to find the balance between:

Proverbs 17:27-28 - A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

and...

Hebrews 13:6- So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven... a time to keep silence and a time to speak."

Ecc. 3:1-7

I don't blog when I most need to-

It's a fact. The more I have to say the more the less I blog and the more my husband gets his ear talked off. Thankfully he is patient and loving and far more level-headed than I.

In short, my world has recently been shifting and changing steadily ((and without my permission, I might add)). When I graduated college I was passionate, motivated, idealistic. And, honestly, I really liked myself that way. I began a journey that, at the time, felt so clearly laid out before me, it was as if i could do nothing else. I applied and was accepted to law school and started my first year last fall. Now, nearly halfway through my second year, the path is fading. I know that this is where the Lord wants me. He brought me here, ONLY the Lord could have brought me here. Recently, though, I have been so tired and frustrated and confused. I spend too much time wondering what I'm doing here and pleading with God to tell me what it's all going to amount to. But this is a new part of the journey, the part where he only lays down one brick at a time. The part where he only gives me what I need to get through this day. The part where he teaches me to stop looking at 3 years from now and all the students with better grades than me and the lack of jobs available and JUST look at Him.

I guess I have forgotten something very critical:
I don't know about you, but I am living for something much MUCH bigger than myself.
I do not live for myself, but for my Creator.
My goal is not so small as to be comfortable.
And for those of you who don't know, for those of you who have come to believe that living for yourself is the greatest joy, take it from someone who has been on both sides of the fence- there is one GREATER.
When I wrap myself up in His heart, His causes, His people, His Word- I become myself again. I become what I was designed to be.

Remember who you are. Remember what you are created to be and do and , I promise, the other things just fall into place.

"For he chose ((me)) in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, he predestined ((me)) to be adopted as ((a daughter)) through Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will." Eph. 1:4-5

Who are you?

Birthdays, Books, and Bonassos

First of alll...

a happy belated BIRTHDAY to my wonderful, loving, incredible, darling, favoritist in the WORLD hubby:)

He turned a whopping 23 years old (...yesterday:/) and it was so exciting to celebrate the first birthday together as a married couple. We took half a day off of school (shhh!) and headed to Pittsburgh for the day. We ate some delicioussss food at the Cheesecake factory and then browsed around the mall. The initial plan was to bum around the Southside and the Strip District,but the weather made that a little difficult. didn't matter- a day spent with him is fun-

rain or shine:)

Yesterday I was thinking...few people spend they're 23rd bday with a spouse these days...we got married young according to most standards. I don't advocate one way or the other, for us it was PERFECT timing (as God's timing usually is...:)

But as I was thinking about it, I started listing the current and future benefits to getting married young:

1) More time with the love of your life (duh:)

2) Get a head start on the big time anniversaries-- (Lord willing, I dream of our 75th:)-- I'd be 98!)

3) Hopefully get to spend lots of time with children and grandchildren and maybe even GREAT grandchildren!

4) I like when people react like we are total crazies. ("YOU'RE marrrrried???") Yup!

5)We get to adjust to life with no income first, so that when hard time do come in the future, we know that our foundation is not made of money.

6)We get to experience law school and young-adult life TOGETHER :) Which will hopefully mean that we will grow together and understand each other better in the long run.

...Oh, there are more, SO many more:)

But anyway, a GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my forever love!

~~~~~~~~~~

A little side note/tid bit-- I've been reading this book lately.

I know you'd think that the last thing a law student wants to do in her free time is READ...

but the opposite is true! ...At least for me:)

I stole this book ( on accident) when I was student teaching at Bridgeport High School 3 years ago.

The AP English class I was observing was reading it. It has sat, untouched, on my bookshelf since then, and I finally decided to give it a go.

It's an excellent bathroom book.

Have I mentioned that the bathroom is my favorite place to read?

Well, it is.

Don't judge:)

~~~~~~~~~~

And lastly...

Tonight we're grabbing dinner with these beautiful people:)

Meet...the Bonassos!

Mr. B was J's roommate for a couple years in college, and Mrs. B was a great friend of ours:)

It was pure magic when the two of them came together.

They were married just 4 months before we were.

Since then, they have moved too Charleston----waaay to far away from us!

But they're coming for the WVU game this weekend, and we are so looking forward to seeing them tonight!

Side note#2:

In 2008 I spent the summer in China with these lovely folks and 6 other dear friends- it was truly the time of my life! I'm fairly sure this picture was taken there...because I'm specifically remember Mr. B buying those sunglasses in the market. I then promptly broke them.

My bad.

Much love to all of you, may you all have a glorious weekend!!

Litany

This poem and this little boy have been stuck in my head for the past few days- let the lovely words shrouded in his precious innocence sink in- enjoy :)


Three year old boy reciting "Litany" by Billy Collins

LITANY

by Billy Collins

You are the bread and knife,

the crystal goblet and the wine.

You are the dew on the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun.

You are the white apron of the baker,

and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However you are not the wind in the orchard,

the plums on the counter,

or the house of cards.

And you are certainly nit the pine-scented air,

there is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.

it is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,

maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,

but you are not even close

to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show

that you are neither the boots in the corner

nor the boat asleep in its boat house.

It might interest you know,

speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,

that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,

the evening paper floating down an alley,

and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees

and the blind woman's tea cup.

Bot don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife.

You are still the bread and the knife.

You will always be the bread and the knife,

not to mention, the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.

Come to think of it...

I can't...
throw a spiral.
believe how much stock people put in evolution.
follow politics.
wait for the new Narnia movie to come out.
stay up late anymore.

I still...
eat cottage cheese and peaches.
use the finger trick for my "nine" times-tables.
can't believe I'm married to the love of my life.
think the String Theory is going to change the world.
miss my Pappap.

I tend to...
bite my nails.
be very picky about the water I drink.
always order the same thing at restaurants.
own up to my mistakes.
exaggerate.

I don't...
care to much for shoes.
know which songs belong to which artists.
like the smell of pickles.
remember birthdays.
play sports.

I bring...
a different perspective to the conversation.
my laundry home.
my lunch to work.
a smile to my husband's face.
good news.

I hate...
gaining weight and not doing anything to fix it.
movies with sad endings.
letting people down.
group projects.
this office phone that won't stop ringing.

I've learned...
to live on a budget.
loads about myself in law school.
nothing about Property Law or Insurance.
how to file a complaint and an expungement.
what Grace is :)

I've changed my mind about...
the death penalty.
seafood and tomatoes.
having a career.
higher education.
pen preferences.

What about you? :)

All by myself :)

There are two kinds of "alone" when you're the only one working in the whole office on Friday...

the sad-mopey-deep sigh-nothing to do-lame-o-blah-I'm soooo bored-is it 5:00 yet?-drooping eyelids- wish someone would text me back- I'm hungry-this day sucks kind...

or...

the what a wonderful day to do silly things-see how many games of tetris I can play- revel in the fact that I have extra time to get my work done-i brought a yummy lunch today-smile just because you love your husband-talk to yourself-so glad it's almost the weekend-glad I don't have any one to answer to- get to sit in the big office- get excited about every client who comes in to sign a document or make a copy-love your life kind.

I pick number 2.

To anyone who is all by themselves--Have a lovely lonely day:)

New Season

*Sigh*

I desperately wish I had pictures to post for you guys...but for some reason my Blackberry won't send my pictures to my email anymore. I think it's mad at me for dropping it in the toilet :(

Well, it's Wednesday of week 1, year 2. I am officially a 2L.

The past few days has been a great balance of work, friends, family, and home. The first week is always jam packed with assignments, so before you even step foot in a class room- you've got a pretty substantial work load to deal with.

Case law can be a little hard to adjust do. If you generally read a page a minute, case law will slow you down to 5-10 mins per page. A 10 page reading assignment in some classes can take an hour or more. Poor Jonathan is experiencing that phenomenon for the first time. He is putting hours and hours of work in, only to find that he's only read a handful of pages. keep chugging along, hubby! it'll get easier, i promise!
plus you'll always have my love, support, and snuggles:)

So while we've spent many hours staring at our books, we've made time for lots of other things as well!
Including...

Shopping with Mommy (who lovingly bought the CUTEST fall outfit:)
Dinner with the family (yummy steaks, broccolli casserole, and CHEESEcake!!)
Hanging out with old friends and making new ones (a 1L welcome part at lazy lizard, dinner with Jonathan's new friend Jason, cookout at Mina's)

and lots more!

I hope this whole semester moves along smoothly and remains balanced.

Time to unload.

Hello Bloggers,
i have missed you so!

I have so much to say, I doubt most of you will read to the end, and I'll understand if you don't. There will likely be no pictures, as I have taken none recently. So for those of you who really really love me, read on...

Well, in my last post I mentioned that I have had a lot on my mind, and that is the truth. A great load was lifted yesterday when i completed my seminar paper. Earlier this summer I took a piece-of-cake juvenile justice class to get some credits out of the way. I actually really enjoyed is and feel that I learned a lot from it, but it was only 6 weeks and very little was required of us. Aside from attending a reading a case here and there, we had to write one paper. At first, it didn't concern me at all, I was actually looking froward to writing it! I had spent a year writing legal memos and the technicality and specificity of it was stifling to me. The opportunity to write your garden variety research paper was a welcomed relief. Unfortunately for me, the prof gave us all summer to write it. I'm one of those put things off till the last, and I mean very last, minute people. I'm not proud of it and I am working hard to change it. Regardless, for me "all summer" meant the 2 days before it was due. I don't know if you guys have ever tried to write a 20-pager in 2 days, but it's difficult. and mind numbing. and exhausting. and it makes you hate law school and wonder why you ever did it in the first place.
but i finished it, by the grace of God. So glad that he is faithful even when I'm not.
While the paper was definitely a stressor for me, I've had a lot of bigger things on my mind as well. Here's a little background:
When Jonathan and I were dating, there came a point when we had to seriously weigh our priorities and decide if God had designed the two of us to be together. There was no question that we loved each other, but the reality was- we were two incredibly different people. Jonathan's heart was to be a lawyer and have a big house where we could always host people and to budget our money carefully so that we could be generous givers. My heart was to work with sexually trafficked women and travel and not worry about money. We couldn't understand how the Lord could weave these two dreams into one reality. But we prayed and consulted friends and mentors and at the end of the day, we trusted that the Lord was good, that He was bigger than us, and that He had a beautiful plan for our future.
Fast forward a year and a half- we're married, we're settled into our apartment, both of us working our way through law school and life...
and I am finding that I am fearful.
Suddenly, I didn't trust. I didn't understand how anything was going to work out. I knew we could have a wonderful life together, but would I get to do the things I'd always dreamed of doing? Would Jonathan and God forget or ignore my heart's greatest desires?

Thankfully, the Lord never forgets our needs. A couple of posts ago, I mentioned the Whitlocks. They came for a visit a few weekends ago, and my heart was so filled just my seeing their faces!After a lovely afternoon of visiting and eating, Jonathan and I had an opportunity to sit down with Craig privately and discuss our future with him. The blessing that he was to us was more of an encouragement than I have felt in a long time. Craig is, essentially, Jonathan and i blended together, he was able to cast such a beautiful vision for our future. He gave us just a quick glance to the the kind of things that the Lord could have in store for two people like us.
He also reminded me of something very simple and very important, "Chelsy, honor and love your husband."
I realized I had only been thinking about myself, and that is the opposite of what marriage is. Rather than wondering if Jonathan's needs were being met or caring about what he wanted our future to look like, I was thinking about what I was going to get out of the deal, wondering when I would get my share.
Anyone out there who is still magically reading this, if you listen to nothing else, hear this: If you want your marriage to not only work, but thrive and grow, LOVE your spouse more than yourself. Consider what that means and ACT on it.

So where we are now: Jonathan and I agreed a while back, before we were married, that when he graduated law school, we would spend one year overseas. We didn't know where we would be going or what we would be doing, but we knew that this was a step of faith we wanted to commit to.
Talking with Craig reignited our hearts for that year and what it will bring. It's been on my mind a lot recently, and it's sparked other thoughts as well. Thoughts of future and family. Thoughts if what the next 50 years, Lord willing, will bring.
So please pray, our hearts are so full as we go into this school year. We are just beginning to learn all kinds of things, some of them exciting, and some of them scary. Please pray for our peace and our renewed faith in the Lord and His goodness.
Love you all:)

Writer's block?

I think I just realized I have a sort of unspoken rule about not putting up a new post until the previous one has been commented on :)

As for today...
Somehow I have plenty on my mind, but nothing to really say.

Maybe if I let everything sit inside my brain for a little while, the words will come out better :)

Life is so full. God is so good.

99 things

I found this list over at After I do who, i believe, got it from La Blondie Peruana. I thought it was cute, so here goes! BOLD are the things I have done, italics are the things I would greatly like to do some day :)

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited Hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more to charity than you could afford to
7. been to Disney
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sung a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited Paris
13. watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen Niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an Amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing (on fake rocks- does that count?)
40. seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. visited Africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the Sistine chapel in person
50. been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theater
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited Russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. been sky diving
66. visited a concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the Lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in London
77. broken a bone
78. been a passenger on a motorcycle (aaaand a driver, thank you very much :)
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the Vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in Jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. kissed a stranger at midnight on new year’s eve
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. gotten a tattoo
94. had a baby
95. seen the Alamo in person
96. swam in the great salt lake
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

I know it's only Wednesday,

But i'm already looking forward to this weekend :)
It will consist of...

Spending time with family

and new family! my sister-in-laws are coming too!

playing and snuggling with Shug, the new family addition!

eating yummy lamb and chicken

and hanging out at the pool, soaking up my virtual last chance at a tan before school starts :(

and MOST excitingly...

Have you ever seen a more beautiful family??

These are the Whitlocks (sans the parents). They have been living in Mozambique for a year and are finally home. From day 1 I have watched this family and thought to myself, I hope Jonathan and I can raise a family like that. A BIG family. Beautiful, respectful, God-following children. Ready to go and follow the Lord wherever he calls. They are such wonderful friends and I have missed them greatly.

All 7 of them will be in Weirton this weekend for our cookout...

...and I cannot WAIT to hug each and every one of them.

Look who's finally here!

Welcome to the family Shug!

Playing with big brother Rufus
Smiling for the camera!

Hello everyone! Isn't my new baby sister the cutest??? Shug joined our family on Saturday, July 31. I can't wait to go to Weirton this weekend and snuggle her up!!

Speaking of weekends...

I just had a great one :) I spent the weekend in Athens, OH with Jonathan's family. It was our first visit as a married couple, and Yia yia even put out the silk sheets for us- haha! It was so great to spend time with cousins and aunts and uncles. We spent lots of time just sitting around and telling stories. Like any family, they are full of quirks and characters, making it all the more fun.

A personal favorite memory from the weekend: yia yia running over to me as I was walking down the stairs to sprinkle Sugar on my head and say (in her rich Greek accent), "Sorry honey, but I have to do this- so you will be sweet your whole life!"

haha! isn't that the cutest??

Have no fear...

...I'm still alive!

I know you have all been sitting at your computers, anxiously awaiting, nearing desperation, calling out to the universe- "WHY hasn't she posted in over a WEEK??"

You can finally exhale.

I usually find a few minutes to squeeze in a post after lunch, but last week my computer was on the fritz. They debugged it, and when i got back on- no blog access. Such a sad day. Fortunately, all has been mysteriously and conveniently restored.

Nerdball #1 and my pops are coming to visit me at my place of business this afternoon, I can hardly wait! ANDDDD they're picking up the new puppy tomorrow- little Shug Avery. Can't wait to snuggle her up!

And lastly, I'm issuing a challenge:
I've been playing a shocking (unhealthy) amount of Tetris lately here.
My current high score is 127,550 which puts me in the 60th percentile. booyah.
Beat me, and I'll... i don't know...do a dare issued by you.

...that could be dangerous.

Happy tetris-ing.

From what I gather, once a month there is some semblance of a Morgantown housing committee meeting thingy. This morning I was fortunate enough to partake. Bear in mind that although I have now attended one of these meetings, I still have no idea what the committee really does. We talked about one code issue (Japanese to me) and then spent the rest of the time coming up with topics to discuss during the next meeting.
It was a roomful of characters, to be sure. I, the hapless, know-nothing, sit-in-for-the-attorney-who-normally-comes-but-can't-because-she-is-currently-in-Baltimore, sitting uncomfortably amongst them. I had only two allies in the room: Brian, the off-campus housing coordinator who I have been working with for the past 2 months, and the Sunny-Side Up Initiative representative girl who was sitting next to me. (I never met her and still don't know her name, but she was about my age and clearly just as intimidated as I was, so I count her an ally).
The rest of the crowd was a hodge-podge of code enforcers, fire chiefs, and local landlords. No one asked me what i thought about anything, for which I was thankful. I think the only thing I offered up aside from my name was a discreet "Mhmm." When Brian mentioned that we had recently taken a tour of a local apartment complex.

All that chitter chatter aside (as I'm sure reading about the meeting isn't anymore exciting than attending it...) one particular topic caught my attention. The committee was discussing ways to reduce crime, excessive alcohol consumption, and destruction of private and public property during the first few days/weeks of school.
Various suggestions thoughts and ideas were bounced across the table, most landing only on the ears of the one who had spoken them. Though everyone wanted to be heard,no one listened...

"They're just dumb kids- their brains aren't fully developed yet, they're just going to do stupid things."
"Well I think the problem is nobody report's anything anymore!"
"If those damn kids would just listen to us instead of walking right past our information booth, maybe they'd learn a thing or two!"
"Ahhh, we did the same stuff when we were younger..."
"No the problem is, parents aren't doing their job!"

and on and on the finger pointing and circle-talking went. No conclusions. No answers. Just a bunch of adults with a lot of bitterness and an unspoken need to pat one another on the back so that everyone went home feeling like they did their job and whatever was left over wasn't their problem.
All the while I was wracking my brain trying to come up with a solution. Working my way logically through the problem: increased crime/chaos during university move-in...must be a motive, so what is it?...kids want freedom, like the idea of being in control of their lives for the first time...

and then *SMACK!*
like a flash of lightning the reality of it all hit me.
Problems like this will never be fixed, because committees like these will never acknowledge the true source of the problem.
Sin.

What these kids need is love. what they need is true freedom. they're all searching and no one is there offering the real answers. so they drink and party and become reckless. They will continue to do destructive things to occupy their time and energy so that they never have to feel alone, or scared, or confused, or abandoned. As long as no one is there telling them that Christ offers true freedom and real love and real healing-- they will continue to follow the exact same pattern year after year after year.
No walking patrol officers or extra lighting is going to fix this problem. Only Jesus.
It breaks my heart that our society won't recognize this. That we will sit in a board room for 2 hours and say virtually nothing while the answer stands as true as it has for centuries.
So while the committee argues over the language of a housing code, I'll be praying, and I ask that you would too. This fall, 1000's upon 1000's of teenagers are going to college. So few of them know "life and life to the fullest." An so few are there to tell them. Pray for these young adults. College is almost always the time in a person's life where they construct the foundation that the rest of their lives will be built on. Pray that they would build on solid rock. Pray that others would come alongside them and tell them and teach them and LOVE them.
Pray that they would come to know Jesus.

I heart...

weekends that feel like vacations :)

Ol' Shirley looked like this on Friday:

Ok...not quite so bad- but she was smokin'!
The outlook is not so good, we think she might be a gonner-

but we're trying to have the right attitude.

We are not entitled to any vehicles, let alone 2.

Having Ol' Shirl' for a couple months was a blessing,
and i know the Lord will continue to provide :)

...but in the meantime, it looks like J is going to have to learn how to drive my standard Mini!

Aside from our car trouble, we had a lovely weekend!

First, my BFF/sister was waiting for me at my house when we got home. We swam and hung out for the first time in ages well into the evening :)

Then there was the Weirton Greek Festival- yummmmmm!
So glad that I married Greek:) these were some of my faaaaaavorites!

Gyros--of course!

Then some baklava...

followed by some Melomakarona...

and finally, my favorite- koulourakia! i could eat 100 of these in a single sitting. As a matter of fact, i had some for breakfast this morning:)

(a reasonable portion size, no?)

Saturday night, we had dinner and wine with family friends- another wonderful evening.

And on Sunday, my favorite princess had her 6th birthday.

Swimming+hot dogs+ birthday cake= perfect Sunday.

Then, riiight before Jonathan and I left on Sunday night, we picked up Dicarlo's Pizza and had ourselves a FEAST! Sadly, we forget the leftovers in Weirton.

And when we finally made it home on Sunday evening, I got to snuggle up with the most wonderful man in the world and fall

happily

contently

peacefully

asleep.

Thanks Jesus :)

Mopey Day

Remember when you were younger and some meat head called you an ugly-pugly face? After school you came home and cried about it to your mom and she said something like, "Don't worry honey, I think you're beautiful." And you felt a little better because someone was hugging you, but deep down you just wanted meat head to think you were beautiful because moms have to say stuff like that...

That's a little part of how I feel today.

I'm just not feeling very loved.

It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault.

No one even called me an ugly-pugly face.

But you know those days when you just feel like you're on everyone's back burner? Everyone's on someone's back burner some of the time, but occasionally the stars and planets align in such a way that lots of people make you feel little all at the same time.

I'm not trying to be a whiny baby head. I know my husband will cuddle me up tonight and tell me that I mean the world to him and that he loves me more than anything in this universe- and he'll mean it. I'm even going back to Weirton tonight to visit my family and I'm sure they'll love me up too. I am blessed with a constant sphere of love ever-revolving around me-- but in this mopey state, it just makes me kinda wanna say:

"Yeah, but you guys have to."

I try to pep talk myself out of bad moods, but it's like talking to a mirror-Who am I to reason with myself?Usually I just understand where I'm coming from and leave me to my wallowing.

BUT there is a greater Spirit that lives within me who can speak truth to the heart. And this is what He has to say:

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3).

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends John 15:13).

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (John 15:9).

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).

If somebody called you an ugly-pugly face to day, or even if they didn't, abide in these truths. Don't let lies and bitterness rule your heart.

Family time :)

Brother and Ray are coming over for dinner tonight!

from left: Widdle Bwudda (Zak), girlfriend (Ray), me, Jonathan

I have always been incredibly close with my family- they are my best friends. Growing up, it was just Zak and I, no other sibs. I cannot even begin to communicate to you how DIFFERENT we are. Nothing about us, aside from our genes, are the same.

I'm a morning person, Zak's a night prowler.
I'm a story teller, Zak is a man of few words.
I'm coordinationally challenged, Zak is athletic.
I like to sing, Zak can't carry a tune in a bucket.
I like to talk things out, Zak likes to wait things out.
I love books, Zak prides himself in never having finished one.
I fall off bicycles, Zak is natural on anything that has wheels.
...Truly, this list could go one forever.

When we were young, we were each other's greastest nemeses. We lived to get under the other one's skin. My childhood was an endless cycle of Zak doing something wrong and me ratting him out--we both usually ended up in trouble.

Nowadays, things are different. College and time and nostalgia do something to a brother and a sister. He looked out for me when I started dating, threatening to kill most guys that came anywhere near me. I started to recognize and appreciate his giving spirit and level-headed advice. When I needed help, he was always the first one there. When I was full of emotion, he would balance me out. Our rivalry morphed into a really spectacular and unique friendship.

So tonight,he and his long time girlfriend Ray (who I love with all my heart!) are coming over for dinner. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time with them, we always do!

Thankful today for wonderful, loving family :)

Everyday when i come home from work at 5:00...

...I have a couple hours to myself before I leave to pick up Jonathan from work at 7. Sometimes I spend these hours playing my piano and singing (my apologies to the people upstairs for the unrequested daily concert...)

Sometimes I watch mindless tv. VH1 or MTV. "You're Cut Off" has been a recent guilty pleasure.

Sometimes I pick up the apartment, do some laundry, make the bed, etc. Now that all our furniture and decor are in place, I take great pride in keeping our apartment clean. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to post some pics of my new home! I'll have to do that soon.

Yesterday, I started getting dinner ready so we could eat as soon as J got home. New recipe, and very very easy:

1)Thaw and tenderize 2 chicken breasts until they are pretty thin

2)Spread cream cheese on each chicken breast

3)Cut up some green peppers and sprinkle it over the cream cheese

4)roll up the chicken, tuck in the sides

5) wrap each breast in 2 pieces of bacon
6) bake on 350-450 until chicken is 165 degrees (all chicken should be this temp!)

goes really well with a side of green beans and a sweet white wine, in my opinion :)

Anyway, while I hope you enjoy this recipe, our dinner wasn't meant to be the focal point of this blog. What I wanted you to know was this: No matter what I do during those couple of hours, I spend every minute counting the seconds till he's back with me. Yesterday I was just soaking in how much I love being a wife, his wife. I mean I love it. I adore my husband and the life we are building together. I love that he feels like home more than a place ever could. I love that he

appreciates every meal I cook,

laughs at every story I tell,

listens to every word I say,

considers every need I have...

I am so blessed.

UnBELIEVably...

the Blackberry has come back to life!!!

Let me just try to communicate how ridiculous this is.

A synopsis of the series of events:

I drop my phone directly in the toilet. *plunk* I reach in and grab it, but before I can take the battery/sim card out, the screen flashes and the phone dies. I'm at work, so I have to leave the phone as is for several hours. On my PRT ride home, I try to put the battery and sim card back in which resulted in more flashing and dying. I get home and check online for what to do. Step one says, "DO NOT under ANY circumstances reinstall the battery until you have put the phone in rice to dry out as it will short and be permanently ruined." arggg.... I now assume there is no hope. When I get home, I bag some rice and toss in my phone just for kicks. After about a day, I reassemble---still dead. Not even a hopeful "flash" this time. I leave the phone in the bag as I cannot bear to toss it just yet.

Then...

TODAY----

THREE DAYS LATER---

For no reason in particular, Jonathan picks up my phone at breakfast this morning, puts it back together...

AND IT TURNS ON AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED!

ok...i'm trying not to get too excited yet...i know water damage can be a slow moving phone disease,but STILL! I have never appreciated this fine little piece of equipment so much!!!

praises :) thank you Jesus.

Poor little blackberry...

I dropped it in the toilet.
and now it can't make calls or take pictures or occupy me on PRT rides.
And then my work computer got a virus today.
Not a good technological day at all.
:(

Souls knit together...

Kaitlin is home.

Kait followed the Lord's leading and left in the fall of 2008 for Venezuela to minister to college students in Maracaibo. She has been faithfully serving there for the past 2 years and is finally home. Few people are fortunate enough to know a friendship like ours. I am so incredibly blessed by her love for the Lord and her presence in my life.

She's finally home and she's coming to visit this weekend--and I can hardly wait!

*a favorite hangout in 2008, the brick wall outside of our apartment :)*

"Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend."

Proverbs 27:9

*My visit to Venezuela during spring break of 2009- It was the first time we'd seen each other since she left*

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Proverbs 27:17

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."

Philippians 1:3

Preeeeesenting.....

My

first ever

BLOG AWARD :)

( I'm a little bit proud of this, can you tell??)

There are some rules to this award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award

2. Share seven things about you

3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs

4. Let your nominees know about the award!

Here goes...

Gracia, Xie Xie, thank you Penny Ann! This award is just lovely :)

7 things:

1-I recently started shopping at Aldi to cut down on the grocery budget. I use recyclable bags and everything.

2-I don't read Harry Potter or Twilight on principle, but I don't doubt that they are addicting.

3-I tried to get my hair to go blond all weekend with lemon juice and Sun-in with less than satisfactory results. I think I might dye it.

4-I'm left-handed which means 70% of what I hand write ends up smeared.

5-I'm unsuccessful at thrift shopping like some people are unsuccessful at fishing.

6-I am more threatened by my peers than by adults.

7-I look terrible in sunglasses.

And I will be passing this blog award to 15 blogs that i quite like:

Dividing Lilies

Crafting Happiness...My Way

the marvelous flight of cara

One Bright Corner

Life. Celebrated Daily.

Alli B Photography

LUXLUCY

Minster Grace

Distributary: To flow away from the main stream

Tea a *HUG* From The Inside

Living a Life of Love

So Far So Great

Joyful Living

Gussying up the Tuttle

A Little Piece of Heaven

Enjoy :)

Thanks again, have a lovely Tuesday all!

Every weekend should be a 4 day weekend :)

What a GLORIOUS weekend!

Friday afternoon I began the trek home with my husband and brother. I was comfortably squashed in the backseat of Ol' Shirley amidst what we HOPE was the last of the clutter we are taking back to store at my parents' house for now. First stop was the Robinson mall to meet up with blogger friend Cara :) What a blessing that turned out to be! Spending time with her was so refreshing and encouraging. It immediately reminded me of a passage I had recently read in Acts about Pentecost. Acts 2:44 says, "All the believers were together and had everything in common." That's how I felt with Cara- we had an immediate connection with each other because we are sisters in Christ- such a deep and beautiful bond. I'm so looking forward to our next meeting!

This picture of us turned out better than I expected, neither of us had cameras with us (bad bloggers!) so Cara took it with her phone!

Then, from Saturday until Monday, Jonathan and I did precious little more than eat, swim, and work on our tans. My aunt and uncle live right next door to us, our backyards connect. Fortunately for us, they recently put in this beautiful new pool!

Elijah and Riane were working on their cannonballs ALL weekend!

While my aunt and uncle were busy installing a pool, my Dad has been busy building this monstrosity. What began as a simple pit in the backyard has turned in a Parthenon. but it makes for some good eatin'! This weekend we had a lamb and 2 top sirloins- yum!

...I wasn't about to miss that greasy hot deliciousness right off the spit, i dove right in!

After a hardy dinner, it was time for some relaxing...

...and then more play time with the kiddos!


...

Last night we ate some delicious Hibachi (my favorite!) with my parents, brother, and brother's girlfriend- our last big weekend "hoorah", and now it's back to reality, *sigh*
:(
At least I have leftovers!

There was one last little surprise however, our new couches were delivered bright and early this morning! I was almost late for work because I was so excited to get everything situated just right. Jonathan's sisters, (now my sisters as well :) are coming over for a couch warming dinner party tonight. Any suggestions on what I should cook??

Oh, and one last thought- I got my supervising attorney hooked on blogging too! go check Mollie's blog out!

Beautiful Things

Who can know the mind of a 5th Grader?

My tech-savvy 1o-year-old nephew was recently asked a series of social interview question on facebook. Ladies and gentelmen, his responses:

Who has changed your life most this year?
No body.

profound.

If you could bring one person back to life who would it be?
Chris Henry

A former wide receiver for the Bengals who was involved in a string of legal troubles during his professional career, including offenses such as driving under the influence, marijuana possession, assault, and criminal damage. Good choice.

How much would you pay to visit the moon?
10 million

reasonable.

What is your greatest fear?
When the lakers beat the Cavs

unreasonable.


Haha! He makes me laugh. I am so looking forward to heading home with Jonathan this weekend to spend some time with the little man and the rest of the fam. J's Dad and sisters are coming in for the 4th too- hurray for large family gatherings, newly installed swimming pools, and giant chunks of meat roasted in the backyard!

Changing gears...

It is a good thing to be able to feel your own heart changing.

Right after the wedding, Jonathan and I both felt ushered into a time of extreme thankfulness in our lives. We became profoundly aware of God's graciousness, faithfulness, and provision. Not only were we seeing our small obedience to God yield infinite blessing, but we were seeing Him redeem sinful, unpleasant parts of our lives and relationship for His glory and our benefit.

But somehow, in the midst of reveling in His goodness, we forgot to trust Him.
What had begun as, "Thank you Lord, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 118
Turned into, "Thanks for everything God, we can take it from here. Please just don't mess anything up. Don't spring any surprises on us!"

I realized that while we were genuinely thankful, we were trusting in our own comfort and contentment rather than God's deep love and perfect provision.

Recently we've encountered some situations and circumstances that range from slightly annoying, to truly difficult. Just life. And I have found myself beginning to practice true reliance on Christ. I am finding that with each day, I become less attached to the things I want or that I think are best. Please don't misunderstand me-- I have far from mastered this! So often I am selfish and childish in my desire to do things MY way. But God does answer prayers, and He deeply desires for us to become more like Him. And so it is in His nature to honor a request to become disenchanted with sin, so that we can fall more in love with Him.

It is good to be able to feel your heart changing--- because it means Something Greater than yourself, Something Beautiful is actively loving and moving within you. And there is no greater feeling!

Blackberry Chronicles: Installment 2

This is our new and QUITE improved laundry room :) For a while Jonathan was calling it the shame dungeon. Anything that we couldn't find a place for, found itself being tossed into the abyss. Our dryer wasn't up and running until Friday, so it really wasn't bothering anyone.

Then, all at once, some profoundly domestic aura fell upon me and I whipped the room into shape while Jonathan fixed our dryer. I wish I had before pictures for you, the "after" shot alone just does not do the place justice.

Not a lot of explaining to do here. My dear friend Mina and I were on our way to our Juvenile Justice summer class, and we just had to sqeeze in a little Starbucks to get our brains functioning.

Grande iced chai. yes. please.

Tee hee. A few month's ago Jonathan's phone went a little cuckoo--but with no insurance and another year to go on the contract, we purchased a GoPhone for the time being. they look like silly little play phones. He can pick between, like, 2 backgrounds and 3 ring tones. So when we saw this sign... i just couldn't resist. He's such a trooper :)

Did you ever crave something so intensely...

...That you simply could not WAIT for dinner time?

pretty pretty.