Glitter

I love those moments where you feel life just pauses, even if just for a few seconds.

I've been pretty stressed out this week with a lot of things, and the snow sort of adding to the stress, preventing me from braving the roads and getting my last-minute pre-trip errands done.

So the other night I decided to take a timeout from all of the craziness going on, and went to the Kyle Moreland Christmas concert. I think I can safely say it's my favorite concert I've ever been to-- yes, including all of the major ones I've been to. I enjoyed it so much because there was no pressure, no huge expectations, it was just Kyle and Friends. And this was really the first Kyle Moreland concert I've gotten to enjoy, in its entirety and with front-row seats! The last time I attended, I was working, and in the middle of ringing someone up, I got really sick and had to go home.

Scrooge, The Grinch, Tiny Tim, Mother Christmas, along with various barnyard animals, were all special guests. There was even a "Christmas Around the World" segment. I recorded a three-minute video of The Grinch (Don) and Scrooge (Heath) interacting, but it may be too long to upload for blogger.

Oh, and let us not forget possibly one of the scariest moments in my life... I was just sitting there with Rachel, doing nothing to provoke mischief, and Callie's son Zoey (Tiny Tim, ironically enough) came at me all Ring girl style! I was terrified, and later Rachel and I could do nothing but laugh until the tears came.

One of the last songs was one of Kyle's, and it very much reminded me of the last scene in Uptown Girls. Midway through the song, India came out, dressed as a ballerina, along with a few macho men wearing tights and sprinkling confetti and sparkles at everyone. That, along with the beautiful music, was just magical to me!

I think Richard Martin said it best when he whispered to his wife, to pass along to me: "Sometimes, life just throws you glitter."

Thankfulness

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's... The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust..."

-Psalm 103:1-5, 8,10-14

Love like that truly is amazing and divine. I'm so undeserving of His grace and His blessings that He chooses to bestow on me, simply because He loves me and He wants to. I can't get over it. I don't deserve it! But He has redeemed me, He sees me as He sees His Son, an amazing truth! I am covered by His blood.

I never want to stop thanking Him for everything He has done for me. For salvation, for redemption, for grace, for His precious mercy, for His unbelievably amazing blessings-- He is holy and good.

I caved

After attempting to grow out my bangs for five or six months, I broke down and cut them. It started out subtly, with just the idea of them in my head... and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I began by trimming just a little...


This is after the first trim, one sloooow day at work last week (I didn't actually cut them at work though, hehe)


And this is me today, taken just seconds ago

So Christmasy right now...

Four days until Christmas, and I have:

-ice skated outside with some merry friends at Crown Center in Kansas City
-watched A Christmas Story, and am planning on watching a few others this week
-gone caroling with good jolly friends in Potwin, all early 1900's style
-consumed many holiday goodies
-gotten alllllll of my Christmas shopping done! This usually doesn't end for me until Christmas Eve!
-had my fair share of peppermint mocha's and hot chocolate's
-exchanged gifts
-written letters
-grown quite an exceptional bond with my space heater



The only traditions left are purple pride ice cream and the Wenger Lord of the Rings marathon!

Just this:

God does INSANE things!!!

Whoa.

:)

Flowing Rivers

"I will open the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it."

- Isaiah 41:18-20

I never imagined this kind of joy that comes after offering everything to the Lord. I never imagined that my lowest Valley could be my highest Mountain. His blessings overwhelm me! I know that only He could do this, and He is doing something right now, I know it. Praise God for who He is.

The Ready Vessel

"Life requires countless 'little' deaths-- occasions where we are given the chance to say no to self and yes to God."
-Elisabeth Elliot

I was feeling a little discouraged at Bible study the other night, not because of where I am with the Lord right now, but it just seemed to unfair that things had to end like this. No lesson learned is wasted time, but sometimes it does feel like that when so many regrets and disappointments took place. Can't lessons ever be a little less messy? Teri slid this verse over to me, as a 'private text,' and it really helped a lot:

"I will repay you for the years the locust has eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the great army that I sent among you."
-Joel 2:25

The Lord restores! He is faithful, and can turn the broken into the redeemed. I do believe that He loves me passionately. He is jealous for me! I am so undeserving of His great love and mercy, and all I want to do is stand in awe, bow in front of Him and beg just to kiss His feet. He is beautiful.

I sit with Him, and just cry tears of shame and ask how He can possibly love a sinner like me, yet He has already demonstrated that love before I even existed. But He knew. He died for me. Why should I not die for Him?

La Nieve!

Last day!

Fearing for my sanity, I braved the cold this morning in the 10 degree weather (negative 10 degree wind chill!) and drove my little car to school. What normally is a five minute drive took me just about twenty minutes to finally arrive at Washburn, and no spots were available in the circle parking lot (que una sorpresa!). I parked near Stoffer and walked my little self over to Morgan, wearing my seven layers of clothing, covering the side of my face that my hood didn't reach to avoid the snowy gust of wind. I know, I am painting the most dramatic picture of my morning, but it was really cold! North Pole here!

I took my last and only final in about forty-five minutes, and stuck around the outside of Miguel's office talking with a fellow classmate, Alcira. She's a mom, taking classes full-time and working as a para (? how in the world do you spell that word? That looks wrong! Or maybe I'm just thinking in Spanish right now) at Williams. She's from Venezuela, so she is totally hating the weather right now. :) Anyway, we ended up chatting for about twenty minutes and we exchanged phone numbers so that we can get together over the break to practice language (her English, and my Spanish). I'm really excited about this! Since I'm not taking any Spanish classes next semester, I was worried that I would lose some of my comprehension and ability to speak at least somewhat coherently, but now with the help of a few Spanish-speaking friends, who needs the classroom?

I have my computer, notebooks and books here to keep me company at the library until I finally finish my research paper for Art of Africa and last-minute editing of my "escritos" for Spanish class. I am content to stay here until it is all done, and then it will officially be Christmas Break! Estoy muy muy emocionada para celebrar esta noche el fin del semestre!

This is what Christmas break is like........

Elena: "My stomach just made a video game sound!"

Tricia: "Hmm have you been eating batteries again?"


Hard to describe the sound.... but it's similar to the shooting sounds in this video, once you enter the arcade. ;)

The Snuggie

Okay, so I'm doing a little research on getting a Snuggie (Judge me, I don't care.) and I came across this forum discussing the Snuggie. And I HAD to share:


Liz11685-
@alltheteainchina: "Yeah, I wish my Slanket were a few inches longer. But then I would probably trip while walking to the microwave to heat up lazytimes food."

Newsgirl-
"I'm still trying to fight the urge to buy a Snuggie. I want one really bad, though... but I have this fear of my family busting in my living room and seeing me wearing a red one covered in popcorn and Junior Mints."

musicpup-
@Leslie: "My family expects no less of me."

Majrhoulihan
"I would keep that in my cubicle, and wear it without shame."



Favorite part? The crowd of Snuggie-wearers cheering on at a sporting event. Awesome. :)

Highs

I feel like a different person than just two weeks ago. God is crazy!

Random delights throughout the day:

1. Having a somewhat bad attitude for having to work at the museum all day, and then being pleasantly surprised by a group of jolly old men singing Barbershop Christmas songs right in the gallery. :)

2. Journaling more thoughts today than in the last few months of my life

3. My co-worker Angela telling me she wanted to come to Sunday school and church tomorrow with me after talking with her about it on Friday night.

4. My boss Jan telling me she wanted to give me a Christmas present this year, and she had me pick out a piece of jewelry that one of the vendors was selling today at the museum. It's really beautiful! I almost cried when she told me that.

5. Hanging out with Teri and Tricia tonight for LOSTathon! Aaaaand eating Chinese food. It's been too long!

6. The Lord giving me soooo much joy and hope in Him!

Beautiful surrender

Today I've been absorbed with this prayer: You can have all of my life.

I'm so open to whatever He wants me to do or wherever He wants me to be. There is complete freedom in fully serving Christ. I am so in love with Him, I can't believe I ever chose something or someone over Him!

I'm learning to trust Him everyday. Not with just what I want or what I want HIM to do, but I'm trusting Him to be all that I need, that He truly is enough for me. I'm not quite there, but I want to be. I've been learning soooo much about who He is, and I love it. I want to be fully satisfied with just Him.

I'm on the altar, I've given Him my most precious thing. I don't ask for Him to give it back, I'm just ready to serve where He wants, I'm ready to obey Him in every situation.