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Currently Reading Velvet Elvis : Repainting the Christian Faith By Rob Bell see related

Spent the weekend reading this book on my parents back porch listening to the fountain as I smelled all the flowers and entertained a 5 lb miniature daschund.  Well, I read in between all the shopping trips with mom and my grandmother.  It was very relaxing and another pensive time for me.  I think I am becoming more pensive the older I get.  In the midst of all my going going going, I have found some time for thinking.  I can only sit and think so long, I am not wired that way, I know that is a shock to most of you.

But back to Velvet Elvis.  Tassels is my favorite chapter so far.  Probably because it is the most applicable to me right now.  Since I am learning all about this restoration and transformation.  Here are a few quotes that have stuck out to me:

"...the work of the cross in us. There is Jesus' death on our behalf once and for all, but there is the ongoing work of the cross in our hearts and minds and souls and lives.  There is the ongoing need to return to the cross to be reminded of our brokenness and dependence on God.  There is a healing we need from the cross every single day." p. 108

"What happened to me is that I realized I believed in Jesus and thought of myself as 'saved' and 'redeemed' and 'reborn,' yet massive areas of my life were unaffected.  I learned that salvation is for all of me.  I learned that Jesus wants to heal my soul - now.  And for Jesus to heal my soul, I had to stare my junk right in the face." p. 110.

"'Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be.  And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.'" p. 114

Anyway, I recommend this book.  It is an easy read, yet there are some things that for sure that challenge your thinking, or perhaps "repaint" your view.  I wish I had someone that I was reading it with so that we could discuss it.  I process so much better that way. 

Also, listening to the new Rascal Flatts, I like it, but I don't think it is their best.  But give me time and I am sure I will know all the words, just like the other 3 albums. 

Well I am off to try and finish Velvet Elvis before I fall asleep.  Happy Easter! 

Currently Listening Back to Bedlam By James Blunt Goodbye My Lover see related

kevin is off american idol...bucky is next!!

my biggest dilemma today was deciding whether to put what i have been reading, what i've been listening to, or what i've been watching.  and yes i have been doing all three.  i opted for the music since that is what i love the most.  i bought the edited version of this cd, if you have not bought it, get the edited version.  i was unaware that there was something to be edited, until a fellow music junkie informed me.  it has been the most played album on my ipod this last week.  as much as i thought his high voice would get on my nerves, it hasn't yet.  i enjoy his sound quite a bit.  oh and if you have never checked out pandora.com you should.  you get to hear artists that have a similar sound to ones that you already love.  it is fun! someone is a genius!

been awakened each morning promptly at 7 am by construction right outside of my house.  i don't have to guess what the weather is going to be like, i just peer out my window and see what the construction workers are wearing.  i think we set them back a bit when we needed to back out of our driveway that they had just dug a crater in.  they are working on a new septic system, which if you remember what happened last year, you know that though this is inconvenient, i am quite grateful for the new system.  no sewage in the house please.   i also had my picture taken sitting on one of those CAT's in our yard...you can't pass up an opportunity like that!  you think someone would trust me to operate one of these?

"wretched man that i am? who will set me free from the body of this death?" romans 7:24

been one of those weeks.  one where i long for the day when this struggle is over. "for what i am doing, i do not understand, for i am not practicing what i would like to do, but i am doing the very thing i hate." romans 7:14-15   i really just need to throw up my hands and admit that i have no control, nor will i ever... i will never have anything together, as hard as i try.  the good news is that there is no condemnation in Christ, he still finds me lovely (thanks shawn mcdonald for that song on you new album)!  i am encouraged to know that he is transforming me and molding me.  i just need to sit back and trust his promises through this process.  not go off and give up my handmaid like Sarah did with Abraham, creating a bigger mess.

lauryn hill's song Oh Jerusalem on her mtv unplugged album has been a great reminder for me.  that is another album you should own if you don't.

Currently Listening Brushfire Fairytales By Jack Johnson see related

well, it has been awhile.  but life is good.  i have done everything from being a mom of 4 for 5 days, to traveling across texas and lousiana to recruit college students for 3 weeks, to surprising my grandmother in kansas city for her 70th birthday, to staying up way too late to hire those college students, to taking a trip to breck with 2 of my buds to snowboard, and then ending it all with an AMAZING coldplay concert!   i am thankful to be back sleeping in my own bed and not living out of a suitcase for awhile.  i am back to teaching outdoor ed now that my travelling life has calmed down.  but life in general does not calm down, i stay up way to late hanging out with people i love or talking to them on the phone, and then work like 10 hour days or more, but at least i get to work with people outside for my job and it has been B-E-A-Utiful here this week!  my brother turned 21 this week. that will make you feel old for sure!

Breck Trip Highlights: eating beaujo's pizza, hanging out with szymon, rafal, and tomaz (i love these guys!), saying "Let's Board!!" at the top of each lift like we were all pros!, hanging out in the emergency room while a friend got a splint for her newly fractured wrist, looking at the beautiful mountains, trying to figure out how to do moguls on a snowboard (watch out for the run peerless), walking around 16th street after maggiano's looking for the talking sidewalk (thanks szymon...i am sure it really exists).

The 3 of us striking a pose before our first run! I love these girls!

tomaz, szymon, whitney, me, staci and rafal. polish boys and buds, what more could you want?

coldplay was amazing!! i will be honest, i expected a mellow concert, but it was far from mellow! we were on our feet the whole time. it was so much fun! i will do it again for sure! i have been listening to coldplay everyday since.  today i finally made myself change it up. 

well work comes early in the morning...buenas noches!

Currently Watching The Great Raid (Widescreen Director's Cut) see related

I am officially a master at games and have about a 65% win rate.  Mom and I lost Cranium to my bro and Angel on Friday.  Then there was an embarrassing defeat at Scrabble by Symon and Thomas (2 of our Polish friends pictured below). Then we played Catch Phrase with the guys (they amaze me, but it was still quite funny being that English is one of their many second languages). Christmas day I won Monopoly over all my family.  Last night we played Life and I retired as the winning millionaire after being a blooming artist that made a $100,000 a year (of course that as after I came back from being an Athlete that makes $20,000 and got fired).  Then my brother challenged us to Risk, and went down in blaze of arrogance as he could not roll anything higher than like a 3 or 4 on his dice.  I proceeded to dominate the world.  I am hoping to make the family love Boggle the way I do, when you are competitive, Boggle can be quite fun.  Other than building my self esteem through defeating those around me, I have been spending time with Jon and Angel, reading, playing with my new iPod, doing Sudoku puzzles, and catching up on  movies. 

Hope you are getting some rest over your holiday break! 20 days until the season premiere of 24!! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

Rafal, Szymon, and Thomas - our Polish friends!

Angel (my sister-in-law), Jon, Mom, and I in our traditional Christmas PJ's

A Hero and a Villian facing the Wal-Mart crowds the day after Christmas with mom so she can get Christmas stuff on clearance.