an earthy day

This year, the end of a crazy week and Earth Day coincided which called for some down time spent celebrating relationships and the world we live them in.


Traveled via motorcycle all afternoon and evening.

Embraced our inner 2nd grade art student at Whole Foods. I tried to be interpretive. Slight fail.

Perused World Market before buying a super cool Chinese soda.

Moved an outdoor picnic indoors due to unhappy weather.

 Watched Disney Oceans. So cool. God is so creative.

Seems like there were many more happenings including these. All surrounded by cruising and laughing.

How did you celebrate Earth Day?

soaking it up

School, school, Mexico planning, school, Mexico planning, school, school, traveling to Mexico, school, leadership training at Pine Cove, school, school, school, finals, a few days with the fam, Pine Cove for the summer, school, school...

Spring 2010 has definitely been a semester unlike any other. To my dismay, it has seemed to be more about getting done what has to get done and less about taking time to do things that I really enjoy. Some of the most important relationships in my life seem to have taken a slight hit this semester. I say that with the deepest regret. Every time I want to make a phone call, invite someone to lunch, pick up a magazine or try a new craft project, I stop and listen to the pile of school work that is screaming at me. It's telling me to focus on it first. Worry about everything else later. Never before have I listened to it. Looks like this semester it has finally caught my attention. Though this has been the most trying semester of my college career, the Lord has provided me with breaks that saved my sanity, supernatural rest, and unexplainable joy. 

There are lots of happenings that I would like to take time to process, to spill about, to realize what I learned and to live differently because I experienced them. Even though there is not time for the first three, the Lord has graciously molded me regardless. He has packed my semester with lessons. And though I feel like they are all swarming above my head, and I can't seem to catch them all at the same time, the Lord is still working good through me. As always, I know when anything good passes through my mind or bounces off my tounge, it is only the Lord letting me be a part of His perfect plan. Praise Him for His thoroughness. His eternally long plan is as detailed as to what words I speak every day. All I can say about that is...COOL!

So, in the past month I have been...

...to Mexico and back. It was incredible. The Lord did WORK. There was no doubt that all 113 of us were supposed to be there that week. I, once again, fell in love with the Mexican people and my wonderful teammates. God also, with His wonderful sense of humor, brought my wonderful Chinese friend, Wen, from China to the Louisiana to Mexico to pour out His grace on her for her salvation. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed.

Check out Wen's story here

...missing my best friends from home terribly. Longing to do day to day life with them while knowing that it won't be until August that I will see them all again. Knowing that this will be our first year without a summer roadtrip. Knowing that in less than a year we will all be done with college and moving to places only the Lord knows. I know God is sovereign over our relationship, but right now it just hurts. But, we have survived this long. And continue to survive we will!

...to Leadership weekend at Pine Cove. The fact that I will be serving as a senior counselor at the Shores this summer has finally sunk in. There was so much joy in the midst of a reunion with fellow staffers that I haven't seen in nine months. What a crazy summer it will be! I am greatly anticipating the Lord's work through us as a team.

...distantly dealing with aging grandparents. I am blessed with four living grandparents. This has been an extremely special part of my life and also a cause of a deep fear of losing one of them. It seems lately that there has been health issue after health issue. And, right before Mexico, Papaw Mc seemed to take a turn for the worse. I'm fighting off the guilt of being away from home and just complete sadness with a lot of prayer. My parents have been such troopers. They are a wonderful example of children honoring their parents. They never show their exhaustion because of their desire for their parents to live a comfortable life in their old age. Please pray for my sweet grandparents.

...trying to have a little fun in between all the craziness. Even when life is insane, the Lord provides such joy through friends, family, my awesome family group and his creation.

Feels good to be semi-caught up with the blogging world. It's kind of this problematic fixation I have. Now...back to studying.

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

feeling crafty?

When life gets crazy, there are a few things I like to do when there is the slightest moment to breathe. I either sit alone (can't do this for very long...need people!), read by Bible (which, as always, I need to do more), or create something new. Here's a few of my latest creations...

A birthday pillow for my dear Becca

Pretty simple. The pillowcase was pre-made. If you get a whole pillow, make sure the pillowcase has a zipper so that you can get in there to stitch. Or you can buy a pillowcase and a filler pillow. Or...you can sew the pillowcase and buy the filler pillow. But my sewing skills are not quite up to par...
Here's the inspiration:
pretty pillow instructions


 A wreath to welcome Spring

What better to do on the first day of Spring than to make a wreath to make it feel welcome? I'm totally NOT sold on the carrot...but it'll do for now, I guess. It's a little disproportionate, don't ya think? I still love that carrot, though...
I learned some wreath making skills from my high school job at a lovely interior design store. This is a grapevine wreath ($4 but only $2.40 with my 40% off online coupon), three spring-y sprigs ($4 each but currently 50% off at Hobby Lobby - aka Heaven on Earth), a little bit of florist wire, and that carrot ($4 from Bethdales in Townecenter). I just tug and twist until I think it looks presentable.


Shamrock Strawberry Pie

Easy smeasy! I wanted a green dessert for St. Patrick's day, but this was as close as I came. I added some Irish love by cutting a shamrock out of the top pie crust.
All you do is put down one pie crust (in a pie pan...duh). Then, wash/core/split a carton of good strawberries. Toss them in a separate bowl with 1/2 cup flower, 1/2 cup sugar and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Put the berries on the pie crust. I sprinkled some brown sugar and nutmeg on the top. Lay your other crust on top - cookie cutted (not a word) or whole. I baked at 380 degrees for about 40 minutes. Just watch the crust close so it won't burn. When it's about half way done, be sure to drizzle plenty of butter over the crust. Really good served warm with ice cream!


Watercolor experimenting

I am not painter. I don't think I'm patient enough nor do I have a steady enough hand. So I'm thinking some basic water color might be my thing! It's pretty forgiving. Who likes to stay within the lines, anyway? That doesn't make life more fun. I just got the cheapest watercolor set (about $6), a watercolor pad ($3.50) an old small paint brush, a sharpie pen and a cup of water. I'm pretty happy with this so I think I'll keep experimenting with my new love. I made this into a homemade card. Greeting cards give me a warm and fuzzy.


A new kind of wreath

I can take absolutely no credit for this. The only thing I have is the ability to follow directions and an eye for what looks, well, decent.
This was literally $2. I bought the book and the foam wreath fromt the Dollar Tree. I had a hot glue gun (of course), a stapler, a little acrylic paint and some old random ribbon. The only guilt associated with this project is ripping pages out of someone's novel that they poured a lot of hard work into. I made the sacrifice for my latest craft obsession...
Here's the real brains behind the operation:
pretty pages
The only thing I did different was staple the ends of each book page to keep them in their individual shapes. It saved time and avoided more finger burns from the hot glue gun. Which, of course, are inevitable.
Mine looks a little blan in the picture. It needs a friend and a color wall. No-can-do when you are a townhome-renting college student.


Some encouragement
I used to get really frustrated when reading craft/cooking/sewing blogs. I was either too intimidated to try or in disbelief that anything I did would ever compare. This post only shows the somewhat successful projects, but I wouldn't have accomplished them without lots of failed attempts. And, of course, there is always room for improvement. 

Don't be afraid to fail
Be afraid not to try

Go create something.

Happy Spring!

la vida es buena

Mexico planning is in full swing. Sometimes I stop and think, "Am I really the student in charge of this trip?" I'm not expecting a second of down time these next couple of weeks, but I can't think of anything else more worthwhile to spend my time on. As of right now, we've got about 140 going! I see the Lord molding this trip into exactly what He wants it to be. Praise Him for His sovereignty! I pray to be soft and moldable clay and not the tough kind that would turn His knuckles white while trying to shape me. Please pray for Mexico!

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after you
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in the truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you

study break

I have graduated from allowing myself a Facebook study break and moved on to catching up on my favorite blogs. Much more mature, don't you think?

 

Studying with good coffee, a stack of great literature, the best writing utensil on the planet and my favorite boy (who has three engineering tests this week [WHOA] and a positively contagious attitude regardless).

 
She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25

Fighting for joy and laughing at the days to come. I'm planning on laughing an extra amount tomorrow as I take my English midterm. Praying that the Lord empowers you to do the same!

Happy Midterms!