Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A Taste of a Good Road Trip

So-I'm in Houston now! Just got finished driving the 15 or so hours here and it reminded me of how much I love road trips! Here are my top 5 musts for a good road trip:


1. GOOD music. This is an absolute must. New music mixes with good sing-a-long songs that everyone along knows the words to are very necessary. Road trips aren't great times to introduce new music. Road trips are times to belt out all the words to "Colors of the Wind", "Scrubs", "Any Man of Mine", "A Whole New World", and "Love Shack." 2. Good road trip car games. Now, I have no idea what all of these games are actually called, so I'll just call them my own made up names: 20 Questions, the Name Game, "I'm Going on a Trip", Famous Name Game, and Would You Rather. Car games can ALWAYS be made up. 3. Good snacks. Now the great thing about road trips, is that calories don't count. At all. Here are some of my personal road trip favs: Twizzlers, beef jerky, cashews, peanut butter M & Ms and Diet Coke. Whatever your vices are, grab a few snacks to enjoy for a good road trip! 4. Adventure and Spontaniety. Planned road trips are never a bad thing, but always be willing to take a little detour or change your schedule around a bit when you find something that looks fun or interesting! p.s. to go along with this-leave your watch and cell phone in your suitcase. You're on vacation! 5. Good friends. When you're with good friends, it doesn't really matter where you go. Anywhere you go with good friends will be a good time!

These will mean nothing to most of you but just a little reminiscing for me. A few good road trips I've been on: All my family vacations growing up hitting up about 10 states in 3 weeks seeing lots of National Parks, KOAs, & amusement parks. Easter Road Trip Freshman year of college to Oregon w/ Sarah, Melody, David H., Chad F., and Zach! Delirious concert & Oregon Coast trip. Jr. year road trip to CO with Kara W. singing Ace of Base all the way there! Jr. yr. of college road trip to CA for Spring Break w/ Zach, Sarah, & Mike D: Six Flags, Price is Right, Hollywood, & Disneyland. Sr. yr. of college road trip to Seattle & the mtns. for Spring Break w/ Zach, Sarah M., Sarah W. Katie, Tyler & Me. Road trip to CA Memorial Day weekend with Katie, Tyler & Tim (?) before I moved to Nashville. Road trip with Liz to KC for Thanksgiving-singing all the way there! Road trip with Jon & Jess for Noah's birth. Road trip with Dev, Jess, & Meg to Charleston, SC. SUCH a great road trip & Jess peed her pants. . .Road trip to Destin, FL with Dev & Jess. Road trip with Dev to Wisconsin for Dan's show. Road trip with mom to Branson, MO. Road trip to Chattanooga with Jess, Seth, & Kim. Road trip with Leah for Noah's birthday. Road trip to Gatlinburg with Jenn & Jess. Road trip for Estrogen Weekend in Asheville, NC in 2010. Here's to many many more great road trips! Hope you've gotten to experience one yourself-if you haven't, grab some good music, some car games, good snacks, an adventurous spirit and spontaniety, and good friends and you are on your way to some good times!

Sweet Side panel Station Wagon: http://rwethereyetrwethereyet.typepad.com/arewethereyet/car_travel/
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Friday, February 11, 2011

A Taste of Beauty

"Discover beauty in everyone." Romans 12:17 The Message

EVERYONE, yes EVERYONE has beauty in them. It just needs to be DISCOVERED. Some people's beauty is seen easily while others it can be quite a search to find. But because God created each one of us we each have our own unique beauty. It's our job to discover it in each person we meet.

One of my Mom's beauties is her selfless nature. I can not remember a time when my mom did not put someone else's needs or wants above her own. She lives her life in service to others. She regularly sacrifices something for herself while helping someone else out. And she doesn't do this begrudingly, she does it with joy and kindness. I saw this so clearly when she stayed with me for 2 weeks after my accident and attended to my every need WITH JOY. I remember apologizing over and over that I had to ask her for help with things and she always responded with grace and love. As a pastor's wife, my mom has invested in people's lives and displayed this same selfless nature for almost 40 years. This is one of her beauties.

One of my Dad's beauties is his ability to make anyone and everyone feel loved and cared about. He has this way with people. He is able to strike up conversation with anyone. He has dear friends all over the country and world because he makes an impression on people. He invests his time in getting to know people where they are and for that, they feel loved. He reminds me of Romans 15:3 where Paul is talking about Jesus and says,"He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. " My dad has been a Pastor for almost 40 years and for those 40 years has invested in countless lives and made them feel God's love. This is one of his beauties.

So those beauties are pretty easy for me to find.

What about that person at work that annoys you? Or the homeless person selling newspapers at the intersection? Or your family member that gets on your last nerve? Or that obnoxious driver who just cut you off? It's pretty hard to find beauty in people sometimes. The ugly is much easier to find. It's much easier to complain about. It's hard to forget sometimes.

But Paul challenges us to "Discover beauty in everyone." How do we do that? To be honest, I don't know all the answers, but I know some. And God's word gives us ideas on others. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." "Love from the center of who you are." "Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other." "Love never gives up. Love cares for others more than self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always 'me first', doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best."

So this is what I'm going to try to do. I'm going to try to discover beauty in everyone. I believe everyone has that beauty, I may just need to look a little deeper in some. But I want to find it. And I want one of my beauties to be that people walk away from time with me and feel loved and valued. I want to be like Jesus, and I believe that's how people felt when they spent time with him. They felt loved and known. He saw their beauty when no one else did.
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

A Taste of 28

So it's the last day of being 28! Here are some highlights from a great year! I'm sure I'll miss something!
-Lots of time with my "Little Sister" through Big Brothers Big Sisters
-Snowday Extravaganza with the Roomies
-Roadtrip for Noah's 3rd Birthday
-Girl's Trip to Gatlinburg with Jess & Jenn
-Ladie's Retreat with Church
-Dave Barne's Concert
-Trip to Nampa to meet my BF Sarah's first baby, Alison! Getting to see college friends!
-Family Reunion
-Labor Day Weekend Trip to see Matt, Mel & Noah
-Got to meet Court's husband and see her pregnant
-Roadtrip for Bekah's Wedding
-Halloween Party @ JMoores
-Need to Breath Concert @ the Ryman
-Trip to Nampa for Homecoming & getting to see college friends!
-Estrogen Weekend in NC
-Finding out I'd be an Aunt again!!!
-Thanksgiving in Nashville with fam
-Seeing the Rockettes at the Grand Old Opry
-Seeing the Nutcracker at the Nashville Ballet
-Christmas with my family
-Garth Brooks Concert w/ Jess
-Small group
-Teaching 3 & 4 year old Sunday School
-Book Club
-Volleyball league with church
-Ladie's Bible Study at church
-Loved my job
-Great roomies
-Great friends
-Lots of live shows of Devin Belle & Danny Mitchell
-Lots of trips to Wildhorse
-Several opportunities to share my testimony
-Getting in the habit of reading my Bible daily and CRAVING my time in the word
-Getting a job in Houston w/BBBS & being able to live close to my sis,bro-in law,nephew & niece!
Interstate 28: Google Images
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A Taste of Being a Nomad

A nomad can be described as, "a member of a group who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons." By this definition, I would consider myself a nomad. Here are the places that I've called "home."

I was born in Farmington, NM and lived there until I was 5.
I lived in Denver, CO from age 5-13.
I lived in Colorado Springs, CO from age 13-17.
I lived in Divide, CO for the summer I was 17.
I lived in Grand Junction, CO from age 17-18.
I lived in Divide, CO for 3 summers from 18-20.
I went to college in Nampa, ID from age 18-22.
I lived in Ward, CO for the summer I was 21.
I lived in Seattle, WA from age 22-23.
I went back to Nampa, ID from age 23-24.
I've been in Nashville, TN from age 24-29.
Now I'm moving to Houston at age 29.

Now, don't feel sorry for me and don't think I'm crazy and unsatisfied. I have LOVED LOVED LOVED each of these places that I've lived. Each time that I have moved, I have felt clear that this is what God had for me and looking back on all of my experiences in each different place, I am BEYOND POSITIVE that God was in each move. Now it's not that I didn't have challenges or feel lonely at times, but I believe God used those times as well as all of the fun and happy times to form me into who I am and to teach me to rely on Him and the Church. The community of believers that I found in each place really made each place so special.

In each place I have dear friends who impacted my life and who are still so important to me even if we don't speak regularly. They helped shape who I am so I consider them a part of me. So many of them I can not see or talk to for a while and when we get together, we just pick up from where we ended. That shows to me that we have a true friendship. I have NO IDEA how I will decide who will be my bridesmaids in my wedding. . . .you think it would be awkward to have 20?

Going back to the definition, it says someone with "no permanent home" and "moves according to the seasons." I really like that part about the moving according to the seasons. Some people talk about different times in our lives as different "seasons" of life. I very much look at each place I've lived as a different "season" of my life. Some seasons were seasons of growth, while others were seasons of learning, seasons of struggle, seasons of joy, seasons of sadness, and seasons of friendship. Usually the seasons blended together and could be one way one day and another on a different day. Each of those seasons though were important and necessary.

So, I'm by no means saying that everybody needs to move to get new perspectives, or to grow, or to experience different seasons of life, but maybe you just need a change. Or need to be open to something new that God is trying to show you. Or a new way to minister to someone. Or a new job. It could be any number of things. But I would encourage you, stepping out and doing something new is not always easy, and I don't think that God always makes His will super clear in the beginning. I think sometimes God gives us choices and will bless our decisions when we are trying to follow Him. I think He gives us desires and may provide opportunities to fulfill those desires. I pray that each one of you will ask God to help you be sensitive to what He may have for you! I can attest that He is a faithful God and will bless you for your obedience!

Nomad pic: Google Images
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Monday, February 7, 2011

A Taste of You Tube

So sometimes my friends and I sit around and laugh at You Tube videos. . .here are a few of good ones!
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