Love Laugh Leslyn Learn Live

Project 52.5

2012-02-06T16:35:00.002-06:00

The theme: Shadows.

Hello, Leggy.

xoxo
Les

Burn, Baby Burn

2012-02-05T12:23:00.003-06:00

This has nothing to do with any home projects, whatsoever. This just a glimpse of what happens in our life. We have almost caught our house on fire twice this week. Yes. Twice. Here's what happened.

I found this awesome recipe for Moroccan Chicken Kebabs. It was exactly what we wanted to eat, and we were super excited. DJ remembered that we had gotten these awesome kebab kits as a wedding gift, so we decided to try those out. We checked the information, and everything was "high heat resistant". So we threw those babies on the grill, and came inside to continue the closet organization process. Within 5 minutes, my beloved husband says (in his thick, southern drawl): "Dang, the smoke smell is REALLY comin' in the house." We decide to check on the chicken, and a thick cloud of black smoke is coming out of our grill. He opens the grill, and the "high heat resistant" handles had melted. Into our grill. Talk about false advertising. We threw a wet towel over the fire several times, turned on all of the fans, opened front doors to get the smell out. Crisis #1 averted.

Last night, one of my sweet college roommates Whitney came over because DJ was going to be gone all day & night. We decided to make homemade spaghetti (yes, I even make the pasta from scratch) and "Knock You Naked Brownies". The recipe looked like it was really easy and delicious. So we followed ALL of the instructions (except I didn't have a 9x9 baking dish... we used 8x8 instead). We walked into the living room, ate chips and homemade salsa, and talked about girly things (we will never grow out of talking about "girly things"). Suddenly, we smell smoke. We run into the kitchen, and SOMEHOW, the brownie batter overflowed (especially the caramel), and the caramel was BURNING at the bottom of our oven!!! I immediately turned off the oven, turned on all fans, and opened all of the windows in our house (yes, smoke filled the entire house). We then opened the oven, and a cloud of smoke fills the kitchen. We pull the "brownies" out of the oven, let the oven cool off, and scrape all of that nasty burned caramel off of the bottom of the oven.

The lessons I learned are:
1. Stay VERY close to the kitchen so you can monitor these things.
2. Sometimes, things don't go as planned- and it's okay.
3. I seriously need to replace the batteries in our smoke detectors. They didn't go off once.

xoxo
Les

A Closet Makeover

2012-02-04T15:01:00.008-06:00

My husband is one of those tidy people. At the beginning of our marriage, I was the slob. However, I've completely transformed my thinking (and my house), and now I am slightly obsessed with organization. The one place in our house that was left unorganized was my husband's closet (disclaimer: We have absolutely zero overhead lighting in our bedroom. And we have teeny tiny windows that don't let any light in. So I apologize for the quality of some of the photos).

Look at that.... It's not fun. There were piles of junk everywhere, "like" items were nowhere near each other, and it was just one big hot mess.

Here's a picture of the top of his closet. No bueno.

So we pulled EVERYTHING out of the closet and threw it on the bed (actually, not all of it fit on the bed!).

Then we started sorting. He parted with a ton of clothes that he didn't want anymore. We put all of the duffel bags in a stack, and were able to store them with our fancier luggage. All of his shoe stuff went together in one box. All of his pictures went into our photo box (a post that I'm already looking forward to!).

The final result was this!

Yes, I must say I'm very proud of myself. I even color coordinated his shirts (and sorted them into solids and prints... I told you I've gotten OCD!). And the entire project took less than an hour.

xoxo
Les

Fun Project Reveal!

2012-02-02T20:13:00.012-06:00

Okay folks, this project has been a VERY long time coming... This is my finished result for my bedroom decor!

I made this piece out of toilet paper rolls. So glamorous, I know. Right after DJ and I got married, I wanted to make a wreath out of toilet paper rolls. It was a fun little project, and the wreath hung in our guest bedroom. However, it looked kinda misplaced in there- so I decided to continue collecting toilet paper & paper towel rolls, and finally, after almost 6 months of marriage, we had enough to do this project!

I began by cutting the rolls into 3 parts. Then, I used a hot glue gun to make little "flowers" (I am only calling them that because I couldn't come up with another name). Then, I glued 5 of the flower thingies in a row. After that, I finally attached them all! We went to Wal-Mart, spent $2 on 2 cans of black spray paint, and $1 on tarp. It took me two days to paint it, because after I used the first can of spray paint, the torrential downpour began (it seems like we've had a lot of those lately). So I finished painting it today. Even though the spray paint seriously messed up my really pretty manicure, I would say that this project was worth it.

Here's the before....

And the after!

I finally feel like our bedroom is complete. Who knew that toilet paper rolls would fix that problem? :)

xoxo
Les

Chicken with Grapes and Thyme

2012-01-31T21:13:00.005-06:00

So my husband is more of a compulsive shopper than I am. IF you know me at all, it is surprising that anybody could be more compulsive than I am. Anyways, he came home with a recipe book where all of the recipes were under 400 calories. I thought that there was no way that any of the recipes COULD taste good. Then I tried this.

Oh. My. Gosh. This was quite possibly one of THE yummiest things I have ever eaten. And it's only 290 calories!!! We will DEFINITELY be making this again.

INGREDIENTS:
2 t olive oil
4 chicken breasts
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/4 t salt
2 cups seedless red grapes
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 t dried)
4 large shallots, peeled, quartered

1. Heat oven to 425. In ovenproof skillet, heat 1 t of the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Add chicken to skillet; cook 4 minutes on each side (only turn once!!). Remove skillet from heat.

2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix rest of oil, the grapes, thyme and shallots. Spoon grape mixture around chicken in skillet. Bake uncovered for 22-25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear.

3. To serve, spoon grape mixture and shallots evenly over chicken.

Enjoy!!

xoxo
Les

The delay...

2012-01-31T07:25:00.003-06:00

So I told you that I was going to post about an exciting project that I thought I would have finished by now... But alas, you haven't seen anything yet! However, I have a good reason. This last step of the project requires somebody to spray paint. I have only spray painted twice in my life. The first time was to cover an old picture so I could have a "clean" (but somewhat streaky) slate for a painting. The other time, I spray painted the coat hanger that is in our laundry room . It was a hot mess. Therefore, I am waiting for my accountant husband (who is currently having an affair... with tax season), to have one free moment where he can spray paint this lovely piece of decor. I promise that I will write about it the day that I hang it up!

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo
Les

Project 52.4

2012-01-29T19:25:00.004-06:00

The theme this week was "Self-Portrait"... And to keep it real, I kind of felt like a Junior High girl taking pictures of herself in her bathroom mirror. But I didn't take this picture in my bathroom. As a matter of fact, I purchased 2 white foam boards for only $2 each to use as my backgrounds for pictures. Fancy, I know (sarcasm).

I can't wait to tell you all about this weekend- I got a lot of projects done! Hope your weekend was wonderful as well!

xoxo
Les

Sewing projects thus far...

2012-01-27T12:12:00.011-06:00

Hello my sweet friends!

As I shared last week, I learned to sew. I never thought that I would ever say those words- I used to think that sewing was only for old ladies. Boy, was I wrong!

My first little project was a pouch for crocheting and knitting needles. Here is the big reveal!

I am kind of proud of them! :) I think I'm going to make one more for my make-up brushes, then I will be set!

Next up, I turned some throw pillows from this...

Into this.

As I mentioned, our guest room is getting a serious makeover! This is just the beginning.

Yes, I realize that everything I have made so far is kind of "plain jane". However, I'm trying to ensure that I don't have this panic-y feeling every time I push my foot on the pedal (yes, that still happens. Every time) before I take on something super challening (like something I would actually wear).

I've decided that I am going to make the duvet cover, which is super scary and exciting at the same time. My only problem is that I need to find 15 yards of white fabric for less than $100. Who knows- my guest room might look completely different by the end of February! I'm hoping so! :)

xoxo
Les

Giveaway

2012-01-27T11:58:00.003-06:00

My All State/College buddy, Amy Wentz, is having a giveaway on her blog! Check it out!!!

xoxo
Les

To do or not to do?

2012-01-25T21:25:00.004-06:00

Tonight, as DJ and I were rearranging our guest room (we have been doing a lot of rearranging lately), we realized that the color scheme is kind of boring (very 1997). Our colors in our guest room are khaki, maroon, and brown. Now PLEASE don't get me wrong- we are so grateful for everything we have in this room, which was so graciously given to us. However, when you have pink walls and seafoam green carpet, maroon just isn't going to look good. I was doing a ton of research on how to decorate rooms, and came across this DIY project.

This is a look that I have always loved, and I've never wanted to pay $300 for a duvet cover... especially for a guest room. Although Courtney, the DIY-er, talked about how long it took her to complete this project, I'm really tempted to do it, especially now that I've learned to sew. Maybe this is exactly what I need to stay busy while the hubs is having his affair with tax season. ;)

What do you think?? Should I try it??

xoxo
Les

A long time coming....

2012-01-24T21:15:00.005-06:00

Have you ever had a project that you thoroughly enjoyed, but it took you FOREVER to complete? That's what this scarf was for me.

I started it right before Christmas of 2010 (so a little over a year ago), and I never thought that it would take me this long to complete. I guess part of it has to do with the fact that I got engaged, married, started a new job, etc.

This warm, comfy scarf is for sale for only $10! E-mail me for more info! leslynjacks@gmail.com

xoxo
Les

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

2012-01-24T11:59:00.009-06:00

Yes. I am brave enough to claim it. These are in fact the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. I have never craved a cookie more than I do this one. And everyone who has had these cookies ends up eating at least 3-4 (my brother holds the record: 20. I will never know how he didn't throw up afterwards). That's how good these are. If a 21 year old can eat 20 of these cookies and not get tired of them, I think that they must be pretty darn good.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag of chocolate chip cookie MIX (today, the store only had oatmeal chocolate chip mix, which turned out really good), plus whatever ingredients you need according to the bag (in this case, I needed 1 stick of butter and 1 egg)
1 small bag of chopped pecans (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies.

1. Pour all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix together (if you don't have a KitchenAid, INVEST in one! It will change your life!)

2. Roll them into balls, and place on a baking sheet.

3. Bake according to instructions on bag. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Enjoy! :)

xoxo
Les

Keeping up with the goals

2012-01-23T17:17:00.003-06:00

Well, it's been almost a month since I posted my goals for the year . I figured I should keep it real and share my progress on each of them.

I have used my camera a LOT more than I did before (I no longer set my camera on "automatic". A HUGE step!). I learned to sew (and I'm still in the process of learning!). I read a book ("Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin) in just 2 weeks, and I started a new one ("Same kind of different as me"). I have definitely made our house look less rent house-ish.

So hey, 4 out of 10 are really going super well! That's not too bad for the first month! I've had a couple of ideas for a song, but I haven't officially decided on anything. I have worked out some, but I know I should do it more (hey, I'm working on it). I still need to find an awesome yoga DVD so I can get into that more (any suggestions are welcome!). I honestly haven't had as much time to plan meals this year (gotta love traveling, working, redecorating), but I'm going to really focus on that in February! I haven't started reconstructing the dress, simply because I want to be more confident in my sewing skills.

So there you have it! The next update will be in February!

xoxo Les

Weekend Recap

2012-01-23T11:55:00.007-06:00

Wow, when I say that this was a busy weekend, that would be a huge understatement!

Friday night, DJ and I began the whole deep cleaning process of our house. I finished a fun corner art piece to go behind my newly rearranged couch. I really love it, and it adds some interest to what was a bland corner.

Saturday, I finished the deep cleaning process, and my father-in-law brought this beauty over to our house.

Yes, he built this (along with the help of DJ's younger brother). How AWESOME is that?! I showed them a pin that I found on pinterest of this awesome kitchen island that I wanted to build, and they found all of the dimensions here. How incredible are they?! It just makes the room look infinitely better.

Then, I learned how to sew! One of the mentors from my bible study came over to my house and taught me how to sew! I made two pouches- one for my knitting needles, and one for my crocheting needles. Of course, there were a few little errors here and there, but I completed my project! I don't have pictures of the pouches yet... stay tuned! :)

We had Jacks Man over on Saturday night, cooked a big meal (with the help of my wonderful new kitchen island), watched tractor videos on youtube, made roads in our house out of masking tape, and he played in a bubble bath for almost an hour.

Sunday, we were at DJ's house, and then DJ's sister and nephew came over and hung out until about 9:30. This weekend was definitely BUSY, but oh so fun.

Hope yours was wonderful!

Extreme Makeover: Laundry Room Edition

2012-01-21T11:57:00.012-06:00

Over the past 3 weeks, our house has changed in a dramatic way. EVERYTHING in our house finally has a perfect little spot where it belongs. We have painted, de-cluttered, re-organized and repurposed things in EVERY room in our house. I would say that the laundry room was one of the bigger transformations. Let me forewarn you: the before pictures are embarrassing. And I vow to never let any room in my house look like this. Ever. Again.

BEFORE

The youth minister and his wife were gracious enough to give us a washer, dryer AND fridge! They have been such a blessing to us since before we were married! As you can see (sitting on top of the dryer), there are 3 shelves that were sitting in my parents' garage. I knew I could give them a purpose!

This side is TERRIBLE. This room was a dump. Everything was cluttered, and what should have been my folding area was covered by a bunch of junk. What's even worse is that most people walk through this room to get into our house, and it looked like that for so long. Also, that black coat-hanger thing looked TERRIBLE up close (thanks to my spray painting skills... or lack thereof).

Atrocious. And humiliating. That sums it up.

AFTER:

Nothing is on top of the washer or dryer!

I can actually fold clothes in my laundry room now! Woohoo! We threw a lot of the "countertop clutter" away, and the rest of it went in a perfect little spot in the cabinets.

DJ painted the black coat hanger, we are storing gloves and other miscellaneous items in the baskets. Also, I did a crayon art project that is now on display!

Much better. Wouldn't you agree?

xoxo
Leslyn

Music Library: Before

2012-01-19T13:27:00.015-06:00

As many of you know, I began teaching at a small public school in Monticello this past August. I remember walking into my office and classroom for the first time feeling incredibly optimistic.... And then, I saw my music library. This is what it looked like.

Music was EVERYWHERE.... I would search for music and not find it, order music, and then discover that I already had 50 copies. Money was being wasted. It wasn't good.

I found music with mold and dust all over it. The music probably hadn't been used in over 30 years. Yuck.

As you can see some tiles are missing and strange things are falling from the ceiling....

And some things are growing on the ceiling. Ew.

The floors look like they haven't been cleaned since the 80s.

There is a Fred's shopping cart filled with old records, cds, trophies, and cassettes. I will never know how it got in there.

As you can see, I've inherited a mess, and I've got my work cut out for me. My goal is to finish it all by spring break. I'll be posting updates throughout the organizing process.

xoxo
Les

Project Fun

2012-01-19T12:56:00.007-06:00

As some of you may know, I LOVE lists. I think my mom started my list fetish. She has a notebook (actually she has multiple notebooks) full of lists for every little thing. That's how she stayed on top of things when we were planning my wedding. Although there's a part of me that loves the idea of having a big notebook filled with ideas, I came up with a different and more practical way (for me) to keep track of my ideas.

This little guy holds flashcards. And it cost me a whopping $2 at Wal-Mart. I carry it with me everywhere I go. As soon as I feel inpired or I remember a project that I need to do, I write it down on the flashcard. It varies from very small jobs (like sort through wedding memorabilia) to bigger things (like build a kitchen island, which we are almost done with! Woohoo!). Whenever I have about an hour of free time, I shuffle the cards, randomly pick one, and that's the job I have to do at that moment! Although home projects can be a pain to many, this adds the element of surprise.

How do you keep track of things you need to accomplish? I love hearing ideas!

xoxo
Les

Project 52.3

2012-01-19T10:31:00.005-06:00

I posted my second week picture in the Apple Spice Cake post (the theme was made with love).

This week's theme is "I Have a Dream". This was a no-brainer for me. Of all of the dreams I've ever had, there has only been one that hasn't changed over the past 20 years.

I want to sing and play the piano for a living. This dream, however, has been something I have struggled with a lot over the past few months. I've tried out for countless programs, shows, etc. and I have been rejected more than I have been accepted. I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that although I've been told that I'm "good" my entire life, maybe I'm not to the point of being "great". Maybe it's just not my time yet. I don't know. But what I do know is that I love music. And although it's caused more pain than joy in recent months, I can't seem to let it go.

Whoa, that was super personal.

xoxo
Les

Easy Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2012-01-19T10:19:00.003-06:00

Thanks to 5 Dinners in 1 Hours, I found this awesome recipe that I got try last night. It was super yummy, and super easy!

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix the following ingredients in a bowl

2 C. cooked shredded chicken
2 t minced garlic
½ C. frozen chopped onion
4 oz can diced green chilies
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
20 oz green enchilada sauce
10 oz mild red enchilada sauce
2 C. Mexican cheese blend
1 C. low fat sour cream
10 oz UNDERCOOKED penne pasta (the recipe calls for dried pasta. However, it also tells you to let it sit in a ziploc bag for 3 days... I didn't take that into consideration. So if you want to make it tonight, go ahead and boil the pasta for about 5-7 minutes).

3. Pour into a lighty greased 9x13 baking dish, and bake for 40 minutes.

How did I know this was dish was a keeper? My husband wanted to save it for leftovers. :)

Enjoy!

xoxo
Les

Art

2012-01-18T07:22:00.004-06:00

My dear readers,

I have reached an exciting point in my blogging career. Just yesterday (Tuesday), I had 142 page loads! Holy cow! That's like 25% of total page loads since I started this blog back in 2008 (and yes, it's embarrassing how terrible of a blogger I was before now). This is huge! Thank you so much for reading the blog. I promise to continue to update you with DIY projects, recipes, etc.

In honor of this accomplishment, I've decided to venture out and try something very new. I want to start selling my art. It's an idea that I've always entertained, but I've been too scared to try it. So this is going to be the first design that I sell.

This is by far my favorite painting I've done. My husband has a tree fetish, so I decided to paint something that he would like, and it is now hanging over his dresser. I will customize the colors, background, etc. to whatever you would like. This painting (or a similar one) can be yours for only $25! For ordering or more information, email me at leslynjacks@gmail.com.

New Design

2012-01-17T21:31:00.003-06:00

Even though I have the same color scheme.... I'm just kind of in love with the new design.

Okay, I have been on this computer working on it all for the past 3 hours. I need to go spend time with my poor, neglected husband.

xoxo
Les

Extreme Makeover: Living Room Edition

2012-01-17T16:17:00.016-06:00

As many of you know, I am very limited with what I can do to make my house attractive. When we moved everything into our home (5 days before our wedding), I was not thinking clearly (hello, what bride does?!), and I thought that EVERYTHING needed to be symmetrical and against the wall. Well, I'm sorry, but I got bored with symmetry. So we decided to completely transform this ancient white bookshelf from IKEA into something more fun (you'll see pictures below), and we put it in the corner of our living room. Before we knew it, our Christmas tree was up and our living room looked like heaven. I went into a state of mourning when I had to take the tree down less than 2 weeks ago (terrible, I know). I finally decided to make a serious change yesterday. My first step? Buy an awesome chair.

Then I had to drive through town with it hanging out of my trunk... Thank goodness for fishing line (courtesy of the furniture place... Please, like I have fishing line). I think this picture is proof that I totally need to get a Sequoia or something. ;)

Once I put the chair in the house, I decided I probably needed to take some before pictures.... It just looks so... Vanilla.

Unacceptable. So with the help of my precious husband, we rearranged EVERYTHING (except the TV, which has to stay in the same spot).

I had to take a picture of this bookshelf with the flash on... You really need to see how much the color pops! :)

I must admit, I'm proud of my new living room. It feels so much better. Now I'm just trying to decide whether or not to put anything behind the caddy corner couch? DJ has ruled out plants (which was the only thing I could think of), so if you have any ideas, please share!

-Les

Giveaway!!!

2012-01-09T12:09:00.002-06:00

You should totally check out a new favorite blog, thevintageapple.com. She is having an awesome giveaway. And I mean, who doesn't love free stuff, right?

Check it out!

Apple Spice Cake

2012-01-09T10:41:00.011-06:00

It's been a while! I actually had the amazing opportunity to watch one of my best friends and former college roommate compete in the Miss America pageant! Unfortunately, I didn't have internet access while I was there, so I have a lot of blogging to catch up on!

Last semester, I had the privilege of being a part of an amazing bible study. It's called Apples of Gold, where 6 young married women were mentored by women who had been married for a while. It was so much fun- we cooked, we studied God's word, ate, laughed, cried, and so on.

One of the desserts we learned to make was Apple Spice Cake. Now, if you know my husband, he is an apple lover. He is very predictable when we are ordering desserts anywhere, because if there is anything that contains apples, he will order it. So I decided to make a little something for him. It's super easy! All you need are 3 things:

Spice Cake Mix
1 can apple pie filling
Cream Cheese frosting.

1. Bake the spice cake according to directions on the box.

2. After the cakes are baked, let them cool for a while (so the frosting won't melt off).

3. Put one of the cakes on a platter or cake stand. Cut a little "swimming pool" (as I like to call it) into the top of the cake. This will create the perfect little spot for the apple pie filling.

4. Make sure that the apples in the pie filling are cut small, and pour most of the filling into the swimming pool (the rest is for garnish).

5. Put the next layer of cake on top of the swimming pool of apples.

You just know this is going to be yummy....

6. Frost the cake with cream cheese icing, garnish with rest of apple pie filling and cinnamon, if you would like.

Holy cow. Just look at it. It's divine. One of my new favorite desserts. And it's so simple!

Enjoy! :)

P.S. That last picture is my week 2 entry for P52... I didn't officially get to submit it because I didn't have internet access.... But it's my picture that represents "Made With Love".

The First of Many Projects

2012-01-08T16:30:00.014-06:00

As some of you may know, DJ and I found this precious little rent house in May (5 minutes before I found out I was hired at Drew Central).

Well, it is a RENT house, which means no pets (insert the saddest face in the world right here), no remodeling (my lip is quivering), no painting (I'm sobbing uncontrollably), no nothing. Now, don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more thrilled that God blessed us with this house- we didn't want an apartment. However, it's very hard to decorate this house as it is. For example, most of our walls are light pink, and most of our carpet is this blue-ish green-ish color with lovely brown stains on them. We don't have light fixtures in our living room or either bedrooms. Needless to say, we're very limited with what we can do.

I finally got tired of not being "house proud". I suddenly felt this urge to decorate my home as much as possible, so it wouldn't feel like a rent house anymore. Here is my first project.

This is the "Before".

There's really not much we can do with those cabinets.... They only hold a few vases and light bulbs (they're not deep cabinets at all). We basically had this non-functional space that we had no desire to look at (I mean seriously, there is nothing pretty about this).

Our first step was to go to Target to buy some tension rods and curtains. Unfortunately, they didn't have any curtains that were long enough to go from the ceiling to the floor. So we just settled for these for now.

Yes, it already looks so much better. But seriously, the color of these curtains resembles oatmeal (there's really nothing else that will look decent with that carpet... I mean, let's keep it real). I had to add something to the curtains. Enter one of the most wonderful purchases I have made since our wedding.

My friends, let me introduce you to our panels. From the container store. And a set of 4 only cost $9.99!!!! I was beyond thrilled when they were shipped to our house. I ordered two sets of them, originally thinking that they would live in our bedroom. But I had a better idea... I decided to sew them to our curtains. Just to make them less oatmeal-y.

So this is my first before and after project. I'm just a little excited about how this turned out. All together, it cost us about $40. That definitely beats buying drywall to cover the nastiness that we had to endure for the first 5 months of our marriage.

Project 52.1

2012-01-06T17:05:00.006-06:00

In honor of one of my goals (notice that I didn't use the dreaded "r" word) for 2012, I've decided to try a project. I want to be a better photographer, so I'm not going to set my camera to "automatic". I am going to play around, and hopefully, the next 52 pictures that I post will show growth.

The theme this week: Resolution (Ughh.... I HAD to use the "r" word. It's the dang theme). In honor of my goal to work out more (which I HAVE been doing, thank you very much), here's my picture for week 1.

My latest obsession

2012-01-03T17:09:00.004-06:00

Pinterest has introduced me to so many wonderful things. I have found some recipes and cooked them for my husband (most of them were EXTREMELY unhealthy, but oh so very yummy), found amazing home decor ideas, learned how to fix my hair or put an outfit together, and I've learned about places and things that I would have never known about. Yes, Pinterest CAN be educational, not just an outlet for spending countless hours in front of a computer screen. As I was browsing Pinterest the other day, I came across a friend's pin, and it was something about organizing your files and papers. I thought to myself "Well, this is certainly something I need to do. I'll check it out!" Nothing in the world could have prepared me for what I was about to discover.

It was iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

Holy cow. I was reading what all she had accomplished over the past year, and I was absolutely stunned. I immediately thought to myself "What can I organize?!?!?!?!?! I need to do SOMETHING!" So I went to the nearest closet, which happened to be in our entryway. I pulled out everything that we had and put it in piles. I threw away things that I didn't even know we had. When I put everything back in its' place, the closet looked completely different. It was *gasp* organized. It was so perfect!!! I instantly kept on reading her blog, and found another project I needed to tackle. DJ and I emptied all of our cabinets and re-organized our kitchen. It is amazing how much more space we have. Nothing is cluttered. I know where every last utensil in our kitchen is located. It's so wonderful.

Since then, I have reorganized everything in our bedroom, completely overhauled the guest room (including my closet, which was a scary sight before this weekend), and I'm still going. I can't wait to post pictures of everything that I've been working on!

Do you want a RESOLUTION?

2011-12-29T21:08:00.005-06:00

Here is my dilemma: I have never, ever, EVER stuck to a new year's resolution. I always have these great ideas-- lose x pounds, go to bed earlier, try to run more often, be more organized, etc. After doing some self-analyzing, I've realized that the only hope that I have to stick to these goals (I refuse from here on out to use the word "resolution") is if I make a list. It's quite sad how much I love making lists (and checking things off of the lists). I am like Monica (and Ross) Geller, and I will literally shout "check" as I cross something off of my never-ending to-do list, as if the whole world could hear me. Anyhow, this, my friends, is my to-do list for 2012.

1. Use my camera more often
I'm not sure I could keep up with a 365 picture challenge for next year- however, there are a lot of ideas on Pinterest that have inspired me to REALLY learn how to use my camera.
2. Write a song- a GOOD one
I have all of these ideas in my head- I just have to put it all together so it will make sense. Who knows, I might be the new Taylor Swift (of songwriting, that is) by the end of 2012.
3. Learn how to make healthy food that actually tastes good
After cooking, baking, and eating a ton of deliciously fattening recipes since our wedding, I've come to the realization that I really DO feel more energized and happy when I eat fresh produce. I just need to find a way to make it yummy every single time... And it also has to taste good to DJ.
4. Learn to sew
My sweet in-laws gave me a sewing machine for Christmas, and I am SOOOO excited to learn how to use it!
5. Reconstruct the vintage $10 wedding dress I bought into something way more attractive.
A few weeks ago, DJ and I walked into a thrift store looking for tacky Christmas sweaters. We found the sweaters, but I also picked up this vintage lace ivory wedding dress for only $10. Apparently, the designer of the dress was very high-end in the 1920s-1960s. Anyways, it is something that I would certainly never consider wearing as it is (hello, it IS a wedding dress), but it has the potential to be something absolutely stunning that I could wear to some special occasions. We'll see how it turns out!
6. Do more Yoga
I always feel better after doing yoga- I probably could have just said "Do more stretching", but yoga just sounds so much cooler.
7. Read at least 1 book per month
This is kind of a sad goal, because I probably would have had the time to read 1 book per week before I started teaching. Alas, teaching and being a wife has taken over my life. I have missed curling up on my couch, and getting lost in a story that can make me laugh or cry; therefore, I am going to set a goal to read AT LEAST 1 book every month. It'll be good for my soul.
8. Make my rent house NOT look like a rent house
I haven't posted pictures of my house anywhere, partially because I feel like there are a lot of parts that are incomplete. However, there are several rooms that are starting to feel home-y. There are several "finishing touches" that I want to add to our house very soon!
9. Work out more than I have this past year
This is probably the worst I've done as far as working out.... It all began with student teaching. I'm sorry, but it's hard to find the motivation to wake up BEFORE 6 am every morning to work out, and after dealing with the joys of teaching every day, cooking dinner and doing laundry seems like the biggest accomplishment of all time. BUT, I can say that on the days that I have worked out, I have slept better, felt more relaxed, and I've had a more positive self-image. Therefore, I will work out MORE than I have in the past year.
10. Learn how to coupon
No explanation necessary.

Hello, Strangers...

2011-12-14T11:42:00.003-06:00

Well, I haven't blogged since July, which is kind of pathetic. However, if you know me, you would understand why I haven't had the opportunity to sit down, reflect on the past 5 months and update the world. But finally, as this first semester comes to an end, I have the chance to update you on all of the happenings in my life. So here we go...

I married my best friend and the love of my life on August 6th, 2011! The day could not have been more perfect. I feel like I remember every little detail about that day- getting ready with my bridesmaids and my mom, the moment when DJ first saw me, holding on to my daddy's arm as he walked me down the aisle, crying tears of joy throughout the ceremony, and tearing up the dance floor with my friends and family. Yes, it was indeed a perfect day. We spent our honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was like a dream! We were treated like royalty, the resort was not crowded, the weather was perfect, and the week went by way too quickly! We got home on Saturday, and then we started work on Monday.

Before I started working at Drew Central, I was aware of just a few of the "messes" that I had to clean up... I realized that the students had not been in a stable environment (3 teachers in 1 year!!!), and that a lot of the students were only taking choir because they had to. Never in a million years could anything have prepared me for the challenges I was about to face. After the first day, I could not believe how much the students disrespected me. Things were completely out of control. I had originally intended on teaching the region music to all of my classes, but I quickly came to the realization that I had to resort to plan B. I went into survival mode, resembling a drill sergeant. It was a side of myself that I had never discovered until I began teaching. Many tears were shed out of frustration, and I constantly told myself that I was going to quit after this year. It wasn't worth it to be treated like the scum of the earth, especially by kids who are less than half my age. I loathed my job, and I desperately wanted to get out.

I can't recall the exact moment of the "turning point"- it might have been during one of the hundreds of phone conversations with my mom, or while I was crying on my husband's shoulder. I suddenly realized that all of the opposition that I had been facing was not of this earth. The enemy has been attempting to pull me down, and has been using some of my students to make me feel unappreciated, and worthless. Because of the countless attacks that I have received (even up until this week), I truly believe that the Lord has something wonderful in store- both for me and my students, and I know that HE will receive all of the glory.

As I reflect on the decisions that we have had to make over the past year, God has made it absolutely clear that we are supposed to be in Monticello, and He flung the door open for me to work at Drew Central. It was something that a lot of people prayed about, and God certainly answered that prayer in a way that we couldn't doubt where He was leading us. The Lord put me in this position for a reason. I have learned more about myself and my God in the past 4 months than I have in years- probably since I worked at KAA. Although there are still days where I am not necessarily thrilled about my job, I can rest assured that my Father has put me there for a reason, and that I have a purpose. How humbling it is that he would choose to use me.

3 weeks?!?!?!?!

2011-07-16T12:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,

So the wedding is 3 weeks away, and I am started to get really really antsy... DJ & I have had to do long distance this Summer, and it has NOT been fun. At all. But 1 week from tomorrow, I will be in Monticello, and I won't have to leave him ever again. WOW.

Although being away from DJ has been challenging, I have been so blessed to live with my family and spend time with them every day. It's funny looking back on the first time I had to stay at home after going off to college, and it was not easy for anybody (I was pretty much the brattiest 19-year-old that ever existed). But the older I've gotten, I have come to appreciate my family so much more... especially now that I'm going to live 8 hours away from them. My parents have been my greatest influences, and I am so grateful to have been raised by such godly, wonderful, loving people. They have been there for me through every move, natural disaster, break up, and everything in between. I'm also very grateful to have spent so much time with my sister, Daniela (aka DD). It's so weird to watch her grow up... I'm still used to her being the little 5 year old who is convinced she looks like Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia, who doesn't talk to people, and just bounces around because she is the happiest little girl in the world. Now she is going into 8th grade, and it's been beautiful to see how much she's grown- even in the past year! Moving to Houston was such a great thing for her... She has made some wonderful friends, is in several leadership positions, and is the #1 flute player at her school. I'm so proud of her, and I want her to stop growing up. NOW.

I don't know what this sappy post is about... I guess I'm realizing that this chapter of my life is actually ending, and I'm going to miss being with my family. But I am so excited (and ready) to begin this new chapter in my life. I can't imagine marrying anyone more incredible than DJ. He has challenged me, loved me, and changed me forever. And I can't wait to be all his.

-Les

OWD Part II

2011-06-17T19:33:00.002-05:00

Well, folks, today was a really, REALLY exciting day.

Not only have I reached the halfway point of my OVERALL weight loss goal (15 lbs! And I reached the goal in just under 4 weeks!), but I can FINALLY fit into my wedding dress!!!!!! I woke up this morning, and decided that I needed to see if I had made any progress at all (last Sunday, I tried on the dress, had gained 3 pounds, and cried. Twice). Well, my mom begins zipping the dress, and she starts to scream because it zipped all the way, and it wasn't even tight! So I celebrated by going to Sephora, spending a shameful amount of money on wedding makeup, and spending a not shameful amount on my earrings for the wedding. Yes, today was quite marvelous indeed.

Now, I know that to most people, this really isn't that big of a deal. I mean, I still have 50 days before my wedding (as of today) so why stress out about fitting into a dress, right? But for whatever reason, it took such an emotional toll on me. The most beautiful, special, and expensive dress I would ever wear in my entire life did not fit. And honestly, it was the one thing that was really stressing me out about the wedding. Like any girl, I want to look perfect on my wedding day, and the fact that I couldn't fit into the dress was absolutely devastating.

But today was a day where God answered a prayer of mine (yes, I prayed dozens of times, every day, that my dress would fit me before my photo session in 11 days) that wasn't really that big of a deal. However, it just shows that He cares about the very little things in life that don't matter to most people, but they happen to be a big deal to us. I'm so happy that my God cares about my wedding dress. :)

OWD (operation wedding dress)

2011-06-06T13:00:00.003-05:00

Okay, so two months from today, I have this little event that's taking place. It's called my wedding. I was never one of those little girls who dreamed about her wedding all the time, so when my love asked me to marry him, I had NO idea what the next 7 months would be like. Well folks, right now I wish we would have eloped. :) But I know that when that day comes, I'll be glad that we didn't.

Anywho, my wedding dress came in a few weeks ago, and lo and behold, it didn't fit! I guess student teaching this semester made me put on a little weight(oops). I'm not exactly sure how much, but I could tell that I had put on some weight by the way my clothes were fitting. So this past Wednesday, I started this diet (the same one that Kate Middleton and her mom went on before the Royal Wedding), and I am proud to say that I have lost 6 lbs already! Woohoo! My goal isn't necessarily to weigh x pounds, but it is to fit perfectly into my wedding dress, so I won't have to get any alterations (how's that for penny pinching?!). I tried the dress on this past Saturday, and I could already tell a difference in the way the dress fit, which was encouraging. Now I have to just keep it up for 3 more weeks until my bridal portraits (which I'm sooooo excited about!).

On a side note, I'm going to Nashville for a few days this week, which I couldn't be more excited about! I get to sing BGV's with Dave & Jess Ray (what an honor!), and we're going to be on TV (I don't know when, what channel, where, or anything). I'll post more info as I find out about it.

Blessings.

2011-05-26T15:19:00.002-05:00

Well, this has by far been one of the most exciting weeks I've had in a long time. First of all, I had an interview for a job at Drew Central High School, Shady Grove hosted a beautiful wedding shower for me on Saturday, and two of my roommates (Lauren and Whit) came to visit me in Houston! We had a fantastic time together, and I'm so sad that they had to leave so soon!

So after I interviewed, I was told that I should hear by Tuesday (at the very latest) whether or not I got the job. Well, Tuesday rolled around and I hadn't heard a thing. So I started to feel discouraged, and just assumed that I didn't get the job.

On Wednesday, DJ called me to tell me that he found a rent house that he really liked, and he sent me pictures and I really liked it too. As soon as we decided to definitely get the house (YAY), another person beeps in, and I realized that it was the school calling me! Well of course, I had to take the call, and it was the DCHS principal calling me to offer me the job!!! I was so beside myself, and I couldn't believe that the Lord made all of that come together within just a few minutes (isn't it funny how after He proves that He is faithful, we're still shocked when he is?). Anyways, so we got a house and I found a job!

Well today, DJ calls me to tell me that the youth pastor at Shady Grove had an extra washer, dryer and fridge that he and his wife didn't need, and they gave them to us! What's amazing is that those were the 3 appliances that we were going to have to buy for our house!

Looking back at where I've been in the past 5 years, it's been amazing to see where the Lord has led me. I started off just doing whatever I wanted, and never taking into consideration that the Lord maybe wanted something different for me. I struggled with that for years, and finally, I started going in the right direction when He led me to OBU. It took a lot of heartache, work, and school (lol) for me to get to where I am today. All I can say is that if we are obedient, the end result is SO worth it.

God is good, all the time!

(Future) Domestic Goddess?

2011-05-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

Well, as most of you know, I'm getting married at the end of the summer (73 days away, but who's counting...). As I'm trying to prepare myself for becoming a wife, I have been thinking a lot about cooking. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook. I am so looking forward to doing that. But I realized that everything that I ever cook is either 1) something I cook WAYYYY too much, or 2) It takes about 4 hours to make everything. Now, I'm planning on having a job, so I don't have 4 hours to whip up a meal. So I have been looking up tons and tons of websites, dying to find recipes that aren't too time consuming. Lo and behold, I found an AWESOME blog with wonderful recipes. You probably need to check out Smitten Kitchen. They have TONS of recipes, and most of the stuff seems to be pretty easy to make!

Typing, typing, typing

2011-05-18T15:17:00.005-05:00

Well, in honor of my new job where my office is in a cubicle, here's a fun little typing test for those of you who have nothing else to do at work! :)

http://www.typeonline.co.uk/typingspeed.php?

Happy Wednesday!

The Ring

2011-05-03T18:09:00.004-05:00

Well I'm sure that most of you who read this blog have seen the ring in real life, but in case you haven't, here's a picture of it! :)

Only 3 more days of student teaching, 11 days until graduation, and 96 days until I get to marry the man of my dreams! I'm so blessed.

God is good.

Well hello there

2011-04-20T22:42:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged since August 23rd. Dang, I've got to get better at this. I was so consistent for a while there. I'm pretty sure I'll be blogging quite a bit in the near future, especially because of the gazillion life changes I'll be going through!

So here's a recap of what's happened since August 23rd...

- I had my senior recital
- DJ and I got back together
- I turned 23 (I just almost typed 22... that shows you how my brain won't function anymore) and was admitted into the teacher education program on the same day.
- I got dropped (for those of you non-OBU-ers, it's a good thing... It's similar to getting "pinned" by a guy in a fraternity). What's cool is that my mom got dropped by my dad too.
- I got engaged on January 12th!!!!
- I started student teaching... I spent 7 weeks at Malvern High School, and I'm finishing up at Malvern Elementary School in 2 weeks!
- I have been planning our wedding with my mom... It's been interesting with her being 8 hours away!

So that's been my life in a nutshell. Here are the things I'm looking forward to in the (very) near future:

- A job interview THIS Friday, the 22nd
- Finishing my student teaching
- Graduating from college (after 5 years and 183 hours... yes, I realize that's enough to have a Masters degree)
- Working as the Worship Intern at Tallowood Baptist Church
- Family Reunions
- THE WEDDING!!!!

Wow, this has been quite an eventful school year! It definitely did not start off the way I had hoped, but the Lord has blessed me in ways that I would have never imagined. He is SO good.

Truth.

2010-08-23T08:44:00.002-05:00

Okay, so as promised, I am going to blog about the armor of God for a little while. What's interesting is that the past 24 hours, I have felt like I have been under attack, and it's unlike anything I have ever experienced before in my life. However, there are two verses that have been very encouraging to me.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26

So as I blog about this, please keep me in your prayers, friends.

Well before we really go into our first "discussion" or blog or whatever you want to call this, I figured we should probably look at the passage. It's Ephesians 6:10-18.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Something that has been so interesting to me is that satan will do ANYTHING he can to pull us from God. He will place people into our lives who will discourage us, and he will convince us of things that are NOT the truth. What's unfortunate for us is that he knows exactly which buttons to push. However, our God equips us with everything we need to fight this war against the devil. And praise God that He has already defeated the enemy!

The first part of the Armor that's discussed is the belt of truth. I have been spending the past couple of weeks thinking about why truth would be a belt (I don't know if that just made sense.... but just work with me here). And the longer I thought about it, I realized that in battle, the belt is what holds the your weapon- in this case, we're talking about a sword, which is mentioned later on in this passage. But we'll get into that a little later.

So what truth is Paul talking about? Well, to be completely honest with you, I'm not 100% sure. But I think that Paul is saying that we must know the truth- which we can find in the Word. Here are some truths we can cling to:

1. The enemy has been defeated.
2. God is on our side- and always will be.
3. God will always equip us with what we need. ("The grace of God will not lead you where the grace of God cannot sustain you.")

So be encouraged today and put on the belt of truth. The battle has been won.

Houston: Day 3.

2010-08-15T21:13:00.002-05:00

Well, my last day in Houston was definitely a wonderful, happy one! It started with church... and let me just say that it was AMAZING. Duane Brooks is one of the most phenomenal pastors I have ever met, and I know that my dad is so happy to be on staff at such a fantastic church. Bro. Duane talked about how God has adopted us... I will have to blog about it some more sometime this week. But it was exactly what I needed. Because although we are rejected by others on a daily basis, God ALWAYS chooses us and loves us unconditionally. Yeah. Pretty cool stuff :)

After going to the services this morning, my family and Jana and David went to lunch at the Hallock's house. We know them because we all worked together in Brazil a gazillion years ago. They have been such a huge help to my family during this move. THENNNNN after that I got to see my first roommate ever, Miss Carly Walker (soon to be Migl!!!)! And let me just say, it was sooooooo wonderful to see her. We haven't seen each other in over 2 years, but we were able to just pick up right where we left off. Don't you love it when you have friends like that? Anyways, I spent several hours with her at the mall. We looked for sunglasses the entire time, talked about her upcoming wedding and had the most marvelous time.

The rest of my evening has consisted of packing and hanging out with my family. I have been so blessed this weekend... I am so grateful that the Lord has allowed me to have such a wonderful, encouraging family. I just wish that I didn't have to wait almost 2 months to see them again!

I should probably get to bed soon... considering I have to wake up at 3:45, and leave my house at 4:15 to catch my flight!

Houston: Day 2.

2010-08-14T20:35:00.004-05:00

Before I write about today, I have to tell you about a fun thing that happened last night, because after I posted my blog, my mom and I went on a cupcake date!!! We went to this wonderful bakery called "Ooh La La" (so girly, I know). I enjoyed half of a wonderful red velvet cupcake from there. It's the most popular cupcake place in town, and it happens to be right down the road from my parents' house. :)

Okay so today my cousin Jana and her husband David came down for a wedding, so we got to hang out with them for a little while. Jana has always been a huge encouragement to me. She is always one of the first people I come to whenever I have boy troubles. She used to do the same with me... but then she found the perfect guy. Haha so now that aspect of our relationship is one sided. But she is one of the most fun, beautiful and Godly women I know and I love her so much!

After David and Jana left for the wedding, my family and I went shopping! We first went to Anthropologie, and I just about had a fit. It is seriously the most perfect store in the world. The only thing is that it's just so dang expensive! I simply can't justify spending $98 on the most adorable cardigan I have ever seen in my life. So I didn't get anything from there. Then we went to Memorial City Mall, and we were joined by everybody else who lives in Houston. Seriously, it was like a zoo. I have never seen so many people crammed into an Apple store in my life. It was insane. I usually enjoy shopping, but today I just felt claustrophobic and stressed out. But it was a really nice mall with pretty much every store imaginable. Oh, and they have a Macy's. Seriously, Arkansas needs to get on that.

We went out to eat dinner at this place called Lupe Tortilla. Seriously, Houston is really good when it comes to their tortillas. I never thought that I would just want to eat tortillas all day, but I do. Anyways, after dinner, my mom surprised me and bought me a GORGEOUS dress (because I have to wear fancy clothes for student teaching and observations) from Ann Taylor. And I also bought a really pretty skirt that I can't wait to wear all the time.

After a fun day of shopping, Mom took me to this place called the Beach Club (it's part of that whole Homeowner's Association thing). It is possibly one of the coolest things I have ever seen. They have this sandy beach thing that leads into a swimming pool (so you kind of feel like you're in the ocean? Except it has chlorine... and no oil). In addition to that, they have these walking trails that go around a ton of ponds and fountains. ANNNNND the coolest part is that you can rent boats so you can go out on the ponds and fish or just chill. It's so pretty, and the perfect place to hang out.

So I am pretty sure that I'm just going to forget my 5th year of college and move to Houston. Maybe not... But i seriously am loving this weekend with my family. I am SO blessed.

Houston: Day 1.

2010-08-13T19:30:00.003-05:00

Okay so I have been planning on visiting my family in Houston this weekend. And although there were a few slight changes of plans, I MADE IT! And I am just so excited about everything there is to do down here, so I figured that I would blog about all of the fun stuff that I get to do this weekend. :) And I promise I will blog about some really cool stuff that God has been teaching me after I get back from my Houston trip.

Well first of all, I had to leave my house in Conway at 4:45 this morning. Gross. But it was kind of cool to watch the sun rise from my airplane window (oh, and I had an exit row seat, which means extra leg room. Yessssss). My second flight was very interesting, to say the least. I was planning on taking a little nap during my flight, but a man moved up from the back of the plane and asked if he could sit with me. So of course, being the non-confrontational person I am, I said "sure". Wellll I ended up being sung to throughout the entire flight. Some of the songs were his own love songs he wrote, and one of the songs was a Japanese birthday song. Needless to say, my fellow passengers were a little disturbed by the old man sitting next to me. However, he was really sweet and told me that I was a huge inspiration to him (I'm still trying to figure out why he said that... because all I did was awkwardly laugh and smile at him. I mean, come on. What would YOU do if a stranger sang to you for an hour?!).

Well then my daddy picked me up from the airport, and we went to Panera with mom and dd. We had the most fun, of course. Then dd and I went to a water park that my parents are a part of (thank you, Homeowners Association). We were there for a few hours, then we went shopping at this amazing place called La Centerra. It's pretty much like an outdoor mall/boardwalk type thing. Then dad and I went to the most amazing grocery store called HEB. Holy cow... I don't even know where to begin. Well, they have a tortilla section where there are workers who constantly make fresh tortillas. And they are absolutely amazing. Then they have all of these cooking stations, a ton of fresh produce, and a huge international foods section (hello, German food). Pretty much it's like a Fresh Market on steroids. It's wonderful.

I was expecting my trip to be a little different, but I can tell that this weekend is going to be exactly what I needed. I'm super excited about tomorrow, because my cousin and her husband are coming down here! But I will post all about that tomorrow.

Yay for happy days. :)

Not my words, or my will.

2010-08-10T14:49:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, I think I can't accurately express what I'm feeling. The words kinda try to come out, and it just doesn't seem to do the job. You know what I mean? Well, I think that the past few weeks have been like that. I have been thinking A LOT about my life, and I don't even know how to explain to people what I feel in my heart.

I came across this uote last week when I was reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan... Seriously, you need to read it. It made me sooooooooo incredibly grateful for my Savior. It blows my mind that such a HUGE God could care about my petty problems. This is a A.W. Tozer quote that I found in the book:

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long."

The past couple of weeks I have gotten to a completely different point in my life. It's amazing how much people can change in such a short amount of time. But I have come to the realization that I am tired of being selfish when it comes to my life. I want the LORD to be in control of it all. I want Him to order my steps. I don't want my will anymore- because it's not His. And I know that ultimately, if I am obedient to Him, He will be able to use me much more effectively.

So whatever it takes, I'm willing to do it.

Self-Control.

2010-08-08T23:47:00.003-05:00

Well, we have finally come to my last post covering the fruits of the Spirit. I feel like I have learned more about how to be a woman of God than I ever have in my entire life- which has been VERY difficult, but I guess it was what I needed! Anyways, here we go- self control.

We all have areas in our lives where it's hard for us to hold back. Whether it's our words or actions, or whether it's eating the most fattening (yet delicious), HUGE piece of chocolate cake, there are just some things we have a hard time saying "no" to. Over-indulgence in ANYTHING is an issue. So how do we fix that? We have to practice self control.

Over the past few years I have really learned to control what I say to people. I guess you get a little too honest with people when you're raised in a place like Germany. Haha... But in all seriousness, I have finally learned to shut my mouth when I need to. Granted, I had to learn it the hard way. But a few years ago, I truly took the whole "it's not my business to tell" thing to heart. And trust me- conquering that lack of self-control has been a very good thing.

Here are a few verses that I found that talked a little about self control:

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'no' to ungodliness and worldy passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." 1 Thessalonians 5:8

(quick side note... maybe my next little "series" will be about the full armor of God? hmmmmmmm....)

Okay. So notice that being self-controlled is obviously something that goes hand in hand with some other things. Look at passage from Titus again... We must say NO to ungodly things, and rise above and meet the standards of our God. That's so hard to do sometimes, isn't it? I know that I am not enough concerned with what God's opinion when he hears my words or sees my actions. I care too much about what other people think. That's something that I think all of us struggle with. In addition to "rising above", we must be patient and wait for the Lord in all things, and have hope and faith that He will deliver us (which is also referenced in the other passage).

My conclusion is that practicing self-control is hard. It's just not something that comes naturally to us, especially when you consider the society we live in. But it's such an encouragement to know that we have a God who can help us overcome our failures in life- whether it be a lack of self-control, or any other fruit of the Spirit. So be encouraged- He has overcome the world and all that is in it! Praise be to God!

Gentleness.

2010-08-07T23:25:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness, we are almost to the end of this little... uh.... "series"? I guess? I don't even know what to call this thing. Anyways, I have until Monday to come up with something new to blog about. So I hope to come up with something good.

So gentleness.... As an education major, a lot of my professors tell me that yelling at students won't get anything done. In fact, it has the opposite effect. Think back to junior high (yes, i realize that NONE of us want to remember anything about junior high. Humor me, please). Think about how there were some teachers who you just did not like. It was probably because they didn't teach- they just yelled at you the whole time. For the past few years, our professors have told us time and time again that if you want to be a more effective teacher (and have a better classroom environment), you should choose to be calm and gentle when dealing with your students. The same theory applies outside of the classroom.

There are several verses that I found when I was trying to read up on gentleness. Here they are:

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14

"But you, man of God, [...] pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:11

Now, I don't want to portray God as this God who is only gentle... It kind of makes Him come across as weak. Our God is a God of unfathomable STRENGTH. However, He is also kind (refer to my previous post) and gentle. Whenever we choose to respond to those who have wronged us in a harsh way, not only are we not getting anywhere near resolving the issue, but we are not addressing it in a godly way. We aren't called to be harsh with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, we should gently encourage them to follow the Lord's will in their lives.

So before you decide to snap back at someone who just puts you in a bad mood, think about the verses I posted above. Be gentle and kind. And I promise that it will be much easier to resolve any conflict with that kind of attitude.

Faithfulness.

2010-08-06T16:36:00.003-05:00

OKAY this is the one I have been so excited about!!!! It's been the biggest thing that I have been learning about the Lord probably in the past... uh.... 4 years? Yeah. Probably 4 years. So I am so super excited about this post.

First, I'm going to talk about how faithful our God is. He kinda sets the perfect example of how we should be. One of my favorite songs of all time is called "He's always been faithful" by Sara Groves. Here are the lyrics:

Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season, I watch Him amazed
in all of the mystery of His perfect ways.

All I have need of, His hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me.

I can't remember a trial or a pain.
He did not recycle to bring me gain.
I can't remember a single regret
of serving God only and trusting His hand.

All I have need of, His hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song,
The theme of the story I've heard for so long.
God has been faithful, He will be again.
His loving compassion, it knows no end.

All I have need of, His hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me.

WOW. How amazing and TRUE is that song? How wonderful and reassuring is it that we know that our God has always been faithful, and that He always WILL be faithful? That alone should give us peace. Also, I want to show you Lamentations 3:19-26:

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

So there you have it. Our God is faithful to us. Every single day of our lives. He isn't going anywhere. And He is absolute perfection... So if a perfect Being like Himself can stand to be faithful to someone who is like me (aka NOTHING at all like God), I should put more effort into being faithful to Him in return.

I couldn't be more grateful for my Savior. Especially right now. Because if it weren't for Him and who He is, I would have no hope.

Goodness.

2010-08-05T08:36:00.002-05:00

So I have to admit, I kinda put "goodness" in the same category as "kindness". How can you be "good" to someone without being kind or forgiving? But either way, I wanted to dig into scripture a little bit more and see what God says about goodness.

I know that who or what I spend time with definitely affects how I start thinking (and how I treat others). 1 Corinthians 15:33 says "Bad company corrupts good character." Such a simple truth, isn't it? I know that if I don't spend time with God (aka "good company") every day, my character IS affected. Because it's like I'm not as aware of His presence in my life. And quite frankly, I have reached the point where I HAVE to make my Creator a part of my day- or else I feel hopeless. Another verse that goes along with that is from one of my favorite chapters of all time- Romans 12. "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (v. 9b)

Goodness is also selflessness. 1 Corinthians 10:24 says "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." WOW. I can't think of how many times I don't take other people into consideration when it comes to the decisions I make. If only we all thought "How would THIS choice affect the people I know and love?"... It would make a pretty huge difference, don't you think?

Lastly, I have realized that the epidemy of goodness is GOD. So simple, yet profound. We like to blame God for all of our problems ("Why are YOU letting this happen to me?" and "God, if you REALLY cared about me, this wouldn't be happening"). But that's the enemy working in our lives. Because guess what, readers... God is SO GOOD! Two verses from Psalms come to mind:

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (34:8)
and "You are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees." (119:68)

So take refuge in the One who is good. Let Him teach you His perfect ways.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

Kindness.

2010-08-04T22:12:00.002-05:00

I almost didn't get to blog today! Between having my roommates over, finally seeing my brother (and his roommate), randomly having to get a new tire (yes, just one new tire), working, and a million other things, it's been quite a busy day! But now, I finally have time to write about the next "fruit". :)

I have always been so blown away by random acts of kindness. Especially the anonymous ones... There have been situations where people would randomly give my family thousands of dollars just so my brother and I could go to a good school. Or I would find money in my mailbox at school, and have no idea where it came from. But there's nothing like the feeling when you are the one being kind to others. One instance that stands out in my mind is when I was in Ohio last semester doing a D- now. One of our tasks was to use $20 to show acts of kindness/God's love to other people. It was the neatest thing to see how far that money could go, and how much of an impact these acts of kindness made on the community.

One entire CHAPTER that stands out in my mind is Ephesians 4. And no, I'm not going to type the whole chapter, but I would encourage all of you to read it. It gives an awesome description of what we as believers should be. The verses that really stand out to me are:

"Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen... Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you." (v. 29, 31-32)

Being kind to others is more than what we usually think of (like holding the door open... but seriously, that should happen all the time. Yay for chivalry). It's FORGIVING each other. Forgiveness isn't just "getting over the situation". Forgiveness is a choice that we have to make. It doesn't matter who wrongs us, what they've done or how many times they've done it. We HAVE to forgive one another. I know that if I have done anything to offend or hurt anyone, the biggest act of kindness anyone could ever show me is forgiveness. Just the thought of how many times I have been forgiven by my family, friends and my Savior is overwhelming. And if the Holy, Blameless One can forgive me a million times a day, I am certain that I can forgive my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Choose to forgive. Choose kindness.

Patience.

2010-08-03T10:04:00.002-05:00

Okay so before I write about patience, I just want to say how AWESOME my God is. Yesterday, when I was writing about peace, I was longing to feel a peace about this situation. And praise be to God, He used someone wonderful to open my eyes to the reality of what I am facing right now. And although I am still sad about the events that took place, God is working on me. And I am starting to feel His peace and presence in my life.

So now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about PATIENCE. When I was growing up, I thought I was a patient person. And people thought so as well. I realized that I was far from that whenever I worked at Kids Across America last summer. At times, it was challenging to be patient with these kids who had THE biggest attitudes. But God carried me through that summer, and because of His grace, I was able to show these kids patience and love. So after I was done at KAA, I thought "Well I'm a saint. I'm the most patient person in the world." And I thought that God had taught me my lesson and that I was done. Boy was I wrong.

Patience with other people is one thing. But being patient with God is a whole different story, and it is so difficult. We live in a society of instant gratification (hello Redbox, McDonald's and iPhones), so we have this idea that God should also be able to give us instant gratification. HOW ARROGANT IS THAT?! As if the Creator of the entire universe owed me an explanation or an immediate answer! Who are we to tell our Master and Heavenly Father that He needs to do things our way? That's something I have learned so much this past year. I have been praying for something in particular for almost a year now, and He just chose to answer this prayer this week (although I thought He had answered it differently this whole time).

One scripture that really stands out to me is Psalms 27:13-14
"I am still confident in this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

WOW. Let me repeat verse 14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

I don't think that it's a coincidence that the psalmist says to "wait for the Lord" twice. We need to learn to be patient, my friends. And if He doesn't answer us immediately, He is probably testing our faith and trust in Him (see my previous post on trust).

I refuse to lose heart. I know that my Father is here beside me at all times, and that everything will fall into place, whenever He wants it to.

Peace.

2010-08-02T10:31:00.002-05:00

It's kind of ironic that today's topic is peace. Simply because I don't feel at peace at all. Yesterday was a very difficult day for me, and I feel like I am lacking peace, and probably every other fruit of the Spirit. So please pray for me. Please pray that God would grant me peace, joy, patience, gentleness, and GRACE that can only come from Him.

One scripture that I have been thinking about is John 16:32b-33

"Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"

Although it's hard for me to see this right now, I know that God has already conquered any heartbreak I am feeling, or will feel in the future. He has taken control over every situation in my life. And it's hard for me to surrender anything to Him, because I am a control freak.

I have come to the realization that the only time that I feel TRULY at peace is when I am in His presence. As I said yesterday, tears of JOY only came when I was standing face to face with my Savior, pouring my heart out to Him. Although there was an uncertainty about what would happen to me, I knew that HE would always be for me, not against me. So as I struggle with letting go of something that has been (and still is) extremely close to my heart, I can rest in Him, knowing that He can heal my wounds and give me a peace that surpasses all understanding.

I would like to end this entry with Romans 5:1-5

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."

Praise God.

Joy.

2010-08-01T13:34:00.002-05:00

I am not a cryer. I am one of those people who holds it in, and I don't like people to see me upset. This week has been one of those exceptions. I have found that through this season in my life, the only way I can pour out my heart to God is through my tears. And this week, I have cried tears of pain, heartache, and confusion. However, this morning, at church, I cried tears of JOY for the first time since... I can't remember when. And it felt so good.

Today, the choir's special was "Thou O Lord", which was a song I sang with Sounds last year. It's based on Psalms 3: "But you are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill." Then, the preacher (who was a black man who sang half of his sermon, and it was probably one of the BEST sermons I have heard in my life) spoke about Psalms 42 & 43. The psalmist repeats this passage three times within these two chapters: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

I have come to the realization that the only thing that will ever give me TRUE joy is Jesus Christ. It's such a simple concept, but it can be difficult to grasp at times. He alone is the source of our joy. Yes, you can be happy under certain circumstances, but joy can only come from the Lord. It reminds me of this song:

"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. And i'm so happy, so very happy. I've got the love of JESUS in my heart."

So from here on out, I will not put my confidence in earthly, temporary things. I know that the Joy of the Lord is my strength.

I leave you with one last quote from church this morning (I'm telling you guys... I NEEDED church really bad today):

"You don't realize that Jesus is all you need, until He is all that you have."

Love.

2010-07-31T11:32:00.012-05:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

This past week, I have been thinking a lot about the fruits of the Spirit. A lot of it has to do with the fact that there's this really cool drawing in the bathroom at work that has all of the fruits of the Spirit on them. Random, I know. ;) So I decided that I should dig deeper into the Word and try to find the true meaning of each of these words. I have been trying to decide whether or not I want to go in order or not (because I have SOOOO many thoughts on one of the last ones). But I figured that God probably put them in their specific order for a reason. So let's start out exploring the first fruit of the Spirit: love.

I think that "love" is a word that is used way too much (um, hello junior high relationships). This is what the Bible says about love:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

WOW. As I have reflected on all of those things that God has listed, I realize that there are very few people to whom I have shown that kind of love. Because of our sinful nature, it can be easy not to demonstrate these acts of love. However, to be more Christ-like, we must follow His word and show others love the way He has shown His love to all of humanity.

So I have come to the conclusion that to me, love is two things.

First, love is a choice. I can wake up in the morning and choose to show others love, the way that my Savior has shown me His love day in and day out, or I can choose not to do that. Although it can be extremely difficult to love others (especially those who have wronged us), I have to remind myself that if the perfect, blameless One whom we all fail on a daily basis can love ALL of us unconditionally, it shouldn't be hard for a wretch like me to love others.

Also, love is sacrifice. True love was demonstrated when Jesus Christ bore each and every one of our sins and was killed in the most shameful way imaginable- on a cross. Now, if God could sacrifice the thing He loved most (His perfect Son), then I believe that I should be able to sacrifice my selfish desires and show others the love that my God has shown me so faithfully.

"But the greatest of these is love."

Trust.

2010-07-30T15:32:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I can't believe that I am blogging twice in one week (I'm pretty sure I've never done this before). But I guess I have a lot on my heart that I feel like I need to share with you.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to sing at DJ's church. And his dad preached about facing challenges and trusting in God in the midst of those struggles in our lives. The song I sang was a song that I have known for quite a while... It was written by a friend of mine, Sara Beth Geoghegan. It was written about trusting in God in the midst of disaster (specifically Hurricane Katrina). This week has definitely been a BIG challenge. But I have really been thinking about the chorus of this song:

"It's easy to trust Jesus when the storm's far away....
But it's sweeter to trust Jesus when you've nothing to give or say"

How true is that? We seem to trust in Him the most when we don't really feel like we need to! When our lives are in (seemingly) perfect order, we tend to neglect our Savior. And it's easy to talk about trusting in Him, especially when the pieces all fit together. However, it's not so easy to slap a smile on your face and say "I can easily trust in God" when there is a challenge facing us. How amazing would it be if we weren't to fret over any crises in our lives- but trust that the Almighty One has it all under control.

So today, I am choosing not to doubt that my God can't handle this situation in my life. HE is in control. To HIM be the glory forever.

What's holding YOU back?

2010-07-28T10:11:00.003-05:00

We all have something in our lives that serves as a security blanket. Whether it's a person, something materialistic, an insecurity that we have hung on to, a drug, or anything else. Whatever it may be, it's something comfortable, something we can always rely on. We hide behind this security blanket, maybe because we are scared to face reality and deal with our problems. What's amazing is that we don't HAVE to deal with them on our own! Two scriptures come to mind:

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalms 73:26)

and

"My soul finds rest in GOD alone, my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on GOD; He is my mighty rock, my refuge... Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for GOD is our refuge." (Psalms 62:5-6, 8)

I often tend to forget that nothing is guaranteed here on earth. The only thing that I am certain of is that my Heavenly Father is the only thing I will ever be able to put all of my confidence in. And a lot of times it's easier to turn to our security blankets to get our "fix". Instead, we should run into the arms of the Holy One, and know that He is Sovereign and that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." (Romans 8:28)

So think about what is holding you back. Who knows- maybe letting go will end up leading you to something better than you could have ever imagined.

July

2010-07-07T19:31:00.005-05:00

July is going to be sooooo busy! Here's a recap of what has happened, and what's to come.

Last weekend my wonderful boyfriend came and visited me for the 4th of July weekend! We had so much fun spending time with my family. We went to Little Rock to listen to the Symphony and watch fireworks. Then the next day, we went car shopping with my parents. They got a Black 2010 Honda CR-V EX, and it's beautiful! Here's a picture of it:

I also bought my senior recital dress this weekend, and I pretty much want to wear it all the time. Buying the dress made me realize that my recital is ACTUALLY happening in less than 3 months! And no, I'm not going to post a picture of the dress. You'll have to come to the recital to see it! It's October 1st at 11 am, btw :)

The rest of the month consists of packing up my parent's house, moving into my aunt and uncles new house, celebrating DJ's birthday (he might have the best birthday of all time), watching some sweet friends compete in Miss Arkansas, working, and practicing for my recital.

Yup, I love July.

Updates!

2010-06-20T18:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I feel like I haven't said anything about what's going on with me and my family in a while, so here's a little update!

Well, after I finished my 4th semester at Ouachita (which was so much fun!), I moved back home to Conway for the summer. A few weeks after I moved home, I got a job at a boutique called Pizzazz, and I absolutely love it! I work with some amazing women, and I couldn't be more grateful to work in a place where my bosses are strong believers. I usually work anywhere between 2-5 days a week. In addition to my job, I have been leading worship at New Life Church in Little Rock and in Conway, which has been an absolute blessing! This past weekend I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in Haley (Henderson) Lowery's wedding, and it was such a beautiful wedding! We had her bachelorette party on Thursday night, and the wedding was on Saturday. I was so happy to have DJ come up for the wedding. He was a wonderful date! :) Hopefully I will be able to post wedding pictures on facebook soon!

The biggest news from my family is that they are moving in July! My dad has been called to be the music minister at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, TX! (www.tallowood.org) I could not be more thrilled for my family. We visited the church a few weekends ago, and the people at the church could have not been more kind or welcoming to my family. I am confident that my Dad is going to do a phenomenal job at the church. My parents are actually down there as I write this, and they are looking for a house! My sister is also in Texas right now, but she is attending Camp Tallowood with the youth group (by the way, I am so happy that she will be a part of such an amazing youth ministry). I can't wait to go down there and visit them all the time this next year. :) Anyways, because they are moving in the middle of the Summer, I will be staying at my grandparents' house and at my aunt and uncle's house. My brother will also be staying in Conway, because he has a job at New Life.

That's all I can think of right now! If my parents find a house this week, I will be sure to post some pictures of our place! :)

-Les

Presh.

2010-06-16T18:16:00.002-05:00

“I Like You”
by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it’s special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, Remember when you told me something special
And both of us remember
When I think something is important
you think it’s important too

You really like me, don’t you
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that’s the way we keep on going every day

I like you because I don’t know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can’t remember when I didn’t like you
It must have been lonesome then

I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again
That’s how it would happen every time
I don’t know why
I guess I don’t know why I really like you
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you

Check out this blog!

2010-06-03T14:57:00.002-05:00

So one of my closest friends of all time is Taylor Hall (whom I affectionately call Taytor Tot). She just started a fun blog about food, nutrition, and it features recipes and "restaurant reviews". You should check it out!

taylorfoods.blogspot.com

I promise I will blog about something cool as soon as I get a free second :)

-Les

Best idea. Ever.

2010-05-04T16:23:00.002-05:00

I hate having to crawl under my desk to pick up the wires for my computer stuff or to find my cell phone charger. This is the perfect solution :)

Amazing.

2010-04-30T17:06:00.004-05:00

This is reason #2309245792 why I love photography :)

The photo shows each phase of the sun over Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The photographer, Justin Quinnell, strapped the camera to a telephone pole overlooking the Gorge, where it was left between December 19, 2007 and June 21, 2008-the Winter and Summer solstices. (That's a 15,552,000 second exposure.) It was captured on a pin-hole camera made from a coke can, with a 0.25 mm aperture and just a single sheet of photographic paper.

My favorite list. Ever.

2010-04-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

Okay so I have been thinking about this a whole lot this past semester, and I have decided that I want to do something cool until I die. SOOOO I came up with this solution...

I want to master something new every year for the rest of my life. There are so many things I would love to do, but I have never made the time to do it. And because there are a gazillion things on my list, I decided that the best way for me to check things off my list is to tackle one thing every year. This year I am trying to learn everything I can about photography. But more on that in another post. Here are just a few of the things I've decided I want to do. And I have no idea what I will learn about next year.

-get my scuba license
-learn how to cook LEGIT Italian food (sorry, Ragu, you don't cut it anymore)
-learn how to cook LEGIT French food
-learn how to sew clothes (not weird stuff that some home schooled kids would wear)
-become a coffee connoisseur and learn how to make really good coffee (maybe I should work at starbucks someday)
-learn to play the guitar AND cello
-decorate cakes
-speak Italian
-I know NOTHING about plants. I want to fix that.
-learn how to knit more than just 2 patterns.

So that's all I have time for right now. But there are plenty of other things on my fun list. And there's a good chance that I will be terrible at (at least) 1 of those things I listed. But at least I can say I tried :)

-Les

Oops

2010-04-08T11:32:00.003-05:00

So I failed at blogging again. But I am going to do my best to jump back on the bandwagon.

The past few months have been CRAZY, but absolutely wonderful. This is my last busy semester of college. Next semester I'm only taking 13 hours (praise the Lord!), and then I'll be student teaching. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my extra time... Maybe become a better photographer :)

So far, this school year has been the best year of my life. It seems like the past 4 years have been more about me finally understanding that God is ALWAYS faithful- in spite of how unfaithful we are to Him. And it's been about patience (although I feel like I'm always being tested in that area... haha). But this year has been about discovering God's goodness and His love. I feel like so many times I take His love for granted. However, he still loves me unconditionally and he is GOOD. God is SO good (I'm singing the song in my head). But I have been thinking about that a whole lot lately. I could go on for hours and hours about this and go into detail, but I'll just leave it at that.

I already know what my next post is going to be... prepare yo-selves. ;)

-Les

It's been a while... again

2010-01-19T22:09:00.003-06:00

Goodness gracious, I am probably the worst EVER at blogging... So much has happened and there are about a gazillion things that I want to write about. I suppose I will limit myself to just a few things... for now ;)

First of all, I haven't had the chance to share about my summer. I had the incredible opportunity to work at Kids Across America. It's pretty much Kanakuk for inner city kids. I know it's such a cliche to say this if you have ever worked as a counselor, but those precious girls that I worked with absolutely changed my life. I can't help but think about all of them every day. Because of those girls, I learned how impatient I am. I also developed a newfound appreciation for my parents- taking care of multiple kids every day is MUCH harder than I thought! I learned so much about the Lord and His love, mercy, strength, and pretty much every other wonderful thing that He is in my life. I had to rely on Him in EVERYTHING I did. I also learned a lot about myself. I don't think that I have ever taken the time to reflect on my life and try to figure out WHY I am who I am. At times, it was really hard to go back and think about the saddest, darkest times of my life. But allowing myself to go there helped me work through a lot of stuff that I had never dealt with before. Now I think I've kind of got myself figured out. :)

Another fun/exciting thing that I haven't blogged about is TIGER TUNES!!! Oh my goodness, it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. It's something that I have wanted to do since I was in first grade. And I have no idea how I was supposed to achieve that goal by going to Belmont (ha). I absolutely butchered my audition, but somehow, by the grace of God, I made it. After months of planning, rehearsals began. We rehearsed almost every night for two months, and put together this incredible show. I remember the excitement I felt before we went out on stage, and I couldn't help but thank God every time for the privelege of performing in front of thousands of people every night. Everything about the experience was absolutely perfect. I made new friends, made best friends, and met a pretty cool guy ;)

Well, that's all I am going to say for now. I promise I will try to update the blog little more often.

-les

A couple of things.

2009-07-23T16:33:00.002-05:00

First of all, PLEASE watch this video. LOVE this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--8t0dMcJRI

Secondly, please go to www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com. Maggie moo, Jill-o and I looked through the entire website. And you might not think that it's worth it. But oh, it totally is.

Thirdly, I just wanted to say that I hate it when people absolutely ruin music for a group of kids. It breaks my heart when kids learn to hate music, just because one person constantly discourages them. It made me realize that I can't wait to teach. And I hope that when I teach, my students won't hate music as soon as they walk out of the classroom.

That's all for now. Okthanksbye.

Something I've Learned Over The Past Few Years

2008-08-03T22:35:00.002-05:00

I could write paragraphs about the lesson that I have learned, but Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Yours" explains everything (Thanks Matt for sending me the link to that article... it helped me find this song).

Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
All the greatness and power,
the glory and splendor and majesty

My life is Yours, my heart is Yours
My hands and my feet are Yours
Every song that I sing
All our dreams are Yours, God
All our plans are Yours, God
The whole earth is Yours, God
Everything is Yours

After the death of his daughter, he added this verse to the song... and it's incredible.

I've walked the valley of death's shadow
so deep and dark that I could barely breathe.
I've had to let go of more than I could bear
I've questioned everything that I believe.
Still even here in this great darkness
a comfort and a hope comes breaking through
as I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.

Quote of the Day

2008-05-07T12:15:00.002-05:00

"The key to unlocking a heart of gratitude and overcoming bitterness, ugliness, disrespect, and violence is a strong sense of dependence on God the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, and Hope-Giver. If we do not believe that we are deeply dependent on God for all we have or hope to have, then the very spring of gratitude and faith runs dry."

-John Piper, A Godward Life