Mere Christianity

I'm taking a break from studying to write about one of my assignments this week. Seems a little weird, right? This week for my Fantasy class we're reading this:



I have been so ready to read it this semester! We have finally gotten to it and it has not disappointed me. C.S. Lewis is a genius. I've read two other books of his before. (You may be wondering why we're reading this for a "Fantasy" class. We're actually reading the Chronicles of Narnia, which ARE fantasy stories and also by Lewis. We're using Mere Christianity to kind of compare with his writing of Narnia. I'm not complaining...FINALLY something we're reading that really matters in the grand scheme of things!) Anyway, here is one of my favorite exerpts from the book so far.

"God is the only comfort. He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies."


I highly recommend reading this book! It will really open your eyes to things in Christianity and also just in humanity itself. He really "sees" people and puts things in such a "duh" way that you wonder how you never noticed it before. By the half-way mark smoke was coming out of my ears...

to live by....

My mama sent me the following email on New Years Day. I typed it up in cute different fonts and sizes, printed and framed it. It is sitting on my desk and definitely worth looking at every day!

Drink plenty of water. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy. Make time to pray. Read more books than you did in 2011. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Sleep for 7 hours. Take a 10-30 minutes’ walk daily. And while you walk, smile. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. Don't overdo it. Keep your limits. Don't take yourself so seriously. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip. Dream more while you are awake. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. Call your family often. Each day give something good to others. Forgive everyone for everything. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. What other people think of you is none of your business. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. Do the right thing! Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. GOD heals everything. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. The best is yet to come. When you awake in the morning thank GOD for it.

minimalism

Ever since Justin and I got married he has fussed at me about throwing/giving things away. I hate having things we never use. I don't particularly know where it comes from, but I just can't stand a bunch of stuff everywhere in my house. I thought it was just a(nother) weird "quirk" (I have a lot of those) of mine, but turns out, I'm a minimalist! hehe I know, I'm a freak. Anyway, I've been reading this book lately that only encourages my behavior. *insert Justin rolling his eyes and calling me the opposite of a hoarder*

-warning - I promise you won't make it through the first chapter without putting it down and cleaning something.

hubby

I just want to take a minute to tell you just how wonderful my husband is...

Last night I was poking around on Pinterest and I was reading a recipe for Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti. Justin said he would cook supper and asked me what I wanted. I said, "chicken spaghetti." Of course, I was joking. Joke was on me! He made chicken spaghetti!

And today I came home from school and all the dishes in the sink were washed and in the cabinets. He had washed them on his lunch break!

I love him bunches!

little wonder

I have recently fallen in love with something. 

It's called the Beauty Blender.  It's only a sponge for applying makeup, but I love it.  The pointed end is for hard-to-reach places or for more concentrated coverage, like with concealers (below, in corners of eyes, blemishes, hairline, etc).  The larger end is for the rest of your face with your foundation (I use liquid foundation, not sure how it would work with creams, etc.).  Justin tells me I look ridiculous rubbing a pink Easter egg all over my face.  He just doesn't know.

crazy

This week has been absolutely insane.  Wait, really since I've started school things have been crazy.  I have not had time to breathe! I am SUPER ready to graduate in May! I just hope I don't so crazy in the process...

So this week my daddy went in monday to get 2 of his 3 kidney stones crushed (it's called lithotripsy.. not sure if I spelled that correctly).  He came home that afternoon, but had to go back that night because he was in severe pain.  Then came the stresssssss.  To make a long story short, there were complications with the surgery.  He had to have another surgery, lots of pain meds, etc.  But he FINALLY came home today! He is feeling much better and I'm so glad he isn't in pain anymore. 

So with going back and forth to see daddy in Montgomery every night, my school work has kind of taken a hit. I feel so behind, I'm exhausted, and I had so much extra stress worrying about daddy. So, I've finally caught up and I'm determined to not do a thing this weekend.  NOT. A. THING.

goodbye 2011

It is really hard for me to believe that 2011 is already gone. It will take me until june to stop writing 2011 on my checks, etc.


Overall Justin and I had a really great year. We are so blessed and it is never more evident to us than going through the holidays. They are all such special times to us. My favorite part during the holidays is the Candlelight Lord's Supper at my home church. We go into the sanctuary as a family and take the Lord's Supper together. The church started this about 6 or 7 years ago (I think) and since then it has been so special to me. It's a time when we can go home, get together and praise God and tell eachother what they mean to us. It's something I look forward to every single year. God really has blessed us so much this year. I can't say enough about His love. And may I say, I loved the Christmas was on a Sunday this year. What better place to be than His house on the day we celebrate His birth?


We rang in 2012 at our church, praying in the new year outside the front of the building. I think it is such a witness to the people still out and about. It's has been a really special time to us. I have high hopes for 2012 and I know it will be a good year (if my plans happen or not). God has taught me so much this last year and He's already starting this year... yesterday I watched the sun rise. I just happened to see a baby calf born whie I was sitting there. The whole experience was new to me and as I was watching that baby learn to walk it hit me.. that has to be what we look like to God. Just stumbling through life. We stand up, get cocky because we did it, and then fall back down. How many times of that does it take before we trust Him? I was reading Isaiah chapter 52 as I was sitting there. It talks about where God redeems Jerusalem. He tells them that they have given themselves away to NOTHING, and that they will be redeemed without money. In this new year I pray that I keep focused on Him, trust Him more...and stop stumbling through life and giving myself to the things of this world. It is so hard when you like shiny things. HAPPY NEW YEAR!