culture segment...

I am currently listening to (and VERY much enjoying) this:

"Narrow Stairs" Death Cab for Cutie's newest album

And I can't wait until this is released on June 17!

"Viva la Vida" by Coldplay

10 things I’ve learned since January

Since we are fast approaching the middle of 2008 I thought I would provide a list of just 10 things that I have learned thus far. There are plenty more but I'll spare you all the details and simply provide the following:
1. I am not that good with a hammer. It’s definitely harder than it looks to get the hammer to strike the head of the nail and the nail to go in the intended direction. Maybe it just takes more hand-eye coordination (or practice) than I currently have?
2. Spackling a wall is not that hard… this I can do!
3. I don’t care for painting trim, or around it for that matter, but give me a roller and I’ll paint all day long… or until I get blisters on my nice soft hands, whichever comes first.
4. I love decorating! Yes, I kind of knew this one already but it has indeed been confirmed.
5. I can (and DID!) pass the horribly hard CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam.
6. I never thought I would say (or in this case write) this but, blogging is great fun.
7. Most of the time, barring 120 degree temps and 95% humidity, running really is my “happy place.”
8. I have great friends. Nope, I could not ask for any better friends.
9. I have an amazing family! Yes, they can at times get on my nerves and I am quite sure I get on theirs!!! Yes, there might be some things I would like to change about them and I know there are some things they would love to change about me!!!! However, I love them so very much and wouldn’t trade them for anything!
10. As great as my friends are and as amazing as my family is, I have an absolutely glorious God who, despite everything that surrounds my little world, is up to more than I can possibly conceive. He is orchestrating things in a way that is for His greatest glory and indeed my greatest good and regardless of where I find myself this year I have found, He does all things well.

text msg for restaurant calories! crazy, but IT WORKS!

So, today I'm browsing on this neat website and I found the following little quip. I decided to try it out and IT WORKS! As a test, I texted "Wendy's Small Chilli". Give it a shot for yourself....

"Text Message for Restaurant Calories... Yay!!! - Do you dream about walking into a restaurant and having all the nutritional info right at your fingertips?! Well pinch yourselves, people, because that dream is now a reality. There's a database of about a bazillion jillion chain restaurant foods and their calories, fat, carbs, and protein -- and you can access the nutritionals simply by texting the restaurant name and menu item to DIET1 (34381). Within seconds you'll get the answer sent to your phone! Go on. Try it."

my new thing...

So, I have recently become acquainted with this protein smoothie mix (Glycemic Balance) and it is absolutely my "new thing." I love it! Here's why: Among other great things, it is loaded with 22 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving and only 2 grams of sugar! I will admit that I never made it exactly according to the product's instructions, rather I throw a healthy amount of fresh frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.) into my blender along with some fat free apple juice or fat free white grape juice. I have tried both and personally prefer the apple juice. Now that I think about it, I suppose you could substitute orange juice as well if you'd like.... Anyway, once blended well, I add in the protein mix--I do follow the instructions here, adding the amount of mix suggested on the package. I've found this is a great and tasty way to get my protein in for the day. Several of the protein mixes I've looked at have way too much sugar. So, kudos for this one for keeping a tight reign on the extra sugar while packing in the protein and fiber! I'm sure there are several places to find this great product but I usually pick it up at Wild Oats on Poplar. Enjoy!

particularly precious

This morning's Daily Light was particularly precious to my soul...

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.—The gospel . . . is the power of God for salvation.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.—I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.—But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”—May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.

Eph. 6:10; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; Ps. 71:16; Rom. 1:16; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:29; 2 Cor. 4:7; Neh. 8:10; Col. 1:11

definitely not done, but progress IS being made...

It has been a while since my last post and since several of you have asked, here are a few pictures to give you an idea of how the house is coming along. I'm definitely far from being done, however significant progress IS being made. Enjoy!

God Will Heal My Faithlessness

I think all believers battle with faithlessness at times, I do. I think we are, most of the time, too proud to publicly and privately admit that we continually have this inward struggle. I think we are afraid that we will be looked down upon and made to feel as if we are less of a believer, or worse, not one at all for having this struggle. It is comforting to know that God has promised to continually heal our faithlessness as we continually run to Christ. The following was written and posted by Tyler Kenney, a contributor to the Desiring God Blog.

Despite eight years of new life in Christ, my poor, guilty soul still becomes overwhelmingly anxious at times. A dark cloud comes and just sits over my head, not letting any hope from God’s promises or past faithfulness get through and restore my joy.

And it’s my fault. It’s unbelief and sin.

God never intended for me to find my abiding joy in the circumstances of this life—“in this world you will have trouble”—but to hope in him and his salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-19; 1 Peter 1:13).

Nonetheless, I still let outward things determine my inward state, with the result that I have fickle joy, not Paul-like joy—the kind that would lead me to say,

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (Phillipians 4:12)

So when this unhappy lack of sturdy joy leads me to pray (which it always does, and I thank God!), I don’t want to pray primarily for my circumstances to change. I want to pray first for my unbelieving heart to change.

And then I take more comfort in the Father than ever before:

Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness. (Jeremiah 3:22)

perspective.

It is somewhat odd, driving around Memphis during the busy 12 o’clock lunch traffic and in the 8 o’clock morning rush hour now seems “light” after sitting in a 5 o’clock traffic jam for a hour and a half on a LA freeway. I’ve been thinking about this as I’ve sat in traffic the past couple of days… did the traffic in Memphis change while I was away? No, I’m quite sure that Memphis traffic (and the corresponding crazy drivers) are exactly the same as they were before I left. However, my perspective has changed. After experiencing 7 lanes of traffic (7 lanes in one direction!) that are just barely creeping along the freeway, sitting through 2 lights at Poplar and White Station this morning seemed like a breeze!

How easy and beneficial it is for the Father to use experiences and circumstances in our lives to change our perspective of the world around us and most importantly to alter our perspective of Him. The situations of our life might change drastically… or then again just slightly, but nevertheless the point is to alter our perspective of Him—to move us in a direction towards viewing Christ as our entire sufficiency, finding our joy in Christ alone and motivating us to follow Christ’s example by entrusting ourselves entirely to our loving Father. He never changes but the end result to us is always the same… we aren't the same person we were before. Our perspective has changed, for now He has graciously allowed us to see Him more clearly, in a way we once didn’t before.

home.

I so LOVE to travel! I love going to new places, experiencing new things, eating “new” food, learning new things and seeing a different way of life. With that said, after being gone to Los Angeles for 10 days I also LOVE coming back to Memphis... for as long as the Lord has me planted here, this is home. With said, I had a blast on the West Coast! I got to eat at In-n-Out (twice! Because it was SO good!), Roscoe’s Chicken-n-Waffles, and loads of other great places we don’t have here in Memphis. I got to see the sunset over the Pacific Ocean and drive down the rocky coastline to San Diego. It was interesting to go to both the Regan and Nixon Presidential Libraries. San Juan Capistrano, one of the oldest missions in California, is absolutely beautiful. And of course, a trip to LA is not complete without a walk down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, a drive through Malibu, and time spent in an infamous LA traffic jam. So, I while liked LA more than I actually thought I would, I’m glad it is not my home… I am indeed glad to be home.

Leaving on Jet Plane

Do you remember this song? I remember I first heard it while watching "Armageddon." At any rate, this song has been in my head for the last day or so because tomorrow morning I'm leaving (on a "jet plane") to head to California to see what adventures await me on the West Coast! Now, if I just had my bags packed....