We're still here... just enjoying the Holidays!

Thinking of Apple Cider

I think I wore the same shirt for 6 days in a row. It's basic, cozy, and frankly, I was just really enjoying the wear of it. I wore it different ways--solo, under a sweater, under cardigans. So, I don't think anyone really noticed. I also slept in it a few times and did pilates in it. I would say it's about time for it to go through a wash and rinse.

My co-worker was talking about a opposum eating Neiman Marcus cookies on her back porch. You hear all kinds of things in the workplace.

I wrote this a few years ago and the wintery season brings it to my mind...

With a scarf I go from day to night,
wrapped up in my winter, tight.
You sing to me a lullaby
of summer days and northern lights.

And soon I know the fire's glow
as comfort to my weary soul.
With change of seasons, You alone
could make this change in me.

I hope you find your warmth in Him.


(Kendra)

Over-stuffed

Why is it that when you spend an excessive amount of time on one subject, it begins to lessen the feeling of reality that you once experienced from that subject?
For example, I may love a movie, a band, or even a food... ok let's stick with movie for the sake of simplicity. However, if I research all the meanings behind it, and watch it over and over and over again, and spend time reading the original story in the book that it was made from, and learn about the author's life... by the end of it, I end up feeling less attracted to it than I did in the first place. It has lost its excitement to me.Why is that?
(Nicole)

Chapter Fever

If college is a chapter in my life, I feel ready for it to be closed. I don't hate it, and I've seriously have appreciated how God has used it to grow and change me for Him. However, I feel ready to have a job and no homework. I can't even imagine what it would be like to not have school to work on--to come home after work at 5:00 and not be thinking "OK, if i can stay up 8 more hours I can finish this project, read this book, and write that paper...."
I believe I will enjoy the rest of the school experience that I have ahead of me, but the last day keeps looking sweeter and sweeter with every new assignment added to my plate.
~Nicole

Nap-time, my friends...

I am so tired and in need of a nap. Can grown-ups have naps, too? I think it would do us all well. A mid-day nap might leave us feeling refreshed. Or...maybe we wouldn't want to get up and finish our work? Hmm. The issue is, I am a night person. I love how quiet and still it is. The problem? Late nights do not jive with early mornings. Such is life. Maybe we should all be like Michael Scott and lay out some bacon on the George Foreman grill and wake up to the smell of breakfast by our beds. Just watch where ya step...

(Kendra)

Nothing

I really apologize for taking so long to post. I've felt a little overwhelmed lately, and even when I have thought about posting I felt like I didn't have the time or energy- and also that I don't have much to contribute.
I suppose that is a horrible excuse, but there it is.
Thanksgiving break has helped me to recover greatly-- well, by that I mean God has used this break to teach me to rest and recover, not only physically, but mentally too.
Lately I have had this phrase stuck in my mind "we have a Good King". It keeps repeating itself, but it never gets old. I have had a lot of misconceptions about God before, but lately He has been showing me that-- regardless of all the filth and hurt in this world-- He is still King and He is a Good One!! He loves us extravagantly.
Thank you, Lord! And please keep teaching me!
~Nicole

Fa la la la la...

It's that time. Oh yes, my friends, it is Christmastime. Some people say that you have to wait until Thanksgiving is over to begin your festivities. If that is true, then shopping malls, retail stores, the tv movie line up, and my eccentric neighbors down the street have missed the memo. I can't complain, because I love it, too. There is something about Christmas that makes you feel so peaceful and homey. This year, I want to finish my shopping and have my tree up (and my Christmas cards out!) by December. I want to avoid the hustle and bustle and spend my December with family, watching movies, reading, looking at Christmas lights, and baking.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Purposefully Beautiful

I've been thinking  whole lot about beauty recently. I don't mean physical beauty specifically, although that is included, but I mean that I've been thinking about beauty in general. We have such a longing for it and what is its use? We all know that it must have one and yet it is so hard to pinpoint. I wrote a letter to God about this recently:

         

God,

Beauty holds such power. We want to capture or embody beauty because of how powerful you have made it. We want to wrap ourselves up inside it, taste it, savor it, and never let go of it. God, You are the source of this, the source and the fulfillment of the longing for the beautiful. God, how beautiful, how marvelous is it that you create in us longing and desire and then you come and offer us fulfillment for it? God that is great!... You could have left us a blank page. Instead You make us thirsty for color and vibrancy and offer to paint on the canvas that You have given us. You make us thirst so that You can give us sweet water... God you have made life a gift... God you have given us longings so that You can fulfill them. You have created voids so that we can understand the satisfaction of having them filled. God, You have given us beauty to show us that we have life.

And really, I think that that is it. Beauty tells us that we are alive; ultimately we come to understand that the Author of this life is good through it. 

~Lindsay

"Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14



(Kendra)

Resolution:

...to use the word "I" far less.


~Lindsay

Profound Thought No. 1

I have just finished an excellent book entitles The Elegance of the Hedgehog. If you get a chance, you should read it, it's very good.

One of the things which one of the main characters in the story does is record her profound thoughts. My introspective/ philosophical side of course loves this whole concept and even participates in such things upon occasion.

In other words, I'm a bit of a nerd. I see this fact as a positive though.

So, in any case, the book got me to thinking about truth. I realized that truth exists in the world not in spite of but is evidenced by the fact that there are contradictions and conflicts. Think about it.






Have you thought abut it?


Well, now that you have, I would like to state that truth is what is. I forget who said that originally- Aristotle perhaps? In any case, much of the conflict in the world comes from the fact that people disagree about what is. However, the fact remains, that what is still is even if opinions differ. I may be considered pretty in one part of the world and ugly in another but this doesn't mean that beauty doesn't exist, it just means that people view it differently.

As for the contradictions, why would contradictions make people angry if truth didn't exist? Why does it make us more angry to see a televangelist cheat people out of money than it does when we think of the people on infomercials? Because there is conflict between what our knowledge of how religious leaders should be n how they are acting. What is- the televangelist- is coming into conflict with what is- expectations of religious leaders. Both are true in the fact that both exist, and the fact that there is conflict over the way things are and how things "should be" just goes to show that imperfections are also true in the sense that they exist... I'm not sure where I'm going with this whole thing, but here it is for you to read...


That will be my profound thought No. 1. I have others, but I won't burden you with them all right away. :)


~Lindsay

Laying My Dignity Aside...

I've known for a long time that I have...purse cleanliness issues. Miscellaneous findings pile up until my purse weighs POUNDS more than it should. From time to time, I decide that I am too grown up to allow such a thing to happen and I spend a bit of my evening cleaning it out. I documented my recent adventure into the depths of my faux leather shoulder bag, so that you might have a good laugh and perhaps glean a little. (Oy. I told you...pride aside.).

This is what came out of the initial dumping:

These are receipts:

And, this is trash. Yes, TRASH:

Oh, my.

But, you know, we all have crap in our lives. Some of it, we willingly throw in our handbags, even if we know that it doesn't belong there. Some of it sneaks up and, before we know it, adds pounds to the weight we carry. And, some crap is, unwillingly, thrust upon us. Sometimes, I think this may be the hardest because we have no control over it. We are, by nature, control freaks. I will be the first to raise my hand and admit that I like to be in control of my time and circumstances. It's hard to let go of that. It's harder when someone takes it away. Sometimes, the weight feels unbearable. The keyword: feels. Jesus is not going to give us more than we can bear and that, my friend, is a precious, precious promise.

Yesterday, He spoke to me and reminded me that, when we become His children, He makes us whole. Sometimes, we feel so very broken. Sometimes it feels like nothing could possibly mend the ache that the crap of earth brings. He reminded me that my feelings of brokenness are earthly feelings because, in Him, I am WHOLE. Praise You, King Jesus.

May you feel whole in Him this week and always.

(Kendra)

Hello week of work and Grownup world

Have you ever had a week where there is simply so much to get done that your life cannot exist outside of your homework? This approaching week is that week. Don't be scared, I wasn't referring to you, I'm talking about my up-coming week. I suppose it's Hello to the Grownup World in a way. Well here it goes! I'm sitting up in the library, about to kicking off the weekend by plunging into research and writing. Not that that's a bad thing- it's a useful thing. So here it goes.....

~Lindsay

Election Day

Today is Election Day and I just want to encourage everyone to exercise your right and privilege to cast your vote.

(Kendra)

Hello to beaches and green grass

I was just a Hilton Head this past weekend for a student ethics conference. It was beautiful there. They have ordinances on the island which limit advertising and the height of road signs and such. It could be irritating when trying to find your way around; however, the world looked remarkably less cluttered because of it. It looked much more like the world and less like my junk drawer. Sometimes I think that the city, with all of the flashy signs and buildings looks a lot like a pretty woman with gaudy makeup- blue eye shadow and all. You can't see the beauty that was meant to be seen because it has been covered up by unnecessary things. Overall, it was a lovely weekend.

~Lindsay

Mid-Week Ramblings

It's cold. It's hot. It's crazy. I've been told that Fall is upon us and, if it weren't for the mountains of pumpkins I see, I might not believe it. Glorious mornings and nights, though.

I will lay this on the table-- I do not love Halloween, nor do I celebrate it. Frankly, I will be oh-so-thankful when it is over. This world is overcome by evil, but we must overcome evil with good (Ref: Romans 12:21). I will name one benefit: Day-after clearance candy. My hips may disagree with that benefit.

Does anyone else know what begins in a little over a month? ABC's 25 Days of Christmas. Oh, happy day. I don't have cable, but I shall plan on mooching from those who do.

Confession of a Failed Fan

Just recently I heard some news about an artist that I have respected, admired, and cherished for years. It devastated my heart. I know that all humans make mistakes, and my friends kept reassuring me that it was in the past and the people involved were probably over it-- or at least healing.
I seriously had to stop and ask myself: "Why are others able to accept this news so well while, at the same time, I feel like another beautiful page has been ripped out of my coloring book?" I just feel like so much in my world, my friends' world, and the world at large turn out to be the total opposite of what they seem. When I heard this news, I just felt like saying... "Really? Really? Can't one thing, one person stay untainted?"
Unfortunately,the answer is no. And sometimes we feel that, because we are all imperfect, we just need to accept it when we face things of this nature and shrug it off. But I disagree on this point.
Are we all fallen? Yes. (Romans 3:23). Should we expect everyone to fail now and then? Yes. To expect perfection from anyone is an unhealthy expectation. But a healthy trust in people is necessary. We are all capable of falling. But, even more so, by the grace of Christ, we are all also capable of being all that God has made us to be.
So, sometimes, I think it's good to feel the dagger of betrayal prick your heart when someone lets you down. Sin hurts. And it NEVER just hurts the one who sins.
So I am sad. And that's ok. However, I will choose not to wallow in my disappointment-- for there lies a great difference, indeed, between acknowledging the state of the world and rolling about in its wastelands. If I choose to stay in the pits of the world's regret, I will never douse myself in its fountains of redemption!
(Nicole)

Welcome, Weekend

Is anyone else as glad as I am that it's Friday? I am ready for this weekend. Among relaxing, I plan to clean my car and my purse (oy!). I plan to get a pumpkin latte. And, maybe buy a pumpkin in celebration of fall. I. love. this. time. of. year.

Happy Friday!

The Green with Envy Blues

Have you ever wanted something and someone else got it? I don't mean petty, material things (Although we have all had our share of covetry. Hello, Jennifer Aniston's wardrobe.). I mean, something that your heart wanted. What makes it worse is when the recipient of said desire is someone whose life already seems perfect. You think to yourself, "I have crazy hair and acne. Somebody cut me a break!". Here are a few truths:

1. No one's life is perfect. It may seem like it, but it's not. We tend to glorify in others, what we see as flaws in ourselves. If so-and-so is a size 4 and you struggle with your weight, you think, "Her life is perfect. She's skinny." or "She has great style. I forget to match."--while completely ignoring all other factors that go into making up a perfect life (Friends, none of us score a perfect 10).

2. Good things, at the wrong time, are still wrong for us. Example. Boyfriends can be great. Having a relationship is wonderful. But, starting a relationship when it's out of God's timing is still going to be wrong for you, regardless of how good you think it will be. We see life on a very small scale.

3. Let's face it. Our lives do not always play out the way we thought. Maybe you thought you would be out of school by now, married by now, have a different job by now. Frustrations in life do not always have to be curve-balls-- sometimes it is just God, redirecting our route. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."* He loves to lead us in His path. He loves to make us more like Him.


(Kendra)



* Proverbs 16:9

Unfair-Weather, You are Not My Friend

            I would like to comment on the weather we are experiencing as of late. I find that in the morning I need a scarf and a coat, but, by the time afternoon catches up with me, I am searching for a tank top and a coke.

                What on earth causes this drastic change?? I know we go through this season of finicky weather every year, but I always seem to forget exactly how crazy it really is.

(Nicole)

Good Morning, Espresso.

I set my alarm for 6:40 (20 minutes early), because I had errands to run this morning. (Insert: snooze button). At 6:59, I rolled myself out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom to get ready. I ran to the bank, I sat in my car at the coffee shop and listened to talk radio, I stood at the counter and sipped my iced coffee down so my kind (oh, so kind) barista could fit the remaining espresso in my cup. And, I made it to work 9 minutes early. How? I have no idea. But, it happened.

Sometimes, we prematurely stress about things that are unnecessary.

Hi, I'm Kendra. I'm so glad that you are here and that we get to chat.

Hello, Fall Break

It is almost time for Fall Break. It's funny how getting two extra off from school creates such anticipation, both on my part and on the part of others. I've seen two meltdowns by students this week and heard of several others. Midterms, junior year, it's just how it all goes down I supose. It's funny thought, how seperate I've felt from most of the stress this semester in comparison to previous years. Altogether I feel very put together, despite the fact that I don't have my life decided or planned out. I'm finally alright with that. Strangely enough, I feel like I have much more room to explore because of it.

I supose that this is not the best introduction for anyone out there who happens to stumble across this blog. So, Hello, this is Lindsay and I'm very pleased to meet you.

I do not know what else to say quite now- I had a 7am meeting this morning and I am about to leave and sell totes to people in my school's Student Union for the next hour. Life is just running its usual course, and fairly soon I'll blink and the semester will be over entirely. The older I get- and i'm only 20- the faster it seems to go. It must be very strange to be elderly and looking at the rest of the world change so fast all around you I think. I am sure that many older people feel like time has given them whiplash with how fast it moves.... I have probably been reading too much Viginia Woolf for my own good as evidenced by my stream-of-conciousness writing this morning. So I think that I will say goodbye for now, and again, I am very pleased to meet you.

~Lindsay

Explanation

              Ok, there will be several different authors on this blog, namely Lindsay, Kendra, and myself. I hope that doesn't confuse too many people. We will each be writing about a variety of things on a weekly-ish basis. Please comment and post with us!! Don't just leave us talking to ourselves or the air around us, I do that enough already...
              This is a place for everyone to share a peice/peace of their minds, their opinions, frustrations, funny stories, pet peeves, interests, etc. Or -- if you need it on one of your crazy days-- just ramble until all the fuzziness in your head calms down or begins to clear up.
Alright.. start your writing folks! no seriously, start...

Nicole

Kick Off Your Shoes

                This is our space. I hereby give you permission to talk about all of those strange things that randomly enter your mind throughout the day. Or to share those peculiar things/people you see that make you think to yourself “am I on television”?
Be appro-pro though.

I hope you find this blog relaxing, like doodling in your notebook during class.