fabulous friday video goodness—sometimes you need some sugar

I bought the new Taylor Swift album this week. And I love it. Even if she is a little crazy. I also realized that I love the song "Dear John" [which is apparently about her dating John Mayer. EW.] because it reminds me of this new song we've been singing in church called "Yahweh." Which is kind of weird. But it's the truth. I enjoy the video for "Mine" because it's cute and sweet. And because it makes me think of Rosemary. [Hi Co!]

Please to enjoy some sugary sweetness.

thankful on a thursday—be still

When I can't seem to keep my head on straight, He reminds me to be still.

When dreams for the future vanish like the sun in the midst of an autumn rainstorm in Portland, He reminds me to be still.

When I am so tired I can barely drag myself out of bed, He reminds me to be still.

When nothing makes sense, He reminds me to be still.

He reminds me to be still and know that He is God. When He reminds me to know that He is God, I am reminded of His goodness. I am reminded of His promises. I am reminded of His jealous love for me. I am reminded of the lengths to which He has gone to love me, to intercede for me, to ensure that He is with me always.

In that stillness, if I listen, I swear I can hear Him breathe. I swear I can feel the warmth of His breath on the top of my head, whispering the love and kisses of a Father to His daughter. "Trust me. Abide in me. I love you, and My love is more than enough for all that you are going through."

1. The reminder to slow down, to be still and KNOW.
2. I have the best friends.
3. Bourbon and ginger ale.
4. Honesty in the midst of the messiness of life.
5. The middle, even though it's hard to live there.
6. My lovely cousinsister Katie has moved back to the Pacific Northwest.
7. I am not the same person I was a year ago, or even six months ago.
8. Warm coffee on rainy autumn days.
9. He who began a good work in me is faithful to complete it
10. This time to stop and be thankful each week, and my awesome friend, Nish, who started it all.

save blue like jazz

Blue Like Jazz. As a movie. I don't know about you, but reading this book had a real impact on my faith. It was incredible to be invited into another person's faith journey, to see it unfold, to learn from it, to be challenged in my own faith journey as a result. I read this book in the fall of 2005, I specifically remember an afternoon when my friend Hunter and I laid on a bench in the middle of a circle of redwoods reading for hours.

A few years ago I heard they were going to make Blue Like Jazz into a movie. Then a little over a month ago, Don announced that there wasn't enough funding to make the movie, so the project would be on hold indefinitely. LAME. And then...then this happened:


Your chance to help fund Blue Like Jazz, to participate in history, ends tonight at 9:00PM. Do you have $10 to spare?

fabulous friday video goodness—matt wertz

Stumbled on this guy while watching the latest batch of Save Blue Like Jazz thank you videos. I looked up the people in the video I didn't know. Matt Wertz was one of them.

I'm pretty crazy about the chorus, which is just "sing my lonesome away." Lots of awesome in only four words.

thankful on a thursday—His bride

These past few weeks have been amazing, so full of joy, love and excitement. These past few days have been challenging, full of doubt, fear and worry. In the midst of this doubt, fear and worry, He reminds time and time again that I am His. He reminds me that He is GOOD, that He is TRUSTWORTHY, that He is FAITHFUL.

I bathe my heart in the Truth of His Word. I soak in the richness of His promises. I drink deeply from the well that NEVER runs dry. I look up, an unworthy bride, into the eyes of the most faithful and loving Bridegroom I could ever hope to wed. He pulls back my veil and cups my face with His hands as His love washes over me with such force that, were He not holding me, I would surely be knocked backward.

I don't understand how all of this works. I don't have a map. I don't know where He is leading me. But I want to be led on HIS path, on the journey HE has prepared. I am not the one setting the course. I am the one along for the ride. And it's risky. There are no guarantees, but I trust Him. I trust that my Bridegroom will lead me safely through whatever we encounter. I trust that He will never let me go.

Today, friends, I am so very thankful.

1. His love NEVER fails.
2. The willing ears and reassuring words of good friends.
3. The way the sunrise never fails to remind me that His mercies are new every morning.
4. A week of autumn sunshine.
5. One last day without rain means one last day in sandals.
6. New races on the calendar and a friend to train with.
7. He is always interceding for me.
8. One way or another, the risk is worth it.
9. Waking up with a peaceful spirit two days in a row.
10. Watching my high schoolers act out Ruth 3 last night was priceless.

cold suck

Dude. I have a cold sore. I have not had a cold sore in YEARS. Last week was stress to the max. Not enough sleep. Crazy stress at work (that kept me from sleeping). Marathon nerves (which are gone cause I took care of that on Sunday).

I've had cold sores before, obvs. My experience with them has led me to realize that none of the OTC stuff helps. Usually it just makes my lip bleed. Ew. Resigned to the fact that there's not much to do but tough it out, I thought I'd use the Google just in case I was missing some killer at home cold sore remedy.

No such luck.

I did find out that avoiding certain triggers of cold sores will lessen the frequency you get them. Here's the list:

• Fever
• Infection, colds and flu
• Ultraviolet radiation, such as a sunburn
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Changes in the immune system
• Trauma
• Food allergies
• Menstruation
• Dental work

A fantastically helpful list. Except for the second to last item. Excuse me. How on earth am I supposed to avoid menstruation?! I am a woman of child-bearing age. Whoever wrote this list needs to go back to med school.

marathon morning

It's 5:23AM. Coffee's made, breakfast is warming up, and I think I'm actually ready to do this thing. Kath came in about 10 minutes ago and asked how I was feeling. I said, "I think it's a good thing I have no idea what I'm getting myself into." The folks are picking me up in about 25 minutes, and then it's off to the start.

thankful on a thursday friday—free

He wants me to be free. He wants me to live in freedom. He wants me to rest with Him, trusting, knowing that with Him all things are possible, with Him there is nothing worth worrying about.

His freedom is like nothing else I know—and there is so much more to learn than the little I know of His freedom. His rest is imbued with a peace that passes all understanding.

I rest, knowing that He is the one steering this ship. I rest, knowing that I am His beloved and that nothing, literally nothing, can separate me from His endless Love.

I rest at His side, curious about the course He has plotted for our journey, trusting Him to guide us there safely. If the waters grow choppy, or a storm blows in, at His side, under His protection is exactly where I want to be. It is in this place, by His side, that I am free.

1. This peace that fills me, washes away my anxiety, and reminds me of His goodness.
2. Kathy is running the marathon with me on Sunday!
3. The encouragement of friends and family as I get closer and closer to my first 26.2.
4. Skype date with Erica Sue, that was one of the best hours ever!
5. Seeing the beautiful Miss Emrie Kent, all sleepy and silly.
6. New, soft merino yarn, waiting to be knitted into a slouchy beanie.
7. God's timing is perfect.
8. My Portland peeps.
9. An evening walk in the Pearl, complete with beautiful sunset.
10. I am my beloved's and He is mine.

sleepless

For the third night in a row, I've woken up long before my alarm goes off, and I have not been able to go back to sleep. This morning I woke up around 4:00AM, yesterday it was 5:15AM, and Monday it was 5:30AM. I. Am. Exhausted. I wake up and my mind starts racing, and I cannot slow it down long enough to fall back to sleep. Sleeping has never been an issue for me. So if you think about it, I could use some prayer because I don't know what else to do to fix this problem.

pruning

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

If I am to bear fruit, I must be pruned.

"My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

The discipline of my Father is good, and it comes from His immense love for me. As He rebukes me I can feel Him pulling me close, wrapping His arms around me, whispering words of Love into my ears as my tears soak his chest.

fabulous friday video goodness—potpourri

In an attempt to redeem myself from the Zac Efron videos from two weeks ago, I was determined to find a really amazing video that would underscore my [usually] great taste in music.** Friends, I've failed. The song I've had stuck in my head for the past TWO WEEKS is not cool. I mean, I think it is, but not in that "cool" way. So, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to post it. And I'm going to post two other videos because as I'm sitting here writing this I'm listening to another video and remembering a different video I watched last week. That's right. THREE videos, and none of them Avett Brothers [not that they're not still #1 on the music chart in my heart, they are]. I'll give you a moment to get over your shock.

First, the song I can't get out of my head. My apologies to my orange and black blooded family members.



The second is a fantastic video by none other than Joy Eggerichs and her father Emerson about the importance of respect. I find it challenging, thought provoking, and I love their father-daughter dynamic.



Lastly we have Pomplamoose with Ben Folds and Nick Hornby singing and discussing the wonders of the written word. Bonus, you get to see girl gun noises vs. boy gun noises AND magic nursery babies? Oh, for awesome.



Enjoy friends, loves!

**Everyone thinks they have great taste in music and a sense of humor, but they couldn't possibly all have good taste and a sense of humor. —Marie, "When Harry Met Sally"