Just got back from the gym and oh boy is it gorgeous outside!!! As I started driving home today, the sky was amazingly blue, unsmudged by smoke or clouds, and then the wind started picking up and I kept driving home and saw the western clouds begin to roll in, obscuring the setting sun but still the golden rays poured through the gaps in the heavens to shine down in liquid columns of light upon the earth below and then as I walked upon the sidewalk I felt the arctic air playfully tickle my skin and then the wind gusted and then the wind roared in the skies above as the palm trees danced the Charleston to the song of the dusk and then I tilted my head to the darkening sky and felt the first droplets of the spring rain touch my forehead and I spread my arms wide and welcomed the embrace of the wind and the last light of the day kissed my brow and I rejoiced. It is glorious!!
Tag: life
It’s a lovely Sunday afternoon – one of my favorite times of the week!! As I enjoy my coffee(sweetened with chocolate-raspberry creamer, mmm…) on this beautiful day, I can’t help but marvel at the goodness of the LORD!
And even though I wanted to write a proper update here(it’s been a while, has it not?), I for some reason don’t feel in a writing mood. Alas. I feel like I’m more in a nap mood!! And that’s mostly because I just have not been getting my sleep lately…late night on Friday, and then the Redeemer’s men breakfast was early Saturday morning. And it was awesome. But it kept me from sleeping in…and then I went and got a haircut and after that saw Julie for lunch. Excellent time catching up and eating good burger and imbibing far too much coffee…anyway, eventually made it back to my place to make brownies! I made them because Melissa had a birthday party last night and I wanted to bring SOMETHING. So I made brownies while watching Roman Holiday(yes, I was in a nostalgic mood – and I totally forgot how hilarious that movie is. Highly recommended). Anyways, I took out the brownies too early so they were really not-quite-done. Not necessarily a bad thing. But still. I then drove the Houstonesque(my new word for really long drives) distance to Melissa’s house. Great times there just relaxing with people and talking and laughing…from trying to share Monty Python jokes with the uninitiated to debating male figure skating…good times indeed. But good times almost always equal little sleep and thus I woke up exhausted this morning for church. Nothing a little coffee couldn’t cure though! Sweet time at church(starting a new Sunday school – Bill Christen teaching through James…it’s going to be epic) and now I’m home just enjoying the loving-kindnesses of my Savior.
And wow, I guess I was in more of a writing mood than I thought!! Anyways, I really am going now – I might catch a wink or two of sleep before I make a sweet dinner(spaghetti with yummy Italian sausage and spinach salad on the side). So farewell to all!!
Oh and USA is playing Canada in Olympics hockey today(prelim round, but still). Go USA!!!
Today was pretty sweet. Just saying.
And why, you may ask?? Well, first of all it was a gloriously crisp day, full of that early February chill and yet the sun still shone. And church was magnificently encouraging. And this afternoon was pretty much the most refreshing and uplifting afternoon of all time!! (Going through old notebooks of favorite Scripture = awesomeness)
And then this evening, went to a Super Bowl party at the Field’s house. The Saints beat the Colts(sadness…I wanted Peyton to get the win…oh well) but the best part wasn’t the game, but just hanging out with everyone!!! Lots of people from church were there(Alex, Joseph, Adam, Marci, Claire, and lots of others…would take too long to list everyone!!) At halftime, a bunch of us played a few games of round-the-world ping-pong. Epic awesomeness. After the game, we probably played another twenty games of that. No, that’s NOT hyperbole. So trust me when I say I’m exhausted now!!! My shower felt VERY well deserved. Anyways, after a thoroughly amazing day, I feel like bed is calling my name…so g’night all and may God bless you in this coming week!!
Worthy are You to take the book
and to break its seals; for You
were slain, and purchased for
God with Your blood men from
every tribe and tongue and people
and nation.
You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to our God;
and they will reign upon the
earth.
-Revelation 5:9
I’ve had a pretty awesome Christmas, what! Cinnamon rolls, bacon, giving and receiving presents, relaxing and reading in my room with Maryanne and Laura, playing epic Monopoly(of which I was the champion!!), playing brutal Spades games(of which me and Katharyn SHOULD have been the champions), best-meal-ever-lasagna, more goofing off with sisters, enjoying the company of the best family EVER, and relaxing in the goodness of the LORD Almighty. ‘nough said? Yes.
Don’t have time for a long entry now…just wanted to say that being back in Florida with the fam is pretty awesome!!!! Been eating sumptuous meals, relaxing on the couch with the sisters, playing cards(and winning – me and Maryanne dominate at Spades, just sayin’), watching crazy movies(Vertigo with Jimmy Stewart…awesomeness), playing mini-golf all day long, proof-reading my little sisters’ stories they’re writing…yep, pretty much just good times. And now about to go to Panera for lunch with Katharyn…YES. Hope everyone is having as relaxing and sweet a Christmas break as me!!!! Alright, signing off.
GUESS WHAT.
It is cold here. Like…in the 40s!!! It was great walking to the gym and feeling the wintry air blowing around me!! And driving home was simply marvelous…the clouds hung heavy in the sky, so still they seemed to be painted onto the roof of the world, and yet the deep purple swirls and dark grey tendrils and light blue dapples were more beautiful than a painting could ever be. And as I drove over the highway the sun appeared and light dropped from the reaches of the heavens and dripped onto the clouds like butter on popcorn, bathing the sky in a heavenly golden glow and dwarfing all the nearby buildings of concrete and steel in the magnificence of the setting of the sun.
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I’m listening to the rain softly come down outside my window as I sit inside nice and warm and eat my peach yogurt in sweet contentment. Just got home from work a few minutes ago and so nice to unwind and relax…and I thought that it has been a while since I’ve done a proper update…so here we go!!
I wish I had time to write about everything that’s happened since my last update, but that would probably take all night and then I wouldn’t have any dinner and I would be very sad. So this will just cover this past week! In which…Thanksgiving happened!! This past summer, I was trying to decided if I would travel to Tampa or not for Thanksgiving, but I finally came to the conclusion that I would miss my family too much…and thus would have to come home(sorry Deanna!!). So on Wednesday night I drove from work to the airport and flew back to wonderful Florida!!! Dad and Maryanne and Laura picked me up at the airport and we went home!!! It was such an extreme joy seeing everyone again…and being able to relax at home and sleep in my old bed! Wednesday night I probably should have gone to bed early…but nah. Stayed up talking to the fam for a while and even after the parents went to bed, stayed up with Maryanne and Laura just talking and reliving old times…and enjoying the goodness of the LORD in giving me such a family of awesomeness!!
Next day(oh dear, we are going to be here for a while, aren’t we?) was Thanksgiving!! I slept in really late and then had coffee with the fam and pretty much just enjoyed the Tampa morning…and then came afternoon, in which we went over to Steve and Vickie’s for Thanksgiving!! As always, it was such sweet times being with them…we took a bunch of pictures early on(I think me and Maryanne and Laura MAY have gotten one or two good ones of the three of us…) and played with the dog in the backyard before having dinner. Dinner was abundant and glorious and supremely delicious: tender turkey, buttery potatoes, my favorite stuffing, black and green olives, mouth-watering asparagus….and the list goes on and on…and of course the decadent pumpkin and cherry and pecan pies came later. But of course, the food wasn’t the best part. The best part was being with my family and relaxing in the goodness of the LORD together. And truly, I can’t explain it any better than that.
Friday started off a bit early as I woke up and drove towards Dunedin….for what purpose you may ask?? Well, Shari was in town!! We knew we were near each other so we decided what could be more perfect than a breakfast together?? We met at First Watch and had the most awesome time hanging out…I have to say, I let my food linger way too long as it was so much more fun to catch up with Shar and just enjoy her company…I do so enjoy being able to talk and relax with good friends!! Sadly, time flowed by far too quickly and we soon had to part ways…as I had shopping to do! Well, not really. But I’d planned to take my sisters to the mall, so to the mall we went! I didn’t buy anything, but it was fun just to walk around and see the massive throng of people in pursuit of happiness. Actually, did I say fun? It was actually kind of depressing…just knowing that the pleasures of this world are so fleeting and can never truly satisfy the hole in our souls. And knowing that those who are blind chase after the joys of this world because they are lost and know nothing else. Or no One else. Because only Jesus can truly satisfy. And He satisfies truly!
And now to get back to the narrative, after our mall adventure, we all went and got a Christmas tree! That night was spent relaxing with the family and enjoying some yummy apple pie. We had to go to bed a bit early because the next day…an adventure was in store!!
The next morning, me and Maryanne got up early and made the journey to the land of the Gators…to Gainesville I returned!! Since it was the day of the Gators/Noles game, the traffic was horrendously slow…and it took us about four hours to make the normally two hour trip. Upon arriving, we drove around Gainesville picking up our tickets(yay Laura K for giving me hers!!!!!) and finally we entered the Swamp in eager anticipation of the game to come!! It was Tim Tebow’s last game and everyone was both mournful(over his loss) and exultant(over his magnificent career!). It always seems a bit weird to me how much praise and adulation people can heap onto one man(the flashbulbs from the cameras on his last drive…wow, it was like a horde of fireflies in a perfectly dark night!!) and ignore the God who made him so…but that’s how it is. Me and Maryanne sat in the RUF block where we found Cindy and later Dream and David and Katie!! Again, so amazingly awesome to see good friends after long separations!! The game was triumphant, as predicted(Gators 37, Noles 10!!) and while I enjoyed watching the game and enjoying the domination of the Gator Nation, I enjoyed even more being with Maryanne and friends. Truly, I wonder why I doubt the goodness of the LORD at times, when I see what amazing friends and family He has given to me on this earth!! And after bidding farewell to everyone in Gainesville, I made the drive back to Tampa, arriving home exhausted but happy.
And as I am now getting VERY hungry, Sunday sadly won’t get too long of a paragraph. Church was so sweet – again, seeing everyone and talking and sharing my life in Houston with the Tampa gang! After church, went home where Dad made pork chops and potatoes and green beans and we feasted on that as I enjoyed my last meal with my mom and dad for some time…
After some yard work and last-minute packing, I was off to the Tampa airport!!
It was kind of hard coming back to work on Monday morning, but I am truly grateful for my job. I just miss my family and friends…and though I sometimes wish they could all be in Houston with me…that’s not the way things are! And so I know there are awesome people and things here in Houston that I’ve been blessed with…and I rejoice. And I know that weather I’m in Tampa or Houston…I have no fear of the future or doubt for the present or shame of the past…because the LORD is my God. And He is always with me. And in that exultant note…farewell all!!! I hope all of your Thanksgivings were as blessed and awesomely magnificent as mine!!!!
Ok.
Dinner time.
You know what’s awesome?? Drinking a mug of hot chocolate on a beautifully cold morning. And now I shall turn off this computer and read and luxuriate in the glory of the LORD!!!
Brownies are in the oven!! I haven’t made brownies in forever…so hopefully these turn out. The batter tasted good at least. While I was making the brownies, I was watching a bit of Ben Hur. That has to be one of the most epic movies of all time, in the truest sense of the word!! Brought back memories of chilling with Rob G…ah, what good times God has given me!! Tonight after work, went over to Alex’s place – had pizza and talked and basically just had an awesome time. I have to say, I don’t know why I ever doubt the goodness of the LORD, when I see what good friends He has given me in this place!!
And now, brownies are almost done. Time to watch a bit more Ben Hur as I “test” them with a glass of milk…
I just realized I don’t post enough mid-week entries…so here one is!!
But don’t worry, I have barely any time to write because I am currently in the middle of making a delicious dinner(hamburgers, baked potatoes, green beans and a tall glass of milk…and boy does it smell good!!). Anyways, I just thought I’d show my face and declare that yes, I’m still here. Oh and I sort of miss my family…just talked to Laura and my mom and…well, I felt once again how I long to see them. I can’t wait for Thanksgiving!!!!!!
But now, time for dinner. My stomach is growling.
Farewell all!! May God’s face shine upon you and may His peace be with you!
Something Weird 