Monday, August 10, 2009

Look Up.

Consider for a moment, the tree. Remember back in those preschool aftercare days when you would produce the classic child rendition of the grass+sun+tree with black hole+possible wandering fluffy cloud? We all did it, and we all thought afterward we had created the perfect picturesque scene. In a way we had, because we were four, and to our parents, anything on paper that was recognizable was considered perfect. But in reality, this is not a perfect picture...


Let me tell you why.

A tree's trunk is far more detailed than the skinny brown rectangles portrayed in the classic tree drawing. There are hundreds, no thousands, of branches intricately intertwined, climbing to the sky. And the leaves of a tree do not magically form into a clean-edged ball of green fluff atop its trunk. No, the leaves of a tree are possibly the most fascinating. They are indeed magical, but this beauty is found in their wildness, in their paradoxical perfect patterns that also bring a unique identity to each and every leaf. If you only take the time to look, you will easily realize the intense and unbelievable construction of a tree. It is the work of God's hand, and only God's hand, and a second glance at wonders such as these make me stand in awe of His glory...


I was taking some quiet time on my back deck this evening when I simply looked up. And the beauty I saw, the detail I appreciated, the Creator I admired...brought me peace. Moments like this heighten my desire for thoughtful background music, and I was tempted to go inside and get my ipod...but I didn't. Because it was also in this moment that I realized if I only look up (in my backyard at least) , everything I see is purely God. There are no manmade fences, no harsh iron chairs, no noisy lawnmowers, no electronic mp3 players...just beautiful blue skies, wispy white clouds, and the intricate outlines of tree tops. Things that are merely the result of a Maker who loves us, who wanted to spread His glory throughout His creation. This, too, brought me peace.

My experience tonight has inspired me to strive to find places that are purely God. As a human on this earth, it is nearly impossible to not be at least somewhat materialistic. I can't imagine life without my cell phone, computer, microwave, tv...without my tennis shoes, car, cups to drink from, comfy chairs to sit in...they are all unfortunate necessities to me, and they are all from the hands of man. I encourage you also to seek such peace that is only possible when you surround yourself with pure God. Slow down, sit down, and be in awe of His power and His gift of creation. Words cannot describe.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Just Some Updates

It's funny to me how you can have nothing really going on and yet have no time to do anything. That seems to pretty much sum up these virtually disappearing last couple of weeks of my summer. The only event on my calendar has been the morning babysitting routine, but I feel like I've been running all over the place and never have a chance to do things like post on my blog. Hence the hiatus. Well, how about I play catch up?

1.) This would be an example of my wonderful new toy so generously given to me by the Benjamin earlier this week. I've been saving up all summer (well, I intended to at least) to buy my own ipod Touch (since I'm obsessed with the iphones but sadly Verizon still doesn't carry them), but let's just say I'm the luckiest gal in the world and had a surprise waiting for me when I came home Tuesday evening. Advice: If you're interested in purchasing your own ipod Touch or any other ipod product for that matter, get on craigslist...you'll be glad you did!

2.) Part of my frantic traveling around K-town has been thanks to the never ending process of gathering items for my new room in my new apartment (that I will be inhabiting exactly one week from tomorrow). And unfortunately I still feel like there's so much left to get! Go figure, right? My solid brown duvet and textured brown shower curtain are currently being monogrammed, for which I am so pumped, but I still need to purchase sheets. I can't decide if I want a nice, crisp set that would probably look nicer or if I want to go for the can't-beat t-shirt sheets that guarantee the best night's sleep of your life. Cute or comfy...it's the age old question.

These are the pillows I've acquired thus far. The orange one is your classic Pottery Barn, the giraffe print is from Pier 1, and the green is made by my grandmother and matches my curtains. I have another green one on the way, and that should be good enough, I'd say! I'm excited to get it all together and see the final product!

I also just wanted to share these towels I found at World Market a few weeks ago, on sale for like, 7 bucks! They were a steal and I love them!

3.) Have I mentioned I have a heavy obsession with all things Walt Disney World? Well, I do. And I think I've decided I want to go for a spot in their College Internship Program sometime in the next 2 years. I had the thought this past spring and for some reason let it slide away...but don't worry, it's back in full force. :) We'll see if it stays.

4.) Don't you love it when you start thinking about the weeks and weekends ahead and can pretty much say what you'll be doing at every minute for the next month? That's kind of how my life is looking, but I'm okay with it. Tonight I'm going with Benjamin to dinner at Lakeside Tavern, for what will probably be our last date for some time. Then tomorrow it's off to see the munchkins for the rest of the weekend. I've never done an overnight babysitting job before, but I think it will go well. Next week? House Party? Next weekend? Move-in and recruitment. Week after next? Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment. Oh, and class-can't forget that gem! And the list continues after that. It's alright, though. I enjoy schedules, and I get to see long lost friends very very soon! :)

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Wait, Aren't You Like...20 Years Old?

Last week, the Benjamin and I journeyed up to Pigeon Forge (in the pouring rain) to do a little outlet shopping. It was friends and family weekend at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, and I was fortunate enough to receive one of the prized 30% off coupons, meaning a trip to the already discounted factory stores was a must. Well I regret to report my only find was a belt at Banana, and I probably could have gone without it but I just felt the need to use my coupon at least once. Too bad it didn't work at J. Crew...that didn't stop me, though. Oops.

My number of discount uses would likely have risen significantly, however, if I was still able to fit into the little girls' clothes at the Gap. I was on my way back to the dressing rooms in the store, my hands full of nothing but unneeded basic tees and black stretchy pants, when I stumbled upon Gap's little gem of a girls' section. Gosh, it was precious. I mean really tempting. Well, except that I don't believe a girls size 6 dress would fit over my, ahem, chest, but oh how I wish it would!

I've always been a fan of the children's clothing. In fact, even now that I can in no way wear any of the little girls' stuff, I still strive to make my outfits from the women's section look as childish as possible. Maybe it's my ever-present goal of prohibiting myself from growing up. Maybe it's my being constantly surrounded by munchkins at work. Or maybe it's just one of those things that goes hand-in-hand with my eternal obsession with all things Disney. My dream job is still to marry the prince of Monaco...just so I could know what it feels like to be a true princess. Regardless, I can't hide nor relinquish my love for pint-sized clothes. And I've accepted that. The other day when the Benjamin asked me to describe what I thought to be my style, I made sure to include, "Oh, ya know, I enjoy clothes made for a young adult but that make me look a 5-year-old" in my answer.

Seriously, though, just indulge me for a minute here. Today we received a crewcuts catalog in the mail. And yes, my first response when flipping through it was, "Good grief what kind of mother would dress their mud-loving, dirt-attracting, food-spilling toddlers in this stuff?!" However, on second thought, I realized that I was actually quite envious of these children, because I wanted to purchase everything for myself! I mean, look...

Jealous, yes? I know I am...oh well, I suppose I'll just have to continue my own search for bright tights, frilly tops, and baby doll jackets in the women's department. Should be fun...