If You Were My Happy

Sorry about not posting anything recently. I'll blog sometime soon, I promise. Until then, here's an old poem I wrote. Enjoy!


If you were my king
And I was your queen
We could be happy
Just do as we please
All of the world
Would be ours to hold
Best of all
We'd never be alone

You'd be the moon in the night
And I'd be the stars
We'd be shining so bright
As we drifted afar
I'd be the ocean
You'd be my shore
With the tide coming in
We'd be hard to ignore

And I'd be the gold
At the end of your rainbow
You'd be the horizon
Down my country road
Together we'd make
The perfect picture
Hanging forever
On the wall in our home

If you were my king
And I was queen
We could be
          Happy...
                         Happy

I'm the One Who...

-brings a to-go cup of soup to work almost every day just because I'm lazy.
-thinks Disney Channel is normally the best thing on TV... and is not afraid to admit it.
-knows a Czech Superstar (that's right, Noah Ellenwood!)
-loses MarioKart races to 5 year olds.
-reads bits and pieces of 10 different books before actually finishing one.
-is known to be organized even though my room is always a mess.
-likes to stay up late unless I have to.
-enjoys taking personality tests for fun, but hates being put in a box.
-really wants to read Tara Leigh Cobble's second book.
-draws hearts and stars all over notepads while on the phone or skype.
-is extremely proud of the fact that I've never had wisdom teeth. (My dentist says that makes me more highly evolved. Haha!)
-hopes Walmart will help bring Magnums to the States.
-could care less about doughnuts as long as I can eat bagels.
-doesn't like to cook because I don't like to clean up afterwards.
-has more friends in other states and countries than acquaintances in IL. (At least that's what it feels like!)
-one time hula hooped for an hour straight.
-prefers water over almost any other drink.
-only sings when alone.
-is still super psyched that I have my own car!
-uses : ) and ; ) too often on chat just so people know when I'm joking.
-always wants to travel, even while I'm traveling.
-sits cross-legged whenever possible -it's more comfortable, I'm telling you.
-has a bulletin board in my room completely dedicated to Europe.
-loves living close to a big city.

Who are you?

~Also, a big thanks to Jenny B. Jones. I totally stole the idea for this list from her!

The Funnel Effect

"Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." - Paul bragging about the Macedonian churches (2 Corinthians 8:2)

Considering all of the what ifs in life, I have never been through any trials I would dare call "severe." Not that my life has been a walk in the park -there have definitely been times when I've at least jogged- but when I look around at all the things other people deal with, I know I've been protected from a lot of pain and hardship. 

And as much as I think and worry about money, I am far from living in "extreme poverty." I am the first to admit that I don't even understand what that phrase means. While I sit here in my comfy room with all of my unnecessary books and clothing, with a newly purchased car sitting in my driveway and an almost completely paid for college degree on my wall, I am well aware that my life is more in the category of "extreme blessing." 

I've heard it said many times that because of what I have I should give -that God has given me so much so that I can give to others. It's a lot less often that I hear we should give out of what we don't have. 

Yet this is what the Macedonian church did. Their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. This church didn't have the blessing of a cushioned life like I have. They were in the midst of trouble and were deeply struggling. But when they heard of a need, they were happy to give what they could -more than what they could -to help their brothers in Christ out. 

And this church's example has me amazed these days. It has me wondering whether giving what we don't need away is really giving much at all. It has me slowly shifting my thinking. 

Rich generosity is more than an overflowing cup of blessings where I keep what's in the cup and others get the extra. Instead, it's more like a funnel where gifts flow through my life and are passed on to others. 

The Macedonians taught me that. Now I just pray that I can live it out.

A Story On Smashing Idols

A girl. Standing with her head to the ground, looking at her shoes. She’s young, pretty, full of potential, or so they say. Then again, They say a lot of things.

The girl slowly raises her head and turns her attention to the bat in her hands. It’s normally used for entertainment purposes, but not today. Today, the girl has a different plan in mind. Something she needs to do.

Yet They have crept into her head, screaming for her to walk away. So she stands for a minute before nodding with determination and heading into the factory.

The factory is a small, dark room within the girl’s own heart. But a familiar room, well kept and secret. She turns on the light and a flood of mixed emotions welcomes her in. The cogs, the fire, the metal, all glare back at her. Then she turns her attention to the mission, the reason she is here for this last time.

She approaches the tall shelf with her prized possessions and her greatest joys. The Idols don’t look as shiny as they once were. She grips her bat and swings -as hard as she possibly can. Shattering of glass can be heard for miles. They surely know. But she doesn’t care anymore. 

Favorite Music Videos of the Moment

Bethany Joy is still one of my favorites. Wish she had a whole album out.

This is adorable!

If you haven't heard of The Civil Wars yet, you're in for a treat.

You are Here

Thanks Ti.Mo!

I've always been somewhat fascinated by those mall maps that state "You are Here" in big letters with a star beside them or an arrow clearly pointing out your existence. Not over there, not that way, just here. Plain and simple. I like that feeling I get when I stand there looking at those information boards, because in that moment I have a sense of the bigger picture. Within the context of the mall, the chaotic comings and goings of busy shoppers, I know exactly where I am and why. For as long as I'm still staring at that map  I have all the facts I could ever need.

Life isn't like that.

In life, I don't have that map. I wander around wishing I did. But let's face it, I don't always know where I'm going. I don't have the big picture I wish I had or the understanding of the context in the way I want. Instead, I find myself overwhelmed by the things I don't know. How my story fits into the lives of others. Where I am in the chaotic comings and goings of a world I don't comprehend. My decisions, talents, words, and actions are one big mess of lines -unfamiliar roads in a past, present, and future of which I am mostly unaware. 

I can't always see where I'm going... I can't see where I'm going now. 

But just because I don't have that map, doesn't mean there isn't one. I don't have the satisfaction of reading those letters that spell out three very comforting words -"You are Here." But I have something better: the mapmaker lovingly whispering what I need to know into my ear. 

  

If I Had it My Way...

~ Summer would be longer than the other seasons and winter would, of course, be the shortest

~ Books would always be free

~ Walking would be the required mode of transportation

~ Everyone would watch Chuck on TV

~ There would be no commercials on radio stations (so I wouldn't have to constantly flip between channels)

~ Oxford would be closer to home and I would have a tunnel to the Bodleian Library in my basement

~ Reese's Peanut Butter Cups wouldn't be bad for you

~ Exercising would always be fun and I would be able to swim, ski, skate, and surf whenever I wanted

~ Traveling would be like in the movies, where two minutes on the airplane would be enough to get you safely to your destination

~ I'd never forget my childhood

~ People would never have jobs that were purposeless, unless they loved them

~ There would be a Jamba Juice two minutes from me at all times

~ Schooling wouldn't cost so much

~ Learning a different language wouldn't be difficult and Google Translate would be more accurate

~ Coffee would taste better or no one would drink it

~ People would talk more face to face and less through technology

~ I would hear at least one funny quote from a child every day

~ People would wake up to a crowd standing in the room encouraging them, clapping for them and singing sunshiny songs to them every morning

~ Night would not come so quickly and you wouldn't be tired if you went to bed late

~ People would actually follow their dreams instead of just talk about following them

~ You would give gifts on your birthday and get them on everyone else's (like in the Shire)

~ Your tongue would turn the color of the food you were eating all the time, not only when you ate candy

~ Asking good questions would be less of a rare occurrence and really listening to the answers would be automatic

~ I would have gotten the musical gene so that I could actually play guitar by now

~ Going to laughing clubs would be a weekly requirement of life

~ People would think outside the box more or maybe the box would just be bigger

~ And I'd always have ideas for what to write on my blog