So, I have this weird feeling that God has me right where he wants me and something big is about to happen.

Everyday, when I'm driving or just thinking, I can't help but just think about new ideas for the books I want to write. Last night, God totally provided like 10 new girls to be in my small group, and I was worried that no one would want to be in it. My small group is going to focus on "broken families" as well as other stuff, but that's what God has been laying on my heart big time. I really feel like He has taken me to a new level in my healing process, in my relationships, in my body's health, and the one that excites me the most is that I just feel like writing ALL THE TIME. I have so much I want to pour out onto paper!! Spending time in the word just excites me to share what he's teaching me, and it hasn't always been that way. It used to just be a "me" mindset. What can I get out of this today? Rather than "God, what do you have for me to learn so I can teach? What can I do for you?" And...trust me...I'm not finished learning this.

I'm going to submit a short story to Jodi Picult's contest in Good Housekeeping magazine and see what happens. That one has to be about something that relates to women today. I'm thinking broken families would probably apply to a lot of people. Jodi Picoult's stuff is really raw and real, so since she is judging I don't want a mushy gushy topic. I don't even care if I win, but I just love that GOd is bringing things to my attention and pushing me out of my comfort zone. I really needed to have an explosion of ideas, because writing isn't just the easiest thing to start doing on your few hours off each week.

I also need to get memorizing...because on my goals for 2009, memorizing a book of the Bible was one of them!! It's going to be either James, Ephesians, or Galations. I've already started Galations and Ephesians, but James has so much stuff that just speaks right to me!! I'll keep it updated.

Check this out. Olivia Ryan is already an acclaimed British author!!...but do you want to know the biggest BS of this story? Her real name is SHEILA NORTON!!! DON'T take my real name for your pen name, you jerk. I guess I'll just have to be Liv Ryan. No bitterness here...lol.

Have a great day everyone. Any ideas for the women's article is appreciated!! Here's the link: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/real/short-story-contest.

Peace out..

You know what's hilarious?

I went to Google today (as I do every day) to ask about how you know how much furniture is worth.

So as you type in words, or a phrase, google feeds you what the rest of your query might be, based on the searches of highest quantity.

Here are some of the ones I thought were HILARIOUS:

I typed in "How to know"....and here's what popped up:

...if a guy likes you

...if a girl likes you

...if your pregnant (spelled this way)

...if you are in love

...if he loves you

( a couple more pregnancy ones)

...if a guy likes you quiz

OKAY, so the young people of today are asking GOOGLE if a guy likes them, and what it means to be in love. What are we going to do!

So needed to figure out how long it was going to take for a part on our car to get fixed. I typed "how long does ..." and here's what we got:

#1, ...weed stay in your system. (Awesome. this is the number one search when started with how long.)

2. ...it take to get a passport (related to the first one?)

3. ...alcohol stay in your system. (some classy people are using Google).

4.... it take to get pregnant.

5 ....sperm last

6....implantation bleeding last

7. ...THC stay in your system

8. ...nicotine stay in your system.

WOW. Can I say druggies?! I just think that our world is a little bit crazy. That reminds me of my favorite song from age 11-13. It's called "This world" by Cademon's call.

Oh that we could "Live in the world and not of it."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT40h2DX9dM

Here are the lyrics:

There's tarnish on the golden rule
And I wanna jump from this ship of fools
Show me a place where hope is young
And a people who aren't afraid to love

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need

This world is making me drunk on the spirits of fear.
So when he says who will go, I am nowhere near.

And the least of these look like criminals to me
So I leave Christ on the street

This world has held my hand and has led me into intolerance
But now I'm waking up, but now I'm breaking up
But now I'm making up for lost time

Sitting in your car to _________

I'm at work right now...feeling oh-so-far-from-bored....ok that's a lie. Usually I'm so busy at the office. Today however, I reorganized. Being someone who isn't good at stuff like that, it totally zapped my energy. Then I looked online through thousands...well...tens of resumes to seek good people who could work at Northwestern. Then I called them all. LOTS of phone time today. Add in a few stressful house conversations and decisions and it has left me in an afternoon slump.

So you know how you can feel somone looking at you...Almost as if they are sending "I'm looking-at-you" rays through ESP? Well I definitely can. So I'm sitting here at my desk, back to the window, when I got that feeling. That particular feeling at work is rare because behind my office is a medical center parking lot that is rarely occupied.

I swivel my chair around to see a girl with a high curly bun, summer dress on, feet up, windows down, and "reading her book" with big sunglasses on...facing my office. The big sunglasses are the obnoxious part because everytime I turn around, (just now again) it seems as though she's staring right at me. She is parked in the spot closest to my window, and it's freaky. At least it's not a creepy man.

I'm going to stop looking and worrying about it, becuase maybe she fell asleep in that position. BUT i'm not going to lie. I don't like it! In the grocery store or wherever you are, it's kinda fun to stare back and pretend it's a contest to see who will look away first.

And...I shouldn't judge because sometimes I sleep in my car in random parking lots when I don't have time to drive home between things and I'm simply exhausted. That's when you know you're too busy :o) .

Do you spend a lot of time in your car? What do you do to pass the time?

I had to include this creepy tiny car...that I don't know who would drive! LOL.

A month of Love

So there it is ladies and gents!! the new house!

August 1, 2009

Things I love.

1. August is the start of the season that I love. Autumn. It’s not ‘officially’ fall yet, but the trees can tell it’s right around the corner, and sometimes they help but put off fallish scents *~~mmm. Those cooler days are the ones that I just LOVE going on walks or playing tennis…or maybe running on the bike path by our new house…which I’ll get to in a sec. J

The smell of fall is FULL of memories for me. Memories of family pictures in the park, in our jeans and flannel T-shirts (we’re so mid-westerners). Memories of “back to school” shopping and tennis practice. Memories of bonfires and football games. Sometimes I like being nostalgic, and sometimes there’s so much baggage that comes with memories. Like…a family that used to be together. But it’s okay, we’re coping…moving on…getting stronger. It’s just not easy. Anyone who says it is…well, I’d love to know their secret.

I ALSO can't wait to see lots of my long lost friends and family when they come see my play! we'll celebrate my mom's birthday and just hang out. It's gonna rock.

2. I love the feeling of a job well done. I had a big presentation at work this week that I put a lot of time and planning into, and it went SO well. I wore my new black suit, and pretended I was like the mom from the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen.” (except she’s an author which is my total dream job. J Which is definitely NOT to say that the one I have now I don’t absolutely love.) I recruit potential super-star financial representatives and interns for the most stable financial company in America. It doesn’t get much better than that. I talk about it a lot, but it is the thing that consumes 1/3 of my life! (Other parts of life are accounted for by: Sleep for 1/3, Seussical the Musical & friends for 1/6, and Kevin for 1/6.)

3. I love my new French press coffee maker. I have been too scared to try it yet…it’s only 2 days old…well I actually JUST got my beans ground “French press style” so they’re big enough not to ruin the filter…but yeah. Any tips would be great. It’s scary looking.

4. I love online bill pay. I am such a disorganized person. WHen there are medical and dental bills that come in the mail, I usually am late not because we don't have the money, but because I don't even open my mail until 2 weeks after I get it. I am so busy...and just scattered. What the heck would I do if i were living in the 80s or 90s and had no automatic withdrawls?! We have every single bill we can taken out automatically, and it's so wonderful! If only you could an automatic gas fill-up with the click of a mouse...and automatic food pickup...etc etc. Does anyone else love this as much as I do?

5. I love looking through the IKEA and Pottery Barn catalogs because WE BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE! We agreed on a price a couple days ago, and they just asked us if we would move the closing date up to August 30^th ! HECK YES we will. I’m going to look at paint samples today, as well as buy some storage boxes and Tupperware so we can start packing! I’ll post a couple pics on here. If you’ve never bought a first house, you probably don’t know how exciting it can be. But just wait…it rocks. Even if you’re paying a little bit or a lot more than you wanted to ;o) . We got one that doesn’t need much but painting done, which obviously isn’t the smartest equity move, but our lifestyles just aren’t conducive to new projects. Haha J Do I feel a bonfire coming on!???!

6. Although buying a new house is probably the most exciting thing we’ve done since we got married, I love something even more than I love the feeling about our house. Last night our church praise band…SURRENDER…did a live recording at the Red Stone Room. Corporate worship is probably the most moving, most powerful atmosphere I have ever experienced. I am always touched by the Holy Spirit, even when I arrive 2 hours late due to rehearsal. I made it for the last song and for the prayer time, but it’s okay. I know that God is using the talented artists in our church for HUGE things in the Kingdom of heaven and I’m so blessed to be a part of the movement.

SO…sorry for the novel-of-a-blog-entry, but just so much has happened lately! I can’t wait for even greater things in the future to happen. God is so good…and so faithful…and though there are many things in my life that I’m confused about and that seem like unanswered prayers, I’m standing in faith that God will provide. “His mercy endures FOREVER.”