With Open Hands: January 2010

January 25, 2010

hope for haiti

i couldn't figure out exactly why i was so enamored by the "hope for haiti" benefit on friday.
there was something about it that just felt "right" but i couldn't quite place what it was, besides the obvious need for aid for the people of haiti.

i think the idea of musicians involved in the effort is such a picture of redemption. the idea of music stepping into the immense pain of this destruction is such an illustration of common grace. God is working to restore His creation and uses Hollywood to do it. i love it.

the whole thing was made better because you have to be a quality musician to participate in something like that, sans crazy effects. just music and hope. certainly the people of haiti need more than some famous people playing music, but i think they need music too. we all need music when we see such intense pain and tragedy. my heart is heavy for the people of haiti and all the work ahead. but i am grateful for these bits of hope.....

Donate Now: 1-877-99-HAITI in US/Canada, or go to www.hopeforhaitinow.org

January 20, 2010

o sleep.

so one of my new years resolutions is to sleep.
and i have my friend melatonin to help me.

it's a natural supplement that helps you enter into deep sleep. it's pretty mild and is all natural so i feel pretty ok with it.
in fact i love it.

i actually read the bottle (i'm not always so good at that game) and saw that you're supposed to take a week off every two months. and this is my week without it. it also happens to be the worst week i've had in a little while.

so i'm angry. and i can't sleep.

and not sleeping makes you crazy. and after a few months of sleeping well, not sleeping feels horrible. i can feel the difference of being healthy and now feeling sleeplessly crazy. so today as i've been feeling the weight of not sleeping well for several days I've been thinking about the way God made us.
we're made to need sleep. when we don't rest we are different people. less ourselves. it's one of the many ways God invites us to remember that we are human, not God.

i'm ending my week a day short, because i need to stop feeling crazy. o sleep. i love thee.

January 18, 2010

sometimes you need trashy tv.........

o my. it's been a rough few days for me.
and there are few things that help as much as super trashy tv.
thank God The Bachelor was on tonight.

it's completely ridiculous. and yet there's also a little social psychology in it.

here's what i've learned from watching jake the bachelor with "the bachlorettes"

always act surprised. these women always act so surprised. even though the dates are so predictable. there's usually some combo of incredible food, extreme experiences, helicopters, music, and/or hot tubs. it's silly. but i'm sure it's an ego boost for ol' jake when they act like it's the most surprising original thing ever.

giggle a lot. he loves the girls who giggle. and squeal.

self disclosure is key. little communications theory here, social penetration theory. it's fascinating to watch these women share pieces of themselves and the results of those conversations. immediately jake is smitten with them and often says something along the lines of "it makes me like her even more." equally as interesting is that jake hasn't disclosed much of himself at all. yet the women feel like they "know" him because they've self-disclosed. (and the ridiculously extravagant dates and experiences, but that's another story.)
there's a lot to think about with that, but tonight's not about thinking, it's about indulging in silly tv. haha.

thanks for the distraction, jake!

January 12, 2010

cheers to 2010!

i had such a great time ringing in 2010!
i don't always feel like it, but as i thought about 2009 and the friends with whom i celebrated a new year, i realized i really am grateful for this place in my life. it's not perfect, but i have people i love a lot around me, laugh often, and have much to be grateful for.

here are my hopes for the new year::10 in 2010

make art at least once / month. this might not sound like a lot to some, but i tend to go through phases, sometimes making art non stop for a few weeks, and then taking some time off. the problem is that i get grumpy and sadder than usual when i'm not creative. so whether i feel particularly creative, i need to do something at least once in a month. hopefully more.

keep financially responsible. i picked up a few new financial stresses in the last few months. i want to keep trying to stick to my budget, give generously, and stay out of debt.

read more. between taking a grad class and the general busyness of life, i sometimes forget how much i love to read. and how much God works in my head and heart when I do so.

currently loving:

call & write my grandma more often.

sleep. in the last few months i've been reminded how significant sleep is for our overall health. my emotional health is so different when i'm sleeping well. so in 2010, i will be well rested.

open hands. last year i had a small section of my new years resolutions that i called "the stuff of dreams." one was 'fall in love again.' i've been thinking about how much control one has over that. and i guess that's still yet to be determined, but what i do know is that i want to continue to live with open hands, ready to receive the gifts God has for me, whatever that might look like. (that encompasses a lot more than falling in love, but that's one possibility to which my hands are very open haha)

take an amazing vacation. i'm hoping to go to cali this summer, but even if for some reason it doesn't happen, i'm committed to resting, laughing, and enjoying friends for a bit again this summer.

blog more.

memorize scripture. i really suck at this game, but i have a renewed desire to write these words on my heart.

continue incorporating the rhythms of 2009 into my life. i loved keeping my new years resolutions, and the good gifts that i experienced in the process. so i want to keep taking lots of photos, jumping in the car, celebrating life with dresses, cooking.......

cheers to 2010, it's gonna be a good one.

January 1, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I had a great time ringing in the new year!!

This morning I was talking about last year's new years resolutions....so before I share my goals for this year, I thought I'd take some time to reflect on how I did.....

9 for 2009.....

1. Get better posture. I amde this goal when I was 13 with my bff and my posture still sucks. I didn't do well at being super intentional with this, but I do think it's gotten better.

2. wear more dresses to celebrate the every day. I love to celebrate life. And I love clothes. I really liked wearing more dresses. All the time in the summer, lots of high waisted fall skirts, and deciding to just try to be the best dressed person in the room. ;)

3. choose hope. Here's the thing. Sometimes I get a little dark and twisty. And by sometimes I mean a lot of times. But I want to believe that light shines through the cracks, and choosing to believe there is goodness in each moment changes the way I experience those moments. I certainly have room to grow here, but I like to think that in 2009 I chose to hope when it looked dark, and to remind myself that "this" is not the end of my story.

4. work out regularly. oops. haha. not much to say here, though i did run a little more than normal. it's that word regularly that didn't happen so much.

5. persevere in ministry ah. thank God for the grace he gave me to persevere. because the last few months have been filled with a joy, richness, and love that make me cry in gratitude. this is how i know that i chose hope in 2009, because i decided to believe that i could keep going, one small act of faithfulness after another. mm. life is good right now.

6. cook more. lots of delicious friend dinners, soups, real simple dinners, and roasted asparagus. i'm learning to love to cook. here's the thing. i hate to clean up, which honestly sometimes inhibits my cooking. sigh.

7. take more road trips. yay! well my car died on one, but all the others were great! lots of visits to friends, a february trip to philly where I almost threw up on the drive home (getting the flu on a road trip alone is not fun.), summer delightfulness with a repeat trip to philly. seriously life is good.

8. read the bible more... in a way that I'm falling in love with these letters again... I have loved my advent readings. and i re-read some of my favorite minor prophets over the summer. i have some beautiful memories of times reading the scriptures (many of which involve sunshine and porches).

9. take more photos (and delete less of me.) ah! so successful!!!! before 2009, my best friend and i have 0 photos of us after our freshman year party pics. i think we redeemed this area of our lives for sure. so many great pics. ANDDDD i definitely deleted far fewer of myself. i am choosing to believe the good things people tell me about myself instead. :)

and for some proof.....lots of dresses, road trips, and actually having photos to choose from! yay! what a year it's been!

january: getting ready for a friend's wedding.