grab another cup

30 before 30 update: become a member of midtown

2012-01-23T16:30:00.001-06:00

yesterday i was able to cross something else off my 30 before 30 list. after attending the church for over 5 years, i finally became a member of midtown fellowship. there's really no good reason i hadn't become one earlier, and i'm glad that i finally did. life in nashville would not be the same without the community i have through midtown.
also, my good friend kateland was baptized on the same day. hers is a beautiful story of transformation, and i'm glad we were able to share the day.

30 before 30 update: organize files (paper & electronic), part 1

2012-01-11T17:25:00.000-06:00

one of the things on my 30 before 30 list was to organize my paper and electronic files. a few days ago i finished the first half of that - the paper files. it was getting to the point where boxes of old pay stubs and bills were exploding in my closet. so i took a saturday morning, popped "crazy, stupid, love" into the dvd-player, and sat down with a 3-ring binder and a 3-hole punch and organized all the papers. it feels good to know i'm starting 2012 off organized in at least one small corner of my world. so, in case you're wanting to do the same, i dug around on the internet and found the general rules of thumb for record retention. i printed this guide off on a piece of paper and stuck it in the front of the binder:

Tax Returns & Backup Documentation – 7 years

Health Records – indefinitely: contact info of physician, medical history, prescriptions/treatments

Medical Records – 7 years if claimed on taxes, otherwise 5 years after end of treatment

Life Insurance – life of policy + 3 years

Medical Insurance – 5 years from date of service rendered

Home Insurance – 5 years, or 10 if you predict issues

Warranty – when expired

Home Repair Bills & Contracts – 10 years

Pay Stubs – keep each stub throughout the year. At end of year keep only year-end stub. Keep these for 7 years.

Bank Statements – 3 months

Financial Documents (stocks, bonds, etc) – indefinitely

Utility Bills – if claiming on taxes 7 years, otherwise 3 months

Mortgage Statements – ownership period of the mortgaged property + 7 years

Mortgage Documents – 10 years

Credit Card Statements – 3 months (although i suggest you go the dave ramsey route and not use credit cards, ever. at almost 29-years old, i never have.)

friday photos: 2011.52

2012-01-02T09:28:00.009-06:00

i realize it's not friday, but with 2011 ending on a saturday, i wanted to get all the last few pictures into one post. so, here's the end of my 2011 project 365. stay tuned, though, because i've decided to continue through 2012.

friday, december 23

planes, trains, and automobiles.

saturday, december 24

christmas eve fire in the fireplace. apologies to santa; i hope he didn't burn his butt.

sunday, december 25

a sears tower ornament my brother got me from the christkindlmarket.

monday, december 26

libby and i have been friends since 1986. she found this picture i drew her approximately 20 years ago and gave it back to me this christmas. sadly, my drawing has not improved and my handwriting has gotten worse.

tuesday, december 27

my reward for getting my chores done for the day.

wednesday, december 28

things found while cleaning my desk at work.

thursday, december 29

catching up with an old college friend.

friday, december 30

new shoes for the new year.

saturday, december 31

and the creepiest picture of the year award goes to..... the lovely ladies i spent my nye with.

friday photos: 2011.51

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

friday, december 16

dave barnes' christmas show. followed by an unphotographed christmas dance party of epic proportions.

saturday, december 17

andrew ripp & drew holcomb's christmas show

sunday, december 18

made some eggs in nests with a 4-year old.

monday, december 19

keeping up with facebook's changes.

tuesday, december 20

chad currie's first show ever.

wednesday, december 21

the best story line in "love actually".

thursday, december 22

drinks at the patterson house for myka's birthday.

friday photos: 2011.50

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

friday, december 9

first christmas party of the season

saturday, december 10

i scored several free books from mckay's which will eventually be journals.

sunday, december 11

tis the season.

monday, december 12

i'm dreaming of a white christmas with every christmas card i write...

tuesday, december 13

it took me almost two years to use and develop two rolls of film.

wednesday, december 14

this guy wants to work with us

thursday, december 15

swamp tiger elf-watching party

friday photos: 2011.49

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

friday, december 2

my manager sent me to the library to teach myself my new job.

saturday, december 3

petapalooza

sunday, december 4

daytona beach

monday, december 5

when your french press breaks, you get creative and use a giant flower vase.

tuesday, december 6

i found this note while unpacking from a weekend getaway.

wednesday, december 7

baby ben!

thursday, december 8

me vs. a 4-year old, 3-year old, 1-year old and 2 dogs. i won.

homesickness

2011-12-06T17:30:00.001-06:00

it's not often that i get homesick. y'all know i love nashville way too much for that. but there are a few things i get homesick for, so i've decided to list them:

-waking up on a cold december morning to a foot of fallen snow glittering in the sun
-watching the sunset over lake michigan at almost 10pm in the summer
-driving through the corn fields/vineyards/apple orchards in the middle of the night and gazing at the stars

a season of reflection

2011-12-05T17:15:00.000-06:00

december. it's that month when we all begin to reflect on the past year and plan for the one ahead. when 2009 was wrapping up, i looked back on it with fond memories. a new house, new friends, finally starting to form some community in nashville. but i had this feeling that 2010 was going to blow 2009 out of the water. and let me tell you, it did.

as 2010 ended, i felt as though 2011 would be... not bad, but less exciting and adventurous as 2010. i anticipated a little more struggle and discipline in 2011. and that's what happened.

i'm sure there's a certain degree of self-fulfilling prophecy in all of this, but whatever it is, it's there. but 2012... i think, and hope, it might even surpass 2010 as being an incredible year. i guess we'll see...

traveling thoughts

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-06:00

i definitely love nashville, and i'm thankful to call it home. but sometimes i hear the open road calling my name...

i'm thankful for all the road-trips i've had the chance to go on this year.

michigan, twice.
indiana, not sure how many times.
missouri
kansas
north carolina
south carolina
georgia
florida

i know it's not much compared to all the traveling musician's in this town, but it's been enough to keep me feeling alive.

30 before 30 update: physician's visit

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

back in august i made a list of 30 things i wanted to do before turning 30. number 28 on the list was to visit a physician. at the time of my making the list, it had been 10 years since i last visited one.

well. ten years and a $20 co-pay later i learned....

.....

drumroll.....

....

i'm normal. whatever that means.

friday photos: 2011.48

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

friday, november 25

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

saturday, november 26

while these aren't my favorite decorations in general, they are my favorite to set out each year.

sunday, november 27

0 mph on I-65 south.

monday, november 28

ornaments and lights all in one.

tuesday, november 29

for one of my roommates, this is her first real christmas tree. ever.

wednesday, november 30

peanut butter is good at two things: being delicious, and cleaning sap off leather.

thursday, december 1

my calendar is stalking me. it knows my name.

a month of thanks

2011-12-01T20:44:00.003-06:00

throughout the month of november, i was tweeting one thing i was thankful for each day during the month, but i slacked off on the last couple days. so in order to complete the list and to re-jump-start my blogging efforts, i've decided to compile the list.

here are 30 things for which i am thankful.

1. a job that pays the bills.
2. nashville's fall weather.
3. the best roommates a girl could ask for (jacquelyn, stacy, & karissa).
4. living in a city full of dreamers.
5. the talent in this town #musiccity.
6. midtown fellowship.
7. pain killers, caffeine, and sleep: their powers combined working hard to battle my migraine.
8. hope in something bigger than myself.
9. my community group (aka: the swamp tigers).
10. thankful for haikus/and free baja burrito/30 days of thanks (baja had a twitter contest. the best haikus about burritos won a free meal. i won for sheer volume of haikus. maybe another post for another day.)
11. weekends.
12. restoration.
13. wine.
14. coffee.
15. god's timing.
16. facetime.
17. grace.
18. that i live in town (vs the suburbs) and therefore my normal commute is only 10 minutes
19. all the friends and memories i have because of a little orange plastic disc i bought 14 years ago.
20. opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone.
21. work-from-home mondays.
22. that i didn't die when someone almost t-boned me by making an illegal u-turn.
23. that i made it safely to michigan for thanksgiving.
24. family.
25. christmas.
26. that i had the opportunity to visit and reconnect with two friends. one whom i've known for 25 years, and one for 23 years.
27. that i made it safely back to nashville after thanksgiving, and for stacy's company along the way.
28. that both my house and my neighborhood have character.
29. opportunities to serve.
30. forgiveness.

friday photos: 2011.47

2011-11-25T09:03:00.006-06:00

friday, november 18

car wash

saturday, november 19

treats and snoozin', snoozin' and treats.

sunday, november 20

dinner at pm with my small group

monday, november 21

secret santa dixie cup

tuesday, november 22

vote.

wednesday, november 23

sgt. pepper

thursday, november 24

thanksgiving traditions

friday photos: 2011.46

2011-11-18T20:15:00.006-06:00

friday, november 11

typical friday night

saturday, november 12

real simple magazine, november 2011

sunday, november 13

celebrating three lovely ladies' birthdays at arrington vineyards. two of them decided to roll down the hill.

monday, november 14

nick flora's first cup of coffee. ever.

tuesday, november 15

heather's birthday, pop art style.

wednesday, november 16

sushi.

thursday, november 17

some days you just have to climb into bed and watch your favorite show on your computer.

friday photos: 2011.45

2011-11-11T23:50:00.000-06:00

friday, november 4

office shenanigans.

saturday, november 5

"so i watched the leaves fall/all of the way to the ground/and i knew that that was what love was/to die so that it could be found." - ben rector, autumn

sunday, november 6

living room books.

monday, november 7

it's the most wonderful time of the year.

tuesday, november 8

i heart autumn.

wednesday, november 9

not all trees are created equal.

thursday, november 10

i sure like haikus
and winning twitter contests
for free burritos

friday photos: 2011.44

2011-11-04T19:32:00.007-05:00

friday, october 28

i was dog-sitting, and this was the 2-year old's art wall.

saturday, october 29

alien dog. (this photo is unedited.)

sunday, october 30

this is the most wonderful time of the year.

monday, october 31

my friend katie was on conan... wearing a conan mask. which he made fun of.

tuesday, november 1

night leaves.

wednesday, november 2

sometimes the best part of your day is getting to sleep in your own bed for a change.

thursday, november 3

i spent part of the evening looking through an old scrapbook and found this gem. muhammad ali used to live a few minutes outside of the small michigan town i grew up in. this picture is from 2002 when i saw him at the local bowling alley. unfortunately, this was before i had a digital camera, so i didn't realize he wasn't looking straight ahead.

friday photos: 2011.43

2011-10-28T23:50:00.000-05:00

friday, october 21

happy birthday, elizabeth

saturday, october 22

my roommate played a gig at walnut trace farms in bellvue. it.was.gorgeous. and we rode horses.

sunday, october 23

happy birthday, betsy and keri!

monday, october 24

sling bang boom.

tuesday, october 25

hanson in charlotte.

wednesday, october 26

hanson in atlanta.

thursday, october 27

for whatever reason, at 6:00am (after 8 hours of non-consecutive sleep in a 50-hour period), i decided this would make a great picture of the day. seeing as i slept the rest of the day, i didn't have anything else to choose from.

friday photos: 2011.42

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, october 14

house show.

saturday, october 15

another fall bonfire.

sunday, october 16

i spent a significant amount of time looking for these earrings, then realized i was wearing them. oops.

monday, october 17

this was this tree's last day of existence.

tuesday, october 18

no more tree :(

wednesday, october 19

new phone = better quality pictures

thursday, october 20

first day of the season to bust out the fingerless gloves.

friday photos: 2011.41

2011-10-14T16:17:00.000-05:00

friday, october 7

ingredients: friday night in october. laptop. netflix. creepy movie (case 39). stereo with speakers better than a macbook. ipod tape deck adapter for ghetto-rigging said stereo to said laptop.

saturday, october 8

ingredients: saturday night in october. cool, crisp fall air. friends. corn. lots of corn. a maze of maize.

sunday, october 9

ingredients: dog.

monday, october 10

ingredients: 100 cups of coffee.

tuesday, october 11

ingredients: friends. thousands of miles under the car. music. more memories than miles.

wednesday, october 12

ingredients: cool october sunrise.

thursday, october 13

ingredients: ominous clouds. sun. mix well.

friday photos: 2011.40

2011-10-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

friday, september 30

toms in the air, toms in the air. lookin' like a fool with your toms in the air.

saturday, october 1

so maybe we accidentally drove 600 miles through the middle of the night to attend a concert.

sunday, october 2

metropols, illinois.

monday, october 3

my friend visited for the weekend and left behind her cute little owl.

tuesday, october 4

you can never have too much pumpkin on hand.

wednesday, october 5

rip steve jobs.

thursday, october 6

not all days are created equal. some are more gorgeous than others. this was one of those.

friday photos: 2011.39

2011-09-30T16:04:00.001-05:00

friday, september 23

pretty much sums up the day.

saturday, september 24

good morning, sun.

sunday, september 25

the games didn't get played, but s'mores were definitely consumed. having a bon(d)fire was the perfect way to celebrate the first weekend of fall.

monday, september 26

tuesday, september 27

so.many.monies.

wednesday, september 28

pinnacle building; shelby bridge

thursday, september 29

hanson: sill packing out venues after nearly 15 years.

friday photos: 2011.38

2011-09-23T07:15:00.000-05:00

friday, september 16

the view of downtown from charlotte ave is much better than this picture gives credit.

saturday, september 17

mr & mrs frank herrington!

sunday, september 18

one of the ways the roommates and i kill time.

monday, september 19

pumpkin cinnamon rolls. next time i make them, i'll make a few adjustments as they weren't that pumpkiny.

tuesday, september 20

book #9

wednesday, september 21

tea. not coffee. shock!

thursday, september 22

book #10

friday photos: 2011.37

2011-09-16T07:21:00.000-05:00

friday, september 9

hanson at the detla fair and music festival

saturday, september 10

the party favor from the grubbs wedding; an original painting by the bride and groom.

sunday, september 11

making a mix cd for my roommate.

monday, september 12

it was my brother's 31st birthday, so i took a picture of this picture from his 2nd birthday.

tuesday, september 13

a tree fell on this wire earlier in the year. they re-strung it under a tree branch. i think someone is looking for job security.

wednesday, september 14

build your own floating hot dog finger.

thursday, september 15

roommates and i had a picnic on the porch.

friday photos: 2011.36

2011-09-09T07:15:00.000-05:00

friday, september 2

found this in the used book i was reading. who wants a pen pal?

saturday, september 3

crossing something off the 30 before 30 list.

sunday, september 4

not all pictures can be winners.

monday, september 5

chad told a story, jacquelyn didn't understand, so i drew a diagram.

tuesday, september 6

first signs of fall

wednesday, september 7

wake-up juice.

thursday, september 8

andrew ripp & steve moakler at 3rd & lindsley

30 before 30 update: back to the future trilogy

2011-09-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

i can officially cross #11 off my "30 before 30" list: watching the back to the future trilogy. i don't know why it took me 26 years to watch it, but it did. big thanks to nick for lending his dvd set.

overall, i really enjoyed the movies and can tell why they are such classics. and it's out of love that i present the following commentary:

part 1
-if i was lorraine and biff had assaulted me in high school, i don't think i would allow him to be around my family and detailing my car.
-when lorraine and george got older and saw marty grow up, wouldn't they think "hey, he looks just like that kid who set us up". i mean, maybe not, but still... gotta wonder.

part 2
-so four years from now we're going to have hoverboards, flying cars, automatic michael jackson servers at diners, kids won't play games with their hands anymore, and inflation will be crazy! ($40 for a pepsi?) i don't want to know what happens between now and 2015 that will cause all that crazy change to happen so fast.

part 3
-take the fringe off marty's shirt and he looks like a nashville hipster from 2011.
-all throughout the second movie and the beginning of the first movie, doc keeps mentioning how time travel was a bad and idea and he needs to destroy the time machine. so then why would he create a new one, just for the purpose of getting einstein bakc?
-how can doc stay in 1885 and procreate in 1885 without messing up timelines?
-now i want to watch seasons 4 & 5 of lost.

friday photos: 2011.35

2011-09-02T21:35:00.006-05:00

friday, august 26

cryptic messages from my manager on random scraps of paper.

saturday, august 27

made my first journal in way too long.

sunday, august 28

keeping with my goal... 8th completed book of 2011.

monday, august 29

samuel gregg and the dead east at 8 off 8th.

tuesday, august 30

baby ben!

wednesday, august 31

reason #492 i love my roommates.

thursday, september 1

excellent movie.

stay creative.

2011-08-29T14:22:00.002-05:00

i saw this video on jon acuff's blog and loved it so much, i'm posting it on mine as well.

enjoy.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

friday photos: 2011.34

2011-08-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

friday, august 19

t.g.i.f.

saturday, august 20

mr. & mrs. grubbs!

sunday, august 21

day-after-nashiversary

monday, august 22

my roommate babysits cute kids.

tuesday, august 23

lame.

wednesday, august 24

ryan. seth. jessica.

thursday, august 25

don't waste the paste.

another thankful thursday

2011-08-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

today i'm thankful for living in a city of dreamers. there's something to be said for a community focused on the arts, chasing ones dreams, and living out its passions. it's inspiring for someone like me who is still trying to figure it all out.

wednesday wisdom #21

2011-08-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

"we have the idea that god is going to do some exceptional thing, that he is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and by, but as we go on in grace we find that god is glorifying himself here and now, in the present minute. if we have god's say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways."

-oswald chambers

the beginning of the end.

2011-08-23T05:00:00.003-05:00

august is flying by. i usually consider it my least favorite month of the year, primarily due to the outrageous heat. however, this august in nashville has been pretty mild, especially in comparison to earlier summer months. october remains my favorite month, with september falling not too far behind. i love everything about fall, and as usual i have several exciting plans to look forward to in the months ahead, leading up to the end of the year. i know it will all go by much quicker than i would like, but such is life.

i'm also realizing how few of my "11 in 11" i have accomplished. but there is still time to get stuff done, and honestly some of it i don't really care about anymore.

here's to the next four months, the best four of the year.

five moments in five years

2011-08-22T08:16:00.005-05:00

as of this past saturday, i have officially lived in nashville for five years. and so, i've compiled a list of my top 5 nashville moments.

(in no particular order)

1. my friends katie and jess are from the north, like me, so this past december we had no problem bundling up and heading out into one of the worst winter storms i've seen in nashville. to us, it was nothing. we hopped in our car and drove to katie's friend andrew's apartment, where we decided to make our first caroling stop. only, we had the wrong apartment number. so we got a practice run of caroling for strangers. we finally found the right one, appropriately made fools of ourselves (in the best way possible), and drove back to our neighborhood. we stopped in on a few friends and also went door-to-door to old neighbors and strangers. we even got free hot chocolate from our favorite coffee shop. we had so much fun that katie (who no longer lives in nashville) promised to come back around christmas this year just so we can do it again.

2. nashville is obviously known for its live music, and a few years ago the mayor helped get a new, free, concert series going, called live on the green. they have pretty well-known artists perform on the lawn outside the courthouse, in the heart of downtown. there was one night in particular where the artist had the crowd sing part of the chorus. and as we did, he backed away from the mike and the band stopped playing their instruments. it was just the sound of 500 or more nashvillians singing... and when nashvillians sing, it might as well be a giant professional choir. listening to that while surrounded by the night sky and the city lights, it definitely ranks as one of my favorite moments in nashville.

3. easter 2010. there wasn't anything super magically about that day, but my family came down for the weekend and it was my first time ever hosting a real holiday. we had absolutely perfect weather the whole weekend (minus the massive amounts of pollen jaundicing everything it landed on). we also all piled in my car and drove down to the jack daniel's distillery in lynchburg, which is an absolutely gorgeous drive.

4. i previously wrote about how i got to be an extra on the set of a movie based off one of my favorite books. after writing that blog entry, i got to go back 3 or 4 other times, and so i have a feeling i might be all over the film. it's set to release this fall and i can't wait to see it. (you can watch the trailer here). also, here's a picture from a scene i'm in:

5. the flood. it seems strange to consider a natural disaster which killed over 20 people one of my favorite moments in nashville; but the way this city pulled together to help out neighbors, friends, and strangers really struck a chord with me. i think it's rare to find the kind of community this town has, especially in a city. nashville has always been a big small town, and that's one of the things i love about it. the flood gave proof to the old saying that it's when we are at our weakest that we are our strongest. if there was ever any doubt in my mind that nashville was home, the city's reaction to the flood changed that forever.

friday photos: 2011.33

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

friday, august 12

my old college roommate visited for the weekend. these were our plans. we failed. and we were perfectly okay with that.

saturday, august 13

one of the contenders for the 'ugliest tomato' at the east nashville tomato art fest

sunday, august 14

a beautiful evening with the windows open.

monday, august 15

most recent movie choices the roommates made; eerily similar covers

tuesday, august 16

dentistreats.

wednesday, august 17

don't act surprised by this picture.

thursday, august 18

isn't being confused by technology one of the first signs of aging? first google+, now crazy tv remotes.

30 before 30

2011-08-18T05:00:00.001-05:00

so i made a list of 30 things to do/accomplish by the time i'm 30... which is in 18 months (let's not go down that road right now, though). anyway. here they are. some are silly. some are boring. but they're all me.

1. reach a healthy weight.
2. read the entire bible, including the apocrypha.
3. read every unread book i own.
4. organize files (paper & electronic).
5. run a 5k.
6. have a small emergency fund.
7. write a hand-written letter and send it via snail mail.
8. leave the country. (it's been five years [minus driving around canada from 3am to 5am once in 2008])
9. visit a new state.
10. go to a drive-in movie.
11. watch the "back to the future" trilogy.
12. watch the dark side of the rainbow.
13. return to warner camp. (it's been six years)
14. buy a little black dress.
15. learn to drive a stick-shift.
16. do something concrete to better my photography.
17. shoot a (real) gun.
18. pay off my 401k loan.
19. become a member of midtown.
20. interview someone who makes a living doing what they love.
21. do something creative with my broken mug.
22. purchase domains for my blog, photographs, and etsy.
23. visit dinosaur world (kentucky).
24. visit mammoth cave.
25. walk the cumberland river pedestrian bridge.
26. make baked caramel apple donuts.
27. go camping. in the woods. in a tent. with friends. (it's been 11 years)
28. visit a physician. (it's been 10 years)
29. discover my story. write it down.
30. make a list of 30 people who have influenced my life.

wednesday wisdom #20

2011-08-17T09:10:00.001-05:00

oh the miles we've wasted
in someone else's shoes
empty expectations,
everything to lose
everything that's come to pass,
sand inside the hourglass.

yesterday is broken
tomorrow's far away.
where does that leave us today?
everything that's come to pass,
sand inside the hourglass.

-hourglass, drew holcomb & the neighbors

obsessing over the right things

2011-08-16T18:56:00.001-05:00

it seems we live in a world of complainers, debbie-downers, glass-half-empty kind of people. and the thing about these people is they are contagious. after all, misery loves company.

i can easily get caught up in this, and i do far too often. as a means to reverse this trend, i posted a list of things i was thankful for yesterday. and i want to continue.

today i am thankful for friends who feel comfortable enough around me to be themselves. a dear, dear friend shared something with me which she has never told anyone before... and that means more to me then i could ever begin to say in words. today i'm thankful for my dentist (that's for you, jen). for the ability i have to get my teeth cleaned twice a year. something so simple that so many others could never dream of. i'm thankful for cooler temperatures once again, for a working car to get me to the office, for a job that pays my bills, a place to come to at the end of the day which i can call home, the ability to put my feet up on the table, and crack open a good book (and a good bottle of wine doesn't hurt either), and the ability to write in a run-on sentence because this is "merica" and no one is grading my blog. don't tell me what i can't do.

i think it's time we all start obsessing over the good things, no matter how small.

a thankful week

2011-08-15T08:24:00.002-05:00

i am thankful for so many things from this past week. and i want to share them with the interwebs.

-rest.

-a rare phenomenon of cooler nashville august.

-gaining new perspective on an old hymn.

-engagements (not my own, just for clarification).

-old friends who, even after going months without seeing each other, can jump immediately into the depths of each others hearts.

-the best roommates a girl could ask for.

friday photos: 2011.32

2011-08-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, august 5

an excellent redbox decision.

saturday, august 6

i love lamp.

sunday, august 7

happy birthday, roommate.

monday, august 8

roommate killing it at 12th & porter.

tuesday, august 9

7th read book of 2011 (slightly behind my goal of at least 1 book per month)

wednesday, august 10

roommate's birthday flowers.

thursday, august 11

"now i'll go anywhere i want/i've got ten bucks in my pocket/i'll do anything i want
i've got ten bucks/yeah i still got ten bucks/ten for the lonely street
ten for the friends i'll meet/ten for the love that will shine tomorrow/i still got ten bucks" -"ten bucks", everybody else

a welcomed change.

2011-08-11T19:50:00.002-05:00

change is inevitable. sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. the change i want to talk about is most definitely a good one:

the weather.

for the first 23 years of my life, i lived in the north/midwest. (technically michigan and indiana are considered the midwest but this has never really made much sense to me.) that being said, i'm a wuss when it comes to hot weather. as each southern summer goes by i'm realizing that i'm slowly growing accustomed to it, but i still prefer the cooler temperatures.

we had a few lovely spring days here in nashville, but then the cicadas invaded our city for two months and stole the best of what early summer has to offer. by the time they were gone the temperatures were consistently in the mid-to-upper 90's... even as late as 10pm.

but today was different. today was breezy. and in the 80's. oh how i missed the 80's. i know that it's august... and as such i can't depend on these "cooler" temperatures to stick around, but i will most certainly enjoy every cicada-free below-90 day i can.

wednesday wisdom #19

2011-08-10T08:00:00.005-05:00

come and rest now, take a breath now.
nothing else can keep us apart.
we're horizon, you and me;
you're the sky and i'm the sea.
bitter storm to peaceful morn,
i will comfort you.
i will comfort you.

-seth harper & stacy lantz

p.s. if you didn't notice, those lyrics are linked to a video...

tuesday tunes: eric vinson

2011-08-09T09:27:00.002-05:00

back in may i pre-ordered eric vinson's new album, "rhythm of the world." after listening to it regularly since then, it's still on heavy rotation. some albums get better with more listens, and this is definitely one of them. and today he released it on itunes. so you should get it. it'll make your tuesday better. i promise.

oops.

2011-08-08T14:23:00.002-05:00

last week i made chicken curry for my small group. it was the first time i had made it in awhile, and i thought i would post the recipe on here. but then i realized i already had done that. oops. here it is again anyway.

friday photos: 2011.31

2011-08-05T23:45:00.000-05:00

friday, july 29

my mom, grandma and i took a quick trip to chicago to have dinner with my brother and his girlfriend.

saturday, july 30

the main purpose of my trip across the midwest was to watch one of my good college friends get married in indiana.

sunday, july 31

i love traveling, and i also love coming home.

monday, august 1

jen's melodica.

tuesday, august 2

one step closer to revealing pictures from april 17 & 18.

wednesday, august 3

flowers.

thursday, august 4

another day at the office. exciting.

the big picture

2011-08-04T08:52:00.001-05:00

one of my favorite things about blogging and journaling is going back and reading old entries. i recently read part of my journal from my second year of college. at the time, i thought i knew what i wanted: the career i was studying in school, the boy i was interested in, what i hoped to get out of everyday life. eight years later (holy cow!) i found myself laughing at my former dreams. now that so much time has passed, i am able to see the bigger picture. i know now that had all those desires been met, i would have ended up pretty miserable. and i can also see now that not getting what i wanted at the time ultimately lead to where i am today. and life is pretty great today.

i would like to say that seeing the big picture of my past has enabled me to realize god has reasons for not giving my all of my current desires, but it's not that easy. but i think i'm getting there. one step at a time.

wednesday wisdom #18

2011-08-03T06:24:00.001-05:00

"be brave. be strong. don't give up. expect god to get here soon."
- psalm 31:24 the message

tuesday tunes: stacy lantz

2011-08-02T10:52:00.003-05:00

so if you know me or have read any of my previous blog posts, you have probably heard me mention my lovely, extremely talented roommate, stacy lantz. i have had the privileged of knowing her for six years now, and have enjoyed watching her grow both as a woman and as a musician. one year ago today our little group of friends celebrated the release of her first album, "patchwork plains". i posted about it here when it went up on itunes last year.

well, because stacy is such a kind-hearted generous lady, she is putting "patchwork plains" up on noisetrade where you can get it for free. and who says no to free things? crazy people, that's who. don't be a crazy person. nobody likes a crazy person.

also, feel free to leave stacy a generous tip. after all, she deserves it. and she's currently car-less (although most definitely not care-less) and could use a set of wheels to get around town, or maybe get to your town for a show. so be kind, rewind. wait, what?

traveler's rest

2011-08-01T13:42:00.002-05:00

i just returned from a much-needed vacation, where i spent about 28 hours in a car, about 20 of which i spent in solitude. i have always felt a sense of freedom getting away from routine, with my favorite songs and the gently hum of the highway as the soundtrack. this long weekend was no exception.

i left town wednesday afternoon and drove 4.5 hours north to indianpolis where i visited with stacy g., my college roommate (not to be confused with stacy l., my current roommate whom i also lived with during college. confusing. yes. don't be.) anyway. immediately upon graduating college in 2006, stacy g. and i took a trip with the school to japan. while there, we frequently feasted on a dish called okonomiyaki. unfortunately, we have had much difficulty finding it in the states. but no more! a japanese steakhouse near stacy's home serves it, and i was pleased to revisit such a delicious experience.

the next day i drove 4 more hours to my home town of saint joseph, michigan. my mom and i did not let the rain stop us from attempting a trip to the beach, and as soon as we arrived the rain ceased.

friday afternoon my mom, my grandma and i drove 2 hours west to meet my brother and his girlfriend for dinner in their town, chicago. after dinner, it was 2 hours back east to michigan.

saturday morning i drove the 4 hours back south to indianapolis where i met back up with stacy and her husband, and we then drove 2 hours north to wabash to celebrate the marriage of angie and josiah. it was a festive day and one that truly reflected the personality and relationship of the happy couple. post-wedding we drove 2 hours south to indianapolis.

sunday morning i hit the road again: 1 hour north to anderson, my college town, to attend the mercy house. being part of that community before moving to nashville made a huge impact on my life and i can honestly say i'm a different person because of it. i briefly caught up with my friend matt before the service, and then after drove back down to indy for lunch, and finally the 4.5 hour drive south back to nashville.

pictures coming friday. stay tuned.

friday photos: 2011.30

2011-07-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

friday, july 22

this surprisingly made for entertaining reading.

saturday, july 23

got coffee? #estatesalefinds

sunday, july 24

music that's hotter than a tennessee summer evening: samuel gregg, nick flora, and stacy lantz.

monday, july 25

coffee shops + crayons.

tuesday, july 26

a convent corner.

wednesday, july 27

somewhere between nashville and indianapolis.

thursday, july 28

grand mere beach, st. joseph, michigan.

friday photos: 2011.29

2011-07-22T08:00:00.006-05:00

friday, july 15

travel plans for the next 3 months.

saturday, july 16

me: what should i take a picture of?
karissa: the bottom of my foot.

sunday, july 17

my elbow accidentally took this. i decided to go with it.

monday, july 18

random mini road trip to the middle of nowhere, tennessee.

tuesday, july 19

one of many laundry days this year.

wednesday, july 20

i'll take "things that need more sleep for $500".

thursday, july 21

this made me think of katie.

friday photos: 2011.28

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, july 8

two weeks of coughing = lots of cough drops.

saturday, july 9

yep.

sunday, july 10

new favorite snack = berries & honey

monday, july 11

monday = coffee.

tuesday, july 12

11th and final night of dog-sitting dakota and indigo.

wednesday, july 13

dave barnes (and ben rector & andrew ripp, who i couldn't see) at the bluebird.

thursday, july 14

dog-sitting version 2.0: merle

friday photos: 2011.27

2011-07-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, july 1

a much overdue visit from a dear old friend.

saturday, july 2

adorable baby ben.

sunday, july 3

some friends had a redneck-themed jar-b-que and this happened during apples to apples. how appropriate for a pre-july 4th party. #murica

monday, july 4

+10 points for being able to walk 1/2 mile from my house to a perfect firework viewing spot.

tuesday, july 5

came home to this. thanks, roommates.

wednesday, july 6

dog-sitting day 6.

thursday, july 7

dog-sitting day 7.

friday photos: 2011.26

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, june 24

the frothy monkey sticker on my nalgene.

saturday, june 25

dancing in the park.

sunday, june 26

random household object.

monday, june 27

sometimes "working from home" really means "working from the coffee shop"

tuesday, june 28

"jaqwen sad howwy won't be hewr fwend."

wednesday, june 29

bueller? bueller? anyone? anyone? movies in the park.

thursday, june 30

half-way through the year, so i took a photo of half of something.

a story of faith.

2011-06-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

i heard a story yesterday which hit home for me. i have not experienced anything remotely close to what happened to this young woman, but i can learn from her experience and i think that's why god gives us stories; they are meant to be shared.

sunday morning at church, our congregation sang these words:

no guilt in life, no fear in death
this is the power of christ in me
from life's first cry to final breath
jesus commands my destiny

i'll be honest with you; i sang these words half-heartedly. maybe because i was distracted in thought, maybe because they are almost too familiar. but then some friends and i grabbed lunch and janelle, a labor and delivery nurse, told us that she lost it and started crying during that song, because she had been having a hard time dealing with losses at work and questioning why some people never get their first breath. she told us a story of a woman who went into labor prematurely and the baby was stillborn. the mom gave janelle a blanket she had knitted and asked her to keep it with the child, and said that all of their tears and prayers were in that blanket. the mom held her lifeless child to her chest and kept repeating these powerful words: "everything's a blessing. everything's a blessing."

i am blown away by the faith of this woman i have never met. my struggles are trivial in comparison to what has happened to her, and yet she has more clarity into god's promise for her.

i don't really have any grand conclusion for this post. i just felt i needed to pass this story along. i know there are others out there who need to hear it just as much as i did.

friday photos: 2011.25

2011-06-24T08:00:00.004-05:00

friday, june 17

random picture of our living room

saturday, june 18

brooke waggoner rocking musician's corner

sunday, june 19

writer's round with nick, stacy and some other guys.

monday, june 20

first summer in six years with air conditioning in my car. hallelujah!

tuesday, june 21

lydia brought over some pretty flowers from the shop.

wednesday, june 22

jenny went to colorado and brought me back this paper. win.

thursday, june 23

sick day = majority of my day spent in bed. womp womp.

wednesday wisdom #17

2011-06-22T08:00:00.004-05:00

josh garrels recently released a new album titled "love & war & the sea in between". the whole album is absolutely gorgeous, and available for free on his website.

for this edition of "wednesday wisdom", i'm using his song, "night owl"

when the night comes,
and you don't know which way to go
through the shadowlands,
and forgotten paths,
you will find a road

like an owl you must fly by moonlight with an open eye,
and use your instinct as your guide,
to navigate the ways that lay before you,
you were born to take the greatest flight

like a serpent and a dove, you will have wisdom born of love
and carry visions from above into the places no man dares to follow
every hollow in the dark of night
waiting for the light
take the flame tonight

child the time has come for you to go
you will never be alone
every dream that you have been shown
will be like living stone
building you into a home
a shelter from the storm

like a messenger of peace, the beauty waits to be released
upon the sacred path you keep, leading deeper into the unveiling
as your're sailing
across the great divide

like a wolf at midnight howls, you use your voice in darkest hours
to break the silence and the power, holding back the others from their glory
every story will be written soon
the blood is on the moon
morning will come soon

child the time has come for you to go
you will never be alone
every dream that you have been shown
will be like living stone
building you into a home
a shelter from the storm

the simple truth

2011-06-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

sometimes i feel as though the lessons i'm being taught aren't new lessons, but rather the same one over and over. it all boils down to one simple truth: he is all i need. at the root of anger is fear, and the root of fear is sin, and the root of sin, idolatry. and it all goes back to the original sin: eve wanted to be like god, and so she ate the forbidden fruit. i am no different.

friday photos: 2011.24

2011-06-17T07:21:00.005-05:00

friday, june 10

in this picture, 2-year old rachel is telling me the story of what her mommy did when there was a cicada in the car. "mama said, 'ahh! cicada bee in my car!' then she squished it."

saturday, june 11

birds.

sunday, june 12

the summer of 2005 was easily my most defining moment. everything about that time has since been symbolized in this mug. today it slipped out of my hands and broke on the kitchen's hardwood floor. this all happened in the presence of a friend who played a huge role in that summer, and from whom i purchased the mug. there was definitely a moment of silence as we both recognized that this is more than just a coffee mug.

monday, june 13

suzanne brought us some bread. we have more than jesus.

tuesday, june 14

random obscure last-minute photo

wednesday, june 15

the daylights

thursday, june 16

staycation day #1: coffee with the roommates

friday photos: 2011.23

2011-06-10T23:06:00.006-05:00

friday, june 3

i think this dog might be smiling.

saturday, june 4

strawberry wine + dark chocolate = new love

sunday, june 5

two roommates were out of town and one was house-sitting which left me all alone for the night.

monday, june 6

this was just me playing around with a few different iphone apps.

tuesday, june 7

playing with apps again.

wednesday, june 8

some nights were made for driving with the windows down and the music loud.

thursday, june 9

double-duty show-going: writer's round at the bluebird and my buddy nick at exit/in

friday photos: 2011.22

2011-06-03T22:58:00.006-05:00

friday, may 27

house show for kirsten's goodbye party: the means, samuel gregg, stacy lantz, & nick flora.

saturday, may 28

another house show, this one for eric's new album, "rhythm of the world": joel rakes, stacy lantz, matt wertz, & eric vinson.

sunday, may 29

set-up duty at midtown.

monday, may 30

i finally have a big girl bed!

tuesday, may 31

best to go container ever. drawing by stacy lantz.

wednesday, june 1

my roommate's typewriter. exciting.

thursday, june 2

our buddy jon troast.

friday photos: 2011.21

2011-06-03T22:20:00.007-05:00

a week late... but better late than never.

friday, may 20

another day at work

saturday, may 21

free taylor swift concert.

sunday, may 22

church picnic. hayrides. river baptism.

monday, may 23

roommates and i started re-watching season 1 of lost, and then later realized it was the one-year anniversary of the series finale.

tuesday, may 24

bedtime brownies.

wednesday, may 25

nashville to baltimore and back in a period of 17 hours makes for a long work day and a long commute. at least i like flying.

thursday, may 26

one of my friends requested that i take a picture of the most interesting piece of ceiling in my house. so. here it is.

"the mind is a powerful thing"

2011-05-23T14:34:00.004-05:00

life is starting to slow back down to its normal rhythm, and with it i've been able to spend more time processing things that have been happening this year. back in january, i wrote out a list of 30 things to do before i turn 30 (which will be february 2013). i tried to find that list the other day, but i don't remember where i put it. maybe i should have included "place this list somewhere i won't forget" on the list. i wanted to go through it and see where i have made progress, if any. i do remember that many of the things were in the self-improvement category, as opposed to more typical "bucket list" items. i was talking to one of my roommates last night. i mentioned that around new years 2009-2010, i had a feeling that 2010 would be a fantastic year. and it was... i would dare to say it was the best year of my life thus far. and i had a feeling that 2011 would be a year of growth. and i would say that so far, it has been. mind over matter. self-prophecy. what have you. i'm excited to see what the next seven months hold.

friday photos: 2011.20

2011-05-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

friday, may 13

the bride to be at her bachelorette party/bridal shower.

saturday, may 14

the bride and groom.

sunday, may 15

our potato man is growing arms.

monday, may 16

katie. hanging from a tree. kind of.

tuesday, may 17

music happens.

wednesday, may 18

we received bags full of haitan coffee beans as party favors at the wedding. fitting, as the bride and groom live in haiti.

thursday, may 19

this is not something you see everyday.

life vs. blog

2011-05-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

april 22-24: family is in town for easter
april 25: invisible children's 25 event
april 25-may 14: erin arrives for her wedding and all pre-wedding events
may 6-8: friends are in town, roommate's family is in town
may 9: roommate's birthday
may 10-11: friends are in town
may 11: community group
may 11-12: new roommate moves in furniture/belongings
may 13: airport run for jen
may 13: erin's bridal shower/bachelorette party
may 14: erin's wedding
may 16: katie gets into town
may 17: airport run for myka and jeff
may 17: friend has a show at 12th & porter
may 18: roommate has a show at the listening room
may 20: airport run for myka and jeff
may 21: musician's corner
may 22: church picnic
may 25: business trip to baltimore
may 25: community group
may 27: house show/goodbye party for roommate
may 28: roommate has a show
may 31: roommate's final night in nashville before moving to san fransisco

i apologize for my lack of blogging lately.

friday photos: 2011.19

2011-05-13T23:15:00.009-05:00

friday, may 6

lindsey insisted on being my picture of the day.

saturday, may 7

andrew ripp at musician's corner

sunday, may 8

roommate planted some flowers.

monday, may 9

roommate's birthday = an evening at rumours.

tuesday, may 10

blood:water mission's "well:done" event.

wednesday, may 11

lunch with out-of-town friends. whit didn't want her picture taken, so that's her toothpaste.

thursday, may 12

bobby's truck is in nashville. bobby is in new york. the truck's keys are in louisiana. the truck needs to be moved to the other side of nashville. conundrum.

friday photos: 2011.18

2011-05-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

friday, april 29

i often tell people my office is near the airport. i might be an understatement.

saturday, april 30

this sums up my day.

sunday, may 1

so i went for a jog and when i came back, this guy was chilling on our porch. the consensus on facebook says it's a five-lined skink who lost its tail, and i'm pretty sure it was dead.

monday, may 2

old houses have creepy basements.

tuesday, may 3

either i'm going for a jog, about to play a real-life game of frogger, or both.

wednesday, may 4

i got a surprise package in the mail which contained this cute dress. win!

thursday, may 5

nashville is preparing for an invasion.

friday photos: 2011.17

2011-04-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, april 22

i started passing out these cards explaining invisible children's 25 event.

saturday, april 23

dyed easter eggs with my mom.

sunday, april 24

one of my favorite quotes.

monday, april 25

invisible children's "break the silence" event.

tuesday, april 26

this is my typical lunch break.

wednesday, april 27

stephen kellogg.

thursday, april 28

my 6th completed book of 2011.

friday photos: 2011.16

2011-04-22T08:06:00.005-05:00

friday, april 15

finished my 5th book of 2011.

saturday, april 16

record store day at grimey's: gabe dixon band performing, and i grabbed a copy of drew holcomb & the neighbor's "chasing someday"

sunday, april 17

photo to be revealed at a later date.

monday, april 18

another photo to be revealed at a later date.

tuesday, april 19

nature has a sense of humor.

wednesday, april 20

any day that involves baja is a good day.

thursday, april 21

rachel's response to being told not to smile.

i'm going silent.

2011-04-19T10:45:00.003-05:00

for 25 hours, i won't be speaking. because sometimes i speak too much.

i was recently introduced to a new "word" - slacktivism: when one says they care and are loud about a cause but don't actually do anything to help.

i'm guilty of this.

after all, the word activism begins with three letters: act. by definition, it requires action.

in this information age, one has to be rather ignorant to not be aware of the injustices happening in the world. the time for awareness is over. it's time for action.

for 25 years, the lords resistance army has been committing terrible atrocities against innocent people in central africa. after the lra was driven out of northern uganda in 2005, they have been occupying some of the most remote and isolated territories in the entire region. they are attacking communities that have virtually no way to communicate to the outside world. the cries of the victims go silent.

and so, starting at 7pm on april 24th, i along with thousands of others, join these victims in silence. for 25 hours i will not speak. we will all gather together, and at 8pm on april 25th, we will break the silence. and then we will act. we will write to congress to fight for peace. we can bring an end to this war.

this is in partnership with invisible children, which is doing amazing things to help protect the citizens of central africa. here is a some insider info from a friend of mine who is working directly with ic:

"when the peace talks between ugandan government and lra failed in 2008, the lra fled uganda. currently there is peace in northern uganda. however, they have now moved into the congo, sudan, and car. they are attacking villages almost daily because they have no funding. they need to attack to get food, supplies, etc. we are building 12 radio towers in these three countries. they will send out a broadcast twice a day to all of the villages saying where the lra has been, where they are heading, who needs help or protection, etc. also, it will broadcast to the lra. many members of the lra are afraid to come out of the bush because they fear being persecuted or being killed by their home villages for the crimes they were forced to commit. we are broadcasting ways for them to safely come out."

this is huge. and they need our help. would you consider donating even $1 or $5? you can donate directly to invisible children here:

friday photos: 2011.15

2011-04-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, april 8

i love old houses. this is my bedroom doorknob.

saturday, april 9

bon(d)fire with some of my favorite nashville people.

sunday, april 10

this was my first attempt at making a journal out of an old book. also, this is the 100th day of the year (and thus my 100th photo) - and the journal has 100 pages.

monday, april 11

spring time = spring purses

tuesday, april 12

after the storm.

wednesday, april 13

wednesday afternoon survival kit.

thursday, april 14

me: what should i take a picture of?
karissa: my shiny apple

friday photos: 2011.14

2011-04-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, april 1

tapp necklace

saturday, april 2

matthew perryman jones, sandra mccracken, andrew ripp, amy stroup, trent dabbs, and katie herzig. for free.

sunday, april 3

another sunny sunday spent at the park.

monday, april 4

apparently a funnel cloud was spotted not too far from my house. this tree, which fell on a power line and a car, is on my street.

tuesday, april 5

merry christmas from frothy monkey?

wednesday, april 6

"eye see you"

thursday, april 7

pretty afternoons are well spent sitting in the sunroom.

these are not my words.

2011-04-07T08:15:00.001-05:00

but they are my truth. this is taken from the end of randy's sermon this past week at midtown.

romans 8:28
"we know that all things god works together for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose." what is he saying? if you're in christ today, which i want you to hear that, because if you're new to this journey, you can be out of christ and you can be in christ. just because you come to church doesn't mean you're in christ. and if that confuses you, you need to go on the journey of answering that question. what does that mean? why did jesus come to rescue us? what did he resuce us from? but if we are in christ, if we have been rescued, what this passage is saying, that god now is working everything to your good. everything to your good.

in fact, i want to submit to you this morning that god is bound by his holiness to do nothing but work toward your good. in everything. he is bound by his holiness and his character and who he is as god to work everything in your good. see, let me explain. when jesus went to the cross, jesus took to the cross with him all of my sins. he took all the ways that i had violated the laws of god, the character of god. i am guilty of every accusation that god could possibly throw at me. and yet here i stand accused and guilty and god through jesus took all that to the cross and took that off of me.

now what does that mean? if i am in christ, meaning in christ on the cross, i died with him and then in his resurrection i rose with him, and now i'm a part of the family. and as a member of the family i am justified, meaning jesus wiped the slate clean, it's just as if i had never sinned. so when i stand before god, i stand as one that has been made pure, purified, cleansed of all my sins, i stand in the righteousness of christ, fully accepted by the father, fully loved by the father, and the holiness of god is committed to work good in every situation in my life.

see, here's what interesting about justification. jesus isn't standing before the throne of god saying, 'god, please have mercy on randy. i plead mercy, please, in all your compassion and kindness look on him, he's pathetic. have mercy on him!' that's not what jesus is doing. jesus is standing before the father in his judgment seat, and he's looking at the father and he's saying, 'father, execute all judgment on him. he deserves justice.' and what is justice? it's all been paid for. see, jesus doesn't plead mercy for me, he pleads justice for me, 'cause he paid for everything. it's already been paid for. i can't be punished for a crime twice, right? it's all been paid for. so the mercy that god gives me comes through his justice. i deserve his mercy now. that's what it means to be in the position of christ. i deserve his love now. i deserve his good now.

listen to this, later in the chapter he says, 'what then shall we say to this: if god is for you, who can be against you?' it's in the bible. it says 'he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all.' god went to such lengths to put me in the position of favor that he gave up his own son for that. he says, if that's what god did for you, how will he not also, along with jesus, graciously give you all things. do you think god is limited now? no, god says i am working all things through the good of those who love him.

well i know what you're thinking, 'this is going on, and if i was god, i wouldn't let that happen. i wouldn't say that's good.' so either god is not good, or he has a twisted view of what good is. or something completely different. or maybe he sees what you can't see. and that's hard, isn't it? isn't hard when you're in pain and it seems like god is so far away. so when we're in that hard place, how do we step into truth that i just said? how do we speak truth into that? how do we join with david the psalmist when he says 'lord i will rejoice in you, i will praise your name, even though the enemies surround me, even though all is going against me, i will lift my face to you.' you know, plsam 3, where his own son rose up against him and was trying to kill him and overthrow his kingdom so that he could be king, he said 'lord, you are the one who lifts up my head.'

we do what it says here. we acknowledge, it says 'and we know in all things that god works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose and acknowledge his ways.' what does that mean? we speak truth into our struggle. i preach the gospel of christ into my life, i speak the gospel of christ into my friends' lives, i ask my friends to speak the gospel of christ into my life.

what would that look like? for me to say, okay, i'm going to put down the engine of creating and trying to get the power to get what i want, and i'm going to come over here and go, you know what? my deepest desire is not the senario, my deepest desire is to be loved, my deepest desire is to be in love, to be captured, to have power come and scoop me up and hold me within its hands. something that god wants to do with me through christ. so, lord, i'm going to put down my wants and my hungering, my lust for power, and i'm going to come over here in my desires and i'm going to let you meet me in this place. and i'm going to let you speak truth to me that you're working for my good.

what would that look like? one is, happiness would stop being somewhere other than where i'm at. happiness would stop being something over there that i'm constantly trying to get to, but it just seems to get further and further and further away from me. that happiness can be right where i'm at. the scriptures say, 'be still and know that i am god...' the second thing that it does is that hope stops being in something as shallow as what i want, or a situation, and goes to some place very deep. see, if my hope is in certain circumstances working out, or what i imagine in my mind coming to truth, i'm gonna live a life of constant disappointment... hope should not be so fragile a thing that it sets itself in situations that i can't make come true. hope should go to a deeper place.

let me explain: when maggie, my daughter, was 3 years old, we had one of those bongo bats... and my son and i were playing it, and she walked out the door just as he was swinging it, and he caught my 3-year old little girl right in the eye with the bongo bat, and just split her eyelid right open. so we rush her to the hospital, and she's bleeding and she's crying, she's looking up at me, and the doctor goes 'we gotta sew it shut. the danger with something like this, if we're gonna keep her awake, is, i'm gonna have a needle near her eye and she's 3 years old and it's hard to keep her still. so we're gonna wrap her up in a blanket." so they strapped her arms down and wrapped her in a blanket and they had to shoot novoicaine into her eyelid. here's the thing about maggie: she did not want to do that. she's 3 years old, she's like "please, no! don't wrap me in a blanket, i just want to go home, put a band-aid on it, and let's just go home." because as a 3-year old, she says that my hope is that this event is going to be over with, this stage of my life, could it just be over with, let's just go home. and i asked her to do something as a father at that moment, i said, "look at me maggie, take your hope out of the situation and put your hope in me. you don't understand what's going on. you don't understand why this hurts so much. you don't understand what could possibly be gained from you being wrapped in a blanket to where you can't move your arms and we're holding you still, you can't, in your 3-year old mind, you can't perceive it, but you can perceive this: i'm your father and i love you. and i'm asking you to look at me, and i'm asking you to put your hope in me, trust that i'm bigger than this situation, trust that i'm bigger than your pain, trust that i'm bigger than your fear."

a perfect weekend.

2011-04-05T19:18:00.001-05:00

sunday night i tweeted that the weekend had every ingredient of a perfect weekend, and that i couldn't list them all in a single tweet. i typically believe that if you have something to share and can't fit it all in one tweet, that's when you need to blog, rather than send out 10 tweets in a row. so, here are the ingredients to a perfect spring weekend:

a: one night of relaxation. i found this on friday night, as i went to dinner (pizza) with my roommates, then came home and immediately changed into pajamas, ate homemade cookies (courtesy of stacy), and watched a movie.
b: a sleepover. my roommate, kirsten, is a nanny and watches a 7-year old named natalie who is so.stinking.funny. she spent the night with us on friday.
c. a lazy saturday morning. although i technically didn't sleep in (my internal alarm clock considers 7am late on the weekends, as i wake up around 5:30-5:45 during the week), i still got to lay in bed for awhile before getting up, with no immediate plans to attend to.
d. a good breakfast. kirsten made made us all pancakes, scrambled eggs, and strawberries. and of course coffee.
e: good coffee with friends. kirsten, stacy, jen and i all went over to frothy monkey for some good coffee and conversation. i think frothy is my second home at this point.
f. a productive afternoon: stacy and i did some much needed spring cleaning around the house. we aren't messy people, but our old house tends to be a dust factory.
g. a visitor from far away/catching up with old friends: our dear old friend erin came to town. erin used to live in our house (before i did), and she is one of the first people i met when i moved to nashville almost five years ago. a year ago she moved to haiti for what she thought would be a 3-month mission trip. but god had other plans when she met her now husband-to-be, born and raised as a missionary in haiti. erin is in town planning their may wedding, and it was great to catch up with her face-to-face, as opposed to the chat function in words with friends.
h. good live music. which was free, by the way. and semi-outdoors. jen and i each won a pair of passes to this year's tin pan south, and she, stacy and i headed downtown to the roof of the hard rock to see the best of the best in nashville's independent music scene: matthew perryman jones, sandra mccraken, andrew ripp, amy stroup, trent dabbs, and katie herzig.
i. a lazy sunday morning: i always wake up on sundays long before i need to be at church. i love knowing i have somewhere to be soon, but not feeling rushed to get ready.
j. an excellent church service: i unexpectedly caught myself crying in church on sunday morning. this doesn't happen often (the last time was several years ago). some truths we can never hear enough.
k. perfect weather: saturday was in the mid-60's and sunday was near 80, and the sun shone both days.
l. simple reminders of how lucky i am to live in my neighborhood. i love that i am able to walk to a grocery store to pick up some basics.
m. popsicles at the park. kirsten and i walked down to hillsboro village, picked up some las paletas, and walked over to the dragon park to read and soak in the... shade.
n. a cook-out. our chef-friend suzanne had a group of people over to her place to cook out on the deck. fresh fruit, grilled asparagus, salad, and grilled hot dogs. summer is near.
o. making new friends. while at suzanne's, i met a few new people who i'm sure i'll see again. i also got to know my future roommate a little better.

that pretty much sums it up. although "o" is a weird letter to end on, i'm not going to change it to numbers nor force myself to make it all the way to z. you probably wouldn't
want to read all of that anyway.

friday photos: 2011.13

2011-04-01T21:59:00.007-05:00

friday, march 25

i enjoy winning things.

saturday, march 26

the swamp tigers attended taylor and kaitlin's engagement party.

sunday, march 27

abandoned crafts.

monday, march 28

wine, good tv, and a bunch of blankets are sometimes the perfect end to a long day.

tuesday, march 29

3rd & lindsley & lightning 100's birthday bash:
tyrone wells, ks rhoads, griffin house, cary brothers, erin mccarley, josh hoge, carey ott, gabe dixon, katie herzig, andrew belle, & trent dabbs.
it was way too far past my bedtime for me to care that the picture isn't great.

wednesday, march 30

i posted this on facebook, and regan was the only one to correctly guess the object of this photo: the light coming in through the crack in the doorway.

thursday, march 31

babysittin'

and that successfully completes the first quarter of the year. wow.

friday photos: 2011.12

2011-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

friday, march 18

typical natalie.

saturday, march 19

farmer's market.

sunday, march 20

grillin'.

monday, march 21

hippie bible = 4th completed book of 2011.

tuesday, march 22

sam and stacy singing at a pub in east nashville.

wednesday, march 23

rachel decided it was a good idea to stick this post-it to her big toe.

thursday, march 24

i love the way the morning sun pours into my living room.

woman vs. transmission

2011-03-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

i had plans for tuesday. i was going to get to work at 7:30, go to the park on my lunch break and read for a bit. then i was going to get off work at 4, go to the library, fill my car with gas, get my hair cut, meet my roommates for pizza, then go see our friends cori, erin, and sam sing at the village pub in east nashville. as i was rounding the corner to get to the office parking lot, my transmission failed. as a result, my day turned out quite different. i spent my lunch break paying a towing charge, left work at 4:30, deanna and i picked her kid up from daycare, and then i took her car and got home at 6, just in time to eat cereal for dinner and then i did end up going to village pub.

sometimes plans change. sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. but there is one thing that is in our control, and that is how we react to life. for example, in this situation, i can be angry that my car isn't working. or i can choose to remember that god is in control and that it's much better that way, and i can choose to live in that peace. and i can thank him for my struggles, for the reminder that he is sovereign, i can choose to trust in him to work this situation out, and i can choose to write in run-on sentences.

wednesday wisdom #16

2011-03-22T11:09:00.002-05:00

"there came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

- anais nin

equinox

2011-03-22T11:01:00.001-05:00

the city comes alive this time of year. as temperatures and daffodils rise, people come out of hibernation and start filling the parks with blankets and kites. we're officially two days into spring, but here in nashville it's been spring-like for a couple of weeks now. every year i can't help but think of how the changing of seasons in nature seem to always reflect the changes of seasons in life. there are changes i've talked about making in the past, and i'm finally starting to make the right decisions to see those changes take root. i'm hoping they will begin to blossom.

friday photos: 2011.11

2011-03-18T07:49:00.006-05:00

friday, march 11

[enter caption here]

saturday, march 12

72* and sunny = a day at the park, napping under a tree.

sunday, march 13

dinner of champions.

monday, march 14

in honor of the tragedy that hit japan, a photo of my japanese fan from my japanese roommate.

tuesday, march 15

roommate made a lemon meringue pie.

wednesday, march 16

preparing for small group by making lasagna and re-listening to the sermon.

thursday, march 17

st. patrick's day. green grass. blue skies.

friday photos: 2011.10

2011-03-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

friday, march 4

finished book #3 of 2011.

saturday, march 5

found this little gem in a massive spring cleaning session.

sunday, march 6

keeping up with my bible reading plan.

monday, march 7

just another day at the office.

tuesday, march 8

kopecky family band

wednesday, march 9

cuttin' leaves.

thursday, march 10

my bedroom has been awesomefied, thanks to surface inspired.

the upper room

2011-03-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

i sat in the orange chair in what we called "the upper room". looking out the window, i found myself mesmerized by the slow and steady falling snow. flakes bigger than i have ever seen before, which is saying something having spent all of my 18 years in michigan. i knew this place was special, a holy ground of sorts. a place where my soul felt free, felt peace. a peace i have felt in no other place. i didn't know what the future would hold, what adventures lay beyond my high school years.

five years later i returned to that room. a room which had previously represented peace now brought confusion. i sat in that orange chair again and poured my heart out on paper. the snowflakes replaced by raindrops, a relief from the heat of the august afternoon. everything i thought i had been working towards was falling apart. or so it seemed. i know now that it was a gift. protecting me from a future i didn't know i didn't want.

another five years has come and gone. i haven't seen that orange chair since. i long for it though. for the familiarity. for it's comfort. even in the confusion that room brought comfort. physically of course, but mostly emotionally. i often wonder if i will ever return to that place. but then i'm reminded it's not the room that matters. it never has mattered. what made that room so special was the community surrounding me. the great cloud of witnesses along my path, helping me to fight my battles.

and then i remember i still have that community. the face are different, as are the stories behind them. but an evolving story needs evolving and changing characters. new faces with new stories to help fight new battles in new places. here's to the next five years.

wednesday wisdom #15

2011-03-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

"hope demands that i look outside my bitterness for the sweetness i once knew in the laughter of my friend"

- dan allender

friday photos: 2011.8 & 9

2011-03-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

so i missed a week of posting photos, but i did not miss in taking them. so here we go. two weeks' worth:

friday, february 18

a group of my friends
and i spent most of the day
chatting in haiku

saturday, february 19

another day, another latte.

sunday, february 20

72* and a blue sky = day at the park.

monday, february 21

rooney at exit/in

tuesday, february 22

defending the countryside can be exhausting.

wednesday, february 23

sometimes there are no words.

thursday, february 24

my birthday was on president's day, thus this card from stacy.

friday, february 25

trent dabbs album release show. you should go buy "southerner".

saturday, february 26

another gorgeous day called for a little frisbee with regan's dog molly.

sunday, february 27

an oh-so-exciting sunday evening.

monday, february 28

monday's survival kit: mocha and music.

tuesday, march 1

"in like a lamb..."

wednesday, march 2

a rose up close doesn't so much look like a rose anymore.

thursday, march 3

game night.

treats for your audible.

2011-03-03T07:53:00.004-06:00

(10 points to anyone who gets the reference in my title)

anyway. my birthday was last week and as a result i have received a lot of new music, and i want to share some of it with you. some of these are just new-to-me, while some are new-to-all. enjoy.

the civil wars
you may be familiar with the civil wars, you may not be. i first saw them open for another nashville musician a year or so ago when they just started as a duo. they were recently on leno performing their new single "barton hollow" and their debut album, out a week or two ago, was the #1 album on itunes for the whole week.

nick flora
my roommate is a good friend of nick's and she sang bgv's on his newest album, "hello stranger". quirky and charming, i highly recommend you get this record. here's a little promo video he did for it:

patrick watson
somehow i ended up with one of his songs on my itunes. i have no idea how; i'm guessing it was part of a compilation or free download somewhere. anyway, i liked the song so when my brother gave me an itunes gift card, i purchased the whole album.

trent dabbs
if you don't know trent's music, then that needs to change. now. he just released a new album called "southerner" and i can't get enough of it. here's his first single off the record:

the head and the heart
my friend taylor told me about this band awhile back, but i never got around to listening to them until last week. i bought the album on a whim and i'm addicted. here's a live version of the first two tracks:

stacy lantz
i have the privilege of calling stacy my friend and my roommate, and this past week she put a few new songs up on youtube. take a listen then go get her album on itunes.
(note: if you search for her around youtube, don't get her confused with stacey lantz. not the same person. definitely not the same talent.)

wednesday wisdom #14

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

"we look for visions from heaven, for earthquakes and thunders of god's power (the fact that we are dejected proves that we do), and we never dream that all the time god is in the commonplace things and people around us. if we will do the duty that lies nearest, we shall see him. one of the most amazing revelations of god comes when we learn that it is in the commonplace things that the deity of jesus christ is realized."

-oswald chambers

oops, i did it again

2011-03-01T19:34:00.003-06:00

pardon the britney reference. jen has been harping on me to blog again. so. here i am. i'm back.

maybe i'll blame my lack of blogging in february on the fact that i had visitors for 9 out of the 28 days. and then i did blog for 5 of the days, so together that accounts for half the month. the other half i was living life as i always do. nothing significant to report, which probably is the true explanation for my lack of anything to say.

i'll try to be around more this month.

friday photos: 2011.7

2011-02-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

friday, february 11

posted some new journals to my etsy.

saturday, february 12

my mom came to visit for the weekend. one of the kids from her school colored this for me.

sunday, february 13

our friend graham, on our fridge, leftover from this

monday, february 14

valentines from co-workers and family.

tuesday, february 15

when i took the picture of graham on sunday, i had no idea i was going to wake up to this on tuesday. i think stacy is to blame.

wednesday, february 16

it was a gorgeous day outside, so i had to go sit on the patio at frothy.

thursday, february 17

"[my] secret wish: coffee with holly frees in which 'photooftheday' is taken" - hh

wednesday wisdom #13

2011-02-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

"are you brave enough to be wrong?"

- michael gilbert

breaking the silence

2011-02-15T08:00:00.003-06:00

well once again i unintentionally neglected the blog. it's not from a lack of anything to say, i've actually had several blog-worthy thoughts rolling around in my head the past couple weeks. it's been more out of lack of time to write them down. it's ~~sometimes~~ always better to chase after things rather than just talk about them.

a couple weeks ago i was sharing what's going on in my heart with my community group. the thing about community is that it's not safe. we were never promised safe. in c.s. lewis "chronicles of narnia", aslan (the god-figure) is described in this way:

"safe?" said mr. beaver. "don't you hear what mrs. beaver tells you? who said anything about safe? 'course he isn't safe. but he's good. he's the king, i tell you."

this is true of god as well as godly community. it's far from safe. when we truly invest in each others lives, it gets messy, dangerous, and it wrecks us. and i think it's one of the most beautiful things that can happen to humanity.

so what has been wrecking my life? stay tuned...

friday photos: 2011.6

2011-02-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

friday, february 4

items i tend to keep in my purse: keys, work keys, water bottle, business cards, phone, chapstick, coupon keeper, cough drops, journal, ipod, earbuds, planner, wallet, reusable grocery bag.

saturday, february 5

jackson's, one of my favorite restaurants in nashville.

sunday, february 6

i made a lot of new journals over the weekend.

monday, february 7

this is my favorite tree. i love that it's growing sideways.

tuesday, february 8

edgehille village

wednesday, february 9

my favorite magazine.

thursday, february 10

snow day + grilled cheese = perfect combination.

friday photos: 2011.5

2011-02-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

friday, january 28

spring has sprung at hobby lobby.

saturday, january 29

i babysat rachel, who is almost two years old. this was her reaction to me telling her NOT to smile.

sunday, january 30

my roommates and i went for a walk through the park and saw this teabag hanging from a weeping willow.

monday, january 31

this was the result of me remembering last-minute that i needed to take a picture for the day.

tuesday, february 1

my roommate, kirsten's, artwork. this is dyed cloth.

wednesday, february 2

we went nostalgic at the office and created old-school bags for collecting valentines.

thursday, february 3

the civil wars at the basement. i'm short and i was at the back of the venue. when music is this good, you don't need to see.

friday photos: 2011.4

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

friday, january 21

my college roommate was visiting, and we went to the stores in hillsboro village to play with the kittens.

saturday, january 22

does this really qualify as a fortune?

sunday, january 23

best show currently on television. i love being able to catch up with most shows online. for free.

monday, january 24

project ak-47

tuesday, january 25

coffee date at frothy monkey with jess and cassie

wednesday, january 26

completed book #2 of the year.

thursday, january 27

our house has these awesome radiators... that don't work.

sometimes all i do is talk.

2011-01-27T11:45:00.002-06:00

some of you may know me as being quiet, and i guess typically that's true. but when it comes to making changes in my life, all i do is talk. so lately, i've been trying to be silent on these issues. or at least vague. why? don miller recently blogged about a lecture he heard, where he learned that "when you share a goal publicly, your brain enjoys the sharing in the same way it enjoys the achievement itself, and you’ve lost some of your motivation."

so. here's to keeping quiet. hopefully i'll be able to share my success(es) later down the road.

wednesday wisdom #12

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

"music at its best...is the grand archeology into and transfiguration of our guttural cry, the great human effort to grasp in time our deepest passions and yearnings as prisoners of time. profound music leads us - beyond language - to the dark roots of our scream and the celestial heights of our silence."

-cornel west

i'm a fan of vague.

2011-01-25T20:30:00.001-06:00

-sometimes you need to hear the obvious about 500 times before it "clicks."

-sometimes you need to talk to someone who has been where you are and is going where you want to go.

-sometimes you need coffee.

-sometimes you need the rain.

-sometimes.

-sometimes "when" is now.

friday photos: 2011.3

2011-01-21T08:00:00.008-06:00

friday, january 14

my roommates plants. some are living. some are dying. some are in-between.

saturday, january 15

cabbage soup.

sunday, january 16

free show at the basement featuring trent dabbs, matthew perryman jones, thad cockrell, and others.

monday, january 17

breakfast at the hermitage cafe with my roommate.

tuesday, january 18

budgeting and planning for the month ahead.

wednesday, january 19

dust. it's time to deep-clean.

thursday, january 20

finished my first book of 2011.

wednesday wisdom #11

2011-01-19T00:00:00.001-06:00

we choose to live where apathy is normal and average is the goal. occasionally, some refuse to cooperate. they rise out of the rubble of decadence and conformity and by the power of god, they show us a new way. they force us to accept responsibility. they inspire and require us to consider a new way to be human."

-erwin mccmanus

why i'm like a lab rat.

2011-01-18T09:42:00.000-06:00

sunday in church, randy told a story about some lab rats a friend of his told him a few years ago. the lab was getting shut down and they decided to let the rats free. they took the cage of rats out to an open field and opened the door and all of the rats just huddled in the back of the cage. the cage is all they had ever known and they were afraid of the freedom outside of the cage. he then went on to ask us to consider what our cages are. i identified my cages (fears of failure and lame excuses) awhile ago. the question i'm faced with now is this: what am i going to do about it? will i embrace the freedom i have been given, or will i continue to cower in my false sense of control?

friday photos: 2011.2

2011-01-14T12:54:00.004-06:00

friday, january 7

construction.

saturday, january 8

arts and crafts.

sunday, january 9

binding journals.

monday, january 10

work-from-home snow day.

tuesday, january 11

my christmas gift from jen arrived.

wednesday, january 12

sometimes snow looks fake.

thursday, january 13

edgehill cafe gave me this creamer. i named her marta the moo cow and my roommates and i will now hide her around the apartment.

wednesday wisdom #10

2011-01-12T14:08:00.002-06:00

"we are not what we were meant to be, and we know it. if, when passing a stranger on the street, we happen to meet eyes, we quickly avert our glance. cramped into the awkward community of an elevator, we search for something, anything to look at instead of each other. we sense that our real self is ruined, and we fear to be seen. but think for a moment about the million of tourists who visit ancient sites like the parthenon, the colosseum, and the pyramids. though ravaged by time, the elements, and vandals through the ages, these ruins still awe and inspire. though fallen, their glory cannot be fully extinguished. there is something at once sad and grand about them. and such we are. abused, neglected, vandalized, fallen - we are still fearful and wonderful. we are, as one theologian put it, "glorious ruins." but unlike those grand monuments, we who are christ's have been redeemed and are being renewed as paul said, "day by day." restored in the love of god."

- brent curtis/john eldredge

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2011-01-11T17:53:00.001-06:00

roommate is baking a pie. ray lamontagne is on the stereo. snow is on the ground.

it's a good day.