It's called...

...I have nothing to blog about.  So I will share with you funnies.

 

I'll be on vacation next week so have a good one!!

Pure Beauty

This weekend we went to the botanical gardens.  I almost melted away but it was gorgeous! Enjoy!

Currently

This idea is stolen from Erin at Living in Yellow.  Which she stole from someone before that, who stole it from someone else.  Kidding.  

Eating: The question really is, what am I NOT eating?  At the moment Grape-Nuts, which I eat every morning for breakfast.  What can I say?  I am a creature of habit.  But seriously, did you know that Grape-Nuts were used in man's first ascent up Mount Everest?  Learned that straight off the Grape-Nuts box, oh yeah!

 

 

 

If you don't eat Grape-Nuts, you don't know what you're missing.  Unless you think you are missing somewhat bland barley cereal, then you would be right. 

Purchasing:  Nothing exciting.  This poor girl needs to save up her money so I only buy the necessities.  Like these exciting treasures I got today for camping next week.  

How's that for a shopping spree??  

Hopefully I will be buying a new camera soon though, because I broke mine.  Or rather, it broke itself by falling off my top shelf in the middle of the night!  If you'd like to donate to the Danielle Broken Camera Fund please contact me at... 

Only kidding.

Looking forward to:  Seeing my family again.  Going to Six Flags (roller coasters, baby!).  Go to a retreat week.  Lots of things to look forward to!

Contemplating:  Where to get a massage in Richmond, Virginia.  Also, what time should I go to bed?  What should I eat for lunch?  All serious topics.

Listening to: For King & Country.  Over, and over, and over, and over.  They are that good.  If you'd like to join my FKAC fan club, email me.  

 

Reading: 7 by Jen Hatmaker.  Again.  Check it out here.

Thinking about:  Uh, is this really a question?  My little brain skips all over the place: I hope the Heat don't win (spoiler: they did), man it's hot in here, I'm tired, I get to sleep in tomorrow, my face is dry, I wish I didn't have a headache... etc.  More serious thoughts: As per reading 7, I am thinking about ways I can improve.  What can I do to be a better disciple?  How do I love more?  How can I move mountains?  

Craving: Sushi.  Always.  I could eat those little guys every day. 

The end!

Summertime Purpose

I don't know about you, but I have already been having summer for weeks now.  But, surprise, it's not summer until Friday.  I have been busy doing my typical summer fare, which is not being busy at all.  I cook, I clean, I read, I run, I hang out with friends.  It's quite hard...not!  I don't care much for being lazy; I like to be scheduled and have something meaningful to accomplish.  I like to feel that I have a purpose.  While I might be accomplishing useful things when I'm cooking or cleaning or spending time with people, I have a hard time realizing that.  

 

 

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Purpose.  It is important to have a purpose in life, to have a vision, to have meaning.  Our main purpose comes in living for God, of course.  God tells us that "where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18)."  Why is this?  Because if we don't have a vision of the glorious future in store when we follow God, we won't follow Him.  We will get sidelined.   We can lose purpose and then it is sure hard to get it back. We can feel discontent and aimless; I sure don't like to feel like that!  Even when I'm not in school or working, I can still remind myself that I have purpose:

To love God, to show Jesus to others, and to build a vision of the future.   

What is your purpose?

Virginia is for Lovers

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I'm in the homeland!  Or whatever they call it.  I'm assuming that homeland means the place you were born. I was born in Richmond, Virginia and lived here until I was seven years old.  So it's my homeland.  Though I am a California girl through-and-through now, I sometimes claim my Virginian heritage.  Mostly just so that I can keep saying Y'all.    

To find a picture for this post, I searched Virginia in Google Images (how else would I get good blog material??) and saw a lot of this...

 

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This one is hilarious.  Just the place I want to be... summer learning!

Now, I ask you: What does this mean? Virginia is for lovers?  If anyone has any good information on why Virginia is so full of lovers, let me know.

Anyhoo, the reason I am here is to visit my grandparents.  It's been lovely so far.  I'm looking forward to lots of really hot, humid runs (whoop-de-doo!!).  Just kidding.  In all seriousness, I will be here for two weeks visiting my grandparents who are not doing too well and could use your prayers. 

P.S.  As I am posting this, it is 11 AM Virginia time and I just woke up.  Guess my body has a little readjusting to do!  I also experienced my first thunderstorm last night and it was scary!

Priceless

I went to see the Christian band for King and Country with my mom, sister, Bekka and Bekka's sister, Sara.  It's the second time I have seen them and they were soo awesome!!  I can't tell you how much I love their music.  If you listen to Christian music, you have probably heard their song "Proof of Your Love."  My favorite song is "Crave."  They let the audience come down and stand by the stage, so we got to see them super close!! 

 

Luke

 

 

 

Joel

 

Us girls close to the stage!!

 

 

 

(all pics taken by Bekka)

 

Last week I heard on the radio a list of qualities women look for in men.  The third thing on the list was passion.  The man said that the reason women like rock stars so much is because they are typically passionate people.  The lead singers (Joel & Luke) and their band definitely qualify as passionate.  One of the things they talked quite a bit about was their passion for treating girls well.  They wear (and sell) necklaces that say PRICELESS on them, to remind them to honor girls.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many people in this world don't act as if they are priceless.  Girls dress and behave in a way to attract attention to themselves.  They give their hearts away as if they are nothing.  They want love, but they seek it in the wrong way  They treat themselves as if they are worthless.  So it is a wonderful reminder for us to honor each other and ourselves as though we are priceless.  God has not made us to waste our lives on meaningless relationships and people who don't honor us. 

Dirty Feet

Last weekend, I did a 10K race that started at 8:45 PM.  Yeah, PM!  I was so excited for it because it was a trail run AND a run in the dark (my favorite conditions for running).  However, the trail let me down again (as you might remember from my half marathon) and I struggled to get through it.  It was sooo hard.  Thank goodness for it being dark, though!  We were given our own headlamps and fun glow sticks. I have never been such a sweaty mess of dust and dead bugs.  And guess what?? After the run, there was free pizza and a S'mores bar... which I didn't feel like eating so I drank a soda.  But, hey, it would have been cool if I hadn't felt like blowing chunks. 

I didn't manage to get a picture, but I did take one when I took off my shoes to find this...

 

Sadly, the feet under these socks are even grosser

 

More Growing

A lot better that my other internship outfit, huh?

Friday was the last day of my internship at the skilled nursing facility.  At first I hated this internship as much as my internship at the hospital.  But in the end, I believe I really learned a lot. I have learned that there are a lot of unpleasant things that I will have deal with as a Physical Therapist.  Take, for example, the patients who throw up after walking or the lady who yells, "I think I'm pooping!!" every two minutes.  Not pleasant, but that's life.  

More than that, it has been a great exercise in growing compassion.  At first, I would think poorly of the patients who were grumpy or difficult to deal with.  Those who would say they were too tired to work.  Those who were rude when the PT gave them instructions.  I assumed that they were just mean people who didn't want to get better.  (This is just not true).  Trever, the PT I worked with, was excellent about reminding me that as a PT, you are working with people on the worst of days.  It is their circumstances that make them act the way they do.  Oftentimes, their lives seem to be crumbling before their eyes.  That makes me feel a whole lot more compassionate. And that is why I want to be a Physical Therapist.  Because these patients ARE having the worst times of their lives.  If I can do something to help them get through that, that is what I want to be doing.

Summa reading

Hey gals! I have had a bunch of people ask me about what books I'm reading now that it is SUMMERTIME so I thought I'd give you a recommendation for some awesome books.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lowlands of Scotland Series by Liz Curtis Higgs

Normally I don't care much for historical books but these books are so interesting! They are based in Scotland (obviously) and are all based on Biblical stories.  Some of the characters are clear shadows of Bible characters but some are more subtle.  I love to figure out which characters are which! 

Have you read these books? Do you like them??

Crunch-a-licious

My mom used to make this when I was a kid but hadn't made it for a long time... until recently.  We discovered it and I made it for a party.  Best. Side. Ever.  Also, I like to call it a side not a dessert so you can eat it PLUS dessert.  Clever, huh?

2 cups crushed pretzels

3/4 cups melted butter

1 TBSP sugar

Mix and spread in 9x12 pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 350.  Cool.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese

8-oz Cool Whip

1 cup sugar

Mix cheese and sugar until creamy and fold into cream.  Spread over pretzels.

6-oz strawberry jello

2 cups pineapple juice

1 lb frozen sweetened strawberries

Dissolve jello in heated pineapple juice.  Add strawberries on top of cream cheese mixture.  Set in refrigerator.  Enjoy!

You Love Me Anyway

I am Moses, afraid to speak out for God.

I am Peter, stepping out faithfully yet falling fearfully.
 

I am the disciples, sleeping instead of praying.

I am Sarah, disbelieving God's promises.
 

I am Lot, pitching my tent closer and closer to sin.

I stumble, I fall, but God's love for me just keeps pouring out.  He keeps picking me up, holding my hand, carrying me when I need it.  

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  Ephesians 2:4-5.  

God doesn't love us because we are perfect children.  He loves us DESPITE the fact that we aren't.  His grace washes over us.  It makes my heart ache to think how many times I have hurt God, been unfaithful and ungrateful.  So praise God for that grace that we may be saved.  We have a hope! We have an opportunity! We have a blessing!  Let us not take that for granted.  

 

 

 

I am all of these things, but most importantly: 

I am a child of God.