happy bday, fall!

OH how i have missed fall weather :) i am so thankful that it is starting to feel cooler outside! one thing i love about fall is the food...last night i made turkey-beef taco soup. i know the turkey-beef part sounds gross, but i can't really tell a difference. pretty much all it is is browned turkey-beef (drained) then cook with taco seasoning and ranch dressing (powder), 2 cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of black beans, 1 can of white shoepeg corn, a little water, salt/pepper...and eat with tortilla chips! it's SO good. you can mix it up with different kinds of beans. i just personally like black beans!
the leaves outside my apartment complex are changing to RED, and i'm loving that. i'm loving that i can walk outside when the sun is setting and it is perfect.
on another note, if you are interested in reading through the entire Bible and don't really have a guide to follow, or you've tried before and haven't made it through, there's a website with a guide and some reading materials to go with it. i got the idea for it yesterday at the church i visited. they call the "journey" the daily walk. and it is reading through the entire new testament with a guide...i think next semester they will start the old testament. here's the website:
http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/brentwood/dailywalk.html
also, i need some simple fall and winter cookie/dessert recipes! any ideas???

Up! Up! and AWAY!

this is sortof a pointless post...mainly because i haven't experienced what i'm about to talk about. so lately i have been seeing TONS of hot air balloons flying around my apartment. do i live near a hot air balloon landing place? i have no idea. but ever since i saw "around the world in 80 days", i've always had a hidden urge to ride in a hot air balloon...it was a hidden urge because i never thought it could be possible. but now that i am seeing so many, and they're so close to the ground that i actually see the people in them, it makes me think...WOW it is totally possible!! so my new life dream: ride in a hot air balloon. how much fun?
well this week i've got to do alot...and that would include clean, do laundry this weekend, possibly get my hair chopped, and get fitted for a beautiful bridesmaid dress for one of my fav people!! so...this week will hopefully be productive, and if not, i have most of the weekend! i live for weekends!!!

CRAFT=my middle name

so i am really into crafts now... i mean really into making new things out of old. could this be saying something about my deep processes lately? i've really been pondering on different verses and the concept of the Gospel and redemption. anyway, with that said, my mom told me there were 2 antique chairs that were my grandmother's that she knew she would never use and i could have if i wanted them. she mentioned maybe sanding/painting them and i was like...hm...too much trouble? and i am bad about projects. i tend to start one and never finish. so anyway, with the help of my dad and michael w, we accomplished the (what i thought) unaccomplishable...sanding/painting/seat-covering 2 antique old chairs. success? yes!

the process was a little tedious...sanding is not my thing i decided from this weekend when i was home and we did this little project. michael and my mom both were asking, "have you ever heard of elbow grease?" apparently my sanding was not up to par. then we primed them with 2 coats, and then made them KINDA look shabby chic. haha. the fabric was picked out at hancock w/em and i LOVE it. it matches the spoon rest i got from anthro.

the 2nd craft, which i actually didn't think i would finish, was a sign that says "faith". my mom and michael and i saw a sign made just like the one i made at an antique store- selling for $65...and i thought to myself- I CAN MAKE THAT! for cheap!! so michael and i started it a couple of weeks ago and finished it this week by just staple-gunning the copperwire letters. it was so easy.

- grab a long, thick board as the base, then cut however many small square boards you want to spell for a word---like believe, faith, hope, etc. then you have to shape with any kind of thick wire whatever letters you are using. then you paint the boards whatever color, cut out some fun, patterned paper, glue that paper to the small boards, and then staple gun the copper wire letters. ahhhh. i am obsessed with crafting.

if anyone has any crafty ideas/projects they've undertaken, i would LOVE to hear them.

this weekend was so relaxing and good to see fam, handful of friends, and little micwiggs. and btw, if you haven't seen the karate kid, you need to see it. and if you haven't eaten at bagel co. in memphis, you need to try it.

a new week!

so yesterday at church, the pastor talked about these verses. what was cool was that he had us close our eyes and sortof picture what the verses are describing. i tend to overlook verses in revelation and not really think about them in a way that's applicable...but when he was reading these, and i was envisioning what the new heaven and new earth were, i just thought to myself how DAILY i should be living for this hope- for the Alpha and Omega making EVERYTHING new. i hope i can leap out of my complacency about my faith and living it out, and actually impact people with Christ's love. i was thinking about how many kids i see a day and how i don't look past their teeth and oral hygiene...i just see them as one more patient until the end of the day and then i'm ready to get out of the office by 4:30 pm!
here are the verses from revelation 21...which i copied and pasted from biblegateway.com
Revelation 21 (New International Version)
Revelation 21
The New Jerusalem 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a]in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits[b] thick,[c] by man's measurement, which the angel was using. 18The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[d] 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
22I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

i just love these verses. doesn't it bring God's majesty and glory into the forefront? these things are a reality, and they are real for those who put their hope and trust in the Lord.
And so today is monday--the beginning of a new wk! think about these verses :)

labor (with no labor) day wkend :)

this past weekend i had a GREAT long weekend...the office was closed friday and monday. i was so excited to go home and visit with family, friends, and see michael. friday i helped katie move a dresser from my house to her new place, which i loved getting to see! it's fun to see the new and different seasons of peoples' lives. friday night michael and i went to eat dinner and then went to meet up with some friends at a crazy lounge/bar downtown called mollie fontain's. kindof different than what i am used to! saturday was relaxing- i got to walk with a friend that morning, see some friends at bfast, and that day i went antique-ing with mom and got a kitchen table and chairs at sheffield's! which i love this place...i've never been, and it goes on and on forever. i was so excited to finally have a table to eat meals on! saturday night we ate din with my parents and watched the au/ark state game and then went to visit btodd while he took a break from studying for med school. and then we went downtown again to a friend's condo and sat on the roof and just talked. awesome. and then sunday was pretty chill and we ate with michael's fam for his dad's bday and went to see the american- DO NOT SEE IT! don't waste money on this movie. after sitting through 2 hours of the most boring/inactive movie ever, i couldn't even begin to tell you what this movie was about. terrible. and monday i left! it was SO great to have a long weekend. and back to the movie real fast, i probably will never see another george clooney movie. this was so disappointing and shameful to his name and acting career.

it has been exhausting being back and getting back into the mode of work. this week has been LONGGGG even though it has been a four day week. i'm looking forward to this weekend and relaxing...

some things about this weekend (starting tonight-early):

1. the AU/MS STATE game is tonight at 6:30! war eagle!

2. saturday, a guy i met at a church i visited her a couple of weeks ago is running 56 miles...yes, 56 miles. crazy? he is doing it to raise support/money for an organization. i got to talk to him a little about it when i met him...and during that convo, he invited me and anyone to run with him for any length of it! i am VERY tempted! here is his link: 56at56.wordpress.com/

3. i need new tennis shoes and for sure need them since i'll be running the 1/2 in december in mem with a friend!

4. my victoria's secret coupon expires this weekend.

5. more college football this weekend!

6. church-hopping on sunday!

7. ultimate frisbee on sunday!

8. looking for a washer/dryer.

9. finishing a craft: pictures to come.

10. and last but not least, sleeping in...

i LOVE weekends! especially FALL weekends.

no labor on labor day weekend...

i am so looking forward to a long weekend at home. thankfully i get this friday and next monday off...so i'm planning on travelling to m-town on thursday! i found out that 2 of my good high school friends are coming into town this weekend too, which i am very excited about. i'm anxiously thinking about looking at and buying a coffee table and kitchen table when i'm home. there's a place in collierville called sheffield's antiques that i want to go to. ironically, i've spent my whole life in memphis/collierville and have not been to this antique mall. my new obsession is antiques. there are also 2 shirts at ann taylor loft that i have on hold and did not rush into buying. i feel like i'm becoming a little more money conscious and trying to think of ways to save money...

this post is just kindof a gathering of thoughts since i haven't blogged in a while. my friend katie and i started a new blog called t-jol.blogspot.com. you should visit in your spare time.

last night i went to borders and was just browsing the Christian inspiration section...and didn't think i was going to get anything, and broke down and bought the compact bible commentary by Nelson and the Love Dare...haha. my mom and i went to see fireproof a long time ago and i actually really loved it, to the point where i was telling all of my friends they needed to see it. but anyway, i bought the book, and have already read the first chapter- which the dare says for the whole day to practice being only positive to your "spouse".

and lastly, i have to explain the picture at the beginning of this post. yesterday at work was pretty slow...so i went up to the front desk to talk to a lady who has mentioned a couple of times that she and her husband are moving to bham and they want to maybe sell their washer and dryer (which i need). so we were talking, and this beautiful celebrity-ish looking older man walks in with his daughter...and we both kindof looked at each other for a minute and he checked in his daughter and proceeded to sit down in the waiting room. as he was walking off, i turned to the girl and said- "he looks like a singer or something that just stepped out of a magazine!" haha. she looked at me and said, "that's troy gentry..." and i couldn't put the name together quick enough before she said, "from montgomery gentry". i FREAKED OUT. i think my whole face got red, i smiled from ear to ear...and went to tell ALL of my co-workers. they all were just not as tickled as i was...so of course, i the middle schoo young girl, wanted his autograph and i wanted to meet him. i mean, a celebrity is sitting in our waiting room? why WOULDN'T i freak out? this was my first celebrity sighting in nashville! so i made the most of the opportunity and told the dentist i was going to get his autograph if that was ok. she laughed at my star-struckness and i took a progress report (which we give to our patients) and went out to the waiting room and sat down near him and said- CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!? i'm pretty sure i was a nervous wreck. of course, he was doing homework with his like 9 year old daughter. and i talked to her to try to pass my nervousness and asked her when the homework was due...she just looked at me really confused. anyway, that was my celebrity sighting/meeting!!!! YAYAYAYAYA!

well that's all for now. and i have a new song everyone should download: hillsong united "always".

a continuation of fall weather :)

some things i am looking forward to in the coming weeks. i'm pretty sure everyone loves these aspects of fall in different ways, but as i was thinking about the seasons of life and how they change...i was thrilled to think about fall weather. and what is even cooler to think about is how God brings us seasons of change for His glory, yet He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love never changes. so here are some things about fall i am super excited about. and i am even more excited i get to kick off september by being back in MTOWN.

1. Boots.

You can never own too many pairs of boots, and i love tucking them in jeans and wearing a big shirt.

2. Layering clothes.

3. Fall colors and decorations...the cordova arts and crafts festival is coming up. and the delta fair and germantown festival. i love these!

4. FOOTBALL SEASON! more importantly, auburn football- the only football that matters :)

5. I've already expressed my love for pumpkins... ANYTHING pumpkin.

6. The season---thanksgiving.

7. much cooler weather.

8. Bonfires!

i love this season and all of the fun changes!!