Lent

Lent it a time of preparation- preparing your heart for Christ's death and resurrection. Some people give things up for a 40 day period to focus on Him more clearly, and to be reminded of the suffering he endured.

A couple days ago, my mom reminded me through a phone call that Lent started yesterday. I was like, ohhh.. yeahh... Lent. I should probably give up something. So Tuesday night I came up with three things.

I'm giving up:

facebook. *gasp* I'm on there ALL the time. You don't even want to know how long I spend on this website everyday. I deleted the app from my phone, and I'm using the little bit of  self-control I have to NOT log-on through a computer. :)

coffee. This is going to be challenging seeing as I work at a coffee shop, volunteer at the church coffee bar and because I just LOVE coffee. So, here's to the caffeine headaches... Ok, I hope they don't come. I don't think I'm that addicted. Am I?

my bed. This one is slightly random. I found it on a "things to give up for Lent" Google search. I think it's legit though. The whole reason to fast is to get yourself in a position of discomfort-remembering that Christ was put in the position of discomfort when he died for us. There's nothing we can do to bring ourselves to the depth of pain He endured, but these things are little reminders of his pain, and in turn, his love for us.

Is anyone else participating in Lent? What are you giving up?

valentine's : )

valentine's day. it comes every year on the fourteenth of February. people love it. people hate it.
i think i've always loved this holiday. (probably going to offend people by calling it a holiday. technically it isn't one because school isn't cancelled, but i'm going to call it one nonetheless).

this holiday is one of my favorites. the pink. the hearts. the chocolate. the sparkles. all of it! so great.

my mom always made this day special for us as we grew up, and so valentine's day brings warm, fond memories of making heart-shaped sugar cookies and glitter-glued cards... baking and crafting heaven. ;)

yes, i know that v-day is culturally meant for you and that special someone, which is wonderful, but if you're single (like me) and focus on the love from your family, it won't get so awkward. that's what i do, and it seems to work.

it's also a sweet time to mediate on the love christ had for the world.
there is no greater love.
it's is sacrificial. it's patient. it's kind. it's not boastful. it's not self-seeking.
i have to remind myself of this often. one of the hardest things to do is to love people who are difficult to love; i'm never going to be perfect at it, but i know i can get better.

sometimes i wish our english language had two different words for the word 'love'... just so the two different meaning (feelings versus actions) wouldn't get mixed up.yeah, so anyways...

go out & love someone today, but do it the sacrificial/patient/not boastful/not self-seeking kind of way.
& and eat some chocolate too.

past valentine's day posts 2011, 2012 and 2012 again.

awkward and awesome 2/7/13

 for anyone NOT in North Dakota or Minnesota, here's some snow for you! :)

awesome:

1. due to train traffic (I think this is the only kind of traffic in Grand Forks) the car actually warmed up before we had to get out.

2. packages from Hawaii! :)

3. when it's warm enough to snow. Isn't that just the craziest thing ever?

4. morning workout: parking on the 5th level, walking down the stairs, getting to another building and climbing up 5 more flights of stairs because my class is way up there. 

5. getting better and decreasing my fear of falling off the wall when climbing. I probably fell 3 or 4 times while trying to reach another hold last night.

Ahh, it's blurry! I wanted you to see the nice details of the wound... guess that's not happening. you're welcome.

awkward:

1. doing all that stair climbing without a stopper for my coffee. coffee = everywhere

2. biting into an apple and realizing it's a grapple :(

3. when Youtube is more helpful than my professors.

4. this guy at school has a mustache that looks like a caterpillar. He needs to shave it.

5. when my teacher took a blow torch to my pot. (it needed to dry faster)

awkward and awesome! 2/2/13

awesome:

- swimming laps for the first time in forever. And by forever, I mean a year or so.

- witnessing Sun Dogs. I hadn't heard of them until moving here. They are just incredible! If you don't know what they are, google 'em. Or better yet, come to North Dakota and experience them first-hand!

- FaceTiming my family- especially Elias and Lucy. Haha, it's quite entertaining. 

- just soaking in all that God has blessed me with this year (and last.)

- the dance party at church! Fun night... even if I can't dance.

 Hooray for grainy pictures. ;)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

awkward:

- getting an insurance receipt from my parents in my birthday card. Yay, thanks mom and dad! ;)

- negative one degrees and half the people coming through the drive-thru at the coffee shop want iced drinks. why people, why?

- *walking into the library from the parking lot* before I get to the building, a police officer pulls up, rolls down his window, hands me a book and asks if I can donate it for him. Sure thing, mister.

-the problems with taking a shower at the pool's locker room. There were two knobs: "C" and "I". I thought to myself, oh great, Cold and Icy. Fantastic. Then I realized the "I" was actually a "H", so I turn that one on AND IT NEVER GOT HOT. Not even lukewarm. It's negative something outside and I'm taking an icy cold shower. Haha. Yeah, that was fun. The "H" was actually an "I". I was right the first time.

- I was wrapping up my pot at the end of my ceramics class one night, but it started leaning to one side (because it was top heavy and too wet) so I quickly caught it, somewhat, but I still needed help. I just looked at my instructor and he knew. His quick moves (like jumping up and over the table) saved the day. I think he's a ninja. Anyways, my pot was pretty messed up, but still salvageable. 

This is a picture of my pot before it was 4 inches taller and before it flopped over.

It looks a lot different now thanks to the major changes I needed to give it.