Ok.. I know it is after the holidays... but THIS is just tooooo cute not to show you. Maybe you can keep it in mind for next year!
TIP: Try all the different options just so you can see all the funny expressions/actions of the snowman!
Can somebody just put me out of my misery PLEASE!?!?! I feel like I've been run over by a semi or something.. head hurts, bones ache, and I think I am getting a fever-- but maybe I'm just imagining that part. I want to crawl in a black hole.... but I have 3 more hours left to work... and yeah.. I NEED to be here. *sigh* Thank goodness for the weekend. Seriously.. if I didn't have that sliver of hope I would run and jump over the balcony (not really...)
Hmmmmm... maybe I'm allergic to work?!
PS-- I got my hair cut!!!! 10 inches to Locks of Love-- yeah buddy. Nice way to start of the new year... with a new look! Will post pictures later perhaps
Howdy folks... from the music capital of the world.. Nashville, TN. I'm sitting here at Rockettown. Started by I think Michael W. Smith, this is a cool place for people to just hang out and be real with eachother. A coffee bar, internet cafe, pool tables, and big comfy chairs are all over the place. Sorta like a hip Starbucks coffee feel to it. If you go out back you can follow the sidewalk to the sweet indoor skate park where they have Skate church ever Thursday nights and chicks skate for free (sweetness!)
I'm here for the Passion 06 convention... with about 18,000 other people my age. It is simply amazing. I have a lot of stuff that I have been taking in, and a lot I want to process... but when I get home I hope to share with you some of the stuff I've learned... and some of the stuff I want to change in my life...
Keeping this short. People are waiting in line to use the computer. Just wanted to say hi.... and let you all know that I miss you. :)
see ya soon.
Just in time for a little after the holiday FUN. (seriously.. this is awesome!)
Hope you all had a great Christmas! Mine was really busy, but good-- full of family, multiple table games and good old National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. *sigh* oh good times had by all.
What were some of the highlights from your Christmas weekend??
So-- a guy who's blog I regularly frequent (hey, he updates like 3 times a day.. it is AMAZING!) is Corey Mann. He is the Director of High School Ministries at Granger Community Church. Anyway, a few weeks ago he had students write down on a 3x5 card what they are struggling with and had them turn those struggles over to Christ. He was overwhelmed at the response he got, and so in response to what the students shared he made this video.
I think it is amazing. It hits home that we all struggle with stuff in life. We aren't alone in this fact no matter what Satan tries to get us to believe otherwise. We can try lots of things to try and fix our problems, but ultimately, the only one that can truly fix us is Jesus. Yeah.. just watch the video..
This past weekend we had our company Christmas Party. Good times indeed. Just thought I would share some photos with you. Might elaborate more later..
My boss (left) and her daughter (who just happens to be dating one of my co-worker-designers!)
Me and my HOT date for the night! (my brother) He made a wonderful date... opened doors, good conversation--even with people he didn't know... and he even danced! (proof below)
My brother getting his "groove" on.
View of the party from above
There are sometimes when little things can really make you happy..... like free coffee from the vending machines all day long. woohoo!! I am seriously OFF my rocker... and you thought I talked fast normaly... dude.. you should see me under the "influence" of coffee!! I will plow you over. I think they are trying to up production rates just before the holidays.... they know we are all draggin.
So I was reading an article today on relivantmagazine.com (shameless plug here) and there was a quote on there that really hit me...
"Most of us focus our attention on finding the right one instead of becoming the right one. The fact is that God cares more about who I am and who I become than who I end up with."
Ok... so.. this is the time of our lives where many of us are looking for "the One" but maybe we need to change our priorities a little bit. Just a thought.
Getting ready to party all weekend long....
Yeah, it's gonna be that good.
Tonight- dinner and pouring into the lives of friends.
Saturday- Charissa and Karhim come home. Yeah, Dan came home last night. Our house is once again a hotel.
Saturday night- company Christmas Party. Can we say lots of sweet door prizes, free food and drinks and "mystery" entertainment anyone? YES PLEASE!
Sunday- church... and then a trek up to Mars Hill with a whole bunch of those "youngin" college kids... and my siblings. Good times.
Hope you have a good weekend too.
If you need a little cheering up today, go to this totally pointless site. Hey-- it made ME smile.
Something cool I just found out the other day.... In May they are coming out with not only another X-Men movie, but a 3rd installment of Mission Impossible. Ok, so I'm not really a big Tom Cruise guy, but I love a good action flick AND the coolest thing about this movie is it is directed by one of my favorite directors J.J. Abrams (the guy who is to "blame" for two of my favorite shows-- Alias & Lost) so hopefully it will have a decent story line.. or at least pleanty of sweet action. Check out the trailer here. Yeah.. it's just a little something to look forward to and perhaps get us through these cold winter months.
JJ Abrams(center-dark shirt & glasses) with some of the Alias crew. Is it just me, or does he sorta look like Rob Bell in this picture?!
One of the classic movies of this time of year is "It's a Wonderful Life." Ok.. so I know some of you may think this movie is sooo over-played, but I happen to love it, and could watch it every year just because it has such a great message and too often we forget how important and meaningful our lives really are-- even if they don't maybe turn out they way we had invisioned them when we were "young" and still had HUGE get-out-of-this-crummy-town dreams.
No matter what you think, or what lies Satan is wispering in your ear this Christmas Season-- you ARE important. YOU matter to people and to God. No, the world wouldn't be better off without you around. And if you already believe that, or are starting to wonder... give me a call... there is a warm cup of coffee someplace with your name written all over it and I'd be more than happy to sit down and enjoy it with you and let you know that you are someone worth spending time with.
PS- check out the 30 second Bunny version of It's a Wonderful Life here
If you haven't listened to this CD yet do it... NOW! I think it has to be one of the most amazing CDs I've heard in a long time. Maybe not rythm-wise, but lyric-wise this album hits a homerun. It totally has challanged my faith in so many ways.
Here are some of my favorite songs-- and a few lyrics from each of them:
My personal fav, I find it to be so true... especially in the Church today.. and unfortunatly sometimes even in my own life. This past Sunday night we watched one of Rob Bell's Nooma videos called "Sunday"
"Why do we do the things we do? Why do we go to church or give money away? Because we’re supposed to or because we think God needs it? Do we honestly put on our best clothes for an hour once a week, stand and sit at all the right times, and sing all the appropriate songs for God’s sake, or because it’ll make us look better to the world around us? We’re tired of all the empty rituals and routines. And so is God. God hates it when we call ourselves Christians but ignore all the things he really cares about. He hates it when we go through hollow religious routines out of some feeling of duty or obligation. God doesn’t want the meaningless rituals. God wants our hearts."
God wants us to stop "acting" on the church stage and start acting with our actions. Are you giving God your whole heart, or are you just putting on a show?
Stained glass masquerade-
Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the heart again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay"
__________________________
People all around us are broken. What are we doing to help them see the REAL hope-- that's not found in money, material goods, or even mortal man. During the holidays, despite all the "cheer", parties and outer happiness, things can seem especially dismal & empty... especially for those who don't know what the real meaning of the season is.
Does Anybody Hear Her- (chorus)
"Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me"
__________________________
Even though I am a Christ follower, there are times in my life where I try to push Christ off the thrown of my life and run it MY way. You know what? It doesn't work all to well. There are friends in my life that have turned away from God and decided that they could do things better alone. They want their "inheritance" now.. here on earth. So like the prodigal son they party and do everything in life that the world tells them will make them happy-- sex, drinking, fast cars, money-- and maybe it does make them feel happy for awhile... but many times(and I know not ALL the time because life isn't the same for everyone) they find themselves at the bottom of the heap eating pigs slop. I wish we didn't have to go through all the pain sometimes to see the truth, but unfortunatly sometimes that is the only way we humans learn. *sigh*
Prodigal
Living on my own, thinking for myself
Castles in sand, temporary wealth
Walls arefalling down, storms are closing in
Tears have filled my eyes, here I am again
And I've held out as long as I can
Now I'm letting go and holding out my hand
Chrous:
Daddy, here I am again, will you take me back tonight
I went and made the world my friend, and it left me high and dry
I drag Your name back through the mud
That You first found me in
Not worthy to be called Your son
Is this to be my end?
Daddy, here I am
Here I am again
Curse this morning sun, drags me in to one more day
Of reaping what I've sown, of living with my shame
Welcome to my world, and the life that I have made
Where one day you're a prince, the next day your a slave
Mondays are DEFINITELY Ellen Feiss (girl pictured above.. you can see here commercial if you click on the link) days... oh.. and by the way, can I just tell you how much I love Macs. I spent most of my weekend at home trying to fix my silly PC-- hence the reason for no weekend posts-- and Windows updates are STILL making it do the crazy- crash thing. *sigh* Have lots of fun pictures and stuff coming soon... well, as soon as I can find the cord that connects my camera to the computer that is! ;-) Hope everyone has a good week!
**Edit**
Ok... so.. something cool happened this morning that I didn't have time to share earlier that made today that helped alleviate my Monday "blahs" considerably... I won a 1 1/2 lbs. of Chocolate Charlie (basically a huge mass of chocolate, with other stuff thrown in to make it that much more yummy... only sold around here at Christmas). Yup, I was caller number 9 for our local Cat Country 99.9. woot! This time of year all they do is play Christmas music, so I enjoy listening and singing a long as I make my way through the snow to work. Anyway. They announced the contest, I called, and somebody picked up and wola! All I had to do was sing part of a Christmas song... um, I "tried" to sing "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" but forgot the words half way into the first verse! They still let me have the chocolate anyway. It was fun. I get to work and my boss Tammy starts telling me about this girl she heard on the radio whose voice didn't sound like me at all, but totally sounded like something I would say/do.. and I was like "um, yup! That was ME!" ha. What a fun morning. Now I have lots of chocolate... anybody want some?! ;-)
My "fortune" for today (yay for Chinese take-out! Especially on days when you don't feel like driving on the snowy roads!)
"You are bright so give out that light!"
Yeah, I just thought that was cool on so many levels.
