Shopping

I've realized there is something about shopping I just like. I don't know what it is. Maybe the excitement and fun of owning something new? Or the fact that I gradually browse and browse for something and only buy it when I love it? It is a greater reward that way and it's no different when it comes to Christmas shopping. Because I love it. Shopping for gifts for my family is one of my favorite things. It's the work and time and effort you put into thinking about the best thing I could get for my Mom. Then the fun of her getting her gift and it being something she really really likes.

It's one of my strengths actually. Part of my #1 strength, individualization, means that I give good gifts to people because I understand them and am able to discern something that they would really like. So as I'm browsing for a gift for my Mom online and trying to think of what she would love I am having just as much fun looking online as I will giving her the gift. Actually that's probably not true, giving gifts is the best but I do love some good searching to produce one great gift.

Jack Frost

"If your happy thought isn't how much God loves you, then in times of crisis you'll look for comfort in all the wrong places." Jack Frost

Sometimes what gets me through the day is knowing I have something exciting to do that night, or that I have a week off from life next week when I'm on vacation.

This relates to a personal disbelief in how much God loves me. But it's all about love. And God would love me no matter what and I do not have to strive. Yet I sometimes believe that he only loves me when I am faithful with the blessings he has given me. I think sometimes I make an idol out of making wise decisions. Instead of believing that
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

I am a slave to making good decisions I'm afraid. But I say this with conviction not condemnation. I want a constant revelation of how I can break from my flesh and latch on to the spirit.

Mumford and Sons

They were amazing. So good. Their humility made me like them even more and their new music they played at the concert made my soul happy and now I cannot wait for new music from them.

These guys rock.

And they definitely "Awake My Soul"

Pat Conroy

So Pat Conroy is my favorite author. And he just came out with a new book on Tuesday called My Reading Life which I'm dying to read. And I looked him up online at http://www.patconroy.com/ and found he was doing a book signing in Atlanta in a few weeks! How exciting! I think it'd be great to go and see and author I claim is one of my favorites. But I don't want to go by myself... So I email my Mom. I say 

Hey Mom
Wanna go to a book signing by Pat Conroy? He just came out with a new book today and he's one of my favorite authors.

She responds with:

Thanks so much for inviting me, m but I have to go vote and then work at chick fil a night and then pass out from exhaustion!

Love ya,

Mom

It was just pretty funny to me that she responded with such a formal thanks but no thanks. Maybe she thought there were other people I was inviting? But whatever it was I don't think she realized that I wouldn't go if she didn't go with me. Oh well. Guess I'll have to travel to South Carolina sometime soon to hear him and I would totally be okay with that.

Books

Books are magical to me. They take me far away into a place that I have never known before but I begin to know the characters and how they would react and who they are... it is incredible and I zone into a book like nothing I've ever zoned into before. Not to sports, not to conversations with people but books are great.

I realize saying all this I run the risk of sounding like a total weird book kid but I just love reading and looking at people's bookshelves is something I do a lot. It helps me understand them as a person. (That's my context coming through. If you don't know what that means look here)

But in my anticipation of Pat Conroy's new book due in November titled My Reading Life I realize how much reading means and has meant to me. Especially as a child... "When you read a book as a child it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does."

Even now I find my life being so affected by what I read and it's one of the best ways that I learn spiritually now and learn about people in general. I am currently fascinated by Lisabeth Salander... 

Here It Goes Again

I'm sitting in room 108 at one of the greatest jobs I've ever had, waiting for one of my students to come and decided I would start blogging again. There are several reasons why today is the day and I shall list them.

1. I have 30 minutes to kill (which I just found out about... I thought it would be 15)
2. I just bought something off of this website which I found off another blog & felt super artsy
          p.s. when I ordered my Kindle cover they said this to me in the first line of the reciept email...High five empeagler@gmail.com, you just placed order No. 129564.** they just high fived me and I liked it
3. I have been thinking about it a lot lately and feel like I have some things to say again to the world. (not like I was a super blogger before but now I'm ready again
4. It's fall and it has put me in the mood for some reason

Thinking Pink

I've never been much into pink as anyone that knows me can tell you. Yet this summer a little something has gotten me more into pink than I've ever been. Her name is Grace and she is the adorable little girl I babysit. She just turned 5 and here is a picture of her on her birthday.

Grace and the Ariel bath set I gave her for her birthday- Ariel is her favorite

It was 8:30 in the morning. Just look past that. But she is so cute and loves pink and I now own a pink bathing suit cover up (which she loves to see me wear) and I found myself gravitating towards a pink coozie on a recent shopping adventure in Key West.


I really enjoy exploring a new side of pink in my life. I still stick to my shades of blue, which I wear a lot but pink is fun.

Thanks Grace for a new appreciation of all things PINK.