5 Thankful Things: July

1. I switched cell phone providers this month!  I'm not sure yet if it's suitable for everyone's needs (but really, what plan IS for everyone?), but so far I'm happy.  I'm with Republic Wireless now, and I'm paying just $25/month! YAY for saving money!!

2. Alexxa's dad was able to be here for her birthday & the 4th earlier this month!  What fun it was to have her dad and his family here to celebrate!

3. I did really awesome with my running this month! I didn't quite reach my goal, as I hurt myself a week in, and I wasn't feeling well a few days, but I did way better than I thought I actually would, so YAY! Taking a week off for VACATION, then back to the grindstone!

4. Steve time! Last week, Helen & I had our bff/cousin Steve (April) over one night for a movie time.  We had SO much fun just being together and laughing and watching a movie!

5. I had two different opportunities presented to me this month regarding my photography! That was a HUGE encouragement to me, as I've been hesitant to open that door (for fear of being a bandwagoner). I've been encouraged to sell my photography at a new store opening in Salem soon, which I'm super excited about!  And I've been asked to take the pictures for our church's annual Christmas event: Road to Bethlehem! Yay for encouragement!

I Feel Pretty

There's a Facebook nomination thing going around for people to "Share five pictures you feel beautiful in," and while I haven't been nominated, I thought I would take a minute to share a few photos in which I feel beautiful.

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  It's easy in our culture to be very self-loathing, to see ourselves as not up to par.  We're taught by the media that in order to be beautiful, you need to be stick thin, blemish free, and always perfectly made up. It's easy to look in the mirror or through a photo album and only see the flaws.

But I'm not just flaws.  I am the daughter of the King.  I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  I am just the way God intended me to be.  I'm not saying I don't have a responsibility to take care of myself, nor am I saying that I am the most beautiful person on the planet.  I just need to remind myself sometimes that God made me in His image, and I look just like He choose. God doesn't make mistakes.

And I am beautiful.

For those of you who receive this via e-mail, this is largely a PHOTO post, so you'll have to actually go to my blog to see them...

Corn Salsa

I was in the mood for corn salsa today, but I didn't feel like looking up a recipe.  So here's what I came up with:

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 onion, chopped  (I LOVE onion!)

two handfuls of cilantro, chopped

2 Tablespoons (ish) lime juice

Drain the canned goods & rinse well.  Add the other stuff and mix in a bowl.

Serve with tortilla chips.

It wasn't like world-class cuisine or anything, but it hit the spot of just what I was looking for this afternoon. AND it was super easy to throw together!

Right Now I'm...

Listening: Stevie Wonder has been on my ipod lately, along with a handful of other things.  Gotta get my Wonder on sometimes!

Watching: Christmas Movies!  It IS July, after all, and that's what Hallmark plays (even though I don't have the Hallmark channel).

Reading: Karen Kingsbury's "Fifteen Minutes."  It's GREAT! 

Eating: The other night, my cousin Steeeve was here, and we had root beer floats.  My, were they tasty!  One of my favorite summer treats is a frosty cold root beer float!

Wishing: That car tires would last forever.  I need to get new tires for my vehicle, and it's gonna cost me a pretty penny.  And maybe an arm or a leg... or both. LAME!

Needing: Haha... um... see "wishing."

Rejoicing: Every summer for as long as I can remember, the southeast Iowa Pastor's fellowship for the GARBC has put on a junior camp at Lake Darling.  This year, they switched venues and used Living Waters Farm for their camp.  I LOVED this switch because we were able to go over every night for chapel because it was just like two miles away!

Indulging: Root beer floats.  And coffee.  Always coffee.

Loathing: That I lost my motivation to exercise.  My friend and co-worker got me excited to do a 30-day ab challenge.  However, just a week into it, I hurt my neck and shoulder.  Really badly.  So there goes that.  I'll just stick with the 30 minute/2.5 miles of jogging instead for now.  Less dangerous.

Saying: The same friend/co-worker that got me excited about the 30-day ab challenge also pulled a muscle (yes... clearly we should NOT be left unsupervised while exercising). So we've been calling each other "old lady" names.  Ethel, Bertha, Francine. You get the idea.  We're just a couple of old ladies trapped in 20 something year old bodies.

Meditating: We sang several songs at camp this week, including "Change My Heart, O God." I love this song because true, lasting change 1) happens on the inside and 2) can't happen without God. 

Picturing: Did I mention that we spent a lot of time at camp this week?  I loved it!

Happy Birthday, America!

I love Independence Day because I love this country in which I live.  I love that I have the freedom to live how I choose, with whom I choose, and where I choose.  I love that I have the freedom to read my Bible whenever I choose and wherever I choose.  I love that I have the freedom to make my own choice on what to believe and what "religion" to practice. I love that, in this country, I can do anything and be anything I want to be, even if I don't yet know what or whom that might be.

This year, picnics were the main attraction.  We had a picnic lunch with the family at Lacey State Park in Keosauqua, complete with swimming and hiking.  In the evening, we had a picnic at church with our church family, complete with eating, softball, and eating.  As always, the day ended with fireworks at the local cemetery (yes. cemetery. don't judge.).

Always PROUD to be an American!

5 Thankful Things: June

1.  I'm thankful for a grand visit to the Yellow House for a rainy, but wonderful weekend in early June.  I've MISSED my Yellow House Family, and it was delightful to visit with them. We're hoping to do it again next weekend!

2. I'm thankful for my new camera.  Technically, I bought it May 31, but I didn't really get to use it until June 1 (because it needed to charge).  I know there is more to life than material things, but I'm thankful when God says "Yes" to some of our wants, too!  I've been wanting to get a nicer fancier bigger camera for quite a while, and I found a great camera on clearance for a price I could justify!  I LOVE that it takes great pictures, also!

3.  I'm thankful for my weekend in Ankeny with my friend Rachel.  We had an AWESOME weekend together, and it was so fun to just be friends doing normal things.  We're both so busy, it's been too many months since we were able to just hang out.  It was fun getting to see her new house (although she didn't actually get the keys until like five days after my visit) and getting to spend Saturday afternoon boating at the lake!  I'm so thankful for this wonderful friend!

4.  I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to celebrate the marriage of my friends Derrick & Laura Hawks!  So many marriages this summer, but this one was especially dear to my heart, as I had a front-row seat to their very beginnings in Europe.  It was delightful to see them again and to join them in celebration!

5.  I'm thankful that communities like mine still exist.  Last weekend, I (along with my family) was able to attend a benefit dinner for Danielle.  Danielle is one of my sister Helen's friends from elementary school.  All through my middle school and high school days, I was involved in fundraisers for Cystic Fibrosis research.  Danielle suffers from this horrible disease, and is currently in need of a double lung transplant.  The benefit this weekend was to raise money to help fund her medical endeavor.  I never heard a final total, but I've heard rumors here and there that a LARGE chunk of cash was raised.  I'm thankful that I live in a community that rallies behind one of their own!