Happy Birthday, Sis (again)!

This picture is a couple years old.  Christmas.
Christa and her kids on her lap.
I think it's so sweet.

She and the man who loves her so well!

Sisters!  :)  I gotta admit, I kinda love having two sisters birthdays so close!  The first five things to come to mind that I love about Christa would be...

1. The way she loves her kids
2. The paint job in her house - it's inspiringly bold.
3. She is a starter and finisher.  She will start a project (quilts, aprons, pictures...) and finish it.  Amazing!
4. Her sensitive heart towards things that do and don't matter (movies...).  :) 
5. She sends me "love" texts from time to time.  How does she need that? 

I love you, and am proud to call you SISTER!

Happy Birthday, Sis!

If someone asked me what I loved about my sister.  The first five things that come to mind are...

1. The fact that we use to get mistaken for being each other in High School.  :)
2. Her creativity that has overflowed into the decorations in her house, the way she lives life, and the way she loves others.
3. The gift of hospitality that makes all feel welcomed.  Whether it's a clean bed or homemade goodies...she knows how to make one feel comfortable.
4. Her hair.  She's has great hair!  :) 
5. The excitement, care, research etc...that has gone into being pregnant and preparing for their first born! 

Review: Robinson Crusoe

Can you review a book before finished reading it...probably not.  But I'm going to.  I'm a rebel that way. 

I am mid-way through Robinson Crusoe.  I found the idea to read Robinson Crusoe in a biography of the founder of Salvation Army (no, I can't remember her name right now.  Nor do I have the desire to google it).

Upon her recommendation I picked up the book and was immediately intimidated by the old language.  I've been surprised at how readable the old language has been. It has been surprisingly easy to follow.  I even looked the book up on sparksnotes.com to make sure I knew what was happening and I did.  :) 

Sidenote:

While I was 'googling' this image for the book...

I came across this picture. 



At no point in my imagination has Robinson Crusoe ever looked like a hairy Pierce Brosnan...I giggled to myself upon finding this.  Heee Hee..hairy Brosnan.

Back to review...

Overview thus far: 

I knew very little about the book going in to it.  I just thought it was about a man's survival on a deserted island.  I had no idea of the spiritual themes throughout the book.  Crusoe has many brief and insignificant thoughts of God..until a moment on the island.  Then his ideas are changed...there is a very strong salvific theme.  It's beautiful to see the gradual change of perspective of his situation once He recognizes God's role in his life. 

The book is a good one.  A slow read, not gonna lie.  Hence my review mid-way instead of at the end...and an added bonus is some handy tips in case one is ever stranded on a deserted island.  Up next: Swiss Family Robinson?  Possibly.

Wordless Wednesday: Wind

Memphis Trip

Last weekend I traveled to Memphis for a wedding...below are random fun pics of the weekend.

The remainders of playing with my friends super-fun kids.

An artistically blurry picture at Pour John's...
ok...
I know...
it's just blurry.
But the decaf American was delicious
and the company was even better!

Signage for the wedding.
He spent time in Berlin before they got married.
She spent time in East Asia...
And they are going to live in Purdue, Indiana.  :)
(Purdue is approximately 2 hours and 59 minutes from where I live now)
:)

The boquet of flowers we carried in the wedding
decorating the rehersal dinner table. 
I will forever dream of the BBQ served as the meal, lifechanging. 


As you may notice, the picutres are few.  I forgot my camera charger...hence the low footage of the weekend's events.  It was a whirlwind of traveling in the car, loving on friends and family, and dancing the night away.

Tour

I've spent a lot of time the past month dog-sitting for different families.  I've enjoyed getting to live inside of other people's "worlds".  Here are some of my favorite things about the place I am currently staying...

These are tea towels/cheese cloths(?) turned to curtains. 
So cute!

Close up of the cuteness.



Bushels of flowers for my viewing pleasure.

 

One very handsome (and well-behaved) dog.


 This family lives in a very simple, humble house in the suburbs of Chicago a short bus-trip away from the city.  The house was built after the war and the city built a street full of the same layout of house.  It's been fun walking the dog and seeing how each house is different, even though they were all built the exact same!  The neighborhood is full of diversity in population, which is entertaining for evenings on the front porch.  Young boys on skateboards, an old white man pulling a chubby baby in a wagon, a handsome african-american man getting into a fancy red car...   

Tomorrow I move to a new house, new city, new dog...pictures to come.

Sometimes It's Dinner

It was one of those days. 

You know when you've been praying for a long time, and it just feels as if God is silent.  I've been praying for a job, and this morning I was so frustrated and feeling down about the lack of movement.

After a morning of prayer I went to volunteer at a place I've been hoping to get a job working with pre-schoolers.  I talked to the assistant director and felt discouraged that she did not have more to offer.  I was hoping for a miraculous job opening and instead I just felt down.

As I was leaving the kids yelled, "Bye, Destiny!!"...which actually just made me smile.  I felt uplifted and reminded why I loved working with kids. 

On arriving back to my temporary home where I am dog-sitting I looked for dinner.  The options were few.  I decided on making a pizza from the family.  As I put the pizza in the oven I thought "I really shouldn't take this family's food...oh well...I'm hungry...". 

After eating a few slices of pizza I went to the backyard to let out the dog.  I spent some more time in prayer thinking over the passage in Matthew that states to seek first His kingdom, and all things such as food and clothes will be taken care of (6:25-34). 

Outside I met the kind neighbor-lady, Blanche.  She asked if I had dinner and offered to put on a burger for me.  "Um...I would love a burger", I replied.  She told me she would walk it on over when it was finished.

I can't even explain what a testimony of God's faithfulness that burger was.  It was complete with onions, tomato and bbq chips.  It was as if the Lord said "I've gotcha."  I was humbled by my doubt.  Wished I had left the pizza in the freezer.  And it really was the most delicious burger I've eaten in a long time.  

I know it's silly.  But it's not.  I prayed for a job...and God provided dinner. 

Thank you, Lord for being provider.