I got pretty upset a few weeks ago when someone said Nirvana wasn't a good band. WHOA! Watch those hasty words there fella! Nirvana felt like my sustainer throughout the middle school years, I remember thinking if they were still around in Seattle that I would've given up everything to trek across the country to meet them. Looking back on those years; however, it seems as though the biggest seduction of their music was Cobain's crazy voice. The strains and crys he makes, the yelling and wild pitches are what most likely got me hooked to this band. weird, huh....

to let you know.

"why is God so much more interested in the way I believe than in the way I live?"

Yes, that's right I am wearing shorts in this first picture and hooray it was just yesterday! These are updates, due to my inclination to only read other blogs instead of posting on my own.

• sitting in sun..wearing shorts..pondering over the continent of Africa
• sweet bicycles
• the confirmation that INDEED my car does have a parking pass, contrary to the many tickets it has received
• SHANNON'S LAZY SUSAN!
• a gorgeous group photo
• brittany's birthday dinner
• snow in richmond...woot, no longer!

on the other side.

i have given up my facebook. i MUST show this video through some avenue of internet sharing.

blog it is! LOOOOOOOOVVVVEE CREEEPPPPPESS!!

Crêpes en stop-motion

sundaes

"Wretched man that I am!" -Romans 7:24

My selfishness mixed with my blinded ignorance is stunning in measure. O Lord my God, thank you for forgiveness. Thank you for creating an atonement of all my past, present, and future sins in Christ Jesus. Today, I have begun to realize how silly my thoughts have been lately. The past few days I've felt alienated from folks and these ideas have been stewing notions of anger, distress, and jealousy toward my community. In being completely wrapped up in my own desires for centrality and glorifying myself; I could not even see how loved I am. That all the while I was having a silent pity party in my thoughts- the reality was that people were including me, inviting me, engaging me, caring for me, and loving me.

Of course, I never need to be caught up in feelings of unimportant loneliness because I have Jesus always, never leaving or forsaking. But, for myself it is rarely that I truly am without others beside Christ- but that the prideful uplifting of myself is too big to let my eyes see the people around me. So glad God's grace is bigger than my sin!

[an aside: the prayers focused on thankfulness.....sooo good and spirit brightening]

highly, highly recommend this tea

among my piers

It has come to be my own belief that there is never a day when I give thanks for all that I should be thankful for. Most of what I send to the Lord is my own requests and complaints, most of what I talk to other folks about is what needs to happen, things that can be improved upon, what went wrong and how something should change. But something HAS happened, even when no one sees it or appreciates it and without a first, where would the improvements be, where would growth come from. Thank you for building blocks, thank you for foundations, thank you for working mysteriously and right under our noses. Thank you for not letting me see each detail and not knowing what is to come.

Do you think anything would change if my prayers were focused only on giving thanks and nothing else, for say...a week? Starting....tomorrow.. :D

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

-PSALM 100

WOW! this is going to be tough, i already have something new to complain about. geeeeezz..

all in an instant

"Let not those who hope in you

be put to shame through me,
O Lord GOD of hosts;
let not those who seek you
be brought to dishonor through me,
O God of Israel." psalm 69:6

It's always rather disappointing how quickly my own confidence in the Lord can be shaken. But His Word endures and while my own faith fades, the Lord, through so much grace, has blessed me with having the strength of community.
"The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother's is sure."
I am mightily thankful for being in this family and receiving the uplifting Word of the Lord through my brothers and sisters. Wow Father, thank you.

whatta weak

take me by the hand and tell me
you would take me anywhere
[winterbreakphotos]