In light of the holiday (and because sometimes I enjoy being cliche,) here's a list of 25 things I'm especially thankful for this year (not in any special order):
1. The salvation I have in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. 2. My loving and committed church family. 3. My parents and siblings--living at home this semester has been anything but stressful! 4. LVOP--I love these beautiful ladies and singing with them is one of my favorite activities :) 5. RUF--What an answer to prayer and a blessing! I've loved getting to meet new people and study the Word with others who love Jesus. 6. CCAC--Never thought I'd say that. haha. But, thanks to CCAC, I have no debt right now. 7. Barnes & Noble--I'm thankful for a steady job and a pleasant working environment. 8. Coffee (and all of the coffee shops I now frequent as a college student--especially Niko's.) 9. Skype--Best invention ever. I love getting to see my friends that are away (for free.) 10. My MacBook--I can take online classes because I have it....and I just love it. :) 11. RTCS--My college classes seem easy because I was so well prepared in high school. 12. Music (both listening to and making) 13. Having time to read 14. A car to drive (and the freedom that comes with that) 15. Google Documents--keeps my schoolwork and life organized 16. Chick-fil-A 17. Indian summer days in Pittsburgh 18. Mail (both electronic and paper) 19. My cell phone 20. Ugg boots, scarves, hats, gloves and blankets--so I don't freeze :) 21. Twitter & Facebook--provides entertainment and the means to stay in touch (or stalk) 22. My camera 23. Joss Whedon--his genius has provided much joy for me. 24. Good conversation--Spending a lot of time alone definitely gives you an appreciation for good conversation with thoughtful people. 25. Life in general--I love it and I'm doing my best to live it to the fullest.
This song is such a simple, powerful and beautiful reminder of the reason for our joy and strength: Christ. Even when we are pressed on every side and our hearts are heavy, Christ is our one, true source of overflowing joy that never fails.
For those of you living in Pittsburgh, I hope you've already experienced the awesomeness that is Market District....for those of you not living in Pittsburgh (or you just haven't ever been to one,) allow me to enlighten you.
Market District is quite possibly the most amazing store I've ever been stepped foot in. (See the above photo. Sorry for the lame quality--it was the best I could do at night :/) It's essentially a new and very improved Giant Eagle with a whole lot of impressive quirks. When you first walk in the door, an employee is there to hand you a map. A map. For a grocery store. I found this highly amusing, but after about five minutes, I realized that I definitely needed it. This place is HUGE (as you can see from the photos.) When you walk in the main entrance, you're standing directly in front of the produce section of the store. This section alone is probably the size of a normal Giant Eagle. They literally have any fresh grown product you can think of--and in great abundance. Example: There was entire wall containing different types of mushrooms. To the left of the produce section is the standard grocery store side (although much larger than normal.) There is also an impressive Health & Beauty department that is unique to Market District. One of my favorite quirks of the grocery store side is the container of bread, milk and eggs right by the registers--just in case you need to make a quick stop for essentials. :) Oh, did I mention the ridiculously amazing cheese department? And the deli? And the bakery? And the candy shop? And the coffee shop? Yep. They're all inside.
The above photo was taken from the second floor cafe of the first floor "market area." To the left of the produce, is the international foods section and the "market." The international department is really fun--I even found some foods I had in Sweden! The market area is what really amazes me. There are all different sorts of stands offering freshly prepared food. For a complete look at everything Market District offers click here. My favorite stands include: Asian street food, the juice/smoothie bar, crepes and gelato.
This is a photo of my dinner....Tandoor roasted chicken, rice, naan and mango chutney. *deeeeelicious* While I was waiting in line, I literally watched the chef bake the naan he put on my plate. I also got a fruit smoothie from the juice bar and watched the employee cut up the fresh fruit for my drink. Amazing. The second floor of the store is all restaurant style seating, so you can enjoy your food there. Bonus: they also have free wifi.
Seriously. A store that has (good) Asian food, smoothies, coffee and made-to-order crepes--in addition to actual groceries? Yes, please. I spent about two hours there (by myself) just wandering around and exploring. I strongly recommend checking it out if you haven't already. Even better, come share some curry and naan with me and we can explore together. :)
I work in the cafe at Barnes & Noble. Most of the time, work is pretty regular and uneventful. Then sometimes, I have nights like tonight.....
4:00--Arrive at work --We're really slow, so my fellow co-workers and I stand around for awhile and talk. --Mr. Alouise comes in and I vent to him about my terrible online history class. --Heather comes in and I make her a drink. --Two of my fellow co-workers (who weren't working tonight) are sitting in the cafe, knitting. They decide to remove yarn from a skein and roll it into a ball instead. A GIANT knotted mess of yarn is created. Since there's nothing else to do, the other barista and I decide to help them untangle it. So, four B&N employees are spread out across the cafe, with clumps of knotted yarn between them, laughing hysterically and hoping we don't break anything. --During this time, two of our regular customers walk in, shake their heads, chuckle and walk away. haha. --The second regular returns and I spend about 15 minutes at the counter with her--attempting to make a drink the exact way she wants it. She changes her mind multiple times and I throw away one attempt before the second one is perfect. --A random customer orders an extra dry cappuccino and compliments me on making it well (if you know anything about coffee, this is a great feat.) This just about makes my day. --While sweeping the floor, I overhear a middle aged woman say to her two friends: "This guy I was dating, who was ten years younger than me, still lived with his parents. But, he had a Porsche." I find this highly amusing and giggle to myself. --The regular customer (mentioned above,) who walked away, came back and while I was making his drink asks: "So, did Chandler's eye fall out?" (Chandler = another barista who recently cut her cornea with her contact lens.) --Cleaning....stocking....more cleaning....mopping.... --Done with everything by 10:08 (8 minutes after the store closes)....22 minutes early. I punch out at 10:11 and head home.
On December 19th, 2009 (38 days from now, I believe,) I have the honor of being a bridesmaid (along with my dear friend, Annie Donahoe) in the wedding of David Williams and Alex DeVore. David, Annie and I have been friends since preschool and have stayed close, despite the fact that we live in three different states. Annie and I have just gotten to know Alex, his fiancee, this past year and we absolutely love her! We couldn't have picked anyone more perfect for our friend and brother in Christ.
This past weekend, my Mom and I drove to Maryland for Alex's bridal shower. Since we all don't get to see each other very often, we definitely make the most of our time together. My mom and I arrived late Thursday night and Friday morning David, Alex and I took the metro to downtown Washington DC. We walked around town for awhile, ate at the mall food court, went to the Air & Space Museum and of course, took lots of pictures. :) After Annie's flight arrived in DC, we went back to the Williams' house for dinner with the whole family. After dinner, we watched a few old tapes from when they lived in Pittsburgh. It was so fun to see Annie and I sitting next to each other in church at the age of five! It is an INCREDIBLE blessing that the Lord has preserved friendships in my life for so long (and I pray that He continues to do so.)
Awesome photo that Alex took of me in DC
The happy couple in front of the Air & Space Museum
The Capitol
<3
The shower was held Saturday afternoon at the Williams' church. Everything went according to plan and it was a wonderful time of celebration and fellowship.
The set-up
Alex with the bowl I made for her and David (also known as Forrest)
Her beautiful cake :)
All of the yummy food :) (Special thanks to my Mom for preparing most of it.)
After the shower on Saturday, Alex, Annie and I (David was working) went into downtown Annapolis. What a beautiful city! Unfortunately, it was way past daylight when we went, so I don't have any photos (hopefully I'll get some in December.) We walked around town and then sat in a coffee shop for a few hours (we had lots to learn about each other.) I'm thankful for the beautiful hearts Jesus has given my friends and the privilege to run this race with them! I can't wait for the wedding!
ps. I'll post more pictures soon (probably on facebook.)
Last week, Steven Curtis Chapman released his much anticipated album, "Beauty Will Rise." Written after the tragic death of his young daughter, Maria (pictured above,) this album is immensely personal in nature. I have a great love and respect for the Chapman family (because they love China and orphans, too) but to be completely honest, I've never been a huge fan of SCC's music. It tends to be a little too far on the cheesy side of "Christian music" for my taste, but I have many friends that love his music. I heard many positive reviews of this new album, so I decided to give it a try. My first listen-through was in the car and it quickly became a driving hazard. Almost every single song made me cry (weep might actually be more accurate.) Musically, the album is primarily acoustic (guitar, piano, various strings.) The simplicity of the musical arrangements preserves the "raw" and personal nature of the lyrics. I read one review that compared the writing style of the album to the psalms and I readily agree with this assessment. This album is clearly the evidence of a believer working through intense grief and pain (think King David.)
Each song addresses different aspects of his grieving process--pain & tears, waiting on God, the hope of seeing Maria again in Heaven, healing within their family and trusting that God will bring beauty out of this tragedy. I have yet to listen to the song "February 20th" without crying. It's a beautiful retelling of the day that Maria asked Jesus to live in her heart and take her to his "big, big house with a lot of rooms." In another favorite of mine, "Heaven is the Face," he looks forward to a place without cancer, hunger, orphans or enemies--our Heavenly home that his daughter has already gone to.
This album is beautiful and a testament to the amazing faith of the Chapman family. Despite such a life-changing tragedy, they have placed their hearts in the care of their Heavenly Father. This album has set my mind on heavenly things and strengthened my trust that God's plans for my life are better than my own.
This past week I registered for my spring semester. It seems so crazy that I'm almost finished with my first semester of college! Thankfully, I was able to get (almost) all of the classes I wanted and even more importantly, ALL five of them are online. The online classes I'm taking this semester have worked out well and doing everything online next semester will allow me more time to work.
Here's what I'll be studying in the spring: English Composition 2 Forensic Anthropology Logic Art Appreciation Intro to Psychology
Sounds thrilling, right? {note sarcasm} I'm looking forward to Art and English....the others, not so much. Oh well. Gen Eds are part of life, I guess. :)
The campus ministry I'm involved in is called Reformed University Fellowship (RUF)....but it really should be written Reformed University FELLOWSHIP! Fellowship is certainly a key part of this group and I've loved every minute of it! A little over a week ago, we had a party celebrating all things Autumn--mostly pumpkins and some Luther thrown in there, too (see above picture--pumpkin carved by the lovely Mrs. Elisabeth Snider.) We ate lots of yummy pumpkin foods, watched Fantasia and carved pumpkins.
*Fellowship*
All of our delicious pumpkin foods!
Carving mine and Jessie's pumpkin...
We decided to do the drama masks. Jessie sketched them out, then I carved the comedy side and she did the tragedy.
We named it Gloucester because we gouged out its eyes with a spoon (we're nerds.) {ps. If you don't "get" this, you should go read King Lear by Shakespeare right now.}
On Wednesday, Heather and I went to the new P.F. Chang's at Settler's Ridge (in Robinson, off of Rt. 60) for dinner. Every time I eat there, I become more convinced that it's my favorite restaurant ever (and that I need to eat *real* Chinese food.)
I firmly believe that family style (sharing everything) is the only way to eat Chinese food (and any food, really.) Heather and I shared lettuce wraps (always amazing,) Orange Peel Chicken and Lemon Chicken. Everything was delicious. I already can't wait to go back. Who wants to come with me?? :)
Me with the P.F. Chang's horse (and my left-overs.) :)
Today, October 15th, is a nationally recognized day to remember babies lost by stillbirth or miscarriage. At 7:00 pm, families across the country light a candle for an hour in memory of their lost child{ren.}
I am remembering dear friends today that have lost precious children. Despite the solemnity attached to this day, it is comforting to remember that our Father holds each of us in His hand. He already knows the exact time He will call each of us home--including the covenant children that never experienced life on this Earth. Please remember, along with me, to keep those families that are mourning in your prayers today.
On Tuesday, the RTCS Rams had their last home soccer game of the season. Both Johnny and Jared play on the team, so I did my sisterly duty and came to the game to cheer them on. It was a great game and they won 4-0. To celebrate, we did the Christian school thing and went to Chick-fil-A after the game. :) Above is a picture of myself, Jill (my sister) and my mom trying to keep warm (in our matching hoodies) during the game.
It's been a very busy, but fun, few weeks. I have a few posts lined up to show you what I've been up to.
This past weekend, I went on a an overnight retreat with the RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) group at Pitt. Derek Bates, the RUF campus pastor at Pitt, preached at Providence over the summer and I first heard about the work being done at Pitt. When I found out that I wouldn't be attending Geneva this fall, I contacted Derek and decided to get involved with the group at Pitt. It's been great so far. I'm so thankful for the way God has provided a strong Christian community (that's my age!) for me--even though I'm living at home and not on a campus. I'm sure I'll have much more to say about RUF over the next year--it's a lively group that likes to have a lot of parties!
We left Oakland on Sunday afternoon and headed north to one of the girl's (Evelyn) houses. We spent the rest of the night outside by the fire--eating yummy food, talking and singing. On Monday morning, we took a walk to a local park for some fooling around and a game of capture the flag. It was a much-needed break from the stress of work and classes and a great time of fellowship.
JJ cooking the deer meat burgers (from a deer he shot himself!)
First off, I'm doing much better than I was in the picture from my last post. I think I'm healing well (at least I hope so) and life is back to normal. During the few days that I was stuck in bed, resting from the procedure, I thought a lot about James 3. {side note: We're currently studying James in my Sunday school class, so the book has been on my mind a lot.} James 3:5-6 says:
"So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell."
The truth in these verses became very real to me as I felt the affect that such a small part of my body (my lower left jaw) had on me. The pain I experienced in my mouth caused exhaustion and weakness to my entire body. How much more does the sin of my words infect my whole being!
Today I learned what this phrase means when used in an oral surgeon's office. Nothing with my mouth/teeth can ever be easy. My surgeon had to do a "procedure" today to remove infected tissue that had tucked itself away in the place where my wisdom teeth used to be. Hopefully the infection's completely gone now, but in the meantime, I'm stuck with a swollen face again.
Thanks to the G20 Summit taking over Pittsburgh (its roads, in particular,) my class was canceled today. Sooo, instead of class, I visited RTCS for the weekly Chapel service. My friend and fellow graduate, Alena Landon, was also able to visit today. I've really enjoyed being able to visit RTCS since graduating in June. It's so amazing to me that I spent 13 years in that school, yet God perfectly prepared my heart to leave it. I don't feel any sort of strong attachment or "need" to be there (as a student again) when I visit. I felt very peaceful and as if I had completed all the work He had for me at RTCS when I graduated. I was really nervous that I'd have a hard time with not returning this year, but the Lord has been faithful. All I feel is simple encouragement when I return there. The teachers are just as caring and loving as they were before and the students are just as fun and like family. It's encouraging to me when I'm surrounded by worldliness (whether it's at school or work) to remember the amazing work God is doing at RTCS in the lives of the students, staff and families. I was reminded of that work today--by hearing a teacher's testimony and singing along with my former classmates. I'm so overwhelmingly thankful for God's provision for RTCS and I know that He has provided so abundantly because of the faithfulness of the people there.
ps. On a more ridiculous note, I used the teachers' stall in the restroom today and felt really rebellious (students aren't permitted to use it.) haha. I promptly informed Mr. Wirebaugh (the headmaster) that I broke a rule because I can't get in trouble anymore. haha. :)
Yep, you read correctly. Go green protesters attempting to chain themselves to the West End Bridge. In my opinion, the only "go green" people that have a right to protest here are the ones that walked to Pittsburgh. Think of all the fuel being used by thousands of protesters traveling to Pittsburgh by car, bus or plane. People are silly.
I'll be sure to post anything "exciting" that happens. I'm hoping to get some photos of the traffic craziness, too.
I'm a music nerd at heart and this brings joy to my soul. Kudos to my friend, Alena, for sending me the video. {Warning: he swears a little at the end.}
ps. I still love Canon in D....but I love cellos more.
"...But all this introspection was really designed to serve no other purpose than to create a people who had no thoughts of their own...."
This is a statement I just read in Wild Swans, a memoir of three generations of Chinese women. I'm about half-way through the book and LOVE it. The author, Jung Chang, paints an intricate picture of what life was and is like in Communist China. She begins the book with the life of her grandmother--a concubine to a warlord general, and continues the family history with her mother--a committed worker for the Communist party. At my current place in the book, Jung is about thirteen years old (1966) and living on a compound for Communist officials and their families.
This book has already immensely opened my eyes to the reality of Communism and the effects it has had on the Chinese people. As a "sheltered American," the descriptions of the cult of Mao and the overwhelming propaganda that had overtaken the country send shivers up my spine. From Jung's point of view (in the quote above,) you can see how the deception of the government in its lust for power essentially "brain washed" the people into believing anything decreed by Mao.
Once I finish the book, I'll write a more thorough post on my thoughts and impressions. Until then, you can be reminded (along with me) to be praying for the Kingdom work being done in China. All nations are in the Lord's hand and I know that He will be faithful in the lives of His Chinese children.
Hello and welcome to my new online home! My Pilgrim Photography days are over (at least the official part,) but I decided to start a new blog as an attempt to keep all those who've moved away (and I suppose those who are still here) updated on my life. For right now, my posts will be somewhat random and coincide with my daily life and thoughts. I'm hoping in a few months it will take a little more specific direction, but I'll share more about that later. :)
The title that I've chosen for my blog comes from one of my favorite hymns, 'To Christ The Lord Let Every Tongue." You can read the lyrics here. It's a beautiful hymn with chilling words that deeply resonate with me. I thought the phrase "survey the beauties" was very fitting to describe my purpose in writing and sharing. I'm offering you a "survey" or brief overview of my daily life and in that, I hope you will see the beauty of the Lord's work in my life. I also love the phrase "on His glories dwell." I hope that this blog will serve as a way for me to reflect and dwell on the glory of the Lord and encourage you to do so as well.
So....what is my life like right now? --I'm currently a freshman at CCAC (Community College of Allegheny County.) This was not my first choice in school (and I don't feel the need to explain all the details,) but I feel confident that the Lord's plan for my life (including my college career) is perfect and far better than anything I've attempted to plan myself. --I'm taking four courses this semester--three of which are online. (If you're curious, I'm taking Astronomy, Intro to Sociology, American History 1 and English 101.) I attend my basic English Composition class two times a week and the rest of my class work is done via the internet and textbooks. --That being said, I spend about 80% of my week in coffee shops. I'm able to stay focused and get a lot more done by doing school work away from home. I'm definitely loving this aspect of my life. Sitting in a coffee shop with a book, a latte and good music playing in head phones is my idea of a fantastic day. For the most part, you can find me at Niko's Coffee House. --I've also kept my job as a barista at the Barnes & Noble Cafe (I really do live and breathe coffee right now.) It's hard to believe I've worked there two years already! I enjoy my job and I've gotten to know some of the people I work with really well. --The other 20% of my week: I'm a member of my church's choir as well as a WONDERFUL ladies ensemble called LVOP (Ladies Voices of Providence.) I've also gotten involved with a small group that meets at the University of Pittsburgh through RUF (Reformed University Fellowship.) It's a great group of believers and I'm thankful I can be a part of it.
While my life doesn't sound terribly exciting on paper, I'm hoping I can come up with some fun and exciting things to share. We'll see how it goes. :)
Posts
