blog
a sure sign of spring!
The first Mister Softee was spotted last night by LeeAnne...SPRING IS COMING!!!
(this picture is kinda hard to see the Mr. Softee truck, but I took this the first summer I lived in New York because the Softee truck was actually being pulled over the a police officer! I'm not sure what could be bad enough to pull over a Mr. Softee truck, but LeeAnne and I thought it was hilarious!)
(this picture is kinda hard to see the Mr. Softee truck, but I took this the first summer I lived in New York because the Softee truck was actually being pulled over the a police officer! I'm not sure what could be bad enough to pull over a Mr. Softee truck, but LeeAnne and I thought it was hilarious!)
what's wrong with this picture?
My sister emailed this pic to me yesterday that she recently found. Can anyone tells what's not quite right about this picture?!! I couldn't stop laughing when I opened this attachment at my desk yesterday.
worth dying for
The title of this blog is the name of a chapter in the book I'm currently reading that my friend Maggie recommended and let me borrow. It's called "Sex God" by Rob Bell, and this chapter is one of the best chapters I've ever (ever) read on truly loving someone and serving them with agape love, what that really looks like and, practically speaking, how to live that out the way God calls us to (in the best way we are capable).
As Rob Bell put it, agape is a particular kind of love. So many times love and relationships are looking for what a person can get out of it or how it can benefit them or fulfill a need of some kind. Agape is, in fact, exactly the opposite of this. Agape gives. Agape is love, period. It doesn't need a reason.
I don't know exactly how I feel about all of Rob Bell's theology. I haven't done enough research to know exactly where he stands on certain issues (so I'm not endorsing that), but I do know he has a wonderfully simplistic way of understanding and relaying the message of God's love and how we should be applying that to our lives and in turn channeling that out towards those around us. God didn't give up on us when we continued to hurt and betray Him. Instead, He continued loving us. Over and over and over again. And He still does, despite the fact that we never entirely give Him our full hearts. And as difficult as this is to live out, this is how we should be loving those around us. There aren't many things more painful in this world than loving someone who 1. rejects you or 2. loves you, but isn't willing to give their ENTIRE heart to you because they don't trust it will be worth it. This is what God feels every single day with every single human being. This covers both Christians and non-believers.
The title of this chapter ties into the explanation of agape love because if we realize the value of those around us (because all were created by God) and the intensity in which we should be loving all people - family, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, coworkers, enemies, etc. - we will come to the realization that people are "worth dying for". (ps -if you click here, you can read the ENTIRE chapter online!) An example Bell gives in this chapter is the firefighters and police officers who went into the Twin Towers after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Seeing the memorials and momentos for all of those who died going into the towers to rescue people is inevitably going to create an emotional response, which is directly related to the inherent nature and belief we know to be true - people are worth dying for. Which is why the firefighters and police officers didn't think twice about going in to save lives.
Now, although the head knowledge may be there, applying this to the heart can be more difficult. This is how I want to live. This is the goal. Love people. Love ALL people. Even when they don't love you back or say they do but don't show it. God didn't give up on us that easily, why should we? If we are called to live a life that glorifies God and reflects Christ in us, what could be more glorifying than loving people in the exact same way He does? As discouraging as it might be in the midst, you will reap the benefits of doing good. And eventually, loving someone as God loves us will reap wonderful benefits, if we are as persistent with those around us as God was with us.
I like the way Bell put it. Do we have liquid agape running through our veins? I want to.
As Rob Bell put it, agape is a particular kind of love. So many times love and relationships are looking for what a person can get out of it or how it can benefit them or fulfill a need of some kind. Agape is, in fact, exactly the opposite of this. Agape gives. Agape is love, period. It doesn't need a reason.
I don't know exactly how I feel about all of Rob Bell's theology. I haven't done enough research to know exactly where he stands on certain issues (so I'm not endorsing that), but I do know he has a wonderfully simplistic way of understanding and relaying the message of God's love and how we should be applying that to our lives and in turn channeling that out towards those around us. God didn't give up on us when we continued to hurt and betray Him. Instead, He continued loving us. Over and over and over again. And He still does, despite the fact that we never entirely give Him our full hearts. And as difficult as this is to live out, this is how we should be loving those around us. There aren't many things more painful in this world than loving someone who 1. rejects you or 2. loves you, but isn't willing to give their ENTIRE heart to you because they don't trust it will be worth it. This is what God feels every single day with every single human being. This covers both Christians and non-believers.
The title of this chapter ties into the explanation of agape love because if we realize the value of those around us (because all were created by God) and the intensity in which we should be loving all people - family, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, coworkers, enemies, etc. - we will come to the realization that people are "worth dying for". (ps -if you click here, you can read the ENTIRE chapter online!) An example Bell gives in this chapter is the firefighters and police officers who went into the Twin Towers after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Seeing the memorials and momentos for all of those who died going into the towers to rescue people is inevitably going to create an emotional response, which is directly related to the inherent nature and belief we know to be true - people are worth dying for. Which is why the firefighters and police officers didn't think twice about going in to save lives.
Now, although the head knowledge may be there, applying this to the heart can be more difficult. This is how I want to live. This is the goal. Love people. Love ALL people. Even when they don't love you back or say they do but don't show it. God didn't give up on us that easily, why should we? If we are called to live a life that glorifies God and reflects Christ in us, what could be more glorifying than loving people in the exact same way He does? As discouraging as it might be in the midst, you will reap the benefits of doing good. And eventually, loving someone as God loves us will reap wonderful benefits, if we are as persistent with those around us as God was with us.
I like the way Bell put it. Do we have liquid agape running through our veins? I want to.
I want this!!!
From my latest visit to Parrots & Pups:
running of the brides in Union Square
it's that time again... wedding dresses marked down from $10,000 to as low as $250. now that's a steal!
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kittens, inspired by kittens
Thanks Ashley!!!
my next craft undertaking
LeeAnne and I were talking last night and I remembered this ribbon I bought back in the fall for Lesterfest, that I ended up not being able to go to. So now, I still have this fab ribbon to do something with! LA and I were brainstorming ideas and I'm thinking of adding it to a plain white tee somewhere... maybe around the hem at the bottom? or around the hem at the sleeves? I've already got the whole outfit planned out - white tee with this ribbon, brown puffer vest, jeans and converse sneakers. I love it!papyrus
This post of LA's reminds me of my very memorable (I'll NEVER forget her) interior design professor at Auburn: Peek. She told us on the first day of class our sophomore year that if we EVER used the font papyrus on any project for her, she would fail us! And I never doubted it for a second.
quads
I saw this on the Today Show this morning, Kat, and I just kept hoping your face was going to pop up and Meredith was going to interview you and the rest of the quads... no such luck.
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my next birthday cake
Hurry up November so I can have one of these! This is pretty much all of my life's aspirations and passions summed up into one single cupcake...
way to go, Joe
They never failed to miss a Bush-ism... so why isn't there more satire and ridicule from the media swarming around THIS story ???
tennis racquet noodles
Mom, I keep seeing these noodles in the grocery store everytime Brendan and I make "pasta and meat sauce" (also more commonly known as, spaghetti) and I keep asking Brendan if we can get these noodles because it reminds me of you and your love (-love... get it?) for tennis! He hasn't conceded yet... so I had to settle for taking a picture of them on the shelf to show you! Maybe when you come we can all have tennis racquet spaghetti?!
It looks like Chi O formal was a blast (as they always were). thanks Anna for helping me to feel like I was there! I love this pic of two of my fave Chi O's together, Ash and Anna.
a blurb of the weekend
In short, this past weekend was great! As you might have read on one of my previous posts, I was very productive and rose with the sun (not quite, but it makes the story better, right?). I did a little pre-spring spring cleaning to my apartment, including cleaning the base boards in my tiny room which definitely is no fun task, but the payoff is great. Then I did some grocery shopping (actually, a lot of grocery shopping) and cooked dinner for Brendan and me before our dessert date with the Pettus's later Saturday night. Then we met up with Buck and Christine who came into the city for a few hours after dinner to hang out and catch up, since I haven't seen them since New Year's. It was a lot of fun and a refreshing time to be able to spend time hanging out with some fam! Here are a few pics from the weekend:
I'm still exploring my new-found culinary skills, but thanks to my own personal Martha Stewart married friend Caylen, I had an awesome chicken recipe to try out! Thanks for the recipe, Cay!
aren't these flowers pretty?!
Buck's DELICIOUS looking hot chocolate at Cafe Lalo. (Cafe Lalo is a cute little restaurant cafe where a scene from "You've Got Mail" was filmed. It was pretty adorable...and had about 5 million dessert choices! I couldn't even decide what I wanted for myself (surprised?) so Brendan decided for me and we split some scrumptious cake)
B & C's desserts - brownie chunk cheesecake!
Mine and Brendan's "chocolate bomb"... not as bomb-ish as we were expecting, to be quite honest, but it was still very tasty!
I'm still exploring my new-found culinary skills, but thanks to my own personal Martha Stewart married friend Caylen, I had an awesome chicken recipe to try out! Thanks for the recipe, Cay! aren't these flowers pretty?! Buck's DELICIOUS looking hot chocolate at Cafe Lalo. (Cafe Lalo is a cute little restaurant cafe where a scene from "You've Got Mail" was filmed. It was pretty adorable...and had about 5 million dessert choices! I couldn't even decide what I wanted for myself (surprised?) so Brendan decided for me and we split some scrumptious cake)B & C's desserts - brownie chunk cheesecake!Mine and Brendan's "chocolate bomb"... not as bomb-ish as we were expecting, to be quite honest, but it was still very tasty!