Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas to Me!!!

Did I really fill up for that?!I took mom to see the Nutcracker for Christmas!
(ignore the datestamp....I need to photoshop it :))

The ladies!
(Twila, left, is marrying my cousin Korey. We LOVE Twila! Samantha, in the Santa hat, is my mini-me)
Yup....that's my grandma with a bow on her head. Wow.

Christmas Rebellion

Things I Have Learned from Beth Webb

I told you I could write a book about it ;)


Chapter 1: How to save money. If you don't know Beth, just go read her blog. She's a master at this!

Chapter 2: How to serve people. No explanation needed here.

Chapter 3: How to be a great mom. Last night, Beth explained to me that she has Peyton sit with her while they (beth) clean up. That way, when Peyton is old enough to clean up her toys it'll be a routine. Wow.

Chapter 4: The joy of nerdy board games. If you've never seen the Webb's closet-o-games, you must. They have quite the collection and are kind enough to entertain people like me who are handicapped when it comes to strategy games.

Chapter 5. The importance of honesty and forgiveness: I've come to the conclusion that there are certain levels to which no friendship, or other relationship for that matter, can go without someone needing to forgive the other. Beth is great at both sides of this equation. Infractions don't mean the end of a friendship, they often mean the beginning of a better one. Which explains a lot about why God let the whole sin thing happen.

Chapter 6: Why God makes us different. For a super-right-brainer like me, someone with the organizational skill of Beth makes me sit back in amazement. God makes us unique for a reason and the body works better when it works together :)

Chapter7: How to invest in people: "Wanna come over and play a board game?" "Wanna come over and watch lost?" "Wanna just come over?" i hear this stuff from the Webb's all the time. They're never too busy, too stressed, too into their own lives to invest in their friends Yay for that :)

Chapter 8: How to loosen up about "certainty". Washington? sure! Georgia? Why not! Florida, Alabama, ok! This chick moves a LOT. The thought of that much change makes my skin crawl, but not Beth! I've never really asked why....but I would venture to say that it's because she finds her security in Christ and not in her location (or she just likes moving a lot ha ha).

Chapter 9: Why LOST is the best show ever made. Again, no explanation needed here.

Holiday $$$

Ok, I get it...we're ALL over hearing about holiday sales. I am too!

BUT the goal for this year is, get the presents on my list under budget, and use the left-over funds to buy a few presents for a people who wouldn't expect them, people like the janitor, the nice lady at sushi express, or maybe even a student or two.

Soo...I'm bargain hunting and they're popping up in the darnest of places!

Fun Finds so far:

• Hobby Lobby: All wrapping supplies are 1/2 off. I got 100 ft. of wrapping paper (the really cool kind-not lame kind) for $3.50. Huge roll!
• Dollar General: Seriously fun presents. I found an alarm clock with a helicopter that flies away and must be retrieved before turning off the alarm. Hilarious! $5
• Eckerd: 50% on Christmas toys. WHOA! I got some really, really cool gifts for under $10!

Where are your Christmas finds?

Great Day

Today was a great day.

I make a LOT of jokes about my family, but the truth is, I just LOVE being around them.

I love the little ones. I love how they say "Cuthin Cwistal's Here" with all the excitement they can stand.

I love that my 60-year-0ld aunt has found the love of her life (after the tragic loss, both mental and physical, of her husband) and is getting married in December.

I love that every time I see her, all I can think about is how much she invested in me as a college student.

I love that her new husband "Uncle Will" will be an uncle for the first time in his life.

I love that they both love Jesus.

I love that my Grandma is the busiest 80-year-old you'll ever see.

I love that we celebrate each other and don't tear each other down.

I love that we tell the same stories over and over.

I love that we eat well.

I love that one of us is always on a diet.



I love that 4 hours driving time was totally worth it (2 weekends in a row!).

Shoes....

I love buy shoes.
I like big boots and little boots
flats and heels
strappy and cloggy.
They always fit, despite every other article of clothing.
They usually match a lot of things.
Shoes say a lot about your personality.

In summation:
I love shoes!

Blunt as a spoon!

Lately I've noticed that I've become far more blunt than I once was. It's not in a hurtful way, but in a "I care too much to lie and I don't have time to give this a positive spin" way.
Strangely enough, this doesn't worry me. I've come to really value people in my life who "tell it like it is" all the time. They are the most helpful. In fact, at least 3 times this week I've said the following:
*I love you too much to lie to you
*Sorry to be blunt, but grown-folks say what they mean

It's working now..but if I continue at this rate, I have a feeling I'll be the old lady in a red hat that embarrasses her family ha ha ha.

How often do you "tell it like it is"?
Who is that person for you?
Do you ever worry about becoming a red-hat lady? :)


and to that end..

It's been a long hard year
and I've been staring in the mirror wondering
just who's staring back.

I realize I've changed
and in this case it's a good thing
For the first time, in a long time, I like what I see.

I remember when this use to be so easy....
before everything I said was true.
Perfect? By no means, but now I hold my head high
because the thing I like most about me is You.

More made-up recipes

Necesity is the mother of invention.....

And this week I needed something fast, easy, and autumn-y.

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese cupcakes:
1 box spice-cake mix
Pumpkin spice
Canned whipped cream cheese icing

Mix the cake mix according to directions and whisk in enough pumpkin spice to make it brown and smelling good :) I'm not one for measuring. Bake in cup-cake tins according to directions. Cool. Use a knife to cut cylinder-shaped wholes out of the middle of the cupcakes and pipe in the cream-cheese icing with a plastic baggie. Leave a swirl of icing on top. Best if warm :)

YUMMMMM

Happy Autumn

Goodness gracious...I just love autumn. I love it so much I think it deserves a better name than "fall". I love the weather, the smells, the leaves, the colors....like most of you, I love this time of year. Sadly, Autumn is also my busiest season. I don't know why things seem to get so busy, but I find myself having to work a little bit harder to get outside and enjoy the favorite things that used to be so readily available. Creativity seems to flow more easily in autumn and inspiration is everywhere. I want to write more, think more, enjoy people more this time of year. I want to retreat to a cabin with friends and run through the corn maze with my growth group. I want to go home and enjoy the mountains (and the apples) with my family. I bought Javi a new sweater and this weekend we'll go up to gold rush. It mays sound funny...but God makes sense in autumn. The artist side comes out and I remember the parts of Him that captured me in the first place.

I feel like the rest of my life is changing seasons right now too. Old things that used to be alive and well are changing colors and falling away, making room for new growth. The air is a little different in my professional life and I fight the busyness of the season for a chance to pay close attention and enjoy the change. I feel like I'm rediscovering God's creativity in my own life just as I do in the world outside. These times are so special, in part because they are so short. Before long, Christmas will be here and a new season will settle in with it's own surprises and famliarities.

Yay!!!!

I would just like to point out that I get to see my 2 favorite bands between now and Christmas!
I'm so excited!

NeedtoBreathe Oct. 8th in Cumming and
Family Force 5 (go ahead, make fun) with TobyMac and Reliant K at the Fox in December! Happy Day!

Tonight

Tonight I'm wondering where God wants me.

I know to be there means I have to leave where I am and give up hope that "where I am" is already where He wants me to be.

That ain't easy.

If I were honest, and I realize that blogs are a terrible forum for authenticity, I would tell you that I don't really know if I'm where God desires me to be in my job, in my church, in my town.

These times are good. Lots of questions means lots of time with God waiting on answers. I'll let you know what He says.

Anybody else wondering if you're in the right spot?

Goin' to the Chapel

I'm headed to Tybee Island for Ryan's wedding. I'll be MIA through Sunday, but I'll return with some weird pictures and ever-comedic family stories. See you then!

It just gives me a giggle...

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Wow

It's Here!

What Dad Did R...

a guide to what wo...

By Crystal Corn

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Gift ideas

My brother* is getting married.
I'm getting them an ikea gift card because...well that's what they really want/need. BUT I need something meaningfulish to go with it. What was your favorite wedding gift. Ideas anyone?






*many of you know I'm an only child by birth. Ryan is actually my first cousin but he came home with me every day afterschool and lived with me for a while after his parents' divorce. We fought/compete/act like brother and sister more than cousins....that was just too much explanation for above :)

Happy Labor Day!

Let us all pause to celebrate labor by not doing any.

Dad's Birthday~

So, my dad's 55th birthday is in 2 weeks(ish) and I've been working on a little present for him. I know this sounds weird, I feel a little urgency with this particular gift. 2 years ago he had a massive heart attack and a smaller one six months later. By the time he was my age, his dad was gone. Obviously, I can't predict the future, but I also can't hide from the possibilities....so weird or not...I didn't want to wait any longer to write a book honoring him. It's a small book, the square gift kind that you get at cardshops, probably around 50 pages. I don't have any intention of publishing (although I may get extra copies to pass along to new dads). Nonetheless, I know it's going to rock his world.


Anyway, the book is in it's final stages, and with some too-expensive shipping should be here next week.
So, I thought I'd share with you an excerpt. Read if you like:)
_____________________________________________________________
From:Chapter 1 of What Dad Did Right: a guide to what works for fathers of girls

Dad was my biggest fan:
.......I remember calling home from college. The clash of acting grownup and not actually BEING grownup had caught up with me. The checking account was overdrawn, and much to my dismay I had to swallow some pride and call home. I was hanging my head. I don't know exactly what I expected out of that phone call, but I knew it wasn't good. Financial responsibility is a big deal in my family-and I had blown it to the tune of a couple hundred dollars.

I stared at the phone for a while, dialed slowly, spilled the whole story before I could lose my nerve and then....silence. When dad began to speak, he pointed out where I had gone off course, but it wasn't exactly what I had expected. After a few sentences of "do better next time" he began to tell me how he brags to all his friends about me. What?! I was shocked and wondering what that had to do with this conversation. He reminded me of all the times I had been responsible and how this was certainly just a fluke and not a reflection of my character.
What a lecture! I left feeling better than before I'd called!

Don't misunderstand, dad never shielded me from necessary consequences and he always had high expectations, but he also never let me forget that those expectations flowed out of a belief that I was something special. In this particular moment, I think he figured out that making that phone call and disappointing him was more punishment than anything he could say. I'll never forget the end of that conversation:


"Sweetheart, everyone messes up. Just don't let it become a habit. I'm putting the money in your account with a little extra. Go buy some groceries. I'm so proud of you. Oh, and don't worry. No one will ever know about this but me and you..."

At that point dad believed some things about me that I didn't necessarily believe about myself yet. He believed I was more than my mistakes and better than the sum of my actions. At a time in life when it is accepted and expected that parents complained to friends about their lazy, money-sucking college kid, he never joined in.

Like a lover of the Mets or a passionate follower of nascar,
he was my biggest fan-win or lose- and I knew it.

I wish every new dad could have peeped through the window and seen this. There's no explaining just how important it is for a little kids, especially a little girl, to believe deep down that her daddy thinks she's off-the-charts-incredible. As a high school teacher, I see this sort of thing played out all the time. One girl has high standards, achieves in school and thrives socially. She's a picture of promise and potential. Another girl of similar appearance and intelligence, living in the same neighborhood and running with roughly the same crowd will give herself away to every boy that will have her, make decisions based on acceptance, and never really pursue greatness relationally, academically or otherwise. It happens every day, and with a 5 minute conversation I find that the only consistent difference between kids who make good decisions and kids who don't is a belief about who they are and who they're destined to be.

Dads, that belief is a gift from you.

As an update......

Today's a much better day.

Yesterday (as one might have noticed) was kind of a fog of funk....

Better now.

Thanks for lovin' me Bether! I think you're awesome!

Today is not a bad day.

Today has not been a bad day.

But today is a rough day.

I believe God has a purpose and plan for my life...but frankly I can see neither.

Today it's hard to figure out how or why I've spent 4 years here.

Today is one of those days when it's hard to believe that God loves me. I'm not saying He doesn't...I know better....I know all the ways I would answer a student feeling the same way......but everyone has these days, right?

A Good Deal

If you know me...you know I'm sucker for a great deal. That's why I was so bummed when my go-to's for school clothes didn't serve me well this year. Nothing quite fit my short legs or sadly growing waistline. I did finally make it to NY and Company where I found some great pants. I didn't love the price tag, but I bought 4 pair anyway. It's better than going to work bottomless!

On Thursday I had to return one pair (in my haste I ended up with several pairs of gray pants and no black ones) to find that ALL of their dress pants were Buy One Get One Half Off!!!!

I was TICKED. I had paid full price! Sad Day.

So, I go to the counter to return my one pair and buy 2 more (hey..at least I'd get SOMETHING half off).

Much to my surprise, the lady said-"I see you bought 4 pairs last week. Would you like me to make those buy one get one as well?" WHAT?!

Apparently if you bring back your reciept within 14 days and a new sale has started, they'll refund you whatever extra you paid. SO...I went back planning to exchange some pants and I ended up getting more expensive pants and about 33 more dollars in my pocket.

Yay for a good deal!

Sarayu....or something like that..

Does God ever work in "themes" in your life? Sometimes it seems that he seems to bring my attention to a specific area over and over for a period of time.

Right now, it's the work of the Holy Spirit. Frankly, I've ignored Him for a while. Oh, I didn't go and say, "I think I"ll start ignoring a third of the Trinity"....it just happened. Especially as I've been serving at a church for non-churchy types, the Holy Spirit is the hardest one to explain without getting all "Spirit-ual".BUT, lately I've been reminded of just how wonderful it is to have a connection with God that I can't explain-a nudge, a clench, a....movement of the spirit that is not the least bit tangible or even comprehensible outside experience....I love that!

People I love...

I love a lot of people.

Lets focus on one group today, shall we?

I love student ministry people. I don't just love serving with them...I love doing life with them. I love crying with them. I LOVE doing meetings--yes, even meetings---with them. I LOVE the isbells, the interns, and the volunteers that have become some of my best friends. This summer we did our own camp, spent days in rented vans, sweat more than I have in years, waded through some sticky student issues, and hung out at a campsite that made hell look chilly. BUT-
There is no other group of people on the planet with whom I'd rather spend 40 days of summer.

It finally happened

My parents, my hometown, and my 6th grade social studies teacher were just on CNN.

The topic?

Do you think Obama's a Muslim?

Even better, the host at the end asked, "Why did you choose (this town) for your story?" The reporter replied, "Oh, it was totally random." We just picked up a map and pointed...but you could get this in any state.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggght.

And it had nothing to do with being the sight for part of deliverance, not a black soul in the county, the local high school mascot being the Rebel and the fight song is Dixie?

Oh no....their finger could have landed on Chicago or Harlem even..but instead they randomly picked podunk to prove that ole Barack is getting a bad rap.

Hmmmm..

I have to be honest...

I have LOVED this book.

It has started so many good conversations, sometimes even with other people!

All of the "frightening" and "subversive" reviews just make me like it even more.


Yay for the Shack! :)

Ouch

Today at church, a lady said something about having kids. I kind of gave her the "yeah...about that" look...hoping to imply that I'm not sure I'll ever want kids.

Her response:
"Oh that's right, you probably need to be married"
yeah...
"Well, it could happen"
_____________________________________________

It could happen? Like a meteor hitting the Earth or Tim Gunn being straight? Like MTV returning to music or Paris Hilton becoming a TV evangelist?

It's not likely....but it COULD happen.

Really?

I'm only 26!

Really?!!

New Blog

So...this is my new blog.

Because my quasi-professional blog is called Teach-on-purpose (and is sort of a will-this-book-sell blog) I felt weird blogging about anything but school.

This is just the honest blog from a single girl who loves Jesus like mad, bakes like a revolutionary, pours most of who she is in students, and fears 30 more than she's willing to admit.

I'm not going to publicize this one a lot.

There's no agenda.

There's just me.