sonic happy hour mentality

If I'm out anytime during 2-4 chances are I will be stopping by a Sonic. There's something about 50% off that makes the extra distance worth it.

Well enough about Sonic addiction, despite the title this post really doesn't have much to do with happy hour. It is my inspiration for this post though..

The sweet girl that brought me my sweet tea (it was intentional) skated out to my car- I really feel bad for them because of that - I always try to park close to the door to minimize their skate time (kind, I know). In our brief exchange- I give her the cash and she gives me my RT 44- she made a simple, but noticeable comment, 'I like your earrings'. Thats it- then she left. Nothing big, just a short comment during our quick encounter. There was nothing special about my earrings, same (fake) pearls that I wear almost daily. I started thinking, what if this Sonic skater made it a point to compliment something about each person she served that day. Who cares if she used that same line all day- it was new to me.

So the mentality- look for ways, or a way, to compliment the people you meet. Make it a goal- evidently it makes an impact- I mean I blogged about it = )

blog-able moments

Being the lover of blogging that I am I constantly think of what my next post should be about.... so that's slightly dramatic-but let's just go with it.

When your mom, dad, sister, significant other calls you at the end of the day what do you tell them? what makes the highlight reel? what's the cliff-notes version of your day?

I've realized that it's the 'little' moments that are the most encouraging to me, and often the ones that are left of the 'cutting room floor'. And it's not just that I fail to mention them during my end-of-the-day phone calls it's that I often don't thank God for them as I should. Maybe not even that, maybe it's that I simply don't let myself fully appreciate them.

For instance: Today my professor let us out of class early (which is beautiful by itself) but leaving at a different time I 'happened' to cross paths with a fellow Nehemiah Team member from this past summer. Our brief run in turned out to be a 15 min conversation about what we were both going through- just overall encouraging, and not only that but a great reminder about the Philippines.

There's also been a verse, 1 Peter 5:3, that I've been studying recently. Today that verse was on top on the pile of index card verses that I keep on my nightstand.

There could definitely be a lot more to this list if I sit here and think long enough. I guess I'm just wanting to have more of an 'attitude of gratitude' - to learn to genuinely appreciate the little things.

I'm realizing that my life doesn't happen in the moments that are blog-able but maybe more in the ones that I don't consider worthy of mentioning again. I praise God that He cares enough for me to provide huge blessing in little things.

As a side note... movies that I want to see: the back-up plan. the last song. date night. I'm pretty behind- a weekend to catch up on movies would be good = )

black beans and rice

Sitting on the couch watching 'Little People Big World' with the roomie and I thought it would be a good night to blog. There's been so much to go on this past week that it'd probably be good to put my thoughts down in writing.

It's amazing that when I look back, having experienced it all, I can honestly say that God has been in it all. I never want to say anything without bragging on God, not that He needs it but He truly deserves it. I never ever want to look back and take credit for anything, or every try to say I managed to get by on any amount of my own abilities.

I love blogging. I love writing and I love reflecting. One of my favorite books in the Bible is Joshua, specifically when God commands the tribes to pick up a stone of remembrance at the point where they are right in the middle of the Jordan. The middle. The place where you can look ahead and look back and you're just as far in as you'll ever be out. To go forward into a new land, a land that you have heard about for twenty years as being incredible when all you know is life in the dessert. Ebenezer, they were to call it- "Thus far the Lord has carried me". Picture yourself there- you've come this far and to to go back to the life you've known in this new land is no longer an option once picking up this stone. Setting it up at Gilgal is a reminder that you can only go forward.

Imagine looking at the pillar of 12 stones after the waters of the Jordan are flowing over the places where you walked. The image of picking up the stone is forever in your mind- you remember the weight of it as you carried it between two walls of water. At that moment you didn't know what 'forward' was going to look like; but you knew, with great familiarity, deep longings and comfortable feelings what looking back was like. You've been told that the promised land is better- and not just a casual better, but better in every sense of what it could be. In the desert, that has been home for twenty years, talk of the 'Promised Land' was common talk- always invoking in you, though often fleeting, a glimpse of something better, a perfect-sense of what should be instead of what was.

You weren't comfortable in the desert. The restriction of waiting 5 more years until the promise was fulfilled ensues thoughts of acceptance in a place where you know you are only waiting. Living, knowing that the Jordan had to be crossed makes frequent the doubts of how much you truly believe the Most High is with you and in you. When you cross over the river- how ever God is going to bring you across- will anything feel familiar? Will you remember the defeat you carried with you in the desert- will it all be gone when you pass thought the water? How long will it take to cross the Jordan- will God have you stay there (in the process of crossing over) or will you hurry across, anxiously shedding the desert mentality to embrace the promised land? Will you be full of confidence because you're finally moving or unsure if the years in the desert can be loosed from the chains that once held you to it?

Does crossing over the Jordan bring the change itself or will the act of crossing over only serve to spur the change- could God have perhaps been changing you in the desert and so by crossing only served as a bookend to it all?

I guess this is what comes out when you don't have a purpose in mind for a blog... can't say I hate how it turned out. Oh and the title, it's what I had for dinner. I guess you could say I was missing the Philippines...

peace out.

just sit

It's a beautiful day in Haslam, the business building that is. The seats that I am in are pretty close together so it got me thinking- while I'm studying for my test, about just how much the stranger next to me is going to/or has found out about me in the past 15 minutes we've spent in silent community with each other.

I'm not talking about people watching, although the song that talks about people watching people watching is so true!

I'm talking about the things that someone can pick up on your life just by observing you for 15 minutes- and this is in the least creepy way possible.

So let's take me as an example- through the eyes of the guy sitting next to me.

I sit down with my bagel and orange crush soda from Einsteins- he'd have to be looking pretty closely to notice the kind of soda though. He notices how I sit there for a while, and like most people, catch up on my text messages.. pull out my laptop and look around at various people.

He can observe the things that catch my eye- boys that I give more than just the one second glance and then he'll observe the people that I'm friends with- slightly looking up when he hears the sound of my voice break the fellowship of our silence.

And then, are you ready for this, hear comes the big one- he is there when a random stranger (!!!) comes and sits down in between us asking for 5 minutes of my time. He participates in this awkward situation with me as one equally caught off guard by the unexpected contact. This stranger is there to witness one of the most unusual conversations I've ever had and I'm sure in his mind he is trying to pick up on the clues that would give him any signal to a prior relationship we've had (there was none).

The guy leaves and my buddy- as I feel like we are after we've shared that common bonding experience- gets to hear the sound of my voice as I call a friend. He can pick up on my caring personality by the compassion in my voice. He knows that I tell my friends I love them and he can even assume what I've done this past weekend, or haven't done for that matter.

I'm sure that at this point he probably knows more about me ( the sound of my voice, my habitual issue with texting, what kind of drink I prefer, the interactions with friends) and probably assumes that he should be the one asking me on a random date more so than the other guy- which quite frankly I can't say that I disagree.

This blog was inspired because I genuinely believe that after 15 minutes of sitting next to me that this guy could tell you more about me that the stranger who sees my face all over Knoxville- literally we always run into each other. And therefore, barring any physical attraction, or lack thereof, the person sitting next to me has more of a knowledge of me to pursue a relationship than that familiar face.

Now don't read this and think 'Wow Val you really think you're the greatest thing that happened to this world' or anything like that. All I'm wanting to do is point out just how sitting with someone, rather intentionally sitting next to your love, or if its the person nest to you in Haslam, you get to know them-silently.

And quite simply don't take that information for granted.

Hindsight is 20/20

...this post really has nothing to do with hindsight-I just had that quote in my head today and it sounded like a good blog title....

So here are my realizations for the week:

I eat out way too much. Thing is though is that 1. I don't have time to shop for groceries and 2. even if I did have food at my apartment I'm never here to eat it.

The thought of not knowing when I'll have time to run each day makes me stress.

God perfectly combined my love for ministry and event planning into my current job.

Honeysuckle Wood Wick candles are amazing.

I'm a worse speller than I thought when I don't have T9 making words for me.

I have now reached the point in the year when I look at the 10 day forecast to plan out when I will be able to lay out.

It's kinda funny that God knew what life was like in the beginning stages of basketball (I'm watching the final 4 right now).

A thermostat that is reading 82 is not working.

Sometimes God is intentional in allowing us to see the direct connection between our prayers and His answers.

Divine appointments are incredible!! And all I can say to that is 'God is SO cool'!

My small group is one of those intentional answers to prayer. All I want is for God to be glorified and I know that He is working and I am so thankful for His invisible work!

I never really thought about the fact that the followers of Christ doubted when He was crucified. I always read the Bible knowing that after it says 'The crucifixion of Jesus' the next title says 'Jesus' resurrection'. Looking at it from the disciples' point of view at the Walk Wednesday was eye opening among many other things.

And lastly, don't try to open an Izze bottle from Starbucks with your bare hands, you will get cut, and it will hurt.