infectious smile.

i saw a homeless man today.  well, i see several homeless people everyday here in Eugene.  but there was something different about this dude.  


he was playing air guitar.


and he was so happy


and his smile was infectious.

this girl with brown hair has one of the most infectious smiles ever.

and he inspired me.  it reminded me of this quote:

"Let no one ever come to you without ever leaving better and happier.  Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."  -Mother Teresa

purpose

i have a very sensitive heart.  and it aches right now.  i am trying to find my place here in Eugene.  my husband is very busy and often times i am at home alone ALL day long (i still don't have a job).  and so my soul searches for purpose.  i want to feel needed. i long to make a difference.


and so tonight this verse came to me. and spoke to the core of my soul.


"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." Jeremiah 1:5a (NIV)




before i was born, He. set. ME. apart.


my heart swells and hot tears stream down my face.  he does have a purpose for me.  and i need to choose to trust that promise.  




awake my soul! for you are dearly loved. and intimately known and connected to the one who formed you.

change is hard sometimes.  please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

i need an iphone.

i was texting with my brother yesterday.  i wish i had an iphone to take a picture of the conversation and post it on here (you know, like the cool people always do on facebook?).  

it started off by me asking him about our economy and if we're going into a double dip recession.  he is the one who was born with the genius brains he has a bachelor's degree in economics , so i ask him [my little brother] questions all the time.  

then we proceed to talk about christmas and when we will be able to see each other again.  then the conversation goes as follows:

Trav: "i don't think i can wait that long to see you"

me: "then buy a plane ticket and come see us"

Trav: "maybe i'll just get a girl knocked up who has a rich dad"

haaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaha! 

let's be honest, my brother is one of the most Godly men who has ever walked the earth.  he would NEVER do anything like that for a reason like that.  if you know my brother, this is hilarious.  sorry mom, but it's really hilarious because it's completely opposite of Trav's character.

oh man, i love my brother!

so this post would've been much quicker and better if i just had an iphone.  don't you agree.  i'm taking donations :)

my cup overflows.

i wish i could take you to coffee and tell you what He has done for me.  it's so hard for me to even put it into words.  but right now in this moment, my heart is so full.  my cup runneth over. 

i don't have a mansion, actually i don't even own a house.

i'm not a millionaire, actually i have loads of college debt.

i'm just your average joe.

i don't have a job.

i'm not using my degree.

i'm hundreds of miles from my closest friends and family.

but let me tell you what he has done for me...

i should first start with the fact that when i was a freshman and sophomore in college, i wanted nothing more than to be single for the rest of my life and be a medical missionary in kazakhstan or somewhere cool.  maybe eventually adopt a child from an orphanage that i would work at, if they'd let me.  me and jesus, that's all i wanted and needed.

he has given me abundantly more than my wants.  i don't even have the words to describe what a blessing my marriage has been in my life.  when paul came into my life, i was healing from my sin.  i didn't want a husband.  i actually tried to talk him out of liking me.  it makes me laugh now at how stressed out i was over it.  it would've been so much easier to just trust what the Lord was doing and not try to fight it. but on the other hand the communication aspect of that healing process has helped me to trust paul and jesus even more.  sorry, i'm rambling here.  this is why i wish we could be talking over coffee... so that i can actually make sense.  

the marriage covenant has spoken so much to my heart about Jesus's love for me. the stories about God and Israel come to life for me.  contrary to the media, i find marriage so incredibly freeing.  paul has made promises to me and i have NO reason not to trust him.  trusting paul by taking this leap of faith into marriage was a scary thing (and still is - hello, we just moved across the nation!), but 2 years and 1 month into marriage, i will tell you that it is soooo worth it.  it makes my eyes well up with tears and my heart swell just thinking about how much more i love him now than when we said 'i do'.

tis so sweet to trust in jesus.  thank you for my husband, lord.  please protect our marriage, for i know the temptations of this world.  hold onto us lord, we cannot do it alone.  come and fill our souls.  help me to love him as you love us.

the first time we saw each other on our wedding day. still makes me tear up.

shower curtain.

the progress on my yellow and gray bathroom...  i finished the shower curtain!  i originally just wanted to do it in all gray with some kind of ruffles or fabric flowers in yellow, but i didn't buy enough gray fabric. and i'm cheap and just used fabric that i already had.  anyway, i think i'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.  i might add some cool looking craftiness.  what do ya'll think?  any ideas? or do you like it how it is?

gray fabric up close.  kind of looks like O's for oregon, but it was the cheapest decent looking gray fabric i could find.  i told paul this is the closest we will get to having any type of DUCKS decor in our home :)

yep, we still haven't put all of our boxes away.

and i was thinking of getting this for the toilet bowl... i mean it's yellow right?

poop on michigan

quack

a perk to paul's GA position is that he gets 2 tickets to every home game.  one of the sucky parts of my job is that i will be working every saturday and sunday, so i won't be able to go to most of the games.  anyway, since the buckeyes can't go to any bowl games for the next 2 years (stupid pryor), i don't feel so bad cheering for the ducks over the next 2 years since they won't be able to play each other.


so check out this hilarious video that was made by a couple of students...

"i love my ducks"

so these dudes became famous for making this video (which was actually before they won their conference and LOST to the buckeyes -ya baby!). all the fans wear t-shirts that say 'i love my ducks'.  so of course, i had to buy one!

please notice the scarlet and gray shorts because i am still a buckeye.  haha.

and here was the video they came out with last year that is quite hilarious. 'return of the quack'

(oh and can we mention, that those cheerleaders in the background are Paul's athletes.  talk about a workout motivation!!!!!)

and we are still waiting for them to come up with a video from this year.

table cloth

Grandma Helen is a beautiful embroiderer.  It is my mom's best friend's grandma.  Yep, I call her grandma helen too.  for our wedding, grandma helen made us the most beautiful table cloth.  and i just have to share it because every time i look at it i think of how beautiful it is.

ya, mad talent, right?  she made the design herself too!  i also have 4 matching napkins to go with it :)  oh, that i could one day be that good!

dog toys

So does is not a very good eater.  especially with his dry food.  it seems the only time he actually eats his dry food is when he is playing.  so he chases a ball and then runs to his food bowl and drops the balls in the bowl and pushes the food all around until he finds the perfect piece!  oh, my goodness!  it drives me crazy! because i end up picking up his food that splashes out all around his bowl.  what  goofy dog i have.  does anyone else have this problem?

*Right now he isn't eating any dry food.  it's all baby food, when he eats.  please keep him in your prayers.  we took him to the animal hospital on sunday night/monday morning (middle of the night) because he was having trouble breathing.  his larynx and tonsils were so swollen he could barely breathe.  he is on a steroid, an antibiotic and a pain killer.  but the hardest part is making him eat!  this poor guys has been through sooo much, it's heart breaking.  i just want him to have the most fulfilling life a dog could have.*

hippie headbands.

i'm really digging hippie headbands right now.  i wear them with just a plain ponytail, but my favorite is to actually wear it like a hippie!  :)  i made this one the other day!  sooo simple. do you like?

song of songs 4:7

If you come to our house and use our bathroom, you will see this right next to the mirror!  How easy is it to look into the bathroom mirror and pick out every. one. of. your. FLAWS.?  Well when you look in our mirror, you'll be reminded of what a gem you are!  

Song of Songs 4:7

(I wanted to put the verse in the left bottom corner, but i couldn't write that small.  haha.  also, do you like how the writing starts going crooked?  haha!  hey i'm the creator, i can judge it, right?)

This is also a start on my new yellow and gray bathroom that i am dreaming up! 

waterfalls

i missed out on this trip, but these pictures are so gorgeous i had to share them with you so that you will want to come and visit us!  when my in-laws were here, we did a lot of hiking and sight seeing.  on this particular day, i had a job interview (and i got the job - Jehovah Jireh!) so i was not able to come along.  but these waterfalls are close to our house and are breathtaking.

see the rainbow?!

yes, that is real.

'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’'  John 7:38

Ruth

so i was looking through a box of buttons that my mamaw gave to me and i almost cried when i found these...

yep!  tags that were my great grandmother's!  Her name was Ruth.  Like my mamaw and me.  i love these.