weekend update

Happy Monday! I don't really have that much to write about but thought I would document this past weekend. As most of you know, I like to keep things low key and rest. I was still able to do that, however, I also enjoyed hanging out with some friends.
Friday night, Hollie came over and we enjoyed some pizza, conversation about dumb boys, and perhaps an adult beverage was drunk (: It was good to catch up!

Saturday morning, I grabbed a pumpkin spice latte, drove to Hillary's apartment, and hopped in the backseat of Marty's car with Melissa. Melissa and I went to cheer on the happy couple as they did the Mud Run. Races usually inspire me and make me want to join in. Well, not this one. Those two crazy kids ran a 10k in camo pants and combat boots. AND, they had to do all of these crazy obstacles along the way. I wish I had an 'after' picture, but here is a before of Hill and her two biggest fans:

** *note to self--Must work on posture***
The weather Saturday was beautiful and I enjoyed being outside and watching the race. I was also motivated to get super-serious about diet and exercise after seeing the most incredibly flat, cut abs on one of the female winners. I work out a lot and am a fairly good eater, but I could do sooo much better. So, my new sole purpose in life is to get a six pack...ha.

The rest of the weekend was spent sleeping in, talking with my brother who won't be home for Christmas (*tear*), getting some great buys at Bath and Body, going to church, and planning out my Christmas gifts. I have decided this year to make all of my gifts. My brother laughed when I told him this and asked if I was going to be decorating orange juice cans with popsicle sticks. Very funny, Matthew. Just to clear things up, I purchased this Martha Stewart magazine that is all about Christmas crafts and can't wait to get going. Some girls from work are wanting to join in the fun and have a craft party...all of you CVMS peeps are invited ;)

Well, that's all I've got. I have decided that it is going to be a great week and I'm loving this rain right now...just hope my little hail-damaged roof can hang in there (:

Thursday Thanks

Well, tis the season to start thinking about my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I love everything about it: the weather, the food, family, football, and reflecting on my many blessings. So, I decided that every Thursday I will blog about 3 people/events/things I am thankful for. It is so easy for me to focus on what I don't have so I want to focus on how great my life really is so I don't take anything for granted.
So, here goes!!!

1. Melissa and Hillary
These girls are so special to me. I have always had a small group of close friends at a time rather than a bunch of people I know on a surface level. Both of these girls are amazing and I look forward to our *almost* weekly meetings. These girls challenge me, make me laugh, and are completely transparent....I love you girls! JJ and Marty are lucky guys ;)

2. Running
I am so thankful for the ability to run AND that I enjoy it. I love the clarity that I get when I run. This is what keeps me going when I want to give up or am tired. Earlier in the school year, I went to a cross country meet and saw a guy there who was watching on the sidelines. He was a double amputee and was confined to his wheelchair. While he seemed to have a great attitude, I couldn't help but think that he'd probably give anything to be able to move like those kids were.

3. Fall
I just love this season. I have documented it here, here, and here.


Stay tuned for next week's edition!!!

shout out

One of the things that I have loved the most about where I work is the people that I work with. I have gone through different seasons with different coworkers and some of those relationships have fizzled out. However, this year, I have so enjoyed eating lunch with a particular group of girls. One of those gals is Tara and I have loved getting to know more about her, her life, and about her sweet baby boy, Lane. Today, I found out that she's a blogger...who knew?!?!?!
So fun (: I am so blessed to work with amazing people each day!!!

i'd rather be in stars hollow

I have spent several hours over the past seven days watching "Gilmore Girls". I have such fond memories of sitting around and enjoying this show with my mom AND my dad while I was home from college. We loved the witty repartee, unique bond between Rory and Lorelei, and the quaint little town that they lived in. So, the other day while doing loads of schoolwork, I pulled out Season One. It made grading and lesson planning on a Saturday so much better (:

This weekend, I started with Season Two and am just loving it all over again. I'm sad that the show had to end, but am grateful that it will live on forever on DVD (:

Fiesta!!

I know I just posted some recipes, but here are a couple more that are super easy and yummy.
My Mom started making these enchiladas a few years ago and they are always a hit. I made them the other night for a friend, along with this "Killer Queso" recipe that my Aunt Gina gave me recently. The great thing about the enchiladas is that you can make them ahead of time and then just put them in the oven when you're ready. You can even freeze them if you'd like.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
2-3 large cans, pkgs., or fresh chicken equaling same
8 Oz. cream cheese, softened
1 regular size picante (Pace size) I actually like the Pace Chipotle kind if you can find it, but any will do.
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed and melted
1 or 2 cans mild enchilada sauce
flour tortillas

Mix the cooked chicken with 1/2 bottle picante sauce and the cream cheese. Place some of chicken mixture onto a tortilla and roll it up. Place seam side down into a baking dish. I use a 9 x 13. Usually I end up with about 10 of these enchiladas. Then, melt the Velveeta and add the remaining picante sauce and the enchilada sauce altogether. Pour that mixture over the enchiladas and bake until hot and bubbly (I cover these with foil). Then, bake between 20 - 35 minutes depending on your oven and if they were cold when you started. Try 350 degrees. You can serve as is or garnish with a little grated cheese (let it melt right at the end) and/or some green onions or fresh cilantro or whatever you can think of! You can vary the "heat" by using milder or hotter picante and milder or spicier enchilada sauce.


Killer Queso!!!
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can rotel
4-8 oz. of green chiles
1 tbl minced jalepenos
1 tsp cumin
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 lb. Velveeta
1/4 cup minced cilantro
4 oz jar of pimentos

Mix everything except Velveeta and cilantro. Heat it until it's bubbly. Add cubed Velveeta and stir in the cilantro. That's it!!!

So maybe someone out there in the blogosphere will try these recipes and enjoy. Let me know if you try them! I would love to do a recipe exchange of some sort and expand my repertoire. I am holding fast to the belief that if I cook it, he will come. haha (:

love me some pumpkin

I love pumpkin. I love that fall celebrates pumpkins. I, for one, enjoy eating it all year round as a vegetable. But, I have some favorite recipes that I bust out during this season. Right now, I am making these (and yes, I used my fabulous new mixer!!):

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies...these are so good and have more of a 'cake' consistency
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate
chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

And this is great for a snack!
Pumpkin Dip (great with fruit or gingersnaps)
1 8oz. pkg. Cream cheese,
softened2 cups confectioners sugar
1 (15 oz) can solid pack pumpkin
1 TBL ground cinnamon
1 TBL pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp frozen orange juice concentrate
Blend together cream cheese and confectioners sugar in one bowl. In another bowl, mix pumpkin, spices and orange juice. Thoroughly mix in the cream cheese blend. Chill until serving.


Hope you enjoy The Pumpkin as much as I do!!

wedding? I don't need no stinkin' wedding

Well, here is what is now sitting on my kitchen counter:




















If you read this post, then you'll know why I am so pumped about this. Thank you, Parents, for this belated birthday gift! And thank you, Em, for encouraging me to just get one of these already (:

when did i get so old?

This morning I woke up at 4:30 a.m.
Willingly, mind you.
I showered.
Put my robe on.
Made coffee.
Read up on my current events via my favorite sites: Foxnews.com, Cnn.com, Drudgereport.com, and usatoday.com
Ate oatmeal because it's high in fiber and helps lower my bad cholesterol.
Started a meal in the crock pot so that it would be ready for dinner when I got home.
Applied Anti-wrinkle serum.
Then applied Neutrogena Skin Firming Moisturizer with Active Copper. Does anyone know what active copper is? I sure don't but it sounded good on the commercial.
I then wondered how I could be developing wrinkles while still getting zits. Why doesn't anyone tell you that wrinkles and blemished can coexist? I thought one was supposed to cancel out the other.
Then I paid some bills online.
Drank some more coffee.
Learned some more about this bank/financial crisis.
Went to work.
Had a discussion at lunch about the dangers of salt. Did you know that too much salt is taxing on your kidneys and liver? I'm going to have to try to cut it out but I consider sodium to be its own food group.
Said all sorts of things I swore I never would to some kids like, "too bad, so sad", "you should have thought about that before you came to class", "Life's not fair", etc.
Bought ANOTHER shower gift...this time for my cousin's baby shower.
Got excited about the Vice-presidential debate.
Ate some of my crockpot chicken and dumplings.
Contemplated becoming a vegan again.
Took a cat nap.
Watched the debate.
Called my dad to discuss said debate, economy, and my wedding...ha. (Really, i was just re-negotiating the price that he's offered me to not have one should the Lord tarry and I actually find someone to marry)
And now, I'm going to bed.

But the big question is....who am I and where did days of living footloose and fancy-free go?!?!?!?!?!??!

single serving

**Disclaimer: This is not a blog intended to evoke pity, but rather, an observation on traditions, etc.


OK. Good. Glad I got that warning out of the way (:
Tonight, I went to the store to buy yet another wedding shower gift. Now, I kind of enjoy the process of looking at the registry and coming up with the perfect gift to fit my single-gal budget. I feel grown up, and I especially feel adult-ish when I am buying baby gifts. That's when the whole "Wow, I'm old enough to have friends with kids!" thing kicks in.
Every time I buy one of these gifts, I selfishly wonder if I will ever be on the receiving end of a bridal registry. And there is really only one thing I dream
about: the Kitchen Aid Mixer.




















Now, here's the dilemma. Being as though I am 29 and own a house, I have already acquired a lot of household items: Cutlery, plates, Le Creuset cookware, a crock pot, steamer/rice cooker, pans, pots, casserole dishes, etc. So, the question is....do I keep adding things to my home or hold out in the hopes that one day I'll be able to register for them? Do I spend the next few years using my sad little hand mixer, or do I treat myself to the real-deal right now since whether I'll ever get married is unknown?

Again, this is not a 'woe is me' post about my solitude. Sure, I have those every-so-often, but I think it's completely normal. I think the thing that bothers me the most is that I am constantly having people trying to comfort me with their wisdom of how singleness is just as wonderful as marriage if that's the season the Lord has you in blah blah blah. Sometimes I believe that. But, if it's so great--and IF you are called to a lifetime of singleness--why isn't there a celebration of that? Do single people not need to create homes and foster their gifts of hospitality with the help of said mixer? And it's not really about the gifts, but rather, the acknowledgment that the Lord's purposes for my life as a single are just as exciting and worth celebrating as the gals who are getting married.

Just something to chew on courtesy of my latest trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond (:

wish list

I have been thinking lately of all of the fun things that I can do to make my humble little abode a bit more cozy. Don't get me wrong--I love my house. But, I am starting to think of little house projects that I hope to be able to do within the next year or so.

1. Hardwood Floors
I wish to put something like this in my dining room, living room, and hallway.

2. Scrape popcorn ceilings

I have grown accustomed to the popcorn, but I would love to get rid of it someday. The popcorn just dates the home.

3. Cover the pink marble fireplace with Faux austin stone. Ah, I have dreamed about this for a long time but can't find anyone who actually knows how to install it!
Here is the only picture of the fireplace now (please ignore my pose and the decorations on the marble)














And here's what I want to cover it with:













So, a girl can dream. I'm not sure how I am going to pay for all of this but it is sure is fun to have a goal to save towards.

bouquets of sharpened pencils

I love when Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are emailing back and forth in "You've Got Mail" and they start talking about all the things they love about fall. That's where my little title comes from. Being a teacher and being as though autumn is my favorite season, I just love the image that those words create.

Fall is officially here, even though it feels nothing like it outside. Here are some things I especially enjoy about this season:
The Pumpkin (including but not limited to Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Creamy Pumpkin Oatmeal, Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin dip, and just plain pumpkin as a side dish...yum) .
Hoodies. Enough Said.
Soup.
Football games.
Awesome running weather.
The FW Turkey Trot.
Knowing that Thanksgiving and the Holidays are right around the corner.
Leaves changing colors
...and I am sure I could think of much, much more.

Now, speaking of "You've Got Mail", I've had a development take place in my life that makes that movie really hit home. No, it's not online dating, but rather, the corporate takeover. My own personal "Shop Around the Corner" aka, The Health and Athletic Center, has been taken over by Lifetime Fitness. I am so sad. I love the HAC because they have a dress code, low rates, and amazing classes. Lifetime is twice the price and they only have two step classes. The family atmosphere at the HAC is what I love and I'm not intmidated by the people who work out there OR by the instructors. So, I guess I will be in the market for a new gym, but nothing really excites me. What a dilemma. Maybe I'll just bust out The FIRM dvd's that I did for years. We'll see.

twenty-nine

Wow. 29 years.

3 days into it and I don't know what to think.

My first thought is that 30 is just around the corner.

Everyone keeps telling me that "30 is the new 25" or something like that.
I am not sure.

To me, I feel like I only have 361 days left to mark off a list of things off a 'list' that I have made in my head for the past 10 years or so.

But, so many of those things are out of my control.

Marriage, kids, etc.

Sometimes it seems like I have been running in a marathon but am barely moving and about to just join the spectators on the sidelines.

Sometimes I think it's not that big of a deal.

It's not a race.

I am not losing.

Maybe I am just running in a different race.

It's not inferior.

God does not love me any less.

Or anymore.

I wish I could cling to that truth at all times.

Comparisons aren't good.

But it's a hard habit to break.

So I am deciding that 29 is going to be great.

Perhaps not the 'great' I've had in my mind for the past decade.

But my 29 is not a Plan B.

Thank you Jesus for 29 years.

And for a family that loves me.

And for friends who accept the real me.

For my house.

My job.

Little sixth grade lives to influence daily.

And for holding me even when I can't feel your arms wrapped around me.

Here's to 29...

will i ever learn???

I am not what you would call an impulsive person. Most decisions I make are fairly well thought out and the result of much deliberation. There have been times, however, where I act on a whim. Most of these times involve my hair. Now, those of you very close to me know the hair drama that has ensued over the past three years (thank you thyroid). But this has nothing to do with that.

Last night, I decided that I would get a haircut Saturday morning...just a trim. I had a coupon and my mom had just gotten her hair cut at this same little place. Her hair looked good so I figured it was worth a shot. I mean, all I really wanted was an inch-and-a-half trim. Just enough to clean up the ends. I've been on this new crusade to grow my hair out to where it's past my shoulders when it's curly. Well, let's just say that that dream will not be coming to fruition anytime in the next two years. Apparently, 1.5 inches translated into 3!!! This means that I cannot even get it into a ponytail. I rely so heavily on the ponytail and now I don't know what to do. At least the stylist was enjoying herself during the cut, dancing and singing to every song that played on Mix 102.9. I particularly liked it when she harmonized to "Cuts Like a Knife" by Bryan Adams.
The sad part is that I have had countless impulse haircuts and they always end up the same way--badly. Maybe it's time to find a stylist and develop a relationship with him or her. Someone I can trust. Someone that knows the innermost workings of my follicles. Someone who knows what's best for my crazy, curly hair.

Oh well. At least all of my split ends are gone. *sigh*

RNC

Ok...
I am watching the Republican National Convention and have laughed out loud several times. Not necessarily because the speakers were funny, but rather because the people at the convention are just comical. They are dancing and jumping up and down, waving things in the air, and whooping and hollering. Oh, and this just in: a lady was just shown being escorted out of the arena by some guys in suits.

I think I like this Sarah Palin. I had never heard of her until Friday, but so far, so good. Is it just me or does she kind of look like Peggy Hill from "King of the Hill"? I'm just sayin'...

One thing I can't stand is the standing ovation. It is so forced and insincere. Sure, a few people may feel moved to stand from time to time, but you can't tell me that EVERY person in a room feels the same exact emotion at the same time. I think that this feeling first developed in one of my many charismatic church experiences. I particularly remember that my church in high school would have a special "anthem" every Sunday. Well, I began noticing that after the first measure was sung, the spirit had apparently moved the whole sanctuary to stand on their feet. I refused and was often the only person seating. Maybe I'm stubborn, or some might even deem me disrespectful. However, I maintain to this day that the standing ovation is a forced display of "emotion". Maybe I'm bitter because I've never received one and probably never will. But I do know that I would never want people to feel obligated to stand to their feet if they didn't really want to.

Yes, this blog was pretty pointless, but I am trying to stay awake and listen to the remainder of Palin's speech.

Until next time...

randomness

Well, it's about 11pm on a Saturday night and I'm blogging. Well, actually I'm baking cookies, doing laundry, AND blogging in the meantime. What an exciting twenty-something life I lead. haha. Don't worry--I actually have a date tomorrow so that will be fun (:

Here is just a little run-down of some recently happenings for my two faithful readers, Rebekah and Melissa.

*My Dad's mom, Betty June Turner Shuler, passed away last Saturday. You can read her obituary here. I think it sums up her life pretty well. We are sad for the loss of her here on earth but grateful that she is free from the body that failed her so miserably over the past 8 years or so. Praise God that she is reunited with D.J, but it's still hard to believe that she's gone.

*School has started! I am teaching 6th grade this year. They are funnier than I thought they would be...but also as needed as I DID think that they would be. This year is going to be challenging in a lot of new ways but I think it's going to be great. Here's to Year 7! Wow--seven years. Who would've thought?

*I went to a high school Cross Country meet last night to see some kids run and actually got to see students from 3 and 4 years ago. They have all matured so nicely and it put teaching in perspective. I love seeing them once they've grown up a little. It would have been nice, however, if a couple of them would have been better behaved while they were in my class. Oh well!

*Hooray for Labor Day Weekend! If only every weekend was 3 days long...

*I decided on the iPod Classic. So far, so good. Thanks to everyone who contributed their two cents.

*I will be 29 in less than two weeks. I am freaked out about this birthday. Not sure why, except that it's the last year of my twenties. Goodness, I'm getting old. It is really hard not to compare where I am in my life versus where I thought I would be.

*Matthew (my baby brother) is moving to Idaho in a week or so to do a DTS with YWAM. From there he will go to India. Rebekah--I tried so hard to get him to go to Australia so you could look out for him. This is a huge transition for him, as he's leaving his job at BP to pursue a new direction. I am proud of him for his decision.

*My college friend, Keira, just lost her father this past Tuesday. She's in Thailand doing mission work but was able to go back to Colorado. My heart hurts for her, and I can't imagine losing my Dad at this age.

Well, that's about all I have for now. I'll try to have some more focused posts in the near future!

it's all starting to make sense

Even though we are supposed to embrace our individuality when it comes to physical appearances, we all have certain people that we admire for specific outstanding features. For example, I was watching a commercial today for Pantene and thought, "I would kill for that Maria Menounos' hair." This is not the hairdo from the ad, but you can still tell that she has a great head of hair:

For guys, I have heard one common aspiration that they have when they get on a work-out/health kick. It never meant much to me until last night. I have heard the following phrase more times than I can count: "I want to look like Brad Pitt in 'Fight Club'". After watching this movie for the first time last night, I get it. Gentlemen, you all have my blessing to aspire to resemble this...sans cigarette and black eye (:

PTL!!

Oh, and the movie was sooo different than what I thought. It has left me with a few questions and was much more poignant than I would have imagined.

something's gotta give

I know I have posted on this particular topic before, but I really need to stop one of my worst habits: Diet soda. As much as it pains me to give up one of my little earthly joys, I have to quit. I'm convinced that our bodies were not designed to handle aspartame and all of its possible side effects. Water is ok...I can learn to love it again. And don't people who carry water bottles around just kind of have an appearance of health? Ah, yes. That will be me.
So long, my dear friend...

Please don't stop the music

Yes, the title of this post is also the name of an incredibly obnoxious Rhianna song, but it seemed fitting. A couple of weeks ago, my precious little Civic was broken into. The passenger side window was busted and my little mp3 player was gone. Now, I was a little excited about the prospect of shopping for a new mp3 player because my other one had a lot of music on it that I didn't want anymore. And there was some kind of glitch with the software that wouldn't let me take it off, so space for new songs was limited.
So, I am now in the market for a new device. I am about 95% sure that I am going with an Apple this time.
Here are the options:
The iPod Classic







Cost: $249
Pros: Can hold up to 20,000 songs so I would never be short on space
Cons: It is kind of big for running, and that's one of my main uses for it. Has anyone used this while working out? Help!

The Nano








Cost: $199 for 4G
Pros: Compact and great for running...should be enough space since it holds 2,000 songs
Cons: Dollar for dollar, I could get a lot more space with the classic

I think the iPod Touch is pretty cool, but I don't think I need to spend that much money. Also, the thought of having wireless access everywhere I go just makes me think I would never have human-to-human contact again. ha.

So, if anyone is still reading this, please give me your thoughts/opinions/experiences. I am open to other brands as well. I really liked my Sansa player but the thought of syncing up to iTunes just sounds so much easier.

I'm still alive

Ok Rebekah...this one's for you, friend (:

For whatever reason, I have not felt compelled to blog at all over the past few months. Part of me thinks it's incredibly narcissistic to think that anyone cares about my little life. But, my dear little friend, Rebekah, says that this is her 'lifeline'. Boy, have I let her down! This summer, I've had a few fun experiences, learned some new things, and have spent lots of time with family and friends. There is a lot on my heart and in my head, but I'm not quite ready to get back into full blogging mode. So, I like to think of this attempt to re-enter as a baby step. It will be light on substance and photos, but I think the juices might start flowing for future blogs after a while. We shall see...

Here is a list of some things I've done this summer:
--I went on a cruise to New England/Canada with my parents and brother. It was their 30th
anniversary and they wanted to take their kids with them since we're "not married yet". Ha.
It was a good time overall but 7 days is a bit long to be on a ship with hundreds of senior
citizens.

--I have rediscovered my love of reading and it's been so great. This summer I have read: "The
Other Boleyn Girl", "The Last Summer of You and Me", "My Sister's Keeper", "Twilight" (now
I'm working on the 2nd book in the series "New Moon"), "The Nanny Diaries", "The Prince",
and now I'm working on "The Reason for God".

--I have had more of a tan this summer than I have had in years. Love it!

--I love love love sundresses! Seriously, this discovery has been so wonderful and freeing. They are fun and flirty and you don't have to fix your hair to look like you made an effort to look cute--perfect!

--I have been stressed about watering my foundation during all of this heat. Home ownership
has been great until this summer. I also need a new roof due to the storms in March & April.

--I got a new car over Memorial Day Weekend....here is a pic of what it looks like, color and all:














--I have learned that boys will always confuse me. And when I say 'boys', I also mean grown men in their 30's. But, I am also learning to appreciate someone who is brutally honest at where they are at in their life....even if it's not what I always want to hear. More on this in another post (:

--Teachers are some of the rudest people ever. After attending an AP Institute this week, I was surprised at how insanely disrespectful these people were towards our instructor. Granted, he wasn't the most dynamic speaker ever, but the poor guy was trying.

Okay...
Now, I only have two weeks left of summer so here is a short list of things I'd like to accomplish before I go back into the real world:
--Cut out letters and make my own posters for the classroom.
--Get cool fabric for the bulletin boards
--Deep clean my closets
--Figure out how to get the shine back in my marble floors after a spill from the other night
--Work out every day
--Finish "New Moon"
--Lay out one more time
--Pick out my outfits for inservice (the first day of school is easy since we have to wear a faculty
shirt w/jeans...yea!)
--Make a new budget
--Think of ways to simplify
--Write a mission statement for my class
--Pray for my future students and that I can be all that they need me to be this year.

That's all I've got for now...there will hopefully be more to come!!!

blah blah blog

The past few days, I have had a compulsion to blog. However, I don't know where to begin. So much has been floating around in my tiny little brain, but I feel like I won't be able to put a decent thought together until summer comes around on June 5th. Oh, June 5th--you are my new favorite date. On June 6th, I fly out to Boston for my parents' 30th anniversary cruise. There probably won't be any blogging while I'm touring New England and Canada either. So maybe there will be something worth blogging about on June 15th or 16th. We shall see... (:

All I know right now is that I am trying to figure out what it means to truly rest. Matthew 11:28. It is a daily struggle to let the Lord take on all of my little burdens so that I may find rest in Him and in Him alone.