Down the Rabbit Hole

LA is a land of wonder and dreams. Where stars are born, made, broken, and burn out on a daily basis. People, for the most part, leave each other alone, more worried about living their own lives. This strange land allows everyone to be and act how he or she pleases. There is not one true sense of style because anything goes. There is no one place to be because everything is fun and different. Harmony and chaos walk hand in hand. For me, there is always something about stepping off that three and a half hour flight from MEM to LAX that brings a smile to my face and goosebumps to my skin.

During my most recent trip to Santa Monica to visit my soon-to-be STAR sister... dun da da duuuun... Erin Williams, I realized something: LA is exactly like Wonderland (with about a trillion times the number of Alice's chasing about a billion different white rabbits).

*Okay, yes, guilty as charged. The premier of the 3D version of Alice in Wonderland was the Friday while I was visiting.*

Driving down the 405 on a perfectly delicious seventy degree afternoon can make you feel like you have not a care in the entire world. The weather is like something out of a Nicholas Sparks beach read... but every day! With a great song in the background and the snow-capped mountains in the distance, I feel like, even if just for the car ride, nothing can touch me. Freedom. What a great feeling. Have you ever felt like that? Like nothing can touch you? From the moment I step foot off the plane I can not help but believe that anything is possible. Corny, I know. Really what I think is it is not so much what I feel, but that I feel... so strongly, so passionately. Like I said, it just feels great.

"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir, because I'm not myself you see," Alice says.

So, down, down, down, the rabbit hole I go...



The lure of LA doesn't begin and end with the vast range of people I encounter while there, although, let's face it, it probably could. To me, the best part about visiting the "city" is the ever changing landscape. Mountains roll into freeway, neighborhoods flow into beaches which disappear into water, and parks and playgrounds are speckled with star-studded billboards. Bikes chase down cabs while pedestrians on foot own the streets.

You could possibly blame the ever constant bright and burning sun for the use of sunglasses or a hat or maybe it is just one of many... many fashion statements of the moment. Everyone has somewhere to be and yet no one seems to EVER do anything at all. I swear, no one works in LA! It is crazy. No business suits. It is all comfy casual or daytime dressy. I am always amazed at the multitude of people roaming the streets, shops, restuarants, and beaches at all hours of the day! I am looking around like, "I took vacation days for this! What do you do???" Yes, it stems from pure jealousy, but that is beside the point...

While chasing my own white rabbit all over the city, vintage shopping in Silver Lake, running to the beach for breakfast in Santa Monica, and eating a dinner filled with A though Z list celebrity sitings in West Hollywood,I realize you can literally do anything here. You just have to think of it and be brave enough to act.

Endless possibility in the City of Angels.

Be. Do. Go. Give. Share. Change. Live. Grow.

While out and about, I realize that I am smack dab in the middle of a city scattered with characters straight from Alice in Wonderland. I find Mad Hatter's who entertain and make us question everything we know followed by White Rabbit's who lure us into unknown situations we would never have considered before. There are the King's, Queen's and their many minions who we secretly want to be like, and, of course, I can't forget the many versions of the Chessire Cat all looking to take advantage of the unknowing, obviously nieve newcomers.

Inspite of and to some extent because of these people, I feel alive and free. Free from responsibilities. Free from the burdons. Free from the expectations of the hand of cards life has dealt me. ("Off with her head!") I can do anything and be anyone I want. It may not be reality, but it is real while I am there.

From the Duchess to Alice, "If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does."

Maybe I am just fooling myself, but in a backwards (or forwards, which ever way you look at it) land far far away from my hometown, it is just that simple. I know no one except for a handful of amazing people, a few of which I have met along the way, but the one thing they all have in common is they never expect anything. They are open and up for anything. The only requirement is to have a good time.

Thus is La La Land.














Unfortunately, as Alice comes to find out, when your life is somewhere else you can't live in Wonderland forever. And, if I really think about it, I wouldn't want to. I live where I live for a reason (multiple ones at that), but the need for places like LA is obvious... breaking barriers, stretching limits, stepping outside your comfort zone... finding and bettering yourself. Places like LA allow me to do all of these things and return home refreshed and changed even if just a little or for a little while.

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!" (Alice)

Now, I think the trick for me is to figure out how to feel like this whoever I am with and wherever I go. Situations, people, surroundings, these are all things which have the ability to make me feel and act a certain way, but the deal breaker or maker needs to be... me. I find that too often my emotions live and breathe on the things and people other than my own confidence and strength in the Lord. Feeling alive and soaking in the moments with the people, places, and things around me is a marvelous thing, but having them determine my character, my reactions, my perspective, that is where I have to draw the line. What I have to keep reminding myself is all I need to do is turn to the One greater than me, greater than everything around me, for my true happiness. My reality should be based on His promises. Comfort and security in an uncertain world.

Sounds simple.
I wish.
I am only human, so it definitely does not come easy. Maybe it's not supposed to, but I have to keep trying.

A reminder to myself: The beauty is in the attempt... but the ending is written in stone.

It may not be all cakes and tea all the time, but at least it is real. Wonderland only exists in my head.

Back to life. Back to reality...

"Live freely, animated and motivated by God's spirit... two ways of life are antithetical, so that you can not live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit..." Galatians, The Message

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, do not let yourselves be burdened again... Deep down the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect... just make sure you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that's how freedom grows."  Galatians 5:1,10,14-15

Empty Never Looked So Beautiful

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!' So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)"

-John 20:1-9

If you google the word empty you will find a range of definitions like "holding or containing nothing", "lacking purpose or substance; meaningless", "lacking force or power", "needing nourishment; hungry", "devoid; destitute". Overall, pretty depressing, but, be that as it may, this is how our world thinks when it comes to being empty. We picture hungry bellies, wallets lacking funds, and lives filled with sadness and loneliness.

There is, however, one portrayal of emptiness that contradicts every worldly definition: an empty tomb. For me, this image is not one lacking purpose, power, or meaning. It is quite the opposite, in fact. Full of promise and power and love. An act that, in an instant, became the center of the universe. One life-altering,    

history-making, world-changing occurence that gave us everything we will ever need. Distant power made available through a sacrifice and a return. Hope found, faith restored, and joy unimaginable all created through an empty grave. He rose. He returned. He followed through on His promise to us all.

Nothing about His tomb was empty...

Graves are an interesting concept because the only one we recognize as a society is the one we end up in after we die. But if you really think about it, we dig our own metaphoric graves all the time. Depressing thought, I know, but still very true.

Have you ever felt like you have run head first into some impossible obstacle so overpowering and all consuming you can barely breathe? Grave.

Or a situation you think you will never be able to conquer so you try to avoid it all together? Grave.

Or, even when dealing with something or someone who has so much control over you that you act in such a way that you don't recognize yourself at times? Grave.

An obsession? An idol? A painful memory  in which you can't let go? Grave. Grave. Grave.

The list goes on and on. From the outside everyone's may look different, but from the inside they are all just four walls of seemingly insermountable, self-created "dirt" that continues to pile up higher and higher until you feel like one is going to cave in on you. The result: we end up slumped down in the corner dirty from head to toe from our personal efforts to break free. Yes, we all dig our own "graves", and we are dang good at it. At least, I know I am.

Realization moment: because of a man who could not be held down by death, because of the One who rose from His very own self-made grave, we have hope everlasting. He died so we may live. He broke free from death so that we all may be free. He rose, folded His linen cloth and placed it where His head once laid to show He would not be back. It was finished and so it all began...

Now, it is our turn. So what do we do? Well, for starters, I know we need to take our dirt-covered hands away from our faces and have the courage to simply look up. As surrounded and trapped as we may feel at times, because on this day He rose from the grave, there are no ceilings! There is only light shining through the top of those four walls guiding us all the way to our beautiful escape. There is such hope and reassurance in knowing that.

Who would have thought that an empty tomb would end up being the most beautiful image of them all?


Such a beautiful, happy day! I hope your Easter weekend was as great as mine! I leave you with this song, "Glorious Day", from Casting Crowns. They are an absolute favorite of mine.



Happy Easter!!!

Refuge Amidst Disaster

This is what they see... life as they now know it.



And this is how they respond...





They hurt, struggle, question, and cry. Their hope is lost and found over and over every single day. The pain is bottomless and the loss crippling.

They have nothing, and yet, they have everything.

Amidst it all...

They rise.
They believe.
They trust.

They pray.

Hope in the wake of disaster.
Faith while walking through hell.

William Whitworth said, "the best portion of a good man's life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."

Go be little.
Go be nameless.
Go unremembered.
Go make a difference.


"they should always pray and not give up." -Luke 18:1

Another one bites the dust

Dun, da, da duuuunnnn... Introducing...

Mr. and Mrs. LaPlante

aka Daniel and Emily

aka Ficus and Em Gee...

One of my best friends got married over a month ago, September 19, 2009. Crazy... I can't believe this one is married. I am pretty sure she has been wanting to be married since she was about four. She said, and I quote, "I don't want to be engaged. I want to be married!" She is so funny. Needless to say she had like a four month engagement (maybe) before the wedding. It is still strange for some reason. She was like the baby of our group... Anyways, I posted some pictures from her bachelorette party, so I thought it was only appropriate to post a few from the wedding.

It was beautiful, she was BEAUTIFUL, and we had a blast. Before the wedding, the music in bridal room included two mix cd's of perfectly chosen love songs from the last, oh, twenty to thirty years created by the MOH along with my iPod and speakers blasting HSM3 songs. Yep, you ready correctly, HSM3. Me and Em's muy favorita. We did, in fact, recreate one of the dances from the movie. The bridal room was hopping!

The ceremony was perfect with Daniel in his army uniform and a wonderful crowd of family and friends. The reception began with the LaPlante's entering to "Eye of the Tiger" (die hard LSU and Memphis fans) and was made complete by a lot of dancing with little kids, a serenade of "You've Lost That Love and Feeling" from Daniel and one of his groomsmen who wore a cowboy hat that ended up on the bride (hilarious), and a circle of arm-clad bridesmaids with the bride in the middle singing (more like screaming) "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey. They left in the back of Daniel's truck, which had been decorated by the groomsmen, to an array of sparklers being waved through the air.

Emily and Daniel's day: amazing and completely memorable.

Until the next...


Rehearsal Dinner

Bridal Suite

The Roomies

From Fear to Faith

"If you will face life with faith, not fear, you will enjoy every day- no matter what life may bring."
-"Secrets of Happiness" by Michelle Medlock Adams

I think fear and faith are polar opposites; they compete in the battle for our hearts, for our lives. The devil feeds off and uses fear while God shines and rises up out of faith. Fear extinguishes faith like water to a fire. It takes constant and abrupt reminders, sparks in my heart, to acknowledge the power of my faith. Fear makes me forget, panic, and retreat, but faith is the breath of fresh air I need to be courageous.

Without my faith I would be in a constant state of running and hiding, and that is no way to live. It allows me to enact the "Carpe Diem" mantra and live a full and laughter-filled life by bringing out a sort of deep and pure happiness in which no other thing can compare. Nothing else in this life brings that exact smile to my face, that same form of peace to my heart, and that amount of confidence in myself. My faith allows me to live the kind of life I could otherwise only dream of.

I have always believed that faith steps in and provides reassurance when knowledge, understanding and reason leave me feeling hopeless and confused. I heard someone once say, "something in your midst but not fully recognized". I believe it to be Him... always. There have been so many times when I know the facts, but I have been too scared to realize their total impact. For example, I know the course of events leading up to and during the cross and resurrection, but I tend to forget the power available to me because of it. I am so wrapped up in me, my world, my actions, my situations, I forget there is something so much greater.

I am a complete Type A personality (anyone who knows me just smiled and maybe even laughed a little in agreement). Throughout my life the many facets of my personality have blessed me in a variety of ways. I will not begin to bore you with that side, but I have to say that being me has its many, many... many annoyances as well. There is probably no need to mention this seeing as y'all are the ones who deal with me, but as my own personal form of therapy and for the blog's sake...

It is hard for me to let someone else take over or to even recognize the need to relinquish control. I struggle with feeling the need to be the "planner". I love to be right, and I hate eating crow when I am not. I would rather have others placed in my hands than trust someone else to take care of me. I love to work under pressure and find it natural to take on a leadership role, so it is difficult for me to step in line and follow. My issue with following is that it requires a certain form of blind trust and that kind of faith is very hard for me. To truly and unequivocally trust someone, to fall backwards and be engulfed by a fate in which I have no control is definitely something I struggle with, but on the other hand…

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11, one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible. There is an endless amount of reassurance and certainty in that verse. It brings me so much hope, I guess that is why I love it so much. How can I be worried or scared or unsure when those words are right there plain as day?

But, if trusting in Him is what He asks of me, why am I so quick to say no? This is the hardest part for me to wrap my head around. Why do I say no... all day, every day? I am good at it. Really good. So good, in fact, that most of the time I do not even know I am saying it. I procrastinate and postpone, create excuses and explanations, and twist and turn around everything He is telling me. The other side of this coin of negativity is when I know exactly what I am doing and I do it anyway! I don't know which side is worse. Not knowing so that I am not able to change or knowing and not having the will to change. How is it that I can continually convince myself that this is all okay?

One of the greatest challenges about stepping out for the Lord and following through with His plans (however small or large they may be) is removing myself from the pedestal I have created. Resting confidently, high above anything that could potentially knock me off, I have to force myself down the steps, passing right by everything that provides me any form of comfort and support.

Step one: control… gone.
Step two: timing… no more on my watch.
Step three: leading… learn to follow.
Four, five, six...

The steps seem never ending. I reach without knowing when my foot will hit solid ground. It is like that trust fall game we all used to play when we were younger at church and sports camps or the one when we would lay on our stomachs and close our eyes, arms overhead, and then slowly they would be lowered so it felt like we were going through the floor... yeah, freaky every single time.

Where is the bottom? I am I supposed to know?

Maybe not...

(Remember what I said earlier about me and trust? This is where it gets hard)

How it usually works is I want to do things my way, on my time. That is what I expect. It is just the way I am wired. The good part about my way and my time is I know what will come of it and when. I am in control. The bad part is I am left with a limited span of expectations and results that are not always good. God's way is and will always be greater. His way may not always be easy, but God's leadership will forever and always take us where we need to be (even if we do not see it that way at first). I have to hoist Him up and watch the me I know crumble to my knees, proof of His strength and my weakness.

His leadership is sometimes ordinary, sometimes magnificent, but it is always reliable. His abilities are not in question. What is uncertain is whether I have the courage to follow Him.

"...we need to be willing to do what God asks us to do- no matter what... Trust God and listen for His quiet urgings."
-"Secrets of Happiness" by Michelle Medlock Adams

What I have come to realize is that God does not act alone, although He could. He acts through everyone and everything around me. He uses us. He wants us to be free, and He wants to use us to set others free. God calls and then He equips and provides. He accompanies us on the journey which allows us not only to survive, but to thrive under His wings. What I find amazing is how people's lives can be intricately intertwined and yet completely independent according to God's plan for us. We step in and out of people's stories all the time. Sometimes it matters to them, sometimes to us, but if we are truly fortunate we will both be affected according to His will.

One of the most frustrating things to me is that I do not have the ability to see all aspects of any given situation, and even worse, I am blinded by the disillusionment that sometimes I can. No matter how broad our views, how open our minds, or how flexible our opinions, we are still more limited than God. He never meant for me to see my life from every angle. It is for Him to reveal to me as He chooses. My life is the greatest mystery of all with one small difference; I know the ending. Sometimes it is not getting from one place to another, but about the journey along the way.

Here's the thing- eventually, God brings each of us to his or her own desert. You may experience one long one or you may feel like your entire life has been a bunch of little tiny deserts strung together. You may be in one now, coming out of one, or just about to enter yours. However it is, was, or is going to be for you, we can all relate. The beauty of it is even though we have much to learn while we are there, He will always show us the way out. And, step by step, as we make our way through, He gives us the understanding and reassurance of knowing we are exactly where He wants and needs us to be. He knows the plan and that is enough. Nothing else really matters.

Fannie Crosby wrote, "All the way my savior leads me".

So simple. So beautiful. So difficult to do.

The point of life is not to know the future because then we would think we had all the answers. The point is to step into the future with a faith of knowing God is in control. Choose faith, not fear. Allow yourself to be used.


"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
-1 Peter 5:9

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
-1 Timothy 6:12

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
-1 Corinthians 16:13

Emily's Bachelorette Bootcamp

One of my best friend's in the whole world, Emily, is getting married on Saturday, September 19th. I am lucky enough to be a part of the grand affair, and I can not wait! Over Labor Day weekend we went to the beach for her bachelorette party. We had a BLAST!!! Because Em is marrying an army man, the theme of the weekend was "Emily's Bachelorette Bootcamp". The camo shirts I had made turned out incredible. I wanted to post some of the pictures to show everyone. So much fun! I can not wait until the big day! Until then...

Click here to view these pictures larger

In It Not Of It

Highs and lows.
Longing. Searching.
Work to be done.
Easily sidetracked.
Derailed from my goal.
Days, months, years.
Finding my way...

slowly, but surely.





The reality of my existence is that I am selfishly more aware of myself than I am of God. A straight and narrow path has been graciously laid before me, like a red carpet unrolled at a star-studded award show, to give me a chance at a full and complete life. The problem is that I am so easily deterred from this "GPS-esk route" that I create detours complete with twisting side roads and dark, dangerous alleys. Whether it is for minutes, days, or years, because I am taught to live solely by reason, logic, and emotions instead of by God's word, I am bound to get lost; that much is inevitable.

A speaker I heard a few weeks ago at my church whose lecture was titled, "Hearing God's Voice in a Noisy World", said, "God speaks clearly, creatively. Man speaks and makes decisions by what he sees and hears. This is the wrong gauge to know the truth. We need to make decisions and live on the word of God." If I listen to these worldly decision-making standards long enough they will become mental habits, and we all know how hard habits are to break. Passing thoughts turn into addictive habits which eventually turn into lifestyles... I have to break the pattern. I have to use God and lean on Him.

Living a life consumed by worldly "addictions" disallows me the freedom that God sent His son to die for on the cross. I have to discipline my mind to thwart off these thoughts and discern God's voice amongst the deafening noise of the world; meditate over the Bible, read the religious books, pray to God like He is my best friend. The other side to the coin is that sometimes it is not only about asking God for help, but also about the discipline I must require of myself. I need to step up and step out and be someone God can use. Take responsibility for changing myself through and with God. Thoughts can and will become addictions if I do not break the pattern.

My pastor once said in a sermon that "God is more concerned by the root of our behavior than the actions themselves. When our heart is right our behavior has to follow". Okay, so if I am innately damaged, as we all are, how then do I change my heart? Well, I think the answer is I don't.

Let go and let God, right?

In "Mere Christianity" C.S. Lewis writes, "We begin to notice, besides our particular sinful acts, our sinfulness; begin to be alarmed not only about what we do, but about who we are... I can to some extent control my acts: I have no direct control over my temperament. And if (as I said before) what we are matters even more than what we do- if, indeed, what we do matters chiefly as evidence of what we are- then it follows that the change which I most need to undergo is a change that my own direct, voluntary efforts cannot bring about. And this applies to my good actions too. How many of them were done for the right motive? How many for fear of public opinion or a desire to show off? How many from a sort of obstinacy or sense of superiority which, in different circumstances, might equally had led to some very bad act? But I cannot, by direct moral effort give myself new motives. After the first few steps in the Christian life we realize that everything which really needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God."

I can not help but act and react based on the way I feel; I am only human. It is how I am built. So often I try to change my life by conforming to the rules of the world, bettering myself according to its standards, when what I really need to do is let God change my heart. I can not try and manage my behavior. I have to change the root problem from the inside out. My actions, reactions, emotions, morals... my life... will follow. It has to.

Because the world is so enticing (and we all know how much so) it makes my flesh yearn for things I should not want and do not need. My flesh tells me that it has grown accustomed to something, so I will not take it away. It wines and complains until I give in. I am so weak. It happens every day. I convince myself that I need something when in reality I can live without it. In Romans 12:2, Paul states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Until I stop conforming to the way of the world, I will never be able to know and understand God's will. There they are, the words for all to see. But can I do it?

All the time- surround myself.
Remember and review.
Recite, observe, and obey.
Love and live them out.
God uses disciplined people.

Romans 8:3-4 says, "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."

By following the ways of a constantly changing world, in turn, I am constantly changing. I am allowed no sense of self, no true identity. I end up a shadow of my former self, almost unrecognizable at times. I am always searching for the next thing when what I need to do is fix my eyes on Jesus and lock down my sense of self through Him. It is the greatest form of stability; firm and steardy ground to stand on for once in my life. Often I find myself lost and consumed in the world's shouting, so much so that I can not hear much less recognize God's voice. It becomes distorted, muffled, and slowly and steadily fades into the background of my chaotic life. Pretty soon it will be completely nonexistent and then what? Who will reign over my heart?

I have to find a balance. I have to figure out a way to walk life's tight rope, the ultra fine sharpie sized line drawn down the middle of my path which allows me to be in the world and not of the world. I can not allow myself to become a part of the world's makeup. God tells us that "there will be trials and tribulations, but take heart... I have overcome the world and so you too can over come the world" (John 16:33).

This verse pack a big punch. Simply stated, I have a chance. We have a chance. By God sending His son, we have a shot at overcoming a disappointing, disheartening, and challenging world. Limitless hope. Freedom from physical bondage. A new place with a new heart and a new start. It is the only way.

HOPE.

God's greatest gift in the form of His son.

HOPE.

A sweet release from life's pressures, disappointments, and all the baggage we have collected over the years. On our own there is no way for this to happen, but there is one reason: God. He works in each of us and changes us in such an unique and different way, but for one common purpose... His will.

But, here's the kicker; we have to decide to do it. The negative is so consuming it is sometimes hard to breathe. Sometimes I need to take a step back, take a breath and realize what it is I have to do. (I do this constantly.) Do not let yourself become so engulfed and overwhelmed by the things around you that you miss out on why God has you there in the first place. We are not here to be overwhelmed. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me." (Psalm 138:7)

Stop. Breathe. Recognize. Refresh. Restore.

We may not always be looking for God, but God is always reaching for us.

He is always with us. He is always with us. HE IS ALWAYS WITH US.

If God is for us, who can be against us? We are loved by God and He will provide limitless resources to live out our lives to His utmost. Only through His son dying on the cross are we provided with such a limitless hope. How can any of us survive and thrive without hope? Without Him I have no shot at winning the battle for my spiritual life. We have a chance, but only if we choose to take what He is offering.

My sister, Erin, recently attended a church in Los Angeles that she loved. She emailed our family a link for the sermon from a few weeks ago. The crazy part about it was that it went along perfectly with my blog. So, I decided to include the link to the sermon in case anyone else is interested in listening to it. It is titled "The Distracted Life".

Same perspective, different words. Enjoy.

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/AT_SUN

***I say all of this as a reminder to myself. In no way, am I trying to preach to or teach anyone because that would mean I know what I am doing, and I do not. I am constantly learning, and even though, at times, I feel like I know what to think and say, this in no way means I follow my own advice all the time. Like I said, I am still learning. I am any great designer's worst nightmare... a never ending work in progress. Like I said before, these words are meant for me, but if anyone else can get something out of them, that makes it even better.***

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
- 1 John 4:4