LIFE'S HANDBOOK 2009

I got this from my Mom today. I thought it very appropriate for a birthday post. I am 26 today. Crazy. I know that I'm not old, but it is hard getting older! I guess it is just the realization that I am already halfway done with my 20s. It just seems a little crazy to be a "legitimate" adult. I'm wondering if I'll ever really feel like an adult. Because I think that most of the time I just feel like a six year old dressing up in my Mom's clothes!


But maybe that is the secret of staying youthful. Maybe my Grandma Petersen still felt a little like a six year old even when she was a 65 year old grandma.

On that thought, here are some more suggestions from "Life's Handbook."

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours. (WOW! I have to sleep at least 8 or I am CRANKY!)
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. (I may need to work on this one!)
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.



Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business. (Yikes! Good reminder!)
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you up in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

May you have a blessed day! I love you all!

On a random note: Yes, that is a pig tail in my hair. Yes my hair is long enough now. Crazy. :)

Silence with my friend

I love this quote from Henri Nouwen.

"A friend is more than a therapist or a confessor, even though a friend can sometimes heal us and offer us God's forgiveness. A friend is that other person with whom we can share our solitude, our silence, and our prayer. A friend is that other person with whom we can look at a tree and say, 'Isn't that beautiful,' or sit on the beach and silently watch the sun disappear under the horizon. With a friend we don't have to say or do something special. With a friend we can be still and know that God is there with both of us."

I think I need to be better at accepting silence from all my friends. This quote is a good reminder that we minister to others in our silence as well as our speech.

I had one of those moments with Marco a few weeks ago when we drove over an hour to a little church in Iredell, Texas so he could preach there. We had such a blessed time of silence together enjoying the countryside and the beautiful redbuds. Here are a few photos.

Marc, thanks for that Sunday a few weeks ago when we were in hill country. What a beautiful time of silence we shared. I love you.

New Friends

This is a post long overdue.

The Robinsons are our new friends from Nebraska/South Dakota. Actually they are originally from Nebraska, but they went to USF (in South Dakota) and got married there (well, not actually at USF itself!).

In a self-revealing moment I should concede that I am old enough that I didn't even go to college with Julie (AH!!!) but I did go one year with RJ. I met RJ and saw him around campus a few times, but I didn't know him well. However, RJ got to know my Dad through Career Services and USF stuff and then when RJ was looking for a seminary and decided to come visit Truett, Dad suggested he contact us since we were fellow USF alumns!

Last spring Julie and RJ came to visit Truett and we hung out for a few hours. We had a good time, and we were encouraged to hear that they did too! :) Then in January 2009 they made the big move to the thriving metropolis of Waco, Texas. We didn't want our newfound Midwestern friends to get too far, so they moved into the apartment above us. :)

Here is the welcome basket I made them (it all cost less than $10) but looked great! Yes, that is right, I am cheap and proud of it--but so are the Robinsons!

Needless to say, it has been a great few months getting to know the Robinsons and showing them a little more of Waco.

RJ is going to start at Truett in the fall and Julie will start at some point after that--she isn't really sure yet when she wants to start.

It is amazing how much fun we have together. It is a blessing to have good friends live so close. And Oscar is happy too! RJ and Oscar have a bit of a love affair. :) It is okay to love a cat, RJ. :)

In February, we went to Cameron Park on a spur-of-the-moment hiking/walking trip with the Robinsons and my favorite sister-in-law! Here are some pictures from our crazy excursion.

The boys were very adventurous that day and blazed the trail.

We took time to have a "Blair Witch Project" photo shoot.

Then we decided to go try to skip rocks. I am not good at skipping rocks. I made no claim I was. Marc made it his personal project to teach me to skip rocks. I did skip a few. But I made sure to exasperate him in the process. :)

It was a fun day for all. :)

And I did it! :)

I made this blog background all by myself...okay...with a little help from Photoshop. :) Thoughts? It is very pink... :) I must have had pink on the brain last night!

I may need to eat that frog...

Please watch this short clip. It is a great reminder to take things and get them done and finished before they "eat" at us. I need help in that department from time to time. :)

Who wants free stuff?

Want free stuff by me? I thought so. Read on, faithful blog followers!

The Rules

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me. Something crafty or yummy, who knows?

2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, which means, if you don't want to do this for someone else, don't bother posting a comment. :-)

3.The gift that you send to your three winning friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make and/or ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts.

4. When you receive your gift, please share with blogdom what arrived on your doorstep. If you're not among the first three commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!