Birthday Bash

So... my friends are really awesome. I decided to throw myself a birthday party and then they added all the best parts! 

Waking up to a clean house and some happiness.

An indoor French picnic with san pelligrino, fine cheeses, french loaves, and other great things!

The most wonderful birthday chocolate coconut cake ever! Complete with sparklers for candles! (I would do this part outside if you have temperamental smoke alarms)

The KEWLEST decorations.

Personalized wine bottle flower holders (Betsy's Bar/Iowa/March 24, 1990)

And some beautiful beautiful daisies :).

Thank you Megan Ranegar, Mckenzie Melander, JAckie Laesch, and all of my most amazing friends for this great birthday party! But most importantly for all the LOVE.

Some old age wisdom

Today I turned 22! Man am I gettin' old! After thirty hours of labor, I was born at around 8 in the morning (this time!) Since it's my birthday I was just thinking of all the things that each year of age brings and all the lessons accompanied with growing up. This year had lots!

To Give Thanks

'Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.'

1 Thessalonians 5:16

To remain patient

'Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.'

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Diligence

'God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.'

-Hebrews 6:10-11

Self Control

'For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."

Titus 2:11-12

and.....

That only one thing Matters

'Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless an pure children of God without fault  in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.'

-Philippians 2:14-15

Happy

Yesterday I watched an awesome documentary, "Happy" that details and compares global happiness. It was so wonderful! Especially when I had the windows open in March and a bowl of homemade from the food and craft fiend Megs!

Things I learned from the film:

There is no such thing as pleasure without pain. SO TRUE. Nothing that has ever come easily has brought an incredible amount of joy.

When we focus more on others and community it creates the switch from focusing on what we don't have to focusing on what we do have and can share with others.

The act of being with another human can be equally as beneficial as taking a drug to help increase dopamine production!

COMPASSION LEADS TO HAPPINESS

People who count their blessings once a week are happier

Things to practice for happiness: Intentional acts of kindness, compassion towards others, showing others they are loved by God, having new experiences, and surrounding yourself with others to share your life with.

March 15, 2012.

'Two roads diverged in the woods, and I took the one less traveled by, and THAT has made all the difference." -Robert Frost

Ole

Galatians 5:22-26

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Movaaays

Here's a couple that I can't wait to see!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

because ewan macgregor and emily blunt and the person who wrote slumdog millionaire are awesome and this movie looks quite lovely

the HAPPY movie

because everyone in the whole world is trying to be happy. we diagnose people as depressed and focus on negative things so much, so why not change it up?

movie date anyone?

Bare

Sometimes having just the essentials is just the best. Sitting down to study, my brain has demanded a break and helped me appreciate the simple things.

Coffe + Oats 

Freedom prayer

Lord, grant me the grace to be free from the excesses of this life.
Let me not get caught up with the desire for wealth.
Keep my heart and mind free to love and serve you.

Sigur Rios study music

Other simple pleasures: taking a bath, sleeping for long amounts of time, hugging, sharing love and laughs, hot tea, and hoping about what is to come.

Romans 5: 3-5

Glory Be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the Beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. 

Amen.

Tree of Life

Sometimes on Friday nights, all that sounds at all good is just laying in bed, renting a movie, and being lazy. After watching several trailers I decided on watching Tree of Life. What a good choice! I would describe the film as more of an art form than movie.  It really made me think about life, had some awesome quotes, and made me more excited to have children than to get married in the future.

QUOTES

'The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by.'

'The nuns taught us there were two ways to live life. The way of Nature and the way of Grace.  You have to choose which one you'll follow.  Grace doesn't try to please itself.  Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked.  Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself.  Gets others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way.  It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And Love is smiling through all things.'

'Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?... When the morning stars sang together? And all the the sons of God shouted for joy?' Job 38:1,7

The film does  a beautiful job at personifying both grace and nature in the form of the mother and father in drastic contrast to one another.  Some of the deep questions in the film are left for interpretation, but others are answered and lead me back to the conclusion that the greatest gift in life is LOVE.

Another interpretation of Tree of Life

I would go as far as to say it is my favorite film I have seen in a year. Watch it. By yourself, in silence, with a glass of wine. Now.

*****

Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter

I don't know about you, but whenever I do something and it turns out, I get really surprised and excited! This morning I decided to make almond butter. I love when such little things can bring so much excitement! I was so happy that it worked!

Ingredients:

Almonds!

(I also added a tsp. of pumpkin spice but that is optional)

To make:

Fill the food processor halfway up with raw almonds and whatever else you wish! Then pulse for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Done.

This is the best almond butter I have ever tasted. No lie.