MISS ELAINI OUS

Soooo on Saturday I got to be a bridesmaid for the fourth time in just a little over a year and my eighth time total.  Considering that the amount doubled in a year I would have to say that it tis the season for my friends to get hitched!  It was such a huge honor being in my dear friend Meghan’s wedding as she wed her man Hunter.  She is an incredible woman and she married a great guy.  I’m excited for them and their future together!  Anyways they had a truly perfect and fabulous wedding and this time Christa (I was just in her wedding in June) got to be a bridesmaid with me!  At this point I’m starting to get quite a few people mentioning that movie 27 dresses when I say I’m in another wedding.  Hmmm, I wonder why?! 😉

(Sorry the picture of me with Meghan is blurry…it’s the only one I got all day of us together.  But aren’t my friends just gorgeous?!  I think so.  More than that though they have beautiful spirits. 🙂 I love you girls! )

When I started this blog I had no idea what I was doing with it.  One year later that’s pretty much still the case.  Back in December I had received photo shop so that I could compile pictures and such.  I finally got it installed sometime in the last two weeks.  Someone needs better new years resolutions… Last night though I decided to figure out how to put two images side by side.  My sweet and incredible friend Miriam graciously got on Skype and for over an hour patiently explained how to do just that.  So even though I really have a hard time understanding technology I’m grateful for it.  I’m thankful that I have the ability to learn and grow.  More than that I’m grateful for relationships and for friends who are kind enough to help me out even if it’s in the middle of their day (Miriam lives in Australia so there is a large time difference).  Thanks Miriam! You’re wonderful.  I appreciate you helping me.  Hopefully I will become a better blogger but more than that thanks for reminding me what being an amazing friend looks like. 🙂  I love you girl!

“How can I better serve others today?”  This question is neatly put in a frame that a dear friend gave to me years ago.  I put it in my bathroom so that I would see it every morning (the idea being to do something productive about that question) but if I’m being completely honest I usually just ponder that question when I go to clean the bathroom and have to dust the frame.  Sad but true.  Lately with my mom being down due to her broken wrist and fractured pelvis I’ve been considering that question a lot more.  You see the problem isn’t serving.  Or my sweet, amazing mother.  Or the people in my life.  The problem is me.  I don’t have a natural inclination to serve others around me.  Frankly I’m selfish and want to be served.  You won’t hear me say that out loud but I’m wanting it more than I’d care to admit.  I have much to grow in and I’ve realized once again that I can’t do it on my own.  I need help.    When I’m tired and worn out and my dear mother needs something else or I have to do one more thing for someone I’ve got to receive my strength from something outside of myself.  In those moments when my heart is weak I’ve been learning to simply ask Jesus for help.  The incredible thing is that he extends more grace to me.  Again and again in my weakness I’m finding his strength.  When I serve with the mindset that it is really for Jesus my whole attitude changes.  It brings a piece of heaven right down into my kitchen or the laundry room.  I’m finding that although my heart still has serving struggles at times that there is so much joy in all these seemingly mundane things of life.  It is as JOY to serve my family.  They have given me so much.  They are easy and I’m excited that I get to give back a small part for all they have done for me.  When I get to do my mom’s hair I relish that we have the opportunity to laugh and that I get that time to spend with her.  Or that I get to bring her another glass of water.  Pure bliss.  Precious moments.  It’s pretty amazing really.  I have such a long way to go but I’m seeking out the beauty of right now.  The actual living of life.  I know that tomorrow I will battle my selfishness but I also know that I can defeat it with God’s strength.  And even though I may be exhausted I’m so happy for this time.  Learning and growing.  Thanks for letting me share about my perfectly imperfect self.  🙂

This picture of me with my niece has nothing to do with this post except it’s a little bit more of me in real life. 😉  And because every post is better with a picture right?

Putting this on I felt like I should be strolling down a street in some warm weather destination.  Think Brazil or something.  I love the juicy watermelon color and I borrowed these fabulous earrings from my sweet mom.  I wasn’t exactly sure what I should do with such a stand out color so I grounded the look with simple leather shoes and belt.  Of course you can’t see that these shoes are high wedges because they are disappearing into our brown grass…ahem.  Just adding a touch of real life here. 😉  At least the dress has pockets.  It somehow makes me feel like Christmas has arrived when I find a great dress with pockets.  Ladies how would you have styled this dress?

Anyways it’s a random quote day! 🙂

If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be LIVED- not always looked forward to as though the “real” living were around the next corner.  ~Elisabeth Elliot

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.  ~Albert Einstein

Might I humbly suggest that you read this?  Katie Davis has such a beautiful heart for the Lord and her writing encourages and challenges me.  If you haven’t heard her story please take the time to read it at the top of the article.  She’s living for something, I should say Someone, greater and it’s stunning to see.

As promised here are pictures of my bridesmaid dress from my dear friend Christa’s wedding!  Sadly there isn’t a picture of the back of the dress.  It had a cute little cutout, with a closure of three pink buttons, that added just the perfect touch to the dress.  These pictures were taken by the amazing Nate Perkes and his lovely wife Luisa.  They were a delightful couple and they truly captured the day so well.  At first you may just think of them as wedding photographers but spend 2 seconds looking at their images and you realize that they are perfect storytellers.  It was quite enjoyable having them around and I would recommend them in a heart beat!

Check out their facebook page and their blog!  They know how to bottle up moments with such beauty.  So much so that I long to step into their pictures with that perfect lighting that they always catch and just live there.

Photo Credit: (Nate Perkes)

My heart just broke into what feels like a bazillion pieces watching this.  I cried like a baby.  Yet, the second time through I smiled because they are just SO BEAUTIFUL!  My kids are amazing.  I love and miss them like crazy.  Oh, Jesus I had no idea that my heart was going to break like this.  To long so badly for them to be taken well care of.  And missing them…well that makes my heart physically ache.  I think about them and pray for them.  Every.single.day.  I long to cup their adorable, smiling faces gently between my two hands.  To give them hugs like it’s the last one I’ll ever give.  I imagine talking with them and laughing so hard we cry and end up on the floor.  And twirling, finger painting, eating, practicing for their exams, and so much more.

If you feel moved at all to donate $5 dollars today that would be incredible.  These children have a hope and future.  You can be part of that.  This “momma” says thank you!

Those faces.  Looks of complete joy and utter despair.  Emotion welling up and pouring out.  Moments captured forever.  History made.  World records broken.  Those five colorful rings intertwined.  The Olympics.  Last night was the closing ceremonies and the end of the 2012 games.  As I was sitting there I remembered that my sixteen year old self had written down a letter after being inspired by gymnasts Carly Patterson and Paul Hamm during the 2004 games.  It was titled “I Have A Vision” and no I’m not going to share it all with you!  One thing I did write though is that I didn’t want to waste my life.  Anther thing that I put down is that to reach any goal it takes one step at a time.  So often I’m thinking about steps the future when I need to be concentrating on making the one I’m taking the best that I can.  Seems so simple yet I forget so quickly.  My piano teacher used to always say to me, “Inch by inch it’s a cinch, yard by yard it’s far too hard.”  Goals, visions, and dreams take hard work and dedication.  I think its time to make new goals…

I’d love to hear what some of your goals are in the comments below! 🙂

One year ago today I was writing this.  The final day of wearing my little black dress.  It feels so odd that it’s been a year since I hung up the LBD.  What.a.year.  Many of you have stuck with me through it all and for that I’m so grateful.  I’m thankful for all your support and for your care for our sweet orphans.  I’m most thankful to Jesus for being my Lord and Savior.

You’ve seen a lot from me in this last year but what you didn’t see was this picture below.  Yes, this picture is of me in the dress.  It was taken during the 100 days.  After I saw it my thought was “?!?!”.  What was I thinking?!  I look like a pirate.  A 12 year old pirate at that…and the shoes…let’s not even get started with picking this apart.  When I look at this picture it makes me laugh.  I had run out of steam, clothing, and creativity and was just ready to not be styling that dress! I almost decided against posting this picture because it’s so…wrong.  BUT I hope you get a good laugh out of this picture.  Every project needs at least one blooper right?! 😉

I’m so excited that today I have an UPDATE! $58,802.00 😀 😀 😀

I don’t think there is a day that goes by that I don’t think about my kids.  Those sweet children that are full of life.  They have so much potential if given the chance to bloom.  One life that is changed can have the most incredible ripple effect.  Today would you give $5?  Can we reach to get to the $59K mark?  Each donation makes a difference.  Warm Blankets opened 20 new homes (that’s 200 more kids)!  And they need A LOT of money to keep these homes open so that these children are taken care of.  Five bucks?  Just 5?  Because I guarantee you it will be worth it! 😀

(Photos by: Christa Taylor)

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Scanning the recipe I spotted this: softened butter.  My first thought was,  “oh, great”.  When baking I almost always forget to pull out the butter from where we keep the extra in the freezer.  Unfortunately the recipe said soften not melt.  So instead of heating it on the stove quickly I sliced the little brick of milky yellow and placed it in the sun.

And waited.

Because hard butter doesn’t mix well with the other ingredients.

Seems to be a picture for me.  There are areas in my life that are hard and need change.  God in his grace softens me gradually.  It happens as I sit with the Son.  In his light is where the darkness in my heart dissipates.  When I lose myself in Jesus and his glorious radiance I become perfectly soft and useable.  I can mix well with others after I’ve spent time alone with him.  It takes waiting on Jesus and his strength to accomplish in myself what I cannot.  Sometimes a little heat is just what I need.

1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.