I Should Be Sleeping

I should be sleeping, seeing as I need to get up in 5 hours to catch my flight, but I'm not quite ready for bed yet. This has been my first chance to unwind by myself all day, so I'm enjoying it a little. Plus, I'm really excited! In 24 hours I'll be here:

which is the kick-off for the Global Forum on Human Trafficking. I'm very excited :) A few days all by myself in California at a conference to see where God wants me to be. I'll post about it when I get home. For now, I should probably get some sleep. Good Night World!

Oops

Oh man! The only posts I've done since July have been book reviews?!?! Wow. Well, here's a quick update before I head to bed. (haha, I'm a poet and didn't know it! ....sorry for the corniness.)

Well, August was a super busy crazy month! It started off with VBS and a broken toe! On the Sunday before VBS, right before church started, I dropped an 8'x4' sheet of wood straight down on my big toe. It hurt SOOOO BAD!! It swelled up and turned purple immediately. (this picture was a few days after). That afternoon was the first wedding in the crazy wedding cycle and I had to wear flip flops because the toe hurt so much. VBS was amazing! Our best year yet in every way. Decorations were great, kids were well behaved, helpers were fabulous, and the messages were amazing. We talked about how all life is special and has a purpose. We addressed Big Topics, like evolution, teasing and abortion (age-appropriately). And we had a few children pray "The Prayer" for the first time! Hallelujah!

There were a few youth group trips that were fun (Six Flags, the beach and, my favorite, the river!) mixed in with the other weddings. I was in one of the weddings, for my friend Jenna. Plus, I made her cake! My first wedding cake! Woohoo! It came out great, if I do say so myself ;) It was lemon with raspberry filling (my first-ever filling cake!) and 4 layers high. There were a few issues that I had putting it together and whatnot, but the final product was perfect! (Although Blogger seems to be having some issues uploading pics....but I kinda like this effect! lol) After the last wedding of the month, I got sick. Like really sick, right after the wedding. I was fine at the reception and by the time I got home I had a headache, a sore throat, chills, fatigue, I was dizzy...I was a mess. And so, long story short, almost 6 weeks later, I'm still sick, just saw my third doctor and I'm on my third course of antibiotics. Hopefully this one works, otherwise its most likely a random, no-name, mono-like virus that just needs to run its course. So, yeah. Really praying this one works!

This past month has been spent mostly laying on the couch, but I did force myself up for a few fun things. Pirate karaoke, Museum of Science (shirt above), and Apple Picking!!! I even tried recreating a picture from when I was three. Sadly, I'm no longer able to sit on the pumpkins.

Now, I'm working the next 5 days (although I'll probably call out tomorrow if I'm still feeling this crappy), have an all-day IV certification class day after that, and then....I'm going to California!!! (Another reason I'm REALLY hoping this med works!) Now, its not all for fun. I'm actually taking myself out there for the Global Forum on Human Trafficking. Fun subject, huh? Its something I'm really interested in, something that God seems to be putting in my path no matter which way I turn, so I'm taking this step to see whats happening and where I could/should be involved. I'm really excited. And part of me is wondering if this whole illness thing is satan's way of trying to stop me from attending this conference. hmm. Super. Duper. Excited!! I can't wait! I'll try to get back to blogging more frequently. I just have been too sick and tired this month! But, don't worry, because its almost November, which means NaBloWriMo! Always a good jump start to blogging :)

If you just read all this, aww thanks! And hmmm, slightly stalkerish. Hahaha! Good Night Creeper <3>

"Wedding Cake"

Another book review! "Wedding Cake" by Lynne Hinton. (published by Harper Collins imprint, Avon)This book was a big disappointment to me. Aside from the scattered writing and too-quick-and-easy wrap up, it was not what I expected. From the description, I expected an inspirational fiction with Christian themes. Instead, I found characters who attended church (one was even a pastor!) but never talked about God, and who had no problems with, and even almost encouraged, homosexuality, adultery, pseudo-polygamy, cursing, stealing and other big issues. I found these characters to behave like immature college kids, despite the fact they were supposed to be between 40 and 70 years old. The writing itself was hard to follow at times and would mention things that we never heard about (it did touch on things from the previous books, which I have not ready, but the issues I had all pertained to this book). I would not recommend this book.

2/5 stars.

"Finding Jeena"

Another book review for you! This time, "Finding Jeena" by Miralee Ferrell. (published by Kregel Publishing) Jeena Gregory had arrived. A great new job, expensive new car and condo, a perfect new life. What could go wrong? When her well-planned life starts falling apart and shadows of her past come back to haunt her, Jeena must re-examine her heart. Will she like what she finds?

I found this book to be long, kind of boring and predictable. The writing was okay, but too detailed. Ferrell used the same analogies and thoughts repeatedly, making the story drag on. The message of God's unconditional love was clearly expressed as the main theme of the story, but I had a problem with how it all wrapped up. While it was stated several times that God is not a sort of Santa Claus waiting to grant every request, the moment Jeena turned her life over to Him, everything miraculously fell into place. Overall, it was a decent book but not one I'm likely to recommend.

2.5/5 stars

"The Vigilante's Bride"

I recieved "The Vigilante's Bride" by Yvonne Harris as part of the Early Reviewer program at LT last month. (Published by Bethany House)

Emily begrudgingly answers an ad for a mail-order bride expecting to find a new life in New Hope, Montana. What she doesn't expect is to be kidnapped from the stage on Christmas Eve and wind up helping at an orphanage with a handsome rancher, Luke Sullivan, the enemy of her would-be groom. Amidst apparent lies, missing cattle, and mysterious accidents and deaths, Emily loses her heart to Luke. Will love finally bring peace to his life, or more unease?

I really liked this book! Great story with plenty of action and drama. This was my first time reading anything by Harris but it won't be my last. She threw great little details into the story, even giving the horses adorable personalities! My one negative criticism is that Emily's character could've been better developed. There was a lot of potential, but it left me wanting more, especially compared with Luke's well-developed character and back story. All in all, a worthy read!

4/5 Stars!

What I Think of Travel

I know I haven't posted anything about Europe (or anything else for a while...). Its coming. I promise. As soon as I get a few minutes to myself to do anything but sleep. But, for now, a quote from Eat Pray Love that perfectly describes how I feel about travel:

...traveling is the great true love of my life. I have always felt...that to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless newborn baby- I don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it's mine. Because it looks exactly like me. It can barf all over me if it wants to- I just don't care.

A Lifetime is Sooner Than You Think

Once in a lifetime is sooner than you think.

So why waste this one day, this one moment on the mundane, on the things that don't matter. Why sit back and let the world spin around you, when you could be out there spinning with it? Why always sit back and wait for something else to happen, for the "right moment"? There is no right moment. There is here and now. Take the chance. Jump in. Make mistakes. Get messy. Have no regrets. Don't let this time slip away. You don't want to wake up in 5, 10, 50 years and think "I wish I had...." or "I should have..." Today's the day to do it.

Make it count.