Sunday, August 21, 2011

And So Third Year Begins...Almost

Once again I have horribly neglected my blog.  My excuse is that I've been busy getting back in the swing of things at UVA (as you can note by the fact I am no longer posting how many days of summer have passed).  But really I am just anxious about writing new posts.  I worry that nothing I have to say is interesting or that there are so many better blogs out there that you could be reading than mine.  Which is kind of analogous to my life in general; I'm always comparing myself to others and coming up short and shying away from attention I don't think I deserve.  But hey, that's enough of a pity party for one post.  So I'll write about the upcoming school year instead.  I'm nervous.  As per usual.  I'm just a good old-fashioned worry wart.  Right now, I'm seriously considering changing my concentration within my major which is kind of a big change for me.  I just see my career path going in a different direction (from social media something or other to hopefully working for somewhere like the Charleston Historical Foundation).  So I want to change from popular culture to southern studies which would be so much more useful for living in Charleston or New Orleans (my dream cities).  But I still love popular culture so I'm torn.  I want to make the right decision but I don't believe that there is one right choice.  It's more of what you do with your choice that matters, which really doesn't help me make a choice, whew.  So if you have any advice for me then just comment away.  Also, I know there are a few struggles that I have every semester that I am going to have to face again (and am dreading) and I will need a lot of patience to deal with them.  Unfortunately for me I'm the Impatient Queen.  But this poem really helps me in times when I'm frustrated and anxious.  So here it is, enjoy.

Wait
by Russell Kelfer


Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait." 
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word. 

"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign. 

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply." 

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?" 

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."

Monday, August 8, 2011

Tealightful

Day 83


So today I had the most wonderful of days and I can't wait to blog all about it.  Today, my wonderful friend Lisa took my sister, Kim, one of my best friends, Mary Anna and me to a tea room for lunch.  And let me tell y'all, it was the most whimsical, charming and lovely place I've been to in the Roanoke area.  You walk in and there is just the most darling gift shop and then the dining area is quiant as can be.  And the tea and food are exceptional to boot.  Kim and I split an iced tea called Summer Stroll that was delightful. For lunch, I nommed a cranberry and almondine chicken salad that came with warm bread and honey to dip that in. Kim's lunch came with a key lime and white chocolate chip cookie.  Yum and a half.  For dessert, we all split a warm blueberry scone served with fruit and whipped cream.  It was just a gem of a place hidden kind of in the middle of nowhere.  If any of you ever find yourselves in Botetourt County, make sure you check this place out.  It has an irresistable je ne sais quoi.  We plan on making our way back over winter break for tea and scones.  P.S. Did I mention that Michael Buble was playing in the background the ENTIRE time.  Perfection.


Mmm tea





teas galore



the Tea Tavern

the beautiful group

Sunday, August 7, 2011

The Little Things

Day 91

The other day I was just thinking about how much the little things in our lives add up to overflowing joy in our lives.  For instance for me it's things such as waking up before my alarm clock, wearing a new outfit for the first time, quality quiet time with the Lord, riding around with the windows down and belting out songs at the top of my lungs (crazy dance moves included), homemade frosting, snow falling silently at night, inside jokes, tan lines, brunch, old family photos, babies' hands, being tossed around by the ocean, purusing grocery stores, boys in bowties, reuniting with friends after summer break and so many more.  Also this blog that I discovered several months ago has the best ones ever.  Some of my faves are:


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