wash, rinse, and repeat

i coordinated a mailing this past week at work. the goal = 3,200 cards inserted into 3,200 brochures sealed with 3,200 stickers!

in other words, repetition.

i spent a good part of the week doing the same few motions over and over again. and i was a little bit surprised to find out how much that exhausted me. which got me thinking about how doing the same action over and over can wear on you.

kind of like... our sin?

those things that burden us as we find ourselves doing them over and over. the repetition of falling to them again and again leaves us exhausted and weary.

::side note. repetition can also be refreshing. good, godly, life-giving habits can be formed through repetition. but this same tool has the power to drag us down into depths of sinful despair and discouragement.::

the hope.

"come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and i will give you rest. take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for i am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (matthew 11:28-29)

it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (galatians 5:1)

Christ is the answer to our weary, sinful selves. He offers us freedom from our sins. He came to give us life, and He offers it to us freely and in abundance. you don't have to be burdened. i don't have to be burdened. we don't have to be burdened. are you living today in the freedom He so desires to give us?

i don't mean to brag

but my dinner was way better than yours. 

grilled salmon fillet with oriental seasoning

dessert disguised as a salad (a la my friend leanna!):

     -spinach leaves

     -glazed walnuts

     -dried cranberries

     -crumbled feta cheese

     -asian dressing




now to get the fish smell out of my apartment...

having been much more muchier

i recently saw alice in wonderland in 3d. blew. my. mind. i really enjoyed stepping into the world of underland for a couple of hours. and i used to be obsessed with the jabberwocky when i was little so despite his tragic demise, that made it for me. oh... and the required nod to johnny depp. (:


i mean, seriously. just look at some of these stills:

the fairytale land they created is breathtaking.


in one scene, the mad hatter tells alice "you used to be much more...'muchier.' you've lost your muchness."

bam.

how amusing that what sounds like such a silly nonsensical concept would resonate so deeply within me.

there are pieces and parts that are missing from myself. the things i would equate my muchness to include creativity, motivation, passion, drive... and i don't feel lately that i'm living in my muchness.

but living in your muchness doesn't just happen. you have to work for it, fight for it, and strive for it. but above all (and i think the movie makes a point of this as well) i think you have to know you are muchier. you have to believe in your muchness.

the return of the simple things

it's thursday. and before a bunch of crap life happened not too long ago, i used to write about the simple things on thursdays. and i'm inclined to say i was a much more thankful person. but since then, i've gotten into a down in the dumps rut and allowed myself to live life under a dark cloud. the sun has been shining for over a week here, and it's shed some light on the state of my heart.

so i'm determined to say no thanks to the gray clouds and give thanks for all the sun that is in my life right now, starting back at the simple things.

i am way overdue for posting a life update from new york complete with photos and witty commentary. it's coming. i promise. i'll try.

for now, i'm all about this:

a simple love note my stud left for me to find on my car tuesday morning.

a great way to start any day.

(ps why yes that is my new apartment building in the picture!)

my midweek playlist

happy wednesday! it's time for some tunes. here's what i'm spinning today:

in exile- thrice

forest - number one gun

burn out brighter - anberlin

maybe this time - GLEE (:

the grey man - copeland

four winds - bright eyes

albertine - brooke fraser
rest for the weary - cool hand luke

trolley wood - eisley

all i have - mat kearney

now go put on some music you love and get the day started!

superstitious (part 2) - otherwise known as i spoke too soon

so, yeah. we're covered in it. it snowed pretty much for three days straight this past week.

thank you bigmouth.

my last two days heading home from work, i attempted to turn onto a road and found myself slipping and sliding and heading straight for a big pile of snow. i was able to keep with the car and turn the wheel enough that i missed the pile and eventually got myself pointed in the right direction both times. but for those moments, i felt completely out of control.

dealing with snow brings up a second issue for me - control. it is so much harder to feel in control of my vehicle, my direction and my life while driving in snow... basically because i don't have it. this can mean having to drive at a slower pace than i'd like, having to just roll with the path that my car wants to take, and sometimes it means i can't go where i'd like to go.

control.

i want it. over my day. over my life. even over other people. but... i handed it away when i asked God to save me from myself.

it's a daily struggle to relinquish control - even though i'm giving it to the One who is greater than me, holds infinite power and wisdom, and loves me just as i am. can i let Him lead me? will i let Him stop me if it's not the right path to follow? will i wait on Him when He asks? will i give Him control? of my day? of my life?