snow day

today the snow is finally falling in western new york! i had already scheduled to take today off, and i've got to say, not having anywhere to be while it snows makes it even prettier.

today has been a day of rest. the last two years i have been fortunate enough to have the week between christmas and new year's off. i've gone to visit family in new jersey during that week and have loved the feeling of being able to take a deep breath while i'm there. being away from home means that i have no obligations, no responsibilities, and, consequently, no stress. i have come to cherish that time. it's an opportunity to just stop and breathe, without having to worry about all the things that normally consume my day. it's a feeling i want to capture and preserve throughout the year, not just during the holidays. so i scheduled myself a little breathing time. (:

today i'm catching up on some tv shows and doing a little creating. this recipe is cooking in the crockpot for dinner, making my apartment smell like a fiesta.

i have been and will continue shoveling throughout the day, but i'm welcoming the breaths of fresh air. i'm soaking in the snow [literally and figuratively ;) ] and taking moments to smile to myself at its beauty.

smiling is good for the soul, you know. 

a to z, me

"getting to know you... getting to know all about you..."

any the king and i fans out there? when i was younger, it was my favorite movie. i loved sleeping over at my grandma's house because it didn't matter how many times we'd seen it; she always let me put it on again.and i, in turn, watched the golden girls with her. 

"you are precisely my cup of tea..." (:

it's the first week of classes of this academic year. my office is across the hall from a classroom where classes have been taking place yesterday and today, filled with first year students. i've overhead the professors start each class with a little "get to know you" activity or question. i usually think these things are kind of cheesy at first [ok, or i just get stressed about what i'm going to say], but then enjoy them as people start to open up and we get to know one another!

all that to say, i've seen a little questionnaire on a few blogs recently and thought it was fun to read the responses and get to know more about some lovely bloggers. i thought i'd do the same!

me and some total. legit. bedhead. (:

{a} age :: twenty-seven

{b} bed size :: double

{c} chore you hate :: killing bugs! [when you live in the country, it is a chore!]

{d} dogs :: none - though john and i talk about the dogs we want to have someday and i frequent this website and wish i could rescue all these pups :(

{e} essential start to your day :: coffee, followed by more coffee (:

{f} favorite color :: i love combinations. right now i'm loving turquoise, olive green, mustard yellow, and browns.

{g} gold or silver :: white gold

{h} height :: 5'9

{i} instruments you play :: i played the flute for 9 years

{j} job title :: communication and events administrative assistant

{k} kids :: none... yet!

{l} live :: western new york

{m} maiden name :: champignon [we've americanized it and pronounce it champion (: ]

{n} nicknames :: champ, sar sar, sarah beth [my middle name]

{o} overnight hospital stays :: none

{p} pet peeve :: people driving five miles under the speed limit and people tailgating me when i'm driving the speed limit or more [oh, driving... have i mentioned i'm from jersey?!]

{q} quote :: let love explode and bring the dead to life. let hope arise and make the darkness hide [daniel bashta - like a lion]

{r} righty or lefty :: lefty

{s} siblings :: two younger sisters, heather and laura

{t} time you wake up :: 6:25am [after my alarm goes off at 6, 6:10 and 6:20!]

{u} university attended :: malone university [it was malone college when i attended... 5 years ago. yikes!]

{v} vegetables you dislike :: brussels sprouts. i'm also fickle about onions and tomatoes.

{w} what makes you run late :: checking my emails, facebook and blogs

{x} x-rays you’ve had :: teeth and one foot

{y} yummy food :: so many to choose from! some of my favs include mexican food, biscottis, new jersey bagels, and ice cream

{z} zoo animal favorite :: elephants

your turn, friends! tell me something to help me get to know you better!

i'm loving musicals, thoughts of my grandma, and new friends!

sunsets and heaven

i came across a train stopped on the tracks on my way home tonight. no sign of impending movement. my usual route home was completely blocked off. now, normally this would upset me a bit as i'm typically quite anxious to get home at the end of the day. [read: i'm an introvert and a homebody.]

but the sky was incredible. a thunderstorm had just passed through, leaving the sun exposed again, setting and shining an amazing golden color with hints of red and pink across the sky. puffy white clouds and gray storm clouds popped over the deep blue. and because of my unexpected detour, i got to enjoy it even longer.

there's something about sunsets and sunrises and beautiful skies that makes me ridiculously happy. bad days, sad thoughts, and worry and stress disappear under a gorgeous sky. something inside me is filled with peace. 

lately i've been thinking about heaven. i was challenged at easter sunday's service to be expectant each and every day for Christ's return. if i have to be honest, i really don't like to think about it, and i'm not usually very excited about it. this is an indication that something here on earth is holding more importance. idols are so easy to come by, aren't they? 

but the last couple of years have been tough. tougher than most of my years here. getting into a long distance relationship, losing my niece, moving away from my family because of my relationship, and wrestling with inner things that have just seemed to become more magnified as i've found myself away from any form of comfort and familiarity have tested and tried and taken their toll on me. quite frankly, i'm exhausted. and frustrated. and don't really know where i'm going. anxiety is a fairly constant companion.

and then there are nights like tonight... where my soul just gets a chance to breathe. my heart gets a chance to swell. and my mind gets a chance to rest. and i can't help but think that if a sunset can bring me this much peace, how much more will seeing the One who created the sunset.

this earth, this life - it's not how it was supposed to be. 

the pain, the heartache, the struggles, the loss, the loneliness, the stress, the mistakes, the worry, the tears... they are temporary.

joy, peace, hope, love... they are eternal. He is eternal.

so lately i've been thinking about heaven. 

"therefore we do not lose heart. though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." [2 cor 4:16-18]