A Smattering of Thought

Two lost souls who finally find each other, stare longing into their each other's eyes, the gentle caress, the whispered words of affection and the quickening of the heartbeat. This is usually associated with the swelling of the music, a tightening of the camera angle and the perfectly timed kiss as the snow lightly falls around them.  The stuff Hallmark movies are made of.  The stuff little girls often dream of. The type of love that oversells and under delivers. Our general misconception of love leads little girls to become hardened and at times are taken advantage of as their ideals are dashed and they begin to look around for “ok” or “better than nothing”. This is not what love is supposed to be like at all.  Movies sometimes can get it right but most of the time they strive to sell something that doesn’t actually exist.   Love is not the fairy tale we envision in movies or books. Love is not the pitter-patter of our hearts. Love is hard. ...

Marriage.  It has been on the forefront on my mind for several weeks while helping a friend with final wedding prep.  I've always thought and looked at marriage as a unique, special and amazing way to represent the reign of God!  On Friday the Supreme Court made a monumental decision...on Saturday, two believers entered into a covenantal union as husband and wife in one of the most Christ-centered ceremonies I've attended {not surprising since the bride's father, a pastor, officiated}.   Over the course of Friday and Saturday FB exploded.  Some good, some bad and some just not sure what to think or how to respond.   My heart aches for those who struggle with knowing who and Whose they are.  My heart aches with those who want a relationship.  My heart aches with those who want to love and be loved.  I get it.  I really do.   I resonate with Benjamin Watson ​ as he says,  "Today, I am not disappointed because of the p...

  “Do not let your adorning be external— the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry,  or the clothing you wear—   but let your adorning be   the hidden person of the heart  with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,  which in God's sight is very precious.”  I Peter 3:3-4 “a gentle and quiet spirit”…what does this really mean?  Do I need to be a silent doormat?  Does God wish for all women to just be idle next to a husband?  What if they never get married, will no one be their voice? Phew…this verse could be taken down so many painful and hurtful paths, but I’d rather look at what it is actually trying to say…which is powerful and amazing! The Greek word for “gentle” is praus   which at best means “God’s strength under His control, meekness, demonstrating power without undue harshness.” {www.biblehub.com} In Priscilla Shirer’s book Resolution for Women she gives some additio...

Life can knock the wind right out of you at a moment’s notice. Life can even kick you when you are already down. Life can break you of your desire to love and be loved… BUT… Life is also filled with amazing moments of laughter, joy and hope. A baby’s cry. A hug from a friend at just the right moment. A note of thanks “just because”. A walk down the beach with a friend as you share your hopes and dreams together. An afternoon of baking sugary treats, just for fun. A long car ride with a friend to a destination undetermined, just driving. A coffee date with someone who just wants to listen, no judgment. A giggle fit with your best friend over absolutely nothing {and everything}. And so many more… So, how are we to maneuver through this messy life?  Do we ignore the hardships and choose to relish in only the good?  Do we wallow in the hardships while overlooking the joy?  Dare I say we need a little bit of both, well, maybe not the wallow part?...

Dear Single, February is almost here and yes, that means  - - - Valentine’s Day !!  You can’t run from it… You can’t hide from it… BUT… You can {and should} embrace it! Even if you are not dating someone, you do have people to show love/concern/care for rather than wallow in pity.  Life is too short to be sitting at home, eating chocolate while watching sappy chick-flicks bemoaning the fact you are alone. Get out there.  Meet up with some friends.    Bring someone an unexpected bouquet of flowers (great deals on roses). Help a married couple by hanging with their kids so they can get out.  Host a dinner party with friends {married or single}. Just.   Do.   Something. Oh, and another thing, since marriage/dating will be on your mind and you start to wonder about why you are still single… DO NOT SETTLE ! Never!  Ever!   I don’t care what media or psychologists say about lower your standards...

The new year came in pretty quiet but for the roar of panic in my heart for what is to come.  I hadn't realized I was dreading this year until January 1st arrived and the roar in my heart got even louder {like Boeing 757 loud}. Main reason...I will turn 40! However, now a few days into 2015, the roar has quieted.  I realized I will not instantly grow an enormous amount of wrinkles and the grey hair is still covered, so I now to breathe, rest, and anticipate.  Rather than anticipate with dread, I'm choosing to anticipate with joy and excitement. I will never have this year again I will never turn this age again I will never be in this stage of life again So, I will embrace it fully and entirely...good and bad. My desire is to relish in each day and make memories! A list of 40 things I will make,    some silly,    some serious,    some ambitious,    some easy But none the less, it will be a list to spring me into the next dec...

I want… I need… How would you finish these beginnings of a sentence?  How do you think your neighbor would finish the sentence? What about the person on the other side of town? The other side of the state? The other side of the country? The other side of the world? We live in a country where the majority of us would probably finish those sentences with… …a new car. …a new, higher paying job. …a new house. …more education. …a spouse. …new clothes/phone/TV/etc. What if you lived in such a place where you finished the sentence with… …clean water. …fresh food. …medicine for simple illnesses. …two sets of clothes. …basic education. Beyond how we finish the sentence, maybe our shift needs to be on how we begin the sentence.  What if we began each sentence with… We want… We need… In the USA, we have much more than we really need.  Yes, I know we pair back and purge our things, but even then, we still have more and have access to more things that...

Wow…it has been a while since I’ve written a post, I am a huge slacker!!  I have started several times to write an update, pen something profound or even a try my hand at a limerick, but to no avail, nothing! I have recently been reading a book with some friends called Love Does by Bob Goff.  It is a very easy read with lots of stories and keeps you very engaged.  The premise of the book is really about acting out God’s love in the world around us, through involvement, relationship and interaction.  A life lived with large amounts of “whimsy”.  I love words!  For those familiar with the love languages, one of my main ones is words of affirmation.  I keep meaningful cards from friends and family, I like to speak truth into people’s lives and even write out prayers at various times in order to make them seem more meaningful or permanent.  Therefore, when I read books, I am all about the words.  I ingest them like morsels of food, chew...

Can we equally enjoy the journey and the destination?  In a quest to see if I maybe I was alone in my thinking of such crazy things, I posted an impromptu & informal survey on Facebook.  While some responses did not surprise me {sorry Meagan} a few caused me to chuckle.  They tried to justify why they liked both or why they were a certain way but really thought the opposite. Those who answered destination seemed to apologize rather than celebrate.  Personally, I think both are equally important and both should be celebrated.  Some destinations in life are huge milestones even though the journey was not thrilling or enjoyable.  There are some destinations that are a huge let-down once you arrive and most of the joy was in the journey that may or may not have been missed. You cannot reach your destination without the journey and if your journey has no destination, what is its point?  They both depend on each other to create an expe...

I have been a terrible blogger!   In fact, I've been a terrible Twitterer as well (is that even a word?!)   I guess this just means I've been having too much fun with family and friends throughout the summer months rather than trying to post it for all to see/read. So, what have YOU been doing this summer?   Did you enjoy each sticky s'more, crackling bon-fire, infant giggle, toddler tickle war, annoying mosquito bite or were you too busy looking for the perfectly poised instagram shot to post for all to see?!

A long hallway... Many doors... A variety of choices... Can I put my ear to the door to determine what could be on the other side? What if I lie down and look under the door, will it help me choose? Do I feel...    Restless?    Scared?    Confident? Or am I standing in the middle of the hall like this picture with my arms raised high to worship the One who placed me in the hall? In all honesty, I may be in the hallway a long time.  That time-frame is not determined by me.  The options behind each door are evasive and unknown, and there is a part of me that does not care.   If my heart is focused on worshiping and surrendering to my God and Savior,  does it really matter what's on the other side?  My response to the joys/pains/struggles/victories that are behind each door will be determined by my attitude while I stand on the outside. What about you?  How will you spend your time in the hallway?

...the new look of Sarabella's! So excited about this new logo!! I am already starting to dream about how to design a storefront {someday}!   Now is the fun {and tasty} task of perfecting my product , trying new recipes  and branding !  My love for Italy will certainly make its way into several aspects of my branding, especially with fun, delicious combinations. Some signature flavors will be: Cannoli Tiramisu Carmel Macchiato Limoncello Stracciatella Bacio

Still trying to figure out how to actual register the name and a myriad of other details, but now I have a name! Now the orders should start flowing in, right?!

Single circles. Intersecting circles. Combined circles. Circles have been on my mind for a few weeks. {No, my life is not running in circles, although I feel that way at times.}  We recently had a women’s conference at our church that used circles as its focal point as a picture of the beginning of revival…the individual.  If we want to see change in the world around us, we had better be willing to be the first changed.  Hard.  Painful.  Freeing.  Scary. This first step is so important regardless of the pain it may cause.  See, we are not supposed to stay the same as we were a year ago…we are called to grow, change.  To be transformed by God through the renewing of our mind found (Romans 12:2).  This transformation is unlike the caterpillar turning into a butterfly, it requires work, effort, tears, and surrender.  However, unlike the caterpillar, we are not alone in our cocoon waiting for transformation.  Whew!...

I never really thought myself to be a prideful person, until I read the following at a conference this past weekend.   Yikes! Look over this long list and evaluate yourself.   Then, do not sit and wallow in your pride or ignore your pride; surrender and seek the Lord to become broken.  In the end, everything we do should be for His honor and glory, not our own. P roud people focus on the failures of others. Broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need. Proud people have a critical, fault-finding spirit; they look at everyone else’s faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope. Broken people are compassionate; they forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven. Proud people are self-righteous; they look down on others. Broken people esteem all others better than themselves. Proud people have an independent, self-sufficient spirit. Broken people have a dependent spirit; they recognize their need for ot...