So many books!!

Look at me -- I'm an author! lol

(*The photos on the book covers are much clearer/better quality than they appear here.)

Every time I started to create another online scrapbook, I kept wanting to journal the whole story or somehow throw in the tribute posts or something... so I finally decided to just have a blog book printed....... and by "a" blog book, I mean FIVE, because there's a page limit, so that's how many it took to get the whole Slightly Resembling Gumption blog all documented -- the first 3 books cover one year each (July to July), but the last year had to be split because it went way over the 1500 photos limit. lol  Each book is over 275 pages!  

...a little ridiculous, I'm very aware, but I love it!!

The pictures are smaller and black and white (otherwise it would've cost a small fortune)... but you get the gist, and I love having everything documented here!  I do still fully plan to create a scrapbook by the end of this year, but now I won't feel as pressured to get all these details in there. :)

Shifting gears, over the last few months, I've read these five books... (you'll notice the fiction reading is dwindling in favor of the Christian living/Psychology books.  They just fascinate me, and I guess that's a good thing!!)  

Five great books... all focused on the importance of personal maturity and a pure inner life!  
The book that holds the living power to accomplish these things in me is the book I haven't read enough of lately... I am getting back into a regular Bible reading habit, though, and have been in Timothy this past week...

"But you, [Lindsey], belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good.  Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  Fight the good fight for what we believe.  Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.  And I command you before God... that you obey His commands with all purity...  [Lindsey], guard what God has entrusted to you.  Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge."  
~I Timothy 6:11-20 personalized

...I like to personalize verses where Paul talks to Timothy, partly because the whole Bible can be personalized as a letter from God, and partly because Paul is totally a driver and Timothy is his amiable friend, so it feels fitting. :)

Finally, in the coming months, I plan to read the Bible more consistently, and to read these two books... and possibly The Perks of Being a Wallflower!

I think Quiet will be good and empowering, and Psychology in the Spirit is actually a book written by two professors at Rosemead that details how they integrate the Bible and the Holy Spirit into Psychology... so I'm excited to read that one!  =)

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

(Quote from Vienna Waits for You - love that song!)

"Never waste your time trying to explain who you are 

to people who are committed to misunderstanding you."  

~D. Hampton

P.S.  Mini-update on Anthony:  There have been a few setbacks and complications, but overall, he's recovering well (he's 6 months old, and he had open heart surgery last week where they put in a permanent pacemaker!)  I'm thankful that he's doing so well!!  Here's a pic that I just love of him and the Build-A-Bear teddy bear they got for him (chosen for the patch on his heart).  

He'll still be in the hospital at least 3 more weeks, and this surgery was in St. Louis, so that's made everything a bit more difficult.  Thanks for praying for them, and keep it up!

Tribute Tuesday - Winter (again)

I heart Winter.

I know it's directly opposite of what so many people feel, but I'm very tired of this Summer... on my lunch break yesterday, I was walking around outside, half-blinded by the brightness of the summer sun, and failed to notice the swarm of bees hovering over the trash can beside me... then when one flew right by my ear, I flinched so hard and fast that I gave myself a neck cramp, and by the time I got back to my ridiculously hot car, I was mad at the world. lol  I am so over the intense heat, the crickets and grasshoppers everywhere, having to be on high alert for wolf spiders and all manner of creepy insects, and actually having a black LIZARD in my garage this morning!!   What on earth!?  

I need an amazing, harsh Winter to come through and freeze everything out, please!!

I already did a "Tribute Tuesday" to Winter last year...  hmmm, this year, I have discovered that I really like snow cones, so there's one mini-point in the Summer column!  But this year also brought the birth of my nephew and me going back to school, both pretty big wins for the Winter side!

Click HERE for my official Winter tribute, because it's awesome and full of happy wonderful things that make me smile. =)  Makes me want to turn on my Christmas music and celebrate that Summer is quickly coming to an end. ;-)

Memory Monday ~ Mini-Reunion

Holly Dei was in town from NYC this weekend... so me, Rach, Megs, and Holly had a mini high school reunion! :)  

We all met at Rach's house then headed downtown for dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse (terrible service, but that actually ended up being really funny - Holly always cracks me up when she's frustrated with incompetence!)  Rach laughed about us automatically getting into our old seating arrangement -- Rach driving, Holly up front controlling the music, Megan and I in the back, laughing at Rach and Holly's back and forth sarcasm and connecting without saying a word.  =) 

After dinner we went to the Bricktown Candy Company for some candy and gelato - yum!  Then at Holly's request, we drove by CHA, which brought back all sorts of memories, even with all the construction there right now.  (No one but me was up for getting out to take a picture, so I'll have to go with the mental picture for that.)

I've hung out with Megan a few times lately, and obviously I see Rachael regularly, but it was great to all be together again and to catch up on Holly's life.  In October, she's moving to Africa for a year to work with the Girls Foundation of Tanzania... wow!!  Holly asked Rach for marriage and parenting advice, and talked about her plan to have one biological child and adopt 3 children.  (Still planning on the C-Section and tummy tuck, and we all told her she's ridiculous with that.)  

Megan just got a promotion to a Nurse Educator position at work and is going back to school for her Masters and Doctorate, planning to teach eventually.  I told them about school and my future plans (inconcrete as they may be right now), and Holly told me about 10 times after dinner that she's so proud of me for pursuing this. :)  We talked a lot about the importance of having your own identity and purpose outside of relationships with men... something we've all learned in different ways.  Megan asked at one point if we still keep up with anyone else from CHA, and we all laughed and said no.

We talked a tiny bit about high school memories, but I was glad the evening didn't revolve around that... there were all sorts of new and exciting things to talk about!  And of course, we laughed a lot!  The mix of Rach and Holly is a lot like the mix of Martin and Frasier, and it's always entertaining to me!  Holly's one of a kind, and Rach is "a mom who still wants to be a gangsta" according to Holly. :)  It's funny to see how things have changed for us, and what has stayed the same. ❤

Anyway, here's some pictures... Holly mentioned at dinner that she'd only held a baby once in her life, so we insisted on a pic with her holding Jace! :)

 A few more pics of us through the past 12+ years... Kona Ranch, Holly visiting OKC in 2009, line dancing fun at Cimmaron Steakhouse, Diana Ross concert, anti-prenup toast with Megan, Christmas 2010 in NYC, Megs and Rach coming to see me in Tulsa ('08), Charlie's Angels pose (their senior year 2004), Don Pablos, and an appropriate pic of the 3 of them.

A pic of the old gang from CHA - several guys were in and out of the group, but it always included the four of us girls!  

Rach is sarcastic and funny and the perfect contrast to Holly's personality, and in a lot of ways she's the 'glue' of our group.  Holly is intense and passionate in a way that I just love, and she's often hilarious without trying to be.  And Megs is kind and genuine and has a great unexpected sense of humor... she's someone I want to be closer to because she's truly Christlike and full of wisdom.  So all in all, this was a perfect mini 'high school reunion!'  Yay!!

Photo Friday + Quotes

So the point of these Photo Friday posts was to experiment and take quality pictures with my new fancy camera.  But I took this pic with my cell phone during a family lunch at Cheddars... it originally included faces, but when I accidentally tapped the picture to zoom in, I got this awesomeness... so I cropped it down, making the photo quality a bit poorer...  but I LOVE IT!

My precious, tenderhearted Grandad (celebrating his 83rd birthday that afternoon) and precious little Bubby Jace (just a few days past 6 months old).  JoBug is holding him here, but he's clearly reaching out for Grandad, who takes care of him through the week while Rach is at work.  I love the age difference in the hands, I love that it shows Grandad's trademark shirt and pocket and Jace's navy and white striped onesie, and I love the connection and the love it represents.

It just makes me very happy. =)

Okay.  So none of these quotes necessarily go together or even focus on the same subject, but each one has meant something to me over the past week or two.  I'd thought about writing a longer post detailing my thoughts about one or two of them, but I'm taking the easier route and just letting each quote speak for itself. Enjoy...

“Until you are what you choose, you tend to be what you’ve seen.”  ~Dr. Frisbie

"A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other."  ~C.S. Lewis

“In the midst of crisis, heartbreak or tragedy, you can seek God or you can seek understanding but you rarely get both. In time, usually after some time, God can help you sort things out. But not in the midst of the storm. In the maelstrom, seek God. Interpretation comes later. Trust the Larger Story.”  ~John Eldredge

“Seek to go deeper before you ask to go higher & further. A disparity between your inner & your outer world will cause your world to collapse.”  ~Christine Caine

“A person who thinks himself unlovable cannot be in a relationship with God because he can't accept who God is; a Being that is love. We learn that we are lovable or unlovable from other people... That is why God tells us so many times to love each other.”  ~Donald Miller

Finally, we've talked lately in LG about the value of praying for our future spouse... and I'm going to try to make that a regular habit.  (This awesome 'bookmark' came from another blog on that subject.)

Thankful Thursday! (53)

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."  ~Colossians 4:2

Today, I'm grateful and praising God for:

1.  Quiet, peaceful days at work... and for the beautiful, tall Magnolia tree right outside my window!  
2.  That I'm making progress and feeling more productive now that I've made an official To-Do list.
3.  My closest friends, Malori and Laura ~ for hilarious memories, deep and honest conversations, emotional support, and truly wanting the best for me!

4.  Sundays with the fam ~ MWC LifeChurch then Zios lunch and hanging out with the nephews!

5.  Dr. Frisbie ~ for singling me out and sincerely believing in my potential 
6.  My new Lifetime gym membership... and my newfound freedom from jogging! =)

(Took this pic with my cell phone bc it struck me as funny that my first gym-member purchase was dinner at the Life Cafe!  Tasty and healthy, though, so that's progress. :))

7.  Feeling confident and excited about my future!
8.  Finally having a specific, manageable, healthy food and exercise plan!  
9.  That baby Anthony made it through major heart surgery yesterday, and is doing well so far today!!

10. That I don't have to know it all or feel stressed out by the options right now -- my future is in God's hands, and He'll be with me wherever I go!
11.  That I get a $25 50-minute massage tonight for being a new gym member... awesome!
12.  Chet and Sarah ~ Chet for being willing to pay $700 to run the full with me, and for not making me feel bad about changing my mind. :) And Sarah for being entertaining and uplifting, and for helping me with my practicum for class!

So even though this song is basically an ode to passivity (and the lyrics to the last verse are just sad), I just love the Zac Brown Band!  So relaxing and perfectly country - I could listen to them all day.  ......but I won't. ;-)

Tribute Tuesday ~ Class!

It must be said:  I LOVE my class - love it!  I love studying psychology at a Christian school.  I love the vulnerability and transparency of everyone in this group - love hearing their stories and getting to know their backgrounds and their hearts.  I love the diversity and hearing different viewpoints.  I love that we pray together.  I love that it's just one night a week and that we get to study a new subject with a new teacher every month.  I believe Dr. Frisbie is likely to remain my favorite throughout the program -- Godly, brilliant author/counselor/teacher from California, recommended Rosemead, and has treated me with a great deal of respect -- but they have all been pretty wonderful so far and I've learned something new from each of them... 

(Ms. Ashford, Dr. GhostBear, Ms. Slagle, Ms. Wiseman, and Dr. Frisbie.)

This is our first group picture, taken the last night of our first "semester." :)

Left to right:  Megan, Jessica, Kelly, Joan, me, Michael Jackson, Beverly, Mike Hall, Gary, Amber, Annora, and Dr. Frisbie

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven... He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]... I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it.  And God does it so that men will reverently fear Him."  

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

This makes me happy. =)  I'm thankful for the way God worked it out for me to be here with these exact people at this exact time!!

Team USA

Team USA + Home by Phillip Phillips = amazing!!  


Love this Olympic montage and I'm reeeeeally loving this song (downloaded it today).  This has been a great year for the Olympics so far!!  Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time, Gabby Douglas becoming the first gymnast to win team gold and all around gold, Usain Bolt's amazing speed, and seeing Oscar Pistorius run as an Olympian - loving it all!  

And on a random note, here's a happy picture of Boo, just for fun! :)

Wedding Week!

Well, "wedding week" is officially over - it's been a lot of fun, but I'm tired and relieved to get some rest today.  I've taken over 400 pictures this week and have finally sorted through and narrowed them down a bit.  Wednesday night was a spa night & personal shower for Cassie.  Thursday was Kristin's Bachelorette Party, Friday her rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and Saturday was wedding day!  I got up at 5:45 am, did breakfast with the girls at 7:30, got my hair done, was a bridesmaid in Kristin's wedding at 1:00, then left after the reception around 4:45 and went to Cassie's wedding and reception!!  WOW, my feet are tired.  

Some of the week's most memorable moments include:  talking to Bindhu as we got our pedicures and messed up our fingernails trying to keep our spa robes closed and modest, Laura and I freaking out as I almost ran over a family of racoons on our way to the skating rink, telling Laura I was so happy not to be standing on the narrow stairs - right before they changed the arrangement and made me the only bridesmaid who would stand on the step, Tara Lynn's fantastic toast to Kristin at the rehearsal dinner at Michael V's, the bridesmaids praying over Kristin immediately before the wedding, Pastor Mike's fitting praise for Jon and Kristin's character during the actual wedding ceremony, talking to a Godly friend whose dad recently died at Kristin's reception, line dancing at K's reception, going from there to Cassie's wedding, two-stepping with Blake F. at Cassie's wedding reception, and being escorted back to Malori's car in the pouring rain by the awesome valet guy with a nice umbrella! :)

A few of my favorite pics from this week:

Photo Friday

Photo by Kristin.  A cute apron pic with Laura at Purple Glaze (part of Kristin's Bachelorette Party night)!  Love it. =)

And here's a random encouraging verse:
"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires.  Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you."  ~Psalm 37:4-5

*This helps me on the "to move or not to move" decision - if my heart delights in Jesus and I commit my work to Him and trust Him with my future, then He will honor and bless that, so I can't go 'wrong' either way!