Tara Lynn

A tribute to... Tara Lynn Thompson, great friend and blogger extraordinaire! =)

1. Passionate about knowing and teaching TRUTH in every area!
2. Extremely talented and witty writer… and in my opinion, should totally publish her Singularity book… (which I still want a full copy of, by the way!)
3. Sarcastic, deep, funny, and fun!
4. Intelligent, and has Godly wisdom and discernment

5. Cared enough to teach me a lot about healthy eating; introduced me to Whole Foods… (granted, I didn’t do a great job of following through, but I am slowly improving my habits and losing weight now…)
6. Devoted patriot – loves America and wants to help restore it to the nation the founding fathers originally had in mind
7. Fights against injustice and boldly stands for freedom

8. Has a positive outlook; loves getting to know new people, and believes the best in them
9. Compassionate and has a servant’s heart… started the Remnant group as a way to bring Christians together to really walk in love by actively serving others… you know, to BE the church God calls us to be!
10. Loyal and trustworthy friend
11. Very passionate about exposing lies and finding the truth in politics
12. Dancing queen… seriously amazing dancer and can follow any lead… I love to watch her on the dance floor (more accurately, I want to BE her on the dance floor! lol) …sexy and smooth, and you can tell she really loves it! =)
13. Introduced me to Jason’s Deli… yum!
14. Inspiring, unwavering faith and hope!
15. Secure and confident in who she is, and makes you feel comfortable being yourself
16. Loves brilliant old movies and TV shows, and doesn’t watch anything that mocks or belittles her beliefs and values
17. Convinced me to try several new foods - some good, some not so much! lol
18. Fabulous dry, sarcastic sense of humor
19. Uniquely beautiful… I love her freckles and perfect naturally curly hair!
20. Bold and unintimidated; will not bow to the pressure to conform or be quiet about her views
21. Eats gluten free and enjoys it… (still love this pic of her looking sad by all the donuts at Krispy Kreme! lol)

22. “Would rather sleep on a bed of poison ivy than participate in a bouquet toss.” …lol
23. Generous with her time and money; kind and unselfish.

24. Confident, but not arrogant. Optimistic, but not naïve. Humble and loves peace, but not a pushover! =)
25. In a word… integrity!

Quick Update

Hey!  It's been a while since I've given an update, so here goes...

I just got back from Larry's hair salon, so I'm feeling ultra-fabulous today. Larry is seriously awesome! (I went brown with red highlights and 1960s retro bangs - love it!) Also, I've decided I want to bring back scarves... how fun are scarves!? So many retro and 50s trends are back now, but the cute scarf in the ponytail has never quite made the comeback. Whatever, I think it's fun and feminine, so I'm gonna singlehandedly bring it back. lol :)

My parents got an adorable new puppy, so that's been a blast!! I have been a bit sick with a cold lately, but I think it's getting better. Work is going well... but I kinda feel like I'm just coasting at that job, so I'm still excited to hear from Ransomed Heart! Also, after seeing Bobbi's fun cameraphone app and looking through Alli's pics on her blog, I am wanting to get into photography... not for a job, but as another fun side hobby! So hopefully, I'll be posting some cool pics here soon!

Malori officially moved in last night (I'm at my parents' house this weekend, but still, yay for having a roommate who is also my awesome best friend!) We started Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love, at Lifegroup last week, which I'm excited about! He's just such a cool guy with an amazing passion for God! My mind is a bit blank right now, but I'm sure there are exciting things I'm missing.? I'm signed up to run the Race for the Cure in September, and of course, the half-marathon is coming up in November! I'm getting frustrated w/myself lately, but I have made a lot of progress since I started really working out/eating better, so I need to focus on that and be thankful!!

God is awesome; I am happy and becoming healthier; life is good; my family is doing well; I love my friends; and I'm trusting God with my future and expecting great things! =D

A few more...

These all make me laugh... such great memories w/awesome, fun people...
and of course, a few TV shows and movies too!

"Winning and shattering the male ego are my two favorite things in life." -Holly Dei Wesselhoft, one of the funniest people ever, typically without trying to be :)

"He and I don't really talk that much ever since he chased me off with a weed-eater." -Wesley Blake :)

"If I were Vice President, the President would seriously need to watch his back!" -Holly again, it's funny because it's true

"Aww, he's never hurt a fly... OH! Did he get ya?" -Bill talking about his hatred of dogs (he's a postman and has so many great stories)

"Grandad would look good in that." -Mom, seeing a fancy pickup she wanted for her dad
"I was kinda thinkin' TyWeezie would look good in that... Baaaall-innnn!" -Ty :)

"Look at my calves... that's just one solid muscle. See that definition? That's PIMP!" -TyWeezie (while running like an idiot) on our vacation :)

"Crank Fancy up! Tell me about it, Reba!!" -Wes

"I never get asked out!" -Jean Ko (hilarous foreign exchange student)
"There's a reason for that." -Julie
"What being??" -Jean Ko
"'Cause you don't look like a girl half the time." -Julie
"Yeah, I guess!" -Jean Ko :)

"I'm pretty much struggling with everything I do in my life right now, but you have to struggle to succeed." -William Hung (how cute is he!?)

"That was God smiting me for making fun of your sister." -Mark, in the middle of choking after mocking Kelsey Law

"Have you said to him, "Beelly, I love you!?" -Hugh Grant, Two Weeks Notice

"I think he thinks we're rich and that he's marrying into money, but he's got another thing coming!" -Lynda about her future son-in-law :)

"Death would be more exciting than this, and childbirth would be more enjoyable!" and "Everyone here is IDIOTS!" -- Holly during Napolean Dynamite (which we both walked out of, but I've come to like it now)

"Dig deep, guys!" -Jordan Law to our Catchprase team, while holding his hand up and no one high-fived him.... it became a running joke :)

"Ugh, I can't get this open!" -Rach (after trying hard several times... she then gave it to Ty, who opened it the first time he tried)
"Well, I guess it's retarded-proof." -Ty

"What'd you all do yesterday? Oh, we went to lunch. How long did that take? Oh, about 12 hours!" -Bill, the day we drove to Lambert's just for lunch :)

"Wow, you guys are like a French whorehouse." -Holly, because we had several different types of perfume! lol I just love Holly; I miss her now that I'm thinking through all this.

"And Mr. Sedarius would like to know if you have any sisters." -Cassandra, to a juror (she was unattractive, and Mr. Sedarius had written that note to Cassandra as a lil' joke... so, so funny when they both were finally able to laugh about it during the recess.  She covered it well in court and just acted like he thought he might know the family.)

"I like your blonde hair. But it's dark underneath... did you mean for it to be like that?" -Jenny
"Ummmm, yeah!" -Kate

"Sometimes, I don't wear bras with certain tops." -Kate
"Me too, but I don't look slutty or whorish." -Jenny
"Huh!? Did you just call me slutty and whorish in the same sentence?" -Kate

"WHO is this girl w/Ty? She does NOT look good enough for him!" -Jenny (looking at a pic she didn't realize was Rach and Ty)

"I like Ashlee Simpson's new haircut, but the color... NOOOO." 
(a few minutes later) "Hey, this looks just like your hair color!" -the one and only Jenny Womble

(Catchphrase) "I don't think you're ready for this..." -Justin
"...Jelly!" -Brandon (so fast and hilarious!)

"Beavers and ducks!" -Billy Bob Thornton, while dreaming, in Bandits (odd & hilarious movie)

"This is a game for bragging rights." -Derek (playing against little Morgan at pool)
"Ours was for bragging rights. This is about pride and integrity!" -Jordan Law, my favorite person alive at that time

"This is SMACK DAB in the middle of the blue!" -Chandler to crazy Eddie

"Of course she has more boys than girls, because her husband's a boy." -Heather, definitely speaking before she thought! lol

"Are we driving, or just FLOATING ON AIR!? This is tiggity-freakin-tight!" -J-Law, so pumped the night Rach got her X5

"I know you think you're too cool for school, but I've got a newsflash for you, Walter Cronkite -- you AREN'T." -Derek Zoolander :)

"Are you mentally handicapped?" -Aaron, (arguing his point with Mark in Debate class)
"Maybe!  I've never taken an IQ test." -Mark, never wanting to give a direct answer... so funny

"Is that a basketball goal... or a MASKED MURDERER!?" -Jordan Law, mocking Rach's irrational fears

"Havno moves with a Ninja-like silence. It's like our house is haunted." -Michael, talking about our Uncle Havno Naime (yes, that's for real)

"Ahem... always consult me before you do things like that." -Amber (Gene tried to fit the mirror into our trash can by breaking it into a million little pieces, then Mom was worried about our dog, Kelsey, stepping on the glass.)
"Oh, I don't think she'd step on it. Her paws are so tiny!" -Gene
"That...... doesn't make any sense." -Amber :)

"Get inside the system, and make it work for you like little puppets!" -Mark, commenting on Rach and I always being office aides at CHA and the perks that came along with it! ;)

"And we're also gonna need a big thing to go." -Rach (who couldn't think of the word "setup") to the waiter at Ted's... me, Megs, and Holly couldn't stop laughing about that!

"Seriously, guys, I'm allergic to Clydesdales!" -Rach being dramatic when her allergies were getting to her after our fabulous downtown carriage ride :)

"WHAT!? Ohmygosh, I'm getting wet!" -Wes, when he went to pick up the football in our neighbor's yard and their sprinklers came on right then... haaaalarious!

"Respect your elders, Megan!" -Holly
"You just said you'd rather be the moon than a llama. That pretty much cancels out the respect." -Megs :)

"Wait... FIX the lampshade." -Mark when Aron hit our lamp with a football
"This is Mark's second home you're dealing with!!" -Jason (talking about our house)

Aww, memories! =)

Happy Quotes =)

Random Quotes (verses not included) that make me smile:

"Sometimes you have to take a break from being the boss of everyone, and just... be the boss of dancing!" ~Michael Scott

"The sea was angry that day, my friends!!" -George Kostanza, dramatically explaining him saving the whale while pretending to be a marine biologist! :) I love George!

"'Pretty good!??' There's not a dark corner in the entire room!" ~Kate mocking Rach's need for lights while we sleep on our cruise... the way she said it was hilarious

In Hawaii, after me, Rach, Black, Emma, and JB had waited outside on Uncle Mike to come pick us up for quite a while, he finally showed up (after getting really lost on all the one-way streets.)
"Where the hell have you been!??" -JB, loud and already kinda laughing
"I have no idea." -Mike, so quiet, but sooo hilarious

"All I need now is a pink feather boa." -Chet, while imitating Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed during Zumba class, so funny

"I see your sign says, 'Jesus is the reason for the season.' Prove it, you hypocritical pharisee!" ~Blake Gruenberg, random but funny

"What is this dairy delight you speak of!??" ~Laura, appropriately mocking the product placement ads in Biggest Loser

"Is this some kind of a joke!? I was gone 3 hours!!" ~Ricky Bobby, upon coming home to find his wife remarried to his best friend, best part of the movie by far!

"I'd rather sleep on a bed of poison ivy than participate in a bouquet toss." -Tara Lynn

"I think you're acting really immature." -Rory
"I'm not acting." -Lorelai -- love the Gilmores!

"It certainly does look delicious." ~The cute redhead son on Talledega Nights, about the Applebees dinner

"Let's go! Every horror movie ever made was probably based on a true story from this town." ~Kate after going to the bathroom at a disgusting gas station, so funny

"I love that movie! I saw it 3 times." -Rach, talking about Wild Hogs
"Aww, come sit on my lap." -Kate, off in her own bizzare but funny world
"That's .......weird. Because I've seen Wild Hogs??" ~Rach

"This is mass chaos." ~K-Lamb during Partini game at NY Eve party :)

"Maxiiiiiiine, I'm HURT!" ~Mark, after his chair tipped over as he leaned back trying to play it cool in our Mafia game :)

"Typical day in the Wesselhoft household, but I don't feel the need to cry at parties." ~Holly Dei, annoyed at another girl for being a drama queen over her family issues

"Now, I have a machine gun. Ho...Ho...Ho." ~Hans, so slow and angry, Die Hard

"Oh, that Bob Richardson." ~Jon Lovitz, City Slickers II

"Wow, it has never been such a MONSTROCITY as that to shave my legs." -Kate, bc of the rocking motion of our cruise ship
(Rach making a Jim Halpert face and mouthing to me:) "Monstrocity?" -Rach

"I kinda teared up for a second! I was just glad I had on my 3D glasses..." ~Rach, while telling me about seeing Up

"WHAT!??" ~John Cusack's delayed and dramatic reaction in Serendipity

"Barry Manilow represents my very soul." ~the one and only Danielle Schmidt

"What's been keeping you so busy lately!??" -George Kostanza, totally skeptical
"Well.... mostly the chemotherapy." ~Jon Lovitz' character

"Bah-bada, Bee-bada." ~Karen Walker, Will & Grace

"You either wanna be with me or be me!" ~Nelly Furado, ManEater... love the attitude!

"You just thought all the Tanzanite was gone. The Wallaces have drawers of it!!" ~Bill Wallace, mocking Debbie for buying tons of jewelry because of a stupid sales pitch

"Hey Mike, ya know when I first started liking midgets?" ~Bill again

"If I had blue eyes, it'd be over... I wouldn't even know what to do with myself!" -the ever-humble Ty Wallace :) lol

"I am JUST LIKE Danny Ocean in Oceans 11!" ~Mark, totally serious, while playing poker at our house :)

"If I had no morals, I would totally make out with you right now!" ~Joe Crow to me at Chili's

"Wow, you are a dumb son of a b****." ~Rach
(long pause) "...Daughter." ~Kate... they're so funny together

"Yes, I was testing you. It's niiiiiiiine." ~"Mr. S" (Jack Black), as they are "learning in sing-song" on School of Rock

"Milly and me's goin' to town!!" ~one of Rach and I's fav quotes, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

"Are you yelling at me!?" -Bruce Willis as Elizabeth's dad, Paul
"God, NO." -Ross (my favorite of the friends, though no one else seems to feel that way.)

"Oy with the poodles already!" ~Lorelai Gilmore, making up a fun new phrase because the words "oy" and "poodles" are always fun to hear

Great Expectations

I saw 500 Days of Summer tonight.

In my favorite scene (this won't ruin the plot, especially since they already said "it's not a love story" in the preview) they did a split screen when he saw his ex for the first time in a while, and one side depicted his optimistic "Expectations," and the other showed the harsh "Reality." Really interesting and something I totally identify with. Unrealistic expectations and a sense of entitlement get me into so much trouble. And by trouble, I really just mean heartbreak. People aren't perfect, and realistically, they're bound to disappoint you. But still, it's hard not to expect certain treatment from those you really care about. That is a weak area for me, especially because I usually take things a bit more personally than I should.

I want to be more careful about that, because I tend to feel entitled to be treated a certain way... by others and by God. I've really been in a mood this weekend, because I'm struggling with that very thing - feeling disappointed and a little used in certain friendships, and I guess you could say I'm questioning God's plan on a few specific situations in my life and the lives of those I deeply care about. I genuinely need God's help to be able to trust Him with this stuff, because it makes zero sense to my imperfect human mind. I want Him to change these things, and I know He has the power to do it.  I'm frustrated that nothing is happening, and part of me feels that it's because He doesn't care enough, and I'm tired of praying about it.......

"We see God as a means to an end rather than the end itself... the assistant to our life, versus God as our life." Surprise, John Eldredge got it right again. I have so many expectations of God, but I sometimes forget that He also has expectations for me... and that His main goal is to change my heart, not my circumstances. I definitely forget to see HIM as my life itself.  I sooooo want this selfish attitude to change in me; I want GOD HIMSELF, knowing God intimately, to be the chief desire of my heart... for everything else to pale in comparison. I'm most definitely not there yet, but I'm pressing toward it, and I don't intend to stop!

Waves of Emotion

I love this picture. I just find it oddly comforting.

Even when the waves are swirling all around me, the light of God is always there.  Steady and stable, never changing, full of mercy and love, promising justice, and speaking hope into my life. If I will only choose to focus on Him and trust Him rather than being overwhelmed by the sudden waves of my fickle emotions...

Easier said than done. But healing and freedom don't come without a price. Stop focusing on all that's shaky and unsettled, and focus on living with joy and drawing closer to the Light.  I gotta say, that sounds like a far better plan than drowning in an ocean of pride, selfishness, or depression.  God must know what He's doing when He says, "Lose sight of yourself, and follow Me." ❤

"STAY THE COURSE!"

I caught the last 30 minutes of The Patriot this morning.  Wow, I love that movie and adore Mel Gibson's character, Benjamin!  His sons, Thomas and Gabriel, are killed by the same cruel British soldier. Benjamin has killed several British soldiers and inspired several other men to fight for freedom, so they specifically target his family to break his spirit.

After Gabriel's death, his dad feels that it's his sins coming back to haunt him, and he loses heart. He refuses to continue to fight with the other men, making the point that losing one man can't matter that much anyway (the familiar and awful lie of insignificance). He buries Gabriel and is ready to head back home when he notices the flag... a tattered American flag Gabriel had been mending to remind himself of what he was fighting for. Oh, I LOVE the next scene when he rides up to meet his fellow militia men and the soldiers, proudly carrying the huge flag and bringing fresh inspiration and fire in their hearts!  And then comes the last battle. They are outnumbered, and the British have very little respect for the militia.

One side is fighting for glory; the other for freedom.

The British troops charge them in an effort to "kill their spirits," and several of them start yelling, "Run! Retreat!!" They draw back and stop fighting out of fear, but the enemy is still charging them (much like spiritual warfare). Benjamin sees this, sees a soldier running away from the battle carrying the flag with him, and he grabs it from him, yelling, "NO!!  HOLD.  HOLD THE LINE!  STAY THE COURSE."  Another commanding officer sees this and yells, "PUSH FORWARD, MEN!" And I start cheering! Aaaah, I love it!

...Anyway, Benjamin runs up into the old church building... (the building where the British soldiers had burned several innocent townspeople alive earlier, including his daughter-in-law and several friends)... and he holds the flag up as high as he can, right in the doorway to that church. Remembering the malicious brutality of their enemy and seeing that they have no intention of stopping in their attack, they collectively choose to push forward. They fight for their freedom and the freedom of future generations!  ("Viva la liberty," as the Frenchman says!)  Of course, in the end, Benjamin gets to personally finish off Colonel Tavington, the main villain of the movie. But the greatest scene of the movie (in my opinion) is his call to battle, his plea for those around him to keep fighting with him, and to remember what they are fighting for!

"Quite impressive for a farmer with a pitchfork, wouldn't you say!??"  I LOVE IT.

I'm sorry to compare everything to God and the spiritual world. Well, on second thought, no, I'm really not. That scene just fits. The enemy has sin strongholds or addictions in our lives and he feels that he "owns us" there.  He laughs in amusement when we decide to try to break free and fight him. He does his best to crush our spirits, to make us feel defeated and incapable, guilty and ashamed when anything goes wrong. And when we get inspired and get serious about fighting him, when we really want to be free from those areas of bondage, he doubles his forces and charges in attack. If we turn in "retreat mode," he mercilessly continues to attack us, making sure we know who's boss.  But in the end, he is fighting for his own glory; while we are fighting for freedom and for God's glory!  We have something worth fighting for.

When Benjamin yells, "Stay the course," it shakes me to my very core. Push through, Lindsey. Victory and freedom won't come easily, but it WILL BE WORTH IT. And why on earth should I give another tiny inch to the enemy who hates me so much that he desires to ruin me, my family, and my future!??  As Christians fighting to overcome sin, we are all in the midst of our own personal "revolutionary war."  It matters, and we cannot lose heart or believe our role is insignificant.  (Each one of us is has a part to play, and our choices affect our own futures and the futures of others!)

So I don't have an awesome flag to waive, but for myself and for those around me, I'd like to stand before the church of God as we come under attack and yell, "Stay the course!!  PUSH FORWARD, CHRISTIANS!"

Never ever give up! ❤