Thursday, April 28, 2011

FRESH Art Café


I wanted to share some excited news with you! I've been talking about it for a while, but it's actually going to happen! I have photography which will be hung on the walls of a local organic restaurant, Fresh Art Cafe.  The owner, Kitty McCoy, is going to have an open house to showcase my photography and celebrate her one year anniversary as well!

The event is TOMORROW night (4/29) from 5:00-9:0pm (flyer time is wrong). I would love for you all to come by, say hello and see my photography! It's a new adventure God's leading me through! [Some of you might not even know about my new project. To learn more, read the story on my blog: Happy Feet.

FRESH Art Café
2100 Riverchase Ctr. #226
Hoover AL 35244
205.988.8360

Also, read more about what makes Fresh Art Cafe tick from a customer and “up-and-coming” local Blogger Carrie Rollwagen (who was recently featured in Birmingham Magazine) who chose to give Kitty a few lines in her recent blog! Read it here, and follow her: Shop Small - Buying Local in Alabama
 
I hope to see friends and family come out and support me tomorrow night!  It would be a lot to me!  Who knows, we might play some games afterwards!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

No Limit

I've had a phrase stuck in my head the past couple of days, "Your love has no limit at all."  It's from a song off Enter the Worship Circle (Vol. 3); which I've fallen in love with.  I figured it was high time I write about it. 

I feel an unforseen pressure to write about something super intelligent, since I haven't blogged in a while.  I mean, with no new posts, it must mean something significant is brewing in my creative mind.  Well, yes, and no.  I do have something I'm trying to find the right words for; not sure when or if that'll happen.  But mostly, I've just been out enjoying life with my JP.

Your love has no limit at all.

I've been wanting a mountain bike for a while now, but was unsure of the best way to acquire one.  My JP went looking on Craig's List and found a TREK at a garage sale of all places.  The catch, we had to get there when it started... 7:30am.  This was no problem for my early riser boyfriend, however me on the other hand, took some conjoling.  My incentive was this "like-new" bike which currently retails for around $1600.  I was willing to pay $200. 

Off we went, in the early morning hours, to find me a new bike!  If nothing else, I knew we'd find adventures along the way.  We always do together.  As we pulled up to the house, a lady zeroed on 'my" bike!  JP and I both said, "Noooooo."  We "casually" made our way near the bike and heard the lady wanted something for her son.  Um, helloo, it was advertised as women's bike.  Just saying.

As soon as she walked away, I pounced on the bike.  Literally.  The bike and I almost went down when I tried to sit on it on the incline driveway.  Silly me.  After JP and the owner looked it over, we discovered it would need a little work.  She dropped the asking price to $50!  (She bought it in 2005 for $400.) Can you believe it, what a steal! 

About that time, some college students dropped by and had an eye on "my" bike as well.  The girl offered the owner $75.  Doh, in one moment, I was in a bidding war and had to make a quick decision!  I said, "Yes!"  I also got a brand new The North Face W Terra 40 Backpack, never been used for $50!  I know, it sounds like a lot of money for a garage sale, but current retail price is around $150, so I still got a great deal.  Eventually JP and I are going on a hiking/camping trip.  I'll have to work my way up to that though. 

Your love has no limit at all.

Two Saturdays ago, my allergies were at a all time bad!  I'm not sure why, but I always forget how bad spring is for me.  Oh, I love all the pretty flowers, but the thought of going outside just makes me cringe.  I was MISERABLE all day, while JP and I were collecting the necessary parts for MY NEW BIKE!  Yay!  New 'comfy' seat, chain, tubes for my tires, helmet, etc.  By the time we got back to his house, I was praying the allergy medicine would knock me out for some much needed relief.  Thankfully, this was the case.

I wasn't able to be of any help fixing up my bike until much later in the day.  He'd already completely fixed up his bike to riding standards.  He amazes me with what he's able to do when he puts his mind to something.  I'll ask him, "How did you know how to do that?"  He'll give me this funny look, "Um, I don't know, I just figured it out."  Wow, he's so cool.

I suggested we use CLR on my super rusty gears.  To my amazed relief, I started to see the shiny chrome peek through!  With a little more elbow grease and tender loving care, we cleaned and scrubbed the bike until it looked "brand new". 

Your love has no limit at all.

I have to say, it's a huge adjustment to gears and hand brakes.  My bikes growing up, never had gears and always had feet brakes.  Also, what's the deal with the helmets anyway?  I realize it probably is a smart thing to do, but we never wore helmets growing up and we all turned out just fine. 

JP and I have gone out riding together a few times now.  I love it!  I enjoy the challenge of making it up a big hill and the reward of flying down the next one.  As crazy as it may sound, I'm still learning how to turn.  Somewhere throughout the years, I lost my ability to turn.  It's really quite humorous actually.

Your love has no limit at all.

This phrase keeps repeating to me throughout my days, during the most random times.  I feel like it's my God song.  Just like it says in Zephaniah 3:17, "He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”   I feel like He's been reminding me that His love for me has no limits.  Nothing I could ever say or do will change that.

"My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it." — Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel)

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39