Listen to Your Inner Voice

Sometimes, while driving around, I want to "stop and smell the roses"; take pictures of beautiful things.  I never have my good camera with me though.  I guess I need to start taking it with me where ever I go?  Sometimes after a long, hard day, I'll take backroads to my house.  It's a little bit longer, but the drive is simply more enjoyable!  There's this spot along the way where I always tell myself I should stop there sometime and take some pictures.  Well, tonight, I worked late so traffic was nill. 

As I neared "the spot", my heartbeat got faster and I had to make a decision, pull over or not?  I listened to my inner voice and pulled over to captured this amazing view. It had just rained and there was a calming peace in the air.  After getting a few shots, I got back in my car and drove away; feeling centered and excited.  I love that God's given me the passion for capturing His creation. 

Discipline Teaches Us Obedience

"Discipline teaches us obedience, and immediate and unquestioned obedience is a great gift to endow in a boy, a quality of character that will serve him the rest of his life. For it is an essential truth of life to know and appreciate the fact that the universe does not find you at its center. Rather, it demands things of you, requires you to live within its limits. No matter how much you wail and bellow, the rain will fall, summer will pass into winter, and a two-by-four will hurt you if you drop it on your toe. Welcome to reality. Learn to live within it. How much more true this is for a man before his God. You are loved immensely, and you must obey. This is the secret to Lesson One in the Christian book of spirituality. You are loved; you must obey." The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge

Happy 100th!

Have y'all seen the new Spring commercial?  You can call, text or email or text Veatrice Henson who's turning 100! 

"Veatrice Henson, a Missouri resident who is turning 100 this year. As part of a new ad campaign starting today, Sprint is encouraging its customers to reach out to the woman in order to wish her a happy birthday in the spirit of what it is calling “Random Acts of TogethernessTM.” 

Sprint is tracking the well wishes on its Web site, and notes that it will help Veatrice respond to the messages. That might be a tough job.

She’s already received more than 800 calls, more than 1,400 texts and more than 500 emails."  (Info taken from: http://www.geekwire.com/2011/sprints-latest-ad-strategy-missouri-woman-happy-100th-birthday)

Want to contact Veatrice?
Email: veatriceh@gmail.com
Phone: 816.892.5407

Happy 100th birthday, Veatrice!

Benefit Singing for Tornado Victims

BENEFIT SINGING
FOR
TORNADO VICTIMS

Saturday, May 21, 2011
7:00 P.M.
Thompson Chapel Assembly of God
Jemison, AL

Featuring:
HEAVENS STRINGS*
THE DOTSON FAMILY
DEEP SOUTH QUARTET

A freewill offering will be taken with proceeds to go to tornado victims.  Also we will take donations of non-perishable food items, baby supplies, hygiene items, garbage bags, flash lights, batteries, and cleaning items.

*One of my boyfriend's bands.  Come out and support a great cause!

Boyfriend Approved Tummy Yummy

I'm notorious for not being able to follow a recipe. When I was a little girl, my friend and I mistook salt for sugar and sugar for salt. Honest mistake, right? OK, how about the time, not that long ago, when I accidentally doubled an already doubled chocolate chip cookie recipe? Uhhh yeah, I gave away cookies to everyone I knew! All that being said, this recipe is VERY easy to follow, and quite tasty to boot! I hope you enjoy!


Southwest Chicken Bake

1 Taco Bell Original taco seasoning mix (Recipe calls for half a packet, but I found it better to use a whole one)
1 Lb. Boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Cup canned no-salt-added black beans, rinsed (I used a 1 1/2 cans)
1/2 Cup Frozen Corn (I used two cans, drained)
2 Green onions, chopped
1 Cup Taco Bell Thick n Chunky Salsa (I used 2-16oz jars of Pace Medium Fire Roasted Red Pepper and Corn salsa. I didn't drain it, but should have.)
1/2 Cup Kraft Mexican style Finely Shredded Four Cheese (I used more cheese too as I basically doubled the ingredients)
2-2/3 Cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice (I used Uncle Ben's white rice, if it matters.)
**I recommend draining all liquids before layering them into the casserole dish.  I didn't so much, and my final product was a tad soupy.  

HEAT oven to 375 degrees.

ADD seasoning mix to chicken in medium bowl; toss evenly to coat.

HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium-heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. or until evenly browned. Scoop into 1-1/2 quart casserole; cover with layers of beans, corn, onions and salsa.

BAKE 20 min. Top with cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. Serve over rice.
I actually cooked mine a tad longer, of course, I have a crazy oven.  I found that the black beans didn't get cooked in only 20 minutes and were therefore kinda crunchy; Jason liked them that way though.  Hmm, to each his own.  

Also, it stands to mention, as I completely forgot about it.  Don't forget to time the cooking of the rice.  The casserole was nearly completely cooked when it suddenly occurred to me.  No worries, all was not lost.  My sweet, starving boyfriend enjoyed the meal to the last bite; even my crunchy black beans!


Recipe taken from: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/southwest-chicken-bake-123144.aspx

FREE music, tell a friend!

Check out Matt Jackson's new EP! Download it for FREE at iammattjackson.com!!!

Click here and download: http://t.opsp.in/bJz6

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!

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

Hear, See, Speak No Evil

My four year old nephew.  :)

Happy Feet

There was a certain time in my life, when I had to put the camera down and just live life. I loved capturing all life had to offer, but I quickly realized I wasn’t the one LIVING this said life. Recently, I had good intentions to document my life more through writing. However, one glance and you’ll see I haven’t blogged since the first of January. That’s not to say there haven’t been many things to blog about, I just chose to once again LIVE through the experience rather than editorialize my life. Hmm, there’s gotta be a balance.

Photography and writing are both huge aspects of my life. They are my creative force to find beauty in the world around me. They are my voice when I have no words. And finally, I believe they are the gifts God’s given me to share His love. Therefore it’s my duty and responsibility to not squander this talent.

At every turn, I’ve always tried to keep the attention on Him. I write for and see Him in the pictures I take. But sometimes, human nature creeps in and it wants to say, “I did that.” It’s easier for me to step back and do nothing rather than primp for the glory, when really it’s all about Him.

I’ve been asking Him to show me what my “Feet” project should be. Oh, that’s right, I never explained what that was. You see, last year, I went to a women’s conference through Church of the Highlands. The main theme was to put “feet” to your God assignment. In that, whatever you’ve been tasked to do for His Glory, put it in action. So, if you felt led to lead a Bible study for children after school, then you were to start one. If you felt led to run a marathon, you were to start training and make the goal to accomplish it. For me, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was supposed to do. Write another book? No, I didn’t really feel led to go that route. I’ve been thinking and praying about it for months, but all the while still taking pictures.

Jason frequents a local organic restaurant on Riverchase Parkway called “Fresh Art Cafe”. (VERY good food!! Please go support the business!! 2100 Riverchase Center #226, Hoover, AL 35244, 988-8360). The owner, Kitty, mentioned to him that she’d like to add some artwork from local artists on the wall for decoration, but wasn’t sure whom to contact. He told her about me and my love of photography.  She asked him to tell me to bring in some pictures and she'd hang them in her store.  How exciting huh?

JP told me about this conversation about a week or so ago and immediately something in me went, “YES! THIS IS IT!” Since then, I’ve been scouring my computer for my best of the best pictures. It was a daunting task at first. I wasn’t sure the best path of least resistance, but quickly realized I really did need to go through every picture I’ve taken in the last year. I spent most of last Sunday working on it. I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I showed JP some of the ones I’d chosen thus far. He was impressed and renewed my sense of purpose.

I went to Michael’s the other day and bought a bunch of frames. That, my friends, is putting feet to a dream. To actually visualize my pictures in these frames made me VERY excited… but also nervous. You see, writing has always been easy for me. I knew God had blessed me with talent long ago. But photography is a recent passion. I do think I have gifting here as well. But it’s one thing for me to think that and an entirely different thing for strangers, who know nothing about me, to view my work.

Here’s the thing. I know this has been set up by Jesus. I honestly don’t think this is an accident. So, no matter what ends up on Kitty’s walls, I’ll know that I did my best; put my best foot forward, if you will (no pun intended [get it?  Foot Project]). That in and of itself is enough to bring Honor and Glory to Him.

So, if you're in the Riverchase area soon, you'll have to stop into “Fresh Art Cafe” (2100 Riverchase Center #226, Hoover, AL 35244, 988-8360) to not only get a really good lunch, but also take a look at my art on the wall!  (I'll let you know when it's they're officially up!) 

Happy trails!