Transitioning into a morning person.

How do you leave the night owl in its tree for good?

I've decided that the young adult life is very similar to that of vampires. We stay up till all ours of the night, and flee, flee at the sign of dawn by stuffing our heads under the covers and hitting the snoozed button. Then we suck the life out of each other by thinking the world will come to an end if we dare risk being the only ones not at the party.

What's so very important about staying up late tonight that's worth wasting my day tomorrow on being groggy and crabby? Why is it worth getting up late, rushing out the door, and not reaching my full potential because I'm too tired?

There is a time to stay up late, laugh with friends, and make sure your face is in the picture for the record. And, there is a time to let your body have the rest it needs, so that you can be your best self tomorrow. Tired people don't look as cute in pictures anyway!

So morning people, what do you do to keep Mr. night owl on his perch? I'd very much like to know what makes your mornings work so well?

Psalm 145:14-21

"The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever."

This week, my heart fell into a million peaces, but my God was Faithful to uphold me.

I was bowed down, surrendered by my sorrow, but he raised me up.

He saw my tears as I looked to him for help, and he gave me nourishment.

He opened his hands over me, and gave me sweet blessings where I wasn't expecting it.

Its not fair that things turned out the way they did, but God is righteous, and while the world gave me pain, he showed me great kindness.

I called on him, and he was quick to rush to my side, and his presence hugged my down-cast spirit within me.

I am in awe of his great power, and he fills my heart daily with hope and purpose.

I can cry, if I want to, and he hears me...you would cry too if it happened to you!

Though there is much pain in life, he preserves us in the midst of our hurting. Then he comes to our defense against the wicked things that attack us.

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Reflections of the past 23yrs.

It's true, I am officially 23 years old, as of Sept. 6th.

So while I was reflection on those 23 years, I can up with some interesting observations:

~I still cannot whistle.
~I have 1 tattoo.
~I have ridden an elephant twice before the age of 10!
~I’ve never broken a bone (knock on wood!!).
~I am a descendant of an old Irish legend that involved a castle and a black cat.
~Growing up, I loved the Beach Boys and the Bee Gees!! (Still kinda do!).
~There is a story about me published in a book.
~Barbie was my best friend until age 14.
~Gardening is a gene that has been passed down to me from my Grandmother’s Grandmother.
~I have lived in Bend for all 23 years of my life, but I was not born here.
~I am the youngest of 2 ½.
~I am 5ft 6 1/2inches tall, yet the tallest in my family.
~I won an art contest, and got to hang out with a rock band that toured with Skillet and Pillar, but never made it big.
~I wanted to marry the lead singer of that band!
~I took dance classes for 8 years before I got into horses.
~I set 2 bench marks in high school for weight lifting.
~I hitch hiked on the parkway once when I was 13 (so stupid!!)
~I sing and dance loudly when no one is around; especially when there is no music to mess up my groove!
~Even while growing up in Mt. Bachelor’s “backyard,” neither of my feet have ever touched a snowboard.
~I absolutely love snowshoeing!
~I saw Cacao twice, before he was murdered.
~I’ve set off many fire alarms while on family vacations. (Omzi and zoos were my most common targets, via emergency exit doors!)

Things I like a lot:

~JESUS!!
~Art
~Horses
~Coffee
~Cheesecake
~Green olives
~Laughing till you cry
~Yummy dinners that are also very pretty to look at! (I get teased a lot for that one.)
~Hiking
~Kayaking
~Volleyball
~Finding pants that fit the way they’re suppose to!
~Fajita burritos at El Ranchero
~Sushi, and Thai food
~McKay Cottage, and Bungalow Bar & Grill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!mmmmmmmmmmm!
~Accomplishing a goal
~Watching God move mountains
~When God surprises you!
~The ocean
~Adventures, especially if it involves a road trip!
~Good friends, whom I love!
~A hug that comes at just the right time

Things I don't like so much:

~Paper towels, napkins, and most paper products (except, of course, birthday cards!)
~Popsicle sticks
~Being in debt
~Spiders
~Sneezing
~Jalapeños
~Mountain Dew (I don’t do the Dew!)
~Traffic
~Guys who don’t wear belts BUTT should; pun intended!
~Itchy sweaters
~Creepy neighbors
~Men in Speedos
~Crabby computers
~Boy George!!!
~Wanting to cry when you can’t
~The process of changing bad habits into good ones
~When “Mr. right” is not Mr. right at all
~Knowing someone needs help, yet there’s nothing you can do for them
~Things that lead to headaches, including this list!


22 was good, 23 is going to be great! God has lined up my life in very exciting ways. He has brought me to a place of high anticipation for breakthrough and victory in my life, but especially in the life of the Church. God is serious about setting people free this year, but Satan is also serious about tearing them down and keeping them captive. If we are ready for battle, God will give us the victory! I am ready for battle!

For those of you who have already seen 23yrs and beyond, what advice would you give to me as I enter a new era?