Seeking to Know HIM

Sometimes, I feel as though I have been in a relationship with GOD for so long, that I couldn't possibly learn something brand-new about HIM.

Wrong.

Very, very wrong.

GOD has used this book to open up my eyes about something very deep in our relationship that needs to change.

                                               
                                                  Read on Kindle:

                   


Here's the thing:

I need to be seeking GOD with the goal of getting to know HIM more. Period. 

So many of my prayers in the recent past have started like this:

Dear God, Please open up your Word to me today. Show me how it applies to me. Tell me what I should do in order to glorify YOU with my life. 

Do you notice how many "me"s there are in that prayer? Before, I thought that I was totally on the right track. I want to glorify God with my life, right?

The problem: I've been wanting to read my Bible and learn more about God in order to know what to do in my life.

What I should be doing: Delving deep into learning more about GOD and HIS character simply to know HIM more. That is the greatest thing I can ever do in life: Get to know my GOD better. Spend time with HIM, over coffee or while lying awake at night, while talking to friends or listening to a sermon.

HE created the world. HE created me. HE has created more then I will ever know actually exists.

WHO is HE? I want to know. And HE is so huge, so complex, so amazing, that even if I spend every minute of every day learning about HIM, I will still not know HIM completely.

And that is exciting.

A side-effect of getting to know GOD more is that I will learn more about who I am. I will start to see why HE created me. How much HE loves me. And that is beautiful.

Have you read this book by Grace Thornton? Let me know what you think and how it has impacted your life. I have read her blog for years and have been so excited to see her share about what GOD has taught her with us through her writing.

5 Books that Every Girl Must Read!

Now, if you are a girl, stop right here, click this, and print.... Ok, now you can keep reading :)

I've been doing some thinking lately (I know, a dangerous pastime) about the books that have shaped my life. Some have been fiction that have filled my imagination with wonders and fueled my passion for adventure. Others have been stories of people who have walked the roads less travelled, learned lessons from experiences that I may never personally have, and written chronicles from which I have snatched bits and pieces of wisdom. I've loved them all, even when the lessons that I've learned have been eye-opening and soul-searching.

Now, back to that doc I had you print up. These are 5 books that have filled my life with joy and helped me keep my eyes on the purpose for life. I hope you will read them and enjoy them, and I hope that they will impact your life in the same way that they have impacted mine.  And I hope you will come back and tell me what you think about them :) Let me know if there are any more books that you would recommend adding to the list!

Now, here's the run-down.

#1 - The Bible
 I've heard people refer to it as the Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. But I personally don't think there is anything basic about it. It is the greatest adventure story, love letter, thriller, and guidebook in the world. While we're on the topic, here is one of my favorite verses:

"God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:27 (NIV)

#2 - Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Fiction

I went through a stage when I was younger where I read almost all of L.M. Alcott's books. She is one of my favorite authors because she wrote characters into being who "lived simply so that others may simply live" (yes, I just stole that quote from Elizabeth Seton). Although Little Women may be her most famous book, this one is my favorite. I just re-read it recently and was reminded of many things, one of which is that when I am having a bad day, I should make sure to do something to brighten someone else's. And Polly always reminds me that it is okay to have one good black silk dress (yeah, you may need to read it to figure out that one).

#3 - The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Nonfiction
You may think you know the story, and you may have seen the movie, but you really need to read Corrie's own words in this book. Reading The Hiding Place has challenged me to look out for the interests of others over my own and totally trust God, even when the world is falling apart at the seams. Read it once, read it again, give it to a friend...you get the picture.

#4 - The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction
Now, L.M. Montgomery is really famous for Anne of Green Gables and the Avonlea Chronicles, but whenever a friend of mine introduced me to this gem I was hooked. It is one of those feel-good stories that is really pure and lovely.And it will make you want to go have a cuddle with nature. 

#5 - Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
Nonfiction
I started reading this book while at my favorite coffee shop in Savannah. I started tearing up before I had even finished the Foreword. God has really used this story of obedience to work in my life. More on that later, but in the meantime, you should really pick up a copy and read this beautiful chronicle of a girl who has given her all for God. It's really amazing.

Let me know in the Comments section what you think, if you have already read some of these books, and any suggestions that should be added to the list of books every girl should read. Feel free to share this list with friends, daughters, sisters, moms...all the books are appropriate for all ages!

 Happy reading!

Week 1 of Savannah!

This week starts off my newest adventure - living and working in Savannah! I moved into a cozy room in a quaint neighborhood on Sunday, and my amazing family was so sweet and drove down with me to move me in :) 

As soon as we finished packing, it was time to find the nearest Starbucks...which is only 2 minutes away! Cafe Espresso Frap for the win! Love spending time with my family over some coffee :)

It was nice to spend Mother's Day with Mom in Savannah. She also rode in the car with me on the way down...we talked so much that we did actually miss one of our turns (and there are only like 4 turns the entire way there...). That night, we found a great, local seafood place on the water! Pearls Saltwater Grille was delicious.

Emma is lovin' some she crab soup at Pearls Saltwater Grille.

Monday, I started my internship at Arizona Chemical. I am working in technical service in the area of adhesives (I've always loved stickers, lol). No, but really, I get to make tape! It's a lot harder and time-consuming than it sounds, but we get to develop and test different mixes to make better tape for our clients. Pretty neat. Monday night I found the mall (pretty essential task for week 1) and thank God it has a Barnes & Noble! I love me some good books!

Tuesday was the first day that I got to do hands-on work in the lab! I was able to pH adjust a polymer sample and run particle size and % solid analysis. Our amazing HR and S&T manager took us out to Tequila Town for an entry luncheon and the Mexican food was sooo yummy. I also went to Latechurch's CollegeAge group that evening! 

At The Corner (where Latechurch has their evening group meetings and hang-outs), they even have a huge Connect 4!

Wednesday, got to work more in the lab. My mentor is super awesome and has done a great job of showing me how to use the equipment. I am able to run some of the tests now with minimal supervision, and I learned how to test the viscosity and how to find the acid value, softening number, and color of the resins. Some of the resin samples look like honey...I really love honey...but I keep telling myself, they won't taste like honey! LOL :)

Friday night was the BOMB! Tybee Island has an annual Beach Bum Parade, which is a mega water gun fight!

These guys and many others lined their trucks so that they would have a steady source of water for the fight! You see those long poles? Hand-made super soakers! And yes, they do super soak (personal experience).

Madeline and I were prepared for battle! We still got completely drenched every time we attempted to cross the street...

On Saturday, I woke up at 6:15am to my alarm clock. What would entice me to wake up this early on a weekend? The Girls on the Run Celebration 5K, of course! Before the race, we danced to the Cupid Shuffle and the Wobble with all the middle school girls, and then we ran :) 

Love going on adventures with my fellow interns! Maeve and Madeline are the best :) :)

We even got massages after the race (yep, now you're getting jealous!). It was a blast.

Stay tuned for the adventures of Week 2! Thanks for reading, and make sure you comment below if you have suggestions for more fun things to do in Savannah!

A NOMAD's survival pack:
So, from all this traveling, I've found that there are some items that come in handy, no matter where I live. Here's a few...

1. Yogi Bedtime tea. This tea puts me sound to sleep. The cute little tea tags have nice sayings and quotes on them...just like fortune cookies! Or Dove chocolates! I have fond memories of drinking Bedtime tea while hanging out with my DC roomies in our comfy kitchen, as well as drinking it while looking at the Istanbul skyline from my balcony, even when the air was freezing cold and I would stand shivering as I looked out at the Bosphorus Bridge. When I'm at home with my family, a cup is always in my hands as I sit in the evenings with my Mom. And, my habits have continued in Savannah, where I end my nights curled up with a good book and my favorite tea.
2. Fingernail clippers. These are so handy! I always forget scissors, and fingernail clippers are amazing for cutting annoying packaging and even tags off of new t-shirts.  
3. Thumbtacks. So perfect for hanging banners and posters to brighten any room. Plus, they are multipurpose! I've used a thumbtack to poke new holes in a belt, and you even can use them when boiling eggs in order to poke the hole in the end of the egg.  

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Yep, that's right, the world was blessed by the birth of Jane Austen on December 16th, 1775!

Are you a fan of Jane Austen novels? Here's 3 fun facts about my love of Austen:

#1 - Before I was old enough to read Austen, I was watching the film-adaptations of her novels. My favorite was the 6-hour long version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth; my family would watch 1-hour a night together :)

#2 - My favorite Jane Austen novel is sort of a tie between Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, with Northanger Abbey in a slight lead. These are less-known novels by her, but they are both so amazing! Northanger Abbey makes me laugh so hard, which is something you don't always find in these romantic fictions. I relate in different ways with the different characters, which makes these books a joy to read.

#3 - This past summer, I had the most fun watching Jane Austen's work come to life in modern-times on Youtube! The Lizzie Bennett Diaries are such an amazing creation, and right now you can also watch Emma Approved on Youtube as it comes out.

So, as you go about your day, grab some dessert and wish Jane Austen a "Happy birthday!"

What is your favorite novel of Austen? Are you doing something to celebrate her today?