Happy Halloween weekend!

Have a safe and Happy Halloween weekend!

Learn to receive

"Learn to receive what you cannot provide for yourself."

I think that we all have a hard time admitting when we need help; I know that I certainly do.  During a tough time, try to receive from others what you cannot provide for yourself.  Trust me, I know this can be quite difficult especially if you are accustomed to being the giver and not the recipient.  If you need help, accept it.  There will come a time when someone else needs help, and you can give it to them.  And that, my friends, is what makes this world such a beautiful place.

Lack of space

"An acre in Middlesex is better than a principality in Utopia."
(Baron Thomas B. Macaulay, 1837)

Today's go green tip is more conceptual: do the best you can with what you have.  For those of us who don't have a backyard and/or live in the middle of a city, it can be challenging to find ways to garden, compost, and other things of that sort.  Vertical gardens have become very popular, and I am incredibly fascinated with them.  For more information on how to build a vertical garden, go to http://www.livingwallart.com/do-it-yourself/cheap-do-it-yourself-vertical-gardens/.

A lack of space just means you need to get creative.  If you have any green living tips for people who have a lack of green space, please share them with us. 

Mission possible

Having gone on two short-term mission trips, I fully understand how tempting it can be to come home, quit your job, and try to be a full-time missionary. Mission trips change you and make you see things in a new light. You come home a different person, full of new priorities and hope for the future.

However, I truly don't think God intends for the majority of us to be full-time missionaries. Through countless talks with several God-loving friends, I've come to realize that our mission is to serve God in our daily lives no matter where God has placed us. For some people, that will mean leading a company and making big decisions while showing people through their actions how much they love God. For others, it will mean being a stay at home parent and guiding their kids to a loving relationship with God.

I know firsthand how difficult this concept is when you find yourself unemployed. It really helps me to view my life as an ongoing assignment/job from God. Sometimes when you are not working, all you can do in one day is just be friendly and polite to others-hold the door open for someone or give someone a smile who seems to be having a rough day. Just because you are not working a full-time job does not mean you can't still serve God in everything you do.

Trust me, I never imagined I would find myself unemployed for the second time at age 29, babysitting several times a week to make ends meet. I also envisioned myself working for CNN or managing a team of people at a company, so the past few years have been particularly frustrating for me. I've come to see that my dreams rarely line up with God's plans for my life, and that is okay. It has been an incredibly humbling experience, but I have learned so much during this journey. I try my best to view my babysitting jobs as opportunities to show love, kindness, and patience to the children I take care of.

Regardless of if you wait tables or sit at the head of the table in a board room, "...work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." (Colossians 3:23)

There is no Planet B

"There is no Planet B.

We can't trash this place and go somewhere else."

(Fabien Cousteau)

BOO

Instead of automatically buying a costume this year for Halloween, why not go green and rent one? Better yet, do a costume swap with your friends and see what they have. Or, just make one from stuff you have at home. I doubt you will ever wear the costume you buy again, so save your green this year.

If you are a parent and need a costume for your kids, hold a costume swap with your friends who also have kids. You just might find exactly what you are looking for.

Never, ever give up!

"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance,

all things are obtainable."

(Thomas Foxwell Buxton)

Deep faith in a dark hour

Since last night, I have been glued to CNN watching the courageous rescue of the 33 trapped miners in Chile.  I am blown away by their bravery, positive attitudes, and hope.  Each and every rescue has overflowed with emotion as the miners are reunited with their loved ones.  I can't imagine the joy these men feel when they get to see their loved ones after being trapped for 69 days, over 2,000 feet underground.  I also can't fathom the nerves and anxiety the family and friends of the trapped miners feel as they wait for the miners to ascend in the Phoenix capsule.  If my loved one was trapped 2,000 feet below the earth's surface, I would do whatever it took to bring them back safely. 

I am incredibly thankful that God has richly blessed so many people around the world with the knowledge and expertise necessary to make this rescue not only possible but safe and successful.  Experts keep talking about how the fact that the men worked as a team not only kept them alive, but it kept them relatively sane as well.  I hope that we all learn something from this men-God put us on this earth to work together as a team to do great things. 

In my opinion, the most remarkable part of this entire situation is how many of the miners have been quoted saying that there were 34, not 33 miners down there...they said that God was with them the entire time, and that their faith enabled them to survive such cramped, dark conditions. 

I won't pretend to understand what these men went through since the mine caved in on August 5th, 2010.  But, I do know that God will never, ever leave us even in our darkest hour.  When you feel lost, alone, and trapped, don't forget this:

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

He brough me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me."

(Psalm 18:16-19)

Don't dump it!

I was at dinner with a friend on Friday and saw something really cool.  Instead of just wasting a glass of water someone had left on a table, the server poured it on some plants.  What an easy and great way to go green!  I've started doing this if I have some water left in my glass but need to put the glass it my dishwasher.  Instead of just dumping it in the sink, I pour it over my plants.  These easy, small steps can really help our environment and your wallet. 

The ole DVR trick

I love it when I watch a show I am recording after it starts, and I am able to catch up to real time.  Is it just me, or do you also feel a major sense of accomplishment when this happens?!?  I mean, all I did was press play and successfully fast forward through the commercials, yet for some reason, I feel like I just ran a marathon.  I feel productive and refreshed.  Is this normal?  Do others feel the same way, or does the cheese stand alone?

Hair story

Is it just me, or does this woman have the most beautiful hair you have ever seen?  I can't get over how gorgeous it is.  I have been growing my hair out for two years now, and I hope I can style it like this in the next 5-6 months. Love her outfit as well.  Tres chic!

Out of the closet

As the seasons change, it's time to clean out your closet. The easiest way to do so is to divide it into three sections: keep, repair/dry clean, donate. My general rule of thumb is that if I haven't worn an item in the past year, then I get rid of it. There's just no point in keeping clothes/shoes/handbags that you are never going to wear...especially when you can go green and donate them to someone else. I promise you, someone who doesn't have much would gladly wear your disregarded items.

If you don't have time to take your items to the nearest Goodwill, many charities will come pick your items up for you. How cool is that? All you have to do if put them in a bag or box and leave them outside to be picked up. The organization will leave a tax receipt for you.

Elle go Braugh!

After watching Ondine last night (SO good!), I have an even bigger desire to go to Ireland.  Its' rolling hills, sparkling waters, and rocky cliffs enchant me to no end.  I did some research, and it seems like May is the best time of year to go.  Have you been?  What are the top places to visit?  Slainte!

Kickin it old school

Am I the only person out there who still uses a traditional planner?  Despite having an iPhone (I love you iPhone!), I still feel the need to write everything down in an old school planner.  Pictured above is the fabulous planner I bought last week at Swoozie's for 2011.  I can't get over the amazing animal print and love that there are inspiring quotes on each page.  The only thing I don't like is that it is much bigger than the planners I have been using the past few years (And to think, I got the smaller size!).  Seriously, I will definitely be able to use it as a weapon if needs be.  Regardless, I think it is to die for, and I can't wait to fill in my loved ones birthdays, upcoming events, and my appointments for 2011.

Even though I do use the calendar on my iPhone every day, I guess I just don't trust it for some reason.  Or, I know that I will either drop, break, or spill red wine on my phone any day now (thank you Georgia for doing so by knocking over a glass of red wine with your tail on my hot pink Motorola Razor Phone circa Fall 2007).  What if someone steals my phone, or if I lose it?  There goes my whole schedule!  I realize I could always lose my planner, but I highly doubt someone would steal it.  I also really like to look at my schedule when I am on a plane, and this is not always possible when your schedule is on your cell phone.  Who else out there also kicks it old school with an actual planner?  I guess I'm not the only person who still uses one because there are still tons of them in stores.  People always ask me how I stay so organized?  Perhaps the secret lies in my planner...

Happy October!

Happy October friends!