Hanging on by a thread

I hope all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. Today's go green tip is a fun one. Hanging onto some old jeans for no particular reason other than you just know you will lose those 5 pounds and fit into them? Take them to Madewell at Lenox instead. They will put your jeans to good use by donating them to the Arts Connection, and you will get 15% off your first Madewell purchase in 2010.

Go to http://www.madewell1937.com/2009/madewell_donateDenim.html for more information on this super cool program. Helping people, extra closet space, and special savings? It will make your friends green with envy.

Top 10 things I am thankful for this year

The Top 10 things I am thankful for this year are (I'm doing this Letterman style starting with #10-however, these are in no particular order except for my #1):

10. My new condo...what can I say, I just love it. My view is to die for!

9. Getting to return to Cape Town on another globalX mission trip. God is good.

8. Finally landing a job after 8 months of unemployment.

7. Georgia, the best dog in the entire world. She always brightens my day and makes my heart happy.

6. My new sister-in-law. I've always wanted a sister, and now I have one...well really I have two because she has a sister :)

5. Friends. My friends are the most amazingly loyal friends ever. I hope that I am the friend to them that they are to me.

4. Having the opportunity to get baptized at my church. What a wonderful experience that I will never forget.

3. Family. They are the best!

2. The hope I still have after a very tough year. I have a feeling that 2010 is going to rock my world.

1. God sending His son to die on the cross for our sins. I can't imagine a better gift than that.

I hope all of you have a very blessed

and Happy Thanksgiving

filled with love, laughter, and fond memories.

Roses are red

There's something about seeing a man at a grocery store buying flowers that just makes me smile. It's usually just after work, and they always seem to be in a hurry. But, they always looks fairly happy with a look of hope in their eyes. I tend to wonder what the flowers are for...was there a fight? Are they just because? Is it some one's birthday or anniversary? I really like it when I see a man buying flowers, wine, and some sort of dessert...smart guy! Throw in a movie and some takeout, and he is good to go for months.

The type of flowers these men buy always interests me as well. Many stick to a traditional bouquet of roses, while others will branch out and get lilies or something different. This also makes me think: are roses his wife or girlfriend's favorite flower, or does he have no idea? Did he bring her red roses on their first date and wants to re-create the memory?

I guess I could think about all of these things for hours since despite how much I have been trying to ignore it lately, I am and will always be a hopeless romantic. The idea of a man bringing me flowers after a long day of work makes me giggle and smile. I guess I see these men at the store, and the hopeful side of me knows that one day there will be a man who is there to buy me flowers. And, he will know to buy me purple roses.

The Leftover Dilemma

Today's go green tip has to do with Thanksgiving :) When I think of this day, I picture a table overflowing with food, and people stuffed to the brim with their favorite dishes. I also envision leftovers eventually being thrown away because too much food had been prepared. Let's all strive to make a conscious effort this year to cook an appropriate amount of food for the number of people in your party. Yes, leftovers are fantastic, but it only works when you actually eat them. With all the people who will be going hungry this Thanksgiving Day, let's prepare only what we need. Better yet, why not volunteer at a local shelter and serve meals to those in need? Or, think about donating your leftovers to a shelter that can give them to someone who would gladly eat them.

We have so much to be thankful for. Let's show our thanks by not wasting food and by lending a helping hand this year. God has made us all stewards of the many provisions He has blessed us with, so let's try out best not to waste what He has given us.

Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence?

Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? The more I hear this phrase spoken, the more I think it is true. Or, perhaps I just want it to be true. I look at married couples and envy their happiness, yet I wonder if they envy my single life? Do they miss the thrill of a new crush and a first date, or do they marvel in the contentment of married life? Sometimes I see a mother with a new baby and ponder if I will ever be fortunate enough to have a baby of my own. But, I have no idea what her life is like. She could have three more kids at home, a husband who doesn't help her enough, and the desire but not the time to do something that does not involve diapers, formula, and pacifiers. Or maybe she is blessed enough to love being a mom and has a loving husband who works so she doesn't have to AND helps her whenever he can.

I smile at a young teenage girl and miss the days of no bills, no cellulite, and no real responsibility. Does she look at me and want to live on her own, pay her own bills, and have a full-time job? I find myself envying my friends with more high profile jobs that involve restaurant openings, travel, and other exciting opportunities. But maybe they wish they had a more simple job that was less stressful, so they could have more free time. So, is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Does the A-list celebrity wish she could become invisible for a day while the struggling actor continues to wait for his big break? Does the married couple of 5 years who fights all the time look at their single friends and want to turn back time? We want what we don't have. Yet, it also seems that when we get it, it doesn't look the way we thought it would. The marriage, the job, the divorce, the baby, the trip around the world, the new house...while these things are all lovely blessings, they might not be what we thought they would be when we finally make it over to the other side of the fence.

"A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of a faraway place.

A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home."

(Carl Burns)

Happy New Moon Day!

The day has finally arrived :)

Happy New Moon Day to all the Twihards out there!

Whose team are you on? Review to follow tomorrow.

(photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment)

'Tis the season to go green

Looking to take your unused items somewhere? Take them to Buckhead Thriftique, a Christian-run thrift store at 2409 Piedmont Road (in between Lindberg Avenue and Lindberg Way). The employees are very friendly and are happy to take your unwanted items off your hands. They will cheerfully and quickly give you a receipt for tax purposes. The store does not have a Web site, but its phone number is (404) 365-8811.

Right now, they are looking for used home appliances. So, if you have an old computer, microwave, or other appliance that is just sitting around your house, donate it to this great business. No need to have these items take up space in your garage when someone else could be using them. Let's share the love this holiday season by passing on our unwanted/unused items to someone who needs them. 'Tis the season to go green.