Thankful {08-01-2012} for...

August & all that this fabulous new month will hold: spending time with my dear Mr. Forney (t-minus 6 days!), the beginning of my final year of college (insert plethora of emotions here), and reunions with wonderful friends.

Insightful words. I started reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp today. It's an honest collection of stream of conscious ponderings from a woman who has long felt the pangs of sin and sorrow. One concept stood out in particular, when she was contemplating the beautiful simplicity of Luke 22:19 ("And Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them...") The thing Jesus counts as most important in some of his final hours on Earth is thanksgiving. Ann also recognizes ingratitude as one of the primary causes of the fall, and notes:

"As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible" (33).

The more I contemplated these words, the more I realized how much of a attainable, fuller life they beckon. Not a painless life, nor one lived in ignorance. But instead, one that views sorrow in the light of Christ's own sorrow and wonderful Act of redemption, making my true joy and thanksgiving ever so possible.

On a far less serious note, my Santa mug. For providing me a wintery oasis (is that juxtaposition allowed?) away from the 104+ degree weather Kansas has been rockin the past few months. Dakota (this guy) and I danced (because that's one of our favorite things to do) to "Walkin in a Winter Wonderland" together, after I sipped coffee from Mr. Santa's jolly brim.

Samples & pretend weddings! The place Graceanna is getting married at in October had a special wedding showcase tonight, so I went with her and my mommy. There were lots of vendors and food samples (I'm convinced food instantly becomes 10X better when it's free and in precious sample-size). Also, my strawberry was wearing a tuxedo. Seriously, it can't get much better than that. It was fun to explore the place some more and imagine how beautiful GA's wedding will be. The reception hall was even all decked out in pretty wedding things, but GA made me refrain from clinking my knife on my glass to have all the couples in the room kiss--it really felt like I was at a wedding!

Thankful {07-31-2012} for...

Quality bonding time during a multi-generational lunch--My Mammaw, Mommy, and Me

My hilarious Mammaw--quote of the day: "I may be 72, but I'm not going to age as fast as others." Me: "Why not?" Her: "I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I don't hang out with geezers who do!"

The Cantina menu at Taco Bell. The Chicken Cantina Bowl is muy deliciouso, muy healthy-o, and easier on my tum tum than other sketch TB meats (seriously, am I getting old?). Bonus: in my opinion, it's as good as Chipotle (am I allowed to say that?...cue the gaaaaasps)

The nice grocery store customer who took pity on me. My mission: pick a good cantaloupe to eat for din din tonight; The Challenge: cantaloupes in their natural state all look heeedious! I was pretty much making this face in my confused state, and just when I felt crazed enough to ask if there was someway to sample them when an angel in the form of a soccer mom gave me Cantaloupe Picking 101.

Bed Bath & Beyond. My mommy & I were perusing the fancy schmancy china section when I went on a "this is pretty stuff, but holy frijoles these prices make me want to write a letter profusely thanking to the man who invented paper plates" rant. She gave me a humbling look for my sassiness, however; and I did decide when I get married someday, the one piece of fancy china that will definitely be on my registry is this guy. Who knew drinking coffee could get any better?!?

Cinnabon Coffee Creamer. I may or may not have justified making coffee at 9:30 in order to try it. Totally. worth. the. imminent. late. night.

Praise be to God, for all the little things that make this girl smile.

"In everything give thanks..."

Let's try this bloggin thang again--I've been inspired by this godly woman's wonderful blog.

Thankful today {07-30-12} for...

A rare, tearful, and refreshing heart-to-heart with my sweet mommy;

Brownie Batter concretes from Culvers (why are you SO delicious, unhealthy food?);

My summer Nutrition class, for making me aware of my eating habits/informing me that I must sometimes eat other things besides Brownie Batter Concretes;

Real Simple magazine, for getting me excited about closet organization & easy summer chicken recipes...does this mean I'm becoming a legit grown-up?;

Hearing "Beautiful Things" on the radio right when I was tempted to think lies about my life;

A random, thought-provoking talk with co-workers about my "true love waits" decision;

24-hour Olympic coverage, for always making me feel like a champion, even when I'm sitting on the couch eating Wheat Thins.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

I am beyond blessed, humbled, and impassioned by my Father daily.

"It's like a cultural experience"

First post thoughts: Germany is über (German for super, oooh yeah) legit. Jetlag is not.

* We arrived to Munich at 9:00 am Saturday morning, and met the group at Starbucks. I enjoy that the director picks the places Americans know how to find. I definitely do not "sprechen sie Deutsch" yet. Hello, Rosetta Stone, new buddy ole pal! Several students and I realized how slightly disheartening/humorous(?) it is to think that that dogs here know more German than we do.

* We spent Saturday afternoon touring Munich, which I later realized was the director's sneaky snake way of keeping us moving so we wouldn't just sleep from 2 pm on. We went Frauenkirche, this fancy cathedral, and Hofbräuhaus, a famous restaurant that seats over 2,000 people. Apparently every U.S. president has eaten there when they've been in/near Germany.
Restaurants in Bavaria are cool because you don't get your own table solely based on the people you're with, they seat you wherever there's room, so you get to know/be
around the locals. The local German man we were seated by didn't know English, but kept saying "CHEERS!" and clinking his beer stein against our steins...of water. I was brave and ordered Schweinshaxe (pig knuckle), and the nice German man took pity on me, a goofy American, and cut the meat off the bone for me.

* We weren't allowed to sleep on the 1.5 hour train ride to Regensburg (where I'm living this semester) since that's apparently the worse thing you
can do for jetlag. It was ridiculously impossible though...I've never felt so disconnected to reality. One of the assistant directors made, yes MADE, us play Catchphrase (until the Germans on the train got annoyed by the beeping), and let me tell you, it was not pretty. It took me, the English/Communication major, a whoooole turn to guess the phrase, "sandwich bread."

* Sunday was pretty great: started the day by walking along the BEAUTIFUL Danube River, to mass at a cathedral in Regensburg, where we got to hear a famous boys choir sing. The afternoon is where the title of my post comes from--as we were walking through Regensburg's city center, one guy in our group exclaimed, "Woooow, it's like a cultural experience!" If this isn't a cultural experience, I would like to know what is. (Insert haha's here)
Later on we went to a German fair, where we found many signs of Americanization, i.e. a pony ride called "Dodge City," themed like the Wild West. Poor, poor Kansas...between the "The Wizard of Oz" and the stereotype that we are still somehow stuck in the gunslinging days, its reputability never stands a chance.

* As you Americans spent this Labor Day not laboring whatsoever, I had my first day of classes. German history, geography and culture class, hoo-rah! Today was also our first experience at a German mall/buying necessities. I'm sure we got plenty of laughs looking at the hair products section for over 10 minutes, trying to make sure we weren't about ready to buy 2 shampoos or 2 conditioners. Playing charades with German drugstore workers is fun.

Plans:
-- Try every one of the 20ish coffeeshops in Regensburg, all precious, by the way
-- Go to local disco tech (uunce uunce uunce)
-- Conquer jetlag. And on that note, I feel like all the thoughts in my brain now sound like Ben Stein's voice. "Bedtime...bedtime...bedtime...anyone?" YES.