today's lunch

just your 'ol run of the mill, delicious apple/kale/spinach/beet juice concoction!

if i make it through one day of this "body reset" it will be a miracle of Jesuits.

light the streets

Light the Streets from Africa New Life Ministries on Vimeo.

today africa new life is launching their street kids fundraising campaign: LIGHT THE STREETS. anlm currently feeds thousands of homeless boys twice a week, but they (we) must do more. the day i spent with these boys literally changed my life and the view i have of myself, my surroundings, and most definitely my God. it put everything into perspective regarding "to whom much is given, much is required."

athanase, the boy speaking on the video, spent quite a bit of time with our group while we were in rwanda. as we began to hear his story and listen to him speak of who he was before, i honestly had a hard time believing he was telling the truth. this boy who was feared by all the other boys and had grown up living in a dump, selling drugs and instilling hate in all those around him... he was now FULL of love- never stopped smiling or laughing- and did you hear what he said? my only hope was God, who changed my life.

that is how God uses ANLM. yes, they provide food for these boys, but along with that, there are Godly men and women specifically placed in this ministry to love on them, to know their name.

my day with the street kids blew me away the entire time i was there. from the minute i walked up to the field and was bombarded with hugs and smiles and soccer balls and singing and twelve hands at a time grasping for mine, i

don't think my eyes were ever not rimmed with tears. just a few hours before we had driven our air conditioned van through the dump... their home... the place they find food and shelter. we couldn't stand the smell for the five minutes we were there, so we rolled all the windows up and drove the rest of the time in silence. now the boys were surrounding me and i was unsure of how to help because their needs were so great and the most astonishing thing was that all they wanted in that moment was to be touched. because no one else does or ever has. it amazed me how most had not eaten in days, yet they patiently stood in long lines, waiting for their portion of food. and once they had their plate, not one of them looked at the one before them and complained about the size of their serving. they were just so happy and grateful for what they were given. and it wasn't like they just showed up for the meal... they had come hours before to play, sing praise songs, dance around, listen to rogers tell them a short bible message, wash up... it was like being able to eat was the last thing on their minds.

the other day i heard a pastor speak about how God's commands are laid out crystal clear for us. our task is to pray for His direction as to how to demonstrate our obedience to them in our lives. religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans in their distress... -james 1:27

visit www.lightthestreets.com, buy a greeting card or two, and get in on the action of what God is doing in and through these precious rwandan street kids. may He continue to be our only hope and change our very lives.

(the little boy who i latched onto that day and will never forget.)

save the nail color drama for your mama

i usually leave everything beauty related to 'ol makeup maven, but i must share a little something. sadly, i can't take the credit... it's all z. my sister has an uncanny ability to be able to pick the hottest, now nail colors without ever trying them on or researching or putting any effort into it at all. she just knows. it is truly a gift.

the other night i noticed a color on her nails that i couldn't get over. it was neutral, yet snazzy. pinky-purple, yet flesh-toned. i never thought in a million years it would work on me, but she told me to trust her, so i did. i picked up my own bottle and have not regretted that $8 purchase once.

ladies and gentlemen (or maybe just ladies?)... i would like to introduce you to demure vix.

austin in springtime is downright revolting

yuck. gross. nasty. vom dot com. i definitely gotta get out of here.

if i could dream up my perfect day, i'd probably start off with...

this:

then i'd hop on underground mass transit & walk up to the surface to be greeted by this:

then i'd take a quick pic because i just couldn't stand it:

i would be getting pretty hungry at this point so i would stuff my face with this:

& this:

then i would need to burn 3,500 calories, so i would power walk to this:

& leisurely stroll though this:

my perfect day would need a perfect ending,

so naturally it would mean pre-game champagne here:

& a tiny table for two (complete with a liiiiitle more champagne & the best food i've ever eaten) here:

oh & i would be wearing this:

if i know myself like i think i do, i think i would really, really love this day.

in summary

2010 was good to me.

in jan i completed my 2nd half marathon, which, as everyone knows, equals a full marathon. then not long after that triumph i turned the big 2-9 and began my last year as what i like to call "young." the spring found me with a tool belt around my waist and hammer in my hand as i followed teve around, trying to figure out what a ballast was and what exactly it takes to flip a house from meth lab to dream home. summer, sweet summer, was filled with pools and lakes... weddings... and a family beach trip that i didn't want to end. the heavens also decided to open up and hand petikei and i a group of friends that we had been praying for forever it seems... our wednesday night community group has been a crystal clear picture of God over-blessing me. nothing else to say beyond the fact that i. love. these. peeps. then i bit the bullet and bought a ticket to the big city where i spent a magical fall weekend frolicking in central park (and i rarely frolic), eating at fancy restaurants, and hailing cabs all by myself. oh and then i went to africa.

can i just say one thing? this will be a quick sidenote. in january of 2010 i wrote down five goals for the year (i have never done this, mind you. daddy yum yum might be rubbing off on me a little more than i'd care to admit?) and by december, they all were either actually completed or are making serious strides toward being completed. is that nuts? the craziest of all is that i wrote "be more involved in international missions -- africa?" as goal #5. africa was literally an afterthought that i put thinking maybe i should start moving towards getting that ball rolling. and, uh, eleven months later my feet were on rwandan soil. freaky. and pretty powerful.

to round out the year, i spent thanksgiving and christmas being overwhelmed and surrounded by my entire family. all of us under one roof playing michael jackson the experience on wii like it was a our job. does it get any better? and then i rang in the new year over the austin skyline with my muffin and i believe that to be the cherry on top of a year i never in a million years would have been able to dream up.

2010... when the world around me opened like it was brand new. friendships seemed to deepen and brighten. love seemed to swell and overflow. faith was tested and strengthened. hope became an actual face, not just a semi-deep church term to throw around.

i've been searching for the words to adequately describe my thankfulness for all of it. think i found some that will work...

i will extol you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

everyday i will bless you

and praise your name forever and ever.

great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,

and his greatness is unsearchable.

one generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

on the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and on your wondrous works, i will meditate.

they shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,

and i will declare your greatness.

they shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

-psalm 145:1-7

it's that thing of when someone calls miss piggy fat...

i spent my friday night eating gattis while holding a newborn & watching this on repeat:



what did you do?