December 2009
118 posts
WatchA seriously good band… worth a listen. The Damnwells are super dynamic live showmen. (Please pardon the colorful sign language at the end of the vid.)
God is in the Details
I will meditate about your glory, splendor, majesty, and miracles. (Psalm 145:5)
God is evident in a tear or in a far-off whistle. He is in the twinkle of a stranger’s eye and in a certain shade of blue. He is in the warmth of a handshake and the missing front teeth of a five-year-old. He is between the lines of handwritten letters and in the nervous laughter of teenage girls. He is in...
SAPPY BIRFDAY SHANNON!!!
Thank you for:
(a random list of 10 - in no particular order)
1. Forcing me to watch Pretty in Pink 3,462 times. Whenever I hear OMD, I always think of you.
2. Having the courage to tell me that I’m being a butthead when I really need to hear it. (It was also very courageous that you wore redneck teeth with me IN PUBLIC during our mountain roadtrip - I was so proud!)
3. Giving birth to...
Top 5 Quotes of Crimmus 2009
5. Reese! Go get Godzilla and come into the living room! - Lisa
4. Why is Christmas always in peril? Every kid movie I’ve seen seems to be rescuing Christmas! - Bryan
3. That ankle biter looks so delicious that I want to punch her in the face. I will too. -me
2. He’s preppy, Grant, but no one’s preppier than you. - Kayla
1. Can you get Reese some candy cause he’s in...
WatchReconciliation & Restoration: so, so good.
Eve of Perfection
This has truly been the most spectacular Christmas Eve I have ever experienced. The day started quite early… as my wintertime insomnia marches on.. with 3 hours of sleep and a pre-dawn snuggle with Gracie Lou (my sister’s chocolate lab). Her Bell’s Palsy makes her an incessant drooler, but it’s really more charming than irritating in most cases. I read, made coffee,...
"Alaina Likes Her Own Status"
So, I broke down & joined that much hyped “Book of Faces” (my sarcastic term for Facebook) 2 days ago. Friends, I have been such a judgmental & over-critical Loud Mouth about Facebook since it’s meteoric rise as a cultural phenomenon. Now guess who’s slamming down forks full of humble pie by the mouthful? Me. I presumed Facebook to be a “look at me! look at...
Best Compliment I've Ever Received
Yesterday…
Micah (friend at work): “Alaina, you know why I love you, right?”
Alaina: “I love you too, Micah. Not sure if it’s for the same reasons. Do tell!”
Micah: “Cause you’re a strong black woman.”
Alaina: (lit up like a Christmas tree - laughter & hugs all around.)
(yes indeedy - best EVAR. wowzers. i’m officially a...
“I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms - I’m celebrating your...”
– Psalm 13:5-6, The Message
Learning to Stay
When I first came to this city, I anticipated visiting for several weeks at most. Little did I know then that those weeks would add up to months. Now, my one year anniversary with this area is fast approaching. Most surprising to me is that a city that was once undesirable to me - a place where I had no intention of laying down roots - even a place I longed to flee - has become a place I may...
“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life....”
– Romans 8:15-17, The Message
“The law always ended up being used as a band-aid on sin instead of a deep...”
– Romans 8:4, The Message
Yesterday was a good day...
It is such a treat to waste (invest?) the afternoon away here in my new favorite coffee shop - my favorite more because of their lovely floor to ceiling windows & the familiar faces of the people who congregate here than that embarrassingly corporate cup ‘o joe. Listening to timeless Christmas refrains by Louie and Ella, reading the Good Book, reflecting on blessings from days’...
What Google Says I Need
My new friend Heather (who is a beautiful writer & person) wrote this post regarding an interweb meme that has been making the Facebook rounds. Since I am “facebook free” [Update: I totally lied - I just got an account today. I’m scared. Someone hold me.] - I totally missed it earlier this year. The dets: type your first name and the word “needs” into google...
Writer's Encouragement for Today
Lately, I wish I had a safe place to stash my soul when I leave the house. Because in this economy, it’s tough out there for a soul. How do I keep myself from becoming hardened or hopeless when people I know are laid off and laid low? What happens when my creativity gets a dry mouth and a bad case of the Dreads in the middle of a project? And how do I plunge wholeheartedly into a brainstorming...
