WANTED: the perfect house

Both my soon-to-be roommate (read: sister) and I are extremely picky when it comes to finding a place to live. Well, we're just picky in general, but it is getting out of hand with our search for a house/apartment/duplex. She is looking for a few specifics of her own, and my specifics are quite different from hers.

What I want:
- max rent amt: $630
- location: Ringgold
- duplex or house (not apartment!)
... mine are pretty easy to please, I suppose

What she wants:
- max rent amt: more than I want to pay
because she wants...
- luxury apartment/condo or new, very nice house
- location: East Brainerd

It's not that I wouldn't love to be able to want what she wants, I am just very wary about how much I will be spending to live somewhere. However, we are willing to compromise... she is willing to give up the luxury place for a more affordable place; and I am willing to move to East Brainerd because it is hard to find a good (not trashy!) place in Ringgold. Even so, we still cannot find an agreeable place. Everything we have looked at so far has been a big NO.

There are a few places on our list that sound good, but then again, most of the trashy places sounded good too. Hopefully we'll be able to find a place that we can settle on because lets face it, the perfect rental house for an affordable amount does not exist.

In my opinion, my sister should just buy a house and I could rent a room from her. xD
But she is right, that is such a big commitment and a scary thought... but I really think she should at least look into it. What harm could that do? ;)

The burning of sin.

A couple of my friends started a Bible study for our group, and our first meeting was on Wednesday night. The study we are going through is called "The Quest". The first lesson was really great! We talked about the sin and the "little gods" that we put between God and ourselves.
What is so great about this study is that it has a challenge to go along with each lesson. Our first challenge was to make a list/pile of things that we put between us and our relationship with God, whether it be objects, emotions, relationships, etc., and burn them. So, Friday night we did just that. We had a bonfire at Hannah's grandparents' house and had an awesome time fellowshiping with brothers and sisters in Christ and worshiping the Lord. We decided to explain a few of the things we were burning. The explanations were more of a declaration to self and God that we will never put that object/feeling/emotion/what-have-you in front of Him on our list of priorities.

One of the things I threw in was a handful of movie ticket stubs. Going to movies isn't such a bad thing (every once in a while) but I realized that I go to the movies too often to run away from life and life's problems. If I ever have a bad day at work or something is really bothering me, I will go to the movies (with or without someone else) so that I can live someone else's life for a couple of hours. Then the feelings and problems I possessed before the movie get pushed down deep inside of me and I do nothing about them. Everything then builds up and really takes a toll on me. That is no longer an option for me. I choose to now and forever go to God first with anything and everything, and I will also seek out help from those around me that I love and trust so much.

Life really is better once you have given everything to the Lord!


Inspirational Text #4:
Tonight men, as we approach our enemies, go in with confidence. The will to win is everything. Shamgar. Need I say more? The odds were 600 against 1. Oxgoad in hand he showed everyone of them their final resting place, but his real weapon... faith. So have faith in yourself and each other, Let them tast defeat!
-jcs


Edit: I had a filler in one of the lines of this blog so I could find out the author of the Bible study... I saw just now that I neither replaced the filler with his name nor deleted "FIND OUT NAME"... I'm an idiot. :P
Needless to say, I have now deleted it.

Become a Fan

For the last several days, I have been reading lists and lists of "Fan Pages" on Facebook. They are quite hilarious. There are pages that hit so close to home that I think "hey, I thought I was the only one who did that!" Guess I was wrong. I usually read these at work, so I am having to stifle my laugh so I won't be too loud. (I laugh at everything!) I wanted to share with you some that are relevent to me and some of the funnier ones I've read:

- Sarcastic use of the "Like" button
- The feeling of success when you call "Shotgun" before anyone else
- Don't blame me for knowing everything. FACEBOOK TELLS ALL.
- I text so much it's awkward to call.
- That guy who starts the slow clap
- I still laugh when everyone else is over it
- THE WALK OF SHAME when u throw a paper at the garbage can and miss. . .
- No, I'm not an idiot in a sleeping bag. I am being a caterpillar.
- Cutting stuff up just because I have scissors
- Have you ever just looked at someone, and automatically felt annoyed?
- We all have tried to balance the lightswitch between on and off.
- The urge to smile when someone is yelling at you
- I forgot your name, so I'm waiting for somebody to say it
- playing the "question game" when you first start talking to someone you like
- Thinking of something and laughing alone
- I wonder if kids in China push their eyes in and say "haha, I'm American!"
- You accidentally answer a call on your phone because you were texting
- I pick up stuff off of the floor with my foot because I'm too lazy to bend over
- I hate when I squeeze the ketchup bottle and nasty tomato water comes out
- When a teacher says "In Pairs.." i automatically look at someone and nod.
- When I die, I want someone to put on my status "is dead"
- Using your phone very strategically when it hits "Low Battery"
- P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney
- I stick one leg out of the covers when I get too hot
- "Can I have a piece of gum?" "Yeah, but don't say you got it from me."
- Thinking if you raise your cell phone 6 inches in the air you will get service
- When I have a sharpie, I have an urge to draw on everything
- Making life decisions in the shower
- I check my phone twice because I forgot what the time was the first time
- If you tickle my feet I am not responsible for what happens to your face


See what I mean? Fan pages are great... always good for a laugh. xD

Why am I hell bent on losing when I can't get you out of my head?

It's a beautiful day, and I am off Saturday through Monday ... needless to say, I am in a spectacular mood right now. When I am fortunate enough to be in this great a mood, I absolutely love listening to music. It soothes my soul. xD


Since I am stuck at work until 6 and cannot listen to music, I thought I'd just share some of my favorite bands along with a few songs by them that I love.



1. Mayday Parade: Three Cheers for Five Years acoustic, Jamie All Over, Jersey, Ocean and Atlantic, Kids in Love, The Last Something That Meant Anything, You Be The Anchor That Keeps My Feet On The Ground; I'll Be The Wings That Keep Your Heart In The Clouds



2. All Time Low: Coffee Shop Soundtrack (orig. and acoustic), Running from Lions, Jasey Rae acoustic, Let it Roll (orig. and acoustic), Remembering Sunday, Weightless, Walls



3. Go Radio: Forever my Father, Dear Lucian Dance Forever



4. Cartel: the entire Chroma cd, Wasted, The Perfect Mistake, Only You, Lets Go, Lose It, Deep South



5. Phil Wickham: Heaven Song, Cielo, Eden, True Love, Holy Holy Holy



6. Parachute: She is Love acoustic



7. Iron & Wine: Teeth in the Grass, Flightless Bird; American Mouth



8. All American Rejects: Mona Lisa, Gives You Hell



9. Paramore: When It Rains, Only Exception, Decode, That's What You Get, Whoa



10. Michael Buble: Me and Mrs. Jones, Haven't Met You Yet, Everything, ... really anything that he sings


11. John Mayer: Perfectly Lonely, Comfortable, Heartbreak Warfare, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Dreaming with a Broken Heart, Gravity



Okay, there are more but I feel that listing 11 is enough for now. If you know of an artist/band you think I will like, don't hesitate to comment. :)





Inspirational Text #3:
It's time, the day of redemption is upon us. Persistence is key, if you can conquer yourself the enemy won't stand a chance. So lets make a statement, take no prisoners and show no mercy!

-jcs

I want Skype!

It has now been 4 days since I last wrote a blog .. I am such a slacker. :P

I suppose I've been waiting on something exciting to happen to me that is worthy of a blog but my life doesn't really seem to be all that interesting. But I am extremely okay with that.

In the past few weeks, I have become more aware of how terribly blessed I am. I have a good job, a big, loving, wonderful family, I live in a beautiful city, and I have a God who, despite my not deserving it, loves me so much that He sent His son to die for me.

I have been so much happier in these last few weeks than I ever have before. I am comfortable in my own skin and I know deep down that no matter what I do with my life, it's going to be okay. :)

And can I just tell you how great it is to hear from and reconnect with old friends?! It makes me want to go and visit every single one of them. I miss being able to see and talk them everyday. But, everyone knows the saying: "Distance makes the heart grow fonder." When I do get to see them after so long, the reunion seems so much sweeter. xD

...and hopefully, I will be able to use Skype pretty soon!


Inspirational Text #2:
Men, today as we take the battlefield know this, they count us out, they say we're not good enough. Goliath? Then we are David and let history repeat itself. So tonight we make a stand and send them to their maker!
-jcs

Anecdotes.

So I’ve got a few stories to share…

1. A few mornings ago, it happened to be storming furiously, which is not normal. Hardly anything ever wakes me up when I am sleeping, but this storm was so loud it did just that. Well, it partially woke me up anyway. So I was half asleep, half awake when the most monstrous noise I have ever heard came from the sky… and what was my first thought? “JESUS IS COMING BACK!” Right away, I started praying to God asking Him to forgive me of all of my sins. (I suppose last minute forgiveness is always a good thing! :P) I have always said I wanted to be alive when Jesus comes back so, in my head, I ordered, no, yelled at myself to get my glasses so I could see (without which, the world is a blur). 

At the time, it was all so real but I found it to be VERY humorous later. xD

2. I went to Walmart today and was looking for a place to park. The first aisle I went down, there was a car stopped waiting for someone to pack up and leave. I took the first spot I saw. It wasn’t close to the door, but it wasn’t too far that I’d be walking for days, so it was cool with me. This other car sat there forever just waiting… I guess they just could NOT walk a few extra steps and already be inside. Whatever.  So then I was on my merry way to the entrance when I saw a man park in a spot that was pretty much the front of the row. The car beside him happened to pull out and leave just as he finished parking. He then started up his car again and moved over one spot. ONE SPOT. 

America is lazy.

3. So, Ashley (my sister) and I are looking for a house to rent. We found a few hopefuls in the Sunday paper today and we wanted to check them out, so we called the phone numbers and got the addresses. We started with a few houses in Rossville. First of all, the drive to Rossville wasn’t very promising, so I wasn’t expecting much for the houses. We got lost at one point and I was seriously scared for my life. In daylight. With a possessed looking dog right outside of my car door. Not good. When we finally found where the first house was, we kept driving straight ahead. It was that bad. The second house was a little easier to find... It was a dump.

My advice to you: NEVER live in Rossville.

Anyway, I’ve been forming more characters for my book, and I am really, terribly excited! I’ve told a few people about some of my plans and they seem excited as well. If you don’t mind, I ask that you keep me in your prayers because I do feel that writing should be a big part of my life and I probably need all the help I can get. Thank you : )

True Love.

Do you know how loving and awesome my God is? Here is a little glimpse of how much He loves me...

A few nights ago, I was laying outside on my driveway with one of my good (and very talented) friends. One of my most favorite things to do is listen to someone play the acoustic guitar, which he happens to be amazing at. So, he was playing and singing while I was lost in the music and the stars.

(By the way, star gazing is one of my obsessions and has been for many years...)

After he played several songs, he asked me what I would like to hear next. Without pause, I answered "Heaven Song" (by Phil Wickham). As he played, I closed my eyes and had a much needed conversation with God. I was thanking Him for everything He has done for me and telling Him of my worries and insecurities about my future and what I should be doing. I really felt like I needed Him to show me that he heard me and that He is working in my life.

Right after, I opened my eyes and saw a brilliant shooting star. This star was not one of the normal shooting stars I've seen in the past. It was longer and brighter than I have ever seen. It instantly put a smile on my face.

He showed me His beauty and His love by giving me one of my most favorite sights to see. The rest of the night, I was just filled with love and joy and knew my Father was looking down on me and that He was proud of me.

It is truly and amazing feeling knowing that, no matter what is going on, God will be there and comfort you when you call his name. Ask God to show His love and beauty to you, and He will do it in the most special way. He truly loves us all so much and just wants us to love Him with all of our hearts in return. He is always trying to romance us, but we miss it because we are too busy with our daily tasks. Allow Him to show you His love... you will not be disappointed.

And about my worries and insecuritites, they no longer exist. I will be okay no matter what I decide to do in life. My Heavenly Father will always be there to help, love, encourage, and support me.

...I love you, Daddy <3

NaNoWriMo 2010

I learned about NaNoWriMo a few weeks ago and have been so excited since the moment I signed up. If you do not know what I am talking about, here is a link to the website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/


Basically, I will be trying my hardest to write a novel in November containing at least 50,000 words. (50,000 words?! OMG.) I have always wanted to write a novel, and this challenge is so appealing because I know it will push me to write.

I have already been thinking of a good story I could tell, and I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far. I have also done a character synopsis for three main characters, though I'm sure the characters will have a mind of their own when I write them. It is going to be interesting to see how the characters react to different things in this world that I create for my main character.

I haven't exactly decided which genre my novel will be. I suppose it will be young adult fiction with romance thrown in. But I think I may add a Christian theme to it, if I can tie it all together correctly.

I have (unsuccessfully) been trying to convince some of my friends to do it with me... I feel like I will need all the motivation I can get, and having a friend there to have word wars and writing sessions with would truly be worthwhile. So, I guess since they won't do it, I will have to find somone in my region that will be my NaNo buddy.

There are still 7 MONTHS left until I actually get to start writing but I seriously can not wait. I know it is going to be super stressful and a very busy month, but I say ... BRING IT ON.

Sticky Notes.

I find myself making lists everyday of things I need to get, things I need to do, the times of movie showings, and anything else I deem reasonable to compile into a list. Lists are crucial for me as I have a horrible short term memory. This is not at all a bad thing, making lists. It shows I am organized and thinking about things are are important that need to be done. 

The bad thing is that I write these lists on yellow sticky notes and come home everyday from work with bundles of sticky notes in my scrub pockets and in my purse. I find them everywhere. I even have some scattered about my room in various places. As soon as I get home, I empty my pockets of said lists and then they magically disappear and I will not find them for a few days, so in the end, the lists really aren't even helpful. Even knowing what happens to these sticky notes, I still proceed to make a list for everything. 

Maybe one day I will learn my lesson and get a notebook and write my lists in there so that I can get things done. Until then, I will be wasting trees one sticky note at a time.

Smiles and Tears.

Happy Birthday to my baby brother, Cody! He turned 19 today! o_0 He is growing up so fast!


and Happy Easter to everyone else!


I had such a great day on this beautiful Easter Sunday. Church was awesome. Weather was amazing. The two family dinners were delicious.


Why can't everyday be Sunday?


In preparation for this joyous holiday, I decided to Nair my lip last night and I must have left the stuff on too long because it burned my skin. And I don't mean just made it red... it full on took skin off of my face. Oh boy, did it hurt. But thank God for makeup. And it is already looking better so it's no biggie.


In other news, I just got back from seeing The Last Song with my sister. Talk about a tear jerker... Nicholas Sparks knows how to make it happen. I fully recommend this movie to everyone. I truly enjoyed that movie, however, Miley Cyrus was terrible in it. All of the other actors did an excellent job... she had to ruin it. The casting director should not have allowed her to be the lead. Bobby Coleman (Jonah, the younger brother in the movie) did an amazing job, especially since he is so young. His part required some serious effort and he nailed it. Two thumbs up, Bobby. It was well worth the tears. :)






I feel the need to post the inspirational texts that my brother sends to his teammates before each softball game, so when it happens, I will be sure to post them here. They are just too great not to share with the world.


Inspirational text #1:
Brothers, friends, warriors. As we embark on this mission, this journey to greatness I say to you sharpen your wits and become one. Tonight, we dine in hell!
-jcs

Friends and Black Bean Brownies.

My first blog. This is epic. Here it goes:

These past few days(wednesday night until now) have been really great. After working for three straight weeks, I finally got two days off... in a row! With a last minute decision made, I packed up and drove for four hours after work Wednesday to where I grew up. It had been months since I last visited and was so nice to see all of my friends that I miss so much. 

Wednesday night, I spent the night with my best friend Amanda. And though she had to study for a while, it was great just to be around her. She is crazy and funny and I miss just having her around.

Thursday, I spent much of the day with Amanda and my other best (and long time) friend Blakeley. Amanda had other priorities for that afternoon/night so Blakeley and I got to catch up and hang out, which is what I really needed. Blakeley and I are so much alike, which is why she is probably one of the few people who truly understands me. We are just completely comfortable with each other and do not have to constantly be doing something.

Later that night, we went to watch my brother's church softball game (they won! :D) and got to see my old church family. Whenever I do get to visit, I don't often get to see most of these people so I was extremely excited. My old church home (Christian Heritage) is one of the main things I miss about living in South Carolina. I have yet to come across a church that could even TRY to take its place.

After hanging out at the softball fields and playing ninja, a few of us went to see Clash of the Titans 3D. (My review of the movie will come later...) Then Paige spent the night with me! :)

Friday, I woke up around 12 (the sleep was very much needed!) and lazed around for a while. Then Blakeley, Paige, Cody and I decided to go to Moe's for lunch. (You will come to know that I LOVE Moe's!) We ate and chatted about old times. Recounting my childhood was very refreshing. I have lived in Tennessee now for about 2 and a half years and listening to my friends' stories of their memories together is a bit depressing since I can not contribute; I can only listen. Don't get me wrong, I love to hear their funny stories, but I just miss being able to do that with my childhood friends.

After a few hours of recollection, I invited Blakeley back to my house since Paige and Cody went with some of their friends to the river. We got to hang out for a few more hours and talk before I had to leave to come back home. Oh, how I miss having her around.

When I got back to town, my sister and two friends (who are home from college for the weekend) immediately invited me to Emily's house to bake brownies. These were not your regular brownies. They are "good for you" brownies. So we followed the recipe. Some of the ingredients included BLACK BEANS and SOUR CREAM... different, but intriguing so I was interested in trying it. So we got all of the ingredients together like we were supposed to and waited 30 for the brownies to bake. Meanwhile, we got to chill outside and talk.

Brownies are done; Moment of truth... We each get a brownie and notice on the bottom that you can see every black bean that we put in it. It looks like... DOG FOOD. We try it and immediately spit it out because it tastes just like you think it would: black beans and chocolate with a mushy texture. Having questions as to why it ended up like this, we check the recipe and instructions. We added all of the ingredients right but skipped over one little detail... FOOD PROCESSOR. We used a standard mixer instead. Apparently, they are NOT the same thing. 

My advice to you: read directions carefully or you will end up with a lump of chocolatey black beans in the trash.

At least we had fun, though. xD

With all of that being said, I have to say that I absolutely LOVE all of the people I have in my life. They encourage me, inspire me, and most of all, love me for who I am and I could not ask for better friends.

I have to give credit where credit is due: Thank you Emily for encouraging me to start a blog. I hope this sparks the creativity and knack for writing freely and openly as I hope it does. You're amazing. And I love you. :)