humility and discernment

It's funny how you think you'll never be "that person" or be in "that situation" and somehow, just somehow, you manage to become that person, in that situation.
i had dinner with a friend a couple weeks ago and during our meal, she explained to me about how she was decided on leaving her church for various reasons. the whole time i was listening, i had such a strong urge to shake her and tell her, "wake up!! leaving your church isn't going to solve anything!" I did no such thing however, and chose to listen in the most understanding way that was possible for me at the time. i look back on this conversation that happened not so long ago and i wonder in surprise, awe, and amazement at how God works so perfectly in our lives. in all of our lives.
a couple days after we'd met up, i was browsing through a christian website i frequent and happened upon an article about leaving church and reasons to do so or not. i facebooked her the article link and hoped that she'd read it and really taken it into consideration regarding her decision. who would have that I would be frantically searching for that link (it didn't show up in my facebook message thread with her for some reason) and carefully reading each reason and trying to relate it to my own church life.
isn't it funny how God humbles us? that girl who wanted to shake her friend awake, as though she had profoundly sound judgment in telling others if they should really leave their churches or not, found herself struggling to discern whether to leave her own church and fighting with the desire to leave when she knew she shouldn't.
so thank you God. thank you for the humility you bestow upon us and for striking down my pride through such encounters.

"I am so calm I could host an NPR show."

-Up All Night episode 2

unsung skills

I was inspired by this Hello Giggles post and felt compelled to list some of the unsung skills i've discovered about myself so far.

-the ability to text and drive at 70 mph...okay i guess that's more of a safety hazard/life threat than a skill..

-eating all the leftovers i bring home

-parallel parking. well almost. LA has taught me well.


skills i wish i had:

-shaving my legs without missing a spot

currently channeling...

grandma at the farmer's market

Sadly, I believe those Barbie pink patent flats will not be lasting me much longer due to its tattered, worn out heels. Time to go a hunting for a new pair!

detox

should i start the gm diet?
i really need to cleanse my system of all the nasty, greasy gunk i've been consuming within this past month..

dtla riot, er artwalk

yesterday joan and i ventured to the downtown la artwalk, it being her first time and my third. i ended up with a brown bag of three hardcover books due to the opening of some bookstore in one of the art galleries and a massive one dollar book sale. needless to say, i am very excited to start reading again. something about hard cover books makes me want to read. i want to say its a combination of rarely having gotten to buy pricier hard cover books over soft cover chapter books as a child and that crisp crackle when you open the book and every time you turn a page.
we finally leave the gas chamber of sweat and humidity and make it back out on the streets of downtown, swiveling our eyes and heads left and right to decide which galleries to check out next. we spot a whole barricade of police officers and just watch the whole intersection get blocked off..

Day 1

on the first day of summer, today, the family and i ventured to muir woods in marin county. i was never a nature/animal/anything outdoors lover but it must be a sign that i'm growing old. my newfound appreciation for green scenery was in full force today as i clicked away at the sight of cedar trees that pierced the sky and breathed in the fresh, misty air.