i was created to love You. i was created to need You. i was created to know You.

as we are reminded of new beginnings, "second chances," and resolutions entering into this new year...let us remember that through Christ, every day is new.

"this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. the old life is gone; a new life has begun!!"

- 2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT.

"forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. see, I am doing a new thing!! now it springs up; do you not perceive it...?? I am making a way in the wildnerness and streams in the wasteland."

- Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV.

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

- Ezekiel 36:25-26, NIV

"praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!! in His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade."

- 1 Peter 1:3-4, NIV.

"God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. they're created new every morning. how great Your faithfulness!! i'm sticking with God (i say it over & over). He's all i've got left."

- Lamentations 3:22-24, MSG.

"Your mercies are new every morning, so let me wake with the dawn. when the music is through, or so it seems to be, let me sing a new song. old things gone."

- nichole nordeman, mercies new.

"and i'm so thankful for this life that i know, that i am no longer what i was because of Your love and the beauty of the cross...I can see your work in me, all things new in me."

- watermark, all things new.

set fire to your old self.

"you don’t know anyone at the party, so you don’t want to go.
you don’t like cottage cheese, so you haven’t eaten it in years.
this is your choice, of course, but don’t kid yourself: it’s also the flinch.

your personality is not set in stone.
you may think a morning coffee
is the most enjoyable thing in the world,
but it’s really just a habit.
thirty days without it, and you would be fine.
you think you have a soul mate,
but in fact you could have had any number of spouses.
you would have evolved differently, but been just as happy.

you can change what you want about yourself at any time.
you see yourself as someone
who can’t write or play an instrument,
who gives in to temptation
or makes bad decisions,
but that’s really not you.
it’s not ingrained.
it’s not your personality.
your personality is something else,
something deeper
than just preferences and these details on the surface.
you can change anytime you like.

if it is useful to do so,
you must abandon your identity and start again.
sometimes, it’s the only way.

set fire to your old self.
it’s not needed here.
it’s too busy shopping, gossiping about others,
and watching days go by
 asking why you haven’t gotten as far as you’d like.
this old self will die and be forgotten by all but family,
and replaced by someone who makes a difference.

your new self is not like that.
your new self is the Great Chicago Fire—overwhelming, 
overpowering, and destroying everything that isn’t necessary."

- julien smith 

(reblogged from:  a well travelled woman.)

REVIEW: Christmas movies.

as with Christmas music, we only watch Christmas movies for the 40 days between Thanksgiving and New Year's. this list is like SO obvious to me...that i feel as though it's almost cliche to post. but when i'm talking to people about Christmas movies, a lot of times they're not too similar.

so heeerrre ya have it...
the Foster-5's must-watch-every-Christmas-season movie list.

1964--It's A Wonderful Life. (what a heart-warmer.)

source.

1964--Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. ("oink. oink.")

1965--A Charlie Brown Christmas. (my mother loves adores the peanuts.)

1966--How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (it's such a classic, man.)

source.

1969--Frosty the Snowman. (it's just so stinkin cute.)

source.

1983--A Christmas Story. ("mommy's little piggie!!")

1990--Home Alone. ("keep the change, ya filthy animal.")

1992--The Muppets Christmas Carol. (i mean...it's the muppets.)

source.

1994--The Santa Clause. (i like this movie more and more every year. which surprises me every time.)

2000--The Grinch. (i mean comeon...it doesn't get any better than this one, yall. "fa-who, ray-moo, ya-hoo, yee-haw.")

source.

2003--Elf. (will ferrel. duh. plus zooey deschanel...and her character's name is freaking jovie. coolest name ever.)

2005--The Family Stone. (this one's only on my list. i just love this movie. for one thing...rachel mcadams. obvi. but also-i looove their whole family dynamic. it reminds me of the cult-like feel of my own family. haha.)

source.

2007--Fred Claus. (for one, i love vince vaughn and his extensively wordy-rants...but this movie really is great. it's got the humor, it's got the love story. it's got a great message.)

2009--A Christmas Carol. (the animated jim carrey version. loved seein this in 3D in the theatre with the mullies side three years ago.) (plus, gary oldman. is the man.)

source.

two apparent must-see classics i've never seen all of in one sitting (or at least have no recollection of doing so...)::

1944--Meet Me in St. Louis. (judy garland. she's just so romantic to me, in everything she does.)

1954--White Christmas. (bing crosby. period.)

what Christmas movie is on yourrr must-see list of the season...??

truth.

"i know it's hard to believe people when they say i know how you feel . . . but i actually know how you feel . . .
i understand feeling as small and insignificant as humanly possible . . . and how it can actually ache in places that you didn't know you had inside you . . . and it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get-or gyms you join-or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends, you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could've misunderstood . . . and how in the heck for that brief moment you could think you were that happy. and sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. and after all that . . . however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new--and you'll meet people that make you feel worthwhile again . . . and little pieces of your soul will finally come back . . . and all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted . . . that will eventually begin to fade."
- the holiday.

REVIEW: Christmas Albums.

from the day after thanksgiving till we celebrate our second extended family's Christmas on new year's day...we listen to Christmas music, and that's it.

no sooner, no later...but constantly during those 40 days. (and 40 nights. haha.)

having done so ever since i can remember, we are quite the Christmas album connoisseurs.

this list consists of the never-skip-a-song albums that the foster family have come to love over the years...

1965--A Charlie Brown Christmas OST: Vince Guaraldi Trio

(my mother loves the peanuts with all her heart.)

source.

1970--Jackson 5 Christmas Album

(we're big time jackson family/michael jackson music fans. as a child, i would belt out their version of santa claus is comin to town to my imaginary audience.)

source.

1986--Ray Charles: The Spirit of Christmas 

(get it, ray.)

source.

1994--Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas 

(classic. and hand's down the best Christmas album of all time. don't even argue.)

source.

1994--A Very Merry Chipmunk 

(folks may disagree with this chipmunk choice...and maybe rightly so, but this is the one we grew up with.)

source.

1997--Hanson: Snowed In 

(obviously. isaac, taylor, and zac treated 1997 well.)

source. (and this album cover is hilarious.)

2000--One Silent Night 

(this album consists of powerful Christian female vocals...with rachael lampa's "i choose you" and crystal lewis's "oh holy night".)

source.

2003--Relient K: Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand 

(relient k, fo lyfe. "i celebrate the day". nuff said.)

source.

2003--Michael English: A Michael English Christmas 

(he is a foster-family fave. of course the best "mary, did you know?" around...and we love "go tell it on the mountain".)

source.

2005--Natalie Grant: Believe 

(i just love her. period.)

source.

2008--The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs 

(sara, ingrid, fiona, colbie, kt, brandi carlile, kate havnevik, laura jansen...need i say more.)

source.

2009--Ben Rector: Jingles and Bells 

(cause i mean...it's ben rector.)

source.

2012 albums that will soon join this list:

Blake Shelton: Cheers! (when you duet with miranda lambert, kelly clarkson, pistol annies, and michael buble...you've won my vote. and his Christmas special last night had me rolling.)

Christina Perri: A Very Perri Christmas (speaking of love.)

Colbie Caillat: Christmas In The Sand (she duets with brad paisley, gavin degraw, michael buble, and jason reeves.)

Ceelo's Magic Moment (this is definitely a guilty pleasure. haha. kind of like ke$ha.) (featuring christina and the muppets. i'm a sucker.)

Single Songs that deserve Honorable Mention:

Judy Garland: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (i don't know why, but the sound of it always makes me cry.)

Mahalia Jackson: Silent Night, Holy Night (so soulful, so powerful.)

Elvis: Santa Claus Is Back In Town; Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me

Elton John: Step Into Christmas

Slade: Merry Christmas Everybody (so fun.)

Mannheim Steamroller: Deck the Halls (when i was young, i loved this album-and especially this song. i used to just dance around the living room like an idiot to it.)

Whitney Houston: Do You Hear What I Hear? (possibly the single greatest Christmas song of all time.)

Celine Dion: Happy Christmas-War Is Over (a best-of list is not a list without celine. i love me some john lennon, but this version hasn't been as overplayed.); Don't Save it All For Christmas Day (great message; great vocals, obvi.); Oh Holy Night (my favorite Christmas song.)

*NSYNC: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (duh.)

Point of Grace: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Christina Aguilera: This Christmas

Charlotte Church ft. Billy Gilman: Dream a Dream (seriously LOVED this song when it came out back in 2000. i would blast this with my door locked and just wail to hit those notes.)

Avalon: Jesus Born On This Day; We Are The Reason

Little Isidore & the Inquisitors: Christmas of Love (this song is from the grinch, with jim carrey...and it just makes me laugh. haha. love it. "the faaarrrsss of looove.")

Kelly Clarkson: Oh Holy Night (did i mention this was my favorite Christmas song?? ha. and she kills it.)

Richard Marx: Santa Claus Is Back In Town (great, bluesy cover of elvis' version.)

Brad Paisley & Sara Evans: New Again (this is such a powerful song to me.)

A Fine Frenzy: Blue Christmas; Winter Wonderland (love her.)

Little Big Town: Go Tell It On The Mountain; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

The Honey Trees: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Michael Buble: White Christmas (a great cover of a great classic with a buble/shania twain twist); Jingle Bells (jazzy version with the puppini sisters)

She & Him: I'll Be Home For Christmas; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Sara Bareilles: (no surprise here.) Love Is Christmas; Baby, It's Cold Outside-ft. Ben Folds

Grace Potter: Please Come Home For Christmas; Naughty-Naughty Children-Better Start Actin Nice (i have loved her since the moment she came on one tree hill.)

like i said...connoisseurs. we love our music.

you can find all this music on amazon or iTunes.)
new december playlist comin your way soon.

what's YOUR favorite Christmas album, artist, or song...??

thrifty thursday.

(you can find the background to this segment here.)

my grandmother has a lonnng history of loving nearly all-things vintage.

growing up, i would stay with her and my grampa for a weekend at their beautiful house in st. jo, and occasionally she would take me along to her little booth at the local antique mall. we'd walk around from booth to booth, and she'd let me rummage amongst all the antique and miscellaneous goodies.

she's always had so much fun stuff at her house that i've always admired, from vintage dress-up clothes, to antique Christmas decorations galore.

the sunday before thanksgiving, we went over to my gramparents' house. as i was walking through her kitchen, i noticed somethin turquoise peaking out behind a photo frame...it was this adorrrabllle tea pot!!

i asked her where she got it, and she said "oh, just one of my many finds!!" (haha.) and then was saying how she would probably sell it at her next "sale". (she always has these grand sales.) and i was all like "nuh-uhhh, gramma...i'm callin dibs on this thing if you end up sellin it." and she was like "you want it?? i'll sell it to you right now, if you want." i tried to tell her i could just wait, to make sure she really was sellin it...but she wasn't havin it.

SIX. B U C K S.

das right, yall. mmm-i love it so much.

(if only...i could thriftily find a new vehicle. that'd just be wonderful.)

sunday's lessons.

i haven't been to two services on a sunday in awhile...
this past sunday, i went to college church in the morning where pastor rick power spoke and my aunt and uncle (and cousin) led worship. and then i went to the gathering network in the evening where pastor jon shirley spoke and kyle blake led worship.

throughout that day, i was either taught-or had the realization that...

in this day and age, we need to make time for God.
there's  so  too many time-fillers...from every internet source (laptops, desktops, tablets, phones) to every gaming device (playstation, xbox, kinect, wii, handheld games, computers, phones) to the constant interaction and communication (phone calls, texts, e-mail, twitter, facebook, blogs) that is defined as "necessary" to participate in and "absurd" if you're not constantly available.
we have to consciously set time aside to make room for God. (very sad, but very true.) we're so distracted and consumed by worldy matters when He is so transcendent. i am reminded of nichole nordeman's song:: "oh, great God...be small enough to hear me now."

growing up, when we learned the Lord's prayer, it was only verses 9-13 of matthew 6...
"our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done--on earth as it is in Heaven. give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses--as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...for Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever. amen."
but we skip the last part in verses 14 and 15...
"for if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you...but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your's."
- NKJ

it is required by God that we forgive.

in order for God to forgive us, we must forgive others.

and in order for us to forgive others-and God to forgive us, we must repent and be sincerely remorseful.

i am too quick to forgive...and then trust again, that it has caused me much grief. it is imperative that we know that forgiveness and trust are separate ideas. it took me 23 years and a lot of heartache to finally realize this--to the point of acting accordingly.
it's too easy for me to forgive those who have sinned against me, but for those who have sinned against the people i love...it's a completely different story. because i know my own pain, i know my own tolerance, i know that i will eventually be fine. but i can never understand how people can treat such wonderful people so poorly. and how those wonderful people put up with it-over & over & over again. i feel so strongly about it that i can't even tell if it is a problem in my own life and walk with God-that i need to work on...or if it's simply the result of loving so deeply. (it is not hindering my own life-or even the way i treat those people i don't understand, i would like to think so at least...but it definitely changes my view of their character-and my opinion of their interaction with my loved ones. which seems to be that it is more about trust then. which Lord knows how limited i am in that category anyway.)

in the evening service, there was a call to action...and it was to come up with some sort of applicable goal. at this stage in my life, and based off the previous statements, it was actually somewhat difficult to think of anything relatable.
i find ease in coming up with reasonings as to why people are the way they are, why they do what they do, and i try to put myself in their shoes...
but in the heat of the moment (specifically with my family), i am not too merciful. i can get snappy. i can get impatient. and so i concluded that my initial reaction is not to show forgiveness and mercy...no matter how quickly it may come after the fact, it is still something to work on.

all of this to say...i am so thankful i can learn more about myself and my relationship with God every blessed day. what an encouraging thought in itself.

use your gifts.

long time, no post.
lo siento, readers.
got a little crazy here over the past week. (what-with...thanksgiving/family time, cleaning the heck out of the house to get it ready for Christmastime, photo editing out the whazoo, on top of getting sick.)

i have WAY too many projects going on at the same time...which i really need to take care of asap cause the holidays are here, yall!! (i haven't even gotten to thanksgiving week's wfd #4 yet. whoops.)

i have a deep-meaningful post for tomorrow, but until then...i'll preface it with this::
(i love the entirety of romans 12. but what i was wanting to get at with this post is this...)

"we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. if your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. love must be sincere. hate what is evil; cling to what is good. be devoted to one another in love. honor one another above yourselves. never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
- romans 12:6-12, NIV.

THANKSGIVING WEEK'S what's for dinner #3.

HAPPY THANKSGIVIN, YALL!!
may today be filled with family, friends, food, and football. (all the best things in the world.)
(and SPEAKING of the best things in the world...)

today, i give youuuuuuuuuu...

SOUTHERN SWEET TEA!!
(makes about 24oz. we drink this year-round, 24/7. it's my favorite.)

the recipe calls for:
- four regular-sized tea bags. (we use luzianne or lipton.)
- white granulated sugar. (and lots of it!!)
- water.

directions:
- bring 12 oz. of water to a "roaring" boil in tea pot and remove from heat.
- let four tea bags set in hot water for about 15 minutes. (aka: let it steep.)
- fill pitcher up halfway with water, fill other half up with tea.
- sugar to taste. (this calls for more sugar than you'd think is right, while you're pouring. we do about 1.5-2 full cups.)
- serve over ice.

you can find #1's recipe here...and #2's recipe here.

THANKSGIVING WEEK'S what's for dinner #2.

happy thanksgiving week!!

continuing from yesterday's post...in all it's southern-ness.

today, i give youuu...

CROWDER PEAS!!

(makes about five servings-worth. kansas-version of this southern dish; use all fresh ingredients when possible.)

the recipe calls for:

- *a pressure cooker.
- 2 bags frozen crowder peas OR purple hull peas.

- ham hock (can use 6-8 bacon slices, but preferably ham hock.)

- 1 can italian beans. (optional...this is my mother's substitution for the fresh snap-crowder peas in there.)

directions:
- put peas in pressure cooker, add water about a cup over the tops of the peas, and put hamhock in.
- pressure-cook for ten minutes.
- (optional: add italian beans here, and cook on medium for five minutes.)
- add salt to taste. (pepper optional; none for me, please.)
- drain a tad. (we like em to have a little juice in there still.)
- annnd serve.

yum.