Christmas Eve "dress up" fun

After returning home from an evening of fun with our family, my sisters and I decided to gather every gown, shoe, hat, and accessory we could find to play a little dress up. Our main goal was to "look like a princess with a hint of humor and fun" - here are the results of our Christmas Eve creativity and fun. Who knows, maybe I'll sport the blonde wig in the New Year...probably not, but perhaps.

a yankee swap project...

Apparently the family is doing a "yankee swap" at our gathering tomorrow...I decided to get a little creative and make my contribution...here's my documentation of the project.







Yes, that's right...Hershey's Pot of Gold has become Zibby's Pot of Gold thanks to a little glue and magazine letters...also the contents have been changed. I hope my *creativity* is appreciated.

At one time the box was decorated with delicious caramels, chocolates, and turtles...but now is the home of : prunes, peanuts, apricots, walnuts, macadameas, peanut butter/white/chocolate chips, a few pieces of 'other' chocolate and the all famous cashews. I hope no one is too disappointed.

an 'indulging' weekend...

Indulging..
First of all this word makes me think of the film about Martin Luter and all the crazy priests who tried to convince people purchasing pieces of paper, and other various "religious" whatnot (indulgences) would somehow buy their way and others ways into Heaven. They were wrong...and this isn't a good idea.

Secondly...it reminds me of the word "hedonism" which someone drafted in my original support letter to Jamaica.( I know, I know, what were they thinking?) Trust me, this word just recently became part of my vocabulary. Seeing the word and realizing I had no idea what it meant my apartment mates and I looked it up to find it means "self-indulging"...so essentially, another not so good thing.

LASTLY...and my original purpose for this blog...the word "indulging" reminds me of last night...and a trip to the grocery store with my sister Sherri (we were attempting to find something extra delicious to mix up in honor of my return home after final exams). This is how our adventure went:

Christy and Sherri stand around in the baking aisle weighing up options.
"Brownie ala mode or cookie ala mode?"
"Browinie ala mode!"
Choosing of the icecream...
Wait for turn in check-out line.
(now this is where things get interesting)

The cashier rings us up and doesn't say two words to me, so I say "hello, how are you?" He looks into my eyes for a few seconds and a little distracted says, "Sorry, well. I'm doing well. I assume you're doing well as well. So you're having an indulging weekend I see?"

(a glimpse inside Christy's mind) "Pardon me...a what? what in the world is this guy...ooh he didn't...talking about???"

Of course I never voice my sarcastic thoughts so I politely said, "No actually, I just got home so we're making dinner and dessert." (Thinking of course "Like any other normal person buying brownies and icecream in line!!! Indulging? Really?"...since when do guys assume a woman is indulging herself because she purchases a little junk food?)

As soon as we left the store I voiced my thoughts to Sherri and she decided we were on the same page. Her comments at the time made me chuckle. We gave a unanimous vote that he should work at McDonalds and ask people if they are indulging themselves there. (I'm sure it'd be an interesting career move for him.) All I can say is I'm thankful I wasn't offended, otherwise, I probably couldn't see the humor in this. Also, for all you who are wondering, next time I decided to buy icecream and he's working...I'll try my best to go through his check-out line.

Christmas Banquet fun!

The Lady RAs on campus: Katey Merriman, Christy Zbylut, Karen Kay, Amy DeMings & Brittany Prime

My lovely roomate Sarah and friend Zach.

Evan and I

Testify courtesy of a little photo editing. :)

Caught being silly with the camera...I don't remember what we were laughing about but we laugh often about life, so I'm certain it was a good time.

The boys wanted us to pose creatively...so we crouched down in our puffy dresses and pretended like we were telling secrets - they always complain about girls telling secrets...so once again, this was fun.

Amy and I

Flowers...roses actually. (Yes, I finally got flowers, not a potted plant.Yippee) ahha The flowers are from two of my guy friends Anthony and Evan for Christmas banquet and helping coach soccer. Very sweet.

Testify (minus photo editing) singing "All That Thrills My Soul"

Mikey and I at the banquet table. (He commented that he likes this picture because our eyes match - I have to agree about that.)

Mikey is a superhero, EVEN at Christmas Banquet...Isn't that a sweet belt?

The gang or "team" as Sarah would say: Evan, Sarah, Zach and I.

Kathy Shanks and Joette (a.k.a- Hershey's Kisses - they worse size 72 pants together and 'hobbled' (I believe that would be an appropriate term) around at banquet.It allowed for some good hearty laughter.)

RA ladies with photo-editing.

Our group for the evening: Christy, Evan, Ally, Zach & my wonderful roomate Sarah

Roomate fun again...we decided to kick up our heels and have a little fun.

My amazing prayer partner Carly Kruse and I.

Me smelling the pretty flowers from Banquet.

Natalie Pendell from Randleman, North Carolina. It blesses me everytime I think of how God has brought her to Bethany. One year ago she was laying in a hosptial bed dying, of an unknown disease, untreatable to human knowledge and quite hopeless. We prayed for her on Chorale tour last year when we traveled down south and God healed her body. Bless the Lord for restoration power!

textbook insight

I was reading in one of my counseling textbooks today and I stumbled across a quote I found both interesting and in my opinion quite eye opening and truthful:

"Change is inevitable, growth is optional."

Do I hear an Amen?

grief

Never has a week been so bogged down with overwhelming news of defeat and struggle.
The body of Christ at Bethany is wounded...
My heart is grieved for those who are struggling.
The enemy gained a foothold and has capitalized on it.
Our campus is struggling.
My heart is overwhelmed with the events and reality of the past week.
Never have I wept so painstakingly for the hurt of someone else.
What is it like to feel pained and broken for someone in the body of Christ caught in sin? It is sickening. It makes you nauseous, unable to function and work, exhausted, broken...and thankful.
We have been praying for God's holiness to consume this campus, and indeed God is at work...but the enemy is a prowling lion seeking to kill and destroy.
He destroys innocence, perverts beauty, distorts perceptions, and creates apathy.



If you think to this week please keep our campus and the family of Christ here in your prayers. Pray that God will bring healing, restoration and will make this place Holy and set apart for his work and glory. When the body of Christ hurts, we all hurt..when the body of Christ is wounded, we are wounded too. Don't forget that! We so often do...

As I write I am listening to a song by David Crowder entitied "Wholly Yours" - the words seem rather appropriate:

I am full of earth
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity
But a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy like You are

You are everything that is bright and clean
And You’re covering me with Your majesty
And the truest sign of grace was this
From wounded hands redemption fell down
Liberating man

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to be holy like You are

But the harder I try the more clearly can I feel
The depth of our fall and the weight of it all
And so this might could be the most impossible thing
Your grandness in me making me clean

Glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to be holy, holy God

So here I am, all of me
Finally everything
Wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours

I am wholly Yours

I am full of earth and dirt and You

flash back to 2nd grade

Today I dressed like "fall" and several people said I looked very cute. Looking cute somehow becomes a foreign concept when you are 20 years old...and it made me chuckle as I had flashbacks of 2nd grade...and how no matter the years that pass by,boys still think we're cute when we wear braids or "pig tails" as they may call them.



Some days it's just nice to simply be...to laugh, joy, and remember 2nd grade.

20

20 years of life have I, 20 years of life.
I had an amazing date with the Lord tonight and as we shared a birthday supper, I came across a journal entry that caught my attention from early in September.

" Unto You oh God, I give my life.
Before You, I recognize this no small sacrifice,
For all You ask of me, is to faint with longing for Thee.
As I follow the call, the world seems quite small,
For inspite of my fears, I know You are near.
You whispr Your Word in the depts of my being -
a longing arises from within my soul-
I recognize you alone must control -
every hope, desire, and dream from above.
Your joy is my strength -
my weakness, Your glory.

Soft whispers of love dance upon the wind. Leaves rustle as the season prepares to begin. To everything there is a season - though sometimes we fail to see - a purpose amongst the lessons, the trials and the change. Father help me embrace Thee with all that I am - abandoned to the world - a warrior of the King. My destiny's uncertain, though I know it's in Your hands - I can't help wonder, if somehow I'll understand.

Dance sweet whispers of love on the wind - remind all God's children of the life He's placed within,

How silently, how silently - I long to hear Your voice - it seems that at this moment I have no other choice. I surrender all my time and resources - to allow Your work in full - to penetrate the deepest parts of all I am for Your glory.

"Behold, I make all things new. Christy just hold on - "

Quietly I wait for Thee - Long I long for You - to see.
To crawl in Your lap, see the world through Your eyes -
with a child like faith, to learn of You - to know You -
to grow in Your likeness and to reflect Your glory. "

* I am thankful for a God who loves me. All glory, honor, and praise to the One who has granted me life and breath for these 20 adventurous years and who will continue for His determined amount of time to grow me more into His likeness.

hearts cry

"Great is Thy faithfulness Oh God my Father..."
"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus...just to take Him at His word, and to rest upon His promise, just to know thus saith the Lord..."

Who can measure Your promises?
Who can compare to Your vastness?
None has such majesty as You!

This month Lord, wreck me of all I am.
May I find myself before Thee on my face...humble me before you that I may increase in faith and obedience to You.
Tune my ears to hear Your voice alone.
May the cry of my heart be to know You more.
I want to know You Lord!

Change me God!

"O praise the One who paid my debt, who raised His life up from the dead..."

"Moo-moos are stylish...

...enough said"! :)

art

Lately I've been experimenting with my creativity by painting images on canvas the Lord lays on my heart. Here are a glimpse of two I recently painted. One was for my Mommy's birthday (which is this Monday!) and the other for a woman we babysit for who is having a little girl in a few months.