Message from Ephesians

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Ephesians 3:14-21 The Message

Preparing for Jamaica

I often think about the way my point of reference for EVERYTHING will change when I move to Jamaica. I watched this Peace Corps video this morning, and wondered what my "video" will sound like in a few years!

To Do Tuesday

1. Send out a missions update email by Friday
2. Finish Christmas Thank You notes
3. Catch up on vacation laundry

30 by 30 Updates:
Okay, not on my list but I crossed off another state on my list. I spent a few days in Alabama last week on my Georgia trip. Random, but true. I shall try not to let my experience hamper my opinion of the state as a whole. I need to sew something this week - and that may consist of diving into my "repair basket" which is needing some attention. I think that still counts. I have a dress I partially repurposed, and would like to pack away with summer clothes, a velvet jacket that sprung a seam, and a pair of warm up pants (we called em "mushies" in highschool... no clue why. Maybe the sound they made?) that have done the same.

Sunday night I made blueberry crumble (wasn't worthy of a photo) ... and true to form, didn't really follow the recipe. It all worked out... but here is what I should've done:

Blueberry Crumble
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cups thawed blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teas. cinnamon

Mix in bottom of a 9x13 pan

Sprinkle yellow cake mix over berries. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over cake mix. bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

To Do Tuesday (on Wednesday)

Already a day late and it's my second week!

1. Pack this week for my trip to Georgia on Saturday
2. Do laundry so I have clothes to wear in Georgia
3. Bake something to take to Georgia
4. Schedule someone to cover Children's Church on Sunday when I'm in Georgia

Do you see a theme here? It's a week of catch-ups and conversations, so beyond that I'm just preparing for a road trip with my mom. I'll be visiting my Aunt Karen for a few days, leaving my mom with her and travelling across the state for Steven's Army Officer Candidate graduation. I hope to see a bit of the other Columbus while there.

30 by 30 update:

I made 2 winter dresses this weekend for Bella and Avah - just the simple "sew a skirt on a shirt" type that are all-over. I'm not much for patterns, and there are plenty online so I shall not stress myself out trying! The fabric was on sale before Christmas at Jo-Ann's and the shirts were $3.50 each at Walmart. So in total, each dress cost less than $5 to make. I love that their mama dresses them for every holiday/season - and love even more that I can contribute (and that she indulges my sewing whims). I took a picture, but camera is not here. I'll update later.

I made a peanut butter pie - but I didn't try cooking anything new. Maybe by the end of the week though! Also, I need to think of 3 more... and maybe 4. I don't think I'll be donating to locks of love by my birthday. Too many layers - too many haircuts! I feel I may go shorter again soon anyway. I'll replace it with something else similar perhaps.

Encouragement

I read this today on the 320 * Sycamore blog and wanted to share with others!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

To Do Tuesday

Ahhh a psuedo alliterative (not a word) series... we'll see how long it lasts. I'm a list maker, and Nina and i made 30 by 30 lists with tadalist.com, so as my 29th year is well underway I need to get crackin! I shall also list motivators of things to accomplish in my day-to-day life eventually.

So far on the 30x30 list I've completed 3: saw the Nutcracker, bought a new ipod and tried contacts again! One problem... my list isn't finished. I need to add 2 more. They shall be forthcoming.

Allie's 30 by 30

1. take a stained glass class
2. visit Maine
3. donate again to locks of love
4. make spring rolls
5. walk a half marathon
6. get my first pedicure
7. have a blog I update weekly
8. operate an etsy shop (I have one... but I don't use it!)
9. own a quality camera 
10. swim in an ocean other than the atlantic
11. learn to french braid my own hair
12. drive a stick shift
13. sew something every week
14. try a new recipe every week (and blog about it!)
15. make butter
16. unpack every random box
17. learn to play chess
18. Finish purple/green quilt
19. Redo my room into yellow and gray (halfway there!)
20. Make creme brulet
21. crochet an afgan
22. complete sewing accessories!
23. cover wendy's chairs with fabric
24. Hear David Sedaris Live
25. Learn to tie a mens tie