It has been a while....

and I find myself struggling to be creative and inspired. I feel my best when I am inspired and creative - not just in artsy ways.

One thing I really hate is something I struggle with often. Every time I think I have conquered this battle (with God's leading, of course), I fall right back into the pit of self-destructive thoughts.

Why does my entire being SCREAM and KICK to fight what society says about the way I should look and feel while at the exact same time almost cry over how much I want to look and feel the way society says I should?

I'd like to think I have come a long way in my battle against this and I know that God has blessed me beyond measure. Sometimes it just seems that when I take 1 step forward I end up taking 3 steps backward.

I appreciate those of you who will read this. I pray that women do not struggle with this in the way that I do and that God will bless me with the ability to help others as He helps me.
Join me in prayer over all women all over the world - those in destructive marriages and healthy ones; those single ladies in their 20's and those in their 70's; middle school students; middle school teachers; those free and those in slavery. May God give them understanding of how He has made them unique and beautiful - ALL OF THEM!

Sorry for the rant - just thought I'd share what was on my mind. Thanks for reading.

NOW

My sister and I are road-tripping it together Monday and Tuesday and I wanted to put some music together for our trip so I turned to the ever popular Now That's What I Call Music compilations. Just for those of you who haven't kept up with these lovely collections since Now 5, the franchise is on version 34! I remember when the first one came out.

So anyway, I created a playlist based on Wikipedia's listing of the Now discography in hopes that I could export it to create cd's for the car, but alas, the music is copyright protected and I will have to be satisfied with listening to these precious jewels on my laptop via the internet. It is better than nothing. Some of these long-lost forgotten treasures are as follow:

Bailamos - Enrique Iglesias
Any Backstreet Boys song
Any *NSYNC song
Mmmm bop - Hanson
Wanna Be - Spice Girls
Barbie Girl - Aqua
Waiting for Tonight - JLo

Whew....that's only a few! I have a whole 50 or so songs from the early 2000's that are just waiting to be remembered and cherished. :) I just thought I would share with those of you who vividly remember being 16 at this time!

a few things are certain....

This week was VBS at church. I was tasked with photography duties which included getting headshots of each child, action shots and group shots. The headshots task alone was a little daunting, especially with over 250 children registered, but it proved rather successful when the kids put their photo frame together and had a photo to share with their families.

Overall, it was a rewarding week. I can confidently leave the week with a few certain truths: lots of children=chaos; lots of children=cuteness; and lots of children=inevitable illness......

I am leaving the week with a sore throat and cough........
oh well.