Don't you think the human race would be so much more interesting if we lived in these?

Yup. I do.

Nothing? Yes. Nothing.

Wow do I serve a mighty God who IS very present in my life! While that praise to Jesus is true don't let it fool you to think that I am in a 'happy' mood right now.

Things in the Foulkrod house have been turned upside down these last few days and along with it, my heart. I was "staying strong" until it all bubbled up and I broke down. I called my dad crying after I had an argument (which I never have) with my mom. Tension was high... and while my dad settled me down a bit, as I hung up the phone, I got a text. For some reason I follow this girl on twitter with whom I never am with in real life but her tweets are sent to my phone. Beautifully, oh so beautifully this is the tweet I received....

"Apart from Christ, I can do nothing." -John 15:5

If things get tough for you, and the emotional weight just wears you down and then keeps wearing you down... turn to Jesus. He is faithful. If you find yourself complaining inwardly or outwardly, stop yourself... and turn to Jesus. He wants to carry your burdens. If you don't know what to say to someone because the frustration is just overflowing... turn to Jesus. He gives strength, he gives words, he gives patience and he gives love.

Boy was I wrong in thinking I could live today by myself- apart from Jesus I can do nothing of worth for the kingdom. I am not a citizen of earth... I am living for eternity. Sometimes it's necessary to just stop and remember that.

Confirmed Thoughts

Isn't it crazy when you are thinking of something and then the same sort of thing you thought falls straight in your lap because of someone else's thoughts?? Well, it always happens to me. My thoughts are usually completely confirmed by something utterly unexpected. Today, I was reading some poems in a book by E.E. Cummings and this is the one I stumbled upon. The randomness in this is not so random because these words were my exact thoughts regarding something earlier today. I love when this happens.... so I wanted to share the words with you.

let it go-the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise-let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go-the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers-you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go-the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things-let all go
dear
so comes love

-E.E. Cummings 

Hope you had a great weekend! I know that I was not ready for Monday to come around...but, alas! It's here despite. 

T'sday Tunes...

Would you like to listen to my song obsessions of the day? I hear it makes you more creative if you listen to new songs daily.... but I have a really hard time embracing that. I'm a creature of habit and today I'm diggin' the 70's  :)

Rainy Day + Fall Break + Antique Shop

Equals.... FUN!

I wish I took before pictures, but I didn't so you'll just have to imagine this now* awesome wall hanging device as an old, wooden and boring thing. Can you kinda see it? I know that you're probably distracted by what you see now but just try to envision it :) That way you can be happy with what it is now!

With a little bit of paint, hemp woven between the space where the mirror was, mason jars and some hooks for necklaces... it's perfect :) Doesn't it look bright and blissful? Even on a rainy day!

Recommendations for Rainy Days..

Sometimes a rainy day is just what we need. A day to collect ourselves and just chill out. But, let me tell you that chilling doesn't necessarily mean vegging or wasting the day away. Here are some ideas to stay cozy on a rainy day :D

1. Look up all the songs on Youtube that relate to rain
2. Make something homemade
3. Eat some  yummy food
4. Grab coffee at a local place (if you're in Raleigh, http://jubalavillagecoffee.com/)
5. Do something crazy with paint
6. Write
7. Watch the rain fall
8. Laugh
9. Send someone a letter
10. Watch a chick flick

This sounds like the perfect recharge day. Dear sky, thanks for letting it rain today :)

Simply Love.

I stumbled upon 1 Corinthians 13 the other morning and I was stunned at the beauty of it, as always. I thought that I should share it with you :)

From the Message Version:

Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.

I first read the verse in my NIV and ESV but then I decided to see what the Message said. The above is in perfect day-to-day words. This is how we should live. 

When I read the part that says, "Puts up with anything, trusts God always." It reminded me of all the times when I hold grudges or unforgiveness because I'm not trusting God with the consequence he has for those who hurt me.

It was a reminder that the LORD is the One and the only One who can judge justly and, part of me growing in Him is to trust that HE will take care of them and that all I need to do is keep loving. That's what He's told me my job is... to simply love.

It's starting to feel like fall, isn't it?! Today, the fam went on all the traditional fall outings. Pumpkin patches, hay rides and corn mazes... completely fall romantics :) Here are some fun pictures from our adventures.

p.s. The little man tagging along is my bud. He spends weekends with us and boy, does he bring joy to the Foulkrod family. 

These first two pictures are from my lovely adventure with Miss Gloria Mae Fry {www.gloriamaefry.blogspot.com} and Miss Rachel Miller (www.theofficialblogofrachelmiller.blogspot.com) We kicked off our fall with a good ole Scotty McCreery concert and a day down town :) So fun. 

 Mister Jordan and his stamps...

 and then of course he gave me stamps, too.

 A strawberry? I thought we came for pumpkins!

 That little goat by the post? yup. Jordan let him loose. 

Mister Farmer came and got 'im :)

The whole "letting the goat loose" incident had us laughing, for sure. Then sweet Jordan went straight up to the farmer and told him exactly what he did and how sorry he was. But, he let the man know that the goat wanted to get out anyways...

Super fun weekend kick off to Fall! Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Normal? Humph!

The SHORT

One of my great loves is reading. I never totally enjoyed reading in elementary or middle school but when I got into high school, I saw the how my world could be transformed by words- the world is shaped on thoughts. Everyone's mind is molded by what they've been told and, most importantly, the stories or ideas that they read. 

Reading is one of the most beautiful escapes.

How often do you get to live someone else's life? When can you actually hear their innermost thoughts and feelings? Do you ever wish you knew how something made someone feel... really? Dear friends, if you don't like reading, start. It truly is worth the time.

The above ramble was brought up because of the current book that I'm reading. While it's not the most refined book, the characters are quite interesting and the story-line is great, thus far. I haven't finished the book, yet... So there is still a possibility that it turns out terrible but last night as I was reading, I found an awesome point. 

Jonathan Mooney is a man who struggled with learning disabilities as a child. During his childhood, not much was known on how to handle these disabilities and as a result the teachers would end up viewing the child as lesser of a human being. Quite terrible, huh? Well, anyways, Mooney decides, as a man, that he should make a point and reach out to all those that are viewed the same as he. He buys a short bus and travels around the U.S. writing down people's stories and in the process (no, duh.) he figures out more about himself than he ever knew.

So this is the quote that I was touched by...

"As I drove, I thought about that word normal.Before leaving on this trip, I had come across a great book called Enforcing Normalcy by Lennard Davis, who makes a strong argument that the word normalcy did not enter the English language until around 1860. Before then, we had only the concept of the ideal, which no one could ever hope to obtain. In the United States, normal arose within a cultural context as the nation sough to control a growing urban population and Americanize immigrants from around the world. Normalcy, though, is first and foremost and idea that arises from statistics. The normal, norm, or normalcy do not exist in the real world of people, despite the fact that we are told that we can modify our behavior and train our bodies and minds to reach it. We are told to chase it- in our culture, in our families, in our lives. But when we chase it- as I did- it disappears. Normalcy is like a horizon that keeps receding as you approach it."

I though this was not only a cool quote, but a great idea. Why don't we let go of this "thought" of normalcy? Anyways, if you're aiming for what I'm aiming for you know that you weren't called to be normal? NO. Normal simply isn't good enough any more. It doesn't cut it. Our plea shouldn't be to 'fit in'... it should be to 'stick out'! To be different.

So, yeah. This isn't a Christian book, but it's driving force is quite beautiful and very counter cultural. The book is mostly talking about disabilities, and usually we think of extremes when the word disabled is brought up but this quote of normalcy should most definitely be incorporated into your life. and MY life. 

It's this simple: normal is over-rated and boring.

 The people who make a difference are willing to be different.

Anna loves Gloria so much because she helped her get a signature on her blog;)

Slavery Exists. Pop Your Bubble.

So, how cool is this??

In my adv. logic course, we have to write a weekly analysis on a current event and convey the writers argument in a logical syllogism. I thought I'd hate this- but I've grown to love it. It gives me an excuse to peruse through the news and catch up with what's happening without feeling like I somehow wasted time by not working on my 100 other things. Long story short: I stumbled upon an article about manufacturing slavery that is happening right now over in parts of Asia or pretty much any third world country. This particular article was based on the story of three women who were stuck in Malaysia because the factory manager wouldn't give them their passports until they paid an enormous fine. Of course, these girls were stuck. They couldn't possibly pay the bill with the minimum earnings they were receiving. It's a catch 22. There's no way out. Therefore, it's slavery.

slavery  (ˈsleɪvərɪ)
— n
1.	the state or condition of being a slave; a civil relationship. whereby one person has absolute  power over another andcontrols his life, liberty, and fortune

Yup. ^The above story is definitely slavery by definition of the term 'slavery.'

Now I bet you're guessing- "Okay, Anna. How on earth is this story cool in any way, shape or form???" Hold your horses!! The cool part is this: http://artfeeds.org/welcome/fashion_victim/ 

While blogstalking, I stumbled upon this website. Super cool, huh? Their mission is quite great... so check it out! Also, I so loved what they were doing that I bought a t-shirt and bracelet. I'm a sucker for passionate people doing great things. But, I think what made the biggest impact on me was their logo:

Love naively. Give generously. Be foolishly compassionate.

Watch This:

I sure am grateful for Steve Jobs. Hopefully, he came to Christ...that way I can ask him a few questions about my mac in heaven :)

In Everything...

Are you able to thank the Lord in the midst of change? Are you a change agent or someone who likes to just stay where they're at?

This morning, I was thinking of the many seasons we go through... not just emotionally or figuratively but I'm talking physically. We go through Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. As I was making my oatmeal and coffee, I was thinking of how I would never make myself oatmeal in the heat of Summer...nor would I want hot coffee. I would definitely want something cooler. Then in the dead of Winter, I have a cornbag on my feet while I work or in my bed while I sleep, but I know that in the Spring I (most likely) won't.

The question I stumbled upon while thinking these thoughts was: if our bodies were created to endure changes in the environment and atmosphere on the outside, why are we so opposed to change inwardly?
I think it's safe to say that most are diametrically opposed to change. but WHY?


Now, to dig into it on a figurative or emotional level.

Spring

If the flowers aren't afraid to bloom in Spring- why would it even be a thought of ours to not bloom when called? Maybe Jesus is telling you that this is the time to step up and excel further in the area he's given you. Take on more challenges, fill up your schedule... take out 'me' time and put in more 'others' time.

Summer

Or in regards to Summer- are you frolicking through enough fields? It could be that you need your child-like eyes, again. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10: 15) Are you childlike? Jesus loves a childlike faith. One with fresh creative eyes unaware of the self-conciousness that takes over as the years roll by...

Fall 

How bout the beautiful fall?? Do you know what the leaves are actually preparing for when they change their beautiful colors?? Death. The trees are preparing themselves for the cold harsh winter so, they shine their leaves in brilliance for a few weeks and then shake them onto the ground. Have you ever had something enter your life that you were sure wouldn't last long? Oft times when we realize something won't be in our lives for long we, unfortunately, don't give it as much attention... so, maybe, if you're in the Fall of your life, you aren't clinging to what God has given you for a season because you're afraid of when it will be taken away. But, when you allow that fear to trickle into your heart, just remember that the trees are the most beautiful in the Fall- they aren't afraid of Winter.

Winter

Or, the dreaded winter. In poetry or any kind of lyric, winter is rarely talked about as a carefree period of time- instead, it's more careFUL than any other. Sometimes it feels like you're walking on eggs shells (or snow...with bare feet :)) when you round a winter stage. It can be hard- there's no doubt about it. But remember, when you're in winter, that your past seasons have been beautiful and that they will come again. Cling to Jesus- and he will get you through.




I love it that God's creation can be a direct correlation to our own souls- He is a beautiful One, isn't he?

No More Limitations...

This beautiful year is just soaring by...and I know that I'm not doing a great job with keeping my technological buddies in the loop :) but, i mean, when you're this far out, like i am, how on earth could i catch you up? I have learned that one day in this life is so fleeting, so quick and so, so wonderful. Life is something to be taken advantage of. Live it.

While i haven't been updating my blog, i have been keeping myself in the loop of my own feelings in other ways...yes, blogging helps me see my true feelings while I'm writing- it's quite cool..

I have been journaling more than ever and let me tell you, it is SO great. If you don't journal, start. It's almost become an obsession. Honestly, I think i like it so much because I love my thick, bright yellow, linen journal- it's perfectly me...and makes me smile even if i'm writing something gloomy.

I start my days with an encouraging note from God's Word and then I end it by reading something inspiring. Recently, I've been reading through Poe's incredible poetry (i bought his entire collection on a mad whim... :0) I'm really enjoying the beauty... not just in his poetry but in his heart. He opens my eyes to see how beautiful things are that I never even considered before... it's good to have your eyes opened- i'll let them get as wide as they can.

Of course, there's always that school work that I must keep up with, also. But, I'm even finding enjoyment in that! Now that pumpkin spice lattes and orange cinnamon fills the air, everything seems okay.

There has also been a plethera of projects taking up my free time... Will be posting those soon.


P.S. I know that, in the past, my blog has been known for it's deep thoughts... and I do still have those thoughts- it just gets harder to share them. I would love for this space to transition towards anything that strikes my fancy. Sometimes I will be philosophical other times I'll post something that I've been working on or projects I love...goals that I've set for myself, hopes, dreams, travels- you name it, i want to write it. I don't want to feel limited.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up! :)