5 Killer U.S. Travel Destinations

I have two strong gut reactions when I think of all the places I want to travel—1. Excitement! I can't wait to see the world! and 2. Sadness. I know I'll never make it to all of them. (Being a realist definitely has its ups and downs.) But whether it be time, or money, or most likely both, the reality is there just isn't enough to do everything. So I narrowed it down to 5 places that I want to travel in the U.S., hopefully in the next 5–10 years. Baby steps, yes?

After narrowing it down to the 5 places I want to visit the very most, I noticed that there's a nice combo of city and nature, with a little bit of child-like fun thrown in—the perfect mix, in my book! So here it is... my list of 5 U.S. destinations I'd love (insert heart eyes emoji here) to visit.

1. Seattle, WA

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I've been told by multiple people on multiple different occasions that Seattle is my city. Apparently I'd love all the sights and sounds. Apparently the quirk is just right and the food happens to abound in the seafood-variety and it just screams me. So how can I not want to go, right?? This one is a must, and I have plenty of pins on my "explore" board to prove it. Let's go!

2. New York City

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I've been to NYC a few times, but once was when I was a kid and couldn't fully appreciate everything, and the other two times were on mission trips where we went and helped out with summer VBS-type programs and did homeless outreach. So not super tourist-y. But holy moly do I love everything about this city! I love the lights and the buildings and the people and the noise. I love the food and the shopping and the transportation. Now don't get me wrong, I would go crazy living there, but to visit for a week? Count me in! 

3. Redwood Forests, California

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I've also been to the Redwood Forests, but also when I was a young child and just have a foggy dream-like memory of it. I remember being amazed by the huge trees, and ever since whenever I see photos I want to go back. Plus, it's California... sooooo, can you really go wrong? I think this would make a perfect pairing with the Seattle trip, but only if there was sufficient time for both.

4. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

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In college I took a class called "Geology of Our National Parks." At the time, it was my sneaky way of trying to take the least-science-y science classes, but it actually turned out to be a pretty sweet class. After a semester of getting a virtual tour of many of our National Parks and all the wonders they hold, I can't help but want to see them! And Yellowstone is just one of the classics. 

5. Universal Studios, Orlando, FL

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I've never been to Disney World or Land or any other iconic child-hood place, so when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, I knew that I had to go. I love Harry Potter, and I love theme parks. Win-win. Universal Studios kind of seems like the more adult version of Disney World, which is A-okay with me. This could be a fun one to do with kids someday, but it might also be a fun place for Loverboy and I to explore by ourselves. Or with friends! Any takers? 

What's on your U.S. travel list? Stay tuned for an international list!

Creating a New Rhythm for Our Evenings

We're about two weeks into this whole 2016 thing, and so far it's going pretty well, besides the raging cold that I've had ALL YEAR LONG! (Doesn't it just sound so much more dramatic that way??) Anyway... one of my big goals for this year is to read more. I even shared 16 books that I want to read this year (and I've found more since then... help me!).

So when Loverboy and I sat down on January 2 to do our annual Looking Back & Looking Ahead New Year's Date (yes, it's official because it's capitalized), we talked about ways that we can actually make this whole reading thing happen. Because it did not happen last year, and legend has it that if you keep doing the same old things then you better expect the same old results. So something had to change.

We decided that although we love our TV shows, that they were kind of dominating our evenings, and when given the choice between vegging in front of the TV or actually turning on our brains and reading something... guess which one we most often chose?

Our solution? One hour of technology-free wind-down time before bed. So that means that usually sometime around 9pm we're heading upstairs to read for a bit before bed, which is so relaxing! And it also means that we usually get more talk-time in since we're not staring at a screen right up until we climb the stairs to fall into bed.

We've decided this will be a weeknight only thing, so we can still totally binge late into the night on a Friday night if we want to (phew!). So far we are loving having the extra time to relax before bed, take a break from technology, and start chipping away at my over-zealous 2016 reading list (already half way through For The Love!).

One practical change we made for this new rhythm to really take hold was getting a new headboard. Our old headboard was a cute little brass one that I hunted down on Craigslist that was totally adorable but so not practical for sitting and reading in bed. You had to stuff 5 pillows behind you to have any chance at being comfortable and not sliding through the bars. And reading in bed is probably my most favorite place to read, so this was an important part of the change.

So what 2016 goals do you have that you could work into your day by creating a new rhythm? What practical step can you take (even if it means biting the bullet and spending a little bit of dough) that could help you reach your goal? Why not keep riding the January New Year momentum and make a change today?

16 Books to Read in 2016

The new year is right around the corner, and with it come lots of high hopes, big dreams, and good intentions. I used to fight it, but now I don't, because who ever said those were bad things? Add in a little bit of discipline and follow-through and they're great things!

So as I've been thinking about 2016, one of the things that stands out in my mind is how I'd really like to read more. We've been eye guzzling a whole lot of TV lately and picking up a book to read (and maybe actually learn!) sounds rather refreshing. Plus, I always have a huge list of books I want to read, or am in the middle of, and it's about time I did something about it!

So here's a list I've compiled of 16 books that I'd either like to read or finish in 2016. I know, it's pretty optimistic, but I can at least start somewhere rather than give up before I even start, right? Plus, 16 in '16 just sounds so nice. :) Take a look and let me know if you've read any, or if you have any to add to my list! All images and descriptions are taken from Amazon. Here's to reading more in 2016!

Christian Living

For The Love by Jen Hatmaker

Best-selling author Jen Hatmaker is convinced life can be lovely and fun and courageous and kind. She reveals with humor and style how Jesus' embarrassing grace is the key to dealing with life's biggest challenge: people. The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, go to church with, don't like, don't understand, fear, compare ourselves to, and judge.

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Dr. Brené Brown dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.

Total Church by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis

"Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter," write pastors Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. "It's an identity that is ours in Christ. An identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'total church.'" With that as their premise, they emphasize two overarching principles to govern the practice of church and mission: being gospel-centered and being community-centered. When these principles take precedence, say the authors, the truth of the Word is upheld, the mission of the gospel is carried out, and the priority of relationships is practiced in radical ways.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. 'How,' Ann wondered, 'do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long--and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?' In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts.

You and Me Forever by Francis & Lisa Chan
Marriage is great, but it's not forever. It's until death do us part. Then come eternal rewards or regrets depending on how we spent our lives. In his latest book, Francis Chan joins together with his wife Lisa to address the question many couples wonder at the altar: How do I have a great marriage? Setting aside typical topics on marriage, Francis and Lisa dive into Scripture to understand what it means to have a relationship that satisfies the deepest parts of our souls.

Foreign to Familiar by Sarah A. Lanier

Foreign to Familiar is a splendidly written, well researched work on cultures. Anyone traveling abroad should not leave home without this valuable resource! Sarah's love and sensitivity for people of all nations will touch your heart. This book creates within us a greater appreciation for our extended families around the world and an increased desire to better understand them.

Counseling

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

Peter Scazzero learned the hard way: you can't be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Even though he was a pastor of a growing church, he did what most people do: Avoid conflict in the name of Christianity - Ignore his anger, sadness, and fear - Use God to run from God - Live without boundaries. Eventually God awakened him to a biblical integration of emotional health, a relationship with Jesus, and the classic practices of contemplative spirituality.

How We Love by Milan Yerkovich

In How We Love, relationship experts Milan and Kay Yerkovich draw on the powerful tool of attachment theory to show how your early life experiences created an “intimacy imprint”–an underlying blueprint that shapes your behavior, beliefs, and expectations of all relationships, especially your marriage. They identify four types of injured imprints that combine in marriage to trap couples in a repetitive dance of pain. 

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp

In many ways, the church today has more consumers than committed participants. We see church merely as an event we attend or an organization we belong to, rather than as a calling that shapes our entire life. God’s plan is that through the faithful ministry of every part, the whole body will grow to maturity in Christ. This is a comprehensive treatment of how God uses people as tools of change in the lives of others, people who themselves are in need of change.

Inside Out by Larry Crabb
If you want a more vital union with God, a richer relationship with others, and a deeper sense of personal wholeness, learn how to look inside yourself and discover how God works real, liberating change when you live from the inside out. Inside Out is an essential tool for personal discipleship, counseling, and encouragement. 

Trafficking & Justice

Renting Lacy by Linda Smith
The average age of entry into prostitution in America is 13 years old. Forced into a life they never chose, manipulated, abused and tortured at the hands of the pimps who control them, our country's children are sold on the streets, on the internet and at truck stops across America every night. They arent bad kids who made bad choices. They are victims of child sex trafficking. They come from our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches, and sometimes our own homes. Author Linda Smith brings to life characters based on real stories and interviews with teen survivors.

The White Umbrella by Mary Frances Bowley

Sex trafficking. We hear about it on the nightly news and in special interest stories from around the world, but it occurs daily in communities all around us. Every year, thousands of young women are forced into sexual exploitation. Most are under the age of 18. The damage this causes to their emotions and souls is immeasurable. But they are not without hope. The White Umbrella tells stories of survivors as well as those who came alongside to help them to recovery. It describes the pain and the strength of these young women and those who held the “white umbrella” of protection and purity over them on the road to restoration.

The Locust Effect by Gary A. Haugen
While the world has made encouraging strides in the fight against global poverty, the hidden plague of everyday violence silently undermines our best efforts to help the poor. Common violence like rape, forced labor, illegal detention, land theft, and police abuse has become routine and relentless. Gary A. Haugen and Victor Boutros offer a searing account of how we got here and what it will take to end the plague. The Locust Effect is a gripping journey into the streets and slums where fear is a daily reality for billions of the world's poorest, where safety is secured only for those with money, and where much of our well-intended aid is lost in the daily chaos of violence. 

When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. Focusing on both North American and Majority World contexts, When Helping Hurts provides proven strategies for effective poverty alleviation, catalyzing the idea that sustainable change comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out. 

Fiction

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce is a classic Christian allegorical tale about a bus ride from hell to heaven. An extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment, Lewis’s revolutionary idea in theThe Great Divorce is that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis’ The Great Divorce will change the way we think about good and evil. 

Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers
#1 A Voice in the Wind: Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome. 
#2 An Echo in the Darkness: Turning away from the opulence of Rome, Marcus is led by a whispering voice from the past into a journey that could set him free from the darkness of his soul. 
#3 As Sure As the Dawn: Atretes. German warrior. Revered gladiator. He won his freedom through his fierceness . . . but his life is about to change forever.

Fall Goals

Well, it may have been balmy last week, but the cooler Fall air is certainly here this week! I'm sure it will fluctuate back and forth before really settling into Fall, but the cooler temps have got me thinking toward this next season. As you may know, I'm a bit of a planner. I like lists and to-dos and goals. So every season or so I try to make a list of measurable, (hopefully) achievable goals.

I never really got around to it this summer, but maybe that's because summers are still a bit carefree and loose in my mind. But Fall... Fall brings back memories of back-to-school shopping, prepping for classes, and getting back into work mode. So it's only natural that making a list of goals feels like such a Fall-y thing to do. :) So without further ado...

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September–November Goals

1. Finish The White Umbrella & When Helping Hurts
2. Purge our belongings while we're packing to move... have less stuff when we get to our new place
3. Attend at least 2 Anti-trafficking events (outside of BASE events that we plan)
4. Host at least twice
5. Read Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (total of 42 chapters... so about one chapter every 2 days. Should be doable!)
6. Complete 2 DIY projects

What's on your list to accomplish this Fall? Are you looking forward to getting some projects done? Or maybe you have a book you really want to read. Whatever it is... I'd love to hear it!

P.S. You can see last year's Fall goals here.

Looking Back // 14 in 14

So at the beginning of the year, I posted about 14 goals, wishes, hopes, and dreams that I had for 2014. I already updated you on #1, 2, 3, 8, & 9 in my Catch-Up Post wayyyy back in February, so I thought I would update you on the rest of my 2014 hopes and wishes—the good AND the bad. We're all about transparency and authenticity around here, right?!

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The Good
#4. Try a recipe outside of my comfort zone
I'm trying to wrack my brain for something that was outside my comfort zone. I know that we tried many new recipes this year, but most were pretty easy or normal. When asking Loverboy, he responded with a Garlic Parmesan Salmon that we made for a double date. Correction: he and the other male counterpart made it while I and the female counterpart went shopping. :) So I can't really take credit for this one, but it did turn out really yummy!

#5. Repurpose something
I'm sure there's a better example of this, but this year I did paint a dresser and a side-table. I guess that's not really repurposing, but more refinishing. Again, Loverboy's two cents was that using our radiator as a stand for our TV the last month while the tree's been up counts as repurposing. I'm not so sure.

#6. Get a job 
Back in March I got hired as a part-time Graphic Designer for Bethlehem Baptist Church! I was able to start right after my stint with The Navigators when I moved to the cities in May and it has been such a blessing of God's provision and care. I get to work for a great place with great people, doing something that I really enjoy. Win/win/win (as Michael Scott would say). ;)

#7. Finish reading the Divergent Series (and see the movie)
After reading the first book and then hearing about others' opinions on the 2nd and 3rd, I kind of lost steam on this one. I have however seen the movie, not once, but twice, and do find it quite enjoyable, and am definitely looking forward to seeing Insurgent.

#10. Print something from Pinterest
I just accomplished this one! I printed "Our Year in Review" printables from the Dating Divas. They have some sweet [and pretty] sheets to fill out with your spouse and/or family to remember your year. The hubs and I will be doing this on a New Year's date we have planned.

#11. Purge my closet
I accomplished this last month when I participated in a Sunday School clothing swap... so I may have come home with just as many "new" things as I purged my closet of. I'm thinking it's about time to do this one again.

#14. Keep up with the blog
I think I've done a pretty decent job keeping up with the blog and writing pretty regularly. Some months were heavier on posts than others, but overall I feel good about this one!

The Bad
#8. Make an art journal, mini-album, or scrapbook
I certainly haven't done as much crafting as I wanted to this past year, but I think a lot of that is due to the fact that life was pretty busy and transitional (engagement, moving, new job, wedding planning, marriage, etc!). Plus, I just made a little rolling cart craft station so I'm hoping the convenience will inspire me to do more crafting!

#12. Memorize the TMS
I think out of all my hopes for 2014, this one was the most lofty and also required the most thought and planning, which just didn't happen. Oops. Maybe next year? :)

#13. Knit something
Another hope that just wasn't fulfilled due to business and lack of intention. Plus, I totally don't remember how to knit so I would have needed brush-up lessons. I'm not too heart-broken over it though.

What have you accomplished in 2014 that you're proud of? What have you maybe not done that you'd like to do this next year?

Goodbye Fall Goals & Hello Winter Goals!

Remember back when I posted my fall goals that I wanted to have accomplished by Thanksgiving? Well, I'm very happy to say that with a week until Thanksgiving I completed all of them, except the verse memory. :/ Boo on that, but yay on everything else!

Our guest room still does have a few boxes in the corner, but it is actually inhabitable, The Nesting Place was an awesome read and has definitely changed my outlook on decorating and the home. [My Home Manifesto was inspired by that book.] I participated in a very successful clothing swap where I got rid of a huge bag of clothes I wasn't wearing anymore and came home with a very happy bag of cute new (to me) clothes. Our walls are covered in our wedding photos [if you hadn't noticed] and as far as fall traditions... I'd say our hide from the trick-or-treaters in a blanket fort while we watch a movie is going to be a pretty good tradition!

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So now I have a week to get cracking on that verse memorization, and then we're onto winter goals! Again, I know that winter isn't for another month, but up here in the great white north I think we can all agree that it has felt like winter for awhile now... so I'm jumping in!

And winter is long enough around here that I figured I would give myself enough to keep occupied. My end date for winter goals is my birthday—February 28. So that gives me a good 3 months to get going. 

Winter Goals

Organize.
Make a crafty spot in the office
Reorganize the bookshelf... maybe buy another smaller one?

Read.
Decide on and start reading one decorating/home book
Read Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker

Make.
Try making one new dessert and one new entree
Create a holiday journal—memories of every holiday [thanks, Aunt Rebecca!]

Soul.
Memorize 4 new verses
Read Romans

To Do.
Finish wedding thank yous by the New Year
Finalize my name change

Bonus.
Start a holiday tradition with the hubs. Any good ideas? :)

What are your winter goals? Anything specific to the colder months that you want to get done?

Fall Goals

We're about two weeks into fall and before you know it winter will be here! If you know me, you know that I love warmth, but that being said, I really do love the fall! Although it often finds me mourning the loss of the warm weather, I also welcome the changing of the leaves, crisp air, and wearing sweaters, scarves, and boots.

I thought I would make a little list of goals for this fall... things I want to complete before Thanksgiving [because let's be real—the day after thanksgiving officially marks the beginning of Christmas season and winter, even if winter doesn't show up on the calendar for almost another month].

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So, without further ado, here it is.

1. Complete unpacking, organizing, and moving boxes down to our storage room. Make our 2nd bedroom pretty! (Come visit us!)

2. Finish reading The Nesting Place

3. Go through my closet and get rid of clothes I don't wear anymore- get ready for our Sunday School clothing swap!

4. Hang up wedding photos from the photographer and order more to begin a Smashbook

5. Memorize 4 new Bible verses. This should be more fun with my new verse pack I'll be getting in the mail from a lovely Etsy shop owner that I get to review for you all soon! I'm super excited to share with you all, so keep your eyes peeled! [Ew. That's disgusting.]

6. Start a fall tradition with the hubs. Any good ieas?

What are your goals for this fall? Anything you're looking forward to crossing off your list soon, or maybe something that you need a little extra motivation to do?

Pyramid Builders

Do you believe this? That lots of small things add up to great things? You know, they say that Rome wasn't built in a day. And the pyramids are simply composed of bricks stacked one on top of the other, day after day. Sometimes really great things take time. Time and energy and lots and lots of planning.

I think oftentimes when we have hopes, dreams, or goals, we tend to get overwhelmed. We see what we are reaching for as way higher than we could ever reach. We look at our awesome, unique, totally-us ideas and see the end result- the pyramid. And then we run away. Farrrr, farrr away. Because really, who want to tackle that job??

But what if we began to see our dreams and goals in terms of the bricks that make them up, rather than as the completed pyramid? In terms of the many small things that will be brought together to form the great thing? I believe that when we view our big ideas through the lens of lots of small ideas that will get us there, that's where action takes place.

So how do we do this? How do we build brick by brick? We start day by day. Throw the phrases "someday," "when I get around to it," and "when I have time" out of your vocabulary. Let's be real—someday is always in the future and you're most likely never going to "get around to it" or have more time, if your life is anything like mine.

So think about your pyramid. That great thing. That one [or two or three] idea that is maybe always at the back of your mind. That one thing that makes your heart beat faster just thinking about it. That one hope you have for your future, dream you want to see fulfilled, or goal you can't wait to meet. Now break it down. What are a few [or hundreds] of little things that you can start doing now to work toward that dream? What are the bricks you can begin laying now?

Then start today. Do one small thing today that will eventually be brought together to form that great thing. Yeah, it might be a month from now, or 10 years from now when that great thing is finally formed, but at least you are taking steps now. And when all those small things turn into that great thing, you will have built a pyramid.

Yes, it's going to take work. Yes, it's going to take planning. But it's a whole lot easier to be a pyramid builder when you have those small bricks you can start laying. So go out there and start building your pyramid! Oh, and P.S....

[1. via Kelli Trontel, 2. via Pinterest]

14 in 14

Happy New Year! What better way to ring in a new year than by creating some new goals?? [Well... besides celebrating with family and loved ones, of course.] Here are 14 goals I have for the year of 2014... if they happen-- they happen, if not-- nobody's the wiser (besides all of you lovely people). So maybe these are more hopes and dreams rather than goals. I'm hoping for 2014 to be a bit more healthy, a tad more responsible, and a lot more creative! 

1. Run a 5k
2. Learn a new song on the guitar
3. Live on a budget
4. Try a recipe outside of my comfort zone
5. Repurpose something
6. Get a job (after EDGE Corps ends in May)
7. Finish reading the Divergent Series (and see the movie of course.)
8. Make [at least one] art journal, mini-album, or scrapbook
9. Wear my hair in a style I've never done before
10. Actually print and use something from my Printables board on Pinterest
11. Purge my closet
12. Memorize The Navigators' Topical Memory System (60 Bible verses)
13. Knit something- scarf, blanket, headband...
14. Keep up with the blog! 

What are your goals, your hopes and dreams for 2014?