Thursday, December 30, 2010

Not According to Plans

So, I was supposed to be in John’s arms at this very minute hugging him, kissing him and hugging him some more. Instead, I am at home (a very cold home, I should add) – by myself.

His first flight got delayed…and I was hopeful that he would make it home at the expected time. All the hope is gone, especially because he was supposed to land over an hour ago.

In my opinion, he should never ever travel anywhere without me in the middle of winter anymore!

I will now stop talking (writing) before I start sharing more signs of frustration with the whole entire world.

P.S. If you are sitting close to your loved one at this very moment, take a moment to share how much you love him/her and how glad you are to be together. That is what I would be doing if I could.

Today is a Good Day

Today I walked out of the door and was greeted by white roof tops and blue sky!
I hurried my steps to the car – trying to remember if I had my sunglasses in my purse.

The problem of living in a place without much sunlight is that it is hard to remember to keep track of ‘sunny’ items such as sunglasses. Lucky me, mine were in my purse. I put them on and immediately was unable to see through the lens. Why? Well, because my glasses were very cold and my face was warm – the combination led to very foggy sunglasses.

The drive to work was glorious. The mountains covered in snow looked unreal as the sun lit up every peak. I praised God for the beautiful day!

I am also thanking God that Thursday is finally here!!

John has been out of town for the past week and I miss him soooo much. I dreaded going to bed every night without him. Our home was cold and boring without his presence.

Tonight I get to hug him, kiss him, hug him some more and kiss him more too!

P.S. There are a lot of snow storms going on. Pray that John will come home on time and safe!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Green


Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year! Not because of gifts, green and read wreaths or decorated trees (although I think they are beautiful).

This is my favorite time of the year because I am constantly reminded that the one who came to call the sinners was born. God sent His one and only Son and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

It is because of Jesus Christ that I have joy!

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus
 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple
 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
   you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
   and the glory of your people Israel.”
 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
 36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Friday, December 24, 2010

I Got a Ring

Four years ago, John completely surprised me when he pulled a ring out of his pocket and asked me if I would marry him.

I remember being completely in love, completely excited to be become his wife, completely thankful for that moment.

Today, I am still in love, happy to be married to my man, thankful for every day that we get to be husband and wife. Our lives are not what we planned or expected - but we are blessed beyond measure.

I am glad John had the guts to ask me to marry him!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Husband and Wife


Click here to see more images of Chad and Anna's wedding!

P.S. Thank you Hailey Rahm for giving me the opportunity to be your second shooter! Check out her website to see more photographs of the wedding in the near future.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Little Hill Called Everest

So, I have not written in a while because I’ve been super busy being a party animal.

Or not!

In reality, I have been trying to catch up with life. I can easily become overwhelmed when I have too many things going on at the same time – and simple tasks become a bigger deal. Every little hill starts looking like Mount Everest all of the sudden.

I took some time away from the blog to be able to get through some of those little mountains:

-Second shooting a wedding (photographs will be up soon!)
-Preparing to have friends over who were in town
-Getting ready for Christmas vacation with family
-Planning up coming photoshoots

I am looking forward to having a bit of a break soon to celebrate Christmas with some people I love!

I hope you are doing well, wherever you may be at this very minute.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

"Frustrated" is the Word of the Day

I feel frustrated. My mind is busy with 101 things that I need to do – yet I know I don’t have enough time to do it all.

If you don’t know this about me yet, let me just warn you that I tend to be very much task oriented. If there are things to do, I sure have a list that helps me plan everything and I tend to think about that list until everything is complete and crossed out. This system helps me be organized. It allows me to stay on top of things. However, this system can also become my Master. In other words, I become its slave. And here is where life gets messy.

For the past year, John and I have talked about how we wanted this Christmas to be peaceful and restful. We planned on taking time to thank God for the gift of Jesus and prepare to celebrate his birth with hearts full of joy. We planned on not becoming too busy.

We planned and planned and planned. And here I am frustrated with the many things we once again have going on.

Knowing there is too much to do and little time to accomplish it all, I become a little robot – trying to do as much possible, as fast as possible. Meanwhile, I neglect my relationship with God and John. The things that should be a priority don’t even make it to the task list.

John shared with me on our drive to work this morning that he feels like he is not important enough to be part of my list. Hearing him say that hurt. It hurt badly because I am trying so hard to do my best in 100 different areas of life. But in the middle of my hurt, I can’t blame him for feeling the way he feels.

Knowing that I need to make time to have quality time with John, I struggle letting go of my list. After all, if I don’t do the things on the list, no one else will. Do you see my dilemma? I try so hard to do everything…but I know that I can’t do it all. But I still try. And I get frustrated.

That is pretty much how I feel right now.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Life Recently

Can you believe it is almost Christmas time? A part of me feels like it was just Christmas a few months ago…but here it is again! I am very much looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus with family.
Meanwhile, I am attempting to build a new routine – still. You are all probably sick and tired of reading about me trying to build a new routine. Sorry! But the routine is well in the making and my brain is doing way better than a few weeks ago (right after I started a new job). By the way, I should tell you a couple of things about my new job. I am the Fund Development Associate for a nonprofit that provides tutoring services for first through twelfth graders in low income neighborhoods. I love my job! I am learning a lot about fundraising, grant writing and tutoring. It has been a hard transition, but it has been very worth it.
As far as other areas of life…well, here is a list of things that come to mind:
·         I decided to not get a Christmas tree this year, but I am already sad that we don’t get to decorate a tree. By the way, I am not sure how a pine tree got to become a part of Christmas…and I must say that I get a tree because a real one smells good and I think it is super cute when it is all decorated with non-blinking clear lights! However, I refuse to let the lack of a tree take away the joy of my Christmas. Seriously, Christmas should always be about Jesus and nothing else.
·         I need a haircut really bad.
·         I pretty much ate yams every day this past week.
·         John and I had a much needed date night last night. It is hard to find time and energy to be together these days. I like to think this  time in life is preparing us for life with children.
·         I just cleaned the bathtub.
·         I really dislike cleaning bathtubs.
·         A lot of good things happened this week and I feel very thankful.
·         I have a couple of photography opportunities coming soon and I am so excited! Stay tuned.
·         I love tutoring!
Well, the list could go on and on, but I am sure you have had enough by now. I hope you have a good and relaxing weekend. Take some time to reflect on the ways you have been blessed this last year.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Free Photoshoot Winners

The winners have been contacted and I can't wait to capture some special moments!

I will be posting some images from these shoots in the future, so stay tuned.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Announcement!

Since December is my favorite month, I decided this is a good time to offer three FREE photoshoots! Please email me if you are interested.
info (at) daniellynobile (dot) com
Deadline is Sunday, December 5th at 12:00am – so make sure you send me an email before then. Please write ‘FREE photoshoot’ in the subject line. I will be using a random number generator to choose three people.
I am looking forward to being your photographer soon!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thou Shalt Not Covet

The tenth Commandment continues to challenge me beyond understanding. Today I am confessing that being jealous of others is the ‘thorn in my side.’ The sin that sneaks in and tries to take over my heart. The sin that humbles me and strengthens my prayer life. The sin that keeps me close to Jesus as I am constantly reminded that I need a Savior.

There are times in life that I feel completely satisfied and thankful for the life I have. However, there are times that I forget to count my blessings and start counting others people’s blessings instead. I notice the cool things going on in other people’s lives and I start comparing myself to them. Eventually, I start wanting to live their lives. I start wanting their house, their children, their vacations, their cameras, their jobs, their friends…the list goes on and on.

Lately, I have felt jealous of some people who are close to me. I wish I had their talent, I wish I had their opportunities…

While thinking about all the things I wish I had, I decided to write the post below – as a reminder of the things that I am thankful for. Not surprisingly, I have a lot to be thankful for! Still, the feelings of jealousy remain and once again I am reminded that I am in constant need of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Once again I am reminded that I need to trust God and seek first His kingdom. I am reminded that God has a plan and a purpose for my life – and that plan and purpose is unique. It will not look like the plan and purpose he has for everyone I know. I am reminded to ask, seek, knock.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7-11


Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! Time is flying by and soon we will enter the year of 2011. Can you believe it? Doesn’t it feel like Y2K was just last year? Remember the chaos?
As I prepare to enter another year, I can’t help but think of the many things that happened in my life this past year. I have a lot to be thankful for.
-          I am thankful for another year of life – I will soon be 25, but I often talk about how I still feel like I am 17…but perhaps a bit more grown up.
-          I am thankful for the time to dive into photography and the many opportunities that challenged me in exciting ways.
-          I am thankful for my Dgroup girls (High school and Junior High bible study) and all the things we have learned together.
-          I am thankful for good friends that bring joy to my heart - I miss those of you who are far away.
-          I am thankful for God’s divine patience, love, grace and mercy.
-          I am thankful for tulip fields for they take my breath away.
-          I am thankful for John - God has blessed me with a wonderful husband.
-          I am thankful for friends who took the time (and money) to come visit from faraway places.
-          I am thankful for many fun date nights.
-          I am thankful for my family – I don’t know what I would do without such wonderful people in my life.
-          I am thankful for John’s fast recovery after intestine surgery – seeing him hurting was so hard.
-          I am thankful for legs that can hike and a body that allows me to do nearly anything I want.
-          I am thankful for one more year of marriage and the ways it has challenged me to grow closer to the Lord.
-          I am thankful for all the times I got to see God’s creation while hiking and camping.
-          I am thankful for vacation time with family.
-          I am thankful for the opportunity to see many friends get married this past summer. May the lord bless their marriage all the days of their lives!
-          I am thankful for the beautiful coffee table my sister made just for me!
-          I am thankful for my new camera.
-          I am thankful for a new job.
-          I am thankful for a safe drive home despite the snow.
-          I am thankful for the gift of Jesus.
-          I am thankful for the ways life’s circumstances has strengthened my faith.
-          I am thankful for a car that has not broken down!
-          I am thankful for the opportunity to serve my community.
I am thankful for a lot of things – and a list like this one helps me remember the many ways God has provided. I am thankful for a loving and compassionate God who calls me his own!
I hope you all take the time to write a list of things you are thankful for. Sometimes it is easy to see the not-so-good-things in life, but if we take the time to reflect a bit, we begin to see that great things have happened as well.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

What is Your Personality Like?

A coworker asked me if I had ever taken the ‘Myers-Briggs/Jung Personality Type’ test and I told her that I haven’t. I have not taken those tests not because I have never heard of them (everyone has heard of them!), but because I was always skeptical. One of my Communication professors at the University of Washington always talked about how those tests were plain garbage…so I didn’t see the point in wasting my time to find out something that isn’t really valuable.

But that coworker sent me a link to the test…and I had some time in my hands…so I took the test.

The results?

ENFJ

Unsure of what that meant, I did a bit of research and here is what J. Butt and M.M. Heiss have to say about people like myself:

“ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it's usually not meant as manipulation -- ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are.

ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.

ENFJs are, by definition, Js, with whom we associate organization and decisiveness. But they don't resemble the SJs or even the NTJs in organization of the environment nor occasional recalcitrance. ENFJs are organized in the arena of interpersonal affairs. Their offices may or may not be cluttered, but their conclusions (reached through feelings) about people and motives are drawn much more quickly and are more resilient than those of their NFP counterparts.

ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear."

For those of you who know me well, what do you think? Does this sound like me?

Monday, November 22, 2010

Snowglobe

The snow came back!





Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Simple Things in Life

Today was a really cold day! So cold that I never removed my wool jacket or my gloves at church. Oh, I should also mention that it snowed - although it didn't last for long.


Today I got to go to a retirement home with a couple of young man and women from church. We sang hymns, read from the bible and learned about having the heart of a servant. We sat in cushioned chairs and introduced ourselves to elderly man and women. I got to talk to Bert for a while and enjoyed every minute of it. He told me about his days in the army, his trips to the country side of France, his desire to learn more languages...We talked about volcanoes and astronomy. I told him a bit about my life and he wants me to come back and bring John with me. He told me he would like to meet my husband. (The fact that I have a husband still tickles me - even though we have been married for over two years!)


Today I went grocery shopping and for the first time ever, had a Costco hot dog for dinner with John. Despite our many trips to Costco during the past two years, we never had their hot dogs. Today was the perfect day for that because I didn't have anything ready for dinner at home.


Today I got to snuggle with John for a long time. There is no better way to keep warm these days.


Today was a good day! It was full of simple memories that brought joy to my heart.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Importance of Solitude

I recently spent some time reading about the spiritual discipline of solitude and I wanted to share with you all a little bit about what I am learning by reading the book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

To tell you the truth, when I think of the word ‘solitude’ my mind immediately travels to negative memories. I think of feeling lonely. Without friends.  Without family nearby.

Growing up in a Western society where we are all encouraged to become comfortable with noise and crowds, the thought of solitude and even silence can seem a bit daunting. However, I have been learning that my connotations of the word ‘solitude’ are very different from the kind of solitude God call us to.

As a matter of fact, Jesus himself practiced solitude!

Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Matthew 14:23
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.

Luke 4:42
At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.

What is the point of solitude? A couple of things come to mind, the one that speaks loudest to me is: to pray and to hear the voice of God. People like Elijah, Habakkuk and Paul stepped away from their daily routines to be able to hear the voice of heaven better. While one does not need to be far away from their routines in order to hear God, I have found that many times life can get so loud (literally and figuratively) that I cannot focus on what really matters. As a matter of fact, life can be loud even when I am alone.

Donald S. Whitney writes:
“Many of us need to realize the addiction we have to noise. It’s one thing to listen to the television, tape player, or radio while ironing or doing other chores, but it’s another thing habitually to turn one of these on immediately upon entering a room just to have sound. Even worse is to feel that it’s necessary to have background noise during Bible intake or prayer. I believe that convenience of sound has contributed to the spiritual shallowness of contemporary western Christianity. The advent of affordable, portable sound systems, for instance, has been a mixed blessing. The negative side is that now we don’t have to go anywhere without human voices. As a result we are less frequently alone with our own thoughts and God’s voices…”

How convicting this is to me! As a person who does not like to be alone, I have used music to distract the brain – to fool myself into thinking that I am not alone. However, I have hardly ever taken my time alone to “gaze on Christ with the eyes of my soul” (Tozer). This intimate time with God is not only precious, but it is needed! Time alone with our creator tends to air out the mind and iron out the wrinkles of the soul. It brings us back to our purpose. It brings us back to focus. It brings us back to abundant life.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

In My Head

Well, yesterday's post was short, but I suppose it was full of things that have been in my thoughts. If you don't really care about what is going on in my head, stop reading immediately! If you have nothing better to do at the moment, keep reading.

I am really tired. I can hardly think about anything other than being tired. My days have been long and full of new information...and my poor brain is overwhelmed. Unfortunately, I also have a cold which does not help me feel better. So, I think today is going to be a day full of cough drops, vitamin C and lots of water.

While I try to adapt to a new routine and work life, I find myself REALLY missing photography. To clarify, I have not given up on photography, I just have not had a lot of time to think about it...but I miss it! So, if any of you are in need of holiday pictures, or if you know someone who is looking for a photographer please tell them about me. My little fingers are itching to take some photos and I miss spending time with Adobe Lightroom.

While there are many more thing going on in my head, I am afraid I will have to end it here because I need to get going. I will be posting a longer blog post on the topic of  solitude this weekend, when I have more time to write.

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Stream of Consciousness

My first work day turned out to be a great one! I was nervous...nervous that traffic would be horrible, nervous I might be late, nervous...but all is well and I survived.

However, I woke up with a really bad sore throat. Seriously, I can hardly talk. Also, I don't have to come in to the office until later today, so I am cooking dinner, washing the dishes, going through my inbox and such.

I miss working out. I know that does not sound possible and I am not sure how that is possible, but it is true. My body misses moving and I can feel the muscles deteriorating every day that goes by without any exercise. I hope John and I can get used to a new routine soon so we can go back to our exercise!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Work Out Update # 8

Well folks, I don't have much to say about our work out this past week...mainly because we never worked out. Yup. You read it right. It just didn't happen this week.

I was gone for a job training in another state and even managed to pack my running shoes and other exercise gear. However, after a day of meetings and more meetings I had no energy to get myself to the gym. To be completely honest, I even put on my running outfit...

John had planed on continuing the work out routine and even got ready to go without me before he realized I had taken our gym's key with me. Oops. So, we skipped this week and plan on getting back to our routine this coming Monday. We'll see how that goes. I already feel less fit. Is that even possible?

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Quote of the Day

"A compassionate monkey rescued a fish from drowning and placed it in a tree for safety."

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Heart of a Wife

I am away from John tonight…and I will be away from him until the end of the week. I am out of town for a job training and I’m having a hard time being apart from him this long. Since we got married (more then two years ago) I have only been far from John for two nights, so this is a record.

I spent my last day at home getting the house ready for him: restocking the fridge, doing the laundry, preparing some meals…

And as I prepared to leave him for a little while, I realized how much I cherish being his helper on a day to day basis. I like how we work as a team. I enjoy the fact that we depend on each other and are able to count on each other. I know that John is a ‘big boy’ and can take care of himself, but knowing that I can love him by taking care of some of his needs is a great blessing.

P.S. If I could magically turn tomorrow into Friday, I would!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Work Out Upade # ... 7

So, I haven't written a work out update in a while. Don't worry, we are still working out and have not quit (but I want to quit every single day).

It has been REALLY hard to feel motivated lately. While my muscles are no longer sore and the work out is much easier that when we first began, it is also harder to see progress from day to day. Many times it feels like I am wasting time.

I think part of the reason it has been so hard for me to feel motivated is that John and I have not had much time to just enjoy life. It seems that every night is filled with: work out, shower, eat dinner and go to sleep. Some days I just want to do something that is fun - and not sweaty...

But I have promised John that I am not going to quit and leave him to do the exercises by himself. We have both relied on each other in order to 'keep going' and it would not be very nice of me to break that promise. 

So, I am working on keep going...

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lately

Dear Readers,
I miss writing to you. Also, I am sorry for not having cool posts filled with cool pictures of cool life adventures. In reality, my life is not looking too cool lately.

John and I have been busy. Too busy. Not because we have once again filled our calenders with activities, but because life is bringing some unexpected curve balls. While John is busy preparing for some interviews and looking for another job, I am busy worrying about what life will be like in just a couple of days when we are both working full time.

Really, I feel silly admitting that I have been freaking out about this. How many hundreds, thousands or even millions of couples work full time? Um.Ya...I know I am being silly about this. But I worry that our lives will become our work. I worry that we will not have time to connect. I worry that I won't have time to invest in photography. I worry that the house is going to become a mess and that the laundry won't get done. I worry that I will be too tired after work to come home and cook dinner...and I like home cooked dinners.

Believe me, the worries are many and I don't like them.

I know that I am worrying because I am not relying on God. I know that I am struggling to trust that all will be well. I know that I am lacking faith.

Here is what the Bible says about worrying:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?


And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:25-34

I want to be like the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. I want to trust that God will provide for all our needs and all we need to do is make Him a priority in our lives. But this is easy to say, not easy to do.

So, this is what has been going on lately.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

No Stomach


Something funny happened to me yesterday…but first let me give you some background.

When John and I got married and I moved to a new town, I had to find a new grocery store, drycleaner, gas station…

I needed to get my wedding dress cleaned and had no idea it was going to cost a fortune to clean the dress. Anyways, I called every single drycleaner in town and eventually found one very close to my home. Ever since then, I take my clothes to that same drycleaner and they do a great job altering pants as well.

By now, the drycleaner owners know me by name – well, they call me Mrs. Nobile…and for the sake of their privacy I will call them Tim and Jane.

So, yesterday I walked in the drycleaner with a few pair of pants that needed to be shortened (because I am a bit short and no pants ever fit me right out of the store). I put on the first pair and walked out so Jane could mark the right length. When that pair was done, I put on the second pair. This time, Jane looked at me and this conversation took place:

Jane: Have you been eating lately?
Danielly: Ya. Why?
Jane: You have no stomach. No stomach at all. You need to eat.
Danielly: Well, I am doing this workout routine and I guess it has taken some of my stomach away.
Jane: You need to eat more!
Danielly: But I do eat!
Jane: But you need to eat real food. Not a salad. You need beans and rice and some meat.
Danielly: That is pretty much my favorite meal ever…what can possibly be better than beans, rice and meat?
Jane: Well, you need to eat more…

So apparently I am thin and I need to eat more. In reality, I am thinner because of the Body for Life exercise…I wish I could stay thin and stop working out…I just don’t want to spend my evenings at the gym anymore…but being more fit (and thinner) is not a bad outcome.

The funniest part of the interaction between Jane and I is that she kept petting my stomach while telling me that I have no stomach at all. She must have done it at least ten times. No one has ever touched my stomach like that before. I started wondering if that is what I will have to deal with when I am pregnant one day…

Monday, November 1, 2010

Stream of Consciousness

Time is going by faster than I can handle. Somehow we are already in November and Christmas will be here before I know it. Since Christmas is my favorite time of the year, I am thrilled! However, Thanksgiving will come before Christmas and right before that I will be starting a new job. I wonder what my life will be like by the time Christmas is here…

I currently have very bright red nails and very smooth feet. No, I didn’t go get a mani and a pedi. I actually painted my own nails because that is much cheaper and John helped me get rid of the cracks on my feet by using the Ped Egg he gave me two years ago.

Speaking of John, I have to declare how much I love him! Really, I could not have asked for a better husband. He loves me with all his heart and he is willing to do nearly anything for me. Seriously, he got rid of the cracks on my feet! He also washed my hair yesterday because I didn’t want to mess up my bright red nails. I have the best husband ever!

I also have a really bad stomach ache that kept me awake at night. I might never drink beer again. Our refrigerator is nearly empty and it is time to go grocery shopping. The weather outside could not be more gloomy and I miss feeling the sun’s warmth.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

A Saturday Like This...

...is what I have been waiting for.

It is cold and cloudy outside. Our schedule is completely empty (except for working out). I get to wear my pajamas for as long as I want and I get to spend the day with John!

I hope you are enjoying your Saturday as much as I am enjoying mine!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Enjoying Every Step

I recently realized something about myself that I wish were not true. But for the sake of being open and honest, I decided to share it with you all.

Truth: I am all about the results.

Let me explain. I do a lot of things in life only because of the results.

Example Number 1: Hiking
While many hike because it is a great way to stay active while being outside, I hike because I want to know what the view is like from up there. Needless to say, when I hike a whole mountain only to a cloud – the day is not a happy one.

Example Number 2: Exercising
I always wanted to be one of those devoted Seattleites that go on a run even if the city is flooding due to rain. Really, I wish I was that dedicated to my body and health. Instead, I complain that I have to go outside every single day to exercise. I daydream about living in a world where we would be naturally fit. The only reason I exercise is because I know it is good for me. If you read Brain Rules you will know what I am talking about. Well, I also like what I see way more when I am exercising…

Example number 3: Cleaning
I have a friend who loves washing the dishes. I don’t understand why anyone would enjoy washing the dishes. I only clean because I like the final result. I like it when my home smells clean, when all the laundry is done and folded. I like it when I can see my own reflection on the wooden floor. I like it when I step into a bathtub that has no soap scum on the sides. But I certainly do not like cleaning any of these things.

Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Really, I am learning that I miss out on many opportunities because all I care about is the final result of whatever it is that I am doing.

So, it is time to make some changes in the attitude department of my life. I am going to work on finding joy in every step of life.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Four Years Ago

On October 24, 2006 I got a phone call from John…but I was in the library and didn’t have any service. I suppose my lack of response to his phone call prompted him to send me an email.

Here are some pieces of the email I received:

Hey Goose,
I'm getting off work early today … Do you have time to get some dinner? … Just thought it'd be cool to hang out for a bit before core group.

See ya!
Shotgun

*Just so you know Goose and Shotgun are our Camp names. John and I met when we both signed up to be camp counselors in Alaska. His camp name was Shotgun and mine was Goose.

**Also, I will include that I read this email while with a group of friends from an accounting class (We were preparing for an accounting competition). I pretty much read this email and left my computer open while I went to the bathroom. When I came back, my friend Anna had replied for me saying that I would love to grab some dinner together.

So, I ended up going out to dinner with John that day. Before then, we were friends and had spent a lot of time together – but always in a group setting. This dinner was going to be our first time together alone.

To my surprise, John took me to a cute Italian restaurant and proceeded to tell me how he enjoyed spending time with me. I started thinking that this dinner was a bit like a date…

…I was nervous and couldn’t really eat. Finally John looked at me in the eyes and told me he wanted to be more than just a friend I see every now and then. He said he wanted to really get to know me and asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend!

I am pretty sure I could hear my heart pounding. I had liked John for a while and pretty much all my friends knew that. However, I didn’t think he had a clue. I didn’t even think he had ever ‘noticed’ me.
I told him that being his ‘girlfriend’ sounded wonderful…and the rest is history.

So, we are having dinner at that same cute Italian restaurant tonight to celebrate our last four years together!

Friday, October 22, 2010

This Baby Makes Me Want a Baby!

Rahm Family

I was honored to take the Rahm family pictures when their little man was only three months old. This time around I got to experience more personality, more smiles and more fun as I captured the many ways this family has changed in the last six months.  In my opinion, they could not be more beautiful!
If you would like to see more images from this photoshoot, click here.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Work Out Update #4

Ok. I am a little late writing this update – considering that I try to write it in the beginning of the week and today is Thursday.

But, better late than never.

The workout routine is now a normal part of life. John and I no longer have to try to remember to work out. We know it is going to happen and our bodies know what to expect. Having said that, don’t think that we are always eager to get ourselves into the gym. Now that the weather is colder, I am finding that at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is go work out. Instead, I want to take a shower and wrap my whole body in a blanket like a mummy.

I have procrastinated almost every day this past week – and the only thing that gets me going is the fact the John has been so committed that I know he would go even if I decided not to. And if he is going, than I feel that I HAVE to go as well.

We increased the weights on almost every exercise and that is both exciting and discouraging at the same time. It is fun to see how our bodies have adapted to the initial routine…but adding weights make the exercises just as hard as they were initially. So, sometimes it feels like we have not accomplished anything and we have to remind ourselves that we can do lunges with twice the amount of weights now.

Speaking of lunges, I dislike them with a passion. It takes me forever to go through all the reps and I am constantly aware that I might fall over at any minute while doing them.

However, I must mention that all this exercise must be doing us some good because we were able to hike a relatively tough mountain without feeling like we were going to die! I hiked Mt. Dickerman more than 4 years ago and it took me almost 5 hours to get to the top. This past Saturday it only took me 3 hours to get up there. Exciting! Maybe someday I’ll climb Mt. Rainier. After all, that is one of my goals, but I didn’t have the guts to share it with the World Wide Web in case it never actually happens.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Autumn Hike


John and I spent our Saturday on a hike. This was my first autumn hike ever - and let me tell you, I had been missing out without knowing! Reds, oranges, yellows, browns and greens danced in front of us and every switchback introduced us to a new array of colors. It was truly magical!
If you have never hiked in the Fall time before, I strongly encourage you to stop doing whatever you are doing right now and start heading toward the nearest mountain. You will not regret it!
Just in case you need a little bit of encouragement, here are a few pictures for inspiration.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Who's your Master?

I watched the movie Invictus for the second time last night. Since it was a cold night and all I wanted to do was wrap myself in a really warm blanket and John had not seen it yet, we decided to rent it. It was a good movie to watch together.


Invictus is inspiring and above all, I love its message of forgiveness and reconciliation. I admire Mandela and all that he has done for his country and for this world. I love how his message parallel’s the teachings of Jesus Christ.


However, the more I think about what the poem ‘Invictus’ actually means, the more I realize that its message is far, very far from Jesus’ teachings. As a matter of fact, one cannot be a follower of Christ and follow this poem’s mission.


Invictus
by William Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
I must admit, there is something very attractive about being the master of one’s fate and the captain of one’s soul. I myself like to step into that position again and again. I like to be on the driver’s seat. I like to do as I please. I like to be my own master. However, I cannot be a follower of Jesus and remain my own master.


Joshua 24:15 clearly states:
‘Choose this day whom you will serve.’


But I cannot choose to serve two masters. I cannot be my own master and invite Jesus to be a part of my life. I must give up one or the other.  


From experience, I know that I make a horrible master. I often lack wisdom, love, grace, mercy, discernment… and more often than not I am selfish, jealous and prideful. Recognizing my weaknesses and failures, I came to the decision long ago that I cannot be the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.


Here is a poem that better explains the reality of my life:


Conquered
by Dorothea Day

Out of the light that dazzles me,
Bright as the sun from pole to pole,
I thank the God I know to be,
For Christ – the Conqueror of my soul.
Since His the sway of circumstance,
I would not wince nor cry aloud.
Under the rule which men call chance,
My head, with joy, is humbly bowed.
Beyond this place of sin and tears,
That Life with Him and His the Aid,
That, spite the menace of the years,
Keeps, and will keep me unafraid.
I have no fear though straight the gate:
He cleared from punishment the scroll.
Christ is the Master of my fate!
Christ is the Captain of my soul!
I choose Christ to be the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.
Isaiah 43: 1-3
But now, this is what the LORD says—
       he who created you, O Jacob,
       he who formed you, O Israel:
       "Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
       I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
 When you pass through the waters,
       I will be with you;
       and when you pass through the rivers,
       they will not sweep over you.
       When you walk through the fire,
       you will not be burned;
       the flames will not set you ablaze.

 For I am the LORD, your God,
       the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...
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