Minnesota Nice

questions from jamie's blog......(i love quizes...i know, i'm a nerd)

1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before?

helped plant a church...

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I dont make em...i fear failure....

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

yep...

4. Did anyone close to you die?

nope....

5. What countries did you visit?

none...

6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?

a house...i'm sick of apt life....

7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Aug 16th...the day i went to San Diego and saw Tony again...the rest is history....
Oct 5th...our first public celebration service..and my twin rolled into town...
(i had to pick 2)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

losing 32 lbs (and counting)

9. What was your biggest failure?

failure..i fear it.....so i probably blocked it out....

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

i'm always ill...i have bronchitis right now actually....hahahah....

11. What was the best thing you bought?

a laptop (whom i affectionately call delly gebhardt)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

my brother.....he amazes me

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

yeah..michael jackson appalls me (to echo jamie)..however..i will always be a fan of the thriller album...back when he was a black male pop star

14. Where did most of your money go?

to the Springs Apt Complex....to my student loans..and credit card bills...

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

seeing tony..visiting IL...being with friends and fams...

16. What song will always remind you of 2003?

"...California, knows how to party..."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. Happier or sadder? Happier
ii. Thinner or fatter? thinner
iii. richer or poorer? a tad richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

praying

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

complaining

20. How did you spend Christmas?

chill..with scott and kristi..we never left the house..mad a sweet meal....

22. Did you fall in love in 2003?

Yep....sure did....

23. How many one-night stands?

None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Um..the christian in me says no..no i dont...

26. What was the best book you read?

In 2003? i hate books.....but i am enjoying The Purpose Driven Life

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I was addicted to van morrison this year....old stuff rules

28. What did you want and get?

Tony

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

not sure...nothing really sticks out...probably matrix revolution

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

25....me and the twin, and tanya went to malibu..hung out at beach...ate dinner in manhattan beach at my fav irish pub...steaks and miller light....

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If all my IL friends moved to cali with me....

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?

all summer gear all the time (thanks to cali)..and smaller sizes

34. What kept you sane?

friends...tears...the beach...

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

i dont know....

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The War

37. Who did you miss?

the list is way too long.......

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Donna (although i didnt just meet her..but we did become newfound friends)


39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003:

God has bigger plans for your life than you realize....don't ever make plans on your own selfish desires...He may have the opposite for you...but what He has is always best....i promise.....
and also...watch for snails when it rains in cali

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up the year:

"at last..my love has come along...my lonely days are over...and life if like a song..."

Posted by Shelly at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

sorry cor..i didnt realize i didnt have your either...silly me.....

Posted by Shelly at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

ok..i tried to add my brother's blog link to mine..let's see if it works......
ps. i love my twin....

Posted by Shelly at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

i hate it when i cant talk...sure other people probably love it..but i hate it...

i lost my voice this weekend.....i was starting to lose it at band practice friday night..and i felt a sickness coming on...and no matter how much throat coat and water i drank...i still lost it...and what better place..than while leading worship on sunday morning.....
i feel so inadequate when i can't sing.....i feel like that is all i have to offer in worship on sunday morning..and i had nothing..i...literally opened my mouth to sing..and nothing came out...some squeekes sometimes..but nothing...i had to just step away from the mic and let the congregation sing it up.......

interesting enough...this week's worship focused on listening to God..and what was God saying to you through worship....we challenged the congreation to just listen to God's leading "speak to me Lord, for your child is here listening...".....
looks like God really wanted me to listen..so much that He shut me up....literally.....it was humbling actually..i dont think i even liked it much......i kept thinking..what good am i if i cant sing..and lead people in worship....all these selfish thoughts of course....
but i came to the conclusion..woship isnt about me.....deep right? thanks for keeping me humble God...thanks for helping me see that You take away just as easily as You give....and if i'm not using my gifts to honor You..than what good are they?..thank you...

to all my other fellow bloggers..i love getting a little glimpse into your lives..i love you guys.....

to my cali parents donna and lonnie...i love you guys....i hope you know that..i am so blessed to know you guys and to serve with you guys...thanks for you constant support of me......

Posted by Shelly at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

God forgive me for not spending time with You...how quickly i forget why you brought me here...and how you placed me here for your work...and how i'm here to worship you...God I pray that i never let 'tasks', or people, or circumstances, or jobs, or money, or time, or place...ever get in the way of my worship of You.
God I beg you for direction, but never stop to listen...never study to see your answer...never spend time with You..God forgive me...
"Speak to me Lord, for your child is here...listening..."
"unveil my eyes...let me see...see you...
Unveil my heart...let me know..know you...
Father...."

I am so blessed....and yet i'm selfish with my time, with my possesions..with my life....God forgive me...
I deserve nothing from You...yet you give me everything....
"you are the true God, the one Living Lord, Father..."

I want a closer walk with You God....i want that....i want to know You....

"own me..take all that I am, and heal me..with the blood of the Lamb...mold me with Your gracious hand...break me till I'm only Yours....own me...."

Posted by Shelly at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

it doesnt feel like Christmas...maybe cause it's warm here or because i'm working right now...or becaue i just got back for IL and had Christmas with my family already....

It's good to be back in Cali...at least to be doing the job i'm doing..i love it...i just wish there was some way to have all my friends and family out here....
It was good to be back in napes.....lauren's wedding was great....she was gorgeous of course....and it was great seeing everyone....
of course the highlight of my week was spending time with the love of my life...tony....(dont worry i wont get too mushy..although that is all that is on my mind..)
i got to go out a lot..with friends..and of course party it up..dance it up...laugh it up...
i am still convinced i have the best friends ever....and equally convinced i have the best boyfriend ever.....(did i mention i miss him...yeah..i do....)

sunday was family christmas day..and of course my mom made more food than i have ever seen...and you know i went off adkins for one day to eat it all up....yums...
it was a good feeling to be at my mom's all day...there's just something so comforting about being around your mom all day....she was so cute in her little apron..she was in her element..cooking for everyone...she bought a present for everyone who walked in the door..i love you mom.....

"back to life, back to reality"...as the early 90's song says..
i'm working today..of course doing last minute things to get ready for our service tonite....and not to forget i havent done anyting for the service this weekend yet...looks like i wll be working friday and saturday to pull that all together......

i'm feeling sick too..my throat is really sore..and i feel a sinus infection coming on...i think i'm just exhausted from my week vaca...too much in too little time....

ewww...elvis' blue christmas is on the radio right now...i'm not really a big fan of elvis (sorry jacki..i know you love him)....there is just something about him....anywho..

i better get back to work....i have a million and one things to do...but there is always time to blog..right...

merry christmas to all..and to all a good night...

Posted by Shelly at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

so i'm pissed off today....if you know me at all...you know i'm generally in a pretty good mood most days...but not at this very moment.....awwww..i cant decide whether to cry or scream or punch someone......or blog...so..here i am blogging...

i think all the stress of this week..finally broke me at this moment.....i've been calm, cool, and collected all week..working my bootie off trying to get stuff done for work..and now the added stress of helping lauren with her wedding...and i got an email that i didnt really appreciate today..so needless to say..my cheering disposition is no longer with me....i'm stressed beyond belief..i just want to be in IL...

things never go as planned....which sometimes i take too seriously..and get too sensitive about...which i guess i just need to let go...but plans/or changes of plans should never outweigh human relationships....because after all the parties, and all the plans, we still have relationships..and that should be the most important......why cant people just be honest and open with each other..in truth and love of course..i feel like that would just make the world a much better place..the end...

Posted by Shelly at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

here it is Saturday night..and i'm working......

it's 7pm here...9pm in napes...all my friends are about to go to a party and have fun without me.....that sucks...

i stopped in the cafe to work for what i thought was only going to be an hour or so....but turns out..i'm still here....and you're probably asking..."why are you blogging if you have so much work to do..." well the answer is that what i have to do now is wait......you see....as always..i'm doing the powerpoint for church last minute....and ususally that is never a problem..but not this weekend...i'll spare you the long boring details..but the summary is....i had a quicktime movie file..that needs to be converted to an mpeg so i can put it into the ppt document....but the file was from the church in colorado...and i cant convert it...so..needless to say..i've been making a millilon and one phone calls..and downloaded quicktime pro to convert the file to mpeg4......awwwwww.....BUT..of course, ppt wont accept mpeg 4..it needs it in 1 or 2...so great......now i'm sitting here waiting for someone in naperville to convert the file for me.......and post it to the web..so i can use..it... (i realize i said i would spare you the details..but if i have to suffer..so must you..)

ok...so to my peeps in napes..hope you are enjoying the smirnoff & sweats party..i'm jealous...i would be rockin the sweats with ya....

to kanyi..the star intern at ccc.....YOU RULE...for spending your saturday night bailing me out.....he's slaving away converting files for me and uploading them..he just called...and he's almost done...so sweetness.....

so i realized tonite...that i dont know if i like being in a charge of an entire ministry.....it's fun and all when it goes well..but not when i'm responsible for making a video work by tomorrow morning....

ok..thus concludes my saturday night blog.....love you all.....

Posted by Shelly at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

place: chatte coffee shop
time: 3:30pm
atmosphere: it's warm in here...new tables...sippin on my breve..iced today....cause it's 70ish here today....
thoughts: of love...of miles...of life...of ministry...of frienships...of work.....of family

my mind is clouded..that's what love will do to you i guess....i came to cafe on my day off..to do some work...but no work has taken place yet...nothing productive...unless productivity consists of blogging, emailing..talking to my sis on the phone....

i absolutely cant wait to be back in napes in less than 2 weeks...although i'm not looking forward to freezing..i am looking forward to lots of things, people, places...familiarity...comfort.....
sometimes i think about what my life would be like if i never left naperville....but those thoughts would just drive me insane since i am confident God called me here for this venture of my life......now the question is 'what is He doing with me?" and how long will it be till He calls me elsewhere....(note to God: i wouldnt mind napes again)....i'm feeling really restless...which is always a good feeling in ministry...that means God is working...cause it's in our comfort that we are conplacent....not moved...not challenged.....maybe my restlessness is a result of not having what i want...if that is case we are always restless i guess...cause we never have all that we want.....

this praise chorus is echoing in my head...
"..all of You is more than enough for
all of me, for every thirst and every need
You satisfy me, with your love
and all I have in You is more than enough..."

that's in my head..but why dont i live by it? why don't i believe that most days?

random thoughts i guess from a clouded mind......

Posted by Shelly at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

yes..i realize it's been a long time since my last blog...but i did not want to do anyting for the last 5 days..but spend everying second with tony, the best boyfriend a girl could want.... :)

hope you all had a great Thanksgiving....i'll spare you all every detail of the last week of my life...instead i'll give you little tidbits or highlights, if you will, of thing I did or saw...or loved...
-tony
-moon lit beach in LA....huge waves...nice
-Gothika (good movie)
-naps rule!!
-72 degree Thanksgiving
-taking a walk on thanksgiving
-5 hrs in a mini van lost in LA
-happy and sad moments at the airport
-good food for thanksiving..but no leftovers..that sucks
-playing a high school drinking game....so much fun...
-buck owens crystal palace
-did i mention the moon lit beach...yeah....it was awesome....

Posted by Shelly at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments