Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated "God with us."
Matthew 1:23

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11

Some good news just speaks for itself

When all else fails, God doesn't

I am blown away when I stop to think about what a merciful and gracious God we have watching over us. I am so thankful to Him for always giving me another chance even though I don't deserve it. He has never failed me no matter how many times I have failed Him. I do not always understand His ways, but I know that they are higher than my ways, just as His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. He corrects me when I am wrong and draws me back to Him when I attempt to wander down dangerous paths. And sometimes He wisely allows me to experience the consequences of a life lived without seeking His guidance so that I may be reminded that a life without God at the center is a dark and lonely road.

He loves me enough to allow trials and tests of faith in my life and helps me to remember that the way I choose to handle them is much more important than the trial or test itself. He gives me understanding to know that any struggle I must walk through is His way of teaching me and humbling me and molding me into the person that I know He wants me to become. But He never leaves me to fight or suffer alone. He is always there that I may seek and rely on His comfort and strength during these times to see me through. And His Word reassures me that there is divine purpose in everything.

He never gives up on me even when I have given up on myself. He gives me the wisdom to accept His will for me and the understanding I need to work through discouragement and disappointments with a still hopeful heart. He sent Jesus to the Earth to die for all of my sins so that I may be happy and free to rest in His love forever. I have everything because I have Him. He is all that I need. He loves me as I am and I am thankful beyond words for the grace, mercy and unconditional love that He shows me every single day of my life. He brings me peace when I am anxious, comfort when I am hurting and strength when I feel I can't go on. He is the one true, unfailing constant in this life.

We have an amazing and awesome God!

"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Tuesdays have become slightly more bearable

Those who know me at all know that I despise Tuesdays. Always have, always will. This much I have accepted. But I am always looking for ways to ameliorate, if even the tiniest bit, the inherent malaise that accompanies this most dreadful day of the week. Thanks to TBS, I have found a small, yet noteworthy remedy for the Tuesday blues. I recently discovered that the station is airing back-to-back episodes of The Office between 10 and 11PM every Tuesday. No matter how terrible my Tuesday might have been, it simply cannot end badly if I close the day with this show. This new programming has brought me some much needed Tuesday relief and I hope it will do the same for you.

Softee is no softie!

I was extremely pleased to be sent an am New York article this morning detailing how my beloved Mister Softee is putting the smack down on those hideous impostor ice cream trucks that circulate through the streets of NYC, as ubiquitous and unwelcome as the pigeons and rats, attempting to vend their subpar ice cream wares to a largely unsuspecting public and threatening to maim the impeccable integrity and reputation of the one and only Softee. Those who know me well know that I do not tolerate (nor have I ever) these shameless posers and their pathetic attempts at delivering the frozen awesomeness that can only be produced by the founding father of mobile soft serve as we so fondly know it. I realize that not everyone is as attuned to the myriad wonderful idiosyncrasies of the lovable cone-head as I am, so it was especially comforting to learn that formal efforts involving private investigators, lawsuits and the U.S. Marshals Service are in place to put the "freeze" on the shady vendors so that the true star of the streets can shine bright with no distractions. Long live Softee!

The Underdog Prevails!

I could hardly believe my eyes as I witnessed the 50-1 long-shot horse Mine That Bird come from dead last in a field of 19 to win the 135th Kentucky Derby this past Saturday. And not only did that scrappy little bargain horsie win, he blew the rest of those horses away. His win constituted the second largest upset in Kentucky Derby history. I love it! You should SO never judge a book by its cover. Beauty, size, prestige, net worth, famous trainers and fancy owners...guess all those things don't really mean crap if you've got talent and want something bad enough. Those with the most heart always win!

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He is risen!

But the angel answered and said to the woman, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." Matthew 28: 5-7

Happy Easter!

Peeps + The Office = Killer Combination

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love candy with a burning intensity that defies all worldy logic and understanding. And, to me, there is just no candy more exciting and fun and unique than Easter candy. My favorite Easter confection of all is the Peep. I cannot express the sheer ecstacy and exhilaration I experience deep down inside when I bite into that fluffy, sugary, little marshmallow creature with the tiny fake chocolate dot eyes. I love the way the sugar coating crunches against my teeth when I bite into one, I love the way it tastes so marshmallow-y and refined sugary and I love the way I feel after eating a Peep....all charged up and full of life, like I could run the New York City Marathon. I love seeing the huge displays of Peeps in stores, as well. I get so blissful to see row after row and shelf after shelf of nothing but Peeps...adorable chicks and bunnies in a cheerful rainbow of colors all living side-by-side in perfect harmony. Oh my gosh, how I love Peeps.

Anyone who knows me at all, also knows that I maintain a similar, unyielding obsession with The Office. That show just makes me super happy to be alive. I am so thankful that something as simple as a 30-minute TV program can put me in a good mood for an entire evening and erase all the problems of the day by making me laugh until my stomach hurts.

Soooooo, you wonder what the point of this post is. Well, I will tell you now. Did you know that there exists a situation in which these two seemingly unrelated, yet equally awesome phenomena, coexist? Yes, it is true. A heartfelt thanks goes out to my coworker (and fellow Office junkie) Dan for opening my eyes to this situation.

Click on the link below to be transported to a magical realm where people have recreated scenes from the show using Peeps. I can't believe that somewhere out there, there are people just like me...loving Peeps, loving The Office and actually making strides to bring them together. This is so wonderful to know.

http://www.officetally.com/the-office-peeps-contest-finalists

Spring Has Arrived!

I am thanking God today that winter is officially O-V-E-R. Is it just me or was it seriously like the longest, coldest, bleakest, snowiest, windiest, most relentlessly brutal and hideously unforgiving winter ever???

I don't think I have ever been so ready for spring and warmer temps in my entire life! I cannot wait for the glorious heat and sunshine to return in the coming months, even if it brings with it suffocating humidity and cringe-worthy bad hair days on my end. I am never complaining about hot, sunny weather again. Bring it on, Mother Nature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jesus Saves...Again and Again and Again

I was recently reminded of God's infinite grace and how much He has helped me to understand since I began walking with Him. I still make many mistakes and fail daily as a Christian, and I have a long way to go in my spiritual walk, but despite these things, I can still rest and be happy knowing that God is God, no matter where I am or what I do. He never changes and He is always there for anyone who seeks Him. He will meet every one of us exactly where we are, no matter how far away we may stray or feel from Him. No place is too dark or scary or hopeless or impossible for the saving, healing power of the Savior of the World!

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Mister Softee Sighting in NYC!!!!!!!

Spotted! A lone Mister Softee truck heading southbound on 5th Avenue in NYC this afternoon!

According to my unofficial Mister Softee contact (i.e. the trusty Mister Softee man who spends his summers serving me ice cream cone and soda float lunches from his parked truck on the corner of 22nd St and Broadway), the beloved blue and white mobile unit of frozen awesomeness was not due back in New York until April. So you can only imagine my utter disbelief - followed by feelings of sheer, unadulterated joy - when my eyes spotted said truck faithfully making its way toward Union Square as if it were any random summer day.

This sighting can only mean one thing. Summer is just around the corner. I don't care that it's only February and still freezing cold outside. Mister Softee=Summer. Period. Hallelujah. Amen. Yippee! I can almost taste those rainbow sprinkles and cherry dipped cones as I write this.

As a side note, I would like to strongly encourage you to explore the official Web site of Mister Softee.

http://www.mistersoftee.com/default.html

Not only will you learn about the history of this great franchise, but you will also discover the sheet music to the Mister Softee theme song. Who knew there were actual words?

Pencil Lives!

Oh no! Pencil is stuck!

 

 

His owner tries to help.

A rescue team is called...

Pencil is free. Yay Pencil!

As previously mentioned, I love heartwarming animal stories - especially when they originate from my homeland (a.k.a. The Bluegrass State).

There's a walking horse named Pencil who lives on a farm in Campbell County, Kentucky. Apparently the heater on Pencil's water trough stopped working on Wednesday morning. I guess Pencil got thirsty and taking matters into his own, um, hooves, went off in search of water. He found water alright. Unfortunately for Pencil, he fell right through the ice of the very pond from which he sought refuge from his thirst. And then he got stuck and was freezing to death. Poor horsie! He just wanted a drink of water.

But luckily, with the help of nearly 40 firefighters, including members of the Northern Kentucky Large Animal Rescue Team, Pencil was rescued from the throes of the icy pond within an hour and is expected to make a full recovery. So great.

I totally want a horse named Pencil now.

Today's Good News? The Office Exists.

Funniest show on TV. Period.

And I seriously can't stop watching the opening scene of Sunday's post-Super Bowl special episode.

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MACS = Awesome (No, not the computer kind)

Putting a smile on a kid's face is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life....especially when that kid really needs some cheering up. Can you imagine what it would feel like to be a child with a chronic, life-threatening or terminal illness? It must be so scary and awful. I bet they feel really sad and isolated sometimes, too. Don't you wish there was something you could do to help a child like this? Wait, there is! If you'd like to make a positive difference in the life of a seriously sick child, then read on!

There's a Web site. It's called MACS, which stands for Make A Child Smile. Go to http://www.makeachildsmile.org/ to browse the profiles of the many courageous sick kids on there who would be thrilled to receive a card or small gift from you letting them know that someone cares about them and is thinking about them and wishing them well. This is a totally simple way to help a very sick child feel happy and special, and I bet it will make you feel happy and special, too!

Helping sick kids feel better is a win-win situation, and win-wins are ALWAYS good news for everyone involved!

Makeup That's Totally Smurfalicious!

What could possibly be better news than a Smurfs comeback? Well, how about a Smurfs comeback via the Too Faced makeup line?!

Yes, you read right. The lovable blue cartoon superstars that lit up my 80s childhood are now part of a limited edition makeup collection at Sephora...and I really could not be happier.

The lineup includes four totally awesome new products. Check out their descriptions...genius! I want it all! I can't wait til I get paid!!!!!

Mood Swing Emotionally Activated Lip Gloss "...allows you to wear your emotions on your lips. Depending on your body heat level, the gloss blooms into countless shades of Smurf-berry pink. You never know what shade you'll get, but Smurfette thinks that's part of the fun!"

So Smurfy Eye Shadow Collection "...contains four easy-to-use shades that can be used individually or together to create a signature Smurfette look. Your pigment-drenched peepers will be left super Smurf-chic!"

Smurfy-Eyed Liquid Eyeliner "...lets you show off your Smurfette—inspired sparkles as you bat those eyes at every Smurf you see! You can use on the brows, hair, and anywhere else you want a special Smurf sparkle."

So Smurfy Illumination Face Powder "...delivers complexion perfection. Smurfette's signature color-correcting shades blend together for the prettiest perfection—you're sure to be the hottest girl on your Smurf turf."