Mrs. Rogers Neighborhood

God grant me peace in this chaos of life that I may find rest in you no matter what is moving rapidly around me.  

This Reminds Me Of Ashley Wells... This Makes Me Miss Joy Noel... Rachel Manoguerra Would Completely Understand This Picture... Mailboxes Make Me Think Of My Twin...I Wish He Could See Me Here... Pictures Of Puppies Always Make Me Think Of Heather Simone... Sarah Havrilla Would Love This... I Miss Wandering Around Italy With All My Kindred Spirits I Found There... I Miss You Cristina... Ever So Much... Stephen Would Love These! My Grandparents Are The Most Amazing People I Know - They Honestly Love Selflessly. My Parents Have Taught Me Everything I Know And Will Be Celebrating Their Love For Each Other With A Trip To Paris So This Pictures Makes Me Think Of Them And Smile... Every Day I See Images That Remind Me Of Those That Some Would Say I "Left Behind" In Maryland, But As Cheesy As It Is I Am Realizing They Are Not That Far Away If I Keep Them In My Heart.  I Miss You All, And Many More Not Mentioned.  Today Is Just A Day That I Miss My Family And T

Sometimes things do not go according to plan.  Sometimes we do not get what we want.  Sometimes things happen that we do not deserve.  Sometimes things do not meet our expectations.   Is it possible that our plans are too much, what we want is not what we need, we don't deserve anything in life, and our expectations are too high?  I know that sounds like "life sucks, accept it", but that's not what I am trying to say at all.  I find myself pondering this a lot lately.  Is my bar set too high?  Do I expect too much from others?  If I relaxed and expected nothing would that be better than expecting too much?   What I have come down to is this, God will provide - believing that is just as important as seeing it happen before your eyes.  It sounds simple, but it really boils "making life easier" down to one simple truth.  Why do we doubt it so often?  If something does not go according to plan, I need to roll with it.  Sometimes the unplanned is a better story

It Calm's Me Down... It Make's Me Feel Rested... It Makes Me Want to Play... It's Rhythm is Like Music to My Soul... I Can't Help But Smile... There's Something About the Rain...

One day I will have a tiny home in the countryside... or at least stay in one for a week or two :) I will be barefoot the entire time, always have a glass of wine or lemonade in my hand, and finish a book while rocking on my porch swing.  Sigh...

These pictures remind me of Joy Noel, Ashley Diana, Bethany Grace, and Stewart William.  Wherever these friends are, there are always a bunch of random cameras and pictures of fantastic things.  I love it.  I soak it up.  I'm inspired by it.  It makes me giddy.  They are more talented than they know. I love unassuming people who are the way they are because they would not want to be another way.  They are not doing it to impress, to get attention, to find some kind of fame, or to project an image.  Creative desire is really buried within their soul - the friends I listed above embody this. 

 Matthew 6: 28-29  “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. " The Message Bible 

Today nothing feels impossible to build.  Skyscrapers to Dubai... We have seen it all.  The competition for bigger and better feels like a never ending journey where different people come out on top at different times. In many ways, it takes the beauty out of architeture and transitions it to the competitive nature of the world in this day and age.  This is why I loved Italy, everything is built so beautifully and they do not feel like it needs improvement - they are happy with the old world they have created.  The modern world does not need to come in and change it all around to make way for the new age of technology.      I think that is why each of these articetural wonders amazes me.  They each stand strong in a constantly revolving world and keep the beauty of articeture pure and in tact as things change around them.  As of 2007, the 7 architectural wonders of the world are as follows: The Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Petra, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza, The Colosseum,

Simplicity is under rated.   We all have guilty pleasures, but what about simple pleasures.   Simple pleasures are what keep me moving forward.   Watching the rain fall from a window, then walking in it.   A French pressed cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Knowing that my family will hug me tightly every time they see me.   The smell of fresh baked goods.     Walking through a new city and discovering an independent bookstore.   A kiss on the forehead from the wonderful man in my life.   Snuggling up by a fire place in the dead of winter.   Giving a gift you know the person receiving will love.   A good book and an entire day with nothing to do.   A long bike ride somewhere new.     A picnic in the park with a cool breeze.   Simple pleasures.   People always have a list of things they want that do not and will not sustain their soul.   Sure, we all want things.   “Gadgets and gizmos a plenty,” as Ariel sings, are what people collect.   Obviously the answer to global poverty

Bungee Jumping was never on my Bucket List.   I had no intention of diving head first from a height that, in any and all other circumstances, would cause me to plummet to my death.   I never identified it as fear within myself, but rather practicality and chocked it off to a good head on my shoulders.   What would cause a person to do that?   I watched shows on TV that relish the element of fear associated with stunts and (what I would consider) reckless behavior, and I enjoyed every moment of their torturous demise.   I never even considered the possibility of being one of them.   Why did I join the ranks of the irresponsible and dangerous?   I went to Africa.   Uganda alone takes you outside your comfort zone in incomparable ways.   I firmly believe the people you are with can make or break your trip, but the way you handle them can also make or break your trip.   Many people tend to put all the blame on others when things do not go according to plan, instead of taking some of the f

I used to live in a world where I could be drinking tea in the middle of a field with no cups and no tea.   I could be running for my life from a dinosaur, in my backyard.   I could be anywhere I wanted doing anything I wanted, and then I grew up.   I hate that those worlds no longer exist.   I hate that I cannot play and pretend anymore.   Imagination is crushed by the realty of dreams not being possible.   You cannot see the world unless you are independently wealthy.   You will have to pick and choose which dreams you actually want to achieve because seeing it all is not something that is in the cards for you. Discouraged.   Angry.   Sad.   I hate hearing people tell me to dream smaller, wish less, and pursue money.   I want to breathe in Tuscany with the wind blowing in my face on a   Vespa, I want to have a picnic in front of the Eifel Tower with cheese and wine and crackers, I want go to the floating market in Thailand and wear a silly hat, I want to see the Northern lights whil

Where does the need to impress people come from? Why aren’t people comfortable in their own skin, in their own financial situation, and with their own life? When are these indisputable desires placed in our heads about marriage and finances and tangible things? We are all in different places, and if things happened to everyone at the same point in each life they would not be something to celebrate. For me, it is wonderful to witness someone in a completely different place than I am. Their wisdom extends beyond my realm, and mine beyond theirs. Rather than them being jealous of my life or me being jealous of their life, we should see the beauty in each other’s situations and soak in what we may never experience. The holiday season highlights this nicely, but it exists the other 11 months of the year as well. When do we stop apologizing for not having enough money, not giving enough gifts, and accept that it is our time that is our most valuable commodity? We should be able to see peop

I love the fact that I do not have to think about breathing.   It just happens every day, even in my sleep.   I do not have to think about digestion either.   Whether or not everything is going to be ok when I am eating, is not a thought that crosses my mind.   I just eat, and then go about my daily life.   I have the use of all my limbs, I have a family who loves me, I have an intellect to comprehend life, meaning, and reason within myself, I have a boy who loves me and dreams in my mind.   These are all things I take for granted.   Is it possible to live in a way that always shows love and affection to those around you? Or is that a pipe dream?   Jesus did it.   Should we be able to?   I guess working towards it is the uphill battle we are supposed to embark on… “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” has never rung more true for me.   Those that surround me today and in my daily life are beautiful.   I do not mean to sound like a hippy with her head in the clouds, but just a blessed

When does anger turn to bitterness which turns to the lack of care for your fellow man?   Is there a trigger? Could this be prevented by someone else intervening, or is it solely a personal decision to let that resentment creep in.   I have observed much bitterness in others lives lately, and I have found that people have accepted it and are not in denial.   How is this permissible in their own mind?   We are all entitled to our own take on life, but why would you choose that route?   Did someone excuse their behavior every step of the way until they reached this point of no return? I think the worst thing we can do for someone is excuse their behavior.   While everyone deserves the grace of God and forgiveness from their fellow man, that does not grant permission to treat others as you would not want to be treated.   Grace does not mean an excuse to do whatever we please… we should not desire to do things not of God if we are truly in relationship with him and love him into our core.

No matter how hard I fight it, a new year always motivates me to get certain parts of my life together.   I truly believe that we should be constantly re-evaluating and growing, but that does not seem to make this desire within me go away when January 1 st hits to start working out, eating better, reading more, cooking more, and complaining less.   I will make it a goal (not a resolution ;) to do this on the first of every month, instead of just the first of the year.   It seems to always come back to intentionality with me, but not in the way that I was groomed to see it.   Have you ever met someone that is exactly as socially awkward as they were ten years previously and you think how sad it is for them?   What room do people have to judge who have not moved forward spiritually, mentally, physically, or in all other areas to feel bad for someone socially.   Often times, our social conduct is how we are brought up, and it the most difficult to fight.   Being spiritually stagnant is

I always dreamed of the perfect tree house as a child - Literally dreamed...  If I had known these existed it would have ruined my imagination forever.  The reality of their physical presence in this world is unbelievable and worth gawking over.

We all dream of our perfect home.  I believe atmosphere can be created through music and lighting and comfortableness, however I also believe that if my home had these elements I could not help but love coming home.  1. A Spiral Staircase 2. A Sectional Sofa 3. A Window Seat 4. A Hammock 5. A Yellow Vase 6. A Stained Glass Window 7. A Colored Front Door 8. The Perfect Place to Sit Outside 9. An Espresso Machine 10. The Perfect Pup

Bill and I went to Old Town San Diego on Saturday to celebrate our anniversary early, and the result was pure bliss.  We walked in the sunshine, ate fresh made cinnamon sugar tortillas, shopped a little, laughed alot, shared a black cherry cream soda, and held hands.  More pictures to come, but here is a sampling of things that made me happy :)