Goodwill Tour--and Apron Giveaway!

(clockwise from top left:  short sleeve empire, pink stripe oxford, pleated button down, T-shaped sweater, pillowcase tank dress, short sleeve jacket, long sleeve empire, and balloon sleeve top)

Last Sunday on my way home from church, I accidentally found myself in the turn lane when I had intended to go straight.  I decided that since I had to circle back anyway, (and didn't really feel like watching the football game that was being viewed at home) I would check out the nearby Goodwill.  While I was there, I remembered the Clothing Wars challenge that Beth presented.  I giddily completed my entry for that (most likely making the staff and customers wonder why on earth I was hauling such a hideous assortment of items to the dressing room.), but I'll hold off on posting those photos for now, because I have my own mini-challenge for you, my readers--Read on!

Remember when I said a while back that the Mac and Me household was without a full-length mirror?  Well, we are still without one, but I have found it to be sort of helpful in a way.  On the days when I photograph myself, I discover certain things.  Things I wouldn't necessarily notice in a mirror.  For instance...some things don't look as good as I thought...some things look better than I thought...some things work/don't work together when I had previously thought otherwise, and some things are just plain boring.  I don't know why we see ourselves differently in a photograph than we do in a mirror, but I guarantee you it's true.

Anyway, I decided to apply my 'makeshift mirror' technique in the dressing room at Goodwill.  Here are some of the discoveries I made:

1)  It was easier to narrow down what I really wanted to take home with me (and I am a spendthrift with a part-time job so it had to be a VERY narrow list) when I took photos of what I was trying on.  If looking back at the photo made me think, "Yay!", then I knew I had a contender.  I'm sure some stores frown on this, but sometimes I need a second opinion and this was as close as I was going to get without asking an unsuspecting employee/customer/child playing in the nearby toy section.
2)  I discovered that I tend to gravitate toward empire-waisted shirts a.k.a. baby-doll shirts (but not like the 90's belly shirts!!) and plain cotton button down shirts (like preppy man-shirts for girls).  I decided maybe I should curb my penchant for both.  The former is something my mom would probably say "doesn't do much" for me...though I partially blame her and all her cute maternity tops in the 70's for the allure they hold.  The latter is safe for work, but becoming a little bit boring.

So...having said all that, I'm proud to announce that I went home with only one item.  My challenge to you is, which item do you think it was?  Tell you what.  I will send one green apron (pictured at right) to the first person who guesses correctly!  One guess per person...One additional guess if you choose to follow my blog (and are not doing so already).  Crafty, ain't I?  The rules are pretty simple.  Just leave a comment on this post and an e-mail address spelled out (i.e. sweatsuited at yahoo dot com) so I can get in touch with you!  I don't expect this to last long...I'm not that hard to figure out!

P.S.  As for the red cowboy boots and fedora, I can tell you I didn't go home with either of those (darn, right!?).  They were part of the Clothing Wars challenge so you'll be seeing them again soon!

Favorite Shoes

The Velveteen Rabbit of shoes.  Except, unlike the Velveteen Rabbit (near as I can remember anyway), there was a time when I had to let these go forever.  I started noticing that every meeting I went to (back in the days when I had a real job) smelled suspiciously like feet.*  A sad day for many reasons.

Anywho, they (Seychelles) don't make these anymore (also a sad day when I found that out), but someone is selling a slighly used black pair on ebay.  As much as I loved them though...I'm not sure I could handle the potential of someone else's foot smell showing up one day like an uninvited guest. 

How do you guys feel about used shoes?  Have you ever owned a pair of shoes you wore to death/sadly discovered aren't made anymore?

* My feet don't smell normally, I promise!  It's just that I wore these shoes THAT much.  And it's true what your mother told you...don't go without socks/stockings.

Confession

So, I was logging in to write a random short post about my favorite pair of shoes when I stopped to read the latest posts from friends whose blogs I follow.  Two of them (and I only follow about 5) were about Haiti relief, and I suddenly realized something that's been sneaking up on me for some time.  I have become someone who has grown quite comfortable with avoiding bad news...well, with avoiding news altogether I think, but the presumption is that it's really the bad news I'm avoiding. 

I guess I don't always know what to do in the face of it all.  I feel overwhelmed, and I often choose to bury my head in the sand.  This makes me pretty sad because I think God's given me a perfectly good head.  I guess the trouble is that He's also given me a heart that is prone to growing too big and heavy for me to carry on my own...so rather than going to Him with it, I turn a blind eye to protect my selfish heart.  I can't help but think this makes God sad too.

I was so encouraged to read in the article that Katie posted (from Imago Dei Community), that one of the first opportunities we have to get involved is simply prayer:  "We have access to the God of all creation in prayer. There is perhaps no more powerful resource we have than to turn to our Father and seek him on behalf of the people and the tragedy in Haiti."  (For ideas on specific needs to pray for, see article).  How easy it is to overlook this powerful opportunity to serve people.  Why is that?  Maybe as Americans we've just grown so used to throwing money at a problem in order to "fix" it.  I'm not saying we should stop giving.  I love that Americans tend to be so generous in the face of crisis and need.  I just have a couple issues with it.  1)  (Speaking selfishly, because I am more and more discovering what a selfish beast I am)  It makes me feel powerless when I am in a position where I want to give so bad and can't.  2)  I think when we are able to "fix" things with money, we are (I am) tempted to forget our need for God and we (I) fail to trust and pray.  3)  I think some part of us thinks that with enough money, a problem will go away.  But the problems of the world go so much deeper, and they extend so far beyond any given crisis.  We live in a broken world where opportunities to give and serve (and pray!) surround us at any given moment.

So...I am feeling both challenged (not to bury my head in the sand anymore) and encouraged (that there may well be times when I can't board the next plane or even give money to help...but I can always, always pray).  I don't exactly know the ways that God has called me to be His love in the world, but I sure as heck (can I say that?) want to spend my life finding out.  Maybe it changes with each day or season.  For today, I pray.  

I Love an Awards Show!

So, I had to bat my lashes a bit to reserve the tv for Golden Globes (and not football), but I'm so excited!  I dragged my laptop into the living room with me in case any of my Skype friends were watching it too, and Mac said "Oh boy...are you blogging live from the Golden Globes?"  Haha, well I wasn't planning on it, but come on...so fun!  Watch with me!

Jenna Fischer - Golden Globes 2010 Red Carpet - Photo Gallery | Just Jared

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Context

I feel like I should add some context to my middle of the night notes from a few days back.  I have always been someone who struggles with a lot of fear, anxiety and (little wonder) depression.  So I often find that I'm surviving life like an attack and therefore, I'm always looking for someone or someones or something to save me.  Sometimes I guess I have to hit rock bottom before I'll finally look up.  When I did, I found that I already have Someone who saved and saves me.  Every day, every hour, every second...God saves me.  When will I ever get it and stop looking elsewhere?  I am so tired of making myself and everyone I lean on miserable in my empty search for what's already been found.  Either He is all the love, hope, life, joy, acceptance, approval and glory I need...or He's not.  There is no room for lukewarm sentiments here.  I for one want to believe.  God, I believe in my head...help my unbelief in my heart.

On my drives to work last week, I started listening to a podcast series from my friend Katie's church in Oregon (Imago Dei, also Donald Miller's church).  The series was entitled Rugged Spirituality and deals with the life of David, king and writer of many Psalms (one of which contains my favorite verse).  Anyway, what I had heard that particular morning was this.  We all find ourselves in a wilderness at some time or another.  In David's wilderness, he learned to pray.  The prayers he prayed in the wilderness (running for his life!) are some of my favorite Psalms today.  So think about this...when we find ourselves in a wilderness, it just might be an opportunity for us to learn to really pray from our guts...and that just might be something God uses to bless the whole world--even future generations--through us.

Clothing Wars

Dedicated to my dear friend, Beth.

When I feel blue, sometimes it cheers me up to go to a store and try on something I would probably never purhcase (or wear) in a million years.  My friend Beth and I developed a game around this when I was still living in Montana.  It's called Clothing Wars and here's how it works: 

We would enter a store together and within 5 or 10 minutes, pick out the most ridiculous clothes we could find for each other to try on.  The person who came up with the silliest/worst outfit (for the other person to wear) won.  Beth always won.  Seriously, I would pick out what I thought would be the most hideous thing and somehow, they always looked almost wearable on her.  Whereas I, on the other hand...well, you get the idea.

Another version of the game was the Prom Season version.  I don't think there was ever a winner or loser with this game, because really we both just liked to try on ridiculous prom dresses.  Yes, we were in our mid to late twenties.  Do you see the second photo below?  It is blurry because the shop girl was very angry with us for sharing one dressing room and demanded that we get out at once.  So scary!

I really miss Clothing Wars.  While it did cheer me up quite a bit to try on something I normally wouldn't wear and make silly faces while holding my camera in awkward positions...it just wasn't quite the same without my friend.  So here is what I propose.  A long-distance Clothing Wars that goes something like this:  Walk into ___________ store and pick up the first ___________ (i.e. brown) shirt you see.  Now grab the first ____________ (i.e. pleated) pants you see...and on and on until we have a competition worthy ensemble.  Then we photograph ourselves and post the pictures for our readers to judge...and then we hope that the stores don't sue us or publicly chastise us.  Hm...perhaps one day we should consider trying to make the best outfit instead...then the stores will thank us for all that free publicity!

What do you say?  Anyone else want to join?

P.S.  I actually ended up liking that black dress I tried on!  Too bad it was so baggy up top and too bad I never go anywhere but work and church.  It was cheap!

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning...

A hard fought lesson:

The thing about God is, either He's it or He's not.  Maybe it's time to stop looking and believe.

I don't know if anyone else needs to hear this too...I just know things changed when I did.  If you say you believe God and yet are still looking for someone to die for you, approve of you, tell you belong, call you family, know you deeply and love you unfailingly...you are hurting yourself.  There's only one who can hear your heart's cry at any time of day or night--whether it's expressed in words, broken sobs, or just plain old heart wrenching.  So what are you waiting for, my friend?  Cry out.