brainfarts & revelations

We have a phrase in my family for when you're trying to think of a word and it just seems to elude you, or when you just do something really obviously dumb. As poetic as it may be…this is a brainfart. (And yes, I can't even type that without childishly grinning – so mature.) I'm not sure where this phrase came from—may I have the Latin root?—but for a long time, I thought my mom created it. Regardless, I think it's a pretty accurate description of what is happening…compared to literal farts, I mean. Think about it…no one really wants either to happen in public and when they do, you try to play it off like it wasn't you. "Um…you know that thing…uhhh…yeah, you know what I mean" AKA "He who smelt it, dealt it!" (another of my family's more eloquent turns of phrase) The point is, I have no point, I just think brainfart is a really funny word and I've decided it falls on the positive side of the growing Things-My-Mother-Says-That-I-May-Someday-Repeat list. Congrats brainfart, gold stars to you!

Plus, I found this humorous list of top brainfarts I thought I'd share…I agree with quite a few, though I cannot believe they left off "Late for work because you needed coffee, leave mug on the roof of your car and drive off." That one has gotten my mom quite a few times.

I also had two major revelations this week. I'm talking recovering-from-clear-the-room-sized-brainfarts here people:

One: I was eating Chick-fil-A yesterday and staring at the bag wondering why the "F" isn't capitalized…sad letter F. Then I had the following internally conversation: "Chick-fil-A…weird name. Wonder why it's all hyphenated and stuff, I mean, what's a Fil-A anyways. Hmmm…Chick—FIL—A, Chick-Fila, Chicken-Fila, Chicken Filet…Oh my gosh, filet, like a piece of chicken. Woah!" 

Two: While recently thinking about smoking fireplaces (the holidays coming so soon and all), I naturally started contemplating the beauties of having Floo Powder in real life. Then about how Floo Powder is such a weird name…Floo. What does floo have to do with anything?………And there it was…floo…as in a fireplace floo that you open…as in I. Am. So. Dumb.

Oh, also, I once had a friend who was baffled to learn that you didn't need "special batter" for cupcakes. The fact that it is exactly the same cake, just in a cup, was unfathomable to him. At least I knew that one!

This post isn't going to inspire anyone to greatness, but occasionally I really enjoy a cheap laugh over the f-word (fart, not the other one). So, does your brain occasionally cut-the-cheese leaving you feeling like you wasted thousands on a college education? Please share!

my first Cara Box!

Today I get to share with you the coolest bloggy thing I've done yet...been a part of the Cara Box Swap! Graciously coordinated by Kaitlyn at Wifessionals, monthly Cara Boxes partner bloggers together as a means to make friends are share/receive fun, themed gifts. The theme for this month's box was childhood and since my partner and I are relatively the same age, it was super fun to email back and forth about all our favorite memories as 90s kids.

I was partnered with Olivia from Oh and Jay. Let me just say, this young woman is just so sweet. In school, working, and planning her wedding, it's amazing she has time to participate in the swap, but I was so glad she did!

I had such an awesome time trying to find cool stuff to fill her box and I waited with bloggy jitters for mine to come in the mail. When it finally arrived, I got even more excited just looking at the box - can you blame me?!

I almost ripped it open (just like a little kid, so considering the theme I was definitely in-bounds)! Each item I pulled out just got better. So here's my fun gift run-down:

1. Snowman Sugar Cookie Mix - not only do I love to bake, but what kid doesn't love hot cookies!
2. Christmas Stickers (which I'm totally saving for fun giftwrap)
3. Pink  sugar sprinkles - for the cookies, duh (to use a 90s phrase)
4. A silly Santa-shaped soap 
5. A women's daily inspiration book - tons of cools quotes and verses!
6. Junior Mints - my fav candy. i totally rationed them ate them with childish enthusiasm
7. A very sweet card that's up on my fridge
8. The ultimate 90s gift...a Lisa Frank bath set, complete with technicolor animals and a variety of berry scents (a huge throwback to my trapper-keeper...i was wicked cool in middle school, ask anyone)

So yeah, if you want to meet awesome people and get cool loot...click here to learn more about Cara Boxes and join in on the fun! And thanks again, Olivia!

Check out Olivia's blog over the next couple days to see what I sent her!

the thanksgiving cake that couldn't

Did you hear that sound? It's the sound of me slapping my own wrists while tsk-tsk-ing.

Last week, I promised lots of tasty details about the delicious Walnut Spice Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting I was making for turkey-day. Sadly, this tale doesn't end with a determined train making it over a hill…
it ends with me cleaning out my oven (a much less exciting adventure altogether). 

Naturally, I couldn't find my tried-and-true recipe so I hit up AllRecipes.com and find last-minute replacement. I scoured the pages, read reviews, and printed with confidence. Wednesday night came and I rolled up my sleeves ready to go. Alas, something seemed amiss in the directions. In cartoonish fashion, a devil on my left shoulder said, "You know what you're doing…if it seems wrong, it probably is. Trust your baking instincts." On my right, a little angel ever-so-convincingly replied, "But you read all those reviews—you should trust those people. After all, you're no Careme."

Well…sneaky little angel…you lied! The cake was a disaster. The batter was frothy and bland and it baked up all over the sides of the pan, spilling out like a gross avalanche of mistakes all over my oven floor, filling my entire apartment with a putrid stench. Determined as I was, I let it keep baking in the vain hopes that it would magically turn out okay…it did not.

After a flustery moment and chucking the whole thing in the trash, I ran out to the store (yes, Walmart at 11:30 the night before Thanksgiving is a terrifying place) and grabbed a box of spice cake mix. Characteristically determined, I whipped up both layers of the box cake and let them to cool while I finally got some sleep. However—I did follow through on the homemade icing the next morning and it was proclaimed delicious by all at lunch. (Thank you, Duncan Hines, for saving my skin!) So here's a pic of the sneaky finished product:

The only change I made to the cake was to add chopped walnuts and some extra spices. For the frosting, I mixed 4oz softened cream cheese with 2 sticks of butter, 3 tbsp of honey, and approx. 3 cups of powdered sugar. Once blended, I added a splash of milk to keep it creamy and soft. Garnish with chopped walnuts and cinnamon sticks and voila, you're wholly-well-intentioned-and-partially-well-executed cake is done!

We'll see if this lesson learned sticks in the future, and in the meantime, check out this recipe I used and see if you can spot the culprit for my cake disaster. My vote says "cornstarch…in the kitchen…with a measuring cup." I mean, really Sarah, 1/4 cup of cornstarch…."

thinking of thanks

Well, the Thanksgiving "break" (or whatever you call it when you aren't in school anymore and PTO days are the closest you get) has officially started! so here's a fun little graphic I made just for the occasion:

Also, instead of bombarding you with 22 repeated days of things I'm thankful for, here are my top 10 at the moment:

• My little sister coming home for Christmas in just 31 days!!!
• Strider getting to spend some much-needed time at home for Thanksgiving break
• My mom…just everything…and what an amazing listener and friend she is to me (we're B.F.F.s fo-real)
• My church and choir—the community I've found there has hugely impacted the last year of my life
• Homemade desserts (for tomorrow, I'm contributing a Walnut Spice Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting…details to come!)
• Laughter…I mean, who doesn't love a really good laugh?!
• A comfortable bed. I recognize that I am blessed to have this luxury and I'll be very grateful to spend some time enjoying it this weekend.
• My new blogger friends – I've only been at this a short time but I have been so encouraged and joyed at the people I've started to meet.
• For family…of all kinds, shapes, and sizes…and for the fellowship and togetherness of the holidays.
• For the debt Christ paid on my behalf, the unending blessings He gives me, and for grace (to read some really powerful thoughts on true thankfulness, check out this phenomenal post by Jean Caroline)

I have so so many other things to be thankful for that I'm going to pause from blogging (and maybe even from eating) and try to take time this weekend to just bask in authentic gratitude. And thank you for reading!

tuesday tunes – jon foreman

Today's Tuesday Tunes highlight comes from a seriously talented musician and lead vocalist of the band Switchfoot, Jon Forman. Until a couple of years ago, I hadn't really given Switchfoot much attention, kind of writing them off as "just another Christian rock band". However, they're Strider's favorite band (seriously, his not-so-secret life goal is to have a jam session with Jon Foreman…major man crush happenin' there) and he introduced me to Foreman's solo work…which is phenomenal and more acoustic-y than Switchfoot's normal style. Plus, Jon is an excellent writer and really shares his heart and his love for Christ through his poetic words. So on this Tuesday, I'd like to share a song which feels like a prayer just to listen to it: The House of God, Forever.

hearty baked potato soup

Not in the mood for turkey or casseroles knowing what's on the plate later this week? Might I suggest whipping up this easy and bowl-scrapin' good potato soup for a hearty treat perfect for a chilly November afternoon.

All due credit: I got this recipe from my lovely cousin
Lindsey (Reece's soon-to-be mommy)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

A few tbsp oil

5 cups (low-sodium) chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half

4 peeled and chopped potatoes (uncooked)

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Cheese, bacon bits, salt & pepper, and
garlic powder to your liking

Directions:

Chop the onion (and cry a lot even with a fan on in the kitchen) and combine it and the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the broth and cream and bring it to a boil. Dump in all the potatoes (then chase several escapee pieces around your kitchen floor) and parsley and cook over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are smooshy. Add goodies like bacon bits, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your liking (aka, a lot of cheese for extra awesomeness), stir till the cheese melts, and then serve!

It makes enough for 6–8 good sized bowls so if you're just cooking for two, I'd suggest cutting the recipe in half.

Notes: Even when the soup is an edible temperature, the potato chunks can still be super-molten-hot on the inside, so be careful with just diving right in. Also, I may consider trying adding a packet of dry ranch dressing to the broth-cream-boil stage for added flavor. If you try it let me know if you think ranch would work.

Last note: I couldn't write a post all about potato awesomeness without paying respect to a man who truly loves potatoes…Mr. Samwise Gamgee!

a super splendid saturday

productivity and new shoes...what more could you ask for in a saturday? and it all started with Cary Grant in bed. well...me watching him in The Bishop's Wife while I was in bed, but hey, still...not a bad way to wake up (truthfully, my mom and I both gush over Cary like 14-year-old Bieber fans).

moving on......

i'm not a "shopper". i do not enjoy browsing for hours just to look at cute stuff. i'm 100% the make-a-list-and-stick-to-it-er. however...on very rare occasion...i spend a day getting several new things i need, which naturally makes me feel like carrie bradshaw laden with 5th avenue finds...except less stylish, less coordinated, and with clearance rack purchases. thus, i present today's great finds:

• new everyday shoes...yay for definitely-not-knockoff-birkenstock clogs!
• a slightly impulsive pair of new low-cut boots (very cute and conveniently short as my gigantic calves don't cooperate with regular knee-high boots...thanks, powerlifter dad)
• a new purse
• a wallet (i'm 24...it was time to lose the velcro wallet, plus...40% off, holla!)
• new scarf (bought with an almost-out-of-date gift card)
• two Christmas presents (i usually have all my holiday shopping done and wrapped by the first week of Dec...i know...i'm ridiculous)
• a discount bag of chai...mmmm

PLUS, i also got to have lunch with my two awesome friends stephen and alex and then play board games at their sweet new house. THEN later have a fancy dinner with my mom and my korean little sis  (yay restaurant gift cards). now i'm doing laundry and spending time with "my sweetie" as my mom says. I also got to catch up with my super cool little sis living out in Seattle (she's rad like that).

so all in all, i'm feelin real snazzy today. saturdays are a good time for snazziness.

i also spent some time at Lifeway weighing choices for a new Bible (which is being added to my Christmas list as I was painfully unaware of the cost of a good Bible). i'd like to move from my current setup to something with a more study/historically contextual/language study based version. i was trying to decide between Holman Christian Standard Study Bible and the Life Application Study Bible. Anyone have experience with either or recommendations?

"a few of my fav-o-rite things"

Whether it's her boyish haircut or her enthusiasm for Austrian landscapes, I'm feeling inspired by Julie today. So I'm running to the proverbial hills (aka blogland) to share some of my own favorite things. Unfortunately, they don't really go to a snazzy tune like hers do (I tried and failed), but it's a fun list anyways:

Cold sheets & ceiling fans

Finding awesome new blogs/blogger friends

Homemade cocoa with whipped cream

Not setting an alarm clock (aka the week-end! whoo!)

Driving with the windows down

How silky pj pants feel when you finally get around to shaving your legs

Wrapping up in a squishy quilt

The sound york peppermint patties make when you break off a piece

The autumn-y smell of dead leaves and wet earth

British television (my favs: Doctor Who, As Time Goes By, and Downton Abbey)

Giving presents & getting mail—like sending out my Cara Box today!

Really hot spiced chai on a cold, windy day

Nice blog comments and new followers…(hint, hint)

Christmas music (though I am trying to hold off till after Thanksgiving)

Building at-home-assembled furniture (I could seriously work for IKEA, yall)

Oh, and this cat gif (totally cracks me up!) 

Your turn…what are some of your favorite things? I'd love to hear!

tuesday tunes – soulful ladies

First up is one of my absolute all-time favorites Emiliana Torrini, an Icelandic singer whose haunting vocals you might recognize from her performance of "Gollum's Song" in The Two Towers. (I know, I know this makes two days in a row with LOTR references) She is fantastic and I'd very strongly recommend her album Fisherman's Woman (2005). And here's one of my favorites off that album: Sunny Road

And since I didn't get around to doing a Tuesday Tunes last week (the car situation has been fully handled, I'm happy to say), here's another of my favorite sultry female vocalists…the amazing Julie London. As I told Scout over at Cardigans & Old Watches, I first heard Julie in the 2006 film V for Vendetta and I just fell in love with her casual, smoky style. She can swing it right along with the greats (namely, Ella & Billie), and her sensual tone always makes me feel like I'm sitting in bar smoking a cigarette and drinking a mint julep somewhere circa 1960. (though I don't actually do any of those things, for the record) So here's one of her most famous songs (I know you'll love it too): "Cry Me A River"

cookies & imaginary French friends

Back in 2002, I was just 14 and still fairly inexperienced in the kitchen…but every Thursday evening I felt like a master. Even though it was after the glory days of Julia, Chocolate with Jacques Torres held it’s own well before Emeril and Rachel Ray ever hit the foodie scene—back in the good old days when Iron Chef was still in Japanese and no one had ever heard of it. But I digress…the point is that as soon as I heard the rich French accent of Monsieur Torres, I felt like I could bake anything! When it got pulled off the air, I was inconsolable.

Fast forward 10 years and there I was, completely thrilled to have stumbled across this recipe for Torres’ own Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies. However, post-jail Martha seems to have become a little unreliable (sorry!). But I forged on with full confidence in my old friend Jacques. Now, I don’t know whose pants are on fire for this one (liar, liars), but this is definitely not Jacques’ best-kept secret. Don’t get me wrong, the cookies are great…dense and packed with chocolate. But they are far too sweet (especially for a traditional French palette) and the recipe made almost 8 batches. 8 batches, ladies. My kitchen looks an episode of Hoarders filmed at Cookie Monster’s house!

Anyways, I’ve been giving away these great-but-not-perfect cookies all weekend and silently pondering over the recipe. So I looked and again and was steered back on to the right path by the trusty Bakerella. She posted this link to the real Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies and upon further inspection, it seems to have everything mine were lacking: altogether much less dough and a salt sprinkle to balance all the sweetness. Once I finish pawning off graciously sharing the dozens of cookies I still have at home, these will definitely by my take-2!

On the plus, while I was hand chopping the pound of chocolate Martha’s recipe called for, I felt just like my girl Juliette Binoche in Chocolat…probably one of my top 3 favorite movies of all time. If you have somehow managed not to see it yet…I’ll quote Gandalf and say, “Fly, you fools!” But seriously, go watch it now…and buy yourself some fancy chocolates to snack on while you watch (that’s an important part).

So tell me…do you have an amazing secret chocolate chip cookie recipe?

And what makes the worlds best chocolate chip cookie in your opinion?
Thin and crispy, big and cakey, dense and fudgy? I’m partial to the slightly undercooked fudgy kind.

how my sad car reminded me of something bigger

This is a long post, but please bear with me…it's worth it. So Tuesday morning, I woke up, got dressed, packed bfast and a thermos of my favorite hot tea, and set out for work. Two flights of stairs and one door later, I find this:

Call me small-town, call me naive, but I just didn’t think people actually did this…stealing car wheels and leaving it on bricks. Particularly in a wide-open parking lot full of other, much nicer cars. Dumbstruck and frustrated are the understatements of the year. But ya know…such is life. And I’m not about to spend the rest of a perfectly good blog post just complaining about it. I’d much rather share what this unexpected little event has caused me to think on during the last 48 hours, amidst a slew of phone calls with my insurance company: how God takes care of us and about desperation.

We later found out that my car’s particular make and model requires special sized tires, leading the police and insurance company to believe that someone out there has the exact same car as me and couldn’t afford to replace their own tires. Or that they’re running a chop shop. Regardless, I’ve been trying to focus on what those people were thinking or feeling when they did this, rather than just giving in to being angry. I know there’s a chance they’re just heartless criminals looking to make some quick money, but I also know that anyone can be driven to do crazy things in times of desperation. Be it for drugs, or food for their family, or just to keep themselves safe from debts with the wrong people. The point is…I have felt desperate before. I am an incredibly blessed person, but I do know what it's like to feel the heartwrenching panic of being desperate and lost and alone.

And whoever you are...I understand, And I’m genuinely sorry for whatever circumstances have brought you to this place. Frankly, I’d rather just be angry and think the worst of you. But I know the real difference…the one thing I have in that moment of fear and helplessness…hope in Christ. My family has struggled and we know what it's like to feel like everything is falling apart…BUT every. single. time….God showed up. In the most unexpected way, He was there providing. We’ve received countless anonymous checks that literally saved us from the brinks, and innumerable friends have stepped in to fill in the gaps. And every time things looked darkest, we knew (and know!) that God has got it under control. All we have to do is trust.

So to you, people with my tires: I want you to know that I’m praying for you. And that it really is okay. Just last night, I shared what happened with my church choir and several people started pulling out cash and checkbooks to help me cover my (daunting) insurance deductible. And in this way, what you’ve done has just been a great reminder of all the incredible blessings I've been given and the unending way that God’s always got me covered. I’m just sad I can't share these thoughts with you. Boy do I know what it feels like to be lost and desperate, but that not me now. And it doesn’t have to be yours. Whatever the circumstances are...there is no desperation so dark that Christ can't bring you out of it. So I’m going to pray that somehow those tires will lead you to Him, to a family of people who will love and encourage you. And I for one, would welcome you with open arms.

Psalm 32: "Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

cocoa to die for…or from

Have you ever tasted something so good that you wanted to close your eyes and swim in it?
If not…here’s your opportunity!

I stumbled across a hot chocolate recipe a few weeks ago (thank you, Pinterest) and knew immediately that it was meant for me. First of all, I. Love. Winter. …A lot. Secondly, I also love (and own) the movie Polar Express. Lastly, because I consider myself something of a cocoa connoisseur. I can admit that I love it far more than I should and frankly, I think there is something supremely magic in a great cup of cocoa. Proper hot chocolate should taste like it was ladled out of Willy Wonka’s river, did the tango with a cinnamon stick, and then snuggled down for a long winter’s nap under a fluffy blanket of snowflakes. I warned you…I’m totally hooked.

Anyways… so when I read the following recipe (compliments of Honey & Fitz), I was very excited. Despite my cocoa love affair, I’ve never made it from scratch before. It a great decision. Plus, my sweet friend Annie was over and game for an adventure (she always is). So we gathered our ingrediments (as our choir ladies say) and got to work…short work because it’s just cocoa after all and not very difficult.

The recipe seemed like it would serve a lot so we halved it and decided to use the leftover heavy cream for homemade whipped cream (a first for Annie). It also calls for 30-40 min of stirring time so we altered the directions due to childish impatience time constraints. Here’s my adapted version of Polar Express Hot Cocoa (original here):

In a medium pot, combine the following over medium-low heat:

¾ cups of heavy cream

½ of a 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp each vanilla and cinnamon extracts

3 cups of milk (we used 2%)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 cup each of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips by microwaving for 30 seconds and stirring alternately until smooth.

Stir the milk mixture until it gets moderately warm then add in your melted chips. Keep stirring until it reaches your desired cocoa serving temperature. (As I pointed out to Annie, if you add the chocolate straightaway to the cold milk, it will harden back, rendering all your hard-earned microwaving for naught.)

To make the whipped cream (which you should totally do), put a medium bowl and your mixer beaters into the freezer. Once they’re nice and chilly, pour your remaining heavy cream into the bowl (we had about 1 cup of cream leftover and it made plenty), add a tbsp of confectioner’s sugar and tbsp of cinnamon, then beat on medium until peaks form (usually 2-3 minutes). Just don’t overbeat it or it will get clumpy and weird. Once this is done, you can keep it right in the freezer until it’s ready to take a bath in your cocoa (lucky whipped cream).

Once you reach your desired serving temp, carefully pour it in to cute mugs (okay, they don’t have to be cute but it makes Annie’s instagramming fancier), spoon on a ton of your awesome homemade whipped cream, sit down somewhere comfy, and prepare to be amazed. It is super rich and decadent and probably should only be served in smallish cups, but it is awesome. And so is spending time with friends on a quilt desperately in need of patching (more to come on this sad tale later).

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

**Final note: our halved recipe made enough for around 4 good-sized mugs’ worth

swimming in ink: just my type

Know the difference between serif and sans serif? Ever spent hours perusing dafont.com? When scrolling through your font toolbar, could you take a quick nap before you reach the end? Do you feel personally assaulted when sent an email with Comic Sans or CurlzMT? Then Just My Type is probably the book for you.

From Guttenburg's press to the era of hipsters with Helvetica tattoos, Just My Type covers it all. Garfield takes time to really explore the history of type development and its ever-evolving impact and influence on audiences. He also examines some of the biggest trends and faux pas in font use as well as some of history's greatest font wars…yes, you read that right, wars over fonts.

And though it certainly has a visual aspect to demonstrating the fonts being discussed, this book is by no means destined for a coffee table. The best part…you don't have to be a graphic design junkie to enjoy it. I promise! Garfield is intellectual and lighthearted, throwing in a slew of random facts, interesting stories, and personal thoughts. Plus, he’s is no type expert…just a font enthusiast himself. 

From one Amazon reviewer, "[Garfield] writes about the artisans behind the lettering, and most interesting, how certain fonts cause emotional responses in the people who view them. Why were some fonts popular for hundreds of years, only to fall from favor? How do fonts determine what consumers buy and what they don't buy? And how boring our lives would be if everything was printed in the same font."

There’s a lot more to type design that most people realize, even though it surrounds us in every aspect of our lives. I mean, you’re reading this right now…in a font. So stop browsing MyFonts.com, trying to figure out whether you can afford that latest-and-greatest, just-have-to-have-it sans serif beauty, and check out Just My Type.

Just My Type by Simon Garfield

384 pages, paperback

Gotham Books, copyright 2012

ISBN: 1592407463

(for the record, I bought this book on my own and received no compensation for this ballin review either from Mr. Garfield or the dudes at Gotham)

thoughts on joy

I have this refrigerator magnet about peace. It was a gift from my (amazing) mom during a particularly stressful time in my life a couple years ago and ever since I put it up, I read it and try to remind myself of the truth in its words.

But like patience or love or forgiveness, having peace is an easy one to practice when the going is good. And despite my general gloominess this week and certain recurring stressors, when I’m honest with myself (like metaphorically standing in front of a full-length mirror naked honest), things in my life are pretty darn awesome right now. So why such a poopy pants then, huh sarah? I know, I know.

I do benefit from reading my tiny magnet, but right now, I want to focus on joy. Not the just-got-some-flowers-at-work or discovered-a-cool-new-band or yay-the-Eagles-finally-won-a-game kind of happy. I’m talking about the God-is-so-good! kind of joy! The kind of joy where you know if you could actually see your soul outside your body, it would be smiling and the two of you could have a dance party together (laws of metaphysics aside). The joy of really knowing that you are immensely loved by an immeasurable God. Then, like in a Claritin allergy commercial, suddenly all the extraordinary blessings around you are crystal clear—the haze is lifted. That is the joy I'm embracing today.

I fully recognize that it would be exhausting to be that joyful all the time. And that like all good things (except mint Oreos), there is something even better the rarity of these moments. But for today, I’m enjoying it—haha, get it? (excuse the terrible pun)

So before you return to your regularly scheduled programming (whatever that may be). Call a “Stop! Hammertime” on your day and take a few moments to have a dance party with God, just because of joy. I mean it…really dance, alone in your room, just feeling joy down to your fingertips. If you need a little inspiration, I’d strongly suggest this totally rockin’ tune…I'm dancin!