It's like a friend's episode...

"Go for it Chandler! Jump off the high dive! look down the barrel of a gun! Pee into the wind!"
"Joey, I assure you, if I'm staring down the barrel of a gun, I'm going to be peeing pretty much every which way."

Watching: FRIENDS Season 3
Eating: Ravioli and Arizona Green Tea
Resting from: Missions Health conference preparation
Playing: rocking this Car IQ thing on facebook. My brother taught me well.
Glancing at: some pretty flowers from Kelsey:)
Thinking: I'm happy where I am...

This past Sunday at lunch I was reminiscing about Fall Sunday afternoons from when I was young.
It would be cold outside, so my mom, dad, brother and I would hurry to the car after church was over. We'd get home to the smell of pot roast cooking in the crock pot. Dad would flip on football to see if the game started yet. David and I would run to go change into warm play clothes while Mom started the sides for lunch. After I helped, as much as Mom would let me, and David secured his place on the floor with hotweels, it was time for lunch. Oh, that wonderfully tender meat that would fall off your fork! Just the perfect addition to our family's joking and banter. It was always consumed too soon, but just in time for the start of the second half of the game. I'd help mom clear the table, put away the leftovers and wash the dishes, every so often running in to see the score. Once the pots were drying and the kitchen light was off, I'd run in to sit next to Daddy and let him explain what I had missed. (I wanted to be like him, so I would cheer for his teams.) David would be in the living room as well most of the time, but sometimes I'd have to go find him to see what he was doing. He'd be building some great city or fixing a remote control car and I'd try and join him. Most of the time I was too "little sister" to play. But sometimes, he would let me. (I also wanted to be cool like him, but I never wanted it to show.) After the games were over and the cities were built, we'd pile back into the car for Mom and Dad's choir practice, in which I sat in the back of the room, singing every word. The day would end, homework completed, snacks eaten and kitchen light off which meant "closed", and one more beautiful, cold, loving Sunday afternoon in the books.

Today's days go by too fast. I run to church, to lunch, home for a quick nap before the next event. I'm constantly going, moving, singing, planning, eating, watching, thinking and going! I love it! I daydream about what I'll be doing in 5-10 years. Where will I live? In Poland? In America? Will I be married? Will I have little Julies runnin' around? Will I work for a church? Will I be singing somewhere? (probably not if it's not in church... they are the only ones with grace enough to let me sing ;)) Will I be living in Poland, speaking Polish, eating Polish, living Polish? Will I be back in Kansas?!?

But wait. Just sit for a minute. Just stop and listen. Be still. Be still and know He is God. Why do I worry and fret over what happened last week or what is going to happen next week? Why do I spend time on me, when I could so easily give time to others? Here I am, with wonderful friends... with an amazing house in which they can come and chill... with a job that is seriously, THE best job ever!... and being blessed with so many other things I can't even list them all! Be still and KNOW that He is God! He has created all things, brought all things to be, and already knows what will happen. He has a perfect plan that I like to try and figure out before He tells me. He is the highest and the greatest! In Him and only in Him is perfect trust!

Yea, the past was great! :) I have an amazing and loving family. And Yes, the future will be amazing... whatever and whenever it comes. But, right now. Right now I'm going to live in the present. Live in a different state than my real family. Live in Kentucky with my adopted family. Live with chipped nail polish. Live with Jane Austin movies. Live with Thursday nights after basketball. Live with Arizona green tea. Live in Love with Christ.

God has giving me the present. So that's where I'll stay. :)
~just.julie

its like taking a shower right after playing mud football...

.... a few things that make me :)

rain.
football weather.
hoodie weather.
missing school days.
stars.
ranch flavored folded over chips.
knowing where I'm going to spend eternity.
cheesecake with cherry pie filling.
dreaming about being in Poland.
being in Poland.
movies with good music in the background.
talking about God's love and hope.
being at the baseball park.
cooking shows.
phone calls from Poland.
getting a bouquet of flowers for the first time... for my birthday.
having random guitar played.
playing catch.
driving a five speed.
singing to the God who cares about little insignificant things... like me!
doing nothing and justbeing with a friend.
climbing on the roof and looking up at the sky.
being made fun of by my brother.
long, freshly cleaned jeans.
cantaloupe.
freshly brushed teeth.
boys basketball shorts.
an empty car, an ipod and an open road.
a full car and an open road. ipod optional.
you.

* this is the result of having writer's block at 1 am... but still wanting to write. you come up with a list of things that make you :)
gotta love the rain!
~just.julie

...it's like putting batteries into a remote...

... once they're in there... you can watch something new... at any random time...

Yes, it is beginning. Yes, I am giving in. But no, I'm not coming in lightly.

If I were just to write and randomly post my thoughts, it would be ok, but not jazzy enough. I know that I write like I talk in the verbiage. So, I will blog like I talk... with randomness and in analogies. Sometimes I will have an analogy that describes a situation. And sometimes I will have situations that describes an analogy.
As always, to be Julie, I will probably talk about Poland or music or my amazing friends. And about how God continues to bless me.
I have hesitated to start this because I didn't really know how to start or where to start. But my darling Amy has walked me through the process. Including how to link her name ;)
Again, I almost warn you, these will be good, random, interesting, and with an analogy to wrap it all together.

So thanks for putting the batteries into your remote.

~just.julie

PS: Noting just to note... Olympics being on the other side of the world... timing makes it easy to be slightly addicted to them... and with the world records being broken, I almost feel guilty and left out if I don't watch. But I join the athletes in saying, once the games are over, I will be getting more sleep.