sunny sundays

my left foot has one swollen toe. ants. darn sneaky things. it makes me walk a little funny.  i laugh at myself about it so you can too. yesterday was as pretty beautiful as Sundays get.

usually i have to roll into work at eleven, so the morning is me dashing from the eight forty five service to home, to change back into my smelly work attire then to dash to work. with all that dashing theres not really much time to absorb the beauty that is a Sunday morning. 

but yesterday, yesterday there was no work involved. so lezlee and i took up a seat in the second service instead of the earlier. theres more people in the second, and more that i know, as well as more chances that i wont be able to see the words to the music on the screen. this is a little frustrating and makes me realize i take for granted the thinner first service. 

nonetheless i enjoyed the service. sometimes i hesitate to use the word enjoy, but i realize this is just silly. i suppose thats the part of me that feels like i should feel a wave of serious conviction when i go to Gods house. but there's nothing wrong with saying yes, i felt renewed, refreshed, and reminded of my purpose, and i enjoyed it. i would hope i could describe going to church as that way every time i go, otherwise i dont think my heart is in the right place. 

i truly appreciate finding community bible. the messages are so solid, a mixture of learning biblical facts as well as application. the people i meet are so friendly and encouraging, overall so genuine. im really excited that God has placed me there. i have learned so much already, and i am excited about opportunities to join their family in the future. 

we took communion yesterday, which is one of my favorite parts. its such a personal thing, yet you are sharing it with so many others that are on the same road you are, maybe at different mile markers, but all on the same road. its just quite powerful. 

the rest of the day was just as lovely as the start. i had lunch with my friend lezlee. sushi and seaweed salad. then we spent like 3 plus hours at the park. i used to go there alot... but i will openly admit that i am a little skiddish when it comes to the ducks, especially the oversized ones, and the flock of geese. anyway we were there for quite a while. we planted our blankets apparently near some ants. and apparently my tactics of just letting them do their thing on my blanket unless i thought they were on me, didnt work out so well as i was the one that ended up with a bite and lezlee is ant bite free. (she was constantly shooing them away) and the geese just nearly surrounded us at one point. i was a little anxious about the way they kept getting closer and closer. lezlee just laughed. i did however finish up a narnia book. one more to go. and i will have officially read the chronicles. i recommend that if you, like i, didnt read them as a kid... go do it right now. 

hey, mom

maybe you should use this in your picture frame at work instead of that oldie. 

ha ha  ;-D

the tax collector.

my awesome friend bailey gave me a bible read through list, quite a while ago, from New Cov.. as a guide to read through the whole Bible. i havent been as regular with it as i had planned to be, but i am working on it none the less. today i read a passage from Luke chapter 18, 9-14. a parable. a parable Jesus told to "people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt" have you ever read a passage and went ahead and just photoshopped your own name into the story? no i dont mean in an exalting way, i mean in a jesus is giving us a heads up about this and that means you too Julie, no exceptions. anyway, i read it over a couple of times and was blown away. the pharisee is counting off the things that make him great, and saying yeah im so glad im not like that guy over there even, the tax collector. (whom was in the same temple too) the tax collector couldnt even look up to heaven, but was asking God to be merciful to him, 'the sinner!' 

sometimes its too easy to count the good things we do, and live in an imaginary world about the ways we dont measure up. as if we are going to be able to do anything to deserve the grace that God gives us anyway. we must be kidding ourselves. 

the honesty of the tax collector in that parable is just so beautiful. God knows our hearts anyway right? theres no need to lie to ourselves about it. 

"for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted"

threads and paint..

so, i came out with paint all over myself (of course, be it baking or painting i always make a serious mess) and our bathroom... because for some reason i have a thing for doing painting in the bathroom lately...(but dont worry yourself rach, its cleaned up! haha).. anyway i have the first few shirts done! i am incredibly excited over them. i wont lie, carving out the stencils with an xacto knife was torturous... and deciding on the lettering, and size and everything may have been the worst part. but here it is!! and my lovely friend cassie offered to model them for us, how sweet! 

well okay so the conversation went a little like this... 

(cassie had tried her shirt on)

Myself: yay! so can i take a picture of you in it?

Cassie: sure

Myself: great! can i put it on my blog?

Cassie: uhhhh

(later she pre-approved all images and of course deleted the rest)

so, by all means, if you would like a recycled t shirt hand made by me, including a llama image, please email me at : jules.ann.rogers@gmail.com with a size (which varies in kids sizes, adult sizes, and womens sizes) and i will make one specially for you!