a little about me

Occasionally I blog for the Devo'Zine youth worker blog "In the Habit," and they invited me to write a bio for an upcoming blog post I wrote for youth workers to explore photography and other creative faith expressions with their youngin's. So I decided to use photography in my bio and thought it might be fun to share here and reintroduce myself to all of you.

So let the fun begin, eh?!?!

My name is

Made in the image of our Creator, all of us were born to

So that’s what I live to do each day of my life. I

for a living, and writing is my heartsong. And I work at

(pronounced lulu + lemon like the fruit, by the way).

Both of my jobs push me and inspire me in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

I love dancing, reading, cupcaking and practicing

I’m a firm believer that we should

& so I do. Occasionally I bring out my camera and take photographs or find myself with a canvas and a paintbrush just to try something new.

May you all tap into the

and the

that God has planted deep within each of our hearts, and shine! That is the joy of life, and life is meant to be lived joyfully.

namaste.

Health Journaling

I'm starting a health journal. I write about it because I probably need a bit of accountability with it. I'm great at journaling when it's non-required. Knowing that I have a health journal to feed regularly feels a bit like an assignment.

But it's a much-needed assignment. I have chosen to manage my asthma without the daily medicine prescribed when I was diagnosed last April. It has gone fairly well. For the most part, I've used the prescribed rescue inhaler only a few times in the year . . . until the past two weeks. Just like last year at this time, these last two weeks have been difficult. I've had a mild asthma attack every day for the last week and have relied on my inhaler more than I would like. I need this health journal to help me remember a few things:

Triggers. I've learned that certain foods trigger asthma attacks. I tried some Chick-fil-A fries the other day, and I was wheezing within 10 minutes. Not fair! Bread an butter do this, as well. So does mile 6 of my hula-hooping. I don't need anything except my tight chest and coughing to let me know what mile I'm on when I'm on the journey. So there are some definite triggers, and I want to record all of them.


Asthma plan. I need to carry an asthma plan on me at all times and let the people I am with the most know that it's on me and in this nifty little book. That way, in case I'm having a hard time communicating, they will know exactly what to do. I realize that choosing to do this medicine-free may have a few risks, so I need to carry the plan.

Water. Water is a life force. And I can definitely tell that it helps my asthma, and I just feel better in general when I drink it. So I could use the book to make sure I'm getting my daily allotment (because I certainly don't choose to drink water naturally).

Exercise. I need to make sure I'm getting my good workouts at least 5 days a week. I believe that it will help my immune system build stronger. And, let's face it, I'm getting older. No time like the present to really care for this body of mine!

And so let the journaling (and accountability) begin! I have this cute 60-70% recycled journal made by greenroom, so I hope it will motivate me. I'll take a photo of it and add it later.

peace.

Friday Five

Thought I'd give the RevGalBlogPals Friday fabulousness a go today. This week it's all about . . . pudding!

1) First of all, thumbs up? or thumbs down? Do you like pudding?
Thumbs sideways . . . I like my boyfriend's bread pudding a lot, a lot. It's so creamy and scrumptious, and it's so cute how he takes so much time making it just perfectly. Does bread pudding count? Otherwise, my thumb falls down quickly. Well, I have had a rice pudding that I enjoyed but not all rice pudding.

2) Instant or cooked? (Does anyone make pudding from scratch?)
Bread pudding homemade and cooked. Delicious.

3) If you had to choose, would you prefer corn pudding or figgy pudding?
I love creamed corn, popcorn, fried corn nuggets and corn on pizza, so I think I'd prefer a heaping helping of corn pudding. I'm not so keen on getting figgy with it!

4) Have you ever finger painted with pudding?
I suppose as a child when mom served banana pudding (which our entire family loved except for me) I probably painted on my high chair tray. But in my adult memory, I haven't tried that . . . yet.

5) Finally, what is the matter with Mary Jane?
She's quite disappointed that rice pudding isn't colorful enough to use as paint on her high chair tray!

Happy weekending!

Guilty pleasure du jour . . .

My friend Amber mentioned Pacific Natural Foods' almond milk on her lovely Girl Healthy blog this week. Since I needed some groceries I thought I'd give it a go. I typically use rice milk since I cut out a lot of dairy to manage my asthma better, but I like almond milk and was interested in trying this affordable brand at Trader Joe's.

And this is how my love affair began. While looking for the milk, I passed the potato chip aisle. I don't know how it knew my name, but this plump, beautiful bag of sweet potato chips began calling to me. How can I ignore a calling, so I purchased a bag and tore into it in the car on the way home (one of many reasons why I should eat before shopping for groceries). Oh. My. Mercy. Each delicious chip makes my tongue sing. Trader Joe's claims on the bag that "they're made with fresh, vibrantly colored sweet potatoes, and they retain the sweet potato's delicately sweet flavor." They are divine! When I got home, I tried them with a bit of pineapple cream cheese. Now while this combination probably nulls and voids the low sodium, low sugar, good fiber qualities of the chip, your lips will want to kiss themselves for getting to savor such a treat. I hope I can refrain from finishing the bag this afternoon.


Kissing my new guilty pleasure, the love of my day . . .

Marriage Water

A few years ago I was taking a friend of mine to the airport for her flight back to Burundi. We were on a team together that had just finished a meeting in Myrtle Beach. Before arriving at the airport she asked a question that must have been brewing in her mind for several days (or at least several minutes while sitting next to each other in the car).

"What's the matter with your face," she asked.

Well.

There was Ron in 3rd grade who used to so eloquently say to me, "You look like a burnt piece of toe jam." Then there was Freddie in 5th grade whose favorite little zinger was, "I think I'll watch [insert preferred television show of the moment here] on your big forehead." Back then I sought consolation in the wise grade school proverb: "Boys pick on the girls they like the most."

But this time—some 15 years since I heard the last cruel references to my appearance—I was stunned. I mean, even the disgusting reference to dirt and sock debris between toes was better than someone flat-out asking me why I am an ugly cow!

I gained my composure. This time seeking consolation in knowing that her English, while far superior to my Swahili, still kept her from properly asking the question I thought she must really be pondering (which was, of course, "How do you stay so beautiful and youthful?").

"What do you mean?" I said.

"Your face," she said, now gesturing towards me in a circular motion that outlined my vulnerable visage. "What's wrong with it? Why do you have so many bumps? Do you not drink water?"

I thought: So I have some acne. It's improving! I mean, it's not as bad as it was in high school! But . . . genuine concern for acne is still no excuse for asking someone what's wrong with her face!

"Oh. No. I don't really drink much water. Never been a big fan. I guess I need to, though," I said.

"Ohhhh . . .," she said, "Yes, you need to drink more water, or you're not going to get married."

Now, my closest friends know that getting married is not enough incentive for me to stock my house with bottles of Fiji. But this lovely moment did give birth to the infamous day my girlfriends and I dubbed H2O with a more fabulous name: marriage water. A glass of agua was once a source of hydration but is now a source of nuptial bliss. Who knew?

So I chuckled today when my friend Jennifer sent me a link for bona fide marriage water from a company in the UK.

So all the single ladies, if you drink it then he's sure to put a ring on it!



*And for you curious readers: I did incorporate more water in my diet (for hydration purposes, of course). I'm still not a huge fan. And nobody has asked for my hand in marriage. But no one has ever asked what's wrong with my face ever again, either.*

Exhausted . . .

I've been tired all of the time lately. I desire a nap more than usual. We had a camp for the Golden Triangle children of our church last week. I feel like I'm still catching up on sleep from the week. But maybe I'm just tired all of time from something else.

Despite my exhaustion, I'm at peace. I'm journeying with Julian of Norwich this month in my daily devotions, so my theme for life right now is, "All is well." And truly, even though life's highs and lows can find ways to tire us, all manner of things will be well in the end. Amen!