Things I Love Thursday.

This week has gone by crazy fast but I am actually quite excited to do this post. (:

• My piano- Most of you know how I feel about music and today is one of those days where I could cry from the happiness it gives me. Dramatic? Oh no, just happy. :D
• Being home- As stated before, I LOVE Michigan, but I am more than pleased to be home. Although there are a few people I wish I could fly to see often, I definitely missed my friends here.
• Sooters (Soot)- In case you haven't read my previous posts about Soot, she is my lovely cat. Nothing beats having a fat, lazy cat for a pet. Oh and might I add that she is participating in an extremely exciting game of "Attack That Crazy Bell" as we speak? :D
• The Movement Youth Ministries- I missed these people a lot, and even though I haven't even seen all of them yet, I really did enjoy seeing the ones I did--you guys are awesome!
• Twitter- I just love keeping up with people's daily lives; I also like to think that others feel the same way about my tweets. 
• theoneinpink- I love following Sarah's blog and I would encourage anyone to take a look. If you wish to take on this great advice, click here.

And here are the things that I didn't feel needed details:

the movie Serendipity - driving during a lightening storm, even if it is distracting - sitting between an older couple on the plane home (whom i will write a blog about later) - sleeping in my own bed - this photo - the thought of looking for a new blog home - almost being done with History - C.S.I. (even the re-runs) - this Wendy's review - feeling loved.

Heads up!

There is definitely a lot of "firsts" on this trip; one of them being the most recent: missing my flight home. Yes, that is correct, I was scheduled to go home today but I unfortunately missed my life. You have no clue how ready I was to be home. I love me some Michigan and I must say, I was just now starting to feel comfortable again, but home is still calling. Anyhow, I have a flight tomorrow and should arrive in the Sunshine State some time early afternoon. I just had to laugh with you guys on one of the peculiar things that have been going on lately.

(:

Things I Love Thursday.

Well, being that it is almost midnight I am just going to jump right in!

• People that make me laugh.
• Baking- This week has been crazy full of baking and the job will not be complete until tomorrow. I am super happy about the results so far and cannot wait to finish up.
• The thought that I am going home soon- Don't get me wrong, I love me some Michigan, but I am missing home quite a bit. My regular schedule is calling me name and I am ready to sleep in my own bed. Aside from that I miss my parents, cat, and friends. Like I said, Michigan is awesome but it is only my second home.
• Leap Year- No, not the actually Leap Year, but the movie. I had read reviews that made me doubt the quality of this movie, but oh were they wrong! This movie may be a bit predictable, but it crept its way up to my favorite's list quite quickly.
• Playing cards with family- Some of my relatives came over earlier this week and we were able to get a full-out game of Hand and Foot going--it was great.
• Getting some cool words from God.
• Hearing my grandma brag about my cooking to others- I don't think she will ever know how great this makes me feel.
• Watching late-night movies knowing you are going to be dead-tired in the morning.

I think this is going to conclude this being that my brain is completely fried. lol. I cannot wait to have the time to post more when I get home! Until then, goodnight!

There's a first time for everything!

If you have been reading my latest blogs you will know that I have been in Michigan. Well, nothing new there, I am still in Michigan and today I was going over to the house of a family friend to bake. Long story short, I was very good at getting lost today. In case you haven't a clue, Michigan roads/placement of signs/turning lanes/etc. are completely different than in Florida. This little trip of mine was only suppose to take 15 minutes--not 45. Also, I was never to enter the freeway. Yes, that is right, I somehow found myself on the freeway and I can safely say it was the worst feeling ever, being lost and driving 70 miles an hour while trying to figure out where to go. Thankfully I had some gut instincts and found my way back to town, but that was far from the end of my getting lost. After escaping the monsters of the freeway I had to battle dead ends, u-turns, construction, and the fight against breaking down. As terrible as this was at the time, it was a good learning experience and makes and awesome story!

Feel free to share any of your stories about getting lost, I would love to read them! (:

Things I Love Thursday

I always seem to get to these blogs oh so late into the day. Better at this time than never eh?

• Ace of Cakes- I love, love, love this show. Not only are they hilarious, but they bake cake; is there a better combination for a show? I do not believe so.
• Afternoon naps- These are pretty self-explanatory in their "awesomeness".
• Michigan- Not only is the air better, but so are the prices on just about everything!
• Food Network- I just can't get enough.
• Ladder Golf- I have no clue where this game even came from but I love it. There are two golf balls attached by a somewhat lengthy string. The object of the game is to throw said golf balls at a ladder (made of PVC pipes), in such a way that they wrap around it. The higher up on the ladder you are, the more points you get. That my friends, is the basic rules to the game.
• Understanding my Algebra work- Need I say more?
• Cooking- Because my grandma's surgery was today, I offered to cook dinner. Even though the kitchen was a mess, the food was delish.
• Patience- This is definitely not something I am perfect with but God has been helping me out with that lately.
• When you get to talk to someone you haven't in a long time.
• The thoughtfulness of my teachers- This is specifically referring to the recorded sessions that my teachers do to help students with lessons. I have taken advantage of these are just watch them instead of reading the lesson--smartest thing I ever did.
• My Zune- I actually forgot that it existed for a while but I am glad to have remembered it once again.

Well, that is all for me this week guys! I hope your week is awesome and that your Thursday was as pleasant as mine.

My Dreams Unrealistic (poem)

A whistle in the wind;
A broken light in the dark.
A thought whipped mind,
Was my life from the start.

Simplicity and ease,
Their lives seem to show.
Doubt and lack of confidence,
No, not even a glow.

Impossible endings,
Are my dreams in real light.
My life it always seems,
Will never take flight.

So many options,
They say are right there,
But for me I see none,
None I even dare care.

For I only see
One choice in my life.
Behind all the clouds,
It all seems just right.

Until the day comes
When the doubted comes true,
I'll work on my seeing,
Seeing like You.

-July 8, 2010
Brittany VanAken

Things I Love Thursday.

I am so tempted to turn this into a "Things I Hate Thursday", but since this is suppose to be a positive thing I won't. Let's get started eh?

• Playing card games with the family- This is pretty self-explanatory right?
• Being in Michigan- I love Michigan and being here is pretty refreshing. However, as much as I love the people here, doing school is deathly difficult. Also, this humidity is just not working for me. (Like Florida is any different eh?)
• Cooking on the grill- Tonight's dinner was grilled sweet and tangy pork chops--so good! I definitely have a new favorite recipe and if you would like it click here. (: Ooh, minor changes though--I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the glaze, and because my pork was boneless, I cooked it a minute less on each side.
• Writing- I have actually written three new poems since I have been in Michigan and it feels good to be doing so again. I haven't yet decided whether I will share these with my readers yet or not, but we shall see.
• Michigan friends- I have really enjoyed spending time with my Michigan family, and I excitedly looking forward to the time I still have left here.
• Good movies- Tonight I watched The Edge of Darkness; it was actually pretty good! I honestly really liked it, minus the fact that the actors need to learn to speak more eloquently. I still don't understand why Hollywood thinks it needs to use the F-word explicitly--or at all.
• 21 Days After Camp- This is a devotional that was given to me at camp and I am loving it! I love when leaders care about you even when you aren't at their camp.
• My Memaw- She's just cool.
• Little comments that make you think- Last night I was introduced to someone by my grandma and in doing so they said, "It is nice to meet you, I've heard good things about you." I honestly want to not only know what they've heard, but who they have heard it from. Not that I am complaining of course, I'm just curious.
• My best friend- I know she seems to make it into every "Things I Love Thursday", but I cannot help the fact that she is so great. I remember worrying about losing touch with her, but now I know that it just isn't possible. haha. :D
• Mulberries- I tried my first mulberries today and I just have one question: Why do they call it a "bush" in "Pop Goes The Weasel" when mulberries grow on a tree?
• This- Ah, it made my day and will make yours too! I was laughing probably more than one should at something like this. :D

Well, I think that about covers it for this week! Drop by next week, or preferably before. (:

A Minute To Win It.

I am just going to start and see where this ends up eh?

While I was at camp, Pastor Jim Raley did a sermon called "Minute To Win It", and it for sure has been on my mind lately. If you think about it, one decision, one split second, can change your entire life. Not every time you make a decision will you have hours or days to come up with an answer; sometimes you only have  a minute to win it.

This has really had me thinking because we never know at the moment how much one decision changes your entire life. I didn't know that what seemed like simple decisions, at the time, would still have me tripping up years later.

With this in mind, I have two questions for you: Who is involved in your decision making process? and Are you willing to make right decisions that may cost you friends or fame?

Oddly enough, I am going to leave you at this and you may or may not receive another blog concerning this.

Lot-o-sun.

I am soaking up the sun here in Michigan! As much as a despise the large fireball in the sky back home, I cannot seem to get enough of it up north. One thing is for sure, when I can lay out and tan, you know that there is a difference. I am the gal with the 85 to 100 SPF sunscreen(usually) and the one that still walks away burned!

Anywho, I just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't fallen off the planet and that I do plan on typing up a pretty good blog here soon. So friends, keep checking back to see when I make that post!

Update.

This week has been quite eventful! From Monday to Thursday I was at camp, Thursday I picked up my new glasses, Friday I got my license, today I have been packing and making trips to the library, and tomorrow I leave for Michigan! On top of all this I have been extremely sick since Friday morning. I was actually running a temperature of 100 until early afternoon today. Along with the fever I have had a really bad cough that kept me up most of the night last night; I am still fighting this cough off.

Anyway, back to where I was going with this post. I haven't forgotten about my blog posts about camp, so expect to see some after I get settled in at my grandma's. I also got a saw a tweet that sparked a new blog idea; I cannot wait until I get the chance to write!

Things I Love Thursday

This week has been beyond amazing! I have spent Monday through Thursday morning at youth camp and I can honestly say that it has been completely life-changing. I can promise you that there will be some blogs soon about some of the things that really hit me.

Moving on with Things I Love Thursday though!

• God's love- This week was extremely powerful, and I must say, God and his love made it the best it could have been. I have not only learned a ton in the last four days, but I feel like I am one step closer to being where I am suppose to be. Being comfortable in your own skin and knowing that you were created in the image of Love can change everything. (:
• New glasses- Today I got to pick up my new pair of glasses! Although I am still adjusting to them, I am ecstatic to be able to see and have a new look at the same time! :D
• My friends- Aside from getting to spend crazy amounts with God this week, I also got to spend time with some of my friends. I really cannot tell them how awesome they are and how thankful I am to have them around. This camp experience couldn't have been any better and I partially have them to thank for that.
• People that truly care- I think this one pretty much just speaks for itself!
• Being able to see so many people crying out to God at once- I can most honestly say that one of my favorite things to see is people giving up all they have just to be closer to Him. Being able to see over 400 people forget about the people around them and to really see how great our God really is, brings everything into a new perspective.
• The Roar- The Roar is an amazing worship band that played all week at camp. Not only will I have their songs stuck in my head forever, but I will be happy about it. These guys were truly amazing and I am so thankful that they were there to help usher us in to His presence.
• People watching- Another awesome thing about camp is the diversity of people that attend. A lot of the time while I was waiting in line to eat or waiting for service to start, I would just look around and observe people. It blows my mind how absolutely every person on this Earth has their own story; how each person is uniquely their own. I honestly believe that realizing the significance behind that is one of the most beautiful things.

Well, these were just some of the things that stuck out about my week! I do apologize that almost all of them referred to camp, but then again I am not sorry at all! This week has been almost completely perfect.

I would love to hear about your week and what you have loved about it!

:D