Show us your life- Portland, OR

I am doing a post for Kelly's Korner. I was born and raised in Portland, OR. I love the Northwest! We do get a lot of rain which makes winters hard but it is BEAUTIFUL here! We have gorgeous flowers and trees in the Spring, mild summers and gorgeous falls. The nice thing about winter here is there is still green. I have only lived in one other place (in college) and the winters were so brown. We also have gorgeous mountains, lakes and rives and Portland is only an hour and a half from the beach! Portland itself is a growing city with lots to do. We are known for our breweries which I love (I'm a beer girl). We have lots of yummy happy hours at our fun restaurants, lots of places to walk or hike, streets with boutiques full of fun and quirky stuff, parks, and much more! I love it here!

Here are some pictures of my fun and beautiful city!

Why Church Matters...

http://www.karipatterson.com/2010/04/17/why-church-matters/

Please go read this blog post on a blog I follow...it is so good (as many of her posts are!).

Anyone who knows me well knows I've had some bad experiences and lots of hurt by "the church"- specifically pastors. So, over the past 4 years I have been walking through my issues with the church & pastors. I have failed, I have risked, I have grown, I have overall come a long ways in 4 years. But I know my road is not "over". I trust pastors more than I did 4 years ago. I am involved in a church. I can actually say I love my church. I know some of my pastors now. But I have not arrived. I am still really cautious of pastors in general. I still have a hard time going to service every week (I'm at church every week serving but getting to service is harder for me). I go to some of the weekly events but could do more. I have tried some home communities but haven't fully committed to one. I pray for my pastors- esp for humility & wisdom- but I know I could pray more for them.

As I read this post I realized I still don't love "the church". I am still disillusioned at times because what I learned about what the church is and should be in Bible College is not how many churches actually operate. I know the church is made up of sinful people (myself included) so living out what I think "should" be will fail at times. I fail, we all fail at being the church- the way Jesus established it. And as Kari writes about we all have a purpose and role and because I still hold back I may be causing my church to limp...and because others that come to my church don't serve or don't give or don't whatever they are causing the church to limp a bit...We (as believers) are supposed to be a part of this messy thing called church. We are supposed to risk and grow and love and commit. I want to be there again...I want to LOVE the church again. I used to. I am starting to love my church... but loving the overall church...I am not there yet...

Another fun giveaway!

Gorgeous duvet cover is being given away! I hope I win :)

http://dreamywhites.blogspot.com/

Giveaway!

Here's a fun giveaway giveaway.

Health & Wellness

I am excited about Health & Wellness! Over the past couple of years I have become more aware of my health and what I eat. I have made steps to eat healthier and live a healthier. The first step was cutting down on my sugar intake. I've always had a sweet tooth but I have strong reactions to sugar. Strong enough that I was tested for Diabetes. I don't have it but my doctor thinks I may be hypoglycemic (he said it's hard to test for since you have to come in when you're having reactions). ANYWAY, I still love my sweets but don't crave them nearly as much since I've cut down. Some other steps I have taken over the past couple of years is switching to natural health & beauty products such as Arbonne and Created Natural. There is a lot of yucky chemicals in lotion & makeup. Anything with mineral oil should be thrown out! I still use regular deodarant (thought that will prob change soon) and mascara (made of bat poop- gross) but for the most part I have switched to natural, organic beauty products.

In my diet I have cut out foods with partially hydrogenated soybean oil and other hard to pronounce chemicals. I buy all natural yogurt, some organic fruits, hormone free meat, farm fresh eggs, whole wheat pasta, etc. I wouldn't consider myself a really healthy eater but have made a lot of steps towards that...

What I have started more recently (I have taken them off and on for a few years but recently became committed) is Juice Plus+. I am super excited about this product! I am excited to share with my friends about because I BELIEVE in it! Here is our website: www.juiceplus.com If you have never heard of it basically it is a prodcut to help you get in the recommended 9-13 servings of fruit & vegetables a day. It is whole food based nutrition including juice powder concentrates (in capsule or chewable form) from 17 different fruits, vegetables & grains. It is supported by clinical, 3rd party research to include health benefits.

I am having a Wellness Presentation on Tuesday March 23rd if you want more information just let me know. If you live out of town but are interested please let me know and I can get you some more information, answer your questions or get your order!

I have to share with my blogging friends because I believe in it and have seen how it has helped my immune system this winter. Last winter I was out sick numerous times (6 days in one month w/ 3 different colds) and this year have only had a very mild cold! More than that I know it is helping my body overall.

Please let me know if you have questions- I'd love to help you!

Overall, I am making steps towards health & wellness and am so excited about it! I am slowly getting back into exercise (the missing link since my car accident) and know my body will feel even better once I am in better shape. I hope to be healthier than my parents generation and definetly my grandparents generation (4 types of cancers, diabetes, 3 grandparents with heart problems, etc).

Decorating

Anyone who has been to my house knows I love to decorate. It's one of my hobbies and it is really fun and relaxing to me! I've done a few projects lately that I hope to take pictures of and post. I made a chalkboard & corkboard from frames I found at a garage sale last summer. Now my little "office" (in my laundry room) looks complete! I realize that everything I have in my office corner either came from a garage sale or from my parents house (almost as good as a garage sale!). I'll post pics soon.

Last weekend I took down all my winter decorations and brought out the few Spring decorations I have. I ended up going to two cute stores to get a few more things (all ended up being birds). I need a few more things still so I'm on the lookout for some cheap, cute decorations or crafts I can do. I tried making a sign that says "flowers" but I don't like it. I plan to redo it soon. How do you decorate for Spring? Do you use birds, bunnies, nests, flowers or...?

Simple Pleasures...

On one of my favorite blogs today she is having people blog about "simple pleasures"...

Here are a few of mine:

- coming home from a long day to a happy, lovable dog- she always puts a smile on my face and is so excited to see me each and every day
- the first flowers of Spring
- being able to savor my morning cup of coffee on a weekend or day off
- having a good hair day
- reading magazines- my favs are Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens & Country Living
- a good conversation with a friend
- waking up to snow and not having to go anywhere
- a baby smiling
- waking up without an alarm clock
- walking across campus at work in the Spring or Fall
- an unexcepted sunny day in the middle of winter
- a friend or family member saying they love me
- chatting with my mom on the phone about nothing (or something)
- my dog laying her head on me
- snail mail
- having a day or evening of sunshine to garden
- seeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset
- laying on the beach watching the waves crashing, enjoying the sun and taking a nap (or reading a book/magazine)

What are some of yours?