quote of the week

"True elegance consists of saying all that should be said, and that only."

 -Francais de la Rochefoucauld      

"Never miss a good chance to shut up."

-Will Rogers                     

Both of these quotes are simple reminders to me to keep a tight rein on my tongue. It's a lesson I've been learning over the past few years and I will probably continue to learn it the rest of my life.


I want to be a woman who speaks with grace and love, but also speaks boldly when necessary. I want to be a woman of few words so that when I do speak, people listen. I want my words to carry weight. I really dislike when I can tell someone is just speaking to fill the silence or giving me "fluff" that really has no value. Here's to learning to speak a little more wisely. 


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

i want one

(image)

i was really hoping to find a large floppy straw hat like this one to take on the cruise before i left, but i didn't. well, i found some, but they were ridiculously priced. so, i'm hoping to find a fun one at our first port of call. every cruiser needs a great straw hat, don't ya think? happy cruising to me!!


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

quote of the week

"the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

      -st. augustine

this is definitely my approach to life. the more stamps i get on my passport, the better. the more experiences i can gather, the better. the more places i can see and touch and smell and taste, the better. i love to travel. i got it from my Mimi. she had the travel bug too. i've found in my 24 years of life that my life is richer and more well-rounded because i travel. i leave my bubble and experience discomfort, differences, and diversity.

there's something to be said for restful time at home and enjoying a routine. you know me and my freakish organization and routine-setting. i love it. but i also love (and crave) the chance to get out and experience new things, to challenge myself, to broaden my perspective. life isn't about me. and traveling reminds me of that. the world is a big place. there's more to life than my little sphere of influence. it's not all about me.

on that note, enjoy your monday afternoon. i'm going to continue enjoying myself on this cruise with sis, ginny, and ellie.

[disclaimer: i wrote this beforehand since i'm cut off from the world this week]

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

big day

please remember to pray for my friends Brad and Jenny Lotz. today is a big day in their battle for little Brody. they'll find out today if they get to keep him forever or if the Lord has a different plan in store.


please continue to pray for the Lord's will to prevail and the best situation for Brody to come to fruition. and pray for Brad and Jenny to have the strength and grace to weather whatever the outcome is. i'm praying that, no matter what, the Lord receives some crazy glory through this whole process, but selfishly i'm praying that Brad and Jenny get to keep Brody. 


Brad and Jenny, i love you and will call you as soon as i get off the ship and have connection to the world again.


thanks for fighting with me in prayer for my dear friends.


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

the fun ship

tomorrow i board our fun ship. i get to spend a week at sea with three fabulous gal pals (the sis, Ginny, and Ellie) and completely disconnect from life for 7 days. to say i'm excited is the biggest understatement i've uttered in all of 2011. happy late birthday present to my sis. love doing life with you and can't wait to celebrate the richness of your life on board this fabulous ship!! 


here are some pics to make the rest of you jealous of our week long adventure. :)

our ship: Carnival Legend

first port: cozumel, mexico

second port: belize

third port: isla roatan

fourth port: grand cayman

here's to hoping i come back bronzed, refreshed, encouraged, full (pray i don't overeat at every meal...just a few), and ready to fully dive into my new Tampa life.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

migrating south

here are a few pics from my migration south to tampa and some pics of the whole unpacking and settling in process. more pics of the final product to come, but for now here ya go. :)

open road in arkansas. glorious.

on the road somewhere between birmingham and tampa.

oh hey birth town!!

mom and pops helping assemble my bathroom storage unit.

ta da!!

what once was a nice wardrobe box is now a crumpled piece of cardboard with clothes in it.

and let the unpacking begin...

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

be strong. think fit.

that's my mantra every time i run. last night i ran a 3.6 mile adventure race at picnic island park in south tampa. it was fun to get out and see a part of town i hadn't explored, be surrounded by new people of all ages, and get in a good workout. i set out with the goal of running sub 40, but wasn't sure how that would work out with the sheer number of people that were running (there's always the bottleneck issue) and the fact that we were doing some trail running, running through mucky creeks, sand, and the bay. i didn't make my sub 40 goal, but i was close all things considered. most importantly, it was an adventure and it was a blast.


yesterday afternoon i wasn't terribly excited about the whole race and was pretty unmotivated to tell the truth, but i'm glad i laced up my shoes and went. it was lots of fun. and i got filthy!! i took a few pictures of myself pre and post race to share the experience with you as best i could.

pre race pic

post race pic

sorry if this grosses you out, but i earned a pretty legit blister. it's actually a blister on top of a blister. we all know how i love my battle wounds.

 

these trusty fellas got absolutely filthy. they're caked in sand and muddy muck. so worth it.

post race i picked up an info card about a mud race later this summer and i just might have to run it and cross that off my bucket list too. until then, happy running!!


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

battle

"wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." -psalm 27:14

"the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. the LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -psalm 34:17-18

"the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." -james 5:16b

"in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. and He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." -romans 8:26-27

* * * * * *

this is just a quick post to ask each of you reading this to take 2 minutes and stop to pray for two very dear friends of mine, Brad and Jenny, who are fighting an uphill battle right now. they are in the process of adopting a precious little boy named Brody, but his birth father's family has decided to fight for custody. Brody's birth mom wants Brad and Jenny to have him because she knows it's best for him, but his dad has recently come forward and wants to fight for custody.


Brad and Jenny adore this little boy and i want so badly for them to keep him forever. God has been faithful in providing for them throughout this entire adoption process and His timing is perfect. it's not ours, but it's perfect. He has a plan for this little boy and for Brad and Jenny. and He wants all the glory no matter what the outcome. i just pray it's for them to be a unified family very soon.


please please please join me in praying for them.

• pray for the birth father to have a change of heart towards Brad and Jenny
• pray that he would see the Lord in Brad and Jenny
• pray for Brad and Jenny to be strengthened by the Lord and encouraged by His sovereign control each day
• pray for the birth mother to remain strong in her conviction to give Brody to Brad and Jenny
• pray for the birth mother to be encouraged and see the Lord's hand at work
• pray for the Lord's favor over the paperwork and technicalities that Brad and Jenny will be battling as they fight for their son
• pray for the authorities that are handling this case, that they might have wisdom and discernment to know what's best

here are some pics of this precious family. please please keep them in your prayers.

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

things

things upon the mantle,

things on every shelf,

things that others gave me,

things i gave myself.

things i've stored in boxes

that don't mean much anymore,

old magazines and memories

behind the attic door.

things on hooks and hangers,

things on ropes and rings,

things i guard that blind me

to the pettiness of things.

am i like the rich young ruler,

ruled by all i own?

if Jesus came and asked me,

could i leave them all alone?

oh Lord, i look to heaven,

beyond the veil of time,

to gain eternal insight

that nothing's really mine.

and to only ask for daily bread

and all contentment brings,

to find freedom as your servant

in the midst of all these things.

for discarded in the junk yards,

rusting in the rain,

lie things that took the finest years

of lifetimes to obtain.

and whistling through these tombstones

the hollow breezes sing

a song of dreams surrendered

to the tyranny of things.

-scott wesley brown, "things"

dad left me a not so subtle message when he was here this weekend to help me unload and move in on monday morning. hey dad, got the message. and you're right. it's just stuff. stuff that has sentimental value and importance to me. but it's still just stuff. and someday i'll leave it behind for the greater things to come. thanks for the great reminder. but it doesn't change the fact that i'm really glad my stuff finally came. ;)

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

it came!!

so, for those of you who have been praying, THANK YOU!! my stuff arrived yesterday morning and we (i say that loosely) got it all unloaded and into the house. i have the world's greatest dad. he worked himself like a dog helping the movers get my stuff into the house while i was at work. and he weighed every single piece that came off the truck so we'd have an accurate weight. (turns out my stuff was 1,608 pounds and not 3,280 like they originally quoted.)


pops is the best. not only did he make two drives to FL in back to back weekends, but this is also the week of his Sports Outreach golf tournament. he's swamped, but he made it a priority to be here and help me. again, my dad is the world's best. if you're reading this, i love you dad and really appreciate how helpful you've been through the whole moving process.


now to unpack and get everything settled into its new home. pictures to come once that happens, but don't hold your breath on that.


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

buy global

i recently spotted this lovely little necklace and with a little persuading from the sis, purchased it and promptly put it around my neck. from that moment on, i've received numerous compliments on it every single time i wear it. seriously, at least two comments every single time. who doesn't love that??

i absolutely LOVE it. but what i love more is that i bought it at Ten Thousand Villages when i was in Chapel Hill for Mo's wedding. i love the fact that they send money directly back to the individual who handmade your item. i'm willing to pay a little more for an item when i know the money is going back to help someone in a developing country that spent hours handcrafting the item. and they make gorgeous stuff. seriously, i could spend my life's savings in a store like this (or one like Go Fish). check it out. it's a little late for mother's day, but birthdays are always a fun time to send a unique gift that gives back.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

quote of the week

sorry for the lack of a good quote the past two weeks. this whole moving thing threw me for a loop and i still haven't quite settled down. i'm getting there though. so, that being said, i figured this was a pretty good quote to get back in the groove.

"Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence."   -Pope John Paul II

well folks, i did just that. i stepped out in faith trusting the Lord to provide. He did. now let's see what happens. :)

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

die-anne-uh

that's my momma's name. phonetically that is. Diana. if you don't know her, you should. she's pretty awesome. she'd say the emphasis is on the pretty. ;)


i absolutely fail at expressing my gratitude and love to mom often enough. she's a fantastic woman of the Word and will serve her socks off for you. i hope i have a piece of that in me. 


i love you mom, and i'm so grateful for another year to honor your role in my life. thanks for putting up with my shenanigans and getting excited over the little things in life with me. can't wait for you to come down and visit me again in the sunshine!!

happy mother's day!

(mother's day 2010)

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

a (satur)day in the life of bekah

well, folks. today has been fabulous. i slept in for the first time in ages since i wasn't coaching or packing or working or headed to church. please tell me you hear the angels rejoicing as well and it's not just in my head.


disclaimer: when i say "slept in" i mean 8:45. that's a big deal for a girl who gets up in the 5's or 6's on a regular basis. uh-may-zing. and i took a nap today, but we'll get to that later. for now, just know that i was uber excited to sleep in.


however, once i decided to drag myself out of bed to face the world, i was greeted with a lovely tweet from my roomie telling me she had made pancakes for me whenever i decided to wander downstairs. again, is Becca the most thoughtful roomie ever? i think so. i ate my pancakes (delish i might add), did a little cardio workout while the laundry was going, ate lunch, and then hit the pool with a friend.


Katie just moved to St. Pete around the same time i moved to Tampa. she's a k-world connection, but i know her younger sister better than i do her. i'm sure that will probably change soon since we'll be running buddies. we discovered that we have the same running pace today. perfect! she just took a new job as a Child Life Specialist at a hospital in St. Pete and is adjusting to a new life on the other side of the bridge. (mind you, she moved from Colorado Springs, so she has a little more climate shock than i do coming from Branson). but i'm excited. she's a fun connection. we know enough of the same people to have plenty of things in common, but don't really know each other well yet so we still have plenty to talk about. i'm liking this.


so yes, back to the pool. Katie and i hit the pool this afternoon for a little Vitamin D and some good conversation. super fun. next weekend i'm heading over to her side of the bridge for some more sun. we've gotta catch up to our neighbors. so far, we're the two pale white girls. we're working on changing that. no worries.


and naturally after an afternoon in the sun, i came back to the condo and promptly found my spot on the couch for a nap. not necessarily my intention, but that's definitely what happened. HGTV was on in the background and i was out.


woke up, did the dishes while chatting with the madre, and then migrated back to the couch to watch a few more episodes of Laguna Beach with the roomie. yes, please!!


made a little dinner, boiled a few eggs, and now i'm off to read the night away until roomie gets back from dinner with the boyfriend so we can finish season one of Laguna. don't judge. or do. either way, we're going to watch all the seasons and follow them by watching every season of the Hills. we heart LC.


side note: i'd like to say i'm spending my time getting settled in to the condo, but that's just not going to happen until my stuff arrives on the moving truck monday morning. so thankful for a dad who is voluntarily making a quick return trip to be here when the movers arrive since i'll be at work. he's seriously the best dad on the planet. for more reasons than this, but this is certainly one of the reasons he's so awesome.


happy weekending!


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

what i miss

so, even though i'm quickly falling in like with Tampa, i still have moments of crazily missing the quirky little town of Branson and everything it represents to me. enjoy the picture journey of just a few of the reasons i find my mind wandering back to the Ozarks. i loved my phase of life in Btown and i can't wait to go back and visit.

working alongside Traci was never boring or mundane. she's going to kill me for putting this picture up, but it's totally worth it.

visits from Chief in my office. he's a troublemaker, but he's a cutie and a keeper!!

speaking of cuties, i loved when Mathias came for visits. he's a Tar Heel in the making!!

cheesy photo ops that were completely normal. abnormally large rocking chair? of course we need a pic!

playing and working alongside April and her team. both an honor and a joy. LOVE LOVE LOVE her!!

Branson High School Volleyball. the reason i stuck around Btown in the first place. conversations with these three on the bench mid-match are forever etched in my memory.

doing daily life with these two was a privilege. talk about two godly young women who passionately pursue the Lord. they truly get it more than i ever did in high school! not to mention, i don't think i've ever laughed that hard and that consistently in my entire life. what's not to love?? 

never a dull moment when you spend your weekends with crazy 15 year olds like these two knuckleheads. 

these nine girls gave me a glimpse into motherhood. i would do absolutely anything for them and i don't think it's possible to be any more proud of who they are as individuals and how hard they worked to become better volleyball players. i gave them my heart and they stole it. i'm not asking to get it back any time soon.

Trish and Shay are two phenomenal friends. i have never felt so unconditionally loved in my entire life than by these two incredible women. i adore them.

* * * * 

if i was a crier, now would be the time where i tell you that i need to go grab the kleenex and take a moment before i continue. but i'm not, which shouldn't come as a surprise to any of you. but i am sitting here in my new home in tampa with a heart that's absolutely bursting with love and joy and memories coupled with a deep ache to see each one of these people right now. obviously that's not possible unless one of you knows how to master the art of teleportation.


i'm glad i like Tampa so much already, or else i think i might be overwhelmed by feelings of homesickness or loneliness or the desire to pack up and move back. thankfully, that's not the case, but i do long for the return of my fabulous Bransonites into my daily life. and when i say "Bransonites," i'm including my loves in Ozark, Springfield, etc. so, who's up for a beach trip?? seriously.


much love to my Bransonites. you have captured my heart forever.


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

new love

i'm falling in love. not with a boy. with a city. and the awesomeness it contains. the opportunities and options it promises. love. i'm sure this list will grow exponentially with time, but so far here are the reasons i love Tampa...


1: a gagillion and one fro yo options. the best of which is clearly Yogurtology.
2: sandal season. even though i hate feet, i love wearing sandals and keeping fun toenail polish colors on hand (or foot...aren't i clever)
3: Bayshore Boulevard. flatness. the smell of the bay. fellow activians (i just created that word). i'm no longer the only one out to run/jog/walk/ride/rollerblade. i have company and lots of it!!
4: i can work on my tan any time of day, any day of the week. errands on lunch, post-work workout, weekend session by the pool? don't mind if i do. note to self: beware of straplines.
5: too many churches to choose from. solid churches. not just one or two. can i get an amen?
6: the pei wei i just spotted today. i have died and gone to heaven. tofu fried rice bowl, come to mama!
7: driving to work in straight lines. no more weaving and driving in crazy patterns to basically end up 50 yards from where you started after a 10 minute trek.
8: discovering that i have unlimited access to a keurig and what seems like 48 coffee options at work. yes, puh-lease!!


tampa has been good to me. here's to more floridian awesomeness in the days ahead...


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

i made it!!

image

...well, i made it to Tampa!! the sunshine and warmth greeted me (along with my two awesome parents who drove down from NC and my fabulous roomie Becca). so glad to have left the cold, dreary, rain in Missouri, but i definitely miss the quality people i left behind. i wouldn't mind if you all decided to come check on me. hint hint.


but like i said, i made it. however, my stuff didn't. the truck with all my stuff is in Texas. or at least it was on Friday when i talked to the driver. nevermind the fact that it was supposed to be in Tampa on Saturday morning. argh. luckily i at least packed my toothbrush, clean underwear, and a few other things in my car so i'll manage until the truck comes this weekend. the most frustrating part about all of it is that they weren't even going to let me know that it's coming a week late. i found out because i called to check in on the delivery window. nice surprise. woof.


there's not much i can do about it except bite my tongue (i'm still working on that) and wait until they show up with my stuff. i've been belittled, yelled at, ignored, and hung up on by the company, so i'm not really excited about them being part of my life for another week. but i suppose i can endure a few more insulting conversations if it means i get some answers on where exactly my things are and when exactly they plan on showing up at my house. hopefully friday night, but we'll see. i'll keep you posted.


new job training starts tomorrow morning. i'm excited. it'll be a new enough challenge to keep me on my toes, but not so new that i'm in over my head. or at least that's my impression thus far. all that could change, but i doubt it. if it's sink or swim, i choose swim. but somehow i don't think that's going to be an issue. i'm sure i'll have more to say on this as well, but for now...i'm signing off to go figure out what i'm going to wear (had to buy a few new pieces that are work appropriate since all my clothes are on the MIA moving truck).


love from Tampa!!


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.