Daily Bread

I've been attending church at Grandview Christian since springtime. I've enjoyed a lot of things about it, but one element of the services that I really enjoy is the time of prayer. A different person leads with a different prayer, but it always concludes with the congregation joining together in the Lord's Prayer.
I've had this prayer memorized since my elementary school days in Bible Drill, maybe even before. But it's never played such a prominent roll in any other church I've attended. I am thankful for this weekly emphasis for many reasons: the reminder of how we have been taught to pray, the participation in communal prayer, and how each individual phrase hits me. 
The phrase that's been hitting me hardest lately? "Give us this day our daily bread."
Life is busy right now. Classes, internship, work, relationships - it's slightly overwhelming at times, especially when I try to lay it all out on paper. On some days there don't seem to be enough hours, and on the days when there are enough hours, I am tempted to fill the extra with naps. I am learning how bad I am at mornings. I preach self-care and then feel guilty for engaging in it. I worry about money and what I will do after I graduate - not to mention all of the things I have to accomplish before then. Then there's general anxieties of life and beating myself up for mistakes and then I'll eat too much and sleep too much and exercise too little. On and on.
But on Sunday morning, we all pray for our daily bread. This day. And it makes me wonder if we are missing the point. 
I am a planner and an organizer and I always have been. Grad school has made me less perfectionistic, but I still like to stay on top of things and plan ahead. And I think that's ok, but I think the point I often miss is the importance of today. 
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
I don't recall a day in my life that I have gone hungry. I know God is faithful in the literal bread. But maybe daily bread is more - maybe it is the work and play and rest He sets before us for the day, and as we ask Him for it, we are also committing to taking care of what He gives.
The phrasing also makes me feel like asking for forgiveness and doing some forgiving ourselves is also a daily thing. And if Jesus taught us to pray that way, He had to know we'd be messing up a lot.
So maybe the prayer should be a daily thing, where we ask for our daily bread, forgiveness for our daily failures, and forgive others of theirs. Maybe it's really about day by day.
This is comforting and challenging at this point in life. I want to see the future and maybe even fast-forward a bit, or slow time down if I'm trying to get something done. But this prayer is teaching me to accept what God dishes out each morning and know that it is enough - and that, in Him, I am enough as well.

Birthday Musings

I read a BuzzFeed list a few months ago that ranked the years in your 20's from worst to best. 23 was ranked as the worst, and as of today, I have passed from that year.
Don't get me wrong. I am very thankful for the past year. 23 saw me through my first year of graduate school, my first year as an RD at Milligan. It brought me Ben. And even on the very hard days, it brought me new knowledge and understanding about myself and life and God. So today isn't a thankless "good riddance" to 23. It's more of a retirement party, a "thanks for your service." 
And now, 24. 
I know it's just a number and to everyone but me, it's just another day and nothing really changes. But I love arbitrary "fresh starts" and I am ready to hit 24 head on. 24 will see me through the remainder of grad school - through a 600 hour internship and my last three semesters of class. 24 will see me through opportunities that I don't even know about yet. And, if I choose it, 24 can see me through growth - in my relationships, my spiritual walk, my yoga practice, everything. So I choose it.
In case you're wondering, I don't remember what that BuzzFeed list ranked 24 as. And I don't care, because I'm thankful for where I'm at and I'm going to embrace it. That makes it the best.

Top Ten Tuesday: Lessons

Top Ten Lessons I Have Learned in Counseling Practicum Thus Far
10. If you have parents who care about you, be thankful.
9. If you have parents who don't do drugs, be thankful.
8. If you got to spend your childhood actually "being a kid", be thankful.
7. If you aren't on 10 different prescription medications, be thankful.
6. If you have clothes and food and a place to sleep, be thankful.
5. If you can read, be thankful.
4. If you know Jesus, be thankful.
3. If you have graduated, be thankful.
2. If you have at least one person who believes in you, be thankful.
1. Healing can happen. Be thankful.

Blog Rewind: Listen to the Love Song

Spring, 2010
"And now, dear lady, I am not writing to you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."  2 John 5-6
I know that I don't have to tell anyone reading this that sometimes life gets chaotic. Don't worry - I'm not writing to complain. Not in the least. I'm writing this because God always takes my chaos and turns it into something beautiful.
There's a lot I don't - and will never - understand. I have a lot to learn. I am dramatically flawed, just as we all are. But God is pouring Himself out on me and giving me some new perspective. Discovering and living out His will is a daily thing, but there is one thing that I am absolutely sure of: I am called to love people. Simple. Not easy. Worth it.
There are so many decisions to be made in the coming years about both here at Milligan and after. But I know that those will come with time. One thing that is clear is that, right now, I am supposed to be pouring into others. I don't have it all together. I'm not going to be a perfect encourager and friend by any means. But I'm going to do my best to lift others up, because everyone needs that. Everyone.
My first attempt at this is as follows: I'm going to try to articulate and expound upon a conversation I had with a beautiful sister in Christ last week.
My friend and I were talking about our views of God and she described this beautiful picture of God as our Father, our Friend, and our Lover. It was interesting to think of God in those three contexts at the same time. It was easy for me to grasp the Father and Friend concepts, but God as a lover, one who is pursuing me, one who loves me with a passion...that's not something I had considered much. But it is so true. My friend described how she feels about this, and since then I have paid close attention.
God chases after us. He is relentless in his pursuit. I feel his hugs in the warmth of the sun and I hear his whispers in the wind. When I lie down to sleep, I know he is holding me, keeping me safe from anything that might try to harm me. When I am upset, he wants to be the first one I run to. He listens. He allows me to give my time to others, but sometimes he just wants me all to himself. I think he smiles when I smile, and laughs when I laugh. And I know that he gets jealous when I don't give him everything. He's chosen me - all of us - and he's not giving up.
I am loved, no matter how irrational that seems. Life is irrational, and love - a force so much greater that even life - must be irrational, or it would be commonplace. My God isn't common. He is extraordinary, and He is love. Love cannot be boxed in. Love knows no bounds. Love makes absolutely no sense. But the God who created those starts and flowers and butterflies also created me. And He thinks I'm beautiful.
Listen to His love song.

Summer, 2014
Over four years later, this is still true. Life is so different, but I find myself relating to sophomore-in-college Corri so well here. Love is a concept that I enjoy exploring, and I am thankful that God gives us such strong examples of his love, through things he does and through others. 

Yoga Resources

Happy Thursday! As many of you know, yoga has become my favorite obsession over the past 5 months. Today I wanted to share with you my favorite online yoga sites so that you can give them a try if you're curious! Do Yoga With Me - This is the site I credit for starting the yoga fire in my heart! Thanks to the lovely Meagan Smith, who told me about it, I visited this site for the first time in January and never looked back. There are hundreds of free videos, and you can filter through them by level, yoga style, and duration to find one that suits your mood and needs for the day. I started with this sequence for shoulder and arm strength and I've been hooked ever since! Yoga Journal - This site has a more limited selection of videos, but it is full of demos and information for the new yogi! I don't know about you, but once I got started, I wanted to learn all I could about the practice. Check out the articles and the individual pose tutorials. Yoga International - This one is a new favorite! I started following them on Twitter, and they tweet links to awesome videos all the time!
These are my top three, but there are so many! There is no excuse not to give yoga a try!

Top Ten Tuesday: Collections

Top Ten Odd Collections in my Apartment
10. Bottle caps
9. Dish towels
8. Tea
7. Tea tags
6. Things covered in tea tags
5. Books that haven't been read
4. Candles I bought on clearance
3. Boxes of tickets, programs, and cards
2. Magazines to cut things out of
1. And my newest collection of photos of my staff girls, framed and hanging in the hall

Reside: Stronger

Progress. It's a funny thing. Sometimes we feel like we're making great progress only to find that we haven't come far at all. Other times, things do change, little by little, until a milestone is reached and progress is apparent. This story is about the latter.
In August 2013, I began my job as an RD at Milligan. During training for the RAs, we went to do a ropes course. It had been a long, long, long, long, LONG time since I'd done a ropes course, and I was still in physical therapy for my shoulder. So when the vertical challenge climb came up, I made it about 1/3 of the way up before I had to come down. I watched many of the others in the group make it higher and higher, many to the very top (I'm estimating somewhere between 80-100 feet up into the trees), and I couldn't help but feel a bit defeated, not being strong enough to make it to the top.
On May 25th, 2014, my group counseling class took a trip back to the same ropes course, and we did the same vertical challenge climb. I wanted so badly to make it to the top. I knew I was stronger, but was it enough? I've just been doing yoga. Does that make me strong enough to climb? I didn't even make it halfway last time. Blah blah blah. 
I had my harness on and they hooked me up, and I started climbing, and I kept climbing, and my arms were hurting and my legs were shaking and I felt the old injury burning in my shoulder, and I kept climbing. And I stopped to catch my breath and noticed that my mouth was totally dry and my heart was beating fast and then I started climbing again. My classmates encouraged me from the ground and I kept climbing. And then I rang that cowbell and looked down from the top of the course and I smiled.
This experience was a tangible proof of physical progress for me. But I've also seen progress in so many other areas since August. I am more dedicated to time spent in the Bible. I've finally found a church that I call home. I've found yoga and devote time to it every day. I am in a healthy relationship. My anxiety is under control. Friendships are blossoming. School is going well. Big leaps, small steps, progress.
Things are not perfect. If perfect was attainable, then there would be no more progress. And I am thankful for that. I'm learning that seeing progress is far more satisfying than perfection could be this side of heaven. So here's to progress.

Top Ten Tuesday: Going Green

Top Ten Ways I'm Going Green (On a Budget)
10. Eliminating paper towels. I've invested in a good supply of cloth dish towels for cleaning. I'm not spending money on paper towels every few weeks and I'm not throwing them away either!
9. Reusable shopping bags. You'd think this one would be a no-brainer, but I can't tell you how many times I've just forgotten the bags at home - or worse, in the car. I'm committing to not bringing home any more plastic bags!
8. Wooden pencils. Yes, the point of mechanical pencils is that you can refill them and reuse them. But I know myself, and I know that I am much more likely to throw the pencil away and grab a new one than I am to buy little packs of graphite. So I'm opting for old-school wooden pencils. Use them up and they're just gone!
7. Real dishes. Plastic silverware is convenient for parties, and the styrofoam cups in the library are perfect - but I think it is worth inconveniencing myself to keep from being wasteful. So I'm taking real mugs to the library and carrying dinner to class in reusable containers. Maybe it means more dishes to wash, but that's ok.
6. Looking for opportunities to repurpose. The coffee canister is empty - I could toss it OR I could use it to store my next batch of coffee beans. Just think it through!
5. Embrace nature. If it's the middle of the afternoon, do I need all of the lights in my house on? No, unless the sky is black and ominous from an impending storm. Open windows! Draw the blinds! 
4. Research. This one will take time and effort, but I want to know more about where things come from. I want to buy food and products that are produced responsibly and without hurting the planet - or people. This concept goes beyond "green" - I think caring about the earth means caring about the people who inhabit it. So be aware of where things come from and don't support companies that don't take care of their employees (again, this will take time - if you have any good resources on the topic, send them my way!).
3. Less paper. As much as it pains me to read books and articles on screens, it really is better in terms of eliminating waste. Don't get crazy - I will ALWAYS be pro-paper book. But now as I do research for a presentation, I don't need to print all the articles. I don't need to buy magazines when I can usually find the article online. I can downsize. And of course, what paper I do use I can recycle!
2. Being a thoughtful shopper. I've recently realized how much food I waste. It's a challenge cooking for one. I'll make a bunch of something, save the leftovers, and never get around to eating them. So this means taking more frequent trips to the store and buying just what I need for the next few days. As long as I'm on my own, I don't need to stock up on a lot or cook huge portions. Time to think it through.
1. And at last, now that it is warm, I can walk to class and other places on campus and not drive like a lazy bum.

Top Ten Tuesday: Busy

Top Ten Necessities for Busy Days
10. Black coffee.
9. Post-It notes on which to scribble to-do lists and schedules.
8. Herbal tea to calm the nausea caused by the black coffee.
7. Portable phone charger.
6. Whitening toothpaste to remove the stains caused by the black coffee and herbal tea.
5. Aromatherapy.
4. A few moments to throw in a load of laundry. With fabric softener.
3. An hour in the evening for yoga.
2. An hour anytime for quiet time with Jesus.
1. People. Encouragement, hugs, smiles. All of it.

Here's to April!

April Showers

I almost cannot believe that we are mere days away from April.
Now that I have returned to the academic world, April is almost threatening. April means papers and presentations. This year, April means finding an internship for summer. And with my job, April means housing assignments for the fall semester, and beginning to break in new RAs, and making sure that fun things happen in the residence hall for the last month of school. 
It's easy in this moment to look at April and be overwhelmed. The lists are long, the calendar days are full. Days may come when it feels like the rain of busyness is too much, the showers are too heavy, and it would be easier to just give up and float away.
But I refuse. Instead, I will dance in the rain. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Fitness Fads

Top Ten Health & Fitness Fads I Am Totally On Board With
10. Almond milk. It is delicious and doesn't expire as quickly, so I don't waste it.
9. Yoga. Because I love it. See previous posts!
8. Meatless Mondays. Because, let's face it, I can't afford meat every day.
7. Green tea, herbal tea, cleanse tea...all of it, because it is delicious and it's partially water, which is good for you.
6. Color Runs and charity runs. 
5. Getting enough sleep. COME ON EVERYONE.
4. Training for a half marathon that I have not yet committed to in writing or money.
3. Snacking throughout the day (rather than eating large meals).
2. Second Dinner, aka cereal before bed. (Ok, I made this one up. I'm hoping it catches on.)
1. Making smart choices and taking care of myself because it makes me feel better, and because doing so is honoring to God and being faithful with the gifts He has given - my body, energy, and life.

Blog Rewind: Accidental Harmony

Happy Saturday to everyone!
Welcome to my first Blog Rewind post! I kept a steady blog through my first few years of college. And then deleted it. But lucky for us all, I printed it all out first. So every now and then, I'm going to repost some of my old writing, and see how things have changed - my thoughts, my convictions, myself - since then.
Fall, 2009
"Excerpt from my journal: ...such is life. It's beautiful. Sometimes the harmony falls into discord. But God is the composer and the conductor and the musician. He creates, He conducts, and He plays. We get to be the instruments and the music, glorifying Him with our existence."
Spring, 2014
I remember writing this and thinking on it for quite a while, and thinking that I understood and believed in my own words. And I'm sure that I did, on a deep level. But now, as years have passed and I've felt the harmony fall into discord and swell back into pitch and back over and over and over, I feel like I have a better grasp. When I wrote this 5 years ago, I think I was focusing on the prominence of discord in myself. Now, through things that have happened and the growth I have experienced in Jesus, I believe I know what the harmony can be. Before, the harmony was an elusive hope for the future. And now, though life is far from perfect and I have so much growing to do, I feel like I'm existing in that harmony. And I am thankful.

Top Ten Tuesday: Talents

Top Ten Talents I Would Consider if I Competed in a Pageant
10. Label-making
9. Mod-Podge-ing
8. Yoga (to music aka interpretive dance)
7. Taking BuzzFeed quizzes
6. Making chicken and dumplings
5. Drinking large quantities of tea
4. Sidewalk-chalking
3. Getting the gas pump to stop on a whole dollar amount (I am actually really, really good at this.)
2. TV/Movie-quoting
1. List-making

Reside: Yoga

Namaste.
I have an obsession and I just have to tell you about it.
Back in December, I entered a time that I am now able to see as the dark before the dawn. I've always been a generally anxious person, but it had never kept me from functioning. One morning in December, I had a panic attack in the shower that left me edgy and tearful for the rest of the day. The next day, one happened while I was driving. And the next day, I didn't get out of my bed. I had never felt so anxious or so depressed, and the most baffling part was that there was no real reason. Because of that, and because of awesome people who love and look out for me, I sought medical treatment for my anxiety for the first time.
The rest of December and the first bit of January was about adjusting to the treatments and learning how to manage my anxiety. I came back to begin the new semester hopeful and prepared to make some big changes. And I have. For the first time in my life, I have made goals and changes and stuck to them. I have made changes in my habits to make sure that I sleep well. I have consistently spent time in the Bible, and I am working on embracing silence and solitude. I find ways to be open about my struggles. And, I do yoga.
I tried yoga in the fall of 2012, stuck with it for a bit, and then got bored. I tried to be a runner, but I would get frustrated by the lack of tangible progress. So at the end of January, I pulled out my old mat and found some yoga class videos online, and, well, the rest is history. 
I am writing this on March 1st to celebrate the fact that I practiced yoga every day in February, whether in a group class or alone in my house. I have progressed to be able to complete some intermediate classes, as opposed to beginner. And I see progress - I can now do a REAL push-up, a side plank, AND crow pose!

I promise I'm balanced here and not just seconds away from falling on my face!

I feel like I have found my fitness calling. I feel stronger and more flexible, and best of all, more relaxed, calm, and at peace than I ever have. I know that that all comes from God and not yoga, but I believe He led me to an activity that would help along the journey.

I know I will go through more periods of dark before the dawn. But what I have learned through this time of light is how to better seek light in the darkness when it comes. Rest, read, pray. Stretch, balance. And breathe. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring

Top Ten Things I'm Looking Forward to in Spring
10. Dresses, skirts, flip flops.
9. Opening my windows. The apartment just feels and smells better with fresh air flowing through.
8. Colbie Caillat and Andy Grammer on repeat.
7. Leaving night classes without nearly freezing to death.
6. Springtime-scented soap and candles.
5. Seeing campus come alive like it did over the weekend.
4. Walks.
3. The mysterious promise of Wonderful Wednesday.
2. The occasional Sonic Happy Hour excursion.
1. Blue skies and sunshine.

Promises

It's a beautiful day and I chose to spend it doing homework at Panera. And what always happens when you settle in to get things done? Unrelated inspiration. So homework will just have to wait a few more minutes.
A week ago, Johnson City was covered in snow. I didn't leave my apartment last Thursday except to take pictures of the tiny snowman that my sister built for me. And today it is in the 60s. The sky is a bit overcast but there are patches of blue and a comfortable brightness. I'm sitting by the wall of windows at Panera and soaking it all in. 
I know that this glimpse of spring may be only temporary. Mother Nature is a temptress. For all I know, this time next week we could be covered in another foot of snow. Or wading through six inches of rain to get to classes. I certainly hope not, but I am not blind to the risks. However, I feel joy and happiness at this week's reminder that spring is coming.
I suppose that we all go through seasons when we feel like we are waiting. Waiting for answers, for milestones, for ends or beginnings. I feel like I'm in one of those seasons - literally and figuratively. I am more full of joy and peace than I ever have been in my life, but there is still waiting. And this week has reminded me that God has promised things. As He has promised that winter passes into spring, this season of waiting will also pass into a more full understanding of who He is and what He is doing. 
And so as I type this, I breathe in the fresh, teasing air. I may have more cold air to breathe in before the warm air is here to stay. But as I breathe it out, I'll know I'm one breath closer to another one of His promises fulfilled.
There's a tree outside my window that is losing all it's leaves, and it looks as if it's crying but the cold will not retreat. Even in the coldest winter, still the spring is on its way, and everything that once was dying  will bloom and take our breath away. Tyrone Wells

Top Ten Tuesday: Growing Up

Top Ten Unique Signs that I'm Growing Up
10. I can sleep in a completely dark, completely quiet apartment. Big improvements from the days when I couldn't sleep without the TV on.
9. I order water at all restaurants and I haven't touched sweet tea in weeks.
8. I wear my socks properly. I wore them inside out as a kid because I couldn't stand the seams.
7. My parents did not do my taxes this year. I didn't either, but hey, it takes a resourceful, adult-like person to find help, right?
6. I occasionally opt for face products with hints of anti-aging ingredients. You know. Just in case.
5. I got great joy of taking care of my sick sister yesterday. I was not happy that she was sick, but I felt great purpose in caring for her. Maternal instincts?
4. I have a work email and it has a signature. Getting fancy.
3. I watch Jeopardy whenever I have the evening free. Maybe I jumped past "growing up" and moved right on to "approaching retirement."
2. The other day I talked myself out of buying a bag and into buying a nice book of crossword puzzles.
1. I've been awake before 10 most days out of the past week.

Top Ten Tuesday: Songs

Top Ten Songs I Can't Stop Listening To
10. Dark Horse - Katy Perry I know.
9. The Monster - Eminem feat. Rhianna Not by choice. It just comes on the radio every five minutes.
8. Story of my Life - One Direction Same as #9. But I like this one.
7. She's Gone - Jay Ollero Beautiful NoiseTrade find!
6. A Beautiful Place to Be - Tyrone Wells NoiseTrade does wonderful things.
5. Let Her Go - Passenger I don't care, I love this song.
4. In Summer - Olaf the Snowman, Frozen Soundtrack My favorite animated character of all time!
3. Pompeii - Bastille Same as #8&9. But it's my favorite radio song right now.
2. Bonfire Heart - James Blunt Watch the trailer for A Long Way Down and you'll see.
1. Make It Through - Tyrone Wells. Even in the coldest winter, still the spring is on its way. And everything that once was dying will bloom and take our breath away.

Top Ten Tuesday: Confessions

Top Ten Mildly Embarrassing Confessions (at time of press)
10. I watched an hour of Full House yesterday morning.
9. My favorite PJ pants are gray, and all of my softest t-shirts are gray - so I often end up sleeping in a gray onesie. Bonus points if it's cold enough for one of the gray sweatshirts. I need some color.
8. This weather gives me super-dry skin. And I super-hate lotion. I apologize for my crackly hands.
7. I have had bizarre nightmares every night since I got back from Christmas break. Topics have included non-existant Breaking Bad spin-offs, kidnappings, 30 Rock characters, and being abandoned by my best friends in a shady neighborhood. And a bunch of other things I should've written down.
6. The power went out in part of my house on Friday night and I couldn't find the fuse box, even though I searched every room in my apartment and in the hallway. I didn't find it till Saturday afternoon. The fuse box is literally visible from my door.
5. If I start a page of notes in class and I don't like my handwriting, I'll toss it and start a new page.
4. I spent too much money on food storage containers last week.
3. I crave soda, drink soda, and immediately regret it because it makes my throat all gurgly.
2. Confession 3.c happens because I am physically incapable of burping.
1. On more than one occasion this month, I have found myself awake in the middle of the night and proceeded to eat something sweet (ex. donut or muffin) on my couch, drink a glass of milk, and go right back to sleep. Basically the night is a very strange time for me.

Reside: Against the Norm

If you've known me for a while, you know that I'm organized. I like schedules and lists, especially if they are color-coded. I like routine. 
Well, the past few months have challenged that, and I'm finally starting to see the good in the challenge.
All through school - elementary, middle, high, undergrad - there was a schedule. Even last year working in Res Life at Point I had a schedule. But then I re-entered the world of Milligan Res Life combined with graduate school. And it was weird.
Don't for one second misunderstand me. I love where I am and all I have. 
What's been weird is my striving toward routine again. Toward "normalcy" - whatever that is. And what God taught me in a conversation I had earlier this week is that normalcy ought not to be my goal. Living effectively should be my goal, whether or not I go about it in a "normal" fashion.
When I say normal, I'm mostly referring to a schedule. I imagine that a Normal Day in the life of a Normal Person in the Work Force goes a little something like this: awake by 7AM, at work by 8AM, lunch break at noon, home by 5PM, dinner, relaxing, maybe an evening commitment here or there, and to bed at a reasonable hour.
My day went like this: awake at 10AM, breakfast-slash-lunch, a shower, working my house-cleaning job from 1 to 2PM, staff meeting at 3:30PM, an hour at the library, grabbing dinner before class from 5:30 until 9:15, then an hour at my friends' house for our weekly TV show, and finishing up yoga at midnight. I'll be up for another hour or so as I get ready for bed and do some reading. 
It feels weird. I struggle because I have what seems to be a lot of downtime. "You get to sleep in until 10 some days during the week?" I feel like I could be labeled as lazy, or maybe I just do it to myself. Yes, some days I don't get up until 10, but those are after the nights when I was up until 1 or 2 because so much of my life happens in the evening. I sometimes beat myself up because my day-to-day doesn't resemble that of other people my age working "normal" jobs.
But what God is showing me is that He has not prescribed a schedule. He has not demanded an order in which I do things. He has not given me a bedtime. He has only blessed me with work to do. He demands things of me, yes. He demands that I do my jobs well, that I work hard in school, that I seek Him. But He also commands me to take care of myself, to rest, to laugh. He has given me a to-do list and I have to decide when to get things done.
To my friends living the "normal" life, know that I envy you some days. Take advantage of it and see that work and that structure as a blessing - and fill your free hours with things that give you life and further the Kingdom.
To my fellow graduate students and friends working the odd hours, let's embrace it. I have a feeling that I am not alone in my feelings of awkwardness at the structure of my day-to-day life right now. I'm 23 - I'm supposed to be an adult, right? Well, it's time to banish the "supposed to's" and the preconceived, American-dream pictures of adulthood and success. 
Praise God for where He has you. Right now. And live in it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Obsessions

Good evening, friends!
I hope everyone had a wonderful 3-day weekend! I know I did! I spent my day off in Knoxville with my sister and aunt. I got to experience the magic of Puppy Zone for the first time!

I named this little guy Hawthorne.
I hope your day off was great, even if you didn't get to enjoy the company of adorable puppies.
But now, welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!


Top Ten Things I'm Obsessed with Right Now
10. Breaking Bad. I finished the series but I can't stop thinking about it.

9. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. See #10.
8. Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. I was skeptical because I have acne-prone skin and this doesn't contain medication, but it has proven to be excellent! I use it at night - it even removes eye makeup.
7. Good Grips food storage containers. Google them. I've bought three in the past week.
6. The Blacklist. The first drama series that I have watched from the beginning. Amazing.
5. Frozen. The best Disney movie of the past few years. If you haven't seen it, you haven't lived. And if you don't know all the words to "In Summer" you should listen to it on repeat immediately.
4. Awards Shows. Always, but especially now since we're in the middle of Awards season. Golden Globes, check. SAG Awards, check. Oscars, let's go.
3. My kitchen. Christmas resulted in a bunch of new kitchen supplies, and I can't stop using them!
2. DoYogaWithMe.com. I'm getting back in the yoga game, and this site is amazing! Tons of free videos.
1. This blog. Duh :)

Reside: My Favorite Places

This is Reside and every so often I want to focus on the idea of home. Home means different things to different people at different times. Today, home for me means my literal residence, but lovely cozy apartment connected to the residence hall that I manage. I've been back from winter break for a week and a half and I have finally settled back in and rearranged the place to my liking. I wanted to share some of my favorite spaces with you!
The Coat Rack

Depending on which entrance you use, this is likely your first encounter. I love having a place for all of my coats and scarves - and my new bag, that I am in love with. A coat rack just says, "Hang up your things and stay a while."

The Living Room Tables

My living room is pretty sparse these days. I'm waiting for a chair to fill up the empty space, and I need some more wall decor. But I keep a few simple things on the tables that I enjoy. I have my candy cup that I made out of a peanut canister and some old book pages, one of my prouder crafting accomplishments, and my Real Simple magazine stack. It's the best magazine.

The Kitchen

I love my kitchen. I love cooking. And eating. And I love kitchen-y things. That adorable thing on the left is the stack of hedgehog measuring cups that my dear friends Nickie and Justin got me for Christmas. The right is my new island that my parents got me. 

The Stacks

I have a bookcase filled to the brim and an ongoing stack by my bed.

The Workspace

I have an extra room that serves as a bit of an office. One side is dedicated to fun projects, one side to work.

My Room

I try to keep my room simple as well, since it's where the rest happens. I have the handmade calendar from Lauren, my favorite candle, and color-coded closet. I won't apologize for it.

I love home. You are welcome any time.

Things We Learned at the Memorial

As many of you know, almost two weeks ago, we suddenly and unexpectedly lost my granddaddy. He had been battling some minor illnesses for a few years, but his death was a shock to our whole family. 
In the days since, I have experienced and learned so much. My mind and body are exhausted, and I can only begin to imagine what my nana, dad and his siblings are feeling. We have just come out of a week of arrangements and decisions, visiting with friends and loved ones, crying, laughing, and sharing memories. 
No short blog post is adequate in times like this. But I wanted to share with you a few of the things that I have learned in this time.
1. There are so many things that I don't know about my family. Like the real first names of my nana and several aunts. I'll be asking more questions. 
2. Baby Corri said a lot of hilarious things. For example, "I've tried water twice! One with ice and once without."
3. I did not inherit my granddad's math skills, but I did inherit his love of crossword puzzles. I've done about 100 this week.
4. My nana is the strongest, most godly woman I will ever know.
5. Speaking at a funeral is one of the hardest things in the world. But also one of the most precious.

My granddaddy was a great man, loved by so many. And I am so thankful that I'll be seeing him again someday.