Happy Halloween, From Past to Present!

This is the first year since 2006 I have not dressed up for Halloween and I can't say I really mind. I miss the fun Cornerstone parties, but dressing up was always somewhat stressful for me. There was pressure to have an awesome costume and I always felt like I wasn't creative enough. I did win a costume party in 2008 when I dressed up as Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin. I was particularly fond of that one because not only did I decide to do it two days beforehand, but it was cheap and super easy to find. Plus I really looked the part. In honor of Halloween, here are some photos from the years of Erik and me in costumes. Enjoy!

Me as Big Bird with  my mom and grandma.

Erik and his brother as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Me as a leopard with my grandma.

Erik as a leopard/cheetah?

And jumping to the college years...Me as Belle (from Beauty & the Beast) with Katie (Cinderella) and Dunny (Snow White) in 2006.

Malibu Barbie! (2007)

Me as Tina Fey being Sarah Palin with some friends in 2008.

Punky Brewster last year, 2009.

Erik as Captain Kirk last year.

Us with our sweet "Harry Potter" pumpkin this past Friday.

Even though Erik and I didn't dress up or go to any Halloween parties, we still had fun participating in a Halloween-themed event. Our life group got together on Friday to grill and eat dinner together and carve pumpkins. We chose a slightly difficult design, but it turned out fairly well. We carved "Harry Potter" into our pumpkin and it turned out being a lot harder than we anticipated. We had help from a few friends though and it ended up being better than I thought. Most of all, we had a great time with friends! So, what are some of your favorite Halloween memories, or some favorite or most embarrassing costumes you have had throughout the year? How are you celebrating Halloween this year? Are you dressing up or just doing something laidback?

Whatever you do today, I hope you have a great day and a happy Halloween!! I can't wait to see pictures of everyone dressed up in their costumes.

Keeping the Faith

Hello friends! No, I didn't disappear. I'm still here, just haven't written in a few weeks! My computer has been acting up, making it difficult to write. I also must confess I haven't really wanted to write, because it meant I would have to share some sad news with you all. About two weeks ago I found out, one month after my first interview with the Jesus Film Project, that I did not get the job. I was assured that it was really close and they wished there had been two openings, but they decided to go with someone else. My heart really did feel like it was breaking. I had waited for close to two months, hoping and praying that I would get this job. It seemed like the only option. It was a great job and I am still fairly confident that I would have enjoyed it and done well. Now I am tossed back into the unsure and scary world of unemployment. Unfortunately it looks like I may have to get another serving or retail job so we can make ends meet. That is sad for me because we were really hoping that one of the benefits of moving down here would be me getting a "grown-up" job that offered a steady income, benefits, and allowed me to use that college degree I worked so hard for. I am trying to remain faithful that there is a job like that out there for me, it's just so frustrating not knowing when it will come.

I am still on the hunt though, and refuse to give up hope! Erik has been a busy bee working on lots of schoolwork...group projects, mid-terms, and papers galore! I've been keeping busy with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I started reading the 7th and final book not only to brush up before the movie comes out (Nov. 19, woo!!!) but as a way to keep myself busy while Erik is doing school work. Since my computer has been on the fritz, I haven't been able to be on while he's working because he needs his. Unfortunately, this plan is not working out so well because I am close to the end of the book and I just started it a few days ago. I knew I should have started on the 6th! Haha oh well. My library card came in the mail last week though, so hopefully I can check out some new books. Any suggestions?

Cornerstone's Fall Retreat was this weekend, and the for the first time in four years I did not attend. It's sad to think how that time in my life is over. The time of fall retreats, winter getaways, living near all my best friends...it's over. I'm not envious of the weather you all had to deal with, but I do wish I could have been there. I urge you to not take what you have for granted and to be grateful that you are still able to go to events like the fall retreat. I hope you all had a wonderful time! We're also missing the wedding of two of our close friends next weekend, and we're both pretty bummed about that too. We hope to be back one day though...whether or not it's for good, we don't know. But we will at least get to visit, hopefully this winter.

Well I'll try to be better at keeping this updated. Thanks to those who are still reading! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend, and enjoy the week before Halloween. I am leaving you with the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It gave me goosebumps! I know there's a large chance the movie will disappoint me, but I can't help but get super excited for it!! :)

To Write Love on Her Arms

I'm guessing most of you have heard of To Write Love on Her Arms. If you haven't you should check out their website. I first heard about TWLOHA about three years ago. It is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2006 as a way to reach out to a young girl who turned to drugs, alcohol, and hurting herself as a way to cope with her depression. Now it is "dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide." They exist "to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."

To Write Love on Her Arms spreads the message of love and hope to people everywhere. In the last four years, they have responded to 150,000 messages from people in 40 different countries. According to their web site, two out of three people struggle from depression, which is the leading cause of suicide. "In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 18-24 years old."

Although I have never been diagnosed with clinical depression, I think we can all agree that we've had times of deep struggle and heartache. I'm fairly confident that most people can say that if they haven't harmed themselves, they've at least thought about it. I was telling my husband just the other night how I can think of five people I have been close to - just off the top of my head - who have self-harmed. I don't know about you, but to me that's a lot. And those people are not alone. This organization exists to bring them together and let them know that they are loved. TWLOHA is currently working with PostSecret (another cool organization you can check out here) and the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, to launch a project called IMAlive "the first online crisis network with 100% of its staff certified and trained in crisis intervention" to reach these millions of depressed people.

I recently joined the TWLOHA Street Team, which is a way to promote and raise awareness for the organization. I have a strong passion to help and reach out to depressed, lost souls and even if it's just by doing some small things via the street team, I'm proud to say I support an organization such as To Write Love On Her Arms. It gives hope to those who think they are hopeless, love to those who believe they cannot be loved, and support to those who feel unsupported. It is an amazing organization that has helped thousands of people, and I hope one day I can be involved in more ways than just being on the street team. If you think you might want to be a part of the street team, you can join here. And if TWLOHA sounds like an organization you want to know more about or desire to support, visit their website. You won't regret it!