Is

Shelly is...

... grinning on the outside.
... giddy on the inside.
... smug for having seen it coming a mile away.
... astounded at the ka-razy and mysterious ways that the Lord works.
... in awe of God's faithfulness and goodness.
... very, very, encouraged.
... determined to remain focused on Christ.
... singing praises to one COOL God.
... in a pretty darn good head space.

Stuck In My Head

Flour

Today I stumbled upon a little shop on Eglinton and Bathurst that incorporated three of my favourite things.

1. Pretty pastries
2. Pretty flowers
3. A witty pun for a name.

It was a pastry-flower shop that also catered to weddings. So you can get your wedding pastries AND your wedding flowers.

Bridezillas aside, I would love to be involved in the wedding industry because it's just so pretty.

Five Good Things

1. Being the person who is intentionally making the situation awkward for other people. Yes, I am slightly sadistic.
2. Having the best rack of lamb in the city as recommended by critics nine years in a row.
3. Celebrating a good friend's birthday by having said rack of lamb.
4. Wearing stilettos. Really high ones.
5. The Rez Lounge

Love and Hate

Gotta love how God redeems crap that you've gone through or put yourself through to help and comfort others.
I feel better about being an idiot in life.

Gotta hate it when you get so jealous and selfish about irrational things that you can't even shake it.
It curdles my soul.

Snobbery

You know a coffee shop is snobby when it doesn't have a menu. You're just suppose to know.

Somehow.

So I walked in and walked right back out, across the street, and into a Starbucks.

I've dealt with my share of snobby coffee shops in Toronto before, but not today. I just didn't have it in me.

Today I chose the other evil, corporate familiarity.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:15

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7

Most of the time I make the excuse that it's a long way for wisdom to make the 18 inches from the head to the heart so I just sit around waiting for "it" to happen. Waiting for myself to want to make that change. Waiting for that change to be easy to make.

But I think being mature and being wise, partially is a choice.

Enough is enough.

Let's be done with this foolishness.

Five Good Things

1. Salsa and sour cream chip dip
2. Asian Metabolism
3. Black tea with milk and sugar
4. Cake
5. Friends visiting from out of town

Dum Move of the Day

SA: In DG, we call him, Captain Obvious.
Me: Why do you do that?

Peals of laughter result.

Rebuked

Gotta love friends who love you enough to ask you hard questions, and then proceed to kick your butt into gear.

Now to do something about it...

Pet Peeve

The over and inaccurate use of the word "epic" in the vernacular especially since I have fallen prey to this fad.

Poor "epic". I feel sorry for it. It was such a good word before being destroyed by pop culture.

Things That I Wanted To Blog About But Decided Not To

Ever wonder what doesn't make it on here?

Here are the things that I tried composing a post for but didn't have enough to go on:

1. Homemaking
2. What it feels like to have lived with burnout/ depression since they are on a sliding scale.
3. That phone call with mom.
4. The fear of in- laws.
5. Food

As I downed my fifth mug of black tea yesterday there was a nagging feeling in my conscience that I should not be doing thus.

But 'Why?' I asked myself, when it makes my throat feel so much better, and I no longer feel like I'm about to choke to death on the mucus produced by my very own body that's irritating my bronchial tubes?

How about the fact that there's a thing called caffeine in black tea, and the fact that I'm very sensitive to it?

Riiiigggghht.

That would explain why I was only able to fall asleep at 3 something in the morning to wake up bright and early at 6.

Five Good Things

1. Having great friends for co-workers.
2. Reconnecting with old friends.
3. Having one fantabulous roommate.
4. Having two fantabulous roommates.
5. Having a great family.

Just a [Few] Moment[s] of Panic

Ever since 2010 started, I've had minor moments of freak outs about turning 25. It just seems to be really getting up there. In my mind at least.

You know the thought of "25, and still single". The clock is a-ticking!!! Before you judge and label me as whatever, let's be honest and say that not a lot of women would really want to be in my shoes. I have to say though that I'm not surprised. When I joined staff I had expected this. Actually I had braced myself for a lifetime of celibacy.... But I had hoped and prayed for something different. This is not to say I'll never get married, but anyways I digress.

I have moments of panic, and then reality sets in. The doer in me wants to do something about the situation, but really what can I do? Everything in this area is completely out of my control. Timing, attraction, calling. The guy could be all the way around the world right now for all I know.

So the only reasonable thing to do is to calm down and go on with my merry little life.

This is me doing that.

Super hardcore, yummy, knock- you-out cough syrup. CHECK
Ultra expensive- thank- goodness- I- have- health- benefits inhaler. CHECK
Hot shower. CHECK
A cup of cold water. CHECK
A good night's worth of restful and healing sleep. PENDING...

1. I wish I still had my car so I could drive to Metro to get myself some Fischerman Halls. Better yet I wish my mom lived nearby so she can come take care of me.
2. Can't wait to start hip hop at my gym.
3. PLEASE stop coughing. PLEASE.
4. Whiiiiiiiiiiiiine.
5. Ok there are worse things happening in the world.

Five Good Things

Learning new skills and exploring new places add spice to my life. (And it helps the S.A.D.)

Five Things I'm Eagerly Looking Forward To:

1) Learning Arabic once my computer is replaced.
2) Making curry and maybe samosas for our apt's Bollywood night this Sunday. (I'll also make some other stuff just in case it doesn't pan out.)
3) Going to a new restaurant for Winterlicious.
4) Getting a new computer.
5) Learning about certain countries.

Greenhouse

It is providential indeed that the girl who is affected by S.A.D. lives in an apartment that turns into a greenhouse when it's sunny out. To say that I needed sunglasses to sit comfortably in my living room this morning would not be an overstatement. This also bodes well for my penchant for tropical parasites a.k.a. orchids.

But I am still missing the TLC of my family. Nothing like the feeling of someone taking care of you. My O.C.S. (only child syndrome) is definitely flaring up along with my friend, bronchitis. Of course if I was home I would be scolded often for letting myself catch the cold in the first place and be reminded of the respiratory problems that run in the family that if I wasn't careful I'd probably die from. Ok, I exaggerate. A bit.

Just a few more hours until I can go to the docs for some hardcore meds that'll knock me unconscious at night so that I don't have to pass the night blogging even though it is cathartic. Can I just say that prescription cough syrup tastes a million times better than over the counter?

Achy Breaky Heart

My laptop was stolen New Year's day. So here I am blogging on my iPod.

Last night my red point and shoot was stolen as well. The loss of irreplaceable memories and expensive electronics combined with an intense homesickness, loneliness, and the dreariness of winter, makes for a sad January indeed. I was hoping S.A.D. wouldn't hit quite as hard this year with the help of cipralex, but it's here, and by God's grace I am coping.

It's hard not to wallow in self pity when everything in me is inclined to curl into a ball and wallow. The lethargy is the worst. The not wanting to do anything.

It's a weird realization that I'm not as strong and independent as I imagined myself to be. It makes me wonder and worry whether I'll actually be able to hack it overseas longterm... But then again today has enough worries of its own. The Lord will provide the strength and we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

New Year's Resolutions

By God's Grace I will...

1. Become a better steward of my finances.
- Stick to my budget
- No impulse buying
- Thinking before buying
- Less eating out
- Give more to charities
- Be cheap

2. Eat healthier.
- Plan meals
- Start eating more fruits and veggies

3. Read my Bible more.
- Read the entire Bible through at the very least once this year
- Memorize more Scripture. At least one book of the Bible. Romans, Philippians, or Colossians?

4. Become more disciplined and focused.
- I will not run away from things that stress me out. I will tackle difficult situations head on.
- Try to control the A.D.D. that is S.C.

5. Avoid drama as much as it is up to me.

6. Cultivate a quiet and gentle spirit.

7. Be even more intentional with staying in touch with my family.

8. Finish Ministry Prep 101

9. Read more.
- A book a week.

10. Exercise more.
- At least 3x a week.
- Toned delts and triceps.
- Abs of steel! I just want a 4 pack.

11. Plan ahead.

12. Be punctual.