Worst Pancakes Ever.

These were quite possibly the worst pancakes I have ever eaten. Imagine pancake-flavored rubber with a hint of vegetable oil and cinnamon and then imagine trying to chew it...yeah, worst pancakes ever.

My attempts at cooking for one are hit and miss, and this morning it was definitely a miss, ha ha. I promise I can cook...just not in small quantities apparently. The coffee, however, was delicious. :-)

In other news, life continues to be awesome in Amelia-world. I am so, so blessed, and thankful! My Mom and I took a little one-night trip down to Athens, Ga. to check out the University of Georgia and have some quality mother-daughter time together. It's a neat college town, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We ate at a fabulous restaurant called the Last Resort Grill, if you're ever in Athens, you should check it out, and we gave ourselves a little self-tour of the UGA campus.

(After touring UGA and LSU and seeing their football stadiums, I think I might become a bigger fan of SEC football...it's a tad ridiculous, but I can't imagine the excitement one must feel attending a game in such an edifice.) :-)

I was also able to spend some time with my Dad and my Uncle Sam and Uncle Pat. My Uncle Sam told us about some great studio musicians that were going to be playing at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, so we drove over there to check it out. They were incredible! It was Phil Keaggy's birthday, so he and a bunch of other insanely good musicians decided to play a set of cover songs...they had only practiced together once before the show, and they played most of the songs better than bands that practice for weeks. I'm in awe of Phil Keaggy's talent, and I love that he chooses to use his talent for the One that gave it to him. If you haven't heard of him or heard him play, please check out this video.

Life is good...freaking out about making some big decisions, but life is good...

Hope everyone is doing well!

Love and peace,

Amelia

Nostalgia.

Granada, Spain

Bocas Del Toro, Panama (I'm the one in the black and red dress. This was about 10 minutes before we realized we were lost in the Panamanian jungle...scariest 4 hours of my life thus far.)

San Jose, Costa Rica

Ghandi graffiti :-)

Volcano Arenal, Costa Rica

Progreso, Mexico

Barva, Heredia, Costa Rica

Miss this...

I need some new stamps in my passport.

Suggestions?

Love and peace,

Amelia

P.S. It's 70 degrees in Cookeville right now...I'm a happy girl! :-)

Carpe amorem.

While reading through past blog posts, I realized I've never fully explained the title of my blog, Carpe amorem. (Seize love.) Allow me to remedy that situation! Don't worry...this isn't another post about being single. My blog is actually catered to a more general type of love...

Recently I've been reading this terrific book called The Five Love Languages: Singles Edition by Gary Chapman. It focuses on how we all need love. (If you haven't read one of his books about love languages, check it out. It'll change how you look at the people around you.)

"Married or single, young or old, every human has the emotional need to feel loved. When this need is met, we move out to reach our potential for God and our potential for good in the world." (Chapman 12)

After reading this book, I began to ponder to myself: How do you show love to people? Do you make a conscious effort to love? Have you felt really lonely and wanted someone to take time to tell you how important you are? Do you feel appreciated? Do you make others feel appreciated? What do you love? Do you like it when others acknowledge what you love? Do you acknowledge what other people love?

I'm still asking myself all of these questions; I'm not preaching them to anyone. I'm far from reaching my potential as a "lover." I have a pretty awesome Teacher, though, and even when I feel like I'm flailing uncontrollably in this ridiculous maze called life, He puts someone or something in my path to remind me that I am loved.

I appreciate and love every one of you that are reading this. I want to love you to the best of my ability, and I want to learn how I can love you better. I want you to feel loved like I feel loved. I want the love that I have been so freely given to spill out onto you.

This blog is an extension of everything I love in life and the love that I feel from my amazing, beautiful friends and family: I'm so blessed.

Seize love, my friends. Give a hug, write a note, help someone clean, listen intently, set aside quality time...do whatever looks and feels like love to you...show some love.

I truly believe love can change the world...love and good communication, but that's a whole 'nother tangent... :-)

All you need is love. :-)

Love and peace,

Amelia

P.S. Here's a picture of something I love...I know, I'm a dork. :-)

Poetry.

On the mountaintop I'll scream

From the valley I'll declare

There are none like you in all the land

In my heart you lay me bare

No other sang so beautifully

No one else can captivate

With no one else would I like to dance

My soul is yours more each day

Deep calls to deep

In the roar of your falls

Your breakers and waves

Flow over me

The sun, the moon, the stars they shine

But your love for me is all I see

Psalm 45:1

"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer."

Short but sweet. :-)

Love and peace,

Amelia