Draw Close

Photo taken by the lagoon at Northern Illinois University
By Alexa Warner
James 4:8

Times By Tenth Avenue North

 

 

 

XOXO Alexa

Halloween Costumes

The votes are in (aka. mine, Ha!) on this year's Halloween Costumes.

The Most "Clever"

Bud Light Year

 

 

 

The Most "Witty"

From Romney's comment at the debate

The Most "Scary"

EEEEEKKK!! He lurked behind people all night.

The Most "Creepy"

Jerry Sandusky

(Yes. That is a shower and a Penn State towel.)

 

The Best "DIY Homemade Costume"

Optimus Prime

(Props to this guy! His costume was painted cardboard. He even painted the optimus prime face and attached flashlights as the shining lights.)

My Favorite "Couples Costumes"

Duck Dynasty's Willie & Korie Robertson

 

 

 

 

XOXO Alexa 

With God

Photo taken at Sequoia National Park
By Alexa Warner
Matthew 19:26

Our God

By Chris Tomlin

 

 

 

XOXO Alexa

An Evening Alone

This past Friday night turned out to be an evening spent home alone. At first I was uncomfortable with the idea of being by myself. I, by my very nature, thrive on interacting with other people. It gives me energy, joy and laughter. However this year God has opened a new chapter in my life. He has asked me to learn how to be independent and seek Him as my energy, joy and laughter. So this past Friday, God used my evening to draw me closer to Him instead of relying on others. The first way He spoke to me was by encouraging me to find better ways to use my time. As school work has eased up this semester I have already been thinking about finding ways to occupy my extra time. Therefore I have decided to pick up a new hobby---painting. It is a way for me to slow down the pace of my life, hear God speaking to me, focus on the positive things in this life and be inspired. My painting Friday night turned out to be a dandelion blowing at sunset (see picture above).

However halfway through my painting the lights went out!! This was not just a one swift blackout. No, of course not. The lights had to eerily flicker on and off multiple times before going out. How did this happen?! It was not even storming with rain, lightning or wind! Clearly God was really testing me to learn this relying on Him thing. I prayed for his comfort and protection. Then I found all the candles in the apartment to light in the living room and Jimmy calmed me down on the phone until the electricity came back on. While I was sitting in the dark, I realized how distracting our electricity can be to our relationship with God. Don't get me wrong---I love electricity and think it is a huge blessing to this generation. However I find myself choosing marathons on netflix over my bible studies and quiet time with God. I decided that maybe the lights going out was God trying to encourage me to read my bible and spend time with him in prayer...then the lights came back on! How quickly I became distracted again with blowing the candles out, charging my phone (which was down to 15% battery), and making sure the PS3 wasn't harmed by a power surge. REALLY?! Well let me say that God is a patient God who grants us many opportunties to seek him even when we continually walk away. As soon as the PS3 turned on a message showed up that it needed to do a system check that could take hours. Yes, that was definitely my cue to go spend some time with God. The study I was on that night embodied God's perfect timing. He spoke to me about how we must live our lives for Him and be listening to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes that will require us to be alone, but that is okay. Just like "David found strength in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6), so will I.

XOXO Alexa

King of All Days

Photo taken at Yosemite National Park
By Alexa Warner
Lyrics from King of All Days By: Hillsong United

 

 

 

 

XOXO Alexa

Colder Weather

Photo taken at Sequoia National Park
By Alexa Waraner
Lyrics from Colder Weather By: Zac Brown Band

XOXO Alexa

INSPIRATION: Your Life

Photo taken in my backyard
By Alexa Warner

Shine On

By: Needtobreathe

XOXO Alexa

What a Wednesday!



Is this real life you ask? YES. Yes it is.





Every Wednesday morning Paige and I are in charge of sorting, alphabetizing, and shelving the "new books" for the library. However this morning we got not one but TWO carts of "new books" before my coffee finished brewing! Needless to say, trying to muster up enough concentration to alphabetize at 7:30am seemed like a cruel joke an impossible task.

 

My day brightened up after I left the book dungeon work and discovered it was nice enough outside to ditch my scarf and gloves! May the days stay warm and leaves stay bright.

 

 

 

XOXO Alexa

Persevering Prayer

The sermon at church today was an extremely powerful message about prayer. The message was based off of the parable in Luke 18:1-8.

These are the key points to truly understand the passage in scripture:

• We are like the widow because we are helplessly in need of God.
• We are unlike the widow because we tend to be impatient and quit praying too soon.
• The judge is like God because God is powerful, hears us, and rewards our persistence.
• The judge is unlike God because God is GOOD and wants the very best for His children.

These are the key points to understand the message God wants us to hear about prayer:

• IT IS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT PRAYING.
• PERSEVERING IN PRAYER IS A WAY FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE OUR FAITH.

Here is some food for thought:

• What would your prayer life look like if you believed without any doubt that God is good and wants the very best for you?
• When Jesus returns will he find faithful followers?

If you feel God wants to speak to you on this topic more, you can click here to listen to the sermon. The series on prayer also includes topic on Intercessory, Corporate, Balanced and Disciplined prayer.


XOXO Alexa

"MUST TRY" To-Do List (Fall Edition)

As I continue with my "MUST TRY" list, I figure there are some things I need to do quickly before fall passes. Hello, why are the leaves on the ground already?! Fall and Spring are the best seasons and yet they sneak by me everytime. Anywhoooo...here are the "fall themed" things I want to try...

ALL THINGS FOOD RELATED:

• Homemade Pumpkin Butter

• Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
  (I also saw my friend make these with just pumpkin spice marshmallows! Who knew?!)

• Homemade Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Okay so it turns out all of my MUST TRY "fall themed" desires are food (and pumpkin). Problem? Obsession? I'd say so. Oh well nom nom nom, enjoy :)

XOXO Alexa

"MUST TRY" To-Do List

I have an obsession with Pinterest just like everyone else these days. The problem is that I spend hours pinning great ideas and then never try them. Well, it is time for that to change! Below is a list from my different "boards" on pinterest of things I MUST TRY!

CRAFTING:

• Sharpie Mug
  (Self-explanatory by picture)

BAKING:

• Cookie Dough-Reese's-Brownie Bar
  (350 degrees, 18 minutes)

COOKING:

• Colored Pasta
  (just add a couple drops of food coloring to the boiling water)

DRINKING:

• Moon-a-rita
  (Mango Margarita Mix, Blue Moon, & Tequila)

XOXO Alexa

BE INFORMED!

Election Day is just around the corner---29 days!

If you are choosing to vote, it is vital that you are informed on the real issues our country is facing and the real views of each candidate. The media loves to stir up drama and falsify information for a more heated story. While this makes for great primetime television, it gives me a pounding headache trying to sort through the information. I found great relief in my research on each candidate after watching the Presidential Debate on the current economy and healthcare. I highly encourage you to watch this debate (ALONE) so that you can hear first hand about the plans each candidate has for our country and form your opinions in an educated and unbiased situation. You can find the full-length debate by clicking here.

Are you registered to vote in IL?

• Click here to check.
• October 9th (aka today) is the LAST DAY TO REGISTER
• October 9th-November 3rd is "Grace Period Registration"

How do you register to vote?

• You can go to the county clerk's office, city and village office, or public library
• Bring two forms of identification (one must have your current address)

Do you know how or where to vote?

• If you want to vote "absentee" because you are away from home, click here for more information. The application to vote absentee must be received by November 1st.
• If you will be voting in the county you are registered, click here to find the nearest location.

For more information on voting in Illinois, click here :)

XOXO Alexa



Differences While Driving

While Jimmy and I were taking the scenic route to Wilmington, NC, I noticed many differences on the road. Take a look...

1. The Scenery

All the interstates in North Carolina are lined

with gorgeous green trees as opposed to

the flat dull cornfields of the midwest. 

ILLINOIS vs. NORTH CAROLINA

 

 

2. U-turns are allowed?!

Yes! North Carolina allows drivers on the interstate 

to utilize the crossover sections to turn around,

unlike Illinois who reserves them for speed traps.

 

ILLINOIS vs. NORTH CAROLINA

3. Flashing yellow turn arrows

In North Carolina they never have green or red arrows like Illinois.
Instead as soon as the main lights turn green, the turn arrow light FLASHES yellow.

It is really weird to get used but it's nice that you can turn whenever you want. 

ILLINOIS vs. NORTH CAROLINA

4. Speed Limits

North Carolina's is higher!!

Yayy for 70!





ILLINOIS vs. NORTH CAROLINA

5. License Plates

 

North Carolina drivers are not required to have

their license plates posted on the front of their car. 

ILLINOIS vs. NORTH CAROLINA

 

 

XOXO Alexa

Thoughts from the Traveler

Printed vs. Mobile
Boarding Passes

1. Mobile Boarding passes
These are WAYYYY cooler than the print out version! I will admit that I was skeptical at first. However the technology won me over when my mobile boarding pass alerted me to a gate change for one of my flights!

Note--Mobile boarding passes can only be used at certain airports. Be sure to check on your airlines website for participating airports.





2. Wait for the signs
Unfortunately my high-tech iPhone let me down in the navigation department. We followed its misdirections to take the Mannheim Rd exit, which sounded very familiar to me. This road was quite deceiving though! We could see O'hare but just couldn't quite reach it. Our navigation began taking us in a distant circle around the airport which ended at Korean Air Cargo. Wrong way? I'd say so.

How could it be this difficult to get to the departure terminals? 
Wasn't this an INTERNATIONAL airport accessed by millions of people? *Sighs*

After passing Korean Air Cargo we made the executive decision to make a u-turn. We were two smart girls with strong directional senses. (Not to mention the desire to see my boyfriend would provide crazy mad woman serious motivation--even if that meant hopping fences at 4am.)

We came back to a fork that forced us to get back on the interstate. While we were still feeling lost we followed three cars going west and crossed our fingers. Sure enough as soon as we got back onto I-90 we saw huge bright blue signs with detailed instructions to get to the terminals!

Wow, so we just took an exit too soon??

3. Security Round Two
In every airport that I've had to make a connection I usually just walk to the next terminal over or hop on a fancy train at the the larger airports. It always seems like a daunting task but ends up being so simple! (Usually that is...)

When I landed in New York, I was dying for some breakfast and a coffee! I almost stopped at Starbucks but then felt the need to navigate my way to my new terminal first. Good thing I did because New York's LaGuardia airport makes you go through security again!! Yikes---can you imagine if my layover had been less than an hour or if I already had my venti coffee in hand?

4. Out of My Control
It is no secret that I like to be in control and struggle with giving that up to others. This does not make for a good scenario then when I see large dark clouds, rain hitting the window, and a shaking plane from turbulence! Well this was my exact situation on the flight to New York. In fact there was a few points where I couldn't see anything out my window--including the wing that was right next to me! However I believe that God used that experience to continue teaching me that He is the one in control and that I need to give everything up to him. 

LET'S RECAP:

1. Do not be afraid of the mobile boarding passes. They are fantastic!

2. If you are going to a popular and highly accessed location, just wait for the signs! They won't let you down like your GPS probably will. 

3. Never dilly-dally or buy drinks until you get to your new terminal gate!

Layover snack!

4. Keep calm and pray on!

XOXO Alexa

CALIFORNIA: Day 8

Our vacation went WAY TOO FAST! Friday morning we had just enough time to eat breakfast and head to the airport. The airport security did not go as smoothly as the first time though. I had to go through the "nakie scan," get patted down, and they even did a drug residue test on my hands! WOWZA, did I look that suspicious?!














Our "Tour of California" was such an incredible experience. I cannot wait to take another trip out there and explore the parks even further!

Plane taking off from O'Hare

XOXO Alexa

CALIFORNIA: Day 7

On our last full day of vacation we decided to spend it seeing more beautiful sights and attempting to avoid the crowds. We had to make our way back down to LA for our flight so we thought--What better way to get there than to take PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY (PCH)?!

On our way back to LA, we decided that we NEEDED to put our feet in the ocean! We were so close that it would be outrageous to pass up that opportunity. Soon enough we were in Malibu, which we heard had beautiful beaches! This was the perfect location for Nate to swim in the ocean for the very first time!! We even got to see two dolphins swimming in the ocean. (Which we were nervous were sharks at first, because we had been avidly watching "Shark Week" every night while on vacation.)

 After a successful day at the beach and travel along PCH, we ended our night in Culver City, CA just outside of Los Angeles. While we were relaxing in our hotel we turned on Shark Week. Can you guess what attack was about that night?? MAN DIES IN MALIBU, CA FROM AN ATTACK BY AN 18 FOOT SHARK!!!!!!! Woah, that's just a little scary considering we were swimming in the same exact waters just hours earlier.

 XOXO Alexa

CALIFORNIA: Day 6

The first part of our vacation was beautiful seeing all the God-made creations in the National Parks. However we could not pass up the opportunity to go sight-seeing in SAN FRANCISCO! Our day was filled with many fun adventures:

1. BAY BRIDGE

This is the inital bridge we had to cross to get from Oakland to San Francisco. It is actually pretty cool because it has two levels. The traffic going to San Francisco is on top and the traffic going to Oakland is on the bootom. (WARNING: It costs $6 to cross the bridge each way!! Can you believe people pay $12 in bridge tolls just to get to work? CRAZY!) My dad decided that as we were CROSSING the bridge it would be a great time to tell us about how the top level collapsed onto the bottom level during the Earthquake of 1989!! Needless to say we did not take the Bay Bridge out of the city after that story.

2. ALCATRAZ ISLAND

I guess we still managed to see a National Park in San Francisco because Alcatraz Island home to the famous prison is considered a national park. This was such a cool experience to visit the island. As soon as we got off the ferry boat, the island had an erie feel with hundred of birds making noises at once. (Think Shutter Island in real life! eeek!) The highlight of the island is most definitely the Cellhouse where we received an audio tour. The tour involved wearing a media headset that guides you step-by-step through the cellhouse. The thing that made it even cooler was that real guards and inmates recounted the history, lifestyle, and violent escapes of Alcatraz Prison!

The outdoor recreation area

The prisoners described their stories as torture and explained that the design of Alcatraz was that they would be reminded of a society that they would never be a part of again. They said on holidays like New Years Eve the voices from parties carried accrossed the bay into their windows. Also as you can see below each of the halls and structures were named something famous.

3. CABLE CAR RIDE
This was such a fun way to explore the town of San Francisco. We were able to see all the different neighborhoods, streets, and culture while feeling like we were on a rollercoaster!

4. GILROY, CA

This is the town we stayed the night in after our fun-filled day in San Francisco. As soon as we got off the interstate, all of our eyes started itching and watering. Then as we pulled into the town a distinct and unpleasant aroma seeped into the car. We all looked at each other wondering what was going on!! Dad and I were pretty sure the smell was garlic, but we had no idea where it was coming from. We checked in at the front desk of our hotel expecting the receptionists to mention the smell or apologize for the inconvenience but they did not say anything! Were we going crazy? After we got to our room I had to look up online what was going on---our eyes were still watering!! We then discovered that Gilroy is the "Garlic Capital of the World," known for its garlic crops and annual garlic festival! Their town motto is "a community with a spice for life" and they even have a garlic ice cream shop. HAHAHA! This adventure definitely topped of our day first with burning tears and then tears of uncontrollable laughter!!



Below are more photos from our fantastic day in SAN FRANCISCO:

XOXO Alexa