Thursday Thirteen

Liz with Sincerely, Liz Photography posted a bunch of questions for her blog readers this past Thursday (hence the Thursday Thirteen title!).  I thought the questions were fun ones, so I thought I'd answer them.  If you get chance, I'd love to see your answers, too!  Great idea, Liz!

***Disclaimer, I haven't read this for typos.  As you've probably learned, I'm bad about that.  I will in a little bit.  Too tired now!

1.If money or skill-set was no issue, what would you love to do for a living?

• I'd love to be a singer.  Not necessarily a professional singer, as in famous, but as in singing as a profession.  Do you get the difference? I wouldn't have to be famous! I love singing to live music.  I think it would be fun to be in a band of some sort, whether worship or country.  I know, sort of on opposite ends!
• More than that though, I'd love to be a philanthropist.  Seriously.  How awesome would it be to give, give, give?!?!?!?!?  I guess, what I'd really like to be is Bono, haha!  He's a singer in a band (U2), and is also a philanthropist. lol!

2.If you could fix or put an end to one problem in the world what would it be?

• Oh, my heart is for ORPHANS.  If I could remedy fatherlessness, and the resulting horrors, I would.  To me, there aren't too many more tragic situations.

3.What is one of your favorite traits about yourself?

• This is always a hard one, isn't it? Hmm.  I think my passion for life is my favorite thing about me. 
   

4.Share with me the name of one person who inspires you.

• Another hard one.  God has given me so many big influencers/inspirations in my life. I'll name a couple. Sorry.
• My friend, Theresa.  Seriously.  She has 5 children very close in age, and loves them well. Ever since meeting her, I've always gone away from her feeling challenged to love my children more intentionally and well.  There's a difference between innate love for your child and love that is intentional and beyond what you might have the energy for.  She also challenges me in my walk with the Lord.  Priceless.
• My Aunt Wendy. She has child-onset rheumatoid arthritis.  Every joint in her body has been replace at least once.  And, she is not a complainer.  Really.  Just the other day, I took my kids over there for a visit, and her physical therapist came while we were there.  The P.T. asked her to rate her level of pain on a level of 1-10.  She rated it at a 4.  I just forget that she lives with constant pain, all of the time.  That is super-convicting to me that I need to keep my attitude (with its complaints) in check.

5.If you could get rid of one type of music forever, what would it be? Band, genre, artist?

• Oh mercy.  Rap, quickly followed by heavy metal.  Really, it's a toss-up.  At least with heavy metal, you can't really understand the terrible lyrics, but with rap you can, and I feel dirty after hearing it.
  

6.If you could choose your talent, what talent would you give to yourself? Why?

• Public speaking, and all of the confidence that goes with it.
  

7.What sort of vacation do you enjoy most?

• The lazy, no-plans kind of vacation, but with an energetic and adventurous person.
  

8.Reach out your arm to your left. What is closest at hand? To your right?

• Left: The laptop I do my photo editing on. 
• Right: The remains of my Panera Bread mac & cheese.  It's the BEST stuff in the world! :)
  

9.If you took a six month sabbatical from your work / life situation, what would you do?

• I would go on another mission trip (for at least a month) to Ecuador.  Amazing people and culture, but they need Jesus.
• I would more than likely find myself on some beach somewhere. ;)  Kenny Chesney understands my love for the beach.  It's often hard for me to live so far away from it after having grown up going all of the time!

10.If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to?

• Sierra, probably.  I think it captures my spirit. But I'd keep my middle name of Anne.  Funny, I always wanted my name to be Rose when I was growing up b/c I loved my grandmother's gorgeous roses that she always grew!  No thanks!
  

11.If you were stranded on an island and could take ONE person with you, who would it be?

• Excluding my husband and children (to be fair, ha!), I think I would possibly take my sister, Kayti.  I just love her and she makes me laugh.
  

12.What is your favorite (encouraging) quote?

• Bible verse: "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." Ps. 94:19
• "Take joy in the fact not that your sins are not real, but that they ARE real, and that your Savior is real" --Derek Webb
  

13.What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

• So many kind things have been done on my behalf.  Really.  It's a toss up between my Uncles funding my college and car and my husband letting me have some extra money to buy the camera that I love!   All three are generous men, and I am grateful to have them in my life.