day seven

I really need to start writing these earlier in the day...my mind turns into mush, I am afraid, after say, 10pm. So then you get entries like "I like people. and peanut butter. and pillows." Haha, but really, something to consider for the next 20 something days...

-Pumpkin butter. Might as well list ALL things pumpkin. :)

-Pregnant bellies. The fact that a baby is growing and forming inside delights me to no end. And I think pregnant mamas are incredibly beautiful.

-Truth. It outweighs logic, which is often faulty.

-Hanging out with the Lord. He is the BEST thing in my life.

Sorry so short, but seriously. I am about to fall asleep on my laptop and I think the drool that would ensue would surely kill it.

day s i x

Continuing on...

-Finding out that you only have to spend 50% of what you could have spent on fixing your car (i.e. expecting up to $425 and being quoted $200. h a p p y)

-Being allowed to borrow your friend's bomb diggity brand new Honda Accord. It has butt warmers, XM radio, and a sun roof. :)

-This video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRRkJ95RxIo Oh my goodness. I have listened to it several times today and it still makes me smile. I have a feeling I might have talked like that at some point in my childhood. Her dad is trying so hard to be attentive...but can't help himself and cracks up. Poor thing was like, "why is he laughing? I am having a serious conversation here..."

-Chocolate lava cakes. I think there is a trend. I think I like food. :)

-God's patience with me. Good thing He never runs out. He's used a lot. I am so grateful.

day 5

It is more difficult to do this when your mood is calling you to be negative...this is precisely why I am doing this. There is plenty of joy in my life, and here are more of the things that make me smile.

-Finding out new things about people. Like when I borrowed my roommate's car and discovered her love for country music.

-Cold, foggy days at the beginning of fall. Makes you want to curl up in a blanket and read a book.

-Brownies. Some magically appeared in the office today. Made me smile. And eat one.

-Being stretched. This is actually something I don't really enjoy, but the outcome is usually something that brings a smile. It brings a sense of accomplishment once it is done. I am writing a piece for something much more important than this blog. Here I just write my thoughts and I am done. If people want to read, great! If not, I have expressed myself and have enjoyed the process. But when you write for something greater, it stretches you. I hope to share it in the future.

:)

day 4

Another day, more things to make me smile...

-Engagements. I know so many people getting engaged...and they glow. It makes me want love like that.

-Singing. I love love love to sing. And when it is combined with worshiping God, it makes me smile.

-Seeing how much God has done in my life. I sometimes forget to look and see how far I have come because I am so caught up in the moment. But there are times when I am reminded, and I am grateful. I was told today that I smile a lot more these days. I would have to agree.

-New friends. New friends are like gifts. You are not sure what is inside, but you are so excited to open them up!

-God's heart for me. Really it makes me weep and smile at the same time. It's powerful, and if I let it, it will change my life.

I like this. Doing this makes me smile. :)

day 3

Day 3 was off to a rough start given how late I went to bed, etc. but was quickly redeemed...I won't pretend all the car stuff is not affecting me, but I am also seeing God move despite the circumstances, and how generous my friends are.

-Needtobreathe. Yvonne and I listened to them while driving to a birthday party in her truck...and it was amazingly good driving music. I am a huge fan, and look forward to going to their concert in San Francisco in a month. I am not usually this big a nerd for things like this, but seriously, if I could pick a band to be friends with (that I am not already, like Citizen...), I'd pick them.

-Avila Valley Barn. This place is magical! Especially in the fall. This is where the birthday party was, and seeing kids run around and have fun, sampling amazing foods in their little market, piles of pumpkins, and a hayride to boot was enthralling! I can't explain why I love it so much, but I do. I am definitely bringing my kids there one day.

-Friends who go above and beyond for you. Yvonne looked at my car and waited with me while the tow truck came. We got slurpees! She then drove me to the car shop and looked up the cost of the repair so I would know while the truck unloaded my car. She then drove me home. My co-worker is taking me to and from work on Monday, and my roommate Katrina is letting me use her car tomorrow so I can take a new girl from Poly to church. I am so blessed.

-Naps. I needed one today and enjoyed it thoroughly.

-Pumpkin ice cream. Delicious. Enough said.

Off to bed now...lots to do tomorrow. I like this...30 days of things that make me smile. Tell me some of yours!

day 2...

So continuing on...I am determined to do this everyday for 30 days...and here it is almost 1am. It has been a loooonnnnggg day. But a good one despite a major hiccup. My car won't start. It is in a random parking lot in SLO and I am without a car until I can figure it out. Money is not flowing from my natural bank account, so I am seriously hoping for the supernatural bank to open up to pay for what I think is a dead starter. Not a horrible thing, but quite inconvenient. I have been awake for almost 19 hours today because I started my day volunteering at K-Life for its Fall Partnership Drive. I had a lot of fun doing that, which leads me into the joys of today...

-Spontaneous fun. My friends and I who volunteered this morning had no shortage of spontaneous fun. It included breakdancing, stomping, making up songs and cheers, and cracking random jokes. Maybe we were delirious from being up so early, but I laughed for a majority of it. And yes, in the meantime, we took many phone calls for pledges. We multi-tasked.

-Hearing God move in people's lives. I took two phone calls this morning in a row where people were weeping because of God's heart. My favorite was a woman who wanted to give and felt bad she couldn't give more. She told me a story about how last night on her job, she was given a $76 tip...for a $23 delivery. It made her weep. She was trusting in God's provision, and giving because she wanted to. It was inspiring.

-Scarves. First day of fall to wear one! It was lovely.

-When you don't end up doing something and you realize it was for the best. Like me deciding not to drive all the way out to Hearst Castle as planned today. I was not feeling up to it. In fact, I was not feeling well, and it wasn't until I decided not to go that I started to feel better. Looking back, it is quite likely that my car could have ended up stranded in San Simeon instead of San Luis Obispo. Big difference. And grateful that it is not.

-The 80s. Such a fun decade. I went to an 80s party tonight and rocked out with a generation of people who were not alive in that decade, haha. Here's a sneak peek...


-Young brothers...real ones, yes. But also the ones God puts in your life to remind you of your youth and make you feel cool. I have a posse of them, and I love them dearly. They made tonight that much more fun.

Time for bed...let's see how tomorrow unfolds!

30 days of things that make me smile...day 1

So, I've decided I need to focus on the small and joyful things in my life for 30 days...God has given me much, and I need to see that everyday! Sometimes I get caught up in what I don't have, and that steals the joy from those simple things. I will chronicle my daily joys here, and will hopefully write about other things in between. Maybe it will encourage you to think of the good things in life and maybe even share them with me! :)



Day 1:

-KIDS. Today I was told by a very smart 3 year old (well, tomorrow he will be 3!) that ice cream comes from church. Must be because good things like ice cream come from church, right? Hee hee. And I got group hugs from the same 3 year old and his little brother. Later when I stopped by my cell leader's house to grab my forgotten sweater, I got her son's first wave as I left. It was stinkin' adorable!

-The book of 1 John in the Bible. I have read it a hundred times, but it is still rocking my world.

-Diet Coke and Chile Limon chips. YUM.

-Ipods. Keeps amazing music from my favorites like Needtobreathe and Bethany Dillon streaming in my ears, especially at work when I have lots of paperwork.

-Cooked chicken from Vons...yum!!! And little to no prep for dinner :)

I really could go on and on and on, but that will unfold over the next 29 days. I look forward to tomorrow's joys!

Walmart and other fun adventures

Tonight I ended up at Walmart with my friend Stephanie. I highly recommend going to places like Walmart with friends who make you laugh. I needed that tonight. This week has got me running a million miles a minute, and while I am loving it, I am getting a little weary. So, tonight's adventure was a good thing for me. Our friend Katie was sadly at home sick, and so we set off to send her pictures that would make her laugh. So...we discovered the new Miley Cyrus line, and promptly tried on spandex black shiny tights and random fun tops to match...

We also found the backpack section, where to my delight, we discovered what I would, of course, need if I were going back to school, which I am not....


Anyway, all of this was a nice mental break from life. Even if it was only for an hour. This last weekend was amazing, and yet exhausting! I watched my friend's two adorable kids both Friday night and Saturday for most of the day before continuing onto band practice and meeting lots of fun freshman at Poly. I even drove a Tahoe around...it gave me a glimpse of the life of a mom. Moms really give up their lives for their kids. I only experienced this for all of about 10 hours, but still. I dream of being a mom. It just comes with a lot of responsibility and self sacrifice. I am not there, but I hope one day to be, and to do it well.

I am finishing off this week with a bang! 80s party and lots of other things...more updates to come!

keeping it real

Sometimes you just have to say what is on your heart and put it out there so others can join you in prayer or in some cases pray for you...sometimes that is two different things...haha. Anyway, to keep it real, here it goes:

I want to get married. Soon. This is such a deep deep thing, I can't even put it into words. It has been a lifelong desire, and I sometimes feel like it is so so far away. I feel like time is ticking and racing all at the same time. And at the same time, I am on pause. So, there it is. Pray. I need it. End of moment.