Things that I am really loving lately...
Music:
Ingrid Michaelson. Her music…ALL of it, is just amazing. I
don’t think she has one song that I don’t like…she’s just a girls’ girl! You
know what I mean? Not to mention… she’s married to Greg Laswell………not sure
there could ever be a more musically talented couple…
(*Random piece of information…I have a tattoo on my left
ribs, which I got a few years ago. It was inspired by her song “Keep
Breathing”. The tattoo says; “All I can do is keep breathing”…it was at kind of
a low point in my life and I was going through A LOT and I felt like I couldn’t
control any of it and so apparently this song felt relatable to me…haha…kids…)
If you haven’t heard her music…then listen to her! NOW! You
should start with a few of my current favorites of hers…which include:
Soldier
Sort Of
This Is War
Ghost (this one especially…though it is a sad one…sorry…)
Die Alone
Black & Blue
December Baby (ugh this one is so good too…[sad as well])
Starting Now
Ribbons
Giving Up
Glass
Okay…I’m going to stop there…or else I am just going to
suggest every song she has…
Book:
The Night Circus! My new favorite. Oh my gosh. I cannot even
begin to explain how amazing it is. If you are a reader…or heck, even if you
aren’t…READ IT!!!! I’m like 400 pages in I think...and I literally wake up in
the morning, excited to get into bed that night and read it! And I know I am
going to cry when it is over...
Movie:
Beautiful Creatures. I am such a “fantasy” type lover…I love
movies (and books) with mystery and magic and just incredibly romantic and
un-real love stories…and this movie basically has everything I love. I could
watch it over and over and over and over again…I actually did the first time I rented
it…and hopefully soon I will buy it…so I can watch it over and over and over
and over again =]
Speaking of love…
One of my new favorite things in the world is sitting in my
room at night with my windows open and letting the cool air come in…why did I
not discover this blissful possibility sooner?! Haha but I think I am liking it
too much because I had a dream the other night that the man of my dreams showed
up at my window one night with flowers and we talked all
night...ahahahahaha….so I am convinced that is going to happen one of these
nights haha…oh how my imagination gets away from me some times…
On second thought…that might be a little creepy if some
random guy showed up at my window with flowers…maybe I should keep my blinds
closed…just in case…
Haha…anyways…
Another thing I love…CANDLES!!! One of my best friends ALWAYS
gives me little candles as gifts and recently I decided to actually burn
one…mmmm there is just something so romantic about a dark room being lit up
from a candle…
Another thing I am loving lately is just all of the little
adventures I have been having…
God has been showing me more and more lately just how many
people I have in my life who TRULY love and care for me…and I have been having
so much fun just getting to know them all more and more and just spending time
with them…From Six Flags to Alaska…and wine tasting and concerts…and even just
simple random lunch dates…I have been having so much fun with so many of my
friends and I just feel so blessed lately…and loved…and I know God knew that I
needed some quality time with people who genuinely care for me…And I have just
been basking in it and I really feel so spoiled…
(I am really realizing lately how much I just love spending
quality time with people…I think that is a big part of my “love language” like
just knowing that someone could be anywhere or be doing anything, but they have
chosen to spend some time with me, even if we are just relaxing and talking…I
just love my friends so much…and of course I love to know they love me too
haha…)
So besides all of these little things that are making me so
happy lately…Today I really realized how thankful I am for prayer.
I mean I am always thankful for prayer…but today…I definitely
had a light-bulb moment with it.
Of course, I have always known that prayer serves several
healing purposes…
It helps the people who are being prayed for…and it also
helps the person who is doing the praying…
I believe God not only gives us prayer so that we can
encourage others…but so that we can also feel encouraged ourselves.
My devotional today was about God’s purpose…and how His
purpose is not necessarily the final outcome…but it is found mostly within the
process that it takes to get to the final outcome…
Lately I have been struggling A LOT with my emotions
concerning something.
I hate to admit this…but it really has been awful.
This something has been causing me to lose so much sleep and
I have been allowing it to haunt me and consume a greater portion of my mind.
I feel like I have SO many questions…but at the same time…I
know I have ALL of the answers…but they all just really suck to accept.
I have been driving myself crazy with how I should go about
what I am struggling with and trying to decide what the best solution is to
solve my racing mind…
And finally, today…I had my “ah-ha!” moment…
Prayer.
Haha I know…I sound so dumb right now…since I talked about
how important prayer is in my last post…
But this is a somewhat different situation…and to be quite
frank: I’m not even completely positive that I actually wanted to accept the
solution to my problem.
And I am not completely positive that I have actually found
that solution…All I know is…it is a process…and each and every step
counts.
These steps can build me – or break me
“If we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal,
then each moment as it comes is precious.” – Oswald Chambers “My Utmost For
His Highest”
In all honesty – I have ZERO idea when or how I am going to
get over all of this. All I know is that right now…I know what I want. But I
also know that it is not that easy –
So all I can do is just pray.
I can pray for wisdom and strength and discernment.
It’s like…loving someone who chooses not to accept your love.
There is really nothing you can do…the only option you have is to just pray for
them. Yeah…not too many things suck more in the world…but that is how you can
love them…just pray for them. And you can know in your heart that you truly are
loving them…even if you are the only one who knows it…
And I do…and I will.
Isaiah 30:19 – “O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem,
you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your
cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.”
“Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a
scourge for Satan.” – John Bunyan
