Something Beautiful

Yesterday was a day made simply to be savored. It was a little gift from the One who knows my heart best. 65 and nothing but blue skies. All day spent outside, some walking, some in the backyard. It was simply glorious. . .there just really is no better way to describe it. It was a perfect Saturday. Waking up slow. A long, sweet quiet time with sunshine through my window and a cuppa hot tea and an English muffin with butter and strawberry jam. Breakfast in bed with my dearest love. . .it doesn't get any better than that. Finally getting up and going for a long walk, praying and thinking. Returning to sit in the backyard with shoes off and journal all the thoughts. Realizing that it takes intention and attention to live a life of savoring. Living an intentional life requires discipline and practice, but it is so worth it. Just like eating right and exercising regularly are part of a healthy lifestyle and require focused intention, so does a life of savoring. An intentional life must...

What an absolutely, incredibly beautiful day!! I am so glad that I have gotten to spend part of this day out in the beautiful sunshine! I went out and washed my car because I don't know how long the lovely weather will last. Now I am debating between a bike ride or a nice long walk. Sunshine is just so wonderful!! It gives me so much energy and desire to be outside and go and do and live. I was reading back through some of my old journals the other day, and I couldn't help but be awed by God's faithfulness. I am a little overwhelmed by God and the way He shows His hand at work in my life. There is something about this time of the year that He always seems to be at work in my life in a very real and visible way. I was noticing as I looked back through my journals that there was this trend that the last part of January always seems to mark a significant event in my walk with God. I first noticed this three years ago. That was the year that God started me on the path that radi...

The sunset was glorious tonight!! I caught a glimpse of it as I took out the garbage at work. It was one of those moments where I glimpsed real, eternal life. I saw and tasted the beauty and glory of God if only for a moment. It was a taste of how eternity will be. I came home and went for a walk. . .in the cold, but it was beautifully clear. I could see the stars, and I could talk to God. It was such a wonderful walk. I was rather cold by the time I got home, but it was still a great walk. I made a new dish tonight, a delicious chicken dish with brushetta on top. Served with risotto and green beans. . .yes, please. Add to that some lovely White Collar and time with my girls, a night just doesn't get better than this.

I love moments when God is just a little bit ridiculous with how extravagant His love is. Saturday I had this sudden craving for curry and Thai food. I went to work that night, and we were serving none other than Thai curry at the event I was working. There was plenty leftover, so I got curry for supper. I am a words of affirmation person. I feel most loved when I am told that I'm pretty, I did a good job, etc. Sunday night I received several unexpected comments (actually given in an offhand manner) that just made my heart glow because of the affirmation behind the words. The one who spoke them didn't even realize the effect of them, I'm sure, but that made my heart that much happier because it meant they were from God. Today, I read a letter written by someone who I don't know. It was written by a young warrior-poet to his future wife, and it both made my heart rejoice and brought me to tears. I saw that there was a man out there who is striving after the things I want...

I woke up to sunshine through my window this morning!! For this sunshine girl, that was a welcome sight after a week of grey and cloudy. I stayed snuggled up in my warm, cozy, blankets and spent time with my Beloved. I thought. I thought about savouring. I thought about love. I thought about writing and books and friends. I thought about cooking. I thought about God and His amazing faithfulness and plans. Then I got an invite to go spend some time with some lovely GAL ladies this afternoon. So excited!! :) I got a run in while the sun was still out. . .it has since gone behind another endless sky of grey clouds. :( And I'm excited for a giveaway I just entered by Lisa Leonard Designs . It got me started thinking about Valentine's Day. . .and I'm so excited to celebrate my 3 year friendiversary with my lovely roommate. It always gives me something to look forward to on a day that I otherwise don't particularly care for. Well, I've got to run. . .cupcakes and friends ...

At my favorite coffeeshop. It's so lovely to just hang out and get some things accomplished. I love watching people and enjoying life. People doing homework. People reading. People hanging out and talking with their friends. Life is good. I love being a regular at a coffeeshop because then you can always tell who is comfortable there and who is new. Case in point. A lady left her table and took her purse with her. I'm pretty sure there has never been anything stolen here. I have personally left my computer and purse here and left the building for hours and never even gave it a second thought. I had such a long, lovely quiet time this morning. My body is finally waking up on its own again which means I am finally recovered from the sleep depriving months of November and December. I woke up and had just an wonderful prayer time followed by time in the Word. So refreshing. My roommate came home last night from her vacation. It is so nice to have another person living in the house ...

Remember when I said that I would maybe let you in on my journaling of my reflections of my day...well today I will...at least as far as this day has gone so far. Today Was. . . a day off. sleeping and waking up and sleeping again. thankfulness for a warm house and cozy covers. thoughts going through my head as I woke up. a long shower. putting on four layers. coffee and a long chat with a dear friend. trust. a cozy fire at a friend's house. a good, long hug. not wanting to say good-bye. a clean car. warm, sunny tunes for a cold, dreary day. a long phone chat with mi amiga. sharing thoughts and dreams and life. a bowl of warm chicken tortilla soup for lunch. dreaming. entering a blog giveaway by Sarah from on the brightside... a free afternoon. to be continued. . . There's my day so far. With many other things to come. Peace out yo!

So many things tugging at my heartstrings today. I taught the 4's and 5's Sunday School class at church today. When I walked in one of the little girls asked me where my kids were. I was so caught off guard and I almost burst into tears as I replied that I didn't have any kids. My heart was already tender, and there's nothing like a direct question from an adorable 5 year old to open up that place. That's one of the things I love most about kiddos is that they are never afraid to ask the questions that they really want to know. They don't have a filter and aren't afraid of criticism or critique of what they say. Then I went to help at a wedding show for work. It was both a good thing and a bad thing. Seeing wedding stuff all around made me so aware of the fact that I am very far from that. At the same time I realized how much I want to keep my wedding simple. It is soooo expensive to throw a big elaborate wedding, and I don't want that. I feel kind of hy...

I worked all day today. It was very slow, and I didn't have to hurry or rush. I actually made myself go more slowly so that I didn't run out of things to do. It was quiet. Lots of time for me to think and reflect and pray. Most of my thoughts were joyful -- rejoicing in God and all that He has given me. A few of my thoughts were sad -- friends leaving, some for a short while...others indefinitely. Sometimes my heart breaks because things do not go the way I want them to or think they should. A friend who makes a decision I don't think is particularly wise. When someone settles for being less than they could be. When someone cannot see the obvious truth right in front of them. In those moments I am reminded that God is still good, and that He is still the one in control. I can't see the whole big picture, but I know it will be glorious in the end. I have been tempted with opportunities for jealously lately. A moment or picture will flash though my mind, and my heart will...

Sipping a cuppa hot tea before bed really is one of the more lovely things in life. I have taken to writing in my journal every night a list of things that describe the day I had...to remind myself of the moments that I savored that day. I kind of like it...and maybe I'll share some with you sometime. But for now... I've had a kind of long day, and I'm really looking forward to sleep, but I read a verse tonight when I was reading my Bible that I wanted to share with you all. I had my quiet time after I put the kids to bed...not my kids...the ones I was babysitting. It was lovely. I'm reading in Exodus right now, and I just got to the part where they have crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptians were defeated. Then there was this verse in the song that Moses sings that just really stuck out to me. "You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. ...

I was asked today if money wasn't an object, if I didn't have to work, if I could do anything in the world, live anywhere in the world, what would I do? I wanted to give her a thoughtful answer, a truthful answer, so I thought about it. If I could do anything what would I do? My heart leapt within me at the thought. It's one of those rare opportunities where you just allow yourself to dream for a minute of a perfect world. What would that world look like? I knew within myself what I would do, and I did my best to express it to this lady. I would have a house on the beach. It would be a safe place, a resting place, a refuge. It would be open to anyone who wanted to come. I would have tea every afternoon with my friends. I would cook and bake. I would work in my garden in the backyard. I would spend hours in communion with my Beloved. I would take walks on the beach, watching the sunset. I would sit on my front porch and soak up the day and night. I would savor life, and I wo...

I have finally begun to re-emerge into life where I hang out with friends and do things I enjoy and don't work constantly. This is a good thing. That probably also means that I will soon start blogging more frequently as well. My body is finally becoming less demanding of sleep and my mind is much more well rested as well. However, I feel like in all of the craziness I have neglected my heart a bit. There was craziness of the holidays and working a tonne, and then there was resting and letting my brain chill out, but I have just been in a bit of a funk as of late. My heart has been hurting, and I think I didn't think about it as I was in my recovery process. Now with my body and mind rested, my attention is turning to my heart. After some intensive care I think it is beginning to recover as well. God has been reminding me of His wonderful promises as of late. He has been reminding me of His goodness. Friday was a wonderful day. I slept late, had a coffee date to catch up with a...

You know those moments that make you feel like home? I think that's one of the reasons that I love cooking because no matter where I have lived I have always cooked. I never feel more at home than when I am standing over a stove or putting something in the oven. My first job (besides forced slave labor for my parents) was as a short order cook at a small cafe. I spent three years standing over the grill in that little kitchen. I knew my way around there like the back of my hand. I didn't realize how much I missed that grill or that kitchen until I stood over a much different grill in a much different kitchen today. I was suddenly back at my first job...memories flooded to my mind one after another. I had that feeling. I was home. I have so many memories that are tied to specific things that I make. I have some cookies that I make and every time I make them it reminds me of the first time I made them. I have specific foods that I make for specific people. Every time I make that ...

Okay, I have a confession...I might be a little bit obsessed with cooking...and scarves and anything with coconut in it and TOMS and...well...please don't judge me for the things I might be mildly obsessed with. Tonight I made a fantastic dish of chicken, mushrooms and pasta in a white wine, cream sauce. Oh, my goodness, I melted on the floor. Literally...so delicious!! Paired with steamed peas and red bell pepper. Yum! Sorry, I had to share my small obsession with you. Maybe I'll tell you how to make it sometime...maybe. Peace out yo!

Never in my life have I ever really understood the value of a day off until I started working all the time. Now I am very aware of how much I need and love my day off. After all the busy-ness of the holidays, I have been craving a day to do nothing. This weekend I was blessed with two such days. Saturday I slept late, watched movies all day and ordered pizza, and today, I slept late, and then spent hours with my Beloved. It is such a great feeling to know that I don't have to do anything unless I really want to. I highly contemplated not even leaving my house today, but I think I'm going to run to the grocery to get a few things to make myself a delicious meal tonight. I had thought about going out to eat at a nice place by myself, but I think I will just make dinner and rent a couple of movies that I have been wanting to see. I am excited for this week, though, so many wonderful things to look forward to. Work will be back to normal after the craziness of the last month and a...