Wishing on a Dream Room, Summer, and a Few Fun Things

Lately I've desired to do or have quite a few lovely little things (not all of them are little though). I've been dreaming of summer, how I want my room to be, and a few fun things to do. So here's my late winter wish list!


Summer: I absolutely love winter. As in very much so. Not to mention I haven't had the chance to go skiing yet! But this year more than ever I can't wait to feel the warm sun on my skin, to swing in a hammock on a warm, breezy summer day, and to sit in a sun room that's not ten degrees. I can't wait to wear shorts and tank tops on a super hot day with perhaps an iced latte using my mom's new machine for it while lounging by the pool or in the hammock, reading a nice big book. I refuse to be stuck inside this summer. Therefore, I need to bust my butt with schoolwork so that I don't have too much to do this summer (because it's looking like my whole summer might be playing catch up).


To make my dream room: There's so much I'd love to do but almost all of it is little things in my eyes. Basically I need to do some major thrift shopping to find the perfect items!

1. Paint my room, preferably a light vintage pink- this is a pretty big project, but my mom said it will be done!
2. Taller, bigger bookshelves- this is kind of a must since my bookshelves are very full and half my shelves are make shift from cardboard boxes. Those books need to be placed on a real, nice shelf!
3. My reading chair- just recently I saw on a booktuber's channel her reading chair, and the more I think about it, I would love to have one of those big, comfy armchairs as my reading chair rather than the butterfly chair I have right now. This won't be too big of a deal until I paint my room, and my current chair won't match. So I'll be looking around at the thrift shops for the perfect chair! :)
4. The floor- all right I'm not actually planning on replacing the blue carpet anytime soon because it's quite expensive to do that, but I hope that in the next three or so years that it's done.
5. A side table for my reading chair- I have a box with blankets in it that I was thinking of using as a makeshift side table, but I would love to go thrifting to find a really great side table. That will also mean that I'll need a...
6. Vintage stand up lamp!- It'd be super cool to have this next to my future spiffy armchair. Another thrift item (unless Mom lets me steal the one from downstairs haha!)
7. Candles- I've been itching to be allowed to light candles in my room, beautiful fragranced candles. It just seems absolutely dreamy, and easy!
8. Curtains- This is going to be so hard! I would love to have lacey, light and airy curtains, but I also need curtains that are thick enough so no one will see through them from outside. Hm... I'll thrift around for a bit on these, but I may end up also looking in department stores. :(

Things I want to do in the near future!


Camp NaNoWriMo: I've created a novel, but I'm still a bit undecided whether I'm going to even do Camp NaNoWriMo. I'm terribly behind in schoolwork. I'm incredibly ahead for my reading goal of 50 classics this year (15/50), so taking a month where I only read two or so wouldn't be that big of a deal. It's the schoolwork that determines this one. Even if I do Camp NaNo, my goal won't be to finish a novel but rather to just write everyday in April on this idea I have. The writing could be planning out events, rambling about anything from the point of view of different characters, or legit writing chapters. Whatever I feel like as long as I'm writing.


Doing my hair: I want to do my hair more often. I've been loving braids and buns, so we'll see. It's nice to actually do my hair every now and then rather than just brush and run! :)


Weeding my clothes: I desperately need to get rid of everything I don't really wear. In return I'd love to buy some basic clothes I find I'm lacking like white and plain black shirts.


Listening to soft jazz music playing in the background while I read late at night: the only thing missing is the candles! :) It's an absolutely dreamy, lovely thing to do. I really enjoyed it last night. Almost like I was on vacation for a bit.


So there it is! My wish list right now. There's a lot that I can do easily. I'm so excited to get started! This time of year when we've been given a taste of Spring only to have Winter claim the throne again is just the time of year everyone starts dreaming up things and going on Spring Cleaning mode. I can't wait for Spring and Summer! We've had a rough winter that is beginning to overextend its stay. I'll enjoy the beauty while it lasts though because come summer I'll be dying for fall and winter. Ciao!

30 Fun Goals for 2014

     I saw on Her Library Adventures, a blog I follow, a fun little list of 30 Fun Goals to do this year. She did a similar list for last year. And I absolutely love the idea! So I created my own list of 30 Fun Goals for 2014. Some of them require building habits day to day, week to week, and others are just things I want to do this year- one time, check, activities.

1. Go to the concert of a folk/indie band: I would love if it was The Vespers, Lyric Everly, or Jenny and Tyler, but most of my favorite bands just toured in Michigan last year. :( However, I just found out that Lorde is coming here next month! I don't love her music, but it definitely has been categorized as indie and the music part (not the lyric part) is pretty good :)
2. Learn the ukulele
3. Read minimum 25 (high goal of 50) classics
4. Read more non-fiction
5. Spend less time surfing Internet, more time being productive
6. Journal more
7. Take more pictures and PRINT my pictures (I never print my pictures and wish I did, especially for hanging on the walls in collages)
8. Make 3 art pieces (we are talking finished, big art pieces here)
9. Do Devotions everyday
10. Doodle more- fill my small sketchbook (crazy idea!)
11. Fill one notebook (writing notebook, which is, of course, different than a drawing notebook)
12. Eat more healthy foods- don't munch on unhealthy foods
13. Girls night sleepover, cut out magazines
14. Lord of the Rings extended edition marathon
15. Read all Jane Austen's novels
16. Go to Liz's Bookstore and sift through the stacks, finding books
17. Get up early
18. Go to Rhema's, the coffee shop in Flint
19. Start writing the book I would want to read
20. Drink tea more often
21. Have tea with someone- proper tea party either at home or Sweet Thymes in Hartland
22. Go to a midnight premiere! (I'm thinking the last Hobbit installation hehe)
23. Get a tattoo
24. Get more piercings (cardilage, nose, third piercing?)
25. Find a nice pair of leather riding boots
26. Make bread
27. Cook 1 meal every week
28. Make ice cream
29. Road trip (would love to go to Kentucky to my relatives or my best friend's, Sarah's, house)
30. Learn some of my favorite songs on the piano:
• Dawn from Pride and Prejudice
• Hedwig's Theme
• Downton Abbey- The Suite
• Colors of the Wind

     Evidently, reading is heavily featured here. I've realized I have read very few of the classics I own, and since working at the local library, I have begun to discover the gems in non-fiction. Number 16 on the list is crossed out because I just recently did it! I discovered that I own a lot of the classics I want to read. Therefore, I hope to move from collecting classics to reading them aggressively. :) At Liz's I found some great contemporary books: Water for Elephants, One Day, and The Notebook, to name a few.
     So far cooking one meal a week has gone down unsuccessfully, but I won't put too much pressure on myself. I still have eleven months left, and I likely won't finish everything on this list. Nonetheless, this being the last day of January has made me realize I have very little time left until I turn eighteen. It's been my goal to read all of Jane Austen's novels and Little Woman before I become an adult. I have less than 4 months! Yikes! Right now I'm reading Emma and Les Miserables (oh my goodness, amazing!)
     And that's it! 30 Fun Goals for this year. I look forward to the rest of the year so much. :)

Living the Dreamy Life

     A year ago all I wanted was the awesome lifestyle of the artsy people. You know, the one where people listen to indie music, make some of their own, make art all day, and drink lots of coffee/tea. Maybe write some poetry, go to lots of concerts, and wear bohemian style clothes. Some things, like tea, I drank because I wanted that crazy eclectic lifestyle. Although, I must say tea was always in our house for when we were sick, but I have been drinking more often because I actually love some kinds of it. There's just something about drinking a cup of tea in the morning or when it's really cold that makes the day oh so much more romantic. So, drinking tea is something I actually like. As is indie music, but that's another story for another day.
     This past year has been a huge growing year of becoming myself and living a lifestyle that is amazing. I don't want to live a fun, eclectic lifestyle just to be different. I just want to be me without thinking of how others want me to be me, if that makes sense. I've noticed over the past few years that it isn't doing the things that makes life so dreamy. One can pass through life and not notice how amazing it is that we get to do things like drink tea while snuggled in a pile of blankets. ;) It's noticing those things and being thankful that brings the real joy. I've realized that though I've sought after all my life to live that dreamy life, I have one right here, right now!
     We just recently moved to a new house, and all those rooms I would dream of romantically are here in this house! We have a lovely cedar sunroom that is just a touch too cold right now, though I look forward to sitting in it lots come spring. As I wait for spring, I'm trying to use the sunroom as often as possible. I had devotions out there the other day when it wasn't quite that cold, and it was so quiet, set apart from the rest of the house. The sunroom is quite large (300sq ft!) with lots of light. :) It's exactly what I've dreamt of all my life.
     A fireplace room also adorns our house. It's so cozy down there, though the fireplace is gas so not much heat is given off. :( We could switch it to the original wood fireplace, if we wanted to, and my parents have talked about doing that. We also have a formal dining room. And I have my own room again! It's quite large, with a very big closet that stretches across an entire wall. The exciting thing is that I can have all my books in one room. All of them on display across one big wall. (sigh with happiness). So now I have the sunroom I always dreamed about doing devotions in while sipping tea, and a fireplace to read books by in the winter. Our piano is going to be tuned, and Christmas is coming up! :D
     A few months ago, I certainly felt like I was living the dreamy life, with the music I was listening to, and the art I was making. But I realize that even now I have so much to be thankful for! And I am indeed living a rather dreamy life. Homework has been going splendidly. Each night I get to curl up and read a bit more of the Inferno by Dante. I've been reading far more classics (says the girl that just took a few weeks break from them to read a bunch of YA romancs :P haha). In all honesty, I'm very excited for the coming months. My biggest focus is my school work, but I also just recently won NaNoWriMo (!!!!!!!!!!!), which I will talk about some other time. :) My job has been going splendidly. I'm slowly getting back into wearing dresses and skirts more often (I took a break from those as well, wearing jeans all the time :P).  I have been building new friendships, and spending more time with the ones that matter.
     I took a few short months break from everything I really love  (the music, thanking God for everything :(, wearing loads of skirts, doing lots of homework, reading good books, ect.), and became incredibly lazy just relaxed. It was nice, but now I'm ready to attack everything with far more vigor. It is much more exciting and enjoyable to be living with the mindset of thanking God for everything. Therefore, I will be continuing my forgotten list of One Thousand Gifts. I won't put them up here but do know that I am in the 800s, hence why I won't attempt catching up for the world (or my nonexistent readers haha).
     The biggest thing I've learned this year is that living a dreamy life isn't about doing all those things that are considered dreamy or romantic, but it's how we view life. We are so blessed, and if we only train our mind to look at life that way, then we would be rather happy. Of course, I slip up all the time and don't live according to how I know I will be happiest. Meaning I don't always live entirely for God, and as a result, when I'm not, I'm in a rather sour mood.

     So over all it isn't doing things differently, it's just the way you paint the picture, just the way you view it. :)

Perfect Spring Weather and Trips Around Town

     Today was wonderfully warm, though a bit windy. I managed to get out twice! My mom and I went for a long walk around town to stretch our legs, and later I went for a bike ride with my youngest sister and my dad. I also found out today my official start day for work. :) All in all it was a wonderful day, though I wish I could have gotten more schoolwork done. I really enjoyed this evening as I helped Kaity get all her homework done quickly before we went for a bike ride to McDonalds for ice cream. :) The weather was nearly perfect for such a cool dessert. The only down side of this evening was the spotting of the first mosquitos (the worst part of Michigan). :( We raced home and happily went to bed (there was only one little spout before bedtime). Other than that not much happened. I do, however, resolve to get a lot of schoolwork done tomorrow!

April 15, 2013
161. Finally finding out when I start work! It's coming up so soon!
162. Walks on warm days
163. A nice, strong breeze that's not quite cold but tugs at my hair. It feels good :)
164. Clearing out my email box (yikes!)
165. Bike rides on warm evenings in the spring
166. Quick trips to McDonalds for ice cream
167. Ice cream with my chatty sister, Kaity
168. Kaitlyn finishing her homework with smiles all around
169. Going to bed in shorts, finally!
170. Seeing five cranes fly across the stormy sky while eating our ice cream as the first drops of rain drizzle down
171. Passing messages with my sister via sticky notes on doors
172. Seeing my sisters embrace lovingly (and dramatically) before they go to bed :)
173. Really messy buns ;)
174. A nearly clean room due to doing laundry
175. A drying rack that we finally acquired, and I used it for the first time today :)
176. A father that is strict and reminds me of his authority and my place to obey and honor him. He genuinely cares that I am doing the right thing. All of this I am reminded of when he came to me firmly saying that he might ground me if I can't be more responsible with my homework and that I need to send my letters out. At first I was upset. This was because I knew I was in the wrong and should be doing what he's commanding I do. Once he left I realized I should be thankful, no, I am genuinely thankful to have a dad like him, especially when he cracks down on me about responsibility. Tomorrow I will get lots of homework done!

70th Birthdays, A Great Church Family, and Beautiful Nights

     I have a really great church family. I know I've remarked how thankful I am to have a youth group focused on following God, but truly I must note that my whole church is really focused on Him. Speaking of my church, our senior pastor, Pastor Jack, just had his 70th birthday. And yes, we made a fairly big deal out of it. Everyone sang Happy Birthday, and they brought in a cake with candles on it. :) After church we all had chocolate cake, and let me tell you, that frosting was amazing! I might have had two pieces of cake. haha! We ended up standing around talking until well after 1pm: church ended at 12. When we finally left, my dad, Kagen, and I went to a Chinese buffet. That was possibly not so cool since I didn't feel like eating a lot. Even now my stomach twinges at the idea of so much food. Upon returning home I promptly went to my bed and napped for three or four hours. I got up and had dinner, and the night proceeded on.
      As night fell, I noticed quite unexpectedly the chirping of birds. Off I went to explore our backyard for the source of the sound. (I have been known to go in our backyard and just stand there smiling as I take in God's beautiful creation.) This particular night all was beautiful, albeit a bit chilly. The robins made all sorts of beautiful song as they chattered away. In the distance was the rumbling of a train on the railways and over the cold air came the loud, clear horn. Yes, it was a beautiful night, even without seeing the moon. I came in all smiles and read the newspaper, both sides up while lounging in a big comfy chair. I felt quite cool. All I was missing was a pipe. ;) Once I finally got to bed, I realized I hadn't written anything down I had been thankful for and quickly turned on my reading lamp in order to scratch down the pleasant list. Here it is: :)

April 14, 2013
151. A church that is really focused on God and following Him
152. Being old enough to be invited to Ladies Events at church. I'm quite looking forward to an upcoming one :)
153. Really good frosting
154. Naps :)
155. All the different notes a robin sings in his song in the evening. It was beautiful to step into the backyard into a world of song. I couldn't help but be drawn out there when I heard a few birds singing. Despite the cold and wind (bringing in a storm likely), the birds gave a wonderful concert that left me smiling
156. Cold, windy nights bringing in a storm (likely)
157. The distant sound of a train rattling on the railways as it makes its way to some far away place, blowing its horn loud and clear across the small town
158. Reading the newspaper. Holding both sides up while sitting in a big, comfy chair is quite fun
159. Pictures of old downtowns and town gatherings
160. Clean, soft hair

Constant Changing Weather and Waiting Out the Storm Inside Others To See the Rainbow at the End

     Saturday had every kind of weather one can imagine. One minute it was chilly but nice, the next snowing (in April!), then it was warm and sunny with white fluffy clouds, and finally it turned dark and rain began again. Yah, that's Michigan for you. No two hours were the same when I looked outside. My mother even remarked that every time she and my sister, Kaity, came outside of a store, the weather was different. They were shopping all day at tons of stores: that's a lot of weather changes. Nonetheless, the events inside were fairly peaceful. We lounged around for the most part, watched a movie or two, snacked, and watched my brother and Dad play StarCraft. My dad's mom from Kentucky called, and let me tell you that Grandma Carol can talk for forever. :) It was nice hearing her voice again, though, and we chatted about numerous things. Other than that, the day was fairly boring. We did end the day with Oreos, and Oreos always make a day better. ;) They are especially wonderful when sharing them with one's youngest sister over fun little conversations. The moment was furthered rendered special since she had moments before been telling me to leave. I waited out her anger and what do you know, but she lightened up a bit and soon we were laughing and smiling. :)
      One of the biggest things I kept thinking about while writing this list of things I find to be thankful for each day is that I was hardly ever (read never) thankful when things were stirring in the Griffith household. In fact, I hated it when a fire started raging. My youngest sister is know to be a bit crabby sometimes and Saturday was no exception when she came back from shopping all day long. I kept searching for something to be thankful for so I wouldn't get really mad at her. I found that in between her grumps she was incredibly joyful, all smiles, and it was so sweet that I was able to focus on that. :) As for all the other things I found, here's the list for Saturday:

April 13, 2013
129. Long conversations with distant grandmothers
130. Snow drifting and dancing in the air
131. Bright blue patches of sky between dark rain clouds (or snow clouds, I guess)
132. A world finally getting some color in it after days of dreary, rainy days. The colors: a fairly bright green of the recently watered grass, red of the robins searching for food, white of the snow, bright blue of the sky, dark grey of the snow clouds, and brown of the woods.
133. The beautiful oddity of green grass of the Spring with bright white of dancing snowflakes.
134. I suppose now I'm thankful for the week of rain God sent us; it livened everything up, bringing life. I just hope it doesn't rain as much anymore
135. Bright outdoors
136. Swooping birds
137. Drifting clouds
138. Strong winds that shake trees
139. Beautiful poetry
140. Quotes. Just came across this one:
             "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

by Mary Oliver          

141. White puffy clouds against bright blue skies :)

142. Writing with a pen. No, it's better called recording life with a pen. I'm recording my in the small things, in the events, in the people, in the feelings, in the everyday life through giving thanks and recording it in this journal. I'm thankful for writing with a pen. :)

143. Seeing Kaity's happy little moments in between her grumpy ones. Even on evenings where she's being incredibly grumpy, verging on unbearable, she has moments of happiness.

144. Fun, little conversations with Kaity over Oreos and milk

145. Carris' creature concoction with a bunny slipper, flowers, and who knows what else. (it was cute)

146. Kaitlyn's pink rosy cheeks, just like a baby doll's.

147. Mom combing my hair

148. For clear commandments in the Bible that relate to issues like homosexuality and abortion. Both are wrong according to the Bible and I will stand by God's Word.

149. Penguin PJs ;)

150. Cluttered desks

A Fun Day of Shopping, Pizza, and Movies

     Well, Friday was a wonderful Friday. I must admit waking up close to noon was not so pleasant, but the rest of the day was exactly what Fridays should be. :) After returning library books in Fenton (Linden Library isn't open on Fridays!), my mom and I hit a few stores. We visited FARR (I think that's what it's called) where everything is pretty cheap, and they have some pretty nifty stuff. Next we stopped by Goodwill where I found a drying rack. Finally! We have been in need of one too long! Upon returning home, I immediately wrote my mission trip letter for funding, which I still haven't finished. Later that day, my sisters left for an all-nighter and my parents went on a really long date. Yah! That meant Kagen and I had a pretty quiet house to ourselves. Read: relaxation! With permission and funding from our parents, we ordered pizza and sat down to watch not one, but two movies. We went to bed pretty late, but it was a great evening. I must admit I wrote my list of things I am thankful for after the day finished, but I still like every single thing on there. :)

April 12, 2013
118. No pain when I wore and took off my retainer after not wearing it for months
119. Laughter with my sister, Kaitlyn, for she wore two socks on one foot so she could have an extra one, just in case. haha!
120. Deep dish, pineapple-bacon pizza. yum!
121. Finishing things, more correctly, actually getting around to doing them, just doing them
122. Coffee house music
123. 50c books (or was it a quarter)
124. Days so long, I can hardly remember the beginning
125. Dinner and 2 movies with my brother. Had the house to ourselves: sisters at all night and parents on long date. We ordered pizza (which he failed to speak up that he doesn't like deep dish and he wouldn't say what he prefers over pineapple-bacon, just that he does prefer something else. The pizza we ordered was deep dish pineapple bacon. My brother loves me too much, wouldn't let me get anything other than what I liked.) We watched The Incredible Hulk and then Inception
126. Listening to my iPod with my mom in the car and singing along with the songs
127. High heels ;)
128. Perfect purses, staple purses, in really good condition at Goodwill

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      This list does not follow my day chronologically at all. I do prefer when I write things down as the day goes, but all the same yesterday went tremendously well. Off I go now to enjoy the rest of today. :)

There's Only So Long One Can Stray From the Path Before They Lose It All Together

     When I do my devotions daily, I tend to live more fully for God. Makes sense: constant reminders and direction tend to keep us on the right path. Sometimes though, I drift away from my devotions for a few days. Then those few days become a week or so. And time keeps lengthening. In the first few days I'll feel a bit of guilt, always meaning to get around to them. Then the guilt is slowly forgotten, but there's still a miserable feeling that I usually shrug off as having to do with something else. Deep down, though, I know that miserable feeling is because I'm not actively seeking God but rather drifting away.
     Likewise, once I slow down on giving thanks and being content, I become discontent and miserable. Giving thanks brings joy, as does living for God. Thursday was a day that God brought me back, thankfully. I had been writing off my miserableness as being from the rain (which is indeed very miserable), but there was another reason I was miserable: I hadn't done devotions in almost a week. Awful, right! In the past I wouldn't have thought much about it, but this time, I wasn't going down without a fight. Due to an upcoming missions trip, we have to do devotions everyday. After a few weeks, it really makes a difference to take even one day off.
     I've learned that there are times where we have to choose what we want or what God wants for us. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we always want what God wants for us, but often we let ourselves follow different directions. Doing devotions daily, responding in love to my siblings every time, honoring and obeying my parents. Those are all things that I struggle with daily. It's hard to make the right choice every time, but it really makes a difference to be trying or not trying.
     This day I reflected on a lot of things. Funny enough, I wrote for number 109, "Reflections, they're beautiful". At the time I was talking about reflections on water, but life reflections are beautiful too. Often times the results of them are far more beautiful if you let them change you.

April 11, 2013
105. A flooded back yard
106. Rings forming on the water with every drop of water off the trees into the massive puddle (aka a mini pond) in our backyard
107. Big, black birds hunting for worms in the backyard. Suddenly, the light catches their feathers around their necks and a beautiful blue appears before my eyes
108. A great, big strawberry. The first bite always reminds me of summer
109. Reflections, they're beautiful
110. A father that reprimands me and points out my flaws and points me towards God's Word
111. A mother that keeps trudging, even when she feels like quitting because it's so hard
112. For the awful feeling when I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, when I've ignored God too long, or when I'm slipping back into my old way of life or haven't been actively seeking God. That awful, sick feeling brings me back to seeking God because there is only ever one things to do: read the Bible. Life has so much more meaning when I seek God's will and to live a life in obedience and honor of Him, sometimes I forget, I wander down a path of not doing my devotions and then not caring and getting depressed. Getting back in God's Word is always what I know I need to do. It's nice coming back, and I have to thank God for the Holy Spirit which provides that awful, guilty feeling when I start to stray.
113. The Holy Spirit
114. Reminder that this journal is keeping track of what I first offer thanks to God. I pray I keep that the focus and keep giving God the thanks (for everything)
115. My mom's modest whisper, "Oops, scuse me. That might smell." after her quiet, airy fart
116. Laughter with my mom (see above incident)
117. I have put my life in the hands of a beautiful God. His power and the awe I have in the face of his creation. I serve a mighty God.

Where Does The Focus Lay?

     Wednesday was yet another rainy, dreary day for the most part. As days continue to be so miserable, it becomes harder and harder to find things to give thanks for. Despite waking up early, there were only a few things I took note of this day. Most occurred before lunch, after lunch I was tired and unfocused. However, the day was a fairly pleasant day, just not one that is described well. There weren't many specifics to the day, it just went by normally. It wasn't really a bad day at all, quite pleasant really. This day was hard to focus on being thankful and joyful in everything, but the end of the day was great. Youth group went really well. Okay, it went the same as usual, but today it was really obvious that we are all growing. As a whole, our youth group really wants to follow God. It's pretty amazing. That night kind of brought my focus back. Thankful for that. :) As for the whole day, here's the small list of things I could pinpoint to be thankful for.

April 10, 2013
100. Watching the sky turn from dark to light in the morning. :)
101. Watching hail bounce off the deck into the air two feet high!
102. Noticing the grass is getting greener, must be all the rain ;)
103. Knowing exactly what to eat for lunch, it's a great feeling and leads to a great lunch :)
104. A youth group that is striving to be more Godly, to follow the Spirit, and dig in deep in the Bible

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       I'm apparently not very good at doing daily posts. I would still like to write about each day separately though and will try my best to keep up.

Pure Joy in Giving Thanks Everyday

     For some months this blog has been left without any posts. I suppose I adored the name, but didn't quite know where I to take it. Every time I thought of a blog, A Beautiful Mess popped into my head. However, I knew I wasn't ready for that level of commitment considering I still have loads of school work to get through. Not to mention I most recently got a job! (I'll talk more about that later.) I've fiddled with ideas concerning fashion, crafts, book reviews, and thousands more (perhaps not that many! read ten or so more). Most of them were things I'd like to do but don't really do often, like art. I needed something that pertained to my life now and wouldn't involve crazy levels of commitment.
     It's obviously taken a while, but I believe I have found what I want to do with this blog. You see when I think of a good book and a cup of tea I think of pure bliss. Sunshine wafts down to a worn, wood table while I sit there quietly sipping my tea and marveling in God's creation. I see the beauty of the morning as the sun rises majestically over the forest behind our backyard. The vision usually has me wearing a cozy sweater on a chilly day, but that's not what I've come to realize is the part that makes this dream so wonderful. It is the quiet time with God and just listening and seeing and being in complete and total awe of the beauty of his creation.
     For about a year now I have held the small things in life in high regard. I believe it is that part of life which makes us who we are. For me it is the way I have always loved to listen to the birds singing outside my window. How I marvel at God's creation: the sky, clouds, trees, the moon, stars, snow, fall leaves, the first flower to bloom in spring outside our front door, and water trickling along in a river. Yes, it is the small things I love: cloud watching on a summer day, making dandelion wishes, driving down the dirt roads with the windows rolled down to let the wind toss and pull my hair.
     Always those little things in life have made me smile. I have loved praising God for his creation, but I never thought to give thanks for each of those small things: the cookies baking in the oven, the sweet taste of bagels, sunlight shining bright in the morning. Lately I have been reading one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp, and it has taught me so much in these past few days. Giving thanks for those small things in life that often go unnoticed brings such fulfillment. It slows down time, makes me live in the moment (something I'm awful at), and brings joy and contentment. When I give thanks for the small things in the day, they mean so much more for now they are a way to glorify and honor God. The following verse says to give God thanks. I put two different versions because I liked the wording of one and the other helped me better understand the verse, especially concerning the second line.

 

Psalm 50:23

ESV "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me:

to one who order his way rightly

I will show the salvation of God!"

 

NIV "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,

and prepares the way

so that I may show him the salvation of God."

 

      I have resolved to make my own list of one thousand gifts God has given me in a day to day lifestyle of giving thanks. I will post them each day or at least the next morning in hopes that you too will learn to live a full life of thanksgiving, though truly I suppose I do this for myself. I am keeping a notebook of it, but I hope that this holds a bit more reliability. I suppose I think, no, I know that this blog is perfect for the small insights of my days at the small things which I can be thankful for.

      Perhaps occasionally I will have other posts on top of my daily thanksgiving of the small things, but the basis of this blog, for now, will be little lists of what I noticed during the day and gave thanks for. Other posts that may show up on this blog: what I'm doing, latest events in my life, my attempts (and hopefully successes) at cooking, crafts and art projects that I happen to make, things God is teaching me, book reviews, studies on Jane Austen girls and/or guys, and other small inconsistent things. The one consistent part of this blog will be thankfulness. I hope you'll jump on to watch this crazy life and be encouraged yourself or just to get to know me. :) Below follow the first three things I am thankful for that I wrote before beginning this journey but was dying to include on the list.

 

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       February 2, 2013 (some time ago right! but that night was so amazing!) Here follows word for word what I wrote down that day, grammatical errors, stupid word choices, and all!

Things I am thankful for:

1. I can see the moon, the beautiful orange moon resting on the horizon nestled between the scarce tree branches on this cold, winter day.

2. There is still snow to walk on, though it hugs the fence and the bases of trees, it is there: cold and crunchy, there to hold my footprints. All the yard is bare, a mudfield, save that snow God saved for me while I paced in the backyard with the cold nipping at my nose, praising God and reveling in His creation, in Nature.

3. I am God's daughter, and I can live for Him. I am able to inherit all the graces of a loving, Christian woman. He is my rock and my salvation and His Word is the spring I go to each day for life.

 

(Today's list will probably appear tomorrow morning or late tonight, for the day is nowhere near done!)