The moral of the story is, I want gratefulness to be my way of living. It's my theme, my mantra, my goal.
Thank you, Bailey, for a wonderful month of prompts and posts! This was so fun. Thank you for being a lovely hostess!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-eight - One Word
Linking up with Bailey Jean for the final day of February's challenge! Hooray! This challenge has been so much fun, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.
Bailey has a monthly reflection she does on her word for the year, but since that's not a train I've jumped on, I'm going to take it in a different direction. The one word that means the most to me, that re-centers me when I'm feeling off, that brings me back to Jesus every time is grateful. If I were going to get a tattoo, I would tattoo the word grateful on the instep of my foot {easy to cover up, doesn't wrinkle as much - yes, I've thought a lot about this!} because I want to be reminded to choose gratefulness every moment.
A couple years ago, right after I graduated from college, I read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. This book hit me right where I needed to be hit. Gratitude changes the mundane into worship, so every moment and every action honors the Lord.
The moral of the story is, I want gratefulness to be my way of living. It's my theme, my mantra, my goal.
Thank you, Bailey, for a wonderful month of prompts and posts! This was so fun. Thank you for being a lovely hostess!
The moral of the story is, I want gratefulness to be my way of living. It's my theme, my mantra, my goal.
Thank you, Bailey, for a wonderful month of prompts and posts! This was so fun. Thank you for being a lovely hostess!
7 Quick Takes: End of February
Joining Jen at Conversion Diary for today's 7 Quick Takes.
1. First things first: the reason I didn't join the link-up last week was because I was in Kentucky surprising my friend! :D Twas a glorious and too-short visit, and I chose to enjoy being with my bosom friend and her kids {who happen to be four of my favorite children in theee whooole world}. There is a post on this surprise visit forthcoming.
2. I really loved this post by Emily at Chatting at the Sky. Making your blog really truly your blog is supposed to have some flexibility perks, right? On that note, there are a few blog posts that I've promised {like the one above} that I haven't yet written and I do want to actually write those. Since today is the last day of Bailey Jean's Blog Every Day in February challenge, look for these promised posts in March.
3. Also in March, you'll be seeing this blogger at a couple different blogs. What! That freaks me out just a teensy bit. But yeah, I agreed to write a post for my lovely friend Victoria, and then my friends Catherine and Yvonne and I are doing a blog swap/hosting each other/guest post thing in the middle of March. So yeah, that's gonna happen and it's gonna be great. I'm speaking in faith, obviously, but let's all agree together and amen and amen.
4. Did you take part in END IT? Thursday, February 27th was the day that people all over the country and world decided to Shine A Light on Slavery. Check out END IT's website as well as other resources like Made In A Free World.
5. Ok, maybe my OCD is getting the better of me, but even when "blogging experts" tell me to promote la blog on ye ol' Facebook, I can't do it. When I go on Facebook, I want to see people; when I go on Bloglovin', I want to see blogs, and hopefully ne'er the two shall meet. Am I crazy? I am feeling slightly crazy because the line from "The Quiet Man" is running through my head: "When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey, and when I drink water, I drink water." {If you have never seen "The Quiet Man" then please don't even bother finishing the last 2 Takes because that is a John Wayne-Maureen O'Hara classic and it will add to the quality of your life and maybe even affect your definition of masculinity because hello it's John Wayne...end rant.}
6. This morning I totally thought I had my life together {hair looked good, chai was made}, but when I got to work, I found that only one earring had survived the journey from my bedroom to the office. Sigh. I don't know if I forgot to put in one earring because I was also choosing my socks for the day or if I put it in and it wormed its way out. This is a question that will haunt me until at least 5:30 pm today when I get home to check my dresser.
7. Today is the last day of February which means it's the last day of Bailey's Blog Every Day in Feb challenge, which is both awesome and sad. It's awesome because hello, a bunch of people just blogged for 28 days in a row! And it's sad because it's over.... but it's also just a teensy bit awesome that it's over because all good things must come to an end and this was definitely a good thing :) But seriously, this was a fabulous challenge and it was so fun to link up with Bailey and the gang every day.
That's all, folks! Have a happy, happy weekend!
1. First things first: the reason I didn't join the link-up last week was because I was in Kentucky surprising my friend! :D Twas a glorious and too-short visit, and I chose to enjoy being with my bosom friend and her kids {who happen to be four of my favorite children in theee whooole world}. There is a post on this surprise visit forthcoming.
2. I really loved this post by Emily at Chatting at the Sky. Making your blog really truly your blog is supposed to have some flexibility perks, right? On that note, there are a few blog posts that I've promised {like the one above} that I haven't yet written and I do want to actually write those. Since today is the last day of Bailey Jean's Blog Every Day in February challenge, look for these promised posts in March.
3. Also in March, you'll be seeing this blogger at a couple different blogs. What! That freaks me out just a teensy bit. But yeah, I agreed to write a post for my lovely friend Victoria, and then my friends Catherine and Yvonne and I are doing a blog swap/hosting each other/guest post thing in the middle of March. So yeah, that's gonna happen and it's gonna be great. I'm speaking in faith, obviously, but let's all agree together and amen and amen.
4. Did you take part in END IT? Thursday, February 27th was the day that people all over the country and world decided to Shine A Light on Slavery. Check out END IT's website as well as other resources like Made In A Free World.
5. Ok, maybe my OCD is getting the better of me, but even when "blogging experts" tell me to promote la blog on ye ol' Facebook, I can't do it. When I go on Facebook, I want to see people; when I go on Bloglovin', I want to see blogs, and hopefully ne'er the two shall meet. Am I crazy? I am feeling slightly crazy because the line from "The Quiet Man" is running through my head: "When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey, and when I drink water, I drink water." {If you have never seen "The Quiet Man" then please don't even bother finishing the last 2 Takes because that is a John Wayne-Maureen O'Hara classic and it will add to the quality of your life and maybe even affect your definition of masculinity because hello it's John Wayne...end rant.}
6. This morning I totally thought I had my life together {hair looked good, chai was made}, but when I got to work, I found that only one earring had survived the journey from my bedroom to the office. Sigh. I don't know if I forgot to put in one earring because I was also choosing my socks for the day or if I put it in and it wormed its way out. This is a question that will haunt me until at least 5:30 pm today when I get home to check my dresser.
7. Today is the last day of February which means it's the last day of Bailey's Blog Every Day in Feb challenge, which is both awesome and sad. It's awesome because hello, a bunch of people just blogged for 28 days in a row! And it's sad because it's over.... but it's also just a teensy bit awesome that it's over because all good things must come to an end and this was definitely a good thing :) But seriously, this was a fabulous challenge and it was so fun to link up with Bailey and the gang every day.
That's all, folks! Have a happy, happy weekend!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-seven - Fave Blogs
Linking up with Bailey Jean on our second-to-last day of February! Can't believe we're almost done.
People, I read a lot of blogs. Like, 50 blogs. I know. It's obsessive. And by that, I mean that I'm obsessed. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step to healing, but I don't think that this is a problem...
Anyway, picking favorite blogs is so so so hard! How do I choose!? Okay, here are a few faves, but please don't hold me to these favorites forever and ever amen, because they will change. That is a promise.
As much as I would love to write a brief and witty description of each of the blogs listed here, that would take days and days and would still not accurately or entirely capture what I love about them. So I'll give you the jist and you can check them out on your own time. Without further ado:
Camp Patton - mommy blog, hilarious dry humor, kid quotes
The Arizona Russums - life, Jesus, teaching and studying, cute baby!!
Wait + Hope - books, art, Kingdom perspective, and happens to be written by my bestie :)
My Drop in the Ocean - pro-life, college, loving people, singlehood adventures
Jen Hatmaker - I've written about Jen before, and she never ceases to shake up my mentalities. Can't get enough!
I could go on and basically list every blog I read, because I only keep reading the ones I really love, but 5 seems like a good number on which to finish. Plus, 5 is the number of grace, so I will extend grace to you and not list every. single. blog. that I read. You're welcome.
Note: I keep scrolling through the blogs I follow to make sure I've listed the ones I want to, and I'm not sure at all! There are so many great blogs I love, but I'm forcing myself to hit publish and not bombard you with my entire reading list. But if you want some more suggestions, you know who to ask ;)
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Finish This: Week Eight
Linking up with Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, Nicole at Three 31, and Lisa at COASTLINED.
Five Things I Know For Sure:
1. No matter the question or problem, Jesus is the answer and the solution. There is nothing He can't handle, which is great because there are lots of things I can't handle. Trusting Him is always worth it.
2. Speaking of Jesus, I'm sure that He invented massages. They are divine. That's all I have to say 'bout that.
3. Ten will always be my favorite Doctor. Nine and Eleven were awesome, and I have high hopes for Twelve, but there's no one like Ten. {If you're a Whovian, you can read my farewell and Samara's tribute to Ten.}
4. Surprises are awesome. As I alluded to last week, I went down to Kentucky to surprise my bosom friend as an early birthday present. If you can believe it, I kept my big mouth {both my physical mouth and my blogging/social media mouth} shut and she was totally surprised! Post forthcoming on this, never fear.
5. I'm not afraid to speak up if I see something wrong. Yesterday on the plane home, there were two guys behind me talking loudly about their workout plans, their life goals, their travels, their wives, their favorite colors, their childhood fears, what they wanted to be when they grew up, what shaving cream they used, and on and on and on... I'm notevenjoking. It was horrendous.
After about 45 minutes of this {I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they mightshut the heck up quiet down after we took off}, I asked the gal next to me if these guys were, in fact, really loud. She confirmed my suspicions, and so I turned around and gave them my best "I'm smiling to be polite, not because I like you in any way, shape, or form" smile and said "Would you gentlemen mind lowering your voices, please?" They said "sure," and seriously not 5 minutes later they had ceased. all. their. talking. It was the best.
There you have it: five things I know for sure! Come back next week for some new prompts.
Five Things I Know For Sure:
1. No matter the question or problem, Jesus is the answer and the solution. There is nothing He can't handle, which is great because there are lots of things I can't handle. Trusting Him is always worth it.
2. Speaking of Jesus, I'm sure that He invented massages. They are divine. That's all I have to say 'bout that.
3. Ten will always be my favorite Doctor. Nine and Eleven were awesome, and I have high hopes for Twelve, but there's no one like Ten. {If you're a Whovian, you can read my farewell and Samara's tribute to Ten.}
5. I'm not afraid to speak up if I see something wrong. Yesterday on the plane home, there were two guys behind me talking loudly about their workout plans, their life goals, their travels, their wives, their favorite colors, their childhood fears, what they wanted to be when they grew up, what shaving cream they used, and on and on and on... I'm notevenjoking. It was horrendous.
After about 45 minutes of this {I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they might
There you have it: five things I know for sure! Come back next week for some new prompts.
Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-six - Favorite Recipe
Linking up with Bailey Jean for today's yummy post!
The recipe I'm about to share with you is an old family secret. Many generations have died with this recipe only known to their favorite child, and wars have been waged to protect the purity of the ingredient list. If I dare share this recipe with you, I face excommunication from my family as well as shunning from the cooking population at large. My firstborn's blood may have to be sacrificed for the horrendous crime I'm about to commit. But for a blogging challenge, I'm willing to risk it.
{Would you believe that I was voted "Most Dramatic" in my high school class? Yeah, me neither.}
Crack Popcorn {aka Candied Popcorn}
It is called crack popcorn because it is SO stinking yummy and addicting that people have been known the eat an entire bowl without realizing it. Also, crack seems to be a theme today - go check out the serious goodness on Bailey's blog!
Ingredients:
Step One: pop the popcorn. Try to keep up here, guys. Once it's popped, pour it into a deep bowl. Try to get just the popped corn in the bowl - no seeds allowed!
Step Two: chop up the almond bark squares. I use a sort of grating technique with a knife.
Step Three: melt the chopped almond bark. The trick here is to not let the almond bark burn. I do 30 seconds in the microwave, stir, another 30 seconds, stir, possibly 15 more seconds to melt it all into smooth goodness.
Step Four: pour the melted almond bark over the popcorn. I use a spatula to pour some on, stir the popcorn around, and then pour the rest. Stir the popcorn so that the almond bark is covering all the popcorn.
Step Five: {This maybe should be set up while the popcorn is being popped or the almond bark is being melted.} Pour the coated popcorn onto a flat surface, preferably covered. Wax paper, tin foil, and paper towels are all great to cover your table and protect it from the stickiness of the almond bark. Smooth the popcorn out so it's not one big pile. Then let the almond bark harden on the popcorn {it is appropriate to taste a little bit at this point!} and enjoy.
Ta da! The best part about this recipe is that the popcorn really doesn't look that different from un-candied popcorn, so if you take it to a party, at first everyone will judge you for being that girl who seriously just popped some popcorn for a party...but then someone will taste it and then there will be a light shining forth from the heavenlies and the lucky someone who discovered the goodness in your bowl will try to sneak the bowl back to their seat so that they can devour its entire contents, and sometimes another person jumps on the bandwagon and fights break out over the really big clumps, and friendships are truly tested over this simple recipe, and the moral of the story is, you will always have an empty bowl at the end of the night. You're welcome.
{Would you believe that I was voted "Most Dramatic" in my high school class? Yeah, me neither.}
Crack Popcorn {aka Candied Popcorn}
It is called crack popcorn because it is SO stinking yummy and addicting that people have been known the eat an entire bowl without realizing it. Also, crack seems to be a theme today - go check out the serious goodness on Bailey's blog!
Ingredients:
- popcorn
- almond bark {2 squares per 1 bag of popcorn}
Step One: pop the popcorn. Try to keep up here, guys. Once it's popped, pour it into a deep bowl. Try to get just the popped corn in the bowl - no seeds allowed!
Step Two: chop up the almond bark squares. I use a sort of grating technique with a knife.
Step Three: melt the chopped almond bark. The trick here is to not let the almond bark burn. I do 30 seconds in the microwave, stir, another 30 seconds, stir, possibly 15 more seconds to melt it all into smooth goodness.
Step Four: pour the melted almond bark over the popcorn. I use a spatula to pour some on, stir the popcorn around, and then pour the rest. Stir the popcorn so that the almond bark is covering all the popcorn.
Step Five: {This maybe should be set up while the popcorn is being popped or the almond bark is being melted.} Pour the coated popcorn onto a flat surface, preferably covered. Wax paper, tin foil, and paper towels are all great to cover your table and protect it from the stickiness of the almond bark. Smooth the popcorn out so it's not one big pile. Then let the almond bark harden on the popcorn {it is appropriate to taste a little bit at this point!} and enjoy.
Ta da! The best part about this recipe is that the popcorn really doesn't look that different from un-candied popcorn, so if you take it to a party, at first everyone will judge you for being that girl who seriously just popped some popcorn for a party...but then someone will taste it and then there will be a light shining forth from the heavenlies and the lucky someone who discovered the goodness in your bowl will try to sneak the bowl back to their seat so that they can devour its entire contents, and sometimes another person jumps on the bandwagon and fights break out over the really big clumps, and friendships are truly tested over this simple recipe, and the moral of the story is, you will always have an empty bowl at the end of the night. You're welcome.
Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-five - Dear 16-year-old
Linking up with Bailey Jean for this post. I seriously can't believe how close we are to the finish line of February!!
(Apparently 16-year-old Bek fell off the bandwagon because she does not have a picture of herself at this age. And I'm a firstborn, so there's really no excuse! ;) )
Dear Bek,
Golly gee whiz, you've experienced a lot of changes this year! You've moved, started attending school, have a new dance company, made new friends, and finally have actual homework. You've had teachers to get used to, a uniform to wear, classmates to bond with, all while practicing your driving abilities.
While you may feel like this is a ton of new things (and it is!), get used to it! Life is so full of new and exciting adventures, many ones you'd NEVER anticipate. And as you move from one adventure to the next, remember your value. Remember that nothing you do will ever change God's love or plans for you. You have gifts and abilities from the Lord that others need, so don't be ashamed of who you are or how God made you.
Bek, God is going to take you places - physical, spiritual, and emotional places - that you wouldn't believe. He's going to redeem your past and guide your future. He's going to stretch you beyond your comfort zone and grow you gracefully. He's going to give you amazing friends and wonderful mentors, and He's going to speak directly to you, too.
I can't wait to see what He has in store for us/me even now, because look at how He has blessed life! And it's only going to get better.
Love,
25-year-old Bek
Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-three - Blogging
Linking up with Bailey Jean for this challenge
Some of the joys of blogging include:
• joining in a community with people from every part of the country (or world!) and every walk of life.
• processing life in a way that may never be the same, but can be remembered via the talent of the 'net.
• the ease with which your sisters can stalk you.
• participating in link-ups like this that promp you to share what you never would have otherwise.
• comments from kind readers! (This is a compliment to you, not puppy dog eyes!)
What do you love about blogging?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)