9.15.2017

40 thoughts at 40

I've been 40 for a week now.  It feels glorious.  I few months ago I started thinking that I would compile all the good advice & quotes that mean something to me into one place.  This consumed pages and pages in my journal and when I added #40 today I thought blogging it for you was only right.  Some are quotes from people and authors I love, some are my thoughts.  Here are my 40 thoughts at 40...

1.  My job is obedience, God's job is everything else. {Lysa Terkeurst}

2.  Return shopping carts to the buggy corral.  Don't just run them up on the curb.  I think this simple act speaks to who you are in your guts.

3.  People will always assign a reason as to why bad things happen to you.  What they think doesn't matter.

4.  If you're sharing a story and you're not a part of the plot, the problem or the solution, it's gossip.

5.  Life is hard enough.  Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult.  You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it.

6.  Integrity is choosing courage over comfort.  It's choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy.  It's choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them.  {Brene Brown}

7.  I wish there was a way to know you're in the good ol' days before you've actually left them.  {Andy Bernard - The Office}

8.  When you don't know what to do next, just do the next right thing.  Just think now and next.  Do now and next will become more clear.  

9.  Live an authentic life.  Not transparent.  AUTHENTIC.  There is a difference.

10.  Only tell your story to those you believe safe enough to keep it.

11.  Don't overpost your life.  Keep some things only for you. Remember #9?  It's ok for people to wonder what you're up to.

12.   The inability for someone to love you doesn't make you unlovable. {Brene Brown}

13.  Smile at strangers.

14.  I use to be be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter. {Bob Goff}

15.  Buy fresh flowers for your kitchen.  I promise they will make you happy.

16.  Always be reading at least one book.

17.  Let's not trade doing things for Jesus for spending time with Him.  {Jennie Allen}

18.  Have at least one friend who will tell you if you have a chin hair.

19.  Be the friend you want.  Be Aaron.  Be Hur.  {Exodus 17:12}

20.  Spend yourself in a worthy cause.

21.  It's often the things that no one sees that result in the things that everyone wants. {Craig Groshel}

22.  Never begrudge turning another year older.  Growing old is a privilege denied to many.

23.  Truly powerful women don't explain why they want respect.  They simply don't engage those who don't give it to them.

24.  Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.  {1 Corinthians 10:23}

25.  A value of a life is always measured by how much of it was given away.  Pouring out fills up.  {Andy Stanley}

26.  It's ok to wear white jeans after labor day.  Linen? No.  White jeans? YES.

27.  Learn to laugh at yourself.  I just wore 4 tutus in Times Square.  You GOT this.

28.  Keep a journal.  Also, assign someone to find them and burn them all if you die suddenly.

29.  Tell people you love them every chance you get.   But don't stop there...LOVE DOES. I've made lots of people uncomfortable by telling them I love them first.

30.  Boundaries teach people how to treat you and they teach you how to respect yourself. {Cheryl Strayed}

31.  Be where your feet are.

32.  Write thank you notes.  Buy the blanks and fill them up with your own words, don't let Hallmark speak for you.  I haven't always been great with this, but I'm really trying.

33.  Count blessings.  Name gifts.   Gratitude is the only way back to your true self.

34.  If it's not a HELL YES, then it's a no.  So that medium yes, that I-feel-like-should yes, that guilty yes, that coerced yes, that I-actually-hate-this-thing yes, that I-guess-so yes, that who-else-will-do-it yes, that careless yes, that default yes, that resentful yes, that I-probably-shouldn't-but-struggle-with-boundaries yes? NO.  Nope.  {Jen Hatmaker}

35.  Learn to love a rainy day.

36.  Stack stones.  Remember where you've been, where you come from.  Remember.

37.  Be still and know.  {Psalm 46:10} The catch is to be still first, then knowing will come.


38.  Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.  Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they are never weakness.  {Brene Brown} 


39.  You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, and the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, breath of the fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner.
You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single second of every day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through your veins and the colors fill your mind until there is nothing left to do but explode, There are no wrong answers . Inspiration is everything. Sit back, relax, and take it all in.  {Jan Vanek}

40.  My prayer is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight. {C.S. Lewis} 

2.13.2017

Scenes from the Weekend {Blowing Rock}

We spent the weekend with my family in the mountains near Blowing Rock.  We had snow flurries on the way up Thursday, but by Saturday night we were sitting on the porch outside!  The big boys snowboarded, and even though it had been two years, they didn't skip a beat.  It comes so easy for them.
The little boys both skied.  Hampton needed help the first part of the day, but was navigating the conveyor and slope alone by the afternoon.  He was even threw up his ski pole to wave to us so there's that.
 Y'all.  Have you ever seen a two year old on skis?  This kid.  My sweet brother was so patient with him the first part of the day because he was "slight meltdown" at the top of the mountain and "I do it again"at the bottom of the mountain.  After a good nap, we came back for the afternoon and he had an absolute ball!
Saturday we headed to Valle Crucis to visit Mast General Store.   Papa and the boys were in heaven.  Hampton woke up not feeling well Saturday and we knew something was wrong when giant barrels of candy could not coax him out of his daddy's arms.
The weekend ended with a steak dinner and Hampton feeling puny.  Turns out he has the flu so we are praying that no one else gets to share in that yuckiness!  Until next time...













 

2.08.2017

all the things {currently}

{READING}
Picked this up at the Goodwill because the title intrigued me.  I typically don't read fiction and, not gonna lie,  it's slow going.

{WATCHING}
I started watching after a friend told me about this show.  I roped Lee in and we finished in a week or two.  Only one season on Netflix so far, so not a binge-watchers dream, but I also didn't feel like my life went down the tubes.  



{LISTENING} Click on "Listening" to hear my new favorite worship song. 






{TRYING} 

I love painted nails...especially gel.   But let's be honest.  I'm not Beyonce and keeping that up cuts into my goodwill money.  











2.06.2017

Life back in 2016

Where the actual heck have I been?  Not blogging.  
December came and was a beautiful blur, but I don't want it to pass without documenting in some small way.  We went tree hunting, ran a full {Lee} and half {me} marathon in Kiawah, celebrated with family, and waited on Santa.  I picked out my favorite pictures...


















I don't mention it here often, but I am a member of the Junior League of Columbia.  I am so proud of the work the league does and have watched it grow and change over the past 10 years.  If you know me in real life, you know I spend a lot of time volunteering for the league and trying to help carry out our mission.  I've been asked to step into leadership and will serve as the President-Elect next year.  Along with that "job" is the chance to learn and represent our league at several conferences over the next few years.  This is my friend Mandy who will serve as President next year, and one of my favorite people.  Basically, she's Batman and I'm Robin...minus the weird tights.



So if you made it this far,  I'm doing the slow clap for you right now.