For starters, I CANNOT get over this beautiful weather that has been blessing the Cleveland, Ohio area! Can't get enough of it! I'm currently sitting inside, next to my open kitchen window feeling the sun & smelling the fresh air - but in a few short weeks, I will be moving to our new apartments that have a balcony outside, and I will be writing from there! Very exciting. I am all about change and newness...yet still all about where I came from and holding onto things that still hold a great level of precious to me.
In beginning the process of packing, I always start with going through older stuff and getting rid of it. I used to have more time and I would do so every 3-4 months, at least with clothes, shoes, jewelry etc. It's a very cleansing habit by the way, clutter is annoying, but clutter you never get to around to either using or looking at is worse! Very similarly to my packing process around this time last year, I began to go through my keepsake boxes (that sounds very sweet & beautiful, but are just simply a bunch of shoes boxes lol) which include everything from 5 yr old drawings, to 11 yr old letters from friends & of course my over-abundant journal collection. I began consistently keeping a journal when I was around 13-14. I would always start a journal and never finish it before that time-frame. When I was 12 I kept my journals in story form and in little folders with titles and everything :) .....side note: some day I will write books again....
I opened to a page in my 14 yr old journal, and then decided I wanted to read the whole thing. It's not a very involved story of my life, mostly facts, thoughts and Bible verses. My favorite thing that I used to do was in the beginning and end of my journal I would have a couple "fun facts" pages. On these pages I would document stuff ranging from my current weight to who I currently was crushing on to who my best friends were to what were my favorite songs to favorite clothing items...you get the picture. At the time, I never realized how humerus this would someday be! Here I am, 10 yrs later, chuckling about who my favorite band was and the name/eye color of my crush. I continued reading on of course, chuckling as I went, sighing and taking a deep breath when I would feel just a small pinch of the level of frustration that was communicated on those pages. In a short time, I finished the journal and placed it in the "keeping pile". I found myself amazed at how impactful reading this journal was. This was the journal in which I began making changes in my life that would affect me long term. I had started learning how to eat right and work out. I would log how much I worked out that day and be so proud of any progress what so ever, because it was such a new experience for me. I sat there thinking about how many times I beat myself up with how I'm not happy with where I am body wise, spiritually, musically, etc. and here I was reading stuff I prior wrote, and it was encouraging me! Little strange, maybe? I don't think so really.
I am so thankful I believe in a God who can use anything to bring encouragement, direction and purpose to our lives. We get off track, I do daily...and then through just a routinely un-cluttering of my stuff, God can remind me of my previous "small" victories that helped shape and change my life for the long run. Working out is simply just a physical example of that. I am also sooo incredibly grateful that I serve a God who knows the deepest desires and heart cries. As most of you know, weight has always been an issue for me, and if you have instagram/facebook you know I'm am attempting to go through and at least try all the things I've pinned on pinterest, specifically meals & workouts to get healthier, stronger & thinner...but mostly to not just be a dreamer, but a doer. It's hard work, God knows this. David said it so well in Psalms 139:3 - "You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways." I love the word acquainted. It means to be personally known. I don't know about you, but my favorite thing in the world!!!! is to be personally known by those closest to me...and to think, God is already there. Wow; beautiful.
So many times, I've questioned why keeping a journal is so important. I've gone on kicks where writing down my life has become a little to time consuming and I have reverted to simply keeping a prayer journal. But I think there is something to keeping a journal and recording parts of your life. Maybe only the big parts, maybe just when your crying out the Lord and then thanking Him for His faithfulness in your life...but there is something to it, keeping track of your days, knowing where you came from. I'm glad to finally realize how God is truly using my time of writing and recording, because He wants to bless, challenge and encourage my life. :)
I leave you guys with this today, I'm headed out to enjoy the sunshine!
May 7, 2013
little me, encouraged me
For starters, I CANNOT get over this beautiful weather that has been blessing the Cleveland, Ohio area! Can't get enough of it! I'm currently sitting inside, next to my open kitchen window feeling the sun & smelling the fresh air - but in a few short weeks, I will be moving to our new apartments that have a balcony outside, and I will be writing from there! Very exciting. I am all about change and newness...yet still all about where I came from and holding onto things that still hold a great level of precious to me.
In beginning the process of packing, I always start with going through older stuff and getting rid of it. I used to have more time and I would do so every 3-4 months, at least with clothes, shoes, jewelry etc. It's a very cleansing habit by the way, clutter is annoying, but clutter you never get to around to either using or looking at is worse! Very similarly to my packing process around this time last year, I began to go through my keepsake boxes (that sounds very sweet & beautiful, but are just simply a bunch of shoes boxes lol) which include everything from 5 yr old drawings, to 11 yr old letters from friends & of course my over-abundant journal collection. I began consistently keeping a journal when I was around 13-14. I would always start a journal and never finish it before that time-frame. When I was 12 I kept my journals in story form and in little folders with titles and everything :) .....side note: some day I will write books again....
I opened to a page in my 14 yr old journal, and then decided I wanted to read the whole thing. It's not a very involved story of my life, mostly facts, thoughts and Bible verses. My favorite thing that I used to do was in the beginning and end of my journal I would have a couple "fun facts" pages. On these pages I would document stuff ranging from my current weight to who I currently was crushing on to who my best friends were to what were my favorite songs to favorite clothing items...you get the picture. At the time, I never realized how humerus this would someday be! Here I am, 10 yrs later, chuckling about who my favorite band was and the name/eye color of my crush. I continued reading on of course, chuckling as I went, sighing and taking a deep breath when I would feel just a small pinch of the level of frustration that was communicated on those pages. In a short time, I finished the journal and placed it in the "keeping pile". I found myself amazed at how impactful reading this journal was. This was the journal in which I began making changes in my life that would affect me long term. I had started learning how to eat right and work out. I would log how much I worked out that day and be so proud of any progress what so ever, because it was such a new experience for me. I sat there thinking about how many times I beat myself up with how I'm not happy with where I am body wise, spiritually, musically, etc. and here I was reading stuff I prior wrote, and it was encouraging me! Little strange, maybe? I don't think so really.
I am so thankful I believe in a God who can use anything to bring encouragement, direction and purpose to our lives. We get off track, I do daily...and then through just a routinely un-cluttering of my stuff, God can remind me of my previous "small" victories that helped shape and change my life for the long run. Working out is simply just a physical example of that. I am also sooo incredibly grateful that I serve a God who knows the deepest desires and heart cries. As most of you know, weight has always been an issue for me, and if you have instagram/facebook you know I'm am attempting to go through and at least try all the things I've pinned on pinterest, specifically meals & workouts to get healthier, stronger & thinner...but mostly to not just be a dreamer, but a doer. It's hard work, God knows this. David said it so well in Psalms 139:3 - "You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways." I love the word acquainted. It means to be personally known. I don't know about you, but my favorite thing in the world!!!! is to be personally known by those closest to me...and to think, God is already there. Wow; beautiful.
So many times, I've questioned why keeping a journal is so important. I've gone on kicks where writing down my life has become a little to time consuming and I have reverted to simply keeping a prayer journal. But I think there is something to keeping a journal and recording parts of your life. Maybe only the big parts, maybe just when your crying out the Lord and then thanking Him for His faithfulness in your life...but there is something to it, keeping track of your days, knowing where you came from. I'm glad to finally realize how God is truly using my time of writing and recording, because He wants to bless, challenge and encourage my life. :)
I leave you guys with this today, I'm headed out to enjoy the sunshine!
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