"It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness." [Thomas Jefferson]

Meghan and I...rocking the Amish dresses. 

Dear Dad- I'm glad that you and your Papa get to hang out again. Even though I'm going to miss him, he had a pretty rockin' 98 years on earth. Dear Nonograms- You are becoming hopelessly addicting. I have spent more time playing you than breathing in the past 5 days. Dear Choir Concert- You were very possibly the last choir concert of my life. That makes me sad, but I'm so happy I got to end this way, with Moses saying "I'm gonna miss you Red", singing about God's "bottles", and my faithful Meghan by my side. 


P.S. Seriously, I don't know how I luck out every semester, but these last two weeks will be such a breeze again. Just two papers and two tests before finals. Plus, I pretty much have weekends jam-packed with FUN until school is done, so I am mega pumped. Over and out. 

Happiness In Odd Places

I am having a surprisingly relaxing and calming weekend. It is a much needed repose after a tumultuous week. 


I spent the night at my cousin Sue's house. Her house is thoughtfully decorated, her cats Maggie and Stella are friendly, and being there was so fulfilling for my soul and mind. Here are some pictures, all taken with my mac. 

Maggie has the biggest green eyes. She's such a doll. 

Wooden stairs, light blue walls, white trim. My future. 

(Bonus points if you can see the kitty peeking over the stairs.)

Lace curtains and a tree in full bloom. Woke up with a smile. 

Adorable.

I love this chair. 

Took a walk to the Co-op after my run to get some delicious breakfast. 

Stella-monster. Such a furry one. 

"Turn to a stranger, take their hand, maybe then you'll understand" [Jones Street Station]

One of my favorite songs, a happy-go-lucky music video, and one of my favorite actors?

 Sounds like a win to me!

Dear Dad- Lately I've been reflecting a lot on stories about your childhood. Like the girlfriend you had in middle school who you gave a snickers bar to. You really know the way to a girl's heart. Dear RHA Exec- I am so pumped to have an excellent year with you guys next year! We are going to rock it, I am so excited to see everything we can do and to work with each and every one of you. Dear Mom- Thank you for listening to me this morning and giving me great advice. I love knowing that I can turn to you for a Godly example and that you will always be here for me. 


P.S. Worry has been consuming me lately, but I am learning to give it up to God. I have a list a mile long of worries, but asking God for peace has been helpful. I read this quote this morning: "Worry is the warning light that tells you God is no longer the center of your life." [Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life.] It really made me think where God is in my life right now. It's absolutely true, I'm putting worry at the center of my life, I'm letting stress and commitments and school be the center of my focus, instead of God. It's such an easy trap to fall into, but I want to give it all back over to God. Worry is just to much work. 

Love, learn, and learn to let go.

This is completely random, but I'm trying not to be a complete blogging hobo lately. 

Things I love...
...grapefruits
...coffee, in all shapes, sizes, and flavors
...the avett brothers
...prayer!
...writing cards and letters
...eating strange food combos (this one's for you PB&BBQ)
...hope


Things I'm learning to love...
...reading the newspaper
...mushrooms
...saving money
...making last-minute plans
...running
...reading my bible
...napping
...forgiving others


Things I'm learning to let go of...
...texting
...my obsession with clothing/shopping
...sweets (this is exceedingly gradual)
...a sense of entitlement
...sloppy handwriting
...thinking I can plan my life, next year, or even tomorrow
...failure