Dear Self

Dear Self,

If the 23 year old me could sit down and have a chat with you, this is what I'd say:

To the 5 year-old me:  Sit on your daddy's lap more.  Snuggle with mommy more.  Take time to hug your sisters more than just at night.  Kisses are free- give your family lots of them. Savor your sweets... they'll last longer.

To the 10 year-old me:  Don't worry so much about who is and isn't your friend.  Be friends with everyone.  Appreciate your friend Alexandra more.  She won't be in your school forever.  Boys are icky.  Don't get caught in the PRE pre-teen agenda of "who's your boyfriend?". Also, pay more attention in Patch Club- memorize more verses.

To the 12 year-old me: Life is hard.  Bad things happen, but life goes on.  The best thing to do is learn from these bad things.  Love your family and friends more.  Spend more time with your sisters... without fighting.  Larry is going to be your best friend one day, so why not start today?

To the 14 year-old me:  8th grade isn't as big of a deal as you think.  "Graduation" is ridiculous.  Enjoy being friends with everyone.  It won't last forever. Practice the piano more.  High school is just around the corner, but you'll be fine.  High school isn't really that big of a deal either. And PS- boys are still icky.

To the 16 year-old me:  You're better than you think.  Don't be afraid to accompany the choir.  Don't push so hard for things to go your way.  Don't worry about what other people think about you.  DO spend more time with your family.  Do enjoy your carefree days of low responsibility. Soak in the memories. Thank your favorite teacher more than once for letting you go to NY last minute (but perhaps find someone else to room with when you go!).  Oh, and when that same favorite teacher suggests you try out for the community players production, DO IT!)  And read your Bible more.  Always read your Bible more.

To the 18 year-old me:  Your Senior year is amazing.  Don't waste it fighting with other people.  Especially people you're close to.  Sing your heart out.  Keep playing the piano.  Boys are still icky, so don't get all tied up in knots over them.  Don't miss a single baseball game (you'll only end up missing two).  Enjoy your last summer as a "kid."  Don't take it for granted.

To the 20 year-old me:  God will provide answers at just the right time.  Don't worry about the future. Keep a journal during Colorado tour.  Quit fighting with Elisabeth.  She'll end up being one of your long-distance best friends. And when Doc INVITES you to go to Europe, make sure you keep a journal then, too.  Stay calm.  At all times.  Sit back and trust God.  With the big stuff.  And the little stuff.  Take more pictures. When you move home, treasure the time with your family.  Don't hide in your room- spend time with your family.

Don't worry about tomorrow.  God has it all under control.  Make memories, and never be afraid to overuse the words "I love you."

Love,
the 23 year-old me

And Once Again... Right Now I'm...

I realize I just did this a few weeks ago, but right now, it's safest for me to update everyone in the mundanes of life rather than the big stuff.  Don't worry, the big stuff will come, just not yet! :)

Listening: Josh Groban's ENTIRE new cd "All That Echoes," which is his best album yet!  I'm totally in love with it!  I could listen to it nonstop!

Reading: "Peculiar Treasures" by Robin Jones Gunn.  Also, I just finished Nicholas Sparks' book "Safe Haven," which was fantastic!  I can't wait to see it in theaters with my friend Sarah on Valentine's Day!

Eating: Currently... like at this moment?  Nothing.  But for supper I had a breakfast BMT from Subway.  And tomorrow for breakfast, I'll have the other half!  Thanks to FebruANY $5 footlongs this month!!

Wishing: my trip to Ohio could have lasted longer than it did.  It was so great to spend time with my SISTER & the Yellow House family! :)

Needing: Answers. And direction from God.  I know these thing will come soon enough... just workin' on my patience.

Rejoicing: Over the love and support my parents always show me, no matter what I'm going through!  And for a much needed weekend spent with my best Helen! 

Indulging: Coke over ice.  For some reason, it's really addicting right now!

Enjoying: Valentine's Day stuff.  Like sappy love songs, Romantic movies, seeing roses everywhere, as well as pinks and reds and hearts.  And also my new laundry detergent.  It smells amazing!

Loathing: That Helen is so far away.

Saying: It's not a quotable type of saying, but I've found myself actually verbalizing the words "What do you think I should do?" a whole lot lately.   

Meditating: On God's faithfulness.  The hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness definitely is a great reminder!

Picturing: My weekend in Ohio.  Seeing Caleb in "Joseph,"  the adventures of Helen & Frank in Yellow Springs (the Hippie town... stuck in the 70's), and what my life will look like in 6 months. 

Right Now I'm...

Listening: Daylight by Maroon 5, Brave by Josh Groban, Voyage by Celtic Thunder (entire CD), and of course my "Good Times" CD (songs compiled by yours truly- made one for me and one for Helen... to help us miss each other a little less)

Reading: Remember by Karen Kingsbury & Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks--- and The Very Cranky Bear by someone I can't remember (my 2-year-olds LOVE this book!)

Eating: Left over "Happy Retirement" cake (Thanks, Joe!)

Wishing: that winter will be over; that Helen wasn't in Ohio... or that I was..., for a hug from Caleb, that relationships were easy

Needing: Technically, I need nothing because God has promised that He will supply for all of my needs.  In Lacy land, I feel like I need more friends in the area... since Steve, Helen, Caleb, & Caleb are all far away...

Rejoicing: I once again have the joy of teaching Children's church!  Family- both natural and adopted (Yellow House Family, Tom & Lori, Kirsten). Salvation! 

Indulging: The Bachelor is my Monday night indulgence. That show is so ridiculous, but I just can't seem to help myself!  Also, I bought potato chips and french onion dip yesterday.  That is definitely an indulgence.  Oh, and I just ordered a Tablet today.  That counts as an indulgence for sure!

Enjoying: My daily journal.  I took a pinterest idea and modified it to fit my needs. Basically, I have a journal wherein I write the day at the top of the page (ie- January 1).  Then on the first line I write the year (ie- 2013) followed by something special about the day.  I'm hoping to keep the same daily journal for several years, being able to look back on what I did on any given day! I'm definitely enjoying finding something to write about every day!

Loathing: Snow.  And Winter. And cold. And wind. And the Joker from Batman.  Always the Joker.

Saying: "You think THAT'S hard?!  Try eating applesauce with chopsticks.  That's hard." 

Meditating: Psalm 139:14A  "I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  I got my finger prints taken this week for work, and I was astounded at God's design of the human body. Each person has his own unique finger print.  Of all the billions of people that have walked the earth... and are on the earth right now, each and every person has a unique finger print!  Amazing!

Picturing: Europe.  I cut/colored my hair to look like this again after looking through my Europe pictures this weekend.  Then today, I chatted with my friend Andy about his upcoming trip: it's his turn to join the Chorale for Europe tour through Germany & Holland!

Savoring the Moments

So anyone that knows me won't find this too shocking, but I've been feeling kinda emotional lately. Homesick, if you will. Not homesick in the "I just wanna go home to mommy" kinda way, but in the "I miss Helen... and Caleb... and Fogell... and SUMMER!!!" kinda way.

The fact is that life changes.  Whether we want it to or not, life just keeps on moving, and change is unavoidable. I've been reflecting a lot lately on where I was six months ago, and how perfect life was.  Sometimes when I look back on things that were really, really great, I find myself wishing I'd savored the moments more... that I'd taken time to appreciate what I had when I had it.

And as I was driving home from church last night, thinking about how many wonderful Pie Rush Wednesdays we had this summer, I waited for that "I wish I'd savored it more" feeling to come over me.  But it never came. I realized that probably for the first time in my life, I'd actually taken the time to savor the little moments.  To drink in the memories.  To live in the moment, not worrying about what was to come. And even though I would LOVE to have just one more day of that incredible summer, I also have no regrets.

Because I spent every moment of the summer enjoying life to the fullest. And the memories I have from that (and the lesson I learned about how rewarding it is to actually savor the moment) will last for life.

Good Reads

Well here we are, the month almost half over, and I haven't written one single post for this wonderful new year.  What's that all about?!

Well, it's probably about how not much new is going on here.  I'm slowly adjusting to life without My best Helen & Steve living down the road.  Eagerly anticipating the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Spending my days with my 2-year-olds and my nights with One Tree Hill.

I kicked off my new year by reading two really fantastic books, and I thought I'd take a little posting space to share them with you:

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

Anyone who loves a good suspense novel will love Dee Henderson's works!  I began reading her O'Malley series when I was, I think, still in middle school. My dad and sister both loved them, so I picked up Danger in the Shadows and fell in love.  Full Disclosure follows the story of Ann Silver, who happens to know the O'Malley clan quite well.  If you loved The O'Malleys, you'll love Full Disclosure.

Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon

I picked up my first Irene Hannon book at the library because I saw Dee Henderson highly recommended it (as written on the inside of the book). And I'm SO glad I did! Irene Hannon is a wonderful author.  Her books move quickly along, keeping your interest the whole way and leaving you excited for more.  Lethal Legacy is the third book in the Guardians of Justice series, which follows the stories of the three Taylor siblings.  I sat down and read this book cover to cover on New Year's Eve... I couldn't put it down!

If you're looking for something good to read, an escape from reality, I highly recommend both of these books!