Hey wassup my OGs?
...That means original gangster for all you not hip people...
Anyways...It is hump day and I just got done enoing with some preeettttyyy aweome people. And, as you probably have (not) guessed, this is not Jenna. It's actually her best friend Alyssa here...writing her a blog post.
WHAAAAT??????!!!!?? NOT JENNA??!?!??!??!?!???!?!??!
I know, I know. This wasn't what you were expecting, but is anything really? And are we reallu happy with what we get in the end?
(hahaha smooth transition there)
Well since we got introductions out of the way, today we will be talking about something Jenna has touched on before, but it is something I have been struggling with: wishful thinking and being content at where you are and with what you have.
So, first, I will start off with a question: Have you ever been at pinnacle in your life where everything is so awesome and you're so happy, but then that time changes and you don't feel that way anymore and all you want is to get back to that time where you were happy? Well, this may not ring familiar with you, but it sure does hit me in the gut...and makes my gut actually hurt with what we call wishful thinking.
Right now at this point in my life I have been doing quite a lot of this and I have come to the realization that it is dangerous. Very dangerous.
I wish things were different. This is a phrase that I have been thinking to myself lately and it seems so innocent, however if you get caught up in it...in only those five single words, you can't enjoy all other words and things in your life. I mean, if the thing you wish was different can be changed and made different, then good for you. But, most times it's things we can't change.
Let me repeat that again.
It is things we can't change.
That can't has large weight on it for being such a small word, doesn't it?
We, or rather I should say I, can't sit around saying "I wish I went here...I wish this had happened and not this...blah blah blah". This is because it leads us to not have the ability to be content in our lives. We can't enjoy the things and people and times around us. It sucks. Yeah. I'm not going to sugar coat it. Things can't always be as good as they were in the past, but they can still be good.. You just have to be able to move on and enjoy life as it goes.
And not keep looking behind your shoulder. Have you ever tried to walk through a wooded forest while looking behind you at the beautiful flat field you just left? If you haven't...DO NOT TRY AT HOME, because you will trip. You will fall. You will get hurt. And you won't be able to see the small beauties in front of you because you will be flat on your face. Wishful thinking is painful and addicting, but it inhibits and holds you back...and causes you to trip up.
And after that little anecdote, I have come to the point to say we need to learn to be content.
You know, thinking about this whole thing reminds me of someone who needed to learn to be content. This person is Paul and he was in prison for many years and in his letter to the Philippians he states
"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-12
Now this is a man who has been in prison for years. He's been through so much and he is sitting there writing and saying that he is CONTENT. How can he be content??????!!?!??!
Well, he has stopped looking back and he has kept looking forward...And most importantly, he has God and he trusts his happiness in God's hands at all time.
If we stop trying to control what makes us happy and let God take the reins for a while, maybe..just maybe, we can be content at where we are. I know I'm having trouble with this and so I know it's not easy. It takes a lot of prayer...and not the prayer asking for things to change or to have certain things. This prayer is one asking to be content with what our situation is...even if we feel like no one is listening.
With all that being said, OGGs (That's Original Green Guitars)...be cautious in what you wish for and don't let wishful thinking ensnare and hold you back. Enjoy the present and don't let the past haunt you.
And so readers...I hope you have a wonderful day and before you leave, I will leave with a really cheesy quote (that I had to google to find out who said it)..
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” - Bill Keane
Haha...punny AND inspirational, am I right?
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Coffee-Flavored Jelly Beans
pssssst....
21 Pilots released a new song.
Go....go listen.....
It's called Ride....
What? What was that? Did you hear something? Yeah...I don't even know, man.
Anyway. I hope today, you've had an excellent day and that you've taken a few moments of relaxation and reflection. Today I had many adventures, between interviews and SUSHI and driving and (pretending to be) swimming, jamming to new music, and working. Whoop whoop!
I saw a rainbow today, but it was just a single cloud. It was one wisp of a cloud, very beautiful, but it was absolutely positively on fire with color. It was the coolest thing, but it was just a blip in the middle of the sky for a long time. I had never seen anything like it.
Don't get me wrong, the rest of the clouds and the sky and what-not was equally beautiful, but this cloud just stuck out, in the middle of a sea of blue and white. It was a spot of color where everything else felt simple, and rolling, and moving on.
This cloud spoke to me; weird, I know. I don't mean it had literal words, though that could be cool. But it was like when an artist finds inspiration, or a writer gets a whiff of what to write next. This little rainbow was a blip of a promise, a blip of a better day. A moment out of a thousand years. A spot in the center of the universe. A person in a sea of faces.
Sometimes, it just feels like I'm floating. What anchor is there to keep me down when problems boil up like a pot of water when you're cooking spaghetti. The water gets higher and higher, popping and steaming and scalding whatever comes close. But you stay too long in the heat and you become numb. You forget what is supposed to burn and you simply float.
Sometimes, there's a person, or a moment, or a rainbow cloud to tell you to jump out of the water as fast as you can. To get moving in the right direction, to leave the floating to the bubbles, and do something. To wake up and feel the pain, and feel the gain. Cheesy, but true sometimes.
You can't plan rainbow clouds, either. Which is the hard part. They come along and remind you to keep your heart in the Plan and your eyes on the finish line. But they always come at the time they are supposed to, the time they've been put there.
So I hope if you are going through hard times, and if your thoughts are starting to become your demons, that you remember there is a reason to keep going. There is a reason to stay focused, and that is A) That it may be hard, but it will be okay. There's a bigger plan in action than what you are feeling, I promise. And B) One day you could be a rainbow cloud for someone.
I know I have one.
I love you, coffee-flavored jellybeans, and I hope you find some peace.
21 Pilots released a new song.
Go....go listen.....
It's called Ride....
What? What was that? Did you hear something? Yeah...I don't even know, man.
Anyway. I hope today, you've had an excellent day and that you've taken a few moments of relaxation and reflection. Today I had many adventures, between interviews and SUSHI and driving and (pretending to be) swimming, jamming to new music, and working. Whoop whoop!
I saw a rainbow today, but it was just a single cloud. It was one wisp of a cloud, very beautiful, but it was absolutely positively on fire with color. It was the coolest thing, but it was just a blip in the middle of the sky for a long time. I had never seen anything like it.
Don't get me wrong, the rest of the clouds and the sky and what-not was equally beautiful, but this cloud just stuck out, in the middle of a sea of blue and white. It was a spot of color where everything else felt simple, and rolling, and moving on.
This cloud spoke to me; weird, I know. I don't mean it had literal words, though that could be cool. But it was like when an artist finds inspiration, or a writer gets a whiff of what to write next. This little rainbow was a blip of a promise, a blip of a better day. A moment out of a thousand years. A spot in the center of the universe. A person in a sea of faces.
Sometimes, it just feels like I'm floating. What anchor is there to keep me down when problems boil up like a pot of water when you're cooking spaghetti. The water gets higher and higher, popping and steaming and scalding whatever comes close. But you stay too long in the heat and you become numb. You forget what is supposed to burn and you simply float.
Sometimes, there's a person, or a moment, or a rainbow cloud to tell you to jump out of the water as fast as you can. To get moving in the right direction, to leave the floating to the bubbles, and do something. To wake up and feel the pain, and feel the gain. Cheesy, but true sometimes.
You can't plan rainbow clouds, either. Which is the hard part. They come along and remind you to keep your heart in the Plan and your eyes on the finish line. But they always come at the time they are supposed to, the time they've been put there.
So I hope if you are going through hard times, and if your thoughts are starting to become your demons, that you remember there is a reason to keep going. There is a reason to stay focused, and that is A) That it may be hard, but it will be okay. There's a bigger plan in action than what you are feeling, I promise. And B) One day you could be a rainbow cloud for someone.
I know I have one.
I love you, coffee-flavored jellybeans, and I hope you find some peace.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Silver Frisbees
Welcome welcome! I hope you have all had an excellent day.
My day has been filled with all sorts of adventures, from pianos to packing, disc golf to lake-walking, fun adventures down back roads, and in general just a good day.
Sometimes exploring can be the greatest thing in the world; the trees green and leaves intertwining with one another, dirt paths and dirty trees fallen along the rocks...everything is so pretty. And it gives you a lot of time to think. It's quiet in the woods, aside from the buzzing of bugs and the creaking of branches...but it's a good kind of noise. Relaxing. Peaceful. Natural.
Today, as I was exploring, I was thinking about how important quiet time is. If you don't take a few moments, just to yourself, to be silent, and be thoughtful, sometimes you can get so caught up in the day-to-day stuff that you forget why you are moving forward. Things keep hitting you like one of those baseball machines that just keeps shooting, until you can hit.
Sometimes, you need to take a minute before you swing again. A time for reflection and renewal, otherwise your arms get sore. Your arms get sore, and your eyes get blurry, and you begin missing more than you are hitting. And that's when you know you need to stop.
I needed a break. I was swinging aimlessly, but nothing was connecting. Days were flying at me faster than I could handle, but they each felt like ten thousand years of confusion. If you are feeling lost, or tired, or confused, or overwhelmed...
Take that quiet time. Take a minute just to breathe in, breathe out, and pray. Pray that you focus on what matters, not what doesn't. That you take the little things as they come, the road bumps, and move forward. Keep moving forward. It's all we've got.
So I hope you aren't tired and weary, but if you are, I hope you find time to take a moment just to think and pray. And I hope you fly high, you silver frisbees. Have a fabulous rest of your evening.
My day has been filled with all sorts of adventures, from pianos to packing, disc golf to lake-walking, fun adventures down back roads, and in general just a good day.
Sometimes exploring can be the greatest thing in the world; the trees green and leaves intertwining with one another, dirt paths and dirty trees fallen along the rocks...everything is so pretty. And it gives you a lot of time to think. It's quiet in the woods, aside from the buzzing of bugs and the creaking of branches...but it's a good kind of noise. Relaxing. Peaceful. Natural.
Today, as I was exploring, I was thinking about how important quiet time is. If you don't take a few moments, just to yourself, to be silent, and be thoughtful, sometimes you can get so caught up in the day-to-day stuff that you forget why you are moving forward. Things keep hitting you like one of those baseball machines that just keeps shooting, until you can hit.
Sometimes, you need to take a minute before you swing again. A time for reflection and renewal, otherwise your arms get sore. Your arms get sore, and your eyes get blurry, and you begin missing more than you are hitting. And that's when you know you need to stop.
I needed a break. I was swinging aimlessly, but nothing was connecting. Days were flying at me faster than I could handle, but they each felt like ten thousand years of confusion. If you are feeling lost, or tired, or confused, or overwhelmed...
Take that quiet time. Take a minute just to breathe in, breathe out, and pray. Pray that you focus on what matters, not what doesn't. That you take the little things as they come, the road bumps, and move forward. Keep moving forward. It's all we've got.
So I hope you aren't tired and weary, but if you are, I hope you find time to take a moment just to think and pray. And I hope you fly high, you silver frisbees. Have a fabulous rest of your evening.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Chocolate Covered Daisies
Hello, bloggers. Hope you have had an excellent, fantastic Mother's Day. And if you haven't wished your mother a happy one yet, you need to.
So like, go now. Maybe bring her flowers. And give her a hug. Or like, buy her a new car (Okay, you don't have to do that one. In fact, you might shouldn't.).
Whatever. Whatever you do, show her how much you appreciate her; because, I don't know about you guys, but my mother is pretty awesome. In fact, she's more than awesome, and not just because of all the awesome things she does. She just embodies awesomeness if that makes sense. And I probably don't tell her enough.
Sometimes, we look over the people we love the most, because we just assume they know how we feel about them. But not everyone can read what's going through your brain, and everyone loves being loved and appreciated. So if you haven't today, take a second to remind the person who is most important in your life that they are just that: important. That they mean something. That they matter.
That reminder can be uplifting even in the darkest days. To hear that someone else likes you for exactly who you are, that you don't need to change to fit their desires and expectations...that is something spectacular. And that you will love them even if they change.
My mom may not hear it enough. But I love her, even if she changes. And what is even greater, is that she loves me, even if I change. It's a Christ-like love that shines through everything she does, and it shows me every day how I'm supposed to treat people. To love without expecting anything in return. While sometimes she may expect me to call her when I'm away, or do the dishes when I'm home, or do laundry when it piles up, that's not why she loves me...I certainly hope not. It's something more than that.
Today is a good reminder of how much I owe to my mom, and how much people owe to their mom's all over. So Happy Mother's Day, my Chocolate Covered Daisies, and don't forget how important you are.
So like, go now. Maybe bring her flowers. And give her a hug. Or like, buy her a new car (Okay, you don't have to do that one. In fact, you might shouldn't.).
Whatever. Whatever you do, show her how much you appreciate her; because, I don't know about you guys, but my mother is pretty awesome. In fact, she's more than awesome, and not just because of all the awesome things she does. She just embodies awesomeness if that makes sense. And I probably don't tell her enough.
Sometimes, we look over the people we love the most, because we just assume they know how we feel about them. But not everyone can read what's going through your brain, and everyone loves being loved and appreciated. So if you haven't today, take a second to remind the person who is most important in your life that they are just that: important. That they mean something. That they matter.
That reminder can be uplifting even in the darkest days. To hear that someone else likes you for exactly who you are, that you don't need to change to fit their desires and expectations...that is something spectacular. And that you will love them even if they change.
My mom may not hear it enough. But I love her, even if she changes. And what is even greater, is that she loves me, even if I change. It's a Christ-like love that shines through everything she does, and it shows me every day how I'm supposed to treat people. To love without expecting anything in return. While sometimes she may expect me to call her when I'm away, or do the dishes when I'm home, or do laundry when it piles up, that's not why she loves me...I certainly hope not. It's something more than that.
Today is a good reminder of how much I owe to my mom, and how much people owe to their mom's all over. So Happy Mother's Day, my Chocolate Covered Daisies, and don't forget how important you are.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Home-cooked Musicals {Saturday Song List Edition}
Hello hello and welcome to this week's Saturday Song List Edition!
It's nice and hot and rainy here, although the sun has come out a little bit! I'm enoing, in my backyard, but it feels super good. So as I jammed to some tunes, I decided to give you guys some tunes to jam to.
1. Implicit Demand for Proof- Twenty One Pilots
Okay. So, I'll just say this now...you make think this song is weird. But it's Twenty One Pilots so frankly, I'm not that concerned. It's excellent excellent excellent and I love it with all of my heart. In fact, it's a great album if you want that too. But seriously, I love this song. Especially at 2 AM.
2. Honey I'm Good-Andy Grammar
IM EMBARRASSED I LIKE THIS SONG SO MUCH. You've probably heard it; it's been on the radio a while. It's so poppy and so catch y and I just can't help singing along to it. It does kind of make you feel good when it ends, though, so there's something..
3. In the Garden-Elvis Presley
I heard this song for the first time one morning while I was playing piano in church, and I seriously just love it. I love the mood and the lyrics and the voice..it's so beautiful, and it makes me smile. It's kind of slow, but it's worth the listen if you haven't heard it.
So there are my three songs. I hope you semi-sorta-kinda like them, but you don't have to. In fact, if you have some good songs, I'd love to hear them!
I hope you all have an excellent day, my home cooked musicals, and that you can find peace and stillness, for a moment at least. I love you guys, and hope you know that everything will be okay.
Enjoy your Saturday.
It's nice and hot and rainy here, although the sun has come out a little bit! I'm enoing, in my backyard, but it feels super good. So as I jammed to some tunes, I decided to give you guys some tunes to jam to.
1. Implicit Demand for Proof- Twenty One Pilots
Okay. So, I'll just say this now...you make think this song is weird. But it's Twenty One Pilots so frankly, I'm not that concerned. It's excellent excellent excellent and I love it with all of my heart. In fact, it's a great album if you want that too. But seriously, I love this song. Especially at 2 AM.
2. Honey I'm Good-Andy Grammar
IM EMBARRASSED I LIKE THIS SONG SO MUCH. You've probably heard it; it's been on the radio a while. It's so poppy and so catch y and I just can't help singing along to it. It does kind of make you feel good when it ends, though, so there's something..
3. In the Garden-Elvis Presley
I heard this song for the first time one morning while I was playing piano in church, and I seriously just love it. I love the mood and the lyrics and the voice..it's so beautiful, and it makes me smile. It's kind of slow, but it's worth the listen if you haven't heard it.
So there are my three songs. I hope you semi-sorta-kinda like them, but you don't have to. In fact, if you have some good songs, I'd love to hear them!
I hope you all have an excellent day, my home cooked musicals, and that you can find peace and stillness, for a moment at least. I love you guys, and hope you know that everything will be okay.
Enjoy your Saturday.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Shiny Ukuleles
Hey guys! How's it going!
Today, I'm posting from my phone today, so I apologize in advance for format and grammar. But I hope you've had a good day, and that you are not too stressed out with anything.
Today, I kind of want to talk about moving on. Because I know sometimes it is the last thing you want to do, and that sometimes it's the hardest thing to do. But sometimes, it's the war thing to do.
Things come around in life that mean something to us, that we grow to love, that sometimes love us. But as time passes, we find that those people and those things are not the best for us, and when they leave,we hurt longer after they leave than they stayed.
It's hard to know when to let them go; but it's possible. Because sometimes, when one thing leaves, something much, much better will take its place. But when that will happen, we don't know. We aren't given a future forecast ever, we just have to trust that the Plan is wha is best for us.
And God is in control of that plan. So we have to trust HIM to lead us to what is Good and righteous.
So I hope you all are trusting in something bigger than whatever you are facing. Please remember that I love you, you shiny ukuleles , and I hope you have a great day.
Today, I'm posting from my phone today, so I apologize in advance for format and grammar. But I hope you've had a good day, and that you are not too stressed out with anything.
Today, I kind of want to talk about moving on. Because I know sometimes it is the last thing you want to do, and that sometimes it's the hardest thing to do. But sometimes, it's the war thing to do.
Things come around in life that mean something to us, that we grow to love, that sometimes love us. But as time passes, we find that those people and those things are not the best for us, and when they leave,we hurt longer after they leave than they stayed.
It's hard to know when to let them go; but it's possible. Because sometimes, when one thing leaves, something much, much better will take its place. But when that will happen, we don't know. We aren't given a future forecast ever, we just have to trust that the Plan is wha is best for us.
And God is in control of that plan. So we have to trust HIM to lead us to what is Good and righteous.
So I hope you all are trusting in something bigger than whatever you are facing. Please remember that I love you, you shiny ukuleles , and I hope you have a great day.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Floral Chessboards
I'M HOME!
I took my last exam today, and let me tell you...it felt so good to walk out of that classroom. I mean, I have no idea what I made on it, and it's physics, so it was a little draining, but leaving the building, walking down the steps, and breathing in the sunshine made it all worth it.
After some almost-teary-goodbyes (almost teary on my part...but I kept it together), I drove home for the summer and am currently unpacking. And you wouldn't believe how much I have accumulated over the semester...Let's put it this way. There isn't a path through my room right now.
But tomorrow will be summer cleaning, and laundry day...Oh laundry. And I will have a day off from school and studies and finals and responsibilities. Just for a day. And then it's back into action.
This summer, I'm going to try and hold a Girl's Bible Study for the girls in my church, and my friend Alyssa and I are currently trying to get everything together for it. I only ask for prayers on how to lead something like this, and that the Lord speaks through us so we can offer something to these girls.
Anyway. I'm SUPS excited to be home, and as much as I am sincerely going to miss my college adventures and definitely my college friends...I'm ready for the warm weather and lazy days. Oh. And work.
I hope you all have a great evening, my Floral Chessboards, and that you get some well-needed rest. I love you guys.
I took my last exam today, and let me tell you...it felt so good to walk out of that classroom. I mean, I have no idea what I made on it, and it's physics, so it was a little draining, but leaving the building, walking down the steps, and breathing in the sunshine made it all worth it.
After some almost-teary-goodbyes (almost teary on my part...but I kept it together), I drove home for the summer and am currently unpacking. And you wouldn't believe how much I have accumulated over the semester...Let's put it this way. There isn't a path through my room right now.
But tomorrow will be summer cleaning, and laundry day...Oh laundry. And I will have a day off from school and studies and finals and responsibilities. Just for a day. And then it's back into action.
This summer, I'm going to try and hold a Girl's Bible Study for the girls in my church, and my friend Alyssa and I are currently trying to get everything together for it. I only ask for prayers on how to lead something like this, and that the Lord speaks through us so we can offer something to these girls.
Anyway. I'm SUPS excited to be home, and as much as I am sincerely going to miss my college adventures and definitely my college friends...I'm ready for the warm weather and lazy days. Oh. And work.
I hope you all have a great evening, my Floral Chessboards, and that you get some well-needed rest. I love you guys.
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