You know, sometimes, late at night, lots of random thoughts will just come into my head. And I just have to find a way to get them out. You should see the number of journals I write in at any given time (three. they all contain something different). I even have a special note sections on my phone. One where I write down random quotes that will later get transferred to one of my journals. And another where I write out late night thoughts as I'm laying in my bed, but too lazy to write in one of the three journals.
So, here in late night thoughts, I'm going to share some of those. I give fair warning, I have no idea what may be written in late night thoughts. Most of the time, it will probably be me rambling. After all, I'm tired, I just finished my cup of tea, and I just got through reading blogs for the day. It's late night and these are my thoughts.
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Throughout our lifetime, there may be a time or two where we will have to sacrifice something. We may sacrifice something small like our time to help a friend in need or to listen to them as they simply talk about how life is going. Some of us may sacrifice in a financial way, giving money to an organization annually, paying for someone's meal in a drive-thru, or even sponsoring a child. Sacrifices may sometimes be big, like having to put off life plans and dreams to help a sick family member or delaying college to stay at home and help a single parent.
Like the definition tells us above, sacrifice is "the act of giving up something you want to keep...in order to help someone." Giving up something that we want to keep is not easy. Sacrifice is hard. It's freely giving something of high value away, even in moments when we are unsure of the outcome. Sacrifice requires stepping out on faith, to believe that what you are sacrificing is actually worth it. That what you are sacrificing is not as important as why you are sacrificing. Whether we are meeting a friend for coffee, instead of cleaning the house or giving up a fancy meal, to give food, water, and education to a child in need, our sacrifice of time and money, is overshadowed by the help, joy, relief, and friendship that others receive. There are different examples of sacrifice in the Bible. Abraham was faithfully willing to sacrifice his son Issac to the Lord, because he trusted that God would provide the lamb. There were burnt offerings and sacrifices of praise given to the Lord. Disciples sacrificed themselves for the glory of the Lord. But, the greatest sacrifice of all was Jesus dying on the Cross for us. He sacrificed Himself so that we all could have life. So that we would no longer be bound by sin. He gave His body as the ultimate, living, sacrifice. No longer are lambs needed to be offered up unto God, because the one, true Lamb has come. And the greatest beauty of all is that He is still alive. Christ has been delivered from the grave and He sits beside God. As Christians, believers of God in Christ, we are called to be living sacrifices. Daily we are to take up the Cross and remember Christ's sacrifice, so that we may be holy and pleasing to God. In Romans, Paul calls this our "spiritual act of worship." Daily we are to sacrifice ourselves, so that God may use us according to His plan. Check out Romans 12:1-2.
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This is the other side of sacrifice. Every day, there are thousands and thousands of children worldwide who are unable to get the water, food, clothing, and education they deserve. They are sacrificing their basic needs, their lives, simply because they have no way to get these resources. Some put aside their own hunger, to give the last bite of bread to their underweight brother. Siblings share shoes, so they are all able to go to school. Parents try and find ways to provide for their families...any way that they can. We can safely sacrifice part of our lives, so these can simply live.
Is there something you can give up, something you can sacrifice, to instead provide a child with food, education opportunities, and clean water? If you are interested in sponsoring a child, click the SPONSOR A CHILD button on the right sidebar or visit Compassion International for more information.
Let's be living sacrifices together.
This post is part of Blog Month for Compassion Bloggers.
If you are interested in becoming a Compassion Blogger, click here. Follow Me :)
So, here's the thing. Having this little blog, in a small corner of the internet world, is, well, my space. (No, not the old social network. I wonder if I can still get into that?) I've said it before in another post that it doesn't matter to me whether I have tons of visitors or if the only page view counts are my own. This is just a space for me to create, write, design, and share. It's a place for me to escape, I guess. I don't want to pretend that I am THE perfect writer or that my blog is the best in the land. Because, well, both of those things are completely untrue.
But, that doesn't mean that I don't want this place to be uninviting or unwelcoming. I LOVE it when people stop by and when you guys read and leave comments. Sometimes I have a hard time writing a post and then I'm not sure whether I should hit "publish" or not. But, it's then in those moments that someone will e-mail me or text me and say that they really enjoyed a post or that it was something they really needed to hear. Of course my heart explodes with happiness and it just makes writing here worth it so much more. All that to say, I love my little space. And I love your little space. I love that they are our own. That they are ours. That we choose to use our spaces for good things. For awareness. For community. I never want to stray away from that. (This is getting sappy, I'm stopping.) So, I was going to write a real post today on something more interesting, but instead I wanted to change up my little corner of the internet. So, uhm, that's what I did today. Same name, new look. You will notice a new layout and header. Pretty much all the same pages, I just got rid of the "welcome" page. And if you have my blog bookmarked, it should take you directly to this blog page, which is now the MAIN page. I think I've changed this so much that my links everywhere else in social media is messed up. There may be some issues with BlogLovin' too, but I'll work on that. All the same stuff on the side as well. I'm also going to redo my "about me" page to make it more fun. When I started blogging again, I knew that I wanted a welcoming and inviting place. A space for community and conversation. And, knowing me, I was never happy with my last layout. So, I really like this one a whole lot better! It's much more sleek, simple, and elegant. And I love the colors. Can you tell that I'm enjoying it? ha I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. So, since I didn't give you something real to read today, will you please check out one of these posts from the archives? They are my "favorites" I guess you would say. Hope you enjoy one, two, or all of them and they encourage you (or make you smile). Happy Wednesday! Follow Me :) Welcome to Twenties Answer! This is a new series that was inspired by Paul Angone and his 11 Questions That Every Twenty Something Needs to Answer! For the next several weeks, every Tuesday, I'm going to be answering these questions. Send me an email or comment below your answers if you're a twenty something. Or, if you are past your twenties, how would you answer the question or what would you have done differently back in your 20s. Us twenty somethings, we love advice! Will you join me? For more in this series: Q1 // Q2 // Q3 Skeletons in the closet. We all have them, big or small, few or many, it's no question. But, how are we handling our skeletons? Are we keeping them in the closet buried beneath old clothes, winter sweaters, and toys? Or are we opening the closet door to get a better look? Alert: I've never been in a relationship, so when it comes to marriage, I can't speak from experience. "Like a third-rate magician, marriage puts big things behind a curtain, but does nothing to make it disappear." -- Paul Angone Relationships are not going to cover up or fix our problems. If anything, it is going to expose them hardcore. Especially marriage, when you are with the person 24/7. We can't expect someone else to fix us. We aren't capable of changing others. Only ourselves. I have a hard enough time expressing my feelings in friendships, so I can only imagine what it's going to be like if I one day get married. All of a sudden, here is a person that is my partner, my friend, my confidant. Someone who cares about me, but I can't run away. It's not like a friend or a parent, where you can go off and hide for a little while, come back and the subject has been changed. In a marriage, when you come back home, (hopefully) that person is still going to be there. I'm thankful to have friends that ask me the hard questions. You know, the questions you don't want to ask yourself. The questions that make you examine yourself while looking in the mirror. Suppressing problems is never good, it only pushes them down deeper and gives them time to grow, until suddenly, one day, they boil over and you are left with a giant mess at your feet. I would love nothing more than to shove my problems in the deepest, darkest corner of my closet and see them be overcome by cobwebs. I can remember times where I've been called out on my stuff. And it sucked. It wasn't fun having to deal with stuff that I had kept pushing away. But, I can't get mad, I have to bring the skeleton out and dance with it. I have to see what the issue is, why it's a problem, and then, only then, can I figure out how to deal with it. You can't deal with a sin until you first realize you have a sin. When it comes to answering today's question, it's not just looking at how clean or organized I am. It's not just how I shop or spend money. It's not whether I'm a night owl or early bird. Although all of these matter to an extent, it's more of how do I handle problems. How do I handle confrontation? Am I going to run away at the first sign of trouble? Or am I going to stick around, duke it out, and try to fix the problem at hand? Wouldn't we all love to say the latter, but often resort to the first? I've done both. Running away was easy, but the end result wasn't nearly as good as sticking around and working it out. Even though it was harder, at least I was able to push through the dirt and see the sky above. I was able to clear the cobwebs from the corner and embrace the skeleton. The important thing to remember is to not let the skeleton back into you. It's a skeleton for a reason, it isn't part of you anymore. You have new bones. There will always be trials. There will always be skeletons. Are we going to shove them in a closet and turn our backs? Or, are we going to open the door and allow the bones to tell us a story of the past? A story whose ending isn't our future. How do you handle problems and confrontations? Are you dealing with your skeletons or keeping them buried in the closet? Follow Me :)
If you looked under my bookmarks, you would see many, MANY recipes that I have bookmarked.
So, this edition of Odds & Ends , I decided to pass along some of these yummy recipes. Enjoy and maybe bookmark a few.
BREAKFAST
LUNCH
DINNER
DESSERT
What are some recipes you are enjoying right now?
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I was a giant fan of NSYNC. I mean, my room was decked out in all sorts of posters and anything that had the faces of Chris, Lance, Joey, JC, and Justin. I don't really remember being upset that they stopped making music (probably because I still have ALL of their albums and STILL listen to them). But, I was probably more upset that I never got to see them in concert.
I also have to admit that I was never a big fan of Justin as a solo act. Probably because my taste in music changed and I was no longer listening to pop, boy bands. My parents were most likely very happy about this. I just never listened to his stuff, not even Cry Me A River which, I admit, I only made fun of. Then, JT was silent. Then, I saw him in Trouble With The Curve.
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And then came, The 20/20 Experience.
His first album in 7 years. I have to admit that I wasn't a big fan of Suit & Tie when it first came out and was played ALL OVER the radio. But, JT in a suit and tie? That's a different story.
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And then I heard, Mirrors.
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And I fell in love all over again. I decided to give the whole 20/20 album a chance and I have to admit, I like it. It took me a few listens of the whole album, but I think it's great.
So, you can imagine how excited I was when he was pretty much THE best thing to happen to the VMAs. (Not too mention the short, but sweet, reunion of our beloved NSYNC) And how Jimmy Fallon got to present a major award to his friend, JT. It was so much fun.
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Anyways, all of this to say, that I am now a fan of JT, the solo act. I'm glad he's around and making music and films and making people laugh. I think he's great.
Oh, and how could I forget to mention that he is now married to another one of my favorites? Mary, from 7th Heaven anyone? Jessica Biel. And they are cute. Yes, it's true.
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All that to say, that what I'm listening to right now is Justin Timberlake. I'll leave you with some of my favorites from the newest album(s).
What are you listening to? Happy Weekend! Follow Me :)
There has been a lot of action around here this week! If this is your first time at my blog, welcome! So glad you have stopped by! :)
This week I joined in with Blogtember (I'm picking and choosing) and wrote my first post as part of the Compassion Bloggers!
Here are some posts I wrote this week:
Five Minute Friday is a wonderful community full of writers that write for 5 unrestricted minutes. Then, you share your real and raw words and link up with Lisa-Jo and the rest of the community. Join us!
GO.
Red is a color that will always represent Fall to me. It's a color that will always represent where my loyalties in college football lie. That's right. I'm an Alabama fan. (And yes this post is going to be about football.) I grew up being an Alabama fan thanks in part to my dad, a devoted Tide fan himself. And when it came time for me to choose a college, there was no other choice but The University of Alabama. Sure, there were other choices, but it was my first and #1. When I stepped foot on that campus for the first time, nothing else compared. I was part of a new family. One that sported crimson and houndstooth 24/7. My first football game in Bryant-Denny Stadium in the student section is a memory that will last with me forever. Games in the rain and one in snow one time, games where my body was painted. Games where I left the stadium hoarse or no voice. The color red will always remind me of Fall. And that it's time for me to put back on my jersey and yell, "Roll Tide." STOP. Are you a football fan? Do you prefer college or NFL? Who is your team? Or, would you rather do anything BUT watch football all day Saturday and Sunday...and Monday and Thursday. ha Follow Me :)
There I sat, literally on the window sill, with the blinds pulled up, watching the street and waiting for his car to pull up into the driveway. My suitcase was packed and waiting in the living room. My mom was in the kitchen and my step-dad was pacing in the living room. The time for him to come pick me up came and went. Maybe he was just running late. Maybe there was traffic across town. He would be here any minute.
He never came.
I was two years old when my biological parents split up and got divorced. For the next few years, my real dad would come pick me up on different weekends and we would spend time together. I was young and don't remember much about those times. The only vivid memory I have is celebrating a birthday in a bowling alley where one of my gifts was Barbie's Dream House.
Then, one weekend, I sat on a window sill waiting for a car that never came. By this time, my mom had remarried to my step-dad who had two daughters of his own from a previous marriage. I had a completely new family and the memory of my real dad slowly began to fade. There were never birthday cards or phone calls. Nothing. But, the Lord had given me a new family and a new earthly dad. One that did celebrate birthdays with balloons and cake, one who taught me how to ride a bike, one who took me and my sisters to the park, one who taught me how to throw a frisbee and how to throw a baseball. A dad who sat me on his lap and let me "drive" the truck around the block. One who put up a basketball goal above the garage so we could play one-on-one. A dad that showed me love. A dad that showed me Christ. It wasn't until years later, after one of my grandfathers had passed away, that I saw my real dad again. Even though he wasn't ever around, when he walked through the doors, I immediately knew who he was. And I was excited. But, nothing changed. Then, another few more years came and went, until I saw him again. Just keep repeating this pattern. Eventually, the pattern became seeing him only at Christmas. And even now, me being 24, this is still the pattern. This is still our relationship. It wasn't until I got older, in high school, that I really began thinking about how this relationship was affecting my life. I'm actually really thankful for that. I'm thankful that I didn't have to deal with it as much as a child, that I didn't have to think that someone who was supposed to provide for me, didn't. That in a way, I was abandoned. Thanks to my step-dad, the Lord provided me with a good, Godly example. A father that pointed me to Christ, my one true Father. Thanks to my step-dad, I never felt unloved as a child. It wasn't a worry. And that step-dad, soon lost the title of "step"-dad. He was simply, "Dad." "You are dearly loved," I would say to my childhood self. "It may get difficult to understand when you are older, but you are dearly loved." "It won't always make sense and you won't know what to do, but you are dearly loved." "The older you get, don't hold any hatred in your heart. Love, as you are loved." "When forgiveness seems so hard, do it anyways. Forgive, as you are forgiven." "When you can't understand why, look to your one, true, Heavenly Father." "Never forget, as crazy as things will get, that you are dearly loved," I would say to my childhood self. Not all children are able to have both, a mom and a dad, around. Not all children are blessed to have a step-dad, who comes in and loves them as his own. Some children have just a mom. Or just a dad. Some have neither. Some children have grandparents that take them in as their own. Some have older siblings. There are many types of families out there and we all have different childhoods. But, if there is one thing that I want all children to know, no matter where they live or where they come from or who their family is, I want them to know that they are dearly loved.
This post is part of Blog Month for Compassion Bloggers.
If you are interested in becoming a Compassion Blogger, click here. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, and letting them know they are dearly loved, click here.
You are dearly loved as well. Thank you for stopping by and reading a little piece of my story.
Follow Me :)
Guys, I really gotta work on getting a post out on time. Sorry, 'bout it.
Make sure you keep checking out my FITNESS calendar for September.
I'm finding some fun workouts I'm ready to try!
Last night I had a dream that I was in London. I don't remember all about the dream, but I do know that at one point I found myself on a side street looking up at the London Eye. So, if I was able to take off three months from my life now and do anything in the world, I would totally travel. I would choose 3 places and spend one month in each place. Here are 3 places that I would love to travel to and see.
#1. LONDON
#2. GREECE
#3. PARIS
If you could take off 3 months and do anything in the world you wanted, what would you do?
This post is part of Blogtember! Have you heard? // A new month means new FITNESS challenges! Check out what I will be doing this month. \\ // I'm doing a 20 day social media fast. No Twitter*, Facebook, or Instagram. \\ // Here are some link-ups I'm participating in this month! \\ Welcome to Twenties Answer!
This is a new series that was inspired by Paul Angone and his 11 Questions That Every Twenty Something Needs to Answer! For the next several weeks, every Tuesday, I'm going to be answering these questions. Send me an email or comment below your answers if you're a twenty something. Or, if you are past your twenties, how would you answer the question or what would you have done differently back in your 20s. Us twenty somethings, we love advice! Will you join me? Click "read more" below! Find Question #1 and my answer here. Find Question #2 and my answer here. |
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