What makes you smile?

We all have those little things in life that we just can't help but smile about. Sometimes they are the silliest things, but for some reason or another they always manage to brighten our days. Here is what makes me smile.

1. Laughing Babies
2. Thunder storms
3. Starry Summer nights
4. Chocolate and Peanut Butter
5. Colorful shoes
6. When the sun is shining and it is raining at the same time
7.Coffee
8. Fireflies
9. Letters in the mail
10.Bubble wrap
11. Mud puddles
12. Gerber Daisies
...And so much more


"Life is not measured by the number of breathes you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."
--Unknown

The Unexpected

Do you ever find yourself fearing the unknown and the unexpected. You go through your day with the slight apprehension that your routine might get messed up and things will suddenly be chaotic. I think it is funny how we humans are such creatures of habit. We like to sit in the same seat in class and Church. We like to eat the same breakfast day in and day out. We all have those little routines and patterns that we find ourselves following. I am as much a creature of habit as anyone. I went through a phase for a couple of years where I had Grape Nuts every single morning. I sit in the same seat in my math class because that is where I sat on the first day. I have a routine for just about every day of the week that revolves around class, homework, and friends. I find that I like the routine sameness and the structure of life. But, since life often has a mind of its own, sometimes routines get messed up. Sometimes these little sidetracks are fun and exciting and sometimes they can be scary. But no matter what, they are bound to happen. What do you do when the unexpected happens? Do you get freaked out because you don't know how to handle it or do you get excited about the possibility of a new adventure? I think that is just what the unexpected brings...opportunities for new adventures. I also think that our attitudes about these unexpected happenings can make or break whether things turn out good or bad. If we get upset about the new twist in our path we will be more likely to miss the awesome possibilities that it opens up to us. However, if we look at the unexpected as a door opening up to something new and exciting we are more likely to come through the experience with a smile on our face and the realization that we have learned something new. Now I know that sometimes the unexpected can be painful and terrifying, but if we look at it as an opportunity to learn and grow, even the painful can become good. So, next time your path takes a twist and you feel like things are spinning out of control, look at it as an opportunity to learn and discover something new. And always remember that no matter what may come, God is bigger than we are and He will get us through. So sit back, and enjoy the adventure of life.

"Adventures are funny things. They may creep out of holes, appear down a seldom trodden path, fall out of a tree, or even arrive in an envelope, but they always start the same way. Adventures always begin with the unexpected..." --Wayne Thomas Batson

Laugh

One of the things about life that I like the most is laughter.  There is something pure and magical about the way that a kid can laugh, it starts in their toes and bubbles all the way up. And when you hear it, you simply have to join in. What would life be like if we never laughed? I think that it would be like living in a black and white world that never saw a splash of color. It would be drab and sad. Think about it, laughter is like a breath of fresh air to a stale soul or a healing touch to a wounded heart. I truly believe that there is power in a laugh. It's like when we laugh, it allows our hearts to break free. Even if you don't see anything in life to laugh about and your soul feels heavy with worries, doubts and the trials of life, I challenge you to laugh, it doesn't really matter what about, just let it go. Laugh until you cry, laugh until it hurts, laugh until you are so out of breath that nothing else seems to matter. But no matter what, never stop!

"You don't stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing." --Unknown

Crayons

I love crayons, they are fun, colorful, and they remind you to be a kid sometimes. And you know what else is fun about crayons? They come in all sorts of colors. If you open a box of 100 crayons, you will find 100 different colors. Sure, some may be very similar shades, but they are all different. This is kind of like people. In the crayon box of life, you will find no two alike. Sure, we sometimes resemble our parents or have an uncanny resemblance to some famous movie star, but no matter how similar we look, we are all unique. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "I sure wish I was more talented, or looked like her, or had a better voice, or had curly hair, or was just plain different." But then, I wouldn't be me. If all the colors in the box were the same, the drawing would be rather boring. If we were all one color, we would cease to be interesting. Just like with the crayons, the world needs the browns, reds, pinks, greens, yellows, blues, etc. We are beautiful because we are different. The quirks that make you who you are, are like your gifts to the world. Don't hide them, let them shine. Be your own color, and make the world interesting.

"Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken." --Oscar Wilde

April Snow

I am sitting here, looking out my window at a winter wonderland. Now, this wouldn't be interesting except for the fact that it is April. April 15th to be exact. I must say, when the snow began to gently drift down this afternoon, I was not impressed. The past couple of weeks Spring has begun to show itself all around. And I was ready to put winter away for another year. And now, once again, we are encased in a blanket of fluffy whiteness. I was grumbling to myself about this until the thought hit me, that this is just like life. Sometimes, when we least expect or want it, something crazy happens, like a snow storm in the middle of April. And whether we want it or not, whether we are prepared for it or caught off guard, it happens. Life happens. And, when life happens, we have a choice. We can choose to look out the window and grumble that this was not in the plans, or we can choose to look all around us at the beauty of a midnight snowfall. And, if we choose to look at the beauty instead of the cold, we might be surprised at what we find. The unexpected may be just what we need to discover something new. So, when the next storm blows through your life, don't just grumble and look at the piles that need to be shoveled, look at the beauty of a new adventure.

"When God throws you a curve ball, don't duck, you just might miss something." --Extreme Days   

Child's eyes

Children are amazing. They know how to laugh, they know how to play, they know how to find joy in the littlest things. I love how kids experience the world around them. Sometimes their logic on life is hilarious, and sometimes I am stopped in my tracks by the profound words of wisdom that they come up with. As I look back on my childhood, I smile and yet, I don't want to go back to being a kid. I mean If we decided to stop where we are and never move forward, we would miss out on so much that we can learn, see and do. However, If I could keep one thing the same, it would be to have a child like faith. Kids have a trust and faith that is so simple and pure. They simply believe, no questions asked. They trust with their whole hearts. They have a faith that is deep. That is what I want in my life. To learn to once again trust like a child. Trust, this is something I have been learning lately. It is so easy to look at life and become overwhelmed. To allow fears and worries to creep in. And when we let this happen it is like a dark cloud rolls over our hearts. Sometimes our fears can become so overwhelming and so convincing that we can loose sight of the truth and the love that God has for us. And yet, this does not have to be. God calls us to Trust Him. To turn to Him with the eyes of a child and simply trust. To know that He is in control. When we fail to trust, we fail to move forward. Because if we are to scared to trust, we will never move. Worry stagnates the heart and strips the joy out of life. But, if we turn our eyes off of the things that we fear, look into the face of the One who loves us more than we could ever know, and trust that He has good and amazing plans for us, we will find that life is full of opportunities and adventures. So, my challenge to myself and you is to turn your eyes to the One who created you, take a deep breath, and learn to look at life through the eyes of a child.


"Faith is two things: Either you'll take a step and find your on solid ground. Or, you'll learn to fly." --Unknown

Rainy Days

I love rainy days. Days where you can sit and watch the rain stream down outside your window and listen to the thunder rumble. There is just something about the freshness that fills the air, it makes everything feel clean and renewed. It's like a cleaning of the slates, a fresh start, and the bringer of growth. And sometimes, on these sorts of days, you just have to throw caution aside and step outside. There is something magical about playing in the rain. To just let go and feel the cool air swirl around you. So, quit worrying about getting your shoes wet and dance in the rain.


"Whoever said, 'Happiness is sunshine,' never danced in the rain." --Unknown

Forever Love

Do you ever stop and marvel at the greatness of God. A God who created, loves and sees us through our lives. A God who not only is with us, but who delights in us. These days I have been simply blown away by this. That the One who created the universe knows my heart. Lately, He has been reminding me of just how much He loves me. I see it in the beauty of spring, in the smile of a friend, in the quiet moments when I just stop and listen. And guess what, He loves you too. His heart is for you and He's calling your name. His mercies are new every morning, His grace will guide you through the day, and His peace will fill your dreams.
Psalms 27:8
"My heart has heard you say, 'come and talk with Me.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'"

Lessons

God has been teaching me some things over the past couple of days. He's been teaching me about butterflies and rocks. Yep, you heard me right, butterflies and rocks. You may wonder what in the world those two have in common, but they do. Butterflies and rocks both go through metamorphism. A metamorphism is a change. Butterflies are simply beautiful creatures, but if you think about it, they were not always that way. They start out as caterpillars. It is only through a process, a change that they become butterflies. Rocks too, undergo metamorphism. They start out as one thing and through a process of burial, heat and pressure they change into a new form of rock.(I'm learning something in that geology class:0) And that is just what God has been teaching me. Changes don't come over night and rarely do they come easily. In order to change we must experience pressure, darkness and sometimes uncertainty. And yet, if we are willing to trust Him no matter what, He will bring us through the change stronger and better for it. So, the next time you feel pressure in your life and wonder if the darkness will ever lift. Remember, change is a process and trust in the One who created you. For through change, we have the potential to become something new, and simply beautiful.

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."   

Good Days

Today was a good day. There wasn't anything particularly special or amazing about it, it was just good. Do you ever have those kinds of days? Days that are good simply because it's another day to live, another day to smile, another day to laugh over nothing with friends. There is a song by Matt Nathenson that says, "Everyday is the start of something beautiful." Do you look at life that way, or do you look at life as a great big challenge that isn't so much fun? I must admit that I am often guilty of this, but I also realize that life is going to throw us challenges, that is just the nature of things. But that doesn't mean we can't see it as something beautiful, something new to be discovered. So, wake up in the morning with a smile, and the knowledge that you are at the start of a new and beautiful day. And, even if the rain comes down, you spill coffee on your white shirt, and you're late for work, I challenge you to look for the beauty in the day. It's there, just look.

Spring

Spring is here. Some days it feels like it is struggling to push past the gray clouds of winter, but I know that soon, it will conquer the last bits of the cold, and shine down on us with all kinds of promises of new things.  A promise, that is exactly what I think of Spring. It is a promise of new life, new hope and adventures to come. Spring is also a time of change. A time of moving from the old of the past into the wonderful new future that God has ahead for each and everyone of us. Sometimes, spring is messy. There is mud and piles of old leaves and and snow from the year before. But, without the mess we wouldn't have the spring. That is kinda what change in our lives is like. It can be messy and seemingly chaotic, but through it all the sun is shining down with a promise to keep on going, because there is newness in the air. Something new and wonderful is ahead just waiting to be discovered. And you know what, God is faithful to the promises that He makes. So, as Spring takes bloom, stop for a minute, look around and revel in the promise.  

Song of Songs 2:11-12
"Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air."