Thankful Thursday // 4

45. Reconnecting quickly with people after coming back to school.

46. Being able to spend time with both sides of the family over Christmas break.

47. New books to read,

48. Rediscovering favorite old books.

49. Adventures with "Jess and the Em" - my friends Jessica, Emily, and I decided one night to order pizza, drove during a gorgeous sunset to pick it up, and watched Captain America.

50. Watching Parks and Recreation which always makes me feel better.

51. Professors who really care.

52. My Jesus I Love Thee by Selah

53. Hymns in any form.

54. Getting to try new things like silk painting and making quill pens,

55. Friends who are always there to listen, sympathize, and give advice.

56. Comfort foods like chili and homemade cornbread being served in the cafeteria.

57. Comfort knitting projects like garter stitch scarves.

58. The library where I can escape into the quiet and stillness. 

59. Conversations that really make me think.

60. Compliments and praise when I work hard.

61. Fruit-infused water.

62. Loose leaf tea.

63. Inky pens that write smoothly.

64. Taking the time to play the violin. I desperately miss playing the piano here at school, so I love making music in other ways.

65. RA's that buy us pizza on the weekends.

Shame

Why do we feel ashamed when we don't know about some book/movie/pop culture trivia/whatever? So what if I haven't read Harry Potter or listened to Mumford & Sons or know who Taylor Swift is currently dating or not dating? So what if I am not in love with that one band you love?

Why do I act make other people feel silly or ashamed for not having seen my favorite movie?

What is so wrong with not constantly keeping up with the latest and greatest everything? Where in the Bible does God tell us to keep up with what everyone else is doing?

It's a vicious cycle. Someone makes me feel less-than because I don't know about a certain movie, then because of how I feel I try to make myself feel better by ridiculing someone else. This needs to end.

I have no inspiring words to end this rambling with. I just want to say that I want to stop feeling ashamed and making others feel that way. We all have our own tastes, so naturally we haven't all seen, heard, or read the same things. And that's okay.

weekly wrap-up // learning and awkwardness

reading // Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman // The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie // various blog posts: Nothing Wrong with Being Wrong // Paper Castles // The Answer is You // A Recipe for a Relaxing Day //

listening // my Les Mis Pandora station that I have trained to play only Les Mis songs // The Way You Look Tonight and Nessun Dorma by Chris Botti // Glory to His Name and My Jesus I Love Thee by Selah //

watching // Emma Approved (again...I love this web series) // Arrow // The Flash // Parks and Rec // (all my shows are coming back this month!)

learning // not everything is a competition // it's okay to take time to be alone even when people ask me to do things with them // just sitting down to sing and play hymns is so refreshing // color coding things simplifies my life //

awkward // saying "thanks" in reply to "How are you?" when I really meant to say "Good, thank you, and how are you?" // almost falling on my face thanks to icy sidewalks // having someone hold the door open for you but thanks to the small size of the door you have hardly any room to walk through ahead of them // trying to sneak multiple pieces of fruit out of the cafeteria without anyone seeing //

exciting // Etsy sales // making plans to get together with my older sister this weekend // evening classes being cancelled due to snow // snow in general //

What have you been up to this week?

What I choose to remember

I was reading through my journal entries from January of last year, and I came across the following entry and remembered that I had written it up as a blog post, and it seemed to fit this year, too.

After three snow days delayed the beginning of school this year, this prolonged vacation is over. I've loved every minute, even if I didn't always feel productive.

But that's okay. Sometimes the most "unproductive" times are the most memorable. In a month, I'm not going to remember all that time I didn't spend on that essay. What I will recall is the way Natalia sings "Redeemed" and "Let it Go" into her little microphone. The way Abbie laughs while trying to blow out birthday candles. The way Chloe loves to cuddle while watching movies. The way the boys get each other going just to sit down 10 minutes later and trade sports cards. The conversations my cousin Tia and I had each night in Canada before falling asleep at 2:00 am. The way Ne-Ne, my grandmother, bustles about while Grampie swaps stories with their three children. 

All of that is what I will remember, and that is what I want to remember forever, once school is over and grades fade into a distant, unimportant memory. Once I am far away at college and don't see my family every day.

These things matter, these memories, more than any grade or stress or online game or Facebook update.

This is what I will choose to remember.

And you know what? It's true. I have no idea what essay I was talking about or what things were stressing me out then, but I do remember every single one of those precious memories that I wrote down. Now that I am "far away at college", I treasure the memories that I have made and I am so glad for all the times that I set aside whatever pressing things I was working on to spend time with people.

P.S. To celebrate my Etsy shop being open one year today, I am having a sale! 20% off your purchase from now until next Tuesday with the coupon code "celebrate".

Vlog // lots of food

Happy almost weekend, everyone! I hope you've had a great week.

I recorded this on Thursday and talk about the weekend, so I hope I don't confuse you. :P

You can visit the lovely Miss Hannah's blog here.

What are some of your favorite things from this week?

weekly wrap-up // wishing

It's been a while, but here we go with another weekly wrap-up.

reading // Dear Mr, Knightley (I wish I had less books to read for school so I could just read this all the time) // To Be a Jew (a book I'm reading for school, but it's so informative and interesting to read) // The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie // Grace for the Good Girl //

listening // Rest Easy by Andrew Peterson // Natalie MacMaster Pandora station // I Need Thee Every Hour by Selah // Take My Hand, Precious Lord/A Closer Walk with Thee by Selah // So She Dances by Josh Groban // 

watching // Sleepless in Seattle // Mary Poppins // Saving Mr. Banks // Agent Carter // 

anticipating // going to Israel in March!! // a silk painting class this weekend // worship chapel on Friday // 

thankful for // my passport coming in plenty of time // knitting which helps me focus on homework (I am so glad I can knit while I read!) // good friends to laugh with // Josh Groban music which makes even mopping the cafeteria floor enjoyable //

wishing // I could see my family more than once or twice a semester // I had more time to read just for fun books // college wasn't so expensive // God would just give me a list of what He wants me to do (anyone else with me on this?) even though I know that's not how He works //