Tory

Tory and I have been friends since third grade, back when she would invite me over to her house every Friday after our homeschool co-op. We would play Polly Pockets and American Girls for hours, then play "hotel" and change the sheets on her bed. We've shared so many adventures, including stalking ice cream trucks with no intention of buying anything, biking with our stylish crocs, dreaming about all the stuff we could do once we got our licenses (most of which hasn't happened), walking on muddy logging trails barefoot, and innumerable sleepovers. I can't believe that it's senior year already! But here we are. Happy graduation, Tory.

Delight 365 // days 101-122

I discovered that I had messed up the numbers somewhere along the way, so these will be off from the last post, but oh, well. The point is to take more photos and grow in my photography, not keep everything perfectly organized, right? Right. Glad we got that settled. *smile*

Day 101

"Praise and worship are the sand and cement that hold the bricks in place along life's daily pathway. Every segment of our day should be encased in praise."

Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan

Day 102

"And then I realized adventures are the best way to learn."

via

Day 103

My brother Jacob's birthday party.

"Son, brother, father, lover, friend. There is room in the heart for all the affections, as there is room in heaven for all the stars."

Victor Hugo

Day 104

Word: renew

"In between goals is a thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed."

Sid Caesar

Day 105

Getting support letters ready to send out for my camp ministry this summer.

“The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

Day 106

Word: inspired

"There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things."

Day 107

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:

“I will sing to the Lord,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!

The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will exalt Him."

Exodus 15:1-2

Day 109

"Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life."

Brian Andreas

Day 110

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said."

Matthew 28:6

Day 111

"Better to be the one who smiled than the one who didn't smile back."

via

Day 112

“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.”

Hugh Laurie

Day 113

"Don't take these moments for granted."

via

Day 114

"Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand."

Stevie Wonder

Day 115

"But You are the same, 

And Your years will have no end.

The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You."

Psalm 102:27-28

Day 116

"He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:29-31

Day 117

Word: pink

"Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

'Therefore I hope in Him!'

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the Lord."

Lamentations 3:22-26

Day 118

 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire."

Hebrews 12:28-29

Day 120

Word: Day

"If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Luke 12:28-31

Day 122

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."

Ernest Hemingway

These days won't last

These days won't last. I know they won't. But I pretend they will.

The sunshine, the laughter; everyone together.

Next year, I'll be hours away at college. 

Next year, the baby will be four years old.

Next year, I won't be surrounded by the giggles of silly little girls.

But these days are here now, so I'll cherish them while they're here and recollect them when they're gone.

stop and shine

It's amazing how the words we say shape our attitudes. When I complain about the weather, it seems worse. When I talk about how tired I am, I feel more exhausted. When I discuss the fact that I have senioritis, I lose more motivation.

Words are powerful, and I tend to use them too negatively too often. We often talk about how our words can hurt others, but what about how they hurt ourselves? There's a reason the Bible says in Philippians 2:14, 

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."

We must not complain because we need to be shining as lights for God. We can't go around with a negative attitude, tearing down ourselves and other people, and expect to shine brightly like we're supposed to. 

So go. Stop complaining, and shine.

Delight 365 // Days 89-98

Here is the next installment of my Delight 365 challenge. I've definitely been enjoying the warmer weather and longer daylight hours. 

Day 89

"There are seven days in a week, and someday isn't one of them."

via

Day 90

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Day 91

"The God if Israel said,

The Rock of Israel spoke to me:

'He who rules over men must be just,

Ruling in the fear of God.

And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, 

A morning without clouds,

Like the tender grass springing out of the earth,

By clear shining after rain.'"

2 Samuel 23:3-4

Day 93

"When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches.

Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me."

Psalm 63:6-7

Day 94

"Nobody is ever too old to dream. And dreams will never grow old."

Anne of Windy Poplars

{this photo is currently a secret; I'll post it soon}

This is a quote book that I made for this dear girl's birthday present, and I had to make sure she received it before I posted a photo. *smile*

Day 95

"When You said, 'Seek My face,'

My heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, I will seek.'"

Psalm 27:8

Day 96

"When I see the winter turning into spring

It speaks to this heart of mine more than anything.

Underneath a blanket of snow, cold and white,

Something is stirring in the still of the night.

"And maybe my eyes can't see,

But You are surrounding me.

Here in the wind and rain, the things that I know.

Tender and sweet, and strong as my need,

I know the voice, I know the touch.

Lover of my soul."

"Lover of My Soul" by Amy Grant

Day 97

"Even the most menial tasks, if undertaken for God's glory, are holy."

Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan

Day 98

"The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life."

Jessica Hische

So here it is

I procrastinate. I don't upload pictures for more than a week (and haven't yet). I tell myself that I shouldn't blog empty words, that I should wait until I have something important to say or some gorgeous photos to share or some huge thing happens in my life.

But sometimes I sit in AP Statistics and realize that I don't need fancy words or perfect pictures. I want those, yes, but right now, I don't have the time. Tennis season just started, and I'm trying to make some more seasonal items for my Etsy shop, and I'm telling myself that I really do need to complete my homework.

So here it is. My ramblings after taking a practice AP test. And my decision to take time to paint my little sisters's toenails, to read books, to spend time outside as the weather warms up, whether or not I've blogged or journaled or slept enough.

"We waste so many days waiting for the weekend. So many nights wanting morning. Our lust for future comfort is the biggest thief of life."

Joshua Glenn Clark