Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts

TWENTY TWO

Friday, August 29, 2014

In a couple of days, August will be over.
In a couple of hours, it will be my last night in Naperville with my family.
In a couple of (more) hours, I will be a Minnesota resident.
In a couple of weeks, I will be a full-time worker. 
So, so, so weird. 

I was taking a look at my baby steps for August; reflecting and reevaluating how this month went. I completed a lot of the tasks I had set (minus the bonfire and Japan scrapbook), but overall, the month was a pretty tough one. Creatively, I felt no motivation or juice left in me to make anything. Physically, I felt like a squishy sloth (lolz @ the alliteration) all of the time. I wasn't eating healthy or being active or sleeping regularly, so my body often felt sluggish and slow. (But hey, calories don't count in your birthday month.) Spiritually, I was inconsistent; very reactive to my surrounding and circumstances versus standing firm and remaining bold. Overall, I treated August as an 'interim' month, just a fill-in until real life began. Don't get me wrong, the break was really nice and probably much my last one ever, but everyone around me was starting life and school and work, and for me, I was on pause. 

And let me tell you, I hate pausing for too long. I just hate it. I've never been that kind of person. I hate being stagnant. It makes me restless and lazy and crazy. I need change and movement and projects and challenges and surroundings and new grace thrown my way. I like to be elbow-deep in work, in growth, in dreams — and not just any kind, but meaningful work, intentional growth, and ginormous dreams/prayers. Hey, that's kinda catchy. Maybe I should make that my slogan for the year... ;) 

One of my "baby steps" were to turn 22. I'll save ya the suspense, I succeeded. I turned 22. I'm sure the suspense was just killing ya on that one. Anyway, with a new year, I made a list of 22 vows/dreams I'd like to do before I turn 23. :) This is my first time doing this so I threw in a mix of lifestyle changes, bucket list-worthy tasks, and also some simple ones. It's on the calm side — nothing like go bun-jee jumping or drink 22 shots in 22 hours or whatever people actually add to their bucket list. But this is mine, and this is what it looks like. Inspired by Elise's #makeitpublicmakeithappen, to share things with you. Here it goes!

22 VOWS:

1. Memorize 22 verses.
2. Cook 22 dishes.
3. Read 22 books.
4. Send 22 letters.
5. Do quiet time daily.
6. Take more photos.
7. Develop more photos.
8. Learn something new.
9. Start a bible study.
10. Pick up a new sport/physical activity. Barre? 
11. Develop Etsy shop.
12. Be deeply invested in a community.
13. Be intentional with my time and relationships and money. 
14. Run a race.
15. Visit 22 different cities.
16. Write a song.
17. Call family often.
18. Serve at a retreat.
19. Give the blog a makeover + ad spaces.
20. Volunteer. 
21. Love my job.
22. Love God more than I did the year before.

XO. CHEERS!

COFFEE DATE / 01

Monday, November 4, 2013




I recently started following Allison Lehman @ Be Up & Doing and she has this new series titled, "let's get coffee." The intent is to get to know her readers better, so she poses a few random, light-hearted questions that readers can respond to in the comment section. 

Essentially, it's a virtual coffee date.

I read that and thought, "why didn't I think of that? I love it — it's perfect for my blog." I do love it and it is perfect. Coffee is kind of a big deal around here at Coffee & Honeycomb. It's more than a brewed beverage, it's near and dear to my heart — which I discuss here earlier in this post

Coffee dates have been good to me, and so I wanted to bring it here with you. I promise I make a great coffee date. Would you join me? 

How it works: Answer any (or all) of the questions in the comment section below.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS:
1. Since this is a coffee date and all, what's your typical drink order?
2. Are there any TV shows you're hooked on right now? 
3. What are you most looking forward to this fall season?
4. Do you have a blog? Post the link, I'd love to follow you. 

MY ANSWERS:
1. My drink order changes frequently, but right now I'm trying to stay away from carbs so I would order a grande sugar-free breve latte. (It's not that gross, I promise!)
2. Right now I'm watching: Grey's Anatomy, Rules of Engagement, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Vampire Diaries, and The Office re-runs. (I know, I watch a lot of television. Do you watch any of these? If so, let's talk.)
3. Not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to thanksgiving break. I'm gonna sleep in everyday. But I also enjoy quality time with friends and family, fall tradition, and Starbucks red cups.
4. If you're not following me, you can do so here @ bloglovin

That was fun. :) Looking forward to hearing your responses. I can't wait!

XO.


J & E TURN THREE!

Saturday, August 31, 2013



Isn't this card hilarious? It's also a really accurate picture of the dynamic between E and I. [ Him being the annoying one, of course.... ;) ]

Today we are celebrating our three year anniversary. (!!! I know. Time flies.) The actual date is September 3rd, but that's on a Tuesday this year and I'll be at school and he'll be at work. Three years ago, the 3rd fell on Labor Day Weekend, which is when he picked me up from school and we became "official." So the weekend is what is sentimental to us, more so than the date.

I am taking the day off to enjoy this wonderful, wonderful man I do not deserve. :)
Happy 3 year anniversary, E.

Monday's Missions

Sunday, October 21, 2012

This week I will...

  • Not press the snooze button.

  • Visit a new room every day.

  • Go to morning prayer.

  • Write a card, just because.

  • Pass on dessert.

  • Enjoy the warm weather.

  • Write in my journal.

  • Bring my camera around.

  • Take pictures.

  • Be disciplined.

Revival Conviction

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Just this weekend, our church hosted the annual revival— one weekend of the semester, during midterms, to provide a "retreat" for students. Personally, I was so out of it. Both my head and heart were at such different places that it was hard to just rest during the time of (services, worship, prayer time, etc). I just wanted to lay in my bed, shut my brain off, and watch tv, to be honest. ha. I told you, I'm addicted.

But one thing that I was convicted with and I want to hold onto is that I've become so consumed with being successful and all the means to the end have become a distraction to my walk with God. Being successful and diligent started out as my worship to Him; but along the way, my own selfish desires took over and anxiety grew to its peak. And I grew so consumed that I couldn't even realize that these things were getting in the way of my relationship with God. God says he has big plans for me, and me trying to find identity in my success isn't one of them. when did i become so desperate to be someone. when did i become so desperate to be successful. god desperately wants to give me peace and fulfillment and i'm not letting him. this was a rude awakening. my heart has grown so attached to this worldly measure that i can't even let it go. but i have to, sooner or later.

This is a response to an article I wrote last week tying to this same topic:

This school semester has been very productive and rewarding, but it’s also been filled with anxiety and restlessness. I know the Lord has so graciously opened all these doors for me, but I’ve received all them with self-sufficient and ungrateful hands. I try the best I can in every facet of my life, but there’s no fruit or power present because I’m not dependent on the Lord. I think the author phrases it best when he describes the cause of weariness and burn outs to come “from our inner compulsions coupled with the pressure of circumstance,” not from the Lord. I strain myself to point of exhaustion telling myself that quality time with my God can be pushed back, that I can run off old gas. And I forget that the work itself is neither worship nor pleasing when I try to do it alone. Society tells me independence is an admirable quality, and I so blindly obey. But really, it’s not independence; it’s slavery to the tyranny of the urgent. The author touches upon the fact that since the enemy knows how precious and crucial it is for us to have that personal time with the Lord, he will do anything to keep us away from it. This was a wake up call; how could I forget that in the busiest of times that Satan will try to destroy my relationship with the Lord as well as my effectiveness as I try to build up His kingdom? I just felt so dumb realizing how consumed I was with myself; Jesus was busier than I was but in the midst, he found peace   because each morning he went and prayed. This convicted me to make prayer a priority; P.T. Forsyth said, “the worst sin is prayerlessness,” and I’ve been committing the worst sin of all. Reading the word is not enough, and it’s no wonder there’s a lack of strength present in my life; I need sufficient quality time with the Lord and I need his strength and provision.

Cheers to twenty.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I (finally) did it.

I left the teenage years behind, and entered my TWENTIES. (gasp) And what's a better way to enter such a prominent milestone than to enter it with a BAAAM and an imaginary crown on your head? Trick question. There isn't. So I did EXACTLY that. :) I wore a princess crown on my head for the entire month of August; and it was perfect that year twenty was also, in fact, my GOLDEN birthday. You know, turning 20 on the 20th. Dont judge. See crown. 

But really. People say turning twenty years old is a "bland" year because you're "CLOSE to being legal but still so far." And now that I've experienced it myself, I would tell those same people  that phrase means absolute crap.

Turning twenty is a milestone. For me, it was a day to reflect on the past 19 years of major growth, and to look forward into the next twenty with excitement. It was the end of the teenage chapter book; meaning it is time to stop acting and thinking like one.

It is no longer acceptable or appropriate to be catty with other girls, to let boys' define your identity, to expect your parents to pay for your parking tickets, to sleep through your alarm, to not budget financially; and unfortunately, to indulge in too much fast food because you WILL GET FAT NOW.

And turning twenty ALSO means to be bold in personal passions or aspirations (responsively). Blogging happens to be one of them. So I deleted the handful of meaningless posts that used to occupy this blog; and I now plan on replacing them with an immense collection of true, personal, colorful, and dynamic posts. (: Hopefully, turning twenty also means, sorry to sound like a broken record, keeping to my word, keeping to my commitments.

I want to commit to this blog. And this blog will not be for anyone else; not to impress, amuse, please, or influence. I will blog whenever I want, how often as I want, and about whatever I want. This blog will be for me— whatever that means, but it sure won't be about gaining a bigger audience. HOWEVER, if someone does happen to appreciate, enjoy, or relate to this blog, that would be an absolute wonderful bonus.

Game on, year twenty. You better believe I'm going to own it.
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