Tag: favorites

PRESENT

Posted on by fearlessatheart

I’ve participated in the OneWord movement for a couple years. The idea is to prayerfully find a word that is to be the focus of the next twelve months. 

My word for 2020 is PRESENT.

Present (adj) means: now existing or in progress, being in view or at hand and existing in something mentioned or under consideration.

My hope for this year is that I learn to be present right where I am. Over the last 3 years, I’ve learned how to be brave, how to live in expectation, and finally how to put my anchor down exactly where I am. In the past 3 ½ years post-college, God has gone over and beyond my wildest dreams. He has burst and continued to burst out of the box I place him in. 

This year, I want to be present in my life-my work, my small group of girls, my family. 

This year, I want to future elaborate on the idea of putting my anchor down and become present-smell the roses so to speak.

 

  • Celebrate the little joys.

 

Stop and smell the roses. Life is not all about the stuff you can accomplish and how much you can do. You miss a lot if you simply live life for the fast pace. You miss out on the sunrises and sunsets, the smiles of kids’ faces, and the smell of the ground before it rains. Life is more than the business of life. It’s about the moments between. 

 

  • Listen more graciously.

 

Listen to just listen, not simply listen to respond. Sometimes, people just simply need someone to listen to them. They don’t need someone to fix it, but to acknowledge that it’s hard. They just need to know that they are seen and loved.

 

  • Listen to my body.

 

It sounds weird to acknowledge that sometimes I sleep for 14 hours. One way I can be present in my life is to listen to my body so I can be the best me. I can’t be truly present if my brain isn’t clear. If I need to sleep for 14 hours so be it. If I crave chocolate, then I’ll eat it. The best thing for my brain and body is to balance rest and exercise.

 

  • Develop and savor little rituals.

 

Being present in the moment includes developing little rituals like waking up early to have coffee and spend one on one time with Jesus. These rituals help ground one to a place and people who you include in those rituals. 

 

  • Put down my phone.

 

I want to be remembered for more than just my presence on social media. I want to be remembered for my smiles and hugs and my encouraging words. I want to be remembered for my presence in my life and my dear friends’ lives.

Here’s to living and learning how to be present in my life and others.

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Favorites

Posted on by fearlessatheart

Fall is my favorite season.

Here are a few of my favorite things that make fall extra special in my mind.

  • Pumpkin Spice Chai

I didn’t want to get a pumpkin spice latte on precept. I didn’t want to fall into the stereotype of “that girl”- you know what i’m talking about. Sometimes, I do things that fall into that stereotype unashamedly but this one wasn’t a high priority. The barista ended up convincing me to try the chai.

OH MY GOODNESS.

My life changed at that moment by creating my new “fall” drink. It’s like a pumpkin pie in a cup.

  • All the Colors!

One of my favorite things about fall is all the colors. Brown. Green. Red. Burgundy. Yellow. Orange. As the leaves start to change it’s like the trees are on fire with colors. I mean, there are the typical colors and then there are every shape imaginable of those colors. It’s like God created the world to put on one last show before it goes into hibernation.

  • Coffee. Cider. Chai.

All the hot drinks. The weather is just getting cold enough that hot drinks are necessary but warm enough that you can still be outside in a light jacket. Or you can cuddle up with a book, a hot drink, and a blanket by a fire and the world feels right.

  • Bonfires.

There is no better feeling than curling up with a blanket and cup of coffee or cider by a fire. The fire can be inside or outside. You can curl up with a book or maybe some friends are by the fire with you and you talk-like really talk about the hard and holy things. There is nothing more comforting than knowing you are not alone. I think camaraderie over hot drinks and around fires is one of the best types.

  • Blanket Scarves and Sweaters.

Oh I wait all year to wear blanket scarves. I mean, I just love wearing scarves so I’ll wear them regardless of the season, but blanket scarves are thicker so they won’t work in most other seasons because it gets too warm. This year though I wore on hoping for cooler weather. It worked! The next day was perfect weather to wear one. Sweaters. Enough said. Fall means sweaters.

  • Josh Garrels.

Josh Garrels and other acoustic mellow artists are all I listen to in this season. For some reason, they speak to my soul and provide the perfect soundtrack to falling leaves and conversation.

There are many more things that I love about fall but here’s a few of my favorites.