"Gratitude is the music of the heart

...when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness. "

I've been watching as everyone posts 'thankful' updates on their status and blog posts. I have a lot to be thankful for, but I lose sight of that a lot. I look at my life and focus on the struggles. I need to realize that my life has much to be thankful for.

I'm a pretty firm believer in finding joy in little things. My old manager at the retail store I used to work at was teasing me one day about how excited I get over small things by saying "Why do you think I make you set up the men's side instead of the women's? You'd be ooing and ahhing over every little thing and trying on all the clothes if you were setting up the women's side. It would take you forever." Which is pretty much true haha.

But it's one thing to find joy in little things, and another to be thankful for all the other things. Especially the trials. It can be so difficult to look at them and be truly and genuinely thankful. This is something the Lord has really been laying on my heart that I need to work on.

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. 

~G.K. Chesterton

During the sermon this past Sunday, the pastor said something along the lines of "I am thankful that the tv and cell phones and media can be turned off. And I'm thankful that the stars and moon cannot"

I loved that.

This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for many things. To name a few:

• I'm thankful for my jobs. I nanny two incredibly special and amazing kids. Both of whom I care a great deal about. I also teach piano to some awesome students. Many of which I've been teaching for about 2 years and have been able to be there and watch them grow both as students and people. It's such a blessing.
• I'm thankful for music. It helps me release my emotions and my thoughts and express myself.
• I'm thankful for people who challenge me. Who make me question why I believe what I believe. Which forces me to dig deeper.
• I'm thankful for Tazo Green Tea. It's what I always drink while I study ;) yumyum!
• I'm thankful for long talks with the Lord. Those times where you're laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and just talking and resting in His peace and love.
• I'm thankful for my readers. You encourage me in more ways than you realize and keep me motivated to blog and share my thoughts :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have the loveliest of days! :) 

Little girls don't know how to be sweet girls

There are a lot of girls out there with very little self-respect. But honestly, who's to blame them? In a world where respect of yourself and others is being left behind, it's no wonder this is an issue. I've noticed this lack of self-respect become especially damaging when it comes to being in a relationship. Boys aren't brought up to treat girls as ladies, and girls aren't brought up to treat boys with respect and kindness.

As Erin McCarley puts it:

Little girls don't know how to be sweet girls.

Mama didn't teach me.

Little boys don't know how to treat little girls.

Daddy didn't show me.

We've lost sight of chivalry. I personally know a handful of guys who are true gentlemen. They treat the women around them with the utmost care and respect. After being around them, I walk away feeling completely different. I feel important and respected and cared for. Even if that guy isn't a special someone, I still feel that way, and it still means a lot. 

I'm old-fashioned, as I'm sure you can probably already tell. But honestly, is it so old-fashioned to expect to be treated with respect? I don't really think so. I'm not talking about 'Mr. Darcy' old-fashioned even. That sort of guy is fictional and unrealistic. But there is a way to be chivalrous and a gentleman in this modern day world.

In You've Got Mail, Kathleen (Meg Ryan) says:

“A REAL man, the kind of man a woman wants to give her life to, is one who will respect her dignity, who will honor her like the valuable treasure she is. A REAL man will not attempt to rip her precious pearl from it's protective shell, or persuade her with charm to give away her treasure prematurely, but he will wait patiently until she willingly gives him the prize of her heart. A REAL man will cherish and care for that prize forever.” 

I see time and time again girls allowing guys to walk all over them. To treat them as if they're dirt. To use them emotionally and physically. And that will never change, until girls start respecting themselves. Seeing that they are jewels who should be treated as such. 

I was on the local train recently with a friend and there was a group of middle schoolers on it. There were no seats available, so my friend and I had to stand. But one of the little boys got up and offered his seat to her. It completely made my day. Even though the seat wasn't offered to me. It showed me that boys are still taught to be gentlemen. 

Here is an article I read that you should check out. It is titled 'You are not "crazy" '. It's a message to women from a man. Incredibly touching and encouraging. 

I wish that more girls respected themselves. I wish that more guys respected girls. It's hard to come by, but when you do see it, it's like a breath of fresh air. It just feels so right, because that's how it should be. Girls should be shown more respect and treasured for who they are more than just what they are. 

I'm not throwing guys under the bus here. Us girls aren't helping them much. Girls talk horribly of guys and treat them with little respect. They encourage the view that boys are stupid and animals. Which is....well.....stupid. So really, it's just overall a very vicious cycle.

Twilight Pt. 1

I've been pretty much against Twilight since the beginning. I've refused to watch the movies, read the books and even watch the trailers, and I have done SO WELL in standing my ground......until last night.....

My sister has begged me over and over again to watch the movies with her. Yesterday, we went on a 'sister date' and she finally wore me down. Getting me to watch it was an accomplishment. Getting me to even CONSIDER watching was an accomplishment. I decided though that if I'm going to be against something, I should at least have an educated argument against it. I annoys be so much when people are against something I'm into and they haven't even tried it.

So yes, I watched it.......*says in barely audible whisper* and liked it (oh sin of sins!).........

I've heard a lot of arguments about it. "It teaches kids to be rebellious" "The whole issue of vampires and romance is completely unrealistic" "It teaches girls to think that creepy guys who stalk them are romantic"

I might do a post about each movie. This one is about the first one, because it's the only one I've seen thus far. So keep that in mind as you read on.

For the first argument I've heard "It teaches kids to be rebellious":
1. How can a person be upset about that yet let their kids watch all the crap that's on tv? Have you watched any of the shows on Disney? Nick? They're full of rebellion. The kids are complete brats, and there is absolutely no respect for the parents in them. 2. I see in no way how it teaches kids to be rebellious. Bella chose to not be with her mom because she wanted her mom to have some time with her step dad. That's selfless. Especially since she really didn't want to go to her dad's town. Throughout the movie you see her hanging with her dad often. They have a simple relationship. But it's a relationship. That's more than most these days. And throughout the movie, she makes the best of her situation. New school, new friends, new town. Instead of falling into her flesh pattern of hiding, she steps out of her comfort zone and gets to know the kids there.

"The whole issue of vampires and romance is completely unrealistic and nonsense":
Well duh. But, how many movies, shows and books that are complete nonsense and unrealistic do you allow your children to view? Beauty and the Beast (she's falls for a beast who has anger issues), Nightmare Before Christmas (is there anything NOT unrealistic and scary about this movie?), High School Musical (where do I even start?), Enchanted (she falls on him while wrapped in a towel. He walks in on her while she's in the shower).  My point should be pretty clear now. Arguing against Twilight because it's about vampires and romance and total nonsense is....total nonsense.

 "It teaches girls to think that creepy guys who stalk them are romantic":
Let me begin by saying that there are lots of heroes out there who are creepy. Again, Beauty and the Beast. I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them off the top of my head. Edward, honestly, isn't very creepy. He's pale, he sparkles, and overall lacks in the manhood department, yes, but that doesn't make him creepy. He follows Bella because he feels a draw towards her and wants to protect her. He constantly opens the door for her, looks out for her needs and places her desires and needs above himself. Unlike most guys in movies these days....actually, unlike most guys in general these days. But Edward has flaws. He's controlling in his protectiveness, he's moody, and he almost kills her through the temptation of her blood while attempting to save her life. So no, he is far from perfect. But I feel that is a positive quality in the movie. It shows that even those who seem so perfect are indeed flawed and need to grow and learn.

So there you have it. Those are my thoughts on Twilight. Keep in mind, these are only my thoughts on the first movie. I'll post my thoughts about each movie as I watch them. I'm sure my opinion will change and evolve as the series goes on.

I'm not a screaming fan, by any means. I don't think every quality in the movie is a good one. There is a mix. But that's the same as with any movie really.

Be Still Pt. 2

I had not originally planned on writing a part 2 for my Be Still post, but a friend pointed out that the post came across as me saying people should stuff their emotions and ignore them. Which is not at all what I believe! When they're stuffed and ignored, they explode at some point.

Emotions are a part of us. They're part of our make up and how we were created. They're there for a reason. Some people are more emotional than others and more comfortable with their emotions. I'm fairly comfortable with mine. I'm learning how to figure them out. Emotions are so fickle. You can feel one way one moment and totally different another.

But that doesn't make emotions bad. Even Jesus is emotional! He wept and He laughed and He empathized and He loved. He still does!

Emotions are a tricky thing. They go up and down. You can't fully rely on them. But, without emotions, I feel like life would be lacking in so many ways. Emotions create music, art, dance, etc. Emotions help us express ourselves.

It's like our relationship with the Lord. We can't base how close we are to Him by listening to how we feel. Some moments, a person feels like they are one with Him, but then other moments, they feel they are separated and like He is so completely far away, and beyond all reach. But, in reality, He dwells inside of you! You can't get any closer than that! And God isn't always a feeling. Yes, there are those special, intimate moments where you feel Him near. But He is always near. We're always wrapped in His embrace. No matter how we feel.

Emotions can be beautiful things. They can encourage and motivate. They're there for a reason. That's what we need to remember. They're not everything, for sure, but they're not pointless and to be ignored either.

Be Still

"Be still and know that I am God"

Psalm 46:10

I mentioned this verse in my post a few days ago. When I say it's my all time favorite verse, I mean that fully. The Lord really showed me exactly what it means. It's a simple verse, for sure, but sometimes simplicity can be the most meaningful and deepest of things. 

It was put on a whole new level for me this past year. 

I'm a pretty emotional person. Not just with crying though. I just feel a lot of what is going on around me. I get caught up in people's problems and struggles very easily. Random strangers will come up to me and share their story, and before you know it, we're both crying. It's been very trying on me. It used to really weigh me down. I would take all those problems on myself and try to 'fix' it. I always felt it was my responsibility to help them in every possible way. I still struggle with this. But sometimes, the best thing you can do for a person is 'be still'. Let God take over and fix it Himself. 

But my being emotional doesn't just apply to other people. It applies with myself. 

Imagine a bunch of caged up birds. There they sit, squished and smothered. The cage is never big enough to fit them all. But once they're released, they go everywhere, and you'll never get them back in that cage.

Those are my emotions. Once they're released, I get overwhelmed and confused and depressed. 

But the Lord has been changing that. He's teaching me to 'be still' in those moments. To listen and watch. Being still emotionally and mentally has been such a foreign concept for me. It's hard to try to gather all those 'birds' back and make them shutup. To just rest in the peace and stillness and to open my heart to listening to Him instead of always talking to the Him.

Prayer isn't just about talking to Him. A big part is just listening. He has so much to say, but so few of us give Him that chance. We just ramble and go on and on about whatever. At least I do haha. 

So, to wrap everything up, being still and knowing is more than most people think. I see that this verse is taken for granted time and time again. It's a more 'common' one and so people don't really meditate on it. But I encourage you to meditate on it and listen. See what the Lord shows you and what areas in your life you need to 'be still'.

Trust

I'm a pretty open person. You ask and I'll usually feel comfortable answering. I used to be a lot more open than I am now. I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I've noticed that people are so closed off when they first meet someone. Not that I can blame them. It's hard to be real and open, especially when there's the risk that you being you won't be accepted. People aren't quite sure how to respond to someone who is genuine. It's abnormal and somewhat intimidating.

Trust is a big issue in today's society I think. People trusting people is starting to decline rapidly. There was a time when you could let your kids outside to play and not think anything of it. You knew they were safe and that no harm would come to them. Now, in today's world, you barely let them out of your sight. Why? Because you don't trust the people around you. People have abused that trust.

When trust is damaged, it's hard to get it back. It takes time and constant proof that you're a trust worthy person. Even then, nothing is guaranteed.

I used to be a very trusting person. But when a person gets burned enough, their faith in people starts to fade. At least for me it has. I'm still trusting, just not as much. I step with more caution and open up less. I look carefully behind every door and step over every pebble.

I'm not convinced this is good though. I don't think it's altogether wrong, but unless you trust people, you could miss out on a lot. Even when that means being hurt. Without pain and without hardships a person doesn't grow. I'm not suggesting to trust any and all, but maybe step out a little. Open that door a little more widely.

Deciding whether or not to trust a person is like deciding whether or not to climb a tree, because you might get a wonderful view from the highest branch, or you might simply get covered in sap, and for this reason many people choose to spend their time alone and indoors, where it is harder to get a splinter.

~Lemony Snicket

I don't know the key to success

.....but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

~Bill Cosby

Why does one struggle with feeling like a failure? If you were the only person on earth, would you feel like a failure? Probably not. You wouldn't have anyone to compare yourself to. No one to feel like you constantly have to please and satisfy.

Failure is a big thing for me. I'm not entirely sure why, but it's a struggle I'm all too familiar with. Not failing so much as feeling like a failure. Any little mistake and my emotions plummet to feeling like a complete idiot and totally inadequate. I say one wrong thing, make one wrong look, use the wrong tone, or whatever, and I start beating myself up about it.

Our emotions do not define who we are though. No matter how much of a failure I feel like, I'm still not one. How can one be a failure when they are complete in Christ? Our identity in Him is not being a failure. That doesn't even fit in the equation.

Most 'failures' aren't failures really, anyways. They're simply building blocks to strengthen and deepen our growth in the Lord. Failure is defined as 'lack of success'. But, is it really a lack of success if you have learned and grown from your mistakes?

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

~Thomas Edison

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.

~Henry Ford

I think if we would keep that perspective, accept who we are in Christ, and keep that mentality, messing up wouldn't be quite as horrible an experience.