Lists, Living Life and Lane

Hello, dearest readers. :)
   How are you? Well, I hope. If not, please remember that you are never alone in whatever issue you're going through. God is always there for you even when other people can't be, even though it really can seem like He is not. He always is. And He is always more than ready to listen to you and take your burdens as his own. <3
   I for one have been alright. My life has mostly been consumed with making Mabel sweaters, which is both a blessing and a curse, haha. Aside from that, nothing too exhilarating has happened.
   To start things off in this post, yes, I am late once again. Yes, I didn't post last week. Yes, I'm going to try to do better.
   Which kind of ties into what this post is about.
   I made a list the other day in my little journal. A list of things that I'd like to do more of in my life, a list of things that I want to start doing. A list of things that will makes me a better person, a person more like who I want to be. A list of things that will make life better in general and keep my outlook more positive. Seeing as how these things might benefit you all, I thought I would share this list in the hope that it would help to encourage and motivate you. So here it goes.

1. Be a lot cleaner

2.Draw everyday

3.Keep a blogging schedule

4.Pray everyday

5.Start collecting art prints

6. Look into getting a job

7.Schedule things

8.Write/journal everyday

9.Read everyday

10.Get up earlier

11.Plan outfits everyday

12. Do hairstyles

13.Use my book-nook more

14.Drive a lot more. 

   The majority of these things are somewhat silly things that I enjoy and want to do more. Some of these things are going to help me as I become an adult and start preparing myself for "the real world". And other things will, as I said earlier, help me become more of the person that I want to be, the person that I want to become. (Also, when I say 'be more clean' I mean keep my room clean, I am a very clean person, my room is just a nightmare, haha). By no means do you have to do anything on this list. I just thought I'd put it out there in case you were feeling a little 'blegh' in life or feeling like you want to do something different. I wanted to encourage you to make a list of your own and follow it. Do the things that you want to do, become the person you want to be, become the person that God wants you to be. Just do it. 

   Secondly, I want to ask you all for something. Do you remember awhile back that I posted about the little girl in my church fighting cancer, the little girl that I asked you to pray for? Well, she needs your prayers more than ever now. A lot has been happening, a lot of very difficult decisions have had to be made. Gah, she just really needs your guys' prayers. Her name is Lane, by the way, and I'm going to link you to her mom's blog so you can get a bit more info on everything that's been going on and all that stuff. So please, please pray for her and her family. Please share this blog and tell other about her and get them praying as well. Because they desperately need it. 

Here's the link: https://chargingthemountain.com/ 

   So yes. That's all I have to say for now. I hope you have a fantastic week, remember that God is there for you, that I love you and I think you are awesome, and that if you ever need someone to talk to I am totally cool with being that someone. :) Until next time, frens. 

MR

Thought Process: Humility and the Over-Abundance of it

Humility is a very important thing in life.
   Pride can so easily prevent you from making that decision you need to make. It can prevent you from doing that thing you know you need to do. It can keep you from reaching out to that person you know you need to reach out to. Thusly, many a sermon and many a blog post on pride has been preached on and and written about. And rightly so, seeing as how we all struggle with pride from time to time.
   But I'm writing this post for those of us who don't. For those of us who, as a matter of fact, struggle with the exact opposite thing. You could say that we have a little too much humility. Or to put it a little more bluntly, we think lowly of ourselves. I'm writing this for those of us who think we aren't worth much or that we could never be good enough. I'm writing this for myself. I'm writing this for anyone who thinks and feels the same way I do. So if you wouldn't mind, please take a moment and listen to what I have to say. Take a seat, get comfortable. I want to talk to you as personally as you will let me.
   Comfortable? Good, I'm glad. Now, there are a few things I want to say in regards to this issue of self worth that I've been thinking about lately. I know you're a busy person, so I'll make it quick.
  To start things off, I feel like the only way I'm going to be able to approach this post correctly is to talk about what you might call "the cliche answer" first.
   I want you to remember that no matter how you feel about yourself, no matter what others tell you, you are good enough. Why? Well, because God made you good enough. Jesus loved you so much and believed in what he created so much that he willingly gave his life on the cross for you. God made you with a very specific purpose and plan in mind, a plan that only you are able to complete and no one else. Don't try and tell yourself otherwise, because it's true.
   That's the most important thing to remember. But the other thing I want you to think about and consider, is that in a way, you aren't good enough. You're probably either freaking out right now or grinning and nodding because you know where I'm going with this. Without God, none of us are good enough. Without God we could never hope to be what we're supposed to be, there would be no point in living. So aside from remembering my first point, I want you to think about this one. Try to use how you feel about yourself, use those insecurities and that low self-esteem in what could be called a positive light. Remember that the only way you could ever be good enough is with God. Without Him, you aren't good enough. So use those feelings as a stepping stone to get closer to God, to realize more and more how much you need Him.
   And also, please remember that you are awesome, and lovely, and great and there are so many people who love you and I love you and yeah. :)
   That's the end of the post. I told you it was short, didn't I?
   So yes. That's all for now, but I will see you again on Friday! Keep pluggin' along, my friend, and have a wonderful rest of your week.
   MR

Into the Woods

Hello, my dear friends. :)

  I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day. Whilst you were having fun lighting off fireworks and barbecuing hamburgers, I hope you took some time to think about our country. I hope you took some time to think about how great it is, but to also think about how deeply in need we are. Most importantly, I hope you took some time to pray. Because oh my, do we need it, as I'm sure you are aware.

Our camp from a distance

   What did you do to celebrate the holiday? This year, my family and I decided to take a camping trip up a river not too far from where we live. We decided to go the week before the 4th, so that we could avoid the crazy holiday traffic. Which was both a good and bad idea. 

   It was good because it worked. 

   It was bad because it was so. Stinking. Hot. 

I wasn't too overjoyed at the prospect of camping, I must admit. I like to get outdoors and go up in the mountains, and I like the concept of camping out in the woods, sleeping under the stars, etc. But it's everything else that deters me. Everything else, as in, I hate not having my own space/room to sleep in. I don't know, there's just something about sharing my sleeping space with someone else that really freaks me out? Is that just me? I also enjoy being clean, and when you're out in the woods for a week with no running water available.... I'm sure you can put the pieces together. Not to mention there's the constant thoughts going through my mind of everything that could go wrong and how far away from civilization we are which also means that we are far away from a hospital if something were to happen, yadda yadda ya, you get the point. 

   But there are a few things I do like about camping. One of which is that it forces me to actually go outside and enjoy some of God's beautiful creation. I love being able to go and breathe some fresh air, open up my mind a bit. I love being able to spend some time with my family, making new memories, creating new inside jokes. (*Fondly remembers a certain "passing babies" joke that will always make me laugh*). I love being able to set aside some time to draw and read a LOT. I like to take pretty pictures, I like to take walks, I like to relax, I love to look at the shining beauty of the stars at night. So yes, there are plenty of things about camping that I do enjoy.  

I was hoping to get a lot more work done on this camping trip than I did. But, as previously mentioned, it was just too dang hot. The thought of picking up my yarn and actually making something was too much for my poor sun-baked brain to handle. So instead I drew a lot...

Although, I didn't draw quite as much as I would have liked. Though I always feel like I could do more, so that isn't anything new.

          

I took plenty of pictures too. I really liked the one directly below of the sun and the river and the trees. It was so pretty, and I'm glad I could capture it.

                                                                

I also drank an unholy amount of coffee, but again, nothing new there, since I do that on a very regular basis.

Due to the warm weather, I did a lot of swimming. Well, I mostly put my feet in the water a lot and read, but it was still nice.

This is a terrible picture, but there were a ton of animals that came down by our camp to get water. There was one night where a herd of about 13 elk with little tiny babies came down in the meadow. I got it on film, so that was neat. :)

I did a lot of thinking and writing on this trip too. Which, yet again, isn't anything new for me, but getting out in the woods away from everything can be a good way to sort through some stuff. Which is why I think this picture to the left might be one of my favorites. Last year in the area we were at, there were some pretty big wildfires. Nothing to damage the woods too severely, just enough so that you could actually see three feet in front of you in the trees, haha. We were camped really close to the river, but about 200 yards or so away from our camp were two big trees that provided some shade in an otherwise shade-less meadow. I went over there a few times, and was met with this view. Now, I'm the kind of person that will find analogy and symbolism in everything. Don't question my abilities, because I genuinely can and do. And the instant I saw this, it got me thinking. Isn't life a lot like this? Part of it can be beautiful and full of like, flourishing and happy. And the other part can be dead and twisted, burnt and broken. When you look at them separately, one is obviously more desirable than the other. But together, it creates a contrast that is startlingly beautiful, something that you wouldn't have if you took either side away. Both parts of life are there for a reason. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and realize that the dark parts make everything a little more beautiful.

So yes. I hope you enjoyed that bit of analyzing of the day and this blog post. Do any of you have a love/hate relationship with camping like I do? I'll be back next week (hopefully) with another blog post, so see you then.

Have a wonderful week, dear readers.
MR

Botanical Buddies

Hello dear readers. :)
   I hope you've had a wonderful week. I hope someone was kind to you, and that you were kind to someone else. I hope that you're enjoying your week and that you're looking forward to the next one and the exciting opportunities it will bring.
    This week I thought I'd blog about some of my "botanical buddies", as the title suggests. In the past few months, I've really gotten into houseplants. I feel like they can really brighten a space up, and there's just something about nurturing something and watching it grow that makes me feel so happy. But due to my current living situation, I didn't really know how a houseplant would fare. And by current living situation, I mean I live in my parent's basement and I have a itty-bitty teeny-tiny window that doesn't even provide enough sunlight to keep my whole room lit.
   But my grandma was moving from her old house and wanted to get rid of (what I believe, though I'm not sure. I'm not a plant specialist, okay?) is a ficus plant. So I accepted it. And took the plunge.
   Sounds dramatic, but it really just means that I bought some plants.

Aren't they purty? 

So let's talk about these little guys. Remember that post I did awhile back about flowers and playing in the rain and coffee? The one where I showed you my one teeny-tiny shamrock growing?? Remember that one??? Well, this is how they're doing! I'm actually really surprised and quite impressed that they're doing this well with me as a caretaker. :P

And here we have the succulent from WalMart that has no name. Seriously, I have no idea what kind of succulent this is. It had no label or anything. But it's doing great, so... *shrugs*. I really love this one, though. It such pretty. If you any of you all know what this is, feel free to let me know.

Hello, my supposed-ficus.  Is this a ficus?? I don't know. It's not really vine-y, soooo.... I have no idea. Again, if you know, let me know! Please. :)

Oh, dis one is maybe my best plant fren. It sits by my desk and keeps me company, It's so pretty and it's growing well, in spite of the nearly complete lack of sunshine it receives this far from my tiny window. I believe it's a pink vein fittonia. And I. Love. It. 

And finally, a bit of an extra. I picked some sweet pea flowers the other day, so they're also keeping me company. They are also very pretty. :)















That is the extent of my collection at the moment. I have some supplies that I want to use to make a moss terrarium, but I have no clue how to make one of those. One day soon that will happen.
   Hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have any plants? Do you also live in the basement? Do you have any tips for growing moss terrariums? What the heck are all of these plants called? Feel free to comment and share your advice/knowledge. Thanks for reading, my frens. See you next time.

MR

Thought Process: Decisions

I let people's decisions affect me far too much. 

   People are always, always going to make bad decisions. They have from the beginning of time, and they will continue to do so until the world ends. People will always be inconsiderate, people will always be ignorant, people will always be selfish. No matter how much I wish I could stop it, no matter how hard I try to stop it, they always will. 

   There is nothing I can do. 

   And I'm trying to accept that. 

   But I'm done letting those bad decisions affect me. I'm done letting people's inability to deal with their own emotions, their ignorance, their constant wallowing in the mire to drag me down with them. Even if those people are unable, excuse me, unwilling to rise above their struggles, rise above their darkness, get themselves out of the mud and be the best person they can be, I'm not going to be affected by it anymore. 

   I'm done. 

   No more. 

   I am going to be the one who is willing, who wants to face up to my fears, my darkness. I am going to be the one to fight what's inside me, to fight the voices who want me to stay in the mud. I am going to grab hold of the rope of salvation, and I am not going to wallow anymore. I will not bury my fears and darkness, I will not be content to push my emotions, my sins, my struggles aside, bury them beneath something else, pretend they don't exist. Even if other people, people who are close to me are doing the same thing I'm trying not to do, even if things are taken away that make it harder to fight, i will fight. I am not going to make decisions I regret anymore. I am not going to be angry and bitter, I will not look back on my life and wish I had let myself live more, wish I had been a better adversary to my evil, to my darkness, to the evil and darkness in the world. God help me, I am going to stand up, rise above the mud everyone else seems to love so much in spite of how they complain about it, and I am going to be the person He wants me to be.  The person He made me to be. Even if it is harder than anything I have ever done and all of my darkness and fears are going to fight me with everything they have.  Even if no one else is willing, I am. 

   I'm sick of it. 

   I'm sick of not being who I'm supposed to be, I'm sick of not helping people how I want to, sick of not being who I know I'm supposed to be, sick of others chaining me down with their bad decisions. 

   No more. 

   I will still fail. But I am going to fight with every ounce of strength I have, every ounce of strength God gives me and I am going to be who I am supposed to be. I will still try to help those people who don't want to get up, oh yes I will. But I will no longer be what I'm not supposed to be because of them, for them. I will fight, even if they won't. And I will pray that they will see that it isn't that hard to get up, if you're just willing to take a step, willing to face your darkness. I will face mine and I will light a candle for others to face theirs. 

MR

    

A Note From a Fren

Hello, my dearest, sweet readers. :)

   Let's just clarify: No I did not blog on Friday. I know, you've probably died of shock. *Insert heavy sarcasm here*

   But since I feel rather bad about bailing AGAIN, and 'cause I'm in the mood, I wanted to write a quick note to ya'll. It's not gonna be long or fancy, but it will be heartfelt. 

   I love you guys. 

   Like, I really do! I don't care if you're subscribed or not, if you follow my Pinterest board, you just check in on my blog every once in awhile or you just popped in here for the first time. I love you! You're awesome! You guys are always so nice, even when my posts are messy and weird and just probably not worth your time. You guys always brighten my day, whether I see my view count go up or one of you leave a sweet comment. You guys are just so special and sweet and I love you all so much!!!! <3<3<3<3 

   I hope I can encourage and help you guys the way you do me. Like seriously, I am totally up for blog post suggestions on things you guys might need/want some help with/thoughts on. And I am TOTALLY 100% SERIOUS when I say that if you guys ever, ever need someone to talk to, please don't be afraid to message me or shoot me an email or anything. Because I would love to talk to you guys and do the best to help you with whatever you need. SERIOUSLY. Please never feel like you can't do this, because I genuinely want to help and talk to you all. Even if you just want to talk to someone about the day you've had, whether it be awesome or terrible. I would love to be that person. :)

So yes. I love you all so very much. AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY AND GOOD IN THE WORLD, I WILL HAVE A BLOG POST ON FRIDAY!!!!!! And it will be a good one. SO YES. No going back now. 

I will see all of you lovely people then.

 Have a wonderful, fantastic week! :D 

MR

A New Day

Hello dear readers. :)
   Happy weekend! I hope your week has been fantastic. I hope you've tried something new, done something challenging, had a little fun, smiled a whole lot, and that you do the same in the weeks to come.
   Everyday, dear reader, you wake up. Your mind is pulled from sleep, your eyes are opened, and you have a whole new day facing you. Sometimes you don't want to wake up, sometimes you wish you had woken up sooner. But it doesn't really matter. Because whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, here you are, the day is started.
   Seeing that this happens to us everyday, I think that we kind of lose sight of what a new day means. Maybe things were pretty sour yesterday. Maybe you messed up big time, maybe you kept making little mistakes all day, maybe someone was unkind to you, maybe something terrible happened. Or on the flip-side, maybe yesterday was great. Maybe you had lots of fun, maybe you were in a great mood all day, maybe people were nice and wonderful things happened. Those things are still fresh in your mind, but in essence, they're gone. In no way does this day have to be like yesterday.
   Everyday, you wake up and you have a choice. Am I going to repeat yesterday, or is today going to go completely different? Am I going to dwell on the bad things that happened to me yesterday? Am I going to strive to have the same positive attitude I had the day before? It's your choice.
   The fact is, though, that it can be hard sometimes. When people are still unkind to you, when things are even more of a train wreck than they were yesterday, the last thing you want to do is put a smile on your face and be thankful for this new day that you do have. Even if ignoring the unkind things and focusing on what God has done for you helps you feel better, it's hard. It's hard not to snap at people, not to totally lose it, not to cry and ask why this is happening.
   It's your choice to do with your day what you will. Sometimes you're going to have a bad day no matter what, but you attitude makes a hecka lot of difference.
   So make your choice, reader. And step forward, asking God for his strength, and live your day with a smile on your face and hope in your heart.

See you soon.
MR

(( Yes, I know, I didn't post yesterday. But at least I am here today. Although, this post wasn't what I had originally planned to post, but I had the idea and I didn't want to throw it aside. I will do my very best to have the other post up next week!!))