A Very Thankful Thursday

happy thankful thursday!

i just happened to glance at the calendar
 and i have no idea where time has gone
how on earth are we in the middle of march already?
wasn't it just christmas?
didn't we just ring in the new year?
anyone else having a minor panic attack right now?
ok moving on...

over the past couple months
i have sat at my computer
and have tried to write  thankful posts
but i just haven't been able to
not because there aren't things to be thankful for
but because i just don't know where to start
 on multiple occasions i have sat staring at an empty screen
with words swirling around in my head
unable to make themselves form coherent sentences

but i think that's exactly where i needed to be
over the last couple months
god has really given me time and space to think
to be quiet and still
to process through just where he has me
forcing me to face a few harsh realities about where my heart has truly been lately
and it's been good
hard
 but real good

god has really been tugging at my heart strings
i've begun to see i'm quick to jump to conclusions and assumptions
i'm so impatient
i can never sit, be still and just listen

i've been learning that recently
i haven't been giving God the space he needs deserves to work in my life
{yes he works despite this}
but i tend to make things extremely difficult
and sometimes more painful for myself

i'm beginning to see the difference it makes
when He is in control
i'm seeing just how different things are
when i don't
and when i do
 let him in to things
the big things and the little things
life looks so different when he is allowed into every part of my life
night and day different
there is power
beauty
majesty
and joy
so so so much joy
and i could not be more thankful for these sweet gifts

so today i am thankful for so so so much
that every day is new and beautiful

birds singing early in the morning
singing in the shower at the top of my lungs when no one is home

the warmth of the sun on my skin

 the smell of jasmine
the feeling of a breeze blowing through my hair
beautiful rays of sunshine

gardening

meeting with brides

booking summer weddings

filling special flower orders

getting to create pretty things with flowers

friday phone calls with my friend erin

my small group

my church

wearing dresses and skirts

building terrariums

dinner parties with friends

trips to orange county

evenings at karaoke bars

coldplay's new song that remains on repeat

lunch at the beach

spending time with my sweet friend margo

sleepovers

birthday dinners

a whole day spent with my three year old niece

which included a trip to barnes and noble to pick out new books

target to get a snack

old navy to say hello to the manikins 

chick fil a for a yummy meal

the park to play pretend

and more hugs and kisses than i could ever want

my sweet nephew and niece

and the way they melt my heart

beer and yahtzee filled evenings with friends

falling asleep to the sound of rain

movie nights

new running clothes

meeting new people

evening coffee dates

friends visiting from utah

trips to downtown la

walks to the park

seeing new sights

blueberry mint lemonade

spending afternoons in venice

walking down abbot kinney blvd

exploring the gorgeous la library with friends

passing exams

getting a full time job offer

{with benefits}

taking that full time job offer

working as a horticulturist

and getting to wear this sick get up everyday

lunch dates in santa monica

sweet memories of a wonderful summer spent in santa monica

trips to the patagonia store

sipping free coffee, using free wifi and perusing a pretty sweet catalog

 at the patagonia store

friends who buy me things from the patagonia store

{thanks michy}

my new patagonia messenger bag that im slightly obsessed with

my bed

the couch
my car

my journal
finishing great books
getting to know people 
taking things slow

i'm thankful for the past couple months
for learning how to let the lord lead
for learning patience
for the true joy that is found in Christ

what are you thankful for today?....