Thursday, March 20, 2014

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?....