19 Things We've Seem to Have Forgotten About

what are we doing with our lives?

really.  are we doing what matters?  are we spending time with the right things and ignoring the wasteful things?  are we stressing over ridiculous things when greater things have yet to come?  I'm stumped by this question lately and my only prayer is that this begins to burden your heart in the same way that is has burdened mine.

It's easy, really easy, to get caught up in the routines of our lives.  We all fall victims to it: wake up, shower, get dressed, go to class/work, eat some lunch, back to class/work, go home, do mindless things (like watch tv, scroll through facebook to hear about lives that you don't really care about, eat some unhealthy dinner), fall asleep, and repeat.

Because routine is dangerous, we need to put the emergency brake on our lives.  We're slowly (because it's a long process to the mundane world) and quickly (because it'll happen quicker than you'll realize) driving ourselves into the town of Burntout.  We all fall victims to this, too: waking up one day and thinking, "I need some adventure."  We crave change.  We crave new.  Something crazy, something exciting, something wild.  Maybe it's just me, but this happens nearly daily.

With that said, here's a list of 19 things that I think we need to rediscover the art of, make time for, and become content with.

1.  Breakfast.  Make time to eat breakfast.  And I don't mean swinging through the McDonald's drive-thru when you just happen to wind up with an extra ten minutes before work and I definitely don't mean skipping breakfast.  But really, truly sitting down to enjoy your breakfast.  Taste, rather than inhale.  Prepare your mind for the day.  When we get going in the constant state of go-go-go, we lose sight of calm stuff.

2.  Stop when the light is only yellow.  Sure, the cars behind you might honk horns and roll their eyes, but I think you owe it to yourself (and quite frankly, to the impatient drivers behind you, even if it's me) to take a break (or to make them take a break).  Instead of speeding up ten mph, slow down and calm down.

3.  Dig through your sock drawer for those fuzzy socks.  You need a laugh and smile and be happy and fuzzy socks help.

4.  Make time to sip hot drinks with cool people.  Starbucks is open a lot.  Make time to sit with people that care about you.

5.  Choose the good book over studying.  College degrees and work are important, but so is literature.

6.  Speaking of literature, take time to appreciate words.  Read quotes, read poems, read anything and everything.  Street signs, billboards, advertisements, dusty books in your bookshelf, forgotten magazines under your bed.  

7.  Eat sweets.  Lots of sweets.  Gain some weight, do what you want.  When you leave, your body doesn't go with you.  Be happy.  

8.  Ask for what you deserve.  You're not invalid in knowing that you deserve better.  Don't hold back.  Your happiness matters.

9.  Discuss those hard topics.  And be passionate about what you believe in.  If you're struggling with how someone is treating you, be able and willing to debate your point and hold your ground.  Your opinions matter.  Talk and talk and talk.  

10.  Visit home-the place where your heart lies- way too often.  Twice in one week if necessary.  You owe it to yourself to make your heart happy.

11.  Buy the purse that's $5 on clearance.  Buy the shoes that are only $8 and the only pair in your size.  It's not bad to spend money on yourself.

12.  Get a tattoo.  Pierce something.  Dye your hair.  Cut your hair.  Wear that weird outfit.  Be individual and be different.  If you're blessed enough with the ability to be different (which we all are.  Jeremiah 1:5), then why do we try so hard to be "normal"?  What is normal anyway?

13.  Don't think too much.  Often times, trying to reason for things that we don't have a totally clear head on is what screws us up.  It's okay to not understand why you're doing something.  Use wisdom.

14.  Make time to physically see people.  Even if it means driving a long way or rearranging your whole routine (that isn't worth anything anyway) to do it, make it happen.  It'll mean a lot to you and it'll mean a lot to them.

15.  Snapchat your least attractive face.  We all know you're beautiful anyway.

16.  Write.  Write words and thoughts and notes and letters and reminders (both for yourself and for others) and draw and doodle and scribble.  This is a forgotten art.

17.  Buy yourself some flowers.  It's not pathetic, it's considering yourself worth it.  

18.  Relax.  Just chill.  Take a moment to slow the heck down.  

19.  think deeply (but not overly).  love hard.  pray a lot.  forgive often.  show grace.  be kind.  laugh and laugh and laugh.  take a deep breath.  be ridiculous.  use your imagination.  tell yourself that it'll be okay.  read articles.  love the good in people.  



really, just make yourself happy.  remember what matters (YOU).  don't feel bad if you don't think you should.  don't say sorry if you're not.  make friends.  make love.  make happiness.  and never ever forget that you're worth it.

Humble Pie and Monday Perspectives

I cannot even begin to imagine how frustrating it would be to be God.  Even more so than that, how frustrating it would be to be God to someone like me.  Often times, I even get on my own nerves.

Waking up this morning was easy.  After a perfectly exhausting weekend, deciding to go to sleep last night at 11:45 sounded like my best idea in months (that would be aside from going home and going to Greenville this weekend.  so, so, so fun and necessary).  When my alarm sounded at 7:30 this morning, I felt more rested than I have in weeks, in spite of my lack of sleep this weekend.

Then three thoughts happened all at once:
1. It's Monday.
2. You have 3 classes today, then 4 hours of work.
3. IT'S. MONDAY.

And then, perfectly timed at 8 am, I received this text from my mother:

"Good morning!  Just wanted to tell you that I have already 
prayed that you have a wonderful day and week! 
*sunshine emoji, smile emoji, kissy face emoji*"

There's nothing like a slice of humble pie to start off your week.  As I moaned, groaned, complained, and dreaded my Monday, my mother informed me that she had already been up, despite not having to work today, and already selflessly prayed for me.

In my pouting state, Jesus spoke to me.  Brenna, you asked for this college.  You prayed about being accepted and I made that happen.  Brenna, you asked for this job.  You prayed for that for months and I made that happen, too.  Stop complaining and do the work that I have blessed you with.

[[This is where I see how frustrating it would be to be God.  I ask for things, but grumble when they're given.  I'm not sure what kind of logic this is, but I need to work on it.]]

In reply, my humble prayer was simple: "Jesus, thank you for college.  Thank you for preparation for my future.  Jesus, thank you for a job.  Though I don't always like either, I pray that you would help me to choose joy, despite my grumbling heart.  Teach me to be joyful in the work that you have for me.  Teach me what it means to work as if working for you."

I'm not sure why I've got the idea that I can do all of this alone.  Not sure why I feel like Jesus can only handle the big stuff and that He can't handle the absence of joy in my heart, either.

And if that wasn't enough to slap me into place, here's the Jesus Calling devo for today:

"Do not let any set of circumstances intimidate you.  The more challenging your day, the more of My Power I place at your disposal.  You seem to think that I empower you equally each day, but this is not so.  Your tendency upon awakening is to assess the difficulties ahead of you, measuring them against your average strength.  This is an exercise in unreality.

I know what each of your days will contain, and I empower you accordingly.  The degree to which I strengthen you on a given day is based mainly on two variables: the difficulty of your circumstances, and your willingness to depend on Me for help.  Try to view challenging days as opportunities to receive more of My Power than usual.  Look to Me for all that you need, and watch to see what I will do.  As your day, so shall your strength be."

I think the opportunity to have joy in each day is solely our responsibility, even on Mondays.  We're responsible to make the choice.  We choose to sin.  We choose to rebel against God.  We choose to accept that we are in desperate need of a Savior.  We choose to seek Jesus.  We choose to take up our cross.  We choose to take joy.  It's a simple concept, but we make it much harder by allowing our brains to be clouded by the business and craziness.

This is why rest is vital.  Resting physically and resting spiritually.  Resting physically because our bodies are exhausted.  Resting spiritually because our hearts are exhausted.  Resting spiritually says "God, I need a break and I know you supply breaks."

I know it's Monday and I know it's hard and I know you can't wait for this season to be over and I know we're ready for a break, but choosing joy isn't such a far off concept.  Press on.  This too shall pass.

{Psalm 105:4} Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Happy November

It's been about two weeks since I've been here, which is about three weeks overdue.  I've been journaling, worshiping, praying, hoping, and lots and lots of thinking.  To say that this time of year is chaotic is an understatement.  In fact, I've been so busy that I haven't even really had time to feel like myself.  Pretty weird, huh?  I mean, I even tweet less now.  If you follow me on twitter (sorry if you do), you know how abnormal that is.  Sometimes life just gets crazy, though, and you need some space, you know?  I've taken space, perhaps too much, to work on myself.  I'm blessed and grateful that as I work on me, Jesus works on me, too.  I'm very blessed by the Lord's work within me.

Sometimes you just need time to think and stuff.
With that said, this post feels more out of obligation (since it's been a while) than out of my heart's call.  Which means this could go either really well or really bad, hah.  I'm posting anyway.  Pray for me, please, as I try to get back to my normal self after a season of hard.  That's the only way to describe it: boom, boom, boom, one thing after another.  Thank goodness Jesus is bigger.

I'm a little scatter-brained right now. Happy November.  November is in my top five favorite months.  The weather, the smiles, the leaves (and the leaf tornadoes, how does that happen anyway?), the scarves, the hiking, the pictures.  I'm thoroughly obsessed.  But my favorite part has got to be the way we, humans, subconsciously shift our thinking.  When I think of November, I think of thankfulness.  And I know I'm not the only one that feels like way.  I have a joy in my heart that is due solely to the season.  Jesus made me a lady that craves fall and winter.  It's a time of rest and darkness and relaxation and slow words and warm drinks and abundant hearts.  And I sound dramatic, but how can you not love fall and winter?

In the spirit of November, I wake up and my first thought is to count my blessings.  For everyday, I find at least one relatively large thing to be thankful for.  So, keeping in that spirit, I'm going to post somewhat periodically of what I'm thankful for day-by-day.  I hope you'll take this time and thank Jesus as well.

Day 1-November 1st:
I'm thankful for the changing of seasons.  I'm thankful for the fact that the seasons we are in are not the end.  That life continues, that Jesus redeems.  Praise God for that.  I'm thankful for hope that things will move on.  I'm thankful for seasons.

Day 2-November 2nd:
I'm thankful for good weather.  Weather that reminds me that the Lord is good as my heart is kissed by His precious Spirit (more flowery language, I can't help it).  I'm thankful for warmth and for breezes.  I'm thankful for the beauty of nature.  I'm thankful that the leaves change and remind me that I, too, am allowed to change.

I'm also thankful for the way that nature aligns.  You can call it science, but I genuinely believe that the Lord knows when we need an extra hour (daylight savings)- to rest, to relax, to recoop.  It even gets darker earlier.  If that isn't Jesus screaming at us to slow down and to relax, both physically and in His presence, I don't know what is.  I'm grateful for a God that forces me to brake when I'm driving 1000 mph and I can't even find the time to close my eyes. 

Day 3-November 3rd:
I'm thankful for resurrection: Jesus' resurrection, my upcoming resurrection, and the resurrection of my heart.  I'm thankful that Jesus intervened to resurrect my dead soul.  I'm thankful for the fact that my dead heart was not forced to stay dead.  I'm thankful that Jesus is able to intervene.

Day 4-November 4th:
I'm thankful for my identity (even on chaotic Mondays).  I'm thankful for lost and found wallets.  I'm thankful that my identity is found in Christ.  I'm thankful for the fact that I am not identified by who I used to be, but by who the Lord calls me to be.

Day 5-November 5th:
I'm thankful for the Lord's continual provision over me.  That's kind of broad, but I'm thankful for the fact that I can rest assured in who the Lord is and the fact that He will continue to provide for me.

Day 6-November 6th:
I'm thankful for lazy days with friends.  I'm thankful for a break in stress.  I'm thankful for time to escape.  I'm thankful for pleasant distractions, even when they're maybe not my wisest of decisions.  I'm a strong advocate in taking time for myself, spending money on myself, and basking in the beauty of loving me.

Be thankful.  It's November and it's so, so beautiful.


Also, here are other pictures from my life.  It's been a while since I've done this, so.

Yes, I was a Toddler and Tiara for Halloween.  

All-in-all, I'm thankful for sweet friends, sweet words, and the sweet things that the Lord has for me.  I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, even in seasons of not-so-good.

I really, really, really just love any excuse for an expression to be grateful.  Praise God.

Prayer Time: God, I pray that you would remind me to have a heart of constant thankfulness.  Teach me to count my blessings and not my heartaches.  I love you, Jesus.  Thank you for grace.