Watch Your P's and Q's

I'm sorry.


I need you to let me go.  I need to see who I am away from home.

It's not my fault you can only be friends with someone when its convenient.  You are not a princess who should be catered to.  You are 23 and getting married.  Grow the hell up.

I grew up too fast.  I had to be an adult early on.  Help me be a 23 year old.


To Whom It May Concern:  If you were to meet me, or just give me the job, you wouldn't regret it.  I would be one of the best social studies teachers you've ever seen.  Give.  Me.  The.  Job.  Please.


Thank you.  For everything.  Thank you.

We live in a society of political correctness.  I grew up in a family where image meant a lot.  If you were expected to be the good girl who goes to church, doesn't get in trouble, gets A's in school... than thats what you did.  Inside the house may be a tornado but you step out that front door and you put a smile on your face.

There are times in life though that I find myself really wanting to say something to someone.  Something I shouldn't say.  Or perhaps, can't say because I worry about how others see me.  Or maybe it needs to be said but I just don't know if I should be the one to say it.  So I hold back.  But this is something we all do isn't it?  We grow up watching our p's and q's.  So as we get older we hold our tongue.  We watch what we say.  We edit as we interact with the people around us.  But sometimes wouldn't it be great to just say what we think?


If you could say anything to someone, what would you say?

Lock In God, Trust Your Car

Lock in God?  Trust your car?  No, I haven't gone off the deep end.  

But sometimes my car is pretty reliable.  I know how it runs, my favorite stations are tuned into the stereo, I know where to find napkins hidden in the console.  I know there is a blanket in the trunk and there are some favorite cds tucked in the pockets of the seats.  I am only the 2nd owner of the car.  The car has taken me tens of thousands of miles.  To college, to a new state for a summer, to competitions, to work, to student teaching, to church and home again.

I trust my car.  Well until it makes a weird noise but even then I know that I can take it to the repair shop and after a big bill all will be well.

But God.  I can't physically see him.  Sure, I see him in the little things.  Like the sunset every night.  The lily of the valley planted outside my parents house.  The smile on my Grandma's face when the family is all together.  The trouble with trusting God is you can't really do it halfway.  It's an all or nothing sort of thing that you have to do over and over again.  The world, the universe is bigger than I could ever imagine.  There are more things in this world that I have not seen and yet God has created them all.

I have trouble flying in airplanes.  I think part of my problem stems from the fact that I am relying on 2-3 pilots who I cannot see to safely fly a hunk of metal through the air thousands of feet above ground, at hundreds of miles per hour.  My cousin is a pilot.  I know that they have lots of training and there are computer systems that are built in as security measures.  But computers can fail.  I'm not the one flying the plane.  There is nothing I can do if something goes wrong to make it better.  Sure I can help people off the plane if we are lucky enough to land somewhere semi-safely.  If there are kids I can try to calm them because my nanny/teacher instincts will kick in.  But I cannot fly a plane.  I can't read instruments in the cabin.  I can't wave a wand to keep us in the air.  But I have to trust that a person I have never met will keep me and all the people on the plane safe.  Thats a tall order.

But that's how it is with God too.  He knows what he is doing.  He has created the world and everything in it.  He knows how to fly the plane.  He knows how to recover if something goes wrong.  If we hit turbulence he knows how to guide the plane through it all.  He knows how to safely land.  All I have to do is trust.  Trust is a big deal for me.  I don't give it easily.  One verse I remember from the bible is "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding."  It sticks with me because it reminds me that I am not as smart as I think I am.  I cannot possibly understand it all.  I need to place my trust in someone else.

So while I may know how to hit the brakes, turn the steering wheel, turn on the AC, and work the radio in my car it's not really the car I'm trusting.  It's me.  But the car needs to be locked.  I might be able to control what goes on in the car.  But I can't control the world around me.  I shouldn't even try, though I do.

Trust in God, but lock your car.

                   

Wordy Wednesday

It's Wednesday.  For many, it's one of the busier days of the week.  You realize all the work that must be done before Friday.  Maybe you have commitments in the evening that tie you up.  Maybe you are just tired after a couple long days at work.  

Regardless, Wordy Wednesday here at 'The Sunset Won't' is a quote, short passage or verse that I enjoy and I want to pass along to you.  This weeks quotes are ones that I have hanging on a cork board in front of my desk.

Choose your attitude!

One day at a time!

Nothing has happened in the past, or obstacles in the future affect how we live our lives today.

That falls under the category of 'Not My Problem.'

Wake early to watch the sunrise, because dawn is the new day Jesus promised.  

A new day.  A new life. 

(Dee Henderson)

Things that you do, do with your might; things done by halves are never done right.

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a know in it and hang on. 

(Franklin Roosevelt) 

The morning question:  What good shall I do this day?

The evening question: What good have I done today? 

(Benjamin Franklin)

That Kind of Happy

It's been awhile since I have worked on my list of 101 Things That Make Me Happy.  As always you can check out my full list of things that make me happy or just check out the new ones.  I have 1-50 completed and can't wait to keep plugging away on my list.

51. Purple pens.  Black, blue, green and red.  The standard colors of a pen.  Realistically green is harder to find and less common.  I love Pentel EnerGel purple ink pens.  (specific I know, but seriously, they're awesome)  A good pen is hard to find, so when you find one you love it.  This pen writes well, is a pretty color and it's different. Writing with a purple pen makes me happy.

52. My ragtime quilt.  As I mentioned before my mom is a quilter.  My ragtime quilt is well-used.  Snuggling under my ragtime makes me happy.

53. Disney movies.  The unrealistic expectations about hair, men, talking animals.  Oh, how I love Disney.  But really, I love the music.  That's probably my favorite part.  I love Disney movies.  And I am amazed at when I sub or a teaching how excited students are when they get to watch a disney movie in class.  They are universally appealing.  There is something for everyone.  Which is my favorite?  Sleeping Beauty!

54. The blue music box.  When my grandpa was very ill he purchased two gifts from the nursing home gift store.  A snow globe for me and a small blue music box for my grandma.  I always loved that music box.  It was small, but decorative.  The music was beautiful.  Seeing that blue music box makes me happy.

55. Music.  Music is the key to my soul.  If you want to know how I am feeling listen to what I have playing on my iTunes.  There is a playlist, artist or album that I turn to for almost everything.   Music is a huge part of my life.  Music makes me happy.

56. Fitting into those pants.  Most women will know exactly what I mean.  There is that pair of pants that you have shoved in the back of your closet, or in the bottom of a dresser drawer.  You haven't worn them in a long time because they don't fit.  One day, feeling particularly adventurous you decide to pull those suckers out.  You try them on, and low and behold, they fit.  Fitting into those pants makes me happy.

57. Comforting a friend.  There is something about comforting a friend, making their load lighter, cheering them up, sharing some sage advice.  Being able to comfort a friend makes me happy.

58. Random Gifts.  I am not saying that I want to get gifts all the time.  But when someone randomly gives you a gift, for no reason other than they saw something and thought of you... it just makes you smile.  And giving a random gift and seeing that smile on someone else's face is just as rewarding.  Random gifts make me happy.

59. Favorite TV shows.  I have seen every episode of 'Bones.'  But there is something about that show for me.  Whenever I watch it I smile.  I might have seen an episode 6 times but I still enjoy watching it.  Yes, I know who did it, how they did it, and whether they were caught.  But it doesn't matter.  Because favorite tv shows make me happy.

60. A good hair/makeup day. It's been a long week.  You're tired and can't wait for Friday to get here.  You get up, shower, do your hair and put on your face (your makeup).  You look in the mirror for a final check before you walk out the door and you stop.  Not in a self-absorbed way, but you look and think, "man my hair looks good today," "I did a good job with my makeup today," or perhaps, "this looks really cute today."  It's exciting.  Because as we know a bad hair day can ruin your mood.  So a good hair/makeup day makes me happy.

What makes you happy?

In The Next Ten Years

Well, oh my goodness, twice in one week.  Debbie from The College Years has given another award to The Sunset Won't.  This time it's the "You're Going Places, Baby" Award.  For this award you share where you see yourself in ten years, and then pass it along to ten fellow bloggers.  

Ten years from today I will be 33.  Ten years is a lot of ground to cover, many things can happen.  Coming up with things off the top of your head is harder than I imagined.  If I were to imagine where I would like to be in ten years what would it look like?  

In ten years I will have started my own family.  I will have found Mr. Right-for-Me.  He will be the man that God had planned for me.  We will be married.  I would love to have children within the next ten years.  Maybe even purchased our first home.  I can picture it.  Of course my main requirement is it must have a front porch.  A big front porch with rocking chairs and a swing.  It will sit on a relatively good size piece of land, or at least won't feel incredibly crowded.  The love in my home will spill onto the lawn.  My home will be a place where all are welcome and all feel welcomed.

I will be surrounded by a circle of friends.  A variety of friends.  I will have a couple girlfriends on whom I can count on no matter what.  They are there for every laugh, every tear, every loss, and every gain.

In ten years I will be working as a US History teacher, in a wonderful school district, and I will have tenure.  My class will be one where students learn a lot while having fun and learning life lessons as well.  I will have a good working relationship with my colleagues and will have a reputation as a great teacher.  If I were really dreaming big I would have won teacher of the year :)

I will be healthy.  I will have learned to handle my health issues.  I will have learned to live with them, learned to avoid them, learned to accept them.  Depression will be a ten letter word that no longer fits in my vocabulary.  I will have learned to accept who I am, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  

I will be spiritually fulfilled.  My faith will continue to grow and my relationship with God will strengthen.  I will have a church home and family that fill my cup to the point of overflowing.

In those ten years I will have lived, learned and loved the most I can.  I will have given what I can and taken only what I need.  I will be healthy and happy.  I will be me.  And I will love it.  My life may not turn out to be like this in ten years.  In ten years I hope that God will have led me down a path, not to the life I want, but to the life I need.  The life I am meant to live.

If you were to picture where you want your life to be in ten years, what would it look like?

I would like to pass this award along to:

 25 Before 25

As Simple As That

Bean Soup

Confessions of a Philly Girl

Dazzled By Life

High Heels and Heat Transfer

Love Imagine Create

Marginalia by Amy

Single Infertile Female

Wading Through Words

Things I've Done

I came across this list at 25 Before 25 where Christy shared the things, on the list that she has done, by bolding them.  I haven't seen this list before but thought it was kind of fun.  And since Wednesdays are a busy day for many, its a quick read.

1. started your own blog
 2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited Hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more to charity than you could afford to 
7. been to Disney 
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sung a solo 
11. bungee jumped
12. visited Paris
13. watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight 
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb 26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset 

31. hit a home run [it doesn't say where, and I've done it on a Wii :)]
32. been on a cruise
33. seen Niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors (England and France but not the rest)
35. seen an Amish community 
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. visited Africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the Sistine chapel in person
50. been to the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris (I have a fear of heights but I made it to the second level, so I am counting that)
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling (not for me)52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre 
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited Russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies 
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. been sky diving
66. visited a concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the Lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt (sort of)
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in London
77. broken a bone
78. been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the Vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in Jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper 
85. kissed a stranger at midnight on new year’s eve
86. visited the white house 
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous 
92. joined a book club
93. gotten a tattoo
94. had a baby
95. seen the Alamo in person
96. swam in the great salt lake
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

100. Ridden an elephant

37 out of 100... I have a ways to go.

Lego Box of Life

I'm back!  I mean, I didn't really go anywhere but looking back I haven't really posted anything substantial and new in a long time.  So I am excited to get back to it.  Life has been insanely busy lately.  I am currently in the process of building this:

Which, looks like nothing.  But it is going to be a box for cards, made completely out of legos, for my brothers High School Graduation Open House.  He used to love playing with legos, I thought it would be fun and unique.  I didn't think it would be that hard to put together.  Boy was I wrong.   The 10x12x6 in structure I have thus far took a solid 2+ hours this morning.  Awesome!                                      But isn't life like that sometimes? It's harder than it looks.  We can't just throw it together.  Sometimes it may seem easy, but there are times when we must go slow, be careful.  My brother's name is part of the wall on one side of the box.  I used a certain color for the letters, and had to find certain sizes to get it to look how I wanted on the box.  Just like in life we choose certain clothes to wear, things to do, certain things to say, a particular way we want to portray ourselves to o.  We have a picture in mind of what our lives will look like, just like I have a picture of what I want the box to look like when it's completed.  

That doesn't mean each piece is going to fit exactly right.  I have needed to find smaller pieces to fill a hole.  There have been people in my life who may fit in one exact spot, but couldn't fit anywhere else.  There was a childhood friend who didn't make it to my adult life.  A college friend that didn't last past graduation.  A family member who floats in and out of my life.  I have has to use ugly colors in the box because there was nothing else to use.  Just as there have been ugly times in my life.  But they are surrounded by good.  By beauty.  By love.  They blend into the box of my life.  Memories there to serve as reminders but not there to dominate over the big picture.

Then there are the pieces that hold us in place.  Like the white border on the top front of the box.  My beliefs.  My values.  They have held true for so long that if I lost those I think my box would seem incomplete.  Little pieces of me would fall out.  We build our lives piece by careful piece.  Sometimes complete demolition of an area is necessary.  An overhaul of your outlook on life.  A complete separation from a certain person in your life.  A move to a new area so you can build anew.  

Each of our boxes will be different.  For instance, I love blue and would prefer lots of blue in my box.  While my little brother really likes the color red.  I am an organized, detail oriented person and would want my box to have a pattern, some order to it.  My mom is not like that at all.  She would just have pieces thrown together.  My brother has autism and would need his box to stay the same.  One of my very good friends is a take life as it comes person, she doesn't mind change.  Her box would change directions, it wouldn't need to be an exact square.

Every box is made of lego pieces.  But they are all just a little different.  That's what makes life interesting.  That's what makes life great.  

Remember the sunset.  Live your life.  Love your life.  As much and as best you can. 

Learning on a Roller Coaster

 On June 4th I was a guest blogger at Blossoming Brilliance for the Women's Circle.  This is a crazy week so I thought that this would be a good opportunity to share that post.

         One of the biggest questions in life is ‘Who am I?’  On job applications, facebook, blogging profiles you are given a small square of information where you are supposed to adequately describe who you are.  Is this even possible?  As I go through my quarter life journey (QLJ) I am realizing that this is a question that doesn’t have a simple answer.

         What do I mean?  I am a sister, a daughter, a teacher, a friend, a Christian.  But does that really tell you anything about me?  I could tell you that I am a chocolate eating, coffee drinking, music listening, book reading, social studies teaching, Christ following, story sharing, task perfecting, cookie baking, family loving, sunset watching, experience acquiring, ambling 23 year old.  But is that me?  Is that all that I am?  That is what I am learning on my QLJ.  I am more than just words on paper.  I am more than just thoughts in my mind. 

I started blogging in January and spent hours trying to think of a title and theme for my blog.  I realized that I was spending all this time just trying to come up with a name.  Is it really the end of the world if I don’t have the perfectblog name?  Of course not.  This led me to think of a book that I had recently read where the two main characters are talking.  One is busy with phone calls to make, when the other says to her, “those will wait, the sunset won’t.”  That really spoke to me.  I realized that this is exactly what I was doing.  I was stressing out about finding a job, moving out of my parents house, having the right clothes, paying off student loans, coming up with the perfect blog name.  But the sunset wasn’t waiting for me.  Just like it doesn’t wait for you. 

I am learning that there is a plan for my life that I might not be aware of.  I am sure you have heard the saying “if you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans.”  I have learned along my QLJ that this is SO true.  I had planned to graduate in December and get a long term subbing position, which would lead to a job, then I would be able to get an apartment.  Five months later I am subbing day to day, still living at home, praying the phone will ring for a job interview.  But you know what, that’s ok.  Because had I gotten a long term position I might not have had the desire to go back to church.  Had I not gone back to church I wouldn’t have started helping lead the HS Youth Group.  Had I not done that I wouldn’t have met the new Pastor.  Had I not met her I would have missed out on some very sage words of wisdom.  There is a purpose for everything.  The sunset isn’t waiting for me to get my life in the perfect order that I think it should be.  That would be absurd.  Think of the chaos the world would go into if the sun waited to set for every person that didn’t have his or her act together.  Would it ever set?

I am a perfectionist who, as I am getting older, is realizing that perfection isn’t always perfect.  Life is meant to be messy.  When you were little didn’t you love to play in the sandbox?  Splash in puddles?  Jump in the pile of leaves?  Are those things organized and clean?  No, they aren’t.  But they sure were fun, weren’t they?  That’s what life is supposed to be.  Fun.  Messy.  Now I know that life sometimes will seem clear-cut.  Sometimes it isn’t fun.  Things will happen that will throw a roadblock in your path.  But roadblocks are just put in our path to show us our own strength.  Can you figure out how to get over or around that block? 

As I go on my QLJ I am learning that I am stronger than I thought.  I am learning that it is ok to make mistakes.  It’s ok to say no to someone.  It’s ok to tell people how I really feel.  It’s ok not to have a full time job right now.  It’s ok not to be perfect.  It’s ok to not know where the path leads as long as I am moving forward.  As long as I keep going. 

         There is a saying “if you want to hear God laugh tell him YOUR plans.”  He has his own plans for me, though sometimes I wish that they would match up with mine.  But there is a path that we are all one.  All of our paths intertwine together to make a beautiful web.  You might take a wrong turn, but that doesn’t mean you fall to the ground.  Someone else’s path has led them to be there to hold you up.  

So, where am I headed?  Who knows.  Who am I?  I am me.  I am exactly where I am meant to be whether I see it or not.  What am I learning about myself on my quarter life journey?  I am learning to value life above all else.  I am learning that a picture sometimes really is worth a thousand words.  I am learning that though it may feel like my life has no direction I just need to look outside to see the beauty all around me.  The world keeps spinning; the sun rises and sets, even if my life feels like it is a mess. 

We are all the roller coaster of life.  Sometimes there are ups.  Sometimes our lives seems like they can’t go any higher.  Then, it may feel like the bottom falls out as we plummet downward.  There are crazy curves thrown at us.  The ride may go fast, or there may be moments where it seems as if time stands still.  There are times when we are on the ride alone, or we may have people on the ride with us.  We are always buckled in.  We are safe as long as we don’t take off the belt.  I am learning to remember to sit back and enjoy the ride.  I only get one.  It might not always be perfect, or go where I think it should.  But it’s my ride.  What is yours?  Are you loving life?  Are you living life?  Are you at least trying?  I hope I am.

Wordy Wednesday

It's Wednesday.  For many, it's one of the busier days of the week.  You realize all the work that must be done before Friday.  Maybe you have commitments in the evening that tie you up.  Maybe you are just tired after a couple long days at work.  

Regardless, Wordy Wednesday here at 'The Sunset Won't' is a quote, short passage or verse that I enjoy and I want to pass along to you.  This weeks quote comes from the TV show Men in Trees.

 As children we’re taught to play nice; share your toys and eat your vegetables.  And if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all. But every time we bite our tongues, we know each other a little less.  To spare someone’s feelings we hide our own.  And when you hide what you feel, you end up with regrets.  Being honest might not make you the most popular girl in the schoolyard, but it will earn you respect.  

And when nice girls learn to respect themselves, they’ll always finish first.  

-Marin Frist

I Love Your Blog Award

Debbie from Debbie: The College Years has given the "I Love Your Blog" award to The Sunset Won't.  Thank you so much for passing this on.  It means a lot.  We all write for ourselves, but we also write for our readers.  Getting positive feedback from readers always leaves you with a good feeling.

For this award, I am supposed to list ten things I love and then some blogs that I love.  I am all about lists!

Ten Things I Love:
1) My God.
2) My family.
3) My quilts.
4) Driving down the highway on a nice night with the windows down.
5) A good book.
6) Chocolate.
7) Positive feedback from students.
8) Memories.
9) Clear nights where you can look up and see the stars in the sky.
10) Making lists!

There are many blogs that I love but the blogs I am passing the award onto this time are:
1) Broken Secrets
2) Marginalia by Amy
3) Single Infertile Female
4) 25 Before 25

Have a wonderful day!

I'm A Guest Blogger!

Exciting news!  Today I am a guest blogger at Blossoming Brilliance.  It's writer Jessie May is a life coach who owns and operates Blossoming Brilliance Life Coaching.  She hosts a weekly women's blog circle where women in their 20s and 30s are able to read about other women who are going through similar challenges and successes in life.  I am excited that I have an opportunity to write for her circle.  

The post is titled "Learning on a Roller Coaster" and answers the question, What are you learning about yourself as you go through this quarterlife journey?  So, please check out the blog post and then let me know what you think!  (The picture isn't me, just a heads up) Have a wonderful Friday afternoon.

             

23 Wishes

Today is my birthday.  As I look back over the last 22 years of my life I am amazed at the road I have traveled to get to where I am today.  The great thing about birthdays is that you always get to make a wish.  Hannah Katy at As Simple As That wrote a really neat post of her 22 wishes on her 22nd birthday.  Reading her list I was amazed at how similar I felt that many of my wishes would be.  I think that shows how connected we all are though.  That we are not alone in our hopes, dreams, wishes and even our fears.

If I were granted 23 wishes on my 23^rd birthday, what would I wish for?  Well, here goes, in no particular order:

My first wish would be for my family.  Though many of us are separated by time and other things, may they all know how much I love them.  May they be happy and healthy in the next year.

My second wish is for my friends, past and present.  There is something I have learned from every friendshipFor my closest friends, the ones who know me and love me anyway, I am lucky to have them in my life.  May they find a happiness unequaled, a love unparalleled, and a peace that passes all understanding.

My third wish is for the children of the world.  May you not be forced to lose your innocence too soon.  May you be given the time to be children.  To have fun.  To play.  There is a time to grow up, and it is not that time for you.

My fourth wish is for my fellow teachers.  May you always remember the reason you got in to teaching.  May the bureaucracy of education never take away from the passion you have for your profession.  On your toughest day I wish that you have that one experience that reminds you why you teach.

My fifth wish is for all students.  That you find ways to continue learning long after school is done.  That you find that thing in school that you can plug into whether its classes, clubs or a sport.  May you find a passion for something and pursue it with every fiber of your being.

My sixth wish is for girls who have struggled with feeling ‘not pretty enough,’ ‘not smart enough’ or just not enough.  It is hard to look in the mirror and not like what you see.  It is hard to be with others and feel less than.  My wish for you is that you find the thing that makes you you.  Dust it off, clean it up and let it shine.  Shine like a diamond.  It may take you years, it may take a lifetime.  May you find something about yourself you love so you can build on that foundation.

My seventh wish is for those who are searching.  We all wish that life came with a map or an instruction manual.  Some people know what they need, and some have no idea.  May every single person who is searching not find what they want.  But rather my wish is that you find what you need. 

My eighth wish is for everyone who has been let down.  It hurts.  Sometimes it leaves a permanent mark.  My wish is that you remember it was most likely not your fault.  May they know that they are not alone.  That there are people out there who will help them put the pieces of their heart, or spirit back together. 

My ninth wish is for those who are stuck.  For those who feel they need to make a change.  Whether they are ready for it or not.  My wish is that you take that step.  That you cross that bridge, climb that mountain.  My wish is that when you see the opportunity you take it.  Grab it and hold tight with both hands.

My tenth wish is for all of the people who have taught me about life by being a part of mine.  May they too find that person who teaches them about life.  May their every dream come true, may their days end in happiness, and their hearts be full of love.

My eleventh wish is for those who are weary in mind, body, or spirit.  Take a break.  Give yourself a moment.  Sometimes its okay to be weary.  But my wish is that once that moment is done you find the knowledge to start again.  The strength to pull yourself up.  The faith to go on. 

My twelfth wish is for global understanding.  I know that global peace is a hard thing.  And we haven’t yet found it.  But my wish is that we as a global community can begin to take those first steps.  That we begin to understand the things that make us different.  That we understand that these differences don’t make each other less of a person but rather these differences are what make us human.  They are what make us great.  May we all find that understanding for one another.

My thirteenth wish is for all those who seek perfection.  That’s an awful lot of pressure for one person.  Going from point A to B in a straight line might be efficient but it isn’t always best.  My wish is that you learn to squiggle and zig-zag your way through life.  That you begin to ease up on that desire and channel it somewhere else. 

My fourteenth wish is for the people whose blogs I enjoy.  They inspire me, encourage me, enlighten me, entertain me.  They make me feel connected, alive and understood.  They are many, the space is few.

My fifteenth wish is for all those who are tied together with a smile.  You say your fine and stick on a smile.  You cry and don’t tell anyone.  You laugh at all the right times but it doesn’t hit your eyes.  May you find the things that make you happy and pursue them, include them in your life.  May the external joy penetrate deep into your soul until you are made whole again.

My sixteenth wish is for any person who is having THAT kind of day.  The day where everything seems to not go your way.  My wish is that you embrace it.  Shop til you drop.  Eat ice cream.  Spend some quality time with your sweatpants.  Then remember that tomorrow is another day. 

My seventeenth wish is for every single person who takes time to make a difference.  May you be recognized for your work.  May the time and effort you put into your cause become a boomerang.  May you be rewarded for your efforts and may you be an inspiration to others.

My eighteenth wish is that we all experience failure.  How can we appreciate and enjoy success if we don’t know what it is to fail?  May you experience a failure so that when you get up and try again you may appreciate your success.  Show life what you’re made of and come back better than ever.

My nineteenth wish is for the dreamer in us all.  We all have a dream.  My wish is that our dreams are never dashed.  May we always dream big… when you dream it might come true.

My twentieth wish is for him.  I may have met him already or our paths may have never crossed.  Wherever you are my wish is that you get here when you can (although if you ask for directions you might get here faster).  Wherever he is, whoever he is I know that he is the one God made for me.  And may he know that I am excited to meet him and to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.

My twenty-first wish is that we all remember the sunset.  The sunset is like a beautiful piece of art ready to be appreciated and enjoyed.  It is different every day.  Take the time to live your life, to love your life, and to remember the sunset won’t wait for you.

My twenty-second wish is a special one.  My wish is that when I begin to forget that God is with me, may he give me that gentle nudge, that hand on my shoulder and remind me that he is in control.  That when I get impatient I be reminded that the holy spirit doesn’t need my help.

My twenty-third wish is for me.  May I be inspired daily by the things around me.  May I learn to be comfortable with who I am and to love it.  May I learn to open up, trust more, love deeper and take chances.   I wish for a year full of love, discovery, acceptance, faith, hope, growing faith and big dreams.  May I experience my life to the fullest.  May I never fear what is just over the horizon.  Above all, may I never forget the things that matter most.

What would you wish for?

God Wants You to Know

God wants you to know... that faith is exactly what it takes to get through uncertainty. Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!

(found on a friend's Facebook, pretty cool though, right?)

So keep the faith.  And when you see someone's light begin to dim, share some of your faith flame with them.  Keep them burning.  Let's light up the world.