seeking beauty

I know I've been posting a lot of New Years themed posts, but I'm inspired by the new beginning I have and I'm excited about the changes I'm planning to make not only in my lifestyle, but in my head and my heart. 

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I figured out what I want. I want beauty.

What a shallow definition of this word I have held recently! How unwilling I have been to truly seek it!

But I'm ready to seek it now. I want it. I ache for a truly beautiful life. A truly happy life. I look to God and see it in him; I look at his creation, and I look at work. Hard work. Oh, how beautiful work is! I think coming out of Christmas break has taught me that. I'm ready to not slack off or give less than my best.

My theme for this year is to seek beauty. It dawned on me suddenly, as I was sitting in Latin class copying down translations. It didn't announce itself with drums and trumpets. It was like waking up in the morning, sitting up in bed, and not feeling the least bit tired. Just refreshed with this new and glorious ambition to find beauty wherever I can.

Here's to a beautiful two thousand and fourteen.

s

painted letters // on new year's resolutions.

Then I saw the view, and I understood.

    I understood why it's harder to let go than I thought; just like new-year's resolutions are forgotten on January second unless they are painted in big, bold letters on a bedroom wall. And even then, it takes a truly willing spirit to try and comprehend those painted letters.

    Because sometimes I think I have it all. The full package. Everything I need. But the truth is, I don't. And I try, and try. And try. And I try until I've pulled out all the stops, and I don't know where to go next or even if there's another place to go at all. So I open my heart for a minute. Just a minute, and I let anything come in that wishes to. And mostly, I'm surprised by what shows up there.

    It's not me. It can't be, if it's new, can it?

The old thoughts have been thought before. They were helpful then, but I need something that's helpful now. I need new ideas and new plans and new ambitions. I've worn out the old ones. They remind me of my old life; my limited, boring little existence that led me here.

    I don't want to make any more mistakes, but I'll make them. And then I can laugh at myself because I'm free to do so. And then maybe I'll move up north and work in a minimum-wage coffee shop, with stories wafting around the room and snow falling as softly and as freely as I fell into my new life.

    Everyone's got painted letters. But mine can't say the same thing as anyone else's. If they did, I might as well be mourned and buried, my copied letters painted over.

    No. My painted letters have to scream my name and my imagination.

Then I walked away, the view in my mind's photo album and it's message painted on my bedroom wall. 



s

two thousand and fourteen.

(found on Pinterest)

 
(ignore the fact that it says 2013 :D)

A bad habit I'm going to break: Biting my fingernails. It's one of those things that you wish you could stop doing, but CAN'T. 

A new skill I'd like to learn: How to play the guitar.

A person I hope to be more like: Two people come to mind for this one:

 one) My mom, because she works so hard for our family and is always attentive to our needs. She struggles sometimes with insomnia and minor health issues, but she always wakes up bright and early and doesn't seem a bit tired. I want to have her tireless, enduring spirit and her incredible work ethic. 

two) My French teacher, Mme Bitton. Her love for Jesus and passion for her work is so inspiring. Every class,she asks for prayer requests, and ALWAYS starts out her prayers with "Lord, I thank you. I thank you SO MUCH." She not only inspires me in my faith, but also with her love for all of her students and her eagerness to help us learn. 

A good deed I'm going to do: I want to let my faith shine out of me more, so that I can impact my small corner of the world with the light that God has given me.

A place I'd like to visit: NOT going to pick just one. 

one) France (mainly Paris, but other areas would be nice, too)

two) California

three) Disney World

four) Lots more that I can't think of right now but will think of as soon as I hit "Publish" for this post.

A book I'd like to read: Gosh darn it there are SO many. Here are five that I can think of off the top of my head:

one) (Finish) The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

two) The rest of the Heroes of Olympus series - Rick Riordan

three) The LOTR trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien

four) The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling

five) David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

A letter I'm going to write: To V, my compassion girl.

A new food I'd like to try: I would like to delve deeper into the world of Indian food. Also, legit French bread and the like wouldn't be all bad.

I'm going to do better at: School and building relationships. 

I'd love to see how you all answer these questions! I didn't make up these questions but I'm giving you permission to use them on your own blog (or even just in the comments section). Haha. Link to your blog in a comment if you do it so I can seeee! :)

s

new year musings

     Yesterday was the last day of 2011. Today is the first day of the year 2012––a fresh new year, the first two months of which will be filled with writing "2011" on biology quizzes and then erasing it because it isn't 2011 anymore.

      I would like to post a quote from one of my favorite books (Anne's House of Dreams - in the Anne of Green Gables series).

"I reckon that whatever the New Year brings us will be the best the Great Captain has for us––and somehow or other we'll all make port in a good harbor."

     I love thinking of the New Year this way. The new year is filled with the best that God, or the "Great Captain," has for us. God only has the best in store for us! Doesn't that make you feel so secure?

     It's this true security, security that comes from casting your cares on God, that assures us that the best is in store for us, and that we will "all make port in a good harbor."

     My new year's resolution is to live every day to the fullest, to the glory of God. I want to run for the eternal prize, like Paul talks about in Philippians 3:14: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 


     Happy new year, everyone! What are some of your new year's resolutions?

-Sarah :)