Rescued from Darkness and Brought into the Kingdom

The thing that I am thankful for today has made my day a good one. I thought about it right when I woke up at 6AM today and my day has been different than recent days because of it. If only I truly understood this each and every single day, I would experience a joy that could not be shaken.

I read a great blog post from Steph last night, then I printed it off because I knew I needed to be reminded over and over, and I read it again as I was getting ready this morning.

The end of her post says:

If you have nothing else to be thankful for, be thankful that, if you know Christ, you have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of the Son who God loves, in whom you have redemption!

So, all the mornings I wake up in a bad mood. The days that I feel sorry for myself because I have bad grades. The times that I think about how bad my year has been. The times last year when I thought that nothing could get worse and it did. The weeks that I spent complaining about my joints hurting.

Well, for all those times, WHAT was I thinking?

I have been rescued from the darkness. Jesus died for me. God loves me enough to let His Son die. The Holy Spirit speaks to me even today. What could be better?

If during those days of darkness, hopelessness, battling of the mind, tension, illness... If those days bring me closer to Him, bring 'em on.

I saw a quote in my journal, and I don't know where it's from, but I don't think I made it up, and it says, "everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus." (I think it's a paraphrase of Phil 3:8)

The things that I think count so much [grades, surface relationships, stress, clothes, my well-being, future jobs] aren't worth even a smidgen compared to knowing Jesus. And I think in my life, God has had to take some of those things away from me, and it's been painful, but I think that I'll look back and be thankful for a few miserable college semesters, because in the long run, that misery will make a bigger difference in my life than having a few fun-filled, care-free college semesters would have made.

And I'd rather have that. I'd rather suffer and really know Jesus.

So, last night I prayed that the Lord would do whatever He wanted to in my life, whether it was in the "plan" or not, just as long as it brings me closer to him. And, that was a scary thing to do.

I woke up at 1:20 and was lying in bed, and got a phone call which I thought was my alarm clock going off so I grabbed my phone and clicked the button which answered the private number, and so then I had to say hello. The person on the other line said, "Dis Mel?" I tried to sound awake and replied, "Yes." The man just breathed in the phone for a few long seconds and then hung up.

I'm not sure if I was being ridiculous, but I got really scared as I was lying in bed. Immediately, I thought, God do you have a stalker in mind to draw me nearer to You? Because, I really wasn't thinking you'd take me seriously so quickly, and please, not a stalker. Please God.

I started praying to God that I wouldn't see a shadow in my window (big imagination + middle of the night) and that I could go back to sleep.

But I started thinking, what a blessing it is that I have GOD on my side! Yeah, we have the God who made this entire universe taking care of us. Everything won't be easy and safe, but it will be good and we will thrive with Him, no matter the circumstance.

Because I have been rescued from that dreary, dark night (literally and figuratively) and brought into the brilliant daylight, and it's nothing I did. I was able to wake up refreshed. And let me tell you, that wasn't my doing. I used to not be able to sleep in my 2nd story bedroom alone because there was a window behind my headboard.



That's something to be thankful for. Be joyful. As a believer, you have the most amazing gift and blessing that you could ever imagine.

Those little things from past days, yeah I'm thankful for them, but this thing, this being rescued by the God of everything- it's everlasting, forever, mind-boggling, life-changing- it is the only thing that will ever satisfy me and you.

And the word thankful, well it really can't describe my appreciation for it.

Thank Him, praise Him, honor Him, sing about Him, rave about Him, adore Him, and love Him, because even if nothing else appears 'good' in your life, you have been rescued from darkness forever, and can now experience the Kingdom of God-- and that is AWESOME.

The Weather: Break or Make my Day?

It is Thankful Day Twelve!

Today I am especially thankful for the weather. The weather can make or break me. I think I've mentioned that before, but really, if I wake up to a cloudy, rainy, cold day, I have a hard time enjoying that day. I need to work on that, I know.

At any rate, I'm sitting outside right now, in the middle of November in Tennessee, in a sweater-type thing. You might actually make fun of what I'm wearing and call it a granny jacket (it actually was my grandmother's). But I don't care; it's comfortable.

(I was thinking the camera came out the other side of the computer, like a phone, so I thought I was taking a picture of the view from my balcony but it ended up being me... in my granny jacket.)

My point being is that my sweater is very light-weight and that I feel perfect out here on my balcony. Not too cold, not too hot.

And my view on this beautiful day, well, it is awesome. This is the hill that I look at each and every day that I spend here in Cuetee (my apartment complex). I look at this hill longing for the desire to walk up it for exercise, but I've only had that desire once while living here and let's just say that I had to wash my jeans and my shirt sleeves after scooting walking down.

So anyways, thank you God for these amazingly beautiful days you have given us in November. And I pray for many more to come. Please!

An Appreciation for Bowls

Thankful Day Eleven

I know I've missed about 4 days or so of being thankful, but I was just not able to pull it together enough to post. But I'm pulling myself together now so I can write to you lovely blog stalkers.

I was sick on Sunday and Monday and stayed in the bed for the majority of that time, then made myself well and went to visit my dear cousin Taylor in Nashville Tuesday so didn't arrive home until 12:30, and I'm not sure if it's AM or PM, but it's the one at night.

So today, Wednesday, I woke up for my 8 o'clock, forgot my coffee and cold medicine on the counter, went to Panera but wasn't even late to class, fell asleep in class, got a free lunch, then left early from class thinking that I'd just slip out because the teacher was out of the room. I proceeded to ask around class to see which door I should exit from so that I wouldn't run into Dr. W. Out of the three door choices to exit from, of course I chose the one where I ran straight into him, one-on-one in the hallway where I had to explain to him what I was doing. I didn't have a real reason to be leaving so I just looked like a lying idiot... "Umm, I had to leave at 1 so I just thought I'd go ahead and leave so that I didn't interrupt class." You may have had to be in the situation to see the awkwardness, but it was.

So anyways, to the point, Natalie and I decided that today we would be thankful for bowls. They are our favorite because they can be utilized for most of my favorite things--ice cream, cereal, soup, salads, mixing, and any other food you want to put in there!

It's so much easier to eat out of bowls. I mean, have you ever run out of bowls and tried eating cereal off of a plate? Don't even try. It will ruin your entire morning. And have you ever noticed that a salad tastes better when it is in a bowl? Well, it does.

The main reason I run the dishwasher at our apartment is because we run out of bowls. I guess we've been eating a little bit too much ice cream cereal and salads.

So let's give it up for bowls.


Comment and tell me any instances that you've appreciated the bowl.

Crackling Fireplaces and Down Mattress Toppers

It's Thankful Day Seven, even though I missed Thankful Day Six. But I'll tell you two things that I am thankful for today to make up for it, don't you worry!

So for yesterday, I am thankful for fires in fireplaces. I got home yesterday to find the coziest fire going, the house smelling like apple cinnamon, and my parents sitting in the living room. It was the ideal Fall scene for me growing up. Our house was always cold because of high heat bill prices earlier in the year, so to warm up, we'd gather by the fireplace. Sometimes, my mom even moved the sofa to right in front of the fireplace so that we'd have a place to sit because my entire family was gathered there around the heat just about all the time, doing homework, talking, or watching tv.)

So anyways, not only are fires warm, they are cozy, they remind me of Fall, and they bring back sweet, yet frosty memories spent with my family close.

And for today, I am thankful for mattress toppers. My bed at home, well it isn't the most comfortable bed by any means, that is, until the feather mattress topper was put on top of the other crate topper. Now it's the kind of bed where when you get in it, you sink down.

As the story goes, I moved out to go college so Mother wanted to use my room as a guest bedroom. She moved me into the worst room in the house with a mattress that was unbearable. So, I get home for Thanksgiving break freshman year and my stuff is not in the same place as I left it, and my bed was slanted sideways... Oh, thanks Mom, I wasn't planning on catching up on any sleep or anything, no big deal.

Long story short, with a little work, Mom has transformed that mattress and bed into bliss with those two layers of padding, soft sheets, a heavy down comforter and a quilt to top it off.

This is making me want to go get in bed, and I just might do that! It is getting dark... Maybe that will cancel out the fact that it is 6pm. :)

Guess What I'm Thankful For

It's Thankful Day Five!

See if you can guess what I'm thankful for on this 5th day of November...

The simple things in life make me happy, really. This item is quite a small thing, I would say no bigger than a foot tall but really skinny, it's soft and colorful, and it is flimsy.

When I go home and find that my mom has a new one, I have to spend time with it until I have thoroughly examined it, and this can take about an hour or more. Even after this, I have been known to go back through and look at them over and over because I think they are just so interesting. I have hung out with this while on my sofa, at the kitchen table, by the pool, in the car, and at Wal-Mart. I have even shared it with Merd or Mars as we sit on the sofa staring at it side-by-side.

When I am finished squandering my time with this item, I come away with tons of new ideas. I am a more creative cook, a resourceful decorator, a , and pretty much a better person all around, that is, until I forget my newfound knowledge a few hours later.

Just the site of this makes me happy.

What do you think it is?

The Real Simple Magazine

Yes, it's my favorite! Like I said, it's the things in life that are simple, really. And, I'm thankful for those little things.

Christmas Music

Thankful Day Four:

Christmas music.

Lately I've started listening to Christmas music on a regular basis. Yes, I realize that it is November 4th (and I've even enjoyed it in the summer), but I have to weight my love for the music with the fact that it is only "acceptable" to listen to it for so short a time. There are only 29 days of the year this year (from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas) to listen to it, and that is only 7.9% of the year for an entire genre of music.

Plus, it's not just any genre of music, it's a joyful one, a meaningful one, and a comforting one. When I turn it on, memories come back to me of wearing bright red sweaters with dresses and thick black tights, staring at the huge lit up star hanging off the side of the mountain, as a child in my grandmother's house playing with cousins, and sitting in church during the Christmas hymns, comparing the choir to angels. How amazing is it that we have so many songs, all to celebrate Jesus' birth?

So, that's what I'm thankful for- music that celebrates our Savior, brings childhood memories back, and never fails to bring joy and put me in a good mood.

If you're like me, go ahead and turn on the carols. Be excited for the upcoming season! (If you're not like me, I'll call you Scrooge.)

Some people have told me these past few days what they are thankful for, so I thought I'd include the ones that I can remember:

-The ability to smell, specifically Glade Cinnamon Spice plug-ins

-10 fingers and 10 toes

-Deodorant

-Mel (me) having eyebrows and a phone that can text

-Contacts

-Mountains in Tennessee

Thankful Day Two: Cute Little Kids

Being away from home during the school year presents one small problem: I never see little kids. That means I'm missing out on a lot!

Kids are care-free, funny, and just so little that I want to squeeze then!

So when I miss home, need a little cheering up, or am trying to find ways to procrastinate some more, I look through pictures from the summer.

And good thing I get links to blogs and e-mails with pictures like this so that I don't have to look at the same pictures over and over:

P.S. I think it helps that I have about twenty adorable little cousins who I get to be around all summer.

What are you thankful for?

November: The Thankful Month, For Real

It's November!

I love this month because it's the month when the bright red, orange, and yellow leaves contrast with these perfectly blue, cloudless skies that are lingering from October. The air is so crisp that I forget what humidity feels like. And it's just the perfect temperature to drink green tea while doing homework on the deck, meaning that it's cold enough to drink warm tea outside, yet warm enough to enjoy the outdoors without numb fingers and toes.

I'm telling you this because truly, I am dreading the winter, which makes me usually dread November because November means that the winter is on its way.

But I have decided, in light of Thanksgiving, that I am going to be thankful for at least one thing every day.

I'll keep you posted and I hope you'll join in and be thankful.

So, to start off, today I am thankful that my hair does not look like this any longer:

Enough said, you understand why, right? I'm kind of embarrassed that I even showed you this picture. Hopefully the man of my dreams doesn't type in on google: how to put gas in a boat, then find that my blog pops up first (yes, it's true!) and then he clicks on A Piece of Pie and just finds this picture. Boy, would I have no hope at all.

Long story short, the woman butchered my hair.

So to sum it all up, I am thankful that I can look at myself in the mirror without laughing.