Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's hodgepodge post. I'll jump right in!
1. Do you goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. Lately my goals have been life giving! I'm on a clock and have been on a mission to organize things in my home; I've gotten rid of a lot of things the last couple of weeks, and I'm still going strong! I'm the type of person who is easily overwhelmed; I have to bite off things in small chunks. I take things slowly, so I do one area at a time and then I move on. If I didn't do things like that, I would be mentally exhausted and unable to function.
I have home improvement projects on my brain, so this is what I'm talking about.
2. July 23rd is National Lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor? What's a favorite dish or beverage that calls for lemons? I love lemon flavored things! I love limoncello...so a lemon drop martini made with that is one of my favorite summer cocktails. I love lemon meringue pie...but my favorite? Without a doubt, my favorite dish that calls for lemon zest and juice is chicken piccata. My stepdad Bill makes the very best!
3. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade..."is this something you're pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so, tell us about a time that you had to do that. I think I'm really good at managing life when it gives me lemons; I am an eternal optimist, so this is partly the reason why. I also firmly believe that the Lord allows for things to happen a certain way for a greater purpose; it may be something I see in my lifetime, or it may not be anything I see while I'm alive on earth. But I know without a shadow of doubt that God is good; His ways and plan for my life are far greater than anything I could ever dream up on my own!
The time I thought of is present day; I didn't think I'd be working full time (out of necessity, and not for pleasure) at the age I am today. But God...and I'll pause here, because that's my favorite phrase. God had different plans for me, and I am grateful! My life is full, rewarding, and rich with meaning; it's not the easiest life, but I'm okay with that. God doesn't promise a life without trouble, but He promises to be with us for every step. He's with me on the mountain top, and He's with me in the valley, and I have seen Him many times in both places. In the words of my favorite speaker/author Sophie Hudson, won't He do it?
I love it when He meets me in my priority time in the mornings; I don't necessarily have to be sitting reading the Bible for Him to show up, either. He meets me as I get dressed in the mornings and am praying; He meets me as I worship in song in the privacy of my own home; He is near me as I drive and talk to Him along my way. He meets me as I read His word and He meets me as I listen to His word being read to me. Time with Him is life changing and always so, so good.
4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color? I love lots of yellow things!
- Chris' bike
- yellow nails
- drawings that use yellow
- my phone case
- the sunshine
- flowers
- the yellow dress I bought from Old Navy
- Belle from Beauty and the Beast
- yellow gold
- Chris' smile behind this yellow cup from Brother Juniper's
- pineapple soft serve margaritas
- graphics from Instagram that talk about yellow and how it's so much more than just a color
5. How would you describe your attention to detail? It depends on what I'm focusing on. I've always called myself the hair police and can spot almost immediately when a friend changes her hair in some way. I have one friend in particular that this was always the case with; for years I admired her hair, and I could always tell when she'd had it colored. This was before I started paying for my own to be colored; on that note, I have a new hair stylist! This is Mallory, Drew's girlfriend.
Is this what you call "breaking up" with your hairstylist? If so, then essentially, that was what I did this week. I've loved going to Lynda for years, but it was time to move on and to let Mallory start doing my hair; she's in the process of building her client list, and I am more than happy to add my name to her list of people!
To get back to the original question of how I'd describe my attention to detail, I think my attention to the small details is decent when I'm hosting or when I'm a guest in someone's home. I love attention to detail, and the last time this stood out to me was when I was dog sitting for my friend a few weekends ago (over the fourth of July weekend). My friend Beth has put attention into her home, and it was evident in the bathroom I was using while I spent the weekend there. My sister Debi is also an amazing host and puts great attention into her home; this stands out to me, because I'm not quite as good at this kind of thing. I would love to be better at this and aim to improve! When it comes to details of things that I hear someone tell me, that's when I get lost.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
While I was getting dressed on Monday, I heard some commotion from the dogs that were downstairs; they were going crazy something outside. I looked out the window and saw someone drive off in a gray truck and I wondered what that was about. I didn't think anything else about this until I went to leave for lunch; I opened the front door to water the flowers first and saw a package. When I opened it up, this was what was inside, but with no card!
How sweet, right? I did later find out that my friend Kathy from church gave me these things, and my best friend Missy's husband is the one who dropped it off for me. I share all of this to say that I have the sweetest, most thoughtful friends. I feel like the most fortunate person in the world, friends. I thank God everyday for this life that I get to live; for my family, my friends, Chris...I am so grateful for all of this and for these wonderful people the Lord has given me.
It's your turn! I'm excited to read your answers to the prompts today. Thanks for reading my blog, friends! I'll see you back here tomorrow; love to all.
Jen
