Day 14 —A moment I felt most satisfied with my life

12/20/11
This is a really difficult question to answer. There's not one point where I can automatically look & say "Hey! That defines complete satisfaction in my life!" When I sit and think about all that satisfaction means to the Christian, I am to be most satisfied every moment. And, well, I guess for the most part I am. God is good & makes my life joyful. Every moment, good or bad, is a time to learn. When I'm focused on the Cross, yeah, I'm completely 100% satisfied.

Day 13 — Something I want to buy

Fair warning: this post may end up running long!

There are so many things I would love to buy that I have to keep myself in check. How do I do this? I don't buy a thing for myself-I try to limit my spending to what I definitely need(like shampoo & toothpaste) & things for others. Seriously. If I buy one thing(like that dress) it will set the wheels in motion and before I know it, I'll have a whole bunch of STUFF that I don't NEED. A couple weeks ago I had to clean out my closet and ended up getting rid of at least 6 pairs of shoes. Shoes & bags are my weaknesses. If you see me heading into Payless, come rescue me!
And that brings me to my first want:
A pair of bright red TOMS. I've been in love with these for years. Maybe I should take the dress back & get these? :)

I also think this is the coolest mug I've ever seen in my life(though I don't think I'll ever buy it *good gift hint hint* kidding!):

But, then there are things that I want/need. I have a Canon Rebel XS. And I really want/need to develop my photography skills. I like taking close up shots, thus I need a macro lens

Oh, and some sort of flash(http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/speedlite_flash_lineup) because the one I currently have is not mine. My sweet friend is generously letting my borrow it. I love friends, don't you? :)

And then there's always that endless list of books for my Kindle, the passport for my dream trip to Italy...or really anywhere, and of course, the car I've been desiring. Yeah, I could come up with a really long list. What do I need? Nothing. Seriously, there is not one thing I can think of that I need right now. I have all of the necessities and then some...okay and then a LOT. God has truly blessed me with more than enough. I've got good friends, family that loves me, clothes for my back & food for my belly. When it comes down to that, honestly, what more could you really WANT? 

Day 12 — Something I bought recently

This is my most recent purchase(yesterday). I tried this on at Target & loooved it. I may take it back, though. I hate paying full price...and I don't know when/where I'll wear the thing. I'm used to buying things after the season, on sale. So I'm having a hard time with this purchase. It's the most I've paid for an article of clothing since I bought my wool coat back in 2006(and that was a whopping $50). So, what do you think, should I suck it up & keep the gorgeous $32 dress that I have no idea where I'll wear it? Or should I take it back & take my chances getting it in a couple months?

Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently

This was taken just a few days ago when my younger brother & I were making our world famous butter cookies(okay, they're famous in OUR world :) This is a Christmastime tradition. No other time throughout the year do we make these cookies...which is probably good considering how they're packed full of butter & sugar. This year we made the entire batch-15 dozen!..without a single accident/burn. Score! :)

Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago

Day 09 — Pet peeves

I've been sick this past week(boo allergies!), so I'm playing a few days worth of catch-up.

Honestly there are a lot of things that "peeve" me. I'm working on just letting go & not worrying myself over every little thing. But there are a few things that really irritate me. I cannot stand when people speak incorrectly, using the wrong form/tense of a word, such as, ate instead of eaten. When people use the incorrect word while writing REALLY gets under my skin. It's not that difficult---your, you're, they're, there, their, two, too, to, buy, by & any other that you can think of. They each have THEIR own purpose and meaning.

Learn it. Love it. Write by it.

Day 08 — Favorite comfort foods

The first thing that comes to mind when you say comfort foods? Swedish pancakes. Our family has a super awesome, super secret recipe that has been my favorite food since...well, ever since I can remember(okay maybe it was a tie between the cakes & Lucky Charms when I was 5)! Think a crepe(only a million times better) with butter smoothed over one whole side, and plenty of powdered sugar sprinkled over the entire pancake. Roll it up & eat while hot. Mmmmm! This is the food I requested after I had my wisdom teeth removed. I probably shouldn't have tried to eat them, but it was worth every ounce of pain. I always have to talk my family into having them(we eat them for dinner...nutritious, huh?). If I had my way, we'd have them once a week. Them? Once a month...maybe. But for me, Swedish Pancakes are the ultimate pick me up.

[Next to that is, of course, chocolate. This girl loves chocolate. Place it in front of me & it's GONE. The down side? I'm allergic. Yeah, my sinuses dislike any hint of dairy. So I'm trying to find new comfort foods that exclude dairy. But really, what's so comforting about that?! :) ]

Day 07 — A favorite photo

This is one of my favorite photos of all time. That woman getting ready for her wedding, yeah, she's my Grandmother. She died of cancer before my parents even met. I'm her namesake. I'm also told that my eyes are just like hers. I love this photo for so many reasons- its from the '50s, black & white, I looove wedding pictures, & it gives me a beautiful connection to the woman  I never knew. 

Day 06 —Something I have learned

Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!

Day 05 — A favorite quote

I discovered this quote years ago & have been in love with it ever since. What true words from Spurgeon! 

"Give thyself unto reading. The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own." -Charles Spurgeon

Day 04 — A favorite book I could read over and over again

Honestly, I can't think of a book that I desperately want to read again. Don't get me wrong-I LOVE reading. I'll read just about anything & everything. And I think that's where I get caught up with this one. There are SO many books out there. So many sentences, paragraphs, articles dying to be read. I don't have enough time to read all that I want to read, so why waste more time reading something I've already read? I also tend to retain what I read. Whenever I DO go reread something, it's usually just for reference. Anyway, if you told me that I HAD to reread a book, I think I would choose C.S. Lewis' masterpiece that is "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." I remember reading that one as a little girl & being completely mesmerized by everything in it. It's the first time I remember wanting to be in a book. Every since then I've thought about reading it over again, but just haven't made the time. Hmm, maybe one day? :)

And if that answer doesn't satisfy you, I'll give you some genres that I've enjoyed reading this year. Socialism, feminism, womanhood. They all tie together. I am more curious than ever about the whole Socialist religion/cult. I've read the autobiography for Richard Wurmbrand and found that completely fascinating & terrifying at the same time. I also read a great book on daughterhood that brought my attention to the whole socialist/feminist agenda. I think those two books have been my favorites that I've read this past year because of all that I've learned from them. (*I do not agree with everything written in either book. But I do recommend the reading of both!) So maybe I'll reread "Dawn Treader" & "So Much More" one day. I know I'll definitely be keeping the latter near by for quick reference.

Day 03 —If I had a million dollars, how would I spend it?

I would get that great dress that I just tried on. Oh, and those shoes I've been eyeing for months. After that...well I'd still have about $999,925.00. I'd definitely invest some. I'd also like to put some money aside to build a home for orphans. I'd give directly to missionaries. I'd give to those families in my city that I know are struggling. But, closest to my heart, I'd give back to my parents. They have sacrificed so much for me, given me so much. I'd like to invest in their company, get them that new computer, get them that little vehicle that gets good gas mileage, & take away some of the day to day struggle. I'd love to see them have most of that money because they'd be well taken care of & I know that they'd spend it well---giving to others. That's where I would start...with my family. I'd make sure they were well taken care of before any of that million went anywhere else. The dress & shoes can wait. As much as I love those children across the world, I must take care of my family first. If I had one million dollars, I would spend it beginning at home. From there, it would reach across the globe. After all, it's not MY million dollars, it's God's. I'm just commanded to be a good steward of what's HIS.

Day 02 —Where I would like to be in 10 years

What a loaded thought! Next week is difficult enough to plan. I can only imagine how different my life will be 10 years from today. I could write about the lovely place I would like to be living, with all the beautiful people. Or I could write about what I imagine my husband and house full of children to be like. But, I just have no idea. None. But there is a surety of where, beyond a shadow of doubt, I would like to be when I am nearly 30 years old. I want to be loving the Lord even more than I do now. I want to be serving my family-whether that includes a husband & kids or my parents and siblings. I want to be serving my Family- you know, those people who are Brothers & Sisters through Christ's shed blood, fellow heirs with Him? I want to be serving the lost. I want to show them what it means to be a child of God through my entire life. Wherever I go I want people to see the work of the Almighty. Whoever I am now and whoever I am in 10 years is only accomplished by God's power. Trust me, if there is ANY good in my, it is truly of Him. So at the close of 2021(wow!) I want to be more faithful to my Savior. Yes, I would absolutely love for my ministry to be that of marriage and motherhood. But I may make my own plans, but they are not firm. HIS plans, however, have been set in stone since before time began. Crazy thought, huh? And that fact is one of the reasons that I can have Peace, whatever may come today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. God is Sovereign.

Day 01- A Fun Fact About Me

Is it just me or is it difficult to come up with a "fun fact" about oneself? Some things that you may find as a "fun fact" may just be a normal every day sort of thing for me. So here's one fact that I absolutely love:

I was born on my mother's birthday. That day also happened to be her grandparents wedding anniversary. I love these two facts. It makes me feel closer to my great-grandparents(I only met my grandfather a couple of times & never met my grandmother-she died 2 years before my birth). I also love that my Mama & I have a special day to share. Every year she tells me "Katie, you can have your own day, we'll just celebrate mine another day." But I always tell her that I was born on HER birthday & I was born on that day for a reason. Since I've gotten older we make that day a special Mommy-Daughter day. The guys in the family have sent us to the theatre, we've gotten our hair done, we've gone shopping. It's such a special day to spend time with my Mama. And I cherish it. Each and every year.

And so it begins...

I figure a way to start out my blog will be to let you get to know me a little bit. I'm not fully sure as to what I will write about here. I'm sure it will end up being endless ramblings of some of my favorite things--God, theology, womanhood, crafting, homemaking, my family, my friends & whatever catches my fancy. I must warn you now, I use way too many smiley faces. Why? Because plain text doesn't fully get my expression across. I smile. Most of the time. I can't say all because there are those exceptions when I'm sad or angry(I am a fallen human being. But my goal in life is to glorify my Creator). So here the journey begins, with a 30 day list so that you may get to know this author....and give me time to figure out some topics! :)

Day 01 —A fun fact about me

Day 02 —Where I would like to be in 10 years
Day 03 —If I had a million dollars, how would I spend it?
Day 04 — A favorite book I could read over and over again
Day 05 — A favorite quote
Day 06 —Something I have learned
Day 07 — A favorite photo
Day 08 — Favorite comfort foods
Day 09 — Pet peeves
Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently
Day 12 — Something I bought recently
Day 13 — Something I want to buy
Day 14 —A moment I felt most satisfied with my life
Day 15 — Somewhere I’d like to move/visit
Day 16 —Someone who fascinates me
Day 17 — A photo of my family
Day 18 —Something I miss
Day 19 — A favorite song
Day 20 — A hobby of mine
Day 21 — Bullet my entire day
Day 22 — A favorite joke
Day 23 — A video
Day 24 —10 people, dead or alive, whom I would invite to dinner (and the dinner menu)
Day 25 — A picture of something that makes me happy
Day 26 —My dream home
Day 27 — A child I love
Day 28 —Highs/lows of this year
Day 29 — Goals for the next 30 days
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days