Let your heart, sweetheart, be your compass when your lost....

Lots of hard stuff lately, yeah, that's totally true, and while there is a lot of suffering there is a lot of overcoming, too, you know?

And people are at their best, and their worst when they're waist deep in hard.

I've really been trying to appreciate and be thankful for simple things lately because i'm not fancy or hard to please, and really, even though things always seems to be upside down, i'm really happy, and actually i feel kind of blessed for my heart to beat the way it does. I mean sometimes it gets me into trouble, but for the most part, I think it's pretty great.

So, because I like simple, and I like lists...here's some things that currently have a pretty good grasp on my heart

1. Hot chocolate
2. The holiday season
3. slow moving morning with lis. (i like the rhythms we get into, right now, this is my favorite)
4. After school homework time with Nick
5. the song "God Gave Me You"
6. Christmas Lights,
7. laughing
8. Inside jokes
9. the heat
10. baking...well...i mean...kind of. (read:chatting with lisa as she bakes)
11. memories.
12. story tellin'
13. crafts
14. Parenthood. obviously.
15. Jesus
16. my people
17.  Anchors
18. the smell of the change of season
19. Cinnamon.
20. Candles
21. words. books. brilliantly crafted lines that hit you right in the heart.
22. smiling
23. rosey cheeks
24. mittens
25. THANKSGIVING.
26. traditions
27. cardigans
28. scarves
29. coffee
30. worship music
31. My youth group girls.
32. 180
33. My college girl.
34. clean sheet days.
35. the smell of laundry
36. i'm really into appreciating moments where words aren't needed.
37. knowing you're loved
38. huggin' the people like a lot
39. working with so many people i love
40. having hard conversations but not being scared.
41. telling people i love them.
42. writing
43 making play lists.
45. this time in my life.
46. Africa.
47. babies
48. Understanding my family on a whole new level.
49. guitars
50. becoming. ever evolving.

I knew that summer and fall were going to wreck me, and it's been kind of a cluster but in the most rewarding way. God gives us lots of opportunities to love each other well, and to try, and to do things that Jesus would do.

I know, i'm not perfect and i know i get in my own head a lot and lose my cool....but man, i've learned a lot. my roots have grown deeper, i'm pruning and bearing good fruit...the process is kind of ridiculous, but....i'm kind of cool with it. It means we're living and growing and changing.

i mean....half full, right?