as opposed to “hello”

heh

Happy New Years Eve everyone! I am back in Virginia after THE car ride from hell. Hahah for reals it was terrible because I was extremely nauseous the entire day. Yeaaaah I ended up throwing up the night before at 3am after going to bed at 9pm. I dunno what it was but that nausea was real and no joke annnd throwing up helped a leetle beet but I still felt sick all day ;( which is a terrible way to feel before going on a suuuuuuuuuper long car ride. I don’t recommend it, or wish it upon anyone!

Thankfully my little broski drove all da way from New Hampshire to Harrisburg PA where he caught a bus back to Pittsburgh. I tried driving for a little bit after he had driven for 4+ hours but I couldn’t keep my eyes open so we switched back and he drove the last hour! It was really sad hahaha

When he started driving I took 750mg of Tylenol and proceeded to nap. I took a 20 minute cat nap which was AMAZING and definitely drooled inside of my coat hood. Hahaaaaa I needed that. Tell-tale sign of having fallen asleep.

I considered spending the night in Harrisburg and finishing off the drive the next morning (today) but I am SO glad I was able to do it last night. It was only 4 hours and 20 minutes, and I felt okay to eat some foods… which was good since I was definitely lacking in energy what-with having thrown up what I ate the day before and not eaten all day yesterday. So I ate some food and drove Bach and got home before midnight!

Hurrah! Glad to be back in VA. Today I’ve definitely gotten a warm welcome from my housemates and have been relaxing, doing laundry, unpacking, and making sense of my bank accounts, bills, etc. Since tomorrow is January 1st, 2019 :O I wanted to make sure my accounts were all squared away for tax-purposes. Crazy mon, almost time to do taxes again. It seems only yesterday that I was paying taxes for LAST year. Hahah

But sooo much has happened since last year! Many many good things. Some ups, some downs. Had a lot of creative endeavors, grown old friendships and fostered new ones, went on adventures, had prospective relationships, beach days, bonfires, musical menageries, started latin dancing!!!!! <3 <3 <3 written a lot, discovered more of my talents and more of my weaknesses, grown closer to the Lord <3 and am happier than ever to be alive!

Cheers to 2019. God knows what this year will bring! Published books? Marriage? Traveling? Love? Hope? Joy? Probably hardship, suffering, and testing too. Life on earth is wild ride, that’s for sure! But I am thankful to be alive! Thankful to not be feeling sick anymore.

Thankful for my jobs.

<3

Thankful for my house.

<3

Thankful for my loved ones.

<3

Thankful for joy and hope and love!

<3

Thankful for my God!

<3

Let’s enter into this year giving thanks for all that we have, all the places we’ve come from, the progress we’ve made, and the hope that promises life, and life to the full. <3

🙂

Let’s think of more ways to give back and serve, and live our lives outwardly focused.

<3

There’s so much beauty around … if you only are looking for it. <3

What’re you thankful for?

xxx

V

so uhh

I went to Chunky’s with my family today and we saw Mary Poppins Returns. It was pretty cute! I got a burger with bacon and cheese on it though annnnd tater tots annnnnd I feel sooo tired and full now. And that was four hours ago that I ate that. Haaha whyyyyyyeeeeee

it’s only 8:37 and too early to go to bed! Plus my lil bro and I are leaving to head back down south at 8:00am. So I kinda think I should hang with fam

but then i’m here typing to the internets instead. hahaah but lesbehonest this post is NAHT gonna take all that long!

ALSO I got monies to put towards an audio interface for Christmas which I’m SUPARE excited about because that means I can start recording some tunes en mi casa! The only flaw with that plan is I am so dang busy and never home. LOL

Soooo I’ma have to make time to record la musica. Fo reals. And write. Fo reals. Though I do just kinda wanna get up earlies each day and write then. But I usually am bible studying in the mornings and only have time for that. SOo

But then also I want to try only sleeping for 6-7 hours a night instead of 7-8. Although I always seem to require way more sleep than I allot for myself. But then again that may have to do with making poor eating choices. Hahah it’s not like I feel bad about myself for eating junk nowadays, but eating junk does make my phyical body feel mehhhhh

Like the mountain of tots I ate with linner earlier. That may be contributing to my lethargy. But also idk, I’ve felt nauseous on and off all day. Well, mainly in the car ride on the way to and from Chunks. Granted it’s a 45-50 minute ride and I was sitting in the back seat. It’s so weird to have sat there cuz I can’t remember the last time I did sit in the back of a car if not for a short trip. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Anyways. 2 days til NYE and I don’t have plans solidified. With the exception of knowing I will be salsa dancing somewhere 😉 <3 😉 <3

Ahhh.

OH GUYS last night I met a born again Christian at a local bar! It was super encouraging because I often think of New England as so dead and dark spiritually (cuz it IS super weird up here) but GOD IS WORKING!!! #emmanuel #Godwithus #lightwins #victory

I dunno if it makes any sort of sense to use hashtags on WordPress but I don’t really care because they really help sum up how I feel about meeting that Christian.

AHhh… I am all packed for my trip and contemplating going to freakin bed hahaha I’m a bum. but really, I’m not a bum at all. I have been running around doing shtuff all dang week. So many plans with so many peoples (including spending time with my family members) but it has taken a lot of energy! And I really haven’t had much alone time. And there’s been lots of music playing in the background nonstop which begins to irritate me for sure after a while. Plus I walked 5 miles with my dad, then hiked a mountain the next day, then walked several miles today, all in the cold weather (which is fine cuz I stayed warm with my clothes) but yknow my body is tired.

Emotional shtuff regarding family affects me as well. and then tomorrow will be in da car for 13 hours soo there’s that. But I’m excited to be back in VA! Fo sho.

8:51 can I go to bed now? Lol

I mean nobody is stopping me. I would kinda rather go to bed meow and then get up and have some quiet reading and writing time in the morning while drinking some cawfee, and then maybe talk to my stepma and dad before leaving. I just pray my little brother gets up. Also he is not packed and his area looks like a sty. By area I mean sleeping/room area. lollll felt the need to clarify that for whatever reason.

Also, what I learned today (for the 50th time in my life) is when something is bothering me about somebody, it’s best to go to that very person and bring it up rather than avoiding them and the situation and letting the thing fester. Especially if they have no idea that you are bothered. so that has been my world the last couple days and today I bit the bullet and called the person and we had a great conversation and now everything is fine! even better than before honestly. so that’s a thing!

yuuuuuuuuup

mmk that’s enough for now! more l8r frands!

xoxox

<3

V

guys!

sometimes on Mondays and Thursdays my friend and I get bagels. well, I pick up bagels for the two of us. I go to one of two Panera’s along the route from my house to her house. One of the Panera’s is surely lucky because I keep getting free stuff whenever I go in!

On my birthday the chica helping me didn’t charge me for the three cream cheeses I ordered (valued at $1.30 each!) and then she asked me what my favorite pastry was and gave it to me. She might do this for all her customers, buuuuut it still made me feel special! 😀 I asked for a chocolate chip cookie and she gave me one. After I paid, she grabbed another cookie and shoved it into the bag with my bagels! Yaaaaaaaaas happy birthday to meeeeeee happy birthday to meeeee!

<3

It’s been about six weeks since I went to that Panera, and I went back today. There was a fellow working there that I had never seen before. When I walked up to the register he said “my goodness, your eyes are beautiful! Lord have mercy.” hahaha 😛

I ordered my usual four bagels and three cream cheeses, which usually comes to $9.70. He rang it up and then starting typing all sorts of things on the computer. Next thing you know my total went down to $3.39! He handed me the receipt and said “I gave you my discount.” hahaha YAS!

When he handed me the bagels, he grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and gave me that as well. YAAAAAS hahahah

I was blessed. Very blessed. Smiling Broadly! 😀 Thanks God.

God blesses me with fun foods all the time. I am so thankful. Life is truly about the little things.

Plus, my friend was going to treat us to the bagels today sooo she was super happy that errthang was 1/3 of the price! $$$$$ <3 She said “You’re always getting free stuff. I have to take you everywhere.” 🙂

Giving is sooo much better than receiving. I mean, obviously receiving is awesome too!!!!!!!!!! Blessed me like crazy. But I do love giving.

Go out and give today people! Give.

xxx

hey guyz

It’s been a little bit so I jest wanted to write a wee post for the sake of it!

I’m currently at work and my client and my boss are both sleeping. I was kinda sleeping there for a second too. Maybe it’s the couches. Or the time of day. Maybe it’s the weather. Or we’re all just tired. Regardless of the reason, I am happy for this bit of quiet…

Though now I’ve got my shoulders all tensed up as I type this out thinking the sound of typing is too loud and going to wake them up.

Aside from that it’s 3:55 which means 2 annoying clocks are about to go off in birdsong and loud chiming to mark the sixteenth hour. There’s nothing I can do about that! I wonder if at that point my boss will get up and move since he’ll have been there an hour.

Interesting post, aye.

isn’t this darling? It’s a little Christmas village that lives on the countertop around Christmas time. Though last year it stayed out til almost June!!!!!! I jjust think of that Gretchen Wilson song “Redneck Woman”

“And I keep my Christmas lights on on my front porch all year long” hehe

and this <3 <3 <3 ahhh I love shiny & bright Christmas objects 😀

HE DIDN’T WAKE UP 😀 😀

Though I am being needed elsewhere. I shall return.

Hey there

I’m off work now! And diffusing oils from my amazingggggg new essential oil diffuser! Check it out using this link!

https://us.nyrorganic.com/shop/corp/area/shop-online/category/diffusers/product/8506/white-aromatherapy-essential-oil-diffuser/

Though this one is essentially the same 😉

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And cheaper 😛

AHhhh I’m feeling better already. I mean, I think I’ve been feeling gradually better and better all day, but there were a couple moments when I was like ummmmmm am I worse? WHAT’S GOING ON I’VE LITERALLY DONE NOTHING

except worked. there was that whole working 9-6 thing.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell if moving more is what I need, or if resting is what I need. But I think this time it’s rest. I don’t think I’ll regret resting more 🙂

So now I work on dutiful & productive writing projects. (this one wasn’t included but I guess it could be… lol)

God bless & hava great Saturday night everyone!

xxx

<3

Lately I’ve been thinking of my thoughts as boxcars on one long train. What’s in the box cars (my thoughts) determine the direction of the train. If the box cars are filled with negative, disappointed, downtrodden, pessimistic, self-loathing thoughts, I am more likely to commit actions that speak these thoughts out loud.

For example:

If I am thinking about how much I regret doing something and how I cannot believe I have done something for the millionth time and all of the consequences that are likely to come, I create anxiety and stress in my body. And then I feel worse physically. Which makes me even more upset emotionally/mentally.

And then my actions are determined by how I am now feeling.

See, words have the power to bring life OR death.

Proverbs 18:21 says “death and life are in the power of the tongue”.

I think we can apply this to our thought life as well. After all, we are called to take EVERY thought captive.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5

So what does it mean to take every thought in my thought train captive? Well one thing that means is I need to set aside some time to figure out what’s on that train. Or, as thoughts pop up and cross through my mind I should ask myself

• is that thought of the Lord?
• does that thought bring life?
• does that thought glorify Christ?

If the answer to the above three questions is “no” we need to redirect the thought., change it or ask the Lord to take it.

Our thought life matters. The things we think about affect our actions.

Besides seeing what thoughts are already on the train and addressing the negative ones that bring death when they pop up, we can also take measures to control our future thought life by choosing to fill our heads with things that bring life!

My dad once said “we think about the things we put into our minds”. So what am I filling my mind with? What music? What television shows or movies? What images? What books or articles or philosophies?

I praise God for His book of truth, the bible, which is living and active and speaks life to me every time I open it. Reading the bible daily in the morning (preferably) is one way that I fill my head with goodness and truth. Another is choosing to listen to and watch things that make me more pure, holy, upright, and Christ-like.

There’s a lot of junk out there nowadays. A lot of lifestyles that are depicted as normal, but aren’t. When we indulge in watching and listening to things that aren’t of God, we start to see them as normal, and get confused as to what IS right or wrong anymore. If we even knew what was right and wrong in the first place.

I want my thought train, conscious and subconscious, to reflect Christ. I want it to be pure. I don’t want it to lead me into temptation or anger or selfishness or hatred or discord. I want to fill my mind with things that bring me life.

That means there are certain things I gotta say “no” to doing, watching, listening to.

Fill yourself with goodness! Trash in, trash out is the same concept. 🙂

And every minute, every hour of every day we have choices. Sometimes I make better choices than others. Sometimes I underestimate how a thought so small can ruin my perspective on myself or something/somebody else, or my day. But it’s like Paul said in Galatians:

“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

Our thoughts matter. One small thought can set our train totally off course in the wrong direction. Let’s make an effort to take each thought captive and align it with the truth of God.

Oh Lord my God, thank you for your Truth! Thank you for teaching what is true and of you, and what isn’t. Thank you for teaching us best how to live: you teach us in your word to take captive every thought. Help us to do so! Make me more mindful of my thought life and how it affects my mood and actions. Help me sing more praises! Help me be joyful in every situation and trust that you give us each circumstance to bring us closer to you.

xoxo

<3

V