inside all day

so today I was inside mostly all day. Except for a short 30ish minute walk in the heat. I slept in, listened to today’s devotion from the “Bible in One Year” app, had coffee and breakfast, did some bible reading, played my guitar and sang…

sent out some emails, searched for some apartments…

did some reading.

Ate lunch.

Did some writing. Ate some yogurt.

Went for a walk. Made some phone calls. Took a shower.

Ate some dinner. And have been watching videos on spiritual warfare. Might talk to a friend in a minute. Gonna go to bed soonish.

I have work tomorrow from 9-6. Afterwards I’m not sure what I’m doing yet, but possibly writing!

Saturday I’m going to the beach, and then maybe to a birthday party, or to Latin Fest.

Sunday I have church shtuff, then resting and reading…….. possibly a dancing event and then work.

August is almost here. I feel so mundane right now. I just misspelled mundane into “mundance”. I guess a boring dance could be known as a mundance. hehe

I could go dancing right now. If I wasn’t an old maid, maybe I would. No, just kidding. I just have a lot of making up to do/nights at home from all the late nights I had earlier this year. I did a lot of staying up and not a lot of sleeping, and now my body thanks me for slowing down.

One time my friend told me that it’s okay to do nothing. I guess I feel like I always ought to be doing something. Actively working. Being productive.

I’ve reached a lull tonight though. I’m gonna go to sleep soon and then get up early tomorrow! Excited to wake up early and pray, have coffee, do some reading and writing 🙂

Have a productive work day… and then decide what to do with my night and weekend mostly off.

Oh Lord. I thank you for your provision. Thank you for ordaining my steps. Thank you for watching over me and bringing fruit to my life. Lord thank you for your patience. You model what perfect patience looks like. Trusting, having faith, even when we can’t see and don’t know the outcome of something. But I do believe your promises. I know how you care for me. I know how you love me and how nothing can or will ever change that. I know how you’re transforming me to look more like Christ and making me into such a diamond. I love thee and would have nothing without you. Thank you for my rest tonight, my bed, my health… my hope. Amen.

Hava good night everyone!

xxx

<3

V

gotta make time to write

hullo world!

I’m back at Whole Foods to do some writing

There really is something about the right environment that inspires creativity. At home I tend to sink into my couch a leeeeeeeeeetle too much and before I know it ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzZZZzzz I’m asleep. 😛

But here wit all dem eyes lookin around at me… gotta write.

I’m not sure what I’ll get done, but at least I’m here to be productive. So here goes with the document opening.

Wish me luck!

xxx

<3

V

write your book

I’m telling you guys. The book is not going to write itself.

Do you have one hour a day to work on it? Sit down, open up the document, and focus. 

Do you have more than one? Lucky you, now focus!

I promise, a little a day adds up. Make a realistic goal! Shoot for finishing a section, or a chapter. Simply shoot for 300 words! 300 words a day is 2100 words a week. That’s 8400 words a month. 84,000 in ten months. Y’knowmsayn?

I love this scripture so much.

I am God’s workmanship. Workmanship means “the art of skill of a workman”.

I’m God’s art. & So are you! <3

He did a pretty good job, amirite? 😉 😀

And He is at work within me RIGHT NOW to will His good pleasure && do His good pleasure.

Idk about you, but this motivates me! And if it doesn’t motivate you, I encourage you to cry out to Him. Ask Him for motivation. Ask Him for inspiration. Ask Him for focus. Ask Him to show you what to write and how to phrase things; which topics to keep, which topics to throw out.

Projects anointed by God will NOT be stopped.

So let’s work, my brothers and sisters!!! For His glory. By His power.

Lord, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for the time I was able to put into writing and working this afternoon. Thank you for focus. Thank you for leading me to the write resources to help me complete this project. Thank you for blessing me in every area of my life that you’ve deemed to be in Your good and perfect will. Thank you for going before me and preparing my way in all that I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

xxx

<3

V

 

10:00pm

I’m going to bed. Can’t wait! It’s gonna be awesome.

I really have been LOVE-ing this going to bed early stuff.

Watched a couple videos on the parasympathetic nervous system last night and saw how if I’m not resting enough, my body can’t recover properly and I will be more stressed, depressed, and will hold onto weight. It’s bad for weight loss.

That might explain a few things! I’ve struggled with weight loss forever and ever Amen. I’ve also ran from one thing to the next constantly. Perhaps a correlation!

Bottom line: I know I need to rest more. Chill. Read. Listen to or play music. Sing. Sleep. Nap. Take a restful walk. Pray. Low-key hang out with friends. I’m good at some of these better than others. But sleeping more lately has been GOLD.

That is all. More later!

xxx

<3

V

morning

yawn

another morning has arrived. Praise the Lord! I’m glad He got me up today. He allowed me to, anyway. I love waking up naturally and not feeling tired. It’s wonderful. Having enough sleep is SUCH a blessing. I am thankful.

And to think I could’ve done something about this a long time ago. Hahah

But for my non-confrontational personality, “inconveniencing” somebody else is never my first choice. I will choose to bend to other’s wills before my own if I can help avoid hurting someone’s feelings. But then there are the times that I don’t put other’s feelings before my own.

Lemme pause, it’s good to be considerate of people’s feelings and not set out to make anyone else’s life harder, but choosing whether or not to have a conversation shouldn’t be so earth-shaking if it might involve stepping on a toe, or making someone annoyed or uncomfortable…. especially if the premise is to make life better.

For example: I had a hard conversation via texts the other day. NOTE next time I will respond to the first message by saying “I’d much prefer to talk about this in person. When are you free?”

Anywho, that is not what I did. We texted back and forth for a bit, and the person I was texting with was angry with me, so they were probably interpreting my responses as coming back as angry and bitter as they were feeling. Not cool and not true! I saw that person the next day and asked if they wanted to talk and they said no. I don’t feel that it’s been resolved. So we are going to talk today. :O

We’ll see how that goes! Naww, but I’ve been praying a lot and feel pretty good about this whole thing. I know where I stand, I know I wasn’t in the wrong, and I know that this person in hurting. The good news is, they aren’t saved yet. So I’ve been praying a lot for their salvation.

God says “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16

God wishes we were either HOT for Him or COLD towards Him; not lukewarm.

I heard a great sermon the other day that referenced this verse. They said that God doesn’t want us to be on the fence, choosing God’s will and God’s ways today and our will and the world’s ways tomorrow. If we are all the way committed to being against Him, we will reach rock bottom more quickly! God WANTS us to be dependent on Him! He wants us to realize how badly we need a savior and then come to see that God sent us Jesus to do that very thing: save us from our sins. Teach us in the way we should go. Reconcile us to God. Give us the peace of Christ. Change us by the Holy Spirit to live a righteous life.

So I’m praying for this conversation to go well. Either way, I won’t react, I won’t get all up in anyone’s face. I won’t be surprised by any anger channeled towards me. I realize this person is taking out a whole slew of problems on me and I’m choosing to forgive them before they say they are sorry. I’m choosing to look at what they must be feeling in their heart during this hard time: frustration, loss of control, hopelessness.

Remember my people, the war is not against the flesh and blood; it’s in the spirit. Ephesians 6:12.

Hope you have a BLESSED Friday. I am working 9-6 and then hopefully going dancing later if my left knee permits me. It’s bein’ a leeeetle funkay today. Gotta be careful. If I do dance it will be brief since I’ve been seriously loving going to bed early and getting up early, feeling rested. I love enjoying my quiet time with the Lord in the morning.

Love you all! <3

xxx

V

early to bed…

early to rise!

Definitely a good cycle to be in! I much prefer it. Wednesday-Saturday night I can pretty much get to bed by 10 if I want to. 😀 Hmm actually tonight may be more like 11. Still not bad.

But I’m up now. I actually woke up for the first time around 4:45am. And then again at 615ish. I got up at 6:30ish. Had a nice time of adoration and prayer in candlelight. Made coffee and some breaffffffast. And now am talking to y’all.

To collect my current thoughts regarding a situation I am in: 

Do not fear people. Do not live to please people.

Stick to your convictions and do not conform to other people’s morals just to get them to like you.

Do not run from confrontation. Stick it out through the fire and talk it out.

Get to the bottom of the issue, apologize if necessary, even if the reason for your apology is that the other person has to go through something and not necessarily because it’s your fault.

Ask how you can help or change or do better if necessary.

Look to God for His peace and ask Him for it. Ask and you shall receive O children of God! 🙂

Talk to God about what to do before talking to other people about what to do. Ask God for wisdom in what to say or not say.

After prayer and reading the bible, then talk to other people. I can always do better at this one.

*something happens.

*calls BFF #VENTSESHBEGINS

Not always the best idea.

Lastly, always look to God. Whatever situation you’re going through is a flicker in time. A blink. And it soon shall pass. And when the trial ends, you shall be more like gold. <3

Lord, I thank you for this hiccup. I thank you for this chance to forgive somebody who is acting unreasonable. Lord I pray that you would come them down. I pray that you would soften their heart. I pray that you would open their eyes to the heart of the issue: their feeling of not being in control, frustration for the way that cards have been dealt, and tendency to point the finger. Lord I pray that your Holy Spirit would infiltrate their heart in the name of Jesus. I pray that you would change them from the inside out, because you alone have the power to change hearts. Thank you for loving me abundantly and without condition. Thank you for always drawing me closer to Yourself and reminding me of your endless power. Amen.

xxx

<3

V

Go Time

I’ve got my Zevia tea (extra 45mg caffeine), hipster denim button down (cuz the AC be blastin’) and my homework (STUDY BOOKS) && …..

I’m ready to WORK.

I’m at Whole Foods. Something about being in a busy environment helps me focus. It helps me succeed faster. The hardest part for me is making the time. Scheduling time to work towards my goals. After all, books don’t write themselves, videos don’t create themselves, songs don’t write themselves. We have to do the work.

And I am thankful for this privilege; to have the time, the focus, the health required. The drive. The motivation. And I attribute all of these gifts to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Join me in following through with your goals. Make a date to do the work.

Now go get ’em tigers. <3

xxx

V

5:36pm

Heeey readahz

V here.

About to head out for bible study. Picking up a friend on the way there. First, planning meeting at 6:30pm, then food and whatnot, and study starts at 7:30pm. I mean, we really start with announcements, prayer requests followed by prayer, and then worship before we actually delve into the study.

It’s a really good book we’re doing right now. It’s called “Awe” by Paul David Tripp. The book is all about how humans have a natural tendency to place ourselves at the center of the universe. Tripp attributes all of our problems to having a wrong view of God. If we REALLY believed that God is all that He says He is (all powerful, GOOD, LOVING, ALL-KNOWING, PURE, HOLY, IMPARTIAL, MERCIFUL, GRACIOUS etc. etc.) then why would we be trippin’ all the time??? No pun on Tripp’s name intended. 🙂

OK snap I gotta go now. haha dang my friend was texting me and took my 6 minutes that I had to write.

 

FOR NOW!

ttys <3

xxx

V

Good morning

to all!

It’s Sunday and the sun has risen. It’s consistency is quite respectable, I must say. It rises every morning and shines brightly. It’s rays touched the blender that’s been leaning against my back wall for the last 7 months ever since I brought it home from my mom’s house at Christmas-time. I haven’t used it once. Maybe I should make a smoothie. Thanks, Sunny!

Lol okay I’ve thought about making smoothies other days and times besides this morning when a tall ray of sun was grasping at it. Maybe this time I’ll act.

Things I should do:

  1. Make a smoothie. Though I don’t have a lot of space to set up the blender. I realize it doesn’t take much, but this has honestly been a mental block for me. I’ve just decided I’m going to clear off a place on my pantry-like shelf so I can use the blender. BOOM
  2. Set up my music recording stuff. The reason why I haven’t done this yet is because I don’t have a sturdy table, and I definitely don’t wanna put a bunch of expensive equipment on a flimsy card table. I’ve just decided I’m going to stop being non-con-fron-tat-ion-al and ask my roomie/landlord if I can borrow his SUPER STURDY TABLE THAT’S LITERALLY IN THE HALL 10 FEET AWAY.
    1. Here’s the thing guys; it was in this room with me before, but he took it out because he wants to protect it and he knows I’ve had some parties. Whoa whoa WHOA not “those” kinda parties. But, y’know parties. With beverages and snacks and things. And hey, life happens. I get it. However, there is no reason for me not to ask if I could use the table if he and I take measures to make sure it stays protected. It’ll just be for electronics after all.
    2. I think that what has stopped me has been… fear of rejection. Which is absurd. It’s just a table. Also, I like to be as little of a nuisance/inconvenience as possible. Also, if something happened to his table while I was using it I would feel really bad and definitely would not want to pay for whatever it would cost to fix the dang thing. So that is another fear I suppose.
    3. Fear no more. If he says “no” I’m going to the Alley Cat and buying an additional table. It’s a thrift shop people. Although the name definitely suggests otherwise.
  3. Take some solid pictures of the crystal dish set I have stacked in boxes against the wall so I can sell it. I also have been thinking I need a better table to do this too. Also I have better things to do than pull all those dishes out the box and photograph them. Also, I am lazy. Yes, I believe it comes down to the last point on this one. Lay-Zee

 

Welp. That was a pretty boring to-do list. Apologies for putting you through reading that. I really never have any idea what’s going to come out when I’m writing on here. I honestly just start reading and see what happens usually… Hahha 🙂

It’s almost 7:30am and I’m going to leave for church in a few. On the way I’ma stop and get a coffee cuz I RAN OUT this morning. Okay, yesterday morning. So at least it wasn’t a shock when I went to go make a cup and got my little aeropress alllllllll set up and there was only 1/3 the amount of coffee needed. Yeah, no. Outta coffee but it’s okay, I got options. One of the reasons I love living in an area where stores are close by. It’s convenient to swing through a drive-thru and get some Joe on days like today.

Okay I think I need to take a shower after using the word “Joe” to describe my coffee. Not only was that the name of my ex, but there’s also something about it that makes me want to punch myself in the face.

Hahahah umm I think I have a little too much energy from being cooked (kook’d?) up the last couple days with my bum knee. Hahahah 😀 I’m dying. Side note I also think it’s really funny that so many people are saying “I’m dead” when they think a joke is really funny nowadays.

“I have died” No you didn’t, you liar. Because ghosts can’t talk or type. I’m dying is at least a little bit more believable.

Umm okay, now I’m going to church so I can cleanse my soul from all this ridiculousness that I’m pouring out on here. Pray for me, I need it. <3

And I’ll pray for you too! For realsies, God is good, it’s a beautiful day, and I’m happy to be alive! Plus, my knee(s) are feeling much better thankfully. Having two legs to walk on normally is a huge blessing. If you’ve ever had a broken leg or crutches or whatever I just had you’ll agree. Or maybe you’ve never had two working legs, or you weren’t able to recover from a leg injury. If that’s the case, I pray for you especially, and empathize with you. Just having to limp around and prop up my leg for the last couple days has been annoying and discouraging and I’m truly thankful it’s pretty much over.

Mmmk on that note

xxx

<3

V

Being disciplined

Hellur everyone.

It’s 6:28 in the morning on Saturday and I’m already dressed (and mostly ready) for the day. I mean I’m still drinking my coffee but if I had to jump up and help somebody right now I wouldn’t be without pants or with a dirty mouth. Because I have gotten dressed and brushed my teeth this morning if y’knowmsayn. Oh dear, maybe it is too early for me to be writing my thoughts onto the interwebs 😛

My left knee has been in pain the last couple of days. Wednesday afternoon I had a sharp shooting pain pop up around 3pm. It didn’t go away all night, and I was icing it and heating it and elevating it in hopes that it would be gone Thursday morning. It was not. I went to work in the morning and limped around, trying not to put any pressure on the part of my foot that shot pain up into the knee. I also tried not to be discouraged. Neither worked very well, and three hours later I went home and proceeded to do a whole lot of nothing except RICE-ing (Rest, Ice, Compression, Evelation) and putting essential oils on my knee.

Thursday is my one day-ish off and I spent it taking care of myself. I’m just thankful I had that day to rest and I didn’t hurt my knee … Friday morning let’s say. So Friday morning I wake up and the pain has mostly subsided in the front area. Keyword “front”. All day yesterday the back of my knee hurt hahahah 🙁

I think my IT band was just suuuper tight from jumping into a new workout regiment too quickly and not properly stretching or icing afterwards. More essential oils ensued. A hot bath. Heated rice bags. I realized that ice felt really good on the sharp pain on the front of the knee, but the IT band really liked heat. Whatever works, aye??!

So I went to bed at 8:30pm last night. And didn’t wake up til 3:15am for the first time (OOoh Aaah!!). And not again til 5:40ish the second time. And boom, here we are, almost an hour later, and I’m ready to carpe this diem. Hehe

Such a great mug. It was a gift. 🙂

And yes, my knee is feeling much, much better today. PRAISE GOD! I know it feels better because I stopped and took care of it. I took taking care of it seriously so it didn’t get worse. My nightmare was being up on it too much and worsening it, thus dragging out the healing process.

Side note, I really like being up early. I miss this schedule. I used to go to bed pretty early (9:30ish) and get up at 6ish. Miss this. Miss these early mornings. Mmm. I will try to make this my life again. Just wait.

So back to being disciplined. When we have an injury, we have to be disciplined and do whatever it takes to get well again. The same can be applied to our spiritual life. I believe the human heart craves Jesus, and until we know Him as Lord as Savior, we’re going to try on a whole lot of other band-aids that never quite do the trick. For me, it was comfort eating and idolizing my own body and relationships with men. Never satisfying. Never fulfilling. I also tried drugs, exercising, vegetarianism, veganism, minimalism, environmentalism… lots of extremes.

Comes with my extreme personality I suppose. ALL OR NOTHING!!!!!

It’s a blessing and curse folks. But when I’m in, I’m all in. So I am beyond grateful for the Holy Trinity for saving my soul and giving me direction. Jesus is the only spiritual cure. The only way to heaven. The only lasting (and I mean eternal-kinda-lasting) remedy for an injured soul.

But loving Jesus requires discipline. It requires giving up other band-aids I’ve tried. It means trusting God’s ways and putting my faith in His Word. It means disagreeing with what some people very close to me agree with sometimes.

And it’s hard. It can feel like I have picked the wrong way sometimes because of how enticing the world is. But I do believe and have seen that the more I know of Jesus, the more I understand true beauty. The more time I spend with God, the more I see how I thought ugliness was beauty before. Now I see God as true good, and the flesh as ugly.

Dear reader, are you limping around? Have you tried heat when you should’ve tried ice? Have you tried essential oils and elevating and massaging. Have you taken anti-inflammatory medicine and gotten enough rest and you are still in pain? Still not whole? Run to Jesus. Ask Him to restore you. Ask Him to teach you how to be disciplined. It’s so you can get better. I know I have. I’m brand new because of Him. Now I have the power to understand and choose His ways rather than fall trap to my own.

Lord Jesus, thank you for healing my knee. Thank you for slowing me down these past couple of days so I had more time to read, write and be in your presence. Thank you that you are the ultimate healer and want your people to be well. Thank you for providing all that we need and for paying the price for us with your son’s blood. Thank you for pursuing us always, and never letting us go. I love you and need you and am so thankful for your Holy Spirit to guide me, comfort me and show me the way in which I should go. <3

xxx

GOD BLESS and happy Saturday y’all

V