Day 6: Something that excites you and fills you with joy

I get excited over the littlest things sometimes. I have a lot to look forward to this year. Something that excites me everyday is when I get to talk to Karl after I'm done babysitting my brother and sister. I get excited when my mom and dad come home from work, I get excited when it's time to go to church, I get excited when we make spontaneous trips to the store or to a friend's house. I even get excited when I log onto Facebook and see that I have notifications or friend requests.

I also find joy in the thought of God fulfilling all that He has promised to me. It excites me to know that I have a calling to ministry through singing and writing music, which is one of my passions in life. It simply excites me to know that He loves me and He will forgive me no matter what I do, and that I have eternal life waiting for me whenever my time comes.

Although, I try not to let my happiness be defined by my excitement - meaning, there is a difference between excitement and true joy/happiness. Excitement is usually temporary, whereas joy is eternal and lasting no matter what the circumstance - if you choose to live that way. I get excited easily, but my goal is to be happy and thankful wherever I happen to be.

Day 5: Something in life that gives you balance

Wow... that's deep. Well, all in all, Jesus gives me balance, and all He has to offer gives me balance. When I'm angry or upset, He gives me joy. When I'm burdened, He gives me peace. When I'm weak, He gives me strength. When I'm happy, He keeps me humble. He is my everything and I'd be nowhere without Him. He fills whatever void I may have and gives me what I need when I need it. He is the only thing I can trust with my whole heart because I know He will never let me down. What else can I say? He keeps my heart, spirit, and life in balance, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Day 4: Something that is part of your routine that you enjoy.

I'd have to go with the obvious, which is talking to Karl every morning and evening. He brings so much joy into my everyday life and despite the distance between us, I'm thankful that I am able to hear his voice every single day. We've been together for nearly three years and I still get butterflies in my tummy every time he calls me :) I especially enjoy having prayer and/or Bible time with him in the morning, it's a great way to start off my day.

Lately, my routine has consisted of spending time outside, savoring the spring-like weather. This I enjoy also, whether I'm riding my bike, playing basketball with my brother and sister, or just sitting on the patio listening to the birds and watching my kitty roll around in the grass. It's my time to rejoice in the day He has made and truly embrace the beauty of His creation.

Another part of my everyday routine that I enjoy is spending time with my mom at the end of the day. This time includes talking about our day and watching one of four things: Dog the Bounty Hunter, The Nanny, Three's Company, or Storage Wars. Along with God's strength and love, it's these simple happenings that get me through each day. :)

Day 3: Something with which you struggle

I guess I struggle with a lot of things. I have a tendency of accomplishing multiple things and doing really well as far as following a schedule and keeping myself disciplined-- then I stop. I'll become lazy again and then find myself procrastinating, which I hate doing. Although I believe that once the temperatures start increasing and the sun shows its face a little more, I will be more apt to get things done.

It may sound strange, but I also struggle with handling struggles. When a trial or tribulation is taking place in my life, my knee-jerk reaction is to question God and throw a temper-tantrum. It'll take me days sometimes to get my act together and realize that God is in control and everything will be okay - I just wish that would be my very first response, without the 4-year-old behavior.

I also have a habit of eating more sweets than I probably should. That's not the struggle. The struggle is stopping. I have a great metabolism so no matter how much I choose to eat, it doesn't seem to affect my weight. But still, I imagine it's not good for me to be taking in as much sugar as I do.. especially when it comes to chocolate. Oh how I love chocolate. But I struggle more with the amount of soda I drink than I do with the amount of sweets I eat. What can I say, I have quite the sweet tooth. ;)

Day 2: Something You Regret Not Having Done Last Year

Around this time last year, I was getting ready for a trip to Myrtle Beach with my mom, Karl, and his parents. The trip was only four days including travel time. Also around this time we were making potential plans for us and Karl's family to take a trip to Arkansas because I wanted my grandma to meet her future grandson-in-law. When we arrived in Myrtle Beach, I was so excited to be physically near Karl again; to feel his warm hugs and sweet kisses that I had long been waiting for. But I regret not appreciating or taking advantage of the short time I had with him. My thought process was, "well, I'm going to get to see him again in Arkansas in a few months." The trip went by quicker than I thought, so when it came time to saying good-bye, I felt awful. I regret this because not only did it make Karl feel like I didn't want to spend time with him -but the trip to Arkansas never worked out. April 10th will now mark one year since I've seen him.

I also regret not getting my permit and liscence. I know I wouldn't have a car of my own to drive, but at least I would be able to use my mom or dad's vehicle to go where I need to go instead of being picked up and dropped off all the time.

Although I still sometimes think back on these things that I wish I would have done, I've forgiven myself for having not. For me, a life of regrets is a life of misery - I can't move on with my life if I'm still living in the thoughts of "I wish I would have done that." I can't change past mistakes, but I can make sure not to make the same ones in the future. For the Lord said in Isaiah 43:18, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."