Quiet Evenings & Happy Hearts

My heart is happy.
I can't pinpoint a precise reason why. Today wasn't particularly exhilirating. I didn't venture outside the house except to go to the bank and go to the bookstore briefly. I did deposit money (which is good) but I didn't buy a book because they didn't have what I was looking for. So it's not as though I have spent the last few hours captivated by another time and place that the pages of a novel often take you to.  I didn't see any friends today. I didn't get thrilling news. But I am content.
Maybe it is the knowledge that God is in control and the peace that comes from knowing Him. I think it's partially because it's nice to have some downtime after holiday busyness. I believe it may be since I realize how blessed I am with the family I have and the moments we share together. We often don't seem to cherish them enough. Today I feel rather sentimental and reflective (although, I am not sure how nostalgic one can get at age 20. Hmmm....)
I love these moments when they come. Sometimes we get lost in the day to day rush, and it's nice to throw up your feet, breathe deeply and sigh relaxed, undisturbed sigh. How grateful I am that I am able to have times like these.

Time-Tested Beauty Tips

a poem by Sam Levenson

 *~*

For attractive lips,
Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,
Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,
Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,
Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise,
Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things,
have to be restored, renewed,
revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.

Remember,
If you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older,
you will discover
that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself,
the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman
is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman
must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman
is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman
is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
the passion that she shows,
And the beauty of a woman
with passing years-only grows!

Sweet Sunday

Happy December, friends!
Boy, there is a lot that has been great the last 2 weeks. Here are some of the awesome things:

~going to the Sting game/teddy bear toss with Dad (see photo above). What an exciting and odd game it turned out to be. (Sting won 6-5 over Niagara if anybody is interested)...the reason the post is a day late is because I wanted to get the photo off my dad's camera =P
~the first December snowfall
~eating my first pomegranate of the season
~Tangled (funny, cute, Disney musical, need I say more?)
~earning money
~having your own place for a week
~making friends with a dog
~putting up the Christmas tree, lights and other various Christmasy Christmas decorations
~finding new Christmas music
~winning a chocolate bar for having happy facial expressions during Nightingale rehearsal (it was a Toblerone...ohhh yum)
~learning how to embed a video into my blog (Julian Smith's pre-blessed food video is now visible in my Oct. 26th post). I was rather excited about this
~playing a game with the family and laughing because we couldn't remember how to play and kept changing the rules. Mass confusion and hysterical laughter soon followed.