Lessons From a Cafe

Do you daydream a lot? I do. I'm constantly catching myself gazing off into somewhere, with a funny smile on my lips. 

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Just today, a friend reminded me of something. She pointed out how far I've come in the last eighteen months or so. (That friend is also my work boss.) 

When I first started working at the quaint, little cafe that I am at currently, I was employed as a dish washer - literally. ;) I would wash dishes, wipe tables, clear tables, or carry food and beverages out to tables. It was safe, I was good at it, and it didn't make my stomach churn with nerves. 

However, I was old enough to handle a little more, and encouraged to do so. I had previously completed a barista certificate and done a latte art course in addition, but I was terrified to actually make a coffee for a customer. Like, what if I made it and it tastes awful? What if the customer yells at me, or takes their coffee back for a refund? (How humiliating!) My brain would think of the worst possible scenario, and then multiply it by three. So I would practice making coffees for myself and other staff members and little by little, gradually introduced making customers'. Next I was taught how to make the food, which was slightly less daunting for some reason. (Maybe because you could hide somewhat behind a bench so people couldn't see you as well. Who knows!) Eventually, I was also taught how to 'serve' (do the customer service at the till) which would literally make my hands shake. I clearly can't hide my nerves - I even had customers ask me if I was alright, and then tell me to take deep breaths and relax because it was fine. (Yeah, I've gotten better at it, guys.) 

I was nervous as heck and scared to death. But I did it! I pushed through, I made those coffees, plated up those meals, and tried really hard not to mess up the change. (That's with the machine telling you how much change to give.) 

I'm not a confident person when it comes to new things. Before that job, I had unknowingly lived in my safe, little comfort zone for a very long time, and barely stuck my big toe outside of it. But learning new skills at the cafe was like a kick in the pants, pushing me out of my familiar little circle. 

It sucked at first, but I learnt a lot. And I grew, both in my skills and as a person.

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Knowing all that, what my friend said today at work really hit home to me. She described what I was like eighteen months before, and how now, today even, I can serve customers and make drinks and whip out meals like nobody's business, without a care in the world. It's second nature to me now. My comfort zone has expanded. It now encircles the cafe, and perhaps a little bit more. 

January alone has helped me step out into uncharted territory, and while I may not have literally shaken like I used to, there was certainly some moments where my stomach dropped a little. 

It really is so encouraging to look back over what you used to struggle with - I find reading old journals reminds me of so much that I've forgotten! - and see how God has worked you through that. It gives you hope and strength to carry on with whatever giant you might be facing right now. To remember that, even though we still have a long way to go, we have already come so far. So whatever is worrying you today, my friend, remember how many mountains you have conquered and how many battles you have won. You are strong and brave. You're a fighter. And God will fight with you. 

My 'resolution' for this year was to expand my comfort zone and go out and do stuff. All the things that have scared the living daylights out of me; I want to charge right at them without hesitation.

For example, guys, in the first week of February I will be taking my first EVER dance class by myself - in tap! I am SO excited!! This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I decided 2020 was the year I would make it come to fruition. I have a plan B if I really flop at it, but let's hope I never have to use it. ;) One other thing I really want to do this year is audition for theatre at my local musical theatre company. Definitely high on the agenda!

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What is one thing that you really want to tackle in 2020 (or just in the near future)? Is there something that you've been putting off but now going to face head on? Let me know in the comments! Let's cheer each other on!

Every YouTuber I Follow (& Why)

Hey guys!

I thought it would be fun (and maybe slightly embarrassing...) to go through my YouTube subscriptions and share every account that I follow. Now, these aren't counting private YouTube channels, and yes, there are 23, but to be fair, only half of them post more than twice every six months. ;) For some of the channels, I have linked one of my favourite videos of theirs, so you can get a taste of their channel if you so desire... and some of them I wish I could link ALL their videos. ;P
So, without further ado, I present to you (in no particular order):

1.       Nate and Sutton - this is probably the newest subscription of mine. They're a Christian couple who are professional wedding videographers, so their video standards are always very high, and oh my word, their intro. *heart eyes* They address serious topics with an open, honest approach that is extremely refreshing and hey, they're also pretty fun!

2.       Natalie Weiss - anyone who knows me knows I LOVE singing and anything to do with that. Natalie Weiss posts a lot of singing videos, but the main reason I'm subscribed is because she records 'private coachings' and wow, they have helped me a LOT (even after I began singing lessons). Highly, highly recommend to anyone who is interested in next level singing tips and techniques.

3.       Sadie Robertson - THIS GIRL. She's such a big encourager. She's so motivated and passionate about God and the Bible, and I love her enthusiasm.

4.       Jess and Gabriel - I should think a lot of you would have at least HEARD of this couple if you're at all involved with modern YouTube. They're a Christian American-Australian couple who do lots of vlogs, challenges and Q&A's. They're a fun channel to watch when you want to waste a few minutes in entertainment. ;) (I like to watch them with my sister while we do our stretching.)

5.        Fitness Blender - this one is solely for fitness purposes, although I use their website more. For anyone looking for free workout and nutrition information - this is my go-to!

6.       Jordan Taylor - any Blimey Cow fans out there? ;) Well, this is Jordan Taylor's own private channel, and I, for one, appreciate his unique and creative videos.

7.       Tiffany Alvord - I've been watching this girl's videos for about five or more years now... she was one of the first YouTubers I found, and I guess you could say she kind of stuck. She's a singer, but she also occasionally posts other videos, also. She has some really pretty acoustic covers and originals!

8.       Georgia Richards - this is a girl that I actually personally know! :D She does lots of lifestyle vlogs and gives you a good idea of what life in Australia is like! Also, she's really sweet. <3

9.       Rachel Catherine 998 - coincidentally, this is Georgia's best friend! They often appear in each other's videos. Her videos are very pleasant to watch, and again, give a good picture of an Aussie's life. ;)

10.   Evynne Hollens - this lady has a BEAUTIFUL voice!! I really don't know why she isn't famous. (And her technique is wonderful, too. She's a vocal teacher, after all.) Aside from the glorious singing videos (she has a soft spot for Disney, which means brownie points to me), she has some fabulous "How to Sing" videos which I HIGHLY recommend. If you're like me and REALLY wanted to sing but couldn't afford lessons, watch her videos and practice what she does! I promise she has great, healthy training, and a lot of what my own singing teacher says echoes exactly what Evynne teaches. :)

11.   Peter Hollens - no, the surname is no coincidence. In a darling turn of events, this is Evynne's husband, and he is also a FABULOUS singer! He specializes in acapella, which is very clever and astounding. He also does a lot of Disney covers, musical covers, folks songs, and pop songs. And the videos are always fun to watch. ;)

12.   Kristen Mosca - this was a rare find, but I'm so glad I discovered her! She is a wonderful ragtime piano player who specializes in arranging her own versions of Disney songs in a ragtime fashion, and it's SUPER fun!! I promise you'll leave her channel inspired to learn ragtime piano.

13.   Jordan Lee Dooley - to be honest, I don't really watch her YouTube videos anymore, because I prefer listening to her podcasts on my phone while I do chores, cooking etc. But it's always a good time to give a shout-out to this inspiring woman! She has a great podcast, guys. ;)

14.   Jess Conte - this is Jess's personal account (from Jess and Gabriel), where she posts diverse videos, but of a slightly more girlier nature than their vlog channel. They're always high quality videos, and she also posts some singing covers, as she has a lovely voice.

15.   Megan Nicole - similar to Tiffany Alvord, this girl was one of the first YouTubers I discovered. She has a beautiful voice, and does covers on trending pop songs and her own originals. She also has a super cute wardrobe/overall style. ;)

16.   Jenny McDowell - this girl is a member of "The Willis Clan" (who have awesome folk/Irish music!), and she posts fun little vlogs or music videos. This is only a recently started channel, and I mostly watch it to keep up to date with some of the Willis Clan members.

17.   Cody and Lexy - these guys are friends with Jess and Gabriel, and do similar style videos. I almost prefer them over Jess and Gabriel, as they tend to have more of a "real" approach and also less "trendy", in their own way, which I appreciate. Also, Lexy is an actress and Cody is a musician and I find it fascinating to hear how they are making their careers "from scratch" in such a difficult industry. And they're a Christian couple, too, which is awesome. :)

18.   ThePianoGuys - ok, so if you guys haven't heard of this channel WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE GET THEE TO THIS CHANNEL POST-HASTE AND ACQUAINT THYSELF WITH THEM. They're music geniuses. The end.

19.   Gabriel Conte - yep, if you haven't guessed it already - this is Gabriel's private channel from the Jess and Gabriel channel. I LOVE some of Gabriel's small edited videos - it really inspires me in my own private videography. (I highly recommend his videos "I Like Me Better With You// New York", "How I Became SO SUCCESSFUL" and "Draw My Life". Creative genius.) Also, he was home schooled, so that's cool!

20.   Laney Rene - this girl is a close friend to Sadie Robertson (who I mentioned earlier in the post, at #3) and her channel is all about Jesus-focused things and I love it. She has two original songs, also, which are quite inspiring and uplifting to listen to.

21.   Katie Emmerson - if you like wit, fast-paced dialogue and lots of giggles, then this girl is for you. She's a Christian girl with many decided opinions, and I always marvel at what her brain comes up with. Unfortunately, she doesn't post much anymore but her old videos are still just as good!

22.   Webb Family Music - so I actually know this family (or at least, part of it ;)) personally, but they have really awesome music! They're a large family who all have music flowing in their blood, and I have been privileged enough to become acquainted with (some of) them. One of their covers has had 14 millions views! (I'll link it below ;))

23.   Jessica Willis Fisher - and lastly, this girl is ALSO a former member of "The Willis Clan", and this is her private channel. She posts music videos (originals) which have an easy-listening, folksy feel to them. I like her music.

And that's it! I hope this was interesting, and that you found some new gems! Also, as a slight disclaimer, I definitely haven't watched every video on every one of these channels - not even close! - and I really don't watch a whole heap of YouTube. But when I do, these are my go-to channels. ;)

2 Tags for the Price of 1!

What-ho everyone! Today I am going to complete two tags that I was nominated for a shamefully long time ago... but that was before I had a blog. ;)

The first is the Fantastical and Felicitous Character Blog Tag:

the creator of this tag

Rules:
•Answer every question honestly. 
•Use as many gifs and images as possible.
•Incorporate at least one YouTube video with a favorite scene of a character.
•NO VAGUE ANSWERS ALLOWED. Explain why you chose that favorite character to fit that description. I love details, my friends.
•If you can’t choose just one, that’s okay – give us a few answers and geek out if that’s what it takes.
•Tag at least 3 people.
•Use fictional characters from any fictional story.
•If you get nominated and/or decide to participate in this tag, please put a link back to this post in your post and credit yours truly (Emily at The Altogether Unexpected) as the creator.
•Have fun and obsess over fictional characters!

(Okay,  for the record, this is an extremely intimidating long list of rules, so don't mind me while I go rebel and break at least half. :P) (Let's hope I can at least accomplish the first.)
Oh, and by the way, Natalie tagged me for this one - thanks, Natalie!! :) <3


Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good
Elsie Dinsmore or Fred Wright just seem like the obvious choices here, but I'm going to go with someone else. How about Esther Summerson from "Bleak House"? It's been a long while since I've either read the book or seen the miniseries, but I remember thinking that girl had a heck of a lot of virtues. And yet, I really did sympathize and relate with her. Poor, dear Esther.

Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry
Sam Gamgee, from "Lord of the Rings". 

Him and his inspiring talks and his loyalty and his innocence and his selflessness and his kind, gentle, manner - GUYS HE'S JUST SUCH A SWEETHEART, OKAY. And of COURSE he's going to make me sob when *spoilers* they are on Mt. Doom and he starts talking about the Shire but he has no expectation that they would ever return. *cries*

Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking
(I feel like there's one of these characters in every single Dickens book.) But one that comes to mind is Flora Finching from "Little Dorrit". My word can that girl talk! I remember reading the book, gaping at the pages of dialogue seemingly spoken by ONE person. I'd turn the page only to discover it continued for more than two pages! What! Arthur Clennam must be SUCH a man of patience, that's all I can say. 

Devilish: Your favorite villain
Why, what a wicked thing to say. :P My favourite villain? Hmm... I'm not sure if I have a favourite. Perhaps Chauvelin, from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" because I find him quite horrible, and yet marvelously fun to watch. (I'm thinking more of the movie than the book for this one - specifically the one where he's portrayed by Sir Ian Mckellen.) Especially fun when Percy always wins in the battle of wits against him (or fencing, for that matter). 

Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry
Oh, this one I am quite sure I know. Gilbert Blythe. :D 

Any day, mate!

He had my heart ever since I watched the movie when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I love his sass, his spunk, his honesty, his intelligence, his protectiveness of Anne, his playfulness... yeah, I'm quite sure if I ever met him in real life he'd sweep me off my feet - even if I took a little while to decide that I liked him, like Anne did. ;) 

Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what
Oh, dang. I've already used Sam Gamgee. :P He's the ultimate one for this one. I think I'll pick the dear character Crutchie from "Newsies" (this tag applies to books AND movies, right??). He never left Jack's side, even when he was taken by the "enemy" and held prisoner and beaten, he never budged, not once. He really deserves the title of a loyal sidekick, in my opinion.

Complicated: A character you love and hate
In a way, Sherlock (from the BBC TV series, "Sherlock").

I mostly love him, for his intelligence, his brain, his wit, and his adorable little weak spots for Molly and for John and a few others. But I will admit there have been many times when I wanted to give him a good ol' punch in the face. He annoys me SO much at times; if only he could SEE how much pain and confusion he was causing. How selfish he was. So perhaps I wouldn't say I 'hate' him so much as I Strongly Dislike and am Mildly Infuriated By him occasionally. ;)

Oddity: A character who was strange, but you loved them that way
This one definitely goes to Captain Jack Sparrow!

Yep, definitely strange

I believe this fellow is the definition of strange, but I still find myself rooting for him in all the movies. And honestly, it wouldn't be Pirates of the Caribbean without strange, funny Jack! Granted, his weirdness is not for everyone. ;)

Queen/King: A female/male character who you admire and aspire to emulate
I'm actually going to say Meg March for this one, so give me some room to explain. ;) 

This girl has been one of my favourite fictional characters since I was about 10. And the funny thing is, she's not the kind of unique character who is often impressed on one's memory. But she stuck with me. I think it's because I saw myself in her - I saw my flaws in her flaws, my struggles in her struggles, and my joys in her joys. And after recently seeing the new Little Women movie (^^), I was reminded of something. This dear girl pushed past her fears of poverty and insignificance, and decided to own her life for what it was. She married the man she loved and stared a life of hardship and toil in the face, because she knew she was strong enough to live it. She didn't settle for the easy path. She didn't settle for the path other people might have chosen for her. But she settled for what she knew was the right path for her, and she lived her life with joy and purpose. And friends, I admire that, and I aspire to do just that. I don't want to gaze at someone else's life like she gazed at Sally Moffat's and think, If only I had that, I would be happy. I want to own my life for what it is, and embrace what God has given me, and be happy in it.

Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ
The one character I think of is Johannes, from "I am David". 

His sacrifice he made for David was one that echoed the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and I am always left with wonder and awe at such a story. It's such a powerful choice. And friends, when I see this in the film, it Gets Me Every Time. In addition to that, the way he gives David gentle, careful instructions for his journey is in parallel to Jesus giving US instructions, too. 
He may not be a main character, but he definitely reminds me of Jesus, in a way.
(Also, for the record, I believe the sacrifice he makes that I'm referring to is only in the movie, not the book.) 


And we made it, guys! I would tag people, but I believe I'm so late to the party that everyone I would tag has already done it, so... ;)

Onto the next! The 7 Questions Book Tag! Yet again, Natalie tagged me for this one. :)

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Preference: male or female main character?
Yeah, have to admit - I'm always way more drawn to a female character because #relatability. :P

Do you prefer colorful, attention grabbing book covers or simple, understated ones?
Ooohh, good question! I like both, but I'd probably say I generally prefer simple, understated ones. 

A character you'd like to have as your boss at work?
Can I kind of cheat and say Jean Valjean - or Monsieur Madeleine - because he seems like the ideal boss? ;) He was always kind and caring, and went out of his way to help all the people he employed. 

Books-a-Million or Barnes & Noble?
I don't think we have Books-a-Million here - that is, I've never seen one - so I'm going to have to say Barnes & Nobles, although I've never bought a book from there, haha. :P I normally buy online or at a second hand shop, and most often at our massive second hand bookfest that is run twice a year and is the largest bookfest in the southern hemisphere. (#myhappyplace)

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Would you rather be gifted random "surprise" books from a friend, or a bookstore giftcard?
Oh, great question! I'd actually say a "surprise" book from a friend, because then I get a new recommendation, of sorts. ;) And it means that they specifically went and picked out a title they thought I'd like, which would be extra sweet of them. (And no, my love language is not gifts, but I do Appreciate Them.)

What age range of characters do you generally like to read about? (For instance, would you rather read a book about a 17 year old or a 87 year old?)
Ooohh, depends if we're talking fiction or non-fiction! (Is that weird? :P) For fiction, I'd say I prefer someone around my own age or older - anywhere from 15 to 25, is probably where I would tend to choose from. I always get a special satisfaction when a hero/heroine shares my age. ;) But for non-fiction, I think I might prefer books written by much older people - nearing the 87 mark, yes. ;) They have so much rich life advice, experience and wisdom, and I love learning about people who can share that!

What would you tell someone who defiantly proclaims: "I don't like reading! Why should I?"
(Just to keep us in context, my mouth would be hanging open a little and my eyes bulging somewhat, as I say):
"Why?! Because... because... there are some things in life that cannot be described except in words, and there are some forms of magic that can only take shape within a book."


Thanks, Natalie! Your questions were super fun!! I hope it's not very rude of me to not tag anyone - it's rather late at night, and if I sit here, pondering over 7 new questions I believe I might accidentally fall asleep. So to anyone who would like to use either of these tags - you are more than welcome to!

My Thoughts on "The Rise Of Skywalker" (2019)

Who designs these cool posters, anyway?

Okay, so, lots and lots of thoughts comin' at ya. I can't promise they will be nicely, fully formed ideas, either - probably more like a splattering of illogical, excited feelings. But hopefully it will pull into some sort of cohesive form.

(*Disclaimer* Also, for the record, spoilers will ensue, so please come back after you've seen the film!)

I went into this movie with no grand expectations, having read no spoilers or even theories about Rey's bloodline etc. All I knew was that it was supposed to be the epic end to the grand saga, we were supposed to find out more about Rey's parents and I had no idea which way Kylo Ren was going.

As soon as the introduction mentioned the words Palpatine and Kylo Ren going off to destroy whatever threat he had brought forth, the idea that Palpatine had a lot more to play immediately struck, and for some odd reason, the image of Kylo going to destroy him made me suspect they were going to try turning Kylo around to the good side. (A story of a villain destroying a villain to no avail but to be beaten by the heroine is quite a rare one.)

That said, basically everything else in the movie came as a shock. (Like when Rey thought she'd killed Chewie when lightning escaped her fingers - wasn't expecting that! That's when I had a sinking feeling that somewhere her origin lay with the sith...) I left the cinema completely surprised, with many mixed feelings and a desire to go back and watch it all unfold again. Some parts seemed a little rushed, and I felt like there was a lot of small things to appreciate, although I did pick up on a lot of tie-ins to former movies - especially with the music. That was one of my favourite things about this film - all the little references to former movies. That really tugs on the heartstrings.

The crew lookin' so dang fine

The actual story line didn't seem incredibly original, but hey, I could say that for almost all the Star Wars films. :P The cast was as good as ever, and some of the special moments actually gave me goosebumps. I can't say I was a fan of everything but overall, I did really like this movie. It gave me everything I wanted, except perhaps the right ending with Kylo Ren/Ben... and I have to say it:

I couldn't bring myself to support Reylo.
And the kiss at the end? I inwardly sighed in disappointment; I was hoping they wouldn't.

I mean, I kind of do understand - I can see what other people are seeing, but I'm not FEELING it, you know? Rey is pretty awesome going solo - I didn't feel as though Ben (or even Finn or Poe, for that matter) were really the right fit for her. And Ben had such a roller coaster past, I felt like he needed to sort himself out a bit more before they were officially a 'thing' (but he didn't have time for that... *cries*). I am sad about what they did to Ben, but at the same time, it did feel "right", in a way, that he didn't stay. It would have been a little weird to have him come back to the Rebellion on the good guys team (and as Rey's boyfriend! Like, what a shock to the other people, haha)!
After all we'd seen Ben go through, it really hurt to see him die. But I think that was the point. And I'm happy for his character, that they at least gave him that ending, because I must admit, I expected them to leave him on the Dark Side. To be honest, he seemed like a rather pathetic villain, so I thought they'd turn him into a much stronger, fiercer one in "The Rise of Skywalker"... and soon realized they took the other route. ;)

Anyone else get Anakin/Obi-wan's lava fight scene vibes with the water?

I still have mixed feelings about the whole "bringing Palpatine back" thing. It kind of feels like a cheat move, in a way? :P I mean, he certainly seems evil enough, haha, but... it seemed like an awfully easy win for the script-writers; although I'm glad they explained a bit more about what was up with Snoke, because he seemed very random and insignificant as a villain. Also, that scene where Rey goes down underground into Palpatine's 'arena' area, and all those spooky hooded things were chanting... that honestly reminded me of one of my nightmares! So creepy!

Admittedly, it did give me warm, fuzzy feelings inside to see Rey and Kylo/Ben fighting side by side. I could picture them, in my head, fighting together for the Resistance, and it made me very happy. ;) (At this point, I was warmed up to Ben's redemption, but not warmed up to any romance. I was hoping a nice, healthy friend zone would remain between them, but nope!)

Also, one of the most powerful parts to me was when Rey healed Ben, right after she 'killed' him. It seemed bizarre at first, and then quite poignant. When I saw Ben pause before he was about to strike Rey, I felt relief, feeling that surely he would listen to Leia and turn. Then when Rey used the opportunity to attack him, I felt so angry - if only she knew!!! Like, wouldn't she have noticed that he had paused and was considering something?? I guess it was a survival impulse... but seeing her regret and hurt and confusion after she killed him, and then her choice to heal him... it really was quite powerful.
For some reason, it didn't seem quite so powerful when Ben healed Rey, at the end, because I could see it coming, and it seemed a much more obvious thing to do at that point. (Whereas when Rey did, I actually wasn't expecting it!) Still, after he smiled and then faded away, I realized how much a sacrifice he made for her, when he used his remaining energy to bring her back. So that definitely made me like him even more, obviously. (And also, the whole 'healing sacrifice' thing reminds me of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and that is always a very moving depiction.)

And one last additional random note: I love love LOVED the scene of Luke and Leia completing Leia's jedi training... it answered a question that I have been asking ever since I first saw Star Wars: why isn't Leia a jedi??? So yes, Very Happy about that.

I feel like this has been a very disjointed 'review' (that's why I'm just calling it "my thoughts", haha) but believe me, this is extremely organized compared to what was swirling around my brain after I saw the movie, haha. ;) One last thing I want to add, though:
Is it just me, or was anyone else REALLY excited to see that Rey had a new lightsaber?!! AND IT WAS YELLOW?!!! :D :D :D It made me really, really happy. I was so ready for a new colour, haha. (From memory, we've only had red, blue, green and purple before, yes? Yellow seemed like such a nice fit for her!)

I'll wrap this up here. Have any of you seen this? Please tell me - what did you think?? And Reylo - yea or nay??!!

Some Quiet Thoughts on 2020

Hey friends!

Ironically, I have six drafts already mostly done in my posts folder, but none of them felt like the right time to publish. (Or maybe I'm just overthinking it.) So I decided, instead, to spontaneously write something, and share it with you.

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It's currently late Sunday afternoon, and I'm sitting in our air-conditioned living room. I have a cold (which is very rare for the middle of summer) and have felt terribly lousy the past few days. Outside, my little brother and my Dad are playing light sabers as they let the pet goat out (my little brother is obsessed with Star Wars currently - we literally sat down to watch "Revenge of the Sith" the other day, and he was giving us a quiet commentary on what each planet was named and what every insignificant character was called. Things that I've never even HEARD of! He said he read it in a book. xD He gets Star Wars books out from the library, you see). ANYHOW.

In short, it's a quiet afternoon on a seemingly insignificant day and I am here to address my thoughts, particularly those for this upcoming year. I know you've all been bombarded with "New Years Resolutions", "My 2019 in Review", "My goals for 2020" etc, and I don't mean to exhaust the topic for you. (Thus I didn't post my New Year's Tag that I wrote out in one of my notebooks... although if anyone WANTS to see it, let me know.) But instead, I just mean to share a few small, simple ponderings about 2020.

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I will admit, I am (and always have been) one for lists, goals and resolutions. If you were to consult my new bullet journal, you would find 3 financial goals, 3 fitness goals, 6 life goals, 11 healthy habit goals, and a few other lists I have not yet finished... yeah, I think I go overboard sometimes. ;) But, as I was reminded in Olivia's post, goals and resolutions are not essential. And I find I always stress myself out ridiculously over the sake of something that is supposed to keep me LESS stressed! (Isn't that what lists are for?!) So I want this year to focus on keeping with my resolutions, but also giving myself GRACE. To be gentle with myself, and others. One thing I regret not doing more of in 2019 is RESTING. I was so into hustling and Getting Things Done, that I would often find myself exhausted, with no time to relax, unwind, or give quality time to my friends or family. And that, friends, means my priorities had Issues. So this year, I aim to remember that rest is just as important as productivity, because without one, the other tips the scales and leaves you scrambling around trying to get your life together.

(To be clear, by the way, I have no idea where this post is going - somewhere good, I hope. Bear with me.)

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I'll spare you all my goals for 2020, and just give you a run down on my 'resolution', of sorts. (Don't worry, it's nothing fancy.)

To summarize all my goals and ideas for the next 12 months, I simply want to focus on this: letting go of everything that has held me back in the past, and going after things that I've either been too scared or unable to do before. I don't want to let fear or anxiety call the shots anymore, and I want to use this year - while I'm still learning and growing in confidence and independence ;) - to learn priceless lessons and chase after the things that set my soul on fire. While I have the time, energy and motivation to do hard things, why not say no to all the lame excuses and just go and DO THEM???

I want to follow whatever the Lord has placed on my heart with courage and confidence, and step out in the knowledge that Jesus is greater than any pride, laziness or fear that I struggle with. With God, anything is possible. So why not reach for the stars? If I fall, I fall into His arms.

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2020, let's DO THIS.

Do any of you have a similar 'resolution'? What has been on your heart of late? What has God been whispering to you? I'd love to talk about it!!