Birthday Girl!

Yep that's me! Some days I wonder how I got to be 22. Not that it is old by any means, but wasn't I just 16 yesterday? Have you heard the song Don't Blink? Well it goes something like this...

"Don't Blink. Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife. Don't blink, you just might miss your babies growing like mine did, turning into moms and dads. Next thing you know your better half of fifty years is there in bed and you're praying God takes you instead. Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think. So don't blink"

Isn't that so true? Sometimes I hate how the American society works. I love America, but the Europeans have it right. They are more family focused and don't stay at work all day long. Here we are just going at the speed of light from the moment we get up to the time we fall over that night. When you are on the go non-stop it is easy to miss stuff. Like today for instance I looked around and noticed the leaves are on the trees now! It is always so exciting to me when that happens. Creation has started over again just like new, it always makes me smile. The point I was making was that they didn't just bloom over night, how long have I been walking around just buzzing from one place to another ignoring the beautiful masterpiece God was painting right in front of me? Sure I have a lot going on and stay busy most of the time and it is easy to just blink and here I am another year older.

This year I want to slow down and enjoy being 22. I want to watch the sun rise and set. I want to sit and watch the leaves change colors in the fall. I want to feel the warm breeze on my face. I want to hear the ocean waves crash against the shore. I want to feel the presence of God surround me. I want to embrace nature and all it's wonders. I want to watch a flower bloom and a bee fly. I want to watch the birds in the park. I want to spend time with an old friend. I want to hear a child laugh. I want to hold my kitten close and feel her purr. I want to just sit and remember those I've loved and lost. I want to cry during a sad movie and laugh with a funny one. I want to go camping in the mountains in the summer. I want to play in the snow. I want to go white water rafting. I want to swim in the ocean. I want to taste a sweet ripe strawberry right from the patch. I want to play fetch with Kodi in the park. I want to make someone laugh until they cry. I want to show God's love to everyone I meet. I want to lay in the sun's warmth. I want to hear stories of the good ol' days from my grandparents. I want to have a food fight. I want to go running just for fun. I want to walk barefoot through the grass. I want to play like I'm a kid again. I want to see something amazing. I want to grow in my knowledge of love and life. I want to have a passion for other people that is only from God. I want to watch the birds fly. I want to pick wild flowers. I want to learn to dive. I want to read a book for my own enjoyment. I want to write. I want to win one more championship. I want to jump 11 feet. I want to sing at the top of my lungs. I want to dance. I want to do something unexpected for someone else. I want to read the whole Bible. I want to donate my time and effort to a good cause. I want to help someone in need. I want to play my piano for hours on end. I want to coach. I want to hold a baby. I want to play tag. I want to run in the rain. I want to run a marathon. I want to stay in shape. I want to paint a picture. I want to have a picnic. I want to lay on my back in a field and watch the clouds. I want to take a nap under a tree and wake up to birds singing. I want to catch lightening bugs. I want to have a bonfire and make smores. I want to go a week without technology. I want to get in touch with myself and God. I want to rearrange my priorities. I want to plant flowers. I want to take a walk. I want to take a vacation. I want to enjoy my life. I want to spend time with my friends and family. I want to keep in touch with people better. I want to not be afraid. I want to go to sleep at night with a clear conscious and an open mind. I want to hear God speak to me. I want to fix a wrong. I want to make mistakes and learn from them. I want to listen to music most people have never heard of. I want to be patient. I want to learn something new. I want to see a miracle. I want to laugh until I cry. I want to make something. I want to be aware of those around me. I want to ride my bike on the beach. I want to ride a horse. I want to play put put golf. I want want write a song. I want to drive down the road with my windows down blasting music. I want to always have hope. I want to make a cake. I want to gain confidence in myself and others. I want to forgive quickly and love deeply. I want to smile for no reason at all. I want to accomplish something that others said I couldn't. I want to make a big mess. I want to wish on a shooting star. I want to relax. I want to taste a new food. I want to be happy on a day when everything is going wrong. I want to watch a swan swim. I want to be stronger. I want to speak the truth. I want to let my imagination run wild. I want to do something and not care about what anyone else thinks. I want to trust my own instincts. I want to watch the stars. I want to stand out. I want to love people. I want to wake up energetic and ready to face the day. I want to pray without ceasing. I want to make a new friend. I want to see through the eyes of a child. I want simplicity. I want to have answers. I want to sleep in on a rainy day. I want to sit on my front porch during a thunder storm. I want to stand up for what is right. I want to argue. I want to build a fire and cuddle with the one I love. I want to dream. I want to stand on the edge of a cliff and not be afraid. I want to lay in a hammock. I want to have more faith. I want to push the limits. I want no regrets. I don't want to take anything for granted. I want to discover my purpose. I want to be able to lay down at night knowing I did exactly what I was meant to.

"If you're feeling frightened about what comes next, don't be. Embrace the uncertainty. Allow it to lead you places. Be brave as it challenges you to exercise both your heart and your mind as you create your own path towards happiness, don't waste time with regret. Spin wildly into your next action. Enjoy the present, each moment, as it comes; because you'll never get another one quite like it. And if you should ever look up and find yourself lost, simply take a breath and start over. Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart... where your hope lives. You'll find your way again." - Gilmore girls