10 Songs I'm Loving Right Now

I'm always discovery new music whether i'm in Starbucks, in the car, or streaming online. I'm always on the hunt for some great music. With that being said, I decided to come up with a list of 10 songs that i'm currently in love with😄

1. My Epic - Of Wilderness

2. Glasslands - Deadman

3. Attic Sleepers - Berlin

4. Hillsong Worship - Touch of Heaven

5. My Epic - So Be It

6. Jessie Early - Living on Your Love

7. Hillsong United - So Will I (100 Billion x)

8. Callum Pitt - Happiness

9. Jesus Culture - Flood the Earth

10. Andrew Ripp - Deep Water

There you have it my friends, these are the songs that have been on constant repeat on my iPhone. I’d l’d love to hear what you guys have been listening to also! Let me know in the comments section.

Forget Me Not: Book Review

I believe I mentioned some time ago that I was going to read books each week or something and give my review of it, well I know it hasn't been every week but you know, life happens. In that case, I decided to take the time to write a review of a recent book i read called Forget Me Not. It's about an astronomy loving girl named Calliope  who has tourette syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or noises that she doesn't mean to make. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But it isn't long before the kids at her new school realize she's different. As Calliope navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that she might be moving--again--just as she starts to make friends and finally accepts her differences.

The story is written in poetry style, which was really neat to me. I truly loved this story because it's about seeing the good in others despite their differences. I know that it's hard making friends in general, but I know it must be super hard when you try to to make friends and trying to hide your TS. The story brought tears to my eyes between Calli getting teased at school to dealing with her mother and her many different boyfriends and having to move so often. I was hooked to the book from start to finish and that barely ever happens with me when reading a book. I felt sorry for Calli throughout this book, hoping that things would really begin to look up for her. 

This book is absolutely correct, Tourettes is a very misunderstood syndrome. It's not widely talked about and the few times it is, it IS with extreme examples of the swearing and/or obscene gestures. But this book shows the truth of it. This is a very bold and beautiful book that brings light to something I knew very little about. I loved the pOV'S and how they were told two different ways - one was told through verse and the other through short chapters. It gave Calli's loneliness and hurt a good packed punch to the reader but didn't drown us in her anguish. 

I also loved how Calli made a true friend who was willing to look past her differnces and accept her for who she is. He stood up for her and stopped being friends with those who were bullying her. It's cool to know that someone can see the good in you even when everyone else sees the bad. And ok, i'm going to give you a spoiler alert but Calli and her new friend named Jinsong begin to like each other, it's the sweetest thing ever. He thought she was beautiful and sweet even though everyone else thought she was a goofball or a weirdo. 

The story just generally touched my heart and it inspired me to want to write more stories like that. I hope that my books can leave peope laughing, crying, smiling and whatever else. Forget Me Not is the perfect example of why we need our own voices, and why voices shouldn't be a trend but an essential part of literature. I highly recmmend this book to just about anyone. 

So, there's my review. I plan to get a bunch moe books to read and then discuss here on my blog! If you have any book suggestions please let me know! I'd be happy to consider some of the choices you guys suggest. Lately, i've been neglecting reading but i'm so glad I decided to get back into it. Especially with summer coming up i'm ready to get started on some great summer reads. I know you guys have also noticed that I haven't been very active on my blog and i'm very sorry about that, I am cookin up some great posts so stay tuned. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post today, until next time... peace, love, happiness 💗😊

Summer plans/goals 2018

Well folks, summer is quickly approaching. I can't believe we're already 6 months in 2018. It's been a heck of a ride these past 6 months but yet many blessings also. Blessings that at a time I didn't realize were blessings. Many times we wake up with complaints, feeling tired of life being draining and just wishing that life could go our way every once in awhile. But you know what? I bet if we had a more heavenly perspective on life, we may just find much more joy and satisfaction in things. Though you may have times where you feel exhausted and frustrated, there's ways that God can still spark joy in every task and it will be fulfiling no matter how we view how hard our jobs may be, how we don't seem to have much talent, etc... God has given each of us great gifts to use for his glory. In another post, I'll talk about gifts, but for now... let me get back to the point because yes, I was having another one of my spaghetti moments.

I'm excited for summer. Summer has always been a fun time for me, it means frappucinos, outdoor games, ice cream, swimming pools and concerts!! and so much more. I'm determined to make this summer the best one yet. So, here's my goals/plans for summer 2018.

1. Be More Motivated - For some reason when the weather is warmer, it brings out more motivation in me. I believe I feel I have more opportunities to do things as far as being proactive goes. I know that it takes a lot for me to get motivated at times. I'm the type of "it can wait until tomorrow" type of person. But this year, I really want to step up my game. I'd like to be motivated to write more, sing more, and to get more exercise.

2. Get more into my hobbies - summer is a great time to get into some things that you haven't done in awhile. For most people 7+ have summer vacation and many times probably thinking of some cool things to do during their 2 and 1/2 month vacation. A lot of times I neglect my hobbies, I know that these are some of the things I enjoy doing but oftentimes I seemed to put these things on the back burner. Loom bracelets are fun and easy to make and great accessories for summer! This would be a great hobby for me to get into and it's not very time consuming, i can even do it in the car! Another great summer hobby is decorating. I recently discovered that I really like decorating and designing my room with cool, funky furniture for summer will be a great way to spice up room! I also had the idea in mind to make homemade ice cream.

3. Spend time with friends - spending time with friends isn't something i've been able to do much. There's a few people that I feel I haven't really gotten to know on a personal level. Since most folks have more time in the summer, like i said in #2, it should be a bit easier to catch up. Doing your favorite things are really enjoyable, but when you're doing it with other people it truly makes it much more enjoyable. I hope to make great connections this summer and this year period and I hope to make memorable times like I did back in April. I'm hoping that time in April at my sister's B-day hangout will be something that would be a continuous thing. I'm praying that God will open that door for  me to spend time with friends.

4. Take Walks - It's enjoyable and great exercise.

5. Go to open mikes - Open mikes are a great practice for me to get more comfortable and better at my singing.

6. Be more independent - In any small way where I can be independent makes me really feel great, whether it's going to the grocery store, going to the bank, cooking, etc... it really makes me feel good. At this time, i'd like to find more ways where I can gain more of an independence. Since the weather will be warmer consistently, taking a short bus trip will be something fun and a way for me to be more independent.

7. Read - Reading is relaxing and it helps build my vocabulary! It's a great activity that doesn't have to require looking at a screen! (yes, there's ebooks but at least we have the option of picking up a paper book if we wanted to). I have lots of books on my reading list to catch up on so... wish me luck this summer.

8. Discover new music - Discovering new music is always a cool thing to do I think at anytime of the year haha.

9. Recruit people for my writing group - I really want to try to start this writing group because it's been something that's been on my heart for some time now. I'm praying God will lead me to the people that would truly love being apart of this writing group.

10. Go/have a cookout - These are sure to be a good time. I'd love to go to someone's cookout and have my own. I don't get a chance to have BBQ'a often so I really hope that I can make it happen this summer. 

I think I have many things I could add to this list but I think i'll stop right here. Of course i'll be sharing with you all about the actual summer plans that take place, but for now it's cool to share my ideas. It's always great to be a planner at times. I do have some set plans already such as, simsbury carnival, firework show to attend, bike riding, and Niall Horan. Plus, whatever my church has planned for this summer i'm sure to be joining those events also.

Overall, I look forward to a great summer and the great things that God's going to do.

Best Part of My 20's So Far...

Well, although i've only been in my 20's for 2 years, I feel like i've both learned and accomplished a lot in these past two years. Through these past two years I feel like I've gotten smarter. I have really been into reading and improving my grammar skills and such. Sadly, my teen years I didn't feel like I had a lot of motivation to do things. I mean, of course I got the things done that were mandatory like school and chores but, some days I even lacked with that. I just didn't really think too much about my future or even tried to work towards making a better future for myself. But, as I got in my 20's, I began to really get serious about my goals and furthering myself. I began to take initiative.

The very best moments of my 20's were...
1.writing classes
2.creating a blog
3.becoming apart of the video ministry
4.making new friends
5.going to see Onerepublic (it was honestly an amazing night😁)
6.making more money
7.discovering new hobbies such as, blogging, web designing.
8.Joining social media was a pretty good thing for me also, in a strange way haha.
9.As crazy as this sounds but having a cell phone hehe, I didn't have a cellphone in my teen years and before. It has helped me to keep in contact with my friends much better and it just helped me a lot period. I suppose I never invested in having a cell phone because I didnt really have a need to have one at the time because I didn't have anyone to call or anything. I survived off of a iPod touch 5 and other types of devices before that. Yeah... teen  years were tough.

But overall, just experiencing God in ways I never have before. I've seen God do amazing things in my life throughout my 20's thus far. I've grown incredibly close to god because I feel like in my 20's is the time where I had the toughest of times emotionally, mentally, financially and beyond. But God provided through it all and he still is working through me to this day. I will one day write more about the amazing things God has done in my life.

But life has been a crazy yet amazing ride and I look forward to all there is to come. I'm sorry if this is a short post but in this post I highlighted some of the best times in my life. I can't really go into full details with each experience as a 20 year old but it has been quite interesting. It has had its mixes of good and bad, but I feel like the bad was only to make way for greater opportunities. I've seen God work through some of the most difficult times and right now, I just want to say that i'm truly grateful. It helps me to feel better about the difficulties I experience now. As I get frustrated about various things such as my writing, career, relationships and more, I remind myself of what God has done for me in the past and that these situations are no different. He is the same God with the same power and he will never fail me.

Please share with me some of your best moments in your life. Whether it was as a teenager or in your 20's i'd be happy to hear about it! Continue to spread the word about my blog. Remember, as you spread the word about my blog, you are being a huge support to my writing career as it is tied in with my future as a writer. And as always, i'm open to any suggestions you guys may have. My friend has just given a great suggestion today to write about how I have a productive day or just my day I suppose haha. But I am definitely going to take the suggestion and work on writing a blog about my day. That's all for now, much luv to you all💕💚💛💜

Devotional and My Thoughts on it

In the last couple of days or so, i've been thinking about the importance of God in my life. I've thought really hard one day about how important God really is. I've outlined some of the most important things in my life and the things that I think about most and sadly, I can't say that God has a big place in those thoughts of mine. I mean, of course I love God and think about God especially while i'm reading the bible, listening to Christian music or praying. But, the most time that i invest in aren't necessarily godly things.

I think about my future, I say "will I ever be successful" or "will I ever finish writing this book?" "how will I continue to financially support myself?" I think about my goals and things I need to do daily. I think about what to eat or what to wear, etc... soon after, time has past by and it's already afternoon and then I realized I still haven't spent time with God by reading the bible or praying. As it gets in the late afternoon, I say "i'll read the bible now" but I still forget and get distracted and do something else and then a whole day has went by and the bible hasn't been touched and I begin to really feel bad and disappointed in myself. 

Well, I wanted to share with you a devotional about putting God first. Studies, work, eating is important but when we give God first priority of our day, it really changes things. Here's a part of a devotional titled First Things First:

   

5 TIPS TO SPENDING TIME WITH GOD 
Jesus regularly demonstrated the importance of spending time alone with God. Whether it was getting up early to start His day with prayer, or going to His Father in the midst of incredible stress and uncertainty – Jesus believed in the importance of putting His Father first. And if Jesus did it, so should we. But, where do we start? 
1. PRIORITIZE: If tomorrow you had an important meeting with your boss, wouldn’t you make every effort to show up? So why do we regularly ignore or postpone our appointments with God? Is it because we are too busy, easily distracted or maybe just lazy? I love what the late Justice Scalia said
 to his clerk when he invited him to church. “I’m just too busy,” his clerk said. Scalia replied, “Well, I’ll tell the Creator of the universe that you were too busy to see Him.” Ask God to give you a desire to show up and meet with Him. 
2. TIME & PLACE: For Jesus, the time was in the morning before the day even got underway. For many with young kids, the mornings can be chaotic. Maybe the ideal time is during nap time or in the evenings. Choose a place that is quiet and free from distraction: maybe an office, study, or bedroom. 
3. PLAN: Choose a devotional guide to get started. Think of it like a spiritual warm-up – to help you focus. Check out a book by a Christian authors like Oswald Chambers, Sarah Young, Tim Keller or Max Lucado. Hey, even these morning devotions from RFTH can be your ‘warmup.’
4. PRAY: Prayer is simply pouring our hearts out to God. The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13) is a great model to get started: it involves praise, praying for others, confession, telling Him our needs, and asking for forgiveness and strength in the face of temptation. 
5. LISTEN: Are you listening? Or simply doing all the talking? If we want to hear from God, we have to listen. God speaks to us through His Word.  
Now what? Take the ‘30 Day Challenge.’ Beginning today, commit to a daily time with God for the next month. Don’t let distractions or responsibilities get in the way; make God your first priority and see what He has to say. It can literally change your life!

Those are amazing tips on spending time with God. I know we all get distracted but i'm willing to turn off those distractions and hear God speak and become deeply connected with him. I know that the days when I really choose to make God a first priority of my day, I feel peace of mind, strength, wisdom, and joy. During my quiet time it's strictly just me and God. I continue to feel God's help with many situations when I really lay down my burdens at his feet and trust in him. God has helped me to have a better way of handling many situations that I have handled wrongly in the past. 

I feel like the last couple of weeks, i've allowed myself to get so discouraged and sad and I really didn't think about trusting God or his faithfulness. I know that sounds terrible but i'm only human and I think so much about what I want and what God isn't giving me. I don't take the time just to acknowledge God for who he is and what he's done fo me already. Everyday he allows me to breathe and have a healthy body and he gives me clothes to wear, food to eat, a place to live, many times we take these things for granted because we're always looking at the bottle half empty instead of half full. Or perhaps, we're just constantly thinking about ourselves. The things that saddened me on a daily basis are important things and God knows that. But when I continue to distrust God and feel sorry for myself i'm really making God as if he's a liar and that he doesn't care for my needs. God knows my greatest needs and even desires, but my job isn't to worry and complain, my job is to trust and find rest, peace and joy in him and not in just materialistic things. 

I want to continue to share devotionals and give my thoughts on them. Thank you for taking out the time to read this blog as you know it means so much to me and I truly put my whole heart into everything that I write. I know that God has gifted me to write because I feel it's the best way that I can express myself! I love sharing my thoughts here on my blog. It's truly a joy and a great way for me to relax. 

That's all for now, thank you again lovely people for finding interest in my blog. Much luv💖😊

Friendships in a Fast Paced Society

I just wanted to share this article with you all. It really means a lot to me and it gave me a whole new meaning of friendships. It’s an article from ymi.todayhttps://ymi.today/2015/08/friendship-in-our-fast-paced-society/

Capturing Life episode 1

Hey folks! I'm so excited to present to you my first video of my new video series Capturing Life.

Please Enjoy!