Grateful Charts and Open Hearts

So I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but it required a poster. And I seriously have gone to get a poster for it several times and whichever store I happened to go to has been out of single poster boards.

SERIOUSLY

But then last night I was driving home from a night out with some old roomies (Can I just say I love Nancy and Alyse? I don't see nearly enough of them! And then I happened to end up seeing old roomies Kamie and Brett too... crazy love!) and just got thinking about various things (driving in the car is the best time for me to think) and just felt like now was the time to do it. No matter what.

So I got home, raided the craft closet and was able to find a very large piece of construction paper. It'll do. For now.

I sticky-tack-ed it up by my door and wrote across the top:

I AM GRATEFUL FOR...

Now, any time I go through my door (in or out) I write something I'm grateful for. And I try to put something that is IN THE MOMENT.

For example:
Just now I wrote "memories of Camille"
(yes Mills... YOU! You must say we have a lot... and I'm letting my hair go curly tonight but it was doing something funky on top -- new hair cut -- so I stuck in a claw... which I haven't done FOREVER)

Anywho.

I love it already.

I have a lot to be grateful for...and remembering that really does open my heart.

Life is good.

☼

And I go in/out of my room a lot (11 times in one day! 22 things on the chart!)

☼

And I wrote the start date on the chart. It might confuse some people though. I most definitely agree with this! (sidenote...this same blogger just gave birth to the cutest little boy! I'm super happy for them!)


♥ LOVES TO YOU ALL! ♥

Good "Pointe"!

How many times in your life do you think you’ve heard the phrase:
“a broken heart and a contrite spirit”?

A LOT, right?

But what does it really mean?

That was a question that came up in institute a few weeks ago and so we turned to the dictionary... HERE…

…easy enough to understand, right?

OK – How about “broken heart”?

(You can’t find it in the dictionary)

But for all you dancers out there, I had a thought.

…A “POINTE” TO MAKE, REALLY…

(and if you don’t happen to be a dancer, you still can read it)

***ahem***

New pointe shoes are beautiful:
Smooth. Clean. Seemingly perfect.
But they are HORIBLE to dance in:
Extra slippery. And they give you terrible liines. (note exhibit A)

(exhibit A)...EW...

In order to get a nice line, you need to beat the shoes up a bit.

YOU HAVE TO BREAK THEM IN

You have to bend them and work them. They’ll get a little dirty. The satin on the platform starts to rub off and fray.
But your lines are SO MUCH BETTER! (note exhibit B)

(exhibit B)

The “broken” shoes are molded and willing to work with the wearer’s will.(alliteration not intended)

And so it is with us.

Our hearts represent our desires. Our motives. Our purposes.

And they are the “pointe shoes” worn by our Savior.

Once we’re beaten up a bit we make not think we “look” as good…
…but the results can reach perfection.

Let Him mold you. Let him shape you and break you in. Let him do this and your will will become his own.