It's the little things (cont...)

Here we go again...take #2 of the little joys that are being revealed to me every day. They're those little tid-bits that bring a smile to your face, touch your heart, or even make you wanna dance like a kid, as they shed light in rather dark seasons of life, helping to change your perspective and live a life in a constant state of thankfulness. **No matter how trivial or important, "the little things" are things meaningful to you.**



It's the little things like...quiet time. It's good for the mind, body, and soul. Take some for yourself.

It's also things like sunshine & suntan lines - which could be surprising to some who know anything about me, especially because this is coming from a non-outdoorsy kind of girl. A negative self image trapped me indoors for many many years, causing the sunshine to become my enemy, burning my flesh with the tiniest of UV ray exposure. With lots of encouragement & love & grace from my husband, friends, and family, my love for sunshine began to return to my life (in more ways than one), and some brown pigment is returning to my skin. Finally.

Which leads me to this:

It's little things like learning to embrace and love the person you are today. For way too long, I let trivial things like weight gain & stretch marks define me, and hold me back from really living. I was consumed. I was miserable, and often times made others around me miserable because of my insecurities, as much as I hate to admit. When I say these things are trivial, I mean that they are trivial. They do not define who we are, and although some days it is still a struggle, I have to decide to fight insecurity, and own the FACT that I am worth more than a couple extra pounds. I totally believe in a healthy lifestyle and staying active...but I no longer believe in striving to portray a certain image or reach a particular standard. My new life mantra includes a cute swimsuit and lots of pool time, while the old sweat suits and layers take a much needed break at the top of my closet. Extra pounds or no extra pounds, I am still a daughter of the King - treasured, sacred, and His...yet curvy, and owning it!

Looking through old pictures.

It's the little things like family weddings,

...and learning.

It's helping someone,

...it's someone helping you.

It's allowing yourself to dream.

Things like meeting sweet neighborhood kids, and finding the good in the not-so-sweet ones...even if the only good you can come up with is how fast they can run.

It's the little things like being genuine,

Being kind...

And practicing grace & mercy...

And having someone do the same to you.

It's learning to be slow to speak, and quick to listen.

It's the little things like a sweet little old mail lady, whose presence is amazingly infectious.

It's growing...

It's resting...

It's changing...
and being changed by all the little meaningful things.