Bursting the Balloon

Do you ever feel deflated? There were several instances today when I felt like all the air had been let out of me. Do you recall the feeling when you think of something really funny to say, you wait for the right moment to say it, and POP! the air is let out of your self-confidence balloon. A dear friend flashes you a look of confusion which you (being the sensitive, intensely emotional person that you are) take it as disdain and you feel like an idiot. Deep down inside, you know you're not stupid. But for a moment, however brief, you're crushed.

Why do I let things like that happen to me? I realize that even the best-laid jokes can go awry, but why does it make me feel like a babbling lunatic? The answer is so simple, it's mind-boggling. I care way too much about what other people think AND I think much too highly of myself. The solution to this double dilemma is not yet clear to me, but I think I know where to start. I need to stop taking myself so seriously.

People who do not know me very well tend to think I'm a very serious person, and I am, to an extent. I consider myself a realistic person, which can often turn into a pessimistic attitude if I'm not careful. I've been praying for God to cultivate a spirit of joy in me because, honestly, my natural instinct is to see the world for what it is and become kind of depressed. As a child of God, I am not called to misery, but to joy! Psalm 97 says: Light dawns for the righteous, gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous ones, and praise His holy name. God's light shines on me, so I should be joyful! I'm not anywhere near perfect in the joy department, but Jesus is renewing my heart daily to delight in Him.

What fruit of the Spirit do you struggle with?

 

Being Crafty: Wall Hangings

So ever since I joined Pinterest, I've been craving crafts. Normally I'm not a "creative" person, i.e. the visual arts are not my strongest suit. Historically, crafts and I have not always gotten along, but this past weekend I accomplished a project I've been thinking about doing for months since I saw this post on A Beautiful Mess. This past weekend, my roommates and I headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up paint by number kits and spray paint, stopped by Redbox and picked up a few movies, then got to work! Once the paintings were dry, and after much homework, we selected quotes for our wall art and stuck positionable vinyl letters on our paintings. Once we were satisfied with the look of the letters, we took the big leap and spray painted our gorgeous paint by numbers! As soon as the paint was dry, we peeled off the letters and, Voila!, they were beautiful! Can you guess which one is mine?

We're already planning on making more!

P.S.- My birthday is this Saturday (Jan. 28) so expect a birthday post soon!

Weekend in Review: Beauty and The Beast in 3D

This weekend my roomates and I went to Asheville to stay with Catherine's Nana and, most importantly, to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D. For Rae, Catherine, and I, this was like our childhood coming full circle. Beauty and the Beast was originally released in 1991 and we were all much too little to see it in theatres. The movie was (and is) one of the best animated movies ever. The story, the songs, and the animation all work together to make one of the most-beloved Disney movies! We were all a bit wary about the 3D aspect of it, but it was awesome!! I have no idea how long it will be in theatres, but I highly encourage anyone and everyone to go see it before it leaves theatres!