Words of Wisdom

I heard something very interesting the other day (it's a little corny so prepare yourself but still very true)... "Everyone is a candle, but not everyone is lit.  Find what makes your light shine so that you may share the light with others."  In many ways, that's a great statement.  When you are inspired by something and live everyday "lit" then the people around you tend to want to share in that happiness as well.

little things are big things

SO TRUE!  As a teacher, I ask my students, "What's your favorite memory from this year?"  It's not the time they took the greatest field trip or won an award or got to stay home from school.  Usually they list something they did at recess or a day we had a treat in class.  I think back to my school days and it is the same.  I remember the LITTLE things about elementary, middle, and high school... and college?  It's not the tests, classes, professors, etc.  It's all the times I did the little things with my amazing friends that make me realize how "big" they really were.  Appreciating moments as they are happening knowing you will be thankful for them in the future is something we all need to remember to do.

Who's got talent?

These girls are incredible!  The little brunette is too precious and I can't help but smile when I watch this video.  Enjoy :)

Small Town Girl

Sometimes going home makes me want to get back to Charlotte almost as quickly as I arrived and other times it is just what I needed.  This weekend was all about family time - relaxing, shopping, good food & conversation, and just enjoying being together.  The weather was perfect and I was a happy girl.  I usually am so thankful that I now live somewhere other than Morganton where there is more to do than go to Wal-Mart.  However, this weekend I realized how much I take for granted the little things about living in a small town.  Here are some things that make me grateful I grew up in Morganton rather than a bigger city.  I feel sorry for the people who may never get to experience these:

1.  Football Friday Night taking over your entire town.  Literally EVERYONE went to the game.  If you didn't you were out of town or really sick.

2.  Small town folks.  People being so nice and willing to help.  Everyone knows everyone.  Sometimes this was the worst thing and sometimes it gives you a sense of comfort.  Friday as we sat at a restaurant and literally every person who walked in the door my family and their friends spoke to them.  Yeah, that doesn't happen in Charlotte.

3.  The thing to do on a Friday was to meet in the parking lot of K-Mart (after the game, of course) and figure out whose house or field we were going to.  This may sound crazy, but it's just a small town thing. 

4.  The river.  I never realized how much I miss running by the river or just being able to sit and watch the it when the wheels are on.  It's so peaceful.

5. The weather.  Living in Morganton is perfect.  The weather in the winter is ideal.  SO much snow!!  I miss it when all we get is ice in Charlotte.

6.  Not having 830991 choices of where to eat or shop.  I love being surrounded by things to do in Charlotte, but sometimes its nice to only have a few options.  Most of the restaurants in Morganton are little gems - few chain restaurants, mostly local people with great food.  Also, there is NO mall within 20 miles.  Going to the mall is a BIG deal.

7. The mountains.  I miss seeing the mountains more than anything.  There is no scenery in Charlotte.  I never realized how special it was to be able to see them everyday when I lived in Motown.  Also, being a quick 35-40 min away from Boone was so great.

8. I don't miss this neccessarily but seeing animals in field like cows and horses was no big deal.  I have cows in my neighborhood.  Being held up on the main roads by a tractor was nothing either.  It was a daily occurance.

9.  The festival.  Everyone in the entire town goes to the festival.  It's another event that  you just do not miss out on.  We had country singers come every year.

10. My family.  When pretty much everyone on your mom and dad's side lives in one city - you kinda can't go anywhere without knowing someone.  I loved being so close to them and having my cousins near me in school.

  Downtown Morganton :)

Be Thankful

I am guilty of NOT doing all of these things.  Unfortunately, I catch myself seeking God and asking for help more than thanking Him for all of the blessings I have been given.  Even if things do go right, I rarely take the time to give thanks... I am all too often on to asking for the next thing.  I plan to work on this problem.  I need to take the time to realize how fortunate I am even when it seems like my prayer request list looks more like my grocery list.

A good quote I heard the other day... "What if we woke up today and the only things we had left were what we thanked God for yesterday?"

October To Do

With this being a new month... I usually think of that as a new start. A brand new month = new possibilities. So I have put together a little list of 10 things to accomplish or try to work on for the 10th month, October.

1.  Enjoy lots of pumpkin things. It's only here for a small amount of time.

2.  Visit my sister in Raleigh... possibly for the State Fair?

3.  Get serious about doing weights classes. I need to get stronger to support me while I run - stronger muscles means less injuries and who doesn't wanna be toned?

4.  Take a trip to the mountains to enjoy the weather, scenery, and shopping!

5.  Start training for my next half marathon on Nov. 12th.

6.  Find a cute Halloween costume that doesn't scream "look at me because I'm practically naked" like most costumes.

7.  Try to save as much money as possible and only buy what I really need or things that are on sale (and I mean REALLY on sale).

8.  Get more sleep.  Make a bedtime and stick with it.

9.  Cook more/try new recipes and eat out less. Try to eat healthier in general.

10. Find something good in everyday and thank God for it.