Post-Lent ... AKA Easter... What I Learned

Remember a little over 40 days ago when I talked about Lent and all of this goals I had? I was going to post Love sightings everyday! I was going to start a devotional! I was going to focus on Jesus because Lent is SO AWESOME!

Well.... I failed.

Like, really failed.

Let's start with the more obvious one: the Love Sightings.

It was such a great idea at first! It had to do with my blog and I could keep reminding myself about how "Love actually is ... all around!" I was so excited! But honestly, it was really hard. I saw love every single day, don't get me wrong. But finding something new to post all of the time was difficult. Sometimes you see the same acts of love everyday. (Especially when you work with preschoolers.) They're all wonderful, but sometimes you just get lazy and run out of things to take note of. It's awful... but it's true.

The other one was the devotional I had bought. I really loved it at first. I was able to focus everyday and write my thoughts and prayers out. While I can do this at anytime, it was nice to have something specific to focus on every single day. Then, my schedule switched up. I ended up taking on more hours at a second job in the afternoon which took up most of my devotional time. Yes, I could have found another time to read and write, but I didn't.

Then, I struggled with the second part of the devotional book. It was divided into four parts, and the second one was labeled "Follow." To be honest, I've been having a hard time with following and listening to God's voice. In my mind I keep going back and forth about what it means for God to have a plan and how to follow. Everyday I was reading about God doing these awesome things and asking us to follow him and I would just get frustrated.

Here's some brutal honesty here.

I DID follow. God told me to do something else with my life. To leave everything and go. So I did it. I know it was the right choice and I'm glad I did it. But it's hard. I'm still not 100% sure where God wants me to go next and what he wants me to do. Which is fine. I don't need to know my next steps and I need to keep living my life. I don't want to just wait around for a big "sign" for where to go next. That's not how life works. Yet, I can't help but feel frustrated at times when I'm not sure.

Doubts are okay. Questions are okay. Not finishing a devotional for Lent is okay. God is big enough for our fears, questions, doubts, and failures. He can handle it. Do we get frustrated with it? Yup. Do we give up sometimes? Absolutely.

But praise God he's bigger than that. Thank God my salvation doesn't depend on how well I "do" Lent.

I do want to finish that devotional book, but it'll take me more than 40 days. Which is totally okay. That's what I learned.

Linking up with Oak and Oats for 40 Days of Lent.

Here Comes the Sun

Spring is officially here! While here in Chicago we've had some ups and downs with the weather, I really do think spring has arrived. Just in time for Easter too! Yesterday was absolutely beautiful. After church and getting things ready for dinner, I spent most of Easter afternoon sitting outside on the back porch listening to music, reading a book, and drinking iced tea. Even after dinner my sister and I sat out there for a long time just talking about life, friends, her upcoming wedding, and anything else which came to our minds.

To me, each season should have a soundtrack. There are certain types of music which makes me think of spring.

For some reason, anything Frank Sinatra/Michael Buble just screams driving around in the springtime with the windows rolled down.

A couple of weeks ago the Glee cast sang "Downtown" and I think it was part of my motivation to get into the city of Chicago more to really experience it. There's no better time to rediscover a city than in the springtime.

After this winter, we all need some sun!

I listen to this song every single year at Easter. It's exactly the song which helps me to celebrate the greatest day in history.

I LOVE this song from Tangled. The whole movie is about sunshine and light which is perfect for spring.

This is another song where I just have to turn up the volume and roll down the windows as I drive.

Spring and dreams go together maybe? I'm not sure. I just know it popped up on my iPod a week or so ago and it was a beautiful spring day and I loved it.

Since Frank Sinatra was at the beginning, I had to put Michael Buble in too!

Have you all seen Joss Whedon's version of Much Ado About Nothing? It's fabulous and I LOVE what they did with the song "Sigh No More." Maybe because it was in an outdoor party scene, but this song makes me think of relaxing spring days.

I love Lenka! Her music is light, sweet, and adorable. Just like spring.

How are all of you enjoying your spring?

Linking up with Meg for Mingle Monday!

Good Fridays Letters

Dear Jesus, help me to focus on you this weekend. It's going to be a crazy next few days, so I'll easily be distracted. Remind me that it's all for you and what you've done.

Dear Natalie, I'm going to see you in about 5 hours!!!!!!!! I know we'll be running around town and church doing preparations for Easter, but it'll be fun. 

Dear Kelli, I can't wait for our brunch date this morning. Thank you for indulging my random craving for breakfast.

Dear Blog, Ever since the announcement for the closing of Google Reader I feel like we've had to start from scratch. I was so proud of that little number of followers that was growing (even if it was kind of slow). But now, I look at how much smaller my number is on Bloglovin. I know it's not about the number of followers, and it's highly likely that a majority of my GFC followers didn't actually read this blog. However, I still feel like we have to start from scratch to build a readership. It's discouraging. I know it can be good because a new start can be exciting, but I can't help but feel down about it. 

Dear Smash (cc: Justin Timberlake), Thank you for your awesome music that I play over and over again in my car.

Dear New TV, It's really nice to have actual TV now and not just catching up on shows online. Yes, I only have about 10 channels... but that's 10 more than I had before.

Dear Leah, Thank you for letting me live vicariously through you last night. I can't wait to hear about how it went. :)

Dear JR, Thanks for inviting me to Passover every year. I was finally able to make it and I'm so glad!

Dear Me, Can you get your act together now? That would be nice.

Thought I would do some Friday's Letters along with The Sweet Season this morning. With it being Good Friday, I feel like I should have some inspirational post about Jesus and everything he's done. But I can't. I don't know why. It's not that I haven't been thinking about such things. I loved our Maundy Thursday service last night, and I'll love tonight's service as well (even though it scares me). But for some reason... I got nothing to write about. 

Which is okay. 

God is bigger than my inspiration and my feelings. The fact that I have nothing to say about it at the moment doesn't change who he is and what he's done. 

It's going to be a fun weekend though. My sister is coming in on the train today, tomorrow I'll set up for the Easter breakfast, and Sunday is the big day. I"ll be working the breakfast with the youth, but I also joined the church choir for the one day to sing the Hallelujah chorus. It's nice to be singing in a choir again. Then after church my sister and I will take Bandit and drive back up to Chicago because Monday we're shopping for her wedding dress! I might be able to see some old friends Monday evening as well. 

(I'm hoping a fun blog post will come out of shopping!)

What are your plans for Easter weekend?

Last Year's Easter Breakfast Set-Up

And speaking of starting over with the blog... won't you follow me on these sites?

Bloglovin/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

April Soundtrack

I don't know about you, but I feel like April went by incredibly fast. It's crazy that tomorrow is May. But I guess that's what happens when you work at a church and your month is consumed with Palm Sunday, Confirmation, Easter, and retreats.

Onto this month's soundtrack! Here's a peek into what I've been listening to this month...

There Are No Words

I hate it when I post simply a song or a photo for something.

As Good Friday and Easter came along, I felt as though I should post something.

After all - what happened on Good Friday and Easter are kind of what my entire faith is based on.

Everyone else was posting - so I felt I must post as well.

So I shared a video and the lyrics to a hymn we sang at our Good Friday service at church. It was the best I could do, even though I knew people would see it as one of those typical Christian girl blog cliches.

Here's the thing . . .

Yet Again - I Have Some Catching Up To Do

Hello all! I hope you had a wonderful, beautiful, blessed, amazing Easter weekend. Mine was awesome, but crazy busy. Thus... the lack of posts about books. So, here is yet another catch-up post.

Also, I'm VERY disappointed in all of you for not voting on my poll. You have one more day! >:-(

Happy Day

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

HE

IS

RISEN