Surrender

Sometimes you’ve just got to give up, give in,

Let surrender begin.

You’ve hit a fender, life’s in a blender,

Best to just simply surrender.

Stop fighting for rights and turn out the lights,

You’ve fallen from seemingly new heights.

Rock bottom is cold, no longer feeling so bold,

But at least this solid foundation will hold.

Look up and see, there’s no reason to flee,

You just want to be set free.

Reach out your hand and then take a stand,

Seek the only One who can truly understand.

You’re not alone, even in this combat zone,

Surrender and His grace will surely be shown.

Give up the fight that is fueled solely by spite,

Know that He sees you in your plight.

Surrender my dear, there’s no need to fear,

Know that He’s working even if it isn’t clear.

I know the road looks hard and you are standing firm at guard,

But know that I reach out with the sincerest regard.

But above all, seek God, as I know I am flawed,

But by Him, I am always utterly awed.

I love you, sweet friend, and I trust your heart, He’ll mend,

And I pray that on Him alone should you depend.

Joy Lynn

Longing for Connection

She sits at the screen just passing time,

Consciously listening for that familiar chime.

Minute by minute, scroll after scroll,

New information is gathered but she feels like a troll.

Waiting for someone to just break through,

A new notification or a message out of the blue.

She sighs and she waits for a sign that someone cares,

The silence in her mind is more than she can bear. 

She’s looking for love in all the wrong places,

Twitter, Facebook and even MySpace’s. 

A connection with someone brings validation,

But a silent day causes self deflation.

So where should she go when she feels all alone?

Messages go unread and no one answers the phone?

Turn to the One who will never let go. 

Hebrews 13:5 says He’ll be there, you know?

So turn off the computer and silence your phone,

Find yourself on your knees and before His throne,

Give Him your troubles, your worries, your fears,

Lay down your burdens, He’ll carry those tears.

Return to the One who loved you first,

Who has loved you in your best and your worst.

Find acceptance and love in His tender care,

When you long for connection, you can find it in prayer.

Joy Lynn

New Year Souvenir's are...

...done for now.  Mostly because the new year is no longer new and I think the list accomplished it's purpose in opening doors to memory making and starting/encouraging new habits some of which have done well and others that haven't.  But I no longer plan to bore you with the run down of it.

That said, I did want to end the list on a high note because the biggest thing on the list was accomplished within the month.

I went to Texas for the first time since November 2012, so almost 2.5 years!  I missed it and it was so good to be back and catch up with family and friends there.  I was able to eat some delicious food, take some drives to admire how green everything was and how much the area had grown and I was also able to do a lot of sorting, packing and weeding out of my stuff.  I now have, if I remember correctly, six totes and two paintings left back home that I will eventually find a way to move up here if this is where I continues to reside.
I'm not a great or motivated picture taker but I'll let them tell some of the story and then wrap this one up and call it a souvenir list done well.

 This is the boat I got to sail around while in Texas. I simply called it the "boat".  The huge engine in this thing purred at higher speeds but it was a monster to try to park anywhere.

 My only home cooked meal of the trip, "bok choy" but got to have it twice so I was pleased.

 A wall decoration at the church that I liked.

 Whataburger is now in H-E-B, a Texas based grocery store, selling "fries" in a bag. It was interesting...  Not like a regridgerated bag but a potato chip bag, similar to potato sticks in a can.

 Texadelphia is still my favorite restaurant of all time.  Great sandwhich (it's actually a whole sub but I didn't think to take a picture til I was half way through my meal) that comes with chips and salsa and queso. SCORE!

 Palm tress because.....Texas............seriously, they are everywhere.  There is no where in the Valley that you can't see at least one palm tree on the horizon if you look all the way around.  Eeeeevvvveeerrryyyywhere!

 The fun of sorting.  Some old pictures ( Grandma, Mom and I.), an old gift to my mom, and part of my trading card collection.  I was that kid....

Taco Ole was my second favorite restaurant of this visit.  I got so full on chips and salsa and sweet tea though, that I had to eat most of my nachos as breakfast the next morning.

 Taco Fiesta also provided a solid serving of nachos and chips and salsa.  I love my Mexican food.

And last but not least, this is a picture of a brand-spanking-new Wal-Mart built in my hometown of Donna, Texas, population ~16,000.  My New Englanders are going to think that's a decent population to support a Wal-Mart but what you have to understand is there is a Wal-Mart in Alamo, six miles away, one in Weslaco, 3.4 miles away, and then a new type of Wal-Mart called a "Neighborhood Market-Walmart" that is 5.2 miles away if all you are looking for are the groceries.  That's further compounded by the fact that there is at least one H-E-B in every town as well, pretty much.  

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So some take aways from my time in Texas....everything is bigger there.  I had grown accostomed to things here in New England and they no longer felt small but then I went back to Texas and everything was HUGE.  I don't think we need big things here in New England but there are some stark differences between life here and there.  I'm glad I don't have to deal with the traffic, especially in McAllen when transitioning between expressway and frontage road.  I learned that a huge boat of a truck feels great going 70mph on the highway which is the speed limit down there.  

Most of all though, I learned that no matter the distance, family and friends will always be near and dear.  I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with each of you as some allowed me to stay in their homes, gave me rides, took me out to eat or talked over coffee.  It was a blast and a blessing to get to see the ones I did and hopefully next time I go down, it'll be a tad longer so I can see more people and relax some.

And for those not in Texas but praying, thank you for that!  If you are bummed the list follow up is ending, feel free to shoot me a message and ask how life is going and I'll surely update you.  Hope you enjoyed the pictures of Texas.  Sorry, not sorry, that there are no pictures of me in there, besides of when I was a child.  I'm not the biggest fan of the other side of the camera lens.  

Hope y'all are doing well!  Take care and God bless!

Until next time,

Joy Lynn

Why I Teach History

History is made by daily decisions.  One choice leads to another which paves a road you’ll call life.

Think of just the last 100 years.  Countries desire to be the best along with militant friendships led to World War I.  The rage over the punishments under the Treaty of Versailles fueled Nazi Germany and led to World War II.  The Yalta Conference meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin would pave the way to situating the Soviet Union as a world power and lead to its the eventual  takeover of most of Eastern Europe.  Broken promises led to the separation of an entire continent and a 40+ year period of tension, anxiety and inconclusive conflict in several countries throughout the world. 

Like a book, one chapter leads to the next, and though individually, we may have little say in what the country or the world does, we do still have a voice to make and tell our own story.  Tis our choice and responsibility.

Just this week, my Economics class asked why I was teaching about the national debt.  It is so huge ($18 trillion… $18,000,000,000,000), impossible to overcome, and what can I/we do about it anyway? 

To answer that question, I teach it because the debt situation we are in is a stepping stone in history…one that hasn’t been fully realized yet, though we have seen the signs (recession and housing crash of 2007-2008).  Eventually the country will have to make hard decisions about the debt and really set their minds to cut spending and/or collecting more taxes and both choices are not popular to the general public.  In Greece, when spending was cut to relieve their debt crisis, the people revolted through nationwide strikes, violent and sometimes deadly riots and torching banks.  Will that be our nation’s next chapter as well?  I teach because we are making history and if we do not look ahead, we will continue to fall behind in our own ignorance.

So what can you do about it?  

1. Pray for our leaders.  1 Timothy 2:1-2 says “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”  
2. Choose to be a leader yourself, taking a position of government/political authority or campaigning and speaking out for what you believe.  
3. But most of all, I want to challenge you to take up the pen of your life and be ever aware of the choices you are making and how they pave the path of your life.  Know that the friends you make and the jobs you take will play a part in your story as a whole.  Know that you can learn from others mistakes and though you may not be able to solve the U.S. debt crisis, you are solely responsible for your own wealth and potential debt crisis.  

You may not be known in U.S. History but it is, at current, a mystery to how your history will touch the lives of those around you.

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all these acts will be written the history of this generation.”  -Robert Kennedy

As a Christ follower, I like to take note of how His Story changed not only human history in paving the way to right relationship with God but also how His Story has impacted me personally.  I pray that as I write my story, the choices I make will reflect Him and that He gets all the glory.

So…what will be your story?  That is for you to decide.

Until next time,

In Christ,

Joy Lynn

March 2015 Souvenirs

I made a list at the start of the year to focus on five goals that I knew would bring memories to tuck away as souvenirs when I think about this year.  March is here and I rocked it...ish!

A. Shop Local

I started off the  month purchasing an array of candy from the New Hampshire Old Country Store in Moultonborough, NH on my way back from Maine, so not really local to me, but locally owned there and some great candy!  As far as local restaurants, I hit up New Socials burger night once and Big Fatty's BBQ in White River Junction, VT twice.  Superb restaurants!

On one particular Saturday this month, I went local crazy though and spent like $25.  I first went to Violet's Book Store to see my friend, Tim, who was hosting a book signing there, so I picked up a signed copy of his book as well as a book from the store.  I then headed to the Spice and Dry Goods store and bought some spices.  Then I went to a store that was closing and picked up two heavy duty plastic display trays for a buck a piece.  Then to a coffee shop (frozen coffee) and a Greek restaurant for some baklava.  Super and delicious success!


B. Household hop--At least three stops per month in someone else's house.
7 households this month but most were only one stop this month, which isn't a bad thing but starkly different from last month.  It was fun to get around and visit with people in their households.  Thankful for the hospitality of friends!

C. Legit meal--Once a week
Er....the reason I put this goal was because it was something to shoot for.  I'd say I nailed this 2 out of the four weeks this month, so progress but imperfect progress.  On a slightly related topic, this week I bought pork thinking it was beef and was a tad horrified when I was cooking it like beef and went to flip it over and it was white and not a seared brown.  It wasn't a failed experiment though...just an unexpected one.

D. Trip to Texas
So in less than a month now, Lord willing, I will be in Texas!  I haven't been in the state since 2012 so it's been a long time coming!  I'm pretty stoked and getting excited about seeing family and friends.  Also kind of excited to go through more of my stuff and sort it out to bring some treasures back with me.  But pretty close to the top of things I'm most excited about is food.  I'm a little bummed that I won't have enough time for it actually.  If all goes to schedule, I am scheduled to arrive at the airport near home at 12:11pm on Tuesday, which puts me just in time for lunch (yippie!!!).  I am scheduled to depart at 8am on Saturday (slightly bummed because my original booking was for the afternoon but they recently emailed me letting me know they changed my itinerary).  So that puts me home only 3.75 days (wow, that was the first time I did the math for that, and it's sort of depressing now as my original plan had me not leaving til 4pm....8 hours home taken away so fast...sad day).

Well, in order to pump myself back up, let me list for you my wish list of restaurants that I want to go to in my 3.75 days there!
1) Texadelphia (number 1 for sure...my fave!!!)
2) A tacqueria to order "tres bistek tacos con maize".
3) Whataburger....if all else fails, this will be my Saturday morning pre-airport breakfast...gotta love 24 hours a day serving burgers all that time...."I'll take a whataburger with bacon and jalepenos on the side."  For those of you that don't know, I don't want them on the side because I'm chicken...they seriously give you more jalepenos in the cup on the side than on the burger if you order it with jalepenos on it.  I'll take 10 slices over the 4 they put on the burger anyday!
4)  Chick-fil-A, this is a fave but near the bottom because if it didn't work out while I was home, I can always trek over to Nashua here and eat there if I was desperate.

So to be honest, I grew up eating out a ton which I don't do as much these days but when I think of Texas food, I often think of my favorite restaurants so that's kind of where my heart is at there. That said, I have an aunt that I will see who makes some of my favorite dishes too, so if she happens to read this, which I believe she will, I hereby request "bok choy" or the Tahitian haystack meal.  :-D  No pressure though.

Excited to see and visit with those I get to see.  Man, it's going to be a whirlwind...what was I thinking....?  Well, just a good reminder to soak up every minute of fellowship and every ray of sun I get.

E. Read more
Reading has been a weak spot but once again, that's why it's on this list.  Motivation!  I finished re-reading "How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes" by Irwin and Peter Schiff.  I have also started but not gotten extremely far into "The Candy Bombers" by Andrei Cherny so that's next on my list to knock out hopefully.

Beyond this list, March was pretty monumental to me personally in almost pushing a reset button on my life and the track I was on.  I thank God for the people and events/situations He used to wake up the sleeping giant and get me on a better path.  It's been a good month of learning, growing, praying and stretching.  Thanks for those who have come along for the ride.  I hope your March has you marching triumphantly and looking forward to Spring!

See you next time!
Joy Lynn

**Speaking of next time, April's run down and probably a recap of Texas in general will have to wait until early May as I'll still be in Texas as the calendar month flips so just a heads up there.

At The Cross

At the cross my knees are weak,

All hopes for the future now look bleak,

Our Leader has been crucified,

The blood thirsty opponents pacified.

Days I spent sitting on my hands,

Jesus’ death lost Him many fans.

Together we sat simply vexed,

Asking "what are we to do next?"

I go to the grave to say goodbye,

But that’s when things really go awry,

The tomb is empty, He is not there,

I’m on my knees in total despair.

But He came along and pointed me to the cross,

“There was victory there and not a loss,

For My death paid sins payment you could not bear,

I can live with and in you now, so do not despair.”

At that cross is where the real journey begins,

Where He settled the debt of all our sins,

So tell all the world that that we can be free,

For He came to give hope to you and to me.

Joy Lynn

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures"

2 Corinthians 5:21

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Souvenir's from February 2015

As some of you may remember, I made a list at the start of the year to focus on five goals that I knew would bring memories to tuck away as souvenirs when I think about this year.  This month has proven that I've lost some steam.

A. Shop Local- Didn't happen in February, but I've already fixed that for March so I'm moving onward and upward here.

Sweet Miles

B. House Hop
Six house holds this month, each with at least two different day appearances.  And each stop was so fun.  There was the Super Bowl party, dinner and a movie night, game night, Sunday dinner, a birthday dinner, post Sunday evening service hang out, ladies brunch fellowship, making strawberry muffins and teaching a friend how to make kale chips.  And to end the month off, getting to spend a few days in Maine with one of the best friends and long time mentors anyone could ask for.  Many laughs, good times, and cuddles with her adorable little man who is just over 6 months old.  

C. Legit meal
About the only time I have a legit meal these days is when i get invited to a friends house for a meal.  The second week in February was my most legit week, with pretty solid meals through the week because I was supplied with both chili from Wendy's (I buy three larges and then parcel them out) and home made gumbo from a friend.  After that week, it was back to just getting by on the nights when I was on my own.  So this month, kind of a fail, but that's exactly why this one was on my list to begin with.  Something to shoot for....

D. Trip to Texas
Booked and waiting til April.  Just starting to think of a to do list for when I am down there but I've still got time.

E. Reading
I finished reading "In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?" by Charles Sheldon.  Excellent read, short, to the point, engaging and challenging.  Kind of begs the question, what will I do with the challenge put before me.  Guess time will tell.

Well, that about sums up February.  Hope everyone is enjoying life and making memories that are a blast and will last.

Joy

Souvenirs from January 2015

As some of you may remember, I made a list at the start of the year to focus on five goals that I knew would bring memories to tuck away as souvenirs when I think about this year.  This first month has gotten me off to a good start but let me first remind you of my souvenir wish-list.

A. Shop Local
B. Household hop--At least three stops per month in someone else's house.
C. Legit meal--Once a week
D. Trip to Texas
E. Read more

A. Shopping locally
My shopping local this month was to restaurants.  I stopped by New Socials on Burger Night to order a The Texans burger (of course!) which was a half pound patty with onion rings, bbq sauce, fresh
jalepenos, and pepperjack cheese inside and a side of delicious fries.

I also stopped in at the Red Barn Cafe across the river in Vermont, to pay a visit to the wonderful family that owns and runs the business and my (current as well as former) students who work there.  There, I cashed in with some delicious chili (extra jalepenos please) and some baked goodies (Almond Joy scone and chocolate raspberry muffin) to hold me through the following week.

Lastly, I went to Hitchin Post with a friend which is a locally owned and operated business but I totally spaced on taking pictures but local patronage delicious this month.



B.  House Hopping was popping this month!  I actually found myself in 5 different households this month with a few of those being more than one stop in.  After living here in New Hampshire for 3.5 years, my social network here has expanded and people are getting more comfortable with me and having me over so that's been really sweet.  Between playing games with children or adults, watching football, having dinner and tons of sweet conversation, I'd say this point was a success.  Thank you to each of you who have welcomed me into your home.  I hope to claim you again next month!  :-)


C. So honestly, it's been a pretty miserable fail on meal preparation and bringing a meal together all within a relative sitting.  On week one, I had my first success in having a small steak, roasted parmesan broccoli and homemade sourdough toast with strawberry chipotle jam (both of which I got for Christmas from good friends).

Beyond that, most of my complete meals come when I get invited to my friends (see point B above) house to have dinner with them.  Luckily, I have friends who have pity on me in that market.

D. Well, apparently just putting a trip to Texas on my wish list was enough motivation to get up and moving.  I am excited to announce that I will be taking a trip to Texas during my April vacation.  I haven't been back to Texas since 2012 so I miss my family and friends there dearly, and I haven't seen my dad since summer of 2013 so it'll be good to see the whole bunch there.

E. Reading has gotten off to a good start.  I actually received a book as a gift on Christmas and began to read that day, finishing the first eight chapters before the new year and finished the forty chapter book on January 17th.  The book is "Mimosa" and it is written by Amy Carmichael.  If you want to know the basic background of the story and then a poem I wrote about it, I'd encourage you to read my post, "The Well."  It is an excellent book, easy read and compelling story that challenged and encouraged me.  I'd highly recommend it.


I also finally finished reading "Unglued" by Lysa TerKeurst.  I started reading this book last year and got through the first eight chapters so I polished off the remaining four chapters this month.  This was a book that I didn't really know I needed until I'd read it in the midst of life.  Even as I write this, I reflect on how many times just today I've said to myself "feelings are indicators, not dictators" which is a line that repeats throughout the book.  I feel hard and I feel deep but I don't want to be a slave to my own raw emotion so it's important I step back and get some perspective before acting on my intense feelings and really unravel or as the book would say, become "unglued."  It was a good and challenging read.  One that I took a long time digesting but as a former student would say "it's good for ya!"

Lastly, as the month is coming to a close, I've begun reading "In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?" by Charles Sheldon which I received as a Christmas gift this last month and I'm also rereading "How An Economy Grows and Why it Crashes" by Peter Schiff which I like to use for my Economics class.  I'll report on those more once I finish them.

So as a wrap up, January was pretty sweet.  Some of the fun things that don't fall within my list but are still souvenirs for me to keep from this month are going to my students basketball game, playing basketball, two concerts by bands that I know personally and a chili cook off.

So what's your report?  Any progress on your new year wishes?  Any great souvenirs to hold on to from January 2015?  Here's hoping for a memorable February ahead for all!


Until next time,
Joy Lynn

The Well

I'll start with context..... I just finished reading the book “Mimosa” which is a true story of a woman that Amy Carmichael worked with.  The book is great and challenged my heart and perspective on many levels. Mimosa had heard a small drop about God when she was young and missionaries were speaking to her father trying to ask permission to teach the children.  Though that was the only seed that was planted, that seed grew and the roots became very deep even though she knew very little about this God whom she had so much faith in.  She was often shunned by the Hindu culture and caste in which she was surrounded by.  In a desperate time, she reached out to a family member who professed to be a Christian, for just some money and help but was totally shut out by them. One of the quotes from Mimosa after this happened that continued to stick out to me was when she said “Christians! Why were they so different from their God?” 

 

It was that quote and that context in which I wrote the poem below.  Later in Mimosa’s life, she came to know more about the God whom she so strongly had faith in without book knowledge but it was with no help from this “Christian” family that rejected her.  I don’t want to be a “Christian” in name that pushes people away from knowing and experiencing who Christ is.  I don’t want to see that for the Church as a whole either, and so in this mindset a prayer poem was born.

The Well

There once was a girl with a thirst in her heart,

like a tender seed planted along the way.

She was thrown a bone oh so long ago,

but then another pot of water never came.

She clung hard to life, and through pain and strife,

she continued to grow though storm clouds brewed.

Then the weeds they came, trying to leave her slain,

telling her that all the waiting was in vain,

and that the wishing well was no place to dwell,

she’d be better off casting spells.

But she clung to faith through the stormy days,

knowing that her faith had made her strong.

Her roots went deep and wide through her sacrifice,

even though she only had a seed of knowledge to go on.

But now hopes alive, she can see the well where true life abides,

it is flanked by folks on every side.

She draws close to find, searching for new life

but she’s astounded by the sights of those unkind.

The folks that congregate, oh they have little faith,

and the riches offered here are laid to waste.

The gossip abounds and the judgments prevail,

this well is surrounded by a clouded veil.

Not because the well is trying to hide,

but because the people around it have misapplied.

She pushes through the crowd to finally make her way,

to the well so deep and free.

She takes an empty pail and draws out from the well

and drinks it in so deeply.

All that pain and strife, it was worth the fight,

for the well that never will go dry.

Though the people fail, God’s well will always prevail,

giving life and liberty.

But Church, let’s take a stand, to not limit but expand

His reach to those found deep and wide….

---deep within their hurt and wide from offence of the hypocrisy of our lights.

Let us be the mirrors reflecting His own light,

shining deep into the hearts of men.

Let us not build walls to keep people out

and let not our stench of pride be such that no one wants in.

For His Word prevails, and He calls them home,

so who are we to not let them in?

I pray we lay down strife and seek to love others like Christ,

for it was His love in our most broken state that caused Him to pay the price,

and in His death our punishment sufficed.

I pray all come to this Well, and find life.

Joy Lynn 

2015 New Year Souvenir List

The New Year is right around the corner and that means it’s time to reflect on 2014 and resolve to do better in 2015.  The problem is that I’ve never been one for making New Year’s resolutions, at least not officially because I don’t like making promises I can’t keep.  The closest I got to a resolution this past year was a memory calendar where I would take time each night to reflect on the day and write memories or thoughts on my Bacon-themed calendar.  That lasted til May….  So yeah…I don’t have a winning streak at this, but there are a couple things I would like to try to do in the new year and they have some measurable goals so I thought I’d do a monthly report on the progress and maybe even show some pictures of the adventures in progress.  It probably will only last til March, but hey, if I put this up online, maybe someone will follow it enough to hold me accountable and say….what happened to April?  We’ll see…but without further adieu..

2015 New Year Souvenir list

A.)    Shop local at least once a month------  I am pretty frugal with my money and am pretty decent at talking myself out of wasteful spending.  I love, in theory, the thought of shopping locally for goods, services and food.  The hang up is that, generally speaking, most goods can be bought elsewhere cheaper and then my super frugal mind takes those same goods and totally throws them out the window because many of them, when boiled down are not even necessary, so at the end of the day, I don’t buy local and I hardly buy anything at all.  I happen to live in a sweet little New England town with a downtown I like to trod through just for kicks, so one of my plans is to visit a locally owned shop or restaurant and show some love on those who are making a name for themselves in this neck of the woods. 

B.)    Find myself in at least three different households in a month------ Since moving out on my own 10.5 months ago, I’ve enjoyed the freedom of having my own cave to come home to and hide.  That’s not to say I don’t get out, but sometimes when I should get out, I don’t, so I am hoping putting this on the list will help me stay motivated to keep reaching out…and hey….maybe someone local reading this will think, “maybe I can help Joy reach her goal by inviting her over!”  :-)  As much as I need some alone time to recharge, community is really necessary support system and I need the motivation to seek it out sometimes.

C.)    Prepare a legitimate meal at least once per week------  As mentioned before, I’ve been living on my own now for a little while now.  In that time, I have yet to perfect or even had the motivation/desire to want to serve myself well balanced meals.  I’m coming off living with amazing couples who had well balanced meals as they were serving for at least three or four to now only having to feed me.  Sometimes I default to chips and salsa for a meal, but many times I will eat something half decent like a thin steak or broiled asparagus or a crown of broccoli….just ONE of those things though.  I cook in stages because when it’s just me, there is no one to impress and no timing that I have to get right.  So I cook and eat the steak and then if I’m still hungry, I’ll broil up some asparagus and then if I’m still hungry, I’ll grab and handful of strawberries and call it a meal…..the problem is….I hardly ever make it past the steak.  One and done for me.  So my third new year souvenir is to make a meal once a week that contains at least a protein AS WELL AS a veggie of some sort. 

D.)   Take a trip to Texas------  I haven’t been back home since Thanksgiving of 2012.  I miss my family there as well as the food but Texas is far away and my breaks have been too short to justify the trip as well as the high cost of airline tickets.  So I’m not sure when in 2015, this would take place, but I’m making it public knowledge that I hope to take a trip to Texas this year.  If I haven’t set anything in stone by March, someone needs to start bothering me about it because if it doesn’t happen at least by summer, the chances of it happening at all go down significantly.

E.)    Read more------I still haven’t decided if I’d set the bar at reading at least a chapter of a book a week or reading one book per month.  Reading is another thing I love the thought of, but I haven’t made it a priority.  It’s kind of sad too, because I can’t say I don’t have time for it…I’ve got plenty of time for other mind numbing activities (soduku, sims, walking in circles).  So here’s to reading because as Dr. Seuss said “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” 

So these five things make up my New Year Souvenir list.  Oh yeah…you may be wondering why I called it a “New Year Souvenir” list to begin with.  Well reason one would be because it rhymes, of course.  But reason two is because a souvenir is a momento or keepsake that one obtains to remember a place, person, or milestone.  I want this list to provide a framework where memories can happen, relationships be born and grow, and personal growth take place.  Some of that growth will take place within the confines of my own apartment, some as I connect with the world around me, and some even as I travel the road to wherever God leads me.  Cheers to making each month of the new year one to remember!

Do you have any new years resolutions or memory making souvenirs to look forward to in the new year?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.  Wishing you and yours blessings in the new year! 

Until next time,

In Christ,

Joy Lynn