5 Ways to Follow Through With Your New Year's Resolution

It's that time of year again.

Whether it's to learn a new skill...

To get out in the great outdoors more...

(Photo by Sasha at Me and Me.)

Or any other number of things,

New Year's often equates to the setting of new goals, dreams, and hopes. 

New Year's resolutions are infamous for lasting, oh, approximately....24 hours. If you're lucky. ;)

Sometimes it seems pretty hopeless to even set one, but they aren't literally impossible to keep. There are some ways to help you accomplish your New Year's resolution.

1: Pick One Thing

It will help you keep on track with your dream if you aren't overwhelmed with innumerable things you should be doing. Regardless of what you may think, you are going to be busy sometimes this year. That's just what happens. Pick something to really concentrate on, and set your mind to achieving it.

2: Be Realistic

Allow yourself some wiggle room, and set a goal that you can reach. Understand that you will have other preoccupations in the coming year, and give yourself some room around it.

3: Understand You Will Mess Up

News flash: you are human. Embrace it! Don't pressure yourself to never, ever mess up. It will only stress you out more than necessary when you do. 

4: Get Back Up Again

Another news flash: messing up does not equal failure. "Fall 7 times, stand up 8" says the Japanese proverb. It's okay if you mess up, but get back up and try again. You will never accomplish what you want if you quit the first time you fall!

5: Record Your Progress

Whether it's through a journal, calendar, or anything else, find a way for you to comfortably track your progress. Give yourself reminders of what you want to accomplish, and believe that you will accomplish it. Avoid forgetting about your goal.

So, dear readers, don't give up hope! Aim for the sky this year, and fly even further!

What are your goals for 2015?

A Joyful Beginning

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

This time of year, it can be pretty easy to be in a bad mood. Here where I live, for instance, the long, stubbornly sticking snow just finally melted....right in time for Christmas.

Good timing, snow. 

We had a month of powdery white, and now it has melted just in time to deny us a white Christmas. Plus, the long months ahead promise dreary cold, slush, and ice, far into what we would normally hope to be spring. The year before last, we had snow days in April!

We can't control the weather. Something we can do, however, is keep a positive outlook on the winter ahead. Christmas is kind of a good way to start that.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior, the beginning of our hope. We can also see it as a beginning of a long winter, and remember to be positive about it.

I encourage everyone to keep the Christmas spirit into 2015. :) Merry Christmas, everyone, and a blessed new year!

We have reason to be joyful! <3

Words

our words are all we have
to communicate
         vast
                complex
                                galactic
thoughts of the human mind.
we cannot place our feelings directly
into another's brain.
but with our vague and abstract words
they cannot be interpreted exactly.
it's an unending game of telephone
just words trapped in our brains, all alone
to the beat of an unending metronome
tapping out the time of the universe
.
And what gets lost in the foggy translations?
we cannot say.
neither can we truly tell
what all we thought today.

6 {Big} Reasons to Keep a Journal

I have a lot of notebooks. Keeping a regular notebook or journal was something I always wanted to do, ever since I was in 1st or 2nd grade. My problem was I had always thought they were for writing all about your day, and they had to be written in nearly every day. 

I totally missed the point. Thus, reason number one you should be keeping a journal:

1. They are fun to write

Keeping a journal is fun. You can totally customize it to your specific writing style. You can have as many or as little rules as you want. I personally write purely when I feel like it. I never force myself to write. I go weeks writing every single day, then never write at all for a number of weeks. I don't write what I don't want to write. I don't have to introduce myself, or explain myself, because the reader (me!) already knows all of it. Skipping the boring parts leads you straight to the exciting parts.

2. You can see how your life has been fitting together

Looking back at old notebooks, I can see patterns I wouldn't have noticed otherwise, prayers I didn't remember that were answered, and just how my life has been going. Keeping a journal is great for retrospection. We as humans often don't notice little things happening. Reading back is like rereading a book and noticing all the little subplots you hadn't noticed the first time.

3. They can provide you inspiration for other writings

Honestly, when I need inspiration for a story or a poem or just a different writing in general, I go to my notebooks. Partly because I've scribbled in so many poem drafts and story ideas that I can use now, but sometimes just interactions you've recorded can help you launch a plot.

4. They remind you of goals/plans you have had

I have a short and limited memory. It's amazing how much you can forget in just a few days or weeks. Flipping through my current Notebook can remind me of my goals, why I set them, and inspire me to see them through. Often not reaching a goal for me is less of a matter of quitting and more of a matter of just forgetting about them.

5. It's like writing a little book for yourself to read in the distant future

Sometimes when I finish a notebook, I just want to destroy it and forget about it. But seriously, if you keep them for long enough, at some point you'll be glad you did. There'll be interactions you have forgotten about, little snippets you don't even remember writing, and thoughts that will show you how you've shaped into who you are.

"We can imagine a rainbow of possibilities.

We say 'anything', and 'everything'.

But in the end,

it's only our limited rainbow

and we forget there are other colors,

incomprehensible to us."

6. You can learn your writing style

Keeping a journal teaches you writing in a valuable way. You learn to write better with practice, you learn to express yourself and your opinions, and you learn yourself in a way you didn't before. Keeping a notebook is a fantastic way to get better at writing, check in with yourself, and enjoy yourself in the process. The writing doesn't have to be great. The notebook itself doesn't have to be high quality. You can write anything you want. And in the end, in this way, you learn more about who you are, and what you truly care about.

We Have the Same Dreams

You've Got to Be Kind

"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies--'[gosh darn it], you've got to be kind.'" -Kurt Vonnegut

When we're just little kids, we are taught to be nice to each other. It's one thing we're drilled over and over again. Respect. Share. Listen. Be kind.

This isn't a new concept, guys. It's been around for awhile. You want people to be nice to you, right? Be that same kindness you would want for your self, to others. This is the golden rule, taught by Jesus: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also onto them likewise." (Luke 6:31, KJV) Being kind is about love."By love serve one another", Paul wrote to the Galatians. That's why we're here. 

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1 John 4:11 KJV)

There is no reason to hate any person. We're all human. We have that same core. We have the same confusion, the same worries and needs to be loved & accepted. We're not really all that different.

Sometimes, though, we just get caught up in ourselves. We don't think. We don't remember to be kind to others in our own worries and thoughts. 

But honestly, is that allowance of rudeness really going to save you that much time, or help your well-being that much? Let go, and let God. Have a little consideration. 

Is that extra 10 minutes on your phone during class really going to accomplish anything for you, enough to make up for your disrespect? Yes, even if you already understand the material the teacher is going over, you're still basically saying, "hey, Teacher, I don't really care about what you have to say or about the time you're spending to teach us this, so I'm just going to stare at a screen and tune you out, instead." It's a respect thing. You can still politely listen, even if you already 'get' it.

And seriously, you don't have to roll your eyes in frustration and complain to the person next to you when that person speaks in the class discussion again. Maybe it's just something they're passionate about. We all have different beliefs, interests, passions, and thoughts. That's perfectly okay. We can talk through things, instead of trashing each other's opinions.

We have got to step it up and just be kind, guys. It doesn't have to be that difficult. Remember, we're all human. Let's give each other some slack. Let's help each other out. It's then, when we're kind to each other, that we can accomplish great things.

"I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay...small acts of kindness and love." -The Hobbit

December Glimmers

Evergreens & twinkling lights

Christmas hymns & joyful noise

Story times & silent nights

His Glory, or My Works?

At the door I am speaking,

"Lord, Lord, let me in

Let me in, let me leave

this bleak world of sin."

"Give me a place I can lie

in peace, safe and sound

where hope, love, and joy

and life can be found."

"In Your name, oh, my Lord

I've done many great things

and I'll tell You about them

from the height of Your wings."

"So please," I implore You.

"Lord, let me in.

I knock on Your door

so this life I can win."

But wait -- You are whispering

from this door You shut tight.

"I never knew you," You say.

"Yes, you heard right."

My forehead is wrinkled,
 "But look what I've done!"

I've done many great things,

and all for the Son.

And so now You reply,

with love in Your eyes,

"Listen to me," You say,

"If you wish for life in the skies."

"You call my name Lord,

yet do not what I say:

for the will of my Father

is the only True way."

"So first, seek my God

seek Him and you'll find.

For this kingdom of Heaven

is not seen with the mind."

With that, my knocking ceased,

and I turn from the door

for this kingdom of Heaven

is not what my pride has in store.

And so now I remain

in the dark, evil lurks

and I'm kept awake with a question:

His glory, or my works?

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Matthew 7:21-23, King James Version.

A View From the Cello Section

Fluffy snowflakes have covered the ground. Coats and boots have become part of everyday wear. We have already had our first snow day off from school. It is November in here in the Midwest.

November also means the first orchestra concert of the school year is coming up!

Ugh.

I love the cello very, very much. But concerts just aren't really my favorite. Walking onto the stage, playing for everyone, all those glaring lights...

*sad noise*

But really, orchestra is great. Especially the cellos. I mean, we kind of have an infestation, uh, I mean blessing of cellos in my orchestra. There's quite a few of them, especially if you compare to our very meager viola section. When you have that many of us, there can be kind of a problem with how much sound we produce. Let's just say that the command to play louder is a very rare thing for our cello section to hear. (Oh, but when we get the melody... :D)

So, sure, there are some problems we have. Concerts are one problem for me, but there are others. November, for instance, not only brings joy with the snow, but also brings groans with the tuning.

Tuning, tuning, tuning. It's a problem year round, but especially here when the weather is shifting. Bridges popping, pegs slipping, and strings snapping are in unfortunate abundance. The pain is real, guys.

(via pinterest)

The cello is a lot of resting and simple harmony a sad amount of the time. As the cellos say in The Composer is Dead, "You can't waltz without a reliable one-two-three, one-two-three. It's boring, but it's steady work." The first violins, however, along with other sections, have some more tricky parts. Thus, our army of cellos is often left sitting for the other sections to get things figured out.

Being an orch dork is a hard life. ;) Not only do we have to deal with those things, but also non orchestra people. "Is that a guitar?" people ask as I carry my cello case. "The cello..." another says thoughtfully when I explain what actually is in the case. "That's like, a big violin, isn't it?"

Uh....no. Just no. :D

Anyway, I'm getting a little off the point. The point is, there are some little annoyances, but there's so much more benefits. In orchestra, you get such a wide variety of people. You get to learn so much from each one as you play music along with them, and talk to one another outside of playing. It's just kind of a big orchestra family, and it's wonderful.

And we haven't even talked about the music yet. Music is such a beautiful gift, as J.S. Bach said, "for the honor of God, and the permissible delights of the soul." It captures so much of the human heart. Engulfed in music is such a lovely place to be. Being in such a musical group is a great blessing, even though performance is part of the deal.

As the band director at my school said, "there comes a time in every musician's life when suddenly he loves the soft, pretty music more than the loud, exciting music. Or maybe it's just that the pretty music suddenly has become more exciting." Orchestra is one of the most beautiful experiences I have the privilege to be part of, and I wouldn't want to trade it, even to pick up more electives. ;)

How has music impacted your life?

It's Been a While

Instead of NaNoWriMo, maybe I should just be going for No-Post November here.

I would be pretty good at it.

Wow, what a month. I wish I had pictures to share, but I'm sort of camera deprived right now. :( 

As you can probably tell by the NaNo widget on the side over there, I'm *a little* (okay, quite a bit) behind on the count. But I don't know, that's pretty okay for me. For someone who barely ever writes fiction in her spare time, 14,000 words in 19 days is pretty good, actually. Plus, I didn't write for like 6 days due to being completely overwhelmed for a little bit. But I did start back up again!

We just read Wool by Hugh Howey in English. Go read it, right now. ;) It's really short, just 45 pages. But it's pretty amazing. Hopefully, I'll talk about it in a near-future post.

Some things that have truly brightened my month:

-A handwritten letter from my lovely, lovely sister. What could be a better gift to receive??

-A painting by my dear friend, in honor of my birthday.

-Some pretty amazing English discussions.

-A copy of Kisses from Katie for my very own. :O :O :O

I will leave you all with a little something to think about:

(via pinterest)

4 Things I Learned From Starting NaNoWriMo

1. 1,667 words is a lot of words.
You honestly don't even want to know how much time I spent writing on November 1st. The words came very slowly. And I didn't even reach the goal! I'm currently behind by about 400 words. Already. And November started on a weekend.

2. I'm good at people, not plots.
I can develop a great character. Stories? Eh, not so much. But guess what? The great thing about NaNoWriMo is that I can totally work my novel around this. I get to learn my strengths & my weaknesses through experience.

3. Perseverance is possible.
Learning my writing strengths & weaknesses is great, yeah, but it doesn't mean anything if I don't just write. This means using every minute of my day to the best use so I have writing time.

4. The words will come easier.
Since I haven't actually attempted to write a story in quite awhile, it was a bit of a shock to sit down and try to write. But even today it was a little bit easier. NaNoWriMo allows you to give yourself the permission to write complete junk. It's okay to write terribly. You just have to write. And so write I will.

Own the Challenge

As some of you may know, tomorrow marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo. Insane writers unite to take on the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in one month. Yeah. It's pretty crazy.

My good friend from English class (who, by the way, is a FANTASTIC writer) has been planning this year's NaNoWriMo since last December. She's so excited, it's totally contagious.

And then there's me, who decided to do this today, on the way to lunch.

Good job, me.

I have so much planning to do! This is going to be so great. I'm not going for such a lofty word count. I don't write that often, and there's no way I would have the stamina for it. But I'm going for a novel. Maybe a novella. ....or a novelette...whatever. It'll be really, really hard to stay motivated, but I am going to do it.

SO, for the next 30 days, expect a lot of writing posts. I am going to be learning so much, and I am getting to know my characters as I write, so it'll be really intense.

According to the NaNoWriMo website, there are two types of writers: Planners and Pantsers. Guess which one I am??

You believe in hardcore spontaneity.You’ll spend the months before November stocking up on inspiration and mayyybe a vague idea or two (if you’re ambitious).On November 1, you’ll have a blank document and your imagination.  

 Yup. Except minus the parts about actually thinking about it months in advance. More like the day before...heh. But come on, let's look on the bright side! At least I won't be one of those in the "I Over-Planned My NaNoWriMo Novel" category.

Don't worry, I have my NaNo Pinterest board on secret, so you all out there who are following me won't be completely drowned. Yeah, you're welcome.

So, hey. Are you doing NaNoWriMo?? Come buddy me on the website! I'm sofafiabee and I'm looking for NaNoWriMo connections.

Let's own this.

A Teacher Affects Eternity

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." -Henry Adams

This isn't going to be much of a post, but can we just take a couple seconds to appreciate those great teachers that are just so enthusiastic you can't help but love the subject they teach??

I don't even like numbers! I honestly don't even know what I'm doing!

So... why am I enjoying this so much?

A teacher who truly embraces imperfection and allows you to struggle long enough for you to figure it out on your own is an incredibly wonderful teacher to have. 

A Shared Experience

Technology is a topic that is discussed a lot these days, and not without reason. Smart phones, computers, the internet -- they pretty much rule our lives. I recently got an app on my phone called Checky. The purpose of it is simple: it tells me how often I check my phone every day. It's crazy looking back at the numbers and seeing how much attention my phone gets from me, and it's also interesting to see the trends. I found out check my phone more often during the school day than on weekends. Which makes sense, since I use my phone as a calculator and resource more during school.

In English class the other day we watched a video of a speaker talking about connecting with others and technology. I can't link to the video, since it was my English teacher's personal recording (and I'm not even sure who the speaker was), but I'll explain a little bit. 

Basically, there are several feel-good chemicals our brains release: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin. 

Serotonin is the one we're mostly talking about here. Serotonin is that really good feeling when you do something good, and everyone else gets to know about it too. Serotonin is walking across the stage at your graduation, and everyone is applauding you.

Serotonin is the buzz of your phone telling you you have a message.

Phones give the illusion of productivity and experience. Each like, retweet, follow...it all gives you a little boost of serotonin. Working out gives you an endorphin boost, but does that in itself feel as good as posting your workout to Facebook and getting a large number of likes? Didn't think so. 

But it's not real.

The magic of serotonin is that it actually is for connecting with others. When you're walking across that stage, you feel really proud, but guess what?

The people applauding for you are getting serotonin boosts too. 

It's a shared experience. And there is where phones lack. When someone likes your post, you don't know what they got from it. And there, among the chaotic buzz of likes, comments, follows, retweets...

Among the little zaps of serotonin that make you feel so great and liked...

There is where you find the empty loneliness of yourself.

Just a Verse

7 Ways to Love Yourself

Some days, it seems you can't do anything right. You feel like you're a terrible person, right? But God didn't make you like that. You are His beloved child and He wants you to know that. And those days when you just aren't feeling it? It's okay. You can pick yourself back up and start again. In fact, there are some ways to help you get back up easier.

1. Pray

Take a break and just have some time with God. Find a quiet haven, read scripture, and pray. Seek to do His will in all you do.

2. Think Good Thoughts

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." -Philippians 4:8

Restart with some good, positive thoughts. You will not only feel better about yourself, but also everything else.

3. Get Organized

Clean your space, write lists, put your life back together. Start again with a clean heart and a clean room.

4. Work Hard

Go the extra mile, own the challenge. And remember that, (Philippians 4:13), "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." And if you fail, it's okay. Start over and try again. It feels much more wholesome to try and fail than to give-half effort and fail. You'll find yourself appreciating your gifts a lot more, and therefore learning to love yourself.

5. Be Kind to Everyone

And that means everyone. Everyone is God's magnificent creation. If you don't love others, how can you love yourself, not to mention God?

6. Have Patience

Remember that life isn't meant to rush through. If you are, say, stuck in a traffic jam on your way to an appointment, remember that it won't go any quicker getting annoyed about it. Try to appreciate what is around you and have patience.

7. Say Kind Things

Don't gossip. Refer back to number 2 on this list. If you concentrate on the good in others, you can also find the good in yourself. 

But lastly, 

Let All Your Things Be Done in Charity (1 Corinthians 16:14)

Do everything in love, and remember to love God & others before yourself. The love of yourself will just come naturally after remembering others first.

Hooray for Homecoming

...Or something. The day where I forgot about pretty much everything I was supposed to be keeping track of or remembering. Including wearing school colors for school pride day. Thank you, my dear friend and locker neighbor for providing me with the emergency graduation gown so I could frolic amongst my fellow violently purple bison. Thank you.

But really. My head was not completely there today. But it has been an interesting homecoming week. I would have pictures of my own, but I don't feel like worrying about my camera all day at school, and my phone camera is too much work. 

Anyway.  

Class color day. Yay for yellow: the color that clashes with itself and nobody really owns.

I'm going to miss this class when it's over. English is the best. These people have been my English & social studies class for the last three years, this being the fourth. So we might seem like a decently normal group in there, but we all really know we're more like...

...yeah. (Photo creds to my cool English teacher on those.)

Moving on...

Kudos to my lovely science teacher for getting into complete old-lady character for Whippersnapper Wednesday, and keeping "Eunice" alive for the entire class period. Seriously, it was hilarious. I hope "Eunice" comes back again to sub soon. ;)

Now there's a picture worth raising your cap for. Like my classmate in the near-center of the back row. Ha.

Science is also pretty cool. (Oh, and photo creds to some random student that was walking by and was asked to take the picture so my amazing teacher could join us.)

Alright, now I'm going to go bury myself in hot chocolate & Lord of the Rings for the rest of the evening. And maybe some homework. Have a stellar weekend, everyone!

Sunday Songs | SHZ #560

Here as a flick'ring candle / has been my life of faith;

often my footsteps stumble / and waver on the way.

But from the open fountain / which freely flows in Zion

new strength I here receive.

SHZ #560, verse 1.

Written: Samuel Lehtola 1969/ revised SRK 1976

Translated: Unknown 1976/ revised SHZ 2008

Effort Feels So Good

I love school.

I know, weird.

Yeah, summer's great and all, but I just love having projects and such things. Not that I can't in the summer, but it's much more formal in the school year.

I get to put so much effort into things in the school year. From putting thought into what I wear everyday, to packing a lunch I won't regret by lunchtime, effort is just amazing. 

I've been putting effort into everything since school started. Yes, even gym class. ;) To want to just give up and put in something 'okay', but instead keep going and put in something 'good', or even 'great', feels so great.

When we walked into English on the first day, I was disappointed that our first blog of the school year was going to be on 'justice'. I had been so excited to get back into English, and I don't even care about our first discussion piece. 

When I first started the blog, I was just throwing down random stuff for the grade. Then I scratched that, and started over. And actually really attempted the blog. That felt so much better than my original writing. I've had to restart multiple things already this year, after realizing I'm not really giving it my best. But it's always been so worth it.

It's just great. I'm so thankful for God giving me this precious time of work and study. I'm thankful for my great school, my teachers, my classes. It's wonderful. I even like the maths right now. :O (shocked gasp from all the assembly)

And, getting cello time every morning, first thing in the morning? Oh, yeah.

I pray I'll be able to do my work and duties faithfully during this school year, and be able to respect all my teachers and classmates and everyone else as who they are -- God's beautiful creations.

Oh, and who doesn't love a good fall storm? <3