Happy Monday everyone! It's amazing what a good song, a good piece of advice, and the first day of Spring will do for your outlook.

You and I are made to worship.

You and I are called to love.

You and I choose to believe

that we were meant to be.

Chris Tomlin

***

I stumbled upon a great piece of wisdom the other day

while watching (don't laugh) the Bachelor:

It was on the "After the Rose" interview.

A former bachelorette couple was asked to give advice

to the newly engaged couple.

They responded, in regards to the trials and tribulations

that undoubtedly face a couple exposed

in such a public light. that

"Yes, you had to go through some stuff to get there-

but you got there."

Which makes me ask the question:

If you knew ahead of time that you were going

to find the very best person for you, the person of your dreams,

Would you willingly go through

the highest of highs

and the lowest of lows

to get there.

And the answer is: Yes, you would.

I love starting the week on a Tuesday! Hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Presidents' Day!

A day late.

Do you ever feel something or experience a reaction after the moment that should have triggered that feeling has passed?

After minutes, hours, days.

Maybe it's just me, but I have this happen all the time.

I should have said this, I should have entered this witty remark, I should have thought before I spoke, I should have seemed more happy, sad, delighted, iritated...etc.

It's not too late.

Though it may seem out of place, I encourage you to have that reaction!

Go tell that person what you were thinking, feeling, what you meant to/ought to have said.

Even if it requires an apology first...

I guarantee they'll be pleased- even if it's just to know that you cared enought to consider that previous conversation.

Run and jump in their arms, give 'em a comeback that'll blow their socks off, take off your glasses and show your tear-stained eyes.

Tell them exactly how you feel now.

In this case, a day late is absolutely better than never.

Today's wisdom:

courtesy of one of my most favorite childhood books,

The Polar Express

Sometimes the most real things in the world

are things you can't see.

Do you believe?

God,

Grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change,

the courage to change what I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Just enjoying my Sunday ritual of browsing the postsecret pages...

A truth and a confession.

Do you ever catch yourself assuming the worst of people-

not because they've done anything to warrant it-

but because you're afraid that if you put too much trust in them,

they will only end up hurting you?

It's a self-preservation mechanism,

and I find myself reverting to it all too frequently.

What I really want (and moreover, what I truly believe in)

is that you should always assume the best in people.

I hate watching tv shows where the best friend believes an ill-born rumor

over her best friend or even a family member.

I want to yell and ask them to take a step back

and really think about who/what they should be believing.

They shouldn't jump to conclusions just because they want to guard their hearts,

because we all know that the people we love the most

are the people that can hurt us the most,

but they should pause and remind themselves

that, just because we have been let down in the past,

doesn't mean we have the right to expect the worst-

And why would we want to anyways?

It takes grace to give grace;

it takes hope to give hope;

it takes love to give love.

I can give these to you

because Christ gave them to me.

Paul David Tripp

We were drawn from the weeds.

Don't beat yourself up for not knowing all the answers. You don't always have to know who you are. You don't have to have the big picture, or know where you're heading. Sometimes it's enough just to know what you're going to do next.

Thank you, Iris.

Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?

A bit of spontaneity and a sprinkle of hope for good measure.

Toss it up into the air and let the Universe take its course.

Don't hold on to it; let it go.

Let yourself be moved by something.

"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts"

Dahls Chickens

Life Rule: If it's not broken, don't fix it.

If something is working, don't go looking for problems.

Don't seek out inadequacies or dwell on unfulfilled desires.

Instead of counting what you could have, cherish the fortunes you do possess

-family, friends, knowledge, faith-

Treasure these.

Know that they work.

Sure you'll have to do some maintenance along the way,

but don't waste your time searching for ick (noun.)

And take comfort in this confession...

Today's trinket courtesy of : The Wedding Date

The hardest thing

is loving someone

and having the courage

to have them love you back.

“Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could;

some blunders and absurdities crept in;

forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely

and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

Thank you, Ralph Waldo Emerson, for that fine piece of wisdom.