#The Little Moments

God is good. All the time.
 Even in the midst of days I have severe anxiety. Even in the midst of dark storms.
 Because as we have seen this week with days full of rain and thunderstorms- the sun always shines again.
 I'm not in the midst of dark days, but because I have experienced them, and because anxiety and depression are a regular fight for me I appreciate the good ones so much more than I ever used to. And I recognize them more highly, too.
  It's time (overdue, as always) for #thelittlemoments post. Because these moments need recognized just as much as the hard things need exposed through vulnerability. So, here are a few from the last couple of weeks...

 1. The Library.
 Did you know you could find college text books at the library?? I have always been a fan of reading and going to the library, but I never thought of getting my college books there. Guess what? I saved $85 for my next semester by finding my book for FREE at the library! Yay for public libraries!

 2. Vegetables.
 You guys.... I never thought I would say I am glad for vegetables. But now that we are eating clean, Michael has been making some very creative dishes with vegetables. And I love it. Who knew I liked eggplant?  Who knew you could make zucchini a million different ways? I am sure people have know recipes like this for decades, but for us, it's new and we are loving it.

 3. College Tuition.
 I need to tell a story. This was not a little moment- this was a big moment. And God needs all the credit here. Last semester I had a little bit of grant money left over. So I cashed it and put it in my college funding. Guess what? This semester coming up I was short by how much...??? The exact amount that I had leftover from last semester! Come on! Only God could have arranged that. So I am blessed to be provided for once again. I love when God does that.

 4. Change is good.
  In the moment of needing a change and feeling bold, I decided to cut all my hair off like I never have before. I decided if I hated it, it would grow back. So, I did it.

BEFORE

AFTER

After

 I do like it. It doesn't look as good every day as this photo does, because I can't style as well as the salon girl, but I do like it. Change feels good. Stepping out of the comfort zone feels good.

 5. Watching answered prayer
 I could write an entire blog on this right now, but some of it is so detailed and some of it more personal so it's one of those that will remain in my head for a while. But honestly, I am amazed at how God is at work. I once heard a man named Ken Rudolph preach, saying that praying for something (or someone) is like chipping away at a tree with an axe. It is a slow process, but every chip whittles away a little bit more of the tree. Every prayer makes a dent in the request. And some requests take years, others take months, etc. But eventually that tree will fall. The point is, don't give up praying. Sometimes that's easier said than done. But I am watching God answer some amazing things right now.

 -Friends who don't care how long my emails are (ahem, or my blogs..) but read every word and take time to respond to me.
 - Telling stupid jokes with Michael and the kids and laughing until our sides hurt
 - Watching the Olympics as a family
 - Talking running terminology with my son, who is running Cross Country for the first time this fall
 - Shopping with my daughter, who is going in to high school! (Yikes!)
 - Lunch at Skyline Chili with another really cool family. Making new friendships that speak volumes.
 - Time with my friend, Katie. She inspires me. I love her to pieces and she motivates me to keep pursuing my dreams.


 The list goes on (hence I should do #thelittlemoments blog more often!) God is good, my friends. And He is found in the every day little moments. Taking time to reflect on that is meaningful. Yes, hard times exist and always will. But even when those are happening, the good is still in the mix.