7 Quick Takes ~ Volume 9

1. I haven't posted regularly for a long time, and I miss it. I miss having conversations with you beautiful people at my kitchen table, even though we really may be hours apart. I don't know when I'm going to be back to blogging regularly. Until then, please feel free to enjoy me in tiny bursts when I do decide to get my butt over here and blog something :)

2. I guess one of the more important things I should mention is that I totally changed my diet. A friend recommended this to me at the end of June, as she had already started on this new diet change and it was working well for her and she thought maybe it would help me as I had been having really bad stomach pain. I was skeptical, but after finding some recipes online that fit with this new diet, I made the switch. It's been almost 2 weeks and I feel great!

3. So, as for the diet change, I made the switch to NO white flours or refined sugars. I'm also limiting the amounts of gluten in my diet. I've defiantly been noticing the changes. For one, my stomach pain has been cut in half! It is less frequent, and I haven't had any severe pain episodes. (YAY!!!!) Also, I've noticed I have had a lot more energy (No longer needing a rest in the afternoons and actually feeling rested when I get up in the mornings) I also haven't found myself missing junk foods that much, as I am in love with finding new ways to make my every day diet taste great.

4. I was stuck at number 4. And I wrote this big long thing, quoting the words of Taylor Swift and people, and then decided I didn't like it so I erased it all. :)

5. So, July is almost over, which makes me sad. Even though this summer hasn't really felt like summer, it's nice to not have any school. I am excited for August though. August brings Vegas, and the GSD convention (Read something yesterday that I loved: GSD stands for Got Super Determination. Isn't that right?) This summer has been more work then I intended, more figuring things out, more trying to figure out where I'm going, more healing and journeying and stumbling and waiting.

6. For those of you who didn't know, for school in September, I'm doing half and half. (Am I the only one who thinks that makes me sound like a cup of coffee?) For one of my math classes (I'm doing two) and my chem and physics, I am going to the Catholic School in Sexsmith, where my siblings go. And for the rest of my classes, I'll be doing online. This next year is going to be a big year for me. It's grade 11, the year before my last one. It's when I'm actually old enough to start thinking about careers and going to college (WHAT?!?! I can't be that old already!) And it's scary, trying to figure out what you might want to be for the rest of your life, and having all this pressure on you to be good enough. But you know what? I'm learning it's ok if I don't always see the path I'm going to take, sometimes it's ok if I just see the next step.

7. I was going to write about something here, but there's this tiny butterfly outside my window who is distracting me. It's reminding me of change, and that one day the caterpillar wakes up and becomes a butterfly, that when a caterpillar thinks his life is over, he becomes a butterfly, and that to become a butterfly, you must want to fly so much you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.
Change is sometimes a good thing... and one of these days I'm going to break out of this cocoon and fly

Happy Friday!

7 (ah... 5 and a half) quick takes ~ Volume 8

1. So you may have noticed there's no picture today. That would be because my computer is broken, in the shop and i can't access any of my old computer files. so i'm stealing away these minutes, typing away on my mom's computer. hopefully my old one will get fixed right away. but until then, that's why i haven't been posting! I'm still here!
2. So... finals. I have all my exams this upcoming week, english on tuesday and math next friday. and then school's out! today ended my last day of actual classes so now it's just studying until exam time! it doesn't really seem real yet, that i have the exams and then i'm done!
3. So... remember that post I wrote last sunday, This is the Church I go to? (If not, check it out here)well... I got an email from my pastor this week... and he wants me to read it in church! to be honest, my first response was "There is no way i'm doing that! Are you kidding me?" he wasn't kidding... so, this sunday i'll be reading that blog post in church. it's actually a funny story (Ok, it's not that funny!) but for a while i'd really been wanting to share my story and stuff like that. God kept closing all these doors on stuff I was planning on doing (writing a book, for one) so I was like "Ok, well i'll just wait." and then my pastor emailed me, and asked me if i would be willing to do this. it was kind of like "Seriously, God?" All of a sudden there was this opportunity right in front of me. I almost laughed, because I am not good at public speaking (Our church isn't that big, but still...) but hey, why not? so over the edge i go, into a land that is so barren of the familiar and the safe and the comfortable but that is so full of God's promise.
4. ok, I started this post yesterday, and today, as I opened it trying to think of something to write about, I simply stared at a blank screen. I've been studying for exams (which is very exhausting) and the teachers are on edge and the students are on edge. we're all counting those days when the final exam can be submitted and we're free. I just finished a math review sheet and now I should probably do some english review, but i figured i should probably finish this blog post so you people know i haven't dropped off the face of the earth. and now i'm rambling, and my eyes are slowly closing...
5. So this morning, just to prove my point, i went to make some breakfast. i put the toast in the toaster, grabbed the peanut butter and put some on the toast. and then... i went to the sink, and put the peanut butter in the sink. it took me a minute of just staring at it to realize that wasn't where the peanut butter was supposed to go.
6. i feel like i have nothing else to say, which makes this a really bad 7 quick takes, and i should probably delete it, but i really wanted you to hear about those first 3 (?) things, mainly the third one. So, can we settle for 5 and a half quick takes???

7 Quick Takes ~ Grateful Edition

In This season of life, I so often forget what I'm thankful for. It's getting harder and harder to choose joy and to take a moment in the chaos that has become my life and choose gratitude. So... here's my moment of gratitude...

1. I am grateful for the good news that came with the results of my friend's CT scan today. She's such an amazing person, and ever since I got the news that something was wrong and that she would need this test, I was covering her in prayer, so hearing this news today was such a blessing. I am so happy for her.
2. I'm thankful for emails from a friend that are always so full of hope and so inspiring to me. This woman is truly amazing, and I am grateful she takes time out of her day to send me these little bits of inspiration and hope. She is such an amazing woman of God, and I am so grateful I have her in my life.
3. I'm thankful for my math tutor, Melody, who is really wonderful at helping me understand all the complications that come along with high school math! Also, I just found out, the first assignment I got since working with her, I actually passed! *insert happy dance here*
4. I am thankful for my friend Sami (You can see some of her writings here and here) She's such an amazing person, and I am so grateful that I'm able to call her my friend. Very rarely in this life do you find people that actually get it, and Sami is one of those people that do get it. I don't know if there are any words to describe how much she means to me, but just so you know, Sami, I am so thankful for you!
5. A little idea spinning around, a passion shared that is looking like it's coming closer to finally being able to touch. I can't tell you a lot about it, but I am very excited...
6. For the long weekend, for resting and relaxing and breathing and reading blog posts that connect with you in ways that make you long for a place you've never been, and for the parade here tomorrow and for sunshine.
7. For memories and dreams of someone who is now heaven's angel. As much as it hurts to wake up and remember they're gone, it's a wonderful thing to remember, and to dream.

So there's my 7 moments of gratitude. I hope everybody has a great, grateful weekend!

7 Quick Takes Volume 6

1. It seems like I haven't written/blogged in a while. Every time I think I should write a post and try to sit down and write one, nothing comes out ~ well nothing coherent anyway. Like Augustus Waters says in The Fault in Our Stars "My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."
2. On the note of The Fault in Our Stars, I'm reading it for the third time since I got it about a week ago. I literally can't put it down! Everytime I read it, I discover something new to fall in love with, or fall in love with the same thing more and more. I know there are lots of people who've read this book, but it feels like my book. It's my story written in those pages. The thoughts that Hazel voices are my thoughts.
3. I got my hair cut on Monday. And my whole plan was to take a picture today and upload it onto the blog, but I'm too lazy to go dig for my camera and the cord, so I'm just going to describe it. It's short, and I think it kinda looks like Michelle Williams meets Kiera Knightley when she had short hair. But that's just me.
4. Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice season finale's were this week. That kind of made me sad, because... well it just did. They were both really intense finales. And I cried... in both of them. I can't wait to see what will happen next season, but, alas, I will have to wait. That's when I'm thankful for seasons on DVD!
5. I've had a couple of really bad nights, and days. And I kind of hate saying that I had a really bad night/day, but I did. In Campus Church on Wednesday, one of the things the preacher was talking about was God's call on our lives, and He had 5 points. All throughout the time I was listening, I kept hearing "I have you here for a reason." And He does. God has me here, right where I am, for a reason. And, in someway, He is going to use me. In someway I can't even see yet, this trial that is breaking my heart and taking everything so I have nothing left, He's going to use that. He's asking me, "Will I follow, even now? Will I still trust Him?" And the answer is yes, but only by His grace.
6. I am so excited it's the long weekend. I am really in need of a break. I keep thinking "Well, just make it past Tuesday and your busy streak will, hopefully, be done for a bit." But what about today? What about these 4 wonderful days off I've been given? So I'm going to rest
7. Can I tell you a secret? I'm going to be ok. Did you know that? I don't know if I did, and if I did I don't know if I've been clinging to God's promise that He knows the plans He has for me. But I'm going to be ok, no matter what happens. Everything is going to be ok, cause He's got the whole world in His hands. And In His Hands in the best place to be.

7 quick takes ~ volume 5

1. It's been an exhausting last couple of days. There have been times when I've literally stopped and asked myself "How am I still functioning right now?" I am exhausted. After waking up, all I want to do is crawl back into bed and sleep. I can't think. I'm just... tired.
2. I went to the Johnny Reid concert on Tuesday. It was actually really good. I had an awful headache most of the night, but I was still able to actually enjoy the concert.
3. We're moving tomorrow. My room is mostly done (just little stuff left.) It's... wierd. I'm ready to be done moving. But it seems like even this move comes with an experation date because in 2 years or so I'll be off to college. (Seriously? only 2 more years???) I hate that first night in the new hours too, it makes me cry. ALSO, my room won't be ready until a week or so after we move in, so it looks like I'll be camping out on the floor.
4. I went to youth tonight. I hadn't been there in SO long. I didn't want to go, but it was either go to youth or help move. It was actually really good. I'm glad I went.
5. I've been having a really bad week. It goes in spurts, with a couple of weeks being super good, and I'm feeling great, and then over night everything crashes down around me and I feel bad. This was one of those bad weeks. But, despite all those bad things, there's good things too, and that was enough to keep me going.
6. Link sharing! I like sharing links. It seems like other people can say what I've been trying to say but just can't. I read this one, and it perfectly described my week.
7. I'm writing another novel. I can't tell you what it's about, other then it's the story of a girl, and her experiences with love gone wrong and love that is going right. so it's pretty much a love story. I don't know if anything is going to happen with it (Probably not, since basically it's the words floating around in my head written down on paper) but I had to write. I was going into withdrawl. I HAD to write something. So I wrote down those thoughts in my head... and that's this story.

7 quick takes on a Wednesday

1.Today was a good day. I went to hang out with Paula (Are you seeing now that usually when I hang out with Paula, it makes a good day?) We moped together and laid in the sun together and talked and went to the park with coffee's. It was a good day.

2. I had a good phone conversation with my Manitoba cousin, Jocelyn, today. I think we talked for like an hour, and I'm kinda glad she didn't just hang up on me as I kept rambling on. But apparently I give better advice then I  thought I did.

3. So... I entered a library writing contest back in February. And, if you didn't know, I actually got second place. I know, I was totally shocked! I definatly didn't think my story was good enough to win, let alone be the second best in my age category! So, I'm getting published again, and I also get a cash prize. Can't believe I did that good, because in all honesty I thought my story wasn't that great. It was written in like 20 minutes before a school elive.

4. I've been listening to more Christian music lately, thanks to an online Christian television station for youth. I'm finding that most times I watch, something is on that I need to hear. Since I can't get the Christian radio station here at home, I find I've been listening less and less to Christian music, and I can definatly notice the difference it's making in my life now that I'm listening again. Kinda in love...

5."For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. I don't know why, but I'm kind of loving this verse. Usually I don't like verses (Or anything!) that is super popular or is used a lot, but this verse is one I'm really liking right now.

6. Little Miss Ivory (Paula's daughter) decided to draw me a picture today. It was a portrait of me, and of her. She's only 3, so her people weren't incredibly in depth (But what 3 year old's are?) After drawing for a bit, she looked up and made a comment about me being beautiful. Who knew God could speak truth into my life using a 3 year old? I love that girl.

7. I hope no one got tired of my rambling. I figured I haven't posted in so long, so I should update people on what's been going on in my life. This was kinda like a 7 quick takes on a Wednesday...

7 Quick Takes Volume 4

1. As you probably already know, I read the Hunger Games. I can tell why they're popular. They're definatly amazing. I flew through the first two very quickly (2 books in 2 days) But the third one took me longer to get through. I didn't find it as good as the others. But I can totally understand why people love them, the first book was AMAZING.

2. I went shopping yesterday. Paula and I went into town, looking for tanktops for a project we want to do. We didn't find any tanktops, but I did find some cute shoes. I found one pair I want to glitterize, and another pair I just want to wear. The ones I got to wear, they're high, and I may break my neck trying to walk (Ok, not really!) but they are super cute and I love them. So I got shoes.

3. I've been writing this post for over a week now, slowly adding to my numbers. We'll see if I ever make it all the way to 7.

4. I just finished the book This Lullabye by Sarah Dessen. It's a book where when you finally get to the end you just want to go "Awe..." It also made me wish it was night so I could stare out my window and look at the stars and contemplate life.

5. The Hunger Games movie comes out today, and as I scrolled through facebook today I kept seeing status's about how excited people are for going to see the movie tonight. I am not going to see the movie tonight, But instead opting for supper out and then curling up with a good movie, but I do want to see the Hunger Games movie. So to everyone whose going to see it tonight, have fun and don't spoil it for me!

6. My feet are purple. It reminds me of something my friends said on Wednesday, about shoes bringing out the color of your eyes. So I wonder if I wear a purple shirt, will it bring out the purple in my feet? On second thought, let's just wear socks and warm up my ice cold, purple feet.

7. I finally made it to 7. This post took a while to write, simply because I thought I had nothing to say. It turns out you don't always need something to say, you need to just listen. So I'm grateful to be here... right now. Life is full of sweetness and sorrows and sometimes words aren't needed, sometimes you need to just listen.

P.S I think by the end of this I was maybe just rambling on because I needed something to say, SO this might be the lamest 7 quick takes to date... just sayin' :)

7 quick takes ~ Volume 3

1. Does it show what a great start this is, if I can't even get to one without thinking for a while? I always find beginnings the hardest. Once I get going with these things they just seem to come along, but when I start my head is always filled with wierd thoughts and I can never actually get going down the path I want to. Just like when I'm writing a novel, I finish it, and when I read over it again there's always this doubt in my head that says "Why did you write that? It's awful! No one will want to read what YOU have to say," And I know that's not true, and what I wrote isn't completely awful.

2. In December, right after I had finished writing my novel but before I started editing, I came across this quote, "You didn't shy away from the tough parts of you story because you knew it was the only way to help people who don't have your strength, so make yourself vulnerable."

I don't know why, but I really loved that. It was actually something that encouraged me to pick up the novel again and keep writing, and keep editing. There was a story there, a story that I had to tell.

3. I find wierd quotes help me through certain times in my life. Usually they're from Grey's, and usually I take them WAY out of context. But they work. Like during exams in January, the one quote I used was "Are you asking me or telling me?" (Dr.Shepherd... aka Mcdreamy.) I don't know why, but that was what got me through exam week. Recently it's been "Well this could be fun if we let it." (Dr.Sloan... aka Mcsteamy.) Again, totally unrelated to my situation (This one possibly way more then the last one) but I love it anyway.

4. On Wednesday, at Ministry Team, we were assigned Prayer Partners. We had talked about it for a while, and on Wednesday it was actually assigned. Can I tell you a secret? I'm kinda in love with my prayer partner. She's pretty awesome.

5. Tonight was So you think you can dance night at youth. Now it is a fact that I can not dance (or can not dance WELL) But it was still a lot of fun. It was fun dancing with friends and eating icecream and laughing, a lot. It's little things like that that matter, things like learning the line dance to Cadillac Ranch and holding on to elbows and spinning (Long story) knowing that right now, nothing else matters but being right here, held and laughing. It's things like that that make everything else fade away. It's things like that that keep you going.

6. There's a new program coming to the Grande Prairie Hospital called Bravery Beads. They are these beads that you put on a string, and for every medical procedure you have done you get a bead to add to your string. I can't wait to collect my string of beads. I have 15 years to make up for!

7. There's lots of things I wish I could say, but can't find the right words. Sometimes, Words Fail

7 Quick Takes ~ Volume 2

1. I hate that I'm resorting to doing another 7 quick takes this Friday. But considering it's been a week since I've posted and I've sat here for almost half an hour, staring at this blank screem, writing, erasing, writing some more, erasing again. I figured you all deserved a post since everything I've tried to write wasn't coming across like I wanted it to, I figured I'd do another 7 quick takes. I hope nobody minds.

2. Semester 2 started on Wednesday, and so far it's going really well. I'm very excited about my English class. I also have Math and Spanish this semester, and I'm looking forward to seeing what those classes are going to bring too.

3. I'm heading in for more tests on Monday, some ultrasounds and a bone scan. Wierd thing is, I think I hate ultrasounds the most out of all the medical tests I've had. I don't know why, but I do. So I am definatly not looking forward to that day. The day will start at 8:40am, another downer as I hate getting up early. On the plus side, I get to wear my pyjama's into town, and wear them ALL day, and I get lunch out. Ok, not very big plus sides to this not so fun situation, but I'm trying here.

4. I also started a medical journal this month. Basically, it's a journal, where I write down all my medical symptoms for a couple of weeks, and then we'll take it into the doctors so I can better explain what's going on and actually have documentation instead of just going "Uh..." and looking over at my mom. (Yes, I actually do that!) I started on the first, and almost have a whole page filled up, but looking back over these past few days it's been pretty symptom free. I'm not expecting that to last, though, and if it does I think I may need to pick another 2 weeks as this is pretty abnormal (To go days without every hour being plauged by symptoms. But I have had days before where I go for a stretch without lots of symptoms, and then it all comes back and sticks with me. So we'll see)

5. I started reading some Jodi Picoult books. I mentioned last week I was reading Handle with Care (Finished that, and loved it! Made me cry though...) and am now reading another one of her books I got from the library. Even though there are some questionable things in some of her books, I really love the way that they get me to think.

6. I've got another story on my mind. It was inspired by one of the wierdest things (aren't they all?) and the idea actually came to me from something my friend did (Though he probably has no idea he inspired a story... hehehe) and I can't get it out of my head. I've been googling baby names and the hours worked by a baker, and the process for child custody after a divorce... just incase I decide to write this story one day. I love it that I can text my friend and ask her which one of two names she likes better, and she'll tell me and not even question me on why I want to know. I love her for that, and cause she turned my main character into a red head!

7. I'm sort of glad I watch Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice when everyone else is in bed. I think they might think I'm a little bit insane as I make all these wierd noises. It's true, I can't turn my feelings into words so I sit in front of the TV and squeal and sigh and gasp. I can't even turn those weird noises into words, they're just noises that express feelings.

Hopefully someday soon I'll be able to get my thoughts out into coherent paragraphs :)