Join me May 1st in starting The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda. This psychological thriller opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass—will its dark secrets finally be revealed?
The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. So grab a drink and this book and we will meet back on Facebook to discuss on May 31st!
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Welcome to the Bittersweet Book Club!Here we are going to be reading a book a month and then answering discussion questions at the end of that month. You are welcome to purchase a hard copy, utilize Kindle or check it out at the library. I will let you know the name of the book two weeks before the beginning of the month. If you are like me, you will have it started if not read before the first. We will start May 1st, so get ready for a psychological thriller that you won’t be able to put down! If you have any questions or a book recommendation for a future month, please reach out to me. I’m looking forward to sharing my love of all things BOOKS with you! Galentine’s Day is the friendship version of Valentine’s Day, a whole day dedicated to celebrating the platonic love with the women in your life. It is a great day to shower your best friends with gifts, love, and quality time.
Galentine’s Day takes place on February 13. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate it. It is a great excuse to do something special for those women in your life or even a great day for self-care. Galentine’s Day is a celebration of friendship and the people who stick by your side as romantic relationships come and go. Galentine's Day is dedicated to showing the most important people in your life how much you care about them. It’s corny. It’s cheesy. And that’s what makes it great. Now go have yourself a Happy Galentine’s Day!! What does it mean to be perfect? By whose standards are we measuring? Is there some societal scale that we must live up to or standard set within each of us?
Why is it when I “mess” up, I feel less than perfect? Whoever told me there is such a thing as messing up or not being perfect? Perfectionism is something I strive for in every area of my life. Heck, I cannot even enjoy a good 45 minutes of Netflix or Hulu without feeling like I am doing something wrong. I mean there is so much that I should be doing. Forget the fact that I have worked 8 hours today, that is unacceptable of me to feel like I deserve to sit down and enjoy myself for 45 minutes. Come on you lazy thing, is what the inner voice in my head is screaming. It is so hard to enjoy this show with all that screaming going on. So now I am sitting with the television on, half watching and half making a to do list of what I should be doing. It is a vicious cycle. One in which I find myself repeating, daily. So, when did it all begin, this idea of being perfect? This expectation of how we should be and act. Was it when we were just infants and our parents wanted us to sleep through the night? I mean what if we were destined to be night owls from birth? Does it make us less perfect that we are not able to sleep from 8pm-8am? Or was it when we were a year old and still had no hair? I have heard my own mother talk about taping a bow on my head so others would know I was a girl. As if I had some control of the rate in which my hair was to grow. Or maybe it was when we started school. We bring home that first report card. We are praised for good grades and punished for not so good grades. Does anyone ever take into consideration that we are not all A or B students? Some of us are destined to be great in life with C’s or D’s. Once again, we are all measured on this same scale, yet we are all so different on so many levels. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be perfect and have wanted everyone and everything in my life to be perfect as well. To say this was an impossible goal is an understatement, yet here I am still trying to be perfect. It is not easy to rewire your thought patterns. I am working on being more mindful and slowing down some. I find that when I can really focus on one thing, not only do I enjoy it more, I also find that I do a better job with it. Doesn’t mean I am perfect, just a work in progress striving to find that happy median of accepting myself for me. Want your house to smell like a sun-kissed day on the beach? Try this Sun-Kissed diffuser blend. A sure way to get the summer vibes flowing in doors.
The month of February brings with it the image of love. Everywhere you look you see pink and red, images of hearts, and people in love. We celebrate Valentine’s Day, but for those of us that found ourselves single, it can be a little depressing to see so much “lovey dovey-ness” going on around us.
It didn’t take me long though to remember how a first love or crush makes you feel. You remember when you first start liking someone and that person consumes your every thought of every day. You cannot get enough of him/her. You send silly text messages, you talk on the phone, and some might even tell you that you seem a little giddy happy. Nothing feels better than the beginning of a romance. I remember when I was younger, my dad testified about such a first love. He began to describe how he felt when he first met Jesus. He couldn’t spend enough time in His Word, in prayer, and in His House. He longed for those moments of fellowshipping with Jesus. He compared it to how we feel when we fall in love with someone. He went on to say that as relationships grow older, that first love feeling begins to slowly go away. We no longer get as excited when our phone pings or no longer care about our appearance when he/she is coming over. We get comfortable with one another. My dad would finish by saying he never wants to lose that first love feeling with Jesus. It takes work and you have to put forth the effort to keep that fire kindled. Oh but when you do, you will continue to find joy and excitement each time you open your Bible, kneel in prayer, or walk through the Church doors. My hope and prayer is that if you have lost that first love feeling with Jesus, that you take time to find it again. He is always there waiting with open arms. There is no greater love than what He has to offer us. He will always be my first love. I am not one that makes resolutions for the New Year. I do try to use this time as a fresh start and work on myself. One thing I do like is to have a “word” for the year. I start praying about this at the end of the year. It is amazing how a “word” will drop right in my lap. This year my “word” is Surrender.
As you probably know by now, I made a few big changes last year. One was moving back to Bedford. I have pondered the last 6 months as to exactly why I am back here. God has started showing me bits and pieces to this puzzle. He keeps reminding me to surrender it all to Him. He has reminded me that while I find myself at an in-between place, this is the time in which I can learn to draw close to Him. He wants me to depend on Him for everything. This in-between place is a bridge between what He has done for me and what He’s preparing to do in my future. However, it is going to require me to surrender all to Him. My will, my need to control, my need to know what He is doing, etc... As I begin this New Year, my goal is to surrender completely to Him. I am starting to see that what He has planned for me is going to require this in-between time. Time to learn complete surrender and trust in the One that has never failed me yet. God had BIG plans for my life and I want to be in complete SURRENDER to Him so I can fulfill my purpose in Him. God, I’m open to Your greater plan for my life. Whatever that may be. Amen As I get older, I have noticed how much I dislike the cold. I used to associate the cold with my lack of energy and lack of desire to get out. I hate being cold and I hate having to wear extra layers of clothing or sitting with a blanket wrapped around me all the time. The time changed so now its dark by the time I get off work, and its cold. This is a double whammy for me. However, I am not alone. More than 3 million people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. SAD occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year. Common symptoms are fatigue, depression, helplessness, and social withdrawal. We have already had quite a year finding ourselves isolated more than normal from friends and family. Now with the weather changing it is going to be even easier to find ourselves heavy hearted and lacking desire to do things. There are medications and different types of therapy that can help with SAD. There are also ways in which we can do self-care and help combat these feelings as well. If you can get outside during the day, then do it! Aerobic activity for 20-30 minutes 5 days a week improves cardiovascular health. Even if you can only step outside for 5-10 minutes, you will find the sunshine and fresh air will also lift your spirits. Let in as much light as you can in the house, so open those curtains and raise those blinds. Let the light in! As a Christian, I know that the most important way to combat SAD is to lift up my eyes, hands, head, and heart to see all my blessings. Look at the possibilities, not the problems. Be sure to join the BS Babes Community on FB. We are going to keep each other encouraged during this season. I look forward to connecting with you and sharing my journey through this winter season. If you're not already, make sure you have subscribed to our website so you can receive our Winter Newsletter that is coming out soon. In the newsletter you will find more tips and information regarding SAD.
I am a morning person. I love waking up and the world outside is still quiet. I enjoy watching the sun begin to rise, birds start to awaken in their nests, and the outside world slowly begins to prepare for a new day.
My favorite part of my morning routine is when I sit down to spend time with God. It is nothing fancy, but it is in that time that I gain new perspective and can allow my mind and soul to really relax and embrace all that He has to offer and show me. It is a great start to my day, and if there is a day that I skip this step, it is as if my whole day is missing something. If you do not have a similar routine, I would encourage you to find some time today to just sit down and have a little talk with Jesus. Over the last few months, I have found myself struggling with a lot of things. I moved back to Bedford at the end of June. This brought on added expenses to my already tight budget. I began working remotely, so no longer able to do the after-hours phone which was money I was reliant upon. I tell you all of this not for you to feel sorry for me, but so I can tell you just how BIG my GOD is. First, He brought me to the most adorable house, EVER! I honestly could not have found a place that fits me so well. It felt like home from the first time I walked through the door. I love it! Second, working remotely has been wonderful! It fits my personality so much better than I would have imagined. I do miss my co-workers, and I am trying to find other avenues to develop a social life on the weekends. Third, God has blessed me financially in unexplainable ways. In September, while on a pre-move planned trip, I was gifted money while in another state. Not only was this unexpected, but the person who blessed me will never know how much it meant to me and how perfect the timing was. Then, a few weeks ago I receive a fifty-dollar gift card from my internet company for being a new customer. I was like, what the heck?! Again, the timing was perfect. Then a week or so ago, I met with a dear friend/former co-worker whom I had not seen in a couple of years. During our conversation she told me about a program the state is offering for those that rent and have had an income/financial hardship due to COVID-19. The next morning, she sent me the link to apply, within a couple of days I was approved for a one-time assistance. Perfect timing! God continues to remind me that He has got my back, no matter what! His love is unconditional. He is a good, good father! |
MEET THE BLOGGERHello! Thanks for stopping by. This is a place you will find anything from discussing the latest book I've read to my most recent battle with Menopause symptoms. You just never know what you might find or where I might take you! Welcome and I look forward to getting to know you better!
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