Something about Libraries

I told my friend the other day that there is no better place than a library. Libraries are just so peaceful and quiet.

You walk in and are surrounded by books. The smell of their pages fills the air. You walk in, and can just relax. Breathe. Lose yourself meandering between the shelves.

It is so easy to lose track of time. Reading title after title, perhaps looking for a certain name, perhaps looking for nothing at all, you begin to forget yourself.

You pull out one book whose cover interested you; you run your fingers along the spine of another. Here or there you pull one story off the shelf and keep it in your hand, determining that this one, this one needs to be read.

Or maybe you don't find that book. Maybe every tale is returned to the shelf after reading the back. Maybe when you leave, you go out empty handed, deciding that you have enough books at home to read.

You still go to the library every now and again. You still browse through the books that you have no time to read. Why?

Because there is just something comfortable about a library.

Peace of Winter

This morning I woke up and peeked out my window to see snow falling, the ground already covered.

I quickly got up and got ready for the day, then rushed outside to take pictures before too many footprints mar the perfect blanket over the ground. Walking in the quiet of the morning, I noticed how the world had a crispness to it, the white bringing more clarity to everything.

Everything was so much softer, every edge and dip and rise covered and smoothed out. Everything was so much quieter, more muffled and subdued.

There is something serene about the snow, especially in the south. It makes us pause our normal routine and slow down. A snowy day is comfortable, causing us to retreat indoors and curl up beneath blankets with a cup of cocoa in hand.

The flakes falling lazily outside give a sense of calmness. The warmth indoors gives a sense of comfort.

I love snowy days, because they are just so peaceful.

Wandering

Wandering aimlessly. The phrase never held much meaning to me.

That is, it didn't until last night when I actually experienced the feeling. The strange sensation of my feet moving with no direction.

The sense of not wanting to go inside but not wanting to stay still. Wanting to stop because I don't know where to go, but unable to stop moving.

Listlessly, aimlessly plodding along with no purpose or reason, just the need to walk.

Traveling helplessly, plodding purposelessly, wandering...aimlessly.

No sound but the peace of the night, the chill air biting my face.

Though strange, it was serene. Comfortable.

The perfect night for a wandering mind.

There is something about walking in the cool of the evening that is refreshing. Helped me think through things and even though I came to no answer, I felt better afterward.

Ironically, the verse that kept popping in my head during my walk was, "Be still and know I am God."

It made me realize the value of taking time out to be quiet and just listen. It is during the quietest moments that it is easiest to talk to God and find peace.

My aimless wandering in the stillness of the night ended up be one of the most peaceful moments I have had this semester.

Where do you find peace?

Why I Write

Number Seven on the list of things a writer can do for themselves is simply to remember why they write. Well, I can't remember anything unless I write it down,
So here, Dear Self,
This is why you write.

You write because life is beautiful and deserves to be described.
You write because life is hard and needs to be understood.
You write because life is bleak without a little nonsense in it,
And because life can't be take too lightly and so it needs a little serious.

You write because words are wonderful,
Powerful,
And want to be written down.
Who are you to deny the words what they want?

You write because you want to share truth,
You want to share hope,
You want to share joy,
You just plain want to share.

You write because you want to teach,
You want to explore,
You want to do all too many things that you could never do,
Unless you write.

You write because you read, and by reading,
You learned how important books are,
How important words are,
And now you want to write.

You write because it was something you thought you could do,
So you decided to explore it,
And now,
It's the only thing you can imagine wanting to do.

So, when the wells of your creativity come up dry,
When you are editing the same piece for the thousandth time,
When you feel like every word you place is awful,
And everything you create is empty,

Remember, this is why you write:

You write simply because life is good,
And writing is how you enjoy it most.

Fresh Starts

Today is the first day of 2016.

Have you ever noticed how we all tend to think of New Year’s as a fresh start? Why is that?

Why is it that a new year is when we want to start making our changes?

The truth is, all our lives we look for “fresh starts”; times that we can fix ourselves, change the way we do things. A new year, a new school, moving to a new town- we see these as opportunities to change. Why? Because we see these times as blank pages that we can fill.

True, in reality, we could start just as easily any other day of any other month.

A new year just feels different, maybe because it is so obvious a starting place. It’s by its title 'new'. The fact that the year is beginning again just gives us a springboard for our attempts.

The thing to remember is that while New Year’s is a great place to start, it isn’t the only beginning point. When you wake up in February and realize you’ve already broken all of your resolutions, you can still try again.

It's hard to remember when we get lost in our patterns and schedules, but every day is new. Every day is a blank page, an opportunity to change.

New Year’s is a great time to determine what we want to do with our year, but every day is a chance to accomplish those goals. When we fail one day, the next day is our chance to try again.

So go enjoy a year of 365 fresh starts.

Lamentations 3:22-23 "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."