O, Holy Night!

The Christmas Eve service at Church was splendid. The message was meaningful, but not overdone. Our worship was full of joy and celebration, which is absolutely what Christmas is and should be! And, new meaning was brought to the song "O, Holy Night" for me. It was quite stunning. The whole family was able to be there, with lots of visiting with friends afterward. It's fun seeing how much this church has become a community for those I love most.

On a less delightful note, during the candle lighting ceremony (which was serene and beautiful) I accidentally lit my candle holder on fire. I noticed a brighter light where my candle was from the corner of my eye, and looked down to a pretty hefty flame. I did my best to be discreet and blow it out, but the paper started falling, so I had to stamp some out with my foot. It didn't quite add the moment like one would have hoped! To make matters worse, my niece, who was recently coming out of a long time fear relationship with fire, was eye to eye with the flames and looked absolutely horrified. She was really starting to get over that fear....*sigh*....

All in all though, I'm grateful for this evening and all that we were able to experience together!

Merry Christmas!

Name Change

I think I've finally landed on a name for awhile! I've tried out a few good options but none seemed quite right. However, I have forever loved the song "How Sweet It is", have recently heard a great new version of said song by Jimmy Needham, and happen to have "sweet" in the blog url already! Works out perfectly, I think. 

So, friends, welcome to now and (semi-) forever "How Sweet It is" The Blog.

Sweetness

Stormy Weather

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. - Langston Hughes 

Weekend forecast: Rain and Wind! I cannot wait; rainy days are the best, especially on a weekend, when you can curl up with a good book, an old movie, and some hot tea! The next few days we are in for some pretty fantastic Fall Storms, which will be a welcome addition to a restful weekend ahead.

Thankful Thursday

I've been watching a lot of Gilmore Girls recently (currently on Season 6...the end is near!) and am gathering my inspiration from the show. Let's say it's Gratitude a la Gilmore.

-I'm thankful for the relationship I have with my mom & dad. With them, I know I'm very loved, and I think our pride in one another goes both ways. They are good to me, really hear me, and are fun to be around. I'm also grateful that I get to see them soon!

-Delivery Pizza. Whoever thought this up is high on my list. What an amazing gift: to think "Pizza would be delicious...", call someone up and tell them exactly how you'd like it prepared, and wham! It's at your house, delivered by a friendly pizza delivery guy or gal, in great shape and ready for consumption. 

-Obscure Movies/Music/Stars. The more you watch and listen, the more comebacks you have to choose from in any given situation!

-And finally, weather. Though not directly invented to or related by the Gilmore Girls, this show more than any other makes me grateful for changing weather and seasons. What else gives you the perfect excuse to buy just one more cute coat, scarf, pair of shoes, or sundress? You never know when a great trip is going to pop up, or when the seasonal change will hit, so you can always have a reason to have plenty of options on hand :)

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Andy Grammer says Keep Your Head Up

I Really Am Thankful...Honest!

Whoops - I missed my second Pre-Thanksgiving graditude post! This does not reflect well on my ability to follow through in Blog World. And the worst part is - I'd love to say "I'll get it next week" but there is really no guarantee that will happen. *sigh*

Well, in an effort to make up for a missed post yesterday, I will give a bigger list of what I'm thankful for - since there is LOTS!

A few things I am just oh-so-grateful to have in life:

• Google Search - I must use this 40 times a day, there's is so much to find!
• "The Office" Flip Calendar w/ Quotes - One of my many morning highlights
• The gorgeous sunsets we've been having!
• Podcasts of Cumberland Community Church in GA. There are some great sermons on there, and I get to chew on them throughout the week!
• The Psychology section of Borders and Barnes & Noble ... goood stuff.
• My sweet rule-following Niece, who really strives to pay attention and doesn't have too many rebellious bones in her body
• My fiance, who helps keep the good days going, and turns around the bad ones to help me remember how loved I really am!

So there you have it - just a few of the things that make this life so sweet! I hope next week I can say that I'm thankful to have a good memory.

The Bird and the Worm

One of the sweetest songs I know :) And a cute version of the video!

Can I Have One?

This is our vision and goal. Of course, first we won't be able to get a dog (too much moving around) But one day, when the time is right and our home is a bit more settled, Brett and I would love to get a Bernese Mountain Dog. They are beautiful, sweet, and smart. One day... one day.

Gratitude

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”  ~G.K. Chesterton

In the spirit of this month, with Thanksgiving fast approaching, I have decided to post each Thursday a few thoughts on what I’m thankful for. There is so much to choose from! Life really is sweet at the moment.

Today, I am grateful for where I live. Not only the cute little home that I have (with two fantastic roommates who keep me thinking and laughing), but also for the location. I don’t know where the future will take me, but for now this quaint beach town on the West Coast is treating me well. I have a great job, with bosses who care about my life and heart, there are friendly faces each day as I walk to work (and how many people actually get to walk to work?!), and I even enjoy a daily trip to the post office, where the employees care not only about mail, but about the latest community events.

Today was hot, but breezes frequented our rooms. I don’t look up enough, or listen enough, but the sounds of the waves are there, and the sunsets are always gorgeous, ending the day on just the right note. For now, in this place, I am so blessed and content!

My First Post!

#1. It seems too easy. After awhile this will seem second nature ... I hope. Right now it feels peculiar!