Day 28

Wednesday- always the worst

My name is Poppy Baldrige, and I am extremely impatient but also very patient in other parts of my life. When I feel like patience breaking, my head gets fuzzy and I feel light-headed. This is when I get really angry. Though this only happens occasionally, it happens far too much. I am patient with children, I am patient with God, I am patient in driving, I am patient with my friends. But I am NOT patient in arguments, at school, or with my family. I am far more patient than I used to be... that is a fact. But I am still working towards realizing I am not in control. Today, I am thankful for patience. Without it, I'd be in real trouble. 

Day 25-27

Day 25- sunday

Today I am thankful for The Table, my youth group that surrounds me with silliness, good company, spiritual support, and a family of friends striving for the same thing. For a good while in my younger years, I was pretty much against religion because it seemed so fairy tail like and I certainly did not enjoy being told I was going to hell because I wasn't Christian. I can honestly say that my mind has not been so incredibly changed before in my life. I realize now it is a relationship that you have to want and pursue because when it comes down to it, it is like a fairy tail. A fairy tail that goes through trial and usually isn't always so smooth sailing, a romance fairy tail where God is constantly pursuing me and yearning for MY love. 

Day 26- monday 

Today I am thankful for the small amount of money I have and earn. With saving it for gas and expenses, I am taking a step towards my adult life. This is scary but it's gotta happen sometime! 

Day 27- tuesday

Lately I've had a couple guys ask me, "why do you wear make up? what's the point?" and I was surprised by my answer. I personally put make up on to enhance the beauty I have a huge problem seeing in myself. I wear make up because it makes me feel a bit better about my appearance and I have no shame in that. Let's face it: Mommy and Daddy can only make you believe "you're beautiful the natural way you are!" for so long. Plus, if you all saw me without make up everyday you'd be a little frightened. Thank you make up!

cheers! Xxxx

Day 22-24

Day 22- thursday

Today, I am simply thankful for thanksgiving and God who blesses me with this time I get with my family and the food we get to enjoy with our dear friends. I would be nowhere without him.

Day 23- friday

Today was Black Friday, and though we did not go shopping, we did go to Starbucks at about noon and the baristas were soooo tired. They had been working since 4 a.m. or something crazy! So today, I am thankful for Starbucks Baristas because I know a good number of them and they need to be appreciated! 

Day 24- saturday 

Today I am thankful for lazy days and setting up Christmas. 'Tis the season! To watch Christmas movies, listen to Christmas music, bake stuff, make hot chocolate, hang ornaments, be lazy, make your Amazon wish list, scope out others' wish lists (and find the cheap stuff you can afford), and be merry! I am so ready for this! 

Cheers! xx

Day 21

Wednesday

Can I first say when I googled 'old people' it came up with many images of old people flipping off the camera. I am not impressed with society. Anywaysssssss, today I am thankful for elderly people. Some are just crazy and annoying but most of them that I've got to meet in the past two days of work experience are just plain awesome. Their insight is so different and unique it just makes me curious. Plus, cluelessness is kinda adorable. Cheers to walking another step each day to being old and crazy but awesome! 

Day 16-20

Day 16- friday

Today, I am thankful for learning. I get to tutor first and second graders on Friday morning and even though I resent getting up early to do so when I could sleep all day, I enjoy it a lot. Today was the kids' last day before Thanksgiving break so I got to teach them about the Native Americans and the Pilgrims. I liked it a lot because I remember learning all about the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving when I was about their age and getting to make art & craft projects. It's just so much fun!

Day 17- saturday

Today, I'm thankful for sleeping in. I love being out and about but man, do I LOVE sleeping in way past when I'm supposed to. It is a habit I really need to break...but I'll start that new beginning tomorrow... maybe ;)

Also, I love this song..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPy64IgG58

Day 18- sunday

I am thankful for reading today. I got this amazing book from my sister for my birthday called Captivating. I recommend it to all of those that are curious about the truth inside being romanced by both God and a significant other. I'll note the link to it on Amazon below. I chose this picture because I always wanted to be that deep, kind of nerdy kid, reading and being apart from the world in my own head. I realized that this was not practical nor possible for Poppy. My attention span is the size of an ant and I'm to sociable. I do enjoy a good read if I can soak it in though.

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge 

(http://www.amazon.com/Captivating-Unveiling-Mystery-Womans-Soul/dp/B0023RSZSM/ref=?ie=UTF8&m=A3VA5YMAII5VGS)

Day 19- monday 

Tonight I went to a crazy awesome concert in San Francisco at this venue for The Maine, Mayday Parade, and guests The Postelles. It was so worth the $30. So today, I am thankful for concerts. Live performances are awesome to really experience the bands you like and they are just so much fun! 

Day 20- tuesday

Today I spent hours driving from home to home with a friend of my Mom's to help distribute respiratory assisting equipment. It may not be what I want to do when I'm older but it is in the same field. I can't wait to start working towards getting more work experience in the medical field. So today, I am thankful for work experience. 

Day 15

Thursday

Today, I am thankful for my daily bread and drink. It is a huge blessing to be able to eat whenever I want and some people don't get that. I don't think I realize that fact enough. 

Day 12-14

Day 12- monday

I am so blessed today and everyday to get to choose what I wear and have so much in my closet. Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in the quantity and quality of my clothes when really I should be grateful I have what I have. So today I am thankful for the clothes on my back and shoes on my feet. 

Day 13- tuesday 

Today, I am thankful for my fellow student leadership team members. I am one lucky lemur!  I don't know how I'd be in my faith without all of them. We are a beautiful lemur family in Christ and I love it! 

Day 14- wednesday

It may be an old picture, but I like it. I may not have a super tight, close-knit family but I love them. Today, I am thankful for family that brings me lunch, bears with me when I back down a super steep driveway twice, and likes when I cook them dinner. 

Day 11

Sunday

Today I am thankful for my wonderful church and the wonderful people that fill it every service and every event. These people are like a family to me and I love getting to just be surrounded by them. I am so thankful for this amazing fellowship I get to be a part of 2-3 times a week. 

cheers! xx

Day 9 & 10

Day 9- friday

Today I am thankful for music. I love listening to the talented people around me play and sing music. Fridays are seriously awesome because I get to listen to beautiful voices, awesome guitar and ukelele, and some great piano. I fact that I get to play and sing is the best. 

Day 10- saturday

Today I am thankful for my kitten Appa who keeps me warm during these cold nights even though he takes up most of the bed. Even though he has grown a lot since this photo, he is still my little sky bison. 

xxxx

Day 5-8

Day 5- monday 

Today I am thankful for the ability to learn how to drive. I am anxious and nervous for my test and to be alone.. I tend to panic under pressure but I am training myself to overcome this. 

Day 6- tuesday

I don't have blood related sisters and that always kinda bummed me out until about a year and a half ago. That's when I got to know Taylor and Amber Morris. Since then my life has been blessed with warm smiles, laughter, and food. I am grateful and thankful for both of them and their amazing family. I am so thankful for sisters. 

Day 7- wednesday

I'm not going to lie. School sucks. I am constantly sinking and struggling because of my lack of companions to lean on.. I'm not saying I have no friends at school. Don't get me wrong- I do. Just not in many of my classes. This tests my strength everyday and I don't show it much but I know God will continue to feed me strength. It may seem as though my strength is depleting but if that was true, I'd have none left. So today, I am thankful for strength. In body, in mind, in soul. 

Day 8- thursday

Today I realized I'm not the only one struggling with certain problems. I am thankful for people that understand what I may be going through. Trust me, I'm not saying I'm happy that people are struggling- no, not at all. I'm just saying it's comforting to relate to others. 

Day 1-4

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and for every blip and little problems I have in my life, I have 5 good things that over power those sucky things. 

So here are some of them- one a day for the whole month of November. 

Day 1- thursday

Today, I was blessed to join in yet another Thursday session of fellowship with my wonderful youth group. Some of the student leaders were given the task to come up with a way to announce our thanksgiving meal.

We chose a skit.

I was a turkey.

To sum it up I am simply thankful for silly, fun times I get to enjoy with my friends. 

Day 2- friday 

Tonight after school and bible study, I went to a halloween/day of the dead children's party to help out my Mom's friend with all the kids and crafts.

Seeing how innocent and care free these kids were brought a huge smile to my face. 

So, today, I am thankful for the little things that make me smile. 

Day 3- saturday

Enough of the super deep things, they'll be back. 

Honestly, today I am thankful for being able to sit down, drink a cup of tea, do some homework without too much pressure, and hang out with two of my best friends. 

Day 4- sunday

Lets put this simply: 

naps are glorious. I am so thankful for naps today because we stayed up way to late for the time difference and I needed a good nap after that. 

Cheers to you, naps! 

Letters

Dear October,

You make me happy but can it please be real fall weather now? 

Dear Soccer, 

You make me happy that I'm kind of fit but I'm scared to run because of my bronchial spasms.. 

Dear Appa my darling kitty,

You need to calm down and stop attacking my feet in the wee hours in the mornings. 

Dear Big Bang Theory,

I am truly addicted to watching endless episodes of you.

Dear Instagram,

You cause people to use stupid hashtags.. It brings me great entertainment. 

Dear my fellow SLT-ers, 

You are freaking awesome with a capital P lemurs. I can't wait to make food and bond with each of you this weekend!

Dear God, 

Thank you for blessing me with the challenges and good things in my life. I love you with all of my heart and promise to glorify you with all that I do. I will stumble and fall but I know you will still love me. I am always thankful to you. 

A letter from me.. via TEC

Today, I received mail.

Let me tell you, this is rare.

Well... kind of.

And I was surprised to see the handwriting scrawled across the middle of the envelope. 

It was mine. 

I thought, "Hmm, did a letter I sent get returned?" 

This was before I read the name and address. 

It said

Poppy Baldrige

and then my mailing address.

From Mark at SVCC.

It was a funny thing. I had totally forgotten about the letters they had us write at TEC, encouraging us in our on going walk with God. 

I smiled.

Not a little smile, a great big one. 

Because I couldn't believe I had forgotten. 

Because I was excited to see what I said. 

Because honestly, I think I've needed the encouragement lately. 

And I read it, while I walked my dog down the street.

I am constantly in awe of how God uses situations and people's ideas to bless others.

Wednesday= success. 

GB Pride

So I am half British and half..well, not. No I was not raised in the UK or born here. I may not have the accent all the time or all the characteristics of a "true" British person but I consider GB my home. I personally have issues adjusting to foreign places but here it takes not as much time. This is my family and a lot of my culture growing up. Ultimately, I have grown closer to my British roots these past two or so weeks. I do love America, my home and place of birth but honestly, to me It's not "THE greatest country on earth". Who can really single out a title like that? I like both honestly! I like diversity and the open mind that is needed to travel and that's something we could all use. Despite my hard transition and struggle to keep in touch with back home, I am soaking up this experience to the best of my ability. So, I suggest you get out there and explore the globe! Or maybe even all space!
Cheers. xxxx

Living humbly.
Loving freely.
Letting others in.  
Learning faithfully. 
Trusting fully.   

These are the things I, myself, as a human being struggle with. "Oh, that's only four things!" you say? Trust me, the list goes on and on. But the amazing thing is for what I am, what I struggle with, what I've done, and who I aspire to be, I am accepted by at least one person. The big guy upstairs is not concerned by my past, what I have been, who I have hurt. He only cares that I have given my all NOW and vow to forever make up for all that stupid stuff. I am forgiven, saved, and happy.

Bless.

Rain makes me think

PASSION.
STRESS.
responsibilities.

Why is it everything confusing and challenging comes at once? It's like this giant storm, like the rain trickling hard on my window panes.
Stress gets to us all. We always can look back and see a time when we were completely overwhelmed and at some point had to crack. I think about this a lot. School stresses me out. Family stresses me out. So much makes me want to just scream. I'm learning to let it go and overcome it though.
When we're stressed or overwhelmced we get to lazy and make up excuses for why we don't NEED to do thinks or go places. This isn't productive. And the sad part is that I do this often. I just wish i could cast away any responsibilities and be 5-years-old again. Well, that's not gonna happen apparently. If only i could go back to that simple time.
What I would give to just hang out with friends, sleep, and just have FUN. It doesn't really work like that folks.

Passion. Oh gosh, what a darn confusing feeling. Passion presents itself in it's own way. It brings people together and twists what you want into something you're good at or meant to do. It sparks true inspiration and steals one's attention if only for a little while. It drives us to follow an instinct that might just be right. I guess all we have to do is go with the flow or everything and see where the current takes us.
Let's take a leap of faith.