"Beautiful Day"

this semester, i am taking a psychology class called, Positive Psychology. This class focuses on optimism and resilience - instead of focusing on negative aspects of psychology such as abnormal behavior, etc. Anyways...one of the aspects of positive psychology is "treating" clients in "positive" ways. For example, have them create and have a beautiful day or write a letter of gratitude (and reade it) to a person who has impacted you. In the class, we have to do these things as assignments, and today is my "BEAUTIFUL DAY."

i planned out things that i wanted to do that i enjoyed. i slept in a little longer. Chris and i made waffles this morning. we went out to lunch. i'm going to play wii after this...etc. it is about purposefully doing things that you enjoy, and really savoring them. letting that bite of ice cream float around in your mouth, noticing the smell in the air, really engaging in what you are doing. so far it has been good.

now, i still have to go to class and work - and my class today (and other homework i had to do) was not so beautiful, but i still have to take the good with the bad. and the bad can help me better appreciate the good.

i have been thinking that this "Beautiful Day" idea is a lot like a Sabbath. it is a time of rest, enjoyment, savoring the moment, appreciating the things and moments in your life. even though we all should be taking a Sabbath weekly, i think i am also going to have a "Beautiful Day" every month. a time where i am extra intentional about what i am doing. a time when i do things i enjoy to relax, rest, and recuperate.

i'm also trying to think of a different name for this "beautiful day." the term "beautiful day" works well, but that is what the positive psychologists call it, and i thought i would try to come up with a name for MY beautiful day. if you have any ideas, post a comment with your ideas.

also, i would encourage you to try having your own "beautiful day." your "beautiful day" can look like however you want it to. go to lunch with a friend, go to the park with your family, play games with your spouse, stay in bed all day long, go somewhere all by yourself. whatever you want to do...just be intentional about it, and savor it. and don't get upset if your day doesn't go perfectly. my plans had to change due to other circumstances, but i'm still savoring and appreciating the moments. i am having a "Beautiful Day."

love,
~L

p.s. the weather has made my "beautiful day" better. it warmed up a bit and is nice and sunny. however, i think it's kind of sad that i am happy that it is 38 degrees. ha. :D

where do we go from here?

happy new year 2009...
one of my new year's resolutions - TAKE MORE PICTURES!
yes, that's right, i spent 2 weeks in CA and didn't take ANY pictures. maybe Paige is right - i don't document my life. :D

regardless of the extreme lack of pictures, we had a great time! seeing family and friends, cookie day, Christmas, shopping, party at the Jennings, more shopping, NOT DOING DISHES! :D it was wonderful.

we came home on the 29th. our flight was much better coming back to IN than it was going. let's just say that our flight from IN to Chicago is supposed to be about 45 min., and we were on the plane for 4 hours.
it was weird coming back. none of our friends our back, we don't live in a dorm, and school isn't starting for another couple of days. we have been filling our time with watching "House" and playing our new Wii. :D
to be honest, it was actually quite lonely to come back. i don't even want to say that we came "home" because it doesn't feel like home. we have been very homesick since we've been back, and have just been unsure of where God is leading us, now and in the future.
i know things will get better once school starts and we're too busy to be homesick. but, at the same time, i don't want to just fill our lives with noise. i may be trying to tune out the homesickness, but i don't want to tune out God.

please pray for us as we seek God's will for our lives and as we grow closer to our Lord.

love,
~L