Ice Cream

Golly, life has been busy as of late!
I knew, upon entering grad school, that the day-to-day happenings in my little world would increase... Homework would get crazier, tests would become more frequent, and the once placid existence that I held in undergrad would become a chaotic mess.
Yes, in case you're wondering.... I was correct in these assumptions.
Things have been hectic. My heart longs for a place of quiet, and of rest. With the mounting number of papers, looming deadlines, and demanding professors, it's difficult to find time to do anything but work.

Yet, today I was struck by this wonderful and completely simplistic idea.
Wow. I'm thankful.
I'm so immensely thankful.
I go to an extraordinary school... I study what I desire to study, and I have the ability to make good grades. I'm passionate about what I do; I'm surrounded by friends and loved ones who support me and encourage me. God has blessed me in so many innumerable ways...

Don't you love those days when, just for a second or two, you realize that God is, in fact, exactly who He promises to be?
So often, I get caught up in the busy nature of school. There's always something that needs to get done... something I'm ignoring... something that I shouldn't be putting off until tomorrow.
I'm regularly engulfed by the sheer volume of what's at hand... and I forget to be thankful. I forget to praise the One who gave it to me in the beginning.

I'm trying to purposefully live a life of thankfulness. I believe that this thankfulness has the potential to lead directly to pure, holy joy. Not necessarily happiness, though that is so important, but complete and beautiful joy; The kind that radiates from the soul and touches those it comes in contact with. I want to be that kind of person.

I love the way that children pray. As a person who LOVES children, I find myself fascinated with quirks that one can attribute to children, and children alone. Have you ever listened to a child pray? It's the way in which they thank God for every little aspect of life that they enjoy... living with this beautiful and innocent thankfulness that can't help but be displayed in prayer.
I want to be that way.

So I'm starting with the little things. I want to be purposefully thankful for the seemingly inconsequential things in my life; for a God who created something as wonderful as ice cream. I know.... you're probably just rolling your eyes. Yes, it is extremely "Amanda" of me to mention ice cream... but in all honesty, it is pretty darn great stuff.


For ice cream... and for pens that have the perfect amount of ink... the shuffle feature on my ipod that allows me to hear the perfect song at the perfect moment... for pink nail polish and burts bees chapstick... for rain in the midst of drought, and sun in the dark of the flood.
For the way grass smells after it's been cut... For hot coffee in the morning, after working on my thesis all night long... For music, and singing, and the way it feels to belt something at the top of your lungs... for candles... for flowers...

Goodness, my list could just be infinite.
How different would life look if we lived this way? Would we treat others differently? Would our hearts respond to the needs of the poor and the broken in a more Christ-like manner? Could we, in turn, become better representatives of His goodness here on earth?

Today I'm thankful for ice cream. In my opinion, it's a pretty good start.

Blessings on you and yours,
Amanda Christine