September 24-28

September 24

Today was the kind of day where running through a monsoon on a Monday night for cake was not only necessary, but welcomed.

September 25

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

September 26

Things That Happened Today:
- Pumpkin spice coffee
- Epic first episode of Survivor
- Daydreaming about living in the woods

September 27

Dad's birthday. A lovely evening at a local Italian restaurant and equally as lovely family. The most Friday-ish Thursday you could ask for.

September 28

Everything is Declan McKenna and skylines and feeling like an adult and child at the same time. 

September 20-23

September 20

Currently trying to read 4 books at once and that's just the way it is right now.

September 21

Nah.

September 22

Today I went for a walk and I saw two deer (a mother and a baby) prance across the path before me. I have never understood less why someone would want to hunt and kill them. So graceful, peaceful, sweet.

September 23

Sometimes it feels like I'm waiting for something, like I would give anything just to be onto the next phase of my life. But then, I can miss out on the moment I'm in, which is light and happiness. I don't want to miss out on the memories I'm making right now, watching Jack Black movies in the theater with my sister and cousin, waking up early to run in the woods, learning new things at work, meeting new people, drinking too much green tea and listening to my sister's favorite British band. 

September 16-19

September 16

My family and I stayed up talking about life and the past and talked about Halloween costumes for this year. I love to say that I ended the day with laughter.

September 17

"One time I tried to take 18 credit hours and work full-time. I dropped every class but bowling." - My father

September 18

I unplugged on Friday of last week and spent basically the whole weekend in an offline world, which was really wonderful.

September 19

Consistently amazed, surprised and overjoyed at what the Lord is doing in my life. Confused, sometimes, too, but knowing it's all for His glory. Today I learned about how He engraves us upon His hands. He hasn't forgotten us. And I got a run this morning and a tea at my favorite coffee shop and work bled into sushi and a Bible study. Already 25 has been such a rich year. 

September 13-15

September 13

I bought unicorn stickers from Target in an effort to get myself to workout more. For every day I work out, a sparkly unicorn goes on the calendar. This morning I surprised myself by getting up to run while it was still dark. So consequently, my first unicorn made it onto the calendar. #SmallVictories

September 14

At the coffee shop, listening to sporadic jazz and the scraps of a conversation. I love knowing that other writers come to this coffee shop to do their writing. We sit here in our own stories, enjoying a morning.

September 15

"There is a part of childhood that is childish, and a part that is sacred. Suddenly we are touching the scared part...We have returned to a world that is capable of glistening, and we are wading deeper within it." - David Levithan 

September 10-12

September 10

Things in My Closet Right Now:

• An N64
• The Lizzie McGuire Movie on DVD
• Karate belts
• Hiking backpack 
• Pairs of Converse: 3

September 11

I can't say how much I appreciate today. Real talks with the cousin, a night drive, familiar faces and new ones, too. Conversations of encouragement that let people know you're on their side. Realizing everyone can change. "I am who You say I am."

September 12

"It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice."

September 9

This morning my mother was sitting in the garden and I came out and spoke to her and a butterfly landed on my finger. It was a moment of such peace and I laughed and we were both sort of amazed. I like to think that I made a new fluttery friend today.

September 8

This morning I learned about how God reconciled me before I was even saved - reconciled when I was still powerless.

Little Things of Beauty:

• That moment at 2:39 in "I Miss Those Days" by Bleachers
• New navy shirts
• Friends who care
• Christ who also cares
• Ink pens that glide
• Laughter after a really bad day
• Chocolate anything

September 7

I wasn't having too great of a day after work on account of spending too much time in Ann Taylor Loft and subsequently eating a cookie and part of a brownie for dinner (chocolate chip, in case you were wondering). But the day was redeemed by a spontaneous kickboxing session and the best song I've heard in a long time, Hozier's "Nina Cried Power." Probably one of my favorites all year, maybe even five years. Such soul and feeling.

Goals:

• Buy old used soul records
• Get into the greats - Neil Young, James Brown, Aretha, Marvin Gaye
• Sync Leon's new album (and the xx) to iPod
• Read biographies

*EP cover courtesy of Hozier.

September 6

It's funny how the Lord provides what I need even when I don't know what I need.

Shannon came in today and she had these beautiful packages and they were for me, for my birthday. She bought me all of these beautiful things from Anthropologie, which is a store I want to shop at now, and it made me feel so blessed, and the words of her card were rich and joyful and it filled up my heart with good things.

She even got me a pin that says "Look on the bright side," and I already feel that as my ethos for this crazy incredible, beautiful "25" year.

September 5

Last night I was reading old journals when I got the idea.

I went back to my room, to the same bedroom I've had since I was 12, and stared up at the ceiling in the dark and waited for myself to turn 25. 

Today is day one, mere hours into my 25th birthday, which I feel like is supposed to be something great and grand but that also makes me nervous and stay up til nearly midnight looking at all my old notebooks and thinking about the past.

Goals for 25 (They will probably comically change as I go on):

• Let go of mental baggage so I can dance before the Lord
• Finish my novel
• Keep this document
• Prayer more, harder, joyful-er 
• Smile

25-year-old Erin signing off.