☮a good day

I had such an awesome, uplifting, and busy (in the super good way) kind of day today, so I never got a chance to post on here.  I have been "reconstructing" my day-to-day agenda because of the recent changes - both good and bad - that have been going on in my life lately.

I would be lying if I said I was sailing smooth seas ALL of the time, but it isn't a lie when I tell you that the power of God is, indeed, almighty.  He aligned the stars for me in such simple yet marvelous ways.  I wish I could explain it in a way that you might understand, but the bottom line is that I am restored with hope and I am very much surrounded by love and inspiration. 

I'll elaborate on that more when it's not past my bed-time because I can't wait to tell you about my day today (or yesterday now - ha!) 

I got to spend it with one of those friends that are what I consider a rare-gem, a gift, a blessing, and I was once again reminded that family and friendships and faith are the only things that matter in life - as long as you are spending it with the right people.

And that's what I did today. 

But I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

I just wanted to tell all my bloggie friends that I love them and that I hope the Lord blesses you in many ways... and if you ever feel like hope is not within reach, I urge you to look in the most peculiar and mysterious places and there it will be - plain as day - GOD'S AMAZING LOVE! 

For me today, I found his love in a soul-sister type friend. A vegan lunch. A story on a canvas. A worship song. A mural. A random page in my devotional. In a hydrangea bush.

He is all around me, and I am going to be ok.

peace and love

baily

goodnight

☮

new friends and old friends

When I advocate myself as a peace and love lady, I don't mean to insinuate that I'm a lost soul way over on the left side.  I think world peace would be a pretty awesome thing obviously, but I carry a realistic state of mind for the most part and know that it has unfortunately turned into something that is just a euphoria for all the dreamers and peace wishers out there.  So I guess my generation advocates the ideas of peace and love more in the peace of mind kind of way and the love your neighbor and love your life ways. 
The tricky part to it all is the peace part.  Always has been, always will be... even in the peace of mind way.

Because the love part is all up to you and to your own heart and your own burning passion. Whereas, peace of mind, has to do with a combination of things: a unity and a harmony of all different sorts that come together to create that eye of the storm, the safe haven in the middle of life.  Our own peace of mind.

When you are given a new peace of mind, from what I've come to find out at least, you can feel it and it's a whole experience in itself.  I got that last night.

I experienced a new peace of mind.  A worry was stripped from me, a friend was made and another friend regained.  I feel an abundant happiness from the way things turned out with a very special friend and a lovely gal who is not only appreciated by me for being so 'real' and so 'genuine' but for being a big person and inspiring me to aim for the same gracefulness in other situations.

I guess since I've blogged about it enough over the past six months, I can say that I was pretty upset and broken-hearted over the drying up of a really groovy friendship.  That certain friend who threw me the life preserver when I was sinking ship.  The one who made me love myself and see that I'm capable of living a pretty kickass and extraordinary life and, to be honest, this certain best guy friend finally had to put it brutally honest to me: if you want to be miserable, be miserable... but if you want life to love you back you gotta love life Baily Jones."  It's one of those lines you just don't forget because he was exactly right.  He's always been a passionate life-liver and that's an inspiring characteristic that pulls other creative-souled people in like a magnet because it's an energy we all crave for the adventurous life.  So it didn't surprise me that I found a lot of things we have in common when I had the opportunity to get to know his leading lady, here recently. 

The most awesome part about this newfound harmony amongst old and new friends is just that.  Sometimes you just have to keep digging to find the answer for the reasons things were the way they were.  I wanted to know, for so long, why I had found this friendship so dried up when it once splashed with all things BFF. haha. But, I forgave and tried to understand even though the absence was paralyzing some of those days this summer when life got hardest for me.  I continued to do what I thought was right and each night I would hope for new signs of friendship tomorrow.  Eventually, all the pieces fell into place.  Once I learned the lessons, forgave myself for wrestling with negativity and emotions and empty apathy, and after I did my own part in creating a peace of mind for myself.  After I took care of those things, life just seemed to - well, love me back!

I'm excited about my new peace of mind.  I think this 'phase' I got through was something that I needed to go through.  I've learned a lot about friendship this summer and Fall.  I've learned my heart and kept my mind positive and for that I do believe my mind and my heart are now in harmony with one another.  And for extra good sleep at night, I can finally say that I feel pretty unified and harmonous with two people that mean a lot to me already - one old and one new. 

So thanks, friends.  Things like this might not be life or death or the reason we are all standing at the end of the day - but it gives us a reason to dance, for sure. They are our bridges over troubled water. And, it's one small battle that's been given some world peace and one busy little neurotic mind that was given a few doses of peace as well.  And as always, there's mad friend-love from me to y'all.

peace and love

baily

keep truckin

You know that feeling of goodness that comes over you when something goes right?
In general, it's that pat-yourself-on-the-back kind of thing that is worthy of a little self-righteous praise.  I've been experiencing that a little bit lately in the relationship and friends departments - I sign of upwad growth compared to some of the turmoil these past six months.

I got to spend a lot of time this weekend talking to girlfriends.  Some I had just met and instantly hit it off with and some that have been deepened by phases of closeness over the years.  But at the end of the day, we're all women - we fill our tanks up with faith, hope, and love and then we drive full-throttle on this self-actualization journey until we find our tank is a little low.  Then it's time to turn to those sources of fuel, our friends and fellow females that fill us back up and get us back on that road to tracking down our destinies.  It sounds cliche, but then again - I have recently begun to buy into some of these ol' cliches.

It felt good talking to this group of girlfriends this weekend not because I have found myself - yet again - with my gaslight on and my engine stalling - but even better, I was able to be a positive mentor and be a listener.  The very best part about it was that I was appreciated for being so and I wasn't wasting my words on people who were letting it go in one ear and out the other. 

My eyes fill up with big raindrop tears and am humbled when people are real and genuine with me and give me that pat on my back for digging so deep into each situation - whether tragedy or blessing - and turning them all into even bigger blessings.  I guess I just didn't know, until recently, that I have been a living testimony to some people.  I don't know if it's a tug on my heart from the Lord to spend some time serving others or if it's just one of those highs on the goodness of life.  But I've revealed a lot to myself lately, and if it feels this good, now, then there is no way that I am calling it quits or slowing down anytime soon.

My theme in life is passion and I know I have gone on and on about passion on this blog for the entirety of it's existence, but like I said - not quitting. 

With every pat on the back I receive from my own sense of self-worth or from God or from friends and family, just refuels me and keeps me full-throttle on this road to my destination.  And here lately, I have made some very groovy and boldly colorful friends and have met a beautiful-souled boy who has sparked that inner-fire that had seemed to burn out with the flames in April.  A new flame, for pun's sake.

I'm glad I can use my life as an example to people, those wonderful  girlfriends, who found themselves a little lost and off-course and in need of refueling.  The one thing I can say with all certainty is that with a full tank of faith, hope, and love anything is possible. 

And the things you will discover when you keep yourself filled with those things, is hard to describe but the scenery only gets better the further you journey on and eventually we all either learn to love the open road by ourselves or we find that person who wants to help us drive and make the ride all the more worthwhile.  Then the less scenic parts of the trip don't seem so bad.   And with faith, you'll be able to keep on going with affirmation that there will be prettier days ahead.

peace and love

baily

you have never taken a solitary road trip across a part of this country? i mean, everybody's got to take a road trip at least once in their lives.  just you and some music.

-elizabethtown