16.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered...

forgive them anyway

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives...

be kind anyway

If you are successful, you will some false friends and true enemies...

succeed anyway

If you are honest and sincere, people may cheat you...

be honest and sincere anyway

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight...

build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous...

be happy anyway

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow...

do good anyway

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough...

give the world the best you've got anyway

You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God...

it was never between you and them anyway"

- the Paradoxical Commandments found painted on the wall outside of Mother Theresa's children's home in Calcutta

15.

"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly"

- Isaac Asimov

I actually find very little assurance or motivation from this quote. Today I find myself once again surrounded on all sides with said difficulties and as much as I will myself to "put on my game face" and muster up my courage, I am not confident. Not in myself. Not anymore.

Honestly, I'd rather not see my problems shrink to the point where I can handle them.

I'd rather see God rise up and overwhelm them.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed... so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

14.

Loyal coffee shop companion.

I really need to start taking pictures of my new home...

but I've been looking forward to posting this one for some time now.

13.

12.

Beautiful,

Beautiful, beautiful,

Beautiful Boy,

Before you go to sleep,

Say a little prayer,

Every day in every way,

It's getting better and better,

Beautiful,

Beautiful, beautiful,

Beautiful Boy,

Before you cross the street,

Take my hand,

Life is just what happens to you,

While your busy making other plans,

Beautiful,

Beautiful, beautiful,

Beautiful Boy

- lennon

11.

goodbye

hello

10.

New packing technique: Organize clothes into piles by type (i.e. long sleeved shirts, skirts, etc) Then allow yourself to choose one and only one item from each pile. This reveals the essentials of your wardrobe. I found it most helpful and extremely simplifying. My wardrobe essentials have proven to be:

- red wool sweater

- black underarmor shirt

- favorite faded jeans

- yellow hemp shirt from Bethany

- grey cardigan

- green doorknob skirt

- work out pants

- black fleece jacket

- pea green hat

- black long underwear

- smart wool socks

- mom's purple down vest

- blue baseball t-shirt

- striped jammies

And there we have it! I'm packed!

if only...

However, it wasn't as overwhelming as I thought it would to sort through all my stuff, box up what I'm leaving behind, and pack what I'm taking with. Here is my "time to consolidate" look. It comes out every 4 months or so. With a vengeance! Look out closet!