Devotional: Beeee Happy

We all go through hardship. Some more than others, but experiencing sadness is something we all must face. Depression itself is a dark place to be. It's not only sadness, however. It's darker than that. I, myself, went through a time where I felt like I was in a room without much light. Today, life can still be hard, but I've chosen to let that light in as much as I possibly can. We may even be in a place that is desperate. In that case, a positive word may not help. Depression can be clinical. I don't believe we can't just get over it.

In the darkness I was in, not a lot helped. Now, I've found myself in a good place. I still struggle, as we all do, in our own ways. And I deal with sadness, and mostly, anxiety. I have anxiety about everything. It's tiring. But I digress, in that darkness I grasped for any hope I could. It appeared so far away. Like, something I struggled to touch. It was not within reach. I looked for guidance, reassurance, and lastly, hope. I couldn't see any.

At the end of a phone call, I would ask my parents for advice. My Dad had two words he would tell me that stood out to me. He would say, "be happy." It was more like, "beeee happy." He would say them with a sunny tone. It also bolstered my heart, because it was something my Grandma would often say. In fact, he got it from her. For me, I knew that things would, or could, still be hard. But, hearing him say those particular words brought both encouragement and joy. I needed that connection.

I knew he wanted me to be happy. That was enough hope for me. I had to fight. I had to fight for what I could, and I'm still fighting. I don't know what the future holds for any of us. But I know that God wishes for us to be happy. That, my parents wish for the same thing. I even got a keychain for my collection that says "bee happy" on it. You know, like a bee. It was a reminder of those words. I'm not saying that two words can change your life completely, but they sure can help. This Father's Day, I'd like to thank my Dad for always supporting me and for giving me advice. I hold those two words close to my heart.

Be Happy.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13

Do you need prayer? Leave a comment, and I'll pray for you.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Photo Quests: Green All Around Me - Part 1

 Photo Quests: Green All Around Me - Part 1

Intro: Nothing but green all around me. I know it won't last, but
at least I get to see the foliage be this vibrant.

Quest Ending: Taking pictures of foliage that's green may seem bland, but instead of flowers, I showcased the green we find in nature. This is part 1 of more green to come.

Wordless Wednesday: Just One Wish

 

Website Spotlight: CMADDICT

My brother has a Christian music website called CMADDICT. It's a place for all kinds of Christian music. Pop, rock, contemporary, etc. On the site, you can find news, interviews, music videos, articles, free music, and more. I especially recommend checking out the site's playlists on Spotify. They're really popular, and they've got great music. My brother has done a fantastic job of putting the playlists together. I love listening to them.

CMADDICT has been around for a while. I remember when it first started. I was a contributor in the beginning stages. I then became assistant editor. I wrote reviews and interviews for it. With my brother, I plan on being a contributor again. I'll be writing album reviews for the site. They won't be posted here, but I'll provide a link to the reviews on the right sidebar of my blog. If you like my Facebook page, you can find a future link posted there, as well. I plan on signing up for Spotify to listen to the newest Christian music, so that I can review them. I'm really looking forward to it. Going to be awesome.

My brother has a disability, but that doesn't stop him. He manages the site himself, and he does everything. He inspires me with the hard work he puts into his site. He's talked with numerous Chrisitan artists. He even made a connection for me to interview Rebecca St. James. I remember being so nervous about it. It was one of my first interviews done over the phone with someone. I'm so thankful that I got the chance to talk with different people. It was a fun and exciting time. I'm eager to get back to writing reviews again.

Kevin is my older brother. He goes through so much each day, but he doesn't complain. He works on his site and helps new artists with their music. I've added a little of his bio below here. You can find the rest of it on cmaddict.com. "I was nineteen when I broke my neck in Canada. At the time I was diagnosed with a C2 complete spinal cord injury which meant I had nothing. I couldn't move, breathe or anything. All I could do is blink. The doctor there was sure to inform my parents that I would never again regain anything."

I hope you were inspired today by my brother. He's brave, humble, and strong. His work on CMADDICT is so cool, and that he is also able to help other artists in the music field. If you like Christian music, go visit his site. Be sure to check out his Spotify playlists, too. There's some amazing music there. Thank you, everyone! Enjoy the music! Find the playlists here.

Website: cmaddict.com
Facebook Page: CMADDICT Official
Twitter: @CMADDICT
Instagram: cmaddict
Spotify: CMADDICT.com

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Museum Spotlight: Nez Perce National Historical Park

Museum: Nez Perce National Historical Park

Location: Lapwai, Idaho

I heard that the Nez Perce National Historical Park in Lapwai, Idaho had a new exhibit. I had plans to visit it as soon as I could. After work, I left to drive over to the visitor center. My camera in tow, I parked my car in the parking lot and got out. Admiring the green hills surrounding the center, I followed the path to the doors. Took a few pictures of the outside building itself, and then stepped in. I was welcomed by two people at the front counter. They were friendly and helpful. I greeted them back and started taking pictures.

On the left wall, a beautiful mural. A long canoe sat alongside it. I snapped a couple of different angles. This wasn't part of the new exhibit. I had seen it before, but it's always so cool. As I finished taking pictures of it, I focused my attention on the horse within a glass case. I especially liked this. It wasn't new either, but I didn't remember it much from the last I went there. The Nez Perce pride themselves on the Appaloosa, and I can only imagine this wear on a real horse. If you've ever seen an Appaloosa, they're beautiful horses.

I opened the door leading to the new exhibit. I was excited to see it. Admittedly, I tried to open the wrong door when it was clearly labeled that the right door was the one to open. Shaking off the embarrassment, I walked into the dark room. It was completely different from what I remember of the old exhibit. The old exhibit was more simpler and had some information about the artifacts. This one was immersive and informational. It was much more interactive in that it had things you could do. There was also plenty of information. I really liked it; however, I was distracted by taking my many photos.

I do this when I take photos. I forget to enjoy and take in something when I'm in the zone. I regret not spending more time in reading the info and joining in on the interactive stations they had. The nice thing is, I can easily visit it again, and pay more attention. There were a few people at the museum that seemed like they were outside of the area. The kids were enjoying the exhibit, and the parents took photos. I was concerned myself with taking photos, but I still really enjoyed it. Would go again to take it in better.

It's not a large exhibit, but it's modern and new. I liked how they combined the new with the old. There's the glass cases with items to view, and screens to look at. Plenty of info for the curious. After I wandered around, I stepped out of the exhibit and into the brighter room. This time I chose the right door. I wasn't going to repeat that same mistake. In that room, they have a nice gift shop for people to look through. I came really close to buying a shirt and cup. Instead, I purchased a sticker and what looks like a coin. It's not. It's a neat token. Next time I'll get that shirt and cup. I don't need more cups, but... 

I recommend visiting the museum to see the new exhibit. Bring your family and enjoy the past that has a modern way of viewing it. For more info about the museum, you can google hours and info. Where should I go next? Leave a comment with your ideas. Please, don't forget to follow my blog and like my page on Facebook! Thank you so much.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Devotional: Don't Be Someone Else

We all seem to find ourselves in the same comparison as others. We may look at someone and think they have everything together. They just appear perfect. However, social media has become a place to seek constant validation. If we don't get enough interest in our posts (especially as an artist or author), we become depressed. We wonder if we should stop writing, taking photographs, or creating art. Initially, we want to give up.

Don't stop what you're doing. We might take a break from social media, and that's okay, but don't give up. I know that getting views, likes, or comments are really nice, but it's just not everything. Be yourself. Post what you want, say what you want, and then truly don't worry about what others think. If they don't respond, don't take it personally. Just keep going.

I know it's not easy to ignore feelings of comparison. We all do it. We may not admit that, but we all do it. We all want to be liked. Some of us may be more prone to this, but like I said, it's common. It's normal to do this. We have to remember, though, that God loves us the way we are. He didn't put us on this earth to be like someone else.

God loves you. Yes, you. He knows you struggle. He knows your life isn't perfect. He doesn't care about that. No one can be perfect. Only God is. We only have to be ourselves. And don't worry so much. Just place yourself in God's hands. All you have to do is things that glorify God. Focus on Him. Life isn't about being accepted and praised by the world. 

Don't be someone else.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." - Colossians 3:17 NASB

Do you need prayer? Leave a comment, and I'll pray for you.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Blog Update: Looking For Authors

My blog update today is special. I'm looking for authors. Why? I like to spotlight different authors on my blog. What am I looking for exactly? To post interviews, book spotlights, guest writers, and book reviews. I'm not ready yet to do book giveaways but would like to do these eventually. So, in the future, there may be book giveaways. I truly hope so!

What do I need? If you're interested, please send me a message. You can find the contact form on the right sidebar of this blog. Or you can leave a comment with the best way to contact you. I'm open to pretty much anything. However, if for some reason I don't wish to do your book, I probably won't. I'm just careful. I do like things that are clean, or Christian. I'm willing to do some that are not, as long as they're clean. Thank you.

As for interviews, I do written ones. I'll come up with questions and email them to you. For the book spotlights, I post your book with information about it. As a guest writer, you get to write an article to post on my blog. And for book reviews, I can review your book. If you wish, you can send a book to me, otherwise, I can purchase one myself. I can also post my review on Amazon if you'd like. Let me know if you're interested in either one of these.

If you'd like to do something else that I haven't listed, leave a comment or send an email. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you, and have a beautiful day, fellow authors.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson