Grateful

I am grateful for this rainy Saturday morning, an excuse to rest and reflect instead of running around town. I had planned on working out and going to the Farmer's Market with a few errands on the way home. Instead, I brewed a pot of coffee and settled on the back porch for some quiet time with God.

I started reading "The New Resolution for Women" by Priscilla Shirer at the suggestion of my dear friend Sara. Dense in concepts that are entirely applicable to my life, this book challenges me to be grounded in the Lord. It all comes back to Jesus. This morning I focused on integrity.

I have built my character slowly over the years with a firm foundation, structurally sound with core values. I am learning to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate whether my actions and behaviors are in line with my beliefs and if the people I surround myself with contribute or retract from who I am. My friends bring out the best in me and we share our ideas and struggles, lifting each other up and loving each other along the way.

The pink journal in the picture above is my gratitude journal, where I spend a page or two every day reflecting on what I'm grateful for. The source of gratitude is infinite, the attitude and appreciation for blessings of utmost importance. Today I am grateful for:

• A morning off to reflect, pray, breathe, and blog (always a therapeutic process)
• Evening plans to hang out with Whitney and Shannon and they're exapand(ed/ing) families!
• Time set aside to study for exciting projects at work. We are expanding our knowledge base by the day and I am so grateful to be incredibly engaged in what I do. 

What are you grateful for today?

Finding Rest

Wednesday night is one of my favorite times of the week.  As we take the much anticipated turn towards the weekend, we gather with our small group to fellowship and study God's word.  Several weeks ago, we discussed the Biblical and practical nature of rest. Resting is a simple enough concept, but a state of existence that doesn't personally come easy. My tendency is to move, to think, to plan, to anticipate, to rethink, to redo, to engage, and to go go go.

My favorite time to rest is Thursday morning. I usually start the day with a quick workout and walk with the pup around the block. After showering, I always find my way back into my pajamas, this time with an accompanying cup of java to the tune of The Today Show. I spend the rest of the morning actively resting, tidying the house, sorting through stacks, compiling lists and strategizing one thing or another. This Thursday morning ritual is the reset button to a busy week.

While productivity is certainly beneficial to our family and my career (and while I have learned to seek and enjoy physical rest), it is no comparison to the true peace that comes through finding mental rest. Matthew 11:28 says "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This verse reminds me of the peace that comes easily as I spend time in the word and seek comfort in Christ.

It is so easy to get caught up in mundane demands, many of which we bring on ourselves. As I bring my concerns to the Lord, he quickly settles anxieties and fear, and it is then when I truly breathe and feel a genuine sense of peace and rest. My prayer is to seek this gift on a daily basis, listening as I hear him calling.

Me, from A to Z ... 4 years later

One of the best things about blogging is perusing the archives, a virtual journal of where I've been and what's inspired me along the way. Today out of curiosity, I skimmed back to May 9th 2009 to see what I was blogging about just hours before I met my husband. A list (no surpise there, I love lists) of me from A to Z. Here is an updated version 4 years later.

A - Age: 24 (29)
B - Bed size: Queen, so cozy! (King, even better!)
C - Chore you hate: Putting away tupperware (Putting away any dishes)
D - Dog's name: My future dog’s name will be Scout :) (Wrong! Baker, and I love her)
E - Essential start your day item: Drinking a mug of chai tea and listening to worship music (Same, although now I also have a love/hate relationship with coffee)
F - Favorite color: Yellow (Yellow)
G - Gold or Silver: Silver (Gold)
H - Height: in bare feet? 5'6" (Same, thank God)
I - Instruments you play: Piano, flute (Neither)
J - Job title: Physician assistant (in a few more weeks!) (Physician Assistant in Integrative Medicine)
K - Kid(s): Not yet (Baker, the pup)
L - Living arrangements: Rebecca and I have lived together for 2 years. I will miss her! (My husband and pup, I am so blessed)
M - Mom's name: Kathryn Patterson (Silly question)
N - Nicknames: Mircat, Mir, Mirs, Miri, Mirsie (Bit, BitBit from my husband)
O - Overnight hospital stays other than birth: Just as a kid (No accidents thus far)
P - Pet Peeve(s): Not calling when you’re running late (Same)
Q - Quote from a movie: “She can not go without gloves” (Inside joke, this is from Little Women)
R - Right or left handed: Right (Yep)
S- Siblings - Andrea (Love her)
T - Time you wake up: 7 (6:15 if I work out, 7:15 if I don't)
U - Underwear: Victoria secret and Aerie (Same, but newer pairs ;) )
V - Vegetable you dislike: Brussel sprouts (Love them now! I love all veggies)
W - Workout style: Running, hot yoga (Lifting weights, sprinting, HIIT, Pure Barre/Yoga)
X - X-rays you've had: Dentist, chest (Nothing new)
Y - Yesterday's best moment: Rebecca found her dream job! (I bought 16 pounds of meat at Fresh Market. Yes, I am now an adult!)
Z - Zoo favorite: Tigers! (and Mircats!)

I'll have to do this in another 4 years! By the way, it's good to be back at blogging!

30 Things I Love

{30 things I love...}

 Lazy mornings involving coffee and The Today Show
"Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young
Metabolic Effect and Jillfit
Traveling (Denver next week!)
My small group at church
Blogging (It's been too long)
Winston-Salem, Williamsburg, and Charlottesville (forever homes)
Red Wine and Dark Chocolate (new flames in my life)
Eating Paleo
... "Cornerstone" by Hillsong
Morning workouts
Wake Forest and UVA
Integrative Medicine
Role models, finding inspiration, being intentional
The first crisp fall football Saturday (and pumpkin anything)
Praying with my patients
Tanglewood (my happy place)
Silo, River Birch Lodge, and Cha Da Thai
Nut butters and coconut water
Playing soccer with my husband
My friends, truly the greatest
Boykin Spaniels (Bakie!)
Grilling out with friends (pineapple!)
Sprinting and skiing
Talking to my family every day
Destin {the perfect beach}
Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, and Whole Foods
Reynolda Village and the Farmer's Market
Podcasts and Pandora (Hillsong and Jim Brickman)
Optimism and finding the best in others

What do you love?