Perspective on life...

"Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but realizing something else is more important than it."

"Faith doesn't mean never having questions, but accepting when there are no immediate answers."

These are some quotes (not from me, from others) that have inspired me lately. It's important to remember than God is always in control of everything. He is good, and he cares. He is stronger than whatever we go through, and he can help us to be strong. I've lost sight of that a lot lately, and I'm trying to focus on it now. Sometimes everything seems like a mess, and it is...but his ways are higher than ours. Our job is not to worry about the future or try to figure it all out, but to trust that whatever happens will be for a reason and part of his plan.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." -Matthew 10: 29-31

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."- Isaiah 41: 10

"As the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."- Isaiah 55: 9

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. " -Matthew 6: 25-34

Shells...

These shells were in a glass jar on my windowsill for years. I collected them at a beach on the South Coast. Yesterday, Mis was flying around my room, she crashed into the jar, and it shattered into about a million pieces- everywhere. And I do mean EVERYWHERE. It took ages to clean. It didn't make me mad though...I'm just glad Missy wasn't hurt, and I know it was an accident. But then I was thinking, you really can't put glass back together. Such a common metaphor...I guess about fragility in life, thinking before we do things, taking care. But when bad things do inevitably happen, I guess we just have to pick up the pieces, move on, and try to find any little bit of good in it. I know, I think way too much.

A week with my feathery and furry children.

I was inspired to write this one night a few weeks ago, when at 11.30pm my rabbit, Peter, decided to make noise in every way possible. I had to brush my teeth, so I carried him into the bathroom with me and put him down on the floor. As it turns out, he doesn't like tiles. They make his feet slide in every direction. He freaked out, and tried to climb my leg. When, obviously, he failed to pull himself up with his front paws, he decided to pull himself up by attaching his teeth to my knee. Ouch! I then had to try to hold a wiggling rabbit in one hand, and brush my teeth with the other. This was the point in frustration where I decided to write an ongoing diary entry, documenting some of the they did, for one week. Now, I'm turning it into a blog. Partly to express the patience that is required when you have 6 pets, but mainly because I love them. They're part of my family. Oh, and yes. I talk to them. ;)

Sunday.

12am: Peter discovers that he can jump vertically, and spin 360 degrees in the air. I wish he wouldn't do it now, though. I'm trying to sleep.
3am: Ruby is loudly chewing her towel. I have to get out of bed to confiscate it. Not happy.
4am: Peter, WHY are you still jumping around? Please stop being loud!
8am: Now they're asleep. Now that I have to get up. Sleep deprived.
9am: Cleaned cages. Fed and watered 5 pets. Cleaned poop of 5 pets.
12pm: Finished washing all the towels Ruby and Peter peed on.
2pm: Missy sits on me while I watch a DVD. Fine, until she craps all over me. Then tries to steal the remote control, which she regularly hides. Then she tries to climb up my sleeve, to steal my bracelet.
3pm: Missy is now sitting on the keyboard of my laptop. Pecking me as I type.
4pm: I just finished vacuuming. So Belle and Valentine put feathers allllll over the floor, and I have to do it again.

Monday.

3am: Pete is being loud.
8am: Ruby doesn't want her stitches checked. I have to chase and corner her. Pete dangerously tries to figure out the difference between my fingers, and peanuts.
9am: While I'm getting ready for work, Missy poops in her water dish, breaks her toy, and then screams so loud when I leave for work, that I can hear her down the street.
11am: Bought pet food.
8pm: Missy sits on my hand. Her butt is really warm. I hiccup. She also makes hiccup noise.
9pm: Watching Desperate Housewives. Missy poops on me. She also freaks out and flies everywhere, finally landing on my head.
10pm: The house is finally quiet. So Belle starts screaming.
11pm: About to get into bed. Something crunches under my feet. Bird seed, on the floor. Thanks Missy.

Tuesday.

3am: Shut up Peter!!!!
8am: Belle falls off perch. Valentine falls off perch. Missy falls of perch. They're all fine. Just really clumsy today!!!
11am: Belle has inexplicable yellow stuff stuck to her head. I have NO idea what it could be. Valentine has pooed on the wall. Peter has put his towel in his litter box. Ruby has managed to get poop all the way to the other side of the room, somehow. Belle and Valentine put feathers all over the room, again.
5pm: Attempt to clean up yet another mess, before going out.

Wednesday.

3am: Shhhhh, Peter!
9am: Ruby to vet. Stitches out. She actually behaved. Wow.
4pm: Need to buy more pet food. Again.
6pm: Valentine is screaming.
8pm: Feathers everywhere. There is bird seed under my pillow? HOW did that get there??
10pm: No. You are not sleeping in my bed. You're sleeping in your cage.

Thursday.

5am: Shut up, Ruby.
9am: Can I just eat breakfast without you calling me, Missy?
11am: Missy is on a mission to steal my bracelet. Again. Tried to sit on the computer. Again. Tried to pull the skin off my face, and remove several strands of hair from my head. Ouch. Tried to eat my diary.
12pm: The doorbell keeps ringing, and Missy keeps screaming at our guests.
1pm: Missy, you are not a fruit bat.
2pm: Begins about 6 hours of cleaning. Fixing up the outdoor rabbit cage and playpen, so I can put rabbits in it and maybe actually get some sleep tonight. Also cleaning other cages, feeding fish, and cleaning my room, you know, getting pee out of the carpet and stuff. 5 pets peck me, poke me, and prod me with their paws, while I'm working.
9pm: Finally, I can sit down. Missy comes and sits on me. Poos all over my pajamas. Sigh.

Friday.

5am: Missy has a night fright. SO close to sleeping through the night! No, you may not sleep in my bed.
7am: I'm in pain from cleaning yesterday. Can't really move.
10am: Missy, you've been out of your cage twice already today, what more do you want? Rabbit, don't hide from me. I need to see your tummy where the stitches were.
8pm: I'm trying to do the dishes. Missy crawls from my shoulder, down my back, around my butt, and stands on the edge of the sink about to jump in. NO. So she decides to annoy her "Grandma" and "Grandpa" instead. That is, my parents.

Saturday.

9am: The usual. Clean cages, and poop. Feed and water everyone. Prepare vegetables for everyone.
11am: Missy, WHY did you poop in your food?
2pm: Got pooped on again...ok, I think everyone gets the idea. The end. :)

Art.

I've always liked being creative. Yesterday was not a productive day for me. I was in pain from spending the entire previous day cleaning, and my brain didn't want to work... So I decided to make some picture frames :) I put them on the keyboard to dry. I can't really play it. Though I wish I could. Maybe someday.

"When I grow up..."

I still use those words. Even though I'm 22. I don't feel "grown up." And this isn't about the thing where I still like Disney movies and cupcakes. Which I do! But it's more about...life.
I'm home today on a day off from work, taking care of my Grandfather, baking, doing laundry, and cleaning. While I was doing it, I was thinking...that I didn't mind! When I was a little kid, the only thing I wanted to be "when I grew up" was a wife and mother. Now I'm not married, and my babies all have feathers or fur...but I still hope for those things someday! It's strange, because I'm 100% for women doing whatever they want to do, having equal rights to men, and I even think they'd do a better job at ruling the world! Yet I've never resented being told that women belong in the home, or the kitchen. Because I actually like being at home, and in the kitchen!
That doesn't mean I don't have dreams. Of course I do. I want to travel, I think it'd be cool to work with animals, write a book, or even open a restaurant! But I've never been all that "career focused" the way some people are. I've been looking into college courses, and I want to do something, but I'm not sure what, yet. I guess I just don't know, specifically, what I want to do! But I know I like doing things for the people I love, even if it is cooking and cleaning, because it matters to them. If I were to sit at a desk all day typing data into a computer, for example, I'm not sure I would care about that. But today, I'm definitely not bored! :)