"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” ~~Aristotle I've seen this quote in the stairwell at school every day for months now. I really like it. What do you think? Habits . We all have them. I use the word habit often (i.e. "Eating Nutella has become my favorite habit." Or, "You have a habit of interrupting me." Or, "Picking your nose is a bad habit." ), but like many words used in our language, it's a word that has several meanings, and who knows if I'm actually using it correctly?! Lately, I've wanted to understand the words that I'm using more deeply. I'm learning to truly respect the complexity of the English language. Enter in the handy, dandy dictionary . (Side note...I used to despise using the dictionary as an adolescent...I really just wanted someone to tell me what the word meant instead of taking my own sweet, precious time looking it up...hah! Lazy much?!) Habit (noun)~ ...

I have several go-to verses in God's word, but I think the book I turn to the most is James . The author speaks a great deal about trials and sufferings, and while those things aren't necessarily the makings of must-read literature , they certainly call out to me when it feels like things are up in the air. Some interesting things have happened lately, so I decided to jump back into James . As I was diving into the first chapter this morning (The Message version), a phrase struck me (not literally, good grief). See if it pops out at you. (How'd you like all those action verbs?! That's my shout-out to grammar!! Muah!) Ok, seriously, scroll on down and read the passage I was reading today. "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become matu...

*Disclaimer* I wrote this throughout the day, and it feels sort of jumbled, as if my thoughts were all over the place. I may go back later and edit it again. Hah! Anyway, I hope it makes some sense :). I'm a natural rule-follower. No, natural isn't the right word. I'm a self-driven rule-follower. I long to obey. God's law and man's . I want God to see and to know that I'm doing the right things. Sadly, embarrassingly , (it's stabbingly painful to my pride to admit this) I want others to see, too. I want them to know that I follow the rules, that I don't step outside the lines, that I stay safely inside this box I've placed around me. Deep down, I desire for others to understand that I'm trying desperately to lead a Godly life because...well...honestly, I'm afraid that if they don't see me doing those things, saying those things, then maybe, painfully- maybe, they will think terribly of me. Maybe just maybe, they wil...