June 2016 Favorites

I thought it would be fun if I took a moment each month to let you know what things are currently striking my fancy, so here goes the June installment! Current favorites:

Book: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I bit the bullet and finally cracked this book open. I appreciate the short chapters, as they allow me to pause whenever I need to (a problem I run into with books that have really long chapters, like those of Jane Austen). I'll admit I've gotten a bit lost in the lengthy list of characters and places involved, but I really like how the plots of seemingly unrelated vignettes always come together in ways I didn't foresee. I also like how there are morals and Christian teachings woven into the dialogue here and there; I didn't expect that.

Song: Thy Will by Hillary Scott. I like being reminded that no matter what happens in life, we can choose to submit to God's will and let go of our desire to control everything. He is God, and we are not. That's a message I could use more often.

I'm so confused I know I heard you loud and clear So, I followed through Somehow I ended up here

I don't wanna think I may never understand That my broken heart is a part of your plan When I try to pray All I got is hurt and these four words

Thy will be done Thy will be done Thy will be done

I know you're good But this don't feel good right now And I know you think Of things I could never think about

It's hard to count it all joy Distracted by the noise Just trying to make sense Of all your promises Sometimes I gotta stop Remember that you're God And I am not So

Thy will be done Thy will be done Thy will be done

Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is Thy will be done Thy will be done Thy will

I know you see me I know you hear me, Lord Your plans are for me Goodness you have in store

I know you hear me I know you see me, Lord Your plans are for me Goodness you have in store So

Thy will be done Thy will be done Thy will be done

Like a child on my knees All that comes to me is Thy will be done Thy will be done Thy will be done

I know you see me I know you hear me, Lord

Verse: "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." -Matthew 6:34 MSG. I shared this verse with my sister this week as a form of encouragement, but it also was a good reminder for me to rest in the present, not worry about the future, and trust that God will work everything out.

Food: Since ending my food-focused month of Project 7, I've been excited to include a wider variety of foods in my life, including mangoes, pears, zucchini, asparagus, and of course peanut butter and chocolate (separately and together, 'cause you can never have enough of either one!). And oddly enough, lots of bananas, apples, and oats still because I still like them.

Google Chrome Extension: I have an account with my local county library system and regularly check out ebooks from there (a great way to read for free without the hassle of making trips to the library to return books on time!), and with the OverDrive reading extension for my Internet browser, I can not only read on my Kindle, but also on my computer. It automatically saves my place, allows me to add bookmarks, gives me a progress bar at the bottom to know how far along I am, and has various settings for font size and the like. Check it out!

Memory from this month: My family went to Joyful Noise a couple weeks ago, making it our third annual time going to the festival. To hear more about our experience, check out the post I wrote about it last week!

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite things? I'd love to hear them!