little things & flying geese
- Lily Collard
- Jan 5
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 7
good morning. happy first day back to school, starting the second semester <3 may the Lord give you strength, clarity, diligence, & peace today!
i’m sitting at my desk this morning, looking out at the fields & distant hills. fog covers the sky, the sun isn’t too shiny, & it feels like it could be one of those days... school starting again, routine kicking back in, feeling a little restless, tired, hungry, maybe even sad. but — thousands of geese fly over my house, squawking as they head somewhere warm. robins flit from tree to tree, chirping like they’ve got nowhere else to be. our three cats sprint across the fields, through the cedars, hunting mice. sparrows chase one another through the sky, riding the wind. and right now, i’m watching a hawk - big wings, low flight, & scanning the field for breakfast. even on a gray january morning, creation is busy, alive, joyful. nature really is oh so good. i need to enjoy it more than i do. i’ve been especially in love with birds lately. they’re fascinating little creatures!
"Look at the birds of the air...your heavenly Father feeds them." ~ Matthew 6:26
so here’s your reminder for this new year & semester: recognize the little things. see them. thank God for them. don’t rush past His blessings!
pray without ceasing. thank Him for your delicious coffee in the morning. thank Him for the time He gives you to study His Word & come to Him in prayer. thank Him for puppy cuddles <3 for joy — because He is the one who gives it. and yes — be happy to do school (talking to myself here!). you don’t have to do school. you get to do school. do it for the glory of the Lord & to honor your parents. work hard. don’t stress! i was blessed with time this morning to start it off quietly, with the Lord in prayer & reading in Psalm 66 + on the topic of divine providence in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.
**verse of the day**
"Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You have brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water, yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance." ~ Psalm 66:8-12
**quote of the day**
"Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water, but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world, but if the world gets into them, they sink." ~ D.L. Moody
**word of the day**
abundance.
God is the first and only cause. Nothing happens to anyone by chance or outside of God's providence. "Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known in the midst of fools." ~ Proverbs 16:33
• some tips for you this semester! •
have a rejoicing & joyful heart.
it's hard work to be joyful sometimes, but try your best & rejoice. have joy in your hearts. you won't regret it & it will truly make your life so much better! smile at strangers. hug your parents. be kind to your siblings & care for them. care for your animals!
enjoy the little things & be thankful for everything.
yes! even the cute little jar of dried lavender with a bow on your desk. the warm mug of coffee in your hands. thriving plans. foggy mornings. birds of the air. hugs from your parents, grandparents, family. your ability to come to the Lord in prayer always & have unlimited access to the Holy Word of God 24/7 - that alone is a gift I overlook.
spend time in the Bible & prayer.
doing so will bring you closer to Christ & your faith will become firmer/stronger, your love more evident, your fruits visiuble, your joy increasing, your courage! your ability to share the gospel! your wisdom will grow. ask Him to enlighten your eyes & soften your heart. the Holy Spirit will do the work.
be organized. have a routine.
having a routine is one of the most helpful things I could do during the school year, but also on break/in the summer. it truly gets you out of your funk & gets you moving. i think that if i didn't have a routine, i would be in my pj's all day, drinking way too much coffee, & watching travel vlogs. not good. of course, those things aren't necessarily bad, but take watching vlogs as an example - it needs to be moderated. not always & not excessive so that I truly do not waste my time away. now, yes, you definitley can drink coffee all day on a productive day! (haha! i love coffee!) But having a routine is for sure helpful. A certain wake-up time, time for workout, break from the computer, etc.
***my current routine for inspiration***
- wake around 7:00-7:15
- hydrate (i am definitley not like the influencers who over-hydrate & I don't want to do so. of course, hydrating is good for you, but not excessively. only drink when you're body tells you to! starting your mornings with water is the best. gets your brain moving & feeling refreshed!)
- make my bed, tidy room
- let my dog outside
- if time allows, spend time in prayer & in the Psalms/another book/the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith (recently I have been keeping it inside of my Bible & it truly helps me know what to read/study/dive deeper into. right now, i am on the topic of divine providence.) I truly love to start my mornings off in prayer & in the Word. of course, i don't always do so & would love to do so more often, asking the Lord to guide me through today, asking for wisdom & the ability to glorify Him in all that I do. not just for my feelings or to check a to-do list. it starts your day off with wisdom. i have also recently created a small journal entry to fill out every day in my Bible/prayer journal.
**here it is**
- start off with the date (e.g. 01/05/2026)
- how are you today (1-100 scale)
- what are some things you are grateful for today? (list three or however many you'd like! lots to be grateful for)
- what are some things I can do today that will bring joy/glorify others & Christ? (list)
and that's all. simple, but reflective! doesn't have to be all weird about your feelings as most journal reflections can be. continuing my routine! my classes go straight into my planner (@anecdote planners). core work sometime in the afternoon or evening. trying to walk daily - even 10-15 minutes, treadmill or trails! mayhe i can start today! gorgeous weather. then we have a family workout (usually around 6pm with @caroline girvan. dinner, clean up, shower, rest.
write things down on paper.
writing things down online, on the notes app, etc, can be helpful, but studies show that physically writing on actual paper can help you memorize & remember things more clearly! i already love journaling, writing & organizing a lot in my planner, so this isn't too much of a struggle for me, but it may be for others! you do you. & if writing online helps you more than paper, continue using online! that's awesome.
move your body somehow. every day.
YES every day. i love how my family works out together. it is one of the things i am truly grateful for every day & it's a great blessing! working out alone can be tough & leave you feeling like you have no motivation, lonely, or just bored & over the entire thing. it's nice to have others with you to encourage you! encouraging you to lift heavier, you got this, keep going, work harder...even a walk every day. even just for 5-10 minutes! just get moving. before/after a true, hard workout, i love doing ab/core work!
eat fresh, yummy, unique foods!!
eat foods that will fuel you for the day. add variety, color, creativity. food is a gift!! eat real.
go outside.
right now! breathe in the fresh air. take photos of nature. go on a walk/hike. go for a run, even! touch some grass.
be present & the mindless social media culture.
this one is definitely true. for some, it's hard to be actually present in this world due to their mindless, endless doomscrolling. social media isn't always bad, but it can be terrible. guard your heart & mind from the temptations of this world & desires. turn away from scrolling & enjoy the life you do have, not the one that you want. instead, create the life that you want instead of dreaming/watching other strangers live theirs! i enjoy watching vlogs, but i've had to catch myself, my thoughts wandering to thinking "i wish i had that" or "why can't i live there?" it's truly a desire for girls, especially to want what other girls have. envy is very real. i was blessed tremendously with parents who love me & shielded me from the snare of social media at a young age & still do to this day. i am very thankful! so, if that is something you struggle with, delete it! remove yourself.
now, being present. be there! be real. spend more time with your loved ones. we think we have a lot of time on this earth, but we truly do not have much time at all. there isn't time to do silly things. one day, you're getting your driver's license. the next, you're getting married, you have your first baby, then you have your first grandchild...cherish the time that you do have. glorify Christ while you are on this earth, for that is what He calls us to do as His disciples! be kind. don't just be nice. smile. be thoughtful. love. laugh.
document.
document your life! always! whether it's journaling, through photography, blogging, videos, polaroids, letters, anything! do it for your future children, grandkids, your great-grandkids, or your family, your parents. do it for yourself now, to look back upon the life you were blessed with, the situations you came across, places you've traveled, people you've met, dreams you've had, dear friends...everything. document it.
write.
writing is one of the most beautiful things a person can do, in my opinion. it reveals that person's character, thoughts, dreams, emotions, wants...all just by writing. write letters to your future children. write that letter to your long-distant friend, grandparent, or relative. write in your journal, about what happened today. write out your prayers, for your children to read or for you to look back on (it is also very helpful to remain focused when i write out my prayers. i am not distracted!). find penpals. collecting letters is such an amazing & beautiful thing to do. send out postcards. write quotes out & hang them on your walls. write in your Bible (prettily & neatly). just write.
be yourself.
and no, i don’t mean this in a “love yourself always” way or the cultural self-esteem kind of way. i mean be thankful for the gifts Christ has given you — the ones that are yours alone. your loud laugh. your frizzy hair. your crystal-clear eyes. your ability to run cross country. your ability to do algebra, unlike others! don’t try to be like your friend who is more social, better at talking to adults, or has prettier hair. everyone has unique gifts, talents, and qualities. when you embrace what God gave you, you glorify Him and can serve Him fully.
don't be dumb.
recently i have been reading "no time to be dumb" by Rachel Jankovic & wow. it is truly convicting & such an amazing book written to teenage girls. we don't have much time on this earth at all, as i've mentioned above, & rachel makes that clear! there isn't anytime for you to be dumb in your life. no time to set aside your spiritual growth & come back to it later, she says. no time to do that sinful act & then ask for forgiveness later. God will always forgive you, yes, but your sins will influence your life. there just isn't time to be stupid or make silly mistakes you know better not to!
"But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer." ~ Psalm 66:9
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