What makes me happy…Day 20 of the challenge! 

1. Hanging out with friends and family-As an extravert, I love being around people; particularly family and close friends. There’s a certain comfort in being around the people who know you best. Even though during the summer, I don’t see my friends as much, technology allows me to stay in touch, through texting and email.
2. Learning something new-Truth be told, I’m a bit of a nerd. I love learning something that I didn’t know before, particularly about theology, history, or psychology. I enjoy finding out new information and discussing it with someone who shares an interest in the subject at hand.
3. Reading-As I’ve said before, I’ve enjoyed books from the time I was little. I love getting inside of a character’s head and living a million different lives while still staying in my own. While I have mostly talked about fiction on this blog, I also enjoy nonfiction, if I find the topic at hand interesting/informative.
4. Writing-Considering I write for this blog and dream of becoming a successful author, this one probably isn’t much of a surprise. I absolutely love the art of storytelling. Writing is a bit like reading, except I get to be in the driver’s seat instead of the passenger’s seat. Typically, I write with fitting music in the background, which makes it feel a bit like watching a movie in my mind.
5. Holidays-I’ve always loved celebrating holidays, especially Christmas. There’s something about the holiday season that sends adrenaline through my veins. I love the warm-fuzzy feeling of it all; baking, Christmas shopping, family get togethers, decorating…in all honesty, I’m the type of person who will start playing Christmas music in November.
6. Bible study-I enjoy studying the Bible on my own, but love it even more in a group setting, where I can discuss my faith with fellow believers. I’ve started doing a Bible study at my house this summer with friends and I’ve really enjoyed it. We’ve gotten the chance to share our experiences with one and other and I believe that we’ve all grown through the discussions and lessons. I suppose it’s a little like the early church, where the believers met together in each other’s houses and studied God’s Word together.
7. Music-I think pretty much everybody likes music. Personally, my taste in music is rather diverse. I could literally go from pop to rock to country all in the course of one day. I suppose my favorite is contemporary Christian. I love that the lyrics are always uplifting, and that you never have to worry about questionable content. Some of my current favorite contemporary Christian singers are Britt Nicole, Blanca Callahan, The Afters, Jeremy Camp, Tenth Avenue North, and TobyMac.
8. Watching a movie-I love movies, especially when I get to see them in the theater! Somehow, the atmosphere of movie theaters makes the movie even more enjoyable. Like my taste in music, I have a fairly wide range of movies that I like-Inspirational, rom-coms, comedies, animated, action, etc. Currently, I’m anticipating the release of the movie I’m Not Ashamed, which follows the life of Rachel Joy Scott before the shooting. Because I have always admired Rachel Scott, I belief that the movie will be incredible and very inspiring.
9. Good food-Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like good food? I love going out to eat or eating freshly baked desserts out straight out of the oven. I always feel happy when I know I’m about to eat really good food!
10. Accomplishing goals-In all honesty, I’m a checklist kind of gal. I get an odd satisfaction out of making a list and crossing items off as I accomplish stuff. This adrenaline doubles if it was a big goal that I’ve had for a long time.

How about you guys? I’d love to hear what makes you happy!