Timely Reminders

So I have a meeting on Tuesday with the guy who decides my fate. Okay, so he only sort of decides my fate. He helps me find a job after graduation. It's still intimidating.

My mind is racing with possibilities, and my heart is full of hope and anticipation. This is what keeps me awake for many more hours than I'd like to admit. I'll get to be doing what I love, but where?

I always thought it'd be wonderful to be at this age with endless possibilities, but now that I'm here I'm discovering how this open-ended future can be oppressing in its own way. I can't make any plans because I just don't know where I'll be. I can't bank on anything right now.

Wow, talk about a challenge. I'm forced to put all of my trust in God, and it's beautiful, but it's certainly not easy. I feel like I found the hard place and should be looking for the rock.

And just when I needed it, something truly awesome happened. Topping off a wonderful adventure to a vineyard with David, Alisha, and Jon was the most incredible sunset I've seen in ages.

Sometimes I can't help but be a little conceited when I see things like this. I feel like God put them there just for me. Sights like this are the reminder I need sometimes of just how much God loves me as an individual, not just somebody lost in the crowd.

And you know what? At times when life as I know it is going to completely change, it's nice to be reminded of the biggest constant in my life.

~"Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise." ["Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"]

Life As We Coffee Addicts Know It

My apologies to anyone who is squimish...sometimes I have the sense of humor of an elementary schooler that makes jokes about bodily functions classic. :P

Imaginings

This weekend I got the chance to travel down to Texas to see a dear, dear friend of mine get married. What a wonderful experience (more to come on that later). Getting down there for the weekend, of course, meant flying.

I found a cozy nook to overtake for a few hours in KC.

I love airports.

In my mind, airports represent so many wonderful, exciting things. I get to experience a culmination of sights, smells, and sounds gathering in a chaotic symphony that can only be found at the airport. My favorite part is watching people and imagining what adventure they are in the midst of.

That fellow with his laptop out may be on his way to put on a presentation at a conference.

Those two girls over there look like best friends on a much-anticipated vacation to catch up with one another.

Do you suppose that young couple holding hands over there with relaxed smiles may be on their way home so she can meet his family for the first time?

My imagination runs wild.


And then I begin to wonder what do other wandering eyes and minds think my adventure is...

~"So rest assured I have the key to every opening to every wishing well that's deep enough to dream." ["Sound of Pulling Heaven Down" - Blue October]

Attitude Check

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. [Ps. 51:10-12]

We all need to take the time to be renewed, restored, sustained. Without that, we lose that steadfast spirit, the joy, the willing spirit. We get worn down and out. 

I once heard somebody here at CUNE talk about the words, "Be still." "Be still and know that I am God," He tells us. When was the last time you were still with God? 

It's beautiful out. Gorgeous, even. Fall is in its prime. Go for a walk and soak in the splendor of the colors, the smells, the feel of the chill in the air...and remember who put it there for you. Break away from your routine and reconnect with that steadfast spirit, that joy, that willing spirit.

Be still. Be renewed.

~"I don't need these worldly things. More of you and less of me, God." ["God Is Enough" - Lecrae]~

Video Picture-y Fun

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Seriously amazing website...more of these fun videos to come, I'm sure. :)

Better An Idiom Than An Idiot

I feel like this should be of extreme importance since it's the 100th post...

Okay, confession time.

One thing that I was really excited about when I was preparing for college was the opportunity to take etymology classes. I love finding out definitions and origins of words. It's a sickness, I know. A rare one, even.

Writing is a release for me. I've been journaling since about 5th grade and free-writing since middle school. I embraced blogs as an opportunity to share my writing with others. I love the art of it, the look of words on a page with the different curves and lines, and even the very act of it.

It is a huge accomplishment to harness words to truly say what you mean. That, my friends, can't be done without a familiarity with words.

Words are powerful. I don't want them to merely be acquaintances I call on occasionally. No, I want words to be an ally.

Not everyone is ready for full-fledged etymology of words. That's okay. I leave you instead with the etymology of phrases in our language.

Idioms

More idioms


How's that for legendary? 

Inexplicable Attractions

While we were hiking around this weekend at Branched Oak, I got the opportunity to take a lot of pictures that I'm pleased with and will put on Facebook soon. It's been a while since I got the chance to just take pictures and experiment with the different settings on my camera. I miss getting to do that. I need to do that more often.

I was drawn to a specific tree for some reason. I took so many pictures of it, and I'm not quite sure why it was so captivating.

Then it struck me. We can't always explain why we get so caught up in something. We're not sure what specifically draws our attention to it, but we can't take our eyes off of it. All we can do is soak it in and enjoy it for what it is.

It almost has an air of majesty to it...

~"Love is listening to each other with the heart...hearing what is often unspoken."~

Going on the Favorites...

The scene: 5th grade classroom in a small Nebraska farm town. Math class.

The characters: 17 wonderful students and 1 aspiring teacher.

[It is halfway through math class, and the students have completely gotten the material except for one or two students. The aspiring teacher seeks other ways to work through the problem to help the last few students understand. The kids are working hard, though, and being great sports about it.]

Teacher: Wow, you guys are rock stars.

Student A(without missing a beat): Rock stars don't do math.

Student B: Yeah, they have servants to do that for them.

Teacher: Servants, really?

Students: Yeah.

Teacher: I just don't think that's true.

Student: Yeah, they hire people and stuff to do their math.

Teacher: I'm pretty sure they still have to do math at some point during their day.

Student: No, other people do it all for them.

Teacher: Well, in this class, rock stars do math. At least until 11:15. Let's get to it.

[end scene]



Confession: I was that teacher. And that conversation really did happen.

I love my students.