I need to take some pictures of all the beautiful trees and flowers in bloom here...until then here's a shot from the tidal basin while my parents were here.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
it may be spring...
There are beautiful tulips! Cherry blossoms were just in bloom....and maybe I have worn flip flops and dresses again. I'm so excited that spring may finally be here after enduring my first non-Texas winter. I am hoping for more sun and less gloomy weather days in April...we'll see.
I need to take some pictures of all the beautiful trees and flowers in bloom here...until then here's a shot from the tidal basin while my parents were here.
I need to take some pictures of all the beautiful trees and flowers in bloom here...until then here's a shot from the tidal basin while my parents were here.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
love boldy.
I'm currently reading the book Bold Love by Dr. Dan B Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III...
here's a tiny excerpt:
"Love, as a reflection of the glory of God, is the ground of being, the reason for existing, and the core of the gospel. It is the most basic staple of life; yet it is nearly impossible to wrap words around love's vastness, to describe how to be transformed by it, or to use it for the sake of another-especially in a world that hurts us regularly and often deeply."
This book is making me think alot. I have had this book on my shelf or quite a while now, and just picked it up again out of complete and utter lack of being able to love many things in my life. The past few weeks, at a glance, have been weeks where I felt hurt regularly and deeply by the world. I am encouraged to say though that I have also felt loved deeply by those around me in the world. I'm super thankful for:
-flowers on my doorstep on a Friday night
-friends who will call and pray from far away
-co-workers who drive me home when it's dark and I'm scared to walk there alone
-spontaneous visits from dear friends
-laughing and crying with others
-a small group of people who will change their plans, so you can be a part
-people who will celebrate life with me in unexpected ways
-feeling loved, when I'm not feeling very lovely
-skype, mail, cellphones, g-chat, and the other ways that I feel connected...
There's much to be thankful for, and hopefully I will begin to love boldly those who have been loving me boldly.
here's a tiny excerpt:
"Love, as a reflection of the glory of God, is the ground of being, the reason for existing, and the core of the gospel. It is the most basic staple of life; yet it is nearly impossible to wrap words around love's vastness, to describe how to be transformed by it, or to use it for the sake of another-especially in a world that hurts us regularly and often deeply."
This book is making me think alot. I have had this book on my shelf or quite a while now, and just picked it up again out of complete and utter lack of being able to love many things in my life. The past few weeks, at a glance, have been weeks where I felt hurt regularly and deeply by the world. I am encouraged to say though that I have also felt loved deeply by those around me in the world. I'm super thankful for:
-flowers on my doorstep on a Friday night
-friends who will call and pray from far away
-co-workers who drive me home when it's dark and I'm scared to walk there alone
-spontaneous visits from dear friends
-laughing and crying with others
-a small group of people who will change their plans, so you can be a part
-people who will celebrate life with me in unexpected ways
-feeling loved, when I'm not feeling very lovely
-skype, mail, cellphones, g-chat, and the other ways that I feel connected...
There's much to be thankful for, and hopefully I will begin to love boldly those who have been loving me boldly.
Friday, February 4, 2011
i've found a safe place in you...
Being in Denver last week was really refreshing. One of my favorite parts of the training was getting to spend time with the other city staff. Each morning we would start with worship...and I was introduced to two songs that I now have been listening to a lot. They are so great. Thanks to Jami for leading and introducing me to these. You can listen here...although I must admit, I enjoyed when Jami played them better.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
meet my new friend
My roommate and I had a brief stint at being fish "sitters" in December in the weeks leading up to Christmas. She had bought her nephew a Betta and we had made sure it was going to live and be an okay gift for him to handle, and decided that not only could he handle it, but that we could also handle it. We loved having him on our kitchen counter with the live plants it was just so much fun. So when I got back from Texas she had all the supplies for my new fishes home. Yesterday I went to pick out my fish. I'm so excited about him. He's really beautiful. I now need to name him. I have been given some great ideas by friends and family. You can either vote on one of these options or suggest your own.
So here are the options thus far...
Felix, Flippy, BB (to stand for the Bluebird of Happiness), Peyton , Blueberry, Bucky, Noriego, DC, Domino, Tiny Tim, Santiago, Say-rah, Houston, LePeep, Daybreaker, Chauncey, Francine
So please help me decide on one of these or your own brilliant idea!!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Life Lessons at the DMV
So I hate moving. I don't like it at all, this is why I committed to the pact of not moving out of the Heights until being married...unfortunately that pact was broken...and well I've moved. Moving is not fun even when it's just across town, but moving to a new state...or not even a state in my case is even more non-fun.
After reading online about the things needed to register your car, get your license switched over, all that I realized quickly, I didn't have all that I needed to do that. I've been trying to get all of that together and figure out where stuff was in the shuffle...but wasn't at the top of my priorities. That is until I found a cute little pink ticket decorating my windshield as a "warning" that I was in violation of the law. DC does not play around, this means I'm on my way to having a boot put on my car. So of course, knowing I don't have the paperwork I look into what are the alternatives. You know how an I-9 you can either do one item from list a or 2 items from list b and c? Well I look at the two items and am like great...basically I have 4 items. 4 should be good right?
No. There not good. Not good for the lady at the DMV this morning after waiting in line, getting my car inspected, standing in the cold rain (because although you can get your car inspected, which must happen first at 7 you can not pay for it at the DMV until 8:15). Nope not good. So when politely asking, "So how can I prevent from getting a ticket while getting these items together?" She stares blankly and says, "Get your stuff together and come back and get this taken care of."
Thank you, very not nice lady at the DMV.
So after whining about this, pretty much all day, I head to my newly found small group! We talked about the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. We were talking and asking questions on what is the Kingdom of God...what does it look like? Although we left with a lot more questions than answers of what we should look like in that Kingdom I left for an appreciation knowing the Kingdom of God does not look like the DMV. I don't need to figure out all my "stuff" and "get it all together" in order to come...and how great of news is that?
After reading online about the things needed to register your car, get your license switched over, all that I realized quickly, I didn't have all that I needed to do that. I've been trying to get all of that together and figure out where stuff was in the shuffle...but wasn't at the top of my priorities. That is until I found a cute little pink ticket decorating my windshield as a "warning" that I was in violation of the law. DC does not play around, this means I'm on my way to having a boot put on my car. So of course, knowing I don't have the paperwork I look into what are the alternatives. You know how an I-9 you can either do one item from list a or 2 items from list b and c? Well I look at the two items and am like great...basically I have 4 items. 4 should be good right?
No. There not good. Not good for the lady at the DMV this morning after waiting in line, getting my car inspected, standing in the cold rain (because although you can get your car inspected, which must happen first at 7 you can not pay for it at the DMV until 8:15). Nope not good. So when politely asking, "So how can I prevent from getting a ticket while getting these items together?" She stares blankly and says, "Get your stuff together and come back and get this taken care of."
Thank you, very not nice lady at the DMV.
So after whining about this, pretty much all day, I head to my newly found small group! We talked about the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. We were talking and asking questions on what is the Kingdom of God...what does it look like? Although we left with a lot more questions than answers of what we should look like in that Kingdom I left for an appreciation knowing the Kingdom of God does not look like the DMV. I don't need to figure out all my "stuff" and "get it all together" in order to come...and how great of news is that?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
grace.
this is a quote from Bittersweet (I'm not sure why I don't know how to underline...and I know books are supposed to be underlined?) by, Shauna Niequist
"Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop; ever. It's the moment you feel as precious and handmade as every star, when you feel, finally, at home for the very first time."
I've talked quite a bit about home here (on my blog). As I packed up and moved out of the place that I called home, not just Houston, but our adorable house on Michaux that was really, and truly was our home. We laughed, cried, created: friendships, recipes, paintings...some good, some bad...(don't try to make cake in a coffee cup or paint at 3 am just because you need some new life on your wall). We talked and talked and talked, we went on walks, played tennis, ran to Fiesta countless times, shared life with neighbors and friends, we had reunion parties with sisters, college friends, other Heights dwellers, and former building dwellers from our earlier Houston days. We saw a lot of transformations. We ate quite a bit of delicious dessert. We also took full advantage of living with-in walking distance of delicious Mexican cuisine. We went from being two friends to three to two to three to two to three several times, and enjoyed living with an awesome variety of some of the coolest women I know. I'm so grateful for that home. I'm grateful for the friendships that came from that house.
And Shauna is right grace is feeling precious, and loved, and fully known. There aren't many people who look at you...all of you...and still make you feel precious and loved and cared for.
I think the beauty of being at home (whether it's going back to where we are best known sometimes...our parents, or being somewhere familiar) is having a rich, deep history. The hardest part of moving life for me is to not be known. I am very grateful for some very kind, wonderful people that are in my life here already. I know that they are gifts. They are so helpful, quick to listen, and eager to share cool things I should know about in a new place. But at the end of the day they don't know me. They will, as we continue to do life together, but they don't know me yet. It's hard to be known. It's hard to not know others.
I've been quick here to try and not think about the beauty of home. I don't want to miss out on the present place and gifts of the current life. I don't want time to pass me by while I live in the days of old, that are no more. I don't want to focus so intently on the things I used to have, that I miss out on what I have right in front of me. Tonight though, I realize, that sometimes it's good to think about home. I am reminded tonight as I'm reading, that if I miss an opportunity that I will have another chance, and another, and another...because we all need so many chances, so much grace. We rarely get it right the first time.
I'm so thankful for my home. I'm so thankful for my friends and family that have shown so much grace and given me so many opportunities to do things right, although it's almost guaranteed that somewhere in the midst I'm going to be a mess, they help me pick up the pieces and make something much more beautiful and rich than I could have ever imagined. I don't know who or where I'd be without you, so thank you, for being full of grace with me.
I know what home looks like with my family, and I know what home looks like in Houston. What will home look like in DC? I'm excited and anxious to see...
"Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop; ever. It's the moment you feel as precious and handmade as every star, when you feel, finally, at home for the very first time."
I've talked quite a bit about home here (on my blog). As I packed up and moved out of the place that I called home, not just Houston, but our adorable house on Michaux that was really, and truly was our home. We laughed, cried, created: friendships, recipes, paintings...some good, some bad...(don't try to make cake in a coffee cup or paint at 3 am just because you need some new life on your wall). We talked and talked and talked, we went on walks, played tennis, ran to Fiesta countless times, shared life with neighbors and friends, we had reunion parties with sisters, college friends, other Heights dwellers, and former building dwellers from our earlier Houston days. We saw a lot of transformations. We ate quite a bit of delicious dessert. We also took full advantage of living with-in walking distance of delicious Mexican cuisine. We went from being two friends to three to two to three to two to three several times, and enjoyed living with an awesome variety of some of the coolest women I know. I'm so grateful for that home. I'm grateful for the friendships that came from that house.
And Shauna is right grace is feeling precious, and loved, and fully known. There aren't many people who look at you...all of you...and still make you feel precious and loved and cared for.
I think the beauty of being at home (whether it's going back to where we are best known sometimes...our parents, or being somewhere familiar) is having a rich, deep history. The hardest part of moving life for me is to not be known. I am very grateful for some very kind, wonderful people that are in my life here already. I know that they are gifts. They are so helpful, quick to listen, and eager to share cool things I should know about in a new place. But at the end of the day they don't know me. They will, as we continue to do life together, but they don't know me yet. It's hard to be known. It's hard to not know others.
I've been quick here to try and not think about the beauty of home. I don't want to miss out on the present place and gifts of the current life. I don't want time to pass me by while I live in the days of old, that are no more. I don't want to focus so intently on the things I used to have, that I miss out on what I have right in front of me. Tonight though, I realize, that sometimes it's good to think about home. I am reminded tonight as I'm reading, that if I miss an opportunity that I will have another chance, and another, and another...because we all need so many chances, so much grace. We rarely get it right the first time.
I'm so thankful for my home. I'm so thankful for my friends and family that have shown so much grace and given me so many opportunities to do things right, although it's almost guaranteed that somewhere in the midst I'm going to be a mess, they help me pick up the pieces and make something much more beautiful and rich than I could have ever imagined. I don't know who or where I'd be without you, so thank you, for being full of grace with me.
I know what home looks like with my family, and I know what home looks like in Houston. What will home look like in DC? I'm excited and anxious to see...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fall
What's your favorite season? I hear this question often.
I like them all, I like that they change. I would get bored if things were always the same, yet I love familiarity and rituals. So change is necessary, and welcome, but also sometimes hard. I'm realizing though, I've never before really experienced seasons. It's fall. Leaves really do change beautiful shades of colors. Pumpkins are out. And it's brisk. I have read about this before, but it's not quite like what Texas has ever felt like, at least to me.
As I've been driving, reflecting, observing, I'm truly thankful for how God is using the seasons to remind me of two things, one being that He has a master plan for everything. I love that in the very beginning God knew"... and God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years..." Genesis 1:14-15.
Then in Ecclesiastes He reminds us again of the way He orchestrates time:
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. "
I'm learning about the season change in my life. How it's beautiful and painful all at once. I'm learning how the gorgeous changes of colors means that soon things die, fall off, and get blown away. I know fall won't last forever. I want to enjoy it, but I also want to give myself permission to be sad that things are changing. So I'm trying to trust in God that has a plan, when most days I do not know how to even begin this new adventure. I want to love God who has given a new place, a fresh start, and who has taken friends (really amazing ones) away from my immediate reach, familiarity, and comfort in that place. I want to love God who is never changing in the midst of a new season, a new place, and a new adventure. Although it's beautiful, it's a little scary!
What's your favorite season?
I like them all, I like that they change. I would get bored if things were always the same, yet I love familiarity and rituals. So change is necessary, and welcome, but also sometimes hard. I'm realizing though, I've never before really experienced seasons. It's fall. Leaves really do change beautiful shades of colors. Pumpkins are out. And it's brisk. I have read about this before, but it's not quite like what Texas has ever felt like, at least to me.
As I've been driving, reflecting, observing, I'm truly thankful for how God is using the seasons to remind me of two things, one being that He has a master plan for everything. I love that in the very beginning God knew"... and God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years..." Genesis 1:14-15.
Then in Ecclesiastes He reminds us again of the way He orchestrates time:
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. "
I'm learning about the season change in my life. How it's beautiful and painful all at once. I'm learning how the gorgeous changes of colors means that soon things die, fall off, and get blown away. I know fall won't last forever. I want to enjoy it, but I also want to give myself permission to be sad that things are changing. So I'm trying to trust in God that has a plan, when most days I do not know how to even begin this new adventure. I want to love God who has given a new place, a fresh start, and who has taken friends (really amazing ones) away from my immediate reach, familiarity, and comfort in that place. I want to love God who is never changing in the midst of a new season, a new place, and a new adventure. Although it's beautiful, it's a little scary!
What's your favorite season?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)