this just may be my dream library.

i think belle would approve.

a fabulous weekend full of laughter and friends-

six flags with jenna. josh and mike

dancing at the hoedown

appetizers at applebee's

hearing truth at church

brunch with anne, natalie, saritha & terri

care group

i am blessed.

today involved good things-

coffee and muffins to start the day

worship chapel

making weekend plans

impromptu lunch with core four

much needed rest

grilled cheese for dinner & enjoying newtown with terri

initiating my green dress

thank you, Jesus for these gifts.

feeling thankful for:

-coffee with serlin at LCH

-my pleated green skirt & boot combo

-a conversation with evan over "a failure of nerve" and sharing what we both learned from the book, and its current application for our lives

-time with jenna

-naptime

-being a "mom" for the night. i watched evan and giselle, and took them with me to thursday throwdown tonight. they were so good for me. from giselle in her princess dress, to hide & go seek, to evan snuggling with me, it was a some much needed kid-time.

-soup and bread for dinner, thanks to terri!

-buying tickets to hear rob bell

-baking, with help from jarrett

i head to bed thankful for a great many things, but here are just a few:

• celebrating terri's birthday today. she is such a dear friend, and i am so incredibly blessed to have her in my life. it was a joy to show her a little of how much she is loved.
• earthquake cake
• an overdue phone date with my sister
• a meaningful 1-on-1 with jarrett. a really good conversation, that i think was what he needed to hear. praise be to God for giving me wisdom and the right words.
• a good conversation with tara during the volleyball game
• compliments on my new haircut
• celebrating with abbi over a job well done in chapel
• feeling pretty in my purple dress and boots
• phil & joanna's wedding invitation in the mail
• heading to bed looking forward to tomorrow-i remember a time not terribly long ago, when i would dread work the next day. i feel so thankful to be able to look forward to work.

"give thanks to the LORD for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. to him who along does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever." -psalm 136:1,4

one thing that i feel like God has been pressing upon my heart is the importance of remembering. i spoke in chapel in mid-september, sharing about the journey that God had led me on so far and some of the things he had taught me along the way. i was so blessed to be able to get feedback from students right away. God was so gracious to allow me to see some of the impact i made with this act of obedience. but beyond that, it was so good for my head and my heart to be reminded of God's faithfulness. and not just tales of God's faithfulness to other people-whether in the Bible or people that i know. but his faithfulness to me. not his faithfulness to the masses that i am one of. but his faithfulness that is specific to my life.

i don't think about his hand upon my life enough. i don't think about his plan for my life or what that even means nearly enough. when hard things happen, i don't often remember the purpose behind some of the hard things in my past and how God used them.

but i think i'm starting to. i feel like he smiles when i finally start to understand something that he's been waiting patiently for me to see. when i finally see that he is the lion who has been a part of my journey the whole time-not to hurt me, but to help me. not to wound me, but to heal me.

"‘I do not call you unfortunate,’ said the Large Voice. ‘Don’t you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?’ said Shasta. ‘There was only one lion,’ said the Voice. ‘What on earth do you mean? I’ve just told you there were at least two the first night, and –’ ‘There was only one: but he was swift of foot.’ ‘How do you know?’ ‘I was that lion.’ And Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. ‘I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.’…‘Who are you?’ Shasta asked. ‘Myself,’ said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again, ‘Myself,’ loud and clear and gay: and then the third time ‘Myself,’ whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all around you as if the leaves rustled with it." -The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis

so, i've decided that i want to be more intentional about remembering, more intentional about being thankful. and i find that when i am, it is so much easier for me to trust. trust in his plan. trust that his plan is for my good. trust that his faithfulness is forever.

my goal is to reflect upon his faithfulness to me each night before bed. the thankful list might not always get written down, i want to be more thankful and to have grateful habits in my life. here's to being thankful.

"the LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD endures forever." -psalm 138:8

its easy to feel like i can take the world by storm, when i have a kindred spirit by my side.

i got to spend the past week with one of my favorite people, becca.

having adventures. exploring all sorts of places. embracing fun wherever we found it.

such a refreshing week of friendship-every day a blessing.

i already miss her joy, her honesty and her delight in life filling my apartment.

while it was hard to watch her disappear through the airport doors today, i drove home filled with gratitude for the gift that i had been given. i think that God gave us both what we needed for this week.

wherever you are, it is your friends who make your world. -william james

1.1.11

1.1.11

bringing in the new year with a lil' living room dancing