Constant Joy; Unconditional Love

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My judgements and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people and I will be your God." ~ Ezekiel 36:25-28

Lord, please remove this heart stone. Rip it out. Do what You have to do. I'm ready to rid myself of all that is distracting me from growing closer to You. Nothing in this world is as satisfying as just a few minutes in Your presense. You are all I need.

Let my joy be constant. No more of this roller coaster emotion. You are always the same; You never change. Remind me of that. Remind me when I'm down in the dumps, when things don't go my way, when people frustrate me and hurt my feelings. Remind me when things are going great, when the sun is shining and life is good.

The point of all this is You. You're the reason I wake up in the morning. You're the reason I go to work each day. You're the reason I have the friends I have, sing the songs I sing, breathe the air I breathe. You're bigger than everything that is going on around me. You love me more than anyone can or ever will. Let me rest in that tonight. Let me proclaim Your love to the masses. Use my life, Lord.

"We'll never be ready if we keep waiting...

for the perfect time to come." ~ Never Be Ready, Mat Kearney

I want to know that I'm beautiful, that I'm worth fighting for. I want you to help guard my heart and esteem me above all others. I want to be a mystery that you would do anything to solve.

Protect me, challenge me, reassure me.

I may be scared of just about everything, but I don't want to stay that way forever. Don't be afraid to push me and spur me on toward trying new things.

Lead me, guide me, teach me.

Let's read our bibles, volunteer to hang out with the elderly, play our guitars. Let's go star-gazing, hiking, canoeing, camping.

Maybe these aren't things that sound fun to you, but to me they mean the world.

Summer's on it's way

What a fun weekend [minus Bri moving away for almost 3 months.]

Friday night, Bri, Brook and I went out to dinner with Kyla @ Habaneros, then ice cream @ Cold Stone, then karaoke @ Rumors (so sketch!) We doned cowboy hats for no reason other than because we could. On saturday morning, Bri, Brook and I made scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, crepes and delicious coffee. I'm getting hungry just thinking about breakfast. Only a few more hours...

The weather has been rather exciting these past few days. On saturday, I hung out on J's deck and watched the sky turn from sun to clouds to lightening and thunder to rain. We weathered the storm (pun intended!) and sat outside for around 2 hours. Today a few of us went out to the lake where it should have been warm and sunny, but because I took so long gettin' ready, dark clouds were looming overheard. This did not stop my fearless friends from jumping off rocks and swimming across the lake and back. Such drive, such determination. I, however, subtly slid my way into the lake, courtesy of the perfectly slanted semi-slimy rock and a sturdy shoulder or two to hold on to.

Praise the Lord for summer! And friends! And the outdoors!

Camping and Conversation

I love everything about camping, from making reservations and filling up the ice chest with food to setting up the tent and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.

Give me a warm fire, a star-studded sky, good friends and some converation - and I'm set. Top it all off with an acoustic guitar and some melodic crooning and my life is complete. Oh, the simple things.

In the modern-day world of text messages, e-mail, and [insert latest form of technological communication here], genuine, heart-to-heart conversations seem to be happening less frequently. We're so preoccupied with getting from point A to B that we fail to connect with the people around us. A simple, "Hey, how's it goin'?" will not suffice. We need human interaction. We need more than commonplace rhetorical questions.

There's something so freeing about bundling up around a campfire and baring your soul to your closest friends. With only the sound of distant crickets and a gurgling stream to compete with, it's easy to surpass the mundane everyday conversations for topics more unique.

Anytime I'm outdoors I find it easier to be who I really am. There are no preconceived notions caging me in. I don't have to succumb to expecations - be to work on time, don't use that tone when talking to patients, drive the speed limit, answer the phone with a smile in your voice.

I find the wilderness inviting, invigorating, intoxicating. I find solace simply by hiking with a friend. Words don't always have to be exchanged. The silence often speaks volumes that will never be told through a Facebook comment or a mass e-mail.

Mission Accomplished

For those of you who were worried, worry no more because: Mat Kearney has been found. Well, at least his new CD was. I'd like to thank all of those who have been praying for me throughout the endeavor as I searched high and low all over this valley.

I played ULTIMATE FRISBEE for the first time in my life tonight. How could I have gone 25 years without experiencing the joy, the glory, the triumph of such a game? What a workout it was! Who needs a gym membership when you can run around Garfield Park with your friends? To top it off, Bri showed up with her youth group so I got to play some sand volleyball and sit in on some acoustic worship and a short message by the youth leader @ First B.

I'm getting pumped about the camping trip this weekend. Leah, Julie and I are headed to Silver Falls, Oregon to check out the many waterfalls adorning the park. This'll be my first big camping trip. I've been camping a couple of times before, but someone else has always planned everything. This time, I get to help plan the meals, set up the tent, start a fire (preferably not one that destroys an entire forest), pack the car, make sure we have all the utensils we need and so much more. I must say, I'm a planner. I love to plan - and I love making lists. Here's a list I'm making right now...
The Only Thing That Could Make This Camping Trip Better:
1. If Bri were coming with us

That's all the listing I have for tonight. Until we blog again...

Though miles may seperate, there's no space between our hearts

Man alive, some people know what they are doing. Write me a song that makes me cry and you've forever won my affection. Anberlin did it and now Wavorly - and now my iTunes playlist will never be the same.

"Spread the blanket on top, and I’ll turn off the lights
And we’ll gaze at the stars
With you by my side, the moon set to the right
It’s incomparable so far
I haven’t stopped falling in love
Haven’t stopped falling

Two years ago, I had no idea that you were so perfect
As we wait so long, until we join hands
You make the wait worth it

I haven’t stopped falling in love
Haven’t stopped falling

Now years down the road
Still hasn’t gotten old to sit and laugh the day away
There’s one thing you should know
My love for you grows even more every day

I haven’t stopped falling in love
Haven’t stopped falling in love

And the day that I finally can take you home
There’s no way that I’m ever, ever letting go
We’ll be ok, though miles may separate
There’s no space between our hearts
And this day, I choose to keep loving you
As if it were a choice, I can’t stop falling…"
-A Summer's Song, Wavorly

To write or not to write

My mom and her friends have this crazy idea that I should write Christian Chic Lit because, heck, I live it and who better to write than the former writing major who now works at a doctors office? What a novel idea - no pun intended.

I want to write, that is true. But I don't know if novels are really my thing. I'm the girl who starts reading ten books and maybe finishes three of them. And since my writing reflects my reading (or lack thereof), most things I write aren't more than two pages.