Weird Situation...

So if your grandma yells at you to "turn that rap music off"
And you realize that you're in your twenties...
Is there a problem there??

Cracked...

Sometimes I look around at all the relationships in my community and cry out to God.
I wish there wasn't so much brokeness in the world.
It breaks my heart.
I see kids at Three Rivers who are so broken already, their homes in pieces, no foundation to grow upon...
I see friendships being torn apart by lies and hatred, some of it has come from me, most of it from the Father of Lies who loves to take miscommunication and turn it into huge chasms of broken space between us.
How are we supposed to navigate through all this brokeness and darkness that it has caused?

I know that truth shines in the darkness
That's why I read the truth of the word of God
I know that the only way to navigate our brokenness is to have it healed
That's what I've seen happen in my own life once I began to trust the Lord

Those are the only two things I can cling to in this awfully confusing time in my life. Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

BABYYYY

I'm noticing them everywhere.
I want to hold them and kiss their little faces.
On my bike ride this morning I actually stopped to pet one, didn't ask the mom...
I'm a woman possessed by the cuteness of babies.
Why have I never noticed them before????

Wow...

Just got back from Redding and was reading my stats.
Its kinda incredible, but more than half of my readership is from other countries.
Europe.
I'm seriously hoping this isn't some kind of weird thing.
Hopefully its just people who are reading about someone who is reaching out and learning to live for the Lord.
That's what this blog is really about (at least, i'm trying to make it that way)
so praise God.
I hope this blog blesses you, no matter where you are.

Travelavelavelavelavel...

As of right now...
I have traveled
A total of
1,464 miles in one week.

or

The road-travel equivalent of One day and Three hours.
But that's with no pit-stops, souvenir breaks, taking pictures, or saving animals by the side of the road.
So much...much....much longer.

Be a Gumby

Weather: Rain and heavy winds
Currently Craving: Ramen

I was thinking more about Romans 8:28, and decided to illustrate it with Gumby. I think that the world teaches us to try more and more to control our situations. AAA, cell phones, Iphones, internet, portable computers, portable everything. The Lord, however, gives us His word which tells us to deal with each day as its own problem, and to rely on Him for our daily bread. I've learned that in my own life, daily bread means a lot more than just relying on the Lord for physical sustenance, it means relying on Him for my spiritual sustenance.

Maybe its just my human-ness, but I really like to know whats going on. I like to be in control. But following the Lord means sticking together with his Body and sticking it out. Being flexible like Gumby is a really helpful reminder of this. I need to roll with the punches (so to speak) like last night, leaving church I find someone sitting on my car who shouldn't be anywhere near the church or the people in it. Was I a tad bit scared? psch..yeah. But the Lord protected everyone in that situation and we all watched out for each other and got through it. Had I not remembered to be flexible like Gumby, a bebe like that one would've ricocheted right off me and I wouldn't have handled it correctly.

Also, I think its good to remember that Gumby had Pokey. As flexible as it is great to be, we weren't created to walk alone. I dont think that means having your bff strapped to your side every moment of the day, but I do think that walking through this life with people who fear the Lord and live according to His calling is a super important thing.

That's my piece, take it or leave it.
Also: if you have any extra Ramen packets in your car, drop them by. I could really use some study-power pasta right now.

Oregon Coast Retreat: Recap.

So I would like to start this out by saying that miss RHONDA IS A SAINT. She was such an amazing driver through all the horrible snowy conditions, especially the way back from Oregon. There were cars all over the ditches and bridges, it was extremely scary. There were semi-trucks that had been turned into pretzels, and the ice was to blame. Only once did the two of us feel the car begin to slide as we ascended a steep part of a mountain pass, and Rhonda's AMAZING driving skills got the car back into traction.

That past, I would also like to say that I WENT TO OCEAN WORLD. Finally. Haha, I'm not sure if I should leave that as an inside joke between me and Rhonda or not, lets just say I have some mighty good powers of persuasion and maaaaaaay have scored myself and a very reluctant Rhonda some sweet tickets to a super seedy shark-themed amusement aquarium. The best part wasn't even seeing adorable seals being exploited for our enjoyment (they loved it, dont worry, all were rescue seals) or even the manta rays whose funny mouths we marveled at (resist the urge to google pictures of that...aaaaah i know you cant, just do it, they're awesome) it was by far...the...SHARK TANK PETTING ZOO!

YOU HEARD ME
(read me)

There they were, two sharks swimming about in a shallow tank, we were instructed that they didn't like fingers...but also not to tempt them. Not exactly the most reassuring words for two people about to stick their hands in that tank. Not going to lie either, my initial reactions were to just look at them from a distance and tell people i had (hyperbole, lying is WAY not cool) but then a group of 5-year-olds ran in front of us and just went for it. Then I knew what I had to do. After the initial "EEEEEEUGHOHMYGOODNESSITSSLIMY" part of the whole experience, I got really comfortable. They would just swim around and I would rest my hand along their backs, and move it around them as they swam through. They have a really interesting rhythm to the way they move, not to mention their skin feels wonderful. I dug it. Though one of them was totally gunning for rhonda's fingers. They probably smelled cookies :)

The retreat was amazing. It was so great to hang out with a bunch of God-fearing gals of all ages. I was super especially stoked on the 60+ ladies who were partying harder than us 20-somethings (I'm a 20-something...woah...). They were such a joy to be around and see. The speaker, Carole, our 6'7" giant, was fantastic. Totally Bible-centered, self-example teachings. She taught a ton on Romans 8:28, which blew my mind because Kevin just brought that up tonight at Bible study. Its a really good verse. I t came to be at a really important time in my life, I have a lot of decisions coming up, but I am assured that there is no wrong answer and that Christ is keeping me if I too cling to Him.

Those women will inspire me for the rest of my life. I hope to one day be as totally rad as they are. So intelligent. So driven. So God-fearing and wise. Gah.

Inspiring. Totally inspiring.