shout-out

To three beautiful women - Alyssa, Allie and Ellen:

Each one of you is a treasured gift. I can't imagine life without you!

breakfast delight

After my walk with Abby this morning, I made a delicious shake. My mom has me hooked on green smoothies (mix of veggies and fruit - the spinach in them always makes them green colored), but this morning was all fruit. I hope you like it!

1 cup water

1 cup frozen mango*

1/2 cup frozen pineapple*

3 mandarin oranges or Cuties, peeled

1 large banana, peeled

juice of 1 small lemon

Blend on high for about a minute or until well blended and frothy :)

Makes 2 servings

*These can be fresh, but you may need to add ice. If frozen, I recommend letting the mango and pineapple sit in the water to thaw out a little before blending - skips the hassle of getting frozen fruit stuck in the blade.

the next right thing

Instead of being concerned with everything, just do the next right thing. (Thanks, David and Nicole Hannah.)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

Lamentations 3:22-25

I am a dumb Israelite.

Well, it has been 15 months since my last post! So much has happened, but I've decided to start up again for myself and whoever is "following" me. (Please join my "followers" so I can "follow" you too!!)

It's comical really that my last major post was about trusting in the Lord's goodness because many major life events later I am still learning that lesson! After a week of procrastinating (euphemism for being scared) from turning on my computer and getting to work on getting my post-graduation and, more significantly, my post-Italy life in order, I (sadly?) find myself in the same position of needing to remind myself to trust the Lord.

In the last week I've finished a couple of books and bible studies that lingered beyond my six-week Bologna syllabus (thanks, Fatima), so today I returned to my Bible reading plan where I left off in the middle of 1 Samuel. Like a sucker punch to the face it hit me (again): I am a dumb Israelite.

Cue the scene just after Saul has been chosen as king (despite his hiding in the luggage in 10:22 - definitely resonates with me) and promptly defeats the Ammonites (despite "some worthless fellows" questioning God's choice in 10:27 - oops, this is me too). How many times do the Israelites need to be reminded of God's sovereignty?! They wept at the thought of their right eyes being gouged out by their enemy and Saul had to threaten them with killing all of their oxen to join him in battle because they didn't trust the Lord.

One of the things I learned in Italy was that God is faithful to provide whatever I need. I can trust Him because He has promised to provide and I only have evidence to support his faithfulness in the past; therefore, I can trust Him to graciously provide for me in the future. I left Italy confident that I could go home and trust God to provide a city for me to move to, a job, a place to live, a church, new friends, everything. Yet, right away I started to feel overwhelmed! And it took me a whole week to summon the courage to just turn on my computer! Good grief!

The story continues... After the silly, doubting, chicken Israelites were shown that Saul was a capable king (and exactly what they had asked for), they tell Samuel to kill all the men who doubted... and this is my favorite part: 11:13 says, "But Saul said, 'Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.'"

The Spirit had surely filled Saul. He "held his peace" when the "worthless fellows" questioned him (10:27) and when they all wept, assuming defeat (10:3-6). He wrangled up an army of cowards to defeat the enemy (10:7-11), and then he had grace with them and pursued renewing the kingdom instead of punishing them as they deserved (10:12-15). Isn't that a glimpse of how God is with us? Those wayward Israelites were saved, once again. God saved me from anxiety and doubt, again, today.

As Samuel bids them farewell, he begs them to "stand still" and listen as he recounts God's grace and patience with the Israelites through their history. (And I recount that God saw me through architecture school, several break ups, Seattle, Italy...) Then Samuel says:

12:13"And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your King. 16Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes... (and Samuel calls upon the Lord to send down thunder and rain... and the Lord does because He is merciful enough to prove himself to us. And then the people fear death for their evildoing, but...) 20And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

God is gracious with us. He takes pleasure in being gracious with us. All He asks is for us to love Him with all of our heart, to trust Him. The story in 1 Samuel 10-12 isn't the first (or the last time) the Israelites forgot to trust the Lord, nor was this week my first or last. God will graciously provide for me in the coming months, even though I'm as crazy as an Israelite, because He loves me.

for you

his glory, our good

Hello! I'm finally waking from my winter hibernation of no blogging... and this one is a doosey (spelling?!) for my heart.

After a three and a half day trek across the US with my dad (great conversations...) I started an internship at the MillerHull Partnership in Seattle. I am loving the city, the firm, and my roommate (totally blessed), but I have been feeling sad underneath everything I should be thankful for. A lot of the sadness is natural - I miss my awesome family (including our new puppy Abby), my wonderful boyfriend, my amazing friends and church and school back in Austin, and just how my life used to be. A big move is stressful and the adjustment to pacific time, working full time, and NO NATURAL LIGHT IN MY ROOM (I'm very upset about this) is rough! And after spending a lovely 8 whole days with Chase and his parents in the beautiful New Mexico mountains/Lindale/West Texas last week, I felt even more sad. I kept thinking, "What's wrong with me?! I'm supposed to be loving this adventure in a new city with new friends and new everything! How can I be sad?!" (Side note - my new friends are great and I am so thankful for them. Shoutout to Anne Marie and Hailey and Heather and Ali and Alex (and John and Tyler too)!!)

Well, I've learned that I'm impatient with life change. It actually takes a long time to adjust - and it's okay to miss my old things. (Thankfully this internship is only a few months and I get to go back to Austin/UT/Alyssa and the Gables.) I've also learned that I'm much more of a caretaker/nurturer/mother than I realized. I always take on that role - at home with my family, with all my roommates, obviously with all the kids I nannied and taught, even in studio - and no one needs me to take care of them here!

**Most importantly (I'm finally getting to the point), I re-learned today (after a lot of encouragement from Chase and Christine - thank you!!) that I can trust that God is working all things for his glory and my good because he promised he would!**

Here are a few passages that I feel drive home God's promise to glorify himself and provide for us, his beloved children:

1. Psalm 103:2-5
"Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits -
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

I have to love this God! Praise his name!

2. Hebrews 12:10-11 (speaking of hardship as discipline) "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they though best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

The promise and the peace... his glory and our good. Amazing.

3. Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

This includes when a) I don't agree, b) I didn't plan it that way, and c) I forget this promise. (Theme: God knows better than I)

4. Genesis 50:19-21 (when Joseph's brothers come to beg for food after they threw him in the pit and sold him off as a slave) "But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Wow. First, Joseph is a stud. Second, God is so great! He works all things to bring himself glory, bring more souls to himself, and doesn't ever forget to provide for his children - even after we do terrible things!

5. Exodus 14:4 (After God proves how powerful he is over ten times (the plagues) and rescues his people from Pharaoh by parting a sea... and the people still don't believe how great God is at looking out for them when he asks them to turn back, God says:) "'And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.' So the Israelites did this."

We can be pretty dense, but God never stops pursuing us. Thank God!


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

stress v boredom

Stress is the killjoy of rest before productivity; boredom the killjoy of the reverse.

Stress is thrilling; boredom is freeing and fun.

I want to learn how to be bored.