Scarves.

Who knew a simple scarf could be so amazing?





Scarves are great. That is all.

I used to be...

A creative and curious dreamer.

Someone who was unafraid to experience new things or take an unfamiliar path.

Someone who wanted a daring and even possibly scary adventure.

A slightly mischievous student who would go out of her way to find answers.

I lost that piece of me a few years ago and I want it back.

Sweet Sister Time.

We're both supposed to be working on homework. But we're obviously not.

Not Guilty

I was not called to be an overseas missionary.

I just wasn’t.


I've yet to make it through a Missions Conference at Moody without feeling even some varying degree of guilt.

Today was a little different though. I still had that "everyone's standing except me" guilty feeling during George Verwer's closing prayer, but I believe that the future I'm pursuing is what I'm supposed to be doing.

And I may not be called to be a missionary, but guess what...

I’m not called to be a teacher.
I’m not called to be a firefighter.
I’m not called to be an acrobat.
I’m not called to be a zookeeper.
I’m not called to be a farmer.
I’m not called to be a politician.
I’m not called to be a chemist.
I’m not called to be a surgeon.
I’m not called to be a mechanic.
I’m not called to be a lawyer.

There are a lot of things that I simply wasn't called to do. We all have things that we weren't called to do.

However, as followers of Christ, we're called to be His witnesses.

So I will be His witness. Wherever I am. Whatever I’m doing. And I will happily and joyfully love and connect with people through the things I’m passionate about.

I’ve been asking God to teach me to be compassionate and to show me what breaks His heart. And He is. Through what I love: writing.

Have you seen the news? It’s depressing. That’s not to say there aren’t good things going on around the world, but the focus in the news is a negative one.

I’ve written articles on heartbreaking topics this semester... famine in Somalia, unrest in Libya, combat zones in the Middle East. And now drug trafficking and violence in Mexico. These are all things I had heard a little about, but after reading countless articles and interviewing students and faculty who have a personal connection with these worldwide events, it's more real. Reporting devastating news isn't something to take lightly.

Neil Cole, one of the speakers at Missions Conference said, "The reason God is sending us to the wolves is because that's where the lost sheep are." God sends us among the wolves, into a dark place, to bring His light.

I personally think the news is a dark place. So that's where I'm headed. That's not to say that my plans won't change (or get changed for me - that happens often), but for now I'm pressing on and making journalism my mission field.


Verdict? Not guilty.

craving.

Aside from in-n-out, traveling is the thing I crave the most.

(Niamey, Niger West Africa - Summer 2008)

Freedom. New. Adventure. Life.

Even without my camera.

Last Wednesday I was reminded that my identity is not found in my social security number, my fingerprints, or my DNA. (You’re Who?)

I’m also learning that my identity is not found in the things I love.

I broke my camera on Saturday. Well, I didn’t personally break it. It was an accident. While taking it out of my bag it slipped and hit the bed frame and the button you push to take the picture broke off. So I’m temporarily with out my camera. :-/


I love this song by JJ Heller. It’s pretty much a list of things that are in a person’s life and while they seem defining, are really not.




True Things by JJ Heller

I’m not the clothes I’m wearing
I’m not a photograph
I’m not the car I drive

I’m not the money I make
I’m not the things I lack
I’m not the songs that I write

I am who I am
I am who I am

(chorus)
There are true things inside of me
I have been afraid to see
I believe, help my unbelief
Would you say again what you said to me
I am love and I am free
I believe, help my unbelief

I’m not the house I live in
I’m not the man I love
I’m not the mistakes that I carry

I’m not the food that I don’t eat
I’m not what I’m above
I’m not my scars and my history

(bridge)
To Your love I’m waking up
In Your love I’m waking up


There’s not line in this song that I can’t relate to.

I’m not my guitar. I’m not what I write. I’m not my camera. I’m still a loved daughter of the King . And I’m pretty sure I’ll be ok. Even without my camera.

Wake me up...

...when September ends.

September has officially ended and October is off to a...well, it’s started and it won’t be worse than September was.

I had to resort to my twitter feed to remember all the things this past month has thrown at me. September was long and not so wonderful, so personally, I’m glad it’s over.

September...
1. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” -Abraham Lincoln
2. I don’t think eating in-n-out will make my world become un-ended, but it’s worth a try.
3. The sun is shining, the world is turning, it’s a brand new day.
4. “If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die sooner.”
5. Packing again.
6. The stars look beautiful in the early morning sky. God is good!
7. My royal proclamation for today: It’s nap time.
8. “Love as distinct from ‘being in love’ is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will.” - C.S. Lewis
9. I need a chameleon and a frying pan. #Tangled
10. 17 Again is my go-to movie right now.
11. I feel very behind in everything and could easily work on stuff for a few more hours, but sleeping seems more important right now
12. I’d like to go to the ocean today.
13. I’m awake. Yuck. 3:40am is not my favorite time of day to be unable to fall back asleep. #insomnia
14. I just yawned my way through a presentation on sleep. Moral of the story: I need more sleep.
15. The high for Chicago today is 61. So I dressed for snow.
16. 100 days till Christmas!
17. “Don’t worry on it.”
18. I’m finally starting my Romans paper. I think this is gonna take forever...
19. I’m figuring this assignment out one googled question at a time.
20. “When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change, we’ll change.” [written on a slip of paper in my Bible]
21. Sometimes I get the impression that my immune system is working against me.
22. Taking a bus to go babysit and driver pulled over (not at a bus stop) and walked off the bus. Um, alright then.
23. Journalism and hermeneutics go together. They just do. #contextcounts
24. I’ve learned more about Macs, wordpress.com, and website making in the past 24 hours than in the rest of my life. #happy #overwhelmed
25. Raspberry diet coke has got to be one of the yummiest tasting things in my world right now.
26. And this manic Monday begins.
27. I’m losing my voice and I don’t like it.
28. What a strange day. Strange seems to be the new normal, though.
29. I don’t want to go to sleep, but I don’t want to stay awake. I clearly need a third option.
30. “What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Love this song.


I must say, despite September’s rough patches, it ended on a high note. Singing “Nothing But the Blood” in chapel on Friday reminded me of where I was 4 years ago and just how far God has brought me. (Freedom that Friday).

He was faithful in the past and will continue to be faithful.


God is good.