Roo's 20th B-Day!

Larissa Joy. Larissy. Rissy. Rissy-Roo. Roo.

That's how she ended up with the nickname "Roo".

It's hard to believe that my little sister is 20 years old today!

Happy Birthday, Roo!

This is Community.

I saw this advertisement on the train yesterday on my way back to campus from babysitting.

It's not all about you. This is community.

A lack of unity at a critical point has often decided the outcome of battles. The victorious army is the one which, despite the situation, maintains itself as a dedicated and cohesive fighting force. Its members do not simply run away or defect to the other side when confronted with danger or when it all seems like an uphill struggle. A loyal soldier serves both the commanding officer placed over him as well as his fellow comrades. He puts aside his personal conflicts with others so that they may fight together as one unit. The army which will lose, however, is the one where soldiers desert and fail to lend their aid when it is needed most. Such an army will never win if its members fail to rally together and fight so that they may carry out their mission.

As children of Christ, we’re called to stand together in one spirit, serving each other just as Christ serves us. We need to realize that our days are limited and that we cannot waste time arguing and pulling ourselves away from each other. Rather, when His love is showing through us, we will be able to love and encourage those around us so that we can be the unified Body that Christ called us to be.

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

-2 Corinthians 13:11

Think Happy Thoughts - Part 2

I didn't realize my "Think Happy Thoughts" post would become a multiple-post kind of a topic...but it did! I’m trying really hard to have a good attitude and to focus on positive things rather than be negative and cynical. You know, still fighting for joy and trying to see the happy little things in life. So here are the next 5 things that make me smile! :)

6. Black tea and black nail polish. Uh, I realize how depressing and dark that sounds, but it really isn’t! Aside from purple and orange, black is my favorite color. I think it’s classy. And black tea is just really good hot or cold. So naturally black tea and black nail polish work well together!

7. Cute children’s movies. Have you seen Tangled? If not, you really should.

8. Nancy Drew books. Srey, the sweet 11 year old girl I nanny loves Nancy Drew! She has lots of her books, so when she’s working on homework (and I should be too), sometimes I read an old Nancy Drew book. I read the entire series during my 4th, 5th, and 6th grade years and enjoyed them and was excited to find out that Sray reads them, too!

9. Time with little kids. Little kids are cute and fun and sweet and have seemingly endless amounts of energy! I love seeing the world through their eyes...the things that make them laugh, how they react to situations, the things that scare them, the things and people that they cling to. I also love their innocence and curiosity.

10. Snuggly blankets. I really like to sleep and snuggly blankets accompany that quite nicely.

Good Grief!

It’s been a long week. And a sad one, at that. Death is something that’s hard for me to process, especially being so far away from everyone close to the loved one who passed away.

Although it’s been sad, there have been many happy and hopeful moments this week as well. I had 5 class cancelled this past week and the professors of both my Tuesday/Thursday classes let us out early! Having some extra time to think, as well as sleep, was greatly appreciated. And I got to spend extra time with some good friends.

Super early this morning I woke up thinking about a verse, but I couldn’t remember the exact words or where it was. At breakfast this morning, Allie and I flipped through the book of Matthew and found it.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

-Matthew 5:4

How simple is that? Those who mourn will be comforted. SO much hope can be found in that sentence spoken by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount.

Then in chapel today we sang a hymn I had never heard before. Which is no big surprise; I don’t know very many hymns because we typically sing the same handful of ones over and over. Anyways, there was a line in the first stanza that caught my attention...

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

by Kevin Twit

Dear refuge of my weary soul,

On Thee, when sorrows rise

On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,

My fainting hope relies

To Thee I tell each rising grief,

For Thou alone canst heal

Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,

For every pain I feel

But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,

I fear to call Thee mine

The springs of comfort seem to fail,

And all my hopes decline

Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?

Thou art my only trust

And still my soul would cleave to Thee

Though prostrate in the dust

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,

And shall I seek in vain?

And can the ear of sovereign grace,

Be deaf when I complain?

No still the ear of sovereign grace,

Attends the mourner’s prayer

Oh may I ever find access,

To breathe my sorrows there

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat

With humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet,

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat

WIth humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet

Life and death. God controls them both.

"It is hard to have patience with people who say 'There is no death' or 'Death doesn't matter.' There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as well say that birth doesn't matter."
- C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

I don’t like death. I don’t like hearing about it. I don’t like feeling the pain from it. And I don’t like trying to explain how it makes me feel. Because I just can’t.

I’m still learning about God being in control and my lack of being in control. So...

Life and death. God controls them both.

Psalm 103:15-18

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

Even though we’re not here forever, God will be. And in that, hope can be found.

Marco Floris. You’re one of a kind. My favorite racecar driver. An important person in my life. Thanks for your endless supply of love, encouragement, and support since I met you 5 years agos. You are missed and loved. I’ll see you in heaven!

Writers Journal

Beautiful blank pages kiss our imaginations with backgrounds that demand precision.

Our black letters cross on tightrope lines, curving without wavering across deep, invisible currents.

These beautiful blank pages are promises of our reflections. Our gentlest strokes of darkness upon light.

Blank Beauty

-anonymous

San Francisco

I spent some time in San Francisco with my parents while I was home for spring break. Here's a few of the many pictures I took!

Forbes Island

San Francisco Bay

Sea Gull with Alcatraz in the background