Palmtree Contemplations

1) Green leaves 2) Birds singing 3) Fragrant flowers 4) Kristiana's voice 5) Claire's smile 6) A baby laughing 7) The sounds of Grace Episcopal Choir rehearsing 8) Edith's eyes 9) The glow of candles 10) Hugs 11) Mr. Romig's inquiring mind 12) Light falling through the trees 13) Deep conversations Blessings are like snowflakes; each one has a uniqueness that cannot be duplicated. I am learning to count them and to remind myself of them. Why? Because each blessing is a God-sighting, and I do not want to forget that I am being lavished daily with gifts from my Creator. Do you?

Over the past few months I have been increasingly surprised and blessed by the men in my life. On a walk today, I started listing all the lessons I have learned from them. Here are a few. 1) Listen (and turn your phone off).     One of my friends in particular has demonstrated this to me again and again. I'll never forget the first time he sat down and really listened to me. His phone went off three times, but he didn't even look at it. He gave me his full attention. Now, whenever I am listening to someone I turn my phone off too. 2) Don't Worry About Money.     I learned this lesson from a friend over the summer. I told him how worried I often feel over my lack of money. He looked at me and said, "You know, I've just decided not to worry about it. God will handle it." He is right. After a year and a half of seeing God provide money over and over again, I have decided that it is best not to worry about it. Instead, I can be excited to see how God is goin...

        I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It was impossible, implausible, and absolutely ridiculous to think that one of my best friends, one of the most non-emotional people in the world, was actually in love. She called me a few days after I found out. We had barely spoken our hellos when I said, "Well?"      "Well, what?"      "Oh, come on. Tell me everything. When did this happen? How did this happen? The last time we talked you were just as determined to stay single as I am. Tell me everything!"      Slowly and with great detail the story came out. I lay on my bed, listening, laughing, and nearly bursting with joy because I could hear that sound in her voice: the sound of a woman abandoned to love. There's a question I have been asking ever since I first heard that sound:      "What is it like?" I am always asking people this question. A lot of people find it amusing, probably because they kn...

      For so long, now, I have been filling myself with everything I want, and everything that I believe will fill me. I don't want that anymore. It's hard to say what has changed. I think it started when I realized that nothing really satisfies me. Nothing. The most beautiful piece of music, the sweetest conversation, and the greatest view in the world do nothing to heal this ache in my heart for I don't know what. Then, I don't know when, I started asking myself, "Is this all you really want? Is this all there is?" The answer is no. I have spent too long cutting myself off from the source of life, the only One who can heal me of this ache. I am not worthy, I know. Neither am I capable of giving God back everything He deserves. But this I do know: when I look at Him and I say, "I am an empty vessel, fill me with Your desires," He does not hesitate. This life I live will be an exploration of those desires.         Here's to the adventure of walk...

Today I want to write about someone very special: Miss Elaini. I first heard about Miss Elaini on the Rebelution blog. All I knew then was that she was going to wear 1 dress for 100 days in order to help orphans in India. I very quickly discovered that there is a lot more to this story. I started reading her blog miss elaini ous' , and found out a few things about this amazing girl. Elaini has always struggled with health problems. For many years, she was unable to attend college because her health was so bad. It was a difficult time. On her blog, Elaini writes, "Over the next four years, I struggled not to go completely crazy from the pain and sleepless night." Yet, despite all this sadness and physical pain, Elaini has chosen to rely on God. She believes that God can and will use her pain for good. A lot of times, I meet people like this who say that God will use their pain for good, and then they just sit there waiting for Him to do it. Elaini is not one of those...

This was my second year to perform in JBU's annual Candlelight service. The experience was a blur of memories. Here are a few: I remember leading devotions the first night and praying over all the girls in Women's Chorus section by section. I looked at each of them when I prayed their name, marveling at how unique they all were even when they stood before me dressed in identical black dresses with their heads bowed in unison. I remember the thrill of that first step into the Cathedral. I was the last choir member to enter, which made me feel special. I remember how nervous I was during the first rehearsal. My hands started clenching up because I wasn't breathing properly. I remember how Lindsey's face glowed as she passed the flame to my candle before Silent Night. After two nights of listening to the Cathedral Choir sing "Incarnate Love", I discovered that they were singing about elephants and mosquitos. A suppressed giggle vibrated down our row dur...

Tuesday Original plan for the evening: Buy food with Nette at some fast food place, practice piano, do homework, and be in bed before midnight. How the evening actually turned out: Nette and I were on our way to said fast food place when we took a "slight detour." Of course, little unsuspecting me did not suspect anything when we headed for the basement instead of the parking lot. That must be why I screamed so loudly when a bunch of my friends jumped out and yelled "Surprise!". It was one of the most incredible surprise birthday parties ever, complete with blueberries, cake (still warm!), brigadeiro frosting, and chai. So much for practicing. Thank you to Danny, Sophie, Lisa, Nette, and Jonathan for making it such a great party. Wednesday Ah, sweet sleep. Nette and I both ate cake for breakfast. Then, it was off to Nette's house to be attacked (in the most affectionate way possible) by her siblings and pets. Nette, Missy, and I stayed up late to bring i...