Elf

In case you are having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, here are some clips from one of my favorite movies:

• Congratulations:World's Best Cup of Coffee!
• 10 a.m. tomorrow, Santa is coming!
• Throne of Lies

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

thanksgiving has come so it is now officially time to:

crank up the christmas music.

overplay every christmas movie.

wrap the tree and your yard with lots of lights.

roast marshmallows over a real fire.

layer up.

break out the scarves and mittens.

drink hot chocolate any time of day.

pray for snow.

enjoy friends and family.

take time to tell those you love what they mean to you.

nashville and escalators

a few things i loved about nashville:

• a quote from a semi-cheesy class: "Imagination is dangerous because it can be a catalyst for us to dream and do things outside ourselves."
• wearing boots is always acceptable; actually you should probably own two pairs
• music on the street corners
• NHL plays there
• small town feeling in the middle of a big city
• seeing the need and wanting to be part of the change that is happening there

trying to find somewhere 'nashville-ish' to eat breakfast, but completely abandoning that mission at the sight of the "hot doughnut" sign in front of Krispy Kreme.

the golden leaves have all fallen: making room for christmas lights.

a plate nailed to the faux shelves at san antonio taco company the broken escalator in the conference center that reminded me of truth my heart needed to hear.[disclaimer: this may seem obvious and lame to some of you, but regardless i learned something walking up the escalator] i've heard people talk about the humor in frustration with broken escalators, because a broken escalator is merely a set of stairs. it leads you to the same place, doesn't cause a serious detour that takes way longer; it just causes you to use some muscle instead of gliding to your destination. so, as i approached the "stairs" i realized that i've been that person that becomes confused when the "escalator stops moving". in other words, there are times when my life seems to stop, or change suddenly & i've stopped moving instead of continuing to move forward. in the midst of that, the Lord still asks me to move forward, to use the simple lessons i've learned like: how to walk, to have faith that He is before me, to draw strength from Him, to seek His guidance and understanding; and to continue to move forward. yes, the escalator has stopped, but there is still a way. yes, it's different, but i'm not left without direction. yes, it may take effort. yes, i may be tired. yes, He is still enough. yes, His voice is still just as clear.

Nashville.

i'm currently in nashville at a conference. i have lots of thoughts/observations to come from this adventure, but for now i just wanted to share something that i heard tonight from one of the worship leaders. she said "in our failures, God gains access to the depths of us, he exposes us to our need for him and we learn what it is to love." [kendall payne]

thank you

thank you ms. lady who loves white socks and plaid hats. you brightened up college street with your presence.

starbucks and pacey

with our favorite drinks from starbucks in hand

[tracey: caramel machiato. me: white chocolate mocha]

pacey [tracey] and i got to sit on my couch for hours on end last night

and have some much needed bonding time.

moments like this with people i love are irreplaceable to me.

time when we can just sit and enjoy conversation without

an agenda or any place to go.

[pace: thanks for being the friend you are to me.

i love you very much. and wish the best for you and mike.]

abide

[Abide] in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, neither can you, unless you [abide] in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever [abides] in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not [abide] in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you [abide] in me and my words [abide] in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. [Abide] in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will [abide] in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and [abide] in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

[john 15:4-11]

As this semester begins to come to a close, I have found myself looking back at how God has so brilliantly shown Himself to me and how He is bringing my time in Auburn to a close. I begin to think about all the things I wanted to do when I first arrived here and all the things I'd still love to do while I'm here. But I am humbled by the thought that even in my greatest efforts and best intentions, He is the source of growth and fruit.

I am called to abide. To remain in Him. When I remain in Him the desires of my heart flow from His own. When I remain in Him I am secure. When I remain in Him I love people the way that I am called to. When I remain in Him more of me is hallowed out and more of Him is infiltrating the depths of me.

These words spark something in my heart that just makes me fall in love with Jesus all over again. A call to come in close and abide in him. It just echoes this call to come alive.

I know that I have said this time and time again, but so many things have changed for me this semester and in the midst of that change I still find one constant, one guarantee and that's His unfailing love for me.

fog

i had a million things rolling through my brain as my alarm rang this morning. sometimes it's really difficult for me to slow down. but this morning i got up early to make some coffee and looked out the window into one of my favorite things: fog. a giant cloud that had settled over our sleeping city. it seems as though everything is paused in the fog. everything seems tranquil for a little while. i guess it's that feeling of calm, but fog makes me want to slow down. it asks me to sit, be still and soak up a quiet moment.

truth for today

[From Breaking Free by Beth Moore] Love isn't just something God does; love is something He is.

auburn is a funny place

things teachers say...

"There is a way of the world, and there's another way..." there was a long pause that followed this statement from my government teacher. i'm not sure if he realized the weight of what he said. but i found myself once again lost in my own thoughts about how true this statement is. daily, i have a choice: the way of the world, or another way- which is The Way: Jesus. there is one Way that is life giving. one Way that is true. one Way that satisfies. one Way that gives peace. There is a way of the world, and there's another way...

colossians 2

reading through colossians 2 this morning and recognizing God's great love for me and you. He wants us to know His goodness and live in His wisdom & knowledge. what a privilege. we are made alive, presented blameless, & changed by faith in Jesus Christ. colossians 2:2-3 is a letter from Paul and in these verses he says: ["My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures or wisdom and knowledge."]

my God:mover of hearts

God moves hearts towards Himself. God moves seas so that generations may know his renown. God moves people to speak of His love. God moves hesitations so that we may know His infinite knowledge. God moves fear for His children to walk in victory. God moves doubt so that we may know His steadfast love. God moves chains so that freedom may be known. God moves darkness so that light may burst through in glorious radiance. God moves stones so that Jesus may be known as our Risen Savior. God moves words so that our eyes may repeatedly see and know His truth. God moves seasons to stir our imagination. God moves me. God moves you. God moves us towards Himself. God moves us for His renown. God moves us for His glory. God moves us for His love to be manifested in our changed lives. God moves hearts.

support

this post is long overdue, so please except my apologies for that,

but i just wanted to take a minute and say thank you to everyone who

is supporting me on my trip to japan. whether you have supported me monetarily, through prayer, or just an encouraging word: i appreciate you so much.

within 3 weeks of me mailing out my first support letter, i had raised more

than enough money to be able to go on this trip. and now, because i raised more than i needed, i am able to give that money to others on my team who are still raising support.

it's an incredible feeling to be so blessed and be able to turn around, out of the overflow of the Lord, and be able to give it back.

i believe wholeheartedly that when the Lord calls us to go, whether short-term or long-term, He will make a way for us. He doesn't call us to go without providing the means to do so. when dreams and callings seem bigger than us, there's a reason : they are so much bigger than us!

the Lord dreams and visions beyond anything that we can imagine

[ephesians 3:20 &21].

i can't wait to share with you how He shows up in Japan.

thank you again for giving with humble hearts, because the Lord's faithfulness was displayed in your giving.

i hope that He has made his love equally as evident in your everyday.

tales from morningside

i was greeted friday afternoon by three smiling faces. they were seated around a table playing dominos and invited me to play.

we ended up playing dominos for almost the entire 2 hours i was there. the three people that i played with i've seen almost every week and so we've become more familiar with each other as the month has passed. they've always been sweet and friendly, but this week they seemed more relaxed and told me stories of how they make each other laugh and how they deal with death.

it was incredible to me how they truly care for one another. they shared how it's not ideal for any of them to be there, but they make the most of each day. friday, one of the ladies named mrs. dollar had bought her friend nadine a witch's hat to wear on halloween. nadine didn't ask for it, it was all an attempt to simply make nadine smile.

well... after much coercing, nadine put on the hat and went around showing it off and saying "boo" to anyone who looked at her. mrs. dollar and i laughed for a good five minutes straight as we watched nadine 'scare' people. it was absolutely precious to see how happy mrs. dollar was that her friend was smiling and laughing.

these sweet people have taught me invaluable lessons and a beautiful reminder that no matter our age we are called to live in today.