settling?

I've made it back. I left the southeast full of family, good'ole friends, and laziness and landed out west only to find another family of mine, work to be done, and coziness to be created. Not to mention, the motivation to do all of the above.

There's something about the place from whence I've come... it brings me to a state of laziness and subtracts all of the motivation I know I have - I don't enjoy that. It was fine and dandy to return to my parents house during a break in college and bum around playing donkey kong until 2am with my dad... (ok so that's never a problem) but when I find myself crawling out of bed to make lunch I see a change needs to happen. Here's the change - fly away.

the warmth is indescribable - I love it (most days). the heat source for my home in bass lake, california - by most people, it's known as base. hmm... graham is driving me back from the airport, or is it murphy? this can't be safe, much less legal. but one thing is true- I brought sunshine to california, look at that sky!

my companions. new years fling up to asheville, nc? yes please. I love them.

the house my mom first lived in - asheville, nc - the continuation of following my ancestry kyler, graduating from my alma mater - berry college - such a joyous friend!

same day, same place, steph graduated too - you'll never know what you'll get with this spontaneous and spunky lady

I love cooking, especially when it's with people I love this much...

I sat down one day and completed an idea that katie & I had a few months ago... who knows if my students will like them - but it's just big enough to hold air-travel essentials and not be a wallet. It was fun and it fueled my crafti-ness.

As I look out into my near future the feelings come flooding in. thankful. joyous. excited. scared. anticipatory. inadequate. hopeful... It doesn't seem possible for all of these to be milling around the same person in the same day, but it surely is. I'm so doggone pumped about this semester to come and can only pray that God has prepared me for all I am about to embark on and prepared the hearts of my students to be open to what God wants to do in their lives through the next 5 months. Feel free to pray that as well.

There's this thing I struggle with, grace. I am much more likely to have grace for others rather than myself. I want to grow. I want to change. I want to become more a Christ-like person. I want to find out more about who I am made to be. - just thinking about that gets me all excited.

There are some things that make my heart leap. You know the feeling, right? Makes you want to go run, or laugh out loud, or hug an old friend, or dance. Well, here are some of those things, the things that make my heart leap:

-reunions with friends and/or family.

-beauty that is incomprehensible, usually in the sky, or in someone else's joy.

-ecuador. being there. praying for there. thinking of all that is happening there. introducing others to it and sharing my love for it.

-realising that I am loved. by my maker and by those who share in that love.

-special ties with special people. like a handmade scarf or a letter written.

I think I'll be here for a little while. It's an interesting thought; scary in it's own right, but I'm trusting. Pray for how things change, the things we cannot see until they are sitting at our doorstep - even if it's our doorstep that's changing. This makes my heart leap, for I know that good is going to come of it, as will challenge and struggle, therefore so will strength.

Hmm, settling in.