So, it is officially a day away from being November again. I cannot believe how fast this year went by. Honestly I feel like I say that almost every year, but it just feels like this year compared to last has flown by at supersonic speeds. I know it's probably because this year has been the best year of my life by far. So much has happened, people have left, new people have come into my life, I've moved further away from home than I've ever been and I'm about to move again and some people have shown their true colors good or bad, but their true selves nevertheless. I've learned a lot. But most of the credit goes to my other half. He has been there every step of the way to hold me when I cry, to make me laugh when I'm taking everything WAY too seriously, to listen when I talk and or yell. He is absolutely perfect for me in every way.
As you all know I am a huge Taylor Swift fan. Her new album RED was released earlier this month and surprise surprise it's better than the last. She has really learned to evolve each album and just when you think she can't get any better she laughs in your face with this! I love it! Anyway there's a song on her new album called, State of Grace. Perfectly describes what my life is now, especially this specific part that says, "This is the golden age of something good and right and real." For the first time in my life I feel like I am in this amazing place, by no means is it perfect, but in all it's imperfections it is beautiful. I feel like I'm exactly where I am supposed to be. A lot of that has to do with Caleb. I am so incredibly thankful for him and his patience with my impatience. He is amazing. I can't believe it's been eleven months. It still feels like yesterday that I was laying in bed wide awake going over that first conversation in my head and seeing his smile over and over again. It was like part of me was alive again that I thought was gone forever.
The summer before I met Caleb I was so freaked out that I was going to be 30 in less than a decade. Seems far off I know, but at the rate time was flying it would be here in no time. I was so panicked about it because my life was almost the exact opposite of what I was expecting it to be around that time. But now after being with Caleb he has helped me to quit being so concerned with where I thought I should be and enjoy what is happening right now because I will never get this time back again. Just to be. I'm 23 years old and I need to enjoy every bit of it instead of worrying about being 30 the whole time. Life is going to happen whether I'm ready for it or not so I might as well just enjoy it, because after all, "this is the golden age of something good and right and real."
About Me
- Eden McCroskey
- I'm writing a novel of my life that will be finished the day I die and will be number one on the New York Best Sellers list. My kryptonite is literally anything Twilight, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Glee, Taylor Swift or Angels and Airwaves related.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Another Series Complete...
Officially less than a month away, I will have seen the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II, ending yet another book series that has changed my life for the better. A lot of people may think that I sound just like another tween girl, but just hear me out on this one.
Back in November 2008, I was waiting in line for the midnight showing of Twilight. I showed up around 3:00 pm. I would NEVER make that mistake again. I remember hearing about this girl who showed up around noon to wait for the movie. I was infuriated. I was planning on being first in line to ensure I would have the best seat in the house, back row center of course. Thankfully she didn't want to sit there and I was able to get my seat. Fast forward a year. November 2009, my friend Brittany Lewellen and I showed up to the theater around 7:15 am. There was one girl parked in the spot in front of me wearing Twilight garb. It was her. We had, what seemed like, a ten minute stare down and then we both jumped out of our cars and raced to the side walk. Unfortunately I lost the race. However we got to talking and realized we were two kindred spirits, both sharing an enormous passion for movies in general. The mystery girl's name? Brittney Greer. After they opened the doors we found we were in opposite auditoriums so I still got first pick of seats in my theater, thank goodness! But, a few trips back and forth across the lobby, we quickly began to make plans for June when Eclipse was set to come out.
Fast forward again, June 2010, we exchanged numbers over Facebook and met up at the theater spending the night on the sidewalk the night before the movie was due to come out. When you share a sidewalk with people for more than a few hours you become friends real quick otherwise things get SUPER awkward real fast. Around midnight that night a girl named Tieraney showed up with her brother. Even though she was Team Dog Face we allowed her into our circle since she shared a passion for the series as we did. She was and still is forgiven :) The next morning while waiting in line, still on the sidewalk and a few more groups deep, these two women showed up and started going through the line trying to find out who was in which auditorium. By the time they got to us they had high hopes that they'd still be first in their theater, however God having other plans for all of us, we informed them otherwise. Then their next question, "This may seem weird, but where are you guys planning on sitting?" Me, being a frequent movie goer and under the teachings of my mother this did not seem an odd question at all. I quickly responded, "Back row center." Their look of disappointment made me realize, these people know their stuff.
Another six months later, November 2010. By this point Brittney Greer and I have expanded our movie campouts to the Harry Potter series. Behind us in line, the two women from Eclipse that we had disappointed. Yet again, too slow for us :) Unfortunately this time I was in the process of healing from a strained achilles tendon and wearing an obnoxiously large boot cast. That made things difficult in the narrow isles of the auditorium. When you get trapped in a theater for six hours, people have to go to the bathroom and the concession stand a lot. So, naturally when they tried to pass by me they kept kicking the seat in front of me which just so happened to belong to a Jackie O'Connor, one of the women who wanted our seats. She was less than pleased with us.
July 2011, four days before HPDHP2 release, Brit and me and the rest of our group commence the campout. Later that day, April and her daughter Madison show up and get in line behind us. We find out throughout the next four days that April is Jackie's sister. Needless to say white flags were raised and we are all friends now. One big happy movie campout and occasionally IHOP nertz family, laughing at the times we didn't know each other and yet we knew each other all too well.
There is so much more to these stories, but I could never get it all in on one blog post. I am incredibly grateful for the Twilight movies and everyone that they have brought into my life. I am sad to see them end, but the friendships I have made directly related to the series have thankfully grown past just the Twilight series. We now have the Hunger Games, The Hobbit, I'm sure many more series to come. Of course, there will always be IHOP and nertz, too!
Back in November 2008, I was waiting in line for the midnight showing of Twilight. I showed up around 3:00 pm. I would NEVER make that mistake again. I remember hearing about this girl who showed up around noon to wait for the movie. I was infuriated. I was planning on being first in line to ensure I would have the best seat in the house, back row center of course. Thankfully she didn't want to sit there and I was able to get my seat. Fast forward a year. November 2009, my friend Brittany Lewellen and I showed up to the theater around 7:15 am. There was one girl parked in the spot in front of me wearing Twilight garb. It was her. We had, what seemed like, a ten minute stare down and then we both jumped out of our cars and raced to the side walk. Unfortunately I lost the race. However we got to talking and realized we were two kindred spirits, both sharing an enormous passion for movies in general. The mystery girl's name? Brittney Greer. After they opened the doors we found we were in opposite auditoriums so I still got first pick of seats in my theater, thank goodness! But, a few trips back and forth across the lobby, we quickly began to make plans for June when Eclipse was set to come out.
Fast forward again, June 2010, we exchanged numbers over Facebook and met up at the theater spending the night on the sidewalk the night before the movie was due to come out. When you share a sidewalk with people for more than a few hours you become friends real quick otherwise things get SUPER awkward real fast. Around midnight that night a girl named Tieraney showed up with her brother. Even though she was Team Dog Face we allowed her into our circle since she shared a passion for the series as we did. She was and still is forgiven :) The next morning while waiting in line, still on the sidewalk and a few more groups deep, these two women showed up and started going through the line trying to find out who was in which auditorium. By the time they got to us they had high hopes that they'd still be first in their theater, however God having other plans for all of us, we informed them otherwise. Then their next question, "This may seem weird, but where are you guys planning on sitting?" Me, being a frequent movie goer and under the teachings of my mother this did not seem an odd question at all. I quickly responded, "Back row center." Their look of disappointment made me realize, these people know their stuff.
Another six months later, November 2010. By this point Brittney Greer and I have expanded our movie campouts to the Harry Potter series. Behind us in line, the two women from Eclipse that we had disappointed. Yet again, too slow for us :) Unfortunately this time I was in the process of healing from a strained achilles tendon and wearing an obnoxiously large boot cast. That made things difficult in the narrow isles of the auditorium. When you get trapped in a theater for six hours, people have to go to the bathroom and the concession stand a lot. So, naturally when they tried to pass by me they kept kicking the seat in front of me which just so happened to belong to a Jackie O'Connor, one of the women who wanted our seats. She was less than pleased with us.
July 2011, four days before HPDHP2 release, Brit and me and the rest of our group commence the campout. Later that day, April and her daughter Madison show up and get in line behind us. We find out throughout the next four days that April is Jackie's sister. Needless to say white flags were raised and we are all friends now. One big happy movie campout and occasionally IHOP nertz family, laughing at the times we didn't know each other and yet we knew each other all too well.
There is so much more to these stories, but I could never get it all in on one blog post. I am incredibly grateful for the Twilight movies and everyone that they have brought into my life. I am sad to see them end, but the friendships I have made directly related to the series have thankfully grown past just the Twilight series. We now have the Hunger Games, The Hobbit, I'm sure many more series to come. Of course, there will always be IHOP and nertz, too!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Passion.
To say I had a "bit" of a temper growing up is a "bit" of an understatement. I remember getting my first technical foul in basketball in second grade for shoving a boy into the mats on the wall under the goal because he fouled me on my layup and the referee chose not to call anything. I decided to take matters into my own hands. Again in sixth grade I received my second technical foul for baseball passing the basketball at, not to, the referee for calling a foul on me when the other girl was on MY back trying to steal it back. I also remember growing up and always getting talks from my mom about how much of a temper I had and such a short fuse too, on and off the court. Around jr. high I remember telling myself I needed to shape up and try to mellow out. It's still an on going process, but for the most part I think I've worked extremely hard to get my fuse the length that it is. Sometimes though, especially when the topic is something that I am extremely passionate about or something/someone that is very near and dear to my heart that fuse gets cut and lit and you better take serious cover because Armageddon is about to begin.
Several people in my life can attest to this. One of my best friends Jill once told me that I have "fire eyes" when I get that mad. It freaks her out a little. And honestly I scare myself sometimes. I get so angry or so worked up about something that the only way I feel like I can calm down is to just pick something up and throw it as far as I possibly can. One of the things I used to do to try and work through stuff was to go for drives alone or with a friend so I could just vent. (You know who you are and my thanks are endless. Love you all so much.) However people tell me that I need to calm down and relax and try to discuss these things in a civilized manor. My question is this, why? If something means so much to me that I am willing to make a fool of myself trying to get the point across to you why should I have to dial that back? How will you know how important that is to me if I'm just discussing it as simply as I discuss what the weather is like? I don't understand why it's so wrong sometimes to get so worked up about something that you lose yourself a little bit to fight for it. I don't understand why people say honesty is the best policy, if they only want you to say it calmly. I can tell you right now if I'm being honest about my feelings on a lot of things it most definitely will not be discussed calmly and rationally, whether its a disagreement or a common interest. If we're talking good or bad you'll know how important the subject is to me, I promise you that. That's honesty.
Now that I'm older I know that there were times in my life that I needed to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. To this day I will let my passion rule me, whether it's for better or worse. But if I'm being honest I don't think I'd want it any other way. When I feel something, anything, I feel more than a lot of people do. It is a gift from God I am fully aware. I experience things completely different than a lot of other people and I am so blessed that God has given me a heart that can feel as much as I do. It makes things hurt just a little bit more than they typically would, but it also makes things exponentially better than they typically are. Passion is one of God's greatest gifts. Some people have it more than others, but everyone has it about at least one thing. Don't reign it in. Ever.
There is a quote in the movie Serendipity that everyone should think about for a bit. "You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: 'Did he have passion?'"
Several people in my life can attest to this. One of my best friends Jill once told me that I have "fire eyes" when I get that mad. It freaks her out a little. And honestly I scare myself sometimes. I get so angry or so worked up about something that the only way I feel like I can calm down is to just pick something up and throw it as far as I possibly can. One of the things I used to do to try and work through stuff was to go for drives alone or with a friend so I could just vent. (You know who you are and my thanks are endless. Love you all so much.) However people tell me that I need to calm down and relax and try to discuss these things in a civilized manor. My question is this, why? If something means so much to me that I am willing to make a fool of myself trying to get the point across to you why should I have to dial that back? How will you know how important that is to me if I'm just discussing it as simply as I discuss what the weather is like? I don't understand why it's so wrong sometimes to get so worked up about something that you lose yourself a little bit to fight for it. I don't understand why people say honesty is the best policy, if they only want you to say it calmly. I can tell you right now if I'm being honest about my feelings on a lot of things it most definitely will not be discussed calmly and rationally, whether its a disagreement or a common interest. If we're talking good or bad you'll know how important the subject is to me, I promise you that. That's honesty.
Now that I'm older I know that there were times in my life that I needed to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. To this day I will let my passion rule me, whether it's for better or worse. But if I'm being honest I don't think I'd want it any other way. When I feel something, anything, I feel more than a lot of people do. It is a gift from God I am fully aware. I experience things completely different than a lot of other people and I am so blessed that God has given me a heart that can feel as much as I do. It makes things hurt just a little bit more than they typically would, but it also makes things exponentially better than they typically are. Passion is one of God's greatest gifts. Some people have it more than others, but everyone has it about at least one thing. Don't reign it in. Ever.
There is a quote in the movie Serendipity that everyone should think about for a bit. "You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: 'Did he have passion?'"
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Magic.
Man it feels great to be back here. My life has been a bit of a roller coaster since I last posted, almost six months ago. So much has happened and yet at the same time so little. Caleb and I moved to Branson back in June. The solitude that comes with living out here in this tourist hotspot, where my closest friend other than Caleb is fifty minutes away at best, is indescribable. It's forced me to do some soul searching and some serious growing up. Some of the things I think about now I would have never imagined I'd be thinking about three months ago. It's not a bad thing by any means just different and surprising. It's weird looking at where I'm at in life now and where I'm on track to be going and realizing...it happened. I grew up. It must have happened when I wasn't looking, because growing up is something I've always been terrified of my entire life. I think a lot of that fear stems from The Polar Express. You laugh now, but just you wait.
So the story goes, for all of you sad people who have never read, seen or heard of The Polar Express, there is a young boy who is filled with doubt this Christmas and as he lay in bed at night on Christmas Eve somewhere between being asleep and awake the Polar Express shows up in front of his house to take him and some other kids on a trip to the North Pole to see Santa off. This is the most important Christmas in this young boy's life. Tra lala they get to the North Pole and he gets picked to receive the first gift of Christmas, and all he asks for is one of Santa's sleigh bells. (I really am sugar coating this so please read the book.) After a bit of trouble he gets the bell Christmas morning only to find out that his parents cannot hear the bell that he and his little sister so very clearly can hear. They think it's broken, and at the end of the story the narrator, which is the young boy as an adult, says, "At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell. But as years passed it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found, one Christmas, that she could no longer hear it's sweet sound. Though I have grown old, the bell still rings for me. As it does for all who truly believe."
I guess my fear of growing up came from this. I was terrified that one day I would grow up and not be able to hear the bell or believe in the magic. However, I have found lately that it doesn't have to be that way at all. In fact I have found it's quite the opposite for me. The older I get and the more life experiences I go through the more I believe in the magic, not just Christmas' magic, but the magic of life and of living. Everyday I am confronted with it's beauty and it's tragedy, and I'm overwhelmed with how magical every element is. I'm sure you're laughing at my use of the word magic, but there is a quote from True Blood season one that I whole heartedly believe in. Not necessarily that vampires are real but magic is. Sookie and Bill were having a small argument about how he exists and when he responded with, "Magic," Sookie blew him off. He then proceeded, "You think that it is not magic that keeps you alive? Just 'cause you understand the mechanics of how something works, doesn't make it any less of a miracle... which is just another word for magic. We are all kept alive by magic." My life has been and continues to be drowning in magic. I can see it and feel it everywhere in my life. The most incontrovertible evidence of magic in my life is Caleb. Literally every up and down in my life tracing back to eighth grade lead me to that front porch I was sitting on with my friends and that guy across the street inviting us over to hang out and me seeing him walk across the room for the first time and time literally froze. I couldn't think about anything else that night except him and how I could not so obviously get to talk to him. And now, nine months and three days in, we're living in Branson together working on creating a world for ourselves. He has healed every wound and helped me reignite that spark of passion and magic in my life that had been turned to embers, what seems like, so very long ago. I thank God every day for him. He truly is an undeserved gift in my life that I am beyond blessed to have.
So, growing up hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated. Actually, it was a pleasant surprise. So, if there is one piece of advice I leave you with it's this: Being an adult doesn't mean you have to be cynical or that it's inevitable. Fight for that spark. Don't let it die. Believe in the magic.
So the story goes, for all of you sad people who have never read, seen or heard of The Polar Express, there is a young boy who is filled with doubt this Christmas and as he lay in bed at night on Christmas Eve somewhere between being asleep and awake the Polar Express shows up in front of his house to take him and some other kids on a trip to the North Pole to see Santa off. This is the most important Christmas in this young boy's life. Tra lala they get to the North Pole and he gets picked to receive the first gift of Christmas, and all he asks for is one of Santa's sleigh bells. (I really am sugar coating this so please read the book.) After a bit of trouble he gets the bell Christmas morning only to find out that his parents cannot hear the bell that he and his little sister so very clearly can hear. They think it's broken, and at the end of the story the narrator, which is the young boy as an adult, says, "At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell. But as years passed it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found, one Christmas, that she could no longer hear it's sweet sound. Though I have grown old, the bell still rings for me. As it does for all who truly believe."
I guess my fear of growing up came from this. I was terrified that one day I would grow up and not be able to hear the bell or believe in the magic. However, I have found lately that it doesn't have to be that way at all. In fact I have found it's quite the opposite for me. The older I get and the more life experiences I go through the more I believe in the magic, not just Christmas' magic, but the magic of life and of living. Everyday I am confronted with it's beauty and it's tragedy, and I'm overwhelmed with how magical every element is. I'm sure you're laughing at my use of the word magic, but there is a quote from True Blood season one that I whole heartedly believe in. Not necessarily that vampires are real but magic is. Sookie and Bill were having a small argument about how he exists and when he responded with, "Magic," Sookie blew him off. He then proceeded, "You think that it is not magic that keeps you alive? Just 'cause you understand the mechanics of how something works, doesn't make it any less of a miracle... which is just another word for magic. We are all kept alive by magic." My life has been and continues to be drowning in magic. I can see it and feel it everywhere in my life. The most incontrovertible evidence of magic in my life is Caleb. Literally every up and down in my life tracing back to eighth grade lead me to that front porch I was sitting on with my friends and that guy across the street inviting us over to hang out and me seeing him walk across the room for the first time and time literally froze. I couldn't think about anything else that night except him and how I could not so obviously get to talk to him. And now, nine months and three days in, we're living in Branson together working on creating a world for ourselves. He has healed every wound and helped me reignite that spark of passion and magic in my life that had been turned to embers, what seems like, so very long ago. I thank God every day for him. He truly is an undeserved gift in my life that I am beyond blessed to have.
So, growing up hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated. Actually, it was a pleasant surprise. So, if there is one piece of advice I leave you with it's this: Being an adult doesn't mean you have to be cynical or that it's inevitable. Fight for that spark. Don't let it die. Believe in the magic.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Scars are Still Here.
By now if you've read most of my blogs you are aware of how off the path of my journey I traveled before I started to find my way back. Once I found my way back I began to see all of these blessings in my life that I felt dumb for not seeing before and then also some new blessings in my life that I know I would be nowhere near where I am today without. However, when I started finding my way back to where I was supposed to be I figured that because I didn't feel the hurt or pain anymore that I was healed and that was it. But here lately God has a new lesson for me to learn. You can't just pretend none of that gut-wrenching heartbreaking agonizing pain that made you go a little mad didn't happen. It happened alright and just because you're healed doesn't mean it didn't leave scars. A person cannot go through pain so utterly life changing without it leaving it's mark on you. Our job is to recognize that and adapt to it in a way that it won't rule our lives. It can change it and it should, but it shouldn't rule you. It's a fine line I'm finding out slowly but surely, and I am so incredibly blessed and thankful to have such an amazing person in my life who doesn't see this as a burden to deal with but something for us to overcome together.
Everyday I am reminded of how amazing people can be. God keeps restoring my faith in people in every aspect of my life which only makes me want to be that person for other people more and more every day. That person who, when all other light is out and their faith in people is shot, that comes in at the last second and lets them know that not everyone is like that. All it takes is one person to show a little bit of light to keep your path lit. God is so amazing and complex and at the same time so utterly simple. Love.
Have a blessed day!!
Everyday I am reminded of how amazing people can be. God keeps restoring my faith in people in every aspect of my life which only makes me want to be that person for other people more and more every day. That person who, when all other light is out and their faith in people is shot, that comes in at the last second and lets them know that not everyone is like that. All it takes is one person to show a little bit of light to keep your path lit. God is so amazing and complex and at the same time so utterly simple. Love.
Have a blessed day!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
March: A Month to be Remembered.
I'm going to start off with a list of things to come in this next month that I'm completely excited about.
My birthday is March 18th. I'll be turning 23 this year and am both excited and having a melt down about how fast time has blown by. I love a good birthday party, actually I love a good celebration no matter what it's for. I am especially excited for this year's party, because I have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Last year I didn't have quite the same mindset. This year on March 18th, toast to your life and celebrate life with me.
The Lorax comes out on March 2nd. I cannot wait to go see this with my own Lorax, Caleb. I can't wait to see it, because my bestie Taylor is in it and it looks super cute. Caleb is excited because he loves what the Lorax stands for. It's perfect :) If you aren't planning on seeing it, go. It has a message we all need to hear.
Warmer weather followed by park days and fire pit nights. So excited!! We had a fire pit on Sunday night and a good time was had by all. It's always a great time for fellowship with one another and just a way to build relationships with people. Which, after all, is what life is about. I am a summer girl, no doubt about it. I loathe dressing for winter. Give me shorts and tanks and sandals every single day. I cannot wait to go visit my dear ol' friend Phelps Grove Park soon. I miss sitting under my knobby tree on a blanket with friends, soaking in the heat from the sun, playing Nertz, dancing, eating Cheezie's and drinking DP. Mmmmm park days. Take a day when the weather is perfect and try it. It's good for the soul.
For now, that is all. Have a blessed rest of February! Love you all!
- The Hunger Games
- My Birthday
- The Lorax
- Seeing my camp out family
- Warmer weather
- Park days
- Fire Pits
My birthday is March 18th. I'll be turning 23 this year and am both excited and having a melt down about how fast time has blown by. I love a good birthday party, actually I love a good celebration no matter what it's for. I am especially excited for this year's party, because I have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Last year I didn't have quite the same mindset. This year on March 18th, toast to your life and celebrate life with me.
The Lorax comes out on March 2nd. I cannot wait to go see this with my own Lorax, Caleb. I can't wait to see it, because my bestie Taylor is in it and it looks super cute. Caleb is excited because he loves what the Lorax stands for. It's perfect :) If you aren't planning on seeing it, go. It has a message we all need to hear.
Warmer weather followed by park days and fire pit nights. So excited!! We had a fire pit on Sunday night and a good time was had by all. It's always a great time for fellowship with one another and just a way to build relationships with people. Which, after all, is what life is about. I am a summer girl, no doubt about it. I loathe dressing for winter. Give me shorts and tanks and sandals every single day. I cannot wait to go visit my dear ol' friend Phelps Grove Park soon. I miss sitting under my knobby tree on a blanket with friends, soaking in the heat from the sun, playing Nertz, dancing, eating Cheezie's and drinking DP. Mmmmm park days. Take a day when the weather is perfect and try it. It's good for the soul.
For now, that is all. Have a blessed rest of February! Love you all!
Monday, January 30, 2012
My Friends Are My Water
I never drink water. It tastes like nothing. I drink Dr. Pepper every chance I get, because if I'm going to drink something I want it to taste good. I don't want to walk away from taking a drink being disappointed if I have a choice in the matter. Everyone knows that I technically should not be alive due to the lack of water I partake in. However when I get a wild hair or usually when I'm sick I'll have a glass or two of water and for that first split second, when the icy cold water hits my mouth and I feel it slide all the way down my throat and into my chest all the way to my stomach, I think, This is just what I needed.
Over the past couple of weekends I have been able to visit with friends that I have not seen since August. Much like the water scenario it was incredibly refreshing to get to see, hug and talk to them. I never quite realize just how much I miss them until they get here and then leave again. While they were here I had so much to catch up on that I got to relive some of the best moments of how 2011 ended for me including the restoration and reframing of my relationship with God. It was so good to get back to the roots and experience that all over again. I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty good at storytelling. If you ever have had the opportunity to hear me share a story in real life you can literally see me reliving the moment. I thank God for that talent. I know that my passion is my gift from him, no matter how much people make fun of me for it. I don't care. It doesn't change a thing.
Anyway, this past weekend on Friday I got to have lunch with my old roommates from a couple years ago whom I lived in the Shack with. For those of you who don't know the Shack is a ministry house for a campus ministry called Icthus. The same campus ministry that saved my life. We talked about Icthus a lot past, present and future. We've all been worried that Icthus was going under. It is a completely student led ministry, therefore will take many shapes throughout it's life. We have been trying to hold onto the past instead of embracing the unknown with God and letting Him mold it to what it needs to be. Therefore, it looked like a sinking ship. After long discussions it has been revamped into something completely different which is extremely exciting. I'm anxious to see what God has planned. It's got to be big, because if it were going to die it would have already. So, I'm asking you to pray for Icthus. That God will continue to use it to reach people in anyway it can.
Sorry, I got a little off topic on that note, but it was important to get out there. So, back to lunch on Friday. One of my old roommates, Carrie, and I have one of those friendships that you could never live together but when you go months without seeing or talking you miss them like crazy. She was talking and paid me this enormous compliment that means so much more coming from her than anyone of the other girls for some reason. This compliment just refreshed me on what, not just christianity, but life is about. Relationships. Relationships of every kind. Good, bad, deep, shallow. They all serve a purpose. The important thing is that we reach out at any given moment like we have no past, no scars and neither do they. It's not about throwing in their face what they're doing wrong. It's not about throwing in their face what they should be doing. It's about being there and living with them. That's it. God is in everything, therefore He will be seen through ANYthing, not just Bible verses. God is life. I see people all the time limit Him to the borders of the church and say that it is our duty to get them to the church and then God will take it from there. But God is everywhere. We need to realize that and quit worrying about when and where He can work and just live. Live to love. God will work.
**Exit stage left off the soap box.**
Love you all.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
This is All I Ever Wanted from Life
So, it's the new year. I'm a little late on wishing you all a fabulous 2012, eighteen days to be exact. Sorry about that, but hopefully it has and will continue to be an amazing new year.
When this time of year rolls around everyone usually is making/breaking some new year's resolutions. I honestly don't think I've ever made a resolution for the new year, because if I'm being completely honest I don't think I could ever stick to it. I'm a "take life day by day" kind of a girl so, it's hard to plan on something for an entire year when I have no idea where my life is headed. As of right now I am at, or was at the beginning of the year, a fork in my life. Now, I've chosen my path and have started to skip along down the road. I am now living at home with my parental unit again, saving money, which is always a wonderful thing. I'm able to see them more and appreciate them even more for who they are in my life. I am in the healthiest relationship I have ever been in with a man that I am beyond blessed to have by my side every day. There is not a single day that goes by that I don't fall in love all over again. My relationship with God is the most real, pure and true thing it's ever been. I have never been more grateful for my life and everything that I've gone through than I am at this very moment.
I have been having these moments every day where I'm lost in my own head like usual, and all of a sudden everything just clears and I have an overwhelming feeling of joy for where I am in life and who is in it. Everything just kind of clicks. They'll be at the most random times, too. For example, driving home from Branson with Caleb taking a scenic route and watching the sunset, or laying in bed listening to Explosions in the Sky or sitting in the Andy's parking lot for two hours or sitting at the Bistro Starbucks with a friend who, every time I hang out with or talk to I realize our friendship is nothing short of God's work.
I don't even know why I am trying to put all of this into words, because literally nothing can describe any of it. Take a few minutes out of your day, turn on some Explosions in the Sky, close your eyes and reflect on your life, everything about it- good and bad. I promise you the good will blur everything else out. Be grateful. Don't take life for granted, but don't take it too seriously. Life is a gift. Enjoy it.
When this time of year rolls around everyone usually is making/breaking some new year's resolutions. I honestly don't think I've ever made a resolution for the new year, because if I'm being completely honest I don't think I could ever stick to it. I'm a "take life day by day" kind of a girl so, it's hard to plan on something for an entire year when I have no idea where my life is headed. As of right now I am at, or was at the beginning of the year, a fork in my life. Now, I've chosen my path and have started to skip along down the road. I am now living at home with my parental unit again, saving money, which is always a wonderful thing. I'm able to see them more and appreciate them even more for who they are in my life. I am in the healthiest relationship I have ever been in with a man that I am beyond blessed to have by my side every day. There is not a single day that goes by that I don't fall in love all over again. My relationship with God is the most real, pure and true thing it's ever been. I have never been more grateful for my life and everything that I've gone through than I am at this very moment.
I have been having these moments every day where I'm lost in my own head like usual, and all of a sudden everything just clears and I have an overwhelming feeling of joy for where I am in life and who is in it. Everything just kind of clicks. They'll be at the most random times, too. For example, driving home from Branson with Caleb taking a scenic route and watching the sunset, or laying in bed listening to Explosions in the Sky or sitting in the Andy's parking lot for two hours or sitting at the Bistro Starbucks with a friend who, every time I hang out with or talk to I realize our friendship is nothing short of God's work.
I don't even know why I am trying to put all of this into words, because literally nothing can describe any of it. Take a few minutes out of your day, turn on some Explosions in the Sky, close your eyes and reflect on your life, everything about it- good and bad. I promise you the good will blur everything else out. Be grateful. Don't take life for granted, but don't take it too seriously. Life is a gift. Enjoy it.
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