take me away...

Tomorrow I head to the refreshingly wonderful Nashville, Tennessee with my sweet boyfriend, Matt, and our friend, Jordan. I can't wait to be in the city I love. My heart soars at the thought...

"Y'all take it easy now. This isn't Dallas, it's Nashville! They can't do this to us here in Nashville! Let's show them what we're made of. Come on everybody, sing! Somebody, sing!" -'Nashville'

Photos of our trip are soon to come! For now, let's get on the road...

old fashioned letters.

There's just something about it. You go to the mailbox, open the door, and see it laying there. A letter. Perhaps it has a fun stamp, someone's handwriting in a distinct pen, and maybe a fun return address stamp or something. It was written out of love or thoughtfulness or care or all three. Someone took the time to write out their thoughts and encouragement and send it your way like a surprise. There is just something so magical about that. So rich and meaningful.

I received a letter in the mail today. A card really, but it had the writing inside to make it seem like a letter. My sweet friend, Kari, sent me a thank you card for some things I gave her before her wedding. And rather than write the necessary thank you's and move on, she really took her time and wrote down a few thoughts, person-specific encouragement, and very un-canned responses. And it meant so much to me.  

Consider this: 

Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls; 

for, thus friends absent speak.  ~John Donne

Kari and I haven't been able to see each other in a few months because of her wedding and all the transition that follows that, and yet today I felt closer to her than I have in a long while. The power of the letter, the written word, is immense and is a power we often neglect. Perhaps it is this power, this enduring quality that the written word holds, that allowed God to choose it as the form in which He left us His Truth. In fact, much of the New Testament is written in this very form: the letter.  

In many of his letters included in scripture, Paul begins in the very way that our own letters often appear. He encouraged its recipient. 

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with 

joy in my every prayer for you all." -Philippians 1:3-4 

"We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

praying always for you..." -Colossians 1:3

"We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you 

in our prayers..." -1 Thessalonians 1:2

"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because 

your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward 

one another grows ever greater..." -2 Thessalonians 1:3

May we continue this practice of writing letters to one another. In this digital culture of emails and text messages and Facebook and even blogs, it is my hope that we continue to put pen to paper and reach out to one another in an old fashioned way. There is no sweeter surprise or greater encouragement than finding a letter in the mailbox written just for you by someone you love.

bittersweet.

Okay, y'all know how much I love Shauna's work. For me, reading her words is like reading insights into my own mind that I hadn't yet connected. She writes the way I think. Her words inspire me to do the things I kind of think about, but don't dare do. Her words inspire ME to write the way I want to write. And homegirl loves Jesus and stirs my affection for Christ in constantly pointing to Him in her writing. She's coming to Dallas in November and is doing an event at Irving Bible Church that my friend, Aubrey, is organizing. Ladies, y'all need to come. You know it will be fantastic. Talk to me for details if you're interested.

Her latest work is wonderful, challenging, honest, and inspiring. Here are a few thoughts I have about it...

There are many words that could be used to describe Shauna's recent work: raw, gritty, funny, sarcastic, inspiring. However, the one word that most encapsulates the tone and the brilliance is this one: honest.

Writing about a personal season of heartache, change, and struggle, Shauna lets the reader into very raw and honest places in her life. She shares the pain and feelings of isolation following a miscarriage, the struggles that arise in marriage when listening stops, and the challenge of accepting and moving with change. It is all at once a beautiful tapestry of wisdom and a felt pain shared between reader and author in the communicating of these experiences.

Through it all, Shauna constantly points back to her faith in Christ as being the stronghold that carried her through the season of deep difficulty she experienced. Interweaving Biblical truths in her own refreshing language and style, Shauna provides insight and wisdom that does not terminate on herself but rather points the reader to a greater Answer.

In blessing or mourning, this work is one that is essential. The combination of its honesty and hope in the presence of hard circumstances is something that will provide encouragement to the reader, regardless of the season they find themselves in.

Shauna, thank you for letting us in, pointing us to Christ, and running the race before you well. Inspiring.

"...one day I'll stand before God and account for what I did with my life. There is work that is only mine to do: a child that is ours to raise, stories that are mine to tell, friends that are mine to walk with. The grandest seduction of all is the myth that DOING EVERYTHING BETTER gets us where we want to be. It gets us somewhere, certainly, but not anywhere worth being." -Things I Don't Do, 'Bittersweet'

moving.

Contrary to what the title might make you think, I'm not moving. I did move. About a month ago. But I am not moving now. Just wanted to clear all that up. Thanks and gig'em.

The title is indicative of what I feel like the Lord is doing right now. HE is moving. I see things happening around me that can be one thing and one thing only: the sweet, mighty, and providential hand of God is stirring, swirling, and softly moving amongst people in my life. And I am so excited. I feel like, if possible, my soul might burst open. I want to tell everyone about it. I want to tell them that He is good, that He saves and is saving, and that He loves us. 

I am humbled at the idea that I get to play some small role in the hugely eternal work that the Lord is doing of saving souls. My gosh. Life can never be boring when we realize the great drama of life that we get to participate in and the urgency that awaits every relationship, every interaction, and every conversation. 

So writing this is my attempt at keeping my soul from exploding, an outlet of excitement if you will. And the picture is to give you readers, or reader in the singular perhaps, a visual representation of this excitement. Just can hardly contain it...

a new england weekend

My weekend in New England was quite the experience and far too fun to completely synthesize to an appropriate length for this blog. It included a 12-hour trip to NYC on 4 hours of sleep, walking in on a wedding on 5th Avenue, the car battery dying and standing around at a Pep Boys, getting trampled in Philly on the 4th only to be protected by random strangers, getting lost in Philly on foot, standing in the Atlantic Ocean, and then almost missing my flight back to Dallas. Through it all, AC and I loved being together and were determined to see the humor in everything that happened...almost. All in all, excellent weekend I'd say. Here are a few pictures to capture it...

Love you, AC. Get back to Dallas pronto!!!

new york, i love you...

One week from Saturday, I will be arriving in the city that I have longed to visit for years now: New York City. As a huge fan of pop culture, I feel as though I know New York inside and out, but have yet to walk the streets. In a week, that will no longer be true. And I. can't. wait.

This blog is dedicated to prepping my excitement for the places I'm hoping to see. I'll only be there for 24 hours, so this will literally be a little amuse bouche of the city. Or a small tasting for you non-foodies out there!

Broadway

I don't think I'll be able to take it if I go and don't take in a show on this street. The Great White Way has been calling my name for years now. Strong vocalists that can dance and act all in one theater...yes, please!!

Serendipity

I would love to sit and drink a frozen hot chocolate at this New York  staple. Ever since the movie brought the name to us Americans who don't frequent the city, I've been dying to try it!

Gray's Papaya

The hot dogs of Gray's Papaya are legendary and their acclaim was brought my way via the 1999 production of 'You've Got Mail.' Needless to say, I've wanted to go for over 10 years...

Cafe Lalo

This is another 'You've Got Mail' destination. It is the place that Meg Ryan meets NY152 while reading 'Pride and Prejudice.' It was because of that movie that I read that book, which is now my favorite, and I've always wanted to visit this shop.

Central Park

And last, but certainly not least, is this beautiful place. You cannot visit New York City and not visit this park in its heart. In the future, I would love to go back with a blanket, a book, and a great big cup of coffee. For next weekend, I'll just settle for a stroll through...

New York, I already love you and absolutely can't wait to meet you.

grace...

grace for one.
grace for many.
grace that saves.
grace that covers.

paid for.
unmerited favor.
freely given.
it alone.

undeserved.
unmatched.
justifies.
forgives.

only through Christ.

the women of genesis

Since the beginning of the year, I've worked at a place called Genesis Women's Shelter. It is a place that provides counseling and aid to women and children who have been victims of domestic violence in the greater Dallas area and is dang good at it. I took the job not knowing much about domestic violence, knowing more about counseling, but not knowing anything at all about the incredible women that I was about to work with. That has since changed.

The picture above is the clinical team of Genesis Women's Shelter and Outreach and they are strong, intelligent, and funny, funny women. They listen well, care deeply, and laugh loudly. It is a joy and honor to work alongside each of them.

I could tell you things about them...things they wouldn't mind me sharing. I can tell you that Callie, the lone redhead in the picture, has the best one-liners and dry humor I know. Hilarious. I eat several meals with her during the week and she never ceases to make me laugh.

I can tell you that Kim, second from the right in the back, absolutely loves 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' and can talk all the details with absolute incredible memory. This talent makes for really, really fun lunch conversations. This memory is also something that makes Kim incredibly thoughtful. She's a sweet one.

I can tell you that Kelly, top left, has the ability to put anyone at ease instantly with her compassionate presence. Instantly. I'm not kidding. It's incredible. Gifted, gifted clinical director. And she's brilliant. Go ahead...be jealous. And if that wasn't enough, she loves 'Glee.' Get outta here.

I can tell you that Michal Anne, to the left of me, has a sweet soul that is evident immediately. She also hides something from you for a while, but I pulled it out of her. The girl's a singer. A good one. And she's hating that I published that for anyone to see.

I can tell you that Mary Kay, with the white jacket, is a free spirit with an exuberance and zest for life that is contagious. Lots and lots of fun and a GIFTED therapist.

I can tell you that Jessica Callahan, to the right of me, is my office next-door-neighbor and we sit in each other's offices and confide and process sometimes. Thankful for her. And we share the same name. You knew I'd like her.

I can tell you that Gina, Brandy, and Susan K, ends of the bottom row and top right, bust their booties at the shelter and do an amazing job. I just get to see them on Friday's, but they are all very wonderful.

I can tell you that Patty and Penny, second from the right on the bottom row and middle in the blue, are fabulous interns that are fearless in their learning of the counseling world. Get it, girls.

I can tell you that Jessica Callicutt, purply-pink, just left last week and I am so very sad. See, all the Jessica's populated the west wing office for a while and it was fun. Jess was the adolescent therapist and dominated at that. Homegirl loves her fresh fruit and riding her bike in the mornings.

I can tell you that Joanne and Eunise aren't in this picture...they weren't at Mother's Day Luncheon...but both are fabulous. Joanne is a seasoned veteran of a therapist that is so incredibly kind and steady. Eunise is a new mom that is spunky and fun and speaks her mind.

And last, but most certainly not least, I can tell you that Susan, green dress, has the world's best laugh and she uses it often. It's the best...seriously. She is my supervisor and I have definitely cried in her office a few times, so you know I trust her. She too...gifted therapist. AND, she can talk almost all things pop culture and has no fear about re-creating songs from the previous evening's episode of 'Glee.' Rockstar.

There they are. The clinical team at Genesis. Obviously, there are so many more wonderful things about each of them, but for now, there's a little snapshot of who I spend my days with.They are my colleagues, they have become my friends, and I am honored to serve the women and children of Dallas alongside them.

ummm...can you keep singing....like, for forever?!

i love music. i love listening to people that can sing their little hiney's off. and i especially love listening to powerhouse women that sing their little hiney's off. and tonight, glee indulged one of my very favorite things by providing an INCREDIBLE duet by these two women above: lea michele and the wonderfully talented idina menzel.

you may recognize idina from the original cast of 'rent' as well as the movie cast. she also originated the role of elphaba in 'wicked', winning a tony award for best female actress in a musical. told you. talented. plus, the woman is married to taye diggs. come on.

often when listening to songs like this one, i find myself wanting to somehow crawl into the song and let the melodies swirl all around me. i love the harmonies, the deep vocal tones that come from a woman in complete control of her voice, and the ownership a woman displays when she is rockin' it...and she knows it. absolutely love it and could sit and watch someone like one of these two women sing all the live-long day.

so thank you, glee. you just keep letting idina and lea sing like that. i'll keep watching as long as you put that on television.

give it a listen...

the change continued...

continued from the post below...

I had gone to Texas A&M with every intention of participating in a very popular idea: the typical college experience. I had always been a rule-follower and I saw this as my chance to “live a little”, or so they say. It was never in my plan to join a Christian sorority, and yet in that moment during that first meeting, I began to understand that my college experience was not going to look at all like I’d thought and there was nothing I could do about it. 

As the evening and weeks progressed, I began to grow familiar with ASC, but it all still felt very foreign to me. The language these girls used sounded strange, the fact that they were always so sweet and loving threw me off, and I couldn’t figure out why they cared about getting to know me at all. But one thing I was sure of: there was a passion and quality about their lives that was unlike anything I had ever been around, and I wanted my life to be the same.  

I know now, as I learned then, that what I was seeing in their lives that I was so attracted to was the transformative power that comes from knowing Jesus. These girls were confident and loving not because of some innate ability to be that way, but rather because the Gospel had moved in their lives and allowed their minds to be transformed. The book of Romans commands this of us, instructing us to not be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. As I walked with and observed the lives of these women that had been placed around me, I grew more and more encouraged and began to feel safe for the first time in my life. 

In the Lord’s gracious providence, He placed me in a small group that year made up of entirely juniors and seniors. My sweet friend, Emily, and I were the only freshmen in the group and over the course of that first year those women taught me what it looked like to walk daily in pursuit of knowing Christ better. He went from being someone I believed in but didn’t really know to being the song that I was singing in life. Through study of Scripture, times of prayer, serving together, and a great amount of encouragement, I began to understand what it meant to know Jesus and it changed my life.

The Lord continued to move in my heart and mind for four years and minister to me through the organization of Aggie Sisters for Christ in numerous ways, but one of the sweetest nights and memories is that first night. It was the night of changed assumptions. It was the night of a path being set. It was the night of the change.

and so it begins...

For those who know me well, and maybe those who know me well on Facebook, it is common knowledge that I'm a fan of Shauna Niequist's work. She's a writer who makes you feel like you're having a conversation with her as you read. Basically, she's brilliant.

I have always wanted to write a book and her style of writing has been an inspiration in helping me to find my voice. The way she writes is similar to how I write and I feel like her books have given me permission to write the way I want.

So I've started. It will be a while and even then I'll have to see if anyone will even publish it, but it's worth a shot. Here's a little glimpse...

-The Change-

I had no intention of joining. I was just attending the meeting because the girl at the booth seemed nice. It was my first week of college and I found myself at the first informational meeting for Aggie Sisters for Christ, feeling extremely out of place as I walked toward the meeting. In my experience, girls weren’t nice, couldn’t be trusted, and would rather talk bad about you than encourage you, so needless to say I was a bit nervous. My preconceived notions were about to be turned upside down.

As I approached the meeting, a sweet girl named Brynne Bryant walked up with a beaming smile on her face and said, “Are you here for the meeting? Great! Just stick with me tonight. I’ll take care of you.” Immediately, thoughts of panic and confusion hit. What?! Why is she being so nice to me? What’s in it for her? Is there something wrong with me that I need someone with me all night? I followed Brynne into a large conference room that was filled with HUNDREDS of girls, many looking just like me. Nervous. 

I sat with Brynne as the meeting started, listening to the president of the organization, Kimberly McNutt, talking about ASC, the purpose behind the fellowship of women, and the goal to glorify Jesus Christ in their time together. And as I listened to Kim talk, something very strange started to happen. I began to hear this whisper, not audibly, but a whisper in my soul that I had felt very few times in my life at this point. It was this kind of confirmation that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, that these women would be my friends, and that there was something important for me to learn in my days with them. It was a strange feeling at the time, but one that I’ve grown more and more accustomed to the more I’ve learned to listen for it. It was the sweet whisper of the Lord, and He was saving my life that night. 

change

Over the last year, my life has been mostly characterized by one thing: change. And usually not just one thing changing at a time, but rather several areas of my life shifting beneath my feet like sand. Just when I thought I found an area that was going to remain consistent, it or something related to it would shift. I found myself constantly trying to "create a new normal", to quote my friend, Ann Carolyn. And it was exhausting.

I have finally found myself in a season of relative consistency. I have a wonderful job that I love which is structured and very organized. Check. I have determined new roommates and pretty much know where I'm going to live. Check. At this point, almost all of my close friends are married, so I'm pretty much done with the shifting of amounts of availability for friends. Check...I guess. Basically, things seem rather calm. And while I'm enjoying the calm, I've found myself getting sucked in to missing what was. Missing the old normal. Because while I like the new normal, there are so many things about the old that I liked, that felt safe, and that no one asked me about changing. 

And it is usually at this point that the Lord sweetly reminds me about the seasons of life, that change is necessary, and that He has me. God is so sweet in His grace because I constantly fight against this idea, trying to look back instead of looking forward. I continue to learn the importance of those words Jesus spoke in Matthew, instructing us to build our houses on the Rock and not on the sand. The sand shifts. Anything that is not Christ will shift, change, allow me to fall.

 My favorite author, Shauna Niequist, has a new book coming out in August that is specifically about change and I feel as though she was writing it just for me:

‘When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate, and when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.‘ -Shauna Niequist, 'Bittersweet'

So here's to the new normal, accepting it, and beginning to learn to love it. Cheers.

And the picture is a hat-tip to the old that I miss...

Unexpected Seasons

There is something magical about snow, something magical in the unexpected and rare. As I've sat here all afternoon and watched it snow and snow, creating this pure and pristine canvas of glimmers, I just can't get over the calming effect it has. Slowly the snow continually drifts down, softly taking its place on the blanket and adding another sparkle to the beautiful picture forming.

As I looked out over the covered patches of grass, beautiful white perfection shone back at me and all I could do was worship the God whose idea it was, these white flurries from the sky.

He is the great Giver of seasons, both in weather and in life. Just as some are constant and predictable, others surprise you in the best way possible. They are brief but they are sweet. Others are long and extended, but oh so familiar. The short and unexpected may leave before you're ready, but you can trust that the Author of the seasons know their schedule well. It is these short and unexpected seasons, like this snow, that surprise us, stop us, and remind us to in fact worship their Author, our great God and Creator.