Every Christmas seems to have a certain theme about it and it makes you painfully or joyfully aware of where you are in life. This season is bittersweet for me. I am closing a very beautiful and challenging year in the Texas Hill Country. I am moving home which is a bit of a step backwards, but I'm honestly looking forward to it. I will have a backyard, 3 dogs, a cat and a full house again. Food will magically appear in the fridge and I'll run into old friends around town.
Also, this move is a part of my transition to school in Houston beginning this fall. Texas Woman's University has saved me a spot in the classroom that will mold the class of 2011 Physical Therapy doctoral students. For some reason they want me to be a part of their fun.
As you can see by the photos of the boxes in my house, I am moving. Tomorrow is the big day. Papa helped me reserve a Uhaul, Daddy is bringing up Clifford the big red dodge and friends are coming to save my Dad from injuring his back. Moves are always strange, but this one is really coming together.

Labels: Conroe, move, PT

I've been finding a lot of joy these past two weeks in allowing myself an open schedule. So many rich opportunities have emerged out of the chaos. Yesterday was clearly an unplanned blessing. I woke up liesurely to read, run and get dressed for the day. I popped in at my Papa's house to visit him and my cousins. Then I headed back to my casa to tell Katherine goodbye. To share a bit of background, Katherine and I are sadly parting ways after a wonderful season of being roomies. Katherine used her powers of persuasion to convince me to crash a Kornegay Christmas party and go with her on an unexpected excursion to College Station. Only 20 minutes later I was in the car full of joy and we were singing at the top of our lungs to Regina Spektor and Eisley.

We arrived at the Kornegays house to a warm and surprised greeting. It was so wonderful to spend relaxed time with believers reflecting on the year and looking ahead to Christmas. The next morning I sent Kat off into the cold praying that she would make all the connections with her crazy flight to NYC.(she did make it)

Later in the day I shared a Blue Baker table with two of the most precious girls in my life...Abby and Jenn. It was so refreshing to catch up with them and look forward to what is developing in our lives.

I headed back to San Marcos singing for joy at the top of my lungs in Ruby the Taurus. It was glorious.

I know the pictures may seem a bit out of place in the context of my story, but I share these pictures of me and my earthly Dad to illustrate the joy he takes in me enjoying and exploring life. This weekend I experienced my eternal Father bringing me contentment and joy. I know He smiled at that just like Daddy does.

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
zephaniah 3.17

Labels: College Station, Father

For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness...

has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth]
the Light for the illumination of the knowledge
of the majesty and glory of God
[as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed]
in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
2 COR 4.6
Amplified Bible

Labels: glory

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
psalm 103.2-5

Labels: beauty, truth

I think that God's idea of loving and not loving the world is so wonderful. There are a few different meanings to the word world. One meaning refers to the sinful aspects of the world, particularly to the way humans have wrongly ordered the world, especially society. So when Paul says in his letter to the Romans, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..."(12.2) he was addressing this idea that we are not to conform to the disorder of society. We should follow God's ways, not the ways of a culture that denies the existence of Him.Another meaning of world is "the created order," that God made. He made it for us to live and thrive in. John 3:17 says that Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him." So when John said, "Do not love the world..."(1 john 2:15) it didn't contradict what he had written earlier "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son..." (john 3:16)

God rejects the sinful world that humans toil to create. But he loves the world he has made. He invites us to love it and live in it too. So come play. Come live. Come experience the life that is truly life. Come to Him and live.

***Some of these ideas are quoted from Paul Marshall's book Heaven is Not My Home: Living in the Now of God's Creation

Labels: Reading, truth

Bri and I went on a photography outing at Purgatory Creek in search of some fall foliage. Despite the fact that it is mid December, fall is just getting into full swing here in San Marcos. Enjoy a few glimpses of our expedition.
A photographer.
I absolutely love these berries. I don't actually know if they are berries, but I love them nonetheless.I find it interesting that nature offers beauty in death. We set out to find color and we found gray, yellow and evergreen. It wasn't what we expected, but it was a perfect morning. Hallelujah.

Labels: beauty, everyday art