Let it Settle into Your Bones!

Just a little something for your Wednesday. Praying for a day full of rest & blessings for each of you!

God's Heart for the Graduate

Can you believe I walked across the stage almost one month ago? Me neither. Driving up to Baylor for the first time seems more recent than that. Graduation was something that hung in the distance for so long then appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. My sweet family came to the ceremony to support and my friends threw me a going away party weeks before. In the moment it simply did not seem real.

Looking back now I know that was. It was very, very real.

A very real part of graduating is moving into a new season, taking that next step. It is a HUGE time of transition. For many --for most-- it means moving away from the school you hold near and dear and the friendships that you found there. For others it means moving hundreds or thousands of miles away from all that you've known or grown up with. I fell into both of those categories and I know many more on either side of the spectrum.

At graduation my parents gave me a card that now sits on my desk, a much needed reminder of what is to come. I wish I could send each and every one of my friends {Baylor, home, and blogging dear ones} a card & gift to celebrate with you! For now, here is my heart and God's heart for the graduates:

Lavish Gifts, Grand Victories, Great Adventures, Oh My!

[photo credit]

I could leave that darling print for you and be finished, am I right? It has spoken to my heart more times than once. I have always been a multi-tasker and multi-dreamer and at the ripe age of 21 I am not yet a multi-millionaire. Surprised? Me neither. Disappointed? Not really. There are so many things that vie for our attention. Social media spits "this brand new thing" and "that awesome expensive gadget" or "this fail-proof way to do x, y, or z!" every time we blink. It is easy to get lost or over-stimulated. I have absolutely felt caught in the rush.

I am in the middle of an adventure. 
Let me say it again, I am in the middle of an adventure! 
A signed, sealed, delivered adventure from God and I am at the start in the middle of it! That's what life with Him is: an adventure!

In the past, I never would have called myself adventurous.
Shy? Yes.
Hesitant? Sometimes.
Safe? Always.
Daring? Never.

Adventure was not in my vocabulary. Oh, it was on my television and in my books, in the lives of friends and mentors, role models and super heroes, but little ol' me? I prided myself in following the rules, sticking to my guns, and having a healthy fear of falling, flying, flopping on my face and failing. The latter was what, I now realize, kept me from adventuring for so long. Fear of failing. 

I have big dreams and I have many of them. Some I have dimmed over the years to make them "attainable" and the rest I laugh off in the presence of others because I never think I'll get there. Neither of those are healthy or good ways to handle them. You see, my God is the God of big dreams. He is the God of lavish gifts, grand victories, and great adventures! It is easy to be daunted by the size of our dreams and to let them go to the way-side, but that is not what He wants.

He doesn't want us to suit up and trek up the mountain on our own. He wants to hold our hand, fit our feet with His Gospel, shield the sun from our eyes and use it to light the path He has for us. 

He doesn't want us to make camp at the foot of the hill content to draw in the dirt. He wants to bring us into the Promised Land, bear our load, and be our #1 fan all the way up the mountain. 

I don't have to have it all together before the adventure can begin.
I don't have to discount my dreams because of my human inabilities.
I don't have to have the perfect plan before taking the next step of faith.
I don't have to be dating to be someone of value.
I don't have to be the "perfect size" to love my body and treat it well.
I don't have to have 1,000 followers to share my heart on this blog.
All I have to do? Trust Jesus. 

Don't let what the world throws at you distract you from the victory that's already yours. He's won! We can conquer today, He's conquered eternity. The enemy has a laundry list of faults, fears, and failures to keep you right where you're at. Next time he comes your way, laugh at him and keep on going.

You've won, remember?

This is the Life {Seattle Summer}

"Adventure is out there." Many of you have probably seen the movie Up! and recognize this sweetly coined phrase. It has made a home in my heart this semester as I counted down the days to June 7, the day I would check my bags and board a plane to Seattle, WA. The doors to this adventure opened so quickly, details settled in a little over a week that I hardly had time to wrap my mind around it before the rest of the semester took over and I found myself walking across a stage and receiving my diploma {or an empty diploma tube with a promise that the diploma would, in fact, come later...}. But as of last Friday, my year in Seattle has begun!

The adventure started Saturday. If you've been following via Facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. most of this will not be news to you, but I thought I'd share it anyway :) I'm living with a sweet family and nannying this summer and will be spending the week in their guest room/office until I can move into my actual room. My bed folds out from the wall and the glass doors leave little privacy, but they are off on vacation so I don't mind too much. I've made it as homey as possible while living out of my suitcases and amidst the crafting supplies.

Saturday morning I braved my way to the nearest Target which was located on the 5th floor of a giant parking garage. I also discovered that there is a small shopping center walking distance from the house, complete with a Starbucks, Third Place Books, Albertsons, and Planet Fitness. I joined the gym, bought a used copy of Mrs. Queen Takes the Train and navigated my way to the airport and back to drop off the family on their vacation. The time difference is taking some getting used to, but that I will come with time I suppose.

Yesterday was church and I was so excited to return to Mosaic Community Church, Antioch's Seattle church plant. It was full of college students and young adults; I saw a handful of familiar faces and made new friends as well. One of my favorite realizations was while giving my run-down of just how I ended up in Seattle was that it is such a great reminder and testament to God's presence in that plan and His providence in opening doors and pointing the way. I wouldn't be here if He hadn't shown the way so clearly. I was invited to several lifegroups which I hope to check out over the next few weeks; I'm eager to get plugged in to community again.

Community is so necessary! We were not created to be on our own! The power a positive, encouraging gathering of friends with a unified purpose and love in life is so transforming. It's life-changing. And it's worth the risk of stepping into the uncomfortable or unfamiliar to find it. I'll admit, the idea of driving to a strangers house to meet a group of 8-25 people I have never met before and ultimately be open with the most vulnerable places of my heart and story is daunting. But I know I need it. I know what it's done in the past and what I want it to do in the future. I cannot wait!

This week is about exploring. I went exploring yesterday and stumbled upon a farmers' market in the parking lot of the bookstore/Starbucks near my house! How fun!? Four bright pink peonies sit at my desk. The flowers were overwhelming and gorgeous, and so cheap. The crepe stand was not so cheap but quite delicious. I'm looking forward to getting a feel for my new city and seeing what it has to offer, but also having a chance to settle in and relax before the summer kicks into gear. Stick around for the ride, I get the feeling it's going to be quite the adventure!

PS. Did anyone watch the Tony's? Celebration of theatre just makes my heart sing!

Learning to Let Go

How fitting that today's challenge topic be to respond to the words "Letting go." This is not an easy feat for me. In recent weeks I've been learning to let go in many different ways, and I've also come to the realization that my process of letting go may look different than others'. And that is perfectly okay.

May has held a lot of "lasts" and goodbyes so far and these will only continue in the next week. My count down to Seattle is increasing and here we are only 8 days away! With tearful farewells and driving off into the sunset, I was concerned and frustrated that I was not the one shedding tears. Nothing seemed or felt real. Much of it still does not. Deeming myself a "post-griever" I've been going through the motions and making a mental checklist of things to cry over later. Pathetic right?

I've let go of my best friends to allow them to move across the country.
I've let go of my safety net and the Baylor bubble to move into post-grad life.
I've let go of physical things, donating carfuls to Goodwill and packing the rest into storage.
I've let go of my 1.5 hour drive home to gain a 2,000+ mile flight.
I've let go of my picture of what my life was going to look like after graduation to embrace God's perfect plan.
It hasn't been easy, but it's what I've done.

four | five | six | seven | eight

When you first move off to college you're told that these will be the best years of your life and that they'll be gone before you know it. Ring by spring is something freshmen girls giggle about, sophomores roll their eyes at, juniors secretly hope for, and seniors either celebrate or ignore. Somewhere along the way I fell into each of those categories. Reflecting now I praise God for the place I'm at in life, ringless but content and blessed to have learned from each of my experiences.

Second semester arrived and graduation was just around the corner. We dove head long into the final stretch then suddenly it appeared! In March I had an encounter with a city that has left me and my future forever changed. I packed my bags and hopped a plane, never guessing that Seattle would become my next huge destination.

In choosing Seattle, I had to learn to let go. I'm learning to let go of the things I've worked so hard to build up on my own. My personal measures of success, safety, and security. I had made my bed and was curled up in it quite comfortably, but when I asked for Him to put a yes in my heart I never imagined I would be saying yes to this city.

Remember earlier how I said I was frustrated that there were no more tears? God's been teaching me something about that, too. Yes, I am sad that this season is over and I have so many good things to leave behind, but I believe that this next season, this next city, is exactly where He wants me to be. Why cry? Why mourn? He has given me a peace in this transition, peace that I've prayed for!

He has promised adventure and I want to take it. I want to let go of my fears, faults, failures, and embrace His freedom. I was reading in Romans yesterday and found the verse in the image above.

"God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!"

Romans 8: 14, The Message

I believe it and I'm after it! Learning to let go has been heard and it will continue to be, but it is worth it. He is worth it. And He has shown Himself faithful!