"the art of deep seeing makes gratitude possible."

this quote came to my mind in the middle of the day yesterday.  wednesdays are usually hard days for me.  i'm not sure why.  they just usually aren't my favorite.  but when this quote came to mind (likely not from my own mustering.. hmm..ehem, *God*), i decided that for the rest of the day, my eyes would see things deeply.

deep seeing:

like unoccupied benches in the wilderness to read in weather that lets you
like hibbard's brilliant orange against the sky's brilliant blue
like stumbling upon jazz night in the cabin
like meeting with friends in the middle of the day at a public university to read and ruminate on God's word
like yui, with his sunglasses inside like a diva (:
like lynette, a caf worker who stands in the same spot every day and remembers my name
like windows that let in the golden hour light in the hibbard penthouse
like friends standing for freedom
like the lyrics "Your name is like honey on my lips, Your Spirit like water to my soul"
like night class getting out early and walking up the hill in light

i am no expert at deep seeing.  if anything, most of the time my eyes are bent towards whining.  but would you, along with me, ask God for eyes that see deeply today, friend? 

deep seeing makes gratitude possible.
deep seeing makes gratitude possible.

i was thinking today: i am thankful that God is God.  because there are so many hearts that hurt in the world.  so many fragile hearts.  and we are just people and people are messy and we get things wrong a lot and hurt each other and we were never meant to be the ones to be responsible to hold human hearts.  human hearts are fragile and we were never meant to hold them.  there is only one who is... and He's really good at holding them all.

and we're all just little children.  we don't know.  i don't know.  i need God's direction.  His guidance.  today i felt it especially.  i am a little child.

tonight, hearing the intervarsity large group community sing amazing grace so loud that our worship leader quieted his voice because he noticed it too was the most beautiful thing.

i am currently sitting in my peaceful room, with the twinkly lights on, and the window open, and it's night-spring-air-breezy, and i'm listening to this song and this one too, oh and especially this one, and i guess i am just utterly content right now.  wish i could pour ya a cup of black coffee and you'd sit here too, dear reader!  it's just that enjoyable.  i hope you are knowing contentment right now.

for a long time i have felt drained of joy.  drained of life, really.  not motivated, not caring.  not breathing, not embracing. nada.  it was really concerning me. 

but today i felt joy.  slowly but surely, redeemed. 

that's all.
hey, best of all, God is with us!  don't forget!

^^i don't know, i just liked it^^

oh for the love! (:

my favorite part is at 1:10 (: ... wait, 2:10 too!  wait, 2:53!  oh wait, the whole thing!

i have this friend.  her name is holland.  not helen, not the place in the netherlands... holland.  she says 'zoombazoo' and is fluent in both english and spanish and she wears farm shirts and she makes everywhere she goes a home and she believes in humans and loves the rain even though she is like sun and she loves big, wide, and deep.  and it just makes sense that she would be born on valentine's day, because being with her is like getting hit over the head with a valentine all the time! (:  she notices and creates beauty everywhere she goes, because she herself is beautiful in a way that could only mean Jesus is inside of her. 

and yesterday, i got to not only celebrate LOVE on that favorite holiday of mine (besides christmas, and probably easter... okay, it's not my very favorite holiday, but it's up there! :)) but i also got to celebrate LIFE and beautiful living with some of my very favorite people!  holland turned twenty and that means we blindfolded her right up and took her on various surprises, and then to her final destination: a cozy sleepover!  she is one who sure lives life beautifully, and is most special to me!  so this day was JOY.




& i'm trying to get my foot in the door a little more with videography, so sorry not sorry for the quality (: i'll get better, promise!  but for now, hope you enjoy!


p.s. a little disclaimer: that is sparkling juice at the end.. not alcohol (notice the zoom in :)) ha

life is indeed worth celebrating.  thanks, Jesus, for holland and for life and love to the full.

a day to celebrate love?! are ya kiddin??  i'm ALL about that!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S, FRIENDS!

you are loved.

this song is from of one of my very favorite movies.. if you ever have the chance to watch "return to me," ya GOTTA!  the scene with this song in it is the happiest! and gosh i just love it.


happy night to you, friend!

:)

one thing that i have learned throughout living life is that the human spirit was made for adventure.
it comes out from within me more and more each day, it seems... this craving for adventure.

even if adventure means traveling to eau claire's neighboring town of the great altoona with family to go to altoona family restaurant because i'd never tried it (: or driving through minneapolis on a summertime night, or seeing the minnehaha waterfalls with a dear friend, or going to perkins late at night with friends for pumpkin pancakes on the weekend of homecoming, or days like today, when  i had about forty-five minutes before i would meet with a group for a project and had already done quite a bit of homework, so i sat down to just do some reading and journaling, but then i had the thought that this is prime time to sneak away and do something spontaneously adventurous with this joy-filled God that my heart beats for.  this thought made me visibly giddy... a spontaneous get-away adventure with this God who loves me??  i almost started skipping and jumping!  why don't i do this more??
and this little half-hour adventure of singing my silly heart songs to God in the snow-filled woods in the middle of the day did more for my heart than i can tell you! 

and i have learned that i am not alone in this.  i think this is a human condition.  i think this is a God condition, too.  i think He is a very adventurous God.  i think that's why He made the world so big and beautiful, with so many people... for us to discover & explore & find each other, and relish in creation and ultimately find Him through & within our exploration.

sometimes, you just need to take a big gulp of air to remind yourself that you are ALIVE, that God is good and life is beautiful.

so may i challenge YOU, this week, and for the rest of your lives, to GO... seek and explore and venture out into this big world that God has designed to bring you closer to Himself. <i honestly believe it revives the human heart more than anything else> and it brings you closer to other people, too... i learned this summer that taking risks and being in nature builds relationship and trust more than almost anything.

and here, my friends, are some of my favorite adventure pics to get inspired and GO!

happy venturing! (:

"i've closed my eyes, i'm taking His hand and i hear Him say... 'oh darling, let's be adventurers'"
-my dear friend, coral, an adventurous soul.

friends,
it would mean the world if you would watch this video that i got to create with my dear, and very talented, friend, becca.  this was a JOY.  click here: [thankfulness]
we really hope it blesses you and that wherever you are, you are able to pause, take a deep breath, and embrace the Creator's goodness.

this song makes me happy to be alive.
i think it's because it reminds me of IVLI this summer, and it particularly reminds me of this really wonderful moment when my dear friend, Manny, pulled out his phone while we were walking through the woods one day and played this song.  You guys, songs sound different when they're played in the woods.  Seriously. 
I'm convinced they're meant to be played in the woods.

Happy Friday, friends!
Enjoy that GLORIOUS sunshine.
I know I sure will!

Day Twenty-Two
22nd October 2013
Last night was my favorite.  Three friends and I ventured to Norske's Nook and ate pie (thus crossing off one of the items on my Eau Claire bucket list) and talked about happy things, (: like adventures we all want to go on.  But you don't understand... this was the BEST pie that I have ever had.. pretty sure the best pie that there is.  So, thanks, God, for really dear friendships and really great pie and for making a big world for us to explore.  Gosh, I really like my friends a lot.