Me!

 Wake up, O Sleeper!  Rise and Awake!  Heaven is calling, no time to waste.

“Me” is such a small word – two little letters.  But when those two letters are put next to each other, the magnitude of that word can neither be comprehended nor captured.  For in those little letters lies my dreams, my passions, my hopes, my faith, my loves, and my hobbies.  It houses, at the core, the very depth of who I am – what drives me and moves me and guides my decisions – things that I still am trying to understand.  So at the risk of this blog sounding somewhat like the “25 random things” survey on facebook, here is my attempt at defining the two little letters:

I love the beauty of God’s creations.   I love the details and intricacies in each one – like the stripes on a zebra, or the beak of a hawk, or the blooms of the flower, or the power in the tide.  I love how he thought of everything and I love that Job says that “these are but the outer fringe of his works” (Job 26:14).  The outer fringes!  I am blown away by that even still, as I look out my window and watch a robin build his nest on the porch and the sun call out the spring blooms. 

 

I love that, however brilliant these creations are, that I am even more so delighted in.  I love that He created me with such an amazing purpose and love that it is sometimes overwhelming, but mostly, hard to find words to capture. 

 

I love being outside and basking in the glory of each of His creations.  Simply soaking in their proclamations of His glory.  I love hiking.  And biking.  And camping – especially, the campfires and s’mores!  And really anything else outdoors, where I can fully experience the symphony of His glory.

 

I love being surprised by His goodness.   I love that He took a chance on me, found me in the depths of my destruction and loved me anyway, and continues to do so.  I love that my story is a story of His redemption and His power.  And I love that He invites us to call that out in others.   I love that He has taken me on such an amazing journey of discovering His goodness and grace and love.  And I love the fact that that journey will be a lifelong one.

I love learning.  I am quite a nerd actually!  I love teaching  and encouraging others to live out their potential in who Christ has made them to be.  I am glad that God’s ways are higher than mine – because all I wanted to do was teach kids about science and now I get to teach about the greatest thing I know – Jesus. 

 

I love kids.  Love them.  I love their authenticity, their sense of wonder, and how they love fun.  I love that I have had an amazing opportunity to love on and help build foundations for kids for 7 years.  The hardest thing I have ever done is working to that end for kids in government housing.  It has also been the best thing I have ever done!

 

Two of my favorite people are my nephews, Ryan and Braden.  I am not sure I have felt that kind of love until they entered my life. I love to hold their hands in mine and lead them on an “ahventah”, as Braden calls them.  Exploring and laughing and playing with them is probably one of my favorite things.   Can’t wait for Haylee to join us.

I love to read.  But if I were honest, I would have to admit that I have about 15 books on my shelves that I have started and haven’t finished.  Not something that I enjoy about myself.   I also love to journal.  Especially as I work my way through the brilliant nuggets of scripture. 

 

I love driving with the windows down.   And wildflowers on the side of the road.  I love sleeping.  I love dogs.  I wish I liked coffee because you automatically look cooler with a cup in your hand.  But I do like hot tea, thanks to my Scottish friends.  I love podcasts, especially by Louie Giglio, Erwin McManus, Steven Furtick, Donald Miller, and Francis Chan.  I am generally late most of the time.  Something I don’t enjoy about myself.  I’m not good at spelling.  I love movies, the game whoonu and chapstick.  I am a fan of low tide and recycling and get made fun of for it, a lot.  I am a recovering perfectionist.  I have a bucket list. I love fall and spring.  I miss my Uncle.  I wish I could dance and paint, not necessarily at the same time!

 

I have amazing people in my life that God has used to mold and shape me and prepare me for what is ahead.  I am both excited and scared about this upcoming adventure – it generally depends on the day and whether I am believing truth or lies!