yay pictures!

on a note totally unrelated to the pictures below, i would just like to say that it is cold. :) i am happy.

walking

you always hear people talk about their walk with God or walking with other christians, but so many times i think that we use that as one of our ready made church phrases that we can use, but have never taken the time to understand. i was walking to class today with a friend and i started to think about what it means to walk with someone. 

when you walk beside someone, it isn't just something that happens. there are so many little things to think about. you have to set a pace, one that you both are comfortable with. and you must agree on a destination, otherwise you either run into each other or begin to walk away. sometimes you only walk part of the way with someone, and then your paths split. does one person slow down so that the other can cross and front and go on their way, or does the person cross behind their companion? when you come to a door, does one person hold the door open for the other, or do they walk through themselves and pause to make sure the other has the door? 

then there are those funny situations that occur when people you don't know are walking around you. have you ever gotten stuck behind a slow walker when you have somewhere to be? it is one of the most frustrating things. today, a girl very slowly started walking in front of my friend and me, reading a newspaper as she walked. we had no way around her, and she was oblivious to the fact that we were there. 

walking with people is an experience. my mother always told me to walk with a purpose, to know where you are going and get yourself there. but then, sometimes the best experiences come from when you get lost or are just having fun. sometimes you need to have an adventure, and go on a walk with no planned destination to see where you end up. 

walking with someone implies a relationship. it is dynamic, always changing. it is an experience. often times, walking with someone makes you more conscious of them, and what they want. 

more random picture taking

some day, i will get a nice camera, and it will be fun. i really like taking pictures of things up close; finding a small part of a big thing and seeing it as beautiful. 

north campus

there is a tree on north campus near the chapel that has people's initials carved in it. i thought that it was cute. 

stars

so i went on a retreat this weekend with the ministry i have been getting involved in (ccf). it was awesome. it was cool to have some time to rest in Go'd's presence after having a very hectic week, and i got to build some amazing relationships. but one of the coolest things was star gazing at night.

a few of us went down to a field that was out of sight from the cabin lights. we were in north georgia, in the mountains, so there was no other light pollution. we lay in the field and just looked up at the sky. i honestly don't think that i have ever seen so many stars in my life. it was absolutely captivating, and such an impressive display of God's glory. i also saw several shooting stars.

i started to think a lot about the light pollution in my life; the light that is so close and bright that you can't see much light in the distance. i am always surrounded by thoughts of what i need to do, how i feel, how i think someone perceives me, and basically anything that has to do with me. i surround myself so much with of my own light, that i can't see very many stars. i can't see the people around me that are so brilliant and beautiful. i miss out on relationships, and fail to see God reflected in other's lives because i can't see past myself.

so what would happen if i could step out of myself, my light pollution, and look around. how many people would i be able to truly see for the first time?

little things

i randomly started taking some pictures around my building because i like editing stuff on iphoto. it was fun. yay.