parking deck

today i danced with You
on the empty top floor of a parking deck
when the morning mist still hung in the air.

We sang and danced and simply existed. together.
i breathed You in, cold winter air.
You ran through my reins
as my heart beat in time to Our song.

i sounded my yawp
and You echoed it in the wind,
sending it through the world we overlooked.

and in the soft light of the rising sun,
i was fully loved by You
and i was beautiful,
because You were with me.

family and crazy hats

a lot of my extended family came down to visit this weekend, and it was wonderful to get to see them all. they had come for my aunt’s surprise party, and then we celebrated my grandparent’s 45 wedding anniversary. that is very typical of my family: always having some sort of party. We have some of the weirdest traditions, like getting a crazy hat to wear on your birthday. If you ever wish to see our collection, feel free to ask. the ridiculousness of it is quite impressive.

on Sunday night, at the anniversary dinner, everyone was giving toasts. it started out serious, with my grandparents each saying something about their marriage and family, and then turned into a joke to see how many toasts could be given. (my cousin ryan wins the award by dramatically standing up and announcing, “you all are looking at me right now,” and sitting down again.) but what I began to realize that my grandparents have taught me is just how important family is.

for as long as I can remember, my grandmother has wanted nothing more than a picture of all of her grand children for christmas. when I was little, this only meant another painful session at the Picture People. but she truly doesn’t want anything more than to be with her family. at the surprise party for my aunt, she was so excited to see all of her siblings, nieces, nephews, even her great aunt. but the most beautiful thing was watching my grandfather in the background, as everyone hugged and squealed and said their hello’s, tearing up at the sight of his family together.

my grandparents have gone through some really hard times with their families growing up, in their marriage, with their children, and now with their nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. It certainly hasn’t been easy. but family isn’t something that you can get rid of. they are always there, and they may not show it but they always love. I think that is something that we tend to forget and undervalue.

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?