embrace it.

Embrace LOVE today. Celebrate it. Whether you have a "valentine" or not, love should still be celebrated today. and ALWAYS.

It is freeing.
It is patient.
It's what makes the ups.
And gets you through the downs.
It's beautiful, and makes you come alive.
Love wins, always.
It bears all, endures all, hopes all and believes all.
We didn't choose love, it choose us. So we must walk in it.

You are loved today. You truly truly are. 

Wonderful lavender vanilla latte with my sweet sister, Morgan, on this beautiful Valentine's Day. And they even gave me a heart cup. How perfect!

"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have no love, I gain nothing."

{1 Corinthians 13:3}

celebrate the new & now

Isn't it a nice thought to know that we are never finished growing, maturing, molding into the person we are meant to be? I think it is. A lot of times I feel we get bogged down with the thought that we are to have it all together to do this or that, and in all reality we may never "have it all together". So we can't just wait to do what we feel like we should do because we are bound by something we have no control over. We are always learning and becoming better versions of ourselves, whether through experiences or just lessons in general. And that... is such a beautiful thing.

Why don't we take more chances?

So don't let your circumstances today hold you back from what you want to do. The Lord is so much greater. His sovereignty does not dissociate with our circumstances. Be wise, yes. But make the most out of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-16)!

(image from tumblr)

the magical tunes of...

...THE CIVIL WARS

Last night I was privileged to hear the beautiful melodious sounds of the The Civil Wars! These two, made up of John Paul White and Joy Williams, are insanely talented, and together form some sort of musical combustion. I haven't seen anything quite like it before; MAGIC, if you will. They just came out with a new album, "Barton Hollow", and it is wonderful. If you haven't checked them out before, please do... you won't be sorry!

Mr. John Paul White

Mrs. Joy Williams, cutest person on the planet (I'm convinced!)

beach vacay

I'm not one to jump at the first chance to go to the beach. However, lately... I've been dying to get there. Maybe just to experience some rest from the hustle & bustle, or maybe to get away from the dreary cold days. Soon enough hopefully, I'll be venturing down for some fresh salt air.

sense of urgency?

You know those times when something happens of the blue -- a death of a close family member or friend, a life threatening illness, a near death experience, a family issue, etc-- that really just gives you a great big reality check. Well, the end of last week was one of those times for me.

One of my roommates, Allie, got a call Friday letting her know that one of her very best friends from home was in the hospital with a rare (very serious) blood disease called TTP. Without going into all the medical details...it's not good. She contracted this disease from a parasite she got while visiting another country over Christmas break.

(Prayers are greatly appreciated for her and for her family and friends right now. Allie is currently there and is remaining there for awhile. We are just continually praying for strength and healing.)

...It really got me thinking. We, in general, always assume we have time. It's nothing that we consciously ever really think about. Like how many times do we say, "Oh I'll do that later," or "I'll tell him/her that later because it'll be a better time," or something might be "awkward" so you don't want to do. Or better yet, how many times do we not doing something in fear of what others think? You know, I bet we are all scared. The people I am scared of thinking a certain thing are probably scared of the exact same thing themselves. The thing is we don't know if there is going to be another time. As morbid as that sounds, we have lost a sense of urgency that is imperative to our being. Imperative to what the Lord has for us. 

I think often times we forget we are just a mist.

"How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone." [James 4:14]

"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath" [Psalm 39:5]

Through all of this I have been encouraged to make the most of every opportunity. To live more in a sense of urgency about things. Not fearing death, but celebrating life, and the time you do have. Not in a foolish manner, but in a fully alive one. I also challenge you to think, as I am myself... What does it truly mean to be fully alive in the LORD and let that be displayed in your own  everyday life?