Moving

It has been my experience
 that the adventure is nearly always,
worth it.

It's a good thing I was sitting down when Handsome told me the news:

"The moving company could only do it Monday.  They'll unpack on Tuesday."

I felt a thousand bricks land on my heart and saw a tidal wave of anxiety on the horizon.  My hand landed softly on my chest, and pressed hard to hold back the wave.  I sat for a moment in the stillness.

One week.

That's all I have left here.

Like a fish out of water, I forgot how to breathe for a moment, but I fought to remember that Grace held me and holds me still.  And a strange mix of excitement and sadness rose up from inside of me, swirling together like the jam I mixed into my yogurt this morning.

Then chaos and a thousand memories swept over me and I felt, for the first time, that we were leaving this place.  It is one thing to know--because I have done that for some time--but quite another to feel as I am doing now.

It's not holy ground, but it feels like it sometimes.  So much of my heart is tied here, so many memories are anchored to these buildings and walkways and trees, and there is a part of me that wonders if I'll ever return, if it will ever be the same again?

On the threshold of adventure, I know, it has to feel this way.

A grain of wheat has to fall to the ground and die, before it can realize its full potential.  So, here we go.  We leave and we let this part of our lives live on in memories, because we trust and we know that the next part is worth it.


Handsome and I will be moving close to our families, where we both have Engineering jobs (PTL!), and, hopefully, an exciting future in the next stage of our lives.

Blessed to Call these Women "Mom"

This mother gave me life, and a life in the most selfless
way possible.  I am forever grateful and thankful for your
sacrificial love and the example you've set.

She changed my diapers, put me in time-out, taught me to
sew and canoe and all-the-other-important-skills-a-girl-needs,
wiped away my tears and listened to my hopes and dreams.
She's my biggest cheerleader and the one who will tell me
the truth, even if it hurts.
She gave me herself.

I'm also thankful for the newest mother in my life...
My mother-in-law who has been a gift to Handsome,
and, in turn, to me.
She is a wonderful hostess and an excellent listener,
with a great sense of humor!  Such a joy to be around!

This post is part of the:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/05/what-every-mother-has-to-know-before-mothers-day/

Making the Most of It

In March of 2009, I went on a study tour of Israel.  It was a 10-day trip, 7 days on the ground, hiking "the best of the lands" and being taught scripture where it happened.  In March, and basically no other time of the year, Israel is green, lush and about 70 degrees--it was beautiful!

This one's not green, I know.  It's in En Gedi, where David hid from Saul.

Well, the weather was beautiful all but one day.  The first day we were in Jerusalem in rained... and rained... and rained.  But that didn't stop us (most of us).  I was soaked to the bone and shivering... and that was all that I could think about.

Not that I was in Jerusalem (the holy city!)...

Not that I should soak this up because I may never go to Jerusalem again (please let it not be so!)...

No, all I could think about was that I was cold and wet.  All I could think about was my own personal comfort and how much I wanted to get back on the bus, better yet, back to the hotel where it was warm and dry.  (Gosh, I'm so mature...)

As I end my last semester of college, this is the story that comes to mind.  And these are the things I'm wondering:

• How much did I miss that day in Jerusalem, because my focus was off?  
• Where is my focus now and am I missing anything because of that?
• How can I make the most of the little time that I have?

With our rain gear on, touring the Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem)

May you make the most of your day, friend!