the golden year

Images found {here}
Today I turn twenty-two on the twenty-second- the golden year. I woke up this morning more aware of the indescribable love of my God and family and friends than ever before. So thankful for twenty-two sweet years, my heart is very full today. A card I got this morning sums my feelings and hopes for the coming year:

"Walk in grace.
Be kind. Be wise.

See God's world with caring eyes.

Have a hopeful point of view.

Life is a gift."

thankful heart (warning: a sentimental post)

Tonight I am thankful for the comfort I find in friends from home. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea how we all met and fell into place together as a group. Sometimes we're absolute opposites that have much to learn from each other and at other times complete kindred spirits bound by our hearts. (It also feels good that they too, have no idea what they're doing after graduation, sometimes it really does feel like you're the only one...) Only a perfect Creator could have put us together and after two weeks, I'm once again, not ready to say good-bye.

I'm off to San Antonio to experience the new year and witness a new beginning for my dear, sweet, beautiful, lovely big, Kristen and her Joey. I can't think of a better way to spend the first days of year than dancing, laughing, eating, and celebrating the new Mr. and Mrs. Aviles.

Blog, I'll see you in 2010!

for these i am thankful..

Beyond the clear and obvious that I am thankful for this year(my relationship of love, grace and salvation with I Am, my family, friends, and good health) here are a few silly (and not so silly) things for which I too, am thankful for:

coffee, happy hour at Common Grounds, red leaves, scarves, Glee, the possibility of Paris, Lolita's breakfast burritos, hydrangea, Gossip Girl, internships at Fort Worth, Texas Magazine and Catholic Charities, the style section of The New York Times, writing, the power of the written word, a free heart, ads for Tiffany & Co., new friends, $5 movies in Waco, gut packs from Vitek's, swings, blogs, flowers and headbands to wear in my hair, boots and tights, Sonic Happy Hour, weheartit.com, the beauty of nature, that New Moon the movie is way better than Twilight the movie, the budding success of Kate Leverenz Photography, the overflowing talent of Kate Leverenz, sunsets, windows, the feeling that comes from soaking up every moment of the last year of college, the ever fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker and her alter ego Carrie Bradshaw and the inspiration they provide, the bravery of David Crowder's music, days of class that don't start until 11 am, performing front row in Pigskin, shoes, canceled class, and

the fact that no matter how far I might run or hard I might try, God will always be there. No matter what I think I might have done, His grace is greater, His love is more crushing, and His presence is more powerful. That He is willing and wanting to make me more like his Son every day and that He is never willing to give up on me. It's more than I will ever deserve, more than I could ever put into words, and what I will probably spend the rest of my life trying to articulate.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2: 6-7

i see it in the sky

For the past week and a half I've been praying for God to give me his eyes to see what the future holds. Looking towards May, I feel like I'm being dropped by Baylor in the middle of a giant field at which point they're going to tell me "go."

Go where?

Do what?

That's up to me to figure out.

So, I've been praying. And not that I expected a James Earl Jonesish voice to call out while I walk to class but, I have to admit that I've kind of been nothing but frustrated. It may not be true, but it feels like everywhere around me, people's plans for the ever after beyond graduation are beginning to take form. And then there's me.

In the middle of the field.

Unsure and uncomfortable.

Yesterday when I woke up, the new familiar feeling of frustration was still there, but while getting ready I realized something. If you know much about me, you probably know that I love sunsets. I gawk at them, coo about them, and probably drive people crazy with my pictures. Nonetheless, they are a way that God speaks to me and shows me a glimpse of his true beauty.

What I realized yesterday morning was that for the past week, Waco has experienced a series of incredible sunsets. Every night, wherever I've been, I've rushed outside at the sight of pink and orange stretching across the sky. Then it hit me- even though I don't know where I'm going or what I'm going to do, if God gives me beautiful sunsets on a regular basis just because he knows how they speak to my heart, than certainly, he has a destination for me. I can't see it today, but I can see his beauty- that will have to be enough for this day.

To top it off, my dad sent this following quote to me at the end of last week (and I must say, he had no idea that these were the thoughts running through my head):

Augustine of Hippo; who when viewing a sunset in Africa long, long ago said,

"If these are the pleasures afforded sinful men, what does God have in store for those whose hearts are his?"

Let's go God. Bring it on, future.