Be Happy

This is my Be Happy Doodle. I did it about a month ago while watching Miracle on 34th Street with my dear siblings, who I miss terribly. 

On that note, I really do miss my family a lot! I mean I know they are far from perfect, and when I'm with them I'm frequently terrifically annoyed with them, but they're still wonderful, and they're still mine! I miss Megan's sarcasm, her imitations of people, and her jokes. She's always the life of the party. I miss being able to talk about girly things, but also deep things, with her. She's one of my best friends. I miss doing art with Jamie, music turned up loud, randomly headbanging (or in my case, hair-shaking) to his (sometime obnoxiously loud) screamo/metal music. I miss all our conversations, ranging from girls/boys to music to weapons. I miss Ashleigh's and her wonderfully dramatic personality. I miss watching her sit on the couch literally all week reading though all the Harry Potter books...even though she was only going to read the 4th one. I miss Lauren's chatterbox self, so different from the also incredibly quiet girl she can be. I miss hearing her talk about her rat or her classes and show me all her art (frequently "inspired" by whatever Jamie or I have recently done, but hey, imitation is the best form of flattery!). I miss dearest Alex, with his energy and adorableness. I miss "Alex hugs," even if he is getting a bit heavy to pick up and spin around! I miss hearing about what he's been doing at school, and how adorably generous he is with his money and crafts (oops, his teacher said they are not crafts, they're art projects. My bad). I miss deep conversations about theology with Dad, and hearing stories about how he met and fell in love with mom. And I miss my mommy, telling her every single detail about whatever happened in my day and her patient listening to my complaints or exciting stories. I miss them all, and summer feels so terribly far away! 

That's my little side-note about how much I love and miss my beautiful family (and they are all beautiful! Inside and out:). My doodle reminded me of them, but also of other things. Though it really was just doodling random patterns and thoughts and images on a nice white bit of paper, there's still a lot of what was on my mind down in images and text. 

Be happy, be free, trust. They all go together, I believe. Happiness, true happiness (in other words, joy), is found in trust. And trust brings freedom. In my world, that trust has to be on Jesus. This was the theme of David Flammer's discussion at Passage yesterday. It was great, and difficult, to hear, because as I listened, I realized that trust is actually a way bigger issue in my life than I had ever realized. 

I mean I've always known I had some trust issues. I have them with other people, though I'm getting better, assuming that no one really wants to be friends with me, and that every friendship I have is destined to die sooner or later. It just happened so many times before. 

I have issues trusting God, too. I mean I really do trust Him, but it's hard to give everything to Him. I want to hold onto little bits, not let Him have it all, just incase. Or, I'm not willing for Him to do anything He wants, I trust Him to a certain point. "Jesus, You can have it all, do whatever You want with my life...except ______." That's something I've been dealing with a bit this week. I was trying to leave situations in His hands, but afraid of outcomes I didn't want. There has to be an utter willingness and surrender to whatever His plan is. We have to truly know and believe that His plans are best, even if we can't see it right away. 

Because God is good, and God is great, and God is powerful, all-knowing, and His plans are perfect. 

Another point of contemplation in recent weeks, though, has been how exactly God can be good when, in the Old Testament especially, He orchestrates so many seemingly bad events (i.e. wars, death, destruction). In my heart, I know God is good. I know His plans are good. I know He is merciful, just, compassionate. I know these things, but this knowledge clashes with what I'm reading, and the Bible is God-breathed, true, and infallible, right? 

Here's what I concluded (and I could be so off-base with this, so if I am...set me straight!) My definition of good is different from God's. It's in terms I can understand with my human mind and vocabulary. God is good, and good doesn't just mean positive events. God's good is looking at the whole situation, beginning to end, timeless. I see a little snippet of the plan from one angle, one snapshot of a long film. God sees the whole thing, not as a progressing film, but as an already painted picture, and he sees it from every angle, not just through one lens. So God is good, but in my human understanding of the world, I can't fully comprehend His goodness, righteousness, faithfulness, greatness, mercy, compassion, grace, and justice. 

And the bottom line is that Jesus is love. That's the basis, the foundation, what we truly should focus on. And our trust and faith in Him should stem from that knowledge of His love. He loves us, therefore, His will is good, His plans are good, and He is good, so we can, and should, trust Him with everything. And in the moments where we can't seem to trust Him, we must pray like the father in Mark 9, "I do believe! Help my unbelief!" I do trust, help my inability to trust.

Annie Leibovitz

 "I sometimes find the surface interesting. To say that the mark of a good portrait is whether you get them or get the soul - I don't think this is possible all of the time."

Annie Leibovitz wasn't always Annie, as a child she was known as Anna-Lou. Growing up in Connecticut, she moved to California to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. Though she began studying painting, she soon developed a deep passion for photography. 

 

There are many different kinds of photographers. Some are more photojournalistic, documenting the moments and memories as they happen. Portrait photographers sometimes set their sights at the soul of the sitter, rather than the sight, while others focus on the outward appearance. There are nature, fashion, macro, animal, advertisement, the list of possible approaches to the world through the lens of a camera goes on and on. 

 

In Annie's work I see a bit of that beginning as a painter. Annie's trademark is bold colors and surprising poses. This also hints at a background in painting, filling the picture plane with bright colors and bold moves. She loves to set the scene. Many of her portraits are interactive, forcing the sitter to be a part of the photo, not just in the photo. A great example of this is her famous portrait of the late artist Keith Haring. He painted himself like one of his own canvasses for the portrait. 

 

Many of Annie's photos are set in elaborate portraits. It isn't just a picture, it's an entire production, lights, camera, and action. She recently did an entire series for Disney Theme Parks, featuring celebrities as well-known and adored Disney characters. The sets are incredible, the behind-the-scenes photos as amazing as the final product. 

 

Some of her work is more simplistic, some is controversial. One of her most famous works features Yoko Ono and John Lennon, John is nude, wrapped around Yoko's clothed form. This simple photo is without dramatic props or colors, but it shows the relationship between the two clearly. Another simple, more recent, photo, was the controversial nude photo of Miley Cyrus. While Annie viewed the photo as a beautiful, natural photo of the then fifteen-year-old star, fans, or rather the mothers of fans, were not as thrilled with the image. 

 

The masterfully created photographs bring moments and people to life. Annie's Disney photoshoot being a prime example. Moments previously only experienced through cartoon characters suddenly become real, experienced, appreciated, and loved by many. They're images I found on Pinterest many times, never realizing they were the creative expression of such a talented photographer.

Annie Leibovitz is not “just a photographer.” She is truly an artist, creating beautiful sets and forming imaginative and highly creative images. Her talent and skill allows her not just to document a moment, but to create the moment.

Redesign

So I've changed my project for my Photo Portfolio class about three times now, never truly settling on something I was really excited for, or had a real concept of where it was going. I've changed it, yet again, but this time I feel much more connected with and excited about my new direction.

Buttons, ticket stubs, abandoned earrings or broken paper clips, things are lost everyday. Dropped to the ground and forgotten about, slipping out of a pocket or from an ear, they've become lonely, homeless objects. As I find these things on the ground, in an empty room, on an abandoned table, or wherever, I will pick them up. By doing so, I redefine the object. I give it an importance again. Something lost or unwanted is not wanted, owned again. I'll photograph all the objects, most likely using black and white and a macro lens, to abstract the objects and bring them all together through the monochrome palette.

Screaming, Shouting, Calling Loudly, or a Whisper in Your Ear

Some parts of the Bible I have read so many times my worn-out and deeply-loved book just naturally falls open to them. Some areas are a rainbow of purple, pink, red, blue, and orange high-lighters and pens. Verses are underlined, notes are written in the margins, little drawings and doodles fill the edges of some pages. But some areas are barely touched, especially in the Old Testament. The New Testament frequently just seems so much more applicable to my life, and I just love reading about Jesus and the works and wonders His disciples did during and after His physical time here on earth.

One Old Testament part of the Bible that has been well-worn with reading is Ezekiel 18. The chapter is covered in neon-yellow highlighter and black underlining of verses I wanted to draw even more of my attention towards. So, I figured I should check out the rest of Ezekiel, because I haven't read it enough to remember what it is really about.

From my understanding of the first chapter, Ezekiel is written by the prophet Ezekiel, so far about his mission to speak God's words to the rebellious nation of Israel.

Now first I'll just say that Chapter 1 was super cool. But it's not what I'm writing about right now, though I probably will some other time. So you should definitely go read it, because it was just awesome! My favorite line was, "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him [God]." So awesomely poetic and such a beautiful description of the glory of God.

The whole point of the first chapter is God revealing Himself to Ezekiel as He gives Ezekiel the words to say to the rebellious Israelites. In chapters 2 and 3, He gives Ezekiel instructions on how he is to give the information to the people. He then gives Ezekiel some warnings,

"When I [God] say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' ad you [Ezekiel] do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself."

Wow. Reading this I was just like, "Oh crap, I'm screwed." Because how many people do I know who are living very deeply in sin and I don't do or say anything?

But the question is, what to really do? I struggle with this so much. On the one hand, we are instructed very blatantly in the Bible to preach the Good News to all mankind, spread the truth about God's love and grace and mercy. So really what I personally struggle with is what that looks like 2,000 years later. The instructions are the same, but the application is different...it has to be, this is a different world.

Standing on a street corner proclaiming the Good News won't really attract much of an audience. Well, it might, but mostly they're there to mock and scorn. Not that we can't endure these things, we definitely should! It just won't be making much of a difference. Walking around handing out tracts and asking people what they believe and then telling them they are sinners and destined for Hell without the salvation from Jesus we want to tell them about also doesn't do a lot (can you tell I strongly dislike the form of "ministry"?). These aspects of outreach, that used to be quite functional, now turn people away, feed the stereotypes about Christianity.

Salvation is about a person's heart, we can't make anyone believe in God. All we can do is tell people about Jesus, His beautiful sacrifice, and come along side to encourage people that the lifestyle they are living is wrong. But how to do that last part without being judgmental? How to lovingly tell people they are in the wrong without sounding stuck-up and holier-than-thou?

This verse in Ezekiel is a good reminder to be living an active Christian life. Sitting on the sidelines, praying and going to church, and watching all the lost souls pass you by is not the way we are to live. We are to be out there, caring not for ourselves, but for everyone around us. Pouring ourselves, our lives, and our love into those around us and not worrying about what we have or don't have. We shouldn't be worrying about our strengths or weaknesses, God will always provide what we need. Like Moses when he was sent to preach to the Egyptians, he was not a good orator, and he tried to use that as an excuse for why God shouldn't send him...so what did God do? He sent Aaron, Moses' brother, along for the ride. Moses told Aaron what to say, as he was gifted in public speaking. God will always provide.

I guess the key is to not be afraid. Not to fear what others will think, not to care if we are labelled as "Jesus-freak" or whatever. To live a life like we are called to in the Bible, one full of love for others. According to James, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep one-self from being polluted by the world."

So I don't think we should be running around sticking our noses in people's business and informing them of every aspect of their life that is sinful. I think we should first of all be a good example, living as sinless of a life as we can, which can only be accomplished through Jesus, because we are incapable of this feat on our own. But accompanying that, humility is key. Admitting when we sin, which if we really face it, is daily, and then repenting. And not just to God, but before other people as well, so others can see that we see ourselves as broken, sinful, and in desperate need of a savior.

We should be telling others as much as we can about Jesus. That could be through actual words, or through the life we live. Striving to be like Jesus, to care for others far more then ourselves, to give up our time and resources for others, so be joyful and filled with the light of Jesus, people will see a difference in us. And then we have to again be humble, and always give the credit to God.

And when a door is opened to say something, to share faith, to tell someone they are in the wrong, we must act upon that. We have to ask God for the strength to cast off fears of judgment or loss of friends and just be who He wants us to be. No inhibitions. God will always help us and be along side us in our times of need. He's just that awesome. And our life should be spent telling everyone we know about Him.

Catch Me

     One of the hardest things in the world is trust. This simple, but difficult action is exhibited in tons of leadership trainings or kids games when you close your eyes and fall backwards into the arms of someone standing behind you. You can't see them, but you put your faith in them and trust they'll stand strong and catch you when you let go. It's one of the simplest, most difficult concepts to ever grasp.

     It's hard to trust other people. Broken hearts and past pains can create a barrier, fears of "what if" and "but last time" crowd in like weeks and smother the little shoot of trust trying so desperately to create roots and grow big and tall.

     If it's hard to trust other people, who we can physically see, touch, and hear...how much harder is it to trust someone you can't physically interact with?

     Trust is hard for me. I tend to air on the side of way-too-cautious. Everytime someone is upset, I assume it is with me. I expect to mess up, say or do something wrong, and destroy the relationship. I'm hesitant to share my feelings or just pour my heart out because I assume no one really cares about what I have to say. My feelings and thoughts and hurts aren't worth listening to, I'm wasting their time.

     Now I know these things aren't true, and in the past months and years God has worked on me so greatly to change my assumptions that I am worthless and unwanted. But Satan still knows where my insecurities lie, and he picks at them like an old cut you never allow to fully heal whenever my guard is down or defenses low.

     So fully and completely trusting God, that can be hard. I mean He isn't someone we can perceive with our senses. We can feel Him in our hearts, hear His beautiful voice in our minds, and see the way He interacts with the world. We see, hear, taste, and smell the world He has created. For those who believe in Him, we know that these things are Him, choosing not to believe the excuses and explanations others come up with about how the world was created, karma, or coincidences that occur to make miraculous-seeming events take place.

     But it can be so, so hard to put utterly complete faith in anyone, especially God. For an independent, self-reliant person, it's even more difficult. I don't like admitting I'm not strong enough or knowledgeable enough to do something. I'll be carrying a box nearly as heavy as I am, knees buckling under the weight, and still assert that I'm fine and don't need help. I don't like to be weak. I don't like to have to depend fully upon others.

     I love depending on God, though. I've discovered that some of the most beautiful, peaceful moments are when I realize my weakness and inability, finally admit to them, and then lean fully on God. Just let go, fall backwards, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will be there to catch me.

     Relationships are all about trust, especially the one with Jesus. Faith that He is there, and then trust that He cares and is there for us no matter what, even when we've abandoned Him, stopped putting out trust and faith in Him, He's still there. Putting our faith entirely in Him, not worrying about the "what if's" or "maybe's" and fully relying on Him will take a lifetime. We will never be perfect, we will never be sinless, and we will never be fully without doubt. It's part of our sinful nature. But what we can do is put our entire being into trying to be perfect, trying to be sinless, and trying to live fully reliant on Him. We have to also realize, though, that we are incapable of this, and that in order to really live a life that trusts God, we have to give up our desire to be strong and independent and lean fully on Him, the God who loves us so much He sent His only son to die for us, the Jesus who will forever and always be our very best friend, and catch us every time we fall, whether we know we are falling or not. 

A Something of Things. I Don't Know.

My favourite something from yesterday was something blue

Not just blue, cerulean

clear, clean, crisp

like a perfect fall sky

Or maybe, it was yellow

Pale and warm

like fresh, soft, creamy butter

Or perhaps it was red

Bright, brilliant, and crimson

like donated blood in a little glass vial

Or was it green, 

a sort of turquoise

Maybe orange or purple or magenta

What as the color?

What was the thing?

This something of things

that so struck me

and became

my favourite something from a yesterday

What was it? Where? and Why?

I don't know,

I don't know

I don't know

Richard Avedon

"Avedon was known for his ability to lay bare the souls of his subjects, often photographing them against totally white or otherwise stark backgrounds."

After watching a documentary on famous fashion photographer and artist Richard Avedon in class last week, I feel inspired. His work was incredible.

He shot amazing fashion photography. Bringing in the concept of movement, his models are frequently seen leaping about, dancing for the camera, flying off the page. The motion captured is exquisite. There is such stunning sharp contrast in the black and white photographs. They are each a work of art in and of themselves. Hair and dresses take on a life of their own as Avedon caught their movement. He says it was all like a game, you had to anticipate every movement. By the time the movement had happened, it was too late to capture it. You had to guess when and where things would happen, and then snap away.

Not only did Avedon bring new life and meaning to fashion photography, but he took the most incredible portraits I've ever seen. They were beautiful, yes, but not only that. They were stark, frightening, saddening, soul-bearing, stunning, gorgeous, and so very real. His portraits were shot against white backgrounds, no props, nothing to take away from the person he was photographing.

He sought to capture in his photo the truest form of that person. People who were showy or generally extroverted, he found their quiet, shy, introverted self and captured that moment of vulnerability.


Vulnerability. I think that's the element that his portraits had that made them so unique, so gorgeous in their own right, so impossible to duplicate. He didn't just bring someone in and take a few photos of them that made them look beautiful and glamorous. He got to know them. Some people he covertly watched before shooting them. He knew what they liked and disliked, he knew the personality they showed to the public, and that let him figure out the vulnerable and hidden side.

His portraits show so much emotion, so much joy or grief, passion or boredom, quiet or exuberance. They are very real. The shots were often quite close to the subject's face, showing wrinkles and scars and imperfections, the things that make a person beautifully unique.


Avedon took the most stunning portraits I have ever seen. His work is very inspirational. I want to shoot more portraits now, and pursue my love of focusing closely on one part of the body, especially the face. His trait of capturing the soul of a person in his photograph is something I want to study and learn to replicate in some way. To achieve his level of greatness and skill seems impossible, but one can always work towards an impossible goal. It may never be reached, but at least one will get better by trying.

 
( http://www.richardavedon.com/#p=-1&a=-1&at=-1 )

The Beatles Had It Right

So I was reading in James today, James 3 to be exact, and James 3:17 stuck out to me especially...

"But wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

Wisdom is something I have been praying for a lot recently, but I think I had it wrong. When I thought of wisdom I was thinking of it as a more knowledge-based concept. Wisdom meaning knowing, being aware of God's plans or more aware of who He is, being able to understand the difficult concepts of His Word. This passage says that wisdom is so much more than that, it isn't just a part of your life, it's a lifestyle.

It is pure. This could be interpreted to mean so many things, but I think it applies a lot to ones thoughts and actions, to keeping sin out of ones life. Of course this isn't possible, sinlessness is an impossible perfection to achieve. The inability to ever be sinless does not mean it one shouldn't strive for it, though! Purity in spirit, in mind, and in deed should be something we search for and strive to have in our lives.

Wisdom loves peace. That seems pretty straightforward, right? But I think it's a lot more complex than we may immediately realize. Peace-loving means conflict-hating. Easy, right? We hate war and fights, most people do. But there's more. To hate conflict means hating arguments and strife. It also means working to avoid those things. This is definitely something I need to work on, especially with my family. As the oldest sibling, I am used to being in charge and right. And I want to be right. When someone says something I don't agree with, I'm quick to contradict them. I give my opinion freely, even when it isn't wanted. Rather than walking away from an argument, I want to win it. These are not the actions of one who hates conflict and loves peace! If we really analyze our lives, we will see how often we go towards conflicts, though on a smaller scale than a world war. Peace-loving means giving up our pride and desire to be right, not saying or doing things that could start discord, and sometimes just letting things slide.

Wisdom is considerate. That means putting others first. As Christians there's a pyramid of importance and who the most attention should be paid towards. Jesus is first. Others are second. We are last. We're the lowest on the totem-pole, the one who should be put last. My parents always told me as I was growing up, "others first!" This was such an annoying thing. It meant I had to let others pick a cookie first, or what crayon color they wanted, or which picture they wanted to color. Often times this meant they picked the biggest cookie that I had my eye on first, or the color or picture I had been dying to use. Others first didn't really benefit me, but maybe in the grand scheme of things it did. If I had taken the time to notice, and maybe I did, I can't remember, me not getting the picture I wanted meant someone else did, and that meant someone else got a lot of joy from it. So maybe in the moment I wasn't satisfied, but making someone else happy is so much more satisfying in the grand scheme of things than the momentary pleasure I could have gotten from the biggest cookie. The cookie gets eaten, and its gone. You won't remember the size of it later. But the look of joy on someone's face when you let them have the biggest one, that will last far, far longer. Putting others interests before your own, thinking about others feelings, and choosing to think of how your actions will affect others...that's wisdom.

What else? Wisdom is submissive. Ooooh. That's a hard one. Especially for girls, I think. There's such a negative connotation with the word. Submitting to someone seems like just giving up your will, letting someone control you, not being a free individual. We really cherish our freedom and individuality. I don't think that's what this verse is saying. I think it is a lot more about humility, listening to authority, and humbly accepting punishment when we have done wrong. It's about letting people speak into our lives when we are straying from God and listening to them. It's also about submitting to authority, whoever or whatever it may be. It's not bout giving up our freedom, it's about being respectful and humble.

Wisdom, too, is merciful. This is one of the primary characteristics of God, which we are to embody. I don't know all of what being a merciful person entails, but I think a big part is caring for others and forgiving. It's like when I was a little kid. My parents gave us spankings when we had done something wrong that merited more than a little "talking to." Sometimes, though, we didn't have to receive the spanking. We definitely deserved it, and we knew it. That was the justice. We had done something wrong and we were to get our just deserve. If we were given "mercy" every time, it wouldn't be mercy. We would know we weren't going to actually get in trouble and our bad behaviour would only increase. Every once in awhile, though, receiving forgiveness without the punishment was merciful. We truly appreciated this grace, not having to receive the punishment we knew we deserved. That's merciful. Forgiving others and caring for others is part of wisdom. If we see someone who deserves to be in the sad state they are in, we can mercifully still love them. We can give money or food to the homeless, we can help people in prison. We can accept people for who they are, no matter what their sins or sinful pasts are. That's what Jesus does. He doesn't judge, he doesn't scorn, he doesn't condemn, he only loves.

Wisdom is full of good fruits. When I read this my mind immediately jumped to the Fruits of the Spirit, so here they are:

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-control

Wisdom is impartial. I take this to mean it does not show favoritism. This means being fair and just. Not helping one person because you like the way they dress or the style of their hair more than the other. We are to love all equally, no matter what their past, present, or potential future may be.

Wisdom is sincere. So be real. Don't hid behind a veil of perfection, sinlessness, or godliness. Don't pretend you are rich. Don't act like one person in one place, and another somewhere else. Don't pretend you aren't a Christian in some circles for fear of what some may think. Don't change who you are for the people you are with. Be real. Be yourself. Admit your faults, sins, and imperfections (because everyone has them, especially me). Live a life for Christ and don't ever hid Him. So I guess, just be true. Don't lie or falsify who you are or what you believe in. What you say in one group, say in another group. Who you are around one person, be around everyone else.

So wisdom isn't just some magical thing that God only grants to a select few. It is definitely something to pray for, and something to work towards. It isn't one quality in and of itself, it is a whole host of things that every Christian should incorporate into their lives. It's not a trait, it's a lifestyle. So live a life of purity, love of peace, consideration, submissiveness and respectfulness, mercy and good fruits, impartiality, and sincerity, and above all else, love people and Jesus with all you have in you. The Beatles had it right..."love is all you need."

The snow is falling,
falling,
falling.

Gently whispering,
sweetly kissing the ground.

Wet spots on dark windows,
piles of white outside doors.

Shimmering, sparkling
in the light.

Glowing, glistening,
on foggy winter windows.



Lit like gleaming glitter
under lights in the night sky.

Slipping,
falling,
trudging.

A trail of prints,
leaving our mark in the pure, white snow.

Jesus is Greater than Religion

I really have nothing to add, this video says it all. Just click on the link below the image and please, pretty please, watch it.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY

Snow

A layer of perfection, white sprinkled over every surface. Shimmering in the street lights, sparkling on the roads.

Love, Jesus

Come to Me for rest and refreshment.  The journey has been too much for you and you are bone weary.  Do Not be ashamed of your exhaustion.  Instead see it as an opportunity for Me to take charge of your life.
Remember that I can fit everything into a pattern for good, Including the things you wish were different.  Start with where you are, in this time and space, accepting that this is where I intend you to be.  You will get through today one step, one moment at a time. Your main responsibility is to remain attentive to Me, letting Me guide you through he many choices along your pathway.

This sounds like an easy assignment, but it is not. Your desire to live in My Presence
goes against the grain of "the world, the flesh, and the devil".  Much of your weariness results from your constant battle against these opponents.  However, you are on the path of My choosing, so do not give up! Hope in Me for you will again praise Me for the help of My Presence.

Here and Now

It's really great to be back. The mountains are so beautiful, as always. Sunsets are infinitely more spectacular, sunrises equally awe-inspiring. The air in Colorado is crisp, fresh. It feels more alive. The past days have been unbelievably warm for winter, and today the first snow of 2012 graced Denver's bare wintry trees and eager earth.

The best part of being back, though, is friends. A few nights ago we spent hours sitting on the floor of someone's room, watching New Girl, various music videos, taking quizzes to ascertain which house in Hogwarts we would have been sorted to, looking up the history of hipsters, and rating our own varying levels of hipster-ness. Last night we all watched Lord of the Rings and sat around making immature jokes and laughing to the point of tears. I haven't laughed that well in a long time.

I love my friends, floormates, suitemates, and most of all my dearest roommate-and-best-friend-in-the-world. They are people around whom I can be fully myself, there is no worrying about what people think of me. I'm completely accepted for who I am, which is one of the most freeing experiences in the world.

It's so good to be home.

My Top Ten Photos (for now)

My favorite photos change so often, but here are 10 of my favorites for now. It was so hard to pick!