Much to be thankful for.

For Thanksgiving lunch at Del Taco.


For Kevin's giggles and mom's playfulness.


For unexpected photo opportunities involving breakfast burritos.


For little babies. And how they remind me to be vulnerable and have child-like faith.


For girls that know how to have fun and for apple pie carmel apples.


For Grammy's generosity and Taylor's warm heart.


For my soundboard and seasoned wisdom.


For spontaneous dance parties on the beach :)


Get low...


Come and get high...


For health and the ability to be active and pain-free.


For a someone who understands me - most of the time.


And who can be weird with me...


For animals. They make life chipper.


For baby cousins that erp on you.


And for places like this that serve as fun studying venues! First final is tomorrow... Community Health, here I come! ;)

Overwhelmed.

I am thankful this day because...

My life and my salvation is in you.

The richness of your love will always be enough.

In your presence I am made whole.

I have found rest in the one who saves.

Forever your love endures.

I wish this day and all my days...

To know the ways of your heart.







To all who read this, happy thanksgiving. I hope you know how fortunate you are. The mere fact that you're capable of reading this, with the use of a computer, implies that you are in the top 7% of the richest people in the world. America is blessed. Out of your thankfulness, may you give generously to those less fortunate.

Wamp. wamp.

This is my feeble attempt at avoiding my studies.


($6,000.00 a semester will officially buy you coloring time with paper plates!)






(They make me smile :) A LOT. I will surely miss them after May!)


(Homecoming weekend!)


(Float building + parade + sitting in the student section = one exhausting weekend!)






(Love much? I think so. :)


(Special birthday breakfast with a special girl!)






(October = Wedding month!)




(special time with the English fam! Impromptu sleep over much?)


(Another wedding! Tis the season to be married...)




(Rudy's for breakfast with the fam)

Direction.

Where am I going? I have not a clue.

What is in store for my future? Hmmm. Can't really answer that either.

What do I desire?

-I want my heart to be used for His people. Broken daily, only to be mended by my Creator in the night.

-I want to be poor, to be intentional in living a simple life. I do not wish to accumulate meaningless things in this world.

-I want to see the Spirit of the living God richly cultivated in the lives of those around me.

-I want my hands to be used to catch the souls of man.

-I wish to be frugal in my own life and generous in the lives of others.

-I want to be hungry, yet full of the Spirit all the days of my life.

-I want my feet to be used to deliver the gospel of peace.

-I want my hands to foster healing and my words to house encouragement. I want my smile to be used to warm even the coldest of hearts.

-I want my lips to abound with the fullness He offers. He fulfills. Like nothing in this whole world, He satiates that which your soul intrinsically desires.

-I want to lay down my desires for the sake of seeing His will for my life manifest.

-I want to be faithful, even in the face of persecution.

-I want to be BOLD. Bold, from the spirit of the living God dwelling in me. So bold that the spirit of fear has no reign in my life.

-I want to leave every comfort for the sake of sharing the love and hope of Jesus with those who do not know Him.

-I want to be steadfast in prayer and full of thanksgiving.

-I want to eat His words daily.

-I want to lose my life, that I may find it.

-I want to be sold out, wholly consumed with the blood and love and life of Jesus. Abiding in His grace, empowered by His spirit, moved to a state of perpetual worship, I want to be desperate for His presence. I want to share His story, His liberating pursuit for the hearts of people.

People get ready, Jesus is coming.

To dream and to love.

Stir in my soul

dreams as big as the love You offer,

for even the impossible dream is too small

for those You have created in your image.

Let me see through the impostors that knock forever

at the door of my soul, promising what only You can give.

Replace my small dreams with Your invitation.

-John Kirvan

To love at all is to be vulnerable.

Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no

one, not even an animal.

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entaglements;

lock it up safe in a casket or coffin of your selfishness.

But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless- it will change.

It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

-C.S. Lewis

I am learning to love this week. I am seeking out answers to dreams I have been holding and coming to divine conclusions. Great is God. Worthy is He to be praised.

More of You.

Monday morning, I should be studying for my first Pediatrics test, but blogging sounds way more lovely.

I feel as if I could say a lot.
I could tell you that...
*I'm on the last leg of classes -- only 4 more weeks!
*This weekend was Homecoming and I had SO much fun building our school's float, walking in the parade and attending the game!
*I have had an insane urge to dance lately!
*I tried saran wrapping Mike's car last night and TOTALLY got caught (ha)!
*I have been loving my Pediatric rotation -- the NICU was absolutely lovely this past week!
*I bought a juicer recently and have been making the yummiest (and super healthy) breakfast/lunch drinks!
*The fall is my most favorite season and this year is no exception!
*I am excited for the future and what it holds (more like I'm excited for Who holds my future and how He intends to use me)
*I'm going to miss the MacKays when I move out in a few weeks.
*I can hardly wait for the Gilbert Days Rodeo -- I miss the tradition of kettle corn and super cold bleachers :)
*I narrowly escaped a scorpion sting last night (it was wanting a free ride on my flip flop)!
*I've been excited lately because the purpose of my life has been confirmed almost daily -- my heart is to be used for His people.
*I have a hard time letting go and seeking His will over mine.
*I have been craving a new adventure and longing to go hiking and camping.
*Every time I write a paper and start typing my Title Page, I recognize how privileged I am to put Arizona State University behind my name. Not simply because I attend ASU, but because I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to further my education, in hopes of someday having a career.
*I can be guilty of talking about myself -- WAY too much...
*I love my brother because he actually listens to me when the previous statement is true!
*I am excited for the Holidays -- not because of the food or fortune, but because of the poeple I am privileged enough to spend them with.
*I have been trying to learn the art of -not taking credit for God's victories in my life- aka basking in recognition that was meant for Him. How sad is that?
*I can hardly wait to graduate because I have SO many new things I want to try -- sewing, baking EVERYTHING from scratch, cutting hair, taking classes at Phx Seminary (?)... um yes!

Really, I could go on rambling about a lot of nothing, but really I just want to convey that nothing in this whole world matters. Life is just a season, and really, it's a season to pursue holiness. Lately, I've been feeling what one man once referred to as the "tension of holiness" -- your spirit thirsts for righteousness, yet you're stuck in a morally corrupt, unrighteous world. I guess you could say that I have been craving purity lately and long for the day when whole-hearted purity will not just run over my life, cover my life, but BE my life. Praise be to Jesus who makes purity on this side of eternity possible. Praise be to Him who makes all things new.

My mind cannot dwell on a better thought.