Favoritism may be wrong, but this is why sea otters are on the top of my animal list.
Bucket list #1....hold hands with a sea otter.
EDIT----------------
So I just received a text from my parents with the message: "Sea otters. Sea parents. Did you get our picture? Good night baby"
Attached was a picture of my parents in their pjs, holding hands (refer to the video above). HAHAHA. Oy, not going to lie. My parents can be the cutest kids sometimes.
"God never places us in any position in which we cannot grow. We may imagine that He does. We may fear we are so impeded by fretting petty cares that we are gaining nothing;but when we are not sending any branches upward, we may be sending roots downward. Perhaps in the time of our humiliation, when everything seems a failure, we are making the best kind of progress. Look on and look up.Lay hold on Christ with both your poor, empty hands. Let Him do with you what seems good to Him. Though He slay you, still trust in Him, and I dare in His name to promise you a sweeter, better life that you could have ever known, had He left you to drink of the full dangerous cups of unmingled prosperity."
-from "Thoughts Concerning the King" by Elizabeth Prentiss ________________________________________________
I have been meeting frustration after frustration since arriving here this weekend, but it seems like there has been an undesirable but such a necessary lesson behind each one. He's prying my fingers from the things that I have held so dear...in things that I have been trusting in other than Himself. He's exposing the ugliness so deeply embedded inside of me and offering me a chance of renewal.
Lord I come to you. Let my heart be changed...renewed.
As Junior year officially begins tomorrow, I cannot help but sit here by the window and smile at His provisions. The amazing friends who have helped me move in and get settled despite the cost of serving an out-of-state-student friend have also inspired me to further stretch out my hands and receive this invitation that God continues to offer me. He has been providing for me at each "dead end" and has been leaving me in complete awe. May this semester be a year of growth. May this semester bring glory to You.
My brother and I finally pull into the parking lot of a local church. We are meeting the rest of the college group for the special missions service held there that evening. Exasperated by the scorching Texas heat, I frown when my brother forgoes the nice parking spot up front and starts driving toward the empty back rows to park. I turn to him and grumble at the prospect of having to walk the extra distance. My brother smiles and patiently replies, "Let's give the newcomers the good spots."
"The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members"-William Templeton
Ironically, this point would be further emphasized in the sermon we were going to hear inside. Was I humbled? Yes. I'm such an immature baby sometimes. My life as a Christian shouldn't begin the minute I enter the sanctuary. It starts in the parking lot...from my home, from the moment I wake up and should be the way I live and breath every day. How easily I forget this. Hot weather and a cranky mood certainly do not excuse how I live before God.
Brother, we may share the same sleeping habits and last name, but it's during moments like these when I realize that I'm still such a baby...when our 3-year gap seems light-years apart. I have so much to learn from you sir. So much to learn...
Feeling...uprooted. In a car, rather dark from the Texan summer rays, waiting for the next stop. Right between a smile and a frown. A perfect balance of excitement and nerves.
After being away all summer, I was finally adjusting to life at home when I realized that I'll be packing my bags again and leaving at the end of next week. Oy, junior year...a year in which I'll be forced to make some of those big decisions that I have been so dreading and avoiding. Just thinking about it makes me want to rip my hair out. Wait, I already did that. heh.
My plan for now? Take it step by step. This summer has definitely taught me to cherish each day God gives me and try to learn a little bit more about Him with the time that I have. "The way you live your day is how you live your life," and for now, I just want to know you more.
Uncertain? Yes. Scared? Almost. This summer has been a crazy ride, but God surely has me buckled down. Thank the LORD that He's the one behind the wheel. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." -Matt. 6:33
I forgot what a sentimental and emotional place an airport can be.
For a long time, I've been on the other end of the terminal, waiting for my flight with other passengers, too tired to care about anything other than finding the right gate, having my boarding pass in my pocket, and keeping an eye on my departure time. I was always leaving, going somewhere.
On Tuesday, I got a taste of what it's like to be on the other side of the sliding doors. You're surrounded by people nervously pacing back and forth, waiting for loved ones to arrive. Some are holding balloons or a fresh bouquet of flowers while others are flipping through a magazine at a nearby concession stand, minus the occasional glance at the clock. After doing a little bit of everything, I ended up waiting by the metal bars with the rest of the crowd, where I witnessed some of life's most precious moments.
I couldn't believe how choked up I got seeing parents embrace children returning from trips overseas and a man embracing his young twins after a business trip. Even the TV screen that kept replaying real reunions between soldiers and their families stirred up something from the pit of my stomach. Eventually, I stood mesmerized, trying to figure out the stories and relationships behind each happy ending that unfolded before my eyes.
After what seemed like forever, it was my turn!
After a year of teaching English in Korea, my brother finally walked through those doors.
