bring me back.

So since graduation... I've been on so many wonderful adventures. My house went to Corolla, NC to stay with Whitney and her family- at the Sound Escape!!! (name of her house). it was such a great time to hang, get totally sunburned (being the ginger of the group), and relax. all of us had books we were reading, and it was a time to just eat lots of GREAT food, drink delicious wine, and enjoy being with one another. then i went to Yorktown, VA to stay with Sarah Powell (one of my absolute besties) and her fam for the weekend. we've realized that one of our favorite things is just living life with one another- whether doing errands, running, reading, trying new wine, or being grandmas and going to bed at 10- don't judge. then it was back to good old baltimore- where i've just been hangin with the fam and the neighbors. have i unpacked? not for a second. oops..

This is a picture of the Brick House! All except Egan who is painting and enjoying the French lifestyle in France for 3 weeks- no big! 

                               This is the sunset from Whitney's backyard! hellloooooo beautiful!

what else have i been up to? reading the hunger games!!! they are so good. i've purposely brought them up in conversation every day for the past week. if you haven't read them- READ them. worth it. promise.

I've gotten really into cooking- I've been doing all the grocery shopping, finding recipes, and trying new things out for the fam (whether they are lucky or just bearing with me is still to be decided haha). It's been so fun. Last night my brother and I got to make homemade pizza and a strawberry nutella dessert. see my page "Snacks N' Such" for some of the recipes!

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On a more serious note. I've been reminded of some pretty great truths about our walks with God since graduation- the reason for the title "bring me back." it's all about remembering- it's so important. It's remembering God's character- WHO He is. He is soverign, He is good,  He did come to rescue us, He is Creator, He is our encourager.. and He is on our side. It's about remembering what Jesus did on the cross- claiming it each day. It's about remembering what He has done in our lives- and it's remembering why we are here- to know Him and glorify Him.

Where did this come from? two things.

One. sitting on the boat docks in Yorktown. probably one of my favorite spots- on a dock, by the water, in the sun. boom. sarah and i went one morning to just spend some time with JC- and although we read two different things, we both were thinking through the same thing- it's about remembering.

That morning I read Psalm 143 and it really reminded me of the ability to be honest with the Lord, but also how remembering can change our perspective- and take our eyes off of our circumstances and ourselves.

How does the Psalm start? With David crying out for mercy, asking God to listen to him. He says he is losing hope, and paralyzed with fear. Do you ever feel that way? I definitely do. Okay so, we can relate. Then in verse 5, something changes- He remembers the days of old, he ponders God's works, and thinks about what He has done. That requires something of us- that requires actively remembering. Then, David calls on God to come and answer him, rescue him, but his voice turns into confident trust, into asking God to help him with confidence, and He begins to claim true characteristics of God.

I think he was onto something. When I have a situation where I don't think God is going to turn up, or I am forgetting that God is good, to sit back and remember His faithfulness or what He has done on a big scale and a small scale, it reminds me that He is for me. On those days when things might seem overwhelming- just remember. It helps. Spend some time in this Psalm- and claim with confidence that God is for you.


As Sarah and I both are in new circumstances, graduated, and getting ready to do big things where almost everything seems uncertain, it's been easy to be fearful. It's been easy to think I need to be a certain way before I can go to Oxford.. it's easy to think that dealing with anxiety will rule me forever. But when we actively sat and remembered how God had helped in college.. our hearts were restored.



The second thing that brought me to remembering purpose was at my cousin Michael's 13th bday party. All the men in his life came together and gave him a really great gift. They each wrote him a letter about good qualities that they saw in him, how God has worked, and advice for the future. It was awesome- and such a testament to the body of Christ. building one another up and encouraging them. One of the letters had a quote that Michael really liked "Aim to be different." boom. if we are sold out and following Jesus- we are going to be different. it was a challenge to me to not only accept it, but aim for it. strive for it. what if we were the people who believed enough in God's power and who He is that we wanted to live differently. we were willing to be a little different. to love differently. just a thought.


So this is literally a novel...guess that's what you get when your a verbal processor ;)

untitled.

This post is purposely called untitled. there isn't really words to describe this time. i'm graduating from college. tomorrow.tomorrow. are you kidding. it's here.  it's wild. 


i dont think it's really hit me yet- and probably won't for a while. it's been a lot of joy and sadness though- lots of goodbye's and lots of "lasts." it's a strange time when you know that you won't see people again, or for a long time, and they are people who have walked with you for the past four years. it's an exciting time ahead.. because although we've graduated college, there is hopefully lots of life and adventures ahead of us- we still have a lot to learn and see. 


it's a time of reflection too. i met with lisa, the woman who disciples me for the last time this morning. it was a time of reflection and seeing what God has done in the past year- and it's been tons. so much growth, freedom, and life has come from getting to know Him and the things he has brought into my life.    it's awesome. the process of sanctification- and it's a process for sure- comes with so many things. it comes with knowledge, pursuit, pain, joy, freedom, trust- and all of these things come from Him so we can be transformed by Him into his likeness. 


there have been a couple quotes this week by JI Packer that have really been encouraging and made me think a lot.. so i'll share. They are from his book "Knowing God"

“God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your ‘thorn’ uncomplainingly — that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak — is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace.” - JI Packer

“Wait on the Lord" is a constant refrain in the Psalms, and it is a necessary word, for God often keeps us waiting. He is not in such a hurry as we are, and it is not his way to give more light on the future than we need for action in the present, or to guide us more than one step at a time. When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God. When action is needed, light will come.”  - JI Packer


"There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way that I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me." - JI Packer 

I have so many thoughts about these quotes- I could write about it for a while. but they bring us back to His grace, His love, His plan. they bring us back to the core of who we are and why we are here- for Him. that is so easily forgotten, especailly during this time of figuring out what the heck we are going to do with our lives. it's about a process of sanctification- and He uses everything. everything. 

I hope that you can trust in the truth that is behind these quotes, and take some time to understand them- because Packer uncovers a lot of the beauty about our God.