Peace is Possible

I know that I haven't posted in a few days, and it's not that I can't find things to be thankful for, it's just that life gets crazy and exhausting and it's hard to sit down and write amidst it all.

But, here I am, sitting and writing. Life is still crazy and exhausting, but I'm writing.

This morning my dad, sister, and I went for a walk through a park near our apartment. The sun was shining, baseball teams composed of middle-aged men were playing, and the ducks were waddling. There was a park bench at the top of a grassy hill that you could sit on and see the tippy-top of the mountains in the distance. There was a playground with a tire swing that my dad swung my sister on, and swings that she and I competed to see who could swing the highest on.

I was at peace. Even in the midst of a crazy and exhausting life, this morning in the park was proof that peace is possible.

Blogging and Dancing

Right now, as I'm blogging, my sister is dancing.

I love how different we are, and how much we love, accept, and encourage each other, even in our differences.

I'm going to miss Colie so much when I go back to school. Thank you, Lord, so much, for this summer we have spent together. She is growing up into such a wonderful young lady.

Father Daughter Date

Tonight I went on a date...with my Dad. :)

We went down to  Edmonds and visited the Waterfront Coffee Company, got our delicious drinks (I ordered a Mexican Mocha and Dad had an Iced Coffee), talked with the Barista for a bit, and then headed down to the water to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Since my summer is about to close, I wanted to spend some quality time with my dad before I headed back to school. And quality time we had. We spoke of our summers, our thoughts on C.S. Lewis' many books, and more. We had great conversation, and I am just so so glad he is my dad, and not anyone else.

I wanted to take a picture of the two of us in front of the water, but lucky for us there was a nice man near us who was willing to take our picture, so it didn't have to be all 'myspace-ey' haha.

Thank you, Lord, for this fun time I had with my dad. Let us continue to grow in our relationship with each other and with You.

Jeep!

"Are you saying that I get to go test drive a Jeep, while getting paid to work, and   I get a gift card to the mall for driving the Jeep?" 

I asked this question to my manager after he told me I could do exactly what my question posed. 

"Yeah, I'll just say it was your ten", my manager responded. 

"OK! I'll be back, then!" I said with a smile. I was so excited! 

That's right, my friends. While I was at work today (I work at Brookstone), the Jeep company was doing a promo where people could test drive their vehicles, answer a couple of questions about the car they drove, and then receive a gift card to the mall where I work! I got to drive a super nice 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee around the block and have a great conversation with Chase, a pre-med student at the University of Washington, who was working at the promo event this weekend. He was there to make sure I didn't run away with the vehicle haha. It was so much fun!

It sure was nice to do something out of the ordinary and not stressful. Thank you, Lord, for this random excursion of fun. :)

Tonight's Plan

- I drink a delicious mug of hot cocoa
- Nicole drinks a delicious mug of chocolate milk
- We sit together and finish reading Lewis' Prince Caspian

Thank you, Lord, for this fun night of yummy drinks and great literature.

Support

This week has been beyond exhausting, which is reflected in my sparse and short posts.

But, amidst the madness, I am so thankful for the people God has put in my life to support me through it all.

What a Day

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. 2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

My Daddy is alive. Satan tried to take him away, but Jesus reigns, and my Dad is alive. :)

As Easy as Breathing

Tonight was the first night of my church's Vacation Bible School (VBS, for short), and I am one of the teachers for the 5th and 6th grade class. I absolutely LOVE my students. :)

It's so much fun to teach kids about Jesus. Especially if the kid is receptive to what I'm saying. It's encouraging that my students like me and that teaching them comes naturally...just like breathing. I love teaching. I love helping people figure things out. I love it when the light bulb above their heads turns on...when they finally get it, and a big smile reaches across their face.

Thank you, Lord, for VBS. Thank you for my students. Thank you for giving me the gift of teaching.

You've Caught Me Deep in Thought...

Two years ago, I graduated from high school.

Two years from now, I will graduate from college.

As of right now, I'm stuck right smack dab in the middle of two milestones.

And it's weird.

I'm growing up, you see, and it's strange.

Today's post isn't necessarily an offering of praise; if anything, it's an offering of thought and reflection.

Time fascinates me. It moves quickly, yet so much can happen in such little time. I need to take advantage of the time God has given me, and use it to His advantage and not my own.

Sorry, you've caught me deep in thought...please leave a message after the beep. :)

TPW

Sometimes he drives me absolutely insane. But deep down, I know that I love him like a brother. Which would explain why sometimes he drives me absolutely insane; brothers do that.

I've known Truman since he was six years old. I was eight when we met. Our dad's knew each other from work, and our families moved to Washington from Kentucky together to plant a church. We have, for all intensive purposes, grown up together.

Why am I thankful for Truman? Great question. I'm thankful for him because I know that I can be myself around him. I can talk about the things in my life that cause me pain and those things which make me rejoice. I don't have to act like anyone but myself around him, and sometimes 'myself' can be tired and cranky. I'm sure, at times, I've bothered him with my attitude just as much as he has bothered me with his, but I know that we care for each other like family, and that bond can never break, no matter how annoying the other gets at times.

I feel very blessed to have the friendship God has given me with Truman. He is my oldest friend. Having moved around a lot growing up, I've never had friendships last longer than just a couple to few years. But, with Truman, we have been friends for 12 years, and for that I am truly thankful.

Thank you, Lord, for Truman P. Whitaker. Thank you that we are friends, and that even though through our friendship we have come to know each other's flaws, we have also come to truly know and appreciate the other's wonderful qualities. Truman loves his country (he recently enlisted himself for the United States Marine Corps), his family (even though sometimes he picks on his siblings haha), and God. Thank you for that.

My Short Trip Down Memory Lane

Tonight I had a splendid evening with one of my absolute favorite people and best friends from high school, Elena. We went to our favorite hang out spot, Cutters Point, grabbed some delicious beverages, sat down, and with our conversation traveled down memory lane together. 

After that, we mozied on over to Best Buy to just walk around and look at cameras. Little did we know that three people that we went to high school with worked there! So, we walk in, and the reunions begin. Slightly awkward at times, funny at others, but all around awesome to see how people are doing since high school. Not much time has passed, but a whole mess of life has happened in the past two years. 

So, that was my trek down memory lane. Thank you, Lord, for fun, awkward moments. :)

Cheryl

Today was a wonderful day with my wonderful friend, Cheryl Whitaker.

Cheryl has been a student of the New York Institute of Photography for the past couple of years, and today I was her model for her last photo project. We went all around Tacoma looking for rustic backgrounds to take pictures of with me in front of.

Brick walls. Graffiti. Ivy. Old barn. We felt so artsy.

I don't have pictures to put up yet from today (Cheryl is loading all 375 of them on her computer right now), but that's not what I am exceptionally thankful for today. Today, I am thankful for Cheryl and her friendship.

We are able to talk about life, love, and loss. We are able to laugh together, be sad together, and talk about God together. She's such a blessing to me.

Thank you, Lord, for Cheryl Whitaker. :)

My Favorite 5 Year Old

It was almost five years ago that my family and I went to the airport to meet the little baby we had been looking forward to meeting for months and months. 

That little baby was the lovely Miss Catherine Le Whitaker, and now she is five years old. 

Her family adopted her from China five years ago, this Sunday. They usually celebrate her Adoption Day with a cute little cake commemorating her becoming the part of their family. I am so excited to be with them this Sunday as they celebrate their 5th Adoption Day. 

Catherine is sweet, with a little bit of sass. She's funny, energetic, and loves to snuggle. I love her so much; she's like a little sister to me. 

Thank you, Lord, for Catherine. :) 

The Whitakers

Today has been the day that I have been looking forward to all summer long; the day I would go to my home away from home: DuPont, WA.

DuPont is home to the family I have known since I was eight years old. They are basically my second family. I feel at home when I am with them. I can be myself with them. And they can be themselves when they are with me. It's fantastic, and I wouldn't trade my relationship with the Whitaker family for the world.

I'll be with them for about a week, and I am just so excited about living life with them during this time. Playing imagination with five year old Catherine. Watching movies with my buddy, Truman. Sharing stories and playing card games with my good friend, Cheryl. Laughing with Andrew. Sharing the work of Christ in my life with Rich.

I am so incredibly thankful for the Whitaker family, and the immense blessing they are in my life.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with their love and friendship.

Fuel on the Flame

I just love Jesus...a lot.

Tonight I had a great conversation with a friend about how much we both love Jesus and how thankful we are for the amazing grace that comes with having a saving relationship with him. We both know people trapped in religion, bound by rules and regulations, trapped by man-made mandates, all which turn a personal relationship with Jesus into a regimented, rigid, and frankly, religious life. My friend and I were just so joyful about our relationship with Christ, and the freedom that comes with serving Him.

Now, yes, a life dedicated to Jesus has its hardships, of course. But when one thinks eternally, and of the amazing future one will have in heaven, praising God and having perpetual joy, the trials of this life pale in comparison.

I'm just so thankful that God called me into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm also very thankful for my friend who put fuel on the flame of my love for Jesus tonight.

Fun in Seattle

For those of you who live and breathe this blog, and become very sad when I don't post everyday, I'm sorry. (Actually, I doubt any such person exists haha). But, I do apologize for not posting yesterday; I was at a place with no internet service, so blogging was not a viable option.

This is what I did last night, instead of blogging:

Yogurtland at Capitol Hill in Seattle! :)

Foot-popping with Atia.

standing in front of vandalized property. :)

sitting in Pikes Place Market...after hours. :)

Ah! Elena and I! And Atia took the picture! Fun!

So, yeah, I had a fun time with my lovely friends in Seattle. Thank you, Lord, for the adventure you gave us. :)

Icecream

Cookies and Cream.

I had some when I got home from a Bible Study I went to tonight. I got out a small, red, Christmas coffee mug  with a happy penguin on it (my select choice for holding ice cream instead of a bowl), got a couple of scoops of delicious ice cream, added some crunchy peanut butter (my staple mix-in for most flavors of ice cream), and then stirred away.

It was yummy. Sweet and yummy.

Now I'm watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on the t.v. It's awesome. I'm so excited to go see the last movie when it comes out!

So, thank you, Lord, for the yummy ice cream. :)

Nerves and Expectations

I was so nervous.

Why, you ask?

Oh, I was only going to a brand new place full of people I have never met...all by myself.

Granted, it was a church, so I shouldn't have been as nervous as I actually was.

On my way there, I got semi-lost. Go figure.

But then I found the place and was welcomed by the most kind and welcoming people a nervous stranger could ever hope to encounter.

I talked with people my own age, which hasn't happened in a long time since coming home for the summer. I worshipped God with my new friends. I heard a sermon on 1 John 5. I went to  fro-yo afterwards with my new friends. It was fantastic.

I met people I wouldn't have had the chance to meet otherwise. God took my expectations and blew them out of the water. He has a way of doing that sometimes.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the courage to go to a new place tonight. Thank you for blessing me with wonderful conversation, worship, and fellowship. I love you.

As the Sun Sets

"As the Sun Sets"

waves crashing. children laughing.

wind is chilling. the ferry is docking.

cars are parking. cameras are capturing.

couples are cuddling. families are gathering.

the sky is purple. then red. orange. yellow.

beauty abounds

as the sun

sets.

Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful sunset, and for inspiring me to write a poem about it. 

Gangs and Jesus

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility." - Ephesians 2:13-14 ESV

Last night, my brother, dad, and I watched Martin Scorsese's film, Gangs of New York , a movie about the early beginnings of New York City and the violent relationship between the Irish immigrants and the "Natives" (those born and raised on American soil).

As I was watching the movie, the passage from Ephesians that I quoted above kept coming to my mind. Christ came to bring reconciliation between enemies, and the Irish-Americans and the native born Americans were definitely enemies. It was unbelievable that so much blood was shed between fellow Americans for the sake of just a little land and power. The inhumanity of it all was astounding; racism was overpowering the culture, and the Natives wanted nothing more than to kill every single Irish immigrant who came off the boat and onto American soil.

If only these men, women, and children of New York knew and applied the above passage to their daily lives and relationships. If only the truth of the Gospel permeated everything these people did. Different cultures would be welcomed instead of abused. Racism would cease. The wall of hostility would indeed be broken down.

Thank you, Jesus, for breaking down that wall of hostility, in order that those who follow you can enjoy reconciliation because of your finished work on the cross.

Seven Words

You

did

a

great

job

today,

Rebecca. 

After feeling like I was drowning in my work, and barely having enough energy to come up for air, my manager, Vincent, tells me this as I head out to go home.

Thank you, Lord, for these small words of encouragement and affirmation.

Serenity

Tonight, I am treating myself to a movie and popcorn. 

Cost: Free 

(Blockbuster has an awesome deal where I can get one-night rentals for FREE - needless to say I've become quite the Blockbuster addict) 

I'm excited to pop my popcorn, put the movie into my laptop, insert my headphones, and enjoy the wonderful cooking of Julie and Julia.

Thanks, Lord, for the simple things. Thank you for this simple and relaxing fun. :)

Funny Accents

 "'...It was a bright, secret, quiet place, and rather sad; and all four stepped out into the middle of it, glad to be able to straighten their backs and move their limbs freely.'" I closed the book, and looked up. "Nicole, that's the end of chapter one; do you want to read chapter two?"

"Sure", she says, as she grabs C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian  from my hands. It's summer time, and that means it's Narnia time. Our goal is to finish the entire series before the summer closes. We are sitting outside on our porch; the sun is shining, a rarity in Washington. Nevertheless, it's still chilly enough to drink our delicious mugs of homemade hot cocoa as we read to each other.

"OK, chapter two. 'The Ancient Treasure House' Oooh."

I roll my eyes. "Keep reading, Colie".

She smiles, and continues. "''This wasn't a garden,' said Susan presently. 'It was a castle and this must have been the courtyard.''" Colie read in a deep Southern accent.

"Colie! They are from England! They aren't southern!" I laughed as I spoke.

"Hahaha, oh yeah, that's right", Colie said with a laugh.



Thank you, Lord, for a hilarious time with the southern children from Narnia.