In Grateful Chorus

{via}

Truly HE taught us to love one another
HIS law is love and HIS gospel is peace
Chains shall HE break for the slave is our brother
And in HIS name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise HIS holy name.- O Holy Night -

Ancient hymns are filled with LIFE. 

We can try to rephrase & redefine... 

but there's nothing like Truth spoken from days of old.

Bringing in the Season.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. 


Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel.


And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth;


And this One shall be peace."


Micah 5:2-5

Heart of Thanks.

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations..."
Deuteronomy 7:9

thankful for foundational friendships.
friends who know me inside and out... and still love me.
thankful for family. brothers to live and laugh with.
thankful for notes and encouragements that have helped shape the knowledge of my true identity.

homemade thank you's.

When I come home, I am always reminded of my journey. How God has shaped and molded and changed me year after year. Holiday to holiday. High school to college to 20's. Each season marked different. And yet He is Unchanging. Thank you God.

Kindergarten Thanksgiving

There's nothing like embracing the season when you're celebrating alongside five year olds. As they hear these stories of our country for the first time, I am reminded of the purpose of Thanksgiving... A group of men and women in search of religious freedom, and their plight to the New World. A feast to honor God and thank Him for all the ways He provided for them with the harvest. In many ways, our country was built by these people - we have the freedom of religion and worship here because they took the first steps.

placemats for the feast.

How easy it is to forget the true story that is the heart of what we celebrate.

paper mache turkeys... oh my. quite a fun mess.

It's not just the hand turkeys, Pilgrim costumes, pasta necklaces, rhymes and games... part of why I love teaching so much is because for me the season comes alive through the story. I know this Thanksgiving it certainly did... and I am so so thankful. 

storyacting at our Feast.

Sometimes it takes a Kindergarten perspective to truly know a story for what it is.

of Peace.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts..."

:: Colossians 3:15

Why am I so quick to live in chaos and being overwhelmed and lists and to-do's?

There is so much life to take hold of each day that surpasses the "things" that need to get done. Or the pressing decisions that create burdens on my heart.

His peace is deep and wide and gentle and rich... and it is for me. My mind knows it, and so often I don't live in it. His Peace is greater than stillness and quietness of heart in mornings spent in His Presence, it is the place I can speak & breathe from in every moment of every day. It is staying connected to the Vine, my Maker, the One who knows me better than I know myself as the day rolls in and out.

He is the Prince of Peace, the Creator of the peace that transcends all understanding - and from there springs LIFE. Why would I choose anything else...?

"We are too full to be truly still - full of distractions, preoccupations, plans, worries, regrets, things that need to be rehearsed, and things that need to be reviewed. Our inner world is a churning cauldron - endless motion and endless noise... It is inner solitude that is essential - not simply a place where we are alone but a place where we can be present to our self. Inner solitude is a state of peaceful being with my self... The one whose name is 'I Am' and whose existence makes possible our own invites us to a knowing that can be found only in stillness. This stillness is letting go of striving.  It is being present to our selves and to God. It is a state of being, not simply an achievement of doing or not-doing." 

::Soulful Spirituality:: David G Benner

Bragging Rights

swag & flo

It's hard to describe just how much I love having Daniel back in Chicago.

He constantly inspires me with his "no fear" mentality and faith to follow where he feels led, the way he loves and listens to people & makes them feel important, and his love for God that steps outside of comfort and into radical.

I am always learning from him.

And still feel jealous that he seemed to get all the charm&flirt genes in our family...

City Escape

Last year, Lindsay and I went on a random & epic camping trip that defined a fun new friendship. 

She was my inspiration behind searching for a Lakeview apartment, and showed me how livable this city can be.

tent life.

We never would've guessed that a year later I would live just a few blocks away from Linds, take advantage of all her restaurant groupons leading to local neighborhood hole-in-the-walls, and introduce me to unchartered city destinations (Chinatown, Lincoln Square...)

wilderness.

So, to commemorate the journey, we decided it was time for another fall camping trip.

Good thing we are awesome at keeping company of professional campers and benefitted from their apple pie treats over the fire, eggs & bacon & french press coffee breakfasts, s'more roasts, and even their headlamps while pitching a tent at 10pm :)

It was so nice to enjoy a closeup glimpse at fall amidst new friends as a reminder of just how much I love this season.