Life is about creating places to sit...

Life is about creating places to sit...

Now I'm not that experienced in having houses and apartments (I lived in the Chi O house for all 4 years in college and then an apartment that the Forge provided for this past year) but from what I've learned about people, hospitality, and hosting is that sitting is underrated. For some reason, sitting takes the edge off of entertaining and takes you to a downhome way of connecting. Maybe because it puts everyone on the same eye level, or maybe simply because it takes the stress off your feet, but whichever the reason, it does change the way people interact. They seem more at ease, more at home, and it opens up a whole new level of communication and connecting. 

It only makes sense because when you think about it often the first thing people will say when you walk in their home or office is, "Want to sit down?" or "Have a seat!" 

Hospitality is something that I don't think I will ever get tired of learning about or feel like I've mastered, but welcoming people in is a gift I feel that the Lord has blessed me with, and I just thought I would share my thoughts the past few days about creating places to sit. 

As I've been home for the summer, I have been helping Mom do some remodeling/rearranging at our house, while also trying to prepare to move into my first apartment, and it dawned on me the other day that creating places to sit is important. Even if you have a beautiful home, kitchen, or room, if there are no places to sit, there is really not that much opportunity to enjoy the space and connect with those around you. Now sometimes, like in a kitchen, there just isn't that much room to create an entire sitting area, obviously haha but I think now when I'm tying to buy furniture or rearrange a room, I'm thinking more about the conversations that could take place the connections that could be made if there is thought put into where people could sit. 

Now I also realize that the floor is a big option. There are several homes I have been in and places I have visited, that sitting on the floor seemed like the most perfect option. One is the family I nannied for last summer, they had an open house and a big wood floor that connected to their kitchen. There was a little couch and then several toys for their 16-month-old little girl to play with. I can't even count the amount of moments Lacey and I had sitting on the floor. Elah crawling around, learning to walk by herself, taking naps on blankets, the list goes on...the floor was just the right place to be. 

Also, in my room here at home. It is a pretty big space with white soft carpet, and the seating is limited. I have my bed....and well, that's pretty much it. For my desk, I actually have an exercise ball as the chair (trust me I'm not as trendy as I seem...it is simply due to the fact that I never made the time to go out and find a chair that would fit with my desk...so hence, the exercise ball. It always fits well because even when days go by where I don't do any exercise (happens more often than I would like to admit) I still can convince myself that I did something along those lines because I sat on an exercise ball while working at my desk hahaha!! A little journey through my thoughts there....) Anyway...back to my room....as you can probably get the picture, I never took the time to create any place to sit, but the floor serves it's purpose and maybe even better than I realize because there's no limit on the amount of people and conversations it can bring. The other night, after we threw my little sister a graduation tea, she had a few friends sleep over, my best friend Elizabeth was over, and my mom was upstairs enjoying the fun and we were all sitting on my floor. Laughing, talking, and enjoying each other. 

And this past year in the Forge, with 28 people eating dinner in a small apartment, we utilized every single space of the floor. It was a blast though and some of our most treasured memories.

I just think we can't look past the role that sitting plays in our lives and the metaphor of it bringing people and conversations together. From the front porch to the floor and everywhere in between...creating a place to sit is what life is all about. Just a few of my thoughts for the day...

Our front porch -- Audrey and I joke that they could
have saved a lot of money on a breakfast room table
because we eat almost all of our meals out here in the summer. 

Elah and me in our usual hangout spot...on the floor :) 

One of our many 28 person dinners...notice the empty spaces on the couch...
that's when you know you're used to sitting on the floor haha 

Audrey and her friends turned the back porch into a
feng shui sitting area the other night...

The End of a Wonderful Journey...

Well…the end of the Forge. What a journey it has been. Honestly, I can’t believe it’s already the end of eight months. The Lord has used these eight months in my life to teach me, challenge me, show me, sanctify me, and has never failed to show up in ways I never expected.

I learned the incredible blessing of provision. Seeing and experiencing his hand in providing in such a real and tangible way. $12,000. Sometimes I still can’t even believe it when I think about it, but what a neat way of being able to bless God, and see his hand once more in me being here this year.

I have learned the blessing of memorizing Scripture. 1st Peter. Five chapters. 105 verses. It seemed like the most daunting task at the beginning of the Forge, but now it seems like my heart didn’t know Scripture without knowing 1st Peter. There have been so many times where I have been able to reference a verse or a chapter, both for circumstances in my own life and to help encourage others. I have loved memorizing the entire book as well, as I have come to love knowing and understanding Scripture in the context as a whole. It has been a challenge, and one I hope to keep up throughout my life.

I have learned the sweetness and blessing of community. Living with 28 people…who would have ever thought. I have loved living through the ups and downs and highs and lows with these people who really have become my brothers and sisters and some of my dearest friends. Common experiences really do bond people, but what bonds people more is the love and shared faith in Jesus and the unity that happens when you submit to living under the Word.

I have learned the blessing of seeing. “What makes one Bible student better than the next?” “What he can see.” Seeing takes place in reading Scripture absolutely, but it also plays a role in every day life. Keeping your eyes open has become a key aspect of my life these eight months, and I think that is has helped me see so many things clearly.

I have learned the blessing of faith and obedience. Walking through Israel was one of the neatest few days, as I saw things and experienced things, but also learned that faith and obedience are really the cornerstones to a life submitted to Christ.

I have learned the blessing and power of prayer. Being on top of Mt. Arbel is something I will never forget. Coming to him as a daughter coming to her father, and simply asking and listening, praising him and blessing him for all of his provision.

I have learned the blessing and sweetness of remembering. I am a huge memory collector, and I love the discipline of being able to look back and not just reminisce on good times, but really remember and remember all that the Lord has taught me and all that he continues to teach. I hope I will remember these eight months in the Forge and never forget what the Lord has done and all that He will continue to do.

I think if I could sum up my journey in the Forge in a picture...I might choose this one... I love the analogy of a window being foggy, covered in ice, or dirty and smudged – you can see out of it, but you can’t see clearly. You can make things out and you are able to see the weather through some points in the glass, but as a whole nothing is very clear or precise. You miss most details and it’s hard to make out what is actually happening or what the weather is really like. Well, I think coming into the Forge, this is what I was looking at. I could see, I had a faith and a foundation, and it was strong enough and clear enough that it got me through several years, but throughout the eight months, the fog has gone away, the ice has melted, and the window cleaner has made it sparkling and clear. I can see and have a foundation that will continue to help me see clearly as I continue throughout the next steps of life. I know that windows can so easily become dirty, fingerprinted, and just fogged due to everyday use and life, however, I think I have tools that can help and that I know how to use to clean those windows and keep up daily maintenance, so that they never become too foggy to see out of. I know there will be times that they might get that way, but instead of panicking or thinking I need to completely replace the windows, I can have confidence in the One who can help me see again. The One who can help the windows become clear, by being in His Word, meditating on his Truth, and walking in faith and obedience. Realizing that it’s not about what I do, but what he does for me. That his grace is greater and more precious than I could ever know, and that he so graciously gives it is the greatest gift I could receive. Seeing clearly is one of the biggest takeaways and as I continue to walk in faith throughout my life, I know I will continue to grow and learn, and I hope that the glass continues to become clearer and clearer and maybe one day, I will realize that what I am looking at is not even through glass, but something open and as clear and as wide as the eye can see. I am thankful for these eight months, but I am even more thankful for the days that are to come and to see how the Lord uses this foundation to continue to teach me and use me for his Kingdom and for his glory.

Sticky Bananas

Sticky bananas....you're just going through your day, grocery shopping and picking up small things you need, and you reach down to put a bunch of bananas in your cart, and it happens...your hand becomes sticky at the first touch of a banana. Your inner self is consoling with a sometimes small but sometimes very large, "Nooooo!" and you feel like the rest of your grocery trip, and day, will just go downhill from there. You can't seem to get the sticky off your hands and it almost feels like it's rubbing off and everything you and your banana touches.

How often do I look at these small incidents as 'day-breakers,' when in all actuality they are not as big as they seem. Things are still ok, you are going to make it, and God is still good. I still have to remind myself daily, that when I touch a sticky banana, or when things don't go as planned, instead of the stickiness rubbing off on all other areas of the day, I have to re-orient myself back to truth, back to Scripture, back to relying on something more than myself and knowing that life is sweeter and too full of blessing to harp on the little 'sticky' happenings. It's a life-lesson I think I will always be learning, but I hope that each time it happens I rely more on Jesus than I did the day before.

"We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." - Colossians 1:11-14

Now that will put our sticky bananas into perspective compared to our life of truth and joy, for He has rescued us and forgiven our sins and by His grace, we now live in the light!! What a sweet and gentle reminder in a grocery store full of sticky bananas and a life filled with little 'day-breakers.'

A To-Do List that never ends...

I have a to-do list that never ends...

A few things I have learned as a list galore girl and a master checker-off-er...

1. To put things on there that you have already done...just to check them off.

2. Put easy things on the list so that you're feeling really good about things...

3. Write things on there right before you do them, so you're still feeling accomplished as you work...

4. Don't start a new list until a sufficient amount of things are checked off...you have to see the accomplished to feel accomplished. Haha :) 

5. And sometimes doing nothing makes the to do list grow and you feel less accomplished than when you're busy and actually checking things off.

I love breaks and being home with my family more than just about anything in this world, but there always comes a point where I realize even though I have been "resting and relaxing," I have still been adding things to my to do list, I just haven't been doing them....which in turn, makes the end of a break almost more stressful than the toll of everyday life....

So, here's to getting back into the swing of everyday life and checking off those things on the to do list...that never ends....

A Never-Ending New Year's Resolution

"Ya know if I had actually stuck to my New Year's Resolution for the past 8 years, I'd probably be in the Olympics by now!" -me

Doing the splits...seems like an attainable goal for a 9 year old in gymnastics...but now at 22, having never done the splits, I just don't know what the odds are.

Summer Olympics (and winter) are just about my favorite thing in the world to watch. I cancel all plans, explain to my friends that my schedule is completely booked, and then watch as many events as I can, while recording the ones I miss...I used to dream and admire and slightly wish to be all the amazing gymnasts I would watch on TV...I still am floored by half (well...more like all) the things they can do.

I don't remember the exact day or time...but at some point I made it my goal to be able to do the splits. I was determined. I was going to do what it took...stretch and stretch and stretch some more while learning the proper technique to do perfect and graceful splits (considering my name means Gazelle)...well, New Years came around (8 years ago), and it seemed like the perfect Resolution -- to do the splits. New Years Day I looked up a stretching plan, found pictures, and stretched on my floor for a good 10 minutes...ha... Day 2 came and stretched for about 7 1/2 minutes, and by the third day, I was down to a good 30 seconds just to say that I did it. ............and then the next New Years came....and the next. Here we are in 2016.......and my poor little legs have never once been able to do the splits.

Well...to this year I say, maybe this is the year?! Or maybe I will just watch the gymnasts this summer and ooh and aww and live vicariously through them until I one day complete my New Year's Resolution....

Cooking Life Skill

A life skill is defined as a skill that is necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. Well, as I am quickly finding out, cooking is one of those skills...

Throughout college, I was blessed to live in the Chi O house for all three years after freshman year...it was definitely full of fun and lots of memories, however, cooking was rarely one of those memories. I never had many opportunities to cook and experiment with making things in the kitchen. I had a small fridge under my bed that I would keep "stocked" with turkey meat, apples, grapes, and small snack items I could take to school for my lunches during student teaching. My main meal of choice was always a smoothie, one because I love them and I always say I could live off of them (probably because it's the one thing I can make haha!), but also because they didn't take many ingredients and were quick, easy, and refreshing!

Well...a few months after graduation and moving into my first apartment at the Forge, I realized that during the day lunch and dinner would come along and I didn't have anything to put on my plate, or pour into my bowl, or heat up on the stove...I started looking around and realizing other people were creating and cooking things and using ingredients that I had only seen on the Food Channel. My friend and roommate Anne used a myriad of spices that would always fill the whole apartment with such an inviting and scrumptious smell.

I told her I really wanted to start learning how to cook, partly because I would love to make good meals, partly because I know my husband one day probably won’t want to eat turkey meat and apple slices as much as I do, and also partly because I love hosting and think hospitality is a gift that the Lord has blessed me with, but I feel like cooking would make it more fun and so easy to serve in that way the rest of my life. Anne challenged me to pick a life skill and work on it for a year…in that year, dedicate time to learning about it, practicing it, talking to others and seeking mentors. At the end of the year, she proposed that you would probably be more proficient at that than if you spent five years on it with ten other skills you’re working on at the same time. So this year, I want to dedicate time to learning about cooking. Not just watching the Food Channel like I love to do, but actually taking time to learn and practice.

I started asking people what their favorite meals are to cook, seeking out recipes, and going to the grocery store with more intention on what I’m going to make that day/week. It makes me excited to think about starting to learn something that can not only benefit myself and my family, but something that can be applied and practiced in a gift that the Lord has given me.

So…I’m on the lookout for good recipes and any cooking tips. ☺ And here's to a year of learning and experimenting in the kitchen and hopefully a lifetime of good meals and healthy eating!

Siesta Scripture Memory...nailed it.

Another one of those inevitable nailed it success stories...A new year's plan that started out skyrocketing, then plummeted to the ground a few weeks in...

Audrey and I still have our very first memory verse up on the bathroom mirror and I think it's safe to say that we now have it memorized...haha! Although we didn't quite stick to this incredible journey throughout the year...I have still seen the blessing that comes along with committing Scripture to memory by memorizing the entire book of 1 Peter.

One aspect of the Forge is memorizing 1 Peter, along with studying the book in depth and choosing a passage to teach a lesson on. I am currently in the middle of the third chapter, and wow has it truly been incredible. I have always kind of liked memorizing...the challenge of saying something, reading something, listening to something enough times that it almost becomes part of who you are. If I am going to memorize anything, why wouldn't it be Scripture -- memorizing God's Word until it becomes a part of who you are, in your bones, so to speak.

We had a goal setting assignment where we chose a goal that we had and made a visible way to see the progress you were making on completing that goal. I chose my goal of memorizing 1 Peter, and my love for teaching and all things fun, and created a gumball machine to help me keep track!

So although we didn't technically 'nail' our Siesta Scripture Memory challenge, we took a different route for the same goal. Audrey is also starting to memorize 1 Peter...she already has the first verse down :) 

So 2016...we are ready for you -- 1 Peter here we come!