A Series of Sweet Surprises

Summary:

Spring break.

Sweet friends.

Sleepovers.

Starling Diner.

Summery-weather in the springtime.

Sand between my toes.

Sassy, silly little girls.

A series of sweet surprises, indeed. I'm on my final spring break as a student for a while. Although I still have work, i'm doing what I can to make it feel as "spring breaky" as possible. Long Beach is a great place to be for such an occasion.


[An aside: This is my sixth year in Long Beach, and it's a place that has earned a sweet, sweet spot in my heart. I love the character, I love the people, I love the memories that I've made here. Some things have come to an end, and many things have been birthed here. Today was just a reminder of all of those things.Cheers to you, Long Beach. Thank you for being a momentous memory bank for me.]


In the midst of running around, laughing, watching kids lose themselves in their land of play and swim in mud-like sand, I found myself so, so thankful for the sweet life that I'm getting to take a part of right now. 


Here are some pictures of my friend Katy's kiddos. Friends clad in bathing suits and spending time together during the springtime made for a great environment in which to snap some shots of these sweet girls (who are growing up way too fast!). They are such reminders of what it means to be beautiful and free: 

 [The picture below CRACKS me up--I just hear thumpin' runway music playing whenever I look at Soph struttin' her stuff!]

A no-complaints Wednesday. I hope yours was just as great :).

Friendly Faces...

...make up our surroundings, fill our lives with love and laughter, and challenge us to see things that we couldn't see otherwise. Today while on a brief break, I went around random places here and there with my friend Emilie who is as talented as she is lovely. I've gotten to take pictures of her before, and she has such an ease in front of the camera (jealous!). Here are some of my favorites from today's photo escapade.

You can see the rest here.

Poor blog attendance.

I've been absent from this blog for a while. In the midst of going to school and finishing up my program as well as teaching, I've found that spare time is minimal, and when I do have some, the last thing I want to do is sit on my computer some more. I am slightly bummed though because so much has gone on, and I wish that I would have been more intentional about keeping record of it via this blog.

Since I can't sum up everything that has gone on, I can leave you with a friend's post that gives a glimpse into how i'm doing. I'm doing really well, God's teaching me a lot, and i'm excited for what the future holds.

My friend Rosina took some pictures for a teaching website that i'm starting, and this is the post that she featured on her blog. I love how she takes pictures. She is not into posing, which is great because I can't pose to save my life. Here is what we ended up with during a morning coffee date I had with her:

Check it out :).

Here's one of the pictures she took while we were at breakfast.

 By the way, if you haven't eaten at Starling diner in Long Beach, you are missing out!

I highly recommend it. They've won awards for their delicious french toast and converted me, a non-french-toasting eating gal, to one who almost has to split an order every time i go there.

Lovely webs.

I got up this morning--cheery and bright. The airy, somewhat fog-infused light of morning was dancing through the blinds, and I found myself ready for today. 6:30 AM. A little unheard of for me? A bit. I don't mind being up that early, but I don't know if i'd use the word cheery to describe my innermost feelings.

Whatever the case may be, the cheer and delight continued throughout my day: there was a consistent feeling of peace, of steady-pacedness (yes, it's made up), and the sense of being in a relaxed but intentional dance. It felt very natural to rest, to breathe, and to enjoy being present. A very common thread for all of the days activities and encounters could be summed up in one word: connectedness.

This word is loaded, and I experienced multiple of its facets today. Where I found it most was in the lovely webs that I have found and continue to find myself in--the web of individuals and community. The webs that He's so carefully weaves as He continues to leave me dumbfounded.

I visited my old occupational stomping grounds today at the Learning Assistance Center at CSULB. It feels like home there; I loved/love the people I worked with, and the environment is one of encouragement and warmth. There's a project I have coming up for one of my classes and it required some information from second language learners. What better place to go, right?

Even before I got inside, I caught the eye of one of my old bosses and flashed the biggest smile ever. Immediately, I was flooded with hugs and "How are you's" and was incredibly blessed by the love. My former boss, Erik, then proceeded to clear his desk as he offered it to me while I worked on some of my research. Every five minutes or so, an old co-worker would come by and say hi. In some special instances, we'd catch up on life. Each story was like a hug to my heart, and each interaction reminded me of what amazing relationships i've been given in the last few years of my life. I hadn't seen any of these friends since graduating in June, but the joy in reuniting was incredibly sweet.

Opportunities came up for me to share of God's faithfulness in how he trained me at the LAC, through very specific people and situations for what I was going to experience in grad school/life.  I realized that He has shown me great favor in my relationships with others--bosses, co-workers, friends, those I tutored, etc... This is completely His doing, and it is altogether humbling. It's  undeserved, and I know that it is out of His love and mercy that He's allowing me to go through life seeing this gift from Him so clearly. I left the LAC with more research than I came with, a heart full of love and with a refreshed spirit.

(Sidenote: As I'm writing this, my Melatonin is kicking in big time; what you read in this post may be interesting =p)

Becks picked me up, and we closed the night with some more connectedness: to each other, to our home, to my schooling, to God, etc...

This post doesn't do what I experienced of connectedness justice; it's but a mere glimpse of His always masterful orchestration of our lives.

I'll leave you with these (pictures from 1st dinner w/ Becks back as a roomie!):

Goodnight!

P.s. [to Jaunt Down Memory Lane]

Though we're sad as Natalie transitions out of our Long Beach home, we also joyously welcome our sweet Becca (Becks and I have been roomies of the literal kind before, so this is a reunion of sorts :D).

Who knew at the time that these pictures would be so telling :) ?

[Time period of photos: Fall 2008]

God, you are the Master Painter, and we delight in seeing more and more of your brushstrokes in our lives--may we see fuller expressions of You.

A Jaunt Down Memory Lane

Gosh, let's see. We've been through various haircuts, hair colors, relationships: giddiness/ heartaches/ learning experiences, encounters with strange people that have made for good stories, tears, countless cups of coffee, confrontation, kitchen-counter conversations, clothes-borrowing, strange-habit experiencing, prayer, laughter, meals, jokes only roommates can be open with, and memories that will continue to pop up and surprise us for the rest of our lives (and we'll remember them at the strangest, most wonderful times :D). The most humbling part of roomie-hood for me is experiencing growth with each other. Each of my roommates has been nothing short of a gift--teaching me more of myself, more of them, more of God, ultimately more of what it means to be in community as His Body. Girls (women, really) , you have refined me, and I'm so grateful that you are a part of the genius orchestration of His that allowed/allows us to live life with each other. 

Here's but a glimpse of what sharing living spaces/life has looked like in the past year plus some:

The pictures will do most of the talking; I'll just be the provider of needed context.

August 2008 (First Roomie Picture-Train trip to LA)

December 2008: Kelly @ the Dresden

December 2009: Walk in Long Beach

(Amber, we already know what you're thinking!!!)

December 2008: DT Long Beach Roomie Day

New Year's 2009:Orange, CA

Wes' Birthday

January 2009: Bike Riding Downtown Long Beach

(quite literally picking me up while I was down)

March 2009: My birthday

(An attempt at a totem pole--sort of successful)

July 2009: Ray LaMontagne in LA

October 2009: Amber's Birthday

November 2009: Roomie Dinner

I can't believe how time flies. Those were only some of the pictures we've taken over the time we've known each other. There will be more taken :). Thanks for marking a really special season of my life, girls. It seriously would have been utterly different without the specific combination of both of you. I'm proud and blessed to know women of your caliber. You are full of love and grace, and your hearts are bigger than what you know to do with. I'm not trying to toot your horns, I'm just sayin' it like it is. 

Transitions are bittersweet, but they are exciting. I look forward to seeing what this next season holds for us. 

Life-giving Things.

Though many things have the ability to be life-giving, I realized that some of those had gone on an unwelcome hiatus in my life. Two specific ones: writing and photography (both of which fall under the overarching umbrella of my creative release). They're coming back, and I'm already experiencing a greater freedom in being me as I welcome their return.

What are the things that give you life?

A glimpse into a few of mine:

1-on-1 conversations.
Worship.
Stories of restoration.
Getting to know people.
Learning/Discovery (for others/myself).
Cooking/Sharing meals.
A good laugh.
Music.
Prayer.
A healthy release of tears.
Creativity.
Resourcefulness.
Honesty.
Deep breaths.
His presence.
Vulnerability.

This small list just puts my heart in such a thankful place. Because we're so intricately made, the collection of things that gives us life is so diverse. The Father delights in bringing joy and life to His children, and in doing so, He shows His creativity!

To close, I'll leave you with a few images that I captured today as I took a walk around my neighborhood. His creativity is everywhere, and there is intense beauty in the simplicity and complexity in which our lives are framed.

"First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see."

 

 

Give it some thought. What brings you life? I'd love to know.

A Triangular Existence.

7:30 AM. Both arms into my red coat, both feet into my autumn boots, and I pull one end of my scarf around my head and onto both of my shoulders, draping it just right. It's a stunning, dewy morning--I have a cup of coffee in hand and I'm off for a walk while I pray. I discovered that if I'm walking and praying, I'm not as prone to falling back to sleep. The morning is exceptionally crisp, and my lungs are delighting in the fresh breaths of unadulterated morning air.

There's a specific kind of people who wake up early in the morning. I'm not referring to the early-to- rise workers. I mean the early-to-rise neighborhood people--those who water their lawns, walk their dogs, go on jogs, sit on their front porches, or just walk around with coffee in hand waving to others passing by. Friendly mornings. For some in Long Beach, this is true to a greater degree. Just as the city carries an air of character, history, uniqueness and surprise, so do its people. 

The walk I took this morning was enough to remind me of something that I seemed to have forgotten since school started, as life has gotten busier than usual. There is something (actually, there are many things) about this city that truly has a place in more than a bit of my heart. I cannot get away from it--not that I want to.

Here's my dilemma. I live a triangular existence. My life (in the micro sense), is shaped by three points on the Southern Californian map: Long Beach, La Mirada, and Costa Mesa. The idea/or desire of wanting to consolidate the main cities in my life has been quite regular these days--with alternating sentiments of burden and relief. I'm at school for the majority of my week, I'm out in Costa Mesa at RockHarbor at least 2 out of the 7 days, and I sleep, eat and lounge in Long Beach. For a split second I considered moving to save on gas, but the idea of leaving this city along with all that it means to me now just didn't sit well. I'm still praying for clarity on how best to maneuver in the spaces I'm in right now, and I know change is around the corner. I do know that the change, for now anyway, does not entail me leaving this city that has been and continues to be home to me. His Spirit is stirring here, and I am beyond blessed to be a part of that (in whatever fashion).


To be continued...

I'm humbled that this passage has marked what I see happening in the city I currently call home:
"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24