Do You Hear Him Calling?

I arrived in Tallahassee on Sunday afternoon, to spend time with family and drive my sweet Gram back home.  Intentions were not all selfless though, I'm allowing myself the expectation of clarity.  This week (or however long we choose to stay here) has great potential to clear up those fuzzy areas in my life right now. It's quiet here, away from tugging thoughts and painful reminders.  I guess I see it as and open field where my thoughts can freely roam and wait for the fog to lift, maybe even find each other in sweet reunion and connection.  That was my only expectation, clarity in thought and peace of mind for a week.  In fact I may have begged God a little.ha!

But my God has greater plans than my desires.  Jillian came to visit me on Monday and we spent the whole day together, shopping, eating, exploring...it was a great adventure much needed for both of us.  The afternoon was winding down and Eddie James was playing in the background.  Oh that Eddie James.  God started tugging at my heart to come and worship Him.  And I have to say, I have missed that tug so much!  I mentioned something to Jillian and she was feeling the exact tug.  "Oh God what are you doing in our hearts?," went through my head instantly.  Then came the next tug...maybe there's an IHOP here!  After much discussion of whether YWAM or IHOP were present here we decided to find out for ourselves.  I whipped my phone out and found exactly what we were looking for.  We got to our original destination (Yogaberry) and turned right around, we have a God to worship!

With only a couple other people in the room we entered into immediate worship.  Nothing holding us back, no one to distract us.  As we blessed our Father's heart He blessed ours.  Nothing out of the ordinary happened that day, well, nothing that the eye could see...but something so deep in my heart started to sprout joy.  There's something new coming around the corner and might just start here.

I'm going back today and expect that joy to grow.

Ginerbread Man

Run, run as fast as you can.
You can't catch me,
I'm the gingerbread man!

Oh this little rhyme fits my life all too well.  I run right into an issue and all I do is turn around and keep running, I run until I find a place to stop and start over.  I run and run until I find a place to catch my breath.  If you want to catch me, if you want to meet me where I'm at, its a lot of work because I will just run.  Truthfully, I hate this about myself and have decided to learn how to stick things out.  I have a dear friend showing me that confrontation is the only true way to resolve anything.  Confrontation is not always a bad thing, though uncomfortable, it leads to more freedom than trying to run.  I guess good confrontation skills are a pretty good way to measure maturity and growth.  Good relationships are built off of communication which includes much confrontation.
Confrontation has a bad connotation but in it's purist form is out of love and a desire to grow.  It is more than addressing someone else's issue, it addresses mutual issues (or simply, situations) and leads to a deeper connection with the person/people you confront.  The hard part is when it leads to separation.  This happens and it is something each person needs to realize is best.  That's the part I hate, that's the part that makes me want to run.  I'm just rambling about this topic right now because it's on my mind.  I suppose I'm learning while I type.

*Side note: This is a very candid post but I just want to clarify that I haven't run into anything crazy or a brick wall, this has just been on my mind lately. I want to grow out of my ways of the past.

"Home is Wherever I'm With You"

The video in my last post is of a song that I haven't been able to get out of my head for the last couple weeks.  Not only is it a great song, it says exactly how I feel.  No matter where I am or what I'm doing, if I'm with people I love, I am home.  Home isn't a place for me, it's the people I'm with.  I think about the times I've felt lost or out of place and each time has been when I'm on my own.

A friend of mine brought up the point that he doesn't mind getting lost when he's with someone he knows because he has someone to get lost with.  It's so true!  Who cares if you get lost when you're with people you care about and enjoy, you're sharing an experience...you're sharing life with them.

I've been seeing more and more how deep my love for people goes.  My prayer is that my capacity for love stretches and grows beyond what I can imagine and that no matter where I go or who I'm with, I'm home.

A Little Bit of Nonsense and a Little Bit of Justice

I feel like posting nonsense that I enjoy...cause we all know, I love nonsense.  I'm going to add a few justice links as well because it's on my mind...and we all know, it's always on my mind.

Audrey 

 "The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future."–Audrey Hepburn

Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Thanks to my friend, Carrie, I may play this song entirely too often in my car...along with Mumford and Sons.  I could drive all day...

Fruit Hat!

My friend Melissa makes the cutest fruit hats.  If you like fruit and you like hats (or just hats) you should check out her etsy shop!

International Princess Project

Check out these "PJ's with a purpose"!  

 v. hoped, hop·ing, hopes.  To look forward to with confidence or expectation. 1. To expect and desire. n.2. A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.

A Short Story about Human Trafficking

What's Best for the Family  If you have the time please read this story.