"I Saw What I Saw...."

"I saw what I saw and I can't forget it. I heard what I heard and I can't go back. I know what I know and I can't deny it. Something on the road cut me to the soul. Your pain has changed me. Your dream inspires. Your face a memory. Your hope a fire. Your courage asks me, what am I afraid of and what I know of love....."

I recently saw this video and it reminded me of all the sweet faces I saw in Ethiopia. I tried to put the video on here so you could see it, but I'm a little challenged when it comes to technology...so you will have to settle for a link that will take you to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY

Kindred Spirits

So one of my best friends called tonight to tell me that she was driving in for the weekend and I'm the lucky one that gets to hang out with her tomorrow!!! After we hung up, I started thinking about what great girl friends God has blessed me with in my life. I think of them as my kindred spirits! A few of these girls I've known FOREVER, a couple I met at A&M, and a couple of them God has placed in my life in the past 5 years. Most of these girls are as different as night and day, and when I try to think about what makes me love them so much I realize it's because they have characteristics that I admire and want more of in my own life! So I thought I'd introduce you to them...ha...I know, kinda corny...but I'm okay with that :)

So first of all there's Tonya! LOVE HER!! She's the one that knows me the best...the one that can finish my sentences...the one that I go to first with my problems. She's unbelievably loyal and trustworthy and I guess that's what I love the most about her! She's seen me at my best and my worst and she will forever love me! You can't beat a friend like that!

Then there's Laura! Where do I start?...JK! She's my other best friend that I've known forever. She's the one I've always been secretly jealous of...either because of the fact that EVERY (and not exaggerating here) guy I liked in high school conveniently liked her or because of her crazy, cool fashion sense! I guess the thing I love about Laura the most is her playfulness and positive attitude! She doesn't let alot get her down and she definitely lives life to the fullest!



Courtney...or C. Hicky as I lovingly refer to her! She's my college roomie for 2 marvelous years! She and I hit it off immediately...which is not common for a shy one like me! She was ALWAYS making me laugh and felt my pain when it came to the struggle of shyness. The thing I love the most about her is that she's that friend that you can pick things up with right where you left off!

You can look at this picture and know who gets me in the most interesting situations....KYLA! Kyla and I are complete opposites in almost every way....she's loud and loves attention while I shy away from it...she takes great pleasure in telling the most outrageous stories while I get nervous and wonder if people really want to hear mine....she loves anything gaudy and glittery while I settle for the simple! The thing I love about Kyla is that I can go to her with things that others might see as trivial, and she truly listens and understands!

This next one holds a extra special place in my heart...Lindsay! In the short time I've known her, I can say sooo much about why I love her. I think God places people in your life so that you can help them and also so that they can help you...Lindsay is one of those people to me! She's the one that makes me think and challenges me to see things from a completely different perspective. I love her openness and heart for people. I love how she's willing to share her present or past struggles because she knows it might help others who are going through those same struggles as well. I love her humbleness, how God radiates through her life, and how God uses her in more ways than she could ever imagine! I hope she rubs off on me and one day all 3 of those characteristics can be seen in me as well :)

Last, but by no means least, is Mary Michal. I've only recently gotten to know her, but I feel as though we were sisters separated at birth! I love her so much because she makes me feel like its okay to be me! I can't tell you the number of times that I've said something about myself and she's looked at me afterwards and said "Me too!" The thing I love about her is how genuine she is and how easy friendship is with her :) P.S. She's also one of the few friends I have that I can proudly say I'm taller than!!!!

Almost forgot little Jess! Jess was a freshman my 1st senior year at A&M and she was another one with whom I immediately bonded! After we met, I swear we were attached at the hip and I still to this day consider her my little sis! Jess has such a beautiful spirit and a loving heart! I have seen her literally blossom before my eyes into a strong and amazing Christian woman who is constantly being used by God. The thing I love about Jess is her hunger for the Lord. After each conversation I have with her, I am constantly encouraged and challenged to have as much of a fire in my walk with the Lord as she has! I love her dearly :)

What a lucky girl I am!

"Two are better than one....If one falls down, his friend can help him up."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

On my list!

So I have a list! I started it on a night when I had too much on my mind and I couldn't go to sleep....which unfortunately happens way too often :( Since that night, I've been adding more and more to it. When I look at it now, I guess you could say that the things on it are a little bit random. It consists of things I know I will someday accomplish, things that seem far out of my reach, things I'm too scared to do on my own, and things I hope someday God will bless me with. I promise one day that list (or most of it at least), will be on here...but this is not that day!

Today a certain someone reminded me that one of the things on my list is about to come true!!!!! God has blessed me with 4 major passions in my life so far: kids, photography, puzzles (don't ask!), and TRAVELING! Since I love to travel, much of my list consists of all the places I would love to go see. One of those many places has always been ITALY!! When I think of Italy, the 2 things that have always popped into my mind are gondolas and Venice! I don't know which one excites me more: a city of canals and bridges or a boat steered by a little Italian man wearing a striped shirt with a cute little hat and singing in a language I don't know! Either way, the whole idea of Italy has always excited me! So, all that to say that one of the things on my list is "to ride in a gondola with the man I love".


Okay, here comes the part of the list that I am going to have to modify a little bit. Unfortunately, I haven't fallen in love yet...although I'm trusting God has "him" out there for me sometime soon. So for the time being, my list now includes "to ride in a gondola with the sister I love!" (and who knows....maybe the other will come eventually!) That's right...my big sis is coming with me to Italy!!! So not only do I get to experience the beauty of Italy, eat authentic Italian food, and view some gorgeous works of art...but, I get to do them with my amazing big sis! I'm so excited!!!!

My gorgeous big sis!

4th Grade Love

So I'm blessed to be a teacher of some amazing little 4th graders! Don't get me wrong....there are definitely times I want to wring their necks...but for the most part, I absolutely love them! Friday was our Valentine's Day party and of course the kids showed up to school as if they already had about 5 lbs. of sugar shooting through their bodies. It's funny to remember parties back when I was in school...I used to LOVE them. Now though...gotta say not so much. With every party there seems to be some unexpected incident that makes things stressful and challenging....and Friday definitely had a few of those. There was one incident though that made all the stress of our party worth it!

I handed out a Valentine's card to each kid and told them that they could decorate it and put their own message in it for anyone they wanted. So I assumed those adorable little 4th graders would make it for their mom, dad, sister, brother, or best friend. Little did I know that there was some 4th grade love brewing in my classroom! One of the sweetest and shyest boys in my class walked up to me and told me he made a Valentine for one of the girls in our class. Then he asked me if I wanted to hear it. So in his cute little 4th grade stammering voice he said, "Th-th-the only thing th-that makes this life worth living, is th-th-the sight of you each day." I literally laughed out loud and the biggest smile came across my face right then and there! I told him how unbelievably sweet he was and he just started smiling!

I hope someday I can experience the innocence and sincerity of 4th grade love and have someone say that to me on Valentine's Day...ha!

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

Since graduating college, God has blessed me with some amazing missions opportunities. I began each trip thinking about how much good our group was going to do and how many people we were going to be able to help. With every trip though, I think I learned more about myself and I was blessed more by the people we were going to serve than they were blessed by me being there.

Last summer, I went to Ethiopia....and I'm pretty sure a little piece of my heart will always remain there. When people ask me about it, I always feel like I don't have the adequate words to describe all the beautiful kids I met and all I learned by being there. I recently came across a passage and a video that explains (in better words than I ever could), how I truely feel about Ethiopia.

"When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. "I am needed here," I think. "They have so little, and I have so much." It's true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in those same people. It's a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day.

The images spilling out of my television showed circumstances that could seemingly only equal misery, and I was fooled. I bought into the lie that circumstance defines happiness. The truth is, in Africa I find hearts full of victory, indomitable spirits. In places where despair should thrive, instead I find adults dancing and singing, and children playing soccer with a ball crafted of tied up trash. Instead of payback, I find grace. Here, weekend getaways are not options to provide relief from the pains of daily life. Relationships and faith provide joy. Love is sovereign.

My new reality… I know now that my joy should have no regard for my circumstances. I'm ashamed by my lack of faith, but at the very same moment I am excited by my new pursuit. I'm forced to redefine the meaning of having much or having little. I'm uneasy with the prospect of change and of letting go, but just the thought of freedom is liberating. I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart - I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.
I'm not saying that Africa does not need our efforts. It absolutely does need our partnership. But for me, I've come to understand that I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME. Why? Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart. I've learned that I don't need what I have and that I have what I need. These are just a few of this continent's many lessons. I came here to serve and yet I've found that I
have so much to learn, and Africa, with all its need, has much to teach me."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAB-zJPsJjs