Inspiring. Difficult.

"Faith, as I am growing to understand it more, is about looking beyond my circumstances to a person. To have faith in better circumstances, even in God creating better circumstances, is not true faith. I want to be the kind of man who can watch every dream go down in flames and still yearn to be intimately involved in kingdom living, intimately involved with my friend the King, and still be willing to take another risk just because it delights Him for me to do so. And my flesh shivers to think about it."

-David Shepherd, as quoted in Shattered Dreams

Love is...

Recently, I had my sweet third-graders write a journal entry on what love is. Here are a few excerpts...

Love is when I help my friends.

Love is like chocolate.

Love is you and your dad throwing a baseball outside.

Love is playing with your brother.

Love is snuggling with your mom on a Saturday.

Love is praying with your mom or dad at night.

Love is when you say you're sorry to a friend that might be upset with you.

Love is when a friend helps you.

Love is caring. Love is also sharing.

Love is when my whole family is together.

Love is kind and respectful.

Love can be honesty and being happy. Love can be trust and being nice.

Love is when you forgive your friends.

Love is when you help others in need.

Worth Mentioning

As January and winter march along, I couldn't help realizing a rather remarkable fact: I have not been sick this entire school year to date. Not even a cold! If you knew me in high school, you would know what a big deal this is. Due to lack of sleep, playing volleyball nearly year-round, difficult classes, and just being too busy in general, I spent most of high school moderately sick. I usually got a cold/cough in the early fall which lasted all the way to late spring. My Biology class and teacher used to joke they would finally be able to invent a cure from the common cold from me because I seemed to get so many strands of the virus, and my Word Civ teacher used to call me "the Storm" due to my severe cough.

With that kind of a history, one doesn't take being "sick-free" for granted. I am incredibly grateful that God has kept me so healthy the last six months. Of course it's purely by His grace, but I think there are three contributing factors that have helped:

-Teaching elementary school for four years previously and working with impoverished children in Mexico for two years have helped me build some great antibodies.

-Emergen-C: I was first introduced to this by my missionary teammate Christy and her family, and it is good stuff! It comes in little packets that you dissolve in water, and one packet has 1000mg of Vitamin C plus 24 other nutrients, antioxidants, etc. I try to take it 2-3 times a week and more frequently if I think I might be getting sick. I highly recommend it, but two words of warning: Be sure you buy the brand-name and be sure to buy raspberry. Other flavors I have tried are really gross, and the Target brand is disgusting.

-Last but not least, I believe my obsession with always using hand sanitizer before I eat (and preferably washing my hands) has helped. :)

Tender Mercy of our God...

"...because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

~Luke 1:78-79

The Help

As usual, I am a bit behind on things...first, I was behind on the trend of reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I think I can still claim "living out of the country for two years" on that one. However, I was very intrigued by the novel ever since I first heard about it this summer from my aunt. Since I am a firm believer in reading the book before I see the movie, I was determined to bypass the theaters late summer and early fall so that I could read the book first. Now I'm just behind on blogging because even though I finished the book in September, I still need to write about it. So here it goes...

In a nutshell, I loved it! This can be attested to by 1.) the fact that I read it at all, and 2.) the fact that I stayed up late reading it on multiple nights. Most of what I read is either Christian nonfiction or children's literature--I'm just not a big fan of popular fiction; I think it's more of a time issue than an interest issue but nevertheless, not many "fictional adult bestsellers" make it on to my reading list. Also, I was willing to sacrifice my precious sleep on more than one occasion because I just didn't want to put this book down. In fact, it even felt "delightfully indulgent" to read one more chapter rather than being practical and going to sleep. :)

Here are some other miscellaneous thoughts I had about The Help:

• I loved the shifting, first-person perspectives between the three main characters of Skeeter, Abilene, and Minnie. This keeps you always wanting to read more to find out what happens in each story thread.
• I enjoyed all of the foreshadowing and "hype" that led up to the infamous Benefit and then how the tense changes completely to the active present and shifts to the 3rd person as if a reporter is writing this scene ("they walk in behind, the air seems so still, etc.").
• I loved Stockett's character development and the theme of true friendship that grows stronger and stronger as the novel progresses.
• I liked the complexity of minor characters like Miss Celia.

In summary, The Help is a captivating novel full of multiple layers. The depth of the characters and the various themes and interwoven story lines create a fascinating tale. Definitely a novel worth reading!

Precious.

Today, as I was enjoying a refreshing morning and sitting on my favorite love seat next to the window in our living room, I caught a glimpse of my neighbor... he's probably about ten years old and lives with his family across the street. I watched him look around surreptitiously to make sure no one was outside watching and then proceed to play football by himself in his front yard. He was the ref, the defense, and the offense all in one. He would make calls and show the appropriate hand motions; he would toss the ball in the air and then catch it; he would dodge past imaginary opposing players and often end up on the ground after a supposed tackle. It was adorable. In a month when my patience can run thin at times, I am thankful for this simple reminder of the joy and innocence of being a child.

Autumn Glimpses

Every year, the fall seems to fly by before you know it. This year is no exception, and much of it has been consumed by the daily routine of work. However, I have also enjoyed some wonderful weekends that brought big smiles to my face...

Nashville, TN-a fun Samford Girls reunion for Havilah's wedding on a beautiful October day

I also got to see Doug & Christy's family that same weekend since they were spending part of their furlough in Nashville and enjoyed some precious time with them.

Tally, FL-a great day for an FSU football game with my sweet friend Cassidy

This may not have been a stellar season for the Noles, but we sure picked a good game to attend. :)

Birmingham, AL-ran my first 10K with my favorite running buddy & dear friend Laura (and then enjoyed a delicious post-race breakfast at Urban Standard)

Fall in all its glory...

On the trail near Jemison...love going for runs and walks in these woods

South Bend, IN-a fabulous weekend trip to Notre Dame to visit my former roommate and missionary teammate Karen...

...and experience a ND football game and all their fun Irish traditions!

Tallahassee-Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K with Paul and Young-Bin