Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A Weekend from Above!

I am fairly certain that God definitely sends us moments of heaven on earth. This weekend was one of those, except instead of a moment it was a whole weekend! If it was not a glimpse of heaven, then He has something so incredible up there that I am not sure I could actually handle it!
This weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to spend the weekend in South Carolina with old neighbors that I have know since what seems like day one. Our relationship with their family is a really awesome one because we have not lived in the same state for about fifteen years, but we have stayed in touch since the day they left Stillwater Drive. Each time we see them it is as if we have not missed a beat. This is the type of friendship I will forever cherish. Not only was I blessed with their presence this weekend, but I also got to spend time with my brother, Clayton, and his wife, Jen.
This was a wonderful surprise that I was made aware of earlier in the week before we left and I am so thankful for it. I truly tried to soak in every moment spent with my brother and Jen because it will probably be the last time I see them before leaving for Scotland this fall which means it won't be until next June (2014), when they come to Scotland, that I get to see them again. Like I said in my last post, leaving is starting to really sink in.
Spending time with everyone was only the beginning of what felt like heaven on earth. Along with them were numerous good laughs, boating, great food, talk of weddings, and very little time spent with cell phones. The cell phone thing was one of the best parts because if you know anything about my family then you know they are always in use. This weekend though they were tucked away in the boat to keep dry unless they were being used for pictures. We had the company of anyone we could need to talk to right there on the boat. The weekend then ended with this beautiful sunset!
Oh, and another great thing about the weekend were the stolen moments I got to spend alone on the porch watching the lake, kids playing, and another sunset. I was true to my introvert self and had the opportunity to enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet. I enjoy this time so much because it allows me the chance to take in my surroundings and everything going on. During this time I was able to think about and pinpoint some of my favorite things that were all within my reach in South Carolina:

  1. A great porch/ outdoor area with rocking chairs are total bliss!
  2. I wish I could saunter around in my bare feet all day every day! There is something wonderful about the feeling of raw earth and fresh surfaces under my feet that is so comforting.
  3. Last, I love the feeling of heat radiating off of newly sun kissed skin onto fresh sheets as you climb into bed. It makes me feel cozy and justly exhausted!
This was my weekend in a nutshell and it seriously could not have turned out anymore perfect! I still cannot believe that we are blessed with such wonderful things!

And here is one last picture for the road! :) (Ruger and Nala are best friends now too!)

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Heatin' Up

Alright friends! Things are really starting to get real! I am leaving for a whole year...what?! Don't get me wrong, I am beyond blessed to have to opportunity to live in Scotland for a year, but things slowly keep dawning on me about leaving. This process all started with that thing where you wake up and have no idea where you are, although really you do. I did this at my house at school after a nap and it took me a solid minute to figure it all out! When this happens all I want to do is go home; as in Northern Kentucky home. I know this will happen to me next year, as it did while I was in London, but home won't be an option. Anyway, here is my list so far of what I have realized:


  1. I need to soak up the sun now because it will not be a strong source of vitamin D for a long, long time.
  2. I am going to be cold! Not good, not bad. Just fact.
  3. I will need to be uncomfortable to find the comfort of new friends.
  4. I literally cannot come home...it simply won't be an option like it is while at UK if I need a break.
  5. I am seeing my brother and sister-in-law for the last time this weekend until a little over a year from now!
  6. I need to start planning when I will see friends for the last time this summer before I take off...CRAZY!
  7. I am about to learn so much about myself that I currently cannot even comprehend how big this is.
  8. I am nervous because other people's nerves for me are scaring me!
  9. Im still excited.
Through each of these things and whatever other thoughts will come my way in the next few months there is one thing I know is certain. Expectations are either met or they aren't and because of this I am trying my hardest to have no expectations and just got with the flow! I cannot wait to see what this journey does for me, my life, and God's will for me!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

A Penny For Your Thoughts

So there is this thing, this thing called vulnerability...

I have learned a lot about the action of it in drastic ways over the last year. I have become vulnerable and shared my deepest stories, thoughts, and dreams, none of which were easy to do. I have also witnessed the action of becoming vulnerable a few times in the last year. Each one was as deeply beautiful and wonderful as the next.

I felt the need to write this blog post because I have been watching a lot of TED talks lately and multiple videos have touched on this topic. One of these videos is linked here of a young woman, Sarah Kay, who discovered the power of vulnerability through the art of spoken word poetry. Her poems are beautiful and each one shares something genuine, and a piece of who she is. The video explains the power of her craft. I encourage you to watch the whole thing, but if you don't have time at least watch the first four minutes or so. The lessons in this video are a great intro to the following post.

So...

Vulnerability...

Vulnerability is defined as: the state of being vulnerable or exposed; capable of being physically or emotionally wounded.

Based on this definition, if you are anything like me you think "why on earth would you open yourself up to being exposed and wounded?" Its scary and its really really difficult to become vulnerable with others; I can tell you from personal experience.

Vulnerability has this weird power though. It so often works out that you don't discover this power and do not have the opportunity to share in it until you become vulnerable or experience someone who does. The power that I am talking about is a connectedness that you share with everyone who lets their walls down as you yourself do when you become vulnerable. When your walls come tumbling down you may not have the same or even a similar story to the person with whom you are sharing the moment, but if they know what that feeling is like, the one of becoming vulnerable, they share this unspeakable compassion with you. They may not even speak the same language as you, but they know you have a story that means something to you and your life, and they know what that feels like.

The moment of becoming vulnerable and sharing a large piece of yourself with others, whether it has been done once or a thousand times, never changes. This moment, this moment isn't comfortable, its scary and nerve racking, yet rewarding and unlike any other feeling in the world. This moment and the connection it creates between people unifies us because it strips each of us to our core. It helps others to identify with you, it makes people feel passion and compassion, it creates courage, it can produce the universal languages- tears and laughter; vulnerability creates an unspoken bond between humans. This is beauty...this is true peace at its very finest. It is how God meant for humans to interact.

So, no matter where you are in life, what you are doing, or who your are, the next time you have the opportunity to become vulnerable, I challenge you to do so. I'll be honest, it will be though, but it will also be enormously rewarding. I ask this as not only a challenge, but as a favor. It would be a favor because I am someone who believes that there is peace somewhere inside all of us, and this is just one small step in acknowledging it in ourselves and others. I believe vulnerability is a step in making the world a better, more peaceful place.


Passionately Obsessed


 
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