Sometimes less is more



Such a blessing to live in a beautiful city like Seattle. Thank you, Jesus, for the sunshine poking through the clouds today :)

Two weeks down, eight (plus finals) weeks to go. Is it too early for a countdown to summer? Having the sun out today has made me want to wear shorts and flip flops even more now. I do love Seattle, but I am excited to be home and warm for the summer. Unfortunately though, warm in southern California [in July and August] is sometimes a little TOO warm. Thinking about the summer so much has started to make me think about what it means to live a balanced life. How do we live in the moment every day while still planning ahead for the future? I have been thinking about where I'm going to live next year, who I will be living with, getting a summer job, registering for fall classes, visiting friends, going to weddings, and so much more.

God has been challenging me to live life fully right where I am each day. To be thankful for the both the small and big blessings he so graciously allows me to experience. How can I be the best student, daughter, friend, teacher, girlfriend, babysitter, roommate, volunteer, and servant? What are the little things I can do to make a difference in the life of someone, even someone I've never met before.

This Sunday at church the pastor spoke about how sometimes fewer words are better than many words. One of the examples he used was a stop sign. One word. Stop. No explanation. Just stop. Sometimes are prayers become a lengthy explanation of things going on and you don't always need to use all those words. Sometimes we are called to get back to the basics. Asking God to have mercy on us can be a prayer used for just about every situation. Being in a state of constant prayer doesn't always require as many words either. We can just say someones name or think about a situation we want to offer up to God. It was a refreshing way of looking at things, thinking that God wants us to be real and sincere in how we converse with him. AND if we are always going on and on talking it gives us very little time to listen to what he is saying in return.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."

Psalm 51:10-12 [RSV]

Praying for Japan

My heart goes out to everyone affected by the earthquake and tsunami. My prayer is for these people and the country as a whole, that life would be restored once again. It really puts things into perspective, looking through pictures and watching videos of what happened. It makes me so thankful for the "basics" that we often take for granted. Lord, take care of your people.