Random Musings

I started writing tonight for the first time in quite a while.  I was invited to guest write for a blog for a local women's organization and so I sat down at my computer to write.  As those blogs are published, I will post them here.  But, for now, it has come to my attention that my last blog post was in March!  So many things have changed in my life since then and I want to take a moment to share them. Chicago or Bust! Most of you know, but for those who don't, in February I moved to the beautiful and windy "Second City".  Well, in truth, I live about 45 minutes North West of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois.  Nick and I had always talked about him finding his way to the South, but the Lord had different plans.  In a time frame that seemed impossible to both of us, the Lord opened the doors for me to move North.  I found someone who was renting a room in a beautiful historic house in Downtown Elgin, packed my car and, with Karlee as co-pilot, head...

Over the last few days, a video has gone viral on the internet. Unlike so many viral videos, this is not of talking animals, dancing grandmas, or any number of other zany videos that make us laugh throughout the course of the day. No, this is a 30 minute documentation of the story of Josephy Kony, a war criminal. The video has sparked a lot of controversy and conversation. The organization responsible for the video, Invisible Children , has come under scrutiny as well. All of this is good. It's important to ask questions and to do research. Before getting involved in a movement, it's important to ask questions. I am staggered by the darkness in this world. There are some days where I am sick to my stomach and reduced to tears over what happens here. It can be overwhelming to even know where to begin. I hate that we've given so few real alternatives to women that they often feel the only "choice" they have is to terminate the life of their child. I hate t...

Last weekend I did something I honestly never dreamed I'd do. I can honestly say the thought never once crossed my mind that I would ever try something quite so frightening. But, I did it. I took my turn on the flying trapeze. It's ok if you need to stop and read that sentence again. I'll wait. For those of you who know me well, you have probably discovered that I have an intense fear of heights. I abhor ladders. And, if you're asking me to walk across something I can see through, you may as well ask me to land on the moon. Did you know that trapeze class incorporates ALL 3 of those things? I bet you didn't. But, you see, I have this friend who always comes up with crazy ideas and loves to push me outside of my comfort zone. And, she thought trapeze class sounded like fun. Unbeknownst to this friend, I've recently made a little promise to myself not to let fear stop me from trying new things. I want more adventure in my life and I'm tired of being paralyzed ...

I'm currently reading the book "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge. It's a book that talks specifically about how men were created to reflect the glory of God and teach us about His character. It's been an interesting journey into the wild heart of man. Eldredge states that there are three deep seated desires in the heart of a man. He must have a battle to fight, and adventure to live and a beauty to rescue. It's been interesting to dig into those three things and see what God has called man to be. I am also reading this book's counterpart for women, called "Captivating", by John and his wife Stasi Eldredge. In "Captivating" the couple states that the deep seated desires of a woman's heart are to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to have a beauty to unveil. Reading these books together has been a beautiful journey into how we are created in unique, yet complimentary ways, to display the face of...

All too often, I don't take the time to stop and blog unless I've been processing some deep truth in my life. More often than not, blogging helps me finally distill my thoughts into truth and belief. I share here, quite frequently, the struggles of my journey. But, I've come to realize that I don't project a full and complete picture. When I only take the time to talk about when life is hard, I lead my readers to believe my life is always hard. That is simply not true and is, in fact, far from the reality of it. My life is full of joy, happiness and people who love me really well. The story that God is writing for me is nothing short of beautiful. I had a taste of that "something beautiful" this Christmas and New Year's. I had the opportunity to take time to travel to Illinois to be with Nick. And, while I missed my family and spent my first Christmas without them, it was filled with so much joy I could hardly take it in. Some of you know the details...