Beautifully Broken

I went to a youth group a few nights ago at a nearby church. My cousin and sister and I had been talking about this for a while, but like all things we never actually do it. Talk, talk, talk, but no walk.

I wasn’t going to go, but I finished all of my work so I just tugged along.

We drove around a few times and looked into the little building window and saw a few people sitting around a table. Fear quickly struck us, and we debated whether or not to walk in.

This was totally not what we were expecting! I mean it’s a pretty big church, but this group night seemed small… and well intimate.

Like the kind that everyone knows each other and well it pretty much felt like high school again trying to make friends as the new kid.

We got a closer spot and looked in… well what do you wanna do? I don’t know what do YOU wanna do?

Finally after a long 5 minutes, my cousin opened her door and said let’s just go, we never do anything new… whats the worse that could happen? At least we could say we tried something.

Sigh.

My younger cousin and sister took the brave card. I just sat there my heart beating out of my chest and finally got out of the car.

True.

We were greeted by a sweet girl who welcomed us right in with a hug. Smiles all around, people hanging around a huge table.. with snacks galore. Everyone was gathered nonchalantly around the center table, chattering away and laughing in little groups.

This isn’t so bad…  they’re nice.

We looked around and someone would come up to us and introduce themselves and and little by little small talk happened.

After exchanging a few laughs and small introductions, we headed upstairs for worship.

It was a small but cozy room. A small corner lamp illuminated the Bible verses and encouraging quotes on the grey colored walls that looked like it had been styled out of Fixer Upper’s TV show.

The sound of the soft guitar filled the room and we began to sing the words that displayed on the TV screen.

Will your grace run out
If I let you down
'Cause all I know
Is how to run

'Cause I am a sinner
If it's not one thing it's another
Caught up in words
Tangled in lies
But You are a Savior
And You take brokenness aside
And make it beautiful
Beautiful

The words hit me hard.

The new series of the night was about purpose and our calling. As I watched the short video, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought this was directly speaking to them.

“Do you think your story matters?”

Honestly? I never thought of addressing my life as a story that mattered. I know everyone has a story, but I never really thought mine was that cool or important to matter, much less to tell to others.

The rest of the night we all spent around the coffee table. Talking, laughing, and answering questions regarding the video and sharing random thoughts about life, God, and food. Who doesn’t like to talk about food?!

After thanking everyone and sharing a a few hugs, we stepped outside to go to our car.

“Wow… I’m so glad that we did that guys.” I looked over at my sister and cousin.

“Yea me too”

Meeting new people is one of the scariest things to me. But it showed me something.

We can hide behind our screens, and scroll and scroll until our fingers fall off looking at the ideal lives of others. But nothing compares to talking to someone face to face.

You see that the person is real, and just like you… they are broken. Because truth is we’re all broken, but we don’t have to live this life alone.

We can come together and root for each other when life is going pretty good…. Or we can sit down, cry, and stand with each other as the waves come crashing in our boats, when we’re in the middle of a storm.

We’re all trying to figure this whole life thing out. And when we realize that the cracks are actually places that God can use to shine His light though us… we see that our brokenness can become something beautiful.

The Return of Spring

After many days of the bitter cold and snow filled streets, the first day of spring has finally arrived. 

I'm so grateful I live in a world of different seasons. It becomes so boring once you have too much of a particular type of weather, don't me wrong I love the summer but it's refreshing to look forward to the changes that come with every passing month. 

I've been in a bit of a creative rut lately, and for that I must apologize for being absent from this little home of mine. 

I feel as if we're just like the seasons, in that sometimes you just are looking forward to the next thing, because you just don't know what's left to do in the season that you've been in for long.

I look outside and the fact that you can still see the blue sky and sun shining at 7 in the evening makes me smile from ear to ear. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaasssss! Finally, there's more time to do things in a day. 

And with more daylight, means more natural light for that perfect golden shot ;). 

I can't believe it's already mid-March.

And 6 months ago I said yes to embarking on this new season in my life of being an Italian teacher.

I didn't know what to expect to be honest, and I was terrified.

And now it's March. If you're a teacher, you know March is the pivotal point where you can see that ray of light at the end of the tunnel. 

The light of summer days filled with the ocean waves and sun-drenched afternoon strolls in the park with an ice cream sandwich melting in your hand.

I saw Beauty and the Beast over the weekend... and I absolutely adored it!

March feels a lot like the part where Belle rushes out into an open field proclaiming she wants so much more of this provincial life with the sun setting all sorts of beautiful colors.

It's been one of the longest seasons of my life, and I'm so happy for the new. 

Spring you are like a breath of fresh air and I've been waiting  forever for ya. 

You pretty little thing you... it's so nice to see you again. 

Don't lose your Wonder

 Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! {Dr. Seuss}

It was Read Across America week this past week. Being an Italian teacher, I partook in the daily festivities and read my kiddies Prosciutto e Uova Verde, or Green Eggs and Ham in Italian. 

As a little girl, I remember my Mama bought be the whole Dr. Seuss set (red bookends included) and I would read the colorful pages with rhymes and wacky characters. 

I couldn't help but think... how amazing are we as children? I mean we are curious about everything, always ask questions... and are in awe of the world around us. 

It makes me sad to think, we don't have that sense of curiosity as we age. 

We don't look to know new things anymore... because we think we know it all already.

With burdens and added responsibilities... we lose who we once were as children. 

That spark... that innocence or in this case that Sam I Am that says "Go ahead try it! Try it!"

But it doesn't have to be so. 

Dr. Seuss is such a wonderful example of having a childlike spirit in all things.

Jesus himself told us that we need to be like a child in our faith, always in awe and wonder of our God. {Matthew 18:3}

Don't be afraid to follow what you are curious about. 

  

I always loved to dance... so I joined dance and found out I loved to tap.

I was curious about cooking... so I bought cookbooks and began to cook. 

In high school, I loved to sing and dance... so I tried out for a part in the musical. I didn't get a major part... but I got a small role and it was such a great achievement for me, considering how insanely shy I was. 

I was curious about photography (even though I had no clue how to use a camera)... so I bought books, took classes and fell in love.

I always wanted to kick box... so I recently joined a class and love it. 

Never stop following your curiosities... no matter how old you are.

Someday when I am grey and full of wrinkles... I hope to look back and say I had the courage to try everything I loved. 

Yes, even green eggs and ham.