But The Greatest of These is LOVE

The next best thing besides Hallmark Christmas movies are Hallmark Valentines Day movies

I have always loved this holiday 

Picking out Valentines for my class was as exciting as making a list for Christmas

I am not kidding

I was thaaaat little girl

Always giddy with the idea of choosing just the right one from each classmate 

I drove my young self crazy trying to decide which one to give my crush that year

Do I go with the straight forward "I like you" then maybe he would ask to play with me at recess

Or be "friend-zone" and go with the "You are super cool"

Oh, yes, real drama for Valentines Day

Then I grew up and the holiday become full of red roses, chocolate and awkward stuffed bears

Girls are pretty easy, at least I am

Chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate 

And maybe a red rose thrown in there

But lets be honest, this is my 9th Valentines Day without a "valentine" so those things don't come around every year so buying chocolate for myself has become my everyday Valentines Day tradition...

....And I am completely ok with that and here is why....

I truly do love Valentines Day

But this holiday means so much more than just decorating with red hearts, having a special someone to buy you presents, or bring you roses and take you out to a fancy dinner 

 (Dont get me wrong, the hopeless romantic in me does look forward to that!)

Valentines Day represents LOVE, right?

pure, sweet, overwhelming, passionate LOVE

All kinds of love that fill our lives

Love for family

Love for friends

Love for your significant other

ALL LOVE should be celebrated!

But, ALL those kind of "loves" stem from the most important love of all

all consuming

deeply passionate

never ending

forever forgiving and always flowing love from our Lord and Savior

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16 
 

God sent His only son to die FOR ALL OF US

And because of what Jesus did on the cross, because He gave the ultimate sacrifice 

He has showed us the truest, most passionate, sweet, pure, overwhelming love of them all

Because who He is  

Because His LOVE for us

When we love Him deeper, we love others better

Our love for others becomes more real and easier 

We can realize that we love not because we "feel" like it, or "have to", but because HE loved us first

Now THAT is something to celebrate with others or by ourselves on Valentine's Day, but especially every single day of our lives 

--------  

And here is why this year Valentines Day was probably one of the BEST I have ever had (yes, even without a Valentine) 

1) Hillsong Phoenix: Our Church just announced that we are the 16th Global Location for Hillsong church. THIS IS A HUGE DEAL PEOPLE! There are only two more in the US- New York and Los Angeles and now PHOENIX! This will most likely be another post because I am so excited, but today this was the perfect reminder of God's perfect timing and the little glimpse of His perfect plan over my life

2) Then after church, some of us went out to lunch, then I got to hangout with this chick for a bit! Brooke has come into my life through AdvoCare and now attending church with me. She is young, but passionate about life, being greater and believing deeper. She will do great things. LOVE being able to pour into her. 

So we found this which was so fitting for the day

3)  Later that night I went down to Chandler. My home away from home. Love this place. Love this family. These two Arizona "nephews" surprised me with white roses and hand made cards- melt my heart!

4) I stayed the night down in Chandler and got to hangout with this woman and her family the next day. We walked around the park, dreamed about neighborhoods and new houses and then went to lunch downtown Chandler. She is family and so thankful for her in my life. 

So, even on the sappiest, most romantic holidays of the year

Where I am surrounded by couples in love

(no joke, two of my friends got engaged this weekend!) 

I still have faith

I still hope

I still have love

"Faith, Hope and Love remain. But the greatest of these is LOVE."

Because I know the only love I need, the only one that fulfills me, today and everyday, does not come from any man, stuffed animal, fancy dinner, or red roses

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The Gift of Christmas

"May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you trust in Him, 

so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

I am now back in Arizona from being home for the holidays
For one week I was surrounded by family and friends
My heart was filled with nostalgia of old Christmas memories
Laughter of my nephews filled the rooms

I was the only child staying at my parents house this holiday
My sister has her family in Enumclaw
Both my brothers have moved out now
It was just me and my parents

Though I am (cough) 30, I cherished this time to just be their daughter again
My parents even waited to get our tree until I arrived so I could help decorate
A tradition I always enjoy

Coming home for the holidays is a new experience for me
I came home last year from Arizona but I stayed two months through all the holidays
This year I was only home for a week

If I am honest, I was a little anxious how I would handle the emotions of being home and the holidays

 But before I left one of my friends gave me some of the best advice
She said, "Put your phone down and be present with the people you are with. Facebook and Instagram and all of that will still be there. Even when you feel like you are sitting around, look around and think about amazing things going on around you like your nephews laughter. Even in the car rides. You don't realize what you are missing."

I wasn't perfect the whole week being off my phone, but I tried hard
And for the first time since moving away and coming home I truly felt present

I gave myself permission to JUST BE this Christmas 

I gave myself permission to feel the nostalgia of the season
... to be joyful
...to be still and listen to the sounds of Christmas carols and laughter of my nephews
... to stop and smell the balsam & cedar candles and my moms cooking
... to let go of my past failures and mistakes of the year
...to let go of the responsibilities of the future

I gave myself permission to find peace in the knowing my Savior is coming to clean up this beautiful mess of mine

Because through all the hustle and bustle
Through the hard and the messy
I almost forgot the most powerful message of the season
One that got lost in my anxiety and the pressure I put on myself

The Christmas message of Hope, Joy and Peace

JOY that my future is already secured
PEACE that my future will be better than imagined
HOPE that my Savior is coming and will come again

Yup, Jesus is truly the reason for the season

And the best part?
Because of Jesus, we can receive HOPE, JOY and PEACE, the gift of Christmas, all year

This past year I have opened myself up to letting Jesus take over and He has taken me on an adventure that excites me more everyday

The gift of Christmas

The past year (especially the last couple months) Jesus has romanced my soul into an intimacy I have never known

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has placed dreams and passions that have set my heart on fire 

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has given me endless amounts of Grace from my mistakes

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has shown Mercy in situations I labeled impossible

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has given me friends and family that have blessed me more than I deserve 

The Gift of Christmas 

Jesus has given me Salvation

The Gift of Christmas 

Jesus is... 

The gift of salvation 

The gift of Grace 

The gift of Love 

The gift of Blessings 

The gift of Peace 

The gift of Favor 

We can receive them every single day of the year 

As you take down your last bit of christmas decorations

As you begin to reschedule your work and school schedule 

As you begin to write your resolutions and To Do lists.. 

Remember...

Peace is not ultimately a place

Peace is the ultimate Person

JESUS 

The gift of Christmas is Jesus

You don't have to wait until next christmas to receive 

Receive it today and everyday 

The magic of Christmas truly lives in our hearts 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

My sister and I

Just the best grandpa and his grandkids and great grandkids!

Grandpa and his girls

My beautiful cousin Rylee and my brothers baby boy

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We Love Because He Loved First

This holiday means more to me than just decorating with hearts,

or having a special someone to buy you presents,

bring you roses and take you out to a fancy dinner

 (Though the hopeless romantic in me does look forward to that someday !)

To me, Valentines Day represents Pure, Sweet, Overwhelming, Passionate LOVE

All kinds of love that fills our life

Love for family

Love for friends

Love for your significant other

But those love stem from the most important love of all

The all consuming

deeply passionate

never ending

forever forgiving

and always flowing love from our Lord and Savior

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, 
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 
 

God sent His only son to die FOR ALL OF US

And because of what Jesus did on the cross, because He gave the ultimate sacrifice 

He has showed us the truest, most passionate, sweet, pure, overwhelming love of them all

Now that is something to celebrate
(and to hang red hearts everywhere!)

"We love because He first loved us."

1 John 4:19

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Home And Away

Goodbyes are hard

Even when I technically already moved to Arizona

I moved to Arizona in July and in four short months I fell in love

But come November I decided to come home for the holidays

Nothing beats coming home for the holidays

 My days were filled with family, friends, traditions and lots of Starbuck 

My nephews couldn't get away from me

I loved being home and knew I needed this time before the "real" move came

As January 13th approached I was anxious and torn

I loved the comfort and security of home but loved the excitement of my future in Arizona
I also missed the friends I made in Arizona and the life I already created 

I started packing early today out of giddiness to head back
I said my goodbyes to my family holding back tears
My dad drove me to the airpot on a beautiful Seattle evening
We chatted about the adventure ahead and how I will always have home 

Mt. Rainier stunning as ever, something I forgot being in Arizona
But as I am finally settled and sitting at my gate and the tears start to fall

Oceans is playing which never helps

No matter how much I know Arizona is where I am suposed to be
No matter how much my heart is already in Arizona
No matter how many friends and comfort I have in Arizona
The truth is, when we pursue Gods will life gets hard 

He calls us out of our comfort... This is hard

He calls us to leave our friends and family... This is hard

He calls us to be brave and trust Him into the unknown... This is hard 

No matter how many times, goodbyes never get easier... This is hard 

But I hold onto this truth; 

When we pursue His will... life becomes purposeful 

When we pursue His will... life becomes adventurous 

When we pursue His will... life becomes joyful and hopeful

And when we act on His will we become obedient and Blessings come

I am once again leaving my comfort of home and into the unknown

I will be in Arizona in a new apartment, new roommate, and a new area to explore 

The tears will come, probably daily, and so will the many phone calls home 

Doubt and anxiety will creep into my soul when I am not on guard 

I know trials and tribulations are a guarantee in this life 

But I also know that I am stepping into something greater than my comfort 

This life is about eternity and bringing others with me 

This life is about expanding His Kingdom and bringing hope to this fallen and broken world 

I am stepping into complete surrender and obedience to Him 

I am trusting Him to guide my steps, my decisions, my words and my actions 

I am trusting Him that He is leading me into to His will for my life 

I am trusting and praying His Gory will shine bright in the way I live

I will continue to run my race towards Him wherever He takes me

The Lord has already placed dreams and visions on my heart
 I am trusting Him to show up in radical ways as His plan is revealed through my life 

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
 according to His power that is at work within us.." 

Ephesians 3:20

view from our apartment in Phoenix

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Jesus Is...Christmas

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: 

He is Christ The Lord." 

Luke 2:11

Sometimes you just need to talk a walk, listen to carols and build a cross to be reminded and thankful for a God who rebuilds

Last night night I tossed and turned like a little kid again

I looked at my alarm: 2:00am, 4:00am, then finally went off at 8:00am

It wasn't because the presents or the famous monkey bread my mom makes

(ok, maybe a little)

Christmas is a time to gather with family, share memories, and yes open gifts

It didn't snow, but the second best weather is cold and crisp

But my excitement was different this year because this year was different

Not because my older brother was home for the first time in 15 years

Or that my sister now has TWO adorable nephews

Or I live in Arizona now 

It was more than the physical presence of family that made Christmas different

Today we celebrate the most important part of God's ultimate Love Story to save the world!

I dont know about you, but to me thats worth being excited about!

"He comes vulnerable because He knows the only way to intimacy with you is through vulnerability with you. You cant get to intimacy except through the door of vulnerability. So God throws open the door of this world- and enters as a baby. As the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants the unimaginable intimacy with you."

- Ann Voskamp 

It is almost midnight on Christmas day

The presents have all been opened, the candles have blown out

The last of the dessert is put away and the last Hallmark movie has been watched

I sit here with a nostalgic heart as I think about the past month leading up to Christmas and the excitement that builds during this magical, holiday season

I am listening to the last of the Christmas carols on the radio

It just seems like only yesterday I started listening to Christmas music

(Some people say October might be too early, but I say a month is to short)

But those nostalgic feelings and memories turn to feelings of Hope and Joy 

 I realized this past year I don't actually have to wait until Christmas to receive the gift of Christmas

We celebrate the birth of Jesus today but the gift that He brings is received all year

This past year I have opened myself up to letting Jesus take over

He has taken me on an adventure that excites me more everyday

The gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has romanced my soul into an intimacy I have never known

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has placed dreams and passions that have set my heart on fire 

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has given me endless amounts of Grace from my mistakes

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has shown Mercy in situations I labeled impossible

The Gift of Christmas

The past year Jesus has given me friends and family that have blessed me more than I deserve 

The Gift of Christmas 

Jesus has given me Salvation

The Gift of Christmas 

Jesus is... 

The gift of salvation 

The gift of Grace 

The gift of Love 

The gift of Blessings 

The Gift of Peace 

We can receive them every single day of the year 

As you take down your last bit of christmas decorations

As you begin to reschedule your work and school schedule 

As you begin to write your resolutions and To Do lists.. 

Remember...

Peace is not ultimately a place

Peace is the ultimate Person

Jesus

The gift of Christmas
The gift of Jesus 

You don't have to wait until next christmas to receive 

Receive it today and everyday 

The magic of Christmas truly lives in our hearts 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

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Living an answered prayer

I am sitting here at the gate ready to board my flight home

My heart is overflowing with joy 

As much as I found a home in Arizona, my heart longs to be home for the holidays

And as I sit here in Arizona, I realize this very experience is an answered prayer

The past couple years I felt a change in my heart

A small sense of longing to "go home" for the holidays

And not just an hour drive from Seattle 

Something deep inside me wanted to have that moment of "going home" 

I see now that God has been preparing me for THIS very holiday season

Finally, the season of "going home"

I sit here watching the sunrise over Phoenix at 7:30am

In just 3 hours I will be in the cold Seattle rain 

I will be home

My sister is picking me up with nephew Jace

My dad already has planned for us to tag our Christmas tree 

But not without stopping at Starbucks on our way

I will be home for a month

Come january I will be heading toward Arizona again

Down to my new home

Another transition for me

I already know that next holiday season will not be like this one

I will probably have to chose between coming home for Thanksgiving or Christmas

Christmas will always win

It is apparent The Lord is in the business of change
Not for the better or for the worse

Just changing my life for His adventure  

Someday I will have my own house to decorate

My own tree to tag and cut down 

My own traditions to start 

Things I so desire

 My heart is longing for the unordinary, the radical, the uncomfortable life

My sense of adventure is high

I don't want a normal life compared to the society

I also desire to get married one day
I want to encourage and support my husband in his radical, 

unordinary, uncomfortable and adventurous life & big dreams 

I know the risks for these dreams are being away from family, even during the holidays

But living the unordinary journey of faith and having an adventurous Godly marriage is a risk I am willing to take

But right now my heart will fully enjoy being home for the holidays and all its nostalgic and joyful memories

All roads lead home for the holidays

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It feels like home to me

I have lived in Arizona for exactly four months

I miss my family

I miss my friends

I miss the cold weather in Washington

I miss my scarves, boots and sweaters

I miss the golden leaves

I miss my nephews more each day

Next week I will head to Enumclaw, WA for the holidays

Nothing brings more joy than being home for the holidays

But if I am honest, I will miss Arizona

I will miss my new friends

I will miss my church family

I will miss my Crossfit buddies 

I will miss holiday church activities

I will miss the crisp 70 degree weather 

I will miss Arizona because my heart has found a home

In the past four months my heart has found comfort in Arizona

The past four months I have cultivated a community that brings me joy

The past four months I have been on one big adventure that excites my soul

Arizona is home to me now 

I look back at my life and the old me would never leave Washington

The old me would never want to leave the comfort of her family to live in another state

The only explanation I can give is that when you surrender your life to The One who gave it to you, He gives you new confidence, places you in a new direction, a new adventure and gives you new dreams

You don't always see the end but He guides you in the right direction

He starts opening your eyes to the brokenness of this world and your soul will break

You start longing for others to see themselves as Christ sees them
You start longing for purpose in your community, nation and world

Your eyes are open to the sinfulness of human kind (especially your own) 

and you question why people do what they do

But then you realize your own need for more of Jesus

More of His love, faithfulness, compassion and kindness towards others

People do not need more condemnation or judgement but more love and acceptance

You realize you have a lot of growing to do but are up for the challenge

This is what happened to me as the Lord sent me to Arizona

I still dont know why but I am thankful He did

I am learning everyday that life is a wonderful journey full of ups and downs,

lots of brokenness but also lots of joy

He has placed big dreams, desires and visions on my heart that I long to pursue

Not ones I ever dreamed of as a little girl

but better then I imagined

As I sit here in a Starbucks, listening to Christmas carols, excited about next week,
 I am thankful

I am thankful the Lord took me out of a life of just "existing" and into "living"

I am thankful He took me out of my comfort zone and into the unknown

I might not have a stable job, place to live in Arizona

The world might think I am crazy

But more than ever I know I am finally living

Living a life for Christ is the only way I know how to live

The only way I want to live

So, truly, there is nothing like being home for the holidays

I know I am blessed with this opportunity

I wont always have this time to be home for Thanksgiving til New Year 

I am going to soak up every ounce I can with my family in Washington

Enjoy time with my friends and our family traditions

But there is something exciting and hopeful knowing I will return to Arizona

My heart swings back and forth between the need for routine and the urge to GO

Arizona is just the beginning

"Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

Matthew 28:19

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November Wishes

Happy November! 

I have been listening to Christmas music since beginning of October 

But now it is TRULY the start of the holiday season- at least for me!

(cue Mariah Carey "I'll I Want For Christmas") 

This past weekend, I got to spend Halloween with my Arizona family

It was sure different to spend it in 80 degree weather than pouring down rain

But I am getting used to the fact everything is just hotter down here

I really do love Halloween but I love Thanksgiving & Christmas more 

My adorable nephews, sister and brother in law- Missed them this year!

I couldn't spend this holiday with my own nephews but thankfully I got to spend it with these cuties! 

I got super creative and was a Notre Dame football player - or something like that

 Before I share my November goals lets review my October wishes: 

OCTOBER WISHES!

1) Find a pumpkin patch!  FAIL- But I saw a bunch of cute pictures of them but never went to one. I think this was the first year I can think of I didnt go to one! Tradition will start up next year!

2) Day trip to Flagstaff, Arizona - Adding this to November wishes!

4) Help one person jumpstart their health 

and/or finance dreams through the vehicle of AdvoCare - I have THREE new people on their way to a healthier lifestyle, more energy and more control before the holiday season, starting with the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge! 

3)  Attend a high school football game- Didn't go to a game but I found some high schools around me and drive by during a game- not the same I know!

4) Workout 4x a week- Thank you Crossfit ARMS! 

5) Update my blog 2 or more times a week- YES! Getting better every month- I think! 

6) Write five personal hand written letters - Wrote 3 though!

NOVEMBER WISHES! 

1) Focus on my eating more and fueling my body AFTER a workout

2) Find a NEW hiking trail 

3) Explore Sedona or Flagstaff

4) Research 3 non-profits and schedule a informational interview

5) Find a new holiday album  

6)  BE THANKFUL 

Happy Holidays! 

Linking up with Melyssa at Nectar Collective

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