Dance, dance, dance

Since my dream of becoming a b-girl is likely wishful thinking, I decided I would just dance around the world like this guy. (I'm sorry about the offensive title...just scroll down so you don't have to see it. And make sure you click on the link to view it in high quality.)

growing, growing, GONE!

And she's off! I'm so proud of my 13-and-a-half-month-old niece, Madison. She is beginning to take her first steps on her own! Wobbly as she may be, and as hard as she can fall, she is absolutely captivating to watch.

Not only does Maddie like short walks in the living room, she also now enjoys other grown-up things, like evening rides in her Daddy's truck,

cheering on the Greensboro Grasshoppers,

talking on her cellie,

and perusing an assortment of reading selections.

I can hardly believe how quickly the past few months have gone. It has been an indescribable joy to watch this little one grow every day! Thank you, God, for Maddie Grace!

a wedding, a hike, and a poop

My birthday was yesterday, so besides being thankful for so many things in my life, I got to be with two of my closest friends from high school and celebrate one of their weddings in Boone. (I am grateful to have seen two Christ-centered weddings the past two weekends. How refreshing to know that despite an impure world, people can still love Jesus and each other, and commit their lives to one another in purity!) It was a beautiful ceremony and there was bluegrass muisc and contradancing at the reception...so much fun! God is so good to be supplying me with time with people I love but rarely see. Congratulations, Emily and Isaac!

I wanted to take advantage of being in the beautiful Boone area today, so besides doing a little shopping in the very cool downtown stores, I drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway to find a trail to hike. I ended up going to one I'd been to before, which is great for me since I have a tendency to get lost. A good ways into the 3-mile loop I realized I didn't bring my water bottle along. Even though there's less humidity in the mountains, it's still NC and I was pretty durn hot and parched. So what's a thirsty girl to do but drink from a stream? There's nothing like handfuls of fresh spring mountain water to refresh the body...or should I say, cleanse it. Not more than ten minutes later, my stomach was yelling at me. No biggie, I thought. If I gotta go, I can make it to a gas station on the way home after I enjoy my hike. Nope--no waiting. So there I was, bare-butt off the hiking trail, taking a you-know-what, praying that no one would walk by. I didn't bring any water, much less any sort of paper product to finish the job. But no worries...a couple leaves did the trick nicely. Toilet paper, schmoilet paper. Thank the Lord those leaves weren't poisonous! And it was a close call; probably a minute later, I passed several groups of people. Phew! I enjoyed the remainder of my hike thirsty but pain-free.

It really was a lovely weekend! (Minus..well, you know.) I've been praying for God to prepare me for leaving and adjusting in Bolivia. I got to see some friends I won't see again probably until I get back in the States. And my incident reminded me of what is meant when traveling to other countries by "Don't drink the water." God uses everything for good, right? I still immensely enjoyed the hike, the scenery, and being in nature...just God and me. I hope to take many a hike in the mountains of Bolivia. But then I'll be sure to take along some water.

Adios, Glenwood

I moved out of Glenwood, my old neighborhood, last weekend. It was a pretty abrupt change, and I'm mourning the loss of some wonderful neighbors, the awesome diversity there, being nearby some students that are involved at my church, and two amazing housemates who became some of my closest friends. I've been struggling with how me being there was effective for such a short period, but perhaps it was not so much for the benefit of others, but for what God wanted to teach me. I've learned a lot in the past few months about God's heart for the poor and for racial reconciliation, about incarnational and relational ministry, about loving beyond my limits, about patience and getting out of my comfort zone, about fear and the one who conquers it, about living communally with others who share your vision, and about how to listen to the Spirit's leading. And what's exciting is that I have so much more to learn!

Even though leaving Glenwood is pretty heartrending, I've moved back in with my sister, brother-in-law, and my beautiful niece, which makes me joyful and thankful! They have been so flexible with all of my life changes this year. I'm grateful for this time with them before I leave for Bolivia. However, whenever I drive around my old neighborhood, I still feel like that's home. I'm trusting that God will make a way for my new place in La Paz to feel like home, too.

Thank you, Lord for Glenwood, for changes, and for the people you put in my life, even if only for a short while.