O'Cebreiro to Triacastela

Today we left our hostel/albergue in O'Cebreiro at 7am and walked 21.5 kilometers through mountains. We stopped at three cafés before reaching our destination in Triacastela. Along the way, we met some guys from Indiana who started at the "beginning" in France. They are about 700kilometers into their journey with roughly 135 left. We met an older couple from Holland who have all the secrets on how to protect your feet. Unfortunately for us, they started foot care months ago. we passed multiple times during the day and are staying at the same albergue. Abel walked with many people today and invited a girl from Sweden to eat dinner with us. It is such a good time being able to interact with people from all over. "Buen Camino!" Is spoken often and can lead into further conversation. Almost every Peregrino (pilgrim) is super friendly and it's a totally different culture. 

I ended up walking by myself do a whole today and it was an awesome time of reflection. It's a shame that it takes traveling across the ocean to spend that time. (Note to self...do this more.)

I have been recalling most of the Spanish I took (this is a miracle), so it makes simple interactions easier. Otherwise, it's basically a game of "find the words I know in a huge mumble of a conversation and try to answer correctly".

We have some long days ahead of us. Tomorrow we will travel to Sarria, which is the minimum starting point to get a Compastela (also a further distance then we walked today). The Camino will be much more crowded after today. While finding a bed will become more of a challenge, it will also allow us more conversations to talk to people. 

I'm also loving being able to debrief with Zach. (Note: if you can ever bond with your sibling...do it). Please pray for him as he is battling allergies while we are in the mountains. Hopefully once we are out of the forest it will clear up. Until then, we bought some meds today and are praying they work! We both only have 1 or two small blisters, so we will take care of them now so the next 6 days will hopefully go well. Sore shoulders and calves are also part of the deal but we are doing great! Loving each step. 

Most of my pictures today were on my camera, but here's one of some of the mountains we climbed over today!

Sorry that these posts are so scatterbrained. We love you all! (Sorry that I can't say we can't wait to be home...yet.)

Shout out to Elyse... I wish you could come here and speak Spanish to everyone. Be my translator! Love you and miss you!

6/11

Visiting Portugal was such an incredible experience. After a day of travel, we went out for dinner with Abel, his wife, Julie (a worker at the albergue) and Julia's daughter. The restaurant was a "hole in the wall," but that meal definitely made my top ten list. It seems like those places are the best kind. We had sausage, bread, salad (just tomato and sweet onion in oil), T-bone steak, Portuguese French fries, codfish, and the cookie cake (a coffee dessert). I am proud to say I ate some codfish. I wish I could say I liked it, but it's just part of the adventure. The restaurant was right on a river and the view was gorgeous. The atmosphere in Porto is very different from Lisbon; Lisbon is a metropolitan city and Porto is a more rural, laid back place. They are both incredible in their own way. I can't wait to share pictures and stories with you all!

Sending love from Portugal! xoxo

Sorry these are short. I am writing them before I can post them...wifi is scarce!

6/12 Spain day 1

Spain Day 1

Today we took a taxi to O' Cebreiro, Spain. It seems that the times it is supposed to take us is never accurate. A four hour drive turned into a much longer one. However, we got to ride through the mountains in Spain and I won't complain about that! It is absolutely gorgeous, you feel like you're at the top of the world. We got to our private albergue this afternoon and had some time to look around this quaint town. We got our Credencials del Peregrino which are essentially pilgrims passports that you get stamped at each place you go along the way. In Santiago, the office checks to make sure you have walked the minimum distance (we are going much further than that) and then you get a Compastela (a certificate saying you completed the Camino). After a few days of a lot of walking (even though we haven't started the Camino), we still decided to hike up to the top of a mountain to a cross. It is one of the most incredible views because you can see forever on each direction. The pictures don't begin to do it justice. I met a man on the way up who only spoke Spanish, but we got to talk for a little while. His wife is not in good health, so she meets him every few days along the Camino while he walks. He graciously took photos of Zach and I. :)

If I had to pick two themes so far, they would be food and fellowship. And they almost always go together. A meal is started around 8pm and goes very late. We all have a lot of calories to work off tomorrow due to the fact that dinner was large and delicious. I had some tuna in a pasta salad (still not my favorite) followed by scrumptious ribs. For dessert I tried flan (texture didn't agree with me but I tried it!) and then had ice cream. I am enjoying getting to know the 4 other members on my team as we prep for the Camino. 

Tomorrow we begin our journey at 7am, before the heat slows us down. We are surrounded by mountains and the terrain is rough so please be praying for healthy bodies. I've been told that the first two days on the Camino are the worst, so I am trying to mentally prepare as best as possible. After the first two days, they say your bodies is used to always being in pain and it gets easier. After 3 days, the terrain will not be as strenuous on our last stretch to Santiago.

Please continue to pray for relationships and conversations to strike up among people we meet along the way. We are here to encourage Abel, encourage his staff, encourage pilgrims and LASTLY to be pilgrims ourselves. This poses a challenge when our bodies make us want to be selfish and complain. 

We really appreciate all the love we are getting! I'm sorry we haven't been able to post as often as hoped. Maybe next time I'll need to look into an international plan! Either way, know that I'm thinking about you and praying for you! 

Shout out to my mom and dad... love you tons and we can't wait to see you! Wish you were here, and thank you for all your support. 

Pre-Camino Adventures

Disclaimers: most of my pictures are on my camera, so I'm sorry if they don't all appear here. I promise you'll see thousands when we get back. I already took 175 in 2 days. Wifi isn't everywhere. 

I can't believe it's already our third day on the trip. We have been super busy since we got here. Yesterday we got into Lisbon around 9am and found out hostel (which looks like it came out of an ikea magazine). After we dropped our bags, we set out for the city. We spent the majority of the day looking for the castle of King George. It seemed pretty simple since it was on the top of a hill, but I think we went up every single hill before we found it. (Just warming up for the Camino.) Once we found it, there was an admission fee and we decided not to take the tour (yes, I'm already regretting that decision. Next time!). 

While walking around, we got to see amazing sights. One of my favorite things may be the tile on the outside of many homes. It's gorgeous. 

We got a little adventurous at lunch and ordered sausage, blood sausage, and a dish called choco (cuttlefish...ink included). We'll just say I didn't have any fish but I don't regret that because everyone was feeling it a little later. Haha. 

Dinner (besides an insanely expensive cost) was incredible. We ordered tapas (appetizers) and 3 main dishes which we split. My favorite was Portuguese Steak with dried prosciutto and potatoes. We ate with Sam (a missionary in Lisbon) and his family. It was great!

Yesterday was also "Portugal Day" so many of the public places were closed due to the holiday.

This morning we woke up and went to clean 2 small "warehouses" (basically larger storage units) for an organization that houses children with AIDS. Though we weren't able to spend time with the kids, we got to organize all the items that they will be blessed with. (You can ask Zach about the dust and how many bottles of house cleaner he had to organize.)

After saying goodbye to Sam, we are lunch and jumped on a train (yay for free wifi). We are on the train on our way to Porto, where we will meet up with Abel. Abel is a missionary along the Portuguese Camino, and he owns a hostel. One of our main goals is to encourage him in his work here ministering to pilgrims from all over the world. Abel will be hiking with is, but as a pilgrim instead of a guide. 

We are all exhausted, but enjoying the adventure. 

Looking ahead: we will spend the night in Abel's hostel (and shower!) and travel into Spain tomorrow. From there, our hike starts the next day! We have just started our 24+ hours of travel including overnight. 

I'll try to keep posting when I get consistent wifi. 

Love you all!

Prayer requests:

FEET (doing good so far...100 miles ahead of us)

Refreshing rest during all day travel

Good attitudes

Effective ministry

God's leading

Indian Giver

As a little kid, I was the biggest and best "Indian Giver".
(I'm not actually sure where that term came from...but please don't take it to extreme terms and get offended by it. Thanks.)
 
My rough definition of an Indian Giver is someone who gives something to someone else, only to later take it back. My brother (if he remembers when he was that young) would be able to tell you that I did that to him frequently. If he doesn't remember...my mom would confirm that. Whether it was a toy train (yes I liked to play with trains) or a piece of sidewalk chalk, my poor brother probably thought he owned a lot of things until I would take them back days, hours, or minutes later.
 
I would love to say that I have totally grown out of that phase and never take things back from people once I hand them over.... but that is simply not true.
I am still an Indian Giver.
Maybe you are too.
 
((warning: I will use bad grammar in the following example in order to maintain privacy... pronoun snobs, be wary))
I was recently talking to someone who was dealing with a pretty heavy burden. This "burden" had happened a while ago... but they still carried it around with them. As we were talking through it, I asked them if they had asked for forgiveness. They looked at me as if I were completely crazy...of course they had!

In that moment, words came out of my mouth that were not my own. I said...well if you've asked for forgiveness and have given it to God, why are you holding onto it?

HA! Boy, I felt like a hypocrite....((but i'll finish this example first))
 
This person looked at me and I could tell they had a million things ready to roll of their tongue: well you just don't understand (you're right I don't, Jesus does though), it affects me every day-I can't just let it go (but you CAN), or something to that effect.
 
I proceeded to tell this person about what Jesus' love and sacrifice really means...even though they already knew.
God was speaking to me through my own words, and they affected me deeply.
 
The conversation ended with lots of hugs and tears, but I was left asking myself a lot of questions.
 
Didn't Jesus come to cover ALL of our sins? Isn't God omnicient enough for us? Don't we realize how tiny we are? Hasn't God showed us His love? Isn't God big enough to handle anything and everything?
...the answer to all those questions is YES!

So why do we feel that we need to deal with things on our own? Why do we carry burdens that Jesus already took from us? Why are we Indian Givers when it comes to most matters with God? Hmmm...

Worrying. I am really good at it. A pro, actually.
What does it mean when I worry? What am I really saying to God when I worry?

My answer is a conviction that I have been thinking about a lot...
When I give something to God and still worry about it, it's like me telling God that he isn't big enough or good enough to handle it on his own, like he needs my help too.
WHAT?! ...read that again
When I give something to God and still worry about it, it's like me telling God that he isn't big enough or good enough to handle it on his own, like he needs my help too.

But really...if you answered "yes" to any of those question above... why do we act that way? Have you ever thought about it like that?

When I ask God to guide me, and yet still worry about it day in and day out, I'm not actually trusting that He will follow through and provide. I am not trusting Him.
When I ask for forgiveness for a sin that I've committed, and still carry it around with me, I am not acknowledging that Jesus already paid the price for it.

I do not think that God would have told us to cast our cares on Him if He didn't really mean it.
I do not think that God sacrificed His son just so that we could question whether the forgiveness was real or not.

How do we fix our way of thinking?
It is SO scary to really trust in God to provide...but isn't that faith?
It is a very vulnerable feeling to know that we can't earn forgiveness because it's free...but isn't that fact in itself freeing enough?

I am not sure how to close this blog post because I don't have all the answers... (haha, but you already knew that)

So here is a passage of Scripture or two to encourage you...and me. Because after all...we're in this together right?
*cue HSM soundtrack*


⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6 NIV

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

I pray that this post has raised awareness in your life. May you think about the things you are holding back from God. May you FULLY give God some things you are still trying to control. And may God bless our efforts to do this, even when we fall short.

YOU.ARE.LOVED.


the end


 

The Day My Plans Come True

If you know me at all...you know I'm a planner. I like to know what I am going to do, when I'm going to do it, and who I am going to do it with....weeks in advance. If you would have asked me what the next four years of my life looked like on the day of graduation, I would have told you exactly what I believed to be true. The plans would have been based around my time Messiah College, at the end of which I would graduate with a degree in Middle Level Education and TESOL. If you would have asked me six months ago what I would be doing right now, I would've told you that I was returning from a cross-cultural trip to Indonesia where I would be teaching English. If you would've asked me last month what I would be doing this summer, the answer would have been totally different than it is now. Boy...God has a sense of humor. I am not at Messiah College, I am changing my major, and I am deciding which adventurous trail to follow this summer.

Planning can be such a good thing. It can make for a much easier, less stressed life. It can also become something that controls you. It began to control me. I had taken all of my plans into my own hands and relied on them more than I did on God. And God being the patient God he is...waited for me to realize this. He slowly stripped plans away until He got my attention.

A lot of people would hear that and think it was a bad thing. While it was such a trying and difficult part of my life, it was also the best thing that could have happened. God was refining me in so many ways. I took hope, and still take hope, in the fact that the time following the pruning is when the plant blossoms. The process is still happening as I am in a period of transition. It is still difficult. It can be lonely. It is also so rewarding.

The concept of "planning" has changed drastically for me. I can set out to do the things that I have prayerfully considered and they may happen. They might not. And either way, there is a purpose behind it.

God's ways are SO much higher and better than my ways....hallelujah.

One thing that has been a weight on my shoulders through this whole process is how others look at me. People know the determination and stubbornness I so often embody. When I first started telling people that I wouldn't return to Messiah this past fall, I was greeted with reactions that made me so confused. I was struggling though life one day at a time and people were making judgements about me that I had given up on school, that I would never return to school, and that I was just a "little lost". It deflated me faster than I anticipated. I started to get a little angry as I lay flat on my back after foot surgery staring at the ceiling. Why was I here? Why was I feeling led away from college? Why couldn't I just have all the money in the world to pay for school? Why was I alone? Why weren't other people supporting me? Why? Why? Why? In those moments, I had to swallow every emotion and hold onto a fact that didn't feel good. I had to accept that God knew what He was doing. I "laid out my fleece" enough times to know the direction in which I was being led. So it should not matter what other people thought about it. I was following God's leading.
<<this was way harder than it sounds as I'm sure many other people know as well>>

I could not be happier that I took this year off from school. I miss my friends like crazy...but my time with them is so much more precious. My conversations with people were more infrequent...so the ones I do have, I try to make significant. God has matured me in so many ways that would not have been possible if I were at school. I don't even recognize myself sometimes...it's the coolest thing ever. It is evidence of the continual transformation of becoming more like Christ...and I feel like my transformation will literally take forever. I'm so imperfect. It's great.

The point of me saying all of that is this... I could tell you all my plans for this coming year. I could tell you that I am going on a >100km hike in Spain. I could tell you that I am going back to Messiah. I could tell you that I am thinking about going somewhere else for college. I could tell you a prospective major I want to study. I could tell you lots of things. And in my mind, they're all as true as can be...for right now. But I am open to God's leading.

So when my plans change, please do not question them. (Oops...at risk of sounding nasty...) Please do not judge them. Please don't interject your own personal plans for my life. Please, instead, pray for God to guide me in the direction of His holiness. Please pray that I will be brave enough to follow through with them. Please do the same for everyone else.

Why do we judge other people's journeys with God when they don't look like the "average person's"? That is just plain crazy to me. Why do we think they are giving up on something when they are really being led in a different direction in life? Who are we to judge someone else's life when God is leading them?

<<I understand that people can abuse the "I'm being lead" type of language. People can lie. People can make excuses. People can twist God's leading with personal desires. But that is not for you nor I to judge. Just pray for them. Just be encouraging. Pray that God's will would prevail.>>

:::cool story:::
I was recently talking to a friend who has been trying to get her visa to go live in London for a year. It's been a crazy process for her. The first thing that everyone asks is...how is your visa coming along? Did you get your visa yet? I thought you'd already be in London?! Blah blah blah...      Why not instead ask... what has God been teaching you through this process? How can I pray for you? What are you most excited about?
(You really can pray for her. Even if you don't know her. It's allowed. God knows her.)
The change of focus makes all the difference for the person on the receiving end.
She thought she'd already be in London. She thought the process of getting her visa would be much easier. And sometimes it works that way. But God has been teaching her so much through it and I have loved every second of hearing her work through those lessons.

Side note...sorry for the million and one "would have/would not have"... but let's face it... without God... those instances may have turned out very differently. So...I'm not really sorry for them. I'm blessed by them.


And here is an illustration I saw on Facebook that hit me pretty hard due to its reality...and it also made me laugh.

So...when is the day that MY plans come true?!..... hopefully never.

Immediate Obedience

I will be the first to admit that I am not the best listener. I tend to analyze rules/commands in my mind before I consider what my reaction will be. Even after my consideration, my reaction is not always obedience.
Reading in Matthew 1, (after the long genealogy), there is such a challenging example of obedience.

^18-19 The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

^20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).

^24-25 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

(Matthew 1:18-25; The Message)

Setting the whole "Christmas theme" aside, I love the lesson of immediate obedience. In those days, pregnancy before marriage was punishable by death. Since Mary was pledged to Joseph, they both had the potential to be exposed. This was not a matter of small importance so you can imagine the severity of anxiety that Mary and Joseph felt in their own separate ways.

BUT...God interveined. Try to put youself in Joseph's shoes as you receive that news from an angel. While all of this information must have seemed crazy to Joseph, I love his reaction.

It says, "he woke up...and did exactly what God's angel commanded."

Would I react that way?

Would I make a counter-culture decision?

Isn't that what we are called to; to live counter-culture lives?

So often people (including me) ignore altogether the commands that God gives to us. Or if we don't ignore them, we obey with delay. I remember one of my Pastors years ago saying, "Delayed Obedience is Disobedience." That will forever stay with me.

Joseph heard God's words, did not even question them, and followed through. We should be so thankful because if he had not... would the story of Jesus' birth be different?

I am left pondering the question...

What command has God called me to obey that I am either delaying or ignoring?

 

REAL Conversations

Have you ever contemplated your cravings? What things drive you to go the extra mile? What do you want so badly that you can't stop thinking about it?
Off the top of my head I am thinking... the sense of accomplishment, extra dark chocolate, and REAL conversations.
These aren't things that I just love a lot...they are things that I feel the need for in my life.
I have recently gone through a season of "pruning" where God stripped me down to my bare self and then basically asked me who I was. What are the blocks that build me, Rachel? Oh boy...I was so off base. Hind sight is 20/20 as I see what God was slowly taking out of my life in order to find myself. One thing that has remained strong and keeps building is my desire for real conversations.
Let me first define what I think "real conversations" are; they are not superficial, they skip the small talk, they contain awkward subjects, they make you uncomfortable, they light a fire in you, they require eye contact, they challenge everything you ever considered, they are frequently inconvenient, they leave you encouraged, and they are best enjoyed over a cup of coffee.
The best thing about real conversations is that they don't have to happen with people you are close to. A few weeks ago, I ran into a woman at my church who is a few years older than me. We were in youth group together years ago, though I had never really known her more than connecting a face to a name. Well, we are both on youth staff this year and so we saw each other more frequently. We gradually talked more and more, but I never sought her out to talk. On Christmas Eve, we passed in the lobby of church and we got into a conversation about how she was moving to Europe at the beginning of the year.  We talked about all the things she is going to do in London and I was not very good at hiding my jealousy. She asked about my life and I remember being so encouraged after talking to her because she listened not only with her ears, but with her eyes and her face. She and I were talking in the midst of tons of people, but were totally focused on our conversation. (I WANT TO LISTEN LIKE THAT!) Since it was toward the beginning of the holidays, we parted with a quick promise to grab coffee together soon.
Well...it is now January 6th and we still haven't grabbed coffee. The thing that strikes me isn't that we never actually got coffee...people make so many unfulfilled promises to catch up (I am unfortunately not exempt from that)... but it's the fact that I am craving that type of conversation. I sat with her in church yesterday and while the message was awesome, I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could hear her progress with her London trip. I am totally struck with her confidence, trust and peace in God. She is waiting on her visa to travel. Meanwhile, she already quit her job and is selling her car today. Talk about having trust that God will provide.
We made plans to get coffee on Friday. I can't wait.
So what does that have to do with craving real conversations...and why is that important in the first place?
Well...I believe God created us to be in fellowship with one another. I do NOT think fellowship is gossip or a quick "Hi!" or a shallow conversation. God wants us to share in our suffering and joy. This means we are frequently vulnerable...and that is a beautiful thing. The more I experience this type of fellowship, the more I want it. There really isn't anything better than connecting with another believe and sharing life. Naked, hard, fulfilling life. Not only do you learn from others and get to encourage them, by vocalizing your own thoughts, you learn and grow from your own experiences. There are so many times when I am talking about something that I have gone over a million times in my head but as soon as it comes out of my mouth, it hits me in a new way. I think that is one of the coolest things ever.

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Philippians 4:8-9 (The Message)

 Have you had a real conversation lately? If not...why?

Surprise Yourself

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. 
-Neil Gaiman-


2013 was a full year. I.....

• finished my freshman year of college
• went to the Poconos with my roommates for spring break
• became a single lady again
• had foot surgery
• got Netflix
• watched One Tree Hill on Netflix
• went to florida
• moved into a new house
• turned 19
• agreed to be a bridesmaid for one of my best friends
• scratched my plans for college in the fall
• decided I wanted to change my major
• stressed about not knowing which major to change to
• jammed out to music in my car
• fell in love with the uncertainty of God
• watched my oldest brother get married
• wore bright red lipstick for the first time
• rode Farenheit at Hershey Park
• got a second foot surgery
• skipped church because I didn't feel like going
• watched all of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix
• watched all of Rules of Engagement on Netflix
• went to the beach
• agreed to co-lead a 9th grade girls small group
• frosted a lot of cupcakes
• got a second job
• visited my best friends at college
• drank a lot of coffee
• picked up a basketball for the first time in months
• made 400 christmas cookies with my mom 
• saw Thor 2 twice
• decided it was okay that I don't know what major I want to do
• saw blessings through heartache and indecisiveness

...and that's not even half of it.

I can say that I am truly blessed to have had such diverse experiences in my life this year. I was challenged in SO many ways. I plan things out so far in advance... everything after the second bullet point was basically not planned for this year. God is so funny in the ways he works. The plan I had was taken from my closed fist and God turned it into a beautiful, hard journey. (I still think I'm in the beginning phase of the journey because I still don't know what I'm doing with my life.) 

I could talk for a while about all the stuff that happened this year, but I don't have time to write a book tonight.
Things change. A lot. People change. You change. I change. 
God never changes. (And that's awesome.)
Through all the changes, I have learned some things about myself. I crave authenticity. I rely on myself too much. I love people who are different than me.
Within the last month, I have had some thrilling conversations with people. We talked about life, church, hypocrisy, dreams, secrets. Raw, hard, confusing topics. The more I had these conversations, the more I wanted them. I wanted to talk to people who think things that I have never thought. I want to do things that I would never do. I want to let someone help me because they may bring something awesome to the table. I want to be approachable enough that people know I will let them into my life. I want to let people into my life. I want God to guide me to the people that I need, and to the people that need me. 

A final thought...
While I was going through one of my foot surgeries as well as heartache, I was so frustrated. I was hurting and angry ad confused. As I talked to my mentor about it, I asked her something along the lines of ... when will thing learning process be over and when will God stop teaching me things that I hate?. She basically looked at me and said, "God's never going to stop teaching you." 
I thought about it for a little while after we talked, frustrated and distraught, feeling like my life would forever suck. But then it hit me...the fact that God will never stop teaching me is pretty much the coolest thing ever. God cares so much about me that He works little, awesome, frustrating lessons into my every day life. I ran with that idea. Each time someone asked me my plans, I knew that they weren't really my plans at all. I told God that I wanted Him to guide me, and it was time for me to finally let Him guide me. 

I have seen so many posts about 2014 being a blank book and how you should write a story that is super awesome and blah blah blah....
I know for a fact that God already wrote my story for this year. I have no idea what it is, but I know it's gonna be GREAT. Instead of doing everything your way this year, try diving into the uncertainty of God's plans. Worship in the waiting. Smile in the storms. (Insert another cheesy religious cliche here.)

I surprised myself greatly this year by allowing myself to be comfortable not knowing things. What is that one thing in your life that you can't shake. Would you give it up knowing you'd struggle, but the outcome would be so much greater? Write it down on paper. Write it on your mirror. Tell people. Tell me. Tell God. Do something about it. 
... how are you going to surprise yourself this year?