Catching it All.

Life happens too quickly sometimes, you know it? So fast, in fact, that I forget to stop and enjoy things. Actually enjoy. Noticing my finicky and awful habit, I've tried to implement various practices to combat life's fast-ness.

First, I started the all glamorfied (excuse my made-up words...) journaling. That lasted a day, and sometimes even two. A couple months would elapse. I felt guilty. Then, the cycle would begin again. As ideal as journaling sounds, for me it just doesn't happen. At all.

So, I moved on to a scrapbook journal of sorts. It was a little book where I randomly taped things on the pages, and occasionally wrote a sentence or two. That little book means the world to me. My life was literally glued to the pages. That was perfect for that time in my life. I was traveling a ton, so having a consistent little catch all worked.

My sweet catch-all.

After that period in my life was over, I found that my taping technique didn't really work any more. That's when I turned even more to my camera. My baby. My hard-drive hates the amount of storage that my selfish mega pictures use. But, I can't help it. Pictures are memories. The end.

When school started, and life came suuuuper fast, my camera didn't really come along for the ride. But, my iPad did. With it came access to my blog and pictures whenever I wanted them without the weight of my hefty camera (I still love you though. don't forget it). I post pictures on Facebook, and this blog is testament to my writing.

But, there are some things that don't make it to Facebook. Still worth remembering.

Flying home from Portland with my baby sis. I love telling her how an airplane works...at least how I think it works.

I'm a real catch. Let me tell you.

Watching Little House on the Prairie before bed while I studied. Love my bsitting kids.

My studying. And, a hand-painted mug.

The Big Ten, pretending Purdue has a decent football team. Oh, the ploys.

Baking cookies and contorting faces. All in a good night's time.

Sitting in Starbucks before a photoshoot. Feeling inspired.

I don't catch everything. But, I'm doing my best to truly look for the moments worth remembering. That brings me joy. So much joy.

Glimpse+Beauty

I woke up and opened the softly white shutters on my windows and briefly glimpsed outside. It didn't last long. Quickly, they were snapped closed as I begin to sort of the day's outfit (picking which pair of jeans and t-shirt to wear can be trying...). Then, business proceeded as normal. Tea, cereal, and Bible reading.

But, for the moment I looked outside and saw the beauty I am surrounded by, I was thankful.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Flannel Shirts+In-between

As I stood next to my brother last night, he glanced at my eclectic outfit, shook his head, and smiled. I gave him a hard time for his worn flannel shirt. He didn't care. He looked down at me again and gave a knowing glance. Nothing stupendous or grand was happening surrounding that moment. It was a little moment in between the hustle and bustle and it meant the world.

Everyday is filled with tiny moments in between the highs and lows.

It's my little sister sneezing, then saying "bless you!" I correct her and she furrows her brow confusedly.

It's the time in the kitchen when you just start dancing and before you know it, the whole family is with you.

It's studying with your brother when all of a sudden he pulls you off the couch and insists you dance with him.

It's my older sister coming over to rummage through my clothes and shoes because she's going out.

It's my mom softly playing Christmas carols on the harp while I read.

It's my dad's strategic planning and excel spreadsheets about college plans.

It's your friend coming over to study and after a good fifteen minutes you just start talking (and there goes the studying).

It's reading the same verse for the 100th time and finding something new in it.

It's snapping a picture right at the perfect moment.

It's the in-between moments.

The In-Between

It's the moment right in between that makes life worth living. The moment right after the sun sets, but right before the darkness settles in for the night. The moment right after the struggle and before life resumes. Those are the moments that mean the most to me. The feeling of knowing that I'm done and yet, just beginning. I relish that moment and hold it with me forever.

I remember when I was about ten I had bugged my dad to high heaven about building me a treehouse. Of course, I knew he was busy with work and other things, but I never forgot and neither did he. It was a Saturday morning and I slowly pulled myself out of bed and over to my window. I heard something outside and quickly pulled open my chartreuse blind. Right before my eyes, in the maple tree directly beyond my window, my dad was cutting wood beams and drilling them together into what looked like a treehouse. Before I stumbled in my clothes and ran downstairs, there was a moment. I just stood. I soaked in everything. A smile crept up from chin and filled my face. It was that moment. That is "the in-between."

Right now, seven years later I'm feeling the same thing, but with entirely different circumstances. There was a struggle that took over my life for the past year and a half, but it's not really over. It won't be over till I find out what I've been called to do in college. Although, I've given it up to God and these past few months have been the most blissful I could've ever imagined.

I know that this season won't last forever, because they never do, but right now I'm enjoying it. Breathing, living, and knowing it all.

²⁰Now 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, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout ALL generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

EPH. 3:20-21