The beauty of simplicity: April 2013

Just so you are aware, this post was inspired by a really wonderful smelling candle and the sun that is beaming through my window.

These moments do not come around too often, but I know that this feeling I have right now is something I never want to forget.

Friends, I am obsessed with this season of my life. I am MADLY in love with the people in my life. I am jumping up and down at the idea of being in a state of transition. I have the butterflies ALL THE TIME because the God who reigns over all of the Earth tells me I am RIGHTEOUS. If you haven't noticed the smile that has been plastered on my face all week, then I would like you to picture an ear to ear, mouth wide open, squinty eyes smile and you've got an idea of why my cheek bones have been sore.

I have never felt so special, so loved, so taken care of, so adored and so desired.

The joy of the Lord is a REAL thing. All I want to do is sing and dance and smile and jump up and down and curl up in a ball and sway back in forth. I was sitting on the edge of my bed this afternoon and became so overwhelmed with every kind of happy emotion, so I stood up and began to jump up and down! This is the joy I am talking about guys. You do not have to be happy, but you can CHOOSE to be joyful. You are the only thing keeping yourself from experiencing this joy! Right now, get up and jump to the sky. RIGHT NOW I TELL YOU!

I wish Friday afternoons were a physical thing I could hug, because man do I wish I could just wrap them up in my arms and whisper "thaaaaaank you for being great" in their ear. Today and tomorrow and yesterday and every other day is PERFECT, because this joy is always offered and always tangible. Jump to the sky for this joy!

I am really, really, really excited about life right now.

AND I LEAVE FOR DENVER, CO IN 24 DAYS!!!!! Bring on the new adventures.

Goodness guys, go get yourself some of this joy. GO GET IT!

I set aside the next hour and a half to study, but I've been lacking inspiration for the past two days and of course I found it at 8 this morning, so here we go.

Friendships are the sweetest part of my life. I find the MOST joy in sitting in the presence of people I love. I like to talk and encourage them, but more than anything I love simply sitting with them. I speak my loudest words through silence and facial expressions. As much as I love and cling to words I find peace in the silent conversation going on between myself and the people around me.

It is no secret that I am LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. I can't tell you how many times a day someone tells me to stop yelling at them. (My parents actually thought I had a hearing problem when I was little because I talked so loud…) Sometimes people think I am in a bad mood or frustrated when I'm not talking, but really I'm enjoying the sitting back and listening.

I AM RICH IN GOOD FRIENDS. I have the 4 most beautiful, free spirited hometown best friends that I talk to all the time. These girls KNOW ME. They understand my silence and my loud, excited, high pitched squeals. The 5 of us ALL got together for the first time since Christmas last Friday and we had to leave the restaurant we were being so loud. One of us would walk in the door and we would all stand up and greet each other with the sweet hugs and big smiles. It felt like we were in a movie, five best friends reuniting, all trying to talk over each other, trying to tell this story and that story. I'm pretty sure at one point we had to start taking turns talking. All 4 of these sweet girls plan on being teachers and I do not so you can imagine how often I have to sit back and just listen to what they have to say. We moved to a table outside of the restaurant so we could talk louder and make all the inappropriate jokes we wanted to without being judged by the highly annoyed waitresses… For a good 30 minutes I sat back and let the 4 of them talk out student teaching stories, this kid did that stories and all that other teacher stuff I know NOTHING about.

I was looking off into the distance, letting them talk talk talk, while I took in the fact that I was at my favorite hole in the wall mexican food restaurant with my favorite people. I was also taking in the fact that things were about to really change for all of us. College has been easy, we have not lost an ounce of contact-- we talk ALL THE TIME. But real life is HERE.

Life is so cool in the way it is so consistent yet changing ALL the time. There are aspects of my life that alter, but ultimately stay the exact same and these girls are part of that consistency. It has always been known that every Thanksgiving, Christmas and at least a week or two out of the summer we would all be able to sit down and catch up face-to-face. A piece of that consistency will be changing in the next few months and that is just as sad as it is exciting. Since we were in high school we've all been working towards some kind of dream and now those dreams are being made into a reality and to that I say, "CHAMPAIGN ALL AROUND!!" But man it's a little sad at the same time.

I think my favorite and least favorite part about life is the change. I am huge on tradition and even bigger on things ALWAYS STAYING THE SAME, but at the same time I love uncertainty and all the adventure that comes along with that. I am constantly reminding myself to live in the now rather than in the tomorrow, I just get so excited about the next chapter of my life and I want to know what's next! I find joy in knowing that I am taken care of, all the days of my life are ordained and I have full faith that those days are filled with a whole bunch of dancing, good music, good food, lovely people, adventure, love and peace.

There will always ALWAYS be something special about driving through Mansfield with my 4 best friends and country music blaring. There is laughter and love and squeals and smiles and tears and love and hurt and uncertainty and beauty and everything lying in the hearts of each of us and together we can sit in silence and just know. That is special and something I will always cherish.

This morning I am especially thankful for Natasa, Summer, Whitney and Lindsey.