Sunday

Sunday I tried out a different church some friends had told me about. The sermon was from 1 Samuel 17 about David and Goliath. He likened David's battle with Goliath to all of us, who each have some giant of a battle that stands before us...something that wants to expose our weakness, or inabilities, or vulnerabilities, that puts us on the line. David takes his giant and races towards him, armed for battle with this truth:
 "for the battle is the Lord's" (v. 47)
Yesterday I made a list of things I see as Goliaths in my life and followed each one with this truth-the battle is the Lord's,not mine. Changes the perspective on things...

Whidbey Island

I am way too far behind on adventures to write about them all, but this day was really fun and I am excited to go back to Whidbey to explore some more.
Seattle has a ton of islands around it. I actually heard on the radio that Washington has the largest ferry system in the world. Whidbey is a bit to the north. Once we got to the ferry station, we waited for a few minutes and then drove aboard. The ferry ride is only about 20 minutes...enough time to get out of the car wander up to the deck and enjoy the freezing view.
Whidbey is a long narrow island so there is a lot of it left for me to explore. We drove north to a trail called Ebey fort. Before starting our hike we went to this small town for lunch with a view and then started off on our hike.
The day we went was supposed to be sunny but we decided to do it anyway. It turned out to be a gorgeous day! Sunny and clear and quite perfect.
The hike takes you up along a ridge and then down to the beach...lots of farmland around and beautiful views!

Life and Such

Hopefully some of these thoughts will be coherent...
Being out here is a good thing, but not always easy. Today I have been fighting a lot of stuff running through my head. In the midst of this journey it is strange how distance can reveal things that you don't see up close, like a Monet, but the reverse. Being in the mix of life certain things have seemed, I don't know the right word here, unquestionable, but now that I am distanced I feel like everything is up for question/debate about my life and what is looks like.
So today I was struggling through some of those questions and fighting with the loneliness and was reminded, once again, by the sweet words of Ann Voscamp in 1000 Gifts of some truth.
...Psalm 40:4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord.
John 6:20 This is the service that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent.
 That's my daily work, the word God asks of me? To trust...To trust in the Son, to trust in the wisdom of this moment, to trust in now. And trust is that: work. ..Isn't joy worth the effort of trust? Because I kid no one: stress brings no joy.
 The full life, the one spilling joy and peace, happens only as I come to trust the caress of the Lover, Lover who never burdens His children with shame or self-condemnation but keeps stroking the fears with gentle grace. 

Digs

I have been meaning to post photos for awhile but am just getting around to it.
This is my new place for the next few months...small but takes care of the essentials. I am renting a basement apartment in the Seattle neighborhood called Greenwood. It is a great location-1.5 miles from water on either side-a sound or a lake. Cute houses, coffee shops, library nearby. So far I really like it.
The place is a kitchen, small sitting room and bedroom. I found the tv on craigslist (feels like college again, eh?). And the bathroom, which I don't have a picture of, but the important detail is that it has heated tile floor and a nice big bathtub. This is my new home for the next little bit.
Don't mind the mess :)
Oh and my "headboard" is a creative project my friend and I did when I went to visit her in Spokane...adds a little bit extra to the room.

Luke

I can't complain about my nights at work so far. I have had time to do such things as read my bible app and they are pretty lax here on Internet etc rules while at work. So tonight I read this in Luke and thought I would share. I know it is a simple thing but I picture myself as one of the disciples here. This is the story where they go out to sea and a storm picks up while Jesus is sleeping. The disciples freak out and in their fear wake him up:
They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And he said to them "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:24-25NASB)
I freak out about things in my life and question The Lord about where he is...doesn't he know I am perishing?!?! With a simple question he can answer those fears if I will listen to his calming voice.

Things I like about Seattle

People leave their Christmas lights up for a long time (Supallas, you would fit in well out here). I love driving around seeing the lights!
Evergreen trees. Can't say anything else there.
Coffee
Everywhere you turn there is water. The hillyness of the city accentuates that. All the sudden you go up or down a giant hill and there is a great view of a lake or sound.
There are a lot of parks
You can buy wine at trader joes
And there are ferries.
Here is a picture from our ferry ride to Whidbey island last week. (More pictures to follow)

Daring Greatly

I got Brene Brown's new book prior to this new adventure but have been saving it for my time here. I started it last week...been meeting my expectations.

The book is Daring Greatly. It is about living vulnerably. I'll probably post about it again later but this speech by Teddy Roosevelt, which she includes in the introduction, speaks to her idea about living vulnerability. I pray that I can learn to be brave enough to do so...
 
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly...

Reminders

I have been here for a little over 2 weeks. In a lot of ways it seems like I have been gone for way longer than 2 weeks. But in other ways it does feel like I only just left.
I wasn't really sure what or why I was doing when I decided to do all this. And I am still not sure. But already I feel like I am seeing some glimpses, which I am thankful for.
I am loving!! exploring and being in a new place. I think my heart and soul were needing some of that. I know I have talked about this some, but RA totally knocked me on my back and I think I lost a lot of my me in all of the aftermath. I lost my ability to do some of the things that I love because I was just trying to survive. So it has been fun to get back out there and enjoy exploring and experiencing new things.
I have also been able to see some great areas of growth that have only happened through all the heart work that God has been doing in me through the help of friends and family and my counselor over the last 6 months. Being away from my normal has enabled me to see some of that growth. It has been really sweet to see.
Who knows what all of this will be about....I don't. But I am thankful to still feel certain about this journey, to be finding joy in this journey and to be reminded that I am not alone.

Faves from the Road

Bend

The Best Road Trip partner

Oregon Coast

Salt Lake City

Kansas Sunset

Wyoming-the only State sign we actually got a picture of

Snowy landscapes-I think this was Kansas or Missouri

St. Louis