rest

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."  Psalm 37:7

How many times have you heard the phrase "be still?"  I feel like I've heard it a lot, probably so many times that the meaning has become trivial and minimized to me.  For those of you who know me well, you know I'm not a huge fan of sitting still.  I like to be on the go, active, involved in everything possible.  Though I've learned the hard way that I can't do everything at once, I still like to maintain a sense of business.  The summer after I graduated college, knee surgery put me on the couch and made me slow down.  Though I wasn't the best patient, I learned some valuable lessons that will stick with me for the rest of my life.  Over the past few months, God has once again opened up doors of opportunity for me to slow down.  A lot.  I've successfully finished books that I've been reading for months, I've gone through at least four books of stamps, I've read more of the Word than I probably have in the past year, I've been on numerous hikes and runs by myself, I've watched many tv shows on Netflix, and I've learned to pray continually.  It's been good, but it hasn't been easy.  Sometimes I feel like I'm being lazy, worthless, nonproductive, but then someone reminds me this is good.  I may never again have this time of rest, this time to enjoy intimacy with my Creator.  So, I'm trying to change my attitude and embrace this for what it is, and for what God is allowing me to experience.  Be still, my friends, our God wants us to slow down.

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."  Psalm 63:1

Two months ago this girl walked up to me and said, "I think we need to be friends."  Such an answer to prayer Renee's friendship has been over the past few months.  From walks in the park, swinging on the playground, drinking tea, trying out all of Spokane's restaurants, packing up life into boxes, exploring Palouse Falls, to being called off work together, this friendship will hopefully last many years to come.

Any adventure I ever mention, and Audrey is totally on board.  Though she claims to not be much of a hiker, but she puts up with me and loves getting out of Spokane to check things off my bucket list.  

After a run last week, I stumbled upon this glorious place to watch the sunset.  Such a good moment to stop, slow down, and remember "He is God."  

What do you do with two days off of work?  I go to Canada.  Jess and Heidi have been two of the sweetest and compassionate friends here in Spokane.  Though we are all in this crazy season of unknowns together, it's encouraging to know we're not alone.  Our conversations are full of discouragement, fear, hope, honesty, encouragement, and truth from the Gospel.  I'm excited to see where the Lord takes these ladies in the coming days and years. 

The one thing that frustrates me most about photos is that rarely can you capture the true essence and beauty of reality.  Our drive through Canada was full of yellows and reds, fall in its prime, waterfalls rushing, snow on the ground, simple beauty.  Yet, none of my photos actually capture what it really looked like.  So, I'm leaving you with this, a photo (courtesy of Jess) from our ferry ride across Lake Kootney.