Day 41 - June 25, 2010 - Magnolias & Moonlight

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind.” -Ashley Smith

I wish that this picture did the scene justice! The moon was simply gorgeous tonight. We have a magnolia tree in our backyard, and the moon just happened to rise above it. Unspoken poetry! An unsung melody! It was simple and beautiful.

Beauty depends on your vantage point. Everyone sees something different when they look out at the world. We are all immersed the world, but we have different experiences. No one else was around to experience this scene and the picture certainly doesn't do it justice. Thank God for memory and imagination! It is preserved in my mind; that's for certain.

When you take the time to get to know someone, you might discover that they have a lovely collection of knowledge and experiences that they've love to share. That's half the fun of meeting new people. You never know what you'll discover about them!

Day 40 - June 24, 2010 - Good Grief!

"Look, Charlie, let's face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It's run by a big eastern syndicate, you know." -Lucy (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

I know it's a Christmas movie, but I simply *love* "A Charlie Brown Christmas." No, I didn't pull it out and watch it this week, but my worship pastor and I were discussing his plans for Christmas time earlier today. We always have a play of some kind at our church, and often we incorporate the show with a Christmas give away to lower income families. I started participating in these yearly shows when I was in junior high. My old choir director used to be in charge of the event. It was always lots of fun.

My worship pastor told me that this year he wanted to do "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Admittedly, I got super excited. I'd love to be in it, but who knows? I can't really drive easily from San Diego to Los Angeles for practices. This is just a reminder that i miss musical theater... a lot. But school comes first right now. I wouldn't have it any other way, really. I *do* wish I could be in a musical theater production again soon, though!

Day 39 - June 23, 2010 - Transitions

"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures." -John F. Kennedy

Behold! The wreckage that is my room! Ok, so it's normally pretty messy and cluttered... but I'm looking to change that! Today, I have embarked upon the arduous process of cleaning and reorganizing my room at my parent's house. This will be no easy task... believe me! I plan on shedding things that I don't need and packing up others in storage boxes for later use.

My college years have very transitory. They've been a constant process of change and transformation, and I'm not done yet. By no means am I done yet. This upcoming year will be the most transitory of all. Life will be up in the air for the next few years as I work towards my career and beyond. Like my room, my insides are feeling a bit cluttered and confused. That doesn't mean I don't see the direction I'm headed clearly. It just means that the process is by no means easy. There's going to be a lot of trimming, shaping, and taking on of new tasks. The outcome may look different than I anticipate, but it will still be great. I'll find that first job somewhere and my loved ones will be closer than I think.

When the room is all finished, I'll post a picture of the results. I'm excited to see the fruits of all my hard work (in both situations).