A Beautiful Time of the Year...

There is something truly beautiful about the Christmas season that constantly keeps a smile on my face...it may be my favorite songs constantly on loop on the radio, all of the lights and decorations on display, the amazing family traditions that are shared and cherished or the beautiful memories created with friends and family...BUT mostly I think it is the beautiful opportunity to give back to those we share life with; to truly remember what this season is all about and to be able to share that with not only the ones we know and love but also with strangers and those less fortunate then ourselves.  To share in a simple cup of coffee with a stranger and talk about life, exchange smiles while walking across the street, or giving back in a larger way are all very deep genuine special moments that we were meant to share together.

During this holiday season I dare you to take a chance and share this beautiful journey we call life with someone else...celebrate this life by celebrating the true meaning of this season...

Walking away...

One of the hardest things in life to do is walk away from those that you love...BUT...sometimes walking away is the best thing for both of you...in walking away I pray that we both have the strength to be exactly who God wants us to be...in walking away I pray that we both have the strength to grow as individuals and in our relationships...in walking away I pray that we both have the love and support from others to help us see the beauty of life...in walking away I hope one day we walk back together...

Finding those people...

With the craziness of life and the many adversities that we face every day that challenge who we are as individuals, who we are as a community, where our passions lie, what we stand for but also what we fall for and truly what is held in/touches our hearts it is hard to stay strong and true to the individuals we want to be. 

BUT when you find those people that truly push you to be a better person, challenge you with the hopes of opening your eyes to more, lift you up when you have lost some of your hope and truly walk with you on this journey of life...NEVER LET THEM GO!

Never let the quote "you don't know what you have til its gone" be a reoccurring thought in your life.  Truly cherish the beauty of every individual, because even if you don't recognize it now, every interaction is a life changing one!

Training for the half...

At the beginning of this year I started working out on weekends with an old friend and these weekend workouts turned into a great time to push each other to do better but also allowed us to de-stress and reconnect with each other.  These weekend workouts turned into pushing/supporting each other to work out during the week and really get our bodies/healthy lifestyles back on track...and we were feeling great.  Obviously as time goes on and on life seems to get in the way of routine work outs unless those routine work outs become priorities in your life...this is when I decided that I have always wanted to run a marathon so I made the decision to train for a half-marathon in July.

Deciding on a half-marathon to run was a hard decision because it put my words into action and setting a date that culminated all the hard work of my training.  The benefit behind actually registering for the half-marathon was that it gave me a definite time frame to accomplish my goal...

With the craziness of life I didn't seem to run much in August and I was terrified I was never going to be ready for this half-marathon of 13.1 miles in November...previous to August I had increased my mileage from .5 miles to 3.1 miles at a nice constant pace and I was already so proud of myself for being able to constantly run a 5k.

So I put my words into action...the beginning of September I jumped back on the training schedule and having to start back at 1.5 miles, yes that is what not running for a month will do to you, almost a month later I am at a solid and constant 4 miles and even last weekend I ran 6.8 miles...which is the farthest I have ever run at one time without stopping...

These small accomplishments have helped me realize that you truly can accomplish anything that you put your mind to!  Who knows what will actually happen on race day but as of right now I am empowering myself by setting small goals and believing in myself to accomplish them!

I challenge you to jump out of your comfort zone and start accomplishing those goals that you have set for yourself or that you have always wanted to do...it truly is a rewarding experience! :)

A new bedtime ritual...

For the past handful of years I always go to bed with the tv on...it definitely helps me fall asleep no matter how tired or awake I may be.  My shoe collection varies between The Golden Girls, The Nanny or Three's Company...I know I am totally not hip.  But since moving into my new apartment and our tv/internet isn't set up yet I think I have found my new bedtime ritual.  One night I was extremely stressed out by the craziness of like that I laid down in my bed, randomly opened my bible and read the passages on the two pages I seem to open up...from this many thoughts stumbled into my mind.  I tried to make small connections to the passages and what was happening in my life.  After slowly reading the two pages I picked a passage that truly caught my mind, wrote it in my journal and then jotted down some notes that were on my mind.  I have done this the past week that I have been in this new apartment of mine and not only am I coming over some great passages that I have never read before but I am also going to bed with such a clear and clam head and heart.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Allowing inner peace

I am the type of person that over thinks almost everything in my life; from simple comments to huge life changing events.  I've also realized that I spend sooooo much time analyzing these occurrences that I get so wrapped up in the past moment that I stop myself from living in the present moment.  Everyone analyzes and thinks about occurrences in different manners and that's a huge part that makes each of us individuals, however, it also makes coming to a common ground with others over shared occurrences either extremely beneficial or extremely detrimental depending on the nature of the occurrence.  BUT, recently, I stepped back from analyzing the situation and truly gave it up to God and allowed myself to find peace in my heart and that allowed me to find peace with the situation.  Finding the peace in my heart enabled me to look at the situation in a different mindset and become comfortable with where I am at in life and those individuals in my life.  These are the deep experiences that enable me to grow stronger in my faith and as a person...

Jump out of your box, find your inner peace, and grow as a person!

Friends...

Many individuals have come in and out of my life; some just made an appearance that has changed me forever, some have come in and out at random times but in hindsight those weren't random times they were the perfect times, others have stayed with me along this ridiculously amazing adventure making it just that more amazingly beautiful!

I've realized that fate controls who comes into your life but your actions control who stays.  Sometimes you love those that don't truly love you back.  Sometimes you spend so much time making sure the ones you love feel loved and sometimes those loved ones don't spend half as much time on you.  BUT I've also realized that when you find those people in your life that push you to be a better person; to grow, to serve, to believe, and most importantly to love, don't ever let them go.

My cuz sent me this email about friendship and I think it takes a new funny look at friends (which is true about me and most of my besties)

1. When you are sad ~ I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry person who made you sad.
2. When you are blue ~ I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile ~ I will know you are thinking of something that I would probably want to be involved in.
4. When you are scared ~ i will rag on you about it every chance I get until you're not.
5. When you are worried ~ I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused ~ I will try to use only little words.
7. When you are sick ~ Stay the hell away from me until you are well again.  I don't want whatever you have, but honestly I probably already have it.
8. When you fall ~ I will laugh at your clumsy butt, but I'll help you up.
9. Most importantly...when you need somebody ~ I will be there faster then you can hang up the phone.

Betty White got it Right

In Betty White's new book, If you ask me: (And of course you won't), Betty says "If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints."

I believe that this quote hits the nail dead on the head...Over the past handful of years I've been able to truly start to explore and live my passions in life.  One of the most amazing notions that I have truly discovered is that my passions and what I truly find important in life are mine, they don't have to follow any set of predefined standards or rules set by the random norms in life...some of the greatest pleasures come from experiencing aspects of life that destroy the boundaries of acceptable norms.

A couple life changing defining moments:

• Running a program called Cool Club; a program that helps bridge the gap between the students of USD with students with mental and physical disabilities.  This was one of the first experiences in my life that enabled me to define my passion for living and serving others.  To share life with with individuals who truly care more about you and the relationships that they have instead of their monetary value and power in life is a humbling experience.  The students bring back my love for life and give me the inspiration to see the good things in life that I might see as different.  To not be accepted in your own society is absurd but we know it happens everywhere, no matter what the differences may be.  All I can say is that different is unique, and unique is how God created each and every one of us.  These students have taught me more about myself then I could ever teach them.
• Traveling to Uganda during Intersession of my Senior year of college taught me more about myself then the previous 22 years of my life.  Previous to this I had never left the country and I was about to embark on a month long trip to Gulu, Uganda; which is located in Northern Uganda the region of Uganda that was completely destroyed by the LRA, to work with the children that are part of JCRC an aids clinic.  Through this adventure I became to content with who/where I am in life.  I realized that my charismatic likeability and conversational style of life is truly what makes me who I am; being able to sit with complete strangers in conversation in two completely different languages but still connecting on life, being completely present in such a fast paced world but taking the opportunity to slow life down to the minuscule but most important aspects, that is why we were all put on this Earth together.  Realizing that I am completely terrified of most things in life but never once being terrified while in Uganda also spoke strongly to me.  Having struggled with my faith just before departing but then sitting by myself in a church filled with strangers for the first time in a long time I didn't feel alone, my heart was filled with joy and curiosity and for the first time in awhile my faith was strong and intriguing...Uganda is something I am still processing; the experiences, the relationships, the conversations and most importantly the effect it had on my personal being.  (If you would like to know more or see pics, definitely let me know.)
• A little bit different then the previous two...graduating college.  Graduating college with a degree in physics made me realize the true power I have when I put my mind to something that is extremely important to me...and the deep personal rewarding feeling that encompasses such an endeavor; the relationships formed, the life lessons learned and the experiences that help define who I am...

Thich Naht Hahn said "The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.  When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers."

So the only question left to ask...is your presence and passions in life leaving behind brushed away steps or footprints accompanied by beautiful blooming flowers...???

A glimpse into me...

Let's start with 25 rando facts about ME!!!

1. Instead of going out every night I would rather stay in and chill with good friends.
2. I am actually legitly terrified of the dark, and if I am home alone I sleep with basically every light in the house on.
3. I'm insanely addicted to matching my sneakers with what outfit I wear for the day, except growing up I couldn’t stand how much my mom matched, and would not match on purpose to see her reaction to my outfit.
4. I have an extremely charismatic smile...and sometimes I smile in the mirror just for fun.
5. I am deathly terrified of disappointing the people in my life, and not living up to what they expect me to be, even if that means changing what I really want to do.
6. I'm a physics major, definitely a complete nerd BUT I love everything about it.
7. I've actually proven a physics theory and created a lower division physics experiment.
8. I have a twin sister...no we are nothing alike.
10. This past summer(2008) was probably one of the best summers I have ever had, and I enjoyed working on everyone elses bucket lists...
10. I actually cried during high school musical 3.
11. I know all the words to A whole new world, and love acting it out with a certain individual.
12. Last year I actually sat on the grass in front of Maher from 11am-6 pm straight through, on a Tuesday, while school was in session.
13. I hate eating by myself…it scares me.
14. I’m addicted to watching the Golden Girls.
15. I secretly tend to sit in founders chapel late at night by myself, but it’s dark so I take a flash light
16. I love living in San Diego but would give it all up to live at home with my parents, there is something sooo comforting about being home.
17. People tend to think I’m funny and outgoing, but deep down I’m really quiet and insecure.
18. Parents tend to like me a lot and it tends to upset a lot of my friends, im kinda good with words.
19. I’m daddy’s little girl.
20. I would rather sleep on the couch then in my bed, and it upsets my roommate and my parents.
21. I love just getting in the car with radio on and driving until my heart tells me to stop, or I run out of gas.
22. I tend to have a really good memory when it comes to conversations or information about people, but can’t memorize anything when it comes to school.
23. I truly believe that serving others is the greatest gift anyone can share with another individual.
24. I like to drink a beer and pretend I know how to play the guitar while the sun is setting.
25. I believe that everything happens for a reason, sometimes you just have to find the reason