Natalie.

We were roomies. Now we're neighbors. And for the last few years, we've both gotten to share some significant life stages with each other. I love this woman, and we thought that her soon-coming graduation made for a good excuse to go to take some pictures (and to hang out!).

She exudes a life of love and has a smile to die for, and i'm certain those are evident in the pictures you're about to see:

The Adventures of a 4-Year-Old and my Microwave.

What is this, you ask?

This, friends, was the result of some creative exploration.

My friend lovely friend Rosina  and her husband came out to Long Beach today for a sonogram for their third bun in the oven. Since the appointment was near my neck of the woods, she asked if I could hang out with her two kids for a little while. Personally, I think they're some of the cutest kiddos i've ever laid eyes on, so I was more than happy to watch them for a bit. We watched Toy Story 3, they helped me grind and brew some coffee, they colored, and I loved listening to all of their little anecdotes. The highlight, by far, happened while I was drawing with Abby. I heard the microwave go off, and I asked Caleb if his pretend food was done cooking. He looked at me and said, "No, iss my cawh." I don't know if he was in the mood for some hot wheels action, but the terrified look that came across his face when the beeps came was priceless. Bye bye, car. It was melty mayhem. I tried so hard not to die laughing in front of the two kiddos, but man did I have a good laugh with Rosina and Benny when they came to pick them up. Now Caleb knows that a microwave is only for edibles--not for his favorite cars.

Just for fun, I decided to take some pictures of them while they were playing and entertaining each other. Aren't they too cute for words? 

 [ The kiddos helped me make coffee :)They wanted some proof, so they could show off to their mama ]

I know, you're probably ooo-ing and aahhh-ing about how ridiculously good looking these two lil ones are. I had so much fun, and I think it would be safe to say that they did too :). I can only imagine what kind of memories are going to be made once baby #3 comes around.
Rosina and Benny, you are great parents with some equally fantastic children. 

Becoming the Robies

So my wonderful Dave wanted to gift me with a quick weekend trip to New York for Christmas this past December because our friends Michelle and Ryan were going and wanted another couple to tag along. Well in tagging along, Michelle introduced me to her long time friend, Nicole and her new fiance Ben.

They're a pair who march to the beat of their own drum and are completely in love with each other and with Jesus. Though they're planning a daunting wedding (w/ the guest list at 1000+), they're easy going, and we had so much fun getting to know them while exploring NYC in the wintertime. While we were out there, we had some time to spare, so I took a few picture for them in Central Park. Unbeknownst to me, Nicole actually decided to use one of the shots for their Save the Date! So fun. I'm so glad I was able to capture you two in your element.

If you go to one of my older posts [here], you can see some more of the pictures I got of Ben and Nicole that day. 

Happy wedding planning, you two! :)

Good Things Come in Small Packages.

Things that are small/petite: coffee cups, Cuban pastries,and sweet Jenny.:)

Coffee and chats with friends never gets old. It will always be high up on my list of favorites. Coffee with Jenny was no exception.

I had the opportunity to go to Uganda with this lovely young lady two Decembers ago, and I've loved getting to spend time with her here and there ever since. We were long overdue for a catch up sesh, so on  this lovely occasion, Jenny graced me with not just her presence but also some lovely Cuban pastries as well as a few stories to share.

She's vibrant, loving, talented, compassionate, intelligent, and is a beautiful vessel for His love. It was such a joy being in a conversation with someone who is very much in progress (and excited to be in progress). I pray that you continue to discover greater levels of freedom and love in the life He's set before you. The nursing world is lucky that they're going to have a woman like you, Jenny.

Friendly Faces...

...make up our surroundings, fill our lives with love and laughter, and challenge us to see things that we couldn't see otherwise. Today while on a brief break, I went around random places here and there with my friend Emilie who is as talented as she is lovely. I've gotten to take pictures of her before, and she has such an ease in front of the camera (jealous!). Here are some of my favorites from today's photo escapade.

You can see the rest here.

Sometimes the Muse is too Great to Keep Silent.

I've done it for about five years now. But tonight bears a different tone and strikes a different chord. Tonight marks an "end" of five years worth of meeting once a week with a group of people who have become as close to kin as you can get without being related :). A gathering that I thought was going to be sad and heavy was something very other tonight. The conversation flowed (and we even had Soph Skype so we could all be present!). It takes great courage to venture into the unknown and unfamiliar, and i'm proud to say that I know a courageous bunch! The Holy Spirit came, rested upon that room, upon us, and guided the conversation and allowed us to see His grace from beginning to end.

I can count the places the group has been held: at the CSULB dorms, Alex' apartment, the Termino House,  and Em's apartment. What's a bit more difficult to do is to look back and count how many people have actually come through the group. There have been some who have been there for the whole 5-year stint, and others who have just been a part of the group in the last 6 or so months. But regardless of whether one invested months or years, each person has marked a different layer of God's hand of faithfulness, grace, and provision--all illuminating His sovereignty and highlighting His beautiful orchestration of each life in the group (even some lives outside of the group!!).

We left tonight with mixed emotions--some filled with hopeful anticipation of what the future holds, some excited but still actively grieving something that's been very much a part of their lives, and others feeling a bit lost. But my prayer is that as each of us left Em's house, we would present the postures of our hearts as worship to a God who hears, who cares, and will give us clarity and give us more of Himself as we ask. Because our Maker exists in community and relationship, He will continue to provide community for His kids, and I look forward to seeing how that will manifest in each of our lives.

I mean--wow! What stories and testimonies of God's favor we get to share and bring into so many aspects of our lives. It's not just that we get to share, but that we must share. These stories all point to how amazing God is, and i'm floored to think that God would gift me with something so amazing to be a part of for 5 years of my life.

Being given the privilege of being both a member and a leader of this group, I've learned a myriad of things that are irreplaceable, and I praise God for allowing me to learn them in this environment. I've learned the value of being vulnerable, the beauty of being broken before the Body, the power of being honest, the weight of living in community, the humility of leadership, the strength of unity, and the healing power of prayer. Those are only some of the things that come to mind. This group has been and will continue to be family, and it makes me giddy to think that this will always be looked upon as such a sweet time in my life--so so dear to my heart.

For those of you who know what I mean, i'm sure there's an appreciation for this bit of reflection--an homage, if you will. Others might think that this is me being over-dramatic about something that seems to be nothing. Oh, let me tell ya...it isn't nothing. It was more than I could have ever asked for, and it excites me to know that God wants to keep surprising us with how he uses the Body to bless the Body.

I sit here like an overflowing cup--pouring over the brim with joy and love. Thank you (each of you) for how you've invested your lives into this group, how you've shaped it and each brought such a unique flare to its dynamic. The Lord has held this group in His hands for the last 5 years, and will continue to do so with each individual as we move forward. The Lord has been the bookends for this journey, and there's a beautiful story to prove it.

A glimpse of the last few years :)

Aaaa-mazing! My LBLG Fam, you've been a constant source of inspiration in my life. Thank you so much.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body"

A Long Blink.

It felt like I was gone for a long time, but once we hit our last few days, it also felt like it was just the other day that we had landed in Uganda.

My body is back, but the rest of me is still very much processing the whole trip. Our days began with crowing roosters very early in the morning and our nights served as bookends to full days--each marked with their own stories, laughter and fingerprints of God.

Stories to come. I usually journal when I'm away on trips, but I just felt as though the Lord was asking me to be fully present. I have the assurance that He will remind me of what I need to remember to process accordingly.

Until then, here are some pictures from each of our days there. Once the team photos come in, i'll be sure to share those :)

Entebbe Airport

Skirts on and rearin' to go.

A special sight before we headed into Kampala.

Our new friends @ the first Guest House.

On our way to Gulu

Day 1

In Gulu

1st Village Visit [Kbusi]

1st Worship Service

Day 2

Prepping for New Year's

Packing the Meds

 e

Day 3

New Year's

Day 4

Women's Conference

Day 5

The Church Services (English/Luo/Swahili)

Marriage/Couple's Conference

Village 2-Medical Day 1

(A few days without photos)

Molly's Paper Bead Jewelry

Fellowship with Ron and Joy's Family

Pastor Chris @ the Goodbye Dinner

Safari

The Nile

Back to Kampala

Father's Heart Babies Home

Mike's feet and Daniel

Sara and Baby Rachel

ARM (Africa Renewal Ministries) Walk-Around

Maranatha High School where Coryn teaches

In Dubai and heading home

Back in the States

Sweet Welcome

These pictures don't even come close to sharing what I'd love to be able to put into words. Thanks for sharing in this with me. What a journey. Praise God!