restoration

"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Psalm 71:14

"now, there's a man I could follow."

Relationships are a peculiar thing to me.  And I mean any and all relationships, from acquaintances to friends to significant others to siblings to parents to best friends.  It is all very interesting to me and I've learned a lot about those lately.

I'm officially home.  I'm home for the summer.  I cried a lot about that.

I'm having trouble coming to terms with things, mainly just that I'm halfway done with college.  I'm seriously in love with this stage of my life and I already dread it being over.  I know that I'm not meant to stay here forever, but the sweetness of this time is something that I very much enjoy and will be sad to move on from.

Lots of things have changed lately.  I've officially switched my major (to Communications, peace out, Education) and been given a new advisor.  I've gone on some dates with a really awesome guy (who I like a lot.  he rocks.  and I could and maybe will brag a lot more someday.  for sure, for sure).  I've finished my sophomore year.  I've met people and lost some others.  I've grown as a girl, a woman (there's a difference), and as a Christian.

I have learned more about the character of Jesus in the last four months than I could have anticipated.  It's very interesting how Jesus teaches you about love and about how He loves you through other people and how they love you.  When I feel loved well, my slight understanding for the vastness of love that Jesus has for me seems to grow a little.  And when I do not feel loved well, I'm thoroughly reminded of the love that Jesus has for me and about how good that love really is.  

For that, I'm very thankful.  I'm thankful for good friends.  I'm thankful for a loving family.  I'm thankful for an awesome mom and dad that support me in whatever, however that looks and whenever that time comes.  I'm thankful that there are people who want to know me and love me well.  I'm thankful that no matter how lost I get, I can always find home.  I'm thankful that grace grows.  I'm thankful for community to remind me of that fact.  I'm thankful for old friends, ones that I've known since kindergarten, and new ones, ones that I could have never guessed I'd meet, but I love knowing.  

I'm really thankful for the lessons I've learned about people.  That people are not something to be obtained or chased, but rather, something to be pursued and followed.  I'm thankful for the peace that comes with knowing that it is not my job to please everyone.  I'm thankful for the knowledge that I should be happy and that that is of utmost importance.  I'm thankful for being about to decipher between healthy relationships and dangerous ones.  I'm thankful for people that I want to follow.  That's an interesting concept to me, but if you find someone you could follow, really follow, wherever that takes you both, I think you should hold onto that and never take that for granted.

When I prayed for a "word" in December, I was skeptical.  I naively believe a lot of things that I read on the internet, so when someone said that Jesus gave them a word for the year, I figured I should try it out.  The word that the Lord gave me for 2014 was restore [how I got "restore"].  I'm very happy and very blessed to see that word continue to be fleshed out.  It's been an honor to be a part of God's plan.  I've done a lot of messing up, but I'm so, so thankful for One that restores those messed up parts for me.  What a savior.

I recognize that this is rambly and jumbled.  Thanks for reading it anyway.  I also think that all of my posts sound similar.  That sucks, oh well.  Obviously my head is all over the place, as usual.  My heart is full, though.  And I'm thankful for that.  Thank you, Jesus, for being sweet.