Learning a new way of life!

Hello from Corona Del Mar! I have lived here since the 1st weekend in July - but have been out of town lots (Colorado and Chicago for work conferences), just now am I having time to explore and it's going well.

There have been several times where I've had to stop and ask myself, "Is this real life?". . .like when my neighbor/landlord makes me tasty Turkish food, and when I'm swimming out in the ocean (my newest hobby, thanks to a Craigslist wetsuit and a love for water. . .especially when it's free and 2 blocks away!). These are sweet things.

Lest you think I am spending my days lounging around this dreamy town, the reality is that I am spending 50ish hours a week learning a new role with Cru (the new name for Campus Crusade for Christ) in Irvine, as the Intern Coordinator in the Pacific Southwest Region (CA, AZ, HI). I am being SO stretched and challenged, but the humility and dependance that this brings about has been great for my relationship with Jesus. It's hard to not know what you're doing, and to make mistakes, and to constantly feel behind. . .but it's a sweet thing too.

Some other new things that I am trying -

- reading a book/month

- making stuffed bell peppers for dinner tomorrow

- Fountain of Life, the Christian Reformed Church I've started going to

- smoothies for breakfast, great for early mornings in the office

- the "envelop system" for budgeting purposes (just set it up today, excited for the freedom and boundaries it will bring!)

- not working evenings/weekends, harder then it sounds after 4 years of busy evenings and weekends with students!

- listening to NPR during my commute

As for why I haven't been blogging much - a lack of time, as well as a lack of vision for what this writing space is and should become. Social media has given me such a skewed view of others - I don't want to add to the problem, giving you a skewed view of me. I want you to know the real me - the me that is more sinful then I realize (though I am growing to realize this more and more), and yet more loved then I could ever dare imagine (John 3:16) at the exact same time. This is the me that lives, and breaths, and moves about daily life - and this is the me that is impossible to portray holistically on a blog. I will try, but I will fail - so don't think that what you read here is the whole story. . .but in the midst of it all God gets the glory, He remains The Sweetest Thing, and I am grateful to write for you, from time to time, about how this/He is true. Hope you have a great week and until next time. . .whenever that may be!

These are a few of my favorite things. . .

lately:

- this amazing cornbread recipe that I made for a dinner party I threw for my Berkeley friends.

- getting to see this incredible UC Berkeley student who is a paraplegic WALK across stage at graduation; honored to have served God in a place where history is being made in many ways, scientifically and spiritually to name a few.

- this super sweet and funny movie with a message I can relate to, Midnight in Paris - hopefully playing in a theater near you because I highly recommend seeing it soon.

- this gorgeous regional park, Briones, that a friend and I explored yesterday; green rolling hills, beautiful clouds and grazing cattle made for an awesome backdrop for great conversation with a friend.

- this book, The Next Story, on a topic that really intrigues me that I find challenging in my own life.

- this photographer, Scott Andrew, who shot my brother and sister-in-law's (!) wedding 3 weeks ago.

- this restaurant, Outerlands, in San Francisco - the most amazing bread in a very hipster setting.

And just to keep it real, one of my LEAST favorite things right now is craigslist and how complex it makes the housing hunt - if you think of it, pray with me that my future apartment-mate and I sign a lease on June 6th, with the hope of moving in July 2!

Full

As I taste and see that God is good (a reminder to myself and my readers that this is where the title of my blog comes from) I am finding myself full, and what I've been chewing on the past couple of weeks has been bittersweet. . .

So much sweetness - completing my first sprint triathlon, my brother's fast approaching wedding, an article I wrote getting published, seeing a couple of my students get baptized yesterday. . .and the list goes on!

And yet some bitter events as well - mainly surrounding the fact that I am going to be leaving Berkeley at the beginning of July. I am really going to miss the 35,000 Cal students I have come to love and the fact that I only have 3 more full days on campus with them makes me very sad.

And yet, I'm also excited for the things to come - both in this week, this summer, and in the next season of my life and ministry in the Irvine area as the Intern Coordinator for the Pacific Southwest region of Campus Crusade for Christ.

More adventures lie ahead, more opportunities to experience the Lord and life in fresh ways and with renewed perspective. And I love remembering that the sweetest thing of my time in Berkeley will also be the sweetest thing of my new adventure - my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lent

I know that some (many?) students are out partying tonight because it's Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday. Such an interesting tradition. And Lent intrigues me as well. It's always surprising to find out who decides to participate in Lent and what their motives are in doing so. A lot of friends (many who are not religious) have been updating their status on facebook about what they're giving up - for many it is facebook, others have mentioned sweets, and TV. But I hear and see so little about the whys behind it all. Perhaps a status update's word-count is too short to elaborate on that but, regardless, wouldn't it be hard to be motivated for 40 days without a clear motive/purpose - but isn't the motive/purpose what it should be about above all else?

I had the opportunity to write more about some of these thoughts circulating in my head on our Cru at Cal website. Each Monday a staff person writes a blog post called "Monday Musing" and this week it was my turn. If you're interested, you can read it here - let me know what you think!

Thoughts on a Thursday

Well, there's never a dull moment on the UC Berkeley campus: welcome to my workplace!

In other news, it was such a surprisingly beautiful spring day - so thankful for the sweet smells of blossoms in the air as I biked home from some great meetings with students.

Off to make some cinnamon rolls for staff team brunch tomorrow - yum!

What I Wore Wednesday

Well, this is a silly post that is of interest to my lady readers perhaps - not sure if there are any male readers anyways!

Two women that I really respect, who I met at the church I went to during college (Grace), have wonderful businesses and write fun blogs that I enjoy checking out from time to time. . .ok, basically daily. Anyways, Lindsay at The Pleated Poppy started this thing called "What I Wore Wednesdays" where she, and now many others, post one or several outfits they wore that week as motivation to get dressed instead of just wear sweatpants and sweatshirts everyday. It's meant to be fun - and it has been fun for me to see the outfits they put together, giving me inspiration at times for what to wear when I head to campus to meet with the ever-trendy college students I work with. Lisa is the other woman, of the two I mentioned, who does this weekly as well and I just love her, her family, her business, her hair, her style, etc. Check out her "What I Wore Wednesday" if you'd like!

And now, it's my turn - I'm not going to do this weekly, and probably never again - so enjoy, if you're so inclined :)

brown corduroy skinny jeans - Gap Outlet

white 3/4 sleeve shirt - Gap Outlet

boots - on sale from Piperlime

red jacket - bought on Monday, with birthday money, from a little boutique about 200 ft from my apartment (liking the color red is a new thing for me, maybe it's because I'm getting older?!)

scarf - bought on a trip to East Asia

cardigan - Macy's clearance rack (no joke: orginally $250, but I got it for $15!!), wore it under the red jacket because it's cold in Berkeley today!

ring - from Mexico

pearl earrings - a birthday gift from my parents, which I treasure so much (both the parents and the pearls :)), like the color red, I also NEVER wear earrings but I guess I'm turning over a new leaf.

See, told you - this is/was silly. Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday, whether you care to show off what you're wearing or not! Now I'm off to clean a bit and grate some cheese for the fondue I'm making for ministry co-workers/friends tonight!

Another book report!

About a week ago I finished reading this book (I know, Surprise! I've actually been reading books from start to finish - let's hope this continues. . .), Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. I loved this book, and not only because he's Dutch and reformed. He's committed to helping Christians understand the biblical view of decision making in the big and small things of life. There's a lot of scriptural depth in this book, but it's also easy to read and rather funny at times. Often we (I) can be so concerned about discovering God's will that we lose sight of who God is and what He has already commanded us to do/think/say as we live life for him each day. I highly recommend you get your hands on this short book. . .and or just listen to this sermon that he gave to men (but applicable to all) at a conference a while back. Many of the points/examples he mentions in the hour long sermon are mentioned in the book. Be ready to underline/take notes. Let me know what you think! In light of just doing something, I'm off to watch a movie I rented (Coco Chanel) as I sip hot chocolate. Have a lovely weekend, and by all means - just do something!

Hope in New Life

As I was walking along a park, from the bart train station to my apartment, I came across this tree and just had to take a picture. Seeing the buds on these branches bursting open, and unfolding in beauty, in the warmth of the sunlight brought so much peace and hope as I think about my life. Just as this tree comes into bloom year after year after year, because of Christ this can be true of my life as well. I choose, because of grace, to burst open, year after year, and more so (hopefully) day after day.

A friend just told me that when she thought about her future she used to picture a huge black hole. But instead she now chooses to picture a sun rising over an ocean with a whole bright day ahead of her. I want a similar picture to come to mind when I think about my future. What comes to mind right now this is blossoming tree. I know that 2011 will bring change. My hair will grow (and then I'll cut it), I'll get some new things, I'll try some new things, and most importantly I'll continue to take steps of faith in areas of my life. In all these things, and more, I want to have hope and peace as I put one foot in front of another. This is only possible if I keep Christ's perspective and remember that He's worth living for - life is new in Him, because of Him, and for Him daily. I am so thankful!

Cold Tangerines

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist is the first book I started and finished in 2011. It's a rarity for me to read books so quickly, but I devoured this one and highly recommend that you do likewise. The chapters are short vignettes about life, and what it looks like to embrace and celebrate it for what it is - in the midst of the combination of light/dark, easy/hard, clear/muddled, hopeful/hopeless, exciting/mundane that we experience in each and every day. I really loved the author's writing style, and she's even reminded me of my love for writing - that I'm typically too lazy to develop much past the skills I honed in the 7th grade. Here's to turning a new leaf, yet again. And I can't wait to start (and finish) her second book, Bittersweet. Perhaps there will be a book report on the way for that one as well!

Happy New Year!

With every sunset comes a sunrise - even when clouds or sleep obstruct our view, days end and days begin again - all thanks to the grace (an undeserved gift) of God toward us. I'm thankful for this new year and the 365 (well, now 351. . .) more mornings, and new mercies, that will come with it. I hope to continue to grow to walk by faith, not by sight ("out of sight, out of mind" does not and should not apply to a relationship with Jesus!) - whether I can see the beautiful sun rises and sets of each day or not.

I got to thinking about sunsets because of the beautiful one I saw this evening in the bay area. I arrived home at 5:14 to find that a package I had been waiting for (computer charger that I left at the hotel where Winter Conference was held) was actually waiting for me in Richmond since I was not home to receive it when UPS came to deliver. The postcard explained that the customer service desk would be open til 6PM and if I don't pick it up today it would be shipped back to San Diego. That's the last thing I wanted so at 5:17 I was pulling out of my drive way to make a 35+ minute drive in heavy traffic, hoping to get to UPS before they shut their doors.

Along the way I noticed a breath-taking sunset and I realized (again) that regardless of if I get my computer charger or not, it's much more about the journey rather then the destination. How I want to continue to enjoy the sweetness of the beauty and hope of life in each passing moment and how thankful I am for the reminder to do so. Though, I must say, I am happy to report that I pulled up at 6PM (on.the.dot.) and made 3 men smile as I excitedly rushed in to retrieve my package just in the nick of time. As I left, they locked the door behind me and I breathed a sigh of relief as I drove home - reflecting all the more on the beauty of the sunset and the joy found in the unexpected small things in each day.

Here's to fresh perspective on the 14th day of 2011!