Meet Holly.

She's a tall beautiful blonde. She loves God more than anything. That's reflected in how much she loves people. She finds beauty in places most people would overlook. She captures this beauty from behind the lens of a camera and shares it with the world. She is constantly finding new ways to express her creativity through dance, art, etc.

More than all that she's my dear friend. She challenges me to grow closer to God, to love people better, and enjoy life just a little bit more each day.

And now she's 22. Happy Birthday Holly. You're the best. :)

btw...visit www.hollybirdsong.com to see her amazing photography.

HOME

It's the start of Thanksgiving Break. Huzzah!

I've only been home 6 hours and I've already done so much!

As soon as I arrived home, after the flurry of hugs and rejoicing, family "show and tell" began. The boys are taking a graphic design class, and so of course need to own a MacbookPro. Not gonna lie...a little jealous of that. Before I knew it there was also some new juggling toy being thrown around in my room. I've given up being surprised by anything my family does or has now. :)

After this we headed to Saluda Shoals for the Holiday fun run (or whatever it's called). Either way Mitch was signed up to run the 5k...and somehow I got signed up to be a walker. Had I known this I would have changed out of my jeans and Converse. Mom and Dad waited to cheer on Mitch and I walked/ran/jogged the course alongside Clark on his unicycle. That kid was probably got more attention than any of the fastest runner there. Who else rides a unicycle around? Funny kid. They had all the Christmas lights and decorations set up around the park and it was absolutely beautiful. I decided that I might be okay living in a world of complete darkness...as long as there were Christmas lights decorations in full abundance.

Coming back home after that adventure meant quality music time. I picked up my Dad's guitar and tried to remember everything I'd been taught this semester...and even learned a few new chords! The guitar fascinates me. After I got frustrated enough with that I sat down at the piano and tried to play some old music that I haven't touched in forever. Always fun. Mom made homemade pizza's and the family gathered around the in the living room for dinner.

Now I'm laying up in my own bedroom (which I had forgotten that I rearranged this summer) relaxing to the scent of a burning candle waiting for my cats to make their way up here and cuddle.

I love home. If this first few hours was any indication, this break is going to be great!

So I guess I don't really need a theme for this blog. Really it's my little way to contribute to the content on the world wide web...so all freedom is mine, right? :)

I just want to reflect on the Lord's perfect timing for a minute. Tonight I heard some news that hit a deep core inside of me. It wasn't bad news. In fact for some people it's probably the most exciting news of their lives. But for me it brought up a lot of old hurt that I thought was gone. I really struggled as I tried to understand how to deal with these intense feelings of pain and regret. Then I heard the song "Desert Song". There are rich lyrics within that song, but some that particularly stood out were, "All of my life, in every season, you are still God. I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship." The song "Our God" also proclaims "Our God is healer, awesome in power..." These simple promises of God's provision, stability, and healing power really were all I needed to hear tonight. I don't understand how to achieve closure in this particular situation, but right now all I know is that I have a God who loves me and provides all I need no matter what else life seems to throw my way.