Strawberry Swing

Do you know what happens when you neglect your favourite park for a month and a half? You go back to find it all abloom, your well beaten trails covered over with brambles and raspberry bushes. You emerge with a pink hint of sun on your face and a cheery disposition. A pocket full of sea glass and sand between your toes.

I love venturing homewards with Hannah every now and again.

I can smell summer.

If this crazy weather has taught me anything at all, it would be to

seize the moment!

Move, move.

My mind likes to be 1,000 places at once. But if I don't live in the now, my future won't unravel the way I'd like it to. So I'll work with diligence, all the while anticipating beautiful fruits. I'll trust God, knowing that He has the coolest adventure planned for my life. I'll love the people right in front of me, and love them well.

Just food for thought on this grey Tuesday afternoon.

"Be where you are. Try not to think about where you need to go next or wherever you just came from. This is more difficult than it sounds, but work at it. It's important for your head to be present in the place where your body is." Wisdom.

Yesterday was quite the day.

A routine Sunday, for the first half at least.

And then!

Tooling around Capitol Hill in the sun with Dani and Hannah.

The best ginger beers on this planet at Bauhaus.

Tiny, acoustic show with Scott & Gordy of Frightened Rabbit at Sonic Boom Records.

Burritos from a little taqueria without a sign. How deliciously unpretentious.

Getting a good supply of Vitamin D and a good nap in the park.

Meeting up with Brent and Ashley for round two of gritty, Scottish entertainment.

Frightened Rabbit delivers a blood-pumping show. So, so good.

Here are some photos from the acoustic show:

We got to hang out and talk for awhile afterwards :)

My best friend and I lived similar childhoods.

And we could make so many more of these. Maybe its being Romanian? Maybe we truly are kindred spirits? Maybe both? Anyway, I think you'll agree we are VIP material.

She is coming to Seattle in 21 days! I cannot wait.

Sanguine.

Photographer Rodney Smith said this, in one of his more philosophical reflections. I love the way this man talks about light, art, and his subjects. His vocabulary is astute and winning; he gives life to things as he describes them. And his photography, well, it speaks for itself.

"To succeed, we must fall in love, take the pictures, and then slowly take deep breaths, realizing who we are, and walk slowly away from the edge."

Check out his blog from time to time.

Pieces of Psalm 18 I like.

I will love You, O LORD, my

strength.

The Lord is my rock and my

fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I

will trust;

My shield and the horn of my

salvation, my stronghold.

I will call upon the LORD, who is

worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my

enemies.

The LORD thundered from

heaven.

And the Most High uttered His

vice,

Hailstones and coals of fire.

He sent out His arrows and

scattered the foe,

Lightnings in abundance, and He

vanquished them.

Then the channels of the sea

were seen,

The foundations of the world

were uncovered.

At Your rebuke, O LORD,

At the blast of the breath of Your

nostrils.

He sent from above, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong

enemy,

From those who hated me,

For they were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day

of my calamity.

But the LORD was my support.

He also brought me out into a

broad place;

He delivered me because He

delighted in me.

With the merciful You will show

Yourself merciful;

WIth a blameless man You will

show Yourself blameless;

With the pure You will show

Yourself pure;

And with the devious You will

show Yourself shrewd.

For you will save the humble

people,

But will bring down haughty

looks.

For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten

my darkness.

For by You I can run against a

troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in

Him.

For who is God, except the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our

God?

It is God who arms me with

strength,

And makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet

of deer,

And sets me on my high places.

He teaches my hands to make

war,

So that my arms can bend a bow

of bronze.

You have also given me the

shield of Your salvation;

Your right hand has held me up,

Your gentleness has made me

great.

You enlarged my path under me,

So my feet did not slip.

*

This has been the Psalm I rolled in and out of bed to this week. I think it will be written on my heart for the rest of this awkward time in between college and "the next step". Where does your strength come from, little bird?

It's been a strength-testing week, intellectually so.

But how empowering! How like Him to do these things for His beloved ones!