Songs for the stars

Here I sit, fingers at my keyboard, feet propped up quite comfortable on my little desk. It is late, and I should most definitely be sleeping. But instead, I listen. My window, which sits above the desk, is open; putting me in a perfect position to hear all the fascinating sounds of the darkness outside. Crickets are the most prominent voice to be heard. Their sweet twitters comfort me in a strange way. It is as though they sing songs of romance to the night sky, projecting everything they can from their small bodies. Thousands of them together, united in song, yet each with his own unique part. Every now and then a soloist can be heard. A voice of higher pitch to sing a new melody, and all the while the chorus continues.
How inconspicuous and common crickets are in the daylight. They seem only to hop around, doing nothing of any consequence, perhaps occasionally frightening a poor child suffering from insectophobia or something of the kind. Yet, when darkness comes, their true natures come forth in song. How lovely it is to hear. How rewarding to listen, if only for a moment, to the majestic sounds of the night...

Maple leaves & green tea...

Autumn is just around the corner, and I can hardly wait. Scarves and steaming cups of tea sound absolutely wonderful right now. I miss the rain, the sound of the wind as I doze off to sleep at night, and snuggling under massive amounts of fluffy blankets to find warmth. I am a sap for sweaters and pea coats, hats and scarves...I love fall colors; the crimson, the golden yellows, the deep ochre and beige's , the darkest chocolate brown mixed with a perfect emerald green... they all project such warmth, such feeling and marvelous beauty. Creation is truly breathtaking.

Cannons in the night

I am always reminded of this song when I look up at the night sky...
How small I am, how incredible His creation is, and how blessed I am to be able to see such remarkable beauty...


It's falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It's ringing in the skies
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

We're singing, You are holy, great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who you are
I'm so unworthy, but still you love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great you are

Beautiful and free
Song of galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the milky way
Let's join in with the sound
C'mon let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours, forever amen

"To truly love others, we must first love God."

On Friday night, the day after getting back from Costa Rica, my parents & I went to one of the concerts in the Paso park. I was still terribly tired and hadn't planned on going at all, but last minute I went. It was the first time I had been out in society after getting back and it was a bit of a shock. I actually found myself being rather disgusted by many of the people around me. Everyone seemed so self centered, always trying to impress someone else, always taking...
Children were running around, screaming, many of them obviously spoiled. I found myself comparing these people, my fellow Americans, to the Costa Ricans I had just spent the last 10 days with. I found myself wishing I was back in the jungles, in a place that held so little of the daily distractions which accost me here in America. Suddenly though, I realized something...I realized how incredibly selfish my own thoughts were. I had just been blessed with an amazing experience, one that many people would never even imagine. Yet here I was, judging those who I had been called to love. I realized something else; Americans need my love, and more importantly Gods love, just as much as the poor hungry people of Costa Rica. It is so easy to think of missionaries as people traveling to other countries, but really we are all called to be missionaries, and not only to far off areas of the world, but to our own country, towns, and homes. And not only for a week here & a week there, but everyday of our lives. This is of course not something that is in any way new to me. I have heard it before, and have really always known it to be true. It is something that I obviously need to continue reminding myself. Gods word teaches us to love. Not just those who we enjoy, but everyone, our enemies included. How simple a concept this is, yet how incredibly difficult...
Anyway, I really must go to sleep. I'm still rather exhausted from Costa. Maybe it's jet lag...whatever it is I can't seem to get enough rest this past week.


“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." ~John 15:12

Strange to think...

...that only last night I was still in Costa Rica. I miss it very much already. I wasn't expecting to feel such sadness and heartache as I do now. I miss the beautiful jungle(it really was the most breathtakingly beautiful place I have ever been), the amazingly selfless people, the lack of distractions and possessions, the adventures that every new day brought, and the comfort of constantly being surrounded by so many strong christian people. We all worked together, in the rain, under a boiling sun, covered in mud, or venturing through the rivers and jungles of our missions field. Right now I feel so overcome with emotions and memories of the last 10 days of my life. So much happened, so much changed...
Throughout the next few days a weeks I will surely be writing about my travels. At this moment though I still need time to collect my thoughts and catch up on some much needed sleep. All I can say is thank You God. Thank You for giving me this opportunity even though I did not deserve it whatsoever. Thank You for letting me feel Your presence like never before. Thank for working miracles right before my eyes. You are a mighty God!


Costa Rica
Forever in my memory they will be
lives of glorious surrender
love overflowing for God and King
oh how beautiful is the scarcity
of possessions and famed glory
in place of these is found humility
eyes set above, hearts overflowing with love
oh that I might be but a glimmer of these
oh that I would see the reality
of a God so mighty, so pure and lovely
to be free in Him
loving all without a thought of me
this is what my life must be

~a poem written while in Costa Rica, July 27-August 5 2009.