3x5

You know how when you listen to a certain song or album enough within a season--you begin to associate that song with that time frame when you hear it again at a different time, or even a few years later? I do that a lot.

Not many people understand me when I say I like John Mayer--what I think I really mean is I only truly like one of his albums...

I listened to this album constantly [no joke] during a fabulous trip my sister Michelle & I took to Oaxaca, Mexico. We left Valentines Day of 2007 and embarked on one of the BEST memories I now have made in my life. We spent a month on a missions base-- helping out in whatever way we could, taking weekend trips to the mountains so Shell and the other medical people could aid the people in that way [while I ran to the taco stands so they could all eat! ;)], made CPR posters...and lots of other stuff. Now, don't get the wrong idea; we definitely helped out a lot...but a majority [respectable amount!] of each day was spent on the beach which was 20 feet from our guest house suite [which was air conditioned and amazing]....sooooo. It's not like we were roughing it too much. ;)

That trip was a time of such extreme peace for me. It's not like I even had all this chaos or clamour in my life that needed to be resolved...but when you get so far removed from your element, it does something to you--a really good something. You forget about the stuff that doesn't really matter and begin to put life in perspective. It's refreshing. So as we treked though Mexico on the Mecro, on our journey for 8 hours up a mountain to a remote village, or just sitting out on the beach for 7 hours straight--I had this album playing. As if I were mentally logging away the sweet moments of peace I took in on my pilgrimage; through the songs. Each perfect melody sung was engraving in my mind the perfect picture I was taking in. Proving further to me how amazing my Lord is; and how He only makes breathtaking things.

There are some moments when not many things can bring my heart instant joy; and there are those precious few things that can do that every single time. The song 3x5 is one of the things that does it every time. When I listen to it I can literally almost taste the beauty and the peace of the moments when it first got lodged away in my brain.

I was listening to this song as I saw this epic-ness ->

We were on our way back to the missions base from a village we had spent a week in. And I don't care that it's not a Christian song; but my heart, soul and spirit was so moved by the combination of it and God's perfection. I'm so thankful for the lovely moments like these that God has poured out over my life. I feel so blessed to have had experiences like this one--and to even have so many more. With me, there's always that moment where God engraves something so deeply on my spirit where no time can separate me from the effect of it. It goes so deep. So deep that there sometimes aren't even words to do it justice--but just that internal knowing that God just etched eternity on my heart in a little way; and that I should never let go of it.

I have a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving [a little late!!] & don't forget to just breathe in the moments and memories you're making today. Life is beautiful!

Vag·a·bond [Vag-uh-bond]

–adjective  

[wandering from place to place without any settled home; nomadic: a vagabond tribe.]

[leading an unsettled or carefree life.]

[having an uncertain or irregular course or direction: a vagabond voyage.]

I had an amazing experience today. I was sitting on my couch, drinking my frozen chai,  facebooking it up, and thinking about life. My life. What I wanted to do with it. And why I am not there yet...etc. So, all of a sudden it came upon me; "Google" is good for so many things!! Therefore, clearly I came to the conclusion...I shall google it!! [I realize this sounds a little ridiculous, but I tell you...God speaks through strange things sometimes!] ...Then I did it. I typed "what should I do with my life" into the little search engine thingy...and I somewhat skeptically clicked on the first result, thinking I was being silly even doing this! And this is what I found... [It's like 6 pages long...soo, just so you're warned!]

What Should I Do With My Life?

The URL had a 66 in it, so I hoped that wasn't a bad sign...[haha] then I remembered I didn't believe in superstition; and fearlessly continued on! And what I found was one of the most down to earth, no nonsense, legitimate articles I have read in quite some time. I liken the profoundness [if that's even a word!] to what I felt as I was reading the book "Just Do Something". I was truly inspired!

My inspiration led me out to my hammock in the back yard, pen and paper in hand...to write down "What do I love?" and/or "What have I done already that I have loved?". Because one of the main points this man makes in his article is that a lot of people haven't really even truly asked themselves these questions and we live in a place where we're free to do basically anything our hearts desire...and why not take that and run with it? I mean, so long as it in honoring God and He's not saying don't do it!

My list of "What do I love?" seemed pretty simple, and basic, I guess since I am me, and I know what I love; and it consisted of; people, relationships, God, my family, friends, communicating through writing, traveling, foreign cultures, helping people, sozo, love, photography, warm weather, being tan, creativity, being who I am made to be...and a few other things. So after writing my list, and journaling and talking it over with the Lord a little more, I realized I want to be vagabond, with an indispensable monetary fund :) Orr...to simply marry a very very rich, handsome, man of God, and do whatever my heart desires from there! ;) [haha I'm mostly kidding about that last part, I mean a millionaire would be great--but no requirement!]

All of this to say--it was a very enlightening afternoon, and I had the best time sitting out in this amazing 70 degree day, chilling out with God and just dreaming with Him. I am very excited about life, and soo excited to see where this journey that God has me on leads to.