reckless abandon.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

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Speak, O Lord, as we come to You To receive the food of Your Holy Word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; Shape and fashion us in Your likeness, That the light of Christ might be seen today In our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us All Your purposes for Your glory. Teach us, Lord, full obedience, Holy reverence, true humility; Test our thoughts and our attitudes In the radiance of Your purity. Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see Your majestic love and authority. Words of pow'r that can never fail- Let their truth prevail over unbelief. Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds; Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us- Truths unchanged from the dawn of time That will echo down through eternity. And by grace we'll stand on Your promises, And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us. Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built And the earth is filled with Your glory.

Speak O Lord,

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

-Clive Staples Lewis :) 

[angelturbeville]

Either we are adrift in chaos or we are individuals, created, loved, upheld and placed purposefully, exactly where we are. Can you believe that? Can you trust God for that?

Elisabeth Elliot (via angelturbeville)

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“Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand”

(Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 27).

[wheningeorgetown]

WHEN SOMEONE STARTS TALKING IN PIERCE

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

# 6 of 1000 Gifts: Visiting Mi Media Naranja

"You'll be with me--like a handprint on my heart." -Wicked

Media Naranja literally translates from Spanish as "half orange," but culturally it means "other half," or "soul mate." 

I started taking Spanish in middle school. And by "taking," I really mean that Magui (pronounced like "Maggie"--how much cooler is it to spell it that way?!) sat in the gym locker room with me before class and helped me with homework and taught me how to pronounce words correctly. :) How did we meet, you ask? It's a great story. 

It was September 11, 2001. The day before my 13th birthday. I walked into my English class to the tv screen of a plane crashed into the World Trade Center, and my heart instantly began pumping at a speed I didn't think was possible. What was going on? Then, there were rumors of another plane striking DC. My dad works in DC. And I knew that her dad also worked in DC, at the Argentine Embassy. I don't remember exactly what we talked about, but I do remember that we immediately connected, shared each other's worries, and have been best friends since. 

She moved back to Buenos Aires in our senior year of high school. Though it was a long time coming, my emotions were raw and my heart broke and overflowed at the same time. I was devastated to have my best friend leave in the middle of our senior year, but so happy that she was going back home--the place she always wanted to end up. 

The beautiful thing? We kept in touch. And will continue to. She will always be one of the first ones I call when something huge happens--and actually, even when the little things happen. How many people in the DC metro area have a best friend in Buenos Aires? Not many. But I do. 

And in December of 2009, I got to see her again! I got to visit her in Buenos Aires--seriously the best vacation of my life. I got to experience and appreciate her beautiful city--a city so full of life, culture, history, stories and beauty--and it was as if we were never apart.

So here's to you, mi media naranja. Even from 5232 miles away you still make such an impact on me. I am so thankful for you. 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

#5 of 1000 Gifts: Cherry Blossoms

“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness;  it has no taste.”  -Charlotte Brontë

I love flowers. I love trees. I love DC. I love cherry blossom season. There's something about the cherry blossoms--perhaps their delicate and mesmerizing beauty, perhaps their quiet and elegant demand for attention, perhaps the contrast of trees with the marble monuments that populate this city. Perhaps it is because cherry blossoms around the tidal basin are so distinctly DC, and people come from all over to see them. Perhaps it's the collective fascination that so many people have to these trees with the exquisite pale pink flower petals. Perhaps it is because we all get to share our love and appreciation for these flowers and this season. 

Yes, the best part of cherry blossom season is sharing it with those around you. It's about marveling at the glimpses of God's power and splendor, individually and collectively. 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

#4 of 1000 gifts: Smoothies 

I just really like getting my fruit intake for the day, okay? :) But seriously, there are few things more delicious than the cold, sweet, natural taste of a nice fruit smoothie. 

Favorite flavors: Mango & Mixed Berry. 

Now you know. 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope – at the very same time. This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you. But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace ad acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin. This also creates a radical new dynamic for discipline and obedience. First, the knowledge of our acceptance in Christ makes it easier to admit we are flawed because we know we won’t be cast off if we confess the true depths of our sinfulness. Second, it makes the law of God a thing of beauty instead of a burden. We can use it to delight and imitate the one who has saved us rather than to get his attention or procure his favor. We now run the race ‘for the joy that is set before us’ rather than ‘for the fear that comes behind us.’

Tim Keller 

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#3 of 1000 gifts: Childhood & Lifelong Friends

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though (s)he knows that you are slightly cracked." -Ben Meltzer

I am an only child. There are days when I appreciate it and days when I want nothing more than a sibling that can completely understand, that I can go on family vacations with, tease my parents with and just have around. 

But God blessed me in an entirely different way. 

I have lived in the same place my whole life and still hang out with some of the very first friends I ever had. I don't think they realize how much of an impact they made/make on me. We have memories for days. We have awkward moments to laugh at for years. We got to watch each other grow into and out of awkward phases, mature (kind of) and transform through the years. We get to walk into each other's houses without a phone call warning, open each other's refrigerators without asking, and go on family vacations even though we have different last names.

I never had biological sisters, but God had a different plan. Again, I am reminded that God's plans are often different, but always better. 

And I am a very cracked egg. But they choose to love me anyway. I am so thankful for them. 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

#2 of 1000 gifts: Oceans, Rivers, Streams & Lakes 

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." 

-Rabindranath Tagore.

Jesus is the fountain of living water. Daily I pray to be like a tree planted by streams of water. I am never more tranquil than when I am sitting by the water, listening to the currents, waves or steady flow of the glimmering shades of blue. For whatever reason, bodies of water calm me, draw me closer to the Lord and increase my affections for the God of the universe. Perhaps it is their strength, their massive sizes or varying shades of turquoise. Perhaps it is all three. Or perhaps these bodies of water reflect so much beauty and power, and remind me of how small I am compared to the infinite God that created them. 

photo: taken in the countryside of beautiful Ireland 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

“When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows.” -Ann Voskamp

After reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, my mentor encouraged me to document 1000 things I am thankful for. She emphasizes that a heart full of gratitude toward the Lord for both the great and tiny things re-aligns our hearts with the Lord's, as we choose to focus on what He has given us. And as we choose to focus on what He has given us, we learn to fix our eyes on things above.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:2-4

All for HIS glory! So here it goes!

#1 of 1000 Gifts: Georgetown. 

I am thankful that I got to go to the school I dreamt of going to when I was growing up. Georgetown changed my life. It was there that I understood passion, hard work and excellence. It was there that I experienced going far beyond my comfort zone, both in academics in and life outside of school. It was there that I met some of the most amazing people--people that are one day going to change the world. It was there that I got to explore the city I grew up in, be part of programs that stretched and challenged me beyond belief, and grow in ways I did not even think were possible.

It was there that I really started to walk intimately with Christ. And for that alone, I am eternally grateful and forever changed. 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

“What does the Spirit do? His works are ineffable in majesty, and innumerable in quantity. How can we even ponder what extends beyond the ages? What did He do before creation began? How great are the graces He showered on creation? What power will He wield in the age to come? He existed; He pre-existed; He co-existed with the Father and the Son before the ages. Even if you can imagine anything beyond the ages, you will discover that the Spirit is even further beyond.”

St. Basil the Great 

[sailingalaska]

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the earth is filled with His glory. 

[hisloveslikeahurricane]

heart-wrenching. convicting. real.  

[orionfalls]

[cruisingthesites]

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