Kindred Spirits

I know I've mentioned my best friends Megan and Erin before, but just to recap, they're my twin best friends who are at school up in Washington who I've known since we were 11. Erin writes an incredibly beautiful blog, which you can enjoy for yourself at scrupulology.blogspot.com.  I was catching up on in today and was brought up short by this post:

Christ and King:

If it be your will

Preserve me through the day -

Live in everything I do

And every word I say -

Master, Maker:

Mold this clay -

And show to me the narrow way. 

I named this prayer-poem, “A Dedication.” I say it close to ten times on a daily basis. It is the prayer I speak to God when I am weary, worried, overwhelmed. It is also the prayer that brings to God moments of intense consolation and praise in my life. It is my all-purpose prayer, probably because within it the God of my heart and mind is manifest. A God that is savior and king, sustainer and guide, master and maker. In this prayer, I disclose my belief in a God that recognizes and protects my identity as his beloved daughter. I profess my complete reliance on his love and mercy to carry me throughout my days. I acknowledge his formative power in my life, and invite his guidance and presence in all things. I enshrine his majesty in a quiet, simple poem; perhaps unintentionally because I see him most clearly in unassuming, accidental things. Through prayer, I have found an omnipotent God that dwells on the edges of aspen leaves and waits for me in good books and honest conversation. He is a God who has stitched himself into the fabric of my life, and stirs my soul both when I seek him out and when I stumble upon him.

It's not often that I am brought to tears by words, unless it is at the end of an emotional book because I usually need the build-up to get that kind of response. But Erin's words struck something very deep within me...something I've never found the adequate words to express before, and have now found in the words of a sister whose soul is made of the same stuff as mine. Yesterday was a day of intense prayer and reflection for me as I am seeking specific answers to some hefty life decisions, and I was so blessed to find exactly what Erin described: love and mercy to carry me, His words spoken through others, and His presence in every single thing I touched. I am deeply humbled and full of gratitude, both for my Heavenly Father and the sweet blessing of friendship.

Happy Friday!

Well folks, it's the end of the week and I have to say, it's been a good one :) Tuesday night, it was made possible by some of my dearest friends for me to buy tickets to go visit Abram 4 weeks from today!! We didn't think we'd get to see each other until at least April, so this is a very welcome treat. I couldn't be more thankful for the incredible support I have around me on all sides, from friends to family, even people I barely know. There is so much love in the world, and I am infinitely grateful to be on the receiving end of some very beautiful loving :)

Other good things this week included two nights of mind-blowing dancing. Tuesday night in particular, I was just really on, all my nerve endings buzzing with heightened awareness. Almost every dance I had was fiery and connected...perfect. Last night I went Latin dancing for the first time in quite a while, so I was worried I'd be rusty, especially dancing in heels, but I got compliment after compliment and was passed from one partner to the next, usually with a comment like "You have to dance with her, she's amazing!" I also ended up running into quite a few friends I hadn't seen in over a year, it was so great to catch up with everyone. Today my entire body is sore, but it was so worth it.

This morning I woke up to a cheerful "Good morning sweetheart"  so my Friday definitely started out on a good note. We'll see how the rest of the day turns out, but for now it's:

On Being a Girl with a Boyfriend

Ok, so I'm kind of failing at my New Years resolution to post more, but I've been overwhelmed with how much there is to say and how little time I've had to compose my thoughts. So here's a quick update!

Biggest news: I officially have a boyfriend!! His name is Abram, and as I mentioned in my last post, it's been quite a while in the making, so it's really lovely to have it finally be official. Neither of us have been in an actual, labeled relationship in quite a few years, so saying it out loud is still a little weird for both of us, but I, for one, couldn't be enjoying it more.

Spending time in California with him over the break was incredible, and just what we needed to figure out where we wanted our relationship to be headed. It was so nice to be together in real time, doing everyday things, just being together without having to worry about anything else. We had many wonderful adventures going to the city, dancing the nights away, watching the sun set over the beach in Santa Cruz, eating an inordinate amount of Thai food, braving public transportation, bringing in the new year alone at the top of a parking garage, and making the most of his first Broadway experience. But it was the quiet moments that were the most precious: holding hands in the car in contented silence, keeping each other on task in the grocery store, being held in his arms while I talked to my mom on the phone, cooking/dancing in the kitchen, praying over our meals, stolen kisses when no one was looking...

Needless to say, it was a wonderful, well-spent 11 days. But now we are facing at least 4 months apart again. I'm trying to finish up school at BYU, and he is obviously living and working in Cali, so we're stuck for the time being. I'm doing everything in my power to figure out how to move out there in May or June, but of course there are a lot of complicated factors in trying to make that happen. But where there's a will, there's a way, I have no doubt about that. Long distance definitely isn't easy, but we're doing our best, and so far it hasn't killed us so I'm hopeful that everything will continue to go well.

Thanks for stopping by and caring about the goings on in my little life. Here's a picture of us with the sunset over the beach in Santa Cruz: