sweet joy.

the things that brought me joy today:

1. reading cold tangerines- especially the chapter called puppies. it was such a sweet reminder of how blessed i am to be a part of young life and how ministry has impacted my life in ways that cannot be described.

2. road trip with mandy- i love a good road trip. it doesn't even have to be anywhere special or far away. there is just something so sweet about roadtripping that makes me want to get up and go every opportunity i can get. mandy had a driving class in champaign, so we grabbed some fusion brew and hopped in the car so she could go to her class and i could go spend a few hours at home. this girl gets me. we shared fears about our season of freaking out about applying for grad school and how thankful we are that we have the Lord in this season (and every season). He never ceases to be behind the scenes, navigating our steps and shaping our lives to bring Him glory. our trip there was mostly conversation and our trip back consisted of kissed you goodnight on repeat.

3. home- i never realized how much i appreciated my parent's house until i went away to school. as much as i complained about living on the outskirts of town when i was in middle school and high school, i wouldn't have it any other way. the stars shine brighter, the air is more breathable, and sometimes you get to see fun critters (i saw a hummingbird today). i got to eat dinner with my parents, play with the pup, grab part of my fall wardrobe (hallelujah), and drool over all of the awesome crafts that my mom is working on. i can't believe her shows are coming up!

this:

                                             love
                                                                   \' lav \, verb

1) waiting instead of hurrying. 2) showing up when there is no time. 3) Listening rather than talking. 4) forgiving instead of holding a grudge. 5) assuming the best. 6) choosing kindness rather than anger. 7) celebrating instead of envying. 8) anticipating needs. 9) never giving up- continuing to the end.

this quote hangs in my bedroom on a wooden sign. i so long to love people in all of these ways.

and this.