Unexpected Places
Oh man, life can be so busy! It has been a slam-packed last few weeks full of so many different things; while a little hectic at times, I have loved every minute of it. The spring semester has seriously flown by and I am in my final two weeks as a Junior...craziness!! I cannot believe that the school year is drawing to a close and a new chapter is about to begin. I wanted to take some time to reflect on the last few weeks of my semester as well as look forward to the opportunities the summer holds.
This semester I have been able to invest a lot of time in hobbies both new and old which has been an exciting time for me to develop my passions and continue to find my so called niche and the place I feel most fully myself. One somewhat new hobby has been racing with the ASU club cycling team - I got a road bike less than a year ago, but riding has been a great way to explore new roads and meet some new people. Because I am a complete pansy when it comes to winter weather my bike didn't get a lot of outdoor miles in, but I was able to race at our home race as well as the conference races at Duke. It was a lot of fun and a reminder of the fact that I am not built for speed, but on endurance I am good-to-go!
Though I enjoy riding my bike, I think it is more than safe to say that running is my real passion when it comes to being active. I ran cross country starting in seventh grade and all the way through high school, but I think it felt a little too much like an obligation to me at that point so I couldn't fully enjoy it. Since I came to college, and over the past year especially, I have fallen in love with running in a completely new way. I run simply because I enjoy it and I am a total nerd about all things running related...I read the magazines, follow the live blogs, watch the coverage, and talk about it enough to probably bore anyone who will listen. In some strange way, running helps me feel like I am doing what I was created to do - it feels natural and fulfilling. Not to say that I don't get sore, have days when I feel like a dump truck, and my share of tight muscles, but the benefits more than eclipse those things for me.
Running is communal for me - I recently started a family tradition where my Mom, Dad, and I always run together after church on Sunday, and it is something that I cherish and look forward to each week. Even when I am at school, we will all run and then send pictures to remind each other that even when we are physically apart, we are together at heart. (I know this may sound corny, but I love our little family runs). In addition to spending time on the roads with my family, I have also been helping teach a couch to 5K class over the past few weeks. I can seriously say that it has been an unexpected blessing to see all my participants grow, improve, and become SO much stronger in such a short amount of time. One of them got a new 5K PR this weekend and I felt like a proud mom in some strange way. Like I said, helping people start running and seeing how much they grow in their self-confidence and personal strength has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had this semester. I hope that I can share my love of running and being active with people around me and inspire them to find an inner strength they didn't know they possessed.
The last few weeks of this semester have also provided countless reminders of the wonderful community God has placed around me. I have been able to start a lot of new relationships and continue to build on old ones. I go to the Wesley Foundation while I'm up at Appalachian and I also attend the Crossroads service at Boone UMC. These people do so much to teach me what discipleship and community should look like as we all seek Christ together. We are all far from perfect - but the journey together is full of life, laughter, and love. I was reminded of the absolute necessity of a community of love and support this past week - my first summer working at CCC, Alex was on my staff and was like a sister to me. She is someone I look up to and the way she loves the people in her life has taught me so much about what loving from the center of who you are really looks like. This past week, her father passed away unexpectedly and my heart broke for her and her whole family. When the people in our lives hurt and mourn, we mourn right along with them and try to love them well, knowing that we cannot provide a quick fix. The beauty of community is that in those heart-breaking times in life, the body of Christ knits this beautiful cocoon of love and support to help surround God's children with His grace and mercy. We are unified by our shared identities in Christ and we are bound together by His love. I experience the love of God in a new and beautiful way when I love from the center of who I am and strive to share the weight of life's burdens with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I think sometimes the most tangible reminders of God's love lie in the most unexpected places, we just have to open our hearts and eyes to recognize them. Praise be to God for the opportunity to stop and reflect on the ways He has been revealing Himself to me over the past few weeks. I am learning so much more about who God is and who He is calling me to be in my life, and thankfully this process is ongoing and never-ending. I can't wait to continue to open the eyes of my heart to deepen and expand my understanding of who God is and who I am in Him. Here's to seeking Him and finding Him even in the most unexpected of places.
This semester I have been able to invest a lot of time in hobbies both new and old which has been an exciting time for me to develop my passions and continue to find my so called niche and the place I feel most fully myself. One somewhat new hobby has been racing with the ASU club cycling team - I got a road bike less than a year ago, but riding has been a great way to explore new roads and meet some new people. Because I am a complete pansy when it comes to winter weather my bike didn't get a lot of outdoor miles in, but I was able to race at our home race as well as the conference races at Duke. It was a lot of fun and a reminder of the fact that I am not built for speed, but on endurance I am good-to-go!
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| The final climb of the Duke RR |
Running is communal for me - I recently started a family tradition where my Mom, Dad, and I always run together after church on Sunday, and it is something that I cherish and look forward to each week. Even when I am at school, we will all run and then send pictures to remind each other that even when we are physically apart, we are together at heart. (I know this may sound corny, but I love our little family runs). In addition to spending time on the roads with my family, I have also been helping teach a couch to 5K class over the past few weeks. I can seriously say that it has been an unexpected blessing to see all my participants grow, improve, and become SO much stronger in such a short amount of time. One of them got a new 5K PR this weekend and I felt like a proud mom in some strange way. Like I said, helping people start running and seeing how much they grow in their self-confidence and personal strength has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had this semester. I hope that I can share my love of running and being active with people around me and inspire them to find an inner strength they didn't know they possessed.
The last few weeks of this semester have also provided countless reminders of the wonderful community God has placed around me. I have been able to start a lot of new relationships and continue to build on old ones. I go to the Wesley Foundation while I'm up at Appalachian and I also attend the Crossroads service at Boone UMC. These people do so much to teach me what discipleship and community should look like as we all seek Christ together. We are all far from perfect - but the journey together is full of life, laughter, and love. I was reminded of the absolute necessity of a community of love and support this past week - my first summer working at CCC, Alex was on my staff and was like a sister to me. She is someone I look up to and the way she loves the people in her life has taught me so much about what loving from the center of who you are really looks like. This past week, her father passed away unexpectedly and my heart broke for her and her whole family. When the people in our lives hurt and mourn, we mourn right along with them and try to love them well, knowing that we cannot provide a quick fix. The beauty of community is that in those heart-breaking times in life, the body of Christ knits this beautiful cocoon of love and support to help surround God's children with His grace and mercy. We are unified by our shared identities in Christ and we are bound together by His love. I experience the love of God in a new and beautiful way when I love from the center of who I am and strive to share the weight of life's burdens with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
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| I learned so much about grace and love from these people who quickly became like family to me |
I think sometimes the most tangible reminders of God's love lie in the most unexpected places, we just have to open our hearts and eyes to recognize them. Praise be to God for the opportunity to stop and reflect on the ways He has been revealing Himself to me over the past few weeks. I am learning so much more about who God is and who He is calling me to be in my life, and thankfully this process is ongoing and never-ending. I can't wait to continue to open the eyes of my heart to deepen and expand my understanding of who God is and who I am in Him. Here's to seeking Him and finding Him even in the most unexpected of places.
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