palomar mountain

my humble abode for the summer

.i'm loving serving the campers.

.i'm loving the clear night sky,
severed in 2 by a sea of clouds in the valley.

.i'm loving my co-workers and roommates.

.i'm loving being still and knowing God is God.

. and i'm loving hot showers after work :) biggest blessing.

the grand canyon

earth's scar of God's wrath.

enjoying every moment
with tasha, cindy, & brenna.

favorites by category.

food & drink.
trader joe's dark beer.
turkey bacon.
sunflower seeds.
home-made california burritos.
ARTICHOKES.
home-made dinner after 10 pm once tasha is off work.

entertainment.
hipster christianity by brett mccracken.
brenna's patient wood carving.
shakira albums.
where the wild things are.

will never forget.
getting lost too many times we'll admit.
the sunset over the canyon.
brave squirrels.
scary dogs.
spiders in the couch.
artsy fartsty photo-shoots.

2 more days to go. will be sad to leave.

rode the train home

met a man.
clear, blue eyes.
scruffy, semi-gray beard.

the man had joy.

he bluntly greeted me.
taken aback, i answered,
but with caution.

he seemed a bit..off.

having observed some
people on the train before,
who appeared to be taking drugs,
I was hesitant to engage
in conversation.

but something was different about him.

we sat near each other
to continue the small talk.

i learned he was a
recovering drug addict.

he was taking every day at a time
with the Lord.

he shared with me what he read
that morning in the Bible.

God overcame.
&
Fix our eyes.

As I looked into the man's eyes
for the 15 minute ride home,
I saw God in him..

Jesus was staring back at me
through those clear, blue eyes.

James 3:9-12 {NIV}

"With the tongue
we praise our Lord and Father,
and with it we curse human beings,
who have been made in God’s likeness.

Out of the same mouth
come praise and cursing.

My brothers and sisters,
this should not be.

Can both fresh water and salt water
flow from the same spring?

My brothers and sisters,
can a fig tree bear olives,
or a grapevine bear figs?

Neither can a salt spring
produce fresh water."

open book

Claire from the movie Elizabethtown
once said,
"Everyone's less mysterious than they think they are."

I deeply miss my friends in Waco, TX who can
read me like a book.

They {usually} know
what I'm thinking
how I'm feeling
and can read between the lines of my conversations..

appetite

Do you have an appetite for God?

aloha from hell

hello and goodbye.

Revelation 1:17-18 {NKJV}

"And when I saw Him,
I fell at His feet as dead.

But He laid His right hand on me,
saying to me, “Do not be afraid;
I am the First and the Last.
I am He who lives, and was dead,
and behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen.
And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

John 12:23-26 {NKJV}

"But Jesus answered them, saying,
“The hour has come
that the Son of Man should be glorified.

Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies,
it remains alone;
but if it dies,
it produces much grain.

He who loves his life will lose it,
and he who hates his life in this world
will keep it for eternal life.
If anyone serves Me,
let him follow Me;
and where I am,
there My servant will be also.
If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

Colossians 3:1-4 {NIV}

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above,
not on earthly things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory."

concerning summer 2011

scheduled an interview with
Palomar Christian Conference Center
to work in Accommodations,

I am thrilled!

new life

Future plans are tangible, again

Lord willing..

1. I graduate college next Spring

2. Teach English in Japan..
while paying off my loans

3. Become a graphic designer for a
church/organization in Japan,
or anywhere else in the world :)

let's be honest.

Ever since I left Baylor University,
moved back home,
& began to attend Palomar College,

I have been
angry & frustrated.

And bitter.
very bitter.

The more I attempt to type this post
about my stubbornness to follow God,
believe in His character,
& trust in His will,
the more I cannot ignore the truth.

God is good.
God is faithful.
His kindness leads me to repentance.
He is the Bread of Life.
He is Living Water.
In Him, alone, I am satisfied.
He makes all things new.
He will never leave me nor forsake me.

He will never leave me nor forsake me.

He will never leave me nor forsake me.

...

you're not alone, Natalie.

頑固

stubbornness.

quite the stubborn seed.

seeds

they cannot grow & bear fruit
until they die to themselves.