{8.20.14} Snapshot

//because summer is over.

I can't even believe it.  The summer that I thought would never end has somehow careened by at a breathtaking speed, and on the night when I should be running around throwing my entire life into a suitcase, I'm instead trying to wrap my mind around what's just around the corner.

So many memories from my freshman year are threatening to make nostalgic tears trickle down my cheeks.  Oh what I would give to tell the freshman me to hold. on. tight. to each and every moment because life passes oh so fast and I am left wondering where on earth does the time go?  So many changes.  So many dear friends not returning to PHC this fall.  So many questions.  Yet over all, there is so. much. peace. 

If you ever go to follow me on Instagram, you'll notice that my username is "andnotbysight".  As I sit here surrounded by all my earthly possessions, I keep coming back to the reason I chose that name because it is so true that we walk by faith, and not by sight. 

Elation.  Anxiety.  Joy.  Doubt.  Peace.  Worry.  Hope.  Fear.  So many emotions are firing through my mind on this last night in Pittsburgh, yet I hold on tight to the fact that each and every one of us is in the eternal grip of grace.  God's grace is sufficient, even in my weakness, and therefore I walk by faith.

To God be all the praise and glory.

(as a completely non-deep side note, my soon-to-be-roommate sent me this link, and it perfectly sums up my evening)

(also I just realized that my past few snapshots were dated as July, not August.  Yep.  That's just the way things roll around here ;))

"She's the block. You're the chip."

.....at least that's what my dad always says :)  Honestly, I'd have to agree with him.  I may like kitchen dance parties and spontaneous adventures and she may prefer daily routine and peaceful evenings working on her latest craft project, but that's about where our differences end.  

We're dramatic.  We have the same shoe size.  We don't keep our opinions to ourselves.  We like to get things done.  We love "What Not To Wear."  We agree that high-low hemlines are never a good idea.  We can't say no to Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic clearance racks.  We are just slightly addicted to Chipotle's salad bowls.  And we can belt out the all the songs from the Sound of Music like there is no tomorrow.

This is the woman who was told she was crazy to have another baby when she was 40.  This is the woman who somehow survived my daily childhood temper tantrums.  This is the woman who bought me an E-Z Bake oven 14 years ago and hasn't been able to get me out of the kitchen since that day.  This is the woman who gave up 30 years of her life to teach her children at home.  This is the woman who dragged me into high school forensics, and then spent countless hours agonizing over speech after speech.

She has prayed over me, counseled me, challenged me, supported me, laughed with me, cried with me, argued with me, and loved me like no other person ever has.

Every time I went on stage to collect an award at an NCFCA tournament, I knew that all I had to do was look behind me to see that the biggest smile in the audience was cheering me on.  And in the times when my name wasn't called and I didn't move on, an arm was slipped around my shoulder and I was enveloped in a big hug.  

Now that I've ventured out into the "great big world," my favorite times of the week are the times when I can call home and unload all the latest news.  And no matter how far and wide I may wander, there is no feeling that can compare to pulling into the driveway and running inside to find all my favorite foods waiting on the kitchen counter.

When I said I wanted to do 5 speeches and debate in a competition year, she said, "Let's do it."  When I was accepted to Patrick Henry College, she said, "I couldn't be more excited for you."  When I survived my freshman year, she said, "I always knew you could do it."  When I said I was thinking about law school, she said, "Go for it!"

This Godly, beautiful, and caring woman truly is a worth far more than rubies.  The Proverbs are true when they say that "Her children rise up and call her blessed," and I can only hope to be like her someday.

Maybe I am a "chip off the block," but there is no one I would rather be like.  She is a constant example of Christ's love, she never fails to point me to the cross, and she is my hero.

I love you, Mama. 

{Blessed}

My heart is overwhelmed by the blessings that God has lavished on me here at PHC.  His mercies are new every morning, and great is His faithfulness!

{So thankful for friends that overflow with the joy and love of Christ}

{New Beginnings}

Well folks, I am officially a southern girl now, complete with steamed okra ;)  I know this poor, sad, little blog has been rejected lately and I'm sure it won't get any better in the coming weeks, but I wanted to do a quick post and share what God's been doing lately :)

I recently had the privilege of moving to Purcellville, VA to attend Patrick Henry College.  This week has been a whole lot of orientation, etc, but already I am so overwhelmed by the amazing community of people that surrounds me.  It's been quite the journey to get here, but God is oh so faithful!

One song that we've been singing in chapel is 'All I Have is Christ' - if you haven't heard it before I encourage you to take a few moments to listen to it!  The last verse is especially powerful:

Now Lord, I would be yours alone,
And live so all might see

The strength to follow your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

Hallelujah!  All I have is Christ
Hallelujah!  Jesus is my life

As I prepare to delve into this school year on Monday, that is my prayer.  That Christ would be all I need, all I pursue, and all I desire!  May each one of us trust in Him, commit our way to Him, and believe that He who called us is faithful!  This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. {Psalm 118:23}

So with that, I'm off to study the syllabus and see what I need to get done :)  Every once in a while I'll try to post pictures from my iPod to give you a glimpse of what I'm up to!  Can't wait to see what this year holds :)

{The roomies have already discovered the fro-yo place next door ;)}

{I'm back :)}

Hello to the blogosphere!!  My goodness - it's been forever since I've posted anything....it's incredible how much can happen in just a few months!  Let's see...I started a full time job, was the maid of honor in my big sister's wedding, got my flower business up and running for another year, and oh yeah!  I just got back from Italy :)  Needless to say things have been a little hectic, but I really hope to start blogging more during these long summer evenings :D  

To start with, I definitely wanted to share some pictures from Italy.  The trip was so incredibly amazing I don't even know where to begin!  Besides visiting all the places I've only ever read about, roaming about the Italian countryside, and eating about double my weight in gelato, it was just amazing to walk around the different historical sites and see history really come to life!  My poor computer is currently groaning under the weight of 1,500 photos, but here's a few of my favorites to start with :)

{Roman streets}

{Hill town life}

{Gorgeous cathedrals}

{St. Peter's Basilica}

{My new favorite vehicle}

{Colosseum at night}

{Amalfi}

{Positano}

{San Gimignano} 

{Shady walkways}

{Poppies in bloom}

{Leaning tower + gelato}

{Yellow birches}

{Abandoned church}

{Mountaintop cities}

{Under the Tuscan sun}

Happy weekend!!

Bex <3

No {Greater} Love

Hope you all have a blessed Valentine's day delighting in the matchless love of our Savior :)

Bex <3

{Meet Irene}

Hello to my dear friends across the miles, or as my Filipino family says, "Maligayang Pasko!!!" (Merry Christmas :D)  This is officially my favorite time of the year, although I must admit it's a little weird listening to 'Winter Wonderland' or 'Sleigh Ride' when it's 80 degrees outside ;)  

I know that my blogging has been really sporadic lately and with Christmas upon us, I don't know how much I'll be able to get done in the next few weeks, but I wanted to let you know that I am still alive and share some things that the Lord has put on my heart over the past few days.....

Meet Irene.  The more time I spend with these kids the more I am touched by their love for people...I had never met this little dear before today, but the moment I picked her up she wrapped her bony little arms around my shoulder and gave me the biggest smile.  As I cradled her in my arms, I couldn't help but feel how frail and light her body was - it literally felt like I was holding my old Bitty Baby doll.  As she dozed off to sleep on my shoulder, I couldn't help but wonder how many times she's had the opportunity to be rocked to sleep.  As I played games of Peek-a-Boo with her, I couldn't help but notice her cleft palate.  Will she ever had the chance to undergo life-changing surgery?  Probably not, unless someone either adopts her or sponsors her.  

And there are others.

Little Dave, who just cut his first tooth and who gives the heartiest chuckle when you tickle him through the crib bars.

Sweet Sophia, who can't walk because of the casts on her legs, but who holds up her battered PlaySkool toy with great pride.

Darling Irwin, the little African baby whose parents are currently in jail here in Manila.

Joyful Fabian, who was born with serious bone defects in his legs that prohibit him from walking, so he simply pulls himself along the floor by his hands.

And I see not only these precious faces, but I also see the street children - two and three year olds - weaving in between five to six lanes of traffic as they try to sell cheap trinkets to passers-by.  I must admit that the thought has crossed my mind, "How can I ever get used to this?  How can I ever get accustomed to hearing these stories of lifetimes of pain and suffering?"  And then, just as quickly, another thought: "I never, ever want to get used to this."  As much as it hurts, I want my heart to be broken by every street child that pats my arm and holds out their hand.  I want to meet little ones like Irene and wrap my arms around them for a time, even though I may never see them again.  I want to love - with no conditions, no regrets, and nothing held back.

So I simply live.  People keep asking me, "What are you doing while you're there?"  And honestly, I don't have a good answer except to say that I'm just living life!  Because when it gets right down to it, 'life' is the body of Christ in action - people from all over the world simply walking along this journey of life encouraging one another in the love of Jesus.  And you know what?  Every moment is truly beautiful.

Miss you all so much - I appreciate your prayers!!  Hope you are having a blessed season celebrating the birth of our Savior :)

Bex <3 <3

PS  Do you have another minute?  When you get the chance be sure to check out this blog post....actually check out the whole blog while you're at it :)  The author is a young man who I 'not-really-but-sort-of-kind-of' know through NCFCA - he is currently living in Uganda working with the International Justice Mission, and his stories are truly incredible.  Take the time to read it - you will be encouraged and blessed :)

{Moments :)}

"What a joy to live for Jesus."  Sound familiar? ;)  When I was trying to decide on a name for my blog, nothing seemed to be working.  Either it didn't sound right, or was already taken, or was too long for a title.  Finally I pulled out our hymnbook and started flipping through the pages, just trying to find some ideas.  I'd never even heard of the song 'What a Joy to Live for Jesus' before, but when I saw the title, I knew it was perfect :)  And ever since then, I've loved the name of my blog, but it hasn't been until I've arrived here in the Philippines that I've truly realized what an absolute joy it is to live for Him!!  These kids, who have grown up in situations that would make your hair curl, still fill each day with such laughter and joy....I can't even tell you how humbled I've been.

But if I'm perfectly honest, the photographer in me dies just a little bit when I look at my photos. "Your ISO is way too high - it's making your pictures grainy!" "Can't you see that their eyes aren't sharp?!""The lighting in this room is horrible...you shouldn't even bother taking that picture!"  All of these thoughts and more run through my head as I peer through the viewfinder.  Yet as demanding as these feelings can be, a much greater sensation always wins out, for these are the moments that make up our lives.  It's not the perfect lighting bursting through a cloud, or every person looking at the camera with their hair completely in tact, or the background being distraction-free.  In fact, it's just the opposite.   It's the wild hair, the sticky fingers, the mismatched socks, and, most of all, the crazy joy that fills each and every moment.  Thus, these are the things I intend to capture with my camera :) 

The other day we had our 'family night'.  It was an amazing time of laughter and lots of competition :D

We started out with a few rounds of Bananagrams and let me tell you - these students know how to play!!! ;D

Our pup presided over the events ;) (and I just realized that I never introduced you to her!!!!  Everyone, meet Izzy - our heart-melter extraordinaire ;P)

(in case you were wondering, she is well loved ;)

We then moved on to a rousing game of 'Do you love your neighbor?' (which, thankfully, didn't end in any broken bones, although we were close on occasion....)

.....and then we finished up with spoons :)  We started out with three teams:

#1

#2

#3

Each team then played until there was only one person remaining.

(Mommy Marife got a little competitive ;D)

Finally it came down to the champions of each team....

Sam....

Lorena....

and Arnold.

annnnd Lorena was our grand spoons champion!! :D

In case you couldn't tell, we had an awesome time ;D

(Yori and I had fun with reflections :P)

Oh these moments....these are the times that make us realize that in the laughter, the fellowship, the joy that fills our days is where we truly find ourselves.  Life is so, so beautiful, and it begs to be really, truly, wholly LIVED!!!  It is such a joy to live for Jesus, and when we surrender to Him, he overwhelms each moment with grace!!

Love you all, 

Bex <3