28th year

Erika: 

Today you turn 28 years old and seeing that number written on the page feels odd.  But you are writing a letter in the third person so you're clearly an odd person already :) 

Here is a letter to myself about what the past year has been and what hopes I have for the year ahead. 

You are 28 years old and you are still discovering who you are. While it might be "normal"... you still feel like you're behind the curve. The great part is that you're finally in a place to accept that things in life happen slower for you than most people. And that's okay. 

You've never been the most adventurous person, but I hope that you take more risks this year and decide that no matter what the outcome, the experience alone will be worth it. 

You are an obsessive person and I hope you use this to your benefit this year. Find things that make you happy and people to share that happiness with each day! Invite people into your fangirl world and don't take their opinions/criticism too personally. You love whatever it is and that should be enough. 

I hope that you find a community of people who will challenge and accept you and help you become a stronger and more confident person. I pray that this year is all about gaining confidence and accepting who you were created to be. Don't let anyone tell you different. 

You (VERY) recently got to meet your two favorite actors/celebrities and it was remarkable. You made eye contact with Jensen Ackles and your heart skipped a few beats. He even called you sweetheart. Sigh. You are going to many more conventions and hope to have many more skipped heartbeats with that dude. Remember...he's worth it.

On a somber note, each year your birthday month tends to be a tough month with many "anniversaries" of losing people. It is extremely painful for both you and your family as you balance the pain of loss and being grateful for another birthday personally. Unfortunately this year was no exception. We lost a friend to cancer and we pray for his family and all of us grieving his passing. I pray also that God reveals more of Himself to you and why August is both a celebration of life and mourning death. Ask Jesus and await His response.  

Here's to a year of new discoveries, reflections, adventures, and experiences. 

Also: whenever you are sad just look at this picture and remember how happy they made/make you. 

Happy 28th :) 

Counting Down the End of Summer

Life has been extremely full these past few weeks with my full-time job picking up speed, my friend's passing, and everything that's happened in between...but I did want to update you on a few things I've got going on!

1. My friend's Memorial Service was on Saturday and I unfortunately wasn't be able to go. I mention it here only so that we can all keep his family in our prayers. I'll be keeping all my friends who attended in spirit, especially his wife and young son. 

2. I flew to Vancouver for a Supernatural Convention this past weekend! I was so flipping excited about this, I can't even put it into words. This was my first convention where I'm met my favorite and the thought alone made my stomach go topsy-turvy. Excited/Anxious/Nervous/Happy almost begins to cover it....almost.

The Jensen Ackles (aka favorite)

3. I'm looking into gaining more knowledge of blogging by working with a fellow blogger! She blogs at Helene In Between and she's offering consultations to help new bloggers learn, develop, and grow their readers! I have some budgeting to do and things to think about but I'm pretty sure I'll be working with her in the near future!

4. I'm looking forward to a slower work schedule in September. Might sound silly, but my full-time job has BUSY seasons and it also has "there's nothing to do and it's 10am" seasons. In years past I would enjoy the slower times for about a week and then be bored. This year though, I'm excited to use time to organize and plan out blogs, write, and basically use the extra space for creativity. We'll see how this actually plays out, but in theory this could be really great :) 

I'll be writing a recap of the weekend soon because it's too much awesome for a smaller post such as this. I'm looking forward to the end of summer and beginning of fall. What are some things that YOU'VE been up to as the summer winds down? Let me know in the comments below! 

Until we meet again...

Today's post isn't fun or silly. Today I write from a solemn and somber place in my heart. I want this blog to be a mixture of both happy and sad (and all that's in the middle) because isn't that how we all experience life? 

Today is also another installment of Faith Friday in the form of a lament to God about life and loss. 

I'm not entirely sure how to write this post or the "right" words to say. Death is never something I like discussing or thinking about because it's scary, sad, overwhelming, and ultimately unknown. As much as I would love to pretend death never happens, life always reminds me that this just isn't true. Unfortunately this week was another reminder of this fact.

This week we lost a dear friend to cancer.

I can't help but mourn for those he left behind. That's usually my focus when faced with death; not on those who have left but on those who have to stay behind and miss them. I experienced this when my grandma passed away and I , along with my whole family, struggled through the sadness and grief.  I experienced this in high school when a friend passed away and we had to finish out senior year without her.

My faith tells me that they are in a better place with you The Father...but my heart is selfish and wants them to stay with me forever. I'm so touched and impressed by the people closest to the situation who remain faithful and depend only on strength from God to continue each day. I can only hope that if placed in the same situation I would do the same.

For those who are mourning and having a difficult time, you are not alone. We all mourn with one another in solidarity and miss what we no longer have in this life. I pray that you will find rest and peace as time passes and as God reveals His Glory and Love to us in our own personal ways. Be with us and sustain us oh Lord. Please give us the strength we need each day. We cannot do it alone.

I wanted to end this post with a quote that was written in a facebook group for our dear friend after we were told of his passing. It stood out to me and has brought me solace each day since I first read it:

May the road rise up to meet you. 

May the wind be always at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face. 

And the rain fall soft upon your field. 

And until we meet again, until we meet again...

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.