My Window Open

Sometimes I wonder if that’s You,
A star flickering in the black and gray
But You remind me You’re not that far away

Black silhouettes against a pink horizon,
My eyes look upward, and it darkens
The trees bow down in reverence
The wind sends echoes of Your presence.

Specs of shimmering lights,
Tiny fireballs in the sky
Arrest my breath
And I let out a sigh

This God truly cares about beauty,
Focusing on the details especially
If only I’d sit here more often –
The edge of my bed, my window open,
Staring at the universe.

-Rian Elizabeth

I've been waiting so long to write again. I haven't had much inspiration these days. Well, that's probably a lie. More like I've been too busy or maybe too lazy to be creative. How does that happen? How do I walk underneath the stars at night, and yet never stop to fully admire them, to take in the beauty of the night. Lately, I've been trying to stop more and "smell the roses". Maybe the fragility of life has made me realize how important this is. I think it's more likely because this is how I see God. His beauty captures me. His beauty romances me.

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life...
-Psalm 23:6 (The Message)

Could everyone please do me a favor? Could we all gather together in prayer? I just found out today that one of my friends here at college has skin cancer. She is going in about a week to get it removed. Praise Jesus it hasn't spread yet throughout her body, and we're believing that won't be the report when she goes into the doctor again next week. Not only that, but also that she will be healed...whether through a miracle, or the doctors hands in surgery (which is a miracle as well, I believe. thank you Jesus for doctors!). She's only my age, maybe a year younger. Don't pray out of worry, but out of faith and expectation, because that's all I have right now. She told everyone in chapel today, and we all had this "Touching Heaven" morning where we just worshipped throughout the whole chapel and interceded in prayer on her behalf. It was incredible. One of those "God moments". Don't you just love those?

I heard that my last blog was read aloud at Aunt Edith's funeral. Wow, what an honor to be such a part of the celebration of such a beautiful life! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of that service, even though I wasn't able to be there in person.

I am really craving some new music right now. Thankfully my birthday is coming up soon! :) Can't believe I'll never be a teenager again, and I'll officially enter into the world of "adulthood" (though I feel as if I'm already there).

One of the CDs I really want to get (and don't everyone go out and buy this for me now..I'm gonna ask mom for it...haha!) is the new Leeland CD. It has two of my favorite artists singing one song together. Here are the lyrics:

You live among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy
For me to turn away

All my needs You have supplied
When I was dead You gave me life
So how could I not give it away so freely?
And I´ll

Follow You into the homes of the broken
Follow You into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow You into the world

Use my hands use my feet
To make Your kingdom come

To the corners of the earth
Until Your work is done
Faith without works is dead
On the cross Your blood was shed
So how could we not give it away so freely?

I give all myself to YOU.




What amazing lyrics. Genius.

R.I.P. Aunt Edith, a beautiful life.

Hey everyone! Yay, it's been less than a month since I last wrote..an all time record! ;) (exaggerationnn, I know)

I'm here at college just writing again. Well, I heard about Aunt Edith. Mom called me last night to tell me the news. I hope everyone back home is doing well. Aunt Edith was an amazing woman. I wish I had gotten to know her more, but that's okay, I know where she has gone. Aunt Edith had 2 beautiful love relationships: one with her Heavenly love and the other with her earthly. Uncle Charles was an amazing man as well. I am so happy they get to reunite again. If you find yourself sad that she has passed away, just remember that. I know her heart is completely content, full and satisfied! I loved her alot, and I cannot wait to see her again!

As for me, not much has changed. The people that are fixing my car just called me yesterday to inform me that all the paperwork is done and they have gotten a quote on the car, so now they just have to order the parts and fix it. YAY! Hopefully I'll have it by next week. It's not been bad really taking the bus, but the only thing that is hard is not being able to give people rides home and pick them up from church. Thankfully I live by the bus stop though.

Anyways, I'll write another blog soon. Going to grab food with a friend before my bus comes.

LOTS OF LOVE TO MY USofA peeps! :)

Vision. Love. Dance.

Sometimes it hits me. I'm in Sydney, Australia. I am studying and actively involved at one of the greatest churches in the world: Hillsong.

Lately God has been putting vision into my purpose in life. I have several passions: music, photography, church, social justice (the latter two should go hand in hand). I know God will use all these things somehow.

Recently I have started to listen for direction on where to go after this. I'm still praying if a 3rd year is part of God's plan in my life. We will see. I do know that I want to see healthy, thriving churches where I go next, and I want to play a role in seeing that happen.

Not only have I been listening for direction, but I have been strategizing for my ministry. I need to get more of this out of my head and onto paper. Because let's face it, we can't just "flow with the Spirit" when it comes to doing something like building a ministry. God gave us brains for a reason. So I've been thinking alot. That's all I'll say about that for right now.

So the new look of my layout is pretty cool, right? :) I know that song is old ("I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack), but the lyrics are so good, so beautiful! They always fill me with awe and make me feel closer to God. The picture is one from when I was in New Zealand. Me and Lydia were so excited that there were actually falling leaves in autumn! Reminded us of home (Sydney's not cool enough to have falling or color-changing leaves), so we just threw them up in the air and danced around in them. I still can't write blogs on my computer (don't think I'll ever really be able to, oh well). I'm at the school library again writing this blog. But I do want my blog to mean something, not just be something that I update people with back home. I want it to represent my personality, and the entries to express my heart, though words can't often describe what I am learning or the revelations I am getting about God.

If I had to sum it all up with what I'm learning about God, it would be love. Simple as that sounds, it's all He is. I've always seen God as judging me or what not, but He loves me no matter what I do. "I'm sorry, God." -- I get tired of hearing those familiar words come out of my mouth. But God is so pleased. How crazy is that? His love goes beyond my human mind's ability to comprehend.

"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others." - A.W. Tozer