A Look Ahead...

So tonight I sat down to write and… the words were really just not coming. Not even when I started some music (a common habit of mine when I write), or when I got a snack (also another favorite pastime), and finally I concluded that the factions that were responsible for the warring of ideas going on in my mind needed to take a vacation to Switzerland so that I too could have a chance for some peace. Thankfully now I have some clarity, and later I will tell you the three main topics that were fighting it out in my mind, but currently as I sit here I am thinking about dreams and the future.

Soon, in about a month or so, I will be leaving to start a journey that, in my own small mind, rivals that of Frodo in Lord of the Rings. I will be transitioning into active duty for the Air Force and will be officially closing the doors (at least for now) on school and watching my life as I have known it fade into the shadows and echoes of the past. And as I prepare to begin my act on life’s next stage, I am reminded to take chances and be more trusting of God than I have been previously. I came across a quote recently that really impressed me. It went something like: “When all that is left is a simple shadow, what will we want it to say? Will it contain the colors or our dreams, or just the darkness of our fears?” It was thought provoking and I guess is my challenge to you and to myself as I write this, when you finish the next stage of your life will there be colors and memories, or just darkness? Recently I’ve talked to some friends and they’ve shared some struggles and some things that have really damaged them in the past. And I’m sure each one of us could tell a similar story. But… I guess to me the defining moment comes when we’ve failed, or been hurt, or knocked down… How will we respond? I know life hurts, but the next time an opportunity for travel comes, or that person wants to start a relationship with you, or God calls you to reach out to that person, will you say “no way… I remember how much ____ hurt me last time and it’s not worth the risk” or will you decide to “forget what is behind and press on to what is before…”?

"...say hello, say hello to a new way..."  -New Day by Tamar Kaprelian

I am still learning these lessons myself but coming from someone who has always been a fairly safe person, I have decided that I am determined to try, to fail, and to trust in ways I have never done before. Life will always hurt to some extent but I am so grateful that we have a hope in Someone who does not change and can truly help us give color and vibrancy to our dreams as we seek to follow Him. And, ironically, as I close this entry the chorus of the song playing in the background rings out:

"say goodbye, say goodbye to the way I was before… say hello, say hello to a new way. I was lost, but I found what I was looking for. Waking up, waking up to a new day”.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PusyhO-xANg&ob=av2e

Thanks for reading…

The Future…

Now, as the other topics that want to be discussed start to press in on my mind again after their brief hiatus in Switzerland, I will tell you some of the things that I will be writing on in the future.

Crying and Whispering – lessons learned while on traversing the endless wasteland (aka Kansas)

Youth Survival – Topics about growing up, tips, and secret ninja ways to survive!

“It’s just lunch… right??” – Navigating the world of relationships/dating/ etc.