it's the most wonderful time of the year

I've already forgotten just how much I adore Christmas music. I'm listening to Christmas music at this very moment and it's making me incredibly happy. 

jealous?

This is what I'll be doing in two days.  Summer isn't over yet.

life as we know it

So here I am, at home. It's a beautiful thing. At the same time, it hurts my heart because I can't help but think of all the people I left behind in Ecuador.  ECUADOR. That is what these past several days have been about for me. Processing, journaling, processing, praying, processing, reading, processing. I've been looking at everyone's photos on facebook -- mine included -- for probably a good several accummulated hours. It's ridiculous. I'm thinking God really did give me a special heart for people. I connected with so many people on this trip. Americans, Ecuadorians, Chileans. Each one has a unique place in my heart now. That is so pathetically cliche; don't remind me.  It's just so true. God taught me so much through them, and they probably don't even realize it. The insane part is that this trip was never even supposed to be about me! I did my best to serve like Jesus, and forget about myself altogether. This trip was never meant to be about what I could get out of it; it was about how I would let God use me to do His work. God definitely managed to grow me so much. He's good like that. I gained so much perspective about giving, about hospitality, about boldness, about character.  I had no idea that so much could happen in two weeks... enough to stay with me forever. I may be back to the real world -- to life as we know it -- but after this phenomenal journey, I don't think life as we know it will ever be the same again.

I'm perfectly fine with that.