Welcome to Our World

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child, Welcome Holy Child

Hope that You don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home, Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world, Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born, Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us Holy
Perfect Son of God, Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Somehow this song in all it's simplistic beauty touches me deeper than any other Christmas song. May we never grow accustomed to the idea of Word becoming flesh and saving our lives. May it always inspire awe, wonder, and a passionate loyalty.

I love you Jesus. I know I don't always show it well, or say it well, or spend the time together that we need to grow and cultivate our relationship. But I love you with all my heart.

I want to be done!

Only four and half more days of work before I have a week off! Not to mention I tacked on a couple days of annual leave at the end to accommodate our 10 day trip to Hawaii!!!!

I can't wait. I've never been on a cruise before and if it weren't for the incredible generosity of Norm's grandparents I wouldn't be going now. To be perfectly honest the idea of a cruise never really appealed to me...it all seemed so touristic, how could you ever really get a feel for the place?

But somehow this one is timed just right. What I need is a vacation. Most of my past "vacations" are really more like explorations. Sometimes I know where I will stay on any given night, sometimes I don't. It's exciting, thrilling, often times scary, but always an adventure.

What I need right now is rest, relaxation, the calm assurance that everything is already booked and taken care of. Somebody else is in charge of making sure that my transportation is on time. Other people can be responsible, and I can rest. For ten whole days.

I don't care about meeting native islanders, getting to know the customs, or integrating into the culture. Call me selfish, spoiled, a tourist. I say whatever. I need a break. I want to come back from this trip and feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and most importantly, not wishing I could take a vacation from my vacation.

We'll be doing cool stuff like snorkeling, hiking through the forests and swimming in freshwater pools, lounging on the beach, taking a helicopter ride over the volcanoes, and eating amazing food among other things. Not one atom of my being cares that all of these excursions are set up for tourist groups.

All I care about is that I don't have to DO anything. I'm tired, I'm drained, and I couldn't be more ecstatic about ten whole days relaxing with the love of my life and my new extended family, without having to wonder if the boy the little island lady sent to fish that morning will be back in time for me to have lunch.

Random events that make up my life

I'm terrible at blogging....for some reason living with Megan made it easy, we over dramatized everything and accompanied by Elisabeth had never ending ridiculous stories to tell. Like getting locked out of my car in the middle of the night and taunting Bo until he woke Megan up to let me in after Elisabeth picked me up from UNC, or training for a half marathon....that one afternoon.

So in an attempt to right my ways here is what I've been up to over the last month....

First my brother and Elisabeth's sister got married, that means I have to be somehow Elisabeth's sister-in-law once removed right? I'll take it! It was a very sweet ceremony and Emily was cute as a puppy, naturally.

That trip also marked the first time I saw Elisabeth since she left for Peru, I almost cried. We have both grown and changed so much, and yet we never really change. Like when we saw each other after about ten years and almost seamlessly picked the friendship back up. Maybe that's what Anne from her little green gable meant about being kindred spirits. Or maybe not, but I'd like to think it's something special. I like special things.

I got to see my extended family for the first time in a long time....since well before my own wedding at least. I got alot of digs about not inviting anybody to the wedding, but what can I say....I'm happy with the choices I made and they will have to get over it if they want to play with the future kids.

Speaking of family I spent Thanksgiving with my new family on the Smith side. It was a blast really...we went up to a cabin in north Georgia and it was like a real family....uncles and cousins and nieces and....everything. It was good for me. As was the cake and wine.

I also turned 24 on the 2nd. It was rather uneventful. Mostly because the day before we traveled to Tennessee for a judo tournament. It lasted all day long and I fought two divisions. I won one and took second in the other. I also got a concussion and pulled a tendon in my wrist and another girl broke her ankle. Then we all went out to dinner and I ate like a maniac!!! It was amazing!

So my birthday was spent sleeping basically all day long...spectacular. Then dinner with dad and Rachel and more eating. It was a good weekend for the belly.

Well I'm off to the gym....more blogging later I promise!