Christmas time is coming...

Leave it up to America to start setting up Christmas decorations in September. I have always found it hilarious how the day after one big holiday, decorations for the next big holiday will line the racks of department stores. For instance, the day after Thanksgiving, it seems that red and green are the only colors that can be found in Macy's, or even Rite Aid. Or, the day after New Years, there are entire aisles dedicated to pink and red hearts and chocolate at Safeway. It's just madness, it is! 

Although, I must say, I am more excited for Christmas this year than I think I've ever been. Maybe it's because I'm moving up to Seattle. If you've ever been in downtown Seattle during the Christmas season, you'll understand the grounds for my excitement. It's a mess of ethereal and burly joy, with the huge Christmas trees, and the lights that line the windows of small restaurants off of Pike Place Market. There's just a busy glow about the city, and there's really nothing like it, except (maybe) Christmas in NYC. I have been to NYC a few times, but never in the Winter, so I can only speculate that it would be better simply because NYC always seems to be better than everywhere else during other seasons...

Oh Christmas, do come soon!

Watch this video. It's worth two minutes of your time:

http://www.adventconspiracy.org

Change is coming...

Well I am but two weeks away from relocating to Seattle, which will be my home for nine-month segments for the next four years. I'm feeling a great mix of emotions--excitement, for my brain to be challenged in ways that, I'm sure, it never dreamed of; sadness, for having to leave many quality people who I am just getting to know; anticipation, for this life of mine that is slowly unfolding, for the infinite possibilities, for what God has planned, for being on my own; reluctance, to leap off the edge of the cliff of dependence; fear, for the unknown; joy, that God has made it quite clear, as of now, as to where I should be; gratitude/appreciation, towards all the people who have been part of turning my life around in ways they will probably never understand.

There are so many changes that are about to take place. I feel as if I'm at a stop light, eagerly waiting for the light to turn green. It could be five seconds. It could be three minutes. But when that light turns green, I'll be off...

Oh, and I have recently been quite inspired to start using my camera more often. About once a month, I will hear the call of the clarion to go out and just take pictures, usually occurring on days when I head downtown. The other 29 days of the month, I just stare at it sitting on my desk. Yet, in these last few weeks of being home, I seem to be missing out on many shots which could have been candid. So, dear PowerShot, I vow now to use you more often than not.

Scatterbrained 2

Many things in life are quite bewildering.

Why do things of such delicacy and beauty have to die away so quickly?

There was so much excitement. So much that went into the plan.

Now disappointment. Sadness. Confusion.

No one could have predicted what was to come this afternoon.

Something I would never want to go through.

But what is happiness without sadness?

Awakening without falling asleep?

Finally destroying the ring without experiencing all the evils of what would have been had the ring not been destroyed?

Life is a hard thing. And a glorious one. And a painful one. And a lovely one.

Hmm.

But who am I to even comment on something of such anguish?

I'm sobered by the fact that she is probably in the worst pain of her life.

And what am I to do? Pray? Yes. 

Bewildering...