A Prayer from a Romantic.

As she lay there in bed, she wondered... What was it like to be in love? To fall in love? Was it a rush, like diving from the top of a tall building? Was it a warmth, like the kind that makes you want to close your eyes and drink it in? Was it an awakening, when suddenly the world is bright and the answers are clear? Maybe, she thought, I'll know one day. Maybe I'll be done waiting. Maybe I'll be done with the dangerous tightrope walk of finding love. In love. Falling in love. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's being brave enough to fling yourself from the tightrope. To fall. To fall in love. To sink into something real, something so sweet and pure that you want to drown in it - forever. Probably not perfect, but perfect enough. She began to drift into sleep. Maybe it's a shock. A moment of knowledge or feeling that overtakes every part of your body and soul. Soul. Two souls so in tune that they become one. One life, one purpose. "He's out there," she whispered to no one. Under the same sky. Cliche, maybe. But the vastness of the stars made her feel close to him. As dreams engulfed her, she murmured a sweet prayer for him, whoever he is.

Father, hear her prayer and the prayers of many others. Watch over future husbands everywhere so they may prepare themselves for the tender wives that are waiting for them.

A beautiful song titled Overjoyed by Matchbox Twenty puts her prayer into music in a way I could never. Enjoy.

It's in the Journey...

I'm learning something right now. I'm at a preparatory stage in my life. I am preparing for the ACT/SAT, senior year, college, life on my own, my last year in mutual/HST, everything. I am hitting the books. I've been doing some kind of school work pretty much every weekday, and most Saturdays, this summer. It has been a lot of work and a lot of effort. Yet, I'm learning that just because you've got something big ahead of you doesn't mean you should ignore the little things happening now. It is so interesting how some people focus on the result so much that they belittle it by removing the meaning of the process. What I mean is, someone once told me once to "Find joy in the journey!" She is so right. The Olympians in London right now are so full of joy and excitement. They have all worked incredibly hard for YEARS before this month to prepare and train for their events. Do you think that it would mean as much for Michael and Misty if they hadn't loved the meets or tournaments that they had in high school or college? Being at the Olympics is awesome, but it is the journey that they will talk to their kids about, not as much the 4 minutes in the pool or 10 minutes on the court.

So, I've decided something. As a lover of road trips, I'm going to look at this upcoming school year as one. I've got to work SO hard, but I've also got to enjoy everything around me more. I'm going to go to the movies, go to dances, do silly things with my friends, and spend time with my family. I am going to be the most involved, most enthusiastic person that I can be. I am going to look at graduation not as a destination, but as a mile marker along this high speed highway. I'm grateful for everything I've been given, and I plan to make the most of my life for the glory of my Father in Heaven.

I'm starting by posting a picture that pretty much embodies this concept for me. A paint fight in a friend's backyard may be silly, but it's something that matters to me. It was so fun, and it is a memory of my senior year that I'll be talking about for ages.

I don't want to be that kid who doesn't do anything fun senior year, and I also don't want to be the kid who goes around shouting "YOLO!" I believe that there is a balance between work and play. It's called "happiness." Throw in a handful of worship, and you've got "joy." Senior year for me is going to be called "The Year of Joy." Why?

...Because I'm finding joy in the journey.