P.T.L.

my new favorite saying for life.

(inspired some 85 year old friends of my parents...)

---

[perhaps you can guess what it means after reading this post.]

last week i had the privilege of spending quality time up at, what i like to call, our winter weekend getaway, up in the mountains. one morning in particular, i caught the sunset.

P.T.L.

After our little cross country outing and soaking up the beautiful winter morning, we came upon this incredible view. Naturally, my mouth dropped and I couldn't stop taking pictures. (And this doesn't even justify the real view.)

P.T.L.

Soon thereafter, the downhill skiing day commenced, which I was spoiled enough to get 8 days in a row. It turned out being another beautiful, clear day on the mountain. Thank you Schweitzer Mountain Resort -- usually it's super foggy, but we were gifted with bright blue skies.

P.T.L.

These are the kind of days that you don't even get chilly, you are able to get on every chair on the mountain at least once, you get in about 13 runs before lunch (if you even go in for lunch) or you ski right through lunch because the skies are so clear and the snow is that good that it's not worth taking the 1/2 hour lunch break, you meet up with buds on the mountain and rip it up until you take the last chair at 3:30pm.

P.T.L.

By this point in the day, I had taken over 100 pictures and still had not captured the complete beauty of what the Lord had provided.

There was only one thing left to say...

P.T.L.

a change of plans

the world is so much more beautiful with snow...

a gift lie outside my window this morning.

i had to blink a couple times to see,

(as clearly as i could without my glasses,

which isn't all that clear),

exactly how much white powdery snow there was.

with not much planned,

i watched flurries all morning.

what a nice day on the mountains it would be.

i guess i'll have to wait.

until friday.

afternoon time rolled in.

a road trip to our neighbor state.

weather and partially plowed roads caused no barrier.

for some of us.

unfortunately.

it was the cars off the side.

the spun around vehicles.

the agility & care taken in each 1/4 mile.

for some.

inconveniently.

the trip took longer than normal.

almost 1.8 times as long.

too long.

too snowy.

slowly turning to slick ice.

the temperatures dropped.

the roads became eerie & uninviting.

you just want to stay in.

as much as possible.

this was not in the plans.

even if it's your best friend?

does she really have to live 89 minutes away?

in the snow it equates to 189.

feels like another state...oh wait. it is.

the curses of distance.

as beautiful as it is,

this doesn't look pretty to me.

oh winter in the north west.

ultimately providing,

a change of plans i didn't see coming.

driving back to the 'ho,

i examined the trees.

decidious held 4 inches of snow.

pine held almost 12.

each flake carefully set in place.

let down from the sky.

floating wherever the wind takes.

landing and piling.

causing barriers and,

ultimately providing,

a change of plans i didn't see coming.

the icicles from the lamp posts.

the wooshing wind on the road.

the heaps of snow in every crevasse.

that, indeed, is the beauty of the Lord.

He brings that ultimate change of plans.

And that's okay.

homemade christmas gifts.

Due to inspiration in learning how to sew, I decided to make an apron for my sister, JoAnne, for Christmas. She loves to cook and most of her other gifts include unique kitchen utensils or devices for cooking, so I wanted to give her something to compliment it all.

I walked into the fabric store in town here and saw this great colorful, polka dotted fabric.

My mum helped me cut everything straight and the right length. I've always had problems cutting in straight lines, so without my mum's help, the finished product would be very crooked.

Then the sewing machine and I hung out for a while. Step by step, it started looking more and more like a real apron.

Not long after this, I had a finished product. Thankfully, the sewing machine and I didn't get into any fights and I do not have any injuries, which is surprising, especially working with my mum's ancient Singer machine that she used to use when she was a kid. It has it's distinctive smell, indeed, but I'm thankful that my mum could be my second-(wo)man hand in the completion of this project.

Now, JoAnne will look even better in the kitchen with knife in hand. I'm glad I can contribute somewhat to her delicious meals she prepares daily for our family!

Flying...

I've always been an aisle passenger in the airplane until recently.
What a strange concept flying is.
And a fascinating one at that: this hunk of metal effortlessly soars through the atmosphere, carrying hundreds of people all over the world.

Before takeoff, I realize that I am in the same place as before, but with all people I've never seen before, most of the time. (The past couple back and forth flights I've had from Seattle and Spokane, I have recognized or have run into old friends from high school or from college now. With this being a common occurrence, I am even more ready to get out of the country and serioulsy be stretched and challenged not in my comfort zone. In times of discomfort and uncomfortability, I tend to find the constants in my life -- that one constant is God. In fear of becoming numb in my life, I truly do not want to be comfortable. Thankfully, though, I will have the opportunity to study abroad, which I believe will be the most challenging experience, yet most rewarding of my life.)

On the way home for Thanksgiving, I was discussing this thought with a friend on the plane - beacuse the lives we lead as college students are so selfish, in that you only have to worry about yourself and are not necessarily anyone else, unlike living at home where there are chores and each person much pull their weight to help the house run smoothly, we get stuck in a rut. The rut is that we forget about the outside world. We get caught up so quickly in our personal problems that our minds and eyes are shut off, for the most part, to the 7 billion other people in the world.
Cool thing about not only being in a plane, but just being in the airport is that you see people you've never seen before and will most likely never see again. It has sometimes been shocking to me because it's sad how quickly we forget about others and we fall back into our routines and schedules and try to stay afloat for the next couple months until we're back in reality.
So, for me, flying is such a great time and place for reflecting. My mind begins to wander as I look out the dirty window that thousands have looked out. As soon as the word 'airborne' rings in my ears, I watch the ground beneath me, that was moments before surrounding me, become bigger and bigger. I start to feel smaller and smaller.

And no matter where I'm flying to or from, the world is so much more beautiful ful from thousands of feet above the earth.

Where do you sit?

The aisle or the window?

"Dance with me, Jen."

rain falling outside. check.

guitar playing upstairs. check.

planes flying in the sky. check.

cars driving by. check.

silence somewhere out there.

silence & serenity.

another quarter of college was officially over yesterday afternoon around 2:13pm.

which means.

another Christmas break has commenced - officially beginning yesterday at 2:13pm.

which means.

home again home again i go - back to good ol' idaho.

which means.

i have the privilege to escape the craziness and non-stop life i've been leading the past 10 weeks.

i am escaping to a world that can bring quiet.

and peace.

i am hearing this invitation now: "Dance with me, Jen."

[these words of encourage bring me to some thoughts... Dance moves are usually not always performed in the same way. In the same way, Christ reveals Himself differently to people in different ways and under certain circumstances. Likewise, Christ never teaches the Gospel in the same way.]

Apart from finishing up the quarter over the past 10 days, I have been surprised by His joy. He has worked incredibly in my friendships here at school, in that I have been able to spend quality time with special people this past week and a half and have been able to focus on these relationships (sometimes even more than studying), which is fabulous and what I live for.

And now, break has commenced. Tomorrow evening I will experience the peace and serenity I've been searching for and what I've been needing more of lately. As much as I didn't spend as much time in the Word as I would have liked the past couple weeks, I'm thankful that the Lord has not failed me in that He has provided and revealed Himself in new ways.

challenge for you: find silence. find quiet. stop talking. open your ears. open your heart. dance with Him.

listen.