The Journey.

Last night I was looking at old photos on Facebook and I realized that there was this button that allowed me to see all of the photos from my old phones that I had uploaded to the app. I clicked on it and a few hours later was able to go through memory lane. A few hundred photos of moments that I had stored away and forgotten about allowed memories to come rushing in. Most of the photos were from my junior and senior year of high school. This time period was one of immense joy, but hard struggles. It was the beginning of a struggle to get along with my family, hard decisions regarding college, a few break-ups, and the usual teenage confusions. I often remember this time as the time period in which I took Christ more seriously and dared not to stray.  I thought I knew quite a bit when I was 17. Looking back at pictures, I don't think I knew anything. What a surprise! People often told me that I was "wise beyond my years," but praise the Lord that I didn't stop there....

My dearest Guatemala, There is nothing in this world that has captured my heart and captivated my thoughts quite like you have. From the moment I laid my eyes on your people and land, I was hooked. An irrevocable love and passion were instilled in my heart by our creator that would draw me closer to you. I have spent the last six years of my life with the underlying pursuit of one thing - to come back to you. The beauty of our relationship is that through my time spent in your land, I feel more full. I feel as if the Lord, the one who handcrafted both of our existence, uses your people to remind me that He is good. A concept that may sound odd, but makes perfect sense to me as it is something I have experienced time and time again. This enthralling experience that is inexplicable leaves an insatiable taste in my mouth for more. As the months of distance pass between us, I long to be near again. In a few short weeks, I hope to return. I hope to embrace the people who have grown in a ...

I really wish that the people who were passionate about "pro-life" were just as passionate about Syrian lives. Others: "...but I voted for him because I am pro-life." Me: "Well, I did not vote for him for the same reason."  Getty images If you voted for a man who plans to suspend the Syrian refugee program but post absurd Facebook posts about the #womansmarch not being aligned with the Pro-life agenda, please know that your argument is invalid to many. A life is a life, you get to choose which one you're standing for.  and if you're confused about the refugee program plans that the new president has:  http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/11/15/502010346/for-refugees-and-advocates-an-anxious-wait-for-clarity-on-trumps-policy

I just finished a book and I was reminded of how throughout history humans have made it. Through struggle and chaos, we only become stronger.  “And it occurred to me that something remarkable had happened here. The very predicament they had found themselves in, the very chaos engulfing them, had given them purpose, a reason to live. Every day for the past eight years they had woken up to plot and plan their survival, and yet, instead of being crushed by this struggle, beaten down, they had been buoyed by it. In fighting back, they had found a rare energy, passion, and lust for life that had kept them young, active and alive.” -The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe, Douglas Rogers What an interesting thing it is to be human. To be pushed to our limits and find purpose in that intensity. 

An actual MRI photo of my cerebrum at its' current state.  Sarah Kay, a famous poet known for her spoken word, suggests doing an exercise when you feel a little lost in the heaviness of life. She says to write down "three things that I know to be true" in order to be guided back to reality a little bit. This is an exercise she uses for poetry students in order to get their creative juices cranking and to show how these three things can show a commonality throughout the human race. No matter what you write or feel, most of the time we can trust that someone can relate to at least a few.  So, I am nearing the end of my junior year of college. That means one and a half more years until I am officially a college graduate with a bachelor's degree with my bright eyes looking toward a medical school. This thought fills my bones with anxiety and a shivering fear of the unknown, yet a weird sense of excitement. As I walk through my day-to-day life, my overly emotional s...

Originally written in 2016 in some melancholic state of mind   In the deep water is where my heart lies. Where the mixture of tears and sadness collide. There is a touch of madness along the great abyss. Is it you that I need, or is was it this all along? I can't do this alone, take this great test. Is fate what we want or the grand plan? Whichever way we swing, someone feels pain. But, is this really all for some gain?