The Journey.

I hate obituaries. One of my family members was probably required to write a 300 word or less essay about someone who lived 53 wonderful years. How in the heck is that supposed to do any justice? How is a name on a tombstone supposed to represent a life that touched all of our hearts? How is any of this supposed to bring closure? I don’t believe it does. I don’t want to see my papa in a coffin for the last time, instead I want to remember him from the night before, as he put his arm around my shoulder and listened to me talk about my future and dreams, here in Guatemala, with wide open eyes and know that he is so proud. I don’t know if we ever find true closure until we are in heaven alongside Jesus, our true source of peace and the loved one that we lost. If I could rewrite his obituary, to gain some kind of a distant closure, I would put it like this: Thomas Miller, a man that left a legacy of laughter. Oh trust me, this man had his days. He had his crazy teenage days th...

I'm sitting at my gate in the Detroit airport and it still hasn't hit me that I will be spending 26 whole days in the country that I love with the people I love even more. This is the life. Sometimes in prayer and just contemplating life, I get lost in the question of why. Why me? Why am I allowed to do this? Surely, I am so not worthy of this. I make the dumbest mistakes, talk back to my parents, have had a  few too many boyfriends, swear like a trucker occasionally yet He chose me. It's all in the scandal of grace, I suppose. Praise God for that scandal. I can't wait to step of of that plane, arrive at my destination and breathe in the air that my lungs long for all year round. I can't wait to walk into the orphanage and hug the little children that my mind daydreams of from the time I wake to the time I sleep. This is a privilege. This is a gift.  Why me?  I don't know, because Jesus is freaking wonderful and I love to say "yes". It is not bec...

***Late Post*** Jesus takes my breath away.  I have been awful at blogging so far as tomorrow is my last day at Canica but boy has it been great. This year seems kind of different. It feels like I am visiting home. This feeling is absolutely wonderful to me and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have spent so much time loving the kids of Canica and my heart is so full. We have been doing lots of activities with the kids like tie dye, coloring, bracelets, music lessons and much more and tomorrow hopefully we get to do this skit called the "Dream Wall". The dream wall is a place all the kids write what they would like to be on a big piece of paper and hang it somewhere they see everyday as a reminder. These children are the future of Guatemala and they need to know this daily. They may have stories that are wilder than any typical American can understand but they have strength and power. They have the power to change the future of San Marcos. I feel so blessed that I ...

***Late Post*** I got back from Guatemala a week and one day ago now and if I told you that Jesus hasn't worked in my heart then I would be telling a huge lie. The week I spent in Guatemala was absolutely wonderful.  I got to spend time with the people who have stolen my heart and I now call my family. I got to finally hug the kids that I day dream of all day, laugh with one of my greatest friends Iris and talk with the missionaries who are some of the people I look up to the most. Just being in the presence of these people brings great joy to my life. There are so many things that God is doing in that place and it is such a privilege to be able to see those things first hand rather than just through stories. This year I got to meet a few new kids and give a little more of my heart away. I got to cuddle with some of my favorite girls who are now getting to be teenagers and it is so scary. Sometimes I look at these little girls as sisters and it gets just about as scary as watching...