You smell like a sweet July morning

It's officially fall weather in Point Loma, cold breeze and all. It's a lovely 60 degrees, and everyone is wandering around shivering and bundled in layers of warm weather clothing. I loved the ringing in of the season with a Rudolph vinyl to dupe everyone into thinking it's Christmas time. This, along with a classic cold, make me quite happy for this time of year.

This last weekend was really awful, but really wonderful at the same time. Friday started out as an amazing random day with the roomie, going to shady car repair places and going to get free samples at every possible place in Pacific Beach. We saw No Impact Man at an old fashioned movie theater in Hillcrest, and it made me think in depth about how my lifestyle aligns with God's call on my life to stewardship of His creation. We also went to an intense modern art exhibit in the middle of a forest at UCSD. All of these things kept me blessedly focused on something other than the phone call I got at the end of the movie that my Grandma finally passed away, after a short and brutal fight with breast cancer.

I was very close with my Grandma, and I have been for my entire life. We had so many wonderful sleepovers, road trips, and late night story telling sessions over the years, it was like having a friend my age to talk to. Going to her house for Thanksgiving every year is really the only tradition my family has consistently, so not going this year will be hard. Thankfully I was surrounded by amazing friends who truly cared about me, making sure they kept me busy all weekend, and were there to listen when I needed to talk and cry and vent.

I went downtown with my amazing hall to eat Indian food, and we watched Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (funny, yet slightly disgusting).I played soccer with the youth group, and can barely move today. I helped my friend John sew an awesome vest and talked with Ashton for a long time while we dealt with the ridiculous airport traffic picking up Adam. It turned into a joyous weekend, and I finally told my parents about the reality of my current relationships, which feels so freeing. God is faithful to not give me more than I can handle, even though I don't think I could have been able to on my own. But He has blessed me with amazing friends who walk alongside me to encourage me, and to affirm that I am worthwhile and loved.

Another Monday is over. I'm sure this week will fly by like the rest have, and hopefully this cold disappears soon :) And speaking of which, I just stole on of Jaime's Trader Joe vitamin C tablet things. So yummy.

I'm praying that all my friends abroad stay safe and have amazing times the rest of the semester, I can't believe it's almost halfway over already. I'm trying to look forward instead of back in some parts of my life, even though looking back is more pleasant than the present. I never thought my life would look like this if you'd asked me a year ago. Never say never, and expect change to happen. I think God loves to shake us up. We're like His tiny snowglobes that He shakes whenever the snow settles to the bottom. Deep down I knew I wanted more from my life than how I was living it, and now I can see that clearly. I hated the process, and I still do. But yet the result is freedom and fullness like I haven't experienced in so long. Thank goodness God is in charge of planning my life, because I'm not smart or creative enough to know what's the best for me. He goes above and beyond what I can do on my own.

Hope all is well with everyone :)