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Hello world!
I think everyone fell off the face of the earth. I haven't gotten emails, my parents just went up north (out of phone range), michael jackson is dead... lol.

Well anyway, I want to talk about gifts. I think this internship is one streak of gifts. Tonight God dropped in my lap a gorgeous chamber recital. I heard two of the most amazing mandolin players - Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg. Sometimes I feel more like I'm on a honeymoon than an internship. The more I take time with God, the more He treats me. It's like He's always told me, "if you would just let me... I'll give you more than you can imagine." It's not really so much that He gives me anything different... it's just that I am more able to see what He's doing. I take less and less for granted. Each run is special because I know the sunset I see was a once in a lifetime special creation... with it's spectator (me) in thought. I don't mean to sound self-centered. I know that God creates sunsets for everyone to enjoy... but He does know that I'll be running along at that certain time, ready to see and appreciate. Music takes me to the heart of God. It is haunting, it takes you places, it can make you dream, weep, hope, renew. Those are things of God.

During the intermission, we walked over a bridge with beautiful lilies - the pink kind that spring up from the lily pad. JoVeta's friend handed me a beautifully packaged truffle. How did he know that I had been craving just that? He didn't, but God did. Again, I feel really spoiled. (I should... that was a $2 truffle!) Then we got stuck talking to another friend... who had a beautiful daughter who had just come from spending a year in Africa. I had fun just enjoying how beautiful she was. She must have had red hair but it was hard to tell because it was in delicate little corn rows. She was dressed in a white skirt, with a beautiful beaded belt with shell flowers, and elegant brown sandles and pretty brown earrings. It complimented her fair skin and freckles so well that it just made me smile.

God loves us so much. If we could just rejoice in the gifts He has created as much as He does... we would be so much more glorious.

Be radiant in God's joy today. Look for His gifts. They will literally just start flooding into your lap. That's not to say life isn't without its pain. Just keep your eyes open through it. Don't shut them... there's no time to waste!