Good morning all!
I stumbled upon this song on a friend's blog this morning, and the lyrics so spoke to my heart about who God is in this season of my life. It's a beautiful reminder of God's presence in our lives even in the midst of pain. I'm including the link to the YouTube video as well as the lyrics. May our Heavenly Father use these words and other words you encounter today, whether from the mouths of His children or in the context of song, to remind you of His unchanging love for you as His precious child.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m17af0XmPFo&NR=1
"Jesus Bring the Rain" by MercyMe
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of the clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
Suffering Your destiny
So tell me, what's a little rain
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God almighty
Is the Lord God almighty
I'm forever singing
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Home.
Hi all,
This blog has been created as my attempt to keep all those I love, who are spread across this nation, close to my heart and privvy to the daily happenings of my life in Houston. As you all know by now, I'm not a great phone call returner or facebook-er when life gets busy, so I hope that this link will enable us to stay connected to one another in the midst of our frenzied lives!
This weekend was perfectly lovely. The only word that I have for it is "home." After an emotionally, physically, and academically exhausting week (midterms and five days of IV steroids...the overlap was less than ideal, to put it mildly!), I flew to St. Louis early Thursday morning to present a research poster at the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) 4th annual conference. From the minute the plane touched down at Lambert, I knew I was back on home turf. The cool October air, the people dressed in boots, scarves, and cardigans, the red, yellow, and orange leaves covering the trees...fall in St. Louis is everything that fall should be (and everything that fall in Houston is not!). I think living here for four years was what made October my favorite month.
I stayed downtown at the Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch, where the conference was taking place, and mom met me there and stayed the weekend with me. She had wanted to meet with a group of financial advisors in St. Louis, so it was the perfect opportunity for her to do that and for us to squeeze in a "girls' weekend." The poster session and cocktail reception took place on Thursday evening, and it was such a great experience! In spite of being the only conference attendee under about 45, I met some really great, inspirational people in the field, got to talk about some of the research that's dear to my heart (post-traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and how it differs as a function of ethnicity--SO cool), and attended seminars on everything from pediatric obesity to depression and diabetes to the future of medical psychology. Such a great inspiration at this early stage of my career!
Mom and I hit some of my favorite St. Louis haunts--The Empty Nest and Initial Design in Webster Groves (my all-time favorite St. Louis neighborhood--so cozy, historic, and beautiful, with that perfect "small town in the fall" charm), the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the Wash. U. Campus Store (I MISS that school! I feel SO BLESSED to have spent four years there), California Pizza Kitchen at the Galleria (it will always hold a special place in my life for the many heart-to-hearts with my best friend that happened there over Diet Coke, bread and pizza), and the City Cat Clinic, to say hello to my dear friends and former veternarians, Scott and Chris Nieberg. Truly two of the most precious people I've ever had the joy of knowing, and two that I miss the most since moving to Houston! St. Louis was everything that it should be in fall...chilly and beautiful, with pumpkins, crisp yellow leaves, and flags adorning the city. But mostly, it was FAMILIAR. I don't think that I understood until I moved to Houston just how much this place had become home to me over my four years here. Whether it was my condo, my Brentwood Forest, my vet, my Whole Foods, or my Webster Groves, everything here was MINE. I had a HOME, and that was beautiful. Home life in Houston is different. It's bursting to the seams with grad school, studying, TAing, grading, and all of those other tasks that flavor this season of life. Dave and I are so lucky to be living together in a beautiful little nest with our two precious kitties, Allie and Tom. This season of life is special in its own right. But through the inaugural course of steroids, when I was afraid, overwhelmed, and feeling very, very alone, I found myself longing for the comforts of home. And a weekend in St. Louis was the best possible medicine.
I concluded the weekend with a lazy evening at Sasha's, another old favorite, catching up with my best friend over a couple of glasses of Four Vines. There really is nothing better than evening, wine, a cozy spot, and a dear friend. Hours spent with him always remind me of just how lucky I was to find a friend in college who became a brother. He's been extended the first official wedding party invite, and I can't wait to have him standing by my side as a "bride's fellow" on my big day! Aside from my mom and David, there was no one on this earth who knows and understands me better than him. He's just one of those genuine, caring, intelligent, beautiful human beings, the kind that we all hope we find one or two of during our lives. The friendship is one to which I'll hold dear forever, and I'm so thankful for that. He's just one more piece of what makes St. Louis home to me, and a night with him was the perfect way to conclude my weekend here. Thank God for best friends.
I'm now off to check out of the hotel and embark on a day of grading, reading and studying before catching my 5 pm flight back to Houston tonight. It's a big week, with a make-up midterm, a make-up quiz, a make-up diagnosis, a new diagnosis, a new quiz, and essays to grade, but thanks to "home" (and five days of steroids! :)), I feel relaxed, refreshed, re-energized, centered, and ready to tackle the challenge. David's getting me back in a much more pleasant form than the one in which he left me at the airport, and I know he'll be happy for that. Happy Sunday, all!
This blog has been created as my attempt to keep all those I love, who are spread across this nation, close to my heart and privvy to the daily happenings of my life in Houston. As you all know by now, I'm not a great phone call returner or facebook-er when life gets busy, so I hope that this link will enable us to stay connected to one another in the midst of our frenzied lives!
This weekend was perfectly lovely. The only word that I have for it is "home." After an emotionally, physically, and academically exhausting week (midterms and five days of IV steroids...the overlap was less than ideal, to put it mildly!), I flew to St. Louis early Thursday morning to present a research poster at the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) 4th annual conference. From the minute the plane touched down at Lambert, I knew I was back on home turf. The cool October air, the people dressed in boots, scarves, and cardigans, the red, yellow, and orange leaves covering the trees...fall in St. Louis is everything that fall should be (and everything that fall in Houston is not!). I think living here for four years was what made October my favorite month.
I stayed downtown at the Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch, where the conference was taking place, and mom met me there and stayed the weekend with me. She had wanted to meet with a group of financial advisors in St. Louis, so it was the perfect opportunity for her to do that and for us to squeeze in a "girls' weekend." The poster session and cocktail reception took place on Thursday evening, and it was such a great experience! In spite of being the only conference attendee under about 45, I met some really great, inspirational people in the field, got to talk about some of the research that's dear to my heart (post-traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and how it differs as a function of ethnicity--SO cool), and attended seminars on everything from pediatric obesity to depression and diabetes to the future of medical psychology. Such a great inspiration at this early stage of my career!
Mom and I hit some of my favorite St. Louis haunts--The Empty Nest and Initial Design in Webster Groves (my all-time favorite St. Louis neighborhood--so cozy, historic, and beautiful, with that perfect "small town in the fall" charm), the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the Wash. U. Campus Store (I MISS that school! I feel SO BLESSED to have spent four years there), California Pizza Kitchen at the Galleria (it will always hold a special place in my life for the many heart-to-hearts with my best friend that happened there over Diet Coke, bread and pizza), and the City Cat Clinic, to say hello to my dear friends and former veternarians, Scott and Chris Nieberg. Truly two of the most precious people I've ever had the joy of knowing, and two that I miss the most since moving to Houston! St. Louis was everything that it should be in fall...chilly and beautiful, with pumpkins, crisp yellow leaves, and flags adorning the city. But mostly, it was FAMILIAR. I don't think that I understood until I moved to Houston just how much this place had become home to me over my four years here. Whether it was my condo, my Brentwood Forest, my vet, my Whole Foods, or my Webster Groves, everything here was MINE. I had a HOME, and that was beautiful. Home life in Houston is different. It's bursting to the seams with grad school, studying, TAing, grading, and all of those other tasks that flavor this season of life. Dave and I are so lucky to be living together in a beautiful little nest with our two precious kitties, Allie and Tom. This season of life is special in its own right. But through the inaugural course of steroids, when I was afraid, overwhelmed, and feeling very, very alone, I found myself longing for the comforts of home. And a weekend in St. Louis was the best possible medicine.
I concluded the weekend with a lazy evening at Sasha's, another old favorite, catching up with my best friend over a couple of glasses of Four Vines. There really is nothing better than evening, wine, a cozy spot, and a dear friend. Hours spent with him always remind me of just how lucky I was to find a friend in college who became a brother. He's been extended the first official wedding party invite, and I can't wait to have him standing by my side as a "bride's fellow" on my big day! Aside from my mom and David, there was no one on this earth who knows and understands me better than him. He's just one of those genuine, caring, intelligent, beautiful human beings, the kind that we all hope we find one or two of during our lives. The friendship is one to which I'll hold dear forever, and I'm so thankful for that. He's just one more piece of what makes St. Louis home to me, and a night with him was the perfect way to conclude my weekend here. Thank God for best friends.
I'm now off to check out of the hotel and embark on a day of grading, reading and studying before catching my 5 pm flight back to Houston tonight. It's a big week, with a make-up midterm, a make-up quiz, a make-up diagnosis, a new diagnosis, a new quiz, and essays to grade, but thanks to "home" (and five days of steroids! :)), I feel relaxed, refreshed, re-energized, centered, and ready to tackle the challenge. David's getting me back in a much more pleasant form than the one in which he left me at the airport, and I know he'll be happy for that. Happy Sunday, all!
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