i take pictures...

kekasmaiimages . blogspot . com

words fail.

i choose to say.

"But at the end of the day, let's stand in awe of the awesome God we love and serve. Let's let Him get the glory and honor. Let's say when the sun sets and the stars shine, when it snows and when sweat pores down, when it's dark and quiet and when the laughter goes late and the good times roll, let's say "Thank you. Life. is. Beautiful."

thank you.

it's been a long hard road
it's been a long time coming
skilled through your building, through the molding, through the stretching and the pulling

and all i want is you
all i want is you
all i want is you
all i want is you Lord

spend so much time chasing your grace it's so useless
your grace is on me

wanna be used by
wanna be used
wanna be used
wanna be used by you

all i want is you
all i want is you

so thank you thank you thank you
Lord we praise you
You are good

thank you thank you thank you
you are good

nothing is impossible with God
singing nothing is impossible with God

this song was written by a good friend of mine. it has been on repeat in my head for a little over a week now. i don't have a lot to say about it; it is my heart's cry right now. every line is weaved in and out of my life in someway.

the last few months, you may have noticed more pictures than words on this silly blog... i've had SO many thoughts going on in my head i didn't know where to start often. Pictures are my other way of speaking, yet i know they do not always convey the emotion that i am feeling. They have become a cop-out for me. Too much to write about. Too many worries about what you (the reader) would think if i were honest. Too many fears about the comments that might come if i told you about bursting into tears in public places. I've been trying so hard to be brave.

it wasn't until a recent conversation with my dad, that i realized i'm allowed to be "emotional". I am actually allowed to feel the feelings i am feeling. I don't have to Spiritualize everything. I do have to trust God, but trusting doesn't mean don't feel. Right now it means feel everything in a very real (not over the top) way and trust in the midst of the feelings. Trust in the middle of the challenge. Trust when i don't see any answers. Trust when hope is cut out and disappointment surfaces. Believe God is who he says He is. Comforter. How can i know God as Comforter, if i squash my feelings and "don't need" to be comforted? How can i know the Prince of Peace if i don't admit to myself and the world that my life feels like chaos sometimes? How can i see him as BIG and OUTSIDE the box, if i keep trying to keep Him in the box with my squashed emotions and feelings?

this is my challenge to myself; desire to know God more than i want to know the answers to my questions. Trust God in the middle of the emotions. write more. fear less.

this is my challenge to you; read with grace. there is more to the stories you read on the pages of this blog than you could know or imagine.

tonight.

weekend in WA

i have a friend.
her name is taylor.
she's real great.
so great in fact that she "ditched" her husband for a few days and went to Washington with me!
thanks t.
you're the best.

we went to a track meet and watched my little siblings be amazing...
we went for walks....
i introduced tay to the glory that is doing devos at Woods Coffee....
we went to a Canadian beach, and by beach i mean the tide was out...
it was real great.
it was real neat.
i really love road trips.
i really love my family.
i really love that taylor came and experienced both with me!

a day with billy.

...and by billy i mean Lake Billy Chinook!

this is me:

this is Ashley:this is Jessie:this is Casey:

this is Eric (aka Master of the wake.)

this is crazy 1, 2 &3:

and that was our awesome (hot) day on water.

california. part2.

In no particular order, but containing lots of wonderful memories: california in pics.

california.

coming soon...A lot more pics from my awesome vacation with(some of) my family.

did you ever see a dog fly?

Yes this is for real, no photoshop or angle trickery involved....

Today i walked in the Annual 4th of July Pet Parade in downtown Bend... i carried my turtle in a basket... this young man however found a way to make his dog fly. People in Bend love this crazy-animal infested parade. It was quite interesting (and slightly odd) to see such sights as a flying dog, a star-painted dog, cats in wagons or on leashes, dogs with hats (or coats or costumes) and horses all decked out in Red, White and Blue.
But i can now say, that i indeed have seen a dog fly!

mobile moments....

This was the view last night as i drove to the Old Mill to meet a friend....

Oh how i love living in Central Oregon!

*all pics taken on my cell phone*