love, love, love.

I totally fell off of the face of the blogging world this summer. And I'm okay with that. A lot of wonderful things happened the past few months and a lot of really hard things came up the past few months. And nearly all of them I either rejoiced about with the Lord or just cried right to Him about, without sharing the excitement and burdens with others really. In a lot of ways that proved to be a beautiful thing and just a sweet, sweet season of life and learning for me.


Now, however, with the fall nudging its way in, I think I'm back. The last few days I feel like in a lot of ways I keep coming back to the theme of "loving well" and I'd like to spend this year, possibly the last one in Madison, learning what that means and how to do that better.


This morning while reading a book by one of my faves, the terrific Henri Nouwen, I was reminded of this "Peace Prayer" by St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Father,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

My time in the coming months will be split between being a full-time college student, working with AmeriCorps in a Head Start preschool, nannying two adorable girls, serving the community of Madison as a child advocate at the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, and also being a Young Life leader, roommate, and friend.

Feel free to follow along as I occasionally document how I'm learning to love well in those roles, where I'll realize I'm AWFUL at loving well and have such room for growth and, inevitably, where I'll post a few hilarious stories or pictures along the way.

I want to be an instrument of peace. I want to shine hope, truth and light into dark, dark places. I want to love well.