a rich piece of chocolate cake

this past week i have been thinking about how often times (not always) life is like a rich piece of chocolate cake. not the pillsbury box kind, but the real stuff: the cocoa, butter, flour, sugar and the decadent frosting (we're talking about cream, sugar, butter, and chocolate). does that now sound incredibly rich and heavenly??

i am a fast-paced person and run from one thing to the next: and that's not always a bad thing, but i am coming to realize more and more how important it is to stop, breathe, think, liten, and learn from what is going on around me right NOW. when you eat a rich dessert like chocolate cake, you should...
sit down
actually cut a piece instaed of just taking bites from all sides
get a glass of milk
make sure you get a small dessert fork
eat it s l o w l y and savor every. single. bite.

(i am definitely not good at this)

it's at moments like this, sitting in the san francisco airport, realizing that i just said good bye to my friends for 8 months, realizing that i may not see some of the same people at gordon ever again, and realizing that i am over half way done with college, these moments are when i realize that life is moving fast and i need to stop and savor the precious moments God has given me. life is not always going to be a piece of cake, it's going to be hard and scary and tiring and stressful, but there are so many moments along that journey where i need to take time to pause and SEE what God is doing. i love the verse "Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD" (psalm 34:8) -- What a blessing it is that God doesn't just want us to see his goodness, but He wants us to TASTE it ourselves and to see his goodness in our lives, through struggle and triumph.

this week has been so full: full of saying hellos and goodbyes -- hearing stories from friends who came back from study-abroad semesters and goodbyes to ones i have lived with for two and a half yeras. it's been full of stress as well with exams and studying, but what comes with that is bonding in jenks and forming friendships over pagesof notes and study sessions. it's been full of packing: putting things in boxes and thinking quickly what i need/don't need/can live without for 8 months and putting it in someone's garage and hoping no animals get into it.

i am thankful for massachusetts and am really going to miss this place: a place that has become a second home to me. i will miss 128 (minus the crazy on ramps), climbing the endless fligh of stairs to get to Laurie's office each week, making dinner in 202 and hearing "my life is in shambles!" over & over again. i'll miss hearing our coffee maker going constantly throughout the day and making the trek to jenks with stops through chester's, lane, and KOSC in an attempt to keep warm. i'll miss seeing familiar faces, talking to my professors, and hanging out in my living room or "the nook."

and now i am thankful for the chance to be HOME: for 12 hours of sleep, home-made split pea soup, time to relax & rest, prepare for another advenutre in a new place: another chance to make new friends & discover a new home.
and hopefully i will learn how to eat my cake and to savor each bite :)