Yes.

In case the picture doesn't tell it all, I have news!

Mike and I are engaged!

He actually proposed on January 19 (in Central Park in NYC, no less!), but I haven't had time to think, much less blog. I'm still so excited though! After searching and searching for an available, semi-affordable venue, we finally found one, so the official date is October 20, 2013. Some days, it feels impossibly far, and then others (usually when I'm in planning mode)...it's scary close.

Anyway, I mostly just wanted to update you all on that little life event, but I hope to be writing more soon.

(I'm highly considering a move to WordPress and a name-change for the blog. Any suggestions?)

A year of grace.

Grace.

If years can be summed up in one word, that would be mine.

Last year was a year of breaking. This year has been one of putting it all back together again. I don't know how He did it, only that He did. And it has been a beautiful thing.

I've spent hours trying to find the right words to describe this year, to explain the grace I've been given, but tonight, I realized…I can't. Sometimes, words are not enough. There is so much to be said, and maybe I'll have the chance to share it all someday, but for now, I will leave my reflection of 2012 at this:

His grace is enough.

His mercy is everlasting.

His love never fails.

Sometimes, less is more.

Happy 2013 :)

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Adventure is out there.

Currently: Sitting in a perfect little hideaway spot in the newest Starbucks, finishing up this post and getting ready to read a new book.

(Why a town the size of Cleveland needs three different Starbucks--plus 9842034 other coffee shops--I will never understand, but I can't say I'm complaining, either. Also, is it weird that I've been planning to come here alone all week long and been SO excited about that thought? I swear I'm not antisocial.)

Adventure is one of my favorite words.

This probably isn't news to most of you. It's a word with so much meaning, at least for me personally. It's exciting, it's dangerous, it's always changing, always new. It teaches you, it changes you, it makes you who you are. In a certain sense, it's my theme for life.

I recently read an article from Relevant Magazine titled "Should We Chase Security or Adventure?" I love the author's perspective.

"The predetermined path may be smooth sailing, but there’s a sense of adventure in not knowing exactly what’s ahead. When we rely on faith to guide us rather than our own concept of a life plan, we open ourselves up to being used in extraordinary ways. This faith includes trusting God not only in matters of obvious importance, but also in the small decisions of daily life." 

That is exactly how I want to live my life. I honestly can't imagine my future any other way. It's weird, but I've always had a feeling that my life will never be completely…normal. I don't know how to fully explain that, but the above sums it up pretty well.

Photo credit: Julian Bialowas

Still, as exciting it is to imagine living one day at a time, completely based on faith and trusting God, it's really, really scary, too. I love adventure, but I also love stability. Change is exciting, but it isn't secure. A quick glance back at my own past experiences is proof enough that I don't usually respond too well to not being completely in control. But at the same time, isn't that a huge part of what makes an adventure, well, an adventure?

I've been thinking about the future a lot lately. I still have a year left of grad school, but I'll be done with classes in July. All that's left will be 3 months of thesis-writing, but during that time, I won't be tied to Cleveland. I'll have the freedom to go wherever I want, wherever God may lead me. It's an exhilarating thought, but a scary one, too. I have no idea what's coming next, but I am excited to see what the next phase of life will bring.