Our Eyes, Our Story

You can tell a lot about a person by their eyes. By the creases surrounding them, by the expressions shown through them, and by the unique smorgasbord of colors in them.
My mom has emerald eyes with splashes of yellow and brown. Her eyes look like nature to me. And they flawlessly describe her too. From her yellow joy to her green faith, my mom is a natural. Naturally happy, naturally loving, naturally faithful.
My dad has summer eyes. Slowly fading from the chlorine blue of a relaxing pool, to the deep navy of the ocean by the pupil. They speak a lot about who he is as a man. He's laid back and gentle at the surface, but as you get closer to his core you realize he's much deeper than he appeared. Deep with wisdom and faith and love.
My eyes are a perfect mixture of my parents' eyes and they describe me too. Around the exterior you'll find my dad's ocean, but draw closer to my core and you'll find my mom's nature. My eyes stand as a symbol of their love. Their life, instead of their lives. I like my eyes because they tell my story, and their's too.

Journal: January 8, 2015

At 12:30 in the afternoon, my car reads it is 16 degrees in Huntsville. My nose is numb. My ears are beet red. I could go on and on. Even though it's cold, it's a beautiful day. The sky is this bright, happy blue, encompassing our world. There isn't a cloud in the sky and the sun burns bright, even though it doesn't seem to warm much right now. The truth is, even if the sky was cloud covered and pouring down rain, beyond that the sun would still burn bright. Though my skin is cold and numb and unpleasant in this moment, a beautiful world surrounds me.
When adversity strikes and it feels like nothing beautiful can be found in it, remember there is something beautiful beyond it. Momentary adversity goes away with time. The clouds will part again, and again you will witness the Sun burning bright. Even when you can't sense His presence or see Him burning bright, He is always there. Bright and happy, He encompasses our world.
Whenever you need a reminder of what's beyond, look up at the sky and remember God doesn't stop at the horizons of our world, but encompasses it. We are in the palm of His hand.

"I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

Journal: December 8, 2014

Took a study break to write a little prayer. As I laid my pen down, an instrumental version of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing began to play on my Pandora. People say "you can't see God" or "God doesn't answer me". Maybe God is too perfect to be seen or heard or felt by our imperfect senses. Maybe God is too beautiful to be sensed by anything other than our hearts. Instead of opening our eyes to find God or opening our ears to hear God, let's open our hearts and allow His inhabitance there.

"Here's my heart, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above"

Forever Changed

It was distant, like a dream
Its sound faint, Its memories engraved
Love
It was a Tragic Thing

time healed the heart once spotless
the scars remain indelibly
mind once hopeful and naive
learned to be cautious and speculating

once her Happiness, morphed into her Reminder
once her Love, morphed into her Hate
her heart was a broken vase reassembled
fragile, weak, and forever changed.

-

there It was, except not Tragic anymore
only a glint of It, but It allowed hope
caution and speculation had fled
Happiness has returned with a different face

no longer distant, but familiar
no longer faintly heart, but strongly felt
that Dim Glint matured into this Illuminating Beam
Love had returned with a different emotion

even when He's gone, He remains
because He fills her heart and mind
He is the glue which molded her vase
now confident, strong, and forever changed