I moved here exactly five years ago today.


That's a strange thing.

Five years ago, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. 19. On an adventure to another state with people I barely knew, but had already took up a great deal of space in my heart. I had no idea what the heck I was doing. I came with two carfuls of stuff and a few friends that drove me out to help. All I knew is that I wanted to come out here because... so oddly...in a dream... God had spoken to me that He wanted to change the world... but my part was to move out to Denver Colorado, and help other people who wanted to change that corner of the world. So, I dropped everything and came.

It's absolutely impossible to summarize the past five years. There is no one word, one phrase...not even a simple picture that I can give to encapsulate it all. Believe me, I've been trying all day. There have been a million moments -- laughing so hard that I cry...crying so hard that I end up laughing...meeting the most fantastic people ever....watching lives change, lives ruin, and every step in between. Falling in love -- with a city, with people, with life...and most of all with Jesus. My dad being diagnosed with cancer. My best friends meeting the people that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. Graudating from art school. Trips...Mexico, Italy, England twice, ... Seattle... North Carolina, California... Waco, Texas....Atlanta...each of those places are major stories in themselves. Living with so many people -- Kate, Jontee, Bethany, Kristi, Christy, Jolene, Lindsey, Missi, Angie, Jolene, Bethany, Christina, Skyler, Seth, Heather, Scott, Jeremy, Caleb, Brad, Kate, Murielle, Renee, Sarah, Allison (24 people...that HAS to be a record for a five year period!).

Learning. By grace. And sometimes the hard way.

I had no idea the adventure that I was in for.

But it makes me want to be ready for whatever the next adventure looks like. Maybe that means continuing the adventure here. Or elsewhere. I dunno. Pete and I decided tonight that Pete, Amy and I should plant a church in South Africa or England. Sounds good to me :). Or something. That's the funny thing about these sorts of things...it like for me at least I don't get to choose them. They choose me....the adventure...the calling...whatever you want to call it. The adventure calls out, and there is nothing you can do but run full force toward it.

Thinking back on the past five years makes me want to always be that brave. To say yes to the dreams that creep up in my heart...or literally in my dreams. To trust Jesus as He writes the story in me and through me. To go forward even when you don't know where you're going. To believe in the maps you hold even if they seem conflicting.

To keep walking when for all you can tell you don't have a map at all.