walking in paris

a brief note about the picture in my blog title-
it was taken while walking through the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.
in 2005, i had the amazing opportunity to attend World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany. my group went early and visited Paris for a few days.
(this trip had a huge impact on my life, religiously and otherwise, but i don't want to go into that now.)
we were walking through the park when we stopped and noticed all the footprints in the sand of people who had also walked through the park. we took a picture.
last summer when my husband and i were in Paris, i made sure to take him to the park to show him the footprints.

they are meaningful in some way, even if i can't quite grasp it.

don't worry

i'm alive and well. i swear.

conclusion of three years.

people of the Christian Reformed faith are missing something. sometimes it makes me frustrated and angry.
but right now, it just makes me sad.

the best thing ever

So for anyone who hasn't heard, Jacob and I are engaged [insert girlyfreakoutdanceandsqueal here]

Excited? Oh I'm wayyyy more than that.

We've started a joint blog to keep people updated and all that fun stuff. There aren't any posts yet, but here's the link http://jacobpiper.blogspot.com/

Here's what Jacob says about it. He does a better job than me... http://walawalawop.blogspot.com/2008/05/engagement.html



....yay!!!!!!!!!!!!

untitiled

1
have you ever have one of those "God moments?" ...those times when it is so obvious God is present because you can feel Him so strongly. or when a strange series of events happens that is so complex there is no way it could all be coincidence.

i had one of those moments last night. a strange convergence of past, present, and future all happening at once... something wonderful made a jillion times more wonderful by an act of God. so much peace and closure and excitement and celebration and pure joy. very unexpected but very welcome. i could never have even dreamed of something that amazing.

the icing on the cake. it's the little things God does... those tiny extra details that are just enough to make a good situation even better. He knows what makes us joyful.. even more than we know. the "icing" last night would have never occurred to me... i never would have thought "oh! that would make this moment ten times better!" but He knew it would, and He gave me that special gift last night. it's those moments of joy and the little things that make it easy to say "i know God and He loves me" and truly believe it.

it was one of the most awesome moments of my life thus far.


2
God puts certain people in our lives to be there at the exact time we need them. it's strange to think about... have all these years led up to this era of our lives? is this the moment where it all starts to make sense? when all is made right? all the things we've been through together and apart.. is this why God brought us together as friends so long ago?

it's becoming like a puzzle that is almost complete. the pieces are finally fitting together. not in the sense that something is being made clear, but more like a sense of contentment... a friendship is finally becoming what it was always meant to be. the slight constant unsettling feeling is barely present. we are no longer broken and grasping.

we are blossoming.

welcome spring.

it's super late...

...so i'll make this super short.

for anyone who cares, I will be the Wellspring Coordinator next year. I am super super excited!!!!!!!!!

...and super super scared.

I'll expand more on my thoughts later. But for now, it's bedtime. I'm super tired.

when i got back to my room i had a great surprise in my inbox

Piper,
Here is my idea for wellspring on Sunday night...stations of the cross.
I found a site that has some alternate stations done by Pope John Paul II...based on scripture readings.
Want to take part? Lead some of the readings?
Prof. Lief


I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!