clear eyes, full heart

i feel like the last two months i've really lived up to my blog title.
well, i guess just the crazy part.
the whole "white woman" thing kinda sticks with you.

anyway,
it's been a crazy two months.
and i'll recap maybe not so quickly.

my sister got married.

it was a crazy weekend full of laughter,

 

special moments,

 and, most importantly, dancing!

at the end of september,
 i moved out of my apartment and home

for the past three and a half years.

it was definitely a bittersweet time.

i'm back living with my parents.

who knew i'd be 28 and living at home.

weird.
{i'd prefer not to have this photo documented}

the giants made it to the world series!

i really love post-season giant's baseball.

i spent a week in socal visiting some dear friends.

after a month and a half of battling,
i finally got my visa!
i think the phrase "best day ever" might actually apply.

i've worked my last day at the VA for a while.

it's been my home away from home for the past four years.

i'm still blown away about how the Lord got me there,

but that's a story for another day.

 the giants are playing in the world series!

did i mention that?

packing.

trying to prioritize your life into two suitcases that 

weigh less than fifty pounds is proving a challenge.

i leave for india in SIX days. 
unreal.
i haven't really had much time to process it all.
in all honesty, some days i feel totally 
unprepared for all that lies ahead.

the tv show friday night lights came up recently,
specifically the famous words of coach taylor:
"clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose."
i know it's completely cheesy
and completely out of context, 
but i think i have a new way of looking at this phrase.

my eyes are clearly fixed on the 

task set before me and on my prize-Christ.

my heart is full with support and affirmation 

from those around me, and full with 

the promises and love of the Lord.

i can't lose. 

romans 8:31, 37-39 says this:

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

a bit of a stretch, i know.
but i don't really care.
every girl needs a theme
and this is an obvious contender.
 
i probably won't post again until i'm in india,
and then i'll really live up to that crazy white woman thing.
so we'll see ya then!


cincerely,


cindy

 

12 days off

i love my job.
i really do.
but when they tell you that you "have" to take 12 days off,
you say yes please.
and make the most of it.
so here's how i did just that.


 

my coworker hooked me up with some wicked 

awesome seats for a giants game.

we even got to see where they do some of the KNBR radio shows!

 

went to chico with my sis
and saw some pretty skies.

we also stopped in sonoma on our way home.

wine country is the best country.

 

had family dinner.

i really love these people.

so so much.

 

threw a bridal shower with the very talented kim

for my very beautiful sister

 

complete with a mimosa bar,

 

personalized recipe box,

 

and homemade lemon scrub.

such a fun day!

 

 then my sister and i left on a jet plane...

 

...to the land of dry heat and sunspurts.

 

arizona, i think i love you.

we went shopping for flopping hats,

took selfies by the pool,

and got gussied up for a nice dinner.

i even got to see two of my favorite people from joshua.

so grateful these friendships stand the test of time!

 

We headed back to the bay
and did a little mug swap prep!
i really love swappin.
and muggin.



Ellen had another shower
and it was so lovely to hang out with these awesome peeps.

all in all, it was a really great {almost} two weeks.
going back to work today has been a bit rough.
but thankfully i got by with some help from my coworkers
and their obsession with donuts.

the next time i have this kind of break,
i'll be on my way to india!
so crazy.
so awesome.
crazy awesome.


cincerely,


cindy

 

six months later...

hey there.
it's been awhile.

pretty sure i just needed a break from blogging 
(as unrefined as my blogging may be).
but hopefully i'm back to stay for a while.
a lot has happened since november, so let me get you caught up:


we had a no-present christmas in my family. 
it was so good for all of us.

we did do a white elephant exchange with our extended fam

 













i turned 28 and can't believe it. 
also, my friends spoil me with weekends in wine country.

 














my bff or longer from school came to visit with her sweet fam.

 




















my uncle passed away in january after battling stomach cancer. 
it was a hard time for all of us.

 



















i took a little jaunt down to socal.

 



















became a wound care certified nurse. my geekiness continues to flourish.

 














my sister got engaged! crazy. can't believe we are growing up.

took another quick jaunt, but to yosemite this time.

went to a giants game during the opening series.

went kayaking in monterey

 



















went to morocco and road a camel. i mean, why not?

such a crazy six months! 
i am so grateful for the hard times and the good times;
God is so good through it all.

what will the next six months hold?
no clue.
but this coming season is bringing much change.
sometimes i have serious anxiety about it.
other times, i am giddy about it.
despite my feelings, the Lord is constant.
and i am immensely grateful for that. 
i can't wait to see what the Lord does and how He moves.
His way is perfect, not mine.

and that's a wrap!

well folks, 2012 is about to be over.
when i was a kid, adults would tell me time would go by even faster when i grew up.
that's one of the truest statements i've ever heard.

this year has been a good one.
let's review, shall we?

i turned 26, celebrating the last year of my mid-twenties.

i also participated in intensive training weekend at my alma mater, 

watching four hundred staff and students eager to serve the Lord.

i watched hope church spread it's wings

as we sent teams to south sudan

and partnered with hurting people there 

as well as in its neighboring country of sudan,

proclaiming Christ all the way.

i loved getting be a part, however small, of God's work in a post-sandy new jersey, 

and spending some precious time with my friend who returned from 

the field after two years in southeast asia. 

i was able to watch four of my dear sisters get married,

went to a few concerts,

and watched and listened to a bunch of giants games.

oh, did i mention that the giants won the world series?

cause they did.

went to tahoe with my sisters and discovered snowshoeing is one of my favorite things.

went to hawaii with my fam,

hiking in yosemite for the first time i can remember,

and hung out in sunny san diego.

said goodbye to my beloved grandmother 

as she went to be with the Lord

and said goodbye to our sweet puppy.

all dogs go to heaven, right?

baked and tried some new recipes,

read a lot of good books,

listened to some fantastic sermons,

and read some soul piercing and spirit quenching scripture. 

and those are just the highlights!

2012 will definitely go in the books as a fantastic year.

as for 2013,

what will it hold?

i have no clue!

but i know that i'm not making any resolutions, per say.

i simply strive towards what i always want:

to love Jesus more and to know Him more,

all the while serving and loving people.

of course i pray that this year would be the year i get to go overseas,

or that i would actually run that half marathon, 

or have some miraculous attitude transformation 

to be a hard core health nut.

but instead of setting my standards on things,

and things often too lofty,

i will set my gaze on Christ,

trusting in His perfect timing and all-sufficient grace,
praying i would fight through laziness and self-absorption.

^"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

ephesians 3:12-14

cincerely,

cindy

Wild Wedding Weekend

i love weddings.
i'm kind of obsessed.
i mean, they're magical.

this saturday, my dear friend from college got married.

we met freshman year, served in rwanda together, were RA's together, and were nursing students and roommates. 
this girl is pretty dang special.
it was so fun to be part of her wedding week!

i flew down to riverside on thursday.
showed up an hour later than i was supposed.

plus side: i got an upgrade in a rental car.

yes, that's a prius.
and yes, i'm in love.  

jennifer hosted the lingerie shower that night.
i was on refreshments.
caramel apple cupcakes, apple and caramel rice cakes, 
and hot apple cider.
the favors were paper straws and caramel apple pops.
i think it was a hit! 
thanks again for the recipe, emily!

on friday, i woke up to this sky.

and then i got to spend the morning with my beautiful friend from nursing school.
it's been almost a year since we've hung out, but it was great to pick up where we left off!

later that day was the bachelorette party.
we headed to temecula for a scenic lunch and wine tasting.

 

such a good time! 

saturday started out right with some coffee from bean coffee.
their gingerbread syrup trumps starbucks.
just sayin'.

we headed to oak glen to set up and get ready for the wedding;
everything was picture perfect!

 and there were some pretty awesome people to celebrate with

a beautiful day celebrating a beautiful couple

so many congrats to mr. and mrs. williams!

such a fantastic weekend with so many amazing friends!

the 2012 year of weddings is officially over for me.

can't wait to see what weddings await in 2013!

cincerely, 

cindy