frederick buechner quote

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

water works wednesday in kenya

I was reminded that these sick and most of the time, dying, people are just like me. Born of a fatal infection, living in a broken and trashed world, reeking so badly of my own sin that someone within 10 ft would turn up their nose if only they didn't reek of the same stench.

holy-day (funny times on my sunday flight to kenya)

Something I realized right away is that I am AWFUL at understanding people with different accents.

i’m the black sheep. the anomaly. the outlaw.

It's like I set such high standards for myself, like I'd rather spend all my energy proving that I'm actually an alright person. That I'm funny (even when I'm not). That I'm not awkward (even when I am). That I'm not the dumb blonde sorority girl. That there actually IS a brain in there and I'm not just some obtuse, flaky dunce.

i just haven’t met you yet – an ode to the single people

As vulnerable as it makes me to admit, I'm really just an anxious wreck who wants the fairytale.

dude. chill.

Let's be real...unless you're trying to protect a secret nuclear bomb, or you're creating a cure for (no, not cancer), the obesity epidemic, the future of mankind doesn't depend on you and whether you check everything off this week's to-do list.

out with 22, in with 23 (africa update!)

Even though I'm only a day older than yesterday, and only a year is added onto my age, I think I like the 22-year-old version of the single, still-haven't-graduated, still-living-at-home, me, a lot better.

bible beaters

I had grown up in a Christian home and considered myself saved, but these people were just plain weird about it. Sure, they seemed happy, but why did they have to plaster their faith everywhere? Didn't they KNOW what others thought of them?