Final Thoughts

I’ve been struggling with the thoughts that leaving for four months in the middle of my senior year was a mistake. I put my life on hold and flew off to a foreign country to have some fun. I paused my photography business, said hold on to my friends, and left my major classes to finish my last semester. I’m scared I cannot get back to where I once was with business or my spot in photography world due to be being connected of the constant competitive world via internet. I’m at the end now realizing, this was more than just having fun in a cute European city. These four months have shaped my world view into a new reality. A reality where silence is a melody for the soul, where time is not measured by a clock but by the sun and moon, and where simplicity meets its maker. 

These four months have taught me to value the relationship between time and space, to recognize how the architecture of time allows room for community and creation on the same page. I’ve learned to create is to be human. Just as we are made in God’s likeness, creation is sewed into our DNA, we cannot escape the desire or intrinsic pleasure of creating. I’ve created friendships that have dug a deep well that what I found was a pool of conversation I never knew existed. I’ve created books, paper, and sewed them to be one. I’ve created a simple scene on canvas out of complex words to big for me to even reiterate. I’ve created wine out of grapes and pasta out of eggs. All that I have done within the five inches of bone and flesh, I treasured and tasted the goodness of a simple life. A life not caught up in who is dating who, what is higher than what, or how I look every second of every day. But a life of the sweet pleasure of simplicity, creating for meaning. Creating to better understand the world we are in and the One who made it. Not just for competition sake or to get a good grade. But how blessed I am to be set free from those expectations America has smothered me with all the years I’ve set my hands to create. 

I am at the end. The end is always scary. It wants to wrap up everything and put it into a neat pretty box than try and explain the entirety in a few simple sentences. But we all know those pretty neat boxes never stay the way they were wrapped. It gets messy, gets undone with all the good and the bad. The box was never meant to be placed around the whole at all. We humans were the ones to create the box in the first place. God doesn’t use boxes, He uses melodies, poems, sunrises, photographs, paintings, voices, dreams. Endings were never meant to be summarized into three neat sentences but rather knitted into the heart and carried along, stopping every once in a while to verbalize the complexity of the whole. 

I shouldn’t be afraid of the end because the end is where the next story beginnings. And with the beginning comes all the experiences, theories, creations of the last ending. I don’t much believe in endings actually, just a turing of the page. 

My Painting Process

"Art mirrors this struggle and captures the process of letting go. Every stroke pushes the painting to sacrifice itself: every creative act destroys something previously built. Imagination reveals not new vistas but revelations of reality behind reality. All art points to a transaction between reality of the seen and reality of the unseen."

It is one thing to say I am going to paint and a whole other to actually do it. The process of painting class for me was difficult. I am a visual artist with media but not necessarily in studio art. Our professor, Phillippe Fretz, a professional painting who lives in Geneva, Switzerland, lead us in the discussion of Dante’s inferno. He split the Inferno into 12 different sections, each containing 2-3 cantos. I got cantos 21-24- the hypocrites,barrators, and thieves. 

The goal was to have one big painting at the end with all pieces some how connecting on either side. I had a difficult time. At first I drew my lines wrong but not knowing until 3rd week in. So I had to move my lines to line up with Luke’s and Hannah’s on either side of mine, than go from there. I was back and forth on my ideas the entire time! I finally decided on more of abstract piece. I wanted to capture the colors, feelings, mood of a hell not just imagery. 

I wanted to look at:

-textures

-a space

-the feel 

I was question in art how we are not allowed to touch the canvas. It is always at an arm length. Just like sin. Sin is so real, always in front of our eyes yet we are scared to deal with it, to actually touch it. I wanted to face the reality of sin not just look at, but touch it deal with it. There is freedom to make a connection with the reality of sin. There is a God who wants me to not just look at the sin far away on a canvas, something that I created or had a part of but to reach out and hand it to him. 

Abstract art or action art is defined by its emphasis on emotional or spontaneous content not based in reality. 

The 4 different spaces of the painting was a structure I was given and was suppose to keep within the boundaries of. Starting at the top:

Sky of grace- beautiful, simple yet complex, tears of rain I called it. A skye of grace is over both the sinner and righteous. 

Stone wall- some kind of order and control, organizing sin. 

Beautiful motif- this explains the beautiful motif’s of popular Italian ceilings painted mostly by Giotto. What is the truth underneath? What is the sin that is being covered by the “beauty”? Hypocrites hide the truth with a false beauty. 

Reality of sin- the truth is dark, gritty, honest, raw, unplanned. 

Branch of hope- extends from the bottom to top blending in. There is still hope in darkness. Dante’s inferno was for the living to recognize their way of living and to look at the reality of hell. Why is hell so bad? Because it’s a lack of relationship from Jesus. It’s a separation from God. The tree shows how life can still grow out of sin, out of hypocrisy, how there is still hope.

I look back at the HOURS AND HOURS every day I spent on this painting, and realized it was one long worship month. Worship can be taxing on the heart, it is healing, it can be long, drawn out. In the middle of worship God changes a heart, He changes the plans you had and sets you on a new path. It’s not perfect, there is no perfection in worship. In worship you must show up and do your part. Something beautiful is created, even though at the end it doesn’t always look what you intend it to be. Worship is an everyday action of going before the throne of God, in whatever state you are in happy sad tired in love, and having the heart go through a process of humility in recognizing it’s about the journey not always the ending. In the journey is where He wants to teach us, shape us, get frustrated at Him and work through it and than fall in love with Him.

The painting process was a month of worship. I learned more about humility, the process, and raw honesty than I ever have in one month time. 

Did not edit this. so sorry. I need to work on that.
-

Community of one

Community. 

It’s a buzz word where I come from. Everyone who goes to a private Christian college in America knows that is probably the most popular word on the campus other than devo’s, intentionality, and Jesus. It’s the word that is thrown around from dorm life, to being in a specific friend group, to what church you attend, community is used in everyday life as one of the most used words on my campus. You are expected to identify what community you are in all the while being a member of the main community, for me would be an Indiana Wesleyan University student. This word community can mean a multiple of things in the Christian sub-culture I live in anything having to do with a group of people who all the same like-mind ness to what dorm you live in. You are defined by what community you live in. But what even is community? I feel as though I cannot answer that fully due to the over usage of the word, I now have to many definitions and thoughts on what this buzz word actually means. 

To live in community, is to be vulnerable, to know the heart of another, for others to know your deep concerns. It is the mutual knowledge of respect and honor. It is having a people who share in your same thinking and daily liturgy. 

There are communities who: eat together, pray together, run together, laugh together, drink together, die together, sin together, worship together, learn together. We are made to live in community.

You have heard of culture shock I am sure or have experienced it yourself. Culture shock can happen when you live in another culture with different traditions, foods, or way of living than what you are accustom to. This can happen easily when you live in a first world country than start living in a third world country but in my case that was not so. I did not experience culture shock exactly but community shock. I am in love with Italian culture. Sure they eat way to many carbs for my liking and everyone smokes in this country, they just do life different than I but what was harder for me was the community shift. If you know me I have many friends, probably to many. They call me a social butterfly. I can’t help it! Ever since I was little I enjoyed being around people, call me extroverted if you want, but here is a bit different for me. I live with 20 other college students, and that is it. We are together 24/7 literally. We eat together, have class together, pray together, watch movies together, travel together, everything together. I have never been around the same people of this size for more than a week. I am learning, a lot to say the least. For the first two months I was struggling with such a different community. I would say these are not my friends, I just want my friends, I miss my friends. And all of that could be truth but I know did not many anyone feel good here every time I said it out loud. 

I am becoming more introverted. This may be due the amount of time I am with people durning the day realizing if I don’t make separate alone time to hide away from the convent, I won’t get it ever. This is good for me. 

So every morning I wake up around 7, eat breakfast, read, than go on my morning walk. It wakes me up, gets me out of the convent, and gets me talking with God early in the morning. I walk on the Via Di Popolo (street of the people) which over looks the valley below and it is truly beautiful. I can forget sometimes sadly that I am in Italy while living with American college students. But when I go on my walks, I can’t run from the reality, I live in one of the most beautiful diverse countries on the planet. With its rich colors of the morning sky, and tall firm bold trees, and lovely green grass. Not to mention the blue seas of the Mediterranean surrounding this entire land on all sides. I still cannot believe the beauty that lays in front of my eyes every time I step out the door. The sun here, it’s sweeter than any where i’ve been. The way the sun rays shine so softly through the cyprus trees every morning with the fog rolling over the mountains reminds me of a fairytale. Is this place real? It sure is. Today I learned in the 1300’s the Pope lived here! Orvieto was the vatican! Also, the Duomo (huge church in the middle of town, and is why people come visit the city) houses a miracle in the 1300’s when a priest was conducting the communion service the “body” wafer started to bleed. A miracle of God speaking to His church that hey there is reason for sharing in the communion of my Son daily, He is alive and the sacraments are needed.  

Coming back to community. This beautiful community I live with in this fairytale medieval town, is teaching me, growing me, and pushing me in ways i’ve never experienced. Each community I have lived in whether that be at IWU, at home in Ohio, at camp, or in Tacoma- every one of them have had different revelations of God. Each one is different for a reason and each one I value highly. This community of Gordon in Oriveto, through the guidance of Prof Doll, has received the revelation God is at the center of everything we do and to have a high respect for creation of God. Community isn’t just a set of people together, it’s a set of people all centered around a specific reason with the intent of sharing life together. A community doesn’t get pushed together without a common denominator . Our common denominator is to learn. 

To be learners of art, of italy, of another culture. To be learners of God, of the catholic church, of each other. We are here to learn and grow together. Yes we all come with different reasons but we still have a reason for coming and it is to learn.

There are things to learn from every individual you meet in your life. I want to be a learner of people. This community has pushed me to mature, to talk when I don’t “feel” like talking, to set down my entitlements of selfish desires and needs and to stop look around at how everyone else is feeling. This community is a free place. They don’t ask to much or to little of me. I just am me and they receive me everyday in different capacities, some days more than others. This community is not what I was expecting in the least bit, obviously I had a shock and a hard time the first two months, but now I value each one of their faces every morning. I see them for who they are not who I want them to be. To be in this community you must be vulnerable. Friendship will not grow without mutual vulnerability. Each one I have learned from and even I I don’t like them, understand them, or agree with them, they still are on my team. No reason to fight with your teammates if it won’t help resolve an issue. No reason not to learn from the members of your family, they are going to be with me the rest of eternity for pete’s sake.

Alana- Taught me about intentional listening. 

Stephne-Taught me to look at the little details in everything.  

Shannon- Taught me to much to write, but one little thing is life is about living it abundantly. 

Tom- Taught me to ask questions and not be content till I find truth. 

Erin- Taught me it’s ok to just laugh. 

Amanda- Taught me to be in love and present with whoever and whatever I am doing in the moment. 

Luke- Taught me don’t take things or people at face value. 

Amy- Taught me about womanhood. 

Morgan- Taught me everything we interact in nature with is from the hand of God. 

Alexis- Taught me to value people who can sit and listen. 

Thais-Taught me to go after things with my whole heart. 

Bri- Taught me dry humor is the best...at every and any moment.  

Sam- Taught me hospitality is a love language. 

Linnet- Taught me you must know someone before judging them. 

Alyssa- Taught me you can learn more about a person sometimes from sitting silence in each others presences. 

Emily-  Taught me about self discipline. 

Hannah- Taught me to speak only when it is edifying, comforting, or encouraging. 

Karren- Taught me more about the love of Jesus in ways I never seen. 

Emily F- Taught me to persevere even when I want to quit.  

Each one is a gift from the Lord. I love them dearly. 

“The careful balance between silence and words, withdrawal and involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community forms the basis of the Christian life and should therefore be the subject of our most personal attention.” Nowen 

Sorry I always forget to proof read...my english teachers hated that about me. 

Adventure to the Mediterranean

Sorrento-Capri 

One of my favorite books: Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller, helps me to put emotions to my thoughts. He says what I’ve always wanted to say in its simplest form. The first time I heard of Donald Miller was driving down to Florida for spring break two years ago with 15 of my friends. I was driving the van and Ariel was reading this book and decided it must be spoken out loud for the whole car to hear. The way Ariel reads, with enthusiasm and eagerness, mixed with Donald’s simple understanding sentences wrapped up with a poetic twist, I fell in love with his writing. This is an passage from the end of my favorite book by him and it says EXACTLY what I felt on my trip to the Mediterranean.

 

“Life is not a story about me but it is being told to me and I can be glad of that. I think that is the why of life and in fact the why of this ancient faith I am caught up in. To enjoy God. The stars were created to dazzle us like a love letter. Months ago I would have told you life was about doing, about jumping through religious hoops ,about impressing other people and my actions would have told you this is done by buying possessions, keeping a good image, or by going to church. But I don’t believe that stuff anymore. I believe we are suppose to stand in desserts and marvel at how the sunrises. I think we are suppose to sleep in meadows and watch how stars dart across space and time. I think we are suppose to love our friends and introduce people to the story... to the peaceful calming why of life. I think life is spirituality. “

After a month of intensely working on our disegno class, of late late late nights and stressful mornings, I planned a trip to the ocean. I NEEDED to get by water or I was going to crack. A month in and I was going to crack...seems...like Hannah, yep! I almost did not go to Indiana Wesleyan because there was no body of water near by for me to meet with God. That is my place and it will always be. God is good and He found me a river that does good. Orvieto, like I mentioned, is on top of a huge rock surrounded by a valley. No water near by. I needed to feel the warm breeze on my face as I gaze upon the endless ocean and take a swim into the blue waters of refreshing joy for my spirit. 

I planned, yes I am growing up and maturing here, our trip for six girls. Took a train to Roma, got off in the nick of time, got on to another train down to Napels for 3 hours, got off, got on to another regional train to take us down to Sorrento for an hour, got off had to find a bus to our camp at 11pm. YET God led us directly to all places with ease and oddly enough in perfect time. We got to the camp grounds, walked in the dark to our little camper and fell hard asleep not realizing the beauty that laid to our left. The camp ground is in an old olive groove with tents, cabins, and campers set up through the left over olive trees. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL and cheap, only 11 euro’s a night. 

The whole trip’s slogan was: Jesus just loves us, He really does. I could not get over how perfect and smooth everything operation went. My friend Erin and I went on a walk one night through all the olive groove, she had never heard anyone talk about God’s love in this way. He simply wanted to love on us, to dazzle us, for us to receive His fathering gifts simply just because He is a good dad. I guess that is how I see life. God dazzling us in the things our heart loves all the time but it’s our job to reach out and grab it or not. It’s our choice to rip open the package and fully be engaged with each daily gift He gives to our hearts, just because He is good. 

Three things I want to write on that we experienced: swimming in the Blue Grotto, realization about life on the bow of the boat, and the sunrise.  All three changed me. 

Now it has been three weeks since our fun adventure and I forget ,sadly, my exact feelings but I will try to do my best. I should have written this right when I returned!! Dang it, now I know for next time. 

The Blue Grotto. 

On Friday afternoon we walked around the town of Sorrento, which was covered in tourist and Italians both talking loud and walking fast. Sorrento is a beach town on the coast of the Gulf of Napels. Beautiful people, beautiful sights, beautiful food. So it’s just great right. It was more of a humble town in my opinion. Stuck to itself, chilled by the coast. Didn’t care to be some fancy town on the coast like Amalfi or Positano. The land is covered in lemon trees, which makes their all famous lemon cello. As we walked the tiny streets a poster caught my eye, it said boat tour to the island of Capri. I made all the girls stop and vote for the next day if this was a good idea or not. 

Now the island of Capri is, well like the land of Eden some say. It is an island which EVERYTHING on it is super expensive due to it being an island off the coast of Italy, but also because hey Giorgio Armani lives there, the waters are crystal blue, and the mountains will take your breath away. It’s one of those fancy spancy island of the wealthy and just for one day I wanted to see. We voted and all agreed- we would do the boat tour for 40 euros. Seems like a lot, it wasn’t. Not for this trip! I would have paid way more for the experience I had.  First of all a bus picked us up from our camp- PERFECT because the day before we waited 45 minutes for the bus and could have walked 1 kil. in half that time down to the city. Two- they took us straight to the harbor and walked on the boat with 50 other American tourists. Lets just say we were the only ones on the boat who were in our twenties. Three the captain let me sit on the bow of the boat!!!! We started off and I was ecstatic! On a boat again, where my heart feels free and my childhood memories always come rushing back. We were heading straight to the island of Capri and I was trying to take pictures when the captain was like “you sit up!” with a huge grin.

I think he really likes his job, he was just happy the whole time. And climbed to the front and almost cried as I sat, alone, on the bow of the boat starting at this mystical island that i’ve only just heard about. Sitting on the bow is what I do on my dad’s boat growing up, I knew I would not fall off if I stood up, I knew I could hang my feet over the side and touch the white crashing waves. So I did! It was a gift #2 from God to my heart. The first one was just simply the trip in itself that everything worked out smoothly. But this gift, He knew would ignite my heart in ways other things never compare too. There is just something about my hair blowing in the breeze, the motion of a boat, the sounds of the waves, the smells of the ocean. Sometimes there are no words to those experiences your heart joyfully and willfully smiles at all day long. The things worth being a human for even having to deal with this crappy thing called sin.

I am a detailed story teller you must know, I do not tell a short story. I started at the beginning and I’m not even to the middle. Sorry...i’m not sorry ;)

The boat people dropped us off to the main port for 5 hours. We explored the ridiculous island of Capri with wide wide eyes of amazement just at God’s creation. I had a lemon orange icey that was UNbelievable for 5 freaking euros, it was so worth it! I don’t drink coffee, so I save where others spend. ;) It was 80 degree’s out and we were craving the ocean. After walking for 2 hours we found a free beach by the port to which we spent 3 full hours (almost missing the boat) swimming, reading, napping, talking, and collecting sea glass. The thing about the Mediterranean is there is so much salt you can float VERY easily. It’s not like the dead sea or anything crazy like that, but it takes no effort to float. Shannon, Amy, Alyssa, and I all floated in the middle of the crystal blue waters and sang songs for an hour. I get very child like when I’m in any sort of water. I resort always back to my days growing up at the pool and all the imaginary games I would play for hours. This time I pretended I was a mermaid running away from my evil step mother who, could not swim. We laughed, we tried to touch the white sand at the bottom although it was WAY farther down than we thought, we sang, and we soaked in the presences of God.

He was just loving on us. I love swimming by myself. It’s a thing I do when ever I go by water. I wait for the perfect time, all my friends fall asleep, than I run out to the water with always hesitation never knowing how cold the water might be, but still running in to the thought I can be alone here. I love the little moments with God when it’s just Him and me, doing my favorite things. Whether that be swimming or taking a bike ride, or just watching the sunset, I know He enjoys those moments with me, where my heart is alive and I can be a child again in His presence. To not care what I look like, to be free from possessions, or insecurities of womanhood, and I can just be a child of God.

My best friend Ariel Wood did the Gordon program last semester and of course I made her tell me everything so I was prepared. The thing is she didn’t. She would tell me what I needed to know and that was it. She wanted me to have my own experiences, I respect that so much. The one story she did tell and stuck with me was her trip to Capri. I KNEW I had to visit it because of her stories. I knew it was going to change me. She told the story of the Blue Grotto, the place where Caesar had his own private swimming hole. What the what? And I can pay to go in there? Heck YES I want to see. The imagery of bright blue cave lit up due to the reflection of the white sand below stuck in my mind from Ariel, I knew I had to see this magical place. The boat picked us back up from the port and took us around the island. Yes I went out on the bow again and sang sweet love songs to Jesus, thanking Him for this earth. 

We get to the Blue Grotto and there was just a whole bunch of big boats hanging around with little 4 person boats being rowed by Italian men going boat to boat picking people up like a taxi. We had to wait for a long while but lets just say IT WAS WORTH IT. My new friend Erin came with me. Of course you had to pay like 14 euro to go into the grotto than another 5 if you wanted to swim, did I take the full experience? Heck yes. This all happened so fast, faster than I was expecting. They picked 4 of us up from our boat, I had to carefully with my camera climb down this little ladder get into this little tiny boat and sit on the ground in-between two boards. We were smooched together, I was probably sitting on Erin’s lap I honestly don’t remember it went so fast.

The Italian boat man is standing on this maybe 7 feet wooden boat and rows us over to this other boat where other men are sitting with boxes of cash. They take our money and we are next! I am watching a few guys come out and starring in disbelief that we are some how going to fit into this tiny tiny whole. Oh without a word of caution he goes for it, holding the chain that is connected to the other side and pulling us through. If Erin did not yell at me to put my head down I would have gotten smacked in the face. I was just trying to get a picture!! (That is always my excuse isn’t it? haha)

Entering the grotto I was like this isn’t blue! It’s just dark. OH but than after 10-20 seconds my eyes start to adjust and the entire cave turned bright royal blue in front of my eyes. It just illuminated like a slow light bulb, when it was on, it was bright. Our boat man starts singing Italian love songs, atleast thats what I thought it was, and Erin and I just look at each other like is this real life? There are a few other boats inside the grotto as well with their boat men singing as if they were gondola men in Venice. Our dude starts at me, “get in, get in, not much time!”. So I strip my clothes off to my swim suit, throw my camera at Erin hoping she can figure out how to use it, and dive in. 

I have never in my life, felt more like a mermaid!!!! I thought my heart was going to explode out of excitement. I dove under, twisted around in the clear blue waters, flutter kicking like I seriously was a mermaid. I floated there for a while in disbelief. The boat man acted like he was going to leave me as a joke and I was in pure bliss.

I floated there for a while, thinking about life, about what I want to do. I was only in the water for 10 minutes if that but I went through a lot in those 10 minutes. What I decided was, you must touch to make a promise. I stated this in my Roma blog, “A touch makes a promise sight betrays.” I looked up on the internet what the Blue Grotto’s looked like. But NOTHING will compare to experiencing a swim in the cool blue waters, looking down below and only seeing white sand and tiny black fish swimming to and fro. Nothing will compare to tasting the sea salt on accident or the sound of the Italian men singing songs of the old day.

Nothing will compare to God speaking to me about being a photographer, that I am not only to capture moments but experience a moment in life. No camera will be as good as my internal camera, that can pick up sounds, smells, feelings. Those are the moments only I will be able to remember the rest of my life, that I will try to replay over and over in my head, but resting in the fact it was worth it. Life is about experiencing. Experiencing the risk in a love that may break your heart one day, experiencing the the raw love of God has He heals one of His children using your hands, experiencing His creation in a way where you can smell, touch, taste it, not just looking at a photo.

Life it to be engaged with, to be taken at its word, to fall in love with. The Blue Grotto’s was a life changing experience for me not because I know Caesar swam in those waters thousands of years ago, or because Ariel said it changed her or because it is known the closest thing to Eden on earth, but because I had encounter with God in His natural creation and He spoke truth to my heart about I am one to experience this life not just look at. This word set me on a new path. To live life and live it abundantly.

I hope you are still reading, I know my parents, grandparents, and probably Kim Oyler is still reading and crying by now. I promise almost, ish, done. 

I somehow to my amazement, easily pulled myself back into the boat, with getting Erin wet a bit but thankfully camera wrapped in a towel. We went back through the tiny whole where we are just laughing that our heads were not popped off and back onto the big boat. I was the only one to swim on our boat, course they were all my grandparents age with no swim suit in sight. I got to walk around the boat in my towel, no shoes, and wet hair- just like on my dad’s boat. I don’t know how else to be on a boat right? I jumped back on the bow and sat there for the reminder of the tour. They took us all the way around the island, to the green grotto and the white grotto. They were in no comparison to the blue! It was a 2 hour tour ride back to Sorrento and just enough time for me to think. I got hit with a love for my parents, I have not been able to tell them this yet. I wanted them to be there, I thought they deserve this more than I do. Who am I to deserve this gift today?

They are the ones who have worked their whole life for me, the ones who do everything they can so I can have a good life, the ones who love without ceasing. God why did you give this to me? I thought about how they would be so humble and say “no no we want you to experience this” and I got hit with their selfless love for me and my brother. Than with God’s love all over again. I do have some amazing parents and one God who outshines anything on this earth. God spoke so simply the way he always does, “Just like this trip I planned long ago before you knew, I have such great plans for your life. Plans that will dazzle you, plans that you will understand my love better, plans that are for you. All you have to do is dive in. What I have planned for you is better than anything you could plan for yourself” It’s my choice if I want to dive into the unknown of God’s great mystery. I have a choice in this. So I decided on the bow of the boat, with my head resting on the railing, my head of curls blowing in the wind, in my wet swim suit, that it doesn’t matter what I look like or how I get there but I will dive in.

That night we walked around town, ate a really good italian meal of course, got gelato and walked back to the camp. Stayed up WAY to late talking with the girls, those are my favorite times- late night conversations with friends. Than Erin and I decided to wake up half an hour before the sunrise and go down to the beach. Now the beaches on the coast are not what you would think. With the one exception on Capri, the beaches are all off cliffs no sand. So to even get down to the water you must walk a long ways down the hill that takes probably 5-10 minutes. Score, we were the only ones out that morning! We were tired, groggy, hungry, and cold. But with our swim suits still damp from the day before, our wet towels, and my camera we made it down to the cliff beach. 

Oh the colors of morning take my breath away. There is never a sunrise that looks the same. The clouds are different, the hues are different, the way the bird fly across my view are different every time. It’s like God likes routines but needs to change it up for the spice of life. Erin and I listen to “Your Beautiful” read a psalms and strip to our swim suits. Standing their shivering, looking at the dark unknown water we jump in. IT WAS PERFECT. The water was warming than the air. I love when that happens. We floated looking at the sky, talking about life and love, talking about the whimsical nature of God. For 15 minutes we watched the colors change in front of our eyes from de saturated orange, to yellow orange, to just yellow as the sun rose above the mountains. My breath was taken away. All my favorite things at one time: swimming, the sunrise, new friends. God sure does give good gifts to the ones He loves. What a weekend of pure dazzling from the heart of God. I have never been so happy in a long time. All weekend there was a permeant smile on my face. The happiness I felt was one as a child I remember. It’s that happiness where the world is alright, life is about love about simplicity. This happiness brought me back to what my heart loves- water, friendship, the simple things in life. God just wanted to show off, like when one is in love, He showed off His beautiful blue crystal waters, His brush work in the morning sky, and His diverse personalities in my friends. We all are different but more the same than we think, we were all created by the same artist.