blossomingjoy

"If I never experience the ugliness of sin I would have no way of knowing how radical his grace is..."

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:06:51 -0400

“If I never experience the ugliness of sin I would have no way of knowing how radical his grace is and the depth to which I am loved.”

- Kimm Crandell (via kidwiththebulletsoul)

Happy 25th birthday to one of the best blessings ever, @ktmckenz...

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 19:29:05 -0400

Happy 25th birthday to one of the best blessings ever, @ktmckenz (at Cypress Gardens)

I have the best job. Friday meetings look like this. Currently...

Fri, 31 May 2013 20:54:10 -0400

I have the best job. Friday meetings look like this. Currently talking business with my bosses while shark fishing.

Happy birthday my dear, @clarkboutwell

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:18:46 -0400

Happy birthday my dear, @clarkboutwell

Peonies and polkadots in the counseling room today! (at Heath...

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:41:02 -0400

Peonies and polkadots in the counseling room today! (at Heath First)

#dontanawedding I love me some @katemonts

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:23:19 -0400

#dontanawedding I love me some @katemonts

Mahi-mahi!! Offshore fishing for the day! (at 60 miles out. )

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:20:31 -0400

Mahi-mahi!! Offshore fishing for the day! (at 60 miles out. )

So thankful to be “aunt mayo” to these two girls.

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:42:06 -0400

So thankful to be “aunt mayo” to these two girls.

this past week i was on vacation with my family in florida. one...

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:32:19 -0400

this past week i was on vacation with my family in florida.

one of the days i was walking along the beach searching for shells and other treasures. there was not much to be had. and the shells that were there were mostly broken.

i didn’t necessarily know what i was looking for. but i knew what i wasn’t looking for. i was not looking for broken, torn up shells. so i would walk and pick up little bits hopeful, and quickly toss them back into the water because they weren’t good enough. not perfect. not whole.

isn’t that what we do with people? with our experiences? with whatever may come our way?

it was one of those sacred moments that i have occasionally. a moment that i wish to write on my heart.

i want to pick and choose what i think i am looking for. and toss back what doesn’t seem quite right.

but if the shells don’t come out of the ocean… they are bound to only get more and more broken and cracked.

don’t toss it away because it doesn’t seem to be what you expected.

Momma bear.

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:02:39 -0400

Momma bear.

Me and the gator. #familyvacay2013 #fishordie

Thu, 09 May 2013 19:41:00 -0400

Me and the gator. #familyvacay2013 #fishordie

Just fishin.

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:18:27 -0400

Just fishin.

#vacay2013

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:18:10 -0400

#vacay2013

dear bright eyed, hopeful me—- you walked across the stage just one year ago, awarded your...

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:51:21 -0400

dear bright eyed, hopeful me—-

you walked across the stage just one year ago, awarded your master of clinical psychology. how could it only be a year?

you listened to a speaker talk about how as you leave wheaton you will be embarking on new adventures. but not to forget. not to forget about what you learned here.

have i forgotten? it’s only been a year!

a master of clinical psychology. it doesn’t seem that much. it doesn’t seem so grand. it’s become: a friend, a listener, a helper, a learner.

those things define what happens in my therapy hours. whether it is talking with couples, playing wall-ball outside my office with a young boy, or sitting with a crying girl my same age.

i learned much more in those hours at wheaton than was taught by my textbooks. experience, perseverance, hope.

i wish i would have known a year ago: that life is humbling. that god is faithful.

and that a year goes by fast. so open your eyes. take it in.

sometimes i just randomly think about the fact that dan humphrey...

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:10:46 -0400

sometimes i just randomly think about the fact that dan humphrey was gossip girl. and i literally laugh out loud.

#gossipgirl

heaven-hurts-too: http://heaven-hurts-too.tumblr.com

Wed, 01 May 2013 16:48:32 -0400

heaven-hurts-too:

http://heaven-hurts-too.tumblr.com

Butcherandbee. Duh. @kbnorthrup @ktmckenz so fun.

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:29:22 -0400

Butcherandbee. Duh. @kbnorthrup @ktmckenz so fun.

on being a therapist {six months in}

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:00:44 -0400

i have been terrible at blogging lately.

i think that it is for a couple reasons: partly because i refuse to get internet at my apartment. and also because there is just too much… like i wouldn’t even know where to start.

i spent a week traveling with my boss out west. we spent a couple days in seattle and then went on to portland for a psychology conference. i realized a couple things:

i have become an introvert. i spent a lot of time alone…walking, exploring, sitting in coffee shops. i loved it.
i love traveling. seeing new places. being somewhere that no one knows me.
i also remembered how much i love learning. how much i love listening to a professor talk about a new concept. having the lightbulb turn on in my head.
i realized how sweet my time was at wheaton, and how god used that experience for good. i got to see a few professors and also a few classmates. and it made me reflect on that time. and thankful for what has happened since those days.

life is good. most days and weeks pass by without much happening. i sit with people in pain. i see glimmers of hope. i play outside on the weekend. i catchup with friends.

god is in it. he cares about it all.

Portland Portland.

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:47:55 -0400

Portland Portland.

I went on a hike today. On my own accord. If you know me, you...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:42:57 -0400

I went on a hike today. On my own accord. If you know me, you know this is a big deal.