Shared Comfort

Hello everyone. Yes, it has been an excessive amount of time since I last posted and yes, I am sorry. Not that many of you probably cared about my absence or even noticed but the polite thing to do is bring it up rather than ignore it. So here goes: I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I have no excuses. Simply, an apology. I guess I should probably catch you up on my life. I am finally  back home in Cruces and I have been for awhile. As much as I would like to say that my semester in Spain flew and I can't believe where the time went, I'd rather just be honest. The semester went by at a fairly normal (if not slower than usual) rate and I know exactly where the time went. I could probably give you a play-by-play of my day if you gave me a specific date to walk you through. In any case, last semester was a wonderful experience but being home is even more wonderful. And now that I am back in Cruces, I've been able to jump back into the church and build those rel...

Hello, hello! I truly am terrible at introductions. A part of me hopes that one day I will get better and the other part of me has come to terms with my terrible introductions. Anyways, I guess I could start off by saying that this post has been a few weeks in the making. It began as a single sentence in the notes section of my phone and was added to/made sense of as time went on. The beginning sentence was typed up in the middle of the night when my mind wouldn't let me rest. I was wide awake and thinking of home when I pulled out my phone and typed up "the Lord has changed the game." Now, before I explain this sentence, I should give some background on myself. I am a planner. Not so much a day-by-day planner but I am very much a "big picture" planner. I have a very detailed idea of what my next five years will look like and any deviation from this idea makes me nervous. My five year plan involves ministry, peace corps work, and many other things--most of...

Hello, Things are better than my last post. I felt the need to start this post off by easing any minds that were worried about me and my homesickness. I am doing better. Thank you for the concern, thank you for the prayers, and thank you for the encouragement. Everyday I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the community that surrounds and grounds me. But it's when I am feeling particularly sad that people send love and encouragement from all directions and my heart swells. Grateful just doesn't seem to communicate how I truly feel but for a lack of better words, I will say that I am grateful. Grateful for community, encouragement, and Christ's attributes found in people. Anyways, now that we are done with my sappy note, I have things to share!! As always, I want to start this post with a story or some background information--the rising action as some may say. So, when I was deciding where to study abroad last year, I chose Spain specifically for the language. As most of y...

Day two of my semester abroad: I just made a countdown to when I can see my parents. Day two of my semester abroad: I almost feel like I am ready to go home. Day two of my semester abroad: maybe I'm just not cut out for this. I have a few stories to tell you all. Let's begin. Homesick story #1: I remember when I was eight years old and at camp for the first time ever, my homesickness hit me so hard that I sat under the waterslide and cried until my counselor came to get me. I couldn't sing the worship songs because I heard too much of my mom in them and I couldn't do activities because all I wanted to do was experience them with my dad. Homesick story #2: about ten years later, when I worked at this camp as a counselor, I was away from home for a three month period but would visit home once every month. My visit home would be no longer than 24 hours and each visit felt more and more painful. At about week 8, I remember very vividly sitting on my bed during the w...

Hello, my name is Sydney and I am undeniably dramatic. Those of you who personally know me will read this, laugh, and probably recall an instance where I have been exceptionally dramatic and emotional. As I have mentioned many times before, I am moved to tears almost everyday over the smallest things like hearing an old Maroon 5 song or getting a good discount on clothes. This is just who I am. I've always been this way. I can think of a million times where I have been made fun of for the way I handle my emotions. When I was younger, I used to get extensively hurt when someone would call me dramatic. In high school, it would anger me to the point of my face turning red and it would lead me to scream in my car when I was alone. I felt like people would discredit my opinion because of how dramatic I was and it made me feel small and unappreciated. To this day, people still call me dramatic but as of about two years ago, it doesn't affect me as much as it used to. Here's wha...

Hello, everyone. This post is being written out of spite for the papers I have due in the morning that have not even been started yet. Please, enjoy my procrastination as I pour out my "heavy thoughts" to you. Entonces, let us begin. I'd like to start by giving you a small glimpse into my odd mind. I believe that in Heaven, there is a book titled with my name and in that book, there is everything I've ever experienced written down and divided into chapters. I'd imagine that each chapter has a clever name with a funny pun in it--given my sense of humor--or the chapters are named with some random book reference that nobody would understand but me and the person who created my heart. I can think of the many chapters of my life but I think of the most recent one that came to a close. It should be titled "the Great Perhaps." This is the chapter of my summer. The chapter that I spent exploring the North American Continent, exploring who I was, and explorin...

And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and waves, the people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:25-28. ESV This morning I woke up and checked social media to see record of the largest mass shooting in USA, to date. I don't know what overcame me but tears instantly began running down my face. Anyone can attest to how emotional I am. If I am overcome with any emotion that isn't my neutral emotion, I cry. I cry hard. However, these recent disasters haven't led me to tears until today. Today, I found myself sobbing as I was having one of those "you've got to be kidding me" conve...