Farewell for Now

I've been putting off this post because it feels like completing this officially closes the Seattle chapter for now. It was a great time of experience and growth, without a doubt, and I can't wait to see how the Lord will use everything He worked in me this summer to continue to work out His will in my life in the coming months. Here are a few images and sounds from my final weeks in Sea town. Like the closing lines of a song, they're sweet and familiar and close to my heart.

This is a short clip I was able to capture at the last St. Mark's Compline service that I attended. The video certainly doesn't do justice to the beauty of being there, but this is about as close as I could bring you. They're singing the hymn, "When All Thy Mercies," the lyrics to which I have listed are absolutely beautiful.

"When all Thy mercies, O my God,

My rising soul surveys, Transported with the view,

I’m lost In wonder, love and praise."

I stayed true to you all despite the pressures of the PAC-10. I was thinking of you always.

Canadian dollars and hanging out in Vancouver - check.

Brynn and I at Granville Island in Vancouver my last weekend in Seattle.

Vancouver in the fog. :)

Not impressed with the efficiency at US customs, but I guess it was alright to not be stranded in Canada.

We took a field trip to IKEA to get some things for the drop-in: I had never been before and it is SO GOOD.

20th row at the Mariners and got to witness an triple play -- the Mariners' first since 1995! What a great night!

With Kate at the game :)

At the last summer RUF and my last RUF at the UW

Cilla, Alex, Hayley, Me and Mark

Me and Kylene on Lake Washington my last day in Seattle

Lizzie Johnson at Golden Gardens Beach for my going away party - we cooked hot dogs for everyone on Cilla's tiny tiny grill and it worked so well!

The morning that I left, Cilla and I tried to make a quick trip to the Space Needle because we hadn't had a chance to go up to the top yet! Unfortunately, it was super super foggy, and visibility was zero. So we saved it for my next trip up!

Mt. St. Helens from the air!

Mt. Adams from the air. Farewell, for now, Washington State. You've been good to me.

I'm sitting in the SeaTac aiport.

I'm fairly certain that I have a fever.

I can't breathe through my nose. Thus, my throat is sore.

I went to the Space Needle this morning. It was too foggy and I didn't get to go up to the observation deck because visibility = zero.

That is my status as of 11:30am PST.

Oklahoma in T-minus 6 hours 56 minutes.

At this moment in the airport, I simultaneously miss Seattlites and Oklahomans. It's rough, people. It's rough.

For a Little Perspective

Things I am missing/looking forward to upon my return (We're now under the 48 hour mark):

Let's just say that Family & Friends are understood as givens.

1. Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Tulsa
2. The blue couch in the living room at my parents' house.
3. My silver Honda Civic.
4. Shades of Brown on Brookside.
5. Chick-fil-As within a reasonable distance.
6. Cafe Plaid
7. The Mont
8. A house full of roommates I find delightful
9. Houses full of friends within walking distance
10. Sooner Football
11. RUF & The Servens
12. Second Wind concerts
13. The Katie Tracy Band
14. The red couch in the living room at 1042 Leslie.
15. The piano in the dining room at my parents' house.
16. Classic 50's happy hour.
17. Warm summer nights on back porches.

This list is not complete, but it does include a few of my favorite things.

Anticipating a whirlwind over the next two weeks!

Staff Fun Day

I want you to get to "hang out" with the awesome staff I've had the pleasure of working with all summer. This is hard because most of you live 1500+ miles away from them. So here are a few pictures from our staff fun day, which at this point, is the closest I can get you.

Tyler Bauer himself.

Brynn and Kate are excited for staff fun day - headed to Panera for breakfast to decide what to do for the day - which quickly leads to the decision to take the ferry to Whidbey Island -- but only after a trip to Barnes & Noble to each pick out a bit of reading for the trip.

Brynny and I on the ferry pulling away from the dock. Super foggy that morning - cleared up soon after this.

Kate playing Titanic off the side of the ferry in the fog. :)

Tyler took us to a secret beach he and his family had found on their last Whidbey trip. It was absolutely beautiful and a gorgeous day.

We explored tide pools and found all sorts of friends.

Exploring under a rock revealed babies of the crabbiest kind.

Kate with a tide pool find of her own.

Crabby close-up.

Brynn smiles.

Kate is all grins. :)

Tyler was throwing rocks in the air and watching them splash.

Kate catchin' some rays. This beach is particularly rockier than the others I have visited earlier this summer. :)

Gettin' our beach readin' on.

Happy, sweet staff.

Hello Seattle

I recently got a request from Sally Schupack for more pictures from around Seattle. So I've been collecting photos of late to share with you and hopefully give you a more thorough mind- image of this beautiful city where I live, work and play!

While driving near downtown, I snapped these two shots that show you a little bit of what that part of the city is like. The below shot pictures this also. Things are not super crazy as far as traffic and all of that goes, which is really nice.

A Russian Orthodox Church I spotted and snapped a picture of:

The largest Whole Foods I have ever seen! Complete with restaurant and everything!

The city as seen from the ferry! Sarah Allshouse and Kyle Williams were on board this ferry with me.

Safeco field on game night! Red Sox were in town.

Beautiful view of the city from our seats waaaay up high.

While this is not the best picture of it, this is the U-District as seen from I-5. That tall tower was just recently purchased by the UW. The tall tower on the left side is some student housing. you can see this tower in the next photo, too.

This is 47th Street, which is where our Drop-In center and offices are located. Drop-In is on the left, offices to the right down the alley. That tower in the background is the one I mentioned above, for some perspective.

This is inside Cafe on the Ave - which has been mentioned on this blog before as a place I frequented upon arrival in the U-District in June. Fairly trendy with a dash of undeniable pretentiousness.

Another favorite, this is a place called "The Ugly Mug." Discovered upon referral from a friend, and quickly a favorite, especially after sampling their excellent iced vanilla chai.

This is the Fremont Bridge - just down the street from Cilla and I's apartment, and the frequent cause of auto and pedestrian traffic holdups. This bridge, along with several others in Seattle, is able to raise up to let boats pass that are two tall to go under. It has caused many a delayed bus, as my main stop is just on the far side of it.

This is the view from the Ballard Bridge towards Fremont, Queen Anne, Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. Directly to my (the photographer's) left on the Ballard side of the bridge is Mars Hill Church's main campus. The hill on the left in this picture is Ballard and Fremont. The Fremont Bridge is directly ahead. Queen Anne hill is on the right, which is where our apartment is. This waterway leads into Lake Union, and the hill you can see in the distance behind that is Capitol Hill.

This boat said "E. L. Bartlett" Which made me think "EEEEE Laura Bartlett!"

As I said, the tour was brief, I'm trying to post many pictures this week so you'll no doubt see more of the city through those as well!

It was my Birthday (Part 1)

Sunday was my birthday. 21 years since I breathed my first breath. Or something like that. Plus, 21 is supposedly a milestone or some such thing.

I wanted to see if this day was important to anyone in the world except for me. I mean, I know that it is. People are born and die and do important things everyday. Surely the 25th of July has not been exempt from all activity in all years of history excepting the year 1989, right? So I did a bit of research.

Alright, I'll admit it, I just wikipedia'd July 25th.

On that day in the year 306, Constantine was proclaimed Emperor by his troops. As I recall, he went on to do some fairly significant things thereafter.

In 1788, Mozart completed the Symphony Number 40 in G Minor. You may have heard of it.

In 1868, Wyoming was made a United States territory. A couple people I've known have lived in Wyoming.

The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union was established in 1925. I guess some people "like" the Soviet Union.

I share my birthday with others, of course. I have three friends, even, that I know were born on the 25th of July. But my name will probably never appear on the Wikipedia list of significant people born on that day. I'd have to cure a disease or conquer a country or do something worthy of this level of recognition in order for that to happen. That seems unlikely at this point.

I did discover, somehow for the first time, that I share this day of celebration with some "culturally signficiant" people I enjoy.

Namely, Matt Leblanc.

Also known as Joey Tribbiani.

This day does not belong to me alone. But somehow a part of it feels mine. It feels special - but maybe only because my friends and family make it so. Otherwise, it's just like every other day. People are born. People die. People do important things.

Somehow it still feels special. I guess I'll let it keep feeling that way. Or I'll just celebrate Wyoming Territory Day.

Longhorn Fail

Today we had "Street Break" from 1-2pm. This is basically a short drop-in, we have lunch and youth can shower, do laundry, get all the normal resources that are available to them, etc. One of my (secret) favorite youth, M (who has appeared on this blog before!) came in today wearing a University of Texas hat. All of our youth for the most part wear clothes that they are given or get for free through different drop-ins, and M is especially notorious for coming in with different items he has been given and not knowing exactly what they are.

Our youth could also probably not tell you on a map which state Oklahoma is, and if you mentioned the Sooners, they would stare at your blankly. We can discuss at another time how painful this has been for me.

But I knew that the "hat" needed to be addressed. Because M and I have an extraordinarily amiable relationship (I get a lot of "How you doin" from him), I knew that I had no choice but to break the news to him that his hat...literally was breaking my heart. Our conversation went something like this:

"M, I really need to talk to you."

"What's up?"

"M, I just feel like we're at a place in our friendship where I need to be honest with you, and I need you to know...that your hat...is from the University of Texas."

"...Right."

"Well, M, I don't know if you remember, but I go to the University of Oklahoma...and there is really...nothing...that we hate more than the University of Texas."

"Ohhh."

"And you know, I just wanted you to know, you're my friend, and I just want the best for you."

"Cool."

The hat was voluntarily off M's head ten minutes later. Score one for the Oklahoma Sooners.