Who God Loves

"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, buy my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant." - Exodus 6:3-5

God loves the widowed, the orphan, the lost, the oppressed, the foreigner, the slave, the broken, the wounded, and any of those our world is quick to cast aside.

Are we, as followers of Christ loving those that the world has cast aside? Or are we quick to judge and protect our own selves.

"And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, buy whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole told and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?" - Mark 8-34-36

These are tough questions that I am wrestling with. 

Keep that in mind as you watch the this video: Why Honors Students Across the Country Are Being Thrown in Jail. 

Friendship

"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Travels Told Through Instragram

I recently visited Fresno and San Luis Obispo in the past week. Two of my favorite places in the world - for what I have experienced while living there, the people who still live there, and the hidden gems of each place.

And I was really into Instragram while I was there (much more than usual) since I actually had fun things to take pictures of. So here is my trip (as told through Instragram).

(top left) The Honolulu at Teazers

(top right) The Coconut Mocha at Ironbird Cafe

(bottom) Girls' night at the Minturns

(top left) Firestone tri-tip sandwich and fries

(top right) Pistachio ice cream at Doc Burnstein's 

(bottom left) Pastrami sandwich at High Street Deli

(bottom right) Breakfast burrito and nutty bean coffee at Nautical Bean

At Avila Beach

Me and my mom each bought new Cal Poly sweatshirts. She thought about getting an alumni one until I pointed out that they all said San Luis Obispo and she went to Cal Poly Pomona. Big difference.

(top left) Marshmallow madness book at Avila Valley Barn

(bottom left) Bean-boozed jelly beans at Doc Burnsteins

(right) Cool bottles at an Arroyo Grande antique shop

Creating Lists: 25 in 25

I love lists. I really do. They make me feel much more organized than I really am. I also love to cross things off my lists (I have been known to add new tasks to my list that I just finished just so I can cross it off).

Since I will be turning 25 in six months, I wanted to start creating my 25 things to do while I am 25 list. Not a very catchy name (I have plenty of time to work on it). I want them to be exciting, risk taking options, which is why I am preparing it a while in advance. But I need your help for ideas, things you did when you were 25 (or wished you did when you were 25), things you desire to do when you are 25 (for those not of that age)... please leave your comments below.

And now begins the audience participation of this blog post...