Hi, friends. So sorry for the delay in posting. Lots of fun things going on up here in Chi-town. :) 

First off: Goodbye suburbs, and hellllooo Rogers Park. So excited to call this precious and exciting little Chicago neighborhood home for the last half of my summer. I really feel like a true Chicagoan now with my walk to the “L” every morning ( the subway transit), becoming a regular at the early morning local farmer’s market, & spending every extra moment I have soaking up the sun on the less than 5 minute walk away beach (well, lake, beach, same thing. These northerners get a little confused about their bodies of water up here).

I’m even becoming a pro at parallel parking (which, despite my many failed attempts at driving around for forever to find easier parking, has proven to be a must if you want to live in the city). 

Last week’s recap:

Glen Hansard show at Milleninium Park Music Monday’s. Incredible. He starred in the Irish, indie movie Once with Marketa Irglova. 

Obsessed with this song. It’s been on repeat all week.

Then, one out of the loooongggg list of summer festivals (long as in, I put about 20 on my calendar-go big or go home, right? :) ) I was most excited about going to this summer was:

The “Taste,” is the world’s largest food festival, right in the heart of downtown, attracting more that 3.5 million food lovers. Seeing as how I am just that, I loved being able to try different foods that I wouldn’t normally eat. (confession: I have a weakness for good food & wine, and if you bribe me, I will cave & spend wayyyy more than a poor college student should. For example, The Four Coursemen once in-a-lifetime meal my girlfriends & I splurged on last fall. wouldn’t trade it at all.) 

On top of good food & wine, they have musical acts, & the adorable Greyson Chance performed. Remember, 6th grader phenomenon, performed Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi on Ellen Degeneres. I was dying, channeling my inner middle school Justin Timberlake & Jonathan Taylor Thomas crushes. 

Greyson, being such a baller.

And, ending with a perfect 90 degree weather 4th of July Weekend complete with hours spent on the beach with my new favorite book (Heaven is For Real-get it, seriously. Best book ever filled with pages of simple truth from the mouth of a child) & watching fireworks on Navy Pier. Fourth of July is always such a happy day filled with appreciation, hope, joy, Lee Greenwood’s “I’m Proud to be an American,” hotdogs, watermelon, & of course, my favorite, fireworks. I do love the USA. 

The past two weekends have been spent celebrating love, weddings, & two special couples who love Jesus & each other so very much. It has been such beautiful & precious thing to be a part of. 

Wedding Weekend #1.

One year ago today, I would have not even know sweet Shannon. We met on a summer trip to Haiti that would forever change my heart & life. Throughout some heartbreaking & some many “praise Jesus-i’m-in-awe-moments”  I met precious friends that will forever be a part of my life. I’m so thankful for each one of them, & was thrilled to have been up here to go to Shan Shan’s fabulous wedding in St. Louis.

Hope for Haiti Team 2. June 2010. 

Shannon & I with two precious little angels. 

The GORGEOUS bride & I on her wedding day. 

Wedding Weekend Extravaganza #2. 

All the way to…..

That’s right. Home sweet home. Loved having a whirlwind of a trip home full of my family, sweet tea, 100 degree (humid) weather, & southern goodness to celebrate my cousin & his lovely bride. The wedding was too perfect (a Motown band is a must have at any celebration for sure). 

How cute are they? :) 

Mr. & Mrs. Ross. Stunning. Handsome. Perfect. Love them. 

Cheers. 

In honor of National Pink Day (thanks Audrey for paving the way for every girls undying love obsession for this perfect shade of color ), here’s a little of what has had me oohing & aahing over all day. 

If Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, & Prince’s voices were all put together, David Ryan Harris is what you would get. His music is soothing to the soul & his talent will blow you away. So, it was such great news to hear that the Atlanta native is recording a new cd. If you order one before it’s released you can see updates & video blogs of him in the process of recording. Trust me, you want need to buy it. And he’s donating a portion of the proceeds to Camp Sunshine in Decatur, a camp that helps renew the minds of children who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Dying with excitement at this news because that means more memories with the girls seeing him at intimate venues like Smith’s Old Bar & possibly another surprise appearance from John Mayer (they’re besties, no big). A girl can dream.

Video is from the impromptu once in a lifetime show we went to with John Mayer & DRH.

ps. love how the video is creepily zoomed in on john’s face. 

Confession: I am a planner. I love filling up my calendar. I love looking ahead to see the next best show coming to town, the next weekend road trip I can go on, any chance to go somewhere new & adventurous. I hate staying in the same places for very long (yet i’m not the greatest with change, still working on it).  

Through this season of change, the Lord has been teaching me so many things. I’ve realized that I spend much of my time being consumed with daydreaming, wondering, & sometimes even panicking about the next step. Many times, I’m not living in the present or being content with today. 

“And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11 

 I’ve found myself even in this glorious, grand, wonderful city thinking about where in the world am I going to GO in December (when i graduate & the bliss of college life has passed, sigh) 

The Lord is teaching me time & again to stop focusing on what is ahead of me & start living for today and enjoying each moment that I have where I am right now because I could be missing out on precious blessings and experiences He has ready for me. 

Truth: The Lord has already ordained my future. He is in control of every new & wonderful place that I go.  

“A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 

His ways are perfect. His plans for me are perfect, & therefore any place I go next will be perfect. 

You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

It isn’t about where I go next or what new city whether big or small I am in. It’s about how I spend my time in these new places. This past semester, my pastor talked about us needing to take care & focus on the “how’s” and the Lord will take care of the “where’s.”

So, today instead of soaking up all of my short summer moments in Chicago thinking about what new city I will go to next, and oh gosh i cannot move home when i graduate, I’m going to focus on how am I going to live in this moment today for Him? How am I going to glorify God in my internship today? How I am going to use these new relationships that He’s given me today? How am I going to show His love today? 

Tonight I will be here: 

Millenium Park

Listening to:

The wonderfully talented Iron & Wine. ekkk. SO excited for the Free Music Monday Summer Concert Series that is starting up. Coming from Athens (hellooo perfect music town), I’ve been dying for a new show to go to & this is the perfect prelude to kick off the summer! 

Okk. he has nothing to do with Iron & Wine, but come on, so presh. And he could totally pass as Sam Beam’s baby twin.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Monday! 

*Blog Title: Lyrics from Iron & Wine’s song “Beneath the Balcony” 

This song by the the Parlours, my new discovery folk music find from the Midwest, has been the perfect anthem for my morning ride into the city…

…and my walk across the bridge.

not too bad :)