Dandelions can also brighten any day

Sometimes it's hard to ease my mind to realize you're always with me: waiting, willing to hear my prayers, my hopes, my dreams, my every need. I pray for light in times of darkness. -Jack Johnson, "Country Road."

Today, I glimpsed the joy and beauty of life that so often goes unnoticed. I feel excited, I feel alive. Not only are doors opening, but mountains are parting. The brightest lamp in the entire world is lighting my path and showing me where to go, making sure I don't get lost. I have never felt so completely sure about anything in my life.

I have finally found the way to follow my heart. And to say anymore about it than that would somehow diminish its value. It feels so delicate, so fragile, that even a breeze could blow it away.

All I know is that asking God for guidance does nothing if you insist on being in control. It's so hard to ignore my micromanaging instincts, but learning to let go has been... awe-inspiring.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8

Color of the day: dandelion yellow: the color of this evening's sky as I watched the sun slide beneath the horizon, the hue of the flowers handed to me by a complete stranger before he disappeared into a crowd, and my equivalent of rose-colored glasses. Also, my favorite word.

(I realize everything in this post is cliché, but I won't apologize). Cheers!

Graduation reds

Most of the time, it's easy for me to escape. Simple things- strumming on my guitar strings, baking cookies, watching the ocean as it rolls- take me somewhere else. Nothing can touch me and I'm enveloped by an incredible peace.

The past couple days, however, those simple things can't seem to take my mind away from reality. I'm faced with my college graduation in a week and a half. Exciting right? Well, yes and no. No argument from me that it's going to be wonderful not waking up at 6:30 a.m. for class or spending hours reading pointless textbooks. On the other hand, "WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO DO NOW?!?!" is a question that follows me everywhere, every day.

It's not really an issue of finding a job; I have a great part-time gig that will do for now. The issue is a core decision: what path should I be on? How deep do I let myself get in a career that I don't want? How hard should I fight to make the path that's close to my heart work?

You know those days when you get the mean reds?

The mean reds? You mean like the blues?

No, the blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

-Breakfast at Tiffany's

I'll leave it to you to decipher the color of the day...