My token phrases for life as of late:

"Freakin..."
"Freaking whyyyy"
"WHAT IS LIFE??"
"Awkward"
"NOOO"

We have security cameras all over school.  I wonder if the guards can see me smiling stupidly every time after walking away from talking to the cute second year.  They'd probably get a good laugh.

The mentorship program started today and my 7th graders just began opening up, and I already have so much admiration for them for even bothering to see what it is we do.  They face a lot of adversity, but the tools they need are stored in their spirits.  I can tell they feel silly for saying "I want to be a doctor" at that age, but so did I back then.  It all starts from some sort of step in the right direction and seeing where it takes you.  I find myself wanting to flood them with words of wisdom but really all they need is one more person that believes in them, then they'll figure it out on their own.

There have been lots of little miracles today, and God has been present in it all.

As it's now officially a lunar new year, and since it's THE year of the sheep (yay!), maybe some big things are going to happen.

Ever so slightly, it's already starting to get warmer like a promise of possibilities to come.  Just need to keep on working hard.

They say that it's barren here, that Seattle has so much more greenery and lush nature.  That may be true, but those people haven't looked up at the sky.  Every day, the sun sets in different colors.

- How to be young (again).

- How to genuinely say sorry, and how much healing there is from letting go of bitterness every time.

- I want to be found and pursued... but so does he, whoever he is.

- I may never be good at big parties and mingling.  Maybe I'll always have the urge to go hide in the bathroom or sit alone on the porch until someone comes to find me, but that's okay.  Even though gatherings are uncomfortable and can feel futile, they're still very important.  They hold so much possibility.  You never know who you'll be able to reach out to in a moment.  So keep on showing up and keep your eyes open.

- Keep your best memories close.  They will serve you well.  In dark times, they will remind you that there are more memories to be made.

- No one's too deep for God to reach.  It doesn't make sense and might not seem "fair," but that's the beauty of His grace.  And I'm thankful, because I definitely didn't deserve it either.