it's good...

you know that feeling when everything just seems right.... it's just plain good - like the contented GOOD that is followed by a sigh of happiness.... i look around me, think of people that surround me, the environment, and just life in general, and i know that right now things are good - GOOD.

yeah, there are holes in my life that i don't always understand and can't patch right now, but i also know that the lord is just giving me a lots of grace at this time. his joy floods my soul when i look around me.... there's so much to learn about appreciating the little things in life. it makes me think of this summer, when i worked in the garden - the simplicity of having my hands in the dirt, seeing the vibrant colors, catching a scent from a lavender bush, and watching things grow. why do we complicate life so much? why do we try to drown out life by allowing noise (work, tv, radio, etc) to numb and distract our thoughts? why do we need to constantly be busy and on the go? do we fully live life like that? what is it to live fully? to embrace life? the beauty, the simplicity (and the intricacy), the joy, the...

and i wonder what your passion in life is? do you truly know what your god-given passion is? and does it make you happy? happy in your soul, knowing that this happiness is a gift, an offering of praise back to the lord?

when i do look around me, when i interact with students from around the world - when i encourage them, joke around with them, laugh with them, challenge them, learn about and from them, cry with them, hug them, help them, ... i get energized... i feel alive, like i'm fulfilling my purpose right now... i think that joy, that sense of being alive is passion...

and yes, i know not every day is like this, but on the days that it is, it is a powerful reminder of god's love for me - of knowing that he is using me right here right now... and it's GOOD.