Family Day 2O17

Time for a little life update. 

I just survived a great weekend of hiking, eating, and best of all - family time. My crew headed out on Monday morning clad in hiking boots and knitted turtlenecks ready to take on the world. We went to a beautiful conservation area where we hiked for hours (And to think I had worried about not being able to keep up with my workout program while I was gone on the weekend! Sike! You haven't killed me yet, Autumn Calabrese!) 

Check out this gorgeous view over the frozen lake. I felt like I was walking around a scene in Narnia. I'm not gonna lie, I took the opportunity to wander away from the group and boulder up some of the more precarious rocks, just to see how out of climbing shape I was. I did alright! So far, so good! Can't wait to take some cool trips and blog about it for you guys :)  

Solid chats were had by all. New additions to our crazy group and lot's of laughter made it all a grand ol' time. My family is far from perfect - but while I've been away at school I've been convicted on some of the mistakes that I've made relationally in the past, and how I can make my love unconditional to the ones I hold dearest. Tears were shed, and hopefully some healing happened, too. 

After all that hiking we went on back to my grandmother's apartment and ate as much lasagna, veggies, fruit and icecream as we could fit in our bellies. (Obviously, mine was the Veg version, blog post on that to come at some point - probably in the summer!) Then we spontaneously decided to go through a bunch of unsorted photos and had a blast. Seriously, I forgot how cute all of us kids were. And obnoxious. There may or may not have been pictures of me pelting the crap out of other kids with snowballs. I've always had a bit of a mischievous streak ;) 

With all of these great memories made, both on the weekend and on Monday (shout out to the boyfriend and his lovely family!), it's got me feeling extremely thankful. Our culture puts so much emphasis on individuality, and I wouldn't argue with that, but who are we really without the people that love us? Without the love and support of my parents, siblings, and my wonderful extended family and friends too, I would definitely not be here pursuing ministry like I am today. I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror and say, "Hey, there are some things I would like to change, but today I'm going to work with what I've been given, and do it in a way that loves others and puts God first."

Most of all, though, I'd like to thank the Church family I have that spans across countries, ethnicities, and cultural differences. Where would each of us be without the love of Christ and the love of one another? Regardless of what family background you come from - there's room for you here. There's room for brokenness here. There's room for my brokenness. There's room for all of us to grow and heal here. 

Let's rest together in that. Happy Family Day everybody!