alive.

You know when you feel so alive? Today was one of those days.

Start: in the 5am hour. At least this time around the sun is up that early too, and I sipped on a cup of coffee AS I got ready instead of gulping it down with breakfast. Coffee should never be gulped. I caught an early bus downtown, then hiked the ¾ mile uphill to the office- it’s a beautiful walk, especially when the sun is out! I was early (as I always seem to be, you can only be so precise when relying on public transportation), so I decided to stop at Starbucks on the way as a treat. I asked for a half-caff drip, but they were out of decaf to make it, so I got an upgrade for free…an americano. And the barista threw an extra shot in there to make it bold, just because. The bolder the better in my opinion. And THEN they charged me wrong, so I got a coupon for a free drink! Which I plan to use on a venti soy chai with an extra pump of chai, aka two days worth of delicious morning sips for the price of a mischarged drip coffee. Score.

On to work. I spent the day with a different dietitian today, and loved it. She and I have similar counseling styles, and she told me to chime in to the appointments whenever I felt like it. it was great- we tag-teamed 6 appointments on weight loss/diabetes and our clients. I love it when people come in having made a ton of progress and I get to affirm them, or when they come in totally confused and I get to teach them.

We finished around 2:30, so I set out on foot to head home. The express bus wasn’t coming for a little while, so I made a detour by Banana Republic and got two great shirts on super sale. Love it when that happens. It was an afternoon of blazing sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60’s, so rather than waiting at the bus stop, I decided to walk several blocks to the next. I ran into a friend amongst the crowds on the way (what are the odds of that??), then relaxed, read, and thought until my home stop came surprisingly quickly.

The weather was too nice to miss out on, so I threw on the running shoes and ran in shorts and a t-shirt for the first time since last September- I forgot how good it feels to sprint in the sunshine! Especially after two months of not running at all. A quick snack, down to Burien for the usual Thursday routine, and a trip to Trader Joes.

Dinner plans with the Reeds got re-arranged to tomorrow night instead, so I ended up with a free evening to get caught up on things…after enjoying some sushi and sautéed brussell sprouts (random combo, I know). And now I’m facing a fun weekend of baking, pizza making, roaring-20’s-themed-party-for-a-friend’s-birthday food serving, sunshine soaking, and my own birthday celebrating weekend.

I was thinking on my bus ride home about this feeling of “coming alive,” and why it’s a phrase that comes to mind so often. It was a day full of things that I love, sure. Sunrise, coffee (x2), “hiking”, helping, talking, walking, running, eating. But I come alive not because it’s a day is filled with my favorites, but because these things are a reminder that a loving God gave them, uniquely so. Because He knows the intricacies of our minds and hearts more than we even can, which is part of why we can only find true joy in the Lord. I think that when I’m out experiencing daily life, making a difference, on an adventure, outside, doing things that I love, spending time with people I care about, being purposeful, those things spark a reminder that God is a god of abundant blessings, and I come alive BECAUSE they point me to Him.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Love,
Tracey