my soul wells up...

shawn and i were able to go to puerto vallarta for a week at the beginning of this month and we had such a great vacation. we stayed at a great resort and were able to relax and simply spend time together in a beautiful place. one of my favorite things to do was to take walks in the evenings. each night produced a beautiful and new sunset. it really was so great. we had six different nights that we spent there and each of these pictures show you a little bit of what we got to see each night. the last night we were in mexico we went on one last walk and the sunset was gorgeous. i wasn't surprised because really every night had been more beautiful than the last. but it was just oh so beautiful. i really miss sunsets. when i titled my blog "longing for home" shawn was afraid that i was naming it that because i miss alaska so much and so often... oh silly shawn, but he does know me and he knows that i do miss home and the beautiful state of alaska. i know it doesn't need to be said but alaska has great sunsets. i mean think about the mountains and the ocean and oh it's really so great. needless to say i miss this. i miss talking to God about life while i watch the sunset. i miss knowing that He has blessed me and shown me His love in the things He has created for me to enjoy. i miss experiencing Him in these ways. it has been great and hard being in chicago in connection to this for me. i have been forced to meet with God and forced to look for Him in new and fresh ways. it has been hard because i do find joy in such moments and i don't find them as much here as i did back in alaska. but one thing i do know is that God knows me and He knows what i love and enjoy about Him. we were walking that last night and i was thinking about such things and knowing that God has made this for us to enjoy and knowing that God loves me so specifically and knows that i love nights like the ones we had in mexico! chris rice has this song called "hallelujahs" and i thought of it on our last night in mexico and kinda just hummed it as i walked through the waves... i won't type it all out here but he sings about the creation of God and in seeing it and knowing how we ourselves are a beautiful creation... that as he sees and finds truth in these things that his soul "wells up with hallelujahs." i love that. don't you ever just have a moment where you find yourself swallowing down that lump and little tears sneak out of the corners of your eyes... and it's not cause there's anything wrong but it is because you have experienced God in such a way that you know it is about you and that His love for you is deep and intimate... it is moments like these that i try to describe and i really do fall short of adequate words. i wish i had them. i want my soul to "well up" even more often... look for Him, i know i need to... because He doesn't save His love for just one week out of the year in mexico or a fantastic time of worship one night every couple of months... i know He loves me everyday and i know that He, of all people, is communicating this to me often and frequently. why do i miss it? i praise God for the moments that i see Him and my soul wells up inside of me and i pray for eyes that are open and looking for Him in every little moment.