Limited Edition.

Ok guys. I'm very sorry for my lack of consistent posting as of late. I'm sooo grateful to all of you who check in and read my blog, it's really cool to have this place to share the happs of life over here where it's not as easy (time difference) or cheap to connect in real life. I've got a number of ideas for new posts and no shortage of pictures so please persevere, keep checking in and I promise to be more diligent at setting aside time to write.

I guess part of the reason I haven't been writing is because I've been busy. Not the kind of busy I was before I moved here, the kind I needed so badly to get away from, but good busy. Busy getting to know the people around me, busy reading, busy playing my guitar, busy learning how to live and love, forgive and forget, dwell in good, in God, not in the past or in worry, doubt and fear. It's not all a walk in the park, as they say, but boy has this season been a huge breath of fresh air.

Randomly the other day the phrase "Limited Edition" came to mind and hasn't left. I don't really know where it came from, but it came. It got me to thinking about my time here in New Zealand. I'm only allowed to be here for a certain amount of time before I will be required to politely go back to where I came from. New Zealand is to me & I am to it similar to what one might consider Limited Edition. I, of course, knew from the beginning how long I would be here. I knew when the beginning would begin and when the ending would end (thanks to my e-visa!)...but I didn't consider the middle. I didn't know what would happen in the middle. Turns out it's amazing & as time unfolds is proving to be one of the most defining years of my life. So much provision and preparation for time to come, depth and meaning, awareness and understanding. It's not overwhelming. It's consistent and freeing. My foundation, which is my Faith in God, is solidifying. It's stronger. When you have a strong foundation you can build upon it with quality, sturdy, lasting materials. While my heart will undoubtedly break when it's time to say goodbye to my limited bit of time in New Zealand, with what I've received I pray I'll be able to walk humbly forward & GIVE.

Words.

A couple of weeks ago I was wandering around Wellington and as I strolled along one of my favorite parts of town, Oriental Parade, there out of nowhere stood a giant, white, magnetic cube. On each side of this cube were hundreds of tiny magnetic words. We've all seen them. Quite frankly they aren't that interesting & can actually, in my opinion, be a bit tacky when scattered about on one's personal fridge. But this is the perfect example of how something can be ordinary in one setting and extraordinary in another. When you place something like this out in public, for anyone and everyone to use freely to 'express' him or herself, it would be nearly impossible for it not to be interesting. As I stood there examining all of the words & reading what people who had visited earlier put together, more came to do the same. The words were constantly moving, sentences or phrases were changing, some were serious, others were funny, and no two were the same. I love that we are all different. That no two people can bring to the table in the same exact way. Definitely a cool aspect of life & the big white cube with the tiny magnetic words reminded me how much I appreciate it. Here are a few shots...

Love, Rachel