"Remind me to tell you how I escape all the Noise."

So here I am, weeks away from a few things, (volleyball ending, my best friend getting married, potentially a change in schools, majors, friends leaving, and friends coming..) Things seem to all the sudden be creeping up on me. Does that happen to you? Thinking things are so far away, and you will figure it out later and then all the sudden, BAM it is right in front of you, and you realize you have a lot to deal with, or just a lot of directions that life could be going, and having to figure out how you FEEL about each one individually, and collectively.
Well.. I have come to the conclusion that I am joyful and excited, but of course.. nervous/anxious.. that always seems to be my nature about things. So I am trying to reach a little harder for the joyful side :).
Okay so with all this Speed and things creeping up, I have struggled to find my quiet place.. or just time for the Lord, finding time to listen for his voice. I was in New York recently for an Art trip, and i just noticed how different the culture was there, everything moved 20 times faster than life in clinton, and I left wondering how in the world these people find that place.. where everything is slow, and God's voice is easy to hear. How could these people possibly block out or escape this noise, chaos, business, and overall hurried lifestyle?
So I asked a friend how he did it when he was visiting New York in the Summer, and here was his Response..
"Lindsey, you have to go to Central Park, Lay Down, and close your eyes, block out the noises, force yourself to listen for 5 things other than the obvious... Listen for the simple sounds."
-Thomas Joyner
-- If you do not know, Central Park is of course surrounded by the city, with horns, cars, and just noise EVERYWHERE. I never had the time to make it to Central Park. ( This will for sure be on my agenda when I go back.)

So... What are the simple Noises? To know the simple, I think we need to know the opposite, what are the complex noises?

Complex: 1. So complicated or intricate as to be hard to understand or deal with."

Simple: 1. Consisting of one element or part only; not combined or complex: a simple mechanism
2. Free from complexity or difficulty
3. Clear, intelligible, understandable, unmistakable

I want to listen for the simple noises, the things in life that are unmistaken, and clear.. Like the person obviously needing love, affirmation, or a listening ear. There are SO many things in this life that are FOR sure things, that are RIGHT under our nose, plain as day to see, and yet we so often miss them because we are to busy searching for the complex noises, and complicated ideas.
When it comes to our faith, I have observed people trying to make sure the "non-believer" GETS the idea that they are "This and not That," and trying to pound every piece of information into their head, and help them wrap their minds around the FULL Picture at the very beginning, when of course it will seem SO complex to them because you are trying to grasp the extraordinary before the simple.
I think Christ calls us to look for the simple in the world, and when you start to see and hear the simple needs of others, and discover his simple joys THIS is when we will stumble upon the extraordinary...


"Such simple things,
And we make of them something so complex it defeats us,
Almost. Why can't everything be simple again?..."
-John Ashbery

Benjamin Nathaniel Savory

Simple Joy of : Benjamin Nathaniel Savory

-Building forts out of blankets and couch cushions
-towels out of the dryer (after running through a sprinkler)
-pictures of people i don't know in black and white
-old notes folded like a paper football
-popping bubble wrap.
-Reading the last line of a book before i start it
-singing a song at the top of my lungs with someone else without the music

and
-getting mail :)

Ben and I shared a month together in wonderful Canada at a Young Life Camp called MALIBU. :)

A few things I enjoy about him:

-His nature to be so incredibly intentional with people.
- His intelligence
- Child Like Spirit
- His never ending Energy
- how Spontaneous he is.





These come from a dear friend, Ben Savory.

‎"But its a matter of the little things, my dear, Little things + Little things = Big Things." - A Wise Woman

Left Turns with the Window down.

A friend, Lauren, sent me some Cds the other day, and I have not stopped playing the songs since. While I build my ceramics pieces, paint, drive, or just whenever.. I have a few favorites of course. There is one song, " The Lime Tree" but Trevor Hall. I think this is my new favorite song. I am not sure why, but I love one of the lines.. " It took a while for you to find me, but I was hiding in the Lime tree, above the city and the rain cloud, I poked a hole and watched it drain out. I just keep thinking about how I go hiding places sometimes. . . not really physically, but mentally, or spiritually. I just run away from things sometimes. Or I hide from God, and try to just hold on so tight to what I know, or what I can control. Lately I have just been realizing a lot about myself. I am in the process of making a huge transition in life. Like HUGE. I am so thrilled, but at the same time, I have realized in the past few days, how many things are going to be different. I am going to have a lot of decisions to make, and just adjustments to make. I know God is leading me here, into this new season of life, but with this season, comes change, and willingness to let go, and follow, two things, I am NOT good with. Anywho, yes, got it, hiding.. equals no good.
On a simple note.. Today, I discovered one of the little things in life that I just LOVE, and it makes me smile every time .. Okay, I will set the scene, I have been running around all morning, packing for my volleyball trip, packing for New York, getting my withdrawal slip signed, and then turned in to registrar before it is to late, la la la.. and FINALLY I have it all done, and I need to be to the gym in like ehhh 15 minutes. So i am in the car on BEAUTIFUL day, just pulled out of McDonalds (where I purchased a dollar menu sweet tea), windows down, breezy, and I am going to make a Left turn.. Okay, so here is the small part, if you don't read slow you MIGHT miss it. LEft turn, and the wind brushes across my face a little faster, and with a little more cool air. I keep going.. and then head back to the gym. RIGHT there. the left turn and quick cold breeze across my face. I realized how much I love that. EVERY time it happens, it is one of my favorite things, because it is a little warm from the sun, and that one little second of a left turn, and that air.. ha I know that sounds like nothing, but I know for sure that it is one of my favorite little things in life. We will throw that in with cold side of the pillow and clean laundry smell.
So we just won our game against Radford, we play Highpoint tomorrow, and then I head to NYC for an ART trip with a bunch of other art majors on Sunday until Tuesday.. I am SO excited, we are going to a show, and museums, and all that fun stuff. Well I don't have much else going on. I actually have a million things I could chat on, but this will be all for now.

My little challenge to you.. my lovely blog reader.. Find one new thing.. one "simple thing in life" that you just love, and remember it, write it down, comment me back on it, or just tell someone.. or thank Jesus for it. :) I would love for you to email it to me, I like hearing other people's "simple joys". rlharris@presby.edu

Have a great day :)

Patiently Hope.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.... For in this hope we were SAVED. Now Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. "

Romans 8: 18-25 [ random parts]

Patiently Hope.. those are two words that have been on my mind for the past few days..

I think often we associate hope, with a sense of urgency, as if we hope something happens fast, or soon, or right now. Even if we say we hope " in the future," we--well ME, I hope that it happens soon. I usually don't set my " Hopes" like 5 years in the future, they are usually short term hopes. I want to learn how to set my hopes for the things that I do not see, and to realize that there is a glory that is beyond words that is going to be revealed to me.. :)

" Trust in the Place of Unity"

" Right now you experience an inner duality; your emotions, passions, and feelings seem separate from you heart. The needs of your body seem separate from you deeper self. Your thoughts and dreams seem separate from your spiritual longing. You are called to unity. That is the good news of the Incarnation. The Word becomes flesh, and thus a new place is made where all of you and all of God can dwell. When you have found that unity, you will be truly free.
- " Trust in the Place of Unity"
by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Recently, I have been feeling a little, i dunno, like my joy is being attacked, and there are just certain things that have gone on lately that are really challenging me. I know that my heart is in this certain place, and where I want, and long to be, but my actions, emotions and feelings are telling me different. I keep coming back to it. This has been a pretty rough cycle for me, for quite some time, but needless to say, I am hopeful. Ashley Marshall gave me a sweet little book for my birthday, that is filled with wonderful little 1 to 2 page entries that really speak truth into what I am going through. So today, this was that one I discovered, and I think I can understand a little better.

Your thoughts and dreams seem separate from your spiritual longing.<--- this part rings very true to me right now. I have things that I think about a lot, and they do not quite line up with my spiritual longing. But I see where I am, and where I want to be, and those are two different things, so I want to keep taking steps towards uniting the two. Maybe this makes sense? Somehow it all made sense to me.

I have also realized, I have become COMFORTABLE with all the discomfort I allow in my life, and so much so, that I am ANxious to lose it. ha CRAZY right?! yes, it is. But praise the lord I am starting to see it now, it goes from anything to relationships, and volleyball, or just things in general, and I am sick of changing to fit other things or peoples visions of what I should do, or trying to mold, I want to be who I, LINDSEY HARRIS, is in Christ, and step out and realize that it is alright to let go of the things that are holding me back from becoming truly free.

Part of my story...

I was going through some of my old pictures on my Mac, and came across these, I have never actually taken the time to sit down and write out what happened the summer after my Sophomore year in High School, but why not do it now? I have actually been able to share this story with a few people recently, and I am realizing how God is showing me that he really did have a greater purpose for my life.


When I was a sophomore in high school, I was driving up to Presbyterian College [ the college I am currently at now]. I was going to help Kelsey move in for her Freshman year, and I had stayed up late the night before, and woke up pretty early the next morning to drive there by myself. I got there, and helped for a few hours, and was headed back, it was August 7th, one of my friends birthday's and I was really excited about planning a surprise dinner for her at monterrey's that all of our friends could come to. I had been talking to a few people on the phone earlier, but I hadn't talked to many people while I was driving. I remember feeling very sleepy, and at the time, I had not been driving long [ experience, or time] and my eyes started to shut a little, and i would wake myself back up, and just turn the music up or try to sing a little.
It all happened so fast...
I don't really know how long it took, but it obviously wasn't to long. before I knew it, i really did feel as if I was in slow motion. Gripping the life out of my steering wheel. I will never forget that sound. The sound your tires make when you are going 65 mph down a major highway and you realize you are going off the road into the median, and you make a sudden swerve. . .
The awful screech, it was like nothing I had ever heard, immediately my entire body was struck with fear. Before I knew it, I was watching myself tumble across 385. Yes, I did not make a mistake when I said 'watching myself.' You know when people say you have an out of body experience, well this was one of those times, I am trying not to exaggerate any part of this story, but this part is so strange, because it is not like I remember it from my driver's seat, this part of the story I see like a movie?
Either way, I woke up, and instantly FREAKED. It was like my mind first went to the thought that my car was going to blow up, so I needed to get out. I tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge, so i put BOTH of my hands on the broken glass, swiveled around and went feet first out of the car. The car was sitting ever so nicely on the guard wire, and it was a small fall down to the gravel and dirt. Right when my bare feet hit the ground I took off... running.. ' Where was I running?' ' Why was I running??" I don't know, but I did, straight up the middle of the highway, I looked down and saw my phone in my hand, and I instantly called my Dad. screaming the words, "I am okay, BUT..." and take it from there. I think he was in the car and already headed my way by the time he answered the phone.



I didn't really understand why my phone was in my hand, it completely threw me off when I saw it. Because my phone, i remember was sitting in my cup holder, where it always sat, and my car did 4 flips.. how could it be in my hand? I remember my hands both gripping the wheel as if it was my only way to stay in the car. There was no humanly way that the phone ended up in my right hand. I used both hands to crawl out of the car.. i still don't understand that part.
Cars were everywhere.. waiting for me to stop running.. and people seemed to be shocked, they were all just standing outside of the wreck. There was a woman, who had been driving beside me for several miles. She stopped me and sat me down and offered me her shoes and a Deer Park water. I was shaking, introducing myself to anyone who was helping me. She came and went. Next, there were two older women who sat, one on either side of me, and simply said, "we are hear to sit with you until the next person comes, you are alright," and I never really got a name from them, not that I can remember. strange. One after the other, people came to sit with me and calm me down while I waited on my anxious father to arrive. I couldn't believe what just happened. It didn't seem real.
I have grown up with this small birthmark on my forehead, not everyone notices it, but some do, and it has always been somewhat of a joke, because it tends to look like a bruise, food, a burn, dirt, or anything else that is not supposed to be on your forehead, so I have had a lot of people try to take it off. haha [ ITS NOT COMING OFF PEOPLE.] Anyway, God has a way of calming me down, because a truck driver came up to me, and said in his Southern voice " hunnie, looks like all ya got there is a little bruise on yur fored," I smiled and said it was a freckle patch.
My Dad finally got there, and he was in tears, that was hard to see, he was wearing a bright red shirt with khakis, nicely pressed, and his usual work shoes. When I picture my dad in my mind, this is the attire I usually picture him in. ;) We watched the paramedics pick up all the markers, clothes, cups, and anything else that happened to be in my car that was now strewn all over 385. One thing in particular was a painting that Kelsey Mckee had made for me, and it had a bible verse on it, (i really should know it, but it is packed away,) they held it up and looked at me and my Dad and said,
" We think this is why you are still alive sweetie."
I sat down and watched as cars S l o w l y passed by. I remember passing wrecks like this before, those ones on the side of the road on the way to the beach or something, you see it and it makes everyone buckle up, and look around and thank God that their family is safe. Yes, it was that kind of wreck, except this time, it was me. I was watching them all look at me one by one, and wonder if whoever was in that car actually made it out alive.



I was about 5 ft away from the cop car that was currently writing me a ticket when a car coming the other direction at about 45 or 50 mph smacks into the back of the police car.
THAT was the loudest noise I have ever heard in my life. I will never forget it. within seconds two hands reached under my arms and hoisted me up and ran me over to an ambulance to sit in the front seat where I would be "safe." People instantly freaked out after that. I had come to near death 2 times. I know that sounds a bit extreme, but when your car flips 4 times into oncoming traffic and lands perfectly upright, that seems to be number one. Then when you are literally 5 ft from getting ran over by thousands of lbs. coming 50 mph towards you, that seems to be number 2.
the truck driver went to talk to my dad and said they were all waiting outside of the Jeep when I wrecked, He said, I didn't hop out right away, but when I did they couldn't believe it. He told my dad he had been driving for 40 years, and had never seen anyone walk away from an accident like this one.
"but when she jumped out of that car, I had never seen a little girl run so fast." ha..

But the amazing thing was, not a scratch. I mean, the steel rims of my car were RIPPED in HALF, and I didn't have one scratch on my body.
A little less than 3 weeks later a Boy and his dad were driving the same drive, and he did the same thing, and didn't make it. this was really hard for me to understand.
Me walking away from this is not something that just happens. This was not by chance. You can not say that all the stars lined up and I just got lucky.
I forget about this wreck a lot, but when God reminds me, it is an amazing thing. I am not sure why I am still here.. but I am.

So yes, this is part of my story, I am realizing, probably a much larger part than I actually understand.