I love this Dr. Seuss quotation!

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I’m not sure how true this statement, inspired by Master Chief, is … but it resonates with me.

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This weekend I’ll be traveling to Indianapolis to celebrate the baptism of my nieces and nephew. Grace, Rachel, and Drew are all excited about sharing their decision to follow Jesus with their church family … and I’m thrilled to be able to be there too!

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Indeed.

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For some reason, I’ve dealt with quite a few bullying situations this year in school. Sometimes it makes me want to roll my eyes and say something like “just walk it off” or “rub some dirt on it” … but usually, it just makes my heart grow. I was picked on a lot when I was little, and it’s undeniable that this is simply a tough time of life.

There is one thing that I love about it, though … most children in junior high haven’t yet learned how to internalize and ignore their pain and emotion. How I wish that it could stay that way for them!

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I’m not gonna explain this one.

I like sayings, like the ones in these headers, that make you think and smile. I even had a job once as a headline-writer (and layout artist) for the student newspaper at my university! But in the end, as this Voltaire quotation suggests, cleverness without action is merely words.

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After a month of being back in the States, I still feel just like this panda looks … utterly exhausted. I don’t know if it’s jet lag, culture shock, the frantic pace, laziness, lack of exercise, or just something in my head.

Regardless, the smile that keeps creeping out of me proves that it’s worth every minute!

This autumn I expect to be pulled in all directions as I try to pull myself together. I hope, like my twin nieces, to not only keep my head above water … but to make a splash too!

People often comment about how difficult it “must have been” to live in China. It seems, however, like this year will be my toughest yet. But now the transitional time is over … it’s time to pick myself up and walk it off.

When I took this photo during my orientation last August, I instantly knew that I would eventually end up using it to illustrate the end of my journey here in China.

This year has been saturated with amazing experiences … but I’m looking forward to stepping out of this narrow path and into the light!

Though it might seem that I complain about life here in China a lot, I have actually loved almost every minute of it. Moments like this one, at Jiuzhaigou’s Long Lake (in northern Sichuan province), easily demonstrate the depth and beauty that is so ubiquitous in this country. It’s been my honor to sample the best that this country has to offer!

This quotation by Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism, speaks about the importance of living with character and integrity.

This has been one of the hardest things about my life in China this year. Despite all of the amazing experiences, new growth, and brave steps forward, I can’t help but feel that the shadow behind me is pretty bent.

Seriously, dude. Don’t let the haters stop you.

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Shanghai’s riverside Bund district is a perfect example of how crazy something (the world’s fastest-growing country) can become as it grows and develops.

I’m afraid that I’m another one.