The Eternal City

Rome... It's always moving... Continually challenges the way we perceive food, art, life... It's perpetually alive... A city that never sleeps... The Eternal City. 

Going to Rome for a second time was such a blessing.  Being allowed to not only be overwhelmed by the grander, but having the chance to process, to think, to absorb what I'm witnessing first hand.  Pictures can never do Rome justice, there's simply too much beauty to be captured in a snapshot.  But then you start thinking about that beauty, and you realize... it's man made beauty.  Yes it takes your breath away, but it's still merely man made.  When you hear the name 'The Eternal City', a quality of a higher power is associated with it.  But Rome's beauty shies in comparison to the true Eternal City.  How cool is that? The most beautifully decorated city in the world shies in comparison to what the LORD has in store for us in heaven. St. Peter's, Santa Maria, Santo Ignazio di Loyola, the Pantheon indeed are beautiful, I'm in awe of the artist's talent, when I stand in them I'm speechless, but one day it will be Christ's beauty that will radiate out, fill heaven and force me to be in awe of Him.  I can't wait to be in that Eternal City.       

The Tuscan Countryside

I love weekends.  I have always loved them.  They are a time to relax, refuel and spend time with friends.  At least that's how it's always been for me back at home, school and camp.  But here in Italy, I get to add one more thing to that list, I get to explore.  I GET TO EXPLORE!!! How cool is that? So this weekend, all of the Horned Frogs went and explored Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra.  The beautiful Tuscan Countryside. 


First stop, Siena.  Siena is a remarkable Medieval town outside of Florence.  There is such history, beauty, and civic pride in Siena.  Siena is comprised of many districts all symbolized by a different animal and they take such pride in that.  Our tour guide told us that she is from the Silk Worm District and that you baptize your children into your district.  How weird, yet neat.  In the states, we don't have that kind of tradition.  Siena is also stunning.  The city was built on three hills and where all of those meet is this beautiful seashell shaped piazza, Piazza del Campo.  Also, the Siena Cathedral is breathtaking.  It is a mixture of Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque styles, and everything is done so exquisitely.  I could spend weeks in there and never get bored.       

Next stop, San Gimignano.  I absolutely love this town.  It is small, not very touristy, has incredible towers you can climb to see the beautiful countryside and the world's best gelato.  I'm not kidding, the world's best gelato.  They've won the competition several times... they're pretty legit.  There isn't as much to do here as Siena, but it's such a beautiful place to retreat to and see God's creativity.  You get a panoramic view of the amazing vineyards surrounding the town.  Also, who doesn't love a good cup of gelato? 

And to cap off a great weekend, Volterra.  Volterra is a beautiful Etruscan style town that has been tainted by one of the worst phenomenon's ever, Twilight.  Volterra is the setting for whatever that vampire counsel thing is in New Moon.  It was funny walking around and seeing Twilight gear and New Moon flavored gelato (which was actually pretty good), but it was nice seeing that this town wasn't full of teenage girls trying to find Edward.  It is a beautiful, small, quaint town that is totes worthy of a day trip.    

Seeing the City

Picnic on a hilltop at sunset.  Sounds like the perfect setting for beautiful scene either in a classic novel or great film.  But no, by God's grace, this is my reality.  

On Thursday, September 9, precious Amberle Durano had the most brilliant idea to make picnic style dinners and climb the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo.  From this beautiful hilltop you can see all of Florence: the Arno, the Duomo, the synagog, Santa Croce, San Siniorina Square, my home, everything and in the beautiful, luminous, dreamy light of sunset.  How can you not stand in awe of the most beautiful artwork brought about by our most loving Creator? Nature, light, and beautiful places reflect the ingenuity, creativity and splendor of our God.  How remarkable is that?     

This is really random, but here is a classic Florentine couple for you.  It was a precious moment that we got to witness, so I creeped on them and took a picture.  But we all commented on how neat it is that the Florentines still appreciate the beauty of their home.  That they still make the trip up a hill to see what a beautiful place they are so blessed to live in.  Wait, for a couple precious months I'm a Florentine...what a beautiful place the WE are blessed to live in.

   

What A Day!

Tuesday September 7... wow... you were a full day! 


So Tuesday was our first day of classes at Lorenzo di Medici.  We all knew that this day would come, it's bad to admit this but when you're studying abroad, school seems secondary.  Classes were fun and I know I'm going to learn a lot, but college has always been about the life lessons for me & I'm excited to see what the LORD is going to teach me just by being here. 

That's just the beginning of a fantastic Tuesday... so that night Tom, Amberle, Sara and I went to a free, check it, FREE concert inside of the Duomo!!!! Inside of the Duomo!!!! How cray-cray is that!!!! It was religious opera music and it filled the Duomo.  The echos and the grader of everything was fantastic.  But then we heard some fun, lively, festive music outside... so we ditched the Duomo and joined this huge crowd of Florentines celebrating Festa della Rificolona, the Procession of Lanterns in honor of the Virgin Mary.  It was incredible!!! We walked from the Duomo square to San Marco Square with Florentines who had beautiful, decorative lanterns.  There was a band, it was energetic, it was so much fun.  Once we got to the square, it was packed.  People, booths, lanterns, music, food, everything... the senses were overwhelmed.  It was a surreal night.  Being submerged in a culture is what studying abroad is all about!!! Having difficulty finding another tourist around you is a freeing and joyous feeling.  For a moment, I felt legitimately Italian... yes, even with my bright ginger hair.  Being Italian... I could get used to that.   

Running?

So anyone who knows me knows that I dislike running.  Dislike seems mild... maybe despise, detest, loath... I don't know. Let's just say that we don't get along.  Today, Tom, Amberle and I thought that we would run to Ikea.  Run to Ikea.  So we get all ready and we hit the streets.  Running in Florence during rush hour isn't the brightest idea ever.  Lots of people, cars, buses, bad news bears.  So we're running, following the directions we got from Google maps.  Well, Google maps lied.  There is no Ikea in Firenze, it's in the next town over.  Let's just say that we ran a lot and didn't get to our destination.  This makes it sound like it was all bad, that couldn't be further from the truth.  Granted, I was hot, sweaty and in pain (I do yoga and palates, I lack the cardio gene) but I felt like I had accomplished something small, and we got to explore other parts of the city that we hadn't seen yet.  It's a really fascinating way to explore a city. You get to see little vinyets of people's daily lives and of a place's life.  Most of the people thought that we were crazy, three Americans running, but we didn't care because we were on an adventure.  ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!!!      

Fiesole

Happy Sunday Everyone and good job last night TCU!!! GO FROGS!! 

So today several of us took an adventure to a beautiful hilltop town named Fiesole.  It is breathtaking.  The town itself is picturesque, classic Italian architecture, streets and foliage, but it also has a remarkable view of Firenze (aka Florence).  So we got on a bus and went on an adventure. We shopped in the open air market, we talked, we sat, we ate, but my favorite part of the day was when we went on a walk up the hills in order to see the grandeur of Florence.  Florence is a striking city when you are in it, but it is truly mind blowing from a bird's eye view.  It was the perfect day trip, quiet, clam, relaxing... perfection. 

I know this picture is really random, but I just love it! This is part of a multi-piece sculpture that is in Fiesole.  It's a Roman soldier and he is in pieces scattered throughout the town.  The piece itself is beautiful, mesmerizing and larger than life.  But for any of those reading this who worked at camp this summer, it reminded me of our theme...Be*Volution.  We are a body of Christ, we each are a different part with a roll to play.  And just like this Roman soldier, the pieces of our body are scattered throughout the world, but when we work together, we work as a cohesive unit ultimately striving to bring our Lord glory.   

     

The View from My Bedroom Window

This is my view from my bedroom window!!! What? I can't believe it.  I'm so undeserving of everything that the Lord has blessed me with.  We have a gracious God.  

I've been reading Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest" (thank you Connie Nixon for buying it for me) and it has changed my walk so much.  I feel that a lot of the stuff that I'll post about what I've learned will probably be from the wisdom of this remarkable man.  

"Have the right relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you 'will flow rivers of living water' (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His 'living water'.  Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live 'your life... hidden with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:3). A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes.  The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing." -Oswald Chambers 
This is what I desire to be.  I desire to find my joy in the Lord, to be a light in this dark world for Him, to be 'hidden in Christ', to be a person who so desperately needs the Lord like their desperate need for air.  That is who I long to be.  And I have a ways to go.   


"As soon as I realize that something is too wonderful for me, that I am not worth to receive it, and that it is not meant for a human being at all, I MUST POUR IT OUT 'TO THE LORD'." - Oswald Chambers 
My situation in a nutshell. Being here in Florence is such a blessing from God.  I'm totes undeserving of being here, so 'I must pour it out to the Lord'.  I have to give this experience back to Him and live my life here as if I were a light on the top of a hill.  Pray that I will be obedient to that b/c this place needs it.  Italians are surrounded by the beautiful truth that Christ is by the amazing cathedrals and art here, but they are blinded to it.  I'm even blinded to it sometimes... 

Ciao da Firenze!

Boungiorno famiglia e amici!!! Oh dear goodness, I can't believe I'm here in Florence and that I get to call it home for 4 months.  


A plethora of people told me that I should write a blog about the adventures I have while abroad... so here we go.  I don't really know what this is going to look like or if I'll do it well, but this will probably filled with silly stories, my adventures, pictures of my adventures, some questions I might have, and what the Lord has been teaching me.  


I miss all of y'all so much and I wish that y'all could be sharing this chapter of "The Adventure We Call Life" with me, but I hope these few precious comments will suffice.  Love you!