today.

ikea.

australia by baz with hugh and nicole.

Marriott.... dream king size bed.

Does the day get much better? I am in Arlington, VA spending the night at the Marriott where my Nikon Photography class will be hosted tomorrow. I drove up from Lexington around 11am, made some stops along the way and found myself at Potomac Mills, where I took in a 3:35pm showing of Australia. My desire to visit the Outback has definitely been increased since spending 2 hours and 45 minutes listening to the accents and admiring the cinematography. I followed the movie up with some outlet shopping (no winners), and a phone chat with Mandy while sitting in one of the living rooms on the Ikea showroom floor... and while our phone chat got cut off short and I had much more to say-- I walked away happy to talk to her and then I got a text message telling me "I really do love you and you are amazing. I'm so glad you are my friend". It was a perfect message for the perfect moment. 

It was a great day, I smiled easily and freely- I made a friend in the parking lot at Potomac Mills, and now I am enjoying the most comfortable bed with big feather pillows a girl could ask for. With the exception of the 10 minute conversation with Mandy, I have remained fairly quiet-- and the constant dialogue in my head wasn't just me running ideas in circles. I asked myself questions-and answered them, I talked myself through some dreams and plans... and I sang along loudly with the iPod.... loudly... it was fantastic. 

On a side note-- In the car today while on shuffle a song came up twice, when does that ever happen? I love this song, always have... and twice it came on the iPod completely random. Anyway, it really just struck a cord with me today and I found it to be quite encouraging. 

Waiting On Your Love by Justin McRoberts

There's nothing so heavy
Weighing down the soul
As the weight of nothing
Worth my strength to hold

There's no pain so cutting
No battle as in vain
As the constant battle
To avoid the pain

You were poor when you were born
You could see Your Father clearly
Through the nothing that You owned

Free me from these binds, Lord
I am choking on the gifts this world gives, Jesus
I am waiting on Your love

So as Your word has promised
I must clearly choose
To lose my life and gain Your love
Or love my life and lose