i find myself deeply moved and challenged by the story behind the well-known hymn, it is well with my soul.  i can't help but wonder if i am so rooted in Christ to have such a response, but that kind of response to God and to pain and just to life is something i so desire for my years of living.  i hope this little story challenges you and make you think as well...

"horatio spafford (1828-1888) was a wealthy chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son.  he was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the scriptures.

at the very height of his financial and professional success, horatio and his wife anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son.  shortly thereafter on october 8, 1871, the great chicago fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that spafford had.

in 1873, spafford scheduled a boat trip to europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy.  spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business.  several days later he received notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision.  all four of his daughters drowned; only his wife had survived.

with a heavy heart, spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving anna in england.  it was on this trip that he penned those now famous words, when sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul.."

(source)

woah.

*** i wanted to make a point in the midst of this beautiful season of thankfulness that these dearest, most incredible sisters know i am thankful for them.. that they know their lives make a difference.. to many, but particularly to me. ***

dear emily,
you are not immune to pain from life but you carry within you a compassionate, brave, and others-focused heart and it refreshes my soul to be known by you.  you get it.  you care.  you live deeply. ...and you laugh at mom humor with me and quote a cinderella story with me.. so there's that, too. (:

dear christine,
you are so kind and you want to know me and i often think how cool it is that i could go to you at any time with anything simply because we have that basis of loving Christ and serving Him together in the dorms.. that is precious to me and i value you.  you really live with so much grace!

dear katie,
you're my favorite person to be sassy with!  i love being myself with you and making you do things out of your comfort zone (like dancing in a shake it off music video :)) i love knowing that you'll always care about me and i just love the way you are.

dear holland,
i don't even know where to start, but you're one of the people i love most in the world, holl.  you have a place in my heart and have touched it many times with the way you care for me and notice me.  that's just who you are, though.  you'd do anything for anyone and your heart is easily moved by the LORD.

dear syd,
oh syd, the way you love puts tears in my eyes.  literally.  hearing you talk about how abandoned-ly you love alex and how much of your heart you give to people inspires me and challenges me to love people.  you also get it.  you make me laugh and you're so good at being yourself and being human!

dear becca,
i love how absolutely authentic you are.  you're the same becca all the time and you are always allowing yourself to be stretched, to face hard things, and to love the LORD deeper.  you teach me how to value your own feelings and thoughts and how it's okay not to be okay sometimes.  you're not afraid of feelings and i love creating meaningful things with you.

dear anna,
you'd do anything for absolutely anyone at any time and i love how willing you are to care for people and listen and walk alongside a person.  i've learned so much about how to live in community and relationship from living with you, and i've also learned how to be content with what you have and not in want and i'm so grateful! 

dear coral,
you are my sister.  you tease me, spend time with me (even if that ever means just sitting), and you know me and want to know me.  you show me how to care for people... how not to think of yourself first and how to live in contentment as well.  you're the best community-builder i've ever seen and you make everywhere you are a home.  i feel at home with you.

dear ariel,
you love me like no one else loves me!  you are the biggest fan of people and are easily excitable and joy-ful and so content and easily pleased at all times!  i love that you love unreservedly too and i love how much you desire for everyone to feel like they are important.  and they do with you, ariel!

dear afton,
my sweetest afton!  you are so graceful in all things.  in my learning how to love and care for people, sometimes, i am awkward or say the wrong things but you never. cease. to show me grace.  you are quick to recognize the LORD and have a one-ness with Him that i desire for myself, too.  you are so easy to love!

dear cassie,
you're my buddy!  my fellow adventurer who is always up for the unexpected and spontaneous and always wanting to share experiences and share heart things and to invite everyone into your life.  i love that you care about what i have to say and i love how much you want to grow and know God.

dear molly d,
you are the kindest, most beautiful-hearted woman!  the way you live and the way you are is evidence to me of what God looks like in a life.  i often thank God for your kindness with me, and i have seen your eagerness to notice Him and thank Him and love like Him and i know that my life is more joyful because i know you exist.

dear rae,
oh rae!  having you as my buddy in class is the most precious thing to me!  i'm so refreshed by everything about the way you are and feel so loved by you and how peaceful your heart is.  you are quick to give thanks too, for the little and big things, and i'm so inspired!

dear amy,
you have walked with me no matter where i am, no matter my immaturity or shyness or selfishness.  no matter what i say or what i think, i have every confidence that you will always love and care for me, and a love like yours points so clearly to Jesus.  you are always willing to be wrong and to not know the answer, but your wisdom and love is beyond this world.  the only explanation is the LORD.

dear anna m,
you do community so. well.  seeing how much you give of yourself for others is so exemplary to me of Christ and my favorite thing is to watch the way you interact with your roomie.. you love and serve her like i want to love and serve people. 

dear nicole,
my most treasured buddy from home!  our relationship has always been long distance but that has never once made me wonder if it will be as strong.  you just want to be with me!  you want to push the bounds of creativity, you are a fierce leader with a God-centered and glorifying heart that changes things in the world.

dear jenna,
i love your vulnerability.  i love how much you value authenticity and the evidence your life displays of that.  your laughter is my favorite thing and your willingness to be weak in the midst of the challenge that that is, is beautiful.  you always encourage me when i admit my weakness and that means more to me than anything!

dear angela,
you make time for me.  even though you're married and thirty minutes away, you still are so intentional about knowing me and spending time with me!  that's just the way you are!  walking through life with your angela-ness is my favorite thing.. what a gift!

dear rachel t,
one of my favorite parts of my college experience was getting to have such a close view into how you care for people and how you serve.  you notice how people feel.  you notice people better than anyone else.  you think beyond yourself and give of yourself so freely for the sake of Christ being known.  you are so in tune with Jesus. (<<ha, this could be a  soundbooth joke! :))  i love and miss you, rachel.

dear alexis,
you are a big representation in my mind of the LORD taking care of me.  you are quick to affirm me, quick to share deep and hard things with me, and quick to show people their value.  thank you for how much you want people to know the love you know in Jesus.  thank you for walking towards Him when it's hard.

dear mikayla,
you are one of my favorite people to just be myself with.. you encourage my sassiness and i love the freedom i feel when i'm with you in that and in sharing.  you are so kind and giving and you love knowing the LORD.  your wisdom and knowledge is so valued by me and our community and i just love who you are.

^^^ from out my window this morning.
9th floor, towers south, on a saturday. ^^^

for laughing with isaac about "the great escape" by boys like girls..was that anyone else's favorite song in eighth grade?!
for holland kissing my cheek.
for laughing with nick weiss in class really hard about a high school musical song that he sang under his breath...
for nick being my friend.
for sweet, sweet time with emily at her house on her couch, under cozy blankets, sharing hearts.
for cindy wanting a relationship with God.
for cory's hymns in the car.
for afton saying that she loves when she comes to our room and i'm there.
for isaac calling me "lexicon!"
for talking about our christmas traditions with holland and adam in the schofield window.
for micah and his peanut butter; for remembering being young at LCO with him.
for saying "this is...good!" with cory.
for jenna & adam terrell in davies.
for that one time taylor called me "alexi ingrid speich!" (:
for adventuring with isaac and nic ferch and isaac's excited "let's gooo lex!"
for isaac mousel's laugh.
for snow.  there, i said it. (:
for a season of thanks.
for coral pretending she was going to punch me when walking by (:
for randy's pancakes with amy in early morning.
for eating an oreo with rae in class and laughing about it. (:  such a joyful moment!
for yui buying me cider and saying, "sometimes i need to take care of sister."
for that time when i think i heard byron call me lex! ...for any time anyone ever calls me "lex"...
for alexis driving me to get my car.
for becca buying me a succulent from kmart.
for dad putting a window scraper in my car last time i was home.
for cory's desire for the LORD.  for the way he serves Him and wants to know Him.
for the way syd loves alex. ...for the way syd loves me... and everyone.
for those sweet and precious moments in the middle of pain and brokenness, when beautiful women surrounded afton in deep love and silence while she wept.
for ariel leaning against my leg, for holland's head on my shoulder.
for seeing how much molly loves afton.
for seeing a beautiful community love and serve well.
for how much Jesus takes care of us.