Currently Listening Mockingbird By Derek Webb see related

My New Home. . .

Well, It has been too long since I've written on here.  A quick update in my life:

- My semester in New York was wonderful and crazy busy with 18 credit hours and lots of fun with trips to Ithaca, New Jersey, the home of Jello, and Michigan.

-Now I am in Oklahoma doing an internship with a church, and I am living with the lovely Hamilton family.  I am also taking some classes at various places to keep up with school.  It should be a challenging experience that I will hopefully learn and grow from in many ways.  With all of these new things this year should be amazing with more exciting adventures to come soon!

-How was Christmas and how is the New Year going for you?

Currently Reading A Tale of Two Cities (Enriched Classics) By Charles Dickens see related

Well, after much prompting from my dear friend, Krista, I am going to update, with what, you may ask?  Well, I really don't have much to say except that since school got out the summer has looked like about 5 1/2 weeks of work mixed with a week and 1/2 of family vacation (to Arizona and everywhere in between), and several other smaller, but very important ingredients include about 2 camp services at the beloved Beulah, a 55th anniversary party for my G-parents (awesomeness) and other random visits to KY, 250000 dashes of seeing God work in amazing ways in my life and those around me, one crazy game of Ice cream football/ultimate frisbee with the Ladies Night Out Girls, 2 good books (Les Miserables and Tale of Two Cities), 537 scanned files at the work place, and about 60 hours in the car (just on vacation alone).  Mix it all together and you get my summer so far.  Don't forget to cook it at about 95 degrees and 100% humidity and then it should come out just right.

So here's a snapshot of my summer, which is about to change drastically as I head out for adventure in LA and beyond, way beyond. . . So catch you later kids, I'm off to see the world!

Weather Patterns

     Well friends, it's been a while.  Things here have been crazy, but quite wonderful all at the same time.  We have had a February break since my last post, and four intense weeks of tests, papers, and now, FINALLY, our Easter break! 

     It has been wonderful weather here in the last week.  Before I explain you have to realize that we only had 3 days of sun throughout the months of Jan, Feb, and the beginning of March.  It just becomes normal after a while, and the sun, when it is out, seems so fantastic and beautiful (even if it is only 5 degrees outside)!  In the last week we have had four straight days of sun, along with weather that allows us go outside and play and do work and get sunburns.  Yes, it has been wonderful.  Then again, beautiful weather is also contingent upon how you view things. . .If I wanted to sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea with a good book, good weather might be completely different.  It is all good, though; there is a different kind of joy, peace, and excitement associated with each weather phenomenon.  All stormy days, sunny days, and even snowy days are welcome at different times.  Why is that?  And isn't it phenomenal that we can appreciate all of them as they come?

  This week and its beautiful weather just happened to show up on a terribly busy week, probably the busiest week this semester, including finals.  I had five tests and a 15-20 page paper, intense studying for every class but one.  This brought on a long thought process involving the contemplating the weather patterns and its relationship to the 'weather' patterns of the soul and life.  Why is it that when we are overloaded with work or over whelmed with emotional stress and difficulties that we turn from the One who helps us bear those burdens and make it through those stormy days, perhaps I can be so bold as to suggest that we could even enjoy those days.  As I surrender my week to the One who is able, I was continually faced with the question, "Why do I continue to stress, when I am trusting Him?"  Aren't we suppose to be joyful in our trials.  He bears our burdens, and we are suppose to rest in that fact.  It reminded me of the image of a snow storm raging all around, and I am cuddled up, drinking a warm cup of coffee, and reading a good book.  I felt that God was challenging me this week to rest in him and really trust him with my tasks this week. 

   I am wanted to let you know that I did survive the storm of the year, and resting in God I did not mean that I was not making an effort to get things done or study for my test.  It is the strength that God gave me that gave me the endurance and strength and even JOY as I went through the week.  I am not perfect by any means; there were times in the week where I was stressed out or frustrated, but it did not dominate my life by any means.  I was able to rest in the assurance that God was in control, and put my work in perspective. . . And EVERYTHING got done without much pain, and in a way that I was able to enjoy the season of life, the time of the year, and the beautiful weather outside. . . I'm not saying I want to go back, but I want to encourage all of you to rest in the strength of the Lord, and that he will give you joy and strength when you ask for it!  Have a wonderful week! 

Currently Listening Jars of Clay By Jars of Clay see related

Greetings from the snow buried Hamlet of Houghton, My dear friends, this semester has been one of the busiest times I have ever had, but it has been an enjoyable experience, not to mention a learning experience as well.  Like always, God has been teaching me about his faithfulness to me and throughout the generations; it is so amazing to look back even on the last few semesters and acknowledge the wonderful things that he has done and is doing in my life.  Even without me asking for things to happen, he brings them to me; it just goes to show how little I know and how much I have yet to learn.

     All of my life I have hated, and I mean loathed making decisions. . . that really hasn't changed, in fact it has just become more of a point of stress the older I get, because I just have to make more decisions.  Sometimes I just wish I stil had people to make decisions for me, but then again, where is the fun and freedom in that?   Needless to say, God is teaching me so many lessons about discernment, and how to petition him with my concerns, requests, desires, etc., and he is so faithful to direct and guide me.  It is just the patience that I lack. . . oh, if only I could work on his time and not my own.  It is incredible the load that he has taken off my back in reguards to feeling the weight of making decisions and feeling alone and lost in the process.  It is a another step of surrendering that is hard to make, but it has been and is a wonderful transition for me, especially in this decision ladden semester!    I find myself more and more saying, whatever you want, Lord, I am okay with that, which is hard for others to understand at times, but I am very comfortable in putting all of myself in him. 

     Well, I am off to finish a project. . . and for those who care to know, there is about 2 1/2 feet of snow on the ground. . . it comes up to my midthigh; I am sorry that I can't share it with you all who are snow deprived!  What lovely weather we are having : ) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!