one week...

In one week I will be on a plane from atlanta to sao paulo to spend 7 weeks in brasil. woohoo! I have a lot to do before then but I have the rest of this week to do it, which I will need. I am about 1,000 short on support right now, but considering I have received over 1,000 in the last week, I am a happy camper. this semester and past few weeks have been challenging spiritually, academically, mentally and even socially at times, but I am really looking forward to this awesome chance to grow immensely and be even more challenged this summer. Even leaving Vermillion is a challenge for me - obviously leaving a place I know and am comfortable, but more so my friends, who have become family to me. Things are going to be different when I get back, and I'm not necessarily looking forward to that but that's life I guess.

On a sidenote, I can't believe I am a senior in college. about time! :] This year is going to be really, really tough seeing some of my best friends graduate and move on, but I have decided to be excited for this coming year and not let inevitable change ruin all the fun times. I will look for the good in things - the crazy adventure that life will become after graduation - who knows what will happen!

woohoo senior year!

yep i am officially done with my junior year...pretty awesome. now i have a solid week to hang out, pack for brasil, raise $2000 more dollars, tons of fun stuff. :] I had a really good semester academically - I *think* I made the dean's list, which almost killed me with marketing and legal. I probably spent the least amount of time overall in the Word this semester since freshman year, which is sad, but I still ending up growing closer to God through other things, like Vespers.

I definitely have cycles being submersed in the Word and living out of my own strength, and I never seem to learn in the low times that I just need to make myself spend time with the Lord, and I'll get back the desire to do so. Because I always do, it's just a tough lesson to learn.

thoughts from some one else on being single.

Once in awhile I read this pretty cool blog about being single. Several times I have been encouraged by the thoughts and feelings of the author. In her latest post she writes about the church's duty to help single people meet each other- mainly she is providing her own thoughts on something someone else wrote on the subject .

Anyway, in the post she relates being single and wanting to find a husband to evangelism. In evangelism, we are the ones who share the Gospel, but God is the one that does all the work. He could do it without us, but he wants us to put ourselves out there to help us grow, to develop our character, etc. And I think that's like being single. You could sit back and wait for God to drop a man on your doorstep, [wouldn't that be sweet!], but where is the growth/challenge in that? I think you need to put yourself out there- make yourself availible and see what happens.

a sad observation.

why do I continually put my trust in things that never prove faithful? well, first, God is obviously the only thing that is going to be faithful to me no matter what. [of which i am so very thankful for!] good thing there is grace, because i never give him the trust he deserves to get from me.

and yet, there are so many things in my life that i trust in every day to be there for me, to make me happy, to give me unconditional love and happiness and security. and they always fail me in the end. it's human nature to trust in things seen and not unseen, even tho we should do the opposite (kind of talked about in matthew 6:28).

i have been trying something new- trying to climb outside of my life, and look at it from another perspective. and i've been successful. and what i see scares me. i put so much trust in so many things. family and money and grades and myself and my own plans. and my friends, wow. i have such amazing friends and am thankful for them every day. this week at discipleship we talked about stewardship and while my friends are not mine to own, the relationships i have with them need to be handled in a way that honors God.

and i have not been doing that.

this semester/year i feel like God has been grabbing onto them and pulling them away from me. there have been a few things that have developed, probably unnoticed to my friends but i see them, and i suppose it could be God's way of taking away the things i am loving more than him. a sad observation indeed. at least i have realized this and have the desire to change.

i am again finding comfort in the song 'faithful to me' by jennifer knapp ... 'i have searched endlessly for a faith to be faithful to me ... another day, another trial, another chance to reconcile ... and reaching out my weary hand i pray that you'd understand - you're the only one who's faithful to me. you're the only one who's faithful to me.'

the past and future weeks.

i have basically been trying to keep my head above the water these past few weeks. and not just with my schedule- it's been everything- class, work, moeny, crusade stuff, family stuff, group projects, money, SIFE stuff, support raising, homework, money, roommate stuff. maybe it's because i'm in a super good mood right now, but even though i am totally overwhelmed right now, it's so great to just sit back, and look at the bigger picture. these weeks are going to fly, so the precious moments like spending time w/ God at the river and giggling for an hour straight with the roommates is what's important. that stuff is truly keeping me sane right now.

i feel the need to express what an awesome week this has been ... things are really looking up, especially after a crappy last week and weekend. i have a shot at the dean's list, my family is doing well and supporting me pretty well concerning brasil, a professor i hold in high regard seriously complimented my work in class [i think she used the word brilliant....ok i'll stop]. it's so nice to see hard work pay off.

and i'm really enjoying where i'm at. the feeling of being content with what i have is something i struggle with, but only when i fall into the comparison trap. when i keep my eyes on christ and not on so called greener fields around me, i realize i have what i have because what i have is what i need. i joke a lot about being single and bitter about it, but i love where i'm at right now. wouldn't want a relationship...seems like it would really complicate a lot of things. it just might be the thing to push me over the edge...(just kidding).

this is such a great time in my life. i feel like i finally know how to handle certain situations, especially this thing called 'college.' the real world will come, and when it does i will do well- i will do very well, after it kicks my butt right away. but for now i am loving just sitting back and learning, about everything from microphones and magazine layouts to managing compensation plans and marketing movements.

but next week will come, along with three exams [two are finals]. this year soon ends, and it is bittersweet ... leaving friends, a roommate leaving the house, friends leaving USD, me leaving my legal class ... me leaving the country! big stuff. so glad i have the ability to see and somewhat understand the bigger picture.

grad school?

I swore I wouldn't go to grad school...but lately I've been thinking about it a bit more. I always assumed I would go, but after my freshman year of undergrad I found myself thinking...uh, NO THANKS. But USD seems to have a decent MBA program, and it would probably be a decent price... and I would need only like 11 classes or something like that, which isn't bad at all...but do I want to hang around here for another 1+ years? No...or do I? I kind of want to explore a whole new school, a new part of the country. Could I actually do it?? It would be a sweet test to just up and go to school somewhere else without any close friends...scares me a LOT, but honestly I think I might need a challenge like that to help me grow just in general.

seven weeks.

yep, only seven weeks until brazil! i am officially at 25% for support, no sign of my passport, don't really know much else. except i'm SO PUMPED! once these classes are over I will have time to focus on learning more portugeuese -- I only know a bit now, hopefully over break I will get time to listen to them.