Rest

So, I didn't post yesterday, which is surprising since I was so bored on duty.

I have quite a bit to talk about today.

First off, church was great this morning. Dave spoke about the last chapter in Nehemiah. I won't give you the whole sermon. The part that stuck out to me the most was about rest and keeping the Sabbath holy. In today's society, we think that it's better to be busy. The busier we are, the more important we are. We don't take time to rest and be alone with God because we always have something to do. This is something that I struggle with, and I have seen it affect my relationship with Christ throughout these last two years at college. This semester, I am going to make it a point to rest and delve myself into a deeper relationship with the creator. I'm not doing this because I have to follow some rules. I am doing this out of love for my Savior. He rested on the seventh day even though he didn't need it. I know I need it. I encourage you all to take a day or even a couple of hours each week and just rest. Learn what it is like to be alone with God and let him take your worries and stress upon his shoulders.

Today, I found out that my family will probably not be going on that vacation we were planning next summer. I'm really disappointed about it because I was really looking forward to resting and spending time with my family away from everyday concerns. I love vacations. My sister has a tupperware conference at Disney, so she decided to take her family on a vacation. My parents and little sisters might go with them, but even if they do, it will be during my RA training. I guess it's a part of growing up that I wasn't ready to face yet. Maybe something will work out.

I love being able to entertain people in my apartment. It excites me when people can come over and talk. I'm so excited about that part of marriage as well. Being able to have people over for dinner and games. For the few of you who read this, you will be invited. :) Today I cooked dorito casserole and sopapilla cheesecake for Josh's birthday. It was fun and really yummy.

My roommates and I all decided to go on a run tonight. It was so good. I love it when the weather is cool outside. For once, I actually think I'm ready for fall. It will be nice to be able to walk to classes and not feel like I'm going to kill over from the heat. I think we might start training for a 5K. I've always wanted to be able to do something like that. We'll see how it goes.

Conversations

I love love love talking about relationships. It intrigues me how people interact with others and how God places people together. I, personally, would suck at that job. I wouldn't call myself a matchmaker, so it's a good thing we have such an amazing God who is perfect for that job. I love hearing about other people's experiences and learning from them. Not one person is the same, so it's an adventure each time you meet someone new. Tonight I talked with my new friend, Tad, for about two hours. He came to visit me on duty. He and his girlfriend are in about the same situation that Teaven and I were in a few years ago. It was so fun getting to talk to him and hear his story.

I am so proud of how far God has brought my relationship with Teaven. Never in my life did I expect it to be like this. It's been an adventure, to say the least, and I have loved every moment of it. To me, I see our future like the excitement of riding on the biggest roller coaster and knowing that every single ride will be with your best friend. I know it sounds silly, but it's so true. I get the little butterfly feeling. I'm scared and excited all at the same time, but I know that no matter what, he'll be there holding my hand every step of the way.

In other news, I have realized that cooking is much harder than I thought. I don't even know where to begin. I think it's even harder because I have three other roommates who eat the food, and we really never have time to eat together. I'm trying to learn, but it definitely doesn't come naturally to me. I'm also out of money at the moment, which makes it difficult to buy groceries. Maybe I should cook my way through Julia Child's cookbook. No, I don't think I'm really that dedicated.

Can I just say that I have great friends? I do. That's another thing that I always longed for, but never thought it would happen. God has placed some pretty phenomenal people in my life. The Burt RAs became some of my best friends, especially Brooke and Robyn. It was cool to know that I could be myself around them, and they would love me just the same. One of the reasons it was hard for me to move out here was because I didn't think my friendship with them would stay the same. That's where my insecurities come in, and I had to deal with those with God. Yes, things are changing, but my relationships with them are still strong, and it's good to know that.

So, let me tell you about this couch in my apartment. I call it the devil couch. Everytime I lay down on it, I fall asleep. It's like some magic couch that puts people to sleep. I'm not even joking. I will lay down and wake up an hour later, having no memory of falling asleep. I hardly ever sleep that hard, but I've been able to sleep through people coming in the apartment, banging on the door, watching tv. It's ridiculous, but I will admit it is quite nice. :) My roommate experienced it today. It was so funny because she was laying on the couch watching tv, and I could just see her eyes longing to close.

Boring

Wow, three days in a row. I think I've broken a record. :)

Today was a pretty good day. I went to work, and then I went out to dinner with Christi and Brooke. Boy, was that an experience. Our waitress took our drink orders and then disappeared. No one knew where she went. It was quite sad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I really don't have any profound statement tonight because I'm really tired and ready for bed. Maybe tomorrow I will ponder something new about myself.

I really want to start that Project 365, but I kind of want to wait until the new year starts. I'm not sure though.. I may start soon. We'll see what happens.

I know this was a really boring post, but I'm determined to post more... and I'm on duty and bored.. sooo.. you know how that goes. :)

Ministry

So, I just have a quick thought that I want to take note of before I head to bed...

What if God placed me out here in the apartments so that I can do what I've wanted all along, minister to freshman? Tonight, my welcome week family went out to IHOP to celebrate a birthday. I realized just now that I have built relationships with these girls much easier and quicker than I did last year. Why is this? Well, I think the main reason is because, as an RA, I am seen as an authority figure, someone who just gives out fines all the time. It was just a different environment all together. Now, I'm not saying that I didn't build relationships with those girls. I'm just saying that I think it took me coming out here to realize how much I love doing it.

Well, that's just a thought for now. We'll see how it develops as the semester continues.

Take me where you want me, Lord. I'm ready.

Changes

Wow. It sure has been a while since I have updated. So much has happened in the past month or so. I'm not sure I'll be able to put it into words.

I have come to expect that every semester will bring something new and different. However, I struggled more with this change than I have in a while. I don't usually cry over things, but during RA training, I would go back to my apartment and feel so lonely. I wish I could see what I looked like from another person's point of view. I was brought to a point of breaking. I love these times because I know that I have no where to turn but to Jesus. I know that I am not capable of living on my own. My life without Him is nothing. My relationship with Christ during this time was challenged. I just wanted to hold on to what I couldn't have. I had to come to a point of complete surrender, and when I did, I felt such peace. I know this is exactly where God has me this semester. I am ready for the radical life change that is before me. Bring it.

In other news, I finally found a text book that I enjoy reading. I made muffins for breakfast this morning. I had a back to school dance with my roommates yesterday.

Okay, I know I'm kind of all over the place, but I haven't talked about Welcome Week yet. Oh man, I love freshmen. I love looking at the excitement in their eyes. I love remembering what that was like for me. I love being able to share advice with them. I feel so... amazing when I am in that type of situation where I can be crazy and still share the love of Christ with people. I love leading that type of thing. I just had the feeling that I want to quit my job so that I can do more with ministry. Whoa.. that would be hard. I need to pray about that. Ok, now I have lots to think about......