Back Home

Today I was talking to a girl from my church back home. We are good friends but we both live away from home so we hardly see each other. However, we were talking about different things at home and at church. I was thinking about my home church and I got this video off of youtube.com. Our preacher and another local precher made this video and used it in their sermons. They did a series on mythbusters and this was the introduction video. The guy in the blue t-shirt is our preacher. He was Justin's youth minister growing up and his wife and I are great friends. We all spent a summer working together at Butler Springs Christian Camp.

Family Fun

These past two nights have been great! I have spent time hanging out with my family and I have loved every minute of it. I am definitely ready for summer, for a break, and for some down time. Last night we went for a walk and then spent a majority of the night in the pooo. Tonight, we went over to my brother's house for supper and I had the opportunity to play Blues Clues memory with my neice. There are only two more days of class and I do believe that I have a majority of my work completed so I'm just trying to make it through. Here is a picture of Jocelyn on a walk that we took this weekend. She found the flowers on the ground and then sat on the bench and was ready for a picture. I also posted a picture of her brother, Wyatt. The pictures were edited in Adobe Photoshop as a part of my class work.

Blessings

So it is another Monday and only four days left of class. The excitement is hard to contain. Last week was not the best week for Justin and I, but thankfully, we have each other! I don't always understand the things that happen in my life, but I know that God does. This weekend was a refresher. Justin and I had a lot of time to spend together and to really talk about different things. We tried to focus on all of the great blessings in our life. We made a list of some of the great blessings we got to enjoy weekend:

*spending time with each other
*spending time with our family
*making new friends
*night out with friends
*hugs and kisses from our neice
*homemade cake and ice cream
*a cookout in the mountains with great friends
*hanging out at the pool and relaxing
*dinner at Craven Wings
*church
*a walk through the woods
*cuddling on the couch
*God's creation
*phone calls from friends and family in Indiana and Ohio

Best Friend of all Times

Today, I was on my way home from class and I received a phone call from the great Julie (Wood) Dunn. Julie has been my best friend since the first grade and I must say that there is none other like her. Since we were little, we have been involved in many sporting events, have taken many road trips and had many nights out. One of our greatest memories was playing softball, so it was fitting that as I was driving home and we were talking, I saw a girl and her father practicing softball. It really made me miss the old days when life was just fun. I didn't have a lot to worry about and whenever I needed someone to talk to or a great friend to hang out with, Julie was there. She has been a true friend. While Julie and I live nearly seven hours away, we never seem to skip a beat when we're together. She always enables me to truly be myself. Our conversation made my day. I was not having the best of days and I truly needed someone to talk to, so it was fitting that she called when she did. It helped me to see how God works in the smallest of situations. Before I was always the one that tried to encourage Julie to become a Christian and to live a Christ- like life. However, over the past couple of years, she is always the one that has encouraged me to live a life for the Lord. Of all my girlfriends, she is by far the one that has played the greatest role in my daily walk with Christ, and for that I am thankful.

TrUsT

Tonight, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my neice. She wanted to come over and go swimming. I always have a hard time saying no to a two year old, so we went swimming. She is growing up so fast and I want to make sure that I can enjoy her as much as I can. Just within the past couple of weeks she has gone from not letting go to us in the big pool to letting go of the wall in the deep end. As I watch her put her trust in me, I realize my need to trust God. She knows that as soon as she goes under the water, I am going to get her up. In the same way, I need to trust that God will lead the way. I am worried about different events that will occur over the next few years but when I really reflect upon it, I realize that God has everything in control. I have added a picture of Jocelyn from last year. When her brother was born, Justin and I kept her for a week and we took a trip to the fountains. This picture is one memory from our trip.

Friends and Family

This week I have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with some of my great friends and family. I took a roadtrip with Chelsea and Bethany to Georgia, I spent a day shopping with my mother-in-law, and my grandmother and aunt are down this week. Visitors always calls for a get together in our family. My mom made some great homemade strawberry ice cream (some of my favorite) and some chess cake (another of my favorite). While the food was great, it is a blessing to spend time with family and to relax. Since school has slowed down a bit, I have had time to relax and enjoy many great blessings that I often overlook.

My Wish

Today I went for a walk at our apartment complex. It was a great walk and great time for me to reflect and enjoy God's beauty. As I was walking, I was listening to Rascal Flatts, and the song My Wish came on. I have heard this song played a couple of times througout the past month. My cousin and aunt danced to it at his wedding and I heard it played on the morning news at West Hills on the last day of school. As I listened to the words of the song, I thought about how in two weeks, everything is going to change. I will no longer see my friends and the girls in my class on a weekly or daily basis. Life will change. I will be meeting and working with new people. I always enjoy new people, but I hate losing touch with old friends. I have not had the opportunity to hang out with everyone and get to know them as well as I would have liked, but the words of this song express my wish for all of my friends who too will be going to new places and meeting new people.