Real Life Stories

My roommate and I were talking tonight about stories... all kinds.  I tend to talk a lot and tell stories when I'm in a good mood - and I've been in a great mood lately.  Probably because of her.  She cracks me up.  ALL the time!  Let me just give you a quick synopsis of our evening... we intended to get some homework done (we are both in grad school).  However, we watched two episodes of our favorite story... some old timey story about a teacher back in the early 1900's in a coal mining town.  :)  It's pretty much perfect. We competed at washing/drying the dishes together and laughed hysterically at far too many things. But then we got to talking about more important things.  Stories that really matter.  Love stories... of course!  What else is there?!?  (Kidding...well partially).

I shared the story about a girl named Janice who grew up around a guy named Matt.  They went to school together and they were great friends.  Matt had always pined for Janice, but Janice never saw him that way.  Matt pined for Janice so much that it was eating at him.  He knew he needed to get over her and move on, but he did something really beautiful. In his lowest moment he took all the Janice momentos and buried them... in her backyard.  He buried them by a tree so that he would know where to find them if he ever needed them again.

Well, wouldn't you know that one day, Janice saw Matt and she realized that everything had changed.  He was her match - she just hadn't seen it. So, the day before their wedding Matt dug up the box he had buried years before and he gave Janice all the letters that he had written for her.  The most beautiful part of the letters was that they started out addressed to his future wife, but as time grew on and the letters were more detailed, he addressed them to Janice. sigh. Now, that is some crazy awesome real life stuff. 

Seriously, who doesn't want to live like that?!?  That's what dreams are made of. Crazy living.  Bold.  Courageous. Heart wrenching. I mean, that takes guts.  Put your heart on the line.  Cry when it doesn't work out. Hope beyond what anyone else thought was possible - I mean why not?  I serve a God that is ALWAYS able.  And I think he totally delights in surprising us, because it brings him glory in the most beautiful way. 

So, my challenge to you.. my challenge to me: Live boldly.  Don't be afraid to invest your heart into that friend who you know before you get to know her will be moving in less than six months.  Go after that dream of owning a business and run it like a boss - because you can.  Treat marriage like the sacred covenant that it is... and don't let anyone including yourself steal away that precious gift that is meant for you and your spouse only. Love lavishly.  Give so much that you aren't sure where the next bill will be paid from. 

After telling my roommate about Matt & Janice she looked at me and said that there must be something in the water where I come from because apparently I am full of real life stories of people just like Matt and Janice who live boldly and reap the benefits of those dreams on a daily basis.  It's true.  I DO know people like that... a lot of them.  It's so much fun to live life with other really passionate people.  God can do so much through broken vessels who are willing to be used.  I also mentioned that people from Texas just have a cool motto:  Go big or go home!  Or at least that's my motto. 

If you're married, please do something so special to tell your spouse you love them.  If you are holding anything back from God, don't.  The only way to get closer to Him is by giving up another piece of yourself. And if you have been living in fear of something, let go of that fear, because there is only one worth fearing: God.  He made you, me, the heavens and everything else and believe it or not, he DOES care about our little needs.

When the world gives you lemons....

When the world gives you lemons, sometimes you say... thank you! 

My realization came with a beautiful song, let me share the lyrics with you.  :) I hope you get to enjoy it as much as I do....

I take all the gifts that You have given and I stake my claim like they're my own
Will you help me when I forget to remember the good I've got is Yours alone?

Oh 'cause I don't wanna tell some arrogant story or let myself believe I'm You
I don't wanna be a thief who's stealing Your glory
Will You help remind me of what is true
The only hope I've got
It's You, You
It's You, You

Why do I think I have anything to offer when You have overcome the world?
Couldn't take Your place cause You're the author of the greatest love this world has known

Oh and I don't wanna tell some arrogant story or let myself believe I'm You
I don't wanna be a thief who's stealing Your glory
Will You help remind me of what is true
The only hope I've got
It's You, You
It's You, You

Well, it's only by Your grace that I've heard You whisper my name
And I don't have the power to save, to change a heart
Won't You come and change my heart?

'Cause I don't wanna tell some arrogant story or let myself believe I'm You
I don't wanna be a thief who's stealing Your glory
Will You help remind me of what is true
The only hope I've got
It's You, You
It's You, You

Yeah it's You

I realized an important lesson just now. It has been a long time in coming, but I think its definitely a real piece of truth that I can take hold of. 

Have you ever been told you don't measure up?  Maybe you lost a job, got dumped by your girlfriend or fiancé, missed that big promotion, whatever...

Well, I've experienced some of these things lately, and it made me really question my worth.  For a while I was pretty upset.  How could they pass me up for the job?  Why would he choose that girl instead of me?  Etc.  I have been left to re-think some of my gifts, talents, beauty, worth, etc.  And well, lets face it...  I wanted to come out of the race with the first place prize - but I didn't. 

I was listening to this song tonight by Ellie Holcomb and I am so glad for her insight, because for the first time I have been able to look at my circumstances and see the truth.  I have been arrogant.  I needed to be kicked off my horse to remember that I am not the best thing since sliced bread.  I am not the smartest person in the room or the prettiest woman out there.  I am not the most gracious person with more to offer than God does. 

I mean I don't really want to admit it, but I have to face it: I needed to be told that the only hope I've got in this world is God - not anything that I have or done.  So, thank you kind sir for not choosing me. And thank you lady for passing me over for the job.  The only good things I have in this world are from Christ.  I am not him - and the moment I think I can fulfill the price that he paid, please, knock me off my horse again.  Pride is an ugly thing - its sin - and it separates us from Christ.

I was recently reading in Numbers 16 from the Bible and I was skimming over the story about some group of people that were upset with leadership and they wanted some equality.  At this point, I became a little more interested in the story and I thought, "Oh good, some people I can actually relate to" -  I wasn't really sure as to why they were upset with the leadership, but it sounded like they probably had a legitimate reason since they were described as "people of renown"  - and they apparently represented a lot of people.  I figured that had to equate to down to earth folks who would only make reasonable demands.

About the time that I realized I was connected with these people, God got angry with them and caused the earth to swallow them up.  At that moment my eyes got really big and I realized I've got some big problems here... I just identified with the people who God was so angry with that he sent them straight to hell while they were still living.  So , needless to say, I was disturbed.  How have I gotten so off base that I just connected with the people in the story who were totally condemned to hell and made a spectacle of?!?! 

Well, I think its easy.  It starts with just a small amount of pride and then it takes over your life and you want to be better than God.  You forget that the only hope you have in this world comes from the gift that Jesus Christ gave you by sacrificing his life for yours.  And you remind yourself that you could never be good enough - we are only saved my grace.  Life is a gift.  Every good thing we receive is a gift. 

Thank you Jesus for the lemons that you gave me.  They are a true gift.  Change my heart and please help me to remember that every gift I am given is only because you are good. 

A new horizon

What a journey it has been thus far!  Update time... : )


So, I started training my wonderful and beautiful replacement at work about 2 months ago...  it's amazing that much time has already passed.  We had such a blast!!!  (I believe we are guilty of listening to too much "call me maybe" and the pbj song!)  lol.  : )  good times.  In all seriousness this entire journey has been completely and divinely orchestrated.  I prayed fervently for the PERFECT person to take my place and God did more than answer my prayer.  I love it!!!

I was then tasked with saying goodbye to so many dearly loved co-workers and friends.  What an incredible season of life I had in T-town.  I am utterly grateful.  Many of the people that I knew were not friends to me, because they felt so much like family.  : )  And I miss the young family that I stayed with during the last month there after my apartment lease was up.  They are so precious!


I took a week after I resigned to visit family and So, I hope you enjoy my many pictures to accompany this post.  Life is so different today than it was a month ago.  I have officially settled in and done every "settling in thing" you can think of.  Haha... including, I am proud new owner of a library card... I feel a little bit nerdy that getting my library card was on my list of things to get done here.

So... about this new place.  I love it!!!  I frequent the beach about once a day or every other day to get a good walk or run in.  I have to admit though that I haven't actually gone in the water past my ankles.  : )  I think it has something to do with he fact that I  am not sure what is in the water and the only way I can overlook that fact is when I am with friends, and to date I have not yet been with anyone else when I am by the water.  Although, I am soooo hoping to meet some fabulous friend that will teach me how to surf.  I mean, I didn't come to the beach for nothing.  : )

On another front, I LOVE the family that I am staying with.  They are super funny and God's perfect gift to me during this season.  The wife has yet to let me think of the fact that this was a hard move because she has kept me so busy and on my toes - which I am so grateful for.  She has become my personal tour guide as well.  Every where we go I get the full history of everything!  For those who know me, know that I love to know the background and have an understanding of the history in any area, so I am loving that.

Also, for those who are worried, I have in fact made a couple friends, praise the Lord!  I have enjoyed getting to know several different people here.  My very first day I ran into a girl that I had met about a year ago...  now you know that is God - since I knew a total of 7 people in this city of a half of a million and she happened to be one of those 7.  I was excited to re-connect with her.

I must say that I have looked back and I can completely see God's hand in my life all the way here.  There are things that were so precious to me that God started putting on my heart over a year ago and I had no idea that it was for this season.  :)  I believe God is so faithful like that and it only goes to prove to me that He loves us each so deeply.  I can definitely say that I KNOW I am supposed to be here right now.

Some of you may not know, but I decided to postpone school for a year in order to work at a place here that would allow me to take advantage of the tuition benefits at some of the different organizations.  It was not easy to let go of that, but I realize that God's plan for our lives doesn't always look like our plan.  I know that if I was supposed to be in school this year, I would have been.  However, God has another way.

In matters of fun, I have to report that I volunteered for a fundraising event the first Saturday I was here and I was given the awesome task of supervising the bounce house for kids.  It was perfect.  I love that kids are so easy to get along with and talk to.  It also gave me a wonderful opportunity to connect with the youth here.  Speaking of the youth, they are planning to take a white water rafting trip and they didn't have a Female Sponsor yet.  They begged everyone they could to try and go, but came up short, so I let them "twist my arm" and I am officially going to be the female sponsor for an overnight camping and white water rafting trip.  Haha - I am SO stoked!!!  Can I just say, that God really loves me - because that is so up my alley.

As for the job search front, it has been quite interesting.  I interviewed to be the president's assistant at the University that I want to attend, but I quickly realized that I could not do the job and go to school - because it would be so demanding.  Duh, Me.  At least I realized it now.  So, I am networking with a few people who work at other organizations that give you a break on tuition and I will get back to you with a good report here shortly.  : )

Also, for those of you curious readers, I have not yet met Mr. Right here.  I am still waiting for him to come and find me and sweep me off my feet.  : )  Although I will say, that I have an advocate who is more than willing to play cupid for me.  The wife of the family I am staying with is convinced I am here to meet my husband and that she is to play a part in that role.  lol.  I never really know how to respond to her though when she says it because well, I just don't know.   I am confident God is way better than cupid.  : )

OH!!!  I have to tell one of my favorite stories from here so far...  during my supervisory role of the bounce house I met a little girl with precious red hair.  She is extremely petite for her age - clinically so. Her mom is aware of the problem and they are working with the doctors to try and get her to a normal body weight.  I watched her eat several chicken legs at the fundraiser and I couldn't help but fall in love with this little girl who was obviously happy to be eating chicken and proud that she had finished off 3 bones!  While savoring her chicken she looked intently across the table at me and smiled big, "I really like your skinny arms."   She melted me heart!  I am sure she felt some kind of comraderie in our petiteness. : )

Well, that is it for now.  I was able to get all of this typed because I foolishly drank a frappucino at 8:00pm... bad idea!

A Broken Blender and the Coordinating Genius

Its a good day to be reflective.  I am thankful for real friends.  Here are a few accounts from today:

- Woke up before church with plenty of time to read, pray, shower and eat a great breakfast I had planned.  Well, my plan was thwarted when I got the single cup blender stuck and I couldn't get it to stop.  (It's the kind of blender that you turn the cup (single serve) and it turns on.  You turn the cup the other direction and it turns off... well it got stuck and I couldn't turn it off.  So, I unplugged it.  Then for about 15 minutes I tried to twist the cup out of the blender, but with no success whatsoever.  It was quite frustrating.  My roommate was gone and I needed someone strong - reality even if she was home, I don't think it would have helped.  It has happened before to her and she had to get some strong guy to help her.

Well... my blender as random as it is left me with a good reminder that I need people in my life.  I was thankful I had connect group and I took the blender, smoothie and cup still attached over to my pastors house and her husband untwisted it for me and wouldn't you know it came undone immediately on the first try with no apparent effort... :/  I was not about to tell him that I had tried for 15 minutes, prayed for strength like Samson, and hurt my arm in the process... oh brother!  I guess it also served as a reminder that I need to work out some and beef up my arms!  lol.

- I went shopping yesterday and bought a bunch of shorts, because I have had some great friends and help me go through my closet and I got rid of a lot of clothes.  It is amazing what a second perspective can do for you.  I have always been petite and struggled to find clothes that fit me just right.  But it was good to have a friend there to tell me that "you look like a middle schooler with that shirt!"  Hello, thank you wake up call.  : ) Real friends= priceless.

----

Well, I fell asleep writing the last section, but I 'd love to add my thoughts from today:

We had a small girls night of worship at church for the young women tonight.  It was SO refreshing.  I love nights like these so much!  In God's presence everything seems to take on a whole new perspective.  All of a sudden, I just have this incredible peace that everything is going to work out in my future and I gain a special confidence about life that I didn't have before - only God can do that.  And He does it because I got my eyes off of myself and when I am looking at Him all I can see is His faithfulness.

Great verse for the week:  Acts 17:26

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."

I read this verse this past week and it jumped off the page to me.  God is the intricate planner.  He has determined the exact places and time we are to live in and He set it all up before the beginning of time.  It is so comforting to know that the coordinating genius of Heaven has planned my future.  : )

I love Him!

Roller Coaster

Life seems like a roller coaster at times.  At least it does when I am making big decisions.  I visited my new home last weekend, God willing of course.  (I've been learning to carefully choose my words as the book of James recommends.  Our plans are only good if it is in God's will.)

I certainly enjoyed my trip to the East Coast.  I had several prayer requests, and God was faithful to answer all of them. Some days I look around and I'm simply shocked at how God answers my prayers.  I am so grateful.  I've just been given so much - and then some.

So, it looks like I will have a place to stay in a nice condo on the beach with a wonderful, hospitable family.  : )  Who can complain about that?  haha.  I am still overwhelmed at their generosity.  I also found a church home and I think I'm really going to like it.  The people are friendly, the doctrine is sound, they are vibrant and alive.  : )  I also have a friend there already.  We went to school together and she is great.  She is one of those friends that you know you can count on, you definitely trust, she knows the real you,  and you think alike. I am so blessed to know that she will be there for my first two years.  I don't think I ever imagined that I would be so set up before I ever got there.   The husband of the couple that I have connected with called me when I returned to work on Monday and left me the nicest voicemail.  I feel so taken care of.

I am so thankful.  Looking back on everything, I sometimes just wonder, why is everything in my life so easy?  I mean, granted law school is not going to be easy, and the LSAT wasn't easy, and having the faith to move in a direction when all the pieces aren't in place (namely thousands of dollars)- that may not be easy, but one thing is for sure....  I felt like I should move in a certain direction toward law school and God has been clearly aligning my steps ever since then.  I got the score I needed on the LSAT, I got into school, I have a place to live, I have a church, I have friends, I have a mom and a dad type figure looking out for me and I have been given favor with the professors at the law school and my immediate family is totally supportive although I am going to miss them greatly.  What more could I ask for?  Oh, and did I mention that I have also been offered a place to work my second year with the organization of my dreams.  Yeah, I think my steps are aligned.

So, with all of that I found myself thinking...  why am I so blessed?  I have come up with two thoughts.  First one takes me back to a day back in June of last year when I was contemplating just how blessed I am ... and the verse in Corinthians rang loud and clear in my spirit... "to whom much is given, much is required and they must prove faithful."  I pray that I will prove faithful.

The other thought is from a conversation with my mom earlier this week... she told me that I need to thank my grandma because she isn't doing well, but I need to let her know that my moving and pursuing these dreams is in large part of her prayers.  Mom told me that she used to watch Pat Robertson on the 700 club and give to the American Center for Law and Justice. She prayed for me and this was so dear to her heart.  My mom gently reminded me that I am thriving like I am because of the prayers of people I may not even know... ( Which I know is true because my mom always has her connect group praying for me and I haven't even met those ladies).  I love the body of Christ.  This also challenges me... who am I praying for?  Prayer is so powerful.

Thank you Lord for your goodness.  Help me to be faithful and a light in this new City and thank you for going before me to pave the way.

God,

There aren't words for how good you are.  Sometimes I just feel like you're the dad gently holding my hand and leading me through a busy crowd, and I walk a step behind you hand in hand, fully trusting - completely knowing that you are taking care of me.  Just as a little girl feels so safe as long as her daddy is right by her side, thats how I feel.

Well, I just got a text from my boss and he asked me about the scholarships... which is what I told him I was waiting on.  So, I knew he wanted to ask if I had made my decision.  Well, I have.  : )  I am going. Lord, help me to keep my hand firmly in yours and help me as I find it hard to trust the rest...  The last piece of it all is the rest of my tuition money.  Father, please help me.  Thank you for being faithful all the way to the end.

Back to the roller coaster....

Why does life seem so lonely sometimes?  I think its because you've tasted the real thing and you're hungry for the real deal... Heaven.  God I kinda feel like that right now.  I find myself craving what can only be satisfied by you.  I look forward to Heaven - my true home.  Come Lord Jesus, come.  I want to be with you.

Amen.

Miracle of Life

Oooh! I am so excited to write tonight!!! I am full of joy! My dear and beautiful friend had her first little girl today! I am so excited for her I could just pop! It's funny how even though you know an event is coming and you anticipate it and all that might come with it, you truly have no idea sometimes the emotion that will also come. That was definitely true for me today.

The doctor decided to induce Janine today at 6:00am. She had the baby at 1:00pm. It has been so hard because I don't live in the same city as this dear couple anymore. They moved earlier this year to a city close to my family. And actually, they spent Christmas Day with my family which was super special.

So, I got the texts at 1:00 that the baby was coming and had arrived. I sat there just staring at my phone wishing I could have more information. I wanted to know how big the baby was, if the baby was healthy, if my dear friend was okay, if she had hard labor and so on and so forth. Ya, I was a wreck. It was a good thing there wasn't a lot happening at work, because I wasn't much use.

I think I had a similar reaction when my friend Mitzi had her second baby. I was so excited I couldn't even think straight. haha. Of course, that delivery was a bit different especially considering the fact that she had the baby at home in the room next to me. I was there when we were calling 911 because the baby came so early. But I remember cleaning up the house and taking care of their oldest son and then heading to work like it was a normal day, but it was ANYTHING but normal. I shared with my boss at the time what had happened and he politely congratulated my friend... but he didn't quite get it. It wasn't till he came back to my desk a couple hours later and realized I was stargazing. I continued to tell him how amazing the birth was and it was then that he understood that my friend had her baby at home and I had been awake since 4:00am trying to figure out what to do. It was such a beautiful thing. He eventually saw the writing on the wall and gave me a half day, which I excitedly received as I bounded out of the office and into the store to buy more baby paraphenalia. (not that she needed it, but I had to do something.) I went baby shopping, then home to cook some meals, and just glowed with the excitement of a new life entering the world.

Today was similar. Expect I couldn't go to the hospital, but I desperately wanted to surprise my friend and clean her house, and bake meals, and buy gifts etc. etc. It's amazing what kicks in when you're a woman. It's like this maternal instinct takes over and you don't even realize it. :) I so wish I could have been there today. I just love the miracle of life. And I know that she has wonderful family there to help her but I truly just wanted to show up and shower her with gifts. I guess thats why women have baby "showers" and wedding "showers". We just love blessing our friends and family with showers. It is such a blessing to be a part of so many lives and rejoice and celebrate with them when God does amazing things in their lives. I feel truly blessed as I have had the opportunity to rejoice with so many friends as they have entered the season of marriage and now motherhood. How beautiful!!!

Thank you Lord for your life that you gave to us and thank you for celebrating each new life as it is also given to us. I bless your name!

Sneak Preview

So, I boarded a plane last weekend and headed to the East Coast. It was a delight. I have never anticipated a trip as much as this one.

I must say, I was stoked to land in Virginia, but I was met with my first challenge before I left the airport. I found the desk to rent a car and they pulled up my reservation and handed me the keys to a crown victoria. I laughed, but then I realized they were serious. So, I headed out to the garage and gave them my paperwork. The lady at that counter said, "Thats a big car for a small girl." I thought, "Uh, yeah...maybe she'll see this is about to be a big mistake." But she didn't change it. So, I coaxed myself and thought it can't be that bad, besides I have my pillow in my bag, so if worse comes to worse I can sit on that. It was wishful thinking. The car had to be the biggest on the lot. It stuck out at least a 1/4 more than all the others. But, I tried to look on the bright side... most people would be thrilled to have a large luxury car like this for 15.00 bucks a day. But after loading up my stuff in the trunk and checking out how bad it would be I realized this is not happening. Not only could I barely reach the pedal when it was all the way forward, the seat did not move up at all! I was doomed. My eyes literally hit the top of the steering wheel, which was only half way up on the dash.

So, I marched back to the lady at the counter who told me I was small and I calmly let her know that for the safety of myself and the vehicle I would appreciate if they could find anything smaller for me. I reassured her I did NOT need a luxury vehicle and I would be pleased as punch to be in their smallest vehicle. Thankfully, she understood and obliged. : )

---

I was visiting my first law school. (Pretty much the only one I'm interested in attending). But it was more than just a law school visit to me. I was expecting God to speak in an amazing way. For a couple months I debated back and forth about visiting the school in the spring or fall, but after much time, I knew God was calling me to visit in November. It made much more practical sense to wait until the spring, but I know better than do what I think is right as opposed to being obedient.

So, in my obedience I took off for four days to a place I have always wanted to live. I was full of so much anticipation. The weekend turned out to be a lot of what I expected and nothing of what I expected all at the same time. The school was a amazing. It became very clear very quickly that I want to go there. I have never seen an organization operate with so much excellence.

RABBIT TRAIL/SIDE NOTE: I have to laugh here because I definitely did not expect the Preview Weekend at Regent to be anything like my undergrad college weekends, but I definitely didn't expect this. Imagine undergrad, you are met with a bunch of hyper screaming students all wearing color coordinated T-shirts and dancing to loud music while vibrantly welcoming you to their school. Now fast forward to Preview weekend at Regent University (which is mainly a graduate school) and I am met with a bell boy at the University's 4 star hotel. Talk about a clash of worlds. haha. I almost didn't know what to do. I was glad that I was by myself and I could just be calm and quiet and blend in so as not to make a scene. lol.

(To the left is a picture of the Founders Inn. It was the 4 star hotel on campus. I felt like I was in English Gardens when I walked outside.) It was cute. The bell boy fit right in. : )

Back to the story, I quickly found out why I liked Regent so much. One of the first things I did after arriving on campus was meet with the International law professor. It was an incredible meeting. The dear sweet woman that I met with was someone I will probably never forget. You could see in the lines on her face her compassion and care towards God's people... especially to those that society has forgotten. She had so much passion and it is obvious that she has given her life to this calling. She told me a story about God speaking to her in regards to human trafficking and she was reminded of the song "Onward Christian Soldiers." This is the song that she hears playing in her head as she studies the law and fights for the freedom of children who have no other voice. I was sincerely blessed by this meeting. The best part was that she told me that no matter what school I go to, she would only ever be an e-mail away. And she encouraged me that whatever law school received me would be blessed because of my desire to help the poor and the needy. She then threatened me that if I did choose Regent and I didn't come visit her within the first week, that she'd hunt me down. : ) Yeah, I like her. She also gave me some wisdom regarding scholarships. Overall, it was a great meeting and I walked away thanking God for his favor.

I didn't have much time to look around the campus until Saturday, because our time was packed with activities. I had the opportunity to hear from the chancellor of the school and hear the vision from him, heard the current president speak, had dinner with the dean of the law school, met several professors, talked with current students, alumni, and staff. It was great. I seriously could not think of any other questions to ask. I mean not only had I looked this school up before I came, but I had pretty much read their website 4 or 5 times, called the school with questions, e-mailed and spoken with current students before coming. So, I got the overview. :)

But here are some pictures that I finally got to take on Saturday with my iphone. Unfortunately, I was planning to bring my mom's sweet camera just to take some fun shots, but she forgot it, then my camera ran out of batteries, so this was all I got...

I have to admit on one hand, I didn't expect to have this question, but when I got there it wasn't even a matter of which law school, it was a question of is this really what you want me to do Lord? I can tell just by everything that I have learned that law school is super intense and a major commitment of time, money and family. It's that last one which I find hard to cope with. It will be very difficult to leave everyone I know to come to a place I've never lived and not have the time to develop friendships because I have to dive into law school. But, God and I had a lot of time over the weekend to work this out. Basically, I surrendered and said yes. All of my hours of free time turned out to be a great blessing because it gave me a lot of time to pray and process over the weekend.

During one of the sessions the admissions director told us about one of the professors who I had the opportunity to meet at lunch just after hearing the story. Apparently this professor has 8 kids. (some of his own, some adopted, some foster kids), but with every new class that he has he lets his students know that if they have an unplanned pregnancy or know of someone who has an unplanned pregnancy and they are thinking of aborting the child he told them that there is always room for one more at his home. Wow. So beautiful. I know that's how we are supposed to live our lives and I couldn't help but think... I want to be around you. I told my mom this story later as I was standing outside that building there and I just choked up. I love it when the church looks like Jesus. : ) When I did get a chance to meet this man all I could see was his humility and love for people. Awesome. So much of this trip was like this story... it was full of unexpected blessings and surprises. I later told God in prayer... "I saw you this weekend. I mean literally saw you, because you were so alive in some of the people that I met."

As far as Regent goes, I was totally impressed by the caliber of the teachers, the heart of the university, the vision for the future, the family feeling from the students, faculty, staff and everyone I met. I was convinced it was a special place. I know that even though I'd be 24 hours away from family and friends, I would be okay.

I am excited to say, that I made it to the beach while I was there. I will be honest, I wasn't expecting too much because its so cold, but I at least wanted to see it and walk along the boardwalk. Unfortunately, because it was November all the little establishments were closed and it felt a little erie... but oh well. I am sure it would be nice to go there in the summer. It's so weird being in a new place because you don't know where the "safe" places to go are. I kinda hate that. I am so blessed to be in a city where I know so many people and I know the area.

Isn't this a funny picture? lol... When I saw this I thought of ORU and I felt right at home. They need one of these signs for sure!

So, the very best part of the trip was Sunday. I love how God brings absolute divine connections along our paths. I met up with a family there that was great. I met them at church and then we went to lunch together. They were super busy, but I felt really special because I knew they made time to sit down and have lunch with me that day. I know that connecting with them will be a huge answer to my prayers. I also really liked their church. I am excited because I was praying that I would find a church. I had in my heart that I wanted to attend a small, but vibrant church. I would say that they are definitely that... small but certainly alive. It was kinda funny because it felt a little bit like the beach bum's church. : ) For one, they are really close to the beach, and two, it was really casual. The young adults pastor got up to say a few words and he was wearing a beanie, a plaid shirt and some skinny jeans on a sunday morning. Yeah, somehow, that just screams my culture! lol. I love their heart and I'm excited to get to know some of the people.

So, in a nutshell, that was my trip. I look forward to what God has in store for the future. He certainly spoke clearly to me and I'm so thankful for that.

I will say, that due to this trip, I came home and realized just how blessed I am. I have so many wonderful people here that I will miss dearly, but I also know that I have to follow God where He is leading me, and I very clearly feel like this is it. God is so good, and he is so faithful. I never want to be on a path that He hasn't already led me in.

In my opinion a rich life is one that is surrounded by people who love them. So, I would consider myself rich.

I am reminded though of a word that I felt heavy on my heart back in June of this year when everything was coming together... that is "to whom much is given, much is required." I have been given oh so much, and I know that I am so loved, but there are so many who have never known HIS love. I want to give that love. I want to be a voice for those who don't have a voice.

Sometimes when I ask myself, is this what I am to do... I can't help but think. I don't need a special mandate. I have already been given one: Care for the orphan and the widow, give unto the least of these, feed me, clothe me, defend the cause of the poor and the needy, bring freedom for the captive. Yes. I have been called.