so Tuesday night we got a terrible ice storm that resulted in 70,000 people in my town losing power. I happened to be one of those lucky people. So I spent the past two days living out of a suitcase because the temperature in my apartment was around a warm 40 degrees! and I also spent the past two days mad. I don’t know why. Things could have been much worse. I had a place to stay and I got to take a shower and they canceled classes Wednesday. But it was an interruption in my life. A burp that I was not expecting and caused my to have to shift plans and things that I like to do. So once again God pointed out my selfishness and need to bring that to the cross and trust that God has a plan even in things such as having no electricity. and I wasn’t hurt. and I have electricity now. I only had to go barely two days without it. so I am going to work on being thankful for the next month. I have so much to be thankful for and yet I find myself complaining quite often. So as Phil. 2:14 says, I am going to work on doing all things without complaining or aruging.

One being I am going to take up writing in my blog again. I miss it and I have more than enough time to keep it updated. So alas, here goes my first attempt to keep this thing updated.

A lot has happened in my life since I last posted, but the most exciting thing is that I am spending my summer in Africa!! I will be spending two months (May 29-July 29) in the country of Swaziland which is near South Africa. I am super excited! God brought together all the details of the trip so perfectly-now I am just praying for support. I need to raise $5,000 which is a daunting number, but God is good and I am learning to pray hard and trust Him more. While in Swaziland I will be working with several orphanages, sharing Christ through Bible school and drama ministry, doing HIV/AIDS education, and getting to know the people of Swaziland on a personal level. This is perhaps what I am most excited about. I am going with a group called Adventures in Missions and with a team of people I have never met. I know God is going to stretch and use me in amazing ways..now if only May 29th would get here.

That is the biggest news and I will be periodically updating you on my progress. If you wish, you may check out this blog http://09sw0529rl2.myadventures.org/ It is the blog for my trip/team. We will be updating it periodically until we go and then will keep it updated while we are gone so you can keep track of what we are doing and how the trip is going.

The rest I will write about in a later post. Until then-Happy New Year!

So I don’t know if anyone ever reads this anymore, but upon a request I am updating it. I don’t know how much anyone knows, but my life has been crazy the last few months.

It started with yet another major change the day before Christmas break. I am now double majoring in Business Education and Economics and after this crazy semester (I am taking 18 credit hours) and then 9 more crammed into five weeks of summer school, I will finally be only two semesters of classes and one more of student teaching away from finally graduating! I am so excited and think I finally discovered my calling in life. To educate the minds of tomorrow–that’s a scary thought huh?:)

I have been really busy this semester with school and all the extra-curricular activities I do and my church..

I love my church at school! I found it at the beginning of the year and it has truly been an answer to prayer!! God put it in my life in exactly the right time. I have been able to get involved in the youth group which has been amazing. The kids are AWESOME! They have shown me that serving can be the most fun you have! I look forward to seeing them every week. And the college group at my church has become my lifeline. I met this girl, Katie, who is quickly becoming my favorite person. We have been hanging out a lot and it is so neat to see God grow that relationship. I am so thankful for her life and testimony and willingness to accept me for who I am. It is truly an answer to many prayers!

I have more..but I am going to put that in another post..

So two weeks ago to the day I had my two upper wisdom teeth removed. I don’t have any on the bottom-lucky me. So anyways, this was supposed to be an easy in easy out surgery and I had plans to attend a wedding Saturday and try to enjoy some of my Thanksgiving break. Needless to say, I pretty much slept from Tuesday through Sunday taking a break in there to get violently sick from the dumb pain medicine:( it was miserable. I have never been in so much pain. Sunday I had to make the trek back to college which was alright..I was actually feeling a little better–needless to say it was just a tease. Monday I woke up in so much pain I really couldn’t much but lay on my floor and cry…it was no fun. I went to a local dentist who determined it wasn’t dry sockets..yay! but sent me home in the same amount of pain and told me to take amoxicillin for the next week to see if it helps. For two weeks I haven’t been able to smile or laugh or eat normal food..and it stinks! I can’t even open my mouth to talk.. so this morning after putting up with this misery for two weeks I finally called an oral surgeon here and made a appointment after the lady on the phone said what I was experiencing wasn’t “normal”. No duh! The surgeon was a gift from God! He knew the first surgeon who had actually removed my teeth and was super nice. He told me that it sounded like I had an infection-but those only happen to about 1 in 100 people and he has never seen one in the upper teeth-only lower ones! Lucky me..I’m the weird one I guess. He gave me strong antibiotic and some stuff to squirt up in the hole in my mouth:) and said he’d see me on Friday. Hopefully all better by then!

I just want to smile and laugh again…it’s been really frustrating. and it’d be nice to eat normal food..this diet of soft foods was old a week ago!

on a bright note–only half a week of school and finals left!!! and only a month till I get to see my amazing boyfriend! so most of life is looking up..just gotta get my mouth fixed..

So first of all, here’s a little insight-my mind works about two years in advance. I don’t know why this is. I think part of it is just me not being content, but I’m a planner. I always have been. I like to know what’s going to happen and what’s going on. I want to know exactly when things are going to take place-this I realize takes some of the enjoyment out of spontanity which I enjoy but only when it comes to not serious things like my plans for Friday night. So I am here placed with a debate. Maybe someone has some insight or can at least tell me to stop worrying so much about it:)

I am currently double majoring in marketing and economics. I love economics-I know, that makes me a nerd, but nevertheless I think it is so interesting. Marketing on the other hand is boring to me. I have no desire to work in corporate America. I want to work with a not-for-profit organization. This I realize now would be better suited if I had a social work degree, but a little late for that now. So if I drop my marketing major down to a minor-I could graduate next December-a semester early! Personally, I am all about getting done with college ASAP. I know it’s supposed to be the best years of your life and all, but quite frankly it has not and I am ready to move on. So there are two sides to this-one, I keep the two majors and suffer through with the hope that I will be more likely to find a job. Or I cut my losses, hope an econ degree is enough and graduate early and move on. I want to go to grad school-I have a high GPA and economic students go to grad school. So I figure my transcript isn’t going to look too bad considering I finished early with more credit hours then most people take in four years. Ah..this is all just a product of my mind working overtime and wanting a decision now when in all reality I don’t have to decide anything till next Fall. Although I have been talking to everyone I know and doing some research. And praying! A lot–I know God has plans to prosper me and to give me a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11) so I know this will all fall into place in His time-or at least I am working on trusting in that.

on a different note, I am volunteering at the YWCA domestic abuse shelter and I love it! I want to serve others with my life-this I know and I am not too concerned with getting rich. As long as I can survive.

back to homework..bascially all I do nowadays!