I Like Weddings...

Ok is this not one of the cutest pictures you have ever seen? I went to my cousin Jason and Renee's wedding this last weekend in Visalia and I was quickly reminded that I really like going to weddings. I know going to so many can take away from how incredible a wedding truly is, but I just love them. They are never the same; people are different, smells are different, atmospheres are different, colors are different, sites are different, cultures are different, families are different, but each couple is joining as one flesh. This somewhat mysterious union that happens when two people are joined as one. Suddenly you don't have one family you have two, and suddenly you don't think for yourself, you constantly have someone to put above yourself (talk about acting out love) and we are told that we are now a part of that person. God is so creative and this is one of those ways he demonstrates His love by showing us just how He wants us to understand the grace, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, selflessness, and humility He has demonstrated towards us! I am so excited to be a part of so many weddings and so many unions and see so many people having a ball. This is my cousin Heidi. She was pooped. She had sat so nicely while we did her hair for about and hour and she walked down the isle while dropping her rose pedals and smiling all at the same time. That is tiring for a 3 year old. She decided to just plop right down on the grass. O to be 3. It was adorable though. I really love my family and it was a blessing to see my cousins join together in marriage. I am looking forward to another summer full of weddings and I will take in each one as though I did not attend 3 in the past 3 weekends, because to me they all are different, new emotions new smiles, new cakes :), new lives and new blessings! Congrats to: Kim & Derek, Shannon & Ryan, Tom & Shannon, Toni & Adrian, Jenny & Nick, Nik & Rachael, Lawson & Laura, Kyle & Dana, and Ryan & Jessica. Go get 'em.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA CARTER!

Hope you had fun at Panera Bread!

Hum Drum...

This was dinner tonight. I miss the caf. I know it hasn't been long, but that place just brings so many memories and such good food. I am grateful that I was able to eat in there for the last 5 years. It certainly has been worth it. Now I can resort to grilled cheese (which is still pretty good to me) and quesadillas. Both are good, but it lacks the variety and the company that the caf has. :( Thank you Lord for the food you provide. It has been a pretty slow day for me. Lots of studying and waiting for a friend to call. I haven't heard from her yet and I am kind of bummed because I don't get to see her all that often. My anatomy book is staring me in the face and I am doing all I can to avoid it. If anyone has any alternatives to the digestive system please let me know what you are up to! :)

Oh To Be Independantly Wealthy

The day started out going to the Glen Ivy Spa! There were over 1,000 people there that day we were told. My Mom made the statement, it's like Wild Rivers for adults. You really get to just lounge around while people are there to make your day wonderful. You can attend Club Mud and just pound the mud onto your body. As you just soak in the sun, the mud dries and then exfoliates the skin leaving you with smooth silky skin. This is also an excuse for adults to play in the mud and not be frowned upon! :) There are about 6 different hot tub locations. One has mineral water, one has a saline solution, one is slightly colder than the rest and the rest are just hot. We also went under the sea to Ariel's grotto...:) We stood in an algae looking tomb and were slathered with Eucalyptus gunk. It was so slimy and felt so good. This too exfoliated our skin. Man so much exfoliation, I am not sure I even really know what that means. All in all it was pretty sweet to get pampered for the day and spend time with some people I really love. But the day didn't end there. We have a Spirit of Excellence Gala at Cal Baptist that raises money for student scholarships. The big whigs come and spend thousands of dollars in the austions to donate money to the school. I am not sure how much it costs exactly, but I think it could be in the range of $1,000 a table. The chefs at school are given a chance to get creative with their food creations and the school does an amazing job of hosting hundreds of great people. I had an amazing friend call me up and ask if I would like to be a guest and one of his friends tables. Oh' the places you will go. Sarah went as my date and once again we schmoozed. We had a blast exchangin stories and networking for Sarah's brother who may end up doing an internship with the gentleman we ate with! God is so good. What a serious blessing to be able to give thousands of dollars so that students can go to school. What would you do with that kind of money?!

Yup that is definitely a chocolate boot! Thanks CBU!!!

What's Neverland?

This is my new place of employment! I will be the Unit assistant for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Sounds important huh. Anyway, I had to go in today to get a physical and to get my papers on the benefit package I am being offered. I am really excited about working here, but I am definitely not in Neverland anymore. I had to go into the administration building where they handed me a portfolio of paperwork they asked me to fill out, then I had to go to another building where they asked me all sorts of questions about my health and I had to to a urine sample.



They could have warned me about that one, I had just gone to the bathroom not too long before that, I managed though. Then I had to go to the testing lab to get blood drawn to make sure that I don't have any blood born diseases that I might pass on to the kids. I then made it back up to where they gave me a few more pointers on the paper work and sent me off with a plethera of options of what to do. I am slightly overwhelmed at the moment, excited, but overwhelmed. I am looking forward to the change and taking on this responsibility, but it would be nice if we didn't have to worry about our criminal background, whether we are going to have enough money to retire (what is retirement anyway?), what person might sue us because of one wrong move. I want change, but I want change on an eternal level. Please pursue being uncomfortable for the gospel. Do you have the right fear in you when you think of sharing your faith! Don't be complacent in your job, know that we are skilled in different things for a reason, pursue truth, exercise it in love and know that you have the power of the Holy Spirit inside you.

Somewhere out there...

Even though we might be upwards of 7,000 miles away I can't seem to do anything without a remnant of Charlie there! :) That is a ok with me. I decided to go swimming at the pool today, of which Charlie spent a great deal of his time here while in swimming and water polo, and some people were throwing the water polo ball in the deep end and asked me if I would like to join them. I am always up for something athletic so I did it. I am definitely not a fish, props to all you who can tread water, defend someone in the hole, catch a ball and throw it all at the same time. I really enjoyed my time in the water. Crystal said, I love athletic people. We may not be pro at any one thing, but we sure can give almost anything a try. It is so true, sports are a blast.

The second Charlie reminder happened when my mom asked me if I wanted to go to a play the little neighbor boys were in. Well little to my knowledge that this would be the play.

Kind of ironic if you ask me! As if it isn't already enough that he is gone! :) It really was a great production and I am glad I went. These boys are so cute. One was an oompa loompa and the other was a towns kid. They did a great job and I had a great dinner with my parents. They were glad we came because this family just moved about a year and a half ago so they treat us much like family since theirs is not close anymore. Anyway, all that to say, in a really great way, I miss Charlie.

Rosin and Softball...random I know

In between learning about the histology (who really even know what that word means) of the digestive system and the physiology of the kidneys, my friend and lab partner Laura and I went to the women's softball game. Props to the girls for their win! They are, for the third year (maybe even the fourth) in a row, the region 2 champions. What studs. This is Candice Thomas, she pitches lights out. I want to give her some props because I know that she is a great softball player, but she is also a wonderful woman. She is so dedicated to all she does and she is full of character. Her abilities pale in comparison to the person she is. I am thankful to have served along side her and to have spent times learning more about her. Congrats softball girls.

This is Rosin. I went to Music Mike's today to buy a new one. Kind of a funny thing because I knew that I needed a new rosin, but what I had not realized was that the rosin I have is the same one I got when I first started plaing in 5th grade. It is kind of a funny thing, you get it nice and pretty and smooth, but you don't want it to be smooth, you want the residue. The poweder that comes off when you scratch the rosin is what makes your bow glide so nicely on the violin strings. I was told once that you want to see a dust cloud coming off of you when you are playing, that way you know you are playing hard! It felt good to have a rosined up bow and to set foot in a music store again! I am excited to play. Thanks to my sweet amazing boyfriend!

Charlie

This is Charlie! He graduated from college on saturday with his bachelor's of science in kinesiology. He also left for Rwanda today and he will be there until June 8th. He joined around 20 other students at CBU to teach english and incorporate social justice plans to encourage the people of Rwanda to grow the quality of life in their country. They also go to share everlasting life in Christ Jesus. I post this because I want to ask that if you read this blog to join me in prayer for him. He is an amazing man who loves the Lord with all His heart. I want to ask that you will pray for his perseverance and his boldness in telling the gospel. I also ask that you pray for his passion that it would grow and that he would be given wisdom and understanding in how to lead his team and how to be a good teammate. I ask that you would pray for us as we are apart and that we would be given time and diligence to pray for one another and that we would seek to know how we can get closer as we are far away. Pray that we would not miss a beat as he is away. Pray for opportunities to encourage the students of the National University of Rwanda to have open hears about what the Americans have to bring to them through social justice plans and lesson plans. Pray that the team would not feel overwhelmed by the task they have before them but that they would be excited to teach and that they would know the power of Christ rests on them as they love on these students. Pray for unity, trust, boldness and consistency between these teams as they go. Thanks so much guys.

Journaling

I like to journal. I am not really a great writer of sorts, but I enjoy doing it. I like to put my thoughts to paper. It holds me accountable to different thoughts, prayers, ideas, goals, etc. that I have set for myself and I like to be able to go back and see how those things have been fulfilled or how I have changed. My journal is a reflection of my heart and sometimes it is easy not know where you are going when you forget where you have been. I wrote this poem in my journal almost 2 years ago exactly. It came at a time when I was realizing what it meant to be fully content in the Lord and in who He is and who we are in Him.

"I have hit the wall that is unforgiving,

It has caused me to quench the joy within.

My life is but a mere vapor,

But nothing compares to knowing you

It is a challenge to live day to day

And selfish thoughts become tiresome

You would think that would make it easy

To let you live my life for me.

I take my life into my own hands

And it doesn't make any sense at all

You promise me more than any man

Yet I am the only one on my mind

There are people starving in Sudan,

Cold people flood the streets in Europe

My prayers could be more effective

But there is no joy to replace the sin.

Forgive my heart, bring back the joy.

Build Character, make much of yourself."

It is interesting to me that these thoughts don't just happen at any one point in your life. Our sin is always sin, and it is always absolutely despised by our God. We always fall short, but we have a Savior. His blood has cleansed us and now, more than ever in my life, I am understanding confession and His forgiveness in a way that causes me to ache for grace! Lord thank you for your unfailing love and for showing me that resting in your grace brings freedom and joy.