May 2007

Sorry I haven’t updated, but you’ll have to believe that there hasn’t been much for me to give an update on.

We’ve had a few sessions that were awesome, one on heroic relationships/discipleship, and the past two were on David and learning what it means to have a heart for God.

My reading plan has been taking me through Judges this week. This may be wrong to say, but whenever I read about Samson, I picture a biblical Rambo. And it’s so dramatic, sometimes I give a little chuckle, but then I feel weird because I just laughed while reading the bible. It may be wrong, but I still think it’s funny.

I haven’t started memorizing Philippians. Whoops. I was supposed to memorize the first chapter this week. Whoops. Well, the week isn’t over yet….

On Tuesday we got a chance to do “Silent Evangelism” where I went to Starbucks and prayed for all the people I saw and prayed that God would give me a heart for the lost. We weren’t supposed to talk to anyone, though, so we had to pray that God would put someone in their lives that would help them come to know Christ or that they would feel drawn to Him, but chances are we would never see those people again. It was a little strange, but at the same time I do believe that God helped me see those total strangers as lost and broken people, despite their nice clothes or fancy cars and $5 cups of coffee. I also realized that it’s easier for me to love people when it’s obvious that they are suffering, but I rarely show grace to the guy in the big truck who cuts me off or a rude customer/coworker, even though they may be more broken than a child in a third-world country. I really do hope that I can show the normal looking people love, too.

Tonight we’re doing beach evangelism, so I’m praying that people will be open and receptive to having spiritual conversations and that people will be open to hearing about Jesus. I remember last year I got into some really cool spiritual conversations with people on the beach doing surveys, so I’m hoping people will want to have them tonight.

Biggest news of all: I worked today! First day of work, I worked from 9-2:30 doing laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. I learned how to fold a fitted sheet! Finally! I told the lady I was working with that I try not to fold the fitted sheet. Instead I try to take it right from the dryer to the bed, that way I don’t have to get it wrinkled or get too frustrated folding it up. Those things are a nightmare! But not anymore…I’m fully capable of folding them the right way, or at least this hotel’s way. I worked with a woman named Barbara, who probably has more experience working in hotels than I have been alive, so she knows her stuff. She asked me if I had done this before, and when I said “no” and asked her why, she said that it just seemed like I knew what I was doing. I told her that my mom always said she had kids to help her with the chores. She laughed.

Tomorrow, my baby tister graduates from high school. I’m flying home tomorrow at 9 AM, then flying back to Norfolk (pronounced Nor-fulk with a very slight “l” sound, barely noticeable, but definitely do not say Nor-FOLK) on Sunday evening. I’m excited to come home, I think it’ll be a nice break, and I would never forgive myself if I missed Kissy Nawie’s graduation!

…how you can feel so alone when you’re surrounded by people?

…why it’s so easy to feel like you’re worthless/stupid/useless/etc/etc?

…when you will stop believing the lies?

Yeah? Me too.

Yesterday was uneventful to say the least. I wasn’t working, I didn’t have any plans or responsibilities, so I slept and went to the library.

Today, I had orientation at 10. I was done by 12. Sweet. I still don’t know when I start, though, so that sucks. We have to call at 3 PM tomorrow to figure out when we’re needed, so I’m not working tomorrow either. I NEED SOMETHING TO DO!

So Priscilla Hui and I (see picture) went to the grocery store and then looked at books. There’s this sweet discount outlet store that buys liquidated merchandise and then sells it for really low prices. Their Christian books selection is pretty good. Today, I purchased “A Love Worth Giving,” “God Came Near,” and “Next Door Savior” by Max Lucado as well as a book written by Johnny Cash about the life of Paul. All for–get this–$14.66. Now I have some reading to do.

I have a meeting with someone at 3:30 then I have a main session service at 7:30. We’re also talking about seeing Pirates after the session, because it will be sweet!!!!!!!!!!

I need something to do. I don’t care about making money, I just need to do something. I better be working by this weekend.

*Edit*

Didn’t see Pirates on Thursday night, but I saw it on Friday and it was great! Some people called it over-the-top, but I called it amazing!!!!! If you see it, stay through the credits. They always put something at the end.

So the first day we were given a list of biblical challenges that we could choose to take up this summer.

Tonight we chose. You could choose how many you wanted, depending on where you were at and what areas you wanted to be challenged in, etc.

I decided to take up the challenges to do a reading plan that covers the heroes of the bible, which I guess will be about 7 chapters today. Also, to memorize the book of Philippians, which sounded like a lot of work but something kept drawing me to check this challenge. Then, I want to pray for 1-3 co-workers and their salvation. I really hope that by praying for these co-workers consistently that God will work through me to reach them and that He will give me the opportunity to share the gospel with them. Finally, to keep a prayer journal. This isn’t really a challenge…I already do it…but not every time I pray and I don’t have a separate journal for my prayers, so I feel like it will be interesting to commit to praying this way for the next 10 weeks and see how God uses this to help focus my prayers. Also, it will be so cool to look back after this summer and see how God moved and answered my prayers.

There were a few others that I didn’t check just because I felt that it would be better now to not overwhelm myself. I don’t know how demanding my job will be, and I don’t know where God will be taking me, so if I decide later on that I can handle a little more, there were a few like praying for an hour each day, taking prayer walks, memorizing one to five verses a week, and LT-wide prayer Monday and Thursday mornings that I can do. For now, I’m looking forward to how God will challenge me through the things I chose tonight.

Yesterday I heard the jets! It’s not Virginia Beach without a little jet noise!!!

I’m here!

It’s warm!

It’s sunny!

The beach is sandy, the water is cold!

I have a job thing to go to at 2 to figure out where I’ll be working this summer. I already know I’m working at a day care center that one of the hotels runs part time, so I’ll work part time at the same hotel anywhere. I really don’t care if it’s in a restaurant or cleaning people’s bathrooms. The day care center is a pretty low-key job. If you get kids, you just basically entertain them until their parents get back, so coloring, watching movies, going swimming, playing games. And if you don’t get kids, you entertain yourself, so coloring, watching movies, reading books, playing games. Not bad at all. So I don’t really care what the other job will be, because I’ll at least have one good job.

I’ve been really tired, though. I haven’t slept well in weeks, until last night when I got a pretty full 8 hours. There was the time when Steve called and I barely remember speaking to him, and the time when I got up and went into the living room. I don’t remember getting up out of bed and I don’t remember going into the living room, but I do remember my friends saying my name and then I wasn’t in bed….I was sleep walking, which is weird.

Anyway, things are good, I’m having a great time, and I’ll check back later when there are things to check back on!

*Edit* Life comes at you fast. I got an email at 11:26 telling me that the manager of the hotel has decided to go in a different direction and doesn’t want to hire me or any of the other girls interested in the day care. So….I guess I’m looking at front desk or housekeeping… I’m not complaining, I’ll get a job when I know it would have been harder to find a job in Michigan, but I think it’s okay that I’m disappointed.

*Second Edit*
So as I’m filling out my application, I find out that there are day care positions available and I need to talk to the general manager. So I’m officially working part time at the day care and then part time with housekeeping. The executive housekeeper was super-nice and bubbly and she said I’d be making beds and vacuuming, things like that. I can handle that…not stressful, good co-workers, no angry customers, done and done!

The school year has been done for the past couple weeks for me.

Let’s recap.

September: I move in with my roommate, Laura. She’s awesome, our room is cool, the people on our hall are cool, and I’m sure the year will be cool. I add another major to my program, moving my graduation date back to 2010, but it’s exciting and I’m okay with that. I have no clue what I got myself into.

October: I start dating a guy. I really like him, he really likes me, things are good and extremely complicated now. On our first date, he took me to his house to meet his family. I have very little time to spend with him, unfortunately, but I think things will work out. Mid-term exams are brutal (I’m taking 9 classes). I learned how to play snare drum, bells, trumpet, euphonium, tuba, and the viola.

November: Spent Thanksgiving with my guy’s family and my family. Started learning to play the trombone, kept learning various percussion instruments, and the cello.

December: Finished up the fall semester okay. Extremely stressed out and in need of a break, I got a couple weeks at the end of December.

January: Rested and ready to go, I started the winter semester (I’m taking 11 classes now). Life is busier than ever, things start going south in the relationship department. After a small break, things pick back up in the relationship department. I start learning the oboe, flute, clarinet, continue learning the viola, and I start taking voice lessons and piano lessons. I start looking at an internship that I’m really interested in.

February: Mid-terms, I do well enough that I don’t have to take piano lessons anymore. I get sick, then I get okay again. Spring break is spent sleeping and enjoying the time off. Internship didn’t work out, but I’ll still be spending my summer in Virginia Beach.

March: I start learning the bassoon and clarinet, I switch to the violin because there weren’t enough violas to spare. I get sick again, this time it might be mono but it isn’t, so I’m okay.

April: I’m excited to be done with classes. I’ve spent many hours scheduling my fall term for next year, but I’ve found a way to graduate in 2009 again. Me and my guy have been dating six months now, which is a long time but not long enough. I finish well, which is surprising because I didn’t care the last couple weeks.

For the past few weeks, I have slept, spent time with family, read, listened to music, watched law and order, and I’ve been a lazy bum. I’m going crazy.

Having nothing to do is fun for the first few days, but when your life is busy, it almost defines who you are. Saturday I leave for Virginia Beach, where I’ll work for 10 weeks and take part in a leadership training program put on by Great Commission Ministries. It’ll be great, I’ll be busy, and I’ll be a block away from the beach.

Yay! I’ll have my life back!