Not So Bad

Here are a few of my so many wonderful friends who helped me celebrate my birthday.


Jason, Shea, Cammie, Laura, Jennifer and Claire


Ashton, the other birthday girl, Cameron, Carrie, and Selena


Susan, Megan, John Ed


Sarah, Josie, Brandon, Rebecca, and Jeremy


Cameron, Cammie and Elisabeth

There were others there that I don't have photos of and there were a few who weren't able to make it but were really missed (you know who you are...yes, I'm talking about you)! Thank you all for helping make my birthday special!

You're Growing Old

This has been an emotional week for me. The week before my birthday always is. I'll be 38 years old tomorrow and I have mixed emotions about that. It doesn't really matter how I feel about it, though; it's going to happen anyway. I usually become nostalgic and sentimental around my birthday as well. It is very easy for me to look at all the things that I don't have in my life. Let's face it, if I were in control (and thank God, I'm not), my life would probably look a lot differently; a lot of the things I dreamed about when I was younger just haven't happened according to my plan. But this year, only by God's grace, I want to celebrate all the wonderful things in my life. Here are just a few:

1. my incredible parents (and I'm not just writing this because my mom reads my blog);
2. my so so many wonderful friends (I could list you each individually but I would leave someone out and I don't want to do that);
3. OMPC (I don't understand how anyone could go anywhere else);
4. the singles at OMPC;
5. my job (I work with some really fun people);
6. my roommate and her house;
7. the students I work with (most of them);
8. that I have had the privilege of living 38 years;
9. The Lord is still working in my life;
10. I live in a country where I have the freedom to basically do as I please and worship the living God.

Thank you Lord, for another year of life. And thank you to my friends and family for loving me and pointing me to Christ; I love you all dearly!

Don't Stand So Close to Me!

Why is it that some people have no concept of personal space? I went to the post office today to pick up a parcel they were holding for me. The line was pretty long so I took my place and began to wait. Not long after I arrived, a man came in and got in line behind me. I didn't think anything about it until I got restless and started looking around. When I turned so I could see behind me, the man was a mere inches from me. He was oblivious. I took a few discrete steps forward and it wasn't 5 seconds before he closed the gap. This went on for the next 3-4 minutes until I was called to the counter. That was the longest few minutes I've experienced in a while. Any longer and I would have had to make a sarcastic comment under my breath. Unless I know you, please remain outside of my personal space.

I'm over it now.

Some Good News

Jonathan's MRI showed that his brain tumor has been reduced slightly so they are going to keep him on the trial medicine for now. Just wanted to update you.

Glory Days

I did something today that I haven't done since 5th grade; I played newcomb. Since you asked, newcomb is the elementary version of volleyball where you catch the ball and throw it over instead of hitting it. We had a couple of faculty/student games as practice for our newcomb team. I have to say, I did pretty well. I served twice and got it over the net one of those times, and I caught the ball every time it came to me. It was a lot of fun and it is quite hilarious to hear all the students chanting your name. We won two and lost two.

I got to see Jonathan Ferguson today. He is the 5th grader who has a brain tumor. He has always wanted to ride in a Hummer limo and so the teachers all pitched in and rented him one. His mom invited several of his friends and the limo showed up after school to take them all to Pizza Hut. He was so surprised! Jonathan is currently in a medical trial and goes Monday for an MRI to see if it is working. I've been told that if the MRI shows that the tumor has grown 20% or more, he will be taken out of the study. At this point this trial is the only medical option for him. Please pray for him and his family and for his MRI on Monday.

Hope you are enjoying the day...it's WONDERFUL outside!

The Green Starbucks Apron

I have a new routine. After school, I drive over to the Starbucks on 280, order a grande passion tea lemonade, sweetened with 2 Splenda, and sit outside while reading my many books for class. I love it! Every once in a while I have company and that's great too. I got some reading done today but what I enjoyed most (besides the company) was the weather. It was a glorious day! The sun was out and the air was a little chilly. I love the change in weather. I hope you were able to enjoy it in some way.

I was talking to my friend Whitney about blogging today. If you haven't read her blog, there's a link to it over to the right. You should go there and read a few of her posts; they are hilarious. Go ahead and bookmark her page; you'll want to be a repeat visitor. Anyway, we got to talking about the difference in our blogs. She has the best sense of humor and could honestly blog about anything (for example, boiled eggs) and it would be funny. My blog, on the other hand is quite the opposite. I'm not a very good story teller, and what seems funny in my mind, often isn't so when it moves from my mind to spoken or written word. And that's okay. I know that about myself, and for the most part, I am okay with it. I say all of that to say this: I want to post about the lighter side of life as well. We'll see what I come up with.

I hear tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice as today, so enjoy!

Theology 101(2)

My theology class is tonight and I'm afraid I haven't been a good student this week. I haven't opened a single book since last Tuesday night. I could make excuses but the truth is, time just got away from me. I hate that because I'm really enjoying this class. We talk about some deep stuff and I'm not able to wrap my mind around all of it, but it's so very humbling. I want to take some time and think about what all this means for my life on a personal and practical level.

One thing, in particular, keeps resonating with me: I am greatly loved by my Heavenly Father. I've known that for the majority of my life. Until pretty recently, when I heard people talk about how much God loves me, my thought was, "of course He does, that's His job; He's supposed to love me." I'm pretty sure that line of thinking has kept me from really understanding just how much He does love me. Last week, while doing the required reading for class, I caught more of a glimpse of my Father's great love. Here's what I read:

Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto: and all to the praise of His glorious grace.
(Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 3, number 5; Scripture proof texts: Eph. 1:4,9,11, Rom. 8:30, 2 Tim. 1:9, 1 Thess. 5:9, Rom. 9:11,13,16, Eph. 1:6,12)

I know that predestination and election are controversial topics among many people. That isn't the primary point here. The point is, God chose me, before the foundation of the world, to be His daughter, and it wasn't based on Him knowing that I would choose Him (would I really have, anyway?) or on anything good in me (apart from Christ there is no good in me). For some reason, He chose me. WOW!!! How humbling and how awesome! I am greatly loved!

Theology 101

I am loving the theology class I'm taking. I really want to blog about it but my mind is mush and I'm exhausted. I'll have to do this later.