Two Weeks In

Alright, well I have now officially been here in Washington for two weeks. It kinda hit me yesterday how much my life has changed over the course of such a short period of time. Let me elaborate a little.
In Orange County I woke up at 5:30am almost every morning left the house by 6:30am and was at work by 7am. I worked all day at Lakeshore carrying things, moving things, dealing with people and working my butt off. After leaving at 4pm I would get in my car and drive the 25 miles to Fountain Valley where I would then lead Bible Study, have meetings, have girls nights. Whatever the event of the night was. After this I would be exhausted on the way home. I would be home generally sometime around 10pm and then work on my lesson for the next night, homework or just crash. (Just a side note... I am not complaining...I loved my life, friends, church and job, most of the time).

It is interesting how things have changed...
I now don't have to be up until around 8am and can go into the office sometime around 9am, but it is not a requirement. I go to work with two people instead of a bazillion and we have fun. On Wednesdays around noon I go hang out with kids. It is pretty cool. I am actually home for dinner at 6pm and somedays I just work from home. Things have calmed down alot.

Things have changed in other ways, too. I only know a couple of people here. I miss my close friends so much, I miss bike rides to the beach with Katelynn, I miss talking to Lizzy and I miss coming home to my Grandma's smile every day. I miss Pastor Guy and his great sermons and I miss my kids on Sunday mornings. I miss Brighton and his sprinkle donuts and my little buddy and his big hugs. I miss the family of my church, the 10 grandmas I had, 8 moms and more dads and big brothers than I can count.

I have to say that just because I miss things I am not doubting that fact that God has brought me here, that this is His will and that there is a purpose. This is a big change and with big changes come big adjustments. Let's just say that I am adjusting.

I'm here

Well, we made it to Washington. I officially live in Washington State now. That seems so weird to me. No more So Cal. It is going to be interesting, but exciting. I will keep you posted, but wanted to let you know that we made it.

31%

As of today I am 31% funded. It is going to happen. I have to believe that and have the faith that God is in control. It is interesting to me how many people know that it is down to the wire and are still not sure. I don't know I can't expect people to rush to give money, but I have to admit that today I was stressed beyond belief. I didn't even know where to start in terms of calling and packing and all the other things that need to happen. Right now I just need to let go and let God have control. Oh, and I can't find my work key either. I am afraid of what my manager is going to do when she finds that out. Good times.

One Week

I now have one week. One week before I move to Washington. I am excited, yet am afraid that it might not happen. At this point I am 20% funded and I need to be at 80% to go to Washington. I know that there are at least 10 people who are going to commit to helping me, but what the amount is? I have no idea and that is the problem. It could either get me to 80% or not. The question is could I still go and find a part time job until all the funding comes through? I have to be either in Washington or in California on August 20th to start school. I mean I have been given a scholarship. I have to be somewhere. It makes the most sense to me to go and start school so that I can be in Washington and not have to wait for the semester to end. I don't know. Right now I have to believe that God can do anything. I know that He has called me to go there, I know that God can do more than I can ever imagine.

Getting Close

Well, it is almost time. Time for me to move from Orange County, CA to Arlington, WA. Four weeks and I drive away to a new place, new experiences, and new people. I have to admit that I am scared to death, yet I am strangely excited. There is so much though, so much that I realize has to happen in the next four weeks I am afraid that it isn't going to happen. I am afraid that my funding isn't going to come through. I mean I know that God can do anything. I know it is going to happen. I have to believe that it is going to happen, but there is still that thought of "what if" in the back of my head. I have come to realize how many people I am going to miss and yet I still know that it is the right thing to do. I mean sometimes the right thing and the hardest are the same.

Off to Camp

Well, at 6:00 am I am off to camp. We are going to Jeness Park for the week. I am super excited. I love camp. I know it is for the kids, but I love it, too. I am a little worried about this camp because I have a couple of students going who are a little more high maintenance than the ones that have gone in the past. I really hope that it goes well and that I have the patience to love on them. I am still excited though and know that it is going to be a great week. It is my last summer camp with this group of kids though and I am sad. I am ready though to have a great time and relax a little.

Power

The power just went out. Good thing I have an alarm on my phone or else I could have missed church in the morning. It sucks though because everything that I need to print out for tomorrow I can't print. It is a little creepy, too having the power out. Hopefully it will be back on in the morning because I would really like to be able to have good hair for church. Sorry about the randomness of this.

Laser Tag

So, we took the youth to laser tag last night for our first Wed night of the summer. For the first time in the bazillion times we have gone I actually ranked. I took fourth place. It rocked!!! I destroyed and took them down. It was great, now for Boomers tomorrow night I think that I can take them in the Go Karts, too. I have to say that I love my job.

Body Builders Part II

Today was day two of my Body Builders fundraising training. After yesterday, I thought that fundraising was an impossible task, that what I felt called to do was just a dream and not a possibility. I left today encouraged, uplifted and ready. Today God worked and reaffirmed the vision, the passion and the purpose that was so strong in me a few months ago.

It is interesting to me how God works through people that we don't even know to influence us and to affirm us. Today at the training God worked through two people, it was truly amazing how two separate people committed to helping support this ministry. One monthly and one with a onetime gift. The money isn't the thing that hit me though, it was their affirmation of the passion I feel for youth. The idea that they believed in me and what God called me to do so much that they wanted to make it happen. The crazy thing is that I was just sharing about YD. I wasn't looking for anything. WOW!!!

I now believe that this can happen. I feel affirmed of the calling on my life and completely fired up about going to Washington. I am excited. I am excited to invite people to join my team and not because they are going to be giving money, but because they are going to be able to serve by supporting a ministry that is completely driven by God and His vision. I am also excited about creating relationships with the people that will be joining my team and ministering to them, personally.

Body Builders

I just got home from my first day of fudraising training and am left with more questions and more stress than I was in the first place. I am left wondering if it is really possible to be ready to leave by August? If it isn't should I take a semester off from school or should I go to school and then leave after the end of the semester? Should I quit my job and take the leap of faith completely devote the next couple months to support raising? There is so much to think about, so many questions. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas?

Out of our Control

It's a funny thing to me how things that are so out of our own control are able to frustrate us so easily. I don't really understand why things that shouldn't elicit any emotion at all can conjure up emotions from so deep within. I don't quite understand, but I do know that emotions have a purpose. I just need to learn how to take the emotions of the moment and give them up and allow God to help me work through them instead of trying to do it all on my own. I don't know, I mean I know I am an emotional person and sometimes they do get in the way. (Not as much now as in the past) I also know that there is a reason that I am the way I am. I just wish that it made sense sometimes.

Pirates

I just got home from seeing Pirates and it was amazing. I loved it and am ready to see it again. It was so good and exciting I wanted it to go on a lot longer. That is it, just wanted to say how amazing it was oh and Johnny was still hot.

It's Done!!!!

I'm done for the semester!!! I am so excited!!! This has been a long semester and the hardest semester of my life. All that I have to say is that I am excited. First thing to do with school out? I am going to the beach tomorrow. A little white space and my favorite place. Sounds amazing.

AHHHHH

AHHHHHH....that is all that I can say right now. I can't read any more about Paul in Acts....I have to read though. My head ins going to explode!!! AHHHH...Too much to do, to many other things on my mind I can't concentrate. Everything else in life keeps running through my head and the focus has been lost. I guess I should go to bed and try again tomorrow. Only 4 more days. It can happen...this can be done. Just a little focus is all that is needed. HELP!!!

Blah

Ok, so have you ever worked really hard on something, finished and been completely done? So tired from all the effort put into your last project that doing another seems to be impossible? I am there right now. I am so done and tired from working on everything from my leadership class that my New Testament paper really is the last thing in the world that I want to do right now. I am so over it, yet I know that it needs to be good and I need to get this done. Let's just hope that I can focus on this and look forward to being totally done and not just partially.

one down one to go

Finally, I have finished my Ministry Leadership class. It was an awesome class and I learned alot, but I am glad that it is over. I honestly didn't think that I was going to be able to get all the work done and I actually got all the work done, actually got everything in on time. The best part is that I got an A in the class. It was an awesome class, I learned more about ministry than I have in any of my other classes. So much that can be applied and so much that has already affected me. It was awesome. Now I just have to get this paper done for New Testament. I'm not really looking forward to this one. Here we go....almost there.

Good Day

Today was a good day. I didn't have to work, which was a blessing. I think if I did have to I would have had a nervous breakdown. That is besides the point though. I feel as if it was a productive day though. I got all the reading that needs to be done for my class on Monday done, I interviewed Pastor Guy for my leadership class (I need to start transcribing the interview), I got my sample art projects done for Art Masters (they look really good. I think that I might hang them up in my new apartment) and I feel like I got a little rest. Now, I just hope that I can stay productive and get everything done that needs to be done. With only 2 1/2 weeks left of class and lots of work left to do productive is the key. I pray that I will be able to use the time that I have wisely.

Mexico

Over Spring Break a few of us from the church went down to Mexico for a 3 day mission trip. The trip was amazing. There were 29 of us including children, teens and adults and it was awesome to work along side people so many different people all in order to serve in the kingdom. We helped to build a storage facility, cut down some trees, cleaned up some weeds and spent some time at an orphanage loving on some of the most beautiful children you have ever seen. It was a great time and I can't wait to go out there again and hopefully to bring some of the kids with me. I know that there isn't much more time for me to take them, but if the opportunity arises I am ready. It was really great!!!

Too much to do and not enough time

I know that everyone has these times, but they are really frustrating. There is just so much that I have to get done that I don't even know what to start with. I need to:
- Get ready for a mission trip that I leave for on Thurs
-Write a paper
-Get caught up on all my reading for school (about 3 books)
- Be at work at 6am all week to change inline sets
- tutor students
- Get lesson ready for Tues night
- Begin my paper on Paul
- Get to school to do my aid work
I think that there is more, but I can't remember right now. I am so tired right now that I just want to go to bed, but I have to have this dumb paper done tonight.
And I really, really want some ice cream.

Friends

I just one quick thing to say. I have some of the most amazing friends anyone could ever have. I have come to realize how precious they are to me. As I realize that I am going to be leaving them soon I have come to realize even more how much they mean to me.