Providence in Patience

When waiting for college to start, I've found it incredibly frustrating to just sit around. Keeping busy is always helpful and allows less time for worrying about the millions of things that [possibly] could go wrong. This is the main reason I decided to go on a youth trip with my church to West Virginia. The only people remotely close to my age were a guy named Gage and a girl named Ali. We had tons of fun, and little opportunities to help out kept coming up just when I found myself not having anything to do. It was encouraging when I found that the youth group we were to spend a day with was made up of kids my age! God knows exactly how we feel every second of the day. Better...He knows how we WILL feel before we even come into the situation!

After a great trip, we stopped by a Burger King on the way home. Ali and I weren't really in the mood for a fast food burger, so we hiked up to the nearest Bojangles. The walk stretched out the kinks in our legs and backs that we got from being crammed into bus seats, and the pungent odour of cajun fried chicken greeted our noses. We were waiting for our food when a random black lady walked up to me and asked if I truly believed what my shirt said. I hadn't really given much thought to my "Be Real, Stay Pure" t-shirt with the "Blessed are the pure in heart" verse printed on the back. She asked again, and I answered that I did indeed. Her face lit up, and she said, "Then you're my sister! Come here, girl!" She proceeded to give me a hug, and we talked for a minute about how young people today are often too ashamed to proclaim the message of Christ. She saw Ali and asked her if she "knew Him". She answered that she did and was given a hug as well. A few more minutes of talking allowed us to hear about the church that she attended. Ali and I picked up our food and walked back to our group with smiles on our faces and excitement in our hearts.

I'm very sorry we were just passing through. The lady had invited us to a homecoming at her church, but we had to decline. If she was just a reflection of her entire church family, that would easily have been one of the most beautiful events I had attended. God knew I was wondering what it was like to be surrounded by fellow Christians who were excited and growing. He knew that I wanted to see if anyone outside of my little Anderson/Greenville bubble knew Him and counted every redeemed person as family and every lost person as a potential family member. You may call me dramatic, but I don't really care. He sent a sister from another "world" entirely across my path which had never happened before, and THAT is exciting!!!

Whispers of a tri-county Bible study during the upcoming school year, schemes for complete involvement in society activities, anticipations for a new life of work and study and an unhindered healthy lifestyle, and hopes of learning new life skills definitely make life seem to move at a slower pace. Add the element of not knowing where the support will come from to the mix, and you have the perfect picture of a person jogging up a narrow hill next to a very slippery slope of worry and depression...at least in my head. ;-p That's probably normal, though. I'm thinking I'm very close to another paradigm shift. You know what I'm talking about, right? Those moments where everything you thought you knew is suddenly and irreversibly seen in a new light, and it leaves you feeling sick until you get used to it...? It really makes you appreciate the old picture of a person holding onto God in the "storms" of life. They may not even be trials, but if your entire world shifts from under your feet, He truly is the only thing that remains unmoved. Little instances of His providence in my attempts at patient waiting remind me of that. ^_^

*~FUR~*
Proverbs 31:30

p.s. Thank you for your prayers! I'll let you know something...I have a thing for educated and upscale black men. If you didn't know that by now, then you must not know me very well. ;-) I hope you enjoy that feeling of humour and speechlessness you just had. Glad I could add a little "interestingness" to your day.

On Thrift and Necessity

"Go pick out what you need, but remember...BE CONSERVATIVE" said the woman to her daughter as they entered the local Wal-Mart. Mrs. wandered off, leaving Girl alone with her newspaper that was full of circled dorm items. About a half hour of shopping produced a cart with the following items:

-a bathroom towel/wascloth set of six pieces ($8)

-eighteen lime green plastic hangers ($1.50)

-three bowls ($2)

-four plates ($4)

-a floor lamp ($9)

-a bed set ($20) of

• one flat sheet
• one fitted sheet
• one comforter
• two shams
• two pillowcases 
• one duffel bag

 -a three-drawer tower ($15)

-a fluffy purple blanket ($15) just for fun!

Girl returned to Mrs. with thirty dollars in her pocket and hopes of not having to use it all. She was too optimistic. In the end, the hangers and blanket were removed. Only after ten minutes of questioning looks and hard discussion were the towels and tower allowed to remain. Once they had settled on a suitable division of payment, Mrs. commented that she would go get ice cream and meet Girl at the register. Watching marshmallows, corn dogs, popsicles, Cheez-Its, and forty-eight cans of Diet Coke go down the conveyor belt made Girl somewhat hungry, but she didn't mind. She was getting new stuff!!!! ^_^ Orange Dreamsicles don't keep you warm in the winter, but on a hot summer day, Girl didn't mind too much. 

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OH BOY! A SATIRE! :-D How exciting! 

Someone told me my last post was an epic fail, and I apologize. :) Blame Target for not keeping someone's online shopping cart open. I am thrilled to be able to room with one of my best friends since kindergarten. God has provided both my mother and me with jobs, and school cannot come soon enough! A clean slate in a somewhat new place is very welcome. If you feel like praying about it, could you please pray that God will protect me from shadows of the past? They are particularly strong in Greenville. Everyone has things they struggle with, and mine are mostly mental situations such as attitude and emotion. My last post asked for wishlists. On this post, I would love to hear how God is working in your life! He provides every need... and many times even more than we need. I know this. Do you have a story to share?

*~FUR~*

Proverbs 31:30

**Wish*Upon*a*Star**

So everyone has a wish list. Mines just happens to be slightly nerdier. ;-P 

College Version:  http://www.target.com/gp/cart/view.html/ref=nav_sc/178-7828870-7752116

I get to room with a girl who's been in my class since nursery at the Oak, and we dreamed of going all out with twinkle lights, paper lanterns, fuzzy rugs and pillows, and stylish sheets, but that's just what they are...dreams. :) We're going to sit around our hotpot and be completely happy, but sharing dreams is fun, so I'm posting access to a wishlist!! Here's some background information to help you envision this with us. :-P

Jamie's the kind of girl who like wearing bright purple or zebra print high heels. Her hair could outshine Barbie's (no joke!), and she loves the color purple in anything new and trendy. She has a great fashion sense, and can actually pull it off. She's a sports person, but she can chill and listen to music as well. She's just awesome like that. ;-)

I'm a complete nerd, so I adore capybaras, rubber duckies, paper lanterns, music, video games, classical books, and being neat and organized. My favourite color is black, and I LOVE that swirly black and white pattern that is so popular right now. I guess people finally got the clue that it was cool! Hahaha.

No one really posts replies on this here BLOG, but I'm requesting you too. I love looking at other people's lists, so POST YOUR OWN as a reply!! ^_^ Please. If you know me at all...you KNOW that I go absolutely crazy over people's birthdays. Have a wonderful day, and remember that it's completely fine to dream. God's all-sufficient, though. 

*~FUR~*

Proverbs 31:30

Psalm 19:14

Hello Again, World ^_^

Hey, you. Yes, you! The one in front of the screen reading this post. CONGRATULATIONS for taking the time to enlarge your mind by actually reading something. ^_^ That makes me smile! I was just wondering...do you know what it's like to go on a trip of some sort and get completely lost so that time appears to stand still? I went to Washington state to spend some time with my family, and I forgot I owned a dog by the end of the visit...yes...it was that bad. It is amazing what three weeks away from chaos can do for your mind. With all of the craziness of the past few years clogging up my head, I had forgotten who I was. YES I know that's incredibly cliche and corny, but it's true. I didn't know what I liked and disliked. All I could remember were memories of what this person liked and what this other person did when they found out. **breathe** I remembered that I did have a favourite cousin. :P I remembered that I absolutely LOVE video games, coloring, legos, books, Saturday morning cartoons, baking, and actually getting out and laughing with new people! I had forgotten all of that, and it had been replaced with long nights just sitting in front of the t.v. and telling my dog to be quiet.

It's easy to learn how to serve other people. It's much harder to take the initiative and go out of your way to find things to do. It's even more of a challenge to stand in someone's shadows and nod and smile at the appropriate time...waiting for your chance to do something by yourself. Being in a church made of old people...you tend to forget that new believer's excitement more quickly than a growing church (or maybe that's just me). A few nights in a younger church was so encouraging. I do forget why I'm living sometimes, and talking to fellow believers who are learning stuff for the first time and zealous can remind you of the One who loves you unconditionally. It is so encouraging to lift your voice in song with a sanctuary filled with sold-out Christians. Don't get me wrong...spending a few precious hours in a back room with an out of tune piano and a hymnal is a wonderful way to spend time with God. ;-) There's something about true fellowship, however.

Coming home to hear the constant  complaints about how fat people think they are, arguments over which reality tv show guy should win the girl, giggling about the latest teen icon, and gossip about the mistakes of fellow human beings was somewhat disappointing, and I found myself missing Washington terribly, but I suppose those things are common everywhere now. It's funny...God never has to clear His head of anything. He is all-knowing and holy and is SO FAR above all of the human obsessions! Would you like to know what else I had forgotten? I had forgotten that I am longing to work my hardest in and out of the classroom in college, because developing the skills God's given me for His glory is a heart goal. I had forgotten that God's been SOOOO good to me in even allowing me to GO to college! He has provided all of my needs, and even allowed my biggest dream to come true (a visit from my sister without a giant blow-up). He has given me friends when I most needed them, and even in reading my classical books, His Word echoes in my mind, telling me what is of the world, and what is not. It may sound funny, but this is my blog, so :-P!!!!!!!!! Have an amazing day, and GO READ MORE STUFF, smart person! 8-B

*~FUR~*
Proverbs 31:30
Psalm 19:14
p.s. my next post will basically be a wishlist, because I am a selfish person, and I would only tell people what I want when they don't read it. ^_^