Settling In

"He has called each and every one of us to live a life of impossibility" -Pastor Joe Oby

This week I have laughed harder, thought deeper, slept better, and prayed more intensely, than I have in a LONG time. I've been back in Madison for 8 days now, it's flown by, and yet I feel like I've been here forever! How does that work?
It has been a challenging week trying to get settled in, but I finally feel like I'm better prepared for this next week now that I have a better idea of what's going on. Our schedule during the week was pretty insanely busy. Busier than I have been in ages! My days seemed to go from 7am to at LEAST 10pm every day with MAYBE an hour of breathing time in there. I'm so not used to being that busy every day! I found myself saying one day "I need to do some time management, I just don't have time to figure out how to manage my time!" And I've been told it only gets worse from here. Encouraging right!?  Being an extreme introvert spending all day being social, I found myself pretty exhausted by the end of each day! I would go through each day and list what we did, etc, etc, etc...but I don't remember every detail, I even went back through my journal for reminders of each day and literally a couple days my journal entries ended mid sentence! Examples:
    -Wednesday, Aug. 13 "I keep thinking of Leann telling me to consistently journal. I didn't realize how hard that would be! Every moment is packed and when I"   and then it ends. Just ends right there.
   -Thursday, Aug. 14 "I'm not sure how to"    I'm not sure what I didn't know how to do, but I guess I'll never know because that's where it ended...I'll need to work on my ability to finish a darn sentence before realizing I'm late to something, or before something comes up!

I've gotten to know quite a few people this week, doing different projects and going to staff houses for meals and such. I'm still blown away that God has called me to this life.
 I know I really haven't gone into much detail at all about anything, but I think that is where I'll end for right now. I thought it would be easy to keep up writing constantly, and it even crossed my mind that maybe I'll post too much! But I just kinda laugh at that now and hope I'll sit down and do another one before December :)

On a random side note, we had yesterday off and so I went to the FREE ZOO in Madison with a couple friends! Seriously so much fun! I haven't been to a zoo in quite some time. I hope to go back every single week for the remainder of my time here. :D

Sometimes Things Don't Go As Planned!

Ohhhhhh man. I hate running errands! My goal today was to get my passport renewed, shouldn't have been too hard, but it ended up taking a good 4 hours. ugh.
Overview:
~Tried to print the necessary documents, we don't have a printer and my sisters didn't work.
~Went to the library to use their computer/ printer
~Circled the block over and over to find free parking. Turns out you get an hour free, who knew!?
~ Aaaaand the Library was closed. Who closes the library on a Thursday!?
~Gave up on the document and went to Staples to make copies of my 2 forms of ID
~Did it wrong
~Went to the post office only to be sent home to get my birth certificate as my second form of ID instead of my actual passport.
~Oh, and I was told they couldn't transfer my India visa to my new passport and I'd have to call (?) India and see how that works. Yeah  OK let me just call up India real quick...
*cue frustration*
 ~Went home, finally found my birth certificate and headed BACK to Staples.
~The guy who was working let me do it for free! Yeah I saved a whole .10, but it was that random act of kindness that totally improved my attitude! Because at that point, I was hot, tired and frustrated. Thanks Staples dude!
~BACK to the post office and it went fairly smooth from there besides having to pay an arm and a leg...and then my other arm and other leg..
As a random tip though, if you have to get a passport picture taken, don't do it directly after driving around town everywhere on a 95degree day, in a car with no A/C. After the picture printed, the guy literally laughed at me. Yep. It's a keeper. It's OK, I only have to live with it for the next 10 YEARS! Oh well, it'll be a good story starter someday...
BUT it's over. It is renewed, and that stress is GONE. THANK YOU LORD!
So that was my drama of the day! Maybe next time I won't wait until the last minute to get things done next time!

Here We Go!

A new adventure, a new blog!

In 4 short days I leave beautiful Oregon, and head to Madison, WI! I will be staffing this fall for a DTS (Discipleship Training School) with YWAM (Youth With A Mission). I did my DTS in 2012, 3 months after I graduated. BUT I'm sure anyone/everyone who reads this already knows that!

Today I left my home for the past 3 summers, and last 14 months full time. I worked and lived on the amazing Oregon coast for a camp run through my church. It just might be my favorite place in the world! I have the most INCREDIBLE work family. I don't know why the Lord chose to bless me in the ways He has, but I'm not complaining! Leaving that all behind...well..it was rough to say the least.
As I drove out of that parking lot (after over an hour of saying "see-ya-laters" repeatedly, and receiving more hugs than I can even count) I had a major, toddler style meltdown. I lost it. I yelled at God for taking me out of that place, making me say good-bye to that amazing camp life, I asked why He was asking me to go alone, and why He hadn't let me just be content doing what I was doing. After I was finished yelling and accusing and was reduced to a sobbing blubbering mess, He started speaking to my heart. He didn't scold me for everything I had just said (what a gracious Father we have!) and instead, He let me know that it was OK to cry. Sometimes when I start to feel overwhelmed, I put up an "emotion block." I don't let myself feel because I'm afraid. Then it all builds up until I have a volcano moment, and that's never pretty. So today, I let myself cry. I cried and cried... I'm exhausted. But then I started out loud, declaring peace. Peace in my heart, in my emotions, in every part of my being. And, well, I felt peace. Overwhelming peace that passes understanding.
As I started to calm down, the song "Never Once" came on the radio. As I listened to the words again, it hit me in a whole new way, a way that reached me right where I was at. "Carried by Your constant grace, held within Your PERFECT peace, never once, no we never walk alone. Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. You are FAITHFUL, God You are faithful."
By the end of my 3 hour drive, my heart had changed. Instead of being angry to be gone, I started thanking God for the time I had there. Instead of asking why I couldn't have been called to stay there longer, I thanked Him for the worthy calling He has given me.
He is SO faithful and so worth thanking.
Well, how's that for a first blog? Despite all the complaining you just read about, don't be deceived! I really AM excited to go back with YWAM! Excited to see my friends, be back in that close of a community, excited for constant adventures! I don't know how often I'll be on here. I love to write, so I'll probably post waaaaaay too much. Or I'll completely forget and you might not hear from me again for a month or 3 or 7. Just kidding, I really will try to be consistent!
Moral of this ranting story: God is good. ALL the time. ALL THE TIME.