VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS

After much thinking, praying, and coin-tossing, the decision has been made. Come August I will be making my way across the country to Virginia Beach, VA to get my masters in human services counseling. I'm really looking forward to this next adventure in my life and what that means for my future as a whole, only time will tell exactly what will come of all of this but I'm excited to find out.

EENY, MEENY, MINY, MO

The word is in, I've been accepted into three of the four grad. schools that I applied to . . . and now it's time to make a decision. I've got some thinking and deliberating to do, or maybe I'll just make it easier and pull a name from the hat. More to come. . .

REJUVENATED AND YET STILLED

As a result of where my life has led me in these past 7 months or so, lately, I have felt even more so like a caged bird who's ready to soar outside of the confines of her relatively self-built bars. I am thrilled at the reality that I will undoubtedly be going to graduate school somewhere along the Eastern seaboard this fall (although the final 'where' is yet to be decided upon and the finances still need finagling), but I can't help but grow a bit impatient in knowing that I am still months away from that step forward in life taking place. Yes, these 7 months have provided a time of refinement and growth, as well as a new life direction and various opportunities/experiences that came about that I otherwise would not have encountered, but they have also led me to feel as though my life at current is on hold and that it is quite nondescript. In spite of some larger-scale changes (i.e. actually being employed now, hallelujah!) I kind of liken myself to a caterpillar who hides in their cocoon until they can emerge as a stunning butterfly in that I actually find myself wanting to shelter the reality of my life from others until I feel as though it is something that I am proud of, until I'm doing something a bit closer to grand than what I'm doing (and have been doing) now. Over the course of these months, my heart has constantly been stirred with this desire to be somewhere/doing something more grandiose, stemming from a mixture of indignity, ambition, envy, and hope, to the point that now that I'm on the cusp of heading in that direction the idea of waiting any longer makes my heart want to leap out of my chest. I'm being forced to re-learn this idea of patience that I once thought I wasn't so bad at. Increasingly, I've become aware that in the midst of my longings for my future and dealing with its alter-ego, the less-exciting current reality, I really haven't taken the time to focus on other aspects of my life, most notably, my walk with God. To rectify that situation, today I stole away to a place that provided that refuge and breath of life that I was so desperately in need of. I found myself enveloped not only in the beauty of God's creation but also in His peace. It's an amazing thing how such an escape can both bring one to life again and at the same time also subdue certain thoughts and feelings, on both accounts, it was exactly what I needed. I walked away from my brief sojourn knowing that I am blessed to live the life that I do (yes, even in its current state) and trusting that even though I might not be where I intended to be at this point in my life I am where God intended me to be and His plan/timing is ultimately better than my own. I now see these next few months that lie ahead in a different light and I do believe that I will be able to maintain some semblance of patience until I get to take that next step in my life, all while being able to revel in the here and now and the experiences that my current reality presents to me.

A LITERAL 'LOOK' AT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS

A trip to the Bahamas with cousin Jane

plus my brother's wedding in Oregon

equals a fabulous few weeks

BAHAMA MAMA

Life is definitely interesting. In the most recent news of my life: I've received word that I've been accepted into one of the graduate schools that I applied to (still waiting on the other three); I currently am temp-ing as a receptionist for a health and rehabilitation center (despite not having much of any office, much less receptionist, experience I've started to get the hang of it and am enjoying interacting with the resident 'regulars' who frequent my desk); and as of today, I'll be taking off for the Bahamas in two weeks! I believe that a get-away is exactly what the doctor ordered given where I'm at in life right now, especially as things are finally starting to move again. As usual, I still may not be entirely certain of what the future holds, but what I'm seeing right now is looking good to me.

SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO SAY

Words are potent, this much is true, and has been true since the beginning of time. So how often do we take the time to think about the things we say and the way in which they are said? I'm not only talking about making sure that we don't say negative things to/about others (although that's not a bad thing to keep in check), but what about putting thought into the very words and statements that we speak towards people so that what we say is intentional as opposed to a relative knee-jerk response to the conversation. I, for one, feel that when I speak less I am actually saying more, as opposed to when I am speaking more but really saying less; in other words, I think that when I take the time to thoughtfully construct what I'm going to say it oftens leads to being more succinct but packing a greater punch than if I were to rattle off what came to mind first. . .and kept rattling until I thought that I finally made my point. Communication as a whole is definitely tricky, but at the same time, it is such an elemental aspect of life that it is worth the extra time and effort to try and improve on it. One Bible verse which is relevant to words and communication that has always stuck out to me is Ephesians 4:29, stating "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." While most people are usually familiar with the first part of that verse (which is in fact important), it is the second part that set off a flare in my mind: "but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." How profound is that?! Not only should my words be kind, and/or uplifting, but they should be in the best interest of that specific person. It's so easy to give someone a stock response or to tell them something based off of your own opinion, I know that I'm guilty of those instances many times over, but what about taking that person, in all of their uniqueness, into consideration and saying words to them that are actually going to be helpful and beneficial due to taking the time to think through what it is that they really need to hear, to say what you really need to say. Now that would be amazing.