Well, it's June 1st and I've been "on my own" for 6 months now. It's been really nice. I have one more month at the apartment that I'm at now and then I will have to find somewhere else to live. Lynette got married on Friday so now I have the apartment all to myself. The pool just opened last week or so and so I am hoping to take advantage of that opportunity. I went one day last week and used a tanner accelerator and got an accelerated burn. It still hurts really bad, but it's better than it was. It's been getting quite warm lately, which is great for those of us who love summer. I was working at Liberty Tax Service during tax season this year as a waver, but now that that's over I don't have a job yet. I am hoping to get a job at a home health care type thing. Aleks does it and recommended it to me. I am trying to get a car because for them to hire me I have to have a car so I can take them places. Anyways, enough about that. Here's a poem that I found that welcomes the new weather: "Summer is coming!" the soft breezes whisper;"Summer is coming!" the glad birdies sing.Summer is coming - I hear her quick footsteps;Take your last look at the beautiful Spring. Lightly she steps from her throne in the woodlands: "Summer is coming, and I cannot stay;Two of my children have crept from my bosom:April has left me but lingering May. "What tho' bright Summer is crownèd with roses.Deep in the forest Arbutus doth hide;I am the herald of all the rejoicing;Why must June always disown me?" she cried. Down in the meadow she stoops to the daisies,Plucks the first bloom from the appletree's bough:"Autumn will rob me of all the sweet apples;I will take one from her store of them now." Summer is coming! I hear the glad echo;Clearly it rings o'er the mountain and plain.Sorrowful Spring leaves the beautiful woodlands,Bright, happy Summer begins her sweet reign.

Valentine's Day!!

This year was the first year that Valentine's Day had a special meaning to me personally. I was so excited. I decided to make something for Win's mirror in his car and a picture frame. We had gone on a trail the week before and taken some pictures so I went and printed them off and put a picture frame together, using the Papua New Guinean flag colors (his favorite colors). Anyways, Win had told me that he was going to come and pick me up at 9-10 in the morning. I thought I knew what he was going to do, but was I wrong! I woke up earlier than I planned and was going out to talk to Lynette about something before she left (I thought) and when I came out of my room there was a box, a bouquet of roses, and a bear with a heart in it's hands. I saw Lynette motion and then there was Win! Win was cooking breakfast in the kitchen (at like 7:30). I was so surprised... I didn't know what to do or say, so I went back into my room and layed on my bed for a couple minutes and then went out. It was so sweet. I was speechless. He made bacon and eggs and toast. :) I was so excited and happy, I couldn't really talk much. Anyways, then I got ready and we left. When we were eating, he said something about not knowing what we were going to do the rest of the day, but when we got to the car he had a plan all written out. We went to the Art Museum and took a tour stopping at certain pieces that had to do with a love story. It was interesting. Then we looked at the Asian art and the things from the Pacific Islands. We'd been there before so we didn't stay too long. We went to Sheridan to feed animals and then went to Broad Ripple and ate at a Mediterranean Restaurant. We had gyros. He had never had one before. I had been there before, but hadn't eaten inside. It was beautifully decorated with European designs. Big, luxurious curtains, gold lamps, chandeliers, marble floors, etc. It was much better than I thought it was going to be. Anyways, then we went to get ready to go to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. I had been waiting for him to take me there for 2 years. He used to go with his friend and sometimes they would take some girls, but I hadn't gone with him. Anyways, so it was a great day!!!! One that I will remember for a long time. :)

6 months is a long time...

So, I forgot that I had this and haven't updated in a very long time. A lot of things have changed since I last wrote. I will try to give you the basic changes and then go into more details of my life later. For starters, I am not going to Union Bible College anymore. It's kind of a long story of how and why, but I am living with a girl from school, Lynette. We have a 2 bedroom apartment and like it so far. It seems like we have been here a long time, but it's really only been about 2- 1/2 months. It's been nice to be on my own, but it's definitely different. We live outside of Indianapolis in a little town. I'm not sure how big it is, but it's not real big. I am currently working as the Statue of Liberty, waving as cars drive by. It's really boring, but it's a job. I am trying to find another job, because this job will be over as soon as tax season is over. It isn't a good time or place or something for finding a job though, so it's kind of not going too good. I am still going to Victory Chapel. I started a new class for the 8-11 year-olds. We usually have between 15-25 in the class. It's been going pretty good lately, but sometimes can get stressful. Win helps teach and keep order. We don't have a curriculum, so we try to brainstorm ideas each week for the class. Anyways, that's about all I do on a regular basis...

The Starting of Another Beginning...

The 3rd semester of my "career" at UBC has officially started. I am rooming with my friend, La Christa. At first I was scared about it, but so far it's going pretty good. Anyways, my schedule seems to be better than past semesters. I'm taking Acts, Great Christian Literature, Church History 1, Theology of Holiness, Prison and Pastoral Epistles, and a block class, Wisdom Literature. I'm supposed to work 12 hours on the work program and hopefully will be able to be the Christian Service Coordinator. I'm excited about this semester, and hopefully it goes ok. I just have to be really disciplined and not waste my time and energy on too much. I'm still going down to the mission in Indy and may be starting an intermediate children's class. Lately I've been helping in the teen class which has been interesting and challenging. Anyways, that's about all that's been going on recently.

Sunday, July 20th

Well, I know it's kind of soon for another report, but something unusual has happened to which I think deserves to be recorded. Friday night me and Mom were a home alone, with no car to go anywhere, so we called up my aunt and cousin to see if they wanted to do something. They came over and we went to Petco to get some sand for my hermit crab, because it had microscopic bugs crawling around in it. I don't know where the bugs came from, but one day I spilled water in the sand, and then moldy stuff started growing and then I saw the little bugs. So anyway, we got some bright green sand. We went out to eat and then we went back home, after a series of other events. I cleaned out the crabitat and put the new sand in. It looked really good. Anyways, so we played some games and then went to bed after a really long night. Dad and Nate were gone to canoe and fish with a friend from UBC, Win Okie. They had a good time, but had to take our truck because our van is dying. Anyways, so I went to bed and woke up Saturday morning, thinking that I was going to be helping with the garage sale that we were unsuccessfully trying to have. I looked over at the crab's house and the lid was ajar. Great.... Diggory was not anywhere to be found. I looked all over the place. Under the bed, under the dresser, on the mosquito netting, under the desk, behind the computer, in the closet, etc., etc. By this time, Mom was involved too. We looked all over the house, because my door had been opened all night. We didn't find him anywhere. I was thinking that we probably wouldn't find him until we found him dead or something. Anyways, as I walked through the house, I tried to walk slowly and carefully. Then we went to prayer meeting and at the end, Dad asked everyone to pray that we find Diggory. It seemed kind of funny to do, but I was sure after hearing Jody pray that we were going to find him when we got home. We went to the store, and then we went home. We looked in the rooms and didn't see him. Disappointment... Where was he? We went on about our business, and I finally was about to go to bed. I was on my bed messing around on the computer, and Dad yells that he's found him. He was by his bed near the closet. Praise the Lord for answering prayer! Anyways, so now Diggory is in his crabitat and has some stuff on top of the lid so that he can't escape again. So that's the exciting tale of the weekend.

Sun Sensations

Summer is definitely making its presence known this year. Heat, rainstorms, grass, sweat, etc.... everything that reminds you of summer- it's all here. Right now I am sitting at our garage sale, which doesn't have any customers (at the moment), thanks to wireless. Let's see. School got out in May and then in June my parents went on their 25th wedding anniversary and left us at our grandparents, then we went off to Shadrach camp in KY. There I met a couple people from Papua New Guinea. I spent a lot of time with Hannah Auri, who is going to be a sophmore at Kentucky Mountain Bible College. I asked her lots of questions about her country and learned a lot. On Friday when we had the banquet she let me wear a dress/shirt that was from her country. She also gave me a bilum (bag, in pidgin). It's very nice. Over there they wear bags with the handle on their foreheads. It's an interesting thing to do over here, because people wonder what you're doing. Anways, God really helped at the camp, in a different way than in the past years that I have been in it. This year it was more laid back than other years. After camp I got a job working for Elsie Griffey. She is a 95 year-old lady at our church who needs just a little reminder about some things, and company. She likes to tell stories about her family and likes to recite poetry. Every night I go over and stay with her, which is an answer to prayer for me to have a job. During the day I try to find other work. For instance, cleaning, baby-sitting, mowing, and waxing an airplane. We've had a few really bad storms so far. Usually our street gets flooded because the drains get clogged up with leaves and sticks. My Dad and brother went to TN for a little retreat/challenge, and so me and mom had to "save" the neighborhood from flooding. The first time water was really backed up and was above my knees. We took our rakes and tried to clear the drains. Some other people came later to help, and finally we got'er done. We thought about taking our canoe out, but didn't. Anyways, that's about the update for now.

Another Timely Devotional Thought from Fenelon

I know that God will keep you. Although you do not enjoy spiritual discipline, be faithful to seeking God as much as your health will permit. I realize that eating, both physically and spiritually, does not appeal to you now. Still, you must eat to survive. It would be good for you if you could have a few minutes of fellowship with those members of your family that you can confide in. As to whom you should talk with- be guided by your inner sense of what is right in each moment. God does not lead you with extreme emotion, and for this I am glad. Remain faithful to the still, small voice. Strong emotions and deep feelings, or seeking after signs, can be more dangerous than helpful. Your imagination is sure to run away with you. God will lead you, almost without your knowing it, if you will be faithful to come before Him quietly. Eat of Him and His word. Love Him and I will tell you to do no more. For if you love Him, everything else will work out. I am not asking you for a tender and emotional love, but simply that you lean toward love. Put God before yourself and the world and even your evil desires will begin to be transformed. ~Taken from The Seeking Heart