20 Days Later

Wow, 20 days can go by quick! This year is truly flying by. In just a few months Bruce and I will celebrate our one year anniversary! How did a year go by so quickly?

Work is what held me captive the past few weeks. I love my job, I love hanging out with the kids, I love that I feel like I am making a difference (even if a small one). Because of my love and passion for my job I have a hard time stopping, or leaving work at work! I need to get better at this because I need more than just work!

Bruce and I are continuing to meet more people through DTS, and next weekend I am going to a wives retreat (I didn't really want to go, but Bruce thinks it'll be a good way to connect with other woman. I know he is right, but sometimes those things can be a little awkward.) I do hope to meet some women my age, I am in need of some community!

I am excited for November to begin. I miss home. A lot. I am so pumped to come home for Christmas. Seriously, so excited. I love my Indiana family and friends! Sorry for the short post..I have to get back into the swing of blogging.

A List of Thoughts

I want to write, but I have too many thoughts for words. But, I'll try. I'll make it a list today.

1. Yesterday was a hard day at work. I had to ask some of my favorite students to not come to my program Thursday because they were being disrespectful towards other teachers. Those students do have attitude and they are disrespectful at times, it is just so hard getting them to see themselves as disrespectful. I don't know what their home life is, but I know many of them don't even live with their parents, maybe an aunt or grandmother. I don't know how to relate to them. Luckily from what I've experienced middle schoolers don't stay mad long so hopefully by Monday they will be back with fresh perspectives. We'll see?

2. Bruce and I went to Elder-led prayer last night at church. It was our first time going and it was really cool to be a part of. There were probably 500 people there praying together. For an hour and a half we prayed. It was difficult for me to focus because I was thinking about the girls from my program that I mentioned above. Dallas is such a different environment than small town Indiana, I just want to find the best way to love these students. They desperately need someone to be there for them. But because I was thinking about my students, etc. it was hard for me to focus at church. Bruce did a lot of the praying, and I did a lot of the listening. But it was still good, and a very cool experience.

3. Bruce and I are having a visitor this weekend! Aaron. He was the best man in our wedding and he is Bruce's best friend. I am excited to have a visitor. I am so ready for something familiar from home. Aaron is such a good friend to Bruce, and I am excited to get to know him better. I think we are going to try to go to a Rodeo. Lots of Texas fun!

4. I need to make friends. I am getting pretty lonely. Bruce and I have lots of fun together, but I need some girl time. I'm hoping I find some girls to hang out with soon. Also, I am bad, really bad at calling my friends from Indiana. I want to/must get better at this. The thing about friendships after college is that you have to be so much more intentional about making time for them. The telephone and I don't get along well, but I thinks it's time for a change.

5. On the other hand cooking and I are getting along better. Most of the things I make turn out tasting pretty good. One of my new favorite websites is disneyfamily.com. It is a great place to find fun and easy recipes. Also, you can find fun crafts and recipes for kids. I'm going to enjoy the website even more when I'm a mom (someday far from now, but hopefully not too far). The only thing I have found about cooking is that it is pretty much impossible to make your food look like the recipe pictures. Mine always looks sloppy...but it still tastes good! Guess that's more important!

6. Seasons of change are hard. Growing up is hard. Sometimes I look at my students and I see myself back in middle school. I mean it really wasn't that long ago. I am closer in age to my students than I am to most of the teachers at my school. Transitioning from student to teacher has also been difficult. I miss college, the classes, the people, the atmosphere. I know I am exactly where God wants me, but it has still been a weird transition. I really love my job, the students I work with, and the teachers I work with. But at the same time I really miss everything familiar about Purdue, home, friends, family, classes and learning. So I am at this divide of letting go, and learning to be content and happy where I'm at.

7. Two Words. Work Out. I need to do this! I have not worked out in over a month and my body and brain miss it. It is so hard getting back on the band wagon when you've fallen (or jumped) off.

8. Bruce and I need to find a place to serve in Dallas. Whether that be at our church or somewhere else. It is so important to be an active servant of Christ, and I know that I can serve God through my job and through my relationship with Bruce, and co workers, but I would really like to find a place where Bruce and I can go and be intentional servants. I need to get on this, and find a place. I know there must be tons of city homes we could serve.

9. Lastly, think about sponsoring a Compassion Child. I went to Africa about 4 years ago now and I worked at a Compassion Center (and it was an awesome experience!!). Those kids are in need of love, financial support, and prayer. Bruce and I are supporting a lovely girl named Jolly. She's such a cutie! What I love about the Compassion Ministry is that you get to write letters, send pictures, and be in contact with your child throughout their entire lives. In some cases you can even arrange to meet your child. Think about it! Click here if you want to learn more!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday and a great weekend!

Highs & Lows...but mostly Highs!

This post is probably going to be all over the place with my thoughts! I have so much on my mind and sometimes it's hard to organize it all into specific categories. I want to start blogging more, my goal was once a week, but I think I'm going to up that to twice a week and see how it goes.

This past week was a wonderful week. There were challenges and obstacles that needed to be addressed and overcome at work and I rose to the occasion and by the end of the week the after school program was running pretty smoothly (as smoothly as an after school program can). We had over 60 kids last week which is the most that have participated yet, so all in all it was a great week. Plus, I'm falling in love with my school. The staff at my school is awesome, they have been so encouraging, so willing to help, and so welcoming! I know that God planned for me to be here at RNJH and I feel so blessed. I keep praying that I'll do my best in my position and that he will use me to love on the students. Which my job is set up so perfectly to make solid relationships with the students, because I do not teach during the day, I simply get

to hang out with the kids at lunch, say hello to them in the hallways, and then plan fun activities for them after school. I hardly ever have to put on the 'serious/harsh' teacher face because my students have a choice. They don't have to stay after school, they want to stay after school. This makes a huge difference in the formation of my relationships at school, both the students and I are invested in the classes after school, which makes everything so much more fun! This has been such a unique experience for me and I love it! So glad God had this in His plan for me.

My weekend was fun. Not too much to do, so it was nice to relax and get things done around the apartment. We finally hung up our pictures around the apartment, and we also did a deep clean of the whole place, which felt good to get done because it needed it. So not the most exciting agenda for a Saturday but still good. Bruce and I had a bit more fu

n Saturday night. First, we went to the Cottenwood Art Festival. I LOVE festivals, craft shows, flee markets, etc. so I was really looking forward to going and catching a glimpse of the art but also taking part in the fun pastime of people watching. Most of the art was beautiful, and pricey! Some of the art was unique, and let's just say I didn't get it. Sometimes I think I could be an artist with some of the things these people are selling! One of my favorite parts of the art festival were the cinnamon roasted almonds...so good!

After the art festival Bruce and I headed towards SMU. We had tickets to a debate entitled, "Can we Trust the Text of the New Testament?" The debate was between Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace, both professors and experts of text criticism and of the New Testament. The debate was SO interesting, and very heated. It was only supposed to be from 7-9 but lasted until after 10 p.m. Although Dan Wallace is the side that I am in support of (yes, we can trust the text of the New Testament), I would have loved to get Bart Ehrman in a room and ask him all of my questions. Ehrman's the one I find so interesting, because he used to be a Believer. He did research for years as a Christian, but eventually turned his back on his beliefs because of the evidence, or should I say lack of evidence we have for the authenticity of the New Testament. From what I learned at the debate it seems that we have over 20,000 copies of the New Testament, which is more than any other comparable work of it's time. But the earliest copies we have are from the late 2nd Century and on. Ehrman is not satisfied with the 20,000 copies from the late 2nd Century and on, his argument is that what if scribes from the 1st and early 2nd Centuries changed the text of the New Testament? How can we be sure ,or in other words, trust that we are reading the actual accounts of Mark, Luke, or John? Because we cannot know 100% what happened to the text in the 1st Century Ehrman says we cannot trust the text of the New Testament. So interesting. I disagree with him, but the debate made me think about how much I do not know. The debate inspired me to continue learning and to continue to seek out Truth at all costs. Seeking Truth is hard because it requires hard work and discipline. It would be so much easier to turn my head and say I don't care about the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament, or about learning more, or about seeking Truth. But as a Christian I need to be informed of what is going on in the world and be prepared to answer questions about my faith and why I believe what I believe. If I am in continual pursuit of the Truth, then I will be more bold about my faith and have my answers ready for when the questions come. It was a great debate. I suggest going to a debate if you have never been to one. Seriously more entertaining than a movie!

My post keeps getting longer and longer, congratulations if you are still reading!

The last thing I want to write about, which I probably will continue to write about, is that I miss home. I miss Kokomo, West Lafayette, Purdue, COG church, being familiar with an area, friends, fall weather, mom & dad, twins, my grandparents, and Brooke being a drive away in Lexington. I keep reminding myself that I am here as a part of God's plan, and I am exactly where I am supposed to be. But being a flight away from home is much harder than I thought it would be. God is using this time to stretch me, but is also using this time to strengthen Bruce and I's marriage. We are so blessed. I am so thankful for my job, for the wonderful church we've found in Dallas (4 people were baptized last night, that's only 1 of the 4 services), and for the friendly people in Dallas. So, even though my heart aches with homesickness I will continue to praise God for bringing Bruce and I to Dallas and for this wonderful adventure!

This last photo is from Cattlemen's last weekend! Notice the big steak! It was awesome!

Monday School Chaos = Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

I am just going to start off by saying, I LOVE my job! And there are many things that I love about my job, but there are some things that I do not love about my job.

Today was utter chaos. And I do not like chaos, especially since I'm the one who is supposed to be 'in charge,' whatever that means? My school keeps trying to have detention after school EACH day a student does not turn in homework, which is understandable..if you don't do your homework at home, you have to stay after school to complete it. My big problem with this after school detention is that when detention is over at 4:15 the students have to find some where to 'hang out' until the bus comes at 5:00 (because most of the students ride the bus home). This is when things get a little hairy. I run the after school program which lasts until 6. We have a bus at 5 and at 6, so of course all the detention students are going to come to my program so they can ride the 5:00 bus home. But the real question is, what am I supposed to do with over 100 students who are forced to stay after school to do their homework?! Plus, my program is something the students are supposed to WANT to do, not something they are FORCED to do. I don't want to go into much detail, I just wanted to simply vent. It is not the school's, teacher's, or administrator's job to make sure a student has completed his/her homework. By the 7th/8th grade students should have developed some personal responsibility, but that is not true in many cases. Personal responsibility is not a lesson that can be forced onto a person, it must be taught by example, but unfortunately the families in America are not always the best teaching tool. I hear people complaining about how the education system is broken and failing, but from what I've observed in public schools, it is not the education system that is broken, it is the families in America that are broken.

I have big dreams and goals for my program. Most of my kids don't get to do a lot of things offered in my program outside of school because of the cost (soccer teams, ceramics, rocketry, cake decorating, etc.) I hope that my program keeps getting better. Days like today make it hard to see progress. I'm praying for the best and hoping God will use me in my position to love on the kids and show his light.

On a lighter note, Bruce and I went to Cowboy Country (also known as Ft. Worth) this past weekend! Two words: Texas Steak. Pictures and more to come!

Missing Fall

It has finally cooled down from triple digit weather to the 90's. I guess this is what Texans would call fall. BUT it is not what I call fall. (When you can wear shorts and a tank top, that does not equate with autumn weather!) I miss the cool weather, the Purdue football games, fall sweaters, and Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. More than missing an Indiana fall, I am beginning to really miss home. I think after being in Texas for a month the reality is beginning to hit that I'm here for good. This is my new home, and it is up to me to meet friends and use the time God has blessed me with here well.

Which keeps me wondering how can

I use this time well? I am trying to find my fit in this new 'adult life' where I go to work Monday- Friday, and spend my weekends with Bruce, reading, and cleaning/decorating our apartment. One of the things I miss most about college is that there are so many ways to be involved, to serve others, groups to join, etc. Now that I'm in a new place on my own, it takes much more effort to find ways to serve others, to find groups to join, and to build community. What can I do to serve the people in my community? It is a difficult question when Bruce and I are still trying to figure out who our community is, where they are, and what their needs our. I know God has a plan for us here, it just seems we are off to a slow start. We haven't been doing much but reading, and relaxing. But maybe this time is a gift from God. A time to get to know one another better, to learn how to be married, a time not to be stressed or worried, a time just to enjoy life. So strange to go from a busy college lifestyle when there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done, to a relaxing lifestyle where I actually have time to read for fun, and experiment with cooking. I pray that God gives me peace in this new phase of life, t

hat Bruce and I can begin to form community (I need some girl friends in my life), and that we can find ways to serve God in the Dallas community.

I am looking forward to receiving my first 'big girl' pay check this Tuesday! Wednesday Bruce and I are going to a group connect night at our church to try and get plugged into a small group, and on Friday (per one of Bruce's DTS class requirements) we are visiting a Buddhist Temple. Should be very interesting. Also, there are SO MANY fun things to do in Dallas, so Bruce an I are planning something fun for next weekend. Maybe a trip to mid-evil times, Fort Worth, or a show in Dallas? Hope all is well!

Oh, the things you can do in a weekend!

Bruce and I had a FUN but CRAZY weekend! We both had pretty busy weeks at work last week so the fun and relaxing weekend was definitely welcomed.

Our weekend started with a visit from one of our friends from Indiana. Beau was in Bruce and I's wedding last December and while we were in college we saw Beau on a weekly basis! So it was so good to see him and catch up! First Bruce took us to an local old fashioned hamburger place...it is one of those places you know is going to be good before even walking through the door. And it was good, really good. We probably finished our meal in less than 15 minutes but we stayed at the restaurant for over 2 hours talking. Beau is reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and I read the book about two years ago. We had fun talking about which parts of the book spoke to us and convicted us about our love f

or God. Do I always live my life with crazy love for Christ? No. And thinking about the way I love Christ, and the way I live my life is something that needs to be in the forefront of my mind at all times. It was a great reminder. Then we talked about 'where we were' when September 11th happened. September 11th is the first day that I remember everything about. You know, those days where you'll never forget because of the tragedy experienced. It was good for us to talk and remember.

After the burger place, Beau suggested we go to Laser Quest. It did not take much convincing for Bruce and I to pop the address in our GPS and head over there. I love being a kid! Bruce and I picked out code names for each other when we got there. He was 'prancing pony' and I was 'twinkle toes." It was pretty great. Once we got in the dark pit of the laser war, I got pretty into it. I kept saying, "I come in peace," and then I would hold up a peace sign. This was my strategy to keep from being shot. Let's just say when it is pitch black, it is hard to see a peace sign. I did end up making an alliance with a 50 year old lady. (You can tell she had played before!) She had the best hiding place; it the highest spot in the pit so she could shoot people from above without getting hit. Somehow when I was up there, I still managed to get hit a time or two. I ended up taking 5th place out of about 15 people...not bad. Except Beau got 1st place and Bruce got 3rd! Luckily they did not rub it in the entire night.

I was ready to turn in after Laser Quest, but the boys had another adventure on their minds. And like most guys it had to do with food. I mean yes, we had already ate dinner, but that was at least 3 hours ago. So apparently in guy world you need to eat every 3 hours. So we went to In and Out Burger. I was way to stuffed from my first burger experience to get another burger, but I did share a neapolitan shake with Bruce. (I also tried a bite of his burger, and shared some of Beau's fries...which were amazing!) The cool thing was, the workers at In and Out Burger were like the workers at Chick-fil-a. You know the kind of workers I mean, people who are actually happy to be at work. It was awesome! Sure enough Beau explained why the workers were so awesome. Like Chick-fil-a, In and Out Burger is owned by a Christian. They pride themselves on friendly staff members. Another cool thing was that there were scriptures on the hats and the fry containers. It is cool that the people of In and Out Burger what to encourage others in their walks with Christ. After our second burger of the night we turned in. I went straight to sleep! I'm so glad we got to spend time with Beau. I hope we begin to make solid friendships here in Dallas, community is so important.

Saturday, Bruce and I went to IKEA. Whoa, talk about sensory overload. I had no i

dea a furniture store could be that big and have so many things to see and buy. I could do some serious damage in that store. We came out with a sofa and a small kitchen table. I was pumped, because up to that point I had been living with no furniture for 4 weeks. Not a huge deal, but it was definitely nice to have a couch and chair to sit on! I'll have to take some pictures soon, so I can show the world:)

Sunday was nice and pretty low key. We went to church (I love this church) and heard a great speaker, met a lovely lady, and got to worship in community. Bruce and I are going to a meeting next week to get plugged into a community group. I am so excited, I hope that it all works out. (We drive about 30 min to church, so we are hoping there is a community group which meets a little closer to where we live.) I also got to make some cards for family and friends on Sunday. I already LOVE sending cards to friends, but I decided this weekend that card-making is going to be one of my new hobbies. The first batch were not too impressive, but hopefully I'll get better with time and practice. The most interesting part of our Sunday was when Bruce and I went to Tom Thumb. It was getting pretty late, because I had been pushing off going to the store all day, and Bruce was not supposed to go with me because he had some reading to finish for his DTS class, but luckily I talked him into going with me! So when we got there it was like

any old regular shopping trip, then as we are trying to find a can of tuna (I never buy tuna, so I had no idea where it was) we hear all sorts of shouting. I automatically get scared and run to the back doors of the grocery store (where the shipments come in.) I know that the shouting is coming from someone who is angry and is saying something about 'not calling the police.' I just keep thinking this cannot be good. All the while Bruce is trying to calm me down, and we see more people flocking towards the back of the store and telling us not to go up there. No one knew if he had a weapon or not, but everyone knew he was crazy. He began knocking things over and yelling at the store workers, after about 5 minutes of this craziness the police showed up. It took 6 policemen to get this guy on the ground and get him out to the police car. Bruce and I helped the store workers pick up all the groceries the man threw everywhere. What was weird was a rosary and a little pocket Bible was mixed in with all the mess. It belonged to the guy (who we found out was trying to rob a car, and then rob the store). When we walked out to our car, of course the police car with the robber in it was right next to our car. I got directly in the car and Bruce put the groceries in the trunk. It was such a weird and scary experience; almost something straight out of the movies. I keep thinking about that man though, and I feel sorry for him. He looked like a kid, so lost. I prayed for him that night. I hope the Lord works in his life.

There is a lot of hopelessness in Dallas. I pray that God can use Bruce and I in this community to serve and love others. To show them there is hope in Christ.

Missing Indiana family and friends! Love you!

How does time go by more quickly each year?

By the end of the week I will have completed my first full month of work for my new 'adult job.' I really love my job so far. My hours are awesome 10:30- 6:30 M-R, and 8:30-4:30 on Fridays. I get to plan all sorts of games, activities, and crafts for the students to participate in after school. I also get to go buy cool Wii games, cooking supplies, board games, crafty supplies, movies, etc. (It is so FUN to go shopping when you are not spending your own money!) I also have really enjoyed getting to know the kids better, because my program runs after school the kids seem to open up more and tell me all sorts of things. Yesterday, one of my student's parents were late picking her up so we had some extra time for good conversation. She told me she wants to go to college to major in science so she can do experiments and 'go deeper' in science and learn new things. She is so sweet. I told her a bit about my junior high, high school, and college experiences and then she asked me if I would go back if I could. I thought it was a funny thing to ask, but she really seemed interested in my answer. I said no, I would not go back, but I wish I could tell myself not to get so worked up about the little things and enjoy school and being a kid.

The young girl went on to say she can't wait to go to high school, so she can go to college, and then get a job, and begin to make money. And I thought about her answer, and I am there. I mean I made it through high school, enjoyed college, and now I have a great job I enjoy, but really I do miss being a child. I miss the innocence and the time spent with family and friends and learning new things each day. Lately, I really miss Purdue/my entire college experience. I loved it! I made mistakes, grew up, made new friends, tried new things, and made memories I'll never forget. It is so cliche but now I know and understand all those adults who would point their finger at me and tell me to enjoy being a child and not to grow up too fast.

Realizing time moves so quickly the older you get has made an impact on the way I try to live my life. I try to enjoy each moment, even if I don't particularly like the season of life I am in, I still want to try and savor it, and learn something from it. Like the Casting Crowns song says, I am truly a vapor in the wind, and I don't want my life to go by and realized that I have missed it, or that I was too busy complaining or worrying about the next season of life to miss out on the joy of now.