living in DC

So, I'm finally here in DC!  I moved in this weekend and my family just let this morning! It is definitely weird to be in a new city, but everyone is so welcoming and I absolutely love Ebenezers and NCC--which is good because that's where I'll be spending a bunch of time for the next year!  My roommates are great and I am looking forward to getting to know them better! I decorated my room and I'm feeling comfortable in the house! Right now I am in Ebenezers sipping an iced coffee and looking out the window at people walking by! I could get used to this! I really just can't believe I'm here right now, but the comfort that I have knowing that God is with me is more than what I need to meet this new adventure with a smile and some courage! I've never been this far away from home and I'm bound to get lonely, but I'm going to remember why I'm here and thank God for His plans instead of running away when it becomes uncomfortable!

Now, lets hope I don't get lost on the way home!

"Capitol City"-Matt Wertz

Listen Close

The monuments are whispering your name

I'm standing strong

Knowing that we'll never be the same

It's getting hard to fake

But as you go your own way

Remember, do not be afraid

Because you're right where you should be 

In, Capitol City

That's only part of the song, but I absolutely love it.  I am moving to Capitol City in a week and that song has been on repeat on my Ipod long before this opportunity came about.  I love the words, I love the feel of the song and now it means even more.  I saw Matt Wertz in concert last night and chatted with him :) He's a great guy, very humble and gracious.  Look him up...and check out his music because if you haven't heard him yet you're really missing out on someone blessed with talent.  This song eases my nerves about the new move and I keep realizing that this opportunity has been a long time coming in many ways and that God has prepared my heart and mind for this chance!! I'm blessed and excited!  :)

my current read

My pastor spoke about this book in a sermon awhile ago and ever since then various people have been telling me to read it.  I finally started it last night and I am already hooked!  The writing is refreshing and so well done that I don't even feel like I'm reading a book, rather I feel like someone is TELLING me a story!  I would suggest picking this book up...from what I hear, it only gets better and at the end you will be very glad that you picked it up!

I don't really have a whole lot to say about it considering I just started it last night, but I'm already recommending that you join in and start reading!

=)

growing up

Sometimes I feel like I'm not old enough to be moving away and doing adult things because it seems like just yesterday that my line of sight didn't extend much farther than the world of high school.  However, there are moments when I realize that I am growing up and it begins to feel real.  Yesterday my mom and I took my sister and her friend to Darien Lake (an amusement park near my house). My sister and her friend spent the whole day riding as many rides as they could while my mom and I laid by the wave pool all day.  At one point I looked at my mom and said "these are the times I realize that I am growing up because I'm content to lay by a wave pool all day without any desire to go on a ride".  I wasn't really there for me anymore, I was there to make sure that Clare and her friend had a good time.  I still like amusement parks, but I'm content to enjoy the sun and the company of a loved one rather than wait in long lines for food and rides.  

I also talked to a very good friend yesterday and that was another realization of growing up.  We're both going to be embarking on new adventures and be apart from one another.  It's weird to think that a year ago we were walking around Geneseo wondering what was ahead of us, but knowing that the comfortable schedule of Geneseo was certain, and now with each day God's plan becomes more clear and it doesn't include that once comfortable schedule.  It's a natural thing...to move away from people and it's really exciting to see what God is doing in other people's lives! Elisabeth Foley once said "the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart".  How true!

Bridal Shower Day

Well, after months of planning and putting things together creatively, the bridal shower is finally here!  Today we are throwing a shower for Jenny and I am really excited!! This morning I decided to research where bridal showers originated and I found out that the first bridal shower was given to a couple in Holland.  The story says that a young woman fell in love with a poor miller and her father was disappointed in her choice so he refused to give her a dowry.  Because of this, the miller's friends and the rest of the townspeople got together to shower her with gifts to start her new home!  This shower tradition has continued, changing over the years, but still meant to give the couple what they need to start a home together!

It seems even more special to think that the idea of the bridal shower started in such a beautiful way! 

chasing a lion

Mark Batterson wrote a book entitled "In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day" and it is an awesome book!!! In the book he talks about how each one of us has a lion that we need to chase in order to become who we are meant to become.  He focuses on a guy mentioned in II Samuel named Benaiah who chased down a lion into a pit on a snowy night and killed him (II Samuel 23:20).  The decision to chase after the lion opened doors for him in the future and his life would have been a lot different if he had run the other way.  Anyway, I have been thinking about that book a lot as I think about moving to DC and all the uncertainties that come along with that.  It's amazing, though, because even something really exciting and awesome (something that is almost a dream come true) can be a lion in one's life.  It is so easy to run away from things that cause us to feel unsure of what will come of them, but to run after the opportunities God has placed before us is something that Mark focuses on again and again in his book.  He says "your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase..."  Emotions play a huge role in the chasing of a lion (refer to previous post).  It seems that for me that is what causes me to question and that is one of my biggest lions in life.  My own emotions can keep me from running after things instead of firing me up for the chase ahead.  I have learned that this is a place where Satan tries to bring me down because I am so sensitive and feel things very deeply, but now that I have realized the lion hiding within my own emotions it makes me want to charge ahead, conquering the bind and going after the opportunities ahead!  

Seriously, you should read Mark's book because after you do you will constantly relate things back to what you learned and you will continue to see more lions in your life that you can and must conquer!  It's one of those life changing books...

absence makes the heart grow fonder...

or maybe even just the thought of absence makes the heart grow fonder.  

It has been a couple of days since I posted anything and I guess that's because I've been busy with various things.  It's interesting, though, because it seems that no matter how busy I get my mind always has time to wander.  I officially have a place to live in DC (praise GOD!!!).  I'll be living with 4 other Christian girls in a row house on Capitol Hill and I'm very excited and blessed!!  However, now that I have an actual place to think about moving into and I'll be moving there in about three weeks I'm beginning to feel the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" thing.  As I've been thinking about family and friends (and puppies) that I will miss I've begun to realize that it's more in the thought of absence that the heart seems to grow fonder.  My heart and mind begin to think about times I'll be missing and the transitions I'll be making and in those thoughts I begin to feel more attached to people.  I have found that in the times being away from people it is in that period before you leave that you begin to miss people and long for time with them more.  Once you are away from that person of course you miss them, but it seems to be more intense in the weeks before the departure because you're thinking of every moment you've had with them and all the time you will be apart. 

I'm not saying that I'm not going to miss people once I get to Washington, but I am saying that I have been more emotional this week than usual and I'm sure it stems from the constant thoughts of missing people.  I haven't even left and my mind is wandering to the feelings I will have when I am away from people I love.  I need to stop thinking about MISSING people and take the time to ENJOY every moment before I leave.  Really though, I couldn't be more excited to move and see what God has in store...emotions are a complex thing and I'm glad God has that under control because I sure can't figure it out!

the search continues...

This weekend I went to Washington, DC with my parents to look for a place to live.  It was a short trip, but was such a great one.  No, I didn't officially find a place to live yet, but I have a better understanding of neighborhoods and where I would want to live so it makes searching easier. I met with a couple potential roommates and I'm waiting to here back from one of them about living in the apartment (she has to show it to someone else tomorrow).  I could have left discouraged and feeling nervous that I won't find a place, but instead I left encouraged and excited to know that it's truly in the hands of a good God.  Instead of feeling anxious or unsettled about the uncertainty of my situation, I feel certain that God has a place for me!!  I'm REALLY excited to get back and embark on this new adventure...I actually didn't want to leave at the end of the weekend!!! =)

We started our apartment search with a trip to Ebenezers and I was so happy to finally be there (after reading and hearing about it for so long).  I really enjoyed sitting and drinking coffee while watching the many people come in and out.  I met Pastor Joel there as well (yay!).  I also heard a great message on Saturday night from Pastor Zeb (from Ethiopia)!!! I'm still thinking about what he said and I can't wait to listen to it again in podcast form!  

Something I have realized is that when we are uncertain and choose to trust God, with certainty, growth occurs. Trust, in any situation, increases in steps. We do not enter into a relationship with complete trust in the other person, trust is built through experiences. Our minds are limited in our understanding and it's hard to fully comprehend the depth to which we can rely on God and His promises. It's always in the rear view mirror that the steps along the way seem so clear...looking straight on always seems to be a little foggy, but looking back those obstacles along the way seem to be the pathways that lead to the greater purpose or plan.  I could look at this as an obstacle or an opportunity to trust God.  I'm trusting God!! Last summer I found myself in a similar situation and through a conversation at the dentist office I was introduced to a couple looking to rent out their first floor apartment in Geneseo.  God is good and that I can always be certain about!

Alright, time for bed...great weekends often cause exhaustion!

SYTYCD

Since I grew up dancing and love pretty much every aspect of it it's not a surprise that So You Think You Can Dance is one of my favorite shows.  My family gets together and watches it every week...we all appreciate the art of dance and it's fun to experience it together.  Anyway, from the time that the auditions started I fell in love with Joshua Allen and the way he danced.  He has not had much training, but you would never know that from the way he moves.  

Last night it was announced that he won and I screamed out loud.  It wasn't just that he was able to captivate the audience no matter what genre of dance he was doing, he was just a lovable guy and you could tell he was enjoying himself.  After finding out he won he was silent for a loooong time and then said: "I just want to say that you should never let anyone tell you you can't do something.  The sky is the limit.  God is in control and with God you can do anything!"  God sure blessed him with natural talent and it's great to hear him acknowledge His Creator and provider.  The whole show is essentially a competition, but it was obvious that to Josh it was just a blessing in every way.  

the fun in the search

So, I've been looking online for the past couple of weeks for places to live in Washington, DC.  I have found some options with roommates and some options to live alone.  I guess as much as it could be stressful to find a place to live I have had a wonderful time searching.  It's been fun!  I've been emailing back and forth with different people who are looking for roommates and getting to know them. There are some great housing websites set up by churches in the area so I've been able to find some Christian women looking for roommates.  I am going down in 2 days with my parents to spend the weekend looking for a place to live.  I'm really excited to finally see where I'll be living and to meet some of the people I have been talking to.  I'm confident that there is a place there for me either by myself or with the right roommate.  The fun of the search is sure to continue!! :)

Unexpected Blessing

Over the past year I have been really cognizant of God's hand in everything in my life...I've become more aware of His presence in  every circumstance.  My grandpa re-married after his first wife died.  Grandma AJ is a very interesting woman and has always treated us grandkids as if we were her own children's children.  However, we don't see them very often as they live in Florida half the year and Prince Edward Island the rest of it.  My mom talked to my grandpa the other day and told him about the protege program and the new adventure I am embarking on (and, by the way, am really excited about).  Well, I received a letter from Grandma AJ yesterday with a lovely note about the news my mom shared with them...encouraging me and sending me a very generous gift.  I was not expecting a note or anything else for that matter, especially not from Grandma AJ. I know that she loves me, but she is not very open to spiritual things so I didn't think they would take much interest in the protege program considering it is with National Community Church.  That note was truly a blessing to me and the rest of my family because it was nice to begin with, but it also reminded me that I really can't predict the actions of other or assume they are completely closed due to past encounters and conversations.  God is capable of more than we give him credit for. I often limit the possibilities because I forget that it's not in my hands, but in Gods.  My grandpa called last night to wish my parents a happy anniversary and he was very interested in my move to Washington, DC and the details of the protege program.  I was glad to share and have him listen without saying anything about the fact that it's with a church.  He said that him and AJ are very happy that I'm starting to do something after graduation! (haha, I love my grandpa)  

God is good.  This is a small step, but it's always been awkward to talk to my grandparents about church and spiritual matters so this is a very good thing for us.  It opens some doors and hearts to continue talking and not dodging the issue.  

God continues to blow my mind...He's definitely not predictable.  I love it!

ps.

So, I am now back on facebook! I guess it wasn't really a break-up, but more like a fast.  I realized how great of a tool it will be to stay in contact with people as we all move and start new adventures in life.  I guess my little vent about the problems with it can be put to the side when thinking about the great social tool that it is.  Yep...it's a love/hate relationship, but right now I'm on the love side!

 haha

"I think we'll be friends forever"

"We have been friends together

In sunshine and in shade."

~Caroline Sheridan Norton

Last night I got together with my friends Stacy and Tricia.  We've been friends for a long time and every time we get together I realize how blessed I am to have them in my life.  There aren't many people in life with whom you can be silent yet be perfectly content.  I wrote in a previous post about my parents life long friends and I have a strange feeling that Tricia and Stacy will be that for me!  Tricia brought back beads from Italy, giving us each three to represent the three of us.  We made them into bracelets (I know, kinda corny), but since we'll all be living away from each other soon it will be a nice reminder of the friendship we share.  Stacy will be starting grad school at UB, Tricia will be finishing up at Nazareth and I'll be moving to Washington, DC.  I guess it's not sad, but exciting to know that even though we'll be apart in distance we'll never lose the bond we share.  I look forward to visiting one another as time goes on and looking back at the joy that has fueled our friendship and will for years to come!