As of tomorrow, I will be half-way through the semester. God has been teaching me so much since I've come to school. I've had so many days of feeling utterly helpless, but God shows me His faithfulness every day. I'm always amazed by how things seem to work out. During my lowest moments people seem to come out of the woodwork to encourage me. I'm so thankful for God's provision and faithfulness to me!

I've decided that I will be transferring closer to home at the end of the semester. This school is great for some people, but I've learned that the academic rigor for which this college is known is NOT for me. I certainly want to learn and get a good education, but I also want to do more than just study all the time. Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to being closer to home again! It will be wonderful to be able to be more involved at a church again, to see my family and friends more often, and to going to a school that will hopefully be a better fit for me! :-)

Once again, God has been bringing Romans 5:3-5 has been on my mind. What an encouragement it is to be in the care of our great God!

"...endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Would you please pray for me? I'm really struggling with loneliness and homesickness right now. I know the Lord will use this challenging time for my good, and I am trying to in Him for strength. Even so, I'm having a difficult time and would appreciate prayers!

So, I thought I'd better write an update to say that I am still homesick but generally doing well. I'm starting to feel a bit more adjusted here at school, and God has really provided me with a lot of peace in the midst of stress. School, for whatever reason, sends me spiraling into an abyss of anxiety, but I've been praying a lot and that has helped. I'm not sure what it is that I'm so afraid will happen to me if I get a poor grade...hmmm...I keep telling myself that all I can do is my best, so that's what I intend to do. I have 2 papers due next Friday already, one on Plato's "Apology" the other about the ancient Hebrews. This will be a busy weekend!

Homesick, Take 1!

I really want to go home.

Changing Times

The summer is wrapping up, and soon--that is, 2 and a half days from now--I will be leaving my home of nearly 20 years and heading to college. Much to my delight and surprise, this year off before college that I was "forced" to take turned out to be probably one of the best years of my life. God blessed me richly with wonderful friends, two great jobs, and fantastic co-workers, all of which helped the year really fly by. I'm still not in great shape physically, but I've learned some things this year to help manage my situation, which puts me in better standing now than I was a year ago.

Saying good-bye is hard. I have some dear friends who I will miss terribly, and parting from them for this time has been difficult. It is encouraging to know that the joy I've had in spending time with these friends is just a tiny taste of what's in store for us as believers. What a wonderful thing to look forward to!

Time to go continue packing...

Romans 5:3-5 has been on my mind lately...

"...endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."