This morning I led a small group in children's ministry. These are 8 to 11-year-olds and we had about five or ten minutes to talk by the time I had handed out stickers and got the kids' attention. Well, I had been pretty excited when I found out what the topic for the day was: praying for God's will to be done. I was like, hmm, I've been thinking a lot about this lately so I'm excited about talking with the kids! So I started by asking them if they had any examples of things they had prayed for, God had told them to wait, and then they got their prayers answered. Nope. Okayyyy .... anything that you are currently praying for that you find it hard to wait for? I got a few answers about grandparents with cancer and such. Then I had a great topic: how it is much easier for Christians to really trust God and pray for his will to be done than it is for unbelievers. Because we know that God has our best in mind. After I was done talking about that, one of the boys said, "I don't understand." All the others were looking at me with confused expressions. I tried to clarify and they still didn't get it.

So I forgot that these are kids. They don't comprehend everything like my friends do .... oh well. I tried.

I found out the other day that you can make iced coffee at home. It is really good .... rather strong but delicious. You could probably add some flavored syrups like vanilla or hazlenut if you wanted.

So ... take some coffee, add and stir in some sugar (as much or as little as you like), and refrigerate it. Then when the coffee is cold, pour over half a glass of ice. Add some half-and-half or milk and stir. Mmmmm!

It's a good drink for summer and much cheaper than Starbucks! =)

Today is amazing for many reasons.

1. beautiful weather .... so nice. not humid. I absolutely love it.
2. last day of summer school! I'm off for a month now!
3. summer fruit. peaches and cherries. yum.
4. went for a run. the sun was shining and the heat was bearable.
5. no work today! I get to be home all evening. =)
6. I'm about to make myself some coffee. (no, it's not too hot. coffee makes me happy.)
7. no homework.
8. paid $2.42 for gas. that is a big deal.
9. sunday's message on wisdom and realizing that I really can grow to have these qualities because God wants me to be wise and will help me if I ask him.
10. I get to list my statistics book for sale! done with it forever =)
11. payday is only two days away. haha.
12. Dad is home from work early.


I could go on but .... you get the picture. =D

So I realize that I have expectations about how my life is going to be. I plan on finishing college, serving in M28, getting married (haha .. maybe not in that order ..), being a homemaker, staying in Charlotte around my family and church, serving in the church, homeschooling ..... you know, the life. But this might not be God's plan for me. I could have all of the "qualifications" for having this kind of life but still not get it. If he has other ideas for my life, will I really be happy? Or will I be tempted to doubt his goodness? I can say I trust in God, but actually believing in his sovereignty when my expectations are not fulfilled is a different story. It's hard work and involves submitting to his will. I want to be satisfied and joyful in whatever his will is for me since it glorifies him  .... and it IS his will after all, and his will is good. He knows what is best for me. =) I know that if I trust in him he will make me happy in him. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

(By the way, this was inspired by listening to this song the other day ....)


Thy Way, Not Mine

Thy way, not mine, O Lord
However dark it be
Lead me by Thine own hand
Choose out the path for me

Smooth let it be or rough
It will still be the best
Winding or straight, it leads
Right onward to Thy rest

I dare not choose my lot
I would not, if I might
Choose Thou for me, my God
So I can walk aright

Take Thou my cup, and it
With joy or sorrow fill
As best to Thee may seem
Choose Thou my good and ill

Not mine, not mine the choice
In all things great or small
Be Thou my guide, my strength
My wisdom and my all, my wisdom and my all


Words by Horatius Bonar (1857), Music and additional words by Joel Sczebel
As recorded on Looked Upon
© 2008 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)

I really need to start checking the weather reports before I leave for school in the mornings. I have totally been guessing wrong....

     Monday. I wore jeans. It was hot. I sweated all day.
     Tuesday. I decided that since I was so hot the day before I would wear capris. Well, it was cloudy and chilly. I froze.
     Wednesday. I wore jeans, but it rained. I didn't know it was going to rain. I didn't bring a jacket OR an umbrella so I walked to my car in the rain.

So yeah. But my week has been fantastic anyway. And I have the family meeting to look forward to tonight!

This year (since graduation) has been the best year of my life. Yep, the best out of all eighteen of them. =P

This year I ....

became a college student
joined M28
bought a car
wrecked a car
got a car fixed
survived many days on five hours of sleep
became a team leader
became a supervisor
went to Rekindle
helped on the food team
joined the most awesome care group ever
learned how to fill up my gas tank =)
made some sweet girl friends
made some awesome guy friends
grew in talking in groups
grew in worship
grew in loving God
started staying up til midnight or later
turned 18
got some new ballet skills =)
drank gallons of coffee
survived calculus
began to learn to trust God with my future

Yes. It's been good.

soooo .... yesterday I was going to go shopping for a dress for my cousin's wedding.

and.... I came home with a car. =D

So I've been on the computer at CP for the past hour. I want to be home studying calculus. Go figure.

Actually it's my last thing I have to do for school. Yesterday I finished econ and English, and today I finished German. So my test on Friday is the last thing of the semester. =)

Until summer classes.

But anyway, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. No school. I'm going shopping. Then home and then to Coldstone with my M28 peeps. yay. =D

So Emily's class gets out in 15 minutes. Then I'm heading home to study.

So ... I have registered for the summer and fall semesters. Here ya go (read it if you want ;) ).


Summer

ENG 112 (argument-based research)
  T Th 7:30-10:05

MAT 155 (statistical analysis)
  M T W Th 10:30-11:45

MAT 155-A (stats lab)
  M W 11:45-12:45



Fall

ACC 120 (financial accounting)
   M W 10:00-12:20

HIS 131 (American history 1)
   T Th 11:00-12:15

ECO 252 (macroeconomics)
   T Th 12:30-1:45

CHM 151 (chemistry 1)
   T 2:00-4:55
   the lab is on campus and the rest is online.


So. I pretty much love my schedule. The best part is no early classes in the fall. I can get some sleep. The second-best part is that I already know I'm taking accounting with one of my friends. So it'll be good. The third-best part is that I will be able to work and do M28 activities despite my schedule. Yay.

THANK YOU!!!!!


to all of my wonderful friends and my family. Y'all have made my day amazingly special. Thanks for all of the encouragement and kindness. Love you all. =)