So much has happened in my life in the last few months thats its crazy to even try and remember it all. This will be a brief explanation of my summer. In a nut shell, if you will.
It started out with a trip to New York for West Point’s Graduation with some of my best friends. I loved every minute of it... Not only spent lots of time with people I love, but met some pretty cool ones too!
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| Me and Kelly at West Point Graduation! |
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| After the monsoon |
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| Me, Mark, Kelly and Sarah after Mark's commissioning |
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| Kelly and Corey on the train ride into the city! Then I had to go home and start my two summer classes... (Not exactly the highpoint of my summer). There were some pretty great interruptions though. I got to go to Savannah to surprise this girl: |
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| Kelly at her engagement party! |
Kelly, one of my best friends, for her engagement. It was such a blast having so many of my favorite people together to celebrate such an incredible couple! Then, a couple weeks later I got to go back to Savannah to celebrate Corey’s birthday! It doubled as a goodbye party since he was headed to South Korea for the next year. It was another incredible trip, with some of my favorite people!
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| The incredible couple |
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| Savannah round 2, taking a break from engagement pictures for a quick snack After all of that, it was crunch time. I had to barricade myself in my house and finish everything for my two classes that ended the first week of July. I did well in both of my classes and before I knew it, it was time to leave for my medical mission trip to Nicaragua... I wasn’t prepared at all for what I was about to experience. BUT Nicaragua deserves its own post. Here’s a couple high points though! |
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| Me and Dad at the church in Los Chiles |
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| All the pastors receiving their study Bibles |
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| Me and Tiffany after zip lining |
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| Tom and Janet! The pharmacists I worked with all week, they were such a blessing. |
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| Me and Dad on the last night I returned home more physically, mentally, and emotionally drained than I had ever been before, but I was more filled spiritually than I have ever been. I learned so much about my life and God’s love for me on that trip.
The very next weekend was my best friend’s wedding! There were so many exciting things going on that week! My best friend looked beautiful and it was such an honor to get to stand beside her on her special day. That wedding was such a fun celebration of another amazing couple in my life!
 Me and Danielle at her reception  So glad I got to see Callie!  |
It was also great to see these guys!
I had a few weeks at home, then it was off to Hawaii with my family for vacation! Hawaii also deserves its own post, but I’m not sure when I’ll get around to it.
I had such an amazing summer and I am so incredibly blessed to be able to travel as much as I do and also because I have such awesome people in my life.
After all that, now I am back in my normal environment and have finally had some time to sit and reflect on all that has happened. God has been working in my life in big ways, and honestly I’ve been at the point that I’ve kinda been resisting it. I’ve been struggling with contentment and trusting Him in the small things and really believing that His plan for my life is better than anything I could think of or imagine. I’ve wanted things to work out my way, according to my plan, for so long. I can see now what He was doing this summer... He was removing my safety nets one by one and asking me to turn to Him first. I always take my joys and sorrows to God, but often after I’ve talked to all my friends, family, and acquaintances about them. I tend to fill my life with so many things that I don’t make time to just be silent with my Heavenly Father. I know I can share my life and struggles with the people in it, but that God wants the top spot. For one of the first times in my life, I don’t have anyone else fighting for that spot and I can easily let Him have it. I think thats why He let me hit the point of the loneliness that I did, so that I could figure out that He is the only person I need on my list.
So that was life lesson number 1... Funny how many times God has to teach me the same things over and over because I keep forgetting them. The other one is the power for prayer.
Sometimes God places those key people in your life that know exactly how to reach you. Yesterday I had a coffee date with an incredible woman of God...Tyler as been a tremendous blessing to me for the past 6 or so months. I turned my heart inside out and showed her every corner of it. Ugly things that I don’t share with many people: lack of trust, peace, contentment and joy. my selfishness. my issues with comparison. my desires, that could be good or bad, who knows. struggles that I’m embarrassed to admit that I have. She reminded me to pray about it. Something so simple, that I do, but not enough.
She also reminded me of a pretty awesome song...
