I had such a nice Thanksgiving weekend.

It was just really relaxing and refreshing.

Thursday I ate Thanksgiving dinner with my Sunday school teacher, his family, and some others who, like me, were away from family. It was a restful time and I felt at home. :o)

Then Friday I met up for a little bit with a friend of mine from class, a single mom and her two children. I also just hung around the apartment and sang praise songs.

Saturday I met up with several others from my S.S. class to watch "Yours, Mine and Ours" and fellowship over Chinese food (them) and Chick-fila (me :o)) in the mall food court. I really enjoyed that ... good times. :oD

Yesterday? After church we all grabbed something to eat at Chipotle and had more fellowship ... chatting with my S.S. teacher and his wife about the incredible thing Jesus did for us in dying an excruciating death for us on the Cross and paying the penalty for our sin. Then I joined some others in the class who were sitting at a table outside, where we engaged in a fun and kind of thought-provoking conversation about "the whole guy/girl thing".

Today has been a good day at work. I can't believe it's already over. It's gone by so quickly ... and yet I feel that I've gotten things done. YAY! Thank you, LORD. I really am feeling like everything is kind of starting to come together for my upcoming trip back to the Coast. :o)

Until next time.

Thanksgiving is almost here. :o)

Looking at my life, there is much to be thankful for.

I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend to rest and maybe catch up on stuff!

Tonight I need to grab ingredients at the store, for the salad I'm making. I'm eating Thanksgiving Dinner with a family from church, along with others from my S.S. class.

Until next time. :oD

I've had a nice day!

I went to lunch with a friend and co-worker, Kaitlyn. We had such a nice time of sharing some of what the Lord is teaching us.

I have been thinking lately about how with Jesus, you have everything. Even if you have nothing as far as this world goes. Or if you lost literally everything in the tsunami or in Hurricane Katrina, or live in a North Indian slum where the place you "go home" to every day is little more than a makeshift tent strewn together with garbage bags, little pieces of tin, anything else you can find.

Gretcha with her contageous smile and joy in Jesus showed me THAT. A powerful lesson I don't ever want to forget ... and something I want to put into practice in my daily life.

What a joy the Christian life is ... that this world and our circumstances and struggles are NOT all there is. That we can labor for fruit that will last for all eternity. Incredible.

And who are we, that we have this privilege? It's all God. And nothing in us.

It's Friday. I am tired ... ready to go home. : )

I love my job. But sometimes you need a break, too. :oD Looking forward to this weekend. It's been beautiful out ... maybe I'll even get some biking in!

That would be nice.

See ya!

Wow.

I feel so encouraged. You could say I feel "all better". :o) My friend Teri and I just finished praying together.

God is so good.

I'm walking home now. :oD

Kind of an intense weekend.

Sorting through some stuff. Realizing my wretchedness. Realizing the warped perspectives and attitudes I still have ... but don't want to have. When I am resting in the Lord, those attitudes fade away. I'm sure glad He never gives up on me.

On another note, I did enjoy walking and riding my bike this weekend. Beautiful weather. And it's so nice to be outdoors.

Well bye for now -- better leave the office since I can't be here after 9. :o) I'll write more soon ... I promise? :oD

Has it really been two weeks since I last wrote? Wow.

The cooking went well. (See last entry, October 29)

Overall I've been doing really well!

It's a little cloudy today, perhaps to match my somewhat melancholy mood. Long story. I want to go back to my apartment and have some time with the Lord. My desire is to be lost in the wonder of His presence ... to be so enamored with Him that, ultimately, everything else fades away. He is so good!

Tonight I am getting together with some friends to go to the Olive Garden ... kind of an outing planned in my honor since I told my friend Trudy I needed a group here to go to the Olive Garden with since ours back home got destroyed in the hurricane. :oD I'm looking forward to that.

I can't believe it's only a month now before I head back home for Christmas. Wow. I'm excited, at the same time there's much to be done before then. But I know it will all come together. :o)

God is good. Always and no matter what.

P.S. Tomorrow is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Wow. I know that anything I go through is so small compared to what they go through every day ... not to mention what Jesus went through for me on the Cross. Incredible. We are truly blessed ... why can it be so easy to forget that?