Ever feel sometimes like life can get overwhelming? Like there's bunches of "loose ends" that need to be tended to, or projects, or just stuff to sort through? I definitely feel that way at times. But in it all, God is our dwelling place. And we can trust Him. Truly, God is good.

I am feeling a little tired. But it's been overall a good week so far! I have a local acquaintance visiting us here at the ministry tomorrow; I'm pretty excited about that! We met at a seminar my church was having when I first started going there, and she and her two young boys would like to come out tomorrow and check out the ministry and take a tour of the building. Yippee! I'm so glad they're coming by.

She would love for her 9 and 10-year-old boys to volunteer with the ministry (and I would love that and even suggested it!); it just may not work out quite as we were hoping it would. In other words, there may be some logistics to be worked out, or it may be that they would be more needed in a different capacity, such as representing us at local events. But God is faithful ... and I so much believe it's not by accident that He put me in contact with this family through a seminar at my church over a month ago.

Speaking of church ... just the other day I was thinking yet again about how grateful I am for this new church God has provided. Just thinking about it makes me happy. In so many ways it reminds me of my beloved college church back home, and I never thought I would be able to say that about a church here! It already feels like home, and hardly a sermon goes by that doesn't leave me feeling incredibly encouraged and challenged in my Christian walk.

God is good.

All in all it has been a good weekend. Busy, but good. Yesterday at the cookout Pamela, Joelle, Angela and I were able to laze around in the pool. At the end I swam some laps to be sure I got some exercise.

The message at church yesterday was great, and I really enjoyed getting to catch up with a number of new friends I've made. People are so friendly and nice; it's feeling like home already! :-)

My arms are still a little sore from helping people move on Saturday, but it was fun and well worth it! It has definitely been a "people weekend".

Left to my own devices, there are times when I am admittedly a hermit. Okay, so maybe hermit is way too strong a word for it. But I do like my "alone" time and often am quite content to just go for a nice walk, go grab something to eat at a fast-food place, or hang out around the apartment watching a movie or organizing. :o) But at the same time I am also in a lot of ways very much a people person who values all the friendships God has blessed me with and all the opportunities to hang out with people, and there are also those times when I get lonely when there aren't people around.

Anyhow, all this to say that I think this weekend was good for me, being with people so much of it! At the same time, it's also so important we spend those concentrated times away from the noise and bustle of life .... whether the noise and bustle of our own individual lives, or the noise and bustle from being with others .... those times of getting away from that to just spend time with the Lord in His presence. That's what the message was about yesterday. Our pastor shared about how so often we don't delight in and relish God the way we could be because we aren't spending those times with Him.

Yikes! It's going to be a busy weekend. But I'm looking forward to it.

Saturday:
8 A.M. Help move staff family, along with a bunch of others on staff.
11:45 A.M. Meet up with good friend to hang out for several hours or so.
6-9 P.M. Game night with the other young people on staff

Sunday:
9:30 Church
11:15 Sunday School
1:00 or whenever I can get there after church -- COOKOUT with friends from my the fellowship group at my old church.

Monday:
9:00 Meet up with friends from old fellowship group to help a friend move

Tonight? I'm just resting and making some returns, and maybe watching a movie at the apartment. Tonight's my "veg" night. [translation: rest and chill out :oD]

Okay, now I need to scoot so I can call a good friend I was s'posed to call right after work. Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Whew, it's been a busy week! But good. Work-related projects, helping out people from work, catching up with friends ...

And tonight some of us from my dept. are fixing to head out for our supervisor's house in Rowlett for a farewell party for one of our writers. [She'll be back, just not for a year!]

Our game plan, I hear, is to order pizza and watch the movie Apollo 13. I've never seen it but I'm up for just about anything tonight.

Then when I get back I need to call a good friend to hear a story that was too long to share over email. :o)

I had chicken pot pie for lunch. Downstairs in our Believers Cafe at work. It was so good. I also enjoyed my lunch because I got to eat with two friends, Steph and Maddie.

I am heading out now so I can go home and rest for just a bit before I head over to a staff family's home for a little while to help them pack.

Things are going well.

Yesterday was nice.

I met up with my sister and her family in Waco, to go to the zoo and eat together at McAlister's, one of hers and my favorites. :o) We also went to the mall, but just for a little bit.

It was a beautiful day out. Warm and sunny and nice. On the drive over there, I had some really good time with the Lord ... pouring out my heart to Him and surrendering things to Him. It was a special time.

On the way home, I swung by an outlet mall and found some great deals. God also gave me some divine appointments with people to share the ministry with!

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Another good day. This day flew by, too. I love when I have lots of stuff to work on and am able to focus on it; makes the day very enjoyable. :o)

I just got done praying with Tirina, a really good friend I used to room with. It was such a nice time of fellowship together. She and Dorie, whom I roomed with, too, are both such a blessing in my life! [Not only is Dorie a great friend, she also makes really yummy chocolate chip cookies. :o) When she published her awesome family recipe in our staff cookbook, I was very excited!]

Well, before I go off to enjoy this gorgeous weather by means of a nice, long walk at the nature preserve, I leave you with this quote:

“We settle for a cottage of faith, when we could be living in a mansion of grace and mercy.” --C.S. Lewis

So true. The riches of His grace are so abundant, most of us haven't even begun to tap into them. Oh the joys of those moments spent in His presence!

The day has pretty much flown by with projects and meetings. I enjoyed the various projects, and things went well. I like days like this.

As it was beautiful evening last night, I sat out on my balcony to eat cauliflower and ponder life's mysteries. Well, okay, my time was kind of cut short when my downstairs neighbor decided to go out on her balcony, too, as the smell of cigarette smoke strongly permeated the air. But I tried. Sort of.

Probably the most reflecting was done earlier, walking in a meadow at the nature preserve, with nothing but the gentle lull of frogs croaking and the peaceful sound of rushing water from the creek below. I thought about how there are many things I may desire or wish for in life -- or at least think that I wish for.

For one ... I would love to one day go back to Panama City for RUF Summer Conference. I have incredible memories of my time there. And there are times when I miss college since there was a lot that I really enjoyed about that time in my life. [At the same time, I think there were also some incredibly hard times and times of stretching, and when I'm looking back at a time in my life I tend to forget about those times. ;-)] But really, when it comes down to it, all that matters is what GOD wants for me.

During Sunday's message at church, my pastor mentioned how it's not about us and our comfort. It's about Christ. It was a blessing to me to hear that ... and it should be a huge challenge for me as well! Last night, walking in the meadow, I was thinking, Am I truly willing to live for only the sunshine of HIS face? Am I content with what He chooses to give me, or not to give me? Am I fully content in His timing? Do I truly find His grace sufficient?

I think it's a good thing I don't get everything I want or dream about ... for if I did, I would probably be spoiled ... and rely even more on myself instead of God! I already feel spoiled [and selfish!] in a lot of ways. ;oD

He has blessed me so much, more than I could ever deserve. Incredible.

6:33 A.M. I hear my alarm go off. I panic. Gotta get up and get ready. Especially if I'm going to wrap my saree. This weekend I found a really neat one at the Indian store, for only $7. It has bright pink, blue, green and orange in it. And I was really hoping to wear it to the office today.

6:51 A.M. I look at the clock. Auughh! Only a few more minutes before I can leave the apartment and, at least theoretically, not be late since I live less than a mile away.

6:56 A.M. I am out the door. And, somehow, amazingly, manage to make it to the office in less than three minutes. Wow ... I should even be a little EARLY to morning prayer today [uncharacteristic for me], and I had time to wrap my saree, too!

6:58 A.M. I pull into the parking lot. No cars. Zero. Okay, I think to myself, This is weird. This IS Monday. And as far as I know we were still having prayer today. Then I look down at the clock in my car. 6:59. OH. Then it hits me. Prayer starts at 8:00, not 7:00. And I know that, but somehow in my groggy state [I don't do mornings] I must have not made the connection that 6:33 A.M. meant I could still press my snooze button.

A few minutes after 7:00, I find myself heading down to Burger King. I virtually *never* eat breakfast out, but somehow today it sounds like a good idea. I'm ready early, and most of all, I'm hungry. So I order some food to go, and then come back to my apartment complex, meet my new neighbor who seems to be a Christian, and then head up to my apartment to eat.

Two things I've learned from this experience:
1) Burger King hash browns are actually quite tasty.
2) It won't hurt me to start getting up when my alarm first goes off ... and it is actually possible. ;-)

I am a friend of God,
I am a friend of God;
I am a friend of God,
He calls me friend.

Not only are these Philips, Craig and Dean (sp?) lyrics sung to an incredibly catchy tune, the words are pretty amazing, too, when you really stop and think about them. I mean, we are just finite, fallen mankind, yet the All-knowing, holy God of this universe calls us FRIEND? Incredible.

I am so thankful for the friends the Lord has given me. I am fixing to meet up with a few good friends from work for the evening, and really looking forward to that! And tomorrow my sister and I may be meeting up in Waco, the halfway point between us, to go to the zoo and eat together. [If we don't decide on tomorrow, we'll likely do next week. :o)]

And she's painting these really cool wooden crates and shelf I got at Wal-mart, so she basically rocks. Okay, so she rocks regardless, but I'm still excited.

It's been such a good day. And beautiful weather. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

An Ode to Comic Sans Ms

This is an ode to Comic Sans Ms.

It has got to be the coolest font out there. At least, in my humble opinion.

If it were up to me the whole world would be written in Comic Sans Ms.

Okay, so I'm exaggerating ... just a *little*.

But I really do dig Comic Sans Ms. It's a great font.

Sadly, though, not everyone agrees:

My graphics friends across the room would beg to differ.

My blog does not come in Comic Sans Ms.

Most of my teachers in college preferred the rather plain, albeit functional, Times New Roman.

But I actually had one teacher, for feature writing, who ASKED us to turn in all our stories in Comic Sans Ms. No joke.

I loved that. Maybe that was when my love for the illustrious font first began.

Okay, now that I thoroughly enlightened everyone on the glories of Comic Sans Ms, I really must move on to, uh, bigger and grander things.

Like freshening up a bit and running by Customer Appreciation Day at one of my favorite stores. Ah, yes, I can taste those mouth-watering chicken skewers already.

Today started out pretty funny ...

I was replying to our missions coordinator, who asked me about some missionaries a donor was interested in providing bicycles for. I was describing how desperately they needed bikes, as they travel three to a bike (yikes!) for outreach, along with their outreach materials I'm sure. I was like, "Three people to nine bikes!"

Hmmm ... I think I got my numbers just a little mixed up. I had a hearty laugh when I realized my mistake, as did my co-workers sitting around me when I told them. :oD

In keeping with that incident, it's been a good, light-hearted day. At the same time, as I was telling someone earlier, I am wanting to learn to focus on the Lord equally in the good times as well as the bad. Sometimes I think it's easier to focus on Him in the hard times than in the good ... but I want to focus on Him the same for both.

Well, I'm off to give a co-worker a ride home and then I'm thinking to go to the mid-week service at CC Plano. (YAY!) See you all.

I am a little sunburned.

But I think it was for a good cause.

You haven't really lived until you've done the sack races at a church picnic. It had been a reaaaallly long since I'd been in a sack race, and it was fun. I also grabbed a partner for the three-legged race. I didn't, however, enter the hog calling contest. :-)

How am I doing in general? I feel like the Lord has been continuing the lessons He's been teaching me throughout this year, about finding my sufficiency in HIM. And it's emotionally draining at times because He in His infinite wisdom allows me to go through hard things that I don't completely understand, yet by faith I am thankful for what He is teaching me. Such lessons often can only be learned in the fire.

Caty, going to lunch with you was definitely a bright spot in my day. BTW, I went and read your coffee entry on your blog. Nice!

It's been a pretty good day so far.

Slept in (of course!!!), talked on the phone for a while with a good friend from SC, used a store credit I've been meaning to use for a while. :oD

A little later I'm getting together with a friend, and I also hope to fit in a nice, long walk at the nature preserve and bake my cookies, too.

I like Saturdays.

"...we are not as strong as we think we are. We are frail, we are fearfully and wonderfully made/ Forged in the fires of human passion/Choking on the fumes of selfish rage/And with these our hells and our heavens so few inches apart/We must be awfully small/ And not as strong as we think we are."

Some of the words from this Rich Mullins song have been echoing in my head. How fragile we human beings can be. To be having an incredible week, filled with Christ's presence and feeling that nothing on this earth can faze me, to the next moment be wondering (at least, emotionally, even if I never doubt objectively) about His provision, His care.

Just because of a couple of things that, while not fun to go through at the moment, probably are not only being blown a little bit out of proportion, but also are not terribly significant in the big scheme of things. Crazyness.

Thinking back over this year so far, though, I'm incredibly encouraged. It has been rich with experience already. Some awesome times, some not so awesome, but definitely God has been doing a really deep work in my life. Teaching me those precious lessons that can only be learned in the fire. And for this, I am so grateful.

[And, a co-worker came by just now and entertained some of us with his Lawrence Welk impressions. That provided some awesome comic relief ... and, hmmmm, do I sense another great act for our next GFA talent show? :oD]

As Christians, isn't it wonderful to know that our joy is not predicated on our circumstances?

Last night Shelley, Cherie and I went to the mall and had supper together in the food court. It was truly a fun "weeknight getaway", and we each found some cute stuff on clearance. :o)

Today I was tested in something. It wasn't exactly the most fun, but I was been super encouraged to realize that something that would have been disappointing in the past really just kind of faded away as I sat back and remembered that my significance, security and worth are in the Lord, and not based on anything on this earth. Wow ... God is so good.

On another note, earlier this week our supervisor called a couple of us in to his office to let us know we wouldn't be going to EPA Convention this weekend in Orlando after all, as per a leadership decision that we should send fewer people. I totally understand, and there's always other years to go, and I'm happy that now I can make it to church and our church picnic on Sunday.

I am planning to make a big batch of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for the occasion. :oD

I've been thinking ...

All of our joys, struggles, dreams, disappointments, hopes, tears, laughter, friends, relatives, hobbies, marriage, vocation, family, church, mountain tops, and valleys ...

For most of us living on planet earth, ALL of these things are an intregal part of our daily lives, or one day will be. And while each of these things are very important and meaningful, and not in any way to be taken lightly, they are also not "ends" in themselves, for this world is not our final home. Each of these things are a glorious backdrop our Savior uses to draw us closer to Him and conform us ever more into His image during this lifetime, until that appointed time when, because of His mercy and grace, we will join Him in heaven for all eternity.

I want to come back to this often. I tend to want to savor each moment in life and live it to its fullest. And I think there's nothing wrong with that, and life in itself is a gift God has given us; I just want to also keep "the end" (or beginning!) in sight and remember what it's all about.

5:00 P.M. My friend Shelley comes by my desk for one of her usual visits, and hands me a small box of four Whitman's chocolates. "Thought it was about time for a snack," she tells me. I think back to earlier today ... and realize this is a total "God thing".

Shelley knows I like chocolate. What she doesn't know is that today during lunch break I went to the nature preserve and walked for a bit ... It was a nice time with the Lord, and very peaceful ... it also meant that about the time she came by my desk, I was probably ready for a snack.

I LOVE when God does that.