One More Week

So I know I haven't posted in awhile, but since my last post I have been commissioned as a Missionary of the United Methodist Church, had a vacation with the family, returned to Texas and bid farewell to some of the best friends I will ever have.
Saying goodbye to the US-2s was not sad, but actually made me realize that these people I spent a month with, are going to be a part of my life for a long time (longer than the two years of being a US-2). The month of July was amazing. I laughed and cried and learned so much. I now believe that this is the path that my life is supposed to take.
Vacation...I have always thought that when you take vacation, that time is supposed to be relaxing. Vacationing in NYC is not for the new vacationers. However, since this is the last vacation I will have with my family for awhile, I LOVED it. Being able to share NYC with the family for a week was great. Although we didn't do everything that tourists should want to do, we did do things that we wanted to do. And I got great pictures!! But finally it was time to come home for 12 days and amazingly the day spent traveling was not stressful at all.

BACK IN TEXAS
I am glad to be back in Texas and have realized that there are so many people here that I am going to miss, especially people at church. These are the people who have been there for me and my family through everything.
I went to Austin to say goodbye to the girls that were my life in college. Something that I have found interesting since graduating is that you stay in touch with those who you need and want in your life. Those other people, might be in your life for some reason, but those you keep with you will be there for anything. And to those people...thank you and i love you!
Now it is Wednesday the 9th and a week until I get on the plane to La Verne! People keep asking me if I am ready or nervous or excited or any other words to describe how I feel about going to California. And my answer really differs depending on how I am feeling that moment. But like I said before, this is the path that my life is supposed to go. Even though sometimes I might feel like this is not what I want to do, or this is not on my to do list of life. This is on God's to do list for my life and finally I think I have let go of wanting to be in control. Things happen for a reason, even if we don't know that reason. So yes, I am ready and nervous and excited and worried and sad and happy.
Now it is time for me to start separating things that I need in California and things that I don't need. Right now it doesn't seem that different than the past four years of getting ready for college, but I assume that it will start feeling different as I have to start saying goodbye to those who have been in my life for most of it and those who have special places in my heart.

Something interesting, as I type this post, there is a song on the radio, saying that "we keep waiting on the world to change". But I have learned that WE have to make the world change!

This weekend in Austin, I found this magnet that says
peace.
it does not mean to be in a place
where there is not noise, trouble
or hard work. it means to be in
the midst of those things that still
be calm in your heart. (unknown)

This is where I am getting to and where I hope to be in a week, a year, two years.