Life Lately

Wow! It's been a while since I've written. I haven't had much to say, so I've kept my mouth shut (..fingers still?). Anyways, I am working on something right now but that is taking some time so I will just fill you in on my life as it's been lately.

First, my relationship with God is really being strengthened. I am learning to rely on Him more and more all the time. He's been growing me and it's not always the most enjoyable thing but the end result is good. My RA made a point that resonates for me. She was talking about how our sanctification is compared to the refining of gold in the Bible. To be refined, gold is put in the fire and burns until the end result is pleasing. So while God refines us, it burns. It's painful, but in the end, we're made more like Christ. And that's amazing.

Second, since my last blog, it's been times of many ups and downs. There were a few stressful nights in that time period and I was really discouraged and missing my family. While I was doing my fafsa (ugh), I kept making stupid mistakes and had to call my dad at least eight different times. I made a huge mistake on something that was fixable, thankfully. I just learned to really appreciate how patient my dad is and how much he cares for me and is willing to help me out, even when I do dumb things. I have also had some amazing times with my friends, such as going to Downtown Disney and then my roommate's house for her birthday. The next weekend I went to Disneyland with some amazing friends and had the time of my life! College life is full of trials but it's also full of fun. It's just full.

Well that's what the past few weeks have looked like. Now I'm on spring break, and let me tell you, it's been quite interesting! I am staying with my friend Courtney Brooks and her family. It's been so fun! There are seven kids in the family, plus her two parents. With me here, there are ten of us. It sure can be crazy at times, but I am immensely enjoying it!

The first night was Friday night. We (Courtney and I) went to Walmart with her brother and two of our friends. That was a fun experience. It was at that time that Courtney and I decided to go to Walmart every day of spring break (so far, so good!). Sounds like a random thing to do, and sounds like we're kind of strange. Well, we are. But we have also come up with good reasons to go everyday anyway. Saturday was a day spent scheming, but I can't say what it's for yet. Sunday we went to church, and instead of going to my own church, Placerita Baptist Church, I went with her family to Grace Community Church.

Yesterday (Monday) was quite an interesting day. We planned to get up and do homework in the morning, then head over to the library at school in the afternoon. There were some things we needed to get  done there that we couldn't do here at her house. That did not go as planned. A whole series of events unfolded that we did not expect. The library was open from 2 until 6, and we hoped to take advantage of every minute we could. But God had other plans. First, around two her mom came home from the grocery store so people were helping unload and put away groceries. During this time, somehow a bowl of leftover tomato soup dropped off of the top shelf and hit something else in the fridge, and splashed EVERYWHERE. It was all over Courtney (her face, her shirt, her jeans, her hair), all over the food, in the drawers, on the doors, on the light in the fridge, not to mention the floor...I mean everywhere! Then the process of cleaning the refrigerator began. We took everything out, wiped everything down, then used cleaner on the whole inside of the fridge, washed (with soap and hot water) all of the shelves, wiped down the food, took the plastic thing off of the lights and cleaned off the baked-in tomato soup, and then put everything back together. It was a long process. Then we made (homemade) macaroni and cheese, which was quite good. Around 4:50, we left to go to the dorms to get a few things that I needed and then we were going to go to the library. We got to my room and realized I forgot my key, so that didn't end up going as planned. We got to the library around 5 and had to leave at 5:30 to come back for dinner. Obviously, the day did not go as planned. It was a sanctifying experience. It was very interesting and entertaining. God reminded me that my plans aren't always the best.

Today was a really exciting day. Courtney and I were planning a trip to downtown LA. We were going to get to her grandma's house around 9, and then she would drive us downtown to shop. Well...this morning at about 7:35 Courtney woke me up and told me we would need to leave a half hour earlier than we had anticipated. It was a busy time of rushing around getting ready and eating and trying to be out the door by 8. We left at about ten after, and didn't know we had to change freeways, but called her mom at just the right time (God is so good) and were able to do it. We arrived at her grandparents house and left a few minutes later. We got to downtown LA after sitting in a bit of traffic, and it was definitely worth the stress of the morning and the wait through traffic. Specifically, we were in The Alley, a place where there are many shops..some with cheap things, some with more expensive things. We looked around and found some great deals (I got a really cute ring that only cost a dollar). It was fun just taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of a place like that. After hours of shopping, we went to this little diner called The Pantry. It's owned by the former mayor of LA, and has been around for almost 90 years. We got this amazing soup, cole slaw and bread meal. The bread was a huge amount of sour dough that was so yummy. Food that amazing is just not common. Overall, it was a very interesting day. I enjoyed all of the things I experienced today, including getting to know Courtney's grandma.

Just a side note...I love Courtney's family. I have met them all multiple times. Some I'd seen more than others, but I still knew who they all were. But now I know them so much better, and it's been fun sitting with them at the table or in the living room just talking. They include me in everything and even explain all of the inside jokes their family has. It's been great getting to know them!

Okay I think I have written enough to make up for all my lost time. So now I will go. Hope this wasn't too long or boring for you. Remember Psalm 19:14, one of my favorites verses. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."