Miami is for adventurous foods

Miami is so full of culture other than American. In fact it is quite the challenge to find something "american" down here because of the majority of the people that live here. I work with people who are all from different countries, Cuba, Argentina, France, Panama, Germany, Venezuela, Peru and so on. So when I am at work I hear a lot of spanish and have the opportunity to get a little taste of their world. I was quickly introduced to Cuban coffee which someone in the office goes and buys everyday at 3 pm without fail. And I thought that it would just taste like a rich coffee so the way you drink it is like taking a shot of it, so I did and it burned down my throat and in my nose! But it is so addicting and literally wakes you up like 5 minutes. Today I had a Lychee which is a fruit that is originally from Asia and grows down here because of the tropical climate and it looks gross but it was so tasty! My supervisor Rose, who makes me try all these things said that she wants me to experience all of Miami while I am here. Rose is originally from Germany but has lived here for several years and knows how Miami works! Rose taught me the proper way to eat the Lychee and explained to me that usually they're about $8/lb! woo its crazy but they're so unique and good! (pictured above) It is so fun to try all these new foods, while being in good ol' America.

Time Gap

Well, I haven't written a blog in awhile. I guess I just forgot about it but I really do love my blog...when I write in it. If you read my blog you probably know that I am currently stationed in Miami, Florida and it feels like it is a bit of a dream. When I have been here in the past it has always been on vacation and not that this isn't vacation but I'm not just here to have fun, I am here for multiple reasons. I am mainly here to make cheddar and heal from the things that life has thrown onto my path. I have now had the opportunity to spread my wings yet still have a good nest to return to everyday. Being down here with my aunt is really helpful she is a great support system on so many levels and having my internship has really kept me going with not getting caught up in the "lazy summer mode". But now I am really working on healing or maybe even preparing for what is happening at home. Things with my parents are real bad and it is just one of those scenarios where I don't think about it all the time but when I do think about it, I think about it a lot. It seems like there is a lot of "breaking up" of homes and families right now and it's really a challenge to know that I am in that boat. It is also really weird to step back and see that so many of my friends actually haven't gone through this type of situation, and the friends that have don't talk about it or when I ask somewhat casually blow me off on the topic. So it's like my brain is in a bubble over here to the left, and my heart is in a bubble in the middle while my life bubble has already been popped and things just aren't coming together.

However, God has really opened my eyes and heart to Faith and what it means to me or having a better understanding of it. I am reading Isaiah and Matthew at the same time and I read Matthew last summer and I haven't read Isaiah before and I just see the Faith that is going on in Isaiah and of course Jesus and the people he encounters. When I read through Isaiah sometimes I find myself going through it and thinking yeah this is just another Bible story and then I stop to think about how big, and powerful and mysterious God is, it is amazing. So as I am reading through Isaiah and thinking these things and I start to think why don't I have the Faith in God that I need to have? This is telling me about God and to not have fear and to just have Faith that God is going to do what he says. So then I look at the Faith of the people that are reaching out to Jesus and have no doubt that he is going to heal them and do exactly as he has said. So I have been really trying to apply that to my life and I have been trying to do a lot of that through prayer and having Faith in what I am praying for and really believing what the Bible says about Prayer. So the first thing was having Faith that I was going to get a job this summer and I never doubt it, I trusted and had Faith because I had already prayed about it so I had to have the Faith and know God was going to come through, and He did, times two hopefully. And I have to have Faith with this job that I am doing because I have such a fear of failure but I know that I have God and his strength and I won't fail because I have faith. So also with reading Matthew and Isaiah I've really noticed the obedience, so I underlined so many parts where someone is told to do something and it says they got up and did so immediately. And I was reading about obedience and how it is something where when God tells us to do something and we don't take action right away it or just ignore it, it is disobedience and nobody wants to disobey God. Lastly, I have been learning about the power of my words. My mom and I have talked about this so much lately so I have been noticing it more and more in scripture so I have been recently examining my words and trying to choose them very carefully

It is quite the roller coaster in my brain. I'll keep you posted blog-followers.

Love,

A Lover.

Education Through Imagination

I seriously can't understand the way that some people process their thoughts. I understand that everyone has a different way of doing that task and usually it differs between the genders. Today however I am puzzled by the thoughts and actions of some gals. Things happen in life that just some what create a "hiccup." Hiccups are always unexpected, you can't predict them they just happen and you have to deal with it. I think that is the best way to explain what is going on.

People challenge each other daily, thats how we work, thats how we grow. Sometimes I find it hard however to see the growth or to view a situation in the light of it being a growing opportunity. It seems to me that the challenges we face are within the areas of our life we feel most confident. Right now that is my education class and my relationship.

The hardest part I feel is the truth that I cannot control other people. I can only control myself. I am finding myself having to look at situations that seem to be a simple thing and look at them in a deep and complex way, or a new light. Each day is a challenge. I wake up every morning feeling the weight and extreme stress of the day ahead of me. The unfortunate truth is that I cannot see past the day I am living in. There are so many things that are due, people to talk to, tasks to complete, emails to send, homework to finish that I have to live hour by hour. Yet in the back of my mind the next day's stress is already looming inside of me. So when these hiccups occur my stress goes through the roof and I find myself getting lost in my day and feeling completely spent. The good news is...5 weeks until Christmas break. Praise the Lord.

Poem from September 2008

Having a view from above can change everything,
What is seen before us suddenly seems small.
A road block becomes a dot.
A person becomes a figure.
A problem becomes a leaf quickly blown away.

A new view of the things seen daily,
Makes the view wider, larger, and vast.
Observing while someone thinks they're invisable.
Watching the steady steps of confidence,
Or the slow scuffs of discouragement.

The looks of lonliness, without the knowledge of watchful eyes.
We always walk looking straight ahead.
We never think to look up,
And realize someone is watching the path you're walking.

Time

It is something that I lose track of all the time yet am completely aware of at all times. I know from day to day how much time I have to do something or get somewhere. However, at the same time my mind is puzzled and baffled at the time that is to come. I think about the future and wonder what is in front of me that I can't see yet. I feel the pressures to complete things quickly with the fear of running out of time. A year is a long time, but when you are wrapped up in things that only last a year...that time is nothing. Time is just something on my mind that I struggle with.

I think it's time for an update

Clearly my life has continued on since my last blog a few months ago. I guess now would be a good time for me to catch up what has been going on for the past 2 months. I somehow by the grace of God made it through camp this summer. Camp was something that I went into this summer thinking that it would be a breeze and totally fun, when the truth is that it was one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. Every single day I woke up and had to rely on God's wisdom and strength. There were days when I had an amazing morning with my girls, and by the afternoon I would have to walk away from them and remind myself that they are someones child and a child of God, so I need to love them as he would. There was a week when I had a fever and still did every single activity with my campers. I had a lot of family issues this summer and I never let that stop me from teaching them the word of God. Looking back on this summer, I know that God had me there for a purpose. I learned so many lessons that my brain and heart can't even account for all of them at once. I truly started to learn what I means to rely on God, and really do Kingdom work for Him. It was amazing when there were weeks that I had the opportunity to talk to my campers about God and assist them in accepting Christ. Those were the moments that I look back on and I get a smile on my face knowing that these girls lives are going to be totally different from that moment on. I also got a taste of really spending time with kids and getting into their lives. It is helping me with discover if teaching is really what God wants me to do.

After I made it back from camp more than happy to be home, a matter of days later I was back here on campus getting into PA training. PA training was an amazing experience. I am so glad that I got to be a camp counselor this summer because in a lot of ways it helped me prepare for what I was coming into with being a PA this year. I was a little nervous coming into training and having one good friend with me. But as I soon learned being a PA was right where I belong. I already have friendships developing that are wonderful and being a PA is like something I was designed for. I love this job, its not even a job it is just amazing.

Going on to school, I am really shocked at how hard it has been for me so far, and it has only been two weeks. Last week I had a complete panic attack, no breathing, almost passed out, and was just completely overwhelmed. My classes are just a whole new world from what they were last year, and I am still trying to get into a schedule that will be amazing. Also everyone needs to get to know Jesse Spicer. Love of my life.

Children make writing a blog difficult

It has been awhile since I have been able to blog, or for that fact actually think about my own life and not if someone needs to go to the bathroom or has gotten their meds for bedtime. Being a camp counselor I guess has had it's benefits and such but it really is a difficult job. You have to be a parent to 12 kids that aren't yours, love them even though they can be annoying and spread God's word in a way that doesn't scare them. There have been a lot of moments where I have really been tested and there have been a lot more moments where I have learned so much that I couldn't be happier.

This would be my 3 week of being here and actually doing my job, but it really has seen like an eternity at times. Each day is planned out for every 15 minutes and I get 2 hours a day to myself (kinda). It really stinks when you have to wait for your break to come to go to the bathroom because you plain and simple just don't have the time. I have gotten to know about 30 girls so far and it really has been amazing. 8 of my campers ask Christ into their hearts and that to say the least was an amazing experience. Most of the time when it happened I really didn't think it was going to at all, but God was working when I had no idea. That is really one of the only things that keeps me going. I know why I am here now, God sent me here to use me as a tool so that I could do the work that he has placed before me. He has also shown me so many new things and it is SO amazing. I love everything that He is doing in my life.