"And I want uncharted"

The title of my blog is "Just Start my Kaleidoscope Heart" and this post follows from the same song.  Some of the lyrics are:

Now I have too much to hold, Everybody has to get their hands on gold
And I want uncharted

Stuck under the ceiling
I made, I can't help the feeling I'm going down
Follow if you want, I won't just hang around
Like you'll show me where to go

I'm already out of foolproof ideas so don't ask me how
To get started. It's all uncharted...

...Never knew so much I didn't know
Oh, everything is uncharted

A good friend once gave me a picture that hangs in my bedroom.  It's of a woman walking and she's holding a pair of shoes.  What's so special about this?  This is what I read when getting ready for the day, everyday:

Followed by a sign that reads: FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

Shel Silverstein wrote a poem called "The Voice" and it says this:

There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
“I feel that this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong.”
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What’s right for you– – just listen to
The voice that speaks inside. 

The Will of God is exactly where I want to reside.  To remain there is to be in the best place - not the easiest, not the safest - but the BEST.  To live a life that may appear uncharted to others but that is perfectly and wonderfully charted by the Lord.  Ethiopia has changed my outlook on so many things and there's an opportunity to go again.  My heart screams take a pair of rain boots and head out to experience a few things, to possibly change a few things and to definitely be changed in the process.

"See the rain See it fall..."

Hurricane Irene rages outside... By rages, I mean it's raining pretty hard and it's windy.  John and I met up for coffee downtown only to discover that City Dock was without power.  So we took a long stroll during the beginning of the hurricane.  We walked all around ego alley and across the bridge into Eastport.  Ok, it was definitely windy up there, at point the rain felt like ice pellets (Ouch) and we were soaked. What a blast!!  I had on rain boots and my rain jacket and so it felt like being in Addis Ababa, only it was Annapolis, MD.  A moment of home away from home... in my hometown :)   

Psalm 31:5 says, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth"  Spurgeon writes, "His spirit is his most valuable treasure.  If this is safe, all is well... All things are safe in Jehovah's hands."  No matter how powerful the storm rages (Irene or just simply the storms of life), if we have committed our spirit into the Hand of God, we are safe and all is well.  Thankful for a God who weaves reminders of His sovereignty and complete power into unexpected places precisely when they are needed!!!

Calm as the Summer's Ocean...

     Throughout the trip, I read Morning & Evening by Charles Spurgeon.  On our first night in Addis, the reading was June 22 and accompanying verse was "That those things which cannot be shaken may remain" Hebrews 12:27.  Something about this verse struck a chord.  I'd been awake so long that everything was blurry, and yet this verse and this reading were clear, crystal clear.  I read this passage, then reread it and even reread it again.  It's become so marked up in different colors, but that makes it even more precious.

Two quotes became the themes of my trip. 

1. You are standing at the foot of His cross, trusting alone in the merit of Jesus' precious blood.
2. Therefore, calm as the summer's ocean, we will see the wreck of everything earthborn, yet rejoice in the God of our salvation. 

     So how did these become the theme quotes of my trip?  Well the first one is true regardless of where I am.  As Buster (ECBC Pastor) says often, we are leaky buckets and need to continually run to the cross to be filled up again and again with the grace and love of Christ.  During the trip, it felt like that was even more true.  Everyday, running to the cross and having nothing to trust in except the Cross.  I was being thrown into situations that were new and definitely out of what I would call my comfort zone.  It felt like I was being drained at an even faster rate than usual, or maybe it was simply that I was paying more attention to the draining and vast need for my Savior.  There was no way to put trust in myself but my trust had to be fully in Jesus' precious blood.

     The 2nd quote is how I feel about Korah.  Korah: a town formed on the outside of a Leper Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The people who are a part of this town are 3rd and 4th generation living there (a lot of them anyway).  The town itself is just adjacent to the trash dump.  So this area is dirty, muddy and smells horrific - horrific in a manner that I can't even begin to describe fully.  It's one of those smells that simply won't leave though... When our bus wound around the muddy streets, it was all I could do to keep the gag reflex under control.  Mud huts and Tin walls.  Feces in the street.  When we got lost, Rachel saw Bones (I don't know what they were of...) in the street.  This place felt to me like the wreck of everything earthborn.  There was nothing in my mind that could relate to this or fully understand what we were walking into. We spent the week working with Project 61 and the kids there.  Carrie and Rachel taught English.  Emily, Alex and Heather did crafts.  Julia and Michael taught Bible lessons.  Steve and I played games.  This week was without a doubt the best week in Ethiopia.  We came together as a team and worked as a unit.  

     Together, we discovered what it truly meant to rejoice in the God of our Salvation.  These kids live (at first I wrote lived, but even though I'm not there... they still are...), on average on about $1-3 USD per month, and yet they rejoiced.  We had the opportunity to feed them lunch (if a part of the program, they are allowed as much food as they desire) and from the very start, they wanted to feed us - an Ethiopian sign of friendship.  They fed and fed and fed us until we couldn't take one more bite, yet we did anyway.  This moved me in a way that very few things have ever done.  Generosity and joy overflowed from them.  If I was in their position would those words describe me?  I keep coming back to that question... and a resounding and humbling NO comes to mind.

     On the first day Rachel, Michael and I volunteered to feed three men who suffered from Leprosy and could not feed themselves.  At first, I was apprehensive.  How do I go about feeding injera to someone else?  I can barely feed myself injera without making a complete mess.  How much shiro (chick peas) do I put in the injera?  What is the right amount of food?  These questions raced through my head.  After an awkward start, we found our rhythm.  My friend and I fumbled (ok I fumbled) through hand gestures and finally I understood that he liked a HUGE bite of injera, preferred when it was steaming hot, was okay with biting my fingers if need be so long as he got the whole bite of food, and he loved leftovers.  It worked for us.  But how humbling it was for me to feed this man everyday.  To realize that this is his life and that each and every time he wants to eat, he has to fully rely on others - unhinged me but also uplifted my spirit.  The leprosy had taken away his hands and feet.  According to PubMed Health "People with long-term leprosy may lose the use of their hands or feet due to repeated injury resulting from lack of sensation"  Despite all that he had to struggle through, a life that could easily be construed as "the wreck of everything earthborn" by typical standards, he rejoiced...  He tipped his hat to me in gratitude (as my grandfather would have done) while another one of the men sang blessings over us, daily.  They truly "rejoiced in the God of our salvation."

  Now that I'm back in America those two quotes still move me.  I hope and pray that I can remember the lessons taught to me in Korah and that I can continue to tell their story... the story of rejoicing in the God of our Salvation despite living in the wreck of everything earthborn.

 

"The best use of life is to invest it in something which will out last life. ~William James

How do you go about describing a month that was so full of heartbreak and love?  How do you go about reconciling what was seen and what was learned with a way of life that is so unconnected and so unlike what was just reality for a month?  This is my current struggle and my current joy.  

It's been a mere 48 hours since saying goodbye to the friends who have impacted my life each and every moment for the past month.  Without these people (many featured in the photo at the bottom of this page - many more will be featured as I filter through all the pics!), I would have been lost!!!  Truly.

I am so inadequate with words and so I'm going to use the title quote to describe how I feel - at least currently - about the trip.  "The best use of life is to invest it in something which will out last life" ~William James.  He is right.  Completely right.  Spending time investing in others, in serving others, in loving others is the very best thing I've found for my life. 

C.S. Lewis wrote that "To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken."  Well, that's definitely true because I am wrung out, worn out and exhausted.  The last week, I felt utterly done, like there was nothing left to give.  Anything done that week was done purely out of the strength of the Lord.  I am currently broken; broken from the dire conditions that people live in everyday, broken from the circumstances that leave people with absolutely nothing, and broken from the incredible joy and hope that springs out from the most horrible places.  Love is worth it.  Every time. Even if it leaves me wrung out and broken, it's worth it! 

Over the next few days, I will be trying to bring to light the events that stand out most in my mind.  Stay tuned and thank you all for your support and prayer while we were gone and as we all try to return to "Normal"

Will You Go Out Without Knowing?

This week I decided to read My Utmost for His Highest but Oswald Chambers. If you haven't read it - it's worth picking up! Instead of following the readings assigned per day, I have decided to just read through it, one day at a time. So yesterday, I read the reading for January 2... it's definitely NOT January 2 (Thank God!!)

Anyway, the title comes from Hebrews 11:8 "He went out, not knowing where he was going" One of the points that Oswald Chambers makes is that "God does not tell you what He is going to do - He reveals to you who He is." If you know me, then you know how hard this hit me. I feel comfort knowing how things will pan out. But, according to Hebrews 11:8 and Mr. Chambers, it seems that my prayer needs to change drastically. After reading this last night and spending quality time contemplating this, I am confident that my new prayer needs to be more along the lines of: If this is where you're leading me... ok. Let's go. I may not know what is coming, but Lord give me strength that's from You to trust and go... wherever and whenever that looks like"

TIME

“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. " ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr

"We say we waste time, but that is impossible. We waste ourselves" ~Alice Bloch

Challenging words. Do any of us realize how precious time is? That we can do great things. That we should use each minute to do something... something bigger than our to-do lists. Each moment that goes by is either used for the Lord and for glorifying Him or it is a precious moment that is wasted.

At the end of my life, I want to be able to say that I used the moments, each and every moment; that I understood, at least on some level, the gift of time!

The Saving of Many Lives...

I’m continually struck by the parallels between the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and the Street Boys in Ambo, Ethiopia. When Nehemiah saw the ruined Temple in Jerusalem he, “sat down and wept” (Nehemiah 1:4). I find myself thinking about the boys we met at the strangest times – in the Cafeteria, in the middle of a Pre-Calculus lesson, or walking through the building to get my morning coffee (which even thinking about coffee makes me yearn for Ethiopia) and it takes everything in me not to sit down and weep for these boys.

These boys (Our Boys as Gwen referred to them as) have fallen out of the reach of society and are considered lower than low and unlovable even by their own people. Sure, these boys can be difficult to love, but so am I at times. Does that make them unlovable? Absolutely not! They have names - Birahnu, Getahnu, Danny – they have stories and they are filled with kindness – a kindness that goes beyond anything I could still have after living such a rough life.

Rebuilding the Temple was far from easy and helping the Street Boys will not be easy either. Nehemiah 4:10 says, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble.” The workers need help. The boys need someone to advocate for them. They need me, but I need them too. Their stories break me apart and that brokenness spurs me into action – not just to be moved but to be fully changed.

Nehemiah 6: 15-16 says, “The wall was completed… They realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” Just as the Temple was rebuilt, these boys can, with help, rise up and overcome. In one of my last journal entries, I wrote “Grace. Immeasurable Grace. Despite unfathomable dire circumstances, Grace.”

Bull...Stalkers...Donkey...?!?!

Sometimes, just pondering over the immensity of what we saw becomes overwhelming. This has definitely been an overwhelming week. Tomorrow, the students return to class. So, the reality of working in a wealthy school surrounded by students who are the same age as the Street Boys and yet have no real idea how blessed they truly are is going to slam into me. (In a later post, I'll talk about how great work is being about letting me tell the stories of Ethiopia to the students)

So, to cope, I've been thinking a lot about all of the hilarious moments that occurred during our time in Ethiopia. Here are some of the moments that had us cracking up...

1. Andrea's Stalker in Nazret.

While in Nazaret, we had nightly debriefings in the loft area of the 3rd floor (which equated to 4 flights of stairs to climb). One night, we watched as 3 Asian men climbed the stairs. Now normally, this is not something that would/should catch anyone's attention. Well the 2nd man climbing the stairs seemed quite besotted by Andrea. So much so that he noticeable slowed his pace to the point of being passed by the 3rd man climbing the stairs. This was all quite amusing because Andrea hadn't noticed and honestly, we were so deliriously tired that everyone was laughing about it the next day. The next night at dinner, the man sat there staring again. After telling Andrea what had transpired the previous night, we went back to our rooms. Well, Andrea and I were in our room talking about the events of the day when there was a loud BANG on our door. Thinking nothing of it, Andrea showers. Moments after I get in the shower, there's another knocking on the door, followed by Geoffrey's voice. All I hear are muffled sounds and mumblings of "we're fine" and "not ok".... Well, the next thing I know, we're switching rooms. Geoffrey had seen the men hanging out outside our door as well as running up and down the hall in their tighty whities - which were black, not white btw. He was pretty uncomfortable with the situation, so a room change it is!! So now we're all settled in the new room and start debating about whether or not Sammy and Geoffrey had looked freshly showered at breakfast that day (the sheets aren't changed daily, which is fine, but we didn't particurally want to sleep in the dirty sheets of our teammates). After a much longer than needed discussion about this, we decided that yes, they had showered in the morning, so we needed clean sheets. Andrea calls downstairs and the front desk asks "HOT" or "COLD" for which, it becomes clear they thought we asked for Chai - pronounced Shy- which sounds strikingly like sheets apparently. After a while, we give up and go downstairs, only to discover the wedding party had broken up, and it appears as if the newlyweds have the room directly below us... awesome :) Well, as we discovered later on in the week, Andrea and I really did have the better deal. Poor Bindu and Kit had the room across from the Asian men and discovered a few things: 1. They smoked constantly and NO, it is not okay to smoke inside buildings in Ethiopia. They did anyway. 2. They loved to play cards in their tighty whities. 3. They brought an electric keyboard with them the Nazret Ethiopia... and played it... not well. :)

2. Buying Wonton crackers out the Bus window.

On the way to Nazaret, the bus stopped to that we could get our permit for driving into Nazaret. When we stopped, it took, oh, about 2 seconds for our bus to become surrounded. I had the pleasure of a window seat on this ride and was looking out the window and attempting to talk with the people. They immediately shoved what appeared to be some sort of odd brownish crackers into my window. So of course, I bought some. We all tried them - some liking them more than others. I thought they were pretty good, almost like Wonton noodle, but in cracker form. Beth hated hers! Apparently she got a stale one. Well, at some point, I started cracking up and my non-stale (aka flaky) crackers flew out of my mouth straight towards Sarah! Oops! About 45 min to an hour later, the bus stopped again. This time, the delicious Chocolate cookies were thrust upon us! If only we had purchased more of them! YUM!

3. Bull

While sitting on the bus outside of Tennessee Pizza, minding our own business, a bull ran into the side of our bus. It caused confusion, a few 4-letter words... and a lot of laughter

4. Donkey

On the way to Wenchi Lake, while bus Driver Sammy was deftly maneuvering us up a mountain with no guardrails, Travis and I saw it. Right in front of us. A Donkey was standing in the middle of the road. We felt the brakes, but knew it was too late. Travis starts yelling DONKEY DONKEY DONKEY and the next thing you know, we had clipped the tail end of a donkey. It apparently wasn't injured since it kept walking around as we past, but we saw it do a 180 as our bus collided with its back end.

You Make Beautiful Things

Our 10 teammates included people from all across the United States. We were brought together because of our support of the Mocha Club, the desire to serve, and a great God!! Andrea, Rainier and Nan (from CA), Sarah, Travis and Beth (from TN), Anna Marie (from AL), Bindu and Gwen (from VA) and me (from MD).

A song by Gungor says, "Could a garden come up from this ground at all?" We spent our first few days with the Women At Risk program in Nazaret, Ethiopia. These women bravely shared their stories about how and why they entered into a life of prostitution. They shared about the impacts both positive and negative about that line of work. How could the Lord truly create a garden out of prostitution? How could anything beautiful come from something so difficult? Gen 50:20 says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Could their struggles and lives covered by grace really bring others to salvation? Over and over, we heard powerful stories about how women had been told about the Women At Risk program by others who had gone through the program. They were able to leave a life of prostitution and run into the refuge of the Women At Risk Program.

Together, these women raise up prayers and sing praises to the Lord with a passion and conviction that is seldom seen here - and enviable to me. As a team, we frequently noted how we had forgotten that the life they had previously lived and only saw grace... The chorus of the Gungor song says, "You make beautiful things. You make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things. You make beautiful things out of us" As we drove away from Nazaret, Travis played this song for me and nothing could have been a more appropriate description! Truly the Lord is making His people beautiful!!!

How do you describe the undescribable?

28 - August 11, 2010

10 Americans went to Ethiopia with an organization called the Mocha Club. Unquestionably, it has moved me beyond words and changed how I view the world around me. A prayer that our team consistently prayed was that we would not only be moved, but be changed by what we saw and the people we met during our 2 weeks in Addis, Nazaret and Ambo.

The first few days we spent with the Women at Risk in Nazaret, Ethiopia. Every one of these women were former prostitutes. One of the days we surprised the women with a Spa day. They had their nails painted (they LOVED the glitter apparently) and were given facials. During this time, Beth, Gwen and I washed clothes for the women and children. No washer and drier, no washboard, simply a bucket for soap and a bucket for rinsing. Those hours gae me a new perspective on how easy we have it here. The amount of clothes we washed took 2.5+ hours and equated to about 1 full laundry load. These women go through this every week. On their hands and knees scrubbing. Many of the women support themselves by selling scarves. Our group brought back 250 of these scarves to be sold online. www.mochaclub.org If you buy one, chances are my friends and I brought them back!!! :)

The second week of the trip we spent with Compassion children and the Street Boys. On our final night, I had the privilege of sitting with Danny, Gaytar (2 of the boys) as well as Beth and Anna Marie (2 teammates). Beth asked Danny what he wanted to do when he grew up and Danny answered that there was essentially nothing he could do because he was trapped and no one loved him. Beth and Anna Marie sat there and unabashedly poured out the gospel of Love to these boys. They made it known how much we love them and had come from across the world for them and this moment. Danny and Gaytar heard that as much as we love them, that they are loved so much more by Jesus and how special they are to the Lord. To simply go there and leave it at that moment is not enough - for any of us.

I have so many more stories to tell you - funny (driving on a mountain side to Wenchi), touching (how the Lord is doing a miraculous work there) or just plain ridiculous (our Japanese stalker situation)... If you want to hear more, email, text, or call. Whatever!

We have seen and are now responsible. Ephesians 3: 14-21... "...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"

Graduate School

I've been toying with the idea since the summer of returning full time to school for the Fall 2010 semester. I'm about 99% decided on this now. I've just about finished applications for UNC, Duke and CofC. They all have applied mathematics programs which can lead to teaching at the college level or working for the government. Why would I want to teach at the college level? Well, I like teaching, but want more challenging material. Why would I want to work for the govt? Well, haha, that I dont know. But I do know I want to know more about mathematics and explore other options.

Tuesday

Tuesday. Whats so special about you, Tuesday? Well, nothing in particular I guess. Today was our 1st full day of classes. First day back to 43 minute periods. First day back to classes after the Labor day weekend. Good weekend. Went to Delaware to visit my grandmom and uncle, then to NYC with mom. Hopefully this week will bring about the signing of a lease on a new apartment, which means this weekend will be full of moving, followed by furniture shopping and then decorating!

Day 1

Today was the 1st of many days. Many days in which hallways will be full of students talking and laughing, classrooms full of learning, teachers running to and fro teaching, growth and new experiences. Today was a good day.

This year is different than the rest. Today my homeroom was a homeroom of seniors. Where has time gone? They started a tiny freshman, quiet and unassuming (or plotting as many still are...) and today, they were in tennis shoes and sperrys. Long gone are the days of reminding them to be in the correct shoes. Soon will come senior sweaters and cap and gown order forms. Now, before I go getting all nostalgic, we first have to make it there... Throughout any given day, 100 students plus 25 homeroom students and I will cross paths. At least 80 of them are seniors... Now those of you who are not teachers may not understand, but these kids, while many are sweet and kind, funny and challenging, are already mentally gone. At least mine are. I do not teach the honors students, but they are all gifted in other ways; some great musicians, others amazing athletes, but math is not their specialty. So, for the next 38ish weeks, we must survive each other. Pray! Pray! Pray! Love them lots!!!!!

Back to Work

So, I arrived back to Maryland a week ago. Spent quality time at work seeing friends and of course working. Things are pretty much ready to go and that first day buzz can be felt through the hallways. Time to get rolling. It's been good to catch up with people, hear about summers and laugh... there has been lots of laughing. Our office is now officially a box. The window, which was blocked before, is now bricked over. The new brick area is the typical gray color, where as the remaining walls are all pepto bismal pink. Put a deposit on an apt today. We'll see where that goes.

But in other news, do you ever do something, not realize it was a problem, find out you shouldn't have done it, and then have that pit in your stomach from then on? Yeah.... current situation. Hopefully nothing will come of it. But then you never know do you? Sheer ignorance of the situation no longer applies as an excuse; adults know this. But either way, that pit remains.

Kudu Coffee

I've been sitting in Kudu for almost 2 hours now. Working. Yes, that's right people, working. Created seating charts for all 5 classes, planned a route to get from room 108 to 209 in approx the time we have between classes. Gotta love still being a floating teacher... I might not make it on time! Haha Oh well. Discovered that 85% of the students this year I have taught before, which is nice bc I hate that first month of trying to know their names! Least this year I have a leg up on everyone else. This year I have 3 Advanced Topics courses (4th time teaching this class) and because I mentioned that my brain was going to mush, I am now teaching pre-calc. The irony, is that I liked teaching Geometry! haha Oh well. It's a new experience, new trial and will bolster my resume! :)

It's been a rainy day here in Charleston, one of the few that we've had all summer - even more glad to have been here rather than in the Mid-Atlantic. Side Note "I used to be commander and chief of my pimp ship flying high..." Does anyone know why the word "ship" is bleeped on the radio? Can't figure it out. Back - So, since it was raining, I framed more photography and really do need to put together a portfolio and start selling them. They are really getting pretty great, many peole have said so. Besides that, I rented 17 Again from redbox. It seemed really weird to watch that type of movie without Jenn, might have to rent it again! Oh my gosh, I was cracking up the whole time. Probably doesnt say much about my maturity level in that I still LOVE those movies, but hey, everyone needs to loosen up and experience the lighter side sometimes. Anyway, time to go move the car.

Time Flies when...

...you're having fun. Sure does! This summer was even extended by a week on either end, giving us a glorious extra two weeks. Thus making vacation last from the last day of work June 4 until Aug 24. That's almost 12 weeks folks! Paid! Spend a few days hanging out with friends in Annapolis, then came to Charleston. Had a few friends (Kenny and Curtis) come to visit. Went to San Francisco to see Annapolis friends, came back to Charleston, went on a cruise to the Bahamas and am now relishing the last just-over-a-week in Charleston then it's back to Annapolis and back to the work grind. Fun! Relaxing! And more importantly revival. The better part of the Spring was spent lost. Not so much directional lost as I tend to feel but spiritually lost and drowning. The church I attended was less and less home. There was no connection. No growth. No desire and yearning for the grace of the Cross. More time this summer has been spent in the Word growing and learning. More so being broken apart and forgiven for the selfishness and lack of focus. The prayer for the school year is that the desire to learn more, trust more, and talk more about the Lord will continue...

I'm on a boat...

Friday 31 July Jennifer and I got in the car and drove 400+ miles south to Cape Canaveral Florida. As we pulled up to the cruise ship (blaring I'M ON A BOAT) the excitement was uncontainable. We boarded the Monarch of the Sea and were off...


After our emergency drill, we showered and took off exploring the ship. We found food, walked all around and then... the casino. I was loosing quarters like it was my job for a while, but ended up in the long run loosing only about $5. It's easy to see how that could become quite addicting. Dinner was interesting as well. The family we sat with was a family of 3, Mike - the older fiance who was always searching for conversation and who used to pay 2 cents for milk when he went to school, Debbie - Mike's fiance who most enjoyed her day floating on a raft, and Ryan - Momma's Boy aka ladies man.

Saturday morning we docked in Nassau. Before disembarking, Jenn and I hit up the pool, only to discover that they were selling Bahama Mamas in Pineapples. So, of course we had to get them!!

After Bahama Mama's, we disembarked only to get on another smaller boat and go snorkeling. The fish were an assortment of colors. There were some that looked like Dori from finding Nemo. When headed back to the shore, the tour guides pointed out celebrity houses all along the coast. It was an incredible list including but not limited to Oprah, Elvis, and Tiger Woods.... These houses do not belong to the Celebs but they are colorful!
The snorkeling was followed by shopping. So, somehow, I am not the proud owner of a burnt orange colored purse. On the outside the bag says D&G, ok it's the wrong font and appears to be snapped on, but its ok.... On the inside, it says Prada. So its the Prada Gabbana bag. Love it! Anyway, the next stop was Senior Frogs for food and drinks. Their drinks were amazing and there was even a bit of dancing to the Macarana!

Sunday was spent in Coco Cay, which is an island privately owned by the Royal Caribbean cruise line. It was fully of vibrant colors and white sandy beaches. Hot.... It was Hot! This had to have been my favorite day. Jenn and I had booked a parasailing adventure. The boat was rocking out to Outkast and others. The first group goes up into the air and as the 2nd gets ready to go, one of the men decides he doesn't want to go. So, Omar (the guy running the boat) asks me to go with the gentleman who still wanted to go. So, of course, I'm up for adventure and say yes. Into the air I go with my new friend. We chatted... a lot. Turns out he's a poultry farmer from India who's on a 14 week vacation with his friend and their wives while his son runs the family business at home. They are going all around the U.S. on a tour, ironically called, "see all of America tour" :) After he and I land, Jenn takes his spot and up I go again. The view was breathtaking. The ocean a brilliant shade of greens and blues; the island far below and two cruise ships out in the water. Once finished, it was time to lay out on the beach with our Coco Loco drinks and soak up the sun!!! Glorious!

Dinner the last night on the boat presented lots of wonderful facts, such as.... you can order as many deserts (or apps or main meals) that you would like. Almost all of us had multiple deserts that night. YUM! Great vacation with a great friend and part of a GREAT summer!

Summer Travels

This has been a summer of travels. Before it started, I really hoped to have the opportunity to visit new places while still relaxing in Charleston. There have been so many blessings this summer and chances that I did not even have in mind. In the beginning on July, I went to Santa Rosa/ San Francisco with Brittany and Marc to visit Brittany's family. Spent time Flying, visiting the Pacific, wine tasting and generally enjoying friends and family. The last day I spent in San Francisco with a friend from College who happens to be travel nursing out there. Great day! Thank you!!!
Took the redeye flight from San Francisco back to Charleston, did laundry, slept and hit the road again to go to a Boat Party in Atlanta.... and yes, it was like the song. "take a picture trick, I'm on a boat bitch, we drinking Santana champ (ok it was Hypnotic). I got my swim trunks and my flippie-floppies, I'm flipping burgers, you at Kinko's straight flipping copies." The next day we proceeded to go to 6 Flags. Just like summer 07, Jennifer, Curtis, Scott and myself, but this time add Scott's gf and Greg. Good times.
Friday begins the other big trip of the summer. Jennifer and I booked a cruise to the Bahamas. It's a short 3 nights but still very excited about it. On a boat... Apparently we booked the party boat. Awesome. We leave from Port Canaveral and stop in Nassau and Coco Cay. Write more about that soon. Pics to follow.
In other news, I got bit my a spider and apparently that makes my foot swell a lot! The meds have sped me up and sleep eluded me all night! SWEET

Words that Speak...

Three songs have been on repeat lately:

1. God With Us - Tenth Ave North The chorus proclaims, "Yeshua. God of love, Emmanuel, God with us. Yeshua, God of love, Emmanuel, God with us."
Names for God. Yeshua - the God of Love, Emmanuel - God with us... and so many more. They describe attributes of God and His goodness. Repeating these lyrics and spending time praising and rejoicing for a Lord who loves me and is with me. Emmanuel - the notion that God is with us was emphasized in Bible study tonight. Philippians 4: 5 "the Lord is near", Phil 4:7 "the peace of God... will guard your hearts and minds" and Phil 4:9 "And the God of peace will be with you." Three time. Three times Paul reminds us that God is Emmanuel. He is with us!!! Amen.

2. Hallelujah - Tenth Ave North The chorus sings, "Hallelujah for the blood of the Lamb that was slain. Hallelujah for the blood of the Lamb that was slain. And so we enter in to see Your face, yeah. We enter in to see Your face, oh God"
I want this to be my mantra. In Bible study we discussed being Thankful and how looking for the positives and thanking the Lord for them, rather than dwelling on the negatives in life can lead us toward contentment. This chorus is a strong proclamation for Christ!!!

3. Battlefield - Jordin Sparks So Maybe this one is off topic. But doesn't love feel like a battlefield? Wow. The chorus this time echos: "Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield? (x2) I guess you better go and get your armor, (get your armor) get your armor. I guess you better go and get your armor, (get your armor) get your armor. I guess you better go and get your..."
This song gets cranked to decibels that no one should crank their radio to. It gets song aloud to with a passion I rarely emote. Maybe love doesn't need to be a battlefield. Maybe it's destined to be one until the Lord reveals the right man. Right man, that concept has always boggled me. I'm not entirely sure in the notion of "the One." That being said, maybe it needs clarification. People change. This is a true statement. I am sure I'm sold on the notion and the idea that there are people who you love for a time, but because of change, they are not going to be in your life for the long haul. Let's be honest, I've experienced this. There have been two men who have wanted it to be forever, but for some reason I could not find peace in that. What I do believe is that love and commitment takes work. That both people need to be striving to see the Lord, individually and together. That regardless of change, they need to stay committed and seek to grow and change together...

OK enough rambling.

Heat Wave

Another school year ended successfully. This year the students and I learned reciprocally from one another. I taught them mathematical principles, formulas and applications, and then we together learned about life! They were an intense bunch and 3rd period will be greatly missed!!!

Now it's onto a summer hopefully full of adventure!!! I arrived in Charleston, SC about 10 days ago and have been spending quality time catching up with friends. Currently, it's hot. Surprise right? Well, the weather does not typically turn quite so dramatically hot this early in the summer. But the sun is a wonderful change of pace from Annapolis!!! At some point, I really hope to get a chance to travel to Seattle, WA for a few days. The trip itself would is pricey but not outlandish and the opportunity to experience something different and new is priceless.

On Tuesday, Jennifer invited me to her Bible study on the book called "Calm my restless heart." The topic of contentment is greatly intriguing in that true contentment is not something I have felt in a very long time. Life did not end up mimicking the sketch in my head. However, the Lord's plan is larger and better, no matter how difficult that is to accept. The study thus far has been about learning to focus on the positives Christ has put before us rather than focusing on the negatives. While the Lord has shut certain doors in my life, I cannot forget about the large one He has opened in Maryland. A job that I love, with supportive coworkers and wonderful students. They are the ministry now. They are the contentment. They are worth Praise to the Father. That is the path alighted for the present. Contentment. Provision. Thankfulness. Joy. Remembering. Prayer. These facets and strongholds are the strength for today and tomorrow.