Thanksgiving Break and Dishpit stories

Well, Thanksgiving is over and my break is coming to an end. But I don't mind. I am ready to finish my first semester of college and get started on the second.
I can hardly believe that the semester is almost over. Summer seems like it was years ago; like it was a different world. It almost feels like a dream. It was my first summer completely away from home, working 40 hours a week and getting to make my own decisions. I have to admit that I enjoyed my summer more than I ever had before. I liked having a job to keep me busy and the new feeling of it all. It was exciting and different. Now, I wonder if this next summer will be like that, or if I'll hate it.

My job at the clinic on campus is very interesting. I have about 10 co-workers and really enjoy some of them. It's not that the others are bad, we just have different personalities. Most of them are seniors and I have a feeling that they're slightly upset with me because I'm a freshman and I shouldn't have a "good" job yet. But what is a "good" job? Is it getting to sit around and do nothing? Or is it the satisfaction of working hard to improve your workplace? Practically everyone has a different definition of "good job", and I wonder if people would think I'm crazy if I said I enjoyed washing dishes 40 hours a week more than I enjoy sitting at the clinic listening to my co-workers tease people who come in and out of the clinic or enjoy watching inappropriate tv shows(OK, not all of my co-workers are like that, but a good portion of them are). I am thankful for my job at the clinic. I have learned a lot, and I get to meet people, but honestly I think that my job at Keeter dish-pit was better than this one. Not physically, but mentally. Although I'd practically fall over from the stack of huge jelly roll pans and the massive mixer, my co-workers there were amazing. Two of them, Sarah and Brittney are some of the sweetest people I've had the pleasure of getting know during my time here at CofO. Brittney is such a strong encourager. There were times when we just wanted to cry because our arms were hurting and our backs were aching from bending over into the huge sinks, but there would be Brittney, singing her heart out to the Lord. Sarah would chime in, and I'd thank the Lord for the strength he provided through those two girls. I still do.
So, although dishpit was practically torture, I think I will always love the 6 weeks I spent with those girls. I think we all learned a lot about ourselves and about what it means to work hard. We washed dishes for the glory of the Lord. Those girls are what made my first month and a half at CofO survivable. Thanks friends. :-)

A Comfort To Me

"Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes, and I will keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!"

Psalm 119:33-40

Yesterday morning I prayed that I would have a good day at work, and that I would have a good attitude toward it all. God blessed me with a wonderful day. I didn't really want to go to work, but once I got there, I was in a cheerful and happy mood. God answered my prayer very effectively. Sometimes I don't mind my job at all, and other times I just dread it.
Yesterday the Lord showed me how blessed I am with this job. Even though washing dishes is not the most fun thing in the world, you can learn a lot from it. You just have to have the right attitude. Before I even started my job, Emma told me that I had 8 wonderful hours to pray all that I wanted. I've recently started doing that. My prayer life has not been as faithful as I would like, but God is helping with me it. I treasure the times I get to pray before each meal, and I love when I can pray while washing dishes.

The Lord has been teaching me many things this last month (Can you believe it's already been a month). I feel like I've grown in many different ways. I've experienced things I've never really had to deal with before C of O, and old, painful experiences have somehow crawled their way back into my little head. But I keep telling myself that it's OK. Because...

God is good!
Always.
Always.
God is good!

Twenty-Five Days In My New World

I can't believe it's been that long already. Time has flown by faster than I thought. June will be over soon.

I love it here. This environment is so relaxed, and centered on Christ, who wouldn't want to live here?
I'm not saying it doesn't have flaws... It certainly does. For instance, I can't fit my family into my dorm room so they can live with me. I do have a small part of my family with me, and that is awesome all on it's own. God has blessed me with this amazing opportunity, and I don't want to miss out on any of it. How many people get the chance to experience college with two of their siblings?

My sister has been a dear. She's been so patient with me, and she always wants me to have fun. She stays up for me until I get off from work, which is usually 10:00pm or later, when she has to be up before 7:00am most days. She has made sure I'm comfortable, and happy. She's even gone to the Chapel with me, when she was tired, and not in the best of moods.

Daniel, has been awesome as well. He's always there to do something with, and he's shown me how much he really loves me, and that means more to me than most things.

I have two favorite places here in Point Lookout. First is the chapel. I like to go there right after breakfast and play piano for an hour or so. Then I head over to the Point, which is my second favorite place. I read my Bible, devotionals, and journal there. The view is stunning, and it's the perfect place to read God's word and praise Him. It is amazing to me that I can do that. I don't think I was expecting to be able to spend that much time alone with God.

I've met some amazing people. God blessed me with wonderful co-workers, so we have a pretty good time in the dish-pit together. We try to encourage one another, so we don't get too down in the dumps. Dish pit is not as bad as I thought it would be. It certainly is not that fun, and it gets really hard and challenging some times. It also makes me a little emotional thinking about how many hours a week I spend with my hands in the soapy water. :-P

God is GOOD. That's all I have to say. My God is an awesome God.

A Smart Man

Oh, see that your speech is seasoned with grace, administering instruction and edification to the hearer. Let no corrupt thing, no false doctrine, no untruthful statement, no harsh, unkind, unsympathizing, heart-wounding word flow from your lips. Speak for God, for Christ, and for souls.

~Octavius Winslow

One Fine Day

It's the last full day at home. I'm trying not to be sad.

Dad, Mom, Grandma, Lizzie, and I went to the memorial at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. It's the hospital where Amy got all of her platelets, blood, etc. It was really neat, and I'm so thankful I was able to go. It was a blessing to be there. Mom told me that the memorial wouldn't be very God centered. Almost every thing in the program was centered around our Heavenly Father. :-) It was wonderful. I loved hearing the people talk. Especially one of the doctors.

Today I'm thankful for all the people that work at places like Ellis Fischel. Mom was able to see some of the nurses who took care of Amy, and one of them even asked about Gary. :-) It was special.

I'm thankful for all of their hard word, and their patience. I'm thankful for how they work in peoples lives and want to make them better.

I hope I can work at a place like they do someday.

Two

I'm thankful for my nice warm bed on late nights, like tonight.

Goodnight.

Only Three More

Thunder is awesome... Is there any other way to describe it? I suppose a lot of people might think it's scary. I've always loved thunder.

We had a part Dalmatian dog named Chip and he was scared to death of thunder. The second he heard something, he'd run up next to our door, and if you dared to open it, Chip would get into the house as quickly as he could. And it would stink... Ugh. I can still smell it. It was almost impossible to get him back out again. You had to be a very convincing person when it came to Chip and thunder. Poor puppy.

As you can probably tell, tonight I'm thankful for the rain, and thunder, and lightning, and storms. The power of God is shown so clearly through them.