Today

As I start to type this, once again the song "fear" comes up by Casting Crowns, coincidence? you be the judge. 24 days from now, I wil be on my way to Hamburg! Although I hope we get NO SNOW that whole week, cuase I learnt yesterday that flights were delayed/canceled in chicago due to snow and all. Dont get me wrong, winter and cold is my favorite season, but come on, if it does that the end of march, when I need to go! You will NOT want to mess with me then! be warned! jk, well no not really, oh you get the point. Oh and before I forget, I will try to up date this as much as i can when I am gone, so check back for stories, pics etc etc! Also if you dont get regular emails, casue I dont like Mass emails, so not personal, just check here to see if I am still alive!
Anyways life is going good. Today started off pretty normal, then it got interesting, and then just annoying and not fun. Like anyother morning, I was packing my lunch for the day and I was about half way through cutting an orange when I felt pain in my thumb, yeah sure enough, the knife I was using for cutting slipped and yah now i have a fairly good size deep cut on my thumb. That was um interesting. Mom had to finish cutting the orange so i could stop the bleeding. Off to work I went, thumb in pain and in a bandage. Got to work, and for the first hour or so, had really crummy orders, so that was just annoying. PLus I learnt how much you acutally use a thumb, so i will be glad when its back to normal!After that, around 10:00 the day turned pretty normal again. Fun fun...
14 days of work left, 24 till i leave! Will i miss it? Work and all? umm yah I think so, certain people anyways, and the money hehehe!

So anyways the other day I was thinking, what do i want to do come septemeber? not work locally that i know cuase I want something more. I was thinking school at a local bible collage. Last september, I dont think I was really ready for any sort of secondary schooling, now I am, plus I think that this trip will show me more as well. But we will see. also, These pics are kind of what I have in mind as far as a hair cut goes, let me know what you think!
Cherish life

Fear

This was one of the songs that I was listening today at work. Usually I just skip over it, why I am not sure but I do, anyways So fear. What does that mean to you? A scary movie? Being home alone? what else? I have thought about this before, in terms of biblical "fear" and all. The fear paul must had have stepping out into the water, or David approaching the giant. What about my fear? The part about stepping out of my comfort zone, I can relate to that fear. That is one of the reason for my little adventure coming up.
I wonder what was going through Paul and David;s mind when they came across those challenges? What a conversation it will be to have with them! Although I have never failed at travling (cause I have never traveld like I am about to), I have failed at other things though, we all have somewhere or another in life.I love the part in the song about "soaring on wings of eagles". What a great sight, or picture that gives!
I am hoping and praying that I will be able to soar on eagles wings during my trip. Anyways read the lyrics, let them speak to you, challenge you or just make you think! Enjoy
Oh,what I would do

To have the kind of faith it takes

To climb out of this boat I'm in

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown

Where Jesus is,

And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me time and time again

"Boy, you'll never win, you'll never win, you'll never win."

Oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes

To stand before a giant with just a sling and stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armour

Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me time and time again

"Boy you'll never win, you'll never win, you'll never win."

But the stone was just the right size to take the giant down

And the waves don't seem so high when
I'm standing on top of them looking down

And I'd soar with the wings of eagles

if I could just ignore the sound

Of the waves and the giants, the waves and the giants in my mind

Lord, you've not given me a spirit of fear

But of power and of love,and of a sound mind

So from now on, I won't let the tempter's lies turn my eyes away from the prize

That you have set before me.

That you have set before me.

Oh, on a side note totally unrelated-I am cutting my hair, any idea for styles etc etc? let me know. I want something quick and easy

shopping

Yesterday mom and I went into the city to shop for my little adventure in a mere 33 days! Do I dare go as far and say that I actually enjoyed it? Well most of it? For those that know, you know i do not like shopping, but I guess yesterday was different becuase well first, time is running out, and secondly, its fun getting stuff for something that you are anticipating and waiting for! It was a good time. I got new shoes which i need, clothes, a day pack (well two acutally, but one is goingback, so not sure which one I am keeping) and some small travel size things. So yah, the only thing we couldnt find where cut off pants (pants that can zip off in to shorts if need be) but the people we talked to all said they were getting some in yet, just a matter of when.
SO then with that, today I spent time getting all my smaller stuff together, so I know its in one spot. Yah, now that shopping is done, it is gettin gmore and more real, like I said just a mere 33 days and now only 20 days of work left! Then also making a few more final plans with people, emailing my cousin who has been out there this full past year. Yah should be a good time, and I am so so so ready for it! I cant wait!
Oh and Happy birthday Grandma!

Lion King

So today at work, I had this totally random moment. I am there, working and all of a sudden, I get this lion king song in my head. "Hakumata" Not spelt right, but the song Timon and Pumba sing shortly after they rescue Simba. Totally random I know. From there, I started to reply the movie from that part in my head, like I have nothing better to do! Going basically word for word, yah i know I have seen it waaaaaaaaaaaay too many times! I get to this point where the 3 of them are lying up looking at the stars (simba has grown). Pumba asks timon what "those are way up there" Timon gives his answer (fireflys stuck in that big blueish black thing-how not true!) So anyways, Pumba ends up giving his answer, which ironically is correct. They end up asking Simba, and he tellls them waht his father said long ago about the great kings up there. Timon and Pumba lauggh and Simba gets up and leave. (timon-"was it something I said?)
So anyways, he ends up plopping down on the ground, which causes dust/leaves to swirl up, and ironically in still moving the next morning, and Rafiki this so called old wise monkey gets a hold of them , and by chance mixes them into something and realizes through taht that simba is still alive! So my question is, this so called wise old monkey, believes scar, simba's bad uncle, when he first tells them Simba and Mufasa are dead. Why would Rafiki believe him in the first place? I mean really, scar is known for you know being bad and all, and if rafiki is so wise, i mean come on. I know totally random like i said, but hey I have 8 hours to think about things like these.

So bringing it to a bit more practical level, i tried relating that thought to Christ and our relationships with him, but its too bad I didnt get that far, got distracted on something else! Maybe that s something to think about tomorrow! I know what you are thinking, I have waaaaaaaay to much time on my hands! I am just enjoying it while i have it! So yah, thats it for now, just a random thought! See what you make from it!

Changes

39 days to go! Yeah I am on the countdown! Its coming, slowly, but coming none the less. So today, I helped in my dads sunday school class, and the topic was change. It was a lesson based out of Matthew, when Jesus first called Matthew the tax collector to leave everything follow, and thats what he did. So thinking, what or how do I need to change to be a better servent of God? What do I need to surrender? Well my trip for starters, but that aside, in my everyday, normal, comfortable life? Perhaps that is the problem, its too comfortable. I am not looking for anything dramatic to happen, cause chances are it wouldnt be something good, but I dont something. Even to have a conversation with someone who can really stretch me, or make me think "outside the box". I look back to where I was spiritually before Christmas, I was in A spiritually low point, but now I am glad I had it, becuase it made me think, it made me question things that otherwise I perhaps wouldnt have questioned. It helped me define who and what I believe in and so now come travels, I think if someone would ask me why i Believe in God, I would have a firm answer, where as before, it might have been something as simple as "Cause that is what I was brought up with", not really an answer at all.

But going back to Matthew the tax collector, towards the end of the story when Jesus is eating with matthew, the pharisess question, "When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and "sinners"?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners'" (matthew 10: 9-13)

So my question is the part that I have bolded, what does that mean? He desires mercy, not sacrifice.. Yah, I really dont know how to explain it, so if you have any ideas that would help, leave a comment and let me know and maybe I can figure it out better.
So the post was kind of random, but yah, that is what was on my mind!
Have a good week!

grrrrr

When people talk about thing at work, how one person can really mess up your day, I know what they mean. IF not anything, work has taught me that! So thank goodness I took the afternoon off, other wise I think I would have lost it today! For the most part the people I work with are great, but there is this one person, who works right next to me, who grrrrrr just gets me mad sometimes. So long story short, she accuses me of not doing something, when she was suppose to get the order in the first place, and secondly, I dont know how to drive lift, so I would just be bugging someone who does know how, and she already knows how to drive. Its just maddning. This isnt the first time that something like this has happend between the two of us. Oh and lets not add that this person does more talking then actaully working! Come march i will be so glad to get away from that person alone! Speaking of which 24 more work days, 41 days. Its coming....
Thats it for now, just needed to vent!

I cant wait!

January has come and gone in this new year of 2007, so I guess its not really "New" anymore. How is your Chirstmas shopping coming along? Only 11 months to go till the next one! Crazy thought I know. I havent started shopping yet and dont plan on starting until oh a week or two before Christmas! But lets bring time back to like now, Feb. 3
I am still in countdown process till when i leave, and its coming slowly but surely. 47 days to be exact. So that means 29 more work day! Whew, the end, for now, is coming. Its crazy to think that I have been there for 7 months already. Regardless of what I sometimes say about it, its good and I am glad to have had it.
As far as my trip goes? I cant wait! The more i look into it, plan it and talk with friends, the more I want to go, like right now. A few people have asked if I am nervous about it. Too my surprise (and relief) I am come to realize that yeah, I am nervous about somethings (mainly making the right flight connections), but I am surprised that I am not more nervous about it in general. The excitment is just to overwhelming. I cant wait to see my friend again after a year, and to experience german and Swedish culture and all. I cant wait to meet new people, share stories, and life lessons, and to just have fun and enjoy the time there. I cant wait to send that first email from Germany, saying that I made it there in one piece and enjoying my new adventure. I cant wait to send the final email when I get home, emailing new friends that I made it home safe and am doing good. I cant wait to share stories, pics and experiences with friends and family, oh and have them, hopefully, be a bit jealous! I cant wait for summer, when we friends can get together and share stories from around the globe that we expereinced. Although I will and can say that I CAN wait to start work again come June!
So I will enjoy where I am at now, this time, this moment, and appreciate whats to come in a mere 47 days!
Have a good one