Summer 2010

Oh wow. Too long between blog posts, I know. But during the year, my life is rather hectic and then I lose a lot of motivation to do much of anything during the summer/recovery time. But in case you've been wondering where I'm at, here it is in category and list format (I may have gotten some of my father's engineering brain in me - but if I truly had that, wouldn't it all be on an excel spreadsheet??)

What I have done this summer:

• Cleaned/purged/organized/decorated my apartment - its so nice not living in a setting that stresses me out because of the mess I created.
• Met with friends for lunch, breakfast, ice cream, coffee, dinner, etc. and just caught up on life with them. My dream job would be to spend all day just listening to people do life and walking with them. Summers allow me to do that dream job a little bit.
• Prayed and spent a lot of time in the Word. Such true refreshment.
• Spent more time with my family than I normally do.
• Spent time alone - very rare for me. Being a true extrovert, this can be hard but its been sweet and refining. The Lord uses my summers to sit me down, do business, refine, sift and speak to me because honestly, and frustratingly, I don't do this very well during the rest of the year.
• Prepared for a return trip to East Asia! Its been a lot of work (more than I ever expected) to get this set up, but its been good. I'm really thankful for my co-leader, Philip and the rest of our team and can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in our trip.
• Missed my friends that were out of town, out of country, busy with work, etc. but prayed for them in that and excited for what the Lord is doing in their lives.
• Had a mini reunion with friends from Saudi I hadn't seen in like 11 years. I didn't know what to expect going in and was a little nervous, but I enjoyed reconnecting with my childhood and the part of me not many people know too much about or understand.
• Went dancing (two-stepping) a lot! I enjoy this a lot and want to become better at it. Maybe some lessons in the near future? Anyone want to join me??
• Started a new budget - the first month is going pretty well with only a few minor slip ups!
• Started training for a half-marathon. Yes, you read that right. And I know you still don't believe me.
• Walked through Ruth with the girls in my Sunday school class. Still in progress. So great.

Things I have yet to do this summer but am planning on:

• Finish sewing my curtains. Yes, they were on my list last year too. Don't judge.
• Going to the beach or a waterpark.
• Run an entire 5K. I am up to running 2 miles straight and then doing intervals for the rest. The heat is not helping in my running endeavors. But having sweet, encouraging trainers and friends is!
• Return to East Asia - coming up Friday! Excited doesn't even begin to describe my sentiments on this!
• Go to Glorietta, New Mexico on a leadership retreat - I am so thankful for this opportunity and can't wait for all the fun and relaxation that will be had. And its like the cheapest vacation ever - used miles for airline tickets and am only paying $75 for everything else!
• Creating materials for my classroom - for my blind student and for my SmartBoard. I started my lesson plan overview for the year the other day and am really going to hit it hard when I return from China. I don't want to be in too much of panic mode before August 23. We'll see.

Things the Lord has taught me recently:

• I need to be a woman of my word. Flaky-ness has gotten me by to this point, but I really don't like it. If I say I am going to do something, I need to follow through and be reliable and trustworthy. If I don't plan on doing something, I don't need to say it.
• Love is not something you give back once you've received it. I need to love, regardless of whether I have been shown it first or not. Acceptance and approval have been major issues in my life, but they need not define how I love others. True love is selfless and doesn't expect a return. See 1 Corinthians 13.
• I need to stop playing it safe. As a recovering perfectionist, I only like to do what I know works and will be successful. I sometimes have good, risky ideas for ministry, life, work, etc. but because there lies an element of potential failure, I tend to back away. Since when did the Lord call us to fear and timidity? So in my life, my ministry and my vocation, I really want to start stepping up, making changes, taking risks and pushing others to do the same. Even if I do fail or mess up, there are lessons of great worth in that and I need to relish those moments.

Au bientot!