here we go!

when i first moved to romania i used to blog all the time , but as life got busier i no longer had the time...and even though i really wanted to keep it up so that my family and friends could read about what was going on with me, the posts became less and less frequent. after returning to the States and having a much needed break, i have decided to start blogging again. i can't promise i will do it regularly, but i will try.

as i was trying to come up with a new name for this new blog i had many things going through my head, but this one stuck with me. one of the most important things i have realized during the last few years is that there is only one thing certain in life and that is that God is in control no matter what and i can accept that or fight it, but He still is in control. my plans come and go and change as quickly as they are made, but He has a greater plan and if i accept it amazing things will happen! accepting His plan doesn't mean life will be easy, but it does mean that He will walk with me no matter what and having Him walk with me and even carry me if necessary will make the journey a sweet one.

since returning i have had many new experiences. i moved back into my parents' house, i bought my first new car, i started paying bills american style again, relearned my way around the city and the surrounding cities(so many new things!), and so much more :)
i been accepted to grad school and will be starting a dual master's program through union university and golden gate baptist theological seminary...intercultural studies and educational leadership. i also have a job as a grad assistant in the global mobilization office at california baptist university. i have started working and have had a blast getting to know the people i will be working with...what a blessing they are! i am so excited about all the things i will be able to learn from these talented, passionate people. i am still amazed that i get to talk to university students and encourage them to go experience and serve in different cultures and get paid for it! i know it's going to be hard work, but i love it!

i have learned many things during the last few years and during the last few weeks i have been trying to process some of those things and it has been a somewhat painful process mainly b/c i am not sure where to go from here.

as part of this process(even though i didnt realize it was part of the process at the time) i had the opportunity to attend a conference for collegiate workers in glorieta and that really helped me move towards the place i need to be...a place where i can take the good memories and look on them with joy and thanksgiving, and let go of the not so good memories and think on them as opportunities for growth.

truth be told, glorieta was a very painful week for me. for the first time since returning i was away from the busyness and the noise and had to face everything straight on and it hit me like a ton of bricks. i did not leave one session w/o crying and sometimes just weeping uncontrollably. the speakers were amazing, speaking the truth in a way i have not heard in a long, long time... truths that i have known, but needed to be reminded of! the Lord really broke me and started a work that He has been trying to start for a while, but i have been too stubborn and stuck in my own ways to allow Him to work.

during the week we looked at the different ways we respond to the world we live in. i sat through many of the sessions with much regret about what i could have done while i was in romania...and it is true that i could have done more than i did...but then i was given a gentle reminder that i did exactly what He had for me and i need to be thankful for the experiences i was able to have b/c He allowed me to join Him in the work He was doing there. He did not need me then and does not need me now, but what an honor it is to be called to join Him in the work He is doing there and in the work He is doing here.

there are many more things i want to share about glorietta and will share during the next few posts, but this is it for now.

la revedere!
aura