Sunday, August 30, 2009

Week 1

The first week of classes was a little overwhelming. It's been difficult for me to get back into the swing of things after such a great summer, but it's got to be done.

This semester I am taking Dreams as a Resource for Pastoral Care, Church History 1, and Christian Ethics. I think my favorite class is going to be Dreams followed by Ethics. It looks like this semester is going to keep me busy with lots of school work, but I'll get through it one step at a time.

I'm hoping week 2 will be a better week as I head back to Atlanta tomorrow!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

End of Summer Blues

This has been one of the best summers of my life and I hate to see it end, however, as the saying goes "All good things must come to an end." I began the summer by chaperoning the children to camp at the end of May. In June, Julia and I took a trip to see Christina in Virginia.

Later in June, Ben and I went with HHBC to El Salvador. It was our first time out of the country and it was an AWESOME experience. While we were there we worked with the Fuller Center for Housing at Villa Fuller. We dug ditches so water could runoff away from homes. We moved many wheelbarrows of dirt, we planted two flower beds, poured a house, and whatever else was asked of us. One afternoon during the trip we visited the burn unit of the children's hospital in San Salvador. Seeing children wrapped in galls, crying out for someone to be with them was heartbreaking. I greatly enjoyed seeing the pacific ocean and was seeing a volcano for the first time. It was wonderful to be able to get to know people from my own church family better.

In July, my brother and I traveled to Houston, Texas for the CBF General Assembly. The best part about GA for me was the Chaplains luncheon and the worship services. The guest speaker at the luncheon honestly shared his personal journey with us. When people truly speak from the heart it touches the hearts of others. He did just that.

Sandy, Paula, and I had a girls night in Atlanta in mid July. We painted pottery, went to Dialogue in the Dark, and did some shopping. We had a great time together. Later in July, Ben and I traveled to Wilmington, NC for vacation. We stayed in an apartment just off the beach. We had a great time together.

Since July I have been hanging out around the house and volunteering at Hospice. I spent one night in Rome, GA with Zack and Paula. Paula and I did some shopping in preparation for Jennifer and Carson's shower that I will host in September. We had lots of fun together. We have also enjoyed a couple weekends at the cabin with Ben's family, as well as, a weekend in Savannah with my family.

As I look back on the summer I am grateful for the much needed time away from school. I am grateful for the many opportunities I had to spend with family and friends. I look ahead to this new school year with anticipation and excitement. It will be fun to see what this year had in store for me.