Hello Again

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I haven't completely recovered myself, and I'm still very much afraid of taking all of the encouragement and compliments straight to my ego once more, but maybe the fear will help me be more aware of how I accept things so I think I'm about ready to try this again. So for right now, I'll give you a quick summer update with more details to come at a later time.

Well, at the moment I'm in Ohio with my family for the first time in.....ummm..... a while. It's been awesome to see my family again and catch up with them, to enjoy the soft, northern grass that Texas lacks (along with cool summers. I can't say that I'm missing the 100+ heat that Texas offers to me.) I love being able to come up here and see my family. But it has been difficult for me to adjust to. Right before coming up here, I came home from spending two weeks in Baja, Mexico with the most amazing team I have ever met. The Lord blessed me with a chance to serve with them and I am extremely grateful! Two weeks of being completely surrounded by this team and their love and encouragement, and then two days after we got home I came up here to Ohio where I have no one close to my age to hang out with. Texting has been cut to a minimum (I'm still getting used to being able to do that again, but I'm trying to cut down on it anyways) and my two younger, boy cousins just aren't interested in talking as opposed to their Star Wars video games and legos. *Sigh*. It's times like these where the loneliness of being an only child really hit hard. Don't get me wrong. I love my family immensely! It's just been hard to adjust to being kind of alone after my mission trip.

To be honest with you all, I've been having trouble ever since I got to Ohio. Mostly due to my own limited understanding as a human. One of my best friends lent me some books for the trip, all of which I've enjoyed and been challenged by in some way or another. But something has been bothering me as I read them. I don't know what it is, but I feel that it's important for me to understand. Unfortunately, as I've been searching for it and trying to tap into it, I've been unable to comprehend what I'm searching for even in the slightest. It's like I'm hitting a brick wall every way I turn and I'm starting to get desperate because of it. If anyone reading this could pray for me, I would be extremely grateful.

But even with the trouble I've had, God has been good to me. Like I said, I've been mostly alone up here in Ohio and have had a LOT of freetime I usually can't find to read the Bible and read the books that my friend lent me. The Lord has blessed me with this time not only to read but also to process the amazing trip that He let me go on. Also, my family took a day to go up to Cedar Point, probably for the last time before I graduate. My goal was to ride all of the roller coasters that I had not yet ridden after the many MANY summers we've spent up there (which I did complete. Took me sixteen years, but I've finally finished up my Cedar Point list, including the fearsome Top Thrill Dragster). But while we were in line for one of the coasters, the Lord once again blessed me in the form of two college aged girls standing behind me. They were wearing shirts for a mission trip they took to Kentucky, so I asked them where they went for their trip and that started a conversation about mission trips and church that lasted a good hour or so. They were from Michigan, and the two of them had actually just met a few weeks ago on their mission trip. Funny how Christ can lead us to our brothers and sisters in completely unexpected ways. We're now facebook friends.

So the Lord has been good to me. I am grateful for all He's done for me and continues to do. I can't believe that summer is almost over. I'll be a junior this year... scary scary thought. But also very exciting. I pray with all my heart that the Lord blows me away this year and gives me the boldness I need to continue stepping out of my comfort zone at school, church, and even at home. More details about my mission trip and trip to Ohio are to come. God bless you all. Any prayer requests?