Friday, July 1, 2011

Five Minute Friday: Welcome

GO:



From the moment I stepped onto the campus, I knew. There was a feeling of "home", a feeling of coming back to a place I'd never been but knowing I was supposed to be there. That all of my life had led me to that moment. 

Sitting in Dr. Reyes' office, discussing music, discerning ministry, the marriage of tradition with contemporary, musical philosophies and faith testimonies, auditions, workshops, concerts and classes...

I sat across from this woman I had never met and a warm feeling overcame me and I knew she was the right person to help guide me over the next four years as I pursue a degree in worship and music ministry. I listened to her tell me about her own background and passions and visions for the future and I knew this welcome was a destiny I could never have imagined on my own. It helped me share my own story and my own piece in this puzzle of my life.

I am grateful for the cheerleaders in my life who have helped me to get to this welcome mat, at this college I didn't know existed a year ago...

I hug myself and laugh with excitement at this new home that I will visit during the week when my monkeys are at their own schools and I revel in the welcome of it all...

STOP.

June DayBook: A Day Late & A Dollar Short :)

Outside my window... sun is setting, everything is grey with some rays of light peeking through the many clouds, pine trees are framing the picture...
I am thinking... about how very much my life has changed in the last couple of years and how incredible where I've wound up has turned out to be- everything I never knew I always wanted...
I am hearing...  the Disney movie "Tangled" in surround sound and several monkeys in the pool shouting and laughing... Oh, now it's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and I will be easily distracted :) 
I am thankful for... my Gary, who always encourages me, always supports me, always listens to me, always prays for me and always, always loves me...
I am praying for... my monkeys- their paths, their friends, their decisions, their opportunities, their lives... Just celebrated David's 6th & Natalie's 17th birthdays and have Katelyn's 10th & Zacharoo's 8th coming up this summer and then Megan's 16th & Jessi's 19th this fall... Whew!
Toward a healthier me.... drinking more water, strength training, cutting out caffeine, getting enough sleep (that one is hard!)...
Inspiring me this week... several friends who have been both prayer warriors and cheerleaders and have taken the time to give me advice and direction- Todd Bardin, Jonathan Cole, Lenora Rousseau and Karen Janota, I am more grateful than I let you know :)
From the kitchen... Just tried quinoa for the first time in a sparkpeople recipe tonight. It was good but I'd like to see what else I can do with this stuff- love the flavor and texture!
I am wearing... ummm... my orange Third Day "Property of Gomer" t-shirt and (surprise!) black yoga shorts... again...  Wow! I am a creature of habit (and comfort lol) who needs to change it up a bit, perhaps!
I am creating... a new life- settling in to a new normal in this season of change on the road to who I want to be when I grow up...
I am going... back to school! I'm so amazingly excited I can't stand it! 58 days and counting! 
I am reading... just starting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- again. I have to re-read it before the midnight premiere in 13 days! I am going to bawl my eyes out as soon as the music starts and all the way through til I hiccough at the end with a sad sigh... 
Toward a lifelong education... Spent the day at Florida Christian College on Thursday meeting the professor of music, my academic advisor, registering for classes, figuring out my financial aid and getting all my questions answered. I am going to exactly the right school that combines my two passions- music and my Jesus- and I am so at peace with this decision. And so grateful for the opportunity. 
On keeping home... catching up on laundry, the constant sweeping and mopping of the kitchen, sorting out piles of paperwork in our bedroom, picking out pictures to print out for the myriad of frames we've put up with random strangers still smiling at us from every angle :)
One of my favorite things... God showing up in the unlikeliest of places- through folks and events you don't expect to see Him in- and the continuous learning that comes from trying to walk with as much grace towards other folks as you can muster. 
A verse for this week:
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God".
 ~ Micah 6:8                                                                                  
A few plans for the rest of the week:  Practicing guitar for Emmaus team meetings and the October walk, continuing to immerse myself in "Ragtime" for the upcoming August performance, buzzing and singing my JoCo music, applying for scholarships and grants so I can continue this adventure next year :)
Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...