February 17, 2012

I anticipated this semester being very busy. I did not anticipate it being THIS busy!!! A sincere apology to my readers for the month-long delay on an update.
God has been good! I have been pretty sick and struggling to adapt back into the routine of full-time student, full-time Panera associate, full-time sister/chaperone, part-time ministry helper.... But God gives grace. =)
I find myself missing home a very great deal. The months I spent overseas last year, while unexpected, were truly a blessing from God and I look back in realization of how blessed I truly am. During these cold, tiring days I miss hot milk with honey and nutmeg at 2am, shopping with my mom, movies with my little brother, my dad's preaching... and of course, my puppy Zubi and my turtles and my couch Chester! Agh!
But even here in nowhere, Oklahoma, God continues to give me blessings. I have really wonderful roommates, a beautiful dorm, and enough food. The sermons and chapel messages and devotions and classroom lectures have been wonderful. God has really been working in my heart about many things, and I am so thankful! I would like to post about some of them, as time permits, Lord willing.
A belated Happy Valentines Day! =)
This week I am taking my first midterm. Wow... talk about time flying!! At this minute, actually, I am out the door to witness on the streets downtown in the rain. Amen.
More posts to come! =)

January 11, 2012

I promised my dear friend Karina that I would post about my New Years experience in the United States, and so here it is! =) In Ukraine, New Years is the biggest holiday of the calendar, the grand finale of the year, so to speak. It is celebrated with fireworks and dozens of courses of food, all day and all night preaching, games and fellowship at the church, pictures and sleigh rides downtown around the enormous New Years tree.
This year, I was in Oklahoma City with my sister for the holiday. I did not see any fireworks, and there was no special service at the church. I was sorely disappointed. I spent the day at work, and was so tired I crawled into bed when I got home and almost slept in the new year - but not quite. I set an alarm to make sure I was awake for the countdown. =)
The days leading up to new years, and the days following, were the real celebration. I was once again with my sister and best friend! Along with her boyfriend Jonathan and my Heartland friends, I was able to have many wonderful memories made of the holidays in the USA. We went to see the Christmas lights in Yukon's public park, as well as in the private district of Nichols Hills. We went walking around Lake Hefner, played boardgames at IHOP, ran around the mall and watched movies sipping hot chocolate. We even hung up stockings and opened them. =)
I am grateful to God that I could spend this holiday season both with my family in Ukraine, and with my sister in the United States. I am excited for this new year!!!!
I hope that everyone's holidays have been filled with such good memories. =)

January 8th, 2011

Hey everyone!!!
I miss having lots of time to think of my blog posts, but now that I'm back at school and working fulltime, they are coming in soundbite form. =) God has been very good to me, although every day has had its own share of hardships and difficulties. I am grateful for my family's enduring support and very touched by the warm welcome of my many friends here in Oklahoma City.
Since returning to Panera Bread, I have brushed up on the new celebration items on our menu and taken back my training position. Oh, the fun stories I could write about my trainees. They try my patience, my temperance, and my longsuffering. But they also make me smile and laugh. Working with people - coworkers as well as customers - is a never-ending challenge!
I'm registered at college for this semester. I posted on Facebook my one huge blessing - someone anonymously put 100$ down for my initial downpayment!! What a surprise and blessing. I am thankful to God that he knows how to give good gifts to his children, indeed. =) [Matt 7:11]
The sermons at church have been a big encouragement to me since I've returned, as God prepares my heart for every challenge that he sends my way. Amen. =)
I appreciate all the prayers sent my way... they are not taken for granted. I really, sincerely appreciate them!!!
The weather in Oklahoma has been very interesting. The temperature has swung from sunny 70's to overcast 30's... but it doesn't feel like winter in any case. I miss the snow! =/ The dorms are decorated with soft white Christmas lights all over the lobby and yet... there is no snow... it is very strange. =P
This coming week starts the Annual National Home Missions & Church Planting Conference at Heartland Baptist Bible College. I am excited to hear the preaching and see the Lord work! And hopefully, I will get to see a very dear Pastor and wife of one of my family's supporting churches. Last year they took my sister and I out to IHOP and Starbucks. =))) Haha okay... I'm happy to see them for other reasons besides great food and fellowship. =P It is so nice to have friends around the world and reunite =) God is so good and I am looking forward to the big reunion in Heaven someday!! No more time differences and mile distances and saying goodbyes. Amen!

January 6th, 2011

My new room!!! =) Got all moved in yesterday, and today is registration! =)

December 30th, 2011

An update!!! =)
In the few days since returning Stateside, things have been so chaotic that I have not had a chance to sit down for evern ONE LITTLE BABY MINUTE on my computer. =) Today is my first day off of work, thanks to my coworker switching me shifts, and I decided to hang out at Chick-fil-A, where my sister works, and use the free wifi to update my blog. =) Unfortunately, all of my photos are on my camera, and I did not bring the cord with me. Oops. =) But I promise I will update with photos, soon!!
It is lovely to be back in the USA. I am still awed by the the cleanliness and perfection of this country. Everything is so orderly, pristine, and comfortable. People smile and wave. Cars move smoothly down accurately-painted streets. The sky of Oklahoma is huge and the sunsets breathtaking. In fact, the sunset out the window right now is really nice. =) Yellow and gold are touching the rooftops across the parking lot and feathery white clouds are turning grey in the coming shadow of nightfall.
I miss my family back home, of course, so very much. Every moment I wish they were around, so I could share with them everything that I am experiencing. Oh, well. Praise God for Facebook and Skype. =D
Being with my sister, Katrina, again after 6 months apart is absolutely wonderful! I missed her very much, and true to the saying, absence has definitely made our hearts grow fonder. =)) She and Jonathan, her boyfriend, have made my return very warm and welcomed me back with outings every night. It's been a blast! We went to see the Christmas lights on the mansions in Nichols Hills as well as in the public park in Yukon. I also discovered Jonathan has a penchant for really freaky scary movies =)) haha! We were able to celebrate Christmas together and I am looking forward to seeing my Heartland/Southwest friends on Sunday night when we plan to go to Bricktown to celebrate the New Years!! =)
Panera. What I can say. I love my job. =) My managers were ecstatic about my return and quickly issued me 40 hours for my first week, introduced me to the new foods we now offer, and swooped me back out onto register. The customers haven't changed. The routine hasn't changed. The atmosphere of the neighborhood hasn't changed. A lot of my coworkers have changed (transfering out to the new, snobby Panera with a drivethru lol) but I am enjoying the chance to make new friends. Praise God for saving this job for me. I am very grateful for His provision.
Today..... I got to hang out with some of my very best friends. My adopted brother Justin is back from his sunny vacation in Arizona (hoorah!) and the friend who saved my beloved computer from a sad demise, Levi, is back from the snowy mountains of Washington. We shared Ihop and Starbucks and Walmart shopping. I walked out with Cheez-Its, sharp cheddar spray cheese, a jug of eggnog,and a case of glass bottled Stuart's creme soda. =D Oohhhhh so much fun. =) Hello, New Years. Harry, my childhood friend from New Mexico, came by work to see me last night before he heads off for New Years. I was touched by the kindness I've been shown.
Well, I need to wrap this up. Thanks to everyone for the prayers during my travels. God kept his hand on every flight and there were no delays or problems.
Oh yes. Paris, by the way, was indescribably lovely. =)

December 24th, 2011

Some memories are just too special to write about. Sometimes it's not that the occasion was perfect or the plan went unhindered or that the weather was ideal and the timing flawless. Sometimes it's just the simple fact of dreams and planning coming together in one beautiful moment. And those are the memories that we carry forever.
Steven is back home!! And we went skating. =)
I fell. Twice. And he whizzed circles around me, fearless and dynamic and amazing. He is a much better skater than I could ever be! But I loved the look on his face when I did backwards crossovers. Haha. WIN! =D
I am so thankful to be home with my family for Christmas holidays. The only down is not having Katrina here! But I will be seeing her soon... I leave tomorrow! It has been insanely busy trying to pack in as much time with my family as well as clothes into my suitcases at the same time!
Please pray for safe travels to the US. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a special time with thier loved ones. Take the days we have and make the most of them. =)

December 20th, 2011

Time to pack!!!
This is a whimsical post because I'm determined to not think about leaving my parents and brothers and church friends in just FIVE days.
Poor Chester (my couch) has become the catwalk for a mountain of clothing and accessories as I waded through my wardrobe this last week. Packing always presents a problem for me. I like to have everything with me, whether in the States or here at home, and it is hard to leave a single item behind. I'm not sure why. I do not think it is normal to have separation withdrawals from a pair of suede pumps or a Calliope tee-shirt. But I cannot escape the sad feeling when I pull something from the "approved" pile and place it neatly folded into the "staying behind" pile. Very sad. =(
Clothes were the first hurdle but not the hardest by any stretch of imagination. Where do all the little things come from that compile mysteriously out of the blue over six months of living some place? A big part of home is familiarity - like the giant words scrawled on my mirror "Faith, Courage, Love," - or the little platter of Italian porcelain that catches all my loose change and yesterday's pair of earrings. These things can't go with me.
Maybe I'm just wildly sentimental? I have a box of every card sent to me. Well, several boxes now. Every time I relocate, I start a new box so that I can keep a tangible memory of the friends I've left behind and that they haven't forgotten me. Now what am I supposed to do with these boxes?? Someday, I imagine, I will make the world's most awesome scrapbook with all the notes and squares of wrinkled paper that represent the people in my life who send me cards. I doubt it will ever be a museum collector item, but it means a lot to ME. =)
Then there are my coffee cups. Oh so funny, this is a story in itself! But I won't digress. The happy little feeling I get from pulling a new mug off the rack and filling it with hot aromatic coffee is tampered by the admission I have a trail of coffee cups from my bedroom all over the house. It's just a tick. I can't stand using the same cup twice and am comfortably accustomed to making a round at night and finding where they all ended up, dumping them in the sink to wash so they are ready to go in the morning. I suppose... I can't take all fifteen mugs with me.... and I will miss them all, I know. I have 3 mugs at school and they hardly fit in my crowded cupboard next to the GrapeNuts box and cans of Spaghettio's. I had a fourth but there is some suspicion in my mind someone stole it to stop the collection from growing out of control. Haha. =)
While I'm sorting through odds and ends and wondering how I manage to get so attached to such silly material things, I come across my Bible with its pretty red cover and gold-tipped pages. Now THAT is something I will be taking with me, in my carryon in fact. People change, and time shifts everything around, and clothes go out of fashion and coffee cups crack (sad face). But the most unmovable part of my life is that knowledge that God lives within me, and loves me, and He's never going to let me go off without him. If the earth were to blow up, and I was being evacuated to Mars, all I'd need was my Bible.
(and my passport, of course)
(and my black leather boots)
(and a picture of my turtles and puppy)
(and that heavenly-soft pearl white blouse)
(and...)
Haha.