May 21, 2012

Hello and howdy from the land of tornadoes, Panera Bread, and brown recluse spiders. Yes, that's right - a brown recluse spider - in my shower. MY shower. Me, barefoot, running for my life, screaming murder, from a hairy brown feller the size of a small apple that crept up within INCHES of me. That's right. I was INCHES from death, as of yesterday morning. Well, I am happy to report, that spider met boot and boot won. *round of applause* I sure felt like a jungle missionary heroine, squishing spiders at 5am as I get ready for a long day at work in the sweltering Oklahoma City. Bring on the arachnids. I'm an experienced killer now.

In this ever-exciting little life of mine, I find myself in a time of transition. This is a hard time. It is very difficult to find peace and contentment when everything is changing and there's no "solid ground" around. Classes are over, finals down, and I landed the President's List with all A's except for one B which I plan to contend as of tomorrow, thank you very much. (unhappy frown)
And yet I am not really lodged here for a summer stay, because in a week - SEVEN SHORT DAYS!!!- I am packing a suitcase, tossing on my European clothes agin (heavenly sigh) and climbing onto a jet plane home. YAY!!!!! Sooooooo excited!!! And just two days after I arrive, the festivities begin - Steven and Nina will be married Saturday, June 2nd, and three weeks later Katrina and Jonathan will be married Thursday, June 21st. So happy for them!!!!!
Then, I will be returning to OKC for the rest of the summer, and bringing back with me my youngest brother Kendon! He will need a good full-time job immediately to make his downpayment to begin Bible college, so please please.... be praying God gives him one right away! I am so excited to have him with me here in OKC. Not so much here in OKC, as much as, with me. =)

I'm also in the middle of a job transfer. Yes, gasp....... the happy little Panera trainer is seeking other employment. Actually, she's looking for the right career and planning to get her little engines going in a permanent direction. I'll be transfering my Panera stores for one called Brixton Square, on the other side of Lake Hefner. The redeeming feature? It has a drive-thru!! =) And to keep my store-wide-trainer status, I'll be training on drive-thru as soon as I move over, in June just as soon as I fly back after the weddings. I am not really happy about it, because it's not exactly what I wanted. I love my location in Nichols Hills. LOVE. Quiet, secluded, upper class, far from the dreary college neighborhood. The Brixton Square location is also far away and secluded, but.... this is where I began. I practically trained every single employee I work with.... and it will be so strange to be the newcomer, the odd one out. And yet, I need it. Because things at my Panera have become very, very, wrong and I know that God wants me to leave. It's just hard.

There's another big transition coming in my life, but I'm not in charge of that one. And the other party is taking their sweet time. lol So that will have to wait for the next update!

I hope that everyone's summers are beginning well. That everyone is staying safe. Please remember me in your prayers, that God will fix my heart with His peace because HE NEVER CHANGES. My life is securely tucked in his palm. Amen.

May 15, 2012

CLASSES ARE OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =) Big hurrah... Friday the campus shut down and I moved my boxes out, locking the door behind me and not looking back. Twenty credit hours and six months after I flew back to the USA this winter, I have finished my junior year. Hello, Miss Senior. That's right! Me, the top dog, finally eligible to contend for a bottom bunk, larger closet space, and better parking. And the finish line to my Bible college journey is finally just a few short steps away! Very small, comfortable short steps for little petite me, too! =) This time next year, almost exactly, I'll be dancing across the stage to receive my diploma, my handshake, my 3-seconds-of-recognition for four years of too much work. May 16th, 2013. Mark you calendars! It's going to be a fun day =)

The future on pause for a few minutes - this post is about this past semester. I wanted to say thankyou to everyone who prayed for me. I truly could not have made it without God's strength. So many times my own failed, but He always helped me along and somehow, I made it! The effectual fervant prayers of a righteous man availeth much.... so much =) James 5:16

I did something new this semester. As classes finished up and finals began, I took a few nights to write down the people whom God had allowed me to meet this semester and tried to list a few things I have learned from them or can learn from them. Sometimes it was all negative, but there was so much positive.... I found myself inspired by the little things I'd seen in people, and overwhelmed by how much I have to grow! The very nature of college demands that many people will cross my path only for this one semester, and especially now that I am transferring Panera jobs, I wanted to make sure that the opportunity I had was not taken for granted. I blotted out the names and specifics, but I wanted to attach a part of the list here and encourage all my readers to never grow complacent where they are. I tend to ignore the people around me, because I'm not very social and have little interaction due to my hectic work and school load, but God put it on my heart to stop and open my eyes and try to grow, grow, grow...

I am looking forward to such a good summer! =)

* pray. for everything. Cherish family. enjoy the journey of life. look for value in the broken things. love.
* really care about people (even strangers). take time to talk to them. smile. a lot. be true to your convictions. laugh while you're young. sing while you vaccuum. make a "wow" experience to *everyone* who crosses your path.
* kill your enemies with kindness. it pays off in the end.
* encouragement is never out of style. keep drawing. maybe someday you'll make a picture that looks real.
* dress cute no matter what. and a cute purse WILL be noticed. Also a hug, a wave, a compliment goes a long way to building a friendship.
* be ambitious. each curve is a new challenge. live with zest. throw the rulebook out once a semester and live a little. scary movies are the BEST. always have icecream and tissues. girl nights.
* love God, and love your boyfriend. devotion is a beautiful thing. so is sincerety.
* go the extra mile yourself. Inspire others by working hard. Add on a little love <3
* people appreciate being told they are appreciated. treating those beneath you to a little something special is a huge morale boost.
* pay attention to details, and they will bring you attention.
* if you have a car, offer a ride.
* don't be competitive. don't ever leave your car a mess. don't ever chose favorites.
* it's okay to excell. to be a quick learner. to do your best all the time. and to have cute nails at work.
* be a good friend. long ticket times are lame, but getting yourself hurt in the process just makes them longer....
* don't take out your bad day on someone. it may come back to bite you and give you a bad reputation.

....and so many more!