The Deal with Dubai

What's going on:
This new year, we'll be beginning our 4 month adventure in Dubai. My dad has been working there for a year now and it's time to join him. My dear friend, Anna, and I have moved out of our dorm rooms and will be getting on the plane with my parents January 1st. I would tell you all about what we're going to be doing but the truth is, God changes my plans so quickly it's not worth explaining. So how about just a basic idea? Anna will be going to American University Dubai while I am doing an internship. We will be in a 3 bedroom apartment which is close to the beach, restaurants, and everything else one might want or need. We're so blessed and maybe even a bit spoiled.
I guess it's official now...I've blogged about it. we must actually be going.

More updates to come when we arrive.

God in my living

With a million emotions running around inside my heart i'm finding it hard to sort through them. Finished with my first semester of college, i'm not sure if i should be happy to be done or sad its over.
Let me just say...it was a strange semester. I'm so glad to be done with studying and writting papers. i'm glad to be done with room checks and collecting quarters for laundry. BUT i'm not ready to be done with the'bungalow' (margie's house). I don't ant to be done with late night talks on the kitchen floor or movies on a friday night. She graduated today...how wonderful...how terrible...how...different.

I need God to be in every part of my life. There are so many parts. So many fears, so many issues, victories, losses, frustrations and joys. i'm up and down and fighting for stability. My problem runs deeper than the activities of the day to day. i need God in every part of my life.When i suck and when i don't suck. What does that mean? it means, "here, Jesus" no matter what it is... i just need to say "here, you're glory and not mine"

So i'm giving Him my friendships, my worries, my favorites, my passions, my unattractive qualities, and my family. "Here, Jesus"


GOD IN MY LIVING
THERE IN MY BREATHING
GOD IN MY WAKING
GOD IN MY SLEEPING


GOD IN MY RESTING
THERE IN MY WORKING
GOD IN MY THINKING
GOD IN MY SPEAKING


BE MY EVERYTHING



GOD IN MY HOPING
THERE IN MY DREAMING
GOD IN MY WATCHING
GOD IN MY WAITING

GOD IN MY LAUGHING
THERE IN MY WEEPING
GOD IN MY HURTING
GOD IN MY HEALING

home is a funny thing

I went home for Thanksgiving and it was a strange sort of wonderful. The house wasn't sparkling, I had a little cold, and people were coming and going constantly but it was still great. I had weird moments of childish frustration and moments of totally contentment. I don't expect perfection any more. This is a big adjustment for me because I've always loved plans and structure. Structure gives me a sense of security but I guess it's a false security.
Home. For so long I've wanted it to be a place where there's always a fire in the fireplace, cookies in the oven, and a happy family sitting together around the table.It's laughable, really. That's not what home is and I'm really really ok with it. I didn't have a good conversation with my parents until they brought me back to school and we went out to dinner. It was the first time things slowed down long enough for us to talk about things we wanted to talk about (not just the things we needed to discuss).
For the first time in my life, I'm ok with living in a house where we do random things like re carpet the house right before we leave for 4 months. People are constantly moving in and out. I don't know if the other bedroom upstairs belongs to Ande, Spencer, or art work. Furniture is never in the same place and the dog is a huge regret and a necessary joy at the same time.
Being home was just what I needed even though it's not a home out of a story book.

It doesn't end with something happy?

Tonight I sat in McConn doing my homework and celebrating the cold weather with a hot cup of coffee. I overheard two girls chatting about youtube videos. I didn't pay much attention to what they were saying until I heard one of the two describe a terribly bloody death of a baby animal. The other responded..."that's it? it doesn't end with something happy?" I can't help but laugh. A story is just not good if it ends without a glimmer of hope.

This made me think of a quote from a favorite movie of mine...The Importance of Being Earnest, "The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means." There is something in us that wants a happy ending. I know this is not a new or profound statement...but I've never really given it much thought before. However, it seems like happy endings are a rare occurrence in our world. things either never come to any particular end or if they do it is often far from perfection.(not quite what it would be if it were a movie)
We live in a broken world. Broken relationships, broken hearts, broken identity, and broken lives. Yet we hold on to a happy ending. Maybe we were created to feel this longing for things to end justly....no not justly...happily. If things end justly we'll have to get what we deserve...and who actually wants that? I'm not just talking about fairy tales but rather any story at all. We want, maybe even need, everything to be okay. Good news. It does. Just when you think there's no hope left...the victim fights back, the morning finally comes, the hero bursts in, the heart starts to beat again. And in that moment...something feels right.

so if the world falls apart and theres absolutely no way out...don't worry. Jesus is probably about to come down to snatch us up. "glory, here we come"

...and they really honestly truly lived...

happily
ever
after

College Kid

I started in late Aug. and it's already November. Today as I walked through the Student Center I felt...comfortable. It's taken longer than I had expected to adjust but finally the adjustment has been made. Now that I'm feeling great about school...'it's time to change again', says God.

I've learned more than I ever could have if I had stayed home. I've learned to appreciate my parents, do ALL of your dishes, laundry- it isn't one of those things you can put off, set your stuff down at a table before getting food, use candles and febreze, drink coffee, stock up on toilet paper, when confused it's better to walk around pretending to know exactly what you need to do until you actually figure it out, records will give you a hug if you look confused about classes, checking mail is pointless, only go to McConn if you have time to wait in line, if you bake in the kitchen you make friends (many friends), if people are loud at night it's better to join them rather than shush them, and finally, it's nice to know people in high places!

As for the next season in my life...I'll be glad to have another list of new discoveries.