Familiar places and faces
Yesterday was pretty amazing. I had a camp counselor meeting at the church for high school camp that I will leave for on Sunday, and it got me so pumped! I can just tell that it is going to be the perfect apetizer for what I all am anicipating experiencing in California. I just have a special place in my heart for youth camp because those summers when I was a camper at youth camp is where the Lord slowly began to make changes in my heart and life and how exciting to get a chance to watch other students coming along have those same encounters with the Lord!I stayed for church afterwards for the newly added to Lakepointe Sunday night service for the college and singles. It was wonderful and I saw lots of familiar faces of people Ive grown up with and seen grow up in my church and just to reconnect with those people is so fun! I also saw a highly unexpected face that make my heart smile, and i'm sure my face blush. God's timing is impecable. Thats all i'll say about that. =)
Then I went and met Abby Sue at our starbucks. I love being there with her, I really do feel like a piece of each of us will forever reside at that starbucks. Since our starbucks there have been 2 others added to Rockwall, but the others just dont feel like home to me as much as the first. Abby and I joked that we literally spent more time at that starbucks our senior year of high school than we actually spent in the classrooms at our high school~~not so much a joke as very serious! hahahaha We chatted about lots of things going on in our lives and it just felt right. There are few moments where I feel like the place, the person, the activity are all completely perfect~that was one of those moments where every part of that time with her just felt right! I returned to my parents house on hill in the country soon after to walk up to the house looking out on the countryside to one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in a long time! This was ironic considering that it had been raining all day, but ironic at all because it was the perfect finish to my day and I was so thankful for it! Tomorrow Abby and I are going to meet Katie's new fella Travis!! I have a very good feeling about this boy for her!
Love is in the Air
My good friend from school Jennifer Knox is engaged! This is super exciting to me because she is the first of any of my close friends from college to get married! I got so excited for her in chatting with her about the way Michael proposed, the ring of course, and all of the fun wedding details that she is already having to get in line since the wedding will be next March she has to get the ball rolling on planning. SO fun. Kim Bies my friend and co bible study leader has finally said out loud that she REALLY likes a boy....a boy Joel, who likes her just as much, probably more and this is very exciting news. Kim is quite the catch and has caught the eye of many a boy at texas state, but up until now has not found that same attraction and giddiness over a boy these whole last two years that I've known her. She tried dating this boy around christmas time and he doesnt go to our school so it was a lot of phone talking and not a lot of time well spent for about two months. She had alot of doubts about the two of them developing into a real relationship. She is very careful and cautious and all of her concerns were valid, but after breaking things off with him mid semester and reconnecting with him towards the end she finally realized that she was just being scared and she wasnt going to do that anymore! I love her for this! I havent met this Joel yet, but He sounds like quality and Kim really likes him and he adores her so for that I already know he's a smart boy! =)Katie McNeill ,my other half in girl form, one of the most amazing people I've ever known and friend since Middle School has fallen for a boy, and hard! Katie, another lovely lady who catches the eye of many a boy at UT, but has had her share of unpleasant dating experiences for the last two years, has found herself quite the guy it seems! She has had a secret crush on this guy since she met him 3 years ago. The time wasnt right then, she had a boyfriend, he had a girlfriend but they continued to develop a friendship. Well, recently Katie has been single for a while, and he broke up with his 2 year girlfriend about a month or two ago. Being the smart boy that he is calls up Katie to ask her on a date!!! Katie is thrilled about this. Come to find out all the time shes had a secret crush on him, HE too has had a secret crush on her! They have gone on numerous dates since that first and it seems that katie is slowly but surely falling head over heels! Ive never seen her so giddy, she is usually the wise, practical, realistic friend telling us not to be boycrazy and all romantical~~~she is now singing a very different tune! I am so excited to see where this goes! I have a great feeling about this one! =)As for me, I have been waiting for an experience and feelings like these for the last 21 years and continue to wait until I find what these girls are finding! Until then I will live vicariously through my sweet friends =) and continue to be so excited for them in these fun times!
Oh how the years go by....
We went out and celebrated my dear friend Abby's 21st birthday Monday night. We were joined by her entire family, lots of old close friends from high school, and also as Richard Wells said that evening by some "Rando's" meaning some unexpected faces from high school who ended up coming, which was great the more the merrier! hahhaha Abby had a great birthday I think which is the most important thing!
I realized a couple of things over the span of those two days.
1. The guys that we hungout with in High School haven't changed a bit~and not in a good way. I feel like I am removed from high school when we all get together like that, whereas I feel like they still think they are actually still IN high school in those times. It doesn't so much bother me, as I find it completely humorous and a little sad for them.2. Reminiscing with old friends is SO good for the Soul! Kim and I got to catch up and chat and laugh and talk about her dad some which was so good for us both. We have so many old memories to share and old stories to tell, and we've talked about them a million times, but they seem to get better as we get older! She and I are a lot alike in many ways, which I am not surprised at all by, we've been friends since we were 12 and we've literally grown up together. We decided Kim is writing a book, due to her current Love situations~situations being that she has about 5 guys who are all ready and willing to marry her, confessing their love and think she's "the one", none of which she is sure of at all, one of which I am partial to, but needless to say, the girl is amazing and has currently won the affections of many a great guys. I can't wait till she knows that someone is "the one" for her!!Love you Kimmy
3. SoulFriends. We chatted about how our friendships Kim, abby, Katie and mine run deeper than just friends of convience, or friends because of similar interests~that may have been how they began long ago, but now we are in it for the long haul. I've been beating myself up all semester about being a bad friend, not spending time with these women who I cherish so much and are so important to me. But I realized that I am spiritually, deeply connected to these girls. We have literally grown up together, seen each other grown and change physically, spiritually, mentally, all of it. I know now that these girls aren't going anywhere and that's how true friendships work, for better for worse and we've all had our share of both. I will be there for any of them at a moments notice too, anytime and anywhere. And I know that this season in our lives is meant for us to continue to grow and change apart from each other and that its ok! The Lord has us in our different places, doing different things, with different friends around us~but when we come back together its like we don't have to doubt our friendships because they go beyond surface level stuff. I've been fortunate enough to make some friendships like this in College as well, which I am truly amazed that the Lord would bless me with so many amazing friendships that each serve different purposes in my life!
DIscombobulated
Mavs lost last night~Don't care to discuss it, although I will say that I will be rooting for steve nash and the Suns to win the championship merely b/c I love steve nash as a person and he used to play for us so i will gladly cheer him onto victory! Jennifer Knox is engaged!!!!!!! I'm so excited that one of my close friends from college is finally getting married, bring on the bachelorette parties and showers, I love them! I want to go to California right now, Days till Cali~24, Days till Camp~16, Days till my dear friend Abby Archibalds 21st birthday~2 Thats all I got for now!~A
Why does Steve Nash not still play for Dallas?!
Last night I went to watch the crucial game 5 b/w the Suns and my beloved Dallas Mavericks with my dear friend and equally enthusiastic Mavs lover Abby Teaff. I was nervous, biting my nails n' such as the game began, while abby sat there quite confident in our boys and so conifident infact to say not just that we are going to win the championship, but exactly how we are going to do it! I love her for that! hahahaha
So 1st quarter, both teams playing top notch defense and top notch offense, mavs in the lead, but not a big lead. 2nd quarter, still very close, both teams still playing very good, Steve Nash is shooting shots that we definitely never saw him shoot when he played here in Dallas, abby and I drop our mouths at these shots in pure and utter amazment. 3rd quarter, doing good, doing good and then OH Josh Howard is hurt, nothing to crucial just a minor set back, we are no longer in the lead. 4th quarter, Dirk gets hit in the eye, hes off the quart for a few solid minutes, we are sucking, still stucking, Sucking harder....Dirks back we are 8-10 points down for the first time in the whole game, there's no catching up at this point, Dirk can't see, josh howard is hurting and ready to lay down, I dont think at this point anyone on our team except for Jerry Stackhouse was actually playing in the game, and seeing as how he can't possibly win the game all on his own, Dallas Loses.
Needless to say, I was really wishing steve nash wouldve been wearing a blue jersey last night. Mr. MVP has really taken his game to a whole other level since the switch to phoenix. But Steve if you are out there, We miss you! Come back to Dallas! =)
Besides the world of basketball, loving being here at home. Went to my little brother Drew's first baseball game the other night where in the 4th inning they decide that he is going to Pitch! I was a nervous wreck, my 9 year old little brother out the pitching! He actually did really well for his first time ever pitching in a game. Corrie has been e-mailing me from California and I am so jealous that she is there and I can't wait to go!!! She sounds so good and I miss her a lot! I am missing people from school like crazy, its really random though. Somthing will happen in my day, or I will see somthing, or a song will come on, and I am suddenly reminded of someone from school. It's weird being away from everyone. I did a little shopping in Rockwall today, that was super fun. I am trying to enjoy this little bit of leisure time I have, but I am so anxious for the fun summer stuff to begin thats all I think about! To bed for now~I hope everyone is having the best time where ever you are! ~A
Feels like Home to me
My family arrived yesterday at my apartment in San Marcos at about 9:30am and my room was completely empty and all moved out by no later than 11am~My parents dont mess around with this moving business! hahaha It all happend so fast and I had a few days before to be sad about it, so my emotions were minmal while I was there yesterday. On the drive back to Dallas I think it hit me that I wouldnt be back in San Marcos until August 21 and will be thrown back into things so quickly when I get back with little or no transition time. This will be the longest time I've been away from San Marcos in 3 years because the past two summers I've lived there for most of the summer. It's weird how much that place feel like home now. I mean I lived in Dallas my whole life until the fall of 2002, so obviously Dallas is still very much a comfort to me, but in the comparatively short time I've spent in San Marcos it has begun to feel very much like home as well. I have so much unpacking and organizing to do with all my stuff I brought home and I really am dreading it. In these few weeks that I will be home before the all the trips and summer fun actually begins, I have SO much stuff to do, so many people that I want to see and making sure tp spend ample time with the fam before taking off again for two months. I'm just going to try and keep it low pressure and just take it one day at a time and if I don't get everything in that I would like in these couple of weeks, its not the end of the world~this is sort of a new concept for me, so we'll see how it goes! =)
The Million Dollar Movie and my EZ date with Katie!
Last night those of us left here in San Marcos went to eat at Jason's Deli~delicious~ and to see Million Dollar Baby at the dollar theater! Jennifer knox said afterwards " that was the best Sad movie I think I've ever seen!" and I would have to agree~It was a quality film and totally deserving of all of the oscars it aquired. My Beloved Dallas Mavericks pulled out a win for game 2 against the Pheonix Suns last night~despite all of the disbelief that they are even a good team at all by a few of my friends who will remain nameless~Derek Eacho =) I am not a Fair Weather fan and will stick with my Mavs to the bitter end! In my plan to avoid packing up my room and moving out of my apartment I met my Katie Mac in Austin for lunch. We went to EZ's and had a fantastic lunch and the best Esspresso Milkshakes ever! It was so good to see her and although we havent spent much time together at all this last semester, everytime we get together I feel as if we pick up right where we left off! I love her and will miss her a lot this summer! She informed me that she has a date tonight with an amazing guy who she's had a huge crush on ever since our freshman year of college, but he's had a girlfriend that whole time up until now and their friendship grew over these last 3 years and now single man that he is did not waste anytime to call sweet katie up and ask her on a date~I haven't seen her so giddy and excited in years! She deserves a great fun date with a great guy after 2 years of going on a lot of terrible first dates with guys that were not even close to being good enough. I'm so excited for her, and not really jealous at all.~ok maybe i'm 60% excited and 40% jealous~maybe its 50/50. hahaha ok time to get serious about packing.
Change
" To everything there is a Season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
I have become accustom to the fact that from here on out in life change is going to be unavoidable. I've been having trouble lately in trying to figure out how to balance relationships and different seasons of life. I was saddend yesterday in reading the words of my dear friend Kim who is still very much mourning the death of her daddy and continues to feel pain and saddness everyday that I cannot even fathom. I think about her and pray for her all the time. Not being close to her, Katie, and Abby right now is hard for me. I grew up with these amazing girls and all four of us are in different places leading four completely different lives and it would be virtually impossible for each of us to fully grasp everything that is going on in each others lives all the time, but I feel as though I have failed as a friend, I havent kept faithful contact with them since we all last saw each other for kim's dad's funeral. Although it does take work on both parts, I feel like Kim needed me and I wasnt there. I am thankful that she has these women in here life in College Station who are so faithful to her and to the Lord who can be there for her and encourage her on a daily basis. I can't go back and change things now, but I can change future actions of being a better friend for the future. I hope to spend time with them before I leave for California~I miss my girls and truly have a desire to keep an authentic relationship with each of them. God is bigger than location and true friendships will sustain no matter what, of this I am sure!
It's always hard to leave the amazing friends I have here at school for so long in the summer when I have seen these people nearly everyday for months. You always wonder what the fall will hold. These friendships that you have invested so much of yourself into, you wonder if they will look different when you come back. Then what about new friends that will come in the fall and friends who are graduating and leaving and moving onto the next season of their lives, how are those things going to affect the way my life will look as I begin my first Senior Year of college ( yes unfortunately there will be 2 Sr. years~but i'm ok with it). What about new friends I will make this summer as I go on Project, where are those going to fit into my life when I get back to school? I wish someone had the secret to this balancing act of relationships in life. I long to be faithful and loyal in all of my relationships, but I am not quite sure I know exactly what that's supposed to look like all the time, I am still trying to figure it out. I love this season of life in college and wouldn't trade this time and every single person that I've had the pleasure of getting to know during these years for anything! And while I know that Change is necessary and usually ends up being very good, It's still not easy or at least not in my experience. I have seen the Lord be extremely faithful in times of change in my past many times, So I have no doubt that He's going to work it all out. In the words of the great Sheryl Crow, "I said a Change will do you good, A Change will do you good!" Much Love, ~A
Karen's Day
In light of Mother's Day I thought I would just write a few words about what my mom means to me. She is my best friend and the most amazing person I've ever known in real life. She is so selfless and sacrificial for her family and has always done everything in her power to make sure that we always had everything that we needed, no matter what that meant she had to do. She is hard worker, she never does anything halfway and always strived to instill that into us as her children, (whether we full grasped that concept is still to be determined, hahaha) Over the last 21 years my mom and I have been through a lot together. Although I was very young there were times in my life and my moms where I know she felt like I was all she had and it was in those times that I felt her love more than ever. Now being 21 it's hard for me to grasp how when my mom was 21 she was a single mom, working a 40+ hour a week work week, while taking care of a newborn baby ( Me). There is no way that I could be doing that right now, my mom has to be super woman! Now at 43, and 3 more children later, she is more beautiful and loving than ever. My whole life people have told me how much I look like my mom and the older I get the more I see that it's completely true~I can't think of anyone that I would rather be a mirror image of. To be able to reflect just a handful of traits that my mom possesses is such a blessing. How I will be able to be half the mother she is someday is going to be a challenge, but luckily I have a great friend and teacher in mom who will help me out along the way just as she always has! Don't forget to tell Your mom how much she means to you today!
What a Funny 48 hours
I really can't decide if its the ridiculous amounts of caffeine I have had, combined with the lack of sleep all due to finals, or if these predicament are actually as humorous as I find them to be. I found out Yesterday that my friend Lindsey has the gift of Profecy~hahahaa Information I would've loved to have known way before now! She totally and completely made an almost impossible assumption/suggestion to me and around 12:30 last night It completely happened~Hilarious. It's weird how things go in cycles sometimes, friendships, interests, etc.~How quickly things can change, both for the good and the not so good. I am one final and one critique away from ending the semester that I thought would never end and here we are. Support raising for my Summer Project is going better than I would've ever imagined~the Lord has been very faithful and the people in my life that have been giving have been very obedient and generous. I have been praying like never before~It's neat to watch the progress of something like that just come along and knowing that I had very little to do with it is pretty amazing. I am California Dreamin like crazy~I am ready to get there and meet all of the people and start everything that God has for me there! I have HUGE expectations of what the Lord will do and teach me and how lives are goin to be changed and impacted for Eternity, and to think that I am getting the privilege to be a part of something like that is incredible. I am a little sad to leave San Marcos, to leave the people here at Texas State and to miss out on spending time with all the people here in Texas that I love so much~~~~But at the same time I know without any doubt that I am going to be exactly where I am supposed to be for the summer. Now to bed for a few hours before waking up to cram for my Art Theory Final! Best Luck to all of you on your tests~I pray that the Lord will bless your study efforts and increase your memory like crazy!~A
The NBA finals are in full force
So I dont think Ive ever felt as alone as I did last night at the end Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks versus the Houston Rockets when my beloved Mavericks took this great series up to a 3-2 lead against Houston. In a room full of 10-12 people at my apartment gathered in front of the television for this exillerating display of human competetition, only myself and sweet friend Matt Luna were on the Dallas Bandwagon, while the rest of my fellow friends chose to make accusations of "Cheating" and "robbery" on the part of my Mavs. Although my heart broke for these Rockets lovers, I couldn't help but become overwhelmed with excitement for my boys pulling it out from a 2-0 lead by Houston in the beginning. Whether Dallas wins this series or not only time will tell, but I am proud of them and proud to be from Dallas, and from Texas for that matter with all three of our teams in fighting hard for the NBA championship right now! As for these friends of mine who are bitter about the loss for Houston yesterday all I have to say is~if you can't say anything nice then you shouldnt say anything at all~and all I have to say is 3-2! HAHAHAHAHAHA =)
