slowly getting in the groove
Things are finally starting to get back to normal for me around here. As much as I like consistency and stability, there is something to be said for the uncertainties and numerous possibilities that I had each day in California. I miss that. Last night I went to the coffee shop and I opened up my journal to a few choice days where I wrote in it this summer. I dont want to let myself forget....forget the relationships I had there and how my relationship was with the Lord while I was there. I know He wont let me forget though, I am reminded of things all the time.
My schedule isnt too bad at all. I'm dissapointed that I only got 12 hours b/c I screwed up my schedule and all the classes I needed were completely full before I could fix it. Which basically means that I will be taking a lot of hours in summer school this next summer....but we will not be thinkin about that anytime soon! =) I love my teachers and my classes, I'm going to be plenty busy but still having time to invest in my bible study and in meeting with girls and have time to babysit some and earn some extra money. I have a feeling this semester is going to fly by and I hope it does because that means the sooner I can go to Pennsylvania and see my friends from project!!! WOo-hoo!!!
My apartment is finally feeling like home, which I love. I love living with corrie and bri and I love feeling so comfortable coming home to our place!
Feels like Home to me....=)
The Longest, Shortest week of School Ever
This week has been insane. It hasnt even been a full week since I left my beloved Newport Beach and all of my project friends, and already I've been thrown into so much here. I had some issues with my schedule, I registered for one class that I dont even need and had to drop, which left me with only 9 hours, ended up showing up at a class I need, praying that the teacher would let me in, and she did praise God! Now as a Senior who is supposed to be eagerly trying to graduate asap, I am stuck only being able to take 12 hours this semester which is no good at all. Don't get me wrong It will be a fairly easy semester, but as a senior I shouldnt be having anymore of those! But I did find out that in my Art Theory class I am going to get to go to a local Elementary school and have my own class and every friday for an hour I will teach them an Art lesson!!! I'm so excited about that and to finally get some experience with teaching art!
Bri has been gone all week doing rush stuff so Corrie and I have only seen her in passing, but she is done with all of it today! SO yay we can all be roomies for real now! I'm working on getting my room altogether today, finally, so everything feels more at home here at our new place. Our Air Conditioner was out for about a day and a half, but its fixed now and we can all sleep a little better around here now, it was BLOODY HOT!, Oh Texas Weather, gotta love it.
Last night was our first CRU meeting and we had 179 people there!!!!!! That is huge for us, we usually have about a 100 each week give or take a few, so it was amazing to see our room full! After project I just have a new love for meeting new people! I was also encouraged to see almost all of the girls from my bible study back and ready to get started again this semester, and I'm even more excited about new girls that will join our group! I learned so much on Summer Project about leading a small group and discipleship and I cant wait to see how the Lord will allow me to impliment some of that with mine and Kim's group here.
I'm excited to just hangout with people here this weekend before we all get bogged down with homework and projects n such. I'm still in project transition mode, so being around people here definitely helps me to not sit around and be sad about missing Cali and project people so much.
Back to School Back to School
Reality has sunk in and I am back in San Marcos and have been thrown back into the swing of things very quickly. I miss California so much and more than that I miss my friends from project. It was good though because Sunday I moved in and sunday night we had a Cru back to school party and it was SO good to see everyone from school, a little overwhelming but really good. Talking about things that will be going on this year with our Crusade was so good too. I'm excited about new freshman and about getting back into a rountine and my fun art classes this semester, so there are a lot of good things to look forward to so i'm not just sitting around being moppy. I love living with Corrie and Bri, they are being so patient with my stuff sitting all over the apartment in boxes still and so much still needing to be done here. Classes start tomorrow and we are also doing an outreach tomorrow all day for the freshman to promote cru and to get them plugged in quick. I'm real excited about it. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, a little sad, and a little anxious....its just mixed emotions and I think thats totally normal for having just come off of project. I think I'm scared of forgetting, and I really dont want that to happen. It was such a significant summer for my life and my walk with God and I dont want it to be pushed back on the back burners and forgotten about. I need to be sure and get some good alone time with the Lord even in the midst of all this business. All in all I have nothing to complain about, things will calm down sooner or later. Love and blessings, A
The Last Day
It was an early morning here at the Seastar. We all awoke around 8am to begin the cleaning/packing/moving of furniture process; and oh what fun it was, not at all. Tensions were high around here as emotions are running wild as it is and then people trying to find lost items, cleaning tiny rooms that 5 people have resided in for the last 10 weeks and trying to fit all of our stuff we arrived here with, My suitcases which were already about 5 pounds over the weight limit on the trip here from home, and I have now added many items to all of that through the course of the summer, we'll see how that works out.
After all the craziness and saying goodbye to my roomate Ashley who left this afternoon I went out to the Beach to soak up some sun and enjoy this beautiful place that has been right outside my backdoor for the last 10 weeks, for the last time. Many of us here have agreed that this is the weirdest feeling, almost as weird as the first day we were all here. Its like we all know that this is what is supposed to happen, but none of us know exactly what will happen next. We were supposed to be here for 10 weeks, with these people, in this place, learning all that we have learned and being challenged and stretched in our faith in ways like never before.
I am walking away from this experience with much. Much gratitude and thanks for all of the people here on this project and for the close relationships that I have made here, I have made some lifelong friendships here and I look forward to the day when I will see these friends again. I have much hands on experience in sharing my faith like never before and have truly learned the power of the Gospel and how it has worked and changed my life and heart and how it continues to be true and evident in my life everyday. I've learned what it means to have true Intimacy with the Lord, Also in having intimacy in my girlfriendships and the importance of being true-faced with all of the close relationships in my life, and to walk in the room of Grace. I am excited to say that I have had the opportunity to live in California for even just 2 months. Having lived in Texas all my life its been such a refreshing change. I am walking away from this experience changed in many ways and I'm excited to see those changes play out in my real world back at school and at home.
We are staying up allnight probably spending a lot of that time out on the beach and just enjoying each others company for the last time for a long while. I'll be back in Dallas tomorrow and then headed back to San Marcos Sunday morning very early to get eady for the harsh reality that is School Starting. I'm excited to see all of my friends at school again and have good catch up time with them! I will miss California and these amazing people and will think about so many aspects of project very often. So long sweet Summer.....A
A day at the Park for a change
Today was so fun and relaxing. We spend the day having a picnic at this park in Irvine near by. It was sorta strange to spend the day with everyone here on project at a park rather than the Beach, but really fun. It was a chill day of just eating and playing at the park, enjoying each others company with grass and trees and mountains around us, it was wonderful. Project feels already over in many ways. We have about 10 people that have already left project early for various reasons and it feels very empty and incomplete here now. It's funny that every single person here brought something different to project and it is very evident when a part is missing. Our staff project director came back tonight to help us close up project these last few days. Reality is slowly but surely sinking in now more and more each day. I'm dreading and avoiding packing my stuff up, I'm pretty sure that will have to wait till the very last second knowing me. I'm gonna miss my girls here so much! I have grown so close to some ladies here who I cannot imagine waking up and not having them right here! Tomorrow is our last full free day before we start moving all of our furniture out and packing so I'm pretty sure I will be spending it at the beach and maybe doing a little last minute shopping n' such. Lots of Love, A
Making memories to the very end
We left yesterday around noon to start our journey to the airport. We started out over at Fashion Island and did a little shopping and grabbed some lunch and then headed north towards LA. We went over to Hollywood Blvd. to look at all the stars and handprints at the Chinese Theater and all of that business, I hadnt seen all of that since I was like 7 years old so, while we all looked super touristy, I really enjoyed it. We went and had dinner at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip! There was no show, but the music lover inside of me felt super cool just being there, and as it would turn out my beloved Howie Day had played there just a couple of days before! It was a good time. Then we went to this outdoor shopping center called The Grove, it was so awesome, they had this huge fountain in the middle that every 30 minutes would play music and had a water show with lights and would shoot water up really high and it was almost like a dance routine but with water! It was sweet and quite the attraction there! We got some coffee and then at about 10:30 it was time to head for the airport.
Zach's flight was at 12:35 and we got there with very little time to spare. I had been pretty good all day just trying to enjoy spending time with Zach, and then as we drove up to the airport Dawn and I looked at each other and started to lose it. It was such a fun day and we kept it light all day and just laughed alot and talked about lots of fun memories from the summer. Finally it was time to say goodbye we all hugged him and watched him go up the escaldor and he waved to us the whole way up until we couldnt see him anymore. I held most of it in until he couldnt see us anymore and then I just lost it. It was so sad getting in the car and coming back here without him. When we got into the car we saw that he had written each of us notes. Fitting that my note was half sentimental and half really funny. Needless to say I was crying more after that. I am just aweful with goodbyes, esspecially when there is no guarantee when or if you will see them again. I just wish that these goodbyes here werent dragged out throughout the span of a whole week.
I'm off to enjoy the beach today and doing a little last minute shopping and such. Tonight my Action group is going to dinner and having our last meeting together. My roomate Kristi is leaving tomm morning at 5am so I'm going to try and pull an allnighter and hang with her till she leaves. Should be fun, I am learning how to function on very little sleep, but i'm not gonna lie it will be great when I finally have my own bed back and can get a full night of sleep and get into a normal routine again. Much Love from Beautiful Orange County California!
The Beginning of the End
Today was the hardest day of project yet. I woke up really sick this morning due to lack of sleep and not eating right I'm sure, and headed this morning with my co-workers to have brunch with our boss. When we returned to our apartments it was only to find that one of my roomates Jessica's stuff was all packed up and she was departing from Newport Project 05 indefinitely. I helped her load her stuff up into her car and gave her the biggest goodbye hug ever and all I could say as the tears streamed down both of our faces was " I'm going to miss you..." I now have an empty bed in my room here and I dont like it. I know we are all leaving on Saturday and there are many more goodbyes to come, but today it really sank in that this is all almost over; that the best summer of my life thus far, also the most amazing experience I've ever had will be coming to an end in just a few days.
I am an emotional wreck esspecially with goodbyes. Tomorrow will be even worse than today was. I am going with some of my friends to take my good friend Zach to the airport as he departs project early as well. He and I have become so close over the course of the summer. We worked together all summer long, we had Impact group together for the first 5 weeks, and because we are the same age and have the same major, I think we instantly had a connection. He has become like a brother to me and I have honestly never met anyone like him and there will never be anyone like him in my life again, he is most definitely an irreplacable, one of a kind. He is flying home to Wisconsin and its sad to know that tomorrow I wont be going to work and spending the day making fun of him and the crazy things that come out of his mouth, and singing John Mayer at the top of our lungs, and feeling completely comfortable talking to him about anything and everything. I will miss this boy so much.
Friends from school who wet on projects last year tried to tell me about this part of project; warn me that this would happen......that I wouldnt want to leave these people and that saying goodbyes would be so terrible, but no one couldve prepared me for the reality of the awefulness that is occuring here at the seastar apartments in Newport Beach California throughout this next week.
Party on the Tiki Boat and my last time to ever make a Balboa Bar
This is our end of Project Banquet Cake that we had on our cruise on the Tiki Boat last night! It was a good time good folks, good food, and some crazy dancin!
Heres the view from the boat over near the Wedge at sunset it was Absolutely Beautiful!
Here are the lovely 5A Ladies here in our apartment before the Party. It was Black and White themed, which I love and we had already done once so we all for sure had the perfect outfits. This is Hayley, Abby, Sarah, Ashley, Kristi, Me, Nicole, Jen, Jessica, and Liz. Kristi and I are the Action group leaders for both of our rooms so we thought it cute to have both bible studies stand behind their fearless leaders for a whole apartment Pic. I love these girls so much!!
The banquet was a blast and we just danced the night away while out cruising the Ocean, couldnt have been more fabulous! A highlight of mine was all of us in a big circle singing Jack Johnson's "Better when We're Together" so loud to each other! It was Precious and I think we all got a little teary eyed at that point!
Today was my last day of Work!!!!! While working at Balboa Beach Treats was fun while it lasted, I'm so glad that season of my life is over! Tomorrow I am getting on the boat at 9am and heading over to Catalina Island for the day!! Should be a good time, I cannot believe this is all almost over! Talk back soon!, A
the countdown begins....
This past weekend was so great! Saturday at work Kelly Thompson called me, ( my friend who is going to be a freshman at Texas State this year and who I discipled when I was in High School) She is staying in California, very close to me for about 10 days and wanted to see if I was still here...so we met up and she came to church with me on Saturday night. It was so weird to meet up with someone from Texas here in California, but it was awesome to see her! After Church on Saturday night our Commuity team planned a night for us to have dinner at this amazing Italian Place called Buca di Beppo. It was a family style Italian food restraunt and it was so great to have some good food!
When we got back a group of us went out to the beach and one of the guys brought his guitar and we all just hungout and bonded with the waves crashing and the wind blowing...it was a night I wont forget. Sunday morning I met Kelly for coffee so we could actually chat and catch up and what weve both been up to this summer and it turns out we've both been growing and learning so much this summer so it was awesome to just see how God has worked in such big ways in both our lives this summer.
We had outreach yesterday that went really well and then a group of us watched Count of Monte Cristo..Love that movie so much! Today I had the day off and went with some girls to IKEA (wanted to buy everything in there and came out with Place mats for my kitchen table at my apartment at school) and, (OH HAPPY DAY) I had Chik-fila today for the first time in 8 weeks!!! It was Fantastic! Got some Sun on the beach and just enjoying being in California as I count down to the sad day of leaving. Love you! A
A Rainbow Day and a Laguna Beach Night
I had the day off today and this morning I had a D-time breakfast with Jessica and then a Midday D-time with Jen and we got Pedicures! Then Jen and I had planned on trying to borrow a car and go shopping to the Rainbow Sandals outlet in San Clemente....well we werent having a lot of lucky on the car situation, so I decided to be spontaneous and go Rent a Car! I wasnt planning on this, but they had great weekend deals and Ive saved up a lot of money this summer so I decided to go for it.
Once we got the car we found the Rainbow outlet and I got my first pair of Rainbows for half the price of anywhere you can find them in Texas and they are so cute and comfy! Then we had a bite to eat and a lady pointed us in the direction of a mall. We went to this AMAZING mall in Mission Viejo, I'm talkin a good mall people, every store you could want in a mall is there. So we did a little shopping and got back home around 630 or so.
Tonight we decided to take a group of people over to Laguna Beach, I had a car and have never been so I was super excited! It was Phenominal!!!! I'm talking absolutely amazing, never seen any place like it before. It is somewhere that I would def like to return to someday to stay for a weekend or something.......we missed the sunset, it was already pretty much gone by the time we got there but I can only imagine the colors and the breath-taking beauty that it would bring to that place! After a while there we headed over to a local coffee shop there for dessert and coffee, and the place we chose just happen to have some excellent live music playing tonight! It was so much fun, and it felt great to be driving again!
I'm working my last Saturday shift tomorrow at 730am! Woo-hoo! Lots of Love!
Red Meets Blue
Last night we had another Date With Jesus night and it was Fantastic! I went and got a personal sized Pizookie<> And I took it out to the Beach and journaled and read my bible, it was a beautiful time with just me and Jesus. It was from about 530-830ish so I got to see the Sunset, and the first thing that came to mind as I watched this was the Matt Wertz song Red Meets Blue.
The lyrics are a little something like this,
"You keep distacting me with that Beauty, leaving me wanting more....Reminding me of my duty to lock these eyes to Yours...I've never known a love so true, I want to see all of You...where green meets red and red meets blue, I want to see all of You.......Sunlight dances in the distance and her squinty eyes show, and I'm chasing down Horizons, in hopes of being there with You......And I'm lost inside of You."The colors in the sky right as I was walking back to my apartments showed Red meeting Blue in the distance after the sun had already made its way down. It was such a beautiful thing and I will never forget the way that looked, I like to think it was Gods little present He presented to me for our date.
Tuesday a group of us went to San Diego and it was Amazing! We went to a few different parts to Mission Beach, Coronado Island, and to my personal favorite, La Jolla. i'm just blown away by how many beautiful parts there are to California! It was a fun group of guys and girls and we had a blast. Ther tragedy of the day though.......i LOST my digital Camera in La Jolla! I was so bummed!! I had some amazing pics on there and it was a pretty nice camera, but these things happen.....luckily we are having a project web site where everyone can put up their digital pics and we can all download them, and I also have 2 disposable cameras that I have been taking pics with this whole time.
I'm still having a blast, its getting harder as it gets toward the end, but we are all just trying to focus on whats still going on here and not what is inevitably going to happen here in 2 weeks. Love and blessings!, Amanda
Today started a little flustering with Bri calling me at 6am my time b/c she moved into our new apartment today, and then with being frantically rushed to work with Dawn as she woke up about 9:40 when she was supposed to be at work at 7:30 this morning, so we hurried to get her set up and it was just a crazy way to start the day. I thoroughly enjoyed my convo with my sweet Lindsey Mika this morning too, always a pleasure my dear! Then I def had one of the busiest days at work yet today, which was insane for it being a Monday! If I see one more Balboa Bar..... Bad news bears! hahahaha Then I had Chinese food Monday d-time with Anna which is always a highlight of my week. We then had our Action group leaders meeting, which was a really encouraging time for me, and I really love that time to connect with all the other girl bible study leaders.
My mind is kinda all over the place right now. I feel a little not quite myself right now. I dunno if its just me being tired and irritable, but I feel like parts of me are missing. I'm desperately missing Art, looking at it and creating it. It's been 7 weeks and that is a huge part of myself that I've been neglecting this whole time. The Lord loves to stir my heart with Art and I miss that! I'm also really feeling disconnected from my family, which I hate. I talk to my mom almost everyday, many times more than once a day, but I just feel like my brothers and sisters are all growing up so fast and I am missing out on such crucial times of their lives.
I'm really torn on all my emotions that are rising with Project right now. With 3 weeks left I just feel really sad knowing that there are some people here that I will never see again, and others that I will want to see so badly, and will struggle to keep up with, but will inevitable not be the same with them as we are here ever again. I new all of this coming into project, but I didn't know how close I would get to some of these people. I know the Lord is preparing me for the end now b/c I am such a rollercoaster of emotions that I need that extra prep time, I love that He knows me so well inside and out!=) Off to bed for now, I have the day off tomorrow and am hopefully going to do to something terribly fun!Ciao for now!
