Musings
With the recent increase of people actually updating this thing, I have been feeling the pull to write a bit about the going on's of my life as well. I feel so much more "caught up" with old friends that I at least owe it to them to offer up information about myself and thoughts over the past month
1. I ran a half marathon. It was awesome. I followed the training schedule, sometimes running 40 miles in one week! and actually ran the 13.1 through downtown Indianapolis. My furthest run before the training was 7 miles. Now, I run seven miles like I used to run three. I just started training for another one in September.
2. I just finished summer school. It took all I had in me to do it, seeing as spring semester by no means contained many of my life's proudest moments, but I am so glad that I decided to stick it out in Bloomington for six more weeks. It was actually the most refreshing and yet challenging thing I have done in a while. I met a lot of new people and made some good friends, grew closer with old friends, DJ-ed my own radio show and learned sooo much about the radio world, worshiped God with every inch of my being (sometimes the entire day, which has been a goal of mine, to really learn what it means to "continually be in prayer"), went to local shows, learned how to live by myself in an empty apartment, read and took naps in the park, and even finished a few books for enjoyment. Oh yeah and got 6 credit hours and a lab class out of the way! Rock! Really could life be any better?
3. My brother is getting married, and somehow, I feel like I am winning in the situation. His fiance is a doll... more than that, she is a sister in the truest sense. One of the most encouraging girls I have met in a long while. She's got an excitement about life that is simply infectious. She has made a real effort to become a friend of mine in the past year, for which I am so grateful. Sarah (I know, that is her name, weird, huh?) is one of those friends that I can call up and talk to about everything. She genuinely cares, and many times, understands where I coming from and what I am saying. We tend to view the world in very similar ways, and therefore share many of the same ideas and beliefs. My brother is marrying this lovely lady and so now we really will be sisters! She is always sending cards and emails to my various family members and is actually excited about becoming a part of our family. Not only is she good for Tom, but she is a blessing to the rest of my family as well. Anyway, I love family, so getting more family is extremely fun to me.
4. Coming home this week has been a fantastic transition/ experience for many reasons.
A) On Father's day, we went to see a Christian artist, who actually surprised me by his skill. The show was quite enjoyable, and it was fun hanging out with my family.
B) The bookshelf in my room was completely full of books, more than half of which I haven't yet read. Tom and I have not lived under the same roof for four years now, and he seems to have acquired many new books within those years. I love new books, and they all are already located in my room, how exciting!
C) After 5 years of pain and suffering, I finally got to see a doctor about my shoulders! (They have been in excruciating pain since my junior year of high school) My dad has a job, that, for the first time in my life, carries medical insurance!!!! My mom and I went on Tuesday and it was amazing. Every bone in my neck was out of line, and in fact, I had a reverse curvature (the neck should bend one way, mine bent the other) and my right side of my hip was sitting an inch out of place. He popped my hip and neck bones (vertebrae if you will) back into place (very painful, but like I said, I have been in pain for sometime, so I really didn't mind) and prescribed me a bunch of stuff to help with the anemia/ infection that I have been fighting. My shoulders are pretty messed up, but this guy really despises surgery (he is a purest and holistic kind of doctor) so he thinks that he can fix me without it. I have to go once a week for the rest of the summer, and even on into the first semester of school, but at least I am in the process of not hurting so badly. God bless good doctors, and the chance to see them, even if it takes 5 years.
D) I have some pretty amazing friends that live here in the Region, and I have had the privilege of hanging out and studying the Bible with them. The Bible study that I attend is amazing. Really, if you came to it, you would be like "Wow, I've never been a part of something like this." It is so awe inspiring because of the people who choose to be a part of it. It isn't the classic, a leader asks a question and then everyone is quiet and then one person finally says something and then maybe one more person speaks up to validate the first person and then the leader moves on... In this study, everyone truly participates and is digging into the Word. Not only are they digging into the Word at Bible study, but it is evident that there is a lot of out-class-research-and-study going on as well. Being a part of it inspires and encourages my personal walk so much. Instead of doing my "daily devotions" to better myself, or because I should, I feel like I HAVE to do them, because if I don't, I'm letting down and holding back from the body. Yeah, I am truly blessed to have so many friends like this all over the place, but especially to have many of them living in my hometown.
...And that is only 5 days folks!
As I was talking to a friend, I was telling her how content I am at this point in my life. I love my school and am excited about what next year has in store for me, but I also am loving home and am enjoying every bit of this small summer break which God has so richly provided. I am just happy where I am at, not dying for some future point in time, not nostalgically longing for the days of old, but waking up, excited for what small adventure each day holds.
As I stated, I have a lot of books to read this summer. The first one is The Count of Monte Cristo (a little over 500 pages of awesome, well the first 100 have been) Anyway, right before Dantes is to be wed to the girl of his dreams and be named captain of his ship... he says this.
"The fact is, at the present moment I am too happy to be gay...Joy has that peculiar effect that at times is oppresses us just as much as grief...Good fortune is like the palaces of the enchanted isles, the gates of which were guarded by dragons. Happiness could only be obtained by overcoming these dragons."
How I relate to this so much! Sure there will be more "dragons" in my life, ones with harder bites and quicker defenses, but the good in life must be taken hold of, to give reason for fighting off the "dragons" in the first place.
Lengthy, but it is summer break, so you all should have the spare time to read if you feel so lead. I'll try to be more frequent with less quantity as the summer progresses.
1. I ran a half marathon. It was awesome. I followed the training schedule, sometimes running 40 miles in one week! and actually ran the 13.1 through downtown Indianapolis. My furthest run before the training was 7 miles. Now, I run seven miles like I used to run three. I just started training for another one in September.
2. I just finished summer school. It took all I had in me to do it, seeing as spring semester by no means contained many of my life's proudest moments, but I am so glad that I decided to stick it out in Bloomington for six more weeks. It was actually the most refreshing and yet challenging thing I have done in a while. I met a lot of new people and made some good friends, grew closer with old friends, DJ-ed my own radio show and learned sooo much about the radio world, worshiped God with every inch of my being (sometimes the entire day, which has been a goal of mine, to really learn what it means to "continually be in prayer"), went to local shows, learned how to live by myself in an empty apartment, read and took naps in the park, and even finished a few books for enjoyment. Oh yeah and got 6 credit hours and a lab class out of the way! Rock! Really could life be any better?
3. My brother is getting married, and somehow, I feel like I am winning in the situation. His fiance is a doll... more than that, she is a sister in the truest sense. One of the most encouraging girls I have met in a long while. She's got an excitement about life that is simply infectious. She has made a real effort to become a friend of mine in the past year, for which I am so grateful. Sarah (I know, that is her name, weird, huh?) is one of those friends that I can call up and talk to about everything. She genuinely cares, and many times, understands where I coming from and what I am saying. We tend to view the world in very similar ways, and therefore share many of the same ideas and beliefs. My brother is marrying this lovely lady and so now we really will be sisters! She is always sending cards and emails to my various family members and is actually excited about becoming a part of our family. Not only is she good for Tom, but she is a blessing to the rest of my family as well. Anyway, I love family, so getting more family is extremely fun to me.
4. Coming home this week has been a fantastic transition/ experience for many reasons.
A) On Father's day, we went to see a Christian artist, who actually surprised me by his skill. The show was quite enjoyable, and it was fun hanging out with my family.
B) The bookshelf in my room was completely full of books, more than half of which I haven't yet read. Tom and I have not lived under the same roof for four years now, and he seems to have acquired many new books within those years. I love new books, and they all are already located in my room, how exciting!
C) After 5 years of pain and suffering, I finally got to see a doctor about my shoulders! (They have been in excruciating pain since my junior year of high school) My dad has a job, that, for the first time in my life, carries medical insurance!!!! My mom and I went on Tuesday and it was amazing. Every bone in my neck was out of line, and in fact, I had a reverse curvature (the neck should bend one way, mine bent the other) and my right side of my hip was sitting an inch out of place. He popped my hip and neck bones (vertebrae if you will) back into place (very painful, but like I said, I have been in pain for sometime, so I really didn't mind) and prescribed me a bunch of stuff to help with the anemia/ infection that I have been fighting. My shoulders are pretty messed up, but this guy really despises surgery (he is a purest and holistic kind of doctor) so he thinks that he can fix me without it. I have to go once a week for the rest of the summer, and even on into the first semester of school, but at least I am in the process of not hurting so badly. God bless good doctors, and the chance to see them, even if it takes 5 years.
D) I have some pretty amazing friends that live here in the Region, and I have had the privilege of hanging out and studying the Bible with them. The Bible study that I attend is amazing. Really, if you came to it, you would be like "Wow, I've never been a part of something like this." It is so awe inspiring because of the people who choose to be a part of it. It isn't the classic, a leader asks a question and then everyone is quiet and then one person finally says something and then maybe one more person speaks up to validate the first person and then the leader moves on... In this study, everyone truly participates and is digging into the Word. Not only are they digging into the Word at Bible study, but it is evident that there is a lot of out-class-research-and-study going on as well. Being a part of it inspires and encourages my personal walk so much. Instead of doing my "daily devotions" to better myself, or because I should, I feel like I HAVE to do them, because if I don't, I'm letting down and holding back from the body. Yeah, I am truly blessed to have so many friends like this all over the place, but especially to have many of them living in my hometown.
...And that is only 5 days folks!
As I was talking to a friend, I was telling her how content I am at this point in my life. I love my school and am excited about what next year has in store for me, but I also am loving home and am enjoying every bit of this small summer break which God has so richly provided. I am just happy where I am at, not dying for some future point in time, not nostalgically longing for the days of old, but waking up, excited for what small adventure each day holds.
As I stated, I have a lot of books to read this summer. The first one is The Count of Monte Cristo (a little over 500 pages of awesome, well the first 100 have been) Anyway, right before Dantes is to be wed to the girl of his dreams and be named captain of his ship... he says this.
"The fact is, at the present moment I am too happy to be gay...Joy has that peculiar effect that at times is oppresses us just as much as grief...Good fortune is like the palaces of the enchanted isles, the gates of which were guarded by dragons. Happiness could only be obtained by overcoming these dragons."
How I relate to this so much! Sure there will be more "dragons" in my life, ones with harder bites and quicker defenses, but the good in life must be taken hold of, to give reason for fighting off the "dragons" in the first place.
Lengthy, but it is summer break, so you all should have the spare time to read if you feel so lead. I'll try to be more frequent with less quantity as the summer progresses.