Summer

My summer has begun.  It feels great not having any homework, but I know that I have a lot to do in order to prepare for the new school year.  I can't believe that I'm alright looking towards August, but I have such a crazy busy summer that I feel it is necessary!!!  Beginning tomorrow, I will be looking for a job and getting my "adult life" in order.  I hope to get the job set up soon so I can figure out a budget - gotta love finances!  After that, I hope that I can do something towards getting debt paid off (about $2000 in all, with the exception of student loans) and setting up a savings plan.  I am thrilled for my future in Africa, so until then, I'd like to do more than "make it through."  I'd like to enjoy my last couple years in school too!

Today was much better than I thought it would be.  I was DEFINITELY sure that I would have a bad day...but, in all honesty, Mass relaxed me which lessened the intensity of the pain.  Then, the pain kicked in...but even now, I can still type.  I went to Sunday School at one of the United Methodist churches in town that I had been going to before going to Catholicism.  It was a good time...although, I didn't pay attention completely! ;)  I was a bit distracted by my urge to go to Afffrrrriiiicccaaaaaaa! 

However, with all my distractions of Afffrrrriiiicccaaaaaaa and checking the time to allow for travel to noon Mass, something still caught my eye/ear.  "Blessings come through trust and obedience."  After a bit of thought, I realized its truth.  I know that when I am trusting and obeying God, I see more blessings.  However, when things get rough and I lose faith in God, my entire world seems to be upside down and blessings are fewer and far between.  It's all about worldview.  When we trust and obey God, we see the world in a way unlike any other!  We see it for what it is...good.  We see "curses" as opportunities to trust God.  We see concerns as prayer requests.  As someone said this morning: Courage is fear who has said its prayers. 

What is bugging me more than anything else:  Values.  In the U.S., people value money, success, and health.  People like nice cars and homes.  They want to be successful and make money with full bank accounts.  They want to be happy.  They long for happiness.  But, very few people are happy with these values.  We all need a lil' bit of love!!!  I don't want to value money, success, nice things, etc...I want to be a person with values more than that!  I want to value people.  Real people.  People who are dealing with more in their lives than those in America could ever imagine!!!  I want to love children for who they are.  I want to see education as something more than what I have to do half-butt every day.  I want to see money as a blessing not a need.  I want to see success as helping a child smile!  I want to give all I have to real people here and in Africa!  Because...by doing that, I'm fulfilling my purpose.  I'm glorifying God by helping others.  No matter HOW vague and broad that seems!  SOOOO...That's my lil' rant.  Perhaps if we just start valuing people, we can solve a lot of the world's problems.  Poverty, world hunger, war...they can all end.  Think it through. 

Alright.  That's all.  Adios!