HOWDY!

Howdy! from College Station, Texas: home of AGGIELAND :) [yes, I am out of routine in "howdy" being the standard greeting!]

Oh my, it's so good to be back! I met my roommate Rachel this morning when I got to College Station, and she is AWESOME. Geesh, God definitely knew what He was doing last semester in the whole roommate debacle. I went with Rachel and Caty (one of her friends who lives in our dorm) to go pick up textbooks this morning, and then got to meet my Impact BG from last year for froyo. At this time last year, we all met at Yogurtland for yogurt because I had never had froyo before -- this year we were reuniting at the same spot! So much fun!!

I then came back around 3:30 and hung out in my room and finished some finishing touches on my room. I was able to write a letter to one of my campers who had wrote me a letter last week that was waiting for me in my mailbox today at school. I also went through and looked at syllabus' and realized just how rare free weekends are going to be this semester. From now until finals I only have 5 weekends right now that don't have anything on my calendar. Uh... what?! Yeah. It's going to be crazy!

Tonight I had dinner with Katie, one of my bestest friends in College Station who I play water polo with.  We sat at McAlister's for over 2 hours catching up on each others lives. Gosh I've missed that girl! She told me all about the 10 weeks she spent in Tunisia, Africa, and I was able to tell her all about Cho-Yeh! It was such a sweet time with her, and I'm so glad she is back in my life on a regular basis!

Rachel and I got back around the same time tonight, and spent a good two hours just talking. We shared several camp stories (she works at a different camp), and it was so great to be able to share that passion with her! Rachel and Caty just left to go explore the other side of campus and then utilize the "Call the Corp" service on campus, and I'm about ready to turn in for the day.

I have LOVED being back in Aggieland!! God is SO good :)

God has bigger plans for me than I have for myself

"God has bigger plans for me than I have for myself".

That quote doesn't only apply to life in general, but for every moment. Every semester, every week, every day, every class, every conversation.

I get excited just thinking about what God has planned for this year. I feel like I am in such a better spot in life than I was going into my freshman year, and I feel like I've grown a lot too. I don't know what God has in store for this upcoming semester, but I know that it is far greater than anything that I have planned.

Therefore, as I throw the rest of the stuff in my car and drive up to College Station, I will be excited knowing that God's plans are HUGE and so much greater than what I can even think of for this next semester. With Him holding the reigns, I know it's going to be one great ride.

Here we go!

The Mailbox and The Frog

I had some encouragement letters I needed to put in the mail, and so I thought I would be considerate and check the mailbox while I was down there. Since it was dark outside I couldn't see inside to see if there were any letters, so I reached inside. There wasn't any mail, but a FROG! I hit the frog with my hand and it proceeded to jump out of the mailbox towards where I was standing. I screamed, and pulled KJ one way while the frog jumped on its merry way in the opposite direction.

Dear parents, I will NEVER again be getting the mail unless it is light outside. Thanks for your understanding!

A Day With Mom

Of all the days that I've been home this summer (I know that isn't many), I think that today was probably one of the best.

It's often hard to get time with Mom. She works a lot, and goes to bed a good 3-4 hours before me. This past year at school, my mom became more of a friend to me as opposed to a "guardian" type figure in my life. Therefore, when I am home it is hard when she is having to work. I get to see Dad and Kole a lot, but time with my mom is often rare.

Today, I got all day with her. I decided to go with to Fiest in order to help out and knowing that I would get a good few hours to be with her. We were working the entire time, but we got to be together while we were busy. She got to hear my funny/awkward moments just minutes after they happened and I know they were better stories that way. After working, we ran to Kohls to look for "roll up jeans" (aka capris), but were unsuccessful. We then came home to relax and make weak attempts at power naps before heading out to dinner with Dad and Kole. After dinner we all played 500 as a family, where Mom and I DOMINATED the last round, coming back with a 9 Hearts bid to win the game. It was incredible and left both of us all grins. At that point it was 8:45 and past Mom's bedtime, so she went to bed while I ventured up to finish up some last minute details.

Today was such a good day. Not because working was exceptionally fun, but because I got to spend the entire day with my mom. These days are so few and far between now, but today was such a great day with Mom!

Unorganized Chaos, among other random thoughts

My life is generally chaotic, that is nothing unusual, but normally my life is an organized version of chaos.

Currently, everything is an unorganized chaotic disaster! I have stuff spread throughout the entire house that needs to get moved up to College Station. I've been packing bit-by-bit so I know that I'm going to get there and realize that I probably left some pretty important things in Houston. I have this huge looming Walmart list that needs to be taken care of, and the fact that I don't have things even bought yet and I am leaving in just over 2 days is not helping this stressed out factor. WAH!

Normally when I'm in Houston and I am stressed I have turned to the pool and used the "swim it off" method. But that isn't an option for obvious reasons. My friends are normally a great source for relief, but as I depressingly realized tonight, I only have one girlfriend in Houston now, and she just moved up to Waco. All of my other really close friends are camp friends, which mean they are scattered across Texas and other parts of the country. That realization was definitely a stinker one tonight.

Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day between helping out with the Krolczyk kiddos in the morning, making my massive Walmart run, and stopping at Kohls since I haven't bought clothes since my junior year of high school and nothing fits outside of Nike shorts, jeans, and t-shirts. I also need to clean/pick up the upstairs and clean the bathroom tomorrow before all of our good family friends come over to hang out Friday night. I'm hoping after that is over tomorrow I can sit down in the "college room" and go through everything and finish up packing in that aspect.

As friends have started moving back into their campuses (Renee, Kasey, Emily, Emily, Hanna, Katie all moved back already), I am starting to get more excited to be back at school with everybody. It stinks majorly when you go from being surrounded by your best friends all summer, to heading back home where you haven't seen a friend in 4 days. At school I'm constantly surrounded by people my own age. At camp I am too. At home, it's just me and my family. And although I LOVE that time, I do miss my friends and people who are in the same spot of life as I am. I think that is what I am most excited for this year, strengthening friendships from last year, and building new ones this semester! And boy, I'm also ready to get every thing back in some sort of order! This messy business is driving me CRAZY! (Yes mom, I have become a lot more organized and neat since I moved to College Station and was living on my own!)

No Words

There are no words that will ever be able to accurately depict what a summer at Cho-Yeh is like. I could try to explain it, but the attempt would be so futile that it isn't worth even trying.

All I can say is that I am so thankful that God's plan for my life put me back at Cho-Yeh this summer. He pushed my comfort zones, and grew me so much because of that. He taught me how to humble myself and deny my own wants in order to serve those around me. He taught me that I am a very prideful person, and that I need to allow others to help me instead of trying to do everything on my own. He placed some beautiful friends in my life who I know will hold me accountable and who will encourage me throughout this year and for years to come. He allowed me to work with some staff a couple years younger than me, and showed me how to guide and lead them not only at camp but in the "real world" as well. God gave me some campers that proved to be challenging, but gave me His love in order to love them in ways they have never experienced.

God rocked my world this summer, and allowed me to be a vessel for Him. There aren't words that will ever be even close to enough to describe camp to somebody who didn't experience it. All I know is that Our God is so faithful and has incredible plans for each one of us! Although I miss camp and my friends terribly, and am not ready to move back to College Station, I am excited knowing that I am right in the middle of God's plan and I cannot wait to see what He has in store for this next semester!

Precious and Loved

Hello, Assalamu' alikum, Hola, Yo, Ma'am... all greetings that may be heard this week in my cabin of middle schoolers.


We have a camper from Mexico, one from Dubai, and several other challenging situations all thrown together in one cabin. Some have grown up in homes that knew no love. Some have never had an authority figure in their life. Some have been bounced from house to house, with no place to call home. Some have grown up in unsafe neighborhoods. They have not had the easiest lives to say the least.


But these girls are God's precious children. They may have never been seen as prized and beloved by their own families, but they are beautiful daughters of Our God. They may been viewed as "rough" by the world, but they are just as treasured as we are in God's eyes.


This week is a challenge. Their stories break my heart, and I want to mend all of their hearts. That is not my job though, my job is to love them in a way that they will never forget. Even when they turn their backs and try to push me away, I will keep loving on them, just as our Father never quits loving us when we turn away from Him. They are precious and loved. So beautiful!