First day of life??

Its been forever since I have posted - I have tried writing and nothing amazing has come from it...Let's hope this works out better.

This summer has been a crazy one with working two different internships, hanging out with new and old friends, saying hellos and goodbyes, breaking legs, traveling around the United States and reading my Bible. Its been a roller coaster of amazing moments with friends and sadness of saying goodbye to close ones. I have been learning and realizing that despite whether its good or bad, I am truly blessed and that God is working it for good (Genesis 50: 19-20 - Don't worry this will show up later)

The past few days I have been reconnecting with some old, dear friends of mine and it has been one of the biggest blessings to learn about what is going on in their lives and how they are living their lives for God. I've always had a hard time saying goodbye to friends and people in general. I think its because I did it so much since I was the youngest of 8. This summer I've been learning that friends are sometimes in your life for only a season, sometimes they come back though. My friend Jesse was one of those friends this summer - God placed him in my life at the perfect time. We actually worked together but became even better friends. He was exactly what I needed - a friend, and just that. Jesse left in July for the Peace Corps. Although I do miss him, I am starting to understand that its not goodbye forever and that God had him in my life as long as he needed to be.

Breaking my leg was serious challenge for me this summer - I have an earlier blog about it. It was frustrating, painful and took wayy to long to heal. I just went to the doctor today and he told me I don't have to where my boot anymore and I'm about 80 percent healed. Praise God!! Again, this was extremely hard and one of those huge hills on the roller coaster but God used this for good. I cannot tell you how many people I got to share with what happened and even be a witness through it, and by that I mean complete strangers even. Sometimes I get angry at myself for tattooing "count it all joy" on my wrist because of the constant reminder which it offers.

I think I'll save talking majorly about my trip for another post but I went to Mississippi, St. Louis, and Chicago in two and a half weeks. While in Miss, my brother phil (his blog - http://philstalmud.blogspot.com/) talked a lot about the Bible. I told him about my struggle with not knowing what to read. He encouraged me and showed me a new way to read it. So over the past week or so, I have been reading Genesis with new and refreshed eyes. After discussion with Phil, he showed me that a key point of Genesis is that God takes everything for good, even if its intentions were of harm. *19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them NIV.* This amazing truth has helped bring a lot of healing to hurt and struggles that I have been dealing with this summer.

So many people have been asking me what the next step is in life, since I am a college grad. All my friends are starting their first day of school today, which really makes me want to be there. But I have to start this supposed "life." It's not easy, not that college was either, there are tons of twists, turns, uphills, downhills, and sometimes even getting stuck along the way. But I know that if I continue to hold God's promise to my heart - no matter what happens, "God has intended it for good to accomplish what now is being done, the saving of many lives vs. 20."