The Sara Adventure

Also known as Fall.

It's always been my favorite time of year, and I am loving the weather here. It's always been a time of change for me, and this autumn is no exception.

Classes have started back, which is something I always looked forward to as a kid- my excitement doesn't match that of my 8 or 14 year old self, but I am glad to be back in the swing of things. I am taking three classes: Individual Counseling Skills, Multicultural Counseling, and Intro to Family Counseling. So good so far. I think the work load will be medium to high.

I got myself a job! Don't ask me if I'm excited... just warning you. I will be a Graduate Assistant starting next week. I didn't want the job, but knew I needed it. I hope God surprises me with some awesome reasons to have this job. The pay is not much- two classes per semester plus $275 a month- for 10 hours a week of work. I know it's more than I'm making now (which is nothin), but I think I will be overworked. We'll see. I am thankful for the opportunity... I know it's a privilege. They were especially excited about my research skills and knowledge of SPSS, even though I don't like to do research. ha ha. Maybe I shouldn't have told them I can?!

A Church has started in our home, and it's an exciting time. We have four couples right now, and we've just met together twice. Even though it's in our home the leadership is shared, and we'll all take turns with responsibilities. More to come as God blesses our small church family.

If you know much about Alan and I you know we love to be outside and we love to go camping. In fact, last fall in Arkansas we went about 5 times in a couple months time! This weekend we are going camping at Chain O Lakes State Park with our friends Jes and Nate. Should be fun!

Hope you enjoy your Autumn... Winter will be here soon, and for us that is COLD : )

Don't worry, that was just to get your attention...

The thing that I sometimes love and sometimes don't is the TRAIN, but today I love it. I was able to go shopping with my friend even though it has been 8 months since I have driven. On my way home I met some interesting people.

Matt moved to Chicago about a year ago to study animation at a school I can't remember the name of. He is from Houston and misses the community his church provided. I started talking to him because his shirt boldly said "Mzungu," which means "foreigner/ white person" in Swahili. I knew he must have been to East Africa, or knew someone who had, so I started up a conversation. He said I was the first person to ever say something about it and know what is means. I think we both felt like the world got a little smaller.

John is a hispanic young man who wears a cross around his neck. He lives in my neighborhood and knows very little english. I know very little spanish, so our conversation was helped by his english speaking friend. I asked them to teach me some more spanish on our ride home, and so they laughed, practically rolling in their seats, as they taught me "mi amor" which I secretly already knew. It means "my love." We talked back and forth with the little we knew of each other's language. He boldly asked me my name, and told me I was very nice. He and his friend couldn't believe I was married, and told me my husband was a very lucky man. They made me feel like a good person, and made my neighborhood feel a little more like home.

Sometimes the long ride home is a good one.

Apparently it's been a while since I've posted a blog- thanks for reminding me, Mark. I looked on the calendar to see what has happened since I last posted July 21... Alyssa and Steven came for a few days, Lori and Adam took their day trip here and bought us pizza, I went to Stefanie's baby shower, Erin and Caleb moved in, I signed up for a 10K, I wrote a 30 page paper, and we hung out with a lot of friends. Now that my class is over, I am on vacation. At home. Which is fine with me.

It's hot today. 89 degrees that is. I know a lot of you reading this would laugh at such a statement, but for around here it's a little warm! My body is not used to it, and anything over 85 kind of makes me dizzy. PS- we only have one little window AC, so I am not exactly comfortable in the apartment.

Hard to believe my birthday is in a little over one month. Am I really about to be 23?! Do I have to grow up? Hope not. I kinda feel like I've been 23 for a while. All my friends are older than me, so by the time I am turning any age, I feel like I should already be that old since my friends are. I know that's kind of weird. I have really enjoyed being 22, and I enjoy being younger than my friends : )

Much travel to come this month! Thursday we leave for Louisville for a few days, and then the Thursday after that we fly to Murfreesboro to see Alan's parents, sister, and nephew! I miss Peyton a lot. A couple days after we get back my friend and former roommie, Lori (pictured above), is coming to visit for a few days. I haven't spent quality time with her in a long time.

Class starts again the 31st... hopefully I will feel ready. I have an interview for a graduate assistantship. Not sure if I want the job. We shall see.

Seems like a lot of my friends are sick right now, so I guess there is something going around. I am getting over a sinus infection myself, and now my Alan is sick! Poor thing; he is in bed. We were supposed to do laundry today, so maybe he is just trying to get out of it! (I don't really believe that).

I am turning in the form today to switch my Masters program from community counseling to family counseling! I am excited to make the switch, and will hopefully have my intro to family counseling course this fall. A lot of people have been asking me about my summer classes and how they are going- boring. I'm glad I took evaluation techniques in the 6 week version, and career development in the 12 week variety. It's taking a lot out of me to care much about career development theory. I'm not really into all the tests and inventories and telling people what they'd be good at. I hate the idea of someone thinking I'm going to tell them what to do- if that's the case they've come to the wrong counselor. I should explain:

No one knows what is best for you but you. Trust me. You know yourself better than anyone else knows you, and you are the one that must live with your decisions. No counselor is going to give you advice that you couldn't come up with on your own... you just need a little help. My job will be to point out patterns in your life- good and bad- and demonstrate how your strengths have gotten you through every situation up to now. That is the short version. I like to imagine the counselor's role not as an advisor, but a strengthener, encourager, eye opener, and sometimes healer.

Heavens, this has been an interesting summer so far! We've had several groups of friends in and out of our home, and there is still more to come! Alyssa and Steven get here tomorrow, a few days after they leave some friends of ours move in to their apartment here in the city, a few days later my class ends, then we have our big Pray4Chicago event, then a week later we are going to Murfreesboro to see Alan's parents, sister, and nephew, two days after we get back Lori comes for a week, and the days she leaves my fall classes start. That's just to the end of August!

Paper writin' time.

What does it mean for my soul to have peace or rest? I feel like my soul is restless right now... tossing and turning in bed... pondering its existence. I have gone from somewhat apathetic about my current spiritual life to almost sick about it.

There is a battle going on inside me between the godly parts and the parts I hate. You know what I mean, you have them, too. They are all the things that keep you from being who you want to be; who God wants you to be. Those things right now are fighting for their existence inside of me, trying to bring me down. If I ignore them, they will do just that.

The Evil One is strategic. It knows that there are a lot of things I don't care much about, like making money, moving up in a career, or having a nice car. I am all about people, and The Evil One knows. When I'm at my weakest, evil strikes my relationships and my compassion for others. Worse than dislike is apathy. When I let evil take over I become cynical about the nature of God's people, of His creation. I forget that they are loved by Him, and I should try to see them the way He does. I instead, hope for the demise of the lady that can't park, and I wish punishment upon those who do not act, by my definition, decently in public. I let the people of this world tell me what is important. I wish for credit and recognition on earth. I desire to be looked up to, to have an influence on people. I decide to base my worth on these things.

So how do I decide to care about people again? How do I rid my soul of hatred and apathy? How do I find my value through God? My soul certainly has feelings, and they keep in check. I appreciate the unrest, and the groaning of my soul, which fights for what is right. I hope that I will never feel at peace if I am not trying to live the way God wants me to.

Since January I have been hard at work on my MA in counseling! I am proud of myself for seeking higher education, and I look forward to using my skills some day soon. However, I am not just trying to become "Sara Boyle, M.A," but instead I am trying to receive a set of skills that I can use to help people. With that said, I've decided to slow down with school for a few weeks and catch up on learning!

I was signed up for a six week class called "Individual Counseling Skills." It was the class where you counsel for practice, get video taped, transcribe your videos, and do a lot of reading and journaling. I could have done it, but I can't imagine that I would learn everything I'd like to in SIX WEEKS! Crazy... glad I'm not doing it. I am proud of myself for wanting to take my time with school, and saving not only my sanity, but Alan's as well : )

This will leave we with quite a bit of free time in the next six weeks, but I have a lot on my to do list. I'd like to take my time with my one class, do some reading, and maybe even research some about the field. After all, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do or where I want to work when I'm done. Wow, I sound like I don't know what I'm doing, but I do... I'm trying to follow where God leads.

It would be nice to get a part time job of some sort. I am really hoping to get a graduate assistant position at Northeastern, so please pray that it works out if it's supposed to. If that is not the plan God has up His sleeve, then I look forward to seeing what He has in store. I would love to build my resume (by working as a G.A I would help with research, and assist with many things in the counselor of education office), get a little money (like $275 a month), and get my classes paid for! Sounds perfect, but we'll see. Interviews start in a couple weeks.


We went camping in northern Illinois. Here I am by lake Michigan:

Please pray for my friends David and Stefanie. They desperately need to find a house. Their baby is due September 17th, and babies don't wait to be born because you don't have a bedroom for them.

Love!

While in the shower, listening to Nirvana, I made a connection in my mind that I have never made before. It had nothing to do with the shower or Nirvana, but just to be clear, you must know I was totally rocking out.

Anywho, I was actually looking at my tattoo and pondering what it means to bear that cross every day. In Jesus' day it was not a symbol of love, forgiveness, or grace, but DEATH. Yes, I wear on my leg everyday the symbol for death, because I have been sentenced to death. On my own I would end up far from God, with only evil flowing through me... but Jesus has saved me. He took His cross, wore it, and then it wore him. Now I wear mine everyday, and I need not forget that I have signed up to join Him. By accepting Jesus, His love, His grace, and His glory, I have joined Him on his quest to save the world. By carrying my cross next to Him, I have surrendered myself, my life, completely.

Amen.

PS- I love Nirvana. Don't be shocked.

Don't make fun now, but I got hot today, and it's 78 degrees. Cut me some slack though, I'm not used to it! I went for my run and I got overheated. It was slightly overcast, but the sun was still hot and I was wearing all black. Whoo! I only made it about 2.5 miles before I was too hot! For those who have been keeping up with my progress, I ran 10 miles last week, but ran today for the first time this week.

The Lalli's were in town Sun-Wed morning this week , and we did everything there is to do touristy it seems! We went to the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, Navy Pier, an architecture cruise, the Museum of Science and Industry, and then they went to the Sears Tower without me (because I had class). Needless to say I was pooped! I needed a vacation from my vacation. Maybe I'll post some pictures on here later.

Anyway, as always, I'm trying to stay ahead on class work. I'm doing fine, but would like to get ahead before the next group of friends come in town. Jacob and Janet Henry will be here at the end of this month, which is actually very soon! They will be here the last week of my 6 week class online, so I'd like to get all of my work done for it before hand.

My 5 year high school reunion is this Saturday, but I won't be there. Only a few of my good friends are going, so I won't miss out on much. One of my friends said he would take pictures for me, so that's good. Five years... guess I'm startin to get old! ha ha.

Yesterday a bunch of us church planting type folks got together and just day dreamed about our "quest." It was interesting and a lot of great things were said:

"Everybody can pray for the city" -even though we are all in different communities and meeting at different locations.

In regards to huge congregations not always being optimal (that's saying it lightly)- "I just don't know about 5000 people listening to one guy preach... unless it's Jesus."

"My quest is Love."

Those are just the few I wrote down, but everyone participated in this "think tank" as Mark called it, and it was very encouraging.

I noticed that it's been a while since I've posted. The main reason for this is because our internet has been... less than optimal. We switched to AT&T because Comcast was unreliable, but then AT&T sent us a bad modem. SO we have been without reliable internet for a few weeks. That's pretty much the only bad news though!

I got all A's my first semester, went to see my in-laws for a few days, celebrated my third anniversary with the love of my life, went to my first Sox game, saw Magan and Justin get married (and was in my first wedding), spent a few days with my parents, had dinner with friends and family multiple times, met with church elders and ministers about our work, finished the homework for the first two weeks of my summer classes, and bought a new couch!! That was just three weeks!!!

I suddenly feel very accomplished after writing all that down. ha ha. God keeps us sane, that is for sure. I haven't had much time to run, but I'm ready to rock and roll again. I took a lot of pictures this month, but I'm not going to put them on here... HERE is the link to the album on Facebook.

I'll try not to wait so long to write!

Jennifer Lowe, if you read this I want you to know that you are the reason this post is being written. So I dedicate it to you. To everyone, I didn't make this up, but I did add a few questions... but you'll never know which ones! The real reason I filled this out is because of the last question "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"

Have you ever:

(X) Gone on a blind date

(X) Skipped school

( ) Watched someone die

( ) Been to Canada

( ) Been to Europe

( ) Been to Mexico

( X) Been to Florida

(X) Been lost

( ) Been on the opposite side of the country

(X) Gone to Washington, DC

(X) Swam in the ocean

(X) Cried yourself to sleep

(X) Recently colored with crayons

(X) Sang Karaoke or anything else that comes to mind

( ) Had Children

(X) Paid for a meal with coins only

(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

(X) Made prank phone calls

( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose

(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe

(X) Watched the sunrise with someone

(X) Blown bubbles

(X) Faced a fear

(X) Gone ice-skating

( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors

(X) Stayed up all night

(X) Been on a cruise

(X) Sat outside in the rain

(X) Ran in the rain

(X) Lived one of your dreams

1. Any nicknames? Sara Hope, Sadie Ho, Phyllis

2. Mother's name? Marsha

3. Father's name? Ricky

4. Favorite drink? Water

5. Body Piercing? Yes, just my ears

6. What animal would you be if you could be one? a cat- they are stealthy but also allowed to sleep all day

7. Birthplace? Louisville, KY

8. Favorite vacation spot? Cozumel Mexico if I have a lot of money... but camping is cheaper so we do that a lot. I really enjoyed Petit Jean State Park. <3

10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? yes...

11. Ever been on TV? I don't think so... I've been in the newspaper a few times though. lol

12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No... but I've been tempted.

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? drive? I don't do that. We have a 4 door though.

15. Favorite brand of body wash? Whatever is on sale, maybe? I'd take some bath and body works though

16. Favorite TV show? The Office! yaya! I also love love The Daily Show, Family Guy, and American Dad.

17. Favorite number? am I supposed to have one? What about 22... that's my age.

18. Favorite holiday? Christmas! I love Jesus, family, baking, and decorations... what more could you ask for?

19. Favorite dessert? peanut butter oreo shake from Frozen Delite in Searcy, Arkansas. Hands down. but now peanut butter chocolate chip cookies will just have to do.

20. Favorite food? peanut butter. lol. um, and beans.

22. Name something you love: just one thing?! um, my life.

23. Favorite toothpaste? whatever arm and hammer stuff I have. it's pretty good.

24. Favorite smell? flowers... especially peonies.

25. How do you relax? run, do this, watch TV, bake...

26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? only God knows for sure. I'm glad I don't make up the rules, but if I did I would say: owning a house and a dog, with one boy and one girl. I would be doing counseling for free, and Alan would be church planting with a computer business on the side.

But who knows, eh? Maybe we'll be in another country, or we won't be able to have children, or I get into real estate. I mean, seriously, God is leading and I just follow. How many plans have I made in my lifetime that God has turned upside down? Too many to count, and I haven't even been living all that long! Just when you think you are in control or know where you are going, God reminds you that you need Him and Him alone!

Don't get me wrong, I love daydreaming about our future home and puppy. I imagine myself painting walls and planting gardens. Teaching children to walk and cooking big Thanksgiving dinners. However, I have to remember that I'm not in this thing for me.

Who do we live our lives for?

No, not you... me. I have been running, and my body feels it. Yesterday I did 3 miles for the first time in a long long time. I don't know the last time I went that far. Only 23.22 to go! Good thing I have a while to work on that, eh? My legs are aching and my feet are sore.

I've been enjoying my vacation! I made rice krispy treats, cleaned the house, dyed my hair, went shopping, planted flowers, sewed patches on some clothes... and plenty more I can't think of right now. It's been great!

We are going to see Alan's parents this weekend, and I'm very excited. I love traveling, and I love seeing them. We are going to celebrate our anniversaries together- ours is two weeks from today! It will be right before we leave to go to Murray, KY for Magan and Justin's wedding. Hard to believe it will be three years for us! wow! Just keeps getting better.

First of all let me say ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo, Viva México! The Cinco de Mayo festival and parade were held in Little Village this weekend. Alan and I attended and were joined by a couple friends. It was great fun, great food, and warm sun! We had some mexican dish I can't pronounce, that we ordered from some lady that couldn't understand us... it was awesome! I made my shirt this morning before we left...
It is a little Americanized ("Happy Cinco de Mayo" instead of "Feliz Cinco de Mayo"), but it was the best looking graphic I could find in 5 minutes. I took some other pictures that can be found here or on my facebook page. Anyway, it was a good time, and I am so happy about the warm weather. Chicago has tons of festivals and events during the summer, and it's why people around here perservere the winter. It's truly a beautiful city.

If you are like me, then the word overpronation makes you feel a little hopeless. I've got "bad feet..." at least that's what I always call it, but that doesn't really do it justice.

Definition: Pronation describes a slight inward rolling motion the foot makes during a normal walking or running stride. The foot (and ankle) roles slightly inward to accommodate movement. Some people, however, over-pronate and roll more than normal. With over-pronation, the arch of the foot flattens and causes excessive stress and pressure on the soft tissues of the foot. Over-pronation is more common in those with flat feet, and can lead to foot aches and pain, such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and knee pain.

Okay, so I just started running again, but I am kind of starting from scratch. I used to run a lot, but then I got out of the habit. Anyway, my feet are not used to it, and by shoes are already a little worn out, so it's a sad combination. I have been researching shoes, and should be ordering a new pair of running shoes soon. I need a kind of shoe called "motion control" to keep my foot from looking like the picture on the right. Most people with this condition have flat feet, but mine are not quite flat. I have a slight arch.

I'm telling you all this because 1. I think it's interesting, and 2. I need your prayers.

I am on a journey... to the Chicago Marathon. One of the things I want to do before I die is run a marathon, and I plan to do that next October. I have a year and a half to learn to run 26.2 miles. I am telling as many people as possible, because I hope this will hold me accountable. I imagine every so often someone will say "so how is the running thing going?" and I want to be able to say "great!"

Here is a picture from spring of 2005. My roommate took this because a friend and I had been running in the rain and we were soaked. This was back when I used to run a lot, and when I was 30 pounds lighter! I think I will feel great once I get into the swing of things!

Alan and I participated in The Rescue, which was put on by the Invisible Children. The goal of the event was to raise awareness about the was in Uganda, and to demand from our government that they need to help. Here are the details, if you were wondering:

*The Rescue Event Summary On April 25th, 2009- the international community will unite to deliver the innocent from Kony’s reign and ensure he is brought to justice. Thousands of participants will gather in 100 cities across the world to symbolically abduc t themselves to free the abducted.

*Your abduction will begin on April 25th at 3pm when you leave your home and meet at a designated “abduction site”. Then you will march as a group, on foot, to the event location called the “LRA Camp” while carrying any supplies you will need for the night on your backs. This march will range from 1-3 miles depending on the city, and will be done in a single file line with all participants holding onto a rope.

*Once you’ve arrived at the LRA Camp, you will set up your “camp” and then wait to be “rescued”. A “successful” rescue requires two things. First, an approved media outlet from your area must show up and cover the event. Second, you and your city must arrange for the attendance of at least one pre-determined cultural or political leader. We are calling this person the “mogul” or “rescuer.” Depending on the size, scope and fervor you create in the next month for your specific event locale, the leaders invited to The Rescue may be a Congressional Representative, State Official, local Mayor or local business/media or community figure. The list of approved media outlets and moguls for each specific city is available on TheRescue.InvisibleChildren.com.

Okay, so there were hundreds of people there... but then it started to rain... and rain... and pour. At 3pm it was a beautiful 77 degrees, and by the time Alan and I headed home at 6pm it was 37 degrees!! THREE HOURS. A lot of people left with us, but I give props to those who stayed. What is crazy is that they still have not been rescued, and it has been 31 hours! We might go back tomorrow and see if we can help... we are supposed to reunite at our original meeting place.

It was a powerful experience, and I am ready to see Kony's child soldiers return to their homes, and to their families, so they can live a life of peace and not death. The war has been raging for 23 years, and for 90% of the soldiers, that is longer than they've been alive. As for the children who have not been abducted by the LRA and forced to kill... they live in fear that any night they could be snatched from their beds as well.

Get involved for the Invisible Children. Spread the word.

<---This is a picture of true friendship. Although it was taken like four years ago, it still expresses our feelings for each other

Sometimes you don't realize what you've got until it's gone. Alyssa and I spent hundreds of hours shopping together growing up- knowing each others' sizes and taste in clothing. Now, I have no one to shop with.

Here in Chicago there is great shopping, but what good does it do you when your shopping soul mate is hundreds of miles away?! So sad.

So Alyssa, please come visit so I can get some summer clothes.

Pray4Chicago went well, and I'll be more than happy to host it again. Alan thought it went well also, you can read about it on his blog, t00. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and I look forward to having lots more people in our home... I miss the crowd. Even though I had to get onto some of the teens for being too loud, they weren't mad about it. I was more worried about bothering out neighbors than anything else.

Just a couple weeks of class left, and I will put some of the finishing touches on a paper tomorrow. I had to write a Case Study, and my dear friend Stefanie let me use her. What a dear. I will get a couple weeks off before I start my summer classes, and I am excited about that. I hope to use that time to find some part time work or a place to volunteer. We also booked flights to go see Alan's parents the weekend of May 15-17th, and I am very excited to see them. I plan to treat it like a vacation... cause it's the only one I'm going to get!

Well I've had a dozen people tell me they are coming to visit this summer, but no one has made plans to do so yet. I had a few friends try to make plans, but they wanted to come a weekend we weren't going to be here. I'm ready for people to come though, so make your plans!

I've been praying a lot lately. A little at a time, but often. I'm excited and afraid of what that might mean... have you ever had the feeling like God might be preparing you for something? Well, I have that feeling, and it's actually kind of haunting. I'm trying to have patience about it, but I just keep wondering what the future holds. Where is the money going to come from? What am I supposed to do with my time? Should we move when our lease is up? What is the real plan here?!

When it is bitter cold in Chicago, God takes care of the flying rats. I mean, pigeons. The lowest of low in the city is loved and nurtured by God almighty. There are heat lamps at the el stations that people can turn on while they are waiting. Often when you move under one you find you are standing or sitting next to a puffed up pigeon, waiting for you to turn the heat lamp back on:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? -Matthew 6:26

There are places for links (home, about, contact, and FAQ) at the top of my new blog template, but I don't know how to make them work.... so right now they are decoration. It's a cute template though... maybe I'll figure out how to work it. Maybe someone will teach me how to do html and stuff.

What a BEAUTIFUL day!! There is a robin out my window, and I greatly appreciate him singing for me. I think it's a he. Alan and I went for a long walk, and cleaned up the apartment for the big even tomorrow (Pray4Chicago). We are expecting between 15 and 20 people.

I need to work on my paper, but instead I think I might read and paint my toe nails. There should be time to do my paper on Sunday and Monday when it will be raining.

I tried to transplant a few seedlings of spinach today, and I might have killed them.. They are looking quite sad about the move...

Peace

So I neglected my blog for a long time, but I'm still here! My semester is almost over, and boy am I glad. I am ready for new subjects and a change of teachers. I've got one paper left to write and a couple finals, but I'm almost home free. Then I will have a couple weeks off before summer classes start May 22 (my mommas birthday). I think we are going to visit Alan's parents in Murfreesboro the weekend of the 16th, and I am excited.

The weather is finally showing signs of SPRING! It is supposed to be 69 degrees tomorrow... er... today I guess since it is 1am. Alan and I are going to be working this weekend, so we decided to take Friday off (for the most part) and bask in the sun. We went on a little bike ride today, and found quite an extensive bike trail we are excited about.

My sprouts of lettuce, spinach, parsley, and cosmos are doing well, but rosemary not so much. I may plant more seeds for it when the other spouts move out... I might have buried them too deep. The parsley is doing quite well, so I may transplant soon. Maybe I'll eventually have enough to give some away.

Ruckus (the bunny) is doing well. She gets out a lot and we have been feeding her any seedlings that get weeded out. At least she will enjoy the garden even if nothing makes it too long. Because of the fact that she is restricted to the dining room, she has been getting fed from the table lately. She is starting to beg like a dog, which is hilarious.


Culture shock is not feeling too bad now that warm weather is here. I still need prayers for our future. We don't know where the money will come from after August, but God will provide. If I have to get a job, He will show me the way. I worry sometimes, and wonder how long we can live on what we call our "critical budget." It doesn't allow for savings, or much other than food and rent. However, praise Him for our happy marriage, my good grades, and our overall well being. Life is good.

He is good to me.

It's time to get busy. Alan and I sent out 23 letters in search of support yesterday... I hope some people add us to their budget! I will hopefully be busy soon with writing thank yous and keeping track of finances.

The temperature is supposed to be 40 today and 51 tomorrow! It's spring! Not really, but still exciting. I wonder if the groundhog was right. In Chicago, winter typically lasts through March into April, when the average high is 56. I imagine May will be a great month when the average high is 67... that sounds perfect to me! Anyway, it will be nice to get one unusually warm day stuck in there.

I would like to go shopping. I need some rain boots. I would also like some fast food because I haven't had any in a long time... maybe for dinner. It is Friday after all.

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Allison, and her blog, I decided to start one myself! I wasted enough time making a profile and such, so now I need to go do some reading for class. However, do not fear... more is to come.