China FA09

I'm actually going! Yep, I have a ticket! :)

Check out this website and blog if you wanna keep up with my travels while I am there. This is my personal, for real blog, but that one should be good too, just for a different, more public set of people. Lots of pictures are promised!

This past week and a half has been rough, but still lots of excellent things have happened! God never ceases to amaze me. He teaches me through both the good things I experience and those things which are not considered so great. I wonder at how faithful He is even in the times when I am being rebellious and unfaithful.

I love my girlfriends. I never could have ever even begun to imagine how blessed I would be while here at MSU. We have a group of friends that is practically unheard of how much we love one another and put each other in front of ourselves. My friends never cease to amaze and bless me.

I leave you with this:
Your life is colorless and incomplete without a personal relationship with Jesus. He makes life worth the living. The canvas of life is so beautiful if you have the help of the master painter. The One who gave us color in the first place :)

On the brink

Here I stand, on the edge, looking over.

I am a sophomore, junior by credit hours. I have at least the next year of my life practically set in stone as to where I'll be and what I'm doing (at least big picture)

I filed my degree program earlier this week for a BS in Accounting. I have to take 9 hours this summer. I am going to apply to MBS to work as a bi-lingual receptionist over the summer. I am very excited about working for the company, the pay, and the job description. September 1 I will begin my next big journey abroad (although there is family vacation between now and then). I fly to Beijing, China. What a life!

I am looking forward to loosing myself into the language and enduring culture. I am excited for the challenges I will face, the sites I will see, and the things I will learn about myself.

As of right now, I will graduate 'on-time' from MSU in spring of 2011. After graduation I would like to work as an accountant while I put myself through grad school, most likely for my MBA. This would be (as of what I am thinking right now) either in St Louis while attending WashU or back to good ol' CoMO to attend MU.


What about my life right now, you ask. It has been awhile, after all.

Life is good, God is good. I cut out all of the confusing guys from my life that did not deserve my time about 5 months ago, and started following the things God had set before me. He is so good. I screw up, but we walk together, and He is a bigger part of my everyday living than ever before. I love my friends, and what I am doing. I have become so comfortable where I am. I am excited for China, in the fact that I want to be there. But, I don't want to leave. I have learned, in theory, how to say no. I do a lot more often than I used to, but most likely not as often as I should.


Most recent life-rocks

• Papau fell about 3 weeks ago and shattered his hip. He had emergency hip replacement and is in temporary assisted living. I am so thankful that I live in town. I go to see him about once a week for a few hours. It amazing what God does for me every time I go. Old people are pretty cool, and God moves when you speak with them. I am making lots of friends.

• Tristan turns 7 today!

• Matthew turns 10 on the 28th of this month!

• Hannah, Jade, Kimberly, Justin, Jim and I are headed to Panama City Beach for Spring Break '09. I am really excited!! We got a townhouse that sleeps 6, with our own hot tub and grill, and it's going to be a freaking awesome week. I love the beach.

I leave you with this:

"In other words, we are literally made of star dust!"*





*Comins, Neil F., and William J. Kaufmann III. Discovering the Universe. 8th ed. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 2008.

Breakfast

I'm actually gonna go eat it this morning!!

I get to go home today, and that is good. I don't think I have ever been this homesick in my life, ever. Not even when I was in Guatemala. Kind of crazy. I want to get out my calendar and figure out how long it's been since I was home, just to see. This makes me nervous for China. 9 months. That's a long time.

I captain an intramural soccer team at MSU. And we won last night. And I scored. And it was awesome. Playoffs... here we come!!!

Breakfast time!!!

I leave you with this.
Ni hao ma.