January 23, 2008
The past two days haven't been too exciting. We were in the classroom learning about Irish History. Today three of us went into town. I wanted to visit the e-baby store because next month is my nephew's first birthday. Then we went to SuperValu to buy phone cards and pens. Then we ventured into the local library. I read a magazine called the Pheonix. It made fun of American politics. On the cover it had a picture of Hilary Clinton and another important looking person. The person had a speech bubble that said something like, "so I see you just cried" and Hilary's speech bubble says "well it looks like it worked for you this time". It made me laugh. Tomorrow we are going on a field trip so I'm sure I'll have lots to update you on tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
January 21, 2008
Today we went into Dublin and did a scavenger hunt. It was very windy. So windy in fact that it almost blew me away. Anyways, we took the DART into Dublin which is an electric train. The view was I believe was a glimpse of heaven. On one side you had the view of the beautiful Irish mountains and the other side you had a view of the beautiful Irish Sea. I took some pictures and just sat in awe of it all. Once we got to Dublin, we visited Trinity College and got student travel cards. From there we started our scavenger hunt. We ate at the Aroma Cafe. It was yummy! Then continued to find things on our hunt. Several times while we were walking around we had moments of clarity that finally, as if we'd waited all our lives for that one special moment, realized that we were standing in the middle of Dublin, Ireland. Flat Stanley didn't join me on this adventure today. I was afraid, with all the running and rushing around we were going to do that it would be pretty easy to loose the little guy. He will certainly join me on another adventure to Dublin in the future. Oh, before I forget, I have an interesting difference I have noticed between America and Ireland. In public bathrooms, the lighting that is used is a black light. They say that black lighting kills more germs, but it sure does provide interesting ways of seeing what you're doing in the bathroom. ;) Now we're back home safe and sound and I just took a nap... even though it's 9:55pm here. :) I shall update later when I have more to say. Love you all! MUAH!
Today we went into Dublin and did a scavenger hunt. It was very windy. So windy in fact that it almost blew me away. Anyways, we took the DART into Dublin which is an electric train. The view was I believe was a glimpse of heaven. On one side you had the view of the beautiful Irish mountains and the other side you had a view of the beautiful Irish Sea. I took some pictures and just sat in awe of it all. Once we got to Dublin, we visited Trinity College and got student travel cards. From there we started our scavenger hunt. We ate at the Aroma Cafe. It was yummy! Then continued to find things on our hunt. Several times while we were walking around we had moments of clarity that finally, as if we'd waited all our lives for that one special moment, realized that we were standing in the middle of Dublin, Ireland. Flat Stanley didn't join me on this adventure today. I was afraid, with all the running and rushing around we were going to do that it would be pretty easy to loose the little guy. He will certainly join me on another adventure to Dublin in the future. Oh, before I forget, I have an interesting difference I have noticed between America and Ireland. In public bathrooms, the lighting that is used is a black light. They say that black lighting kills more germs, but it sure does provide interesting ways of seeing what you're doing in the bathroom. ;) Now we're back home safe and sound and I just took a nap... even though it's 9:55pm here. :) I shall update later when I have more to say. Love you all! MUAH!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
January 20, 2008
Yesterday was what past ISPers call the “hell” day. I didn’t think it was that bad. I did get dizzy at lunch and had to sit down or I would have fallen. We took a tour of Greystones, the city we are living in, yesterday. We found out that there are more dogs than people in Greystones and more Vets than Doctors in Greystones. Then my roommate and I decided to check out the room we were assigned. Sure enough we were the lucky ones to get the Anne Frank room or as someone once wrongly named it the Helen Keller room. It’s called that because the view from the window is nothing but this side of another building. The other rooms have views of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the other of the Irish harbor. But because we live in the Anne Frank room Vance Maloney will take my roommate, Courtney, and I out to a fancy dinner in April.
Now it’s Sunday morning. Courtney and I got up at 7:30am to watch the sunrise over the Irish Sea. After that Courtney left me there to go running. I did my quiet times there while the waves were literally crashing against the rocks. It was amazing. I had a dog bark at me for a long time, so after awhile I started barking back and he stopped. Lol. The birds played me a beautiful sound too. In fact there were a group of birds that fly over my head and they kept making noises and one of them sounded like it kept saying “hey, hey”. It made me smile. The temperature isn’t that cold here like I thought it would be. The only thing is it rains a lot, so the longer you’re outside the colder it gets because you start to get wet and the wind then takes advantage of it leaving you cold.
January 18, 2008
I’m sitting in the airport with Flat Stanley at gate K11 waiting for my plane to take me away to Dublin, Ireland. I finished saying my goodbyes and things unspoken. My new friend Whitney Cerak said that if I was boy that she’d hit on me (it made me laugh)….Now Katie, Bridget, and I are sitting here talking about Katie’s recent trip to Thailand. I read them a passage that Jane gave me before I left. Psalm 91
Now I’m on the plane sipping coke and tomato juice and nibbling on a lemon… I know what you’re thinking…”how can she eat all those things all at the same time…gross”. Yeah, well I’m enjoying it J. Flat Stanley is sleeping in my coat in the compartment above my head. I need to be sleeping but my ears are going crazy making it difficult to do so. I pray for some super natural strength tomorrow cuz I’m gonna need it! The flight is going to be 6 and a half hours long, which is shorter than I thought. They are handing out our dinner now so after I eat I’m going to try to get some zzzzs. By the way, I have many people are praying for me back home for a certain issue I was worried about. Well, I have really good news. God is answering your prayers!! I’m not that anxious or nervous at all. God has given me peace!! I love Him!!
Yesterday was what past ISPers call the “hell” day. I didn’t think it was that bad. I did get dizzy at lunch and had to sit down or I would have fallen. We took a tour of Greystones, the city we are living in, yesterday. We found out that there are more dogs than people in Greystones and more Vets than Doctors in Greystones. Then my roommate and I decided to check out the room we were assigned. Sure enough we were the lucky ones to get the Anne Frank room or as someone once wrongly named it the Helen Keller room. It’s called that because the view from the window is nothing but this side of another building. The other rooms have views of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the other of the Irish harbor. But because we live in the Anne Frank room Vance Maloney will take my roommate, Courtney, and I out to a fancy dinner in April.
Now it’s Sunday morning. Courtney and I got up at 7:30am to watch the sunrise over the Irish Sea. After that Courtney left me there to go running. I did my quiet times there while the waves were literally crashing against the rocks. It was amazing. I had a dog bark at me for a long time, so after awhile I started barking back and he stopped. Lol. The birds played me a beautiful sound too. In fact there were a group of birds that fly over my head and they kept making noises and one of them sounded like it kept saying “hey, hey”. It made me smile. The temperature isn’t that cold here like I thought it would be. The only thing is it rains a lot, so the longer you’re outside the colder it gets because you start to get wet and the wind then takes advantage of it leaving you cold.
January 18, 2008
I’m sitting in the airport with Flat Stanley at gate K11 waiting for my plane to take me away to Dublin, Ireland. I finished saying my goodbyes and things unspoken. My new friend Whitney Cerak said that if I was boy that she’d hit on me (it made me laugh)….Now Katie, Bridget, and I are sitting here talking about Katie’s recent trip to Thailand. I read them a passage that Jane gave me before I left. Psalm 91
Now I’m on the plane sipping coke and tomato juice and nibbling on a lemon… I know what you’re thinking…”how can she eat all those things all at the same time…gross”. Yeah, well I’m enjoying it J. Flat Stanley is sleeping in my coat in the compartment above my head. I need to be sleeping but my ears are going crazy making it difficult to do so. I pray for some super natural strength tomorrow cuz I’m gonna need it! The flight is going to be 6 and a half hours long, which is shorter than I thought. They are handing out our dinner now so after I eat I’m going to try to get some zzzzs. By the way, I have many people are praying for me back home for a certain issue I was worried about. Well, I have really good news. God is answering your prayers!! I’m not that anxious or nervous at all. God has given me peace!! I love Him!!
My Mailing Address
My mailing address in Ireland is to your left!! Just thought you should know... I'll post my real blog up here soon! Love you all! Thanks for praying!
Monday, September 3, 2007
I'm home! Life on the other side of TPP has been amusing. I miss how even though I was super busy this summer I still had hours of alone time with my Jesus. Here at Taylor, I am guilt ridden because of the Homework I always seem to have choking me so I somehow use that as an excuse from spending the much needed time with God. The amusing part is that everyone really likes me now. My accountability partner says it's because I have a new confidence. But whatever... I'm learning how to cultivate an active and lively walk with the Lord in any circumstance. I'm returning to Pittsburgh this October, I can't wait to be there again! I'm glad Jackie might be coming because then I'll have her giving me strength to come back to Indiana after that weekend is over. I do look forward to Ireland! January can't come fast enough! Well, that's all for now! Love ya all!
Friday, July 27, 2007
So, I feel as if I'm in a beautiful place right now. I am not a bit anxious to be home but at the same time, I know it is fast approaching. I am starting to look forward to going home and seeing my friends but I'm neither consumed by it or dreading it. I am loving every minute of being here.
Dom, my main LIT, has finally opened up to me. After a long summer of one word answers and plenty of jokes, he has finally allowed me to see a part of his heart. Everyday I have with these kids proves more and more that God wants to use me in a powerful way. Dom has been on this kick lately calling me a hick. I really don't think he knows what a hick is... but none the less it's pretty funny. One day this week he came up to me acting all tough and cool and asked how we were going to continue this relationship thing when I go back to hickville. My heart smiled because of how he was trying to act all cool but his heart was very visible. He gave me his phone number and then he told me that he would come visit me and go line dancing with me in hick country. Tasha, my other LIT, and I have been getting really close. We go shopping together and out to eat. It's really cool to see a 15 year old hang out with a bunch of college girls. It brings a lot of laughter and silliness into the mix. I see a compassionate heart in Tasha the more time I spend with her. She cares for those who are hurting. I can see a lot of myself in her.
This summer has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I have cried and laughed (A LOT). I have loved and been loved in return (A LOT). I have matured into more of the woman God wants me to be. I've learned a lot and been blessed a lot. I have finally had some significant progress in my journey toward healing. And it was something that was allowed, even encouraged here. Every time I found a reason to give up and keep my heart hard, someone came along and told me that that wasn't allowed. I have spent a significant part of my life being so hard on myself that at times I felt as if I couldn't breathe underneath the pressure. Coming to a place where the people refused to let me be hard on myself during this particular part of my journey changed my life. I hated everyone around at first because I felt as though they were lying to me, telling me I'm beautiful, and that it's okay to feel angry and sad about unjust things that happen to me. My strongholds were screaming at me because they were no longer safe in the place they had created in my heart. But God is changing that. More and bigger holes are being chiseled out of my thick cocoon where God's light is shining though brighter and brighter everyday.
I look forward to going home and sharing with my friends all the amazing things God has done in me and through me this summer!
Dom, my main LIT, has finally opened up to me. After a long summer of one word answers and plenty of jokes, he has finally allowed me to see a part of his heart. Everyday I have with these kids proves more and more that God wants to use me in a powerful way. Dom has been on this kick lately calling me a hick. I really don't think he knows what a hick is... but none the less it's pretty funny. One day this week he came up to me acting all tough and cool and asked how we were going to continue this relationship thing when I go back to hickville. My heart smiled because of how he was trying to act all cool but his heart was very visible. He gave me his phone number and then he told me that he would come visit me and go line dancing with me in hick country. Tasha, my other LIT, and I have been getting really close. We go shopping together and out to eat. It's really cool to see a 15 year old hang out with a bunch of college girls. It brings a lot of laughter and silliness into the mix. I see a compassionate heart in Tasha the more time I spend with her. She cares for those who are hurting. I can see a lot of myself in her.
This summer has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I have cried and laughed (A LOT). I have loved and been loved in return (A LOT). I have matured into more of the woman God wants me to be. I've learned a lot and been blessed a lot. I have finally had some significant progress in my journey toward healing. And it was something that was allowed, even encouraged here. Every time I found a reason to give up and keep my heart hard, someone came along and told me that that wasn't allowed. I have spent a significant part of my life being so hard on myself that at times I felt as if I couldn't breathe underneath the pressure. Coming to a place where the people refused to let me be hard on myself during this particular part of my journey changed my life. I hated everyone around at first because I felt as though they were lying to me, telling me I'm beautiful, and that it's okay to feel angry and sad about unjust things that happen to me. My strongholds were screaming at me because they were no longer safe in the place they had created in my heart. But God is changing that. More and bigger holes are being chiseled out of my thick cocoon where God's light is shining though brighter and brighter everyday.
I look forward to going home and sharing with my friends all the amazing things God has done in me and through me this summer!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Half Way Point
As of yesterday at 12pm I completed half of my summer here at the Pittsburgh Project. I'm swimming in a sea of emotion right now. I feel like I am falling more in love with God everyday, I'm here. The other day in my quiet time I asked God if he loved me. He said, "Yes!" But then here's where it gets deep. I asked God if he loved that scared and hurt little girl inside my heart, and do want to know what He said? He said, "Yes, especially her!" Two weekends ago I got the opportunity to have a glimpse of what it would be like to hold God's hand and touch His face. I have learned that if you accept love properly, it won't become something you crave selfishly. I have had love lavished upon me in so many ways this summer and I look forward to showering it back on God every time. Another thing I have learned is that we need to love people in their love language. My love language is physical touch (can't beat a good hug!). So I look forward to find ways to lavish love on my brothers and sisters when I get home.
I've also made another decision since being here. I have decided that my life is better when I lay it at the Lord's feet. Before coming to Pittsburgh for the summer, I prayed that they wouldn't hire me so I couldn't go. I almost decided to call them and tell them I wasn't coming. But I decided to give God's way a try. This summer has been the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Because of that I have decided that God's way is always so much better than my way.
Could you all please pray for one of my leadership students who works with me. Last Sunday he was at the Pirates/CUBS game and one of his friends didn't show up. The reason he didn't show up was because he was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital. Later that evening he died. My LIT went to the hospital and heard the devastating news. He showed up to work on Monday and seemed fine. But then all day he was rapping songs that had to do with shooting people in the head. My heart hurts for him. This is so common in the neighborhoods these kids live in. In the last 2 weeks we've had 3 people shot to death on the North side of Pittsburgh. The gun shots were easy to mask because of the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Pray that the kids in those neighborhoods are kept safe and that their hearts don't become harden.
Love you all!
I've also made another decision since being here. I have decided that my life is better when I lay it at the Lord's feet. Before coming to Pittsburgh for the summer, I prayed that they wouldn't hire me so I couldn't go. I almost decided to call them and tell them I wasn't coming. But I decided to give God's way a try. This summer has been the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Because of that I have decided that God's way is always so much better than my way.
Could you all please pray for one of my leadership students who works with me. Last Sunday he was at the Pirates/CUBS game and one of his friends didn't show up. The reason he didn't show up was because he was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital. Later that evening he died. My LIT went to the hospital and heard the devastating news. He showed up to work on Monday and seemed fine. But then all day he was rapping songs that had to do with shooting people in the head. My heart hurts for him. This is so common in the neighborhoods these kids live in. In the last 2 weeks we've had 3 people shot to death on the North side of Pittsburgh. The gun shots were easy to mask because of the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Pray that the kids in those neighborhoods are kept safe and that their hearts don't become harden.
Love you all!
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