Thursday, June 19, 2008

Off to Brazil

Well tomorrow is the big day - 6:00 AM Yancey and Jenn will pick me up in the big van and I'll get in fall immediately back to sleep on the beginning of a long treck that will end up with me in Recefi, Brazil on Saturday at 3:00. If you know me at all you are already feeling sorry for the people on the van and on the plane!!!

Of course it probably does not surprise many of you that it is 10:07 and I'm still procrastinating the packing process. I can't help it watching the storm outside is much much more entertaining!!!

I am excited about our trip and all the lives that we will touch but believe me it won't be because I know Portuguese - although I have tried a little. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts as we go and I'll post pictures etc. when we get back on June 29th where hopefully I will be greeted in the airport with a voicemail that says I am a new aunt!!!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Renewed

The past several months have been one huge roller coaster that would give the biggest baddest roller coaster in the nation the old fashioned wood one competition for speed, heighth, and jerkiness. I wish I had the words to sum it all up in one nice word or phrase or a few sentences but the closest I can get is renewed. I think about the anxiety I feel when I stand in line for a roller coaster and how excited I am and the rush I feel as the car plunges down a steep twisty track but also the pain of each jerk and the fear of each climb (I am scared of heights). I think about getting off and realizing how much fun it was but then the next day realizing the soreness my body has experienced and while the thrill usually wins out the battle for whether it was fun or not there were defenitely moments I wish were not a part of the ride.

That has been my life this spring and first part of the summer. The thing about a roller coaster is even through the fearful parts I've always eventually made it off and safe and usually with a smile on my face ready to hit it again. I'm now renewed and ready to hit the roller coaster of life again.

I won't bore you with needless details - in general stress - both emotional and academic, work, crisis in my life and in clients, conferences, reading, papers, parties, friends, celebrate recovery, church, friendships, camp blue haven, the Grand Canyon, Brazil meetings.... I could go on and on some of these both up and down in of themselves but the roller coaster landed Saturday and I got off renewed and ready to fight life again with a new energy and passion I have not had in a long time; in fact I don't think I have ever had.

This time I got off the roller coaster filled with peace.