I'll keep this short and sweet for the moment... the trip up here was long, but uncomplicated, which is good! Friday night we just chilled out at the hotel. Saturday morning we headed over to
my aunt's house and then went to a family member's 50th wedding anniversary. It was nice to see family, but what I was really excited about was seeing my friend, Melissa! We worked together in South Africa and have stayed in touch since we both came back to the States. My parents drove me to her house Saturday evening. After they left, Mel and I had dinner and then went to Dennis and Nikki's house. The plan was to just go to this one store and then hang out. Well, when we got into the car, Dennis said, "let's go to Chick-fil-a!" Now, the closest chick-fil-a in Toledo, Ohio (and we were in Michigan). So... we went to Toledo (about an hour away). Random, but fun! :) We went to Lifeway Christian Bookstores first (apparently there's not one of these close to Melissa either). Randomly, we saw a guy that once came on a mission trip to South Africa. Then we went to chick-fil-a, which made Dennis a very happy man. Everyone but me
(the one from the South) got a big ole cup of sweet tea. Dennis is from Michigan, but I swear he thinks he's from the south... it's funny really. After that we went to Cold Stone (mmm...) and then went in search of a Wal*Mart. We finally left Wal*Mart (when they closed!) at 11:00 and headed back to Michigan. Fun times all around... I haven't laughed as much as I did in those few hours in a very long time!! Sunday morning I went to church with Melissa (her Dad is the pastor). After church she had to take me back to my aunt's house for the family reunion. We made a short stop at one of the coolest stores EVER called the Flower Factory. They have really cool, really cheap home decor stuff. I wish I had more money and more time to spend there, and I wish we had this store in NC! Oh well, a good reason to come back to MI. :) Finally, we arrived at my aunt's house and Mel and I said our good-byes. The reunion was a lot of fun. Lauryn (my youngest niece) was adorable, and such an entertainer. And it was great seeing my cousins again. One of them is an elementary school librarian, and after talking to her, I am seriously considering going to grad school for library science! It's something I've thought about before, but now I'm more motivated to actually pursue it... we'll see how that goes once I get back home and settled into real life again. Now I'm back at the hotel and ready to crash. Tomorrow we head for Kentucky! (Thanks for the tip Jessica!)
Have a great week, and thanks for checking in!
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81
This evening we had a pretty great thunderstorm in Durham. As I was driving to Bible study, I saw something I haven’t seen in a very long time: horizontal lightning! Usually I love storms while at home, and hate them while driving, but this time I didn’t care where I was. You see, the last place I saw horizontal lightning was in South Africa. For my last year in SA, I lived in a really nice apartment with an awesome view. Whenever it stormed, I could see the lightning for what seemed like a hundred miles. Johannesburg is somewhat known for their spectacular lightning storms, and I had the perfect view from which to admire them. I’ve never really understood why I like storms so much, but maybe one reason is that they remind me of just how big this world is, and how much bigger our God is, who created it all, and holds it all in His hands. Lightning is a huge and magnificent power – how much more powerful is our God!? It makes me feel so small, yet so comfortable to know that the same God who created the lightning created me as well. I am comforted to know that God has a plan for me – a plan greater than He had for even that huge bolt of lightning that I witnessed today. I am forever wondering what that plan is, and I’m always trying to stay one step ahead of God… trying to figure out His will for my life before He’s ready for me to go there. I wish I had a simple answer to the question of how to stop doing that, but in all honesty, I don’t! (Any advice is coveted!) I try to take one step at a time, but it’s so difficult at times. Just when I start to feel comfortable here, in Durham, in the wonderful life I’m living, I reconnect with a South African friend… we talk about life in South Africa, what I’ve been missing, and what I’ve been doing here. It’s always nice, but this time she told me about this teaching possibility in South Africa. The chances of things working out for me to do what she was telling me about are slim to none, but still… it made me think about it again. It makes me wonder whether I’ve been doing the right thing here in Durham. I mean, I bought a house for goodness sakes! Talk about having strings attached to Durham. And not just any house, but my special little house… I can’t just up and leave! This is what happens though… I’ll go weeks, months even, without missing SA, and then out of the blue - WHAM! – my heart is aching again to be back there. But… the lightning tonight reminds me: God is in control. He’s got it, and I can trust Him. When I want to question what God’s will is for my life, He has already told me in His Word. “He has shown you, oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 Lord, help me walk.
Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81
my aunt's house and then went to a family member's 50th wedding anniversary. It was nice to see family, but what I was really excited about was seeing my friend, Melissa! We worked together in South Africa and have stayed in touch since we both came back to the States. My parents drove me to her house Saturday evening. After they left, Mel and I had dinner and then went to Dennis and Nikki's house. The plan was to just go to this one store and then hang out. Well, when we got into the car, Dennis said, "let's go to Chick-fil-a!" Now, the closest chick-fil-a in Toledo, Ohio (and we were in Michigan). So... we went to Toledo (about an hour away). Random, but fun! :) We went to Lifeway Christian Bookstores first (apparently there's not one of these close to Melissa either). Randomly, we saw a guy that once came on a mission trip to South Africa. Then we went to chick-fil-a, which made Dennis a very happy man. Everyone but me
(the one from the South) got a big ole cup of sweet tea. Dennis is from Michigan, but I swear he thinks he's from the south... it's funny really. After that we went to Cold Stone (mmm...) and then went in search of a Wal*Mart. We finally left Wal*Mart (when they closed!) at 11:00 and headed back to Michigan. Fun times all around... I haven't laughed as much as I did in those few hours in a very long time!! Sunday morning I went to church with Melissa (her Dad is the pastor). After church she had to take me back to my aunt's house for the family reunion. We made a short stop at one of the coolest stores EVER called the Flower Factory. They have really cool, really cheap home decor stuff. I wish I had more money and more time to spend there, and I wish we had this store in NC! Oh well, a good reason to come back to MI. :) Finally, we arrived at my aunt's house and Mel and I said our good-byes. The reunion was a lot of fun. Lauryn (my youngest niece) was adorable, and such an entertainer. And it was great seeing my cousins again. One of them is an elementary school librarian, and after talking to her, I am seriously considering going to grad school for library science! It's something I've thought about before, but now I'm more motivated to actually pursue it... we'll see how that goes once I get back home and settled into real life again. Now I'm back at the hotel and ready to crash. Tomorrow we head for Kentucky! (Thanks for the tip Jessica!)
