Whew!!

No surgery for brother!!! YAY! He has to be on crutches for 4 weeks, then they will do another x-ray and start PT, and if it's still not healing well, they will have to reconsider surgery... whew!!

Just wanted to share that good news and show you this picture that my sister just posted from her senior pictures :) I've got 2 pretty sisters and a handsome brother (Nikki, Me, Jon, Katie)!!!

I Lament

So I found this lovely image on Andy's blog today... sad news for us single Ohio ladies haha :) (go visit his site for a clearer view)

On another note... the power was off for about 50 hours this weekend, and has been off at least once every 3 to 4 hours (usually for anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes) since it came back on Monday... Sunday night we went to stay with some friends so we could sleep (all 6 of us... slumber party like woah!), but of course I got super sick and was in the bathroom all night... needless to day, I didn't go to school Monday, slept all day, and was only up for about 4 hours on Monday, and now am feeling much better after a lovely round of antibiotics and lots of sleep.

Ghana is not my favorite place to be right now.

BUT I will enjoy the rest of my time here, even if it kills me... my parents will be here in 11 days (YAY!!), and my class is doing great, I just love them... I have fantastic friends (both in America and Ghana) who are helping me to keep trucking... AND I have decided what's next (although I won't share it here yet... there are still details to be worked out first)!!

Last thing - pray with me for my little bro... he broke his hip... how many 14 year olds do you know who have managed to break their hips?? Ya, didn't think so... only my Jon :) - Pray that he's not in too much pain, and that (even though the fracture is on the growth plate) he won't need surgery, especially with my parents leaving for 2 weeks - he goes to the doctor in the morning, I'll let you know what I hear.

He is mighty to save!

The 4th grade class led worship at chapel today. They started out by reading the verse below & then singing a song that relates (Praying for Sunny Days by Hyper Static Union).

Matthew 8:24-26
24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" 26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

As I sat in my chair, watching them with smiles, I looked down and read in my own head the verses... and again I read it... each time the phrase "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" jumping off the page more and more. With a hard gulp, I began to think about why. I had a wave of emotion... what is that, I thought?! I don't even feel like I'm going through a storm in my life... I'm happy! I’ll be back in the US soon, my class is doing so well, I'm saving money to get settled when I get home, I'm going to have the awesome privilege of travelling to several places this summer & visiting friends and family all over the country, my parents are coming here, all the way to Africa, to visit me in 2.5 weeks, I get to take a vacation with them here in Ghana and see part of the country that I haven't been able to yet... what in the world is this emotion?! Certainly not anger... yet it isn’t happiness either. I recognized it as just what the verse is talking about fairly quickly... fear. I have been afraid.

I have been praying, and asking others to pray with me, that I would clearly see God's will for my next step in life (where to go to grad school), seeking the answer to that question the best I know how. But I have silently been afraid. I have been afraid of the answer to the very question I was asking, I have been afraid of admitting to myself what my true desires are, where I feel in my heart I want to be, and not only where I want to be, but where I feel God is calling me to be. I have been afraid to talk to certain people about it, for fear that they will be disappointed in my choice, that they will think me unwise or ungrateful. I've realized also that I was actually afraid all along. I was guarding my heart against rejection from the program by saying I didn't know where I wanted to go, when deep down inside, my heart had already been whispering its desires for some time.

2 Timothy 1:7
7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

My fear wasn't one that posed an immediate, life-or-death threat, but I was still saying to God "Save me! I'm going to drown!"... and now I think back to other times in my life when I didn't say it, but I pleaded, begged, yelled and screamed it to Him... How often we do this!!! Get caught up in some fear, and forget that not only that God has not given us a timid/fearful spirit, but one of POWER, love, and self-discipline; but also that HE IS RIGHT THERE WITH US. He is not just nearby, He is IN THE BOAT WITH US... all the disciples had to do was go and ask, and he calmed the storm immediately... but not without the reminder "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Why are we so afraid?! We place such little faith in the fact that our God is mighty to save, and yet he still steps in, and calms the storms when we finally do call out to Him.

Matthew 17:20
20 I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Zephaniah 3:16-17
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
"Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

My God is mighty to save... He delights in me, and quiets me, and rejoices over ME with singing... WOW!! Music speaks to my soul, and when the Holy Spirit moves in me, it often comes through music, just like today, as I had all of these thoughts during the song that the 4th graders sang.

My kindergarteners helped me write the following… kind of… how awesome are they!!

I’m afraid when lightning comes to shake
Nightmares roar and it’s hard to take
Sometimes I’m scared the big dogs will bite
And it gets so hard to see the light

I feel the water rising
It’s all around
Lord, please save me
I’m going to drown

The answer comes, loud and clear
Your faith so small, it got you here.
This fear you hold is not of me
But of the one who wants you to be
Timid and small; but do not fall.To you I give power, boldness and love
I’ll be here to hold your head above

In God I will trust, I will not be afraid
For my God is mighty, mighty to save

brain fluff

I just finished off a can of Rice Infused Pringles (cheese and onion flavor). They have 30% less fat than normal Pringles because of the ability of rice to absorb less fat during the cooking proces... sweet!

I'm going to see Slumdog Millionaire tonight... I have no idea what it's about really, but I've heard that it is very good, so I'm excited!

My birthday was Wednesday & I had an awesome day at school, my kids are great & their parents are fantastic :) I certainly didn't come home empty handed!! I got to talk to my mom & dad, Rachel, and Matt on the phone & it was so good to hear all of their voices. Talking to people on IM is great, and I'm so glad that technology allows me to communicate with so many people that way... but hearing someone's voice... that's my favorite (well, of course other than seeing them!) :)

I linked Andy Merrick's blog on my 'sites worth a look' box, but I just want to make sure you all actually go there... he is working on a series about dating (that he plans to turn into a book) called "Why Guys Aren't Asking You Out", and it is fantastic... he has really thought out the things he says & makes some challenging, encouraging, and well, true points. I highly reccommend it!!! Also the rest of his blog... he is just hilarious & every day he gives away free music... FREE!! :) I have been the recipient of some of this music, and I am so thankful for it... THANKS ANDY!! Here is the link to the series on dating.

MY PARENTS GET HERE IN 23 DAYS!!!! I am oh so excited for them to come and see my world, to spend some time with them, and to get a break from school & travel a bit.

I'm pretty sure I found a place to stay in NYC for my 2nd night... woot!!! I'm so glad that I won't have to worry about the cost of a hotle room/hostel for that night :)

I love music. It moves, inspires, relaxes, impresses, humors, intrigues, and soothes me. It makes me dance, it makes me laugh, it even makes me cry sometimes. I love finding new music, sharing my finds, and hearing about new ones... I think my next post will be a list of some of my new favorites w/ links to them & if I can figure out how, samples for you to listen to why I love them :) Before I do that, though, do any of you have suggestions for music?? I like pretty much everything, so don't leave off that one song or artist that you might love but think is cheesey :)

Lurkers, ahhemmm new friends, feel free to say hello!! Leave a comment & tell me how you found me :)

Hyo Min and I on my birthday... sometimes she gives me modeling lessons :)

New York, New York

I am SO EXCITED to see NYC... I can't believe I have never been there (among other places!!) - that will all be changing this summer. Here is the problem...

My flight from here to NYC got cancelled so I have to leave here a day later, meaning I only have 1 night in NYC with my friends Amy & Jonathan, then they have to keep going to their final destination... I can extend my stay for another night, but then I'm in the city by myself for a night... which means I'd either have to pay for my own hotel room, stay in a hostel (which is still pricey) or find someone to stay with... hence the blog :)

Do any of you know someone who lives in or very close to New York City?? I want to stay longer to see more, but I'm a little nervous about doing it myself...


Speaking of never having been to other places... I've never been to NYC, Chicago, California, Texas, etc..., etc... I want to take lots of roadtrips this summer, and have a few friends who also want to go on some... any suggestions or ideas for cheap/easy roadtrips from Ohio? Anything to see or do where you live (I can cook you a killer dinner in exchange for a roof to sleep under)? Here are some of the plans/ideas I have so far:
~Memphis/Arkansas to visit a friend/go to her lakehouse
~Colorado to see my Aunt, Uncle & cousins there
~of course Cincinnati/N.KY as much as possible
~Chicago
~Nashville
~Birmingham (to see a friend working there & visit my Grandpa just north of there)
~S. Carolina
~Indiana

Ideas? Places to stay in NYC (or anywhere else)?

Dear Melinda,

I cannot take you out to dinner, I cannot even call (you see, I tried... it wouldn't work, I think I have the wrong phone number), I can't text either (once again, wrong number, also it doesn't help that my phone isn't sending texts right now... lame!)... so, here is my gift to you (for now)...

10 things I love about you (because I typed 'hate' and realized I can't even make it sarcastic enough for people to understand I am being sarcastic ... but then again... you would get it...):

1. Speaking of which... I love the way you just get it. You understand my humor and sarcasm, not judging me for either.

2. I love the way you always tell me the truth. I know I can count on you to be honest with me, even if it's not what I want to hear, but what I NEED to hear.

3. I love when I'm in the middle of teaching and having random memories of you being right here next to me pop into my head, and just giggling about things such as snot fountains, and the kids begging to know what was funny :)

4. I love that you take the time to think about what peoples love languages are, and then do whatever you can to give them that type of love.

5. I love that you love without reservations. You DO have a unique ability to connect deeply, whether that is an Africa thing or not, you just do.

6. I love that you can fall flat on the floor, laugh, and just pick yourself up and start over again (dork dance, anyone?!).

7. I love that I know even if we disagree about something, that's ok... whether it's something as silly as the best ice cream, or something as deep as theology, you will always hear me out (as I hope I have done for you) & love me the same in the end.

8. I love that I can sing in front of you... not just sing, but full-on belt my heart out, and not feel the slightest bit of embarassment or fear.

9. I love your genuine curiosity. You aren't afraid to ask questions, and are always willing to hear the whole answer. You make me use my brain & think about what I really believe, feel, and think, and why.

10. I LOVE that I am going to be SO CLOSE to you and can come and take you out to dinner to celebrate our birthdays for real in person SO SOON :) :) :)