Busy, busy

I know that some of you are wondering where my post from Zenith is...here it is more than 2 and a half months later. I started that post the week after I returned from Oklahoma and Colorado, but I have had the worst on-going problems with getting the pictures to post correctly. I finally figured out that they all need to be reformatted and saved differently for the web, then my computer at home with all the pictures on it stopped working right, then I scanned them again at school and saved them all there only to find out that I was missing some. On and on...I just got overwhelmed with it and stopped working on it for a while. I took 4 classes this summer (roughly equivalent to 18 credit hours) and with work and everything else going on...[sigh]. I've been so overwhelmed and I've felt regretful that I'm not even really in the blogging community anymore. I even thought about closing my blog account. But I can't. I really love blogging, and I love being able to see what my friends in other states are up to. I'll try to do better...forgive me? I miss all of you. I'll try to get that Zenith post finished up this month-I had such a good trip and wanted to share it, and I wrote about my time in Denver.

Class is going well, fast-paced, but well. This semester I'm taking 2 psychology courses-Cognition and Capstone Research. I'm also taking Environmental Geology, which I really enjoy. I'm so excited that I'm able to do my research in one of the areas that I absolutely love-Health Psychology. It's a growing passion for me. I specifically will be studying health behaviors, like eating and exercising. I'm also working on my certification so that I can be an addictions counselor. I already have the 1000 hours that I need from working at the treatment center, and now I'm looking into the testing. While I'll be excited to be certified, especially after I have my degree, I'm really wanting to look into graduate programs in health psychology. That seems to be where my heart is, but we'll see what God has in store. I have hopes and dreams, but they belong to Him-to be used in whatever way He deems and in whatever way will bring Him much glory.

God continues to give me opportunites at work in my Spiritual Study group to share my faith and plant seeds for His kingdom. Mark Cahill's books go like hot cakes-I can't seem to keep a steady supply (praise God!). And because my schedule is different this semester, I'm able to be more involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship more at IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue Univerity @ Indianapolis). I feel that it has been the missing piece-I finally have that authentic fellowship with other believers my age on campus, and I've met lots of new friends and partners in the gospel who want to be a witnessing community and a presence on campus for Christ Jesus. Oh, and I've met some people to play volleyball with as well-I'm mean c'mon that's important! :) By the way, I was playing with them on Thursday night and burst a blood vessel in my right wrist after slamming the ball. I'm fine now, it's just turning pretty colors, but wow was it scary-looked like a golf ball was under my skin...I had a blast though and played well-it was worth it I guess. :)

Some good news to share that was unexpected... I got Lady of the Month at the gym I go to since I've continued to loose weight (about 50 lbs total now). I still have a little more to go, but God has been so faithful to give the desire to take better care of my body and honor Him with it when I pray for that.

Work is going well...sometimes it's really hard to work in this field (addictions) and to watch people not do well, but thank God that some make it. It's the rewards of the few who stay sober and go on to live wonderfully full lives that drown out the discouragement of the many who are unable to stay sober. It's so heart-moving to watch peoples lives change, to watch life spring up inside of them. It's even more precious to watch people come into the kingdom of God and watch the Holy Spirit make them into a new creation! That's what LIFE is about to me-planting seeds of truth about eternity and watching our Mighty God transform lives. God is in the business of transforming lives. He is like no other.