Passionately loving and obeying Jesus

The Lord Truly Loves Me!

2011-03-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to write for some time. The Lord has done so much since my last post and opened many doors. Here I will try to review month by month since my last posting.

August 2010-September 2010

Wow, this was such a time of movement and opportunity. First, I applied for and was accepted into the Long Beach City College Clean Energy Workforce Training Program. This program provides free training and job preparation for people in the Green Workforce. I went to classes nightly for a total of 6 weeks and ended up taking two tests. I passed both tests by God's grace and received the accreditations. I knew that these could open up doors and get my resume seen.

LBCC Clean Energy Workforce Program

LEED Professional Credentials

I also had the opportunity to visit a community of Church Resource Ministries called NeiuCommunities in San Diego. This is a small group of 20 to 30 people who live intentionally together in life and mission. They live within walking distance, share meals, worship, and open their homes to their neighbors. They have all decided to be missionaries of sorts through CRM, but the concept is very applicable. This gave me a lot of vision for a community that I'd like to be a part of in the near future.

NieuCommunities

September 2010 - December 2010

The fall went by in a whirlwind! I had a close group of friends over for my birthday and served homemade pizzas. I spent most of the time in the kitchen while my friends hung out and played games, but I had so much fun. I was so blessed to celebrate my birthday with friends.

In October I took the LEED Green Associate exam and passed! This is the first step in the process of becoming a LEED Accredited Professional. LEED Accredited Professionals can be architects, engineers, real estate agents etc and serve as consultants in getting a building LEED certified. Many states and principalities are now requiring that new government buildings be LEED certified, so this is a great area to be in.

During my time at the Long Beach City College Workforce program, I got to know a young man who is active with the United States Green Building Council LA Chapter. I had attended a few meetings but up to this point hadn't made any real connections in networking. I attended Emerging Professional meetings in October and November and in December I started volunteering with a project here in Long Beach.

The project (which is still going on) is a student design competition set here in Long Beach. We are partnering with the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency for students to design a mixed use structure out of shipping containers. I headed up student marketing, and it was a great opportunity to reach out to people I used to work with.

Christmas

For Christmas I went to Phoenix to see my aunt and cousins, who I hadn't spent Christmas with since I was Seven. It was so much fun to hang out and just laugh over silly things. I am perhaps most myself around my aunt and cousins, so it was amazing to spend the weekend with them.

More to come...

It's June?

2010-06-02T12:32:00.050-05:00

Dear Friends,

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written all of you. So much has happened since November and every time I think of writing, I only think of how much ground I need to cover. So, I am going to give you a recap of my my life in themes.

Housing and Roommates

Last December I gave my one month notice at the house in Huntington. There were many reasons why it didn't work, but the biggest was the cost of rent. The Lord was so good to me in December! I spoke with a number of girls about getting a place or moving in with them. I was content to stay in Huntington, but my heart's desire was to live in Long Beach. I contacted a friend in Long Beach named Elaine about possibly living with her, because she was alone in a two bedroom apartment. I really needed cheap rent, and I was beginning to feel desperate. On the Sunday before Christmas, the girls in Huntington were not getting back with me and I felt a go ahead from God to move to Long Beach. At church, my friend Elaine told me that our friend Erica wanted to share the bedroom with me. I was dumbfounded! I had never thought that may be what God had for me.

Erica's birthday party. My roommates are on my right and left.

Weeks later we made all the arrangements for Erica and I to share the bedroom and lease. I moved in January 1st and Erica moved in February 1st. We bought bunk beds and divided up the room like college students. It has been such a blessing to live with two godly women who desire community. We pray for one another regularly, walk to church together, and host parties at our house.

Work and Mission

I quickly settled into my new store and by January was a member of the family. I saw the Lord use me in amazing ways. The barista life allows for a lot of conversations! One of my friends Dev said to me, "Justina, you are so good. I wish I could be like you." I gave up Facebook for Lent and was able to share my decision with Dev. He hadn't been to church since Easter, so he was excited to go to church with me. Dev visited my church for a number of weeks, practiced lent, and visited Rock Harbor with a friend. It was such a blessing to share lent with him and share the gospel. I found amazing opportunities to share the Lord with him and encourage him with his new goals.

Education and Career Planning

I had a few interviews in the last few months and the recurring theme has been further training. In my desperation for a job I forgot about the further training I can get while waiting. So, I have attended three free architecture training sessions. I also looked into software training that is vital for re-entering the workforce and found a reasonable class I can take next fall. In the process of checking networking opportunities, I came across a program at Long Beach City College that is geared for the clean energy workforce. If I qualify for the program, I will attend courses in August and September. Through the program, I will prep for and take the LEED Green Associate certification exam. This is a certification used by design professionals to design and rate sustainable buildings. The test alone costs $250.

To be continued...

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content"...Say What?

2009-11-25T01:39:00.000-06:00

Recently I've been praying about moving out of my house. Two months ago I would have told you that I live in a hostile environment that I wouldn't wish on anyone. These days I would say that I'm learning to be content in my living situation although it's not ideal.

As many of you know, I go to church in Long Beach and I love it. Honestly, I'd love to live in Long Beach, but I am seeing that my eyes need to be opened to God's kingdom here on earth. A few weeks ago, my church held a leadership dinner with 30 leaders of our church. Our lead pastor talked about the necessity that we each be disciples to people in our lives. Last week, the store manager of my Starbucks was fired, which brought much delight to every employee of the store. During our time without a manager, I felt not only like a team member, but a vital member of a family. On Monday I had a conversation with one girl about relationships and with a guy about seeing My Sister's Keeper. I am excited about the relationships that are developing with my coworkers at Starbucks.

In Philippians 4:11, Paul says that he is not speaking of being in need. He gave up all the riches and honor that he knew as a Pharisee in exchange for the riches of Christ. A few weeks ago, a wise friend of mine at the ripe old age of 23 proposed that God may be asking me to live on less. Hmm...This is a tough one because it requires not that I gain more, but that I cut back. So, I am praying about ways that I can do that. Working at Starbucks 25 hours a week, I bring in about $1000 a month after taxes and insurance. That is hard for anyone to live on, especially one who was accustomed to three times that. One of the biggest areas I am praying about is rent. Currenlty I pay $600 a month including utilities but am looking for rent of $400. That is hard to find in Southern California and requires sharing a room.

Last week I had a phone interview with a company that I would love to work with. I think I will have another phone interview soon, but in the meantime I wait. I continue to ask the Lord what He requires of me and ask Him to provide all my needs for life and godliness.

To read or not to read. Is there a question?

2009-10-23T22:02:00.005-05:00

Recently I've become addicted to reading. I wish I was addicted to Theology books or even engineering books, but unfortunately I am addicted to reading fiction. When I moved to Huntington Beach, I discovered the Friends of the Library at the local library. Books are dirt cheap and arranged by genre. It is a thrift store lover's dream. On my first visit, I picked up four books for $2.25. The Princess Bride (Yes the movie we all fell in love with in the 90s, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die"), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Devil Wears Prada, Jane Eyre, and The Canterbury Tales.

Consequently, I've read a lot of books lately. Of course, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was a little juvenile, but was still fun to read. I was surprised by how different The Devil Wears Prada is from the movie. I forgot to read the synopsis before starting Jane Eyre and boy was I in for a loop. At times I wanted to throw the book against the wall because I was so frustrated with the twists and turns in the plot. I completely forgot about the lunatic wife upstairs and was amazed by the many coincidences.

I bought My Sister's Keeper a while back to resale and ended up loving it. I usually don't like deeply emotional books, but I was instantly captivated by the writing. Each chapter is from the perspective of a differenct character and each character has their own font type. I could sympathise with Anna's independent nature, but I wondered if she'd be complete without her sister. I was surprised by the romance in the book. There's the mom and dad (Sara and Brian), the lawyer and guardian (Campbell and Julia), plus Anna and Kate discovering boys. I literally
could not put it down and read half of the book in one day. I just sold the book on half.com today, so I'm excited to share it with someone else.

Todo, we are not in Kansas anymore, or are we?

2009-08-26T00:39:00.020-05:00

It has been almost 6 months since I lost my engineering job, but I can say that the Lord unmistakeably has his hand on my life. Though that hand leads me through sufferings, I know that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. As for endurance, I have moved 5 times in 13 months and the task has become less daunting with every move. As for character, I've been involved and volunteered at a church plant in Long Beach since April. I didn't know if I had a lot to give, but I gave coffee, attended a life group, volunteered at a rescue mission, and helped set up/tear down. As a result the associate pastor (and my friend from life group) told me I was the 'Set up look coordinator.' I think I asked for a job, so he saw a need and assigned it to me. As for hope, well I'm still discovering that. I am reading N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope" and I am blown away. I am also visiting an Anglican church that our associate pastor also attends and through that I am seeing how God has woven a thread through many denominations by His Spirit.

So, what is with the title, you might ask. Yesterday I moved to Huntington Beach. I am 10 miles from Long Beach (which I love and hope to move eventually). Huntington Beach is in Orange County and I am amazed by the difference. The neighborhoods are much quieter, the houses have porches (affordable houses I suppose and with yards), and people park their cars in front of their house. That might seem normal, but in LA every neighborhood has traffic, few people live in houses, and parking is first come first park. I am renting month to month from a mom of three kids (two in college) and the house is beautiful.

Why Long Beach? God is doing a work there that I want to be a part of. My friend Seth from Kansas introduced me to his friend Sarah from Iowa (they grew up together). I first visited her small church and met her friends in February. I also attended Rock Harbor and I was sweetly reminded by one of the guys not to judge Rock Harbor by first appearances. About a year ago, a few young people from Rock Harbor started praying about planting a church in Long Beach. They spent more than 6 months gathering people from Long Beach to pray, serve, and worship. Through the soil they tilled, a church has grown that is passionate about worship, service, prayer, the working of the Holy Spirit, and the community of the saints. I am so excited to be a part of this community. My move to Huntington Beach allows me to be more involved and hang out more often. I plan to buy a bike and work towards biking to Long Beach. I am also looking into transferring to a Long Beach or Huntington Beach Starbucks. That would save me immensely on gas and work would feel more like a ministry.

Here are a few pictures from our church in Long Beach, the Garden:
http://www.thegardenlb.org/

We spent the weekend of August 6-8 at the Long Beach Rescue Mission in which we served at
the mission, ate at the mission, and served in the community. We learned so much about homelessness through our interactions at the Mission and on the streets of Long Beach.

The Garden met weekly in the basement of a historic church from February until September. Mid September, we started meeting at a night club in downtown Long Beach. It was a night and day change! We doubled in size overnight, but most of all, everyone is excited to be a part of the Garden. We have 5 or more life groups and we are growing more.

I got a free mug out of it

2009-03-14T18:35:00.013-05:00

Many of you know that I was laid off two weeks ago, but for those who didn't know, I was laid off two weeks ago. It came as quite a surprise, though I feel the Holy Spirit was preparing me. In January, we had a team meeting and learned that our biggest job was put on hold. We worked on the job for another two weeks, then everyone in the office scrambled for work. I would have loved some direction from my bosses, but without it, I studied for an exam for two days. Two days seems like a small amount of time, but two days not making money for the company is huge.

I'll spare you the grueling details of how my day unfolded: February 26, 2009. I have to say that this was the best February in a few years. This year no March 1st deadlines (scholarships, FAFSA, leases etc.) creeped up on me. At 10:30am I was called into a meeting with my boss and the HR director, and the rest was history. We had no warning or rumors of a possible layoff. I didn't say goodbye to anyone because I felt embarrassed and was on the verge of tears. I simply packed up my things and left the office.

I spent the rest of that day texting friends, grieving and reading the word. Since then I've been looking for a new job and truly enjoying my time off.

What does the future hold, you may ask. I am asking God whether he wants me to stay in Los Angeles or move to secure an engineering job. As of right now, I am planning to stay in Los Angeles, though God will have to provide a job. I started attending a Vineyard church in August and I have experienced so much growth and healing through the body. I am in a class on relational healing that ends in June, so I am committed to finish the program. There are not very many engineering opportunities locally, so I am looking to admin jobs at universities. Since there are so many universities in Los Angeles, so I hope to put my admin experience to good use.

If you desire to pray for me, here are a few prayer requests.

Faithfullness to the Lord though I can't see around the bend
My needs would be met through the body until I secure a job: free/cheap housing
I would obtain either part time or temporary work very soon (within a month)
I would not be swayed by the voice of others, except as the Lord is using them
The perfect engineering job in God's timing (I don't know if I'm ready)

I love this economy!

2009-02-16T22:27:00.003-06:00

I just booked a flight from Los Angeles, CA to Kansas City, MO roundtrip for $169. Wow! Have flights ever been that cheap??

I'll see many of you April 17-19 for Dawn's wedding!

Settled???

2009-01-20T21:25:00.027-06:00

Its hard to believe that I've lived in LA for almost 6 months now! Wow, time does fly. God has blessed me these past months with a good roommate, a great car, an amazing church, and wonderful friends. I can truly say that I feel at home, and I don't plan to make any life changes for some time! I want to give you a glimpse of my life here through some photographs.

My home

I live in South Central LA. Well maybe; that depends on who you ask. I live less than 10 miles from downtown, from Santa Monica, from work, and from LAX. No, they are not all in the same direction, I just happen to be in a very central location. The neighborhood is called Leimert Park and from what I understand is well known for its Jazz. If you watch "Collateral" they visit a Jazz club in Leimert park, although I couldn't tell you if they are really in Leimert Park.

Labor Day '08 (aka my birthday)

My birthday this year wasn't too fancy since I didn't know very many people yet. I started attending a young adults service at Westside Vineyard mid August. The service is led by young adults and the pastors are in their 30s/40s. For Labor Day I joined some new friends from church to go rock climbing. It was a lot of fun and I discovered can be a great exercise. We hiked in Malibu at Malibu Creek State Park.

Korea Town

The thing I like best about Los Angeles is the amazing food and the diverse ethnicity. Driving through Korea Town, it feels like you're in a different country because all of the signs are in Korean. Good luck finding that amazing Korean restuarant you're looking for! The food in LA is so amazing, ranging from Vietnamese, El Salvadorian, Chinese, and so many others I haven't tried yet.

Home Walk LA

This Fall I joined some friends in a 5K walk to raise awareness and support for homelessness in LA. Hundreds of people gathered near downtown to complete the walk. A few people from my church had created a team and encouraged one another in raising funds. It was really cool to get to know my new friends better and learn more about homelessness in LA.

New Year's Eve '08

I spent New Year's Eve this year in Hollywood at Universal Studios City Walk. It kind of feels like a mini Times Square, but much smaller and without streets. There were a few concerts going on. Beforehand we went out to eat at a really hip Thai food restaurant.

Around New Years I began to really feel like LA is home. I am really enjoying the new friends I've met and the community I've developed at church.

Echo Park

My friend Seth (from Lawrence) had a show in town a few weeks ago at a really cool art/music venue called Echo Curio. Echo Park is a really cool neighborhood that has a growing art scene, but yet still has a strong neighborhood feel. I live only 8 miles from Echo Park, so I look forward to exploring more of it. It was so much fun to go to his shows and hang out with a friend from "back home." His band will be playing in Lawrence at the end of February, so check out their myspace page: www.myspace.com/rooftopvigilantes.

Life in LA... it's perplexing

2008-09-16T23:26:00.008-05:00

I think I just might be the worse blogger. I started a blog just after I moved here to share the things I don't understand about LA. Although I have many things to update all of you on, I hate to let a good blog go to waste, so I'm going to finish the blog I started months ago.

I thought it would be fun to share the perplexities of this city, the great Los Angeles. Don't get me wrong, life is going well, but there are so many things that perplex me about this city and I thought you might enjoy hearing them.

Just in case you are curious about my life. I am settled in a Vineyard church, I bought a 2005 Honda Civic, my roommate is great, my commute is only 20 minutes, and I'm getting paid more than ever. God has really blessed me and has been answering prayers. Now here's the list you've been waiting for.

1. Where did all the Walmarts go?

For some odd reason, there are very few Walmarts in Los Angeles and I happen to live down the street from a three story one. Google maps lists 6 Walmarts in all of LA, a city covering over 400 square miles. I visited the 3 story Walmart a few weeks ago, and I will never go back. It is so hard to find what you are looking for when you have to go up and down escalators all the time. You have to use the elevator to take your shopping cart between floors. Talk about planning ahead of time.

I'm not sure why LA can't support more of the giant superstores, but it seems that it may be due to the neighborhood structure. LA is made up of many neighborhoods that feel like small towns. Each neighborhood is completely different, but when you are driving around they blend together smoothly.

2. Why is there a parking lane?

Even though parking can be very hard to find in this city, there is definitely not a lack of parking spots. Almost all of the streets have parking "spaces" next to the curb that also act as a driving lane. Typically parking is restricted during rush hour but is free game at all other times. It is so frustrating, because if you don't pay attention you'll end up getting stuck behind a parked car. Even the busiest streets allow parking along the curb, so you don't dare get into the far right lane.

3. Where are all the natives?

Most of the people that I've met in Los Angeles are not natives to the city but moved here for a job or school. Granted, the company I work for is very international. One of the women in the mechanical department went to high school in Leavenworth Kansas and graduated from Kansas State...small world. I've met many people that moved to LA to pursue acting, producing, or publishing. Surprising heh!

4. Does anyone work around here?

It is very common to go out to lunch and find people riding their bikes around the beach cities. They ride along like they don't have a care in the world, and I suppose they may not. People say its probably due to all of the aspiring actors waitressing at night. Hey, I've even caught a little bit of that fever. My company took about 60 (out of 150) of us to work near the beach a few months ago to celebrate a successful job in the Gulf (no, not of Mexico). They told us to take a leisurely lunch, so we took them seriously and hung out at the restaurant from 12pm to 3pm.

Traffic, traffic, and more traffic

2008-08-19T21:40:00.013-05:00

After two full weeks, I am almost used to LA...except for the driving. I only live 5 miles from work, yet I feel that I am driving all the time. I might think "I'll go over to such and such town" and it will take me 30 minutes to get there. Last weekend I went "driving" in search of a cool coffee shop and ended up in my car for an hour and a half without finding one. I know with search engines like Google things shouldn't be so hard, but if I don't write it down I may never find it. Downtown Lawrence is so unique with awesome coffee shops on literally every corner, but here all you find is Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

So, I found a roommate. My friend Chris Lemmon introduced us and she is really cool. She lives in a house in a "not so good" part of town, but the house is really quaint and the neighborhood is nice. Rent is a lot cheaper than most places and it is only 7 miles from work. I am probably moving there September 1st (my birthday). Though there are a lot of apartments here, there are a lot of neighborhoods with houses for rent. I've had plenty of friends in Phoenix live in "questionable" areas, so I feel completely fine with the decision.

After a full week of researching cars, I finally ventured out this weekend and did some test driving. I've never experienced car salesmen, but a few this weekend took the cake for sleaziness. First I spoke to a man at a Toyota dealership who had a strong accent. I couldn't understand a thing he said, and I thought, "how did I end up with this man?" Yesterday I test drove a Honda Civic and the woman working with me said, "this car gets 40 miles per gallon." Are you kidding? Only hybrids get 40 miles per gallon, though a civic might get close to that on the highway. She said it so seriously, and I corrected her. Each dealer tried to get me to buy the car on the spot, but I decided to look a little more. It reminds me that I need to do more research and know what I want before I go.

Work is going well, but slow. I had hoped to have some jobs by now to get the juices going, but all I've been working on is a parking garage and all the design is done. Most of our jobs are large and take months or years to design, so I understand that they haven't put me on one yet. I will most likely help different people out and try to pick up new knowledge along the way. I'm sure it will take a few months before I feel a part of the team. People at work are pretty cool, but they are pretty focused on the job and after hour social events seem to be limited. People rarely go out to lunch, at least not in large groups like I'm used to. I find that relationship building is slow and difficult. I've always thought of work as a "mission field", but that definition is starting to evolve. I see work now more as my responsibility to cultivate the earth. I've had a lot of time to listen to podcasts while doing busy work to the point where I am sick of my iPod.

Trader Joe's on every corner and Starbucks at work

2008-08-08T00:38:00.009-05:00

I've been in LA for less than a week, and I'm already feeling like a native...ok, not really. I have traveled throughout the city a bit but covered no more than 60 miles any given trip. I visited Manhattan beach, downtownish, Hollywood, North Hollywood, and Culver City.

I arrived in LA on Friday August 1st and everything went well, but I failed to anticipate how to handle three HEAVY suit cases and a carry on. I found the apartment, bought groceries, unpacked and called my new LA friends.

On Saturday, I went to Manhattan Beach with a new friend Naomi who I met through Amanda, a Lawrence Native. In the afternoon we drove close to downtown and looked at a few houses that Naomi was considering. I was considering living with Naomi, but the drive is too far. We ate dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant called Masa.

Sunday I went to church in Hollywood and was rear ended on the way. Yes, I was rear ended my third day here! There was no damage to the car, but my body was a little stiff. I've had better luck since then and have learned how to drive in LA...no sudden stops, PAY ATTENTION, commit, be defensive. Driving on the streets is not too different from Lawrence except there are sooo many "23rd Streets."

My job is AMAZING. That is where the Starbucks comes in. Although I am not a big fan of the company, I immensely enjoy the automatic coffee machine at work. All you do is decide the size and brew, press a button, and fresh coffee is poured into your cup. No more burned coffee! The jobs we do out of this office are mind boggling. This week I started helping out with a project in the middle east that is a resort complex...kind of like Dubai. Supposedly we do a lot of museums and will be designing the MEP for the Guggenheim Museum in Dubai. My supervisors are very focused and have already given me an assimilation plan for the next 6 months. I have a lot to learn and some amazing opportunities. Supposedly they are going to fly me out to the Midwest for a "school." Maybe I can have friends visit me!

Tuesday I visited a bible study in North Hollywood and met two aspiring actors. They were actually really cool! I am amazed by the people I've met here. A new friend is a model and her boyfriend designs jeans. They are both friends with the guy who films Rob Bell videos. I have not met any musicians yet though, so Lawrence has LA beat! :)

Yesterday I visited my favorite favorite hippy/natural/organic/granola grocery store called Trader Joe's that is only located near the coasts. If you've ever been there, you'd know what I mean and if not, I am sorry!

Tonight I had dinner with a friend of Karen Armstrong's (from Vintage) daughter. She is really cool and their house is close to a cute neighborhood called Culver City. We enjoyed an amazing dinner with a glass of wine.

I can't believe tomorrow is Friday! This weekend I will be car shopping and apartment hunting.

I'm going to Disney World

2008-07-24T22:58:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I didn't win the Super Bowl, but I won something quite close and to celebrate I'm going to Disney World...or at least Disney Land. My teammates and I won the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) 2008 Student Design Project Competition, Architectural Design. Now mind you, we didn't enter to win, because we expected some Architecture students to show us engineers up. Most engineering students enter one of two other categories that deal with heating and cooling design, so we figured we had a chance. There were only four teams who entered the Architectural Design Section and made it to regionals...in other words, it looks like the odds were on our side.

Tell them what they've won Bob...

First Place: $1,500 Plus a representative from the team will receive free transportation, two nights lodging and $100 expenses for attendance at the ASHRAE 2009 winter meeting in Chicago, IL where the award will be presented.

Now that's not bad! I suppose one of us can go to Chicago for the meeting!

I'm moving!

2008-07-15T15:27:00.025-05:00

So, in case you didn't know, I am moving on August 1st to Los Angeles. Yes, I don't believe it either! I am flying to LAX on Aug. 1st, renting a car for a month, and settling in at an amazing furnished temporary apartment. I will start my job on August 4th. I am excited to work full time, but this time it feels like serious business! I have worked two internships and experienced full time work, but I feel that much is expected of me this time. Before I was just a student and I could always say, "I don't know." Now I feel like I "should know," though there is much still to learn. Otherwise, why would they hire me? I hope to "settle in" quickly. I have made a few contacts in the west LA area, I know of a few churches to try, and I have been invited to a bible study.

Graduation was on May 18, so you might ask, "what am I doing in the meantime?" A lot of nothing...but staying busy. Basically, I am trying to stay busy. I am packing and organizing my stuff into "Leave at home" "LA later" and "LA now." I spend almost everyday at Signs of Life, and they've actually asked me if I'm taking up residence (There are many like me at Signs). Occasionally I see friends, so it is a great place to hang out. While there I usually read the Word, read books, check my email, look for apartments, and check on things for my move. I go to a lot of "bible studies" and hang out with friends often. Both of my roommates have moved out and the apartment is almost empty, so I spend time out as much as possible.

I would love to hang out with all of you from Lawrence! My schedule is very open, so just let me know when you want to hang out. My computer charger is down, so please call or text.

If you'd like to pray for me, here are a few prayer requests that I'm seeking God for:

I would find a church and community
I would find the Christian (I hope) roommate that God wants me to have...and quickly
God would provide reasonable rent and a car
I would have everything I need for my job
I would truly learn to give my life and resources away...the last thing I want to do is hoard what I have

Here are some photographs that show what I've been up to this summer.

*Thank you friends for letting me borrow the photos!

Graduation Day with friends from Senior Design

Walking down the hill with two of my favorite ARCE friends

My friend Lisa and I at a Luau night

My friends Megan and Nobu at Encore after church

4th of July at Clinton Lake

4th of July...we watched the fireworks on an air mattress.
We are laying on the mattress looking up at the camera.

My friend Joanna and I after an art reception at Pachamama's

I had a few friends over to make home made sushi

Rolling up and cutting sushi