I once started a 30 days of Photos on FaceBook.  Day One required 15 random facts.  I just happened to look over that today and started laughing:

1. I'm in a Master's Program, getting a dual degree in Sport Coaching and Sport Management.
2. I desperately desire to live overseas.....and soon!
8. Places I'd love to visit: the UK, Denmark, Australia, Kenya, US Virgin Islands, and anywhere in the French Polynesia


Bahahahahaha!!!  Posted January 26, 2011. Don't believe me?  ---->O Ye Of Little Faith

All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.

Psalm 38:9 (NIV)

The Lord made it very clear (one of the clearest things I've ever heard from Him) that I was going to be in Longview-Kelso as long as it look for me to learn the stuff I needed to learn.  Him and I have much different timelines (6 months v. 8 years).....or is it that I have a slow learning curve?  We'll go with the different timeline thing.  However, no matter what the Lord know the deepest part of our hearts.  Those little longings, desires, and preferences.  The things you don't tell anyone else.  The things that sound silly to put voice to.  But our Daddy God, our Abba, he knows them and he delights in watching us get so excited over his gifts.  

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV)

This isn't the first time the Lord has fulfilled a longing of my heart.  Most definitely the biggest one.  If you have no idea how this all fits together, then you've missed the last couple posts.  Go back and read.  ;)

I'm so thankful that we have a Father who delights in the smallest of fleeting thoughts.  Thank you Lord for your gifts and blessings, large and small.  Thank you for knowing us better than we know ourselves....that you know the things we want, the things we need and everything in between.  Thank you for knowing the big picture and for not bending to my whims.  Amen.

Oz Update!!!

I sincerely apologize for all those waiting for an update on my trip.  There totally has been some major updates, too.  Ah!  Again, forgive me.  Now let's get on with it.

By the way, I just have to share this....I'm writing this with a quarter of my hair in curlers as I'm getting ready to chaperone Kelso High School's prom (photos later...not of the curlers, but of prom).  I also did this last year and LOVED it.

Ok, focus.  Oz update.

First, my learning objective and mentorship contract was accepted by the school on the first go-around!! No revisions, just an a-ok.  WOOO!!  That may or may not happen all the time but regardless, no revisions on a grad school paper??  I'll totally take it.  On the other hand, I found out my mentorship advisor is the only grad school professor to give me a B.  While I totally earned that grade at that time (it was a darker period of my life), I still have a slight apprehension about having him as my advisor.  I was really hoping for my favorite professor, but such is life.

Second, I bought my ticket.  Booked and paid for.  AH!!!  Now I have a timeline which I can share with you all:

:: August 10th :: Last day of Young Life work ::

 :: August 11th :: Going away party at the Prothero's ::

:: August 12 or 13 :: Leaving Kelso and going to Spokane (Medical Lake) ::

:: August 18th :: Family going away party / Dad's birthday party at Mom & Dad's house ::

:: August 19th :: Fly out of Sea-Tac at 6:30pm ::

::  August 22nd ::  Arrive in Brisbane at 10:30am ::

:: August 25th ::  Arrive in Perth at 11:55pm ::

:: August 27th :: Start my internship with the Perth Heat ::

Seems like it's so close yet so far away.....

I've been ask about 30 times how am I feeling about all this so let me answer it here.....

I'm scared to death about half the time I think about it and super excited the other half.

I guess it depends on what specific aspect I'm thinking about.  I had one of my first of many "lasts" this week and will have another one next week.  We have a staff women's overnight for Young Life and this last Thursday-Friday was my last one.  The women in our region are AMAZING.  They are strong, tender, honest, open, beautiful, kind, accepting, loving with hearts that are bent towards the Lord and overflowing with love, grace and faith.  It's been such an honor to be a part of this group and I will deeply miss them.  Definitely top 5 on the things I will miss list.  

Next Tuesday is our last ministry center, our region's quarterly business meeting.  There I will say good-bye to many of the fabulous staff in our region.  I get to share about what I'm doing and where I'm going.....I currently have no idea what I'm going to say.  I definitely won't even come close to topping Kent Williams good-bye when him and Aaron Rauch sang a duet.  I am so not that cool.  

I think those are all the updates.  Regardless, I have to go finish getting ready for Prom.  Funny how I enjoy Prom way more now than I ever did in HS.  My junior Prom was the worst experience ever.  The drama was ridiculous and lasted the rest of the school year.  Sigh....again, I would NEVER go back to HS.  Ever.  

Until next time....