Update and a half!!!

So yes, I am back. And Europe is BEAUTIFUL! Although I must say the Italians do not have that same welcoming air as the Aussies. But nonetheless, it was still amazing fun and we saw so much in those two weeks. One of the highlights (well, there are tons, but I'll keep it simple for right now) was being able to go into the prison where Peter and Paul were held in Rome before they were executed. All 42 of us crammed into the underground cave, and sang the Doxology. It was one of those moments that sends shivers down your spine as you realize everything that early Christians sacrificed for the name of Christ. What a humbling and unforgettable experience.

So then, I came back and headed back to Cedarville the very next day. We've just finished our first week of classes, and man, do I feel a bit overwhelmed already. But hey, I just have to remember to take it one day at a time. Highlight of the week? AUSSIE TEAM REUNION LAST NIGHT!!! All of us were there (except Jaimie, who had to be at play practice), but we watched videos from Oz and ate tim-tams and picked on each other like old times. I love that team so much. Here's to more good times to come :)

Speaking of good times, Guess who stopped by for a visit. Yep, Kat's here in my dorm room right now (looking through my pictures, actually), and we got to hang out one last time before she up and moves to FLORIDA!!! Crazy times. But yes, it has been so much fun, and so much has happened, I feel as though this blog can't even begin to cover it all. But I must go eat dinner with some friends now, so I'm going to sign off, with the promise of pictures from Europe to come soon. Hope you all are doing well!

~S~

Leaving on a jet plane...

...for Europe! Aaah, I leave tomorrow! I can't believe the summer's kind of over already and that this trip is finally here. I'm so excited. We're going to be traveling Greece for the first week, and then Italy for the second week, kinda retracing the Apostle Paul's footsteps along the way. I have a feeling God is going to do even more amazing things on this trip. I'm so excited!!!

¡Gracias a Dios!

So I just got off the phone with my "little sister" Sandra who lives in El Salvador. What an encouragement! We got to talk for at least an hour about everything that's going on in our lives, and the things that we're struggling with, and what God is teaching us. Something that struck me during the conversation is that I love that girl so much, she really is like my sister, and I would do almost anything for her. And as she told me about things in her life that are causing her pain right now, I was struggling so hard not to want to hop on a plane and fly down there and fix it all for her. Funny thing is, though, that I realize that there is Someone who loves her much more that I do, and that nothing I do (in my own power) is going "fix" things for her. I can only carry her to Jesus in prayer and trust that He is/will continue to do a good work in her. Kinda scary when you think about it though. You know? It's so against our human nature to trust something that we can't even sense (except by his Spirit, of course). But I guess what I was referring to is trusting in Someone who we cannot see with our eyes, touch with our hands, nor hear with our ears. And yet, He is our Comforter and our ever-present Help. Praise God that He is with us through everything; He's the best friend we could ever have.

"Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados, y yo les daré descanso. Carguen con mi yugo y aprendan de mí, pues yo soy apacible y humilde de corazón, y encontrarán descanso para su alma." Mateo 11:27-29

July 23rd!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2 SARA!!! (4 the next 11 minutes) =D

So, ya see- ya'll get to enjoy another entry of "the happenings of Sara n' Kat's crazy adventures!" as I came down hur to ye ol' Ohio 2 join fair Saraita 4 this special occasion.

~Its been jus over 24 hrs since my arrival, and yet we've been able to pack in plenty of fun-filled times, such things included:

- Attempting to use a domestic phone card internationally
- Enjoying the high school classic "she's all that" (ohhh freddie) ;)
- Today there was a large picnic here for the youth leaders @ Sara's house (we liked to believe that the 70 or so people who came were here 2 celebrate Sara's 22- n they jus didnt know it...) :)
- So there was a lot of setting up (of which i slept through..hmmm, how did that happen?!....) and EATING! (which of course, i did NoT miss) ~ it was a pig roast, and ohh so good! lots of socializing n mingiling and enjoying the absolutely GoRgEoUs day!!!
- We had an incredible time @ the evening service @ Sara's church (707) - which we thuroughly enjoyed, as it was basically a hightlighted sermon of the book Captivating~ hit right home in far too many ways.
- Afterwards we headed into downtown Cleveland with 3 other hotties to celebrate sara's day with a girls night out. We setteled down in the posche and tottally comfortable restaurant where we were basically the only table there. being seated for six, we couldnt help but wonder if this "is a fat joke??" as there were in actuality only 5 of us...hmmm. but we were treated SO well, enjoyed giant n perfect deserts~~ not to mention laughs on laughs! =D
then we finished our time together singing along with our favorite Rascal Flatts songs on our way home; 2 get back 2 sara's n' call -you guessed it!!- call ShAnnYn!!! - we are now awaiting a return call, filling the time watching part of Sara's bday present "how to lose a guy in 10 days" (ohhh Matthew McOhsohottie)

- EK!! guess who's on the phone?!?! we'll get back to you in a bit... ;)

(ps- pics 2 come at a later date)
*much love*
S+K

Brilliant :)

And if a card wasn't enough, i got the video tape from Australia in the mail from Leslie today.

hehe, bet you didn't know there was a video tape. And yes, you are ALL in it....

...such good blackmail material....


;-)

You get me

So today I got a birthday card from Australia. How cool is that?! It made me really happy anyway :)

And I went to the most typical of typical business meetings today. I mean, we're talking at a bank, big oak table, huge leather chairs...the whole thing. And I was in charge of taking notes, except that I really had no idea what they were talking about, so that made things fun. Sometimes I just ended up typing nonsense into the computer until the lady next to me gave me a strange look. Then i decided it was time to stop and look professional (haha).

Man, what a week it has been so far. I'm really nervous about tomorrow because my boss is out of town for the day and has left all of his responsibilities to me, plus I have to make over 100 phone calls to try and sell radio spots and design a radio commercial for a few of the stations in cleveland. Eeek! Me=nervous. But (insert positive attitude), I'm sure it'll be a good experience, right? ;-)

But I have to say that the coolest part of this week has been what God is teaching me. It has been such a sweet time with him. Well, it didn't start out that way. Unfortunately, I'm so stubborn sometimes that God allows painful circumstances in my life to get my attention when I walk away from Him and try to find happiness elsewhere. But, as He draws me closer to him through the painful circumstances, it has been so cool to discover more about Him, and to learn to lean on Him and trust Him more. He is the only One who will ever really "get" us. He understands us so much better than we understand ourselves (even in all our sinfulness), and yet He loves us with a passion so much greater than any earthly love. It has been so amazing to discover that more and more over the past few weeks, and to know that we have a High Priest who can empathize with our pain and knows completely all of our longings. He's been through it all! What an amazing thought that we can come to Him in all our brokenness, and he will give us rest. But not only that, He will give us rivers of abundant life flowing in our souls! He satisfies us so much better than any earthly thing. How amazing to think that greatest love of all is ours through Jesus! He is more than sufficient for us...

"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself." ~Hebrews 7:25-27

Amazing.

Just a thought

I wonder what it would be like if we all took off those happy masks we wear so often...

A small update

A quick synopsis of what I've been up to lately:

- Went to see the new "Pirates" movie yesterday. My cell phone rang during the show (to the tune of "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield") and when I reached to turn it off I spilled the entire bag of Reese's pieces all over the floor. It was no small bag I might add...
- Had breakfast this morning at some business luncheon thing in downtown Cleveland. Started to fall asleep in the presentation only to look up and see the presenter staring right at me...
- Got a tour of one of the major news stations with my dear KTO!
- Had lunch with Dad downtown!
- Wasted time back at the office

Overall, I think it has been a wonderful few days. Seriously, I've had fun :) The other funny thing was that my boss gave me this book to read this morning. I suppose that there's a point to it, but I have a really time not busting up laughing when I read things like the following (mind you, this is a business marketing text, talking about how you need to be the first to introduce your product to the market):

"Falling in love is a similar phenomenon. While people are more selective than ducks, they're not nearly as selective as you might think.
What counts most is receptivity. Two people must meet in a situation in which both are receptive to the idea. Both must have open windows. That is, neither is deeply in love with someone else.
Marriage, as a human institution, depends on the concept of 'first' being better than 'best'. And so does business.
If you want to be successful in love or in business, you must appreciate the importance of getting into the mind first.
You build brand loyalty in a supermarket the same way you build mate loyalty in a marriage. You get there first and then be careful not to give them a reason to switch."

lol, um....Hmmm...I'll have to think about that one it a bit. But I thought it was kinda funny nonetheless...

Should I be worried about this?!

Your 2006 Summer Anthem Is

Hips Don't Lie by Shakira "I'm on tonight You know my hips don't lie And I'm starting to feel it's right All the attraction, the tension Don't you see baby, this is perfection"

What's Your 2006 Summer Anthem?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

This is too funny :)