Countdown: Tomorrow's it.

Tonight was the farewell service at my church. It was really great. The whole church came together to "send off" my brother and I. My dad anointed me and my brother with oil and blessed us and prayed over us. It was incredibly powerful. The first time my father has ever done something like that. It was amazing. My mother then read the scripture that she's been praying for me for years and it was perfect for the timing and situation of me leaving. It's amazing how timeless God is. Mr. Pete and Mrs. Mel also gave us words as well as Mrs. Debbie (all amazing people from my church). I just felt so encouraged and loved and really just saw that people cared about me. That alone can uplift a heart. There really is nothing like community and fellowship and it definitely makes me thankful for the people and leadership there. If you don't know, my church is a home church consisting of about 35-40 people who really just want the heart of God and love his precepts. We may be small but we do have a website! http://www.firefallihop.org/

Anyway, the night was wonderful. I really will be taking to heart all the words spoken to me tonight. Some were uplifting, some really sobering, but all bore witness with my spirit and THAT is awesome.

Another cool thing that happened was that the wakulla newspaper came out with the front page being dominated by my picture. Ha!! So crazy! The article is online too at www.thewakullanews.com . Also, I saw the CDs and they're really cool: ) I attached a photo of the cover artwork that Savannah did.

I was able to spend some good time with Brenna (my cousin) today too. I really will miss her so much. She's incredible. We had a chance to talk a little about our friendship. I was telling her how I don't think anyone 'gets' me as well as she does. We've truly been through the majority of life as we've known it together up until this point. It's a rare thing to have someone like that who not only knows you, but who knows you and genuinely likes you. AND understands you. I really treasure that in her and treasure HER. If you don't know Brenna I truly feel bad for you because you're missing out.

FINALLY. I got bangs. heheheh. Despite what everyone else thought, I decided to go for it. And I like them: )

Goodnight, goodbye. Farewell Tallahassee.

Countdown: 2 days left in Tally, 7 left in the States

"My room is empty, my bags are packed. I'm a goings away from coming back."

I'm almost completely finished packing up my room. It's a strange feeling to be leaving Amelia Circle. It's been my home away from Sopchoppy for the last three years and I've enjoyed it so much. This past year everyone clicked so well. It was such a great experience living with those five awesome ladies. But the timing is funny because I'm moving out as Brenna is moving in. Isn't that life?

As for my belongings, I'm selling almost everything that I'm not taking, minus my furniture which will be staying in the Tally house. The rest is getting stuffed into my two suitcases and my hiking pack. It's pretty crazy when you can put almost everything you own in a few bags. It's also somewhat liberating knowing that I'm not really tied down to much. However...you could say I'm weighed down. My bags don't exceed the weight limits, but they're not far from it!

I guess it would be good to give a little background and description of this adventure. I'm 22 and a student at Florida State University. I'm studying International Affairs and my final semester will be spent at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands as an Exchange Student. I leave on August 4th and I'm not exactly sure when I'll be returning to the States. I bought a one-way ticket to Europe. HA! Cross that off on my "bucket list." I will be backpacking in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy with my roommate, Lindsey Vinson, for two weeks in August. I'll then be at school by about the 28th of August to study from September to December or January. (I'm not sure because they still haven't sent me a schedule of my classes so it could be until the end of January.)

After my studies, I'll be finished with my undergraduate degree and will most likely be staying in Germany until my brother's wedding in April. Then it's home to meet the real world I suppose. Yikes!!

Hopefully, if you're following this blog, you can get a glimpse into what these months will be like for me. I really have no idea what to expect, but my eyes are open and I'm ready for some challenges and new experiences. Whatever comes, I have confidence and hope in the Lord; that his Spirit hedges me in before and behind and that He goes before me. My prayer concerning my time in Holland is that He will guide me to the right fellowship of believers. You can pray that too if you want:)

OH! One last thing. In June my father and I worked our BUTTS off to put together a CD. "The Beauty of Life." The first shipment came in today and they look and sound great! They're also available on iTunes. This project is a big part of what's supporting me financially as I study abroad so check it out and if you like what you hear, buy it! : )