HOWDY from Africa!

It's current 8:30 p.m. local time here in Nairobi, Kenya and my body and bags have arrived safely. Back in the States, you are probably enjoying a nice Friday lunch.

Here are a couple brief notes on my travel experience before I sign off for the night to visit with my friends and get a good night's sleep.

• International travel is not as difficult as I was expecting. It's different, but not too unnerving. I did have to show my passport about 15 million times from the time I left Houston until I arrived in Kenya. I wanted to plaster that thing to my head I was having to show it so much.
• KLM Airlines are a bunch of rock stars. They served two meals on each flight and a dessert and tea. It was great. I didn't have to spend a dime of money from the time I left Houston.
• I traveled from Amsterdam to Kenya alongside a very nice European lady. She giggled every time I said "yes, ma'am" or "no ma'am." Her comment was "ohh, you Americans are so cordial and polite." (in a really neat English accent) I took that as a compliment.
• I flew into Kenya in the dark so I can't comment on the landscape, but I can comment on the unbelievable, out of control, heart stopping driving and traffic situation. It was incredible. You might be asking -- are there any traffic lights? Yes. Are they in working order? Yes. Do they follow them? Nope! We ran more than 5 red lights on our way to the apartment from the airport.

Well, my friend is about to beat if I don't shut this post down so I'm going to log off. I can't wait to share the rest of my visit to Africa with you.

Escalating Excitement

I feel like a little child on Christmas Eve. I can't explain how excited I am right now. I'm less than 24 hours away from embarking on an adventure that I'm sure will drastically change the way I view life, others, and the world I live in. Here are a couple things I'm really looking forward to:

1. Seeing Chad and Jill's faces when I arrive in Kenya on Friday
2. Working at the children's orphanage and loving on some little Kenyan kidos
3. White water rafting and the safari
4. Being stretched and challenged throughout the entire trip
5. Arriving back in the U.S. tired, changed, and ready to tell you all about my experience

I'm going to try to blog throughout the trip as much as I can. As you can imagine, Internet access is a little limited, but I'm going to do my best.

Looking forward to sharing this experience with you

A Chapter Closes; The Journey Continues

I've had one of the most stressful weeks, but it has also been one of the most rewarding weeks. I entered the week thinking to myself -- how am I'm going to get everything done? And I'm ending the week amazed at the strength I found through Christ to get through it all.

Today, I finished a chapter in the book I call "The Journey." My FINALS are now complete and I've turned all my focus to my trip to Kenya in ONE WEEK!! I'm so excited about my trip (and there will be plenty more on this blog about my trip), but I wanted to take a second and look back on the past year.

In two weeks, I will celebrate my 28th birthday. This past year, the Lord has taken me on one heck of ride. I remember sitting on a mountaintop in Scottsdale, AZ last year with my best friend trying to figure out where I could use my gifts and talents most effectively. He suggested the medical profession. I suggested that was the most "off the wall" idea I'd ever heard in my life. Now one year later, I've completed two semesters of intensive pre-requisite coursework for Physical Therapy school, I'm working at a sports rehabilitiation clinic, volunteering at two local hospitals, and getting ready to start working on my applications for PT school.

It has been an incredible journey. A journey where I've seen God's faithfulness, His plan for my life, and how He alone is sufficient when I struggle and when I succeed. I'm so excited to see where the journey continues and can't wait to continue sharing it with you on this blog.

What a difference a year makes?

Happy Mother's Day, Momma

She loves me and my family unconditionally. She models Christ's love on a daily basis to everyone around her. She is quick to serve and slow to take credit for the work. She has courage in the face of adversity. She raised two boys and knows more about the game of baseball than most women will ever know. She is always willing to put a hot meal on the table when I come home to visit. She is a scheduler and planner and has managed to pass that personality type down to her son. She loves people and chances are you will meet someone who knows her every time you go out in public. She always knows when to make a timely phone call or send a letter to let you know she loves you when you are having a bad day. She is willing to stand in support of her husband and two boys through thick and thin. She loves being a grandmother and never misses a chance to pick something for her granddaughters when she goes to Target. She bleeds maroon and loves being an Aggie mom. She is always on the move and doesn't show signs of stopping soon. She is always willing to go above and beyond what you normally expect. She is my mom. She is one of my biggest fans and she means the world to me.

I thank God every day for the blessing she has been in my life.

Momma, I love you more than words can adequately express!! Happy Mother's Day!!

No Plan, No Agenda

Recently, my life has been governed by my day planner. Everyday chalked full with school, work, volunteering, studying, social engagements, etc. And although I find a therapeutic benefit to having my life in order, I sometimes want to break out of the mold and do something spontaneous. So yesterday morning, I strapped on my running shoes and took off. I planned on going out for a short 3 mile run, but instead, end up running about 6 1/2 miles at a sub 8 minute mile pace. It was, by far, the biggest stress relief of my week. It was so much fun to run freely in the Keller countryside without an iPod, taking in the scenery, listening to the birds and roosters crowing, and sorting out life along the way.

I think we need times like these. Times where we can unplug and disconnect from the world, even if it is 45 minutes on a run through the countryside.

How do you "disconnect"? Do you find it freeing to get out and do something spontaneous every once in a while or does that drive you up a wall?

Rewind or Fast Forward?

The last 24 hours have not been my finest moments. I've had one of those weeks where nothing seems to be going right and everything seems to be going wrong. I can't figure out whether I want to hit the "rewind/redo" button or "fast forward" button.

If you had a chance to rewind or fast forward your life, which would you choose?

I have to admit, I've been very frustrated the entire week feeling like my best laid plans are headed right for the sewer system. A friend of mine reminded me last night that "God has an alternate plan for my plan B." So true....so tough to swallow right now.

Another exercise in learning to live in the moment and persevere for God's glory~

Singing in the Rain

My first post back from my recent blog hiatus will not have much substance. However, I needed to share my new experience. This morning, I walked on a college campus in the rain WITH AN UMBRELLA!! You are probably thinking that is not a novel concept and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that is a good choice, but it was earth shattering for me. We were not allowed to use umbrellas while in uniform in the Corps. So when it rained, we trudged through it and had nothing but a wet uniform to show for it. Gone are the days of stinky polyester uniforms. I'll be using an umbrella from now on.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

Editor's note: More substantive posts coming soon.