School's Out! Part 2

Day 296 Tonight at our sand volleyball game we were missing a player and for some reason going down to five players totally threw us off; we got demolished by a team that we beat last year!  Claim?  Choose to not let it put me in a bad mood and definitely NOT let it ruin my night. I'd decided ahead of time to not order any food after the game, but letting go and enjoying a jumbo pretzel (with cheese) and a rootbeer, and chatting with my friends, was just what I needed!  It ended up being a fun night!

Day 297  For four years I've been having a lot of problems with my digestion.  I've gone to doctors and chiropracters, gotten blood tests and done body cleanses, and still have not found a solution.  I recently was told that fiber is extremely important in the process of digestion and got an e-mail from a friend with links to fiber-rich foods.  Instead of pushing it off as a "to-do later" task, I decided to actually follow through, read through the articles, and print off the lists of fiber-rich foods. I put them on my refrigerator as a reminder, and also crammed a lot of fiber into my diet today: two fiber bars, two apples, baby carrots, and raisin bran.

Day 298  A few weeks ago I borrowed a captivating book by Nicholas Sparks called "The Choice" from my sister-in-law.  It pulled me in immediately, but when I got two-thirds of the way through and things started getting sad, I had to put it down.  Life is already sad enough at times; I wanted to escape into bliss, not be weighed down by another tragic story.  It sat on my coffee table for the next few weeks, pleading me to read but I couldn't enter that world again.  Finally, I decided it was time.  Today, I grabbed the book, my hot pink lawn chair, and some ice water, and laid out in my back yard determined to finish it.  There were some tears, but they were good tears, and when I closed the book I was inspired to hold onto hope for true love.

Day 299  What is it about reading a book in bed, lit only by the gleam of a flashlight, that brings excitement and a sense of adventure?? Tonight I escaped into the inspiring words of the devotional "The Princess Warrior" before clicking off the flashlight and falling asleep...

Day 300  Tonight at a girl friend's wedding my drink was taken away by the waitress while I was over talking to the bride and groom.  I realized it as soon as I returned to the table with my mouth watering for the juicy cherry at the bottom of my glass.  I debated for a minute, mustered up some gumption, and then went up to the bartender and explained my "tragic" story; the free drink, with more plump cherries at the bottom, was delicious!

Day 301  New people. New places to go.  Today it was to a baseball game party with a girl friend of mine who is involved in a young adult's group at a different church.  Didn't want to go, but got myself into the social mindset.  This claim didn't work.  Although I meet new people and enjoyed some conversation, I left missing the attention and close companionship of a certain someone.  How long, Lord?
 
Day 302  After ruling out the mission trip I'd called the church about (due to finances and the short deadline), I read about a "Steps of Paul" trip and felt pressed to go.  I love the life and ministry of Paul, and knew it had to be a prettyh amazing trip.  I must admit it felt great driving to the church knowing I was finally attending an informational meeting there (for the past three years there have been meetings I've thought of going to but considered it an inconvenience and instead would head home for a relaxing Sunday afternoon).  The meeting was refreshing, inspiring, and motivating.  The trip was a cruise through Greece, Turkey, and Italy.  I was at least 20-30 years younger than everyone there, but it was exciting to see the vacation the various couples could take due to comfortable financial situations and an open schedule (the two-week trip is in the middle of the school year for me).  I left sad for my parents and for myself, but also hopeful at the thought of a bright future.

Lesson: lead your life; don't let it lead you.