It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's not just Christmas that is the most wonderful time of the year, it's Thanksgiving too! Everything from November 1-January 1 is the most wonderful time of the year in my book.

This year I had the blessing of being able to carry on the family tradition and join my mom's family up in Yosemite for almost a week at Thanksgiving. It's always a fun time of hiking, good food, and just general relaxation but this year it was especially fun because we had snow! It was absolutely beautiful. I have never really known what it meant when people say that snow sparkles in the sunshine, but now I can say that I do. When the sun would hit the fresh snow on the ground around the pine trees it would SPARKLE, and words cannot do it justice (so I have included a couple of pictures of course). In this week away from school I got to hike 6 miles in the snow with awesome relatives, build a snow man with cousins, aunts and my little brother, go sledding and have a snow ball fight, slow down enough to get some knitting done and work on puzzles, bake some pumpkin pies, and be reminded of everything and everyone that I have to be thankful for. In the midst of an ever changing world it was good to remember that I have a God who is faithful and that he has provided me with a plethora of people to be thankful for as well.

This year I am thankful for snow, relatives that I truly enjoy spending time with, a little brother that sets an example for me every day of what it means to live as Christ, the fact that my parents and older brother are coming for Christmas, a house off campus with four wonderful roommates, classes that both challenge and inspire me, friendships that have been cultivated for three and a half years in order to last a lifetime, the fact that my first roommate ever Dezi is coming to visit me in January, a job to pay the bills, bosses that are like moms to me, and so much more!

And now it's on to Christmas. In the midst of paper writing at the end of the semester it's somewhat hard to get into the Christmas mood, but thankfully I have some professors that even among the papers stop to help us reflect. Last night in my Worship class we celebrated the first week of advent, focusing on Jesus as the LIGHT of the world given for us and the hope that comes with that. In my Church History class we did a semi-traditional Eastern Orthodox worship service, and there was something very powerful about reciting what has been a tradition of believers for so many centuries. And it's not just in classes that we're managing to get in the Christmas spirit. At home the house is starting to look like Christmas (the tree is coming soon) and Christmas baking will soon get under way. This year we are going to deliver cookies to our neighbors since we live in a real neighborhood, and today I bought Christmas cards to give along with those cookies. It's nothing big, but it really has me excited for Christmas and the fact that we can celebrate the birth of Christ even in these small ways. So this year I am intending to really focus my Christmas spirit on what it is all about: Christ coming and moving into the neighborhood. The lights, cookies, music, movies, decorations, and holiday cheer don't hurt either :)

May God grant you all a very blessed Advent. Peace be with you.

The Changing of Seasons

It's strange. I've been back from Cameroun for three years, and yet I still never get used to the changing of seasons. Here in California it's more subtle than most of the United States, but still the weather changes from sunny to cloudy and from hot to cold (or at least cool). There are things I like about this change. I like the green that covers the hills because of the rain, the opportunity for a fire in the fireplace, Christmas lights being hung around the house, Thanksgiving in Yosemite, and even a break from the incredible summer heat. And yet there are things that drive me crazy. The fact that I shiver when I go to bed, I can't sit outside to read in the sunshine or do my exercises in the yard, the leaves and mud that get tracked into the house, the fact that it gets dark so early and all I want to do is sleep, the way my nose and feet are always cold... well you get the picture. It seems silly, but I don't think I ever realized until this year that I grew up in perpetual summer. Going to the beach could be done any day of the year, and even during rainy season there's no need for a second "winter" wardrobe. It's simpler that way. I know why people like the changing of seasons, and I appreciate the fact that people don't want to see the sun in November. But I do. I miss the sun, and it's only been gone for two days. Call me wimpy, whiny, crazy, whatever you want, but that's the way it is. I guess, as my worship professor likes to point out, I was "culturally conditioned" to like the sun and heat.

The weather is not the only changing of seasons though, and it's a scary thing. This month all of us seniors graduating in May have turned in our "intent to graduate" forms. So now that I'm intending to graduate what do I do with that? There's a to-do list hanging over all of our heads. Graduate school applications, job searches, weddings of close friends to attend, goodbyes to be made. I think the goodbyes are the hardest. I'm planning on staying here in Azusa for my Masters program, so in a way it seems like not much will change. If I'm lucky I might get a different job, but otherwise I'll probably be in the same house and even have at least one of the same roommates. Many of my young friends will still be here finishing up their undergraduate work, but there is a large group of friends that will be gone. These people whom I have known for four years (whether I have gotten to spend much or little time with them in this span of years) will be moving on. A chapter of our lives is through, and it's time to say not goodbye but fair well.

As I was at Bible study this week we were studying Ecclesiastes 7, and what stood out to me was the part that says "the end is better than the beginning." At first I could not imagine how this could ever be true. Goodbyes are awful. The end means death. But as I thought about it and we reflected as a group I saw it to be true. Graduation day will be by far better than orientation day. We will be celebrating something we have accomplished with a group of people whom we love dearly, not awkwardly saying goodbye to parents and meeting new people who we had no idea would turn into our best friends. Another person in the group described how the end of her grandparents' relationship is far better than the beginning. The love and care that she sees between them now could not have been there when they began their lives together. Now that they are older and more broken they have to take care of each other in a new way that requires a better love than that which was there at the beginning. I've seen this in my grandparents as well. When I see my dad's parents interact, I see my Granddad caring for my Nana and I think to myself "Now that's true love." What I never thought before was "Wow, the end is better than the beginning!" But I'm beginning to see that it's true. Sure, some ends we still don't like, but more often than not the end is filled with people and memories that make it far better than the beginning.

So here's to me learning to love the changing of seasons. And here's to you, knowing that you've probably made at least one of my endings better than a beginning. And here's to us, knowing that the end will come in whatever season of life we're in right now but that it will probably be much better than the beginning was.

Carving Pumpkins with Kids

There is one day left in October. It's hard to believe that November is already here. With November comes Thanksgiving and the end of another semester is that much closer. I have been so busy lately that it seems like I have not had time to stop and just enjoy life, and yet I have tried to pause and enjoy moments that take my breath away. As I have driven to and from Upland for ESL student teaching I have looked up to the mountains and sung songs at the top of my lungs. I have enjoyed a few miraculous sunsets in Azusa. I have experienced the slow healing of broken relationships. Thankfully, as an intern at Missionary Kids Ministries in Cedarpines Park, CA, I also have the amazing blessing of spending many weekends up in the beautiful mountains. This weekend is one of those many weekends, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself today in the company of many awesome TCKs (some college aged and others as young as 2 years old).

Today we went to the lake with a pair of brothers. They are ages three and five, half Finnish, and fluent in Finnish. With them we had the opportunity to feed the ducks, and it was a blessing to experience this simple joy with them. For children everything is done with such passion, be it joy or pain, and sometimes it is pure joy to just sit back and revel in their awe at life.

After returning to the house their mom pulled out a Pumpkin to carve, and of course all of us TCKs circled around in awe at this thing called "pumpkin carving." We watched the master (their mom, Heidi) at work and then all dug in. It's interesting how many of us as Christians have problems with Halloween, and then how we extend those emotions to the act of pumpkin carving. That was not the case tonight. As Heidi dug into the pumpkin, scraped out the seeds and strings, and scraped away at other useless parts of the pumpkin she took the opportunity to make it a teaching moment.

"Timothy," she said, "do you know what carving this pumpkin is like?" "No mom," he answered. "Well let's see. Was the inside of the pumpkin yucky when you put your hand in it?" "Yes" "Well that's how our hearts are when we're born. We have all of this sin and yucky stuff in them, but Jesus comes into our hearts and digs out all of that gross stuff."

Wow! What a mom! :) I will never look at a pumpkin the same way again, and I dare anyone to ever associate pumpkin carving with "evil." God made pumpkins, God made little kids, God made amazing moms like Heidi, and here I am in the mountains getting to revel in the awesomeness of it all. As I continue my journey here in this country called "America" and learn more about the culture here I also learn about life and how even the simple things hold profound truth.

Does it Ever Stop?

Busy, busy, busy. When you ask me or almost any of my friends how we're doing, that's likely the answer you'll get. Busy or tired. Before every semester starts I say to myself, "This semester I'll make time for friends. This semester I'll do all of my reading. This semester I'll stay on top of devos. This semester I'll practice my guitar, flute, and maybe even keyboard. This semester..." You get the point. I think it's a pretty normal thing to do; we always expect more out of ourselves than we can actually give.

Well this semester is no different for me. I knew it was going to be a doozy, but I thought I'd have time to work at least 8 hours a week. Not a chance. In my infinite wisdom I decided to add a sixth class right before the add drop date, and that took my 6 hour class day to a 9 hour class day. Now I know that some people work more than 9 hours every single day, and more power to them, but that's just not for me. This past Tuesday looked something like this: Wake up at 7:30 am to do my workout, get ready for student observation, observe two classes twenty minutes away and return at 12:30pm, grab lunch and go to my 1:05 class, sit in class until 10:00 pm, return home and catch up with the roommates a little bit before hitting the sack. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE everything I'm doing this semester. I get to observe classrooms, tutor international students, learn more about spiritual disciplines, discuss how various cultures impact the way we read the Bible, take part in an internship for a ministry that I love with Missionary Kids Ministries, and come home to four amazing roommates. BUT It's exhausting, and I'm not the only one who's tired. I think I speak for most of my household when I say that we are worn out and it's only four weeks into the semester!

In other news I've had all sorts of fun mishaps lately. Primarily my computer decided to stop working last week and it took a week to get it fixed. This actually wasn't a HUGE problem because my awesome roommate Amanda has an extra computer that she let me borrow this whole time! Talk about a blessing!!!! Unfortunately when I got my computer back the whole hard drive had been wiped, so blessing of all blessings I basically have a brand new computer! :) It's been frustrating to figure out what I lost and what I didn't, but thankfully I had to back up a lot of my computer this summer and so only lost about two months worth of stuff. It's the small blessings that keep you going :) I also recently had to get my car fixed since it failed the smog test earlier this summer, but there were some hidden blessings there too: My dad was here to take care of arranging where to get it done and help me drop it off, the US government paid for over 500 of the almost $800 in repairs, and I have this great friend Dan who let me borrow his car so I could still do my student observations and teaching. Everything is sorted out with these two dilemmas, I guess they just added a little bit of spice to my life for a while :)

Actually my favorite thing about my computer dying was that I got to walk the streets of Pasadena since I had to park so far away from the Apple store. There is this one homeless man who always sits in the same spot and somehow he was an encouragement to me. I stopped and talked to him once and it brightened my day. I don't know if I'll see him again since I really don't make it a habit of walking the streets of downtown Pasadena, but he's in my thoughts and prayers and in the midst of all the craziness that has been going on in my life he really reminded me of just how blessed I am.

While the end is not in sight for must undergrad students I am halfway through my graduate courses! I have loved these courses BUT my life will be a lot more manageable when they are done. Other things to look forward to are MLB playoffs, a bunch of awesome TCK retreats, more roommate fun, carving pumpkins, decorating the house for Christmas, and having my parents come for Christmas!

All Mixed Up

So we're about a week into senior year. It's still weird to be a senior. At senior chapel and in my internship class it feels like freshman year all over again; it's kind of like being in "Beginnings." :) But there's something fun about being with people that you haven't really spent time with since freshmen year. To have a class with my freshman year roommate where we sit next to each other and have the chance to catch up on life. To watch hallmates lead chapel. It's a strange and delightful thing to be the old people on campus.

But then there's this added dimension of graduate courses. I'm taking two grad level TESOL classes, and I LOVE them. Seriously, it makes me never want to go to another undergraduate class. I love the attitude of the students in class: we are here to learn our vocation not just pass a class. I love that they are only once a week and that even though they are long we get a half hour break to eat dinner and do life a little bit together. I love that they are forcing me to get out into the world of teaching and see if it's really what I want to do. It's scary, all of this added responsibility, but I love it. The down side is that next semester I'll be back to being just a regular old undergrad student. I'm not quite sure if I can do it :)

Then there is the whole work situation. For the first time in my college career I am not working. I mean, I'm on call and last week I worked about six hours, but compared to the 20 that I worked last semester? I love the freedom to really focus on my studies. I have the time to do all of my reading for my classes for the first time, and I love it. I have time to make myself dinner and to be with friends (sometimes). I know that I should work for the money, but there's a part of me that says "Just enjoy it. It's senior year and it only comes around once. Soon you won't be with these people again, so make the most of it while you can." So that's what I'm doing for now, I'm hoping I'll get a few more hours at work, and come the end of the semester when my grad courses are done six weeks before all the other classes, then I'll try to work a lot more. But for now, I'm going to enjoy life and take it as it comes.

It's still the beginning of the semester so there's a lot to be sorted out about my schedule still. Bible studies, roommate dates, student teaching, and who knows what else, but I have a feeling it's all going to be good. Sometimes I really do feel "all mixed up" about everything you could imagine, but somehow I know that God's got my back and that His plans are INFINITELY better than mine. (Oh plus my daddy is flying into the US for three weeks later this week :)

Senior Year is Here!

It's Sunday night. The last Sunday before my last year of undergraduate classes begin! I can't believe the summer is over and the craziness is about to begin again.

Last week I moved into our amazing house less than a mile off campus! It's perfect. A five minute walk from amazing friends who live on campus. A driveway so I can wash my own car at home for the first time in three years. A bedroom, two living rooms, dining room, large kitchen, and spacious backyard. A dog who loves me and is a constant companion (sometimes more than we all would like... :) And four AWESOME roommates! I'm excited for this year, and my room is slowly getting unpacked. I need to print a few more pictures and put a bunch of frames up in my room as well as get a few more pieces of furniture. Keith and I went garage sale hunting on Saturday and got an amazing coffee table. This week Rebecca and I are going to tackle organizing the living room and garage so that they feel more like home. I can't wait to have everything in its place. The kitchen is well stocked with amazing food!

It has been great to have my younger brother here for a few days as I get to see old friends again and relax a little before classes begin. He's been a great sport about being dragged around to all sorts of random places and I only wish he was going to be closer than UCSD. Today we drove together to my grandpa's 75th birthday party. It was a great time to be with most of the extended family for the first time in a LONG time and to celebrate the life of the man who has shaped all of us in so many ways. I am so blessed to have Robert Huskins as my grandpa! I always love hanging out with my aunts, uncles, grandma, and cousins too so it was a fun time.

Now this week brings the start of school and with it a lot of things to be considered. I'm starting my graduate level TESOL courses and am both nervous and excited for them. I can't wait to get started and am just hoping that I like them. If so I need to start making decisions about graduate schools fairly soon. I'm thinking that I will just stay at APU for the year and a half that it takes to complete my Masters, but I really need to think it through. Then there is the job situation. I am on call in the cafeteria this semester, but I am not sure that I will get enough hours. I am also not sure if this is where I need to be anymore. I have sent in my resume for nannying and will be looking for babysitting jobs on weekday mornings (let me know if you know of any openings!). I think this is something I would really enjoy, so we'll see what works out there. I was able to meet with Sharon Wisner about my internship with Missionary Kids Ministries this semester and I am really excited for it, but we still have to work out some details and make sure it's all going to fit within the guidelines for the class. All in all I am excited for my classes and everything else going on, but still a little bit nervous until it all gets started.

When everything seems to get to overwhelming and I'm not sure what to do I just try to remind myself that it is all going to work out! God's got an amazing plan. He's put me in a great living situation, at a top notch university, given me a great group of friends, a fabulous family, AND a future that only He knows. Going into this year I can't help but be excited to see what He has in store. I've got a good feeling :)

The End Has Come... and So Has the Beginning

I can't believe that it's already August 26. Two months ago I was sitting in Cameroun, being lazy reading books and anxious to start my summer working as the youth leader at Oak Hills Covenant Church in Vista, California. Now I am at the end. I have two events left and then it's adios. It's not goodbye in a final sort of way, which is somewhat of a comfort. I'll be back to visit my OHCC family about once a month, and I thank the Lord for that! I know that they'll always be a part of my life, so it's not goodbye. And yet, it is the end of a wonderful chapter in my life (however short it was). This summer I was given the freedom to be me, and I was given permission to make mistakes. I was provided with the opportunity to pour into students who in turn poured back into me. I was paid to do something I LOVE. And now the end has come.

I'm headed back to a life I love. A life of friends and of learning. I am at peace with this move. It hurts to leave my students when they don't yet have a youth pastor lined up for the fall, but I trust that God and all of the amazing volunteers will take care of them. But I'm nervous for what this year holds. It's senior year, I'm living off campus, I have new roommates, I'm taking graduate level courses, and I'm going from a steady pay check to the possibility of working a little every week. There are a lot of unknowns and I have been thinking about them too much. I over analyze EVERYTHING. Some people think my organization is a good thing, and it is to an extent. But when I have too much time I start freaking out about everything, a trait that I am fairly certain I inherited from my wonderful Nana :) I'm not usually a spontaneous person, but I am learning that I function much more healthily when I am. The only issue is that does not really work when other people are depending on you. So here I am, a little bit freaking out about a year that I KNOW will be amazing.

Here's why it will be great: I am living with one of my longest standing friends in the world (Kristina Noren). I am living with my amazing roommate from the past two years. I am living with two girls who I barely know but can't wait to get to know and learn from . Some of my best friends are back from study abroad. I have new friendships just in the beginning phases that I am excited to build up more and more. I only have to work when I WANT to work. I have my Camerounian teacher again. I get to start my masters degree for FREE as part of my undergrad tuition (saving me about $4000). I have an amazing mentor who I can stay in touch with even if I am far away from her now. Oh, and I have a God who loves me and is taking care of me on top of everything else that I have and have not mentioned!

So here's to the end and the beginning. I can't wait for the adventures that will come. And at the end all I can say is "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Even the Best Job Ever...

You know, sometimes life is crazy. Sometimes it doesn't make any sense at all. And sometimes it is just perfect. We call it the roller coaster of life right?

This summer is amazing. I love my job, still :) I can't believe that in 2 1/2 weeks I'll be done working as the Summer Youth Leader at Oak Hills Covenant Church. I can't believe all I have learned and all the new friends I have made. I can't believe the youth I have met or grown in relationship with, and how much I have been blessed through them. I've been saying all summer that I have the best job ever, and then on Tuesday one of my students nailed it for the first time. Tori looked at me and said "You know Beth, you have the best job ever. You get paid to just hang out with us!" She's right you know, for someone who loves teenagers there is NO better job than being a youth leader!!! I've been a youth ministry major for three years, and I've spent most of that time working with youth in some capacity, but this summer is the first time I have gotten a real taste of what life as a youth leader would be like. It's fun beyond reason.

It's also hard work. Emotionally draining perhaps? This week has been great, but there have been a couple of difficult moments. What do you do when criticism comes your way? Even when it is in love and there are no hard feelings, you can never make everyone happy. For a people pleaser like me that is difficult. I love honesty but I also like to live in a world where everyone I know and care about is completely and utterly happy. A bit naive perhaps. So this week I learned yet again that "honesty is the best policy." I learned that it's possible to keep a good friend, and even make a friendship stronger when you are honest with one another. I am thankful for the new friends I have made this summer!!!!

Then there is the whole "Am I making a difference?" thing. When kids give you blank stares. When they mock what you had to say last week. When they don't remember what you talked about last week. When they are just plain sick of you. How does a 21 year old girl minister to a teenage boy? That's where a great volunteer staff comes in. But do you trust the volunteers enough to do their job? You have to! And I also have to trust that God is working in students' lives even when I can't see it.

What about post-summer plans? There are two main things that are emotionally hard to deal with here. 1) There is no youth pastor set up for when I'm gone in two and a half weeks. What happens then? At least one of the volunteers is also leaving. How will the youth group continue to run. Will the students get the attention and discipleship that they need? Why is it soooo hard to find someone to come in and love on students? My heart aches because I know that I am leaving these students without someone to come in and pick up where I have left off. There is a measure of guilt that comes with leaving them, that comes when I wonder if I've made enough of a difference for it to be worth the hurt that comes when I leave. God alone knows. 2) I am going back to school. I'm moving into a new roommate situation. I'm excited, but I'm also nervous. I have loved working and not doing homework. I have spent the summer being excited for my roommates, and I don't want to be disappointed. Then there are the old friends back from study abroad and new friends I have made since they've been gone. I'm off campus too. I have my internship and my job if I choose to work. How will everything work out? I keep saying I have a good feeling about this semester, but truth be told I'm nervous too. Let me remind myself again: God alone knows how it will all work out!

So I have decided that "emotionally drained" is exactly how I'm feeling at the moment. I'm loving life, loving students, loving family, loving God, but I'm also extremely exhausted. I wouldn't trade it for the world. God is good all the time.

Trusting in One Who is Greater

Trust: That's my theme for this week's upcoming youth service "Momentum" and it seems to definitely be something that God is continuing to teach me about. Through the past few years I've realized how little I trust people, and really how little I trust God.

Sometimes I get to a point, like this summer, where everything is going perfectly and then a wrench of some sort seems to be thrown in. To me it seems all wrong, "How could God let this happen, it must be a mistake!" But it's not. Nothing ever is. I went in yesterday to get my car smogged and it failed. Am I happy about it? NO! Was I rude to the guy who failed my car (even though it is in no way his fault)? YES! Then I got home and my car was leaking oil and making funny sounds. Great God, here it goes. I kept asking myself "my car is going to cost thousands of dollars to fix and is it worth keeping it?" But I need a car this year. God knows that, right? Well I still don't know what exactly I'm supposed to learn from this whole ordeal, it's not over yet. But it doesn't look like the car is going to cost thousands to repair, at least not for now. In a way I think God is asking me this "Do you trust me? Do you really? I mean you do really well at praising me and being positive about life when everything goes the way YOU want it to, but what about when you don't understand what's happening? Do you trust me then?" That's the true test. If I do in fact trust God it won't matter whether things are going my way or not, I will trust Him regardless.

Today I went to a little league game and the boys I was cheering for lost. For them, this game may have seemed like their whole world, and when they lost it all came crashing down around them. My prayer is that they can see in this that God has a bigger plan. It's about more than just little league. At the end of their crazy ride I pray that these 12 year old boys just maybe have learned something about trusting the God of the universe. His plans our not our own. His plans are better.

So here's to me learning how to trust. It's not something I'm terribly good at, and I know I'll never get it completely right, but each day God can help me learn to trust Him more. He is the only one who deserves my trust. Car repairs might be what get me down. For others it might be poor grades, a lost baseball game, saying goodbye to a dream, financial struggles, or the loss of friends and family members. In all things let us trust the Lord God who cares and loves for us more than any Father we can imagine.

A Summer of Learning to Live

Here it is. My first real blog. As an APU student of course I had to start blogging when I was a freshman in the "alpha" program, but I never really saw the point in blogs. After all, we all have Facebook right? Well I've recently become a blog stalker, and I thought hey why not try one of my own? Life is interesting sometimes and I thought it would be fun to share where I am, what I'm doing, and what I'm learning.

At the end of last semester I was incredibly burnt out and God knew, so He gave me the amazing opportunity to go home to Cameroun and live with my parents for a month and a half. While there I was able to sleep, read, talk with wise adults, revel in the simplicity and pure love of youthful faith, gain closure for my childhood, and just generally put my life back together. See, I love APU. I think it's an amazing school and I have learned so much about God there. I am beyond thankful for my job, my professors, my friends, and everything else. However, at the end of last semester I was about as burnt out as a person can get. I was tired. Physically. Emotionally. Academically. Spiritually. Every part of me was DONE. So Cameroun was exactly what I needed: a slower pace of life and much less responsibility. God was able to work in me and remind me that I need to allow Him to be in charge of my life and not try to control everything else. My pride in thinking I can reach perfection on my own only pushes the people I love most farther away from me, and God got ahold of my heart to reveal that pride to me. I was unable to love people because I was not allowing God to really love me. I am not fully recovered, but God is certainly working on me.

The journey to realize that I was a prideful person and unable to love really is all due to my trip to Mexico that I took this past spring. I had an amazing Ministry Adivisor, co-leader, and team all of whom showed me in their own ways just how imperfect I was and how closed off I had become from other people. So Mexico began my process of breaking down and Cameroun began the true healing process.

Now here I am, back in the United States. I am in Oceanside for the summer working as interim summer youth leader at Oak Hills Covenant Church, and loving it. God has renewed my faith in Him. I have a new passion for His grace and love in my life, and so I have a new passion for sharing that with others. Specifically, I desire to share that with the youth and staff with whom I am spending my time this summer. God is teaching me so much through my summer job. There are practical things like: how to plan a message, find teaching videos, buy Padres tickets, organize events, and manage my time. There are also the spiritual things: God's grace is more than enough for me, I have much to learn from my students, it's okay if I fail, God is in control, and many many more. I am reminded every day of my imperfections, and yet I am encouraged every day that God can use me despite those imperfections. So here's to the rest of the summer and all that I may learn. May God use me where and how I am BUT may He transform me more into His image each and every day.