update

I realized the other day that I hadn't posted anything since May (hey that rhymed!) and a lot has happened since then.
 I'll confess I felt a little lost after graduation. My boyfriend was awesome at bearing with me through my mood swings of feeling completely carefree and liberated to raw panic and desperation of 'what do I do next?!'
He is very good at finding the balance of listening while I vent, offering sage advice, holding me and encouraging me, and finally just distracting me from whatever crisis (perceived or real) I'm currently reeling from by just going out and doing something fun.

]So for example we went to Mammoth cave, and we bee-bopped around visiting friends and family. Its been good to be able to keep in touch with so many different people. We had dinner with my good friends Sam and Svitlana Gantt. Kyle's met them but never for very long, so this was the first time for all of us to hang out. We had a blast, which was awesome because it was one of the first times for him to have a really good time hanging out with friends of mine from the Seminary. He's hung out with friends of mine from Boyce, but not the Seminary. So this was good on a lot of different levels.

I've also been able to see family a whole lot more this summer which has been GREAT! And my grandpa and I danced together at a friend's wedding anniversary. That was one of my most favorite memories of this summer, and maybe of this year. Yes, including Graduation. :-)

AAAAAND I have a job offer!!! To work as a Children's minister at a small church on the outskirts of Louisville. Its nothing glamorous but it has a LOT of potential and a lot of what they are looking for and open to are direct answers to prayer. Kyle and I visited a church and were visiting with the pastor afterwards who made an offhand comment about the need in the church. I said I was looking for job/ministry opportunities and the pastor said to send him my resume. I got it to him the next day and by the end of the week he was calling a committee in the church to consider me for the new Children's minister!!!!

 Its not final yet so prayers are still appreciated. But it is looking very positive!!!! So thats been a huge relief but also somewhat intimidating. I've never done anything on this kind of scale, but I know that if God wants me to do it He will give me the grace and discipline to do it well!
Kyle and I have been talking on a more serious note about future plans but no dates or blings as of yet for those who are curious ;-) Belieeeeeve me, it will NOT be a secrete if/when a big question gets asked ;-)

And that is all the news I have for tonight :-)
~Princess Ouch~

random thoughts on my future

Things I want to do after I graduate:

Volunteer at a Women's Choice Resource Center regularly
Have a garden
Make a quilt
Get involved in a church's children's or youth ministry
(possibly GA or Acteens)


Have a job that I enjoy going to with people I like

(I've never had both; I've either worked alone and not really had coworkers; liked the job but didn't get along at all with my coworkers, or liked my coworkers but not the job. I'd like to experience both!)

Be outside regularly
Do art regularly


Have people over for dinner often - with good friends or as ministry
Become proficient in ASL and translate for a while to see how I like it
Teach - even if its just ESL - consistently
Cook good food that I and others like

write and publish something.

(I'd really like at some point to write a biography of Lottie Moon, and take some research trips to China MAYBE, but we'll see)

Live in my own apartment/house

Yes I want to get married after I graduate.

(however, every one around me doesn't seem to understand that that will only occur on three people's timeline: God's, the guy, and me. Not anyone elses! I never ever thought I'd get this kind of pressure every time I turned around to do it on someone else's timeline, and if I didn't then Bible verses would start flung at me and my boyfriend's character questioned. Seriously? Ya'll back off!!)

I really really really don't want to go into a Master's program right away. Or maybe even ever. I'm not sure.
I really enjoy going to the deaf church, but I don't know if I would want to do that long-term. I'm just conversing, not translating at this point... so I don't know if I'd like being someone's ears. Or I might love it. I won't know until I try, which means I have to keep putting effort into it and find out.
I would want to do it one-on-one tho, not for the communication companies etc.

I really have got to start writing this research paper.
If I'm rambling and getting thoughts out of my head, then great! Words flow! Imagining about talking and walking trees and fairies, sure. Putting down correct theology and doctrine about Angels? Pphshtttt. Ha. Writer's block!
Stupid Senioritis.
(yes this blog post was simply random pictures I've taken this spring, along with random thoughts I was thinking while NOT writing my research paper. Now that they are all effectively outside my head, I can get back to work. Thank you for being the recipient of my random external processing ;-D)