To sum it up what has happened since my last post: I have now completed two full weeks of college! Yay! Even though this is just the beginning, the last two weeks have been amazing! I can honestly say that I love college life! Yes, there is a lot of studies and homework, and I will probably wonder at times how I will ever get it all done. But, I am looking forward to what God has in store for me this semester!

God blessed me with a wonderful roommate--I don't think I could have asked for a better one! And. . .on top of that, there are three of us MK's in the same dorm! How cool is that?!?

Life has been wonderful--so far--but it definitely is not all just fun. I am discovering that now that I am technically "on my own" and away from my parents, I have to start making decisions for myself. Before now, there have been things that I have always done "because my parents do it" or because "my parents make me," yet I haven't specifically established my own convictions about that specific area of my life. Now, however, I am, for the first time, being faced with making such choices on my own. I now have the opportunity to either contiue in what I have always been taught and simply do what I have always done, or decide for myself where I stand on certain issues. I am now at the place in my life where I can decide whether I am going to abandon everything that my parents have taught me or adopt it as my own. Yes, being an adult has its privilidges, but it also has it's responsibilities!

Please don't get the wrong impression though--I have not been anxiously awaiting the moment I could run off to college so that I wouldn't have to be under my parent's authority. This is not about finally being "free" from rules and restrictions. Rather, even in the short time I've been here, I am discovering that it is about establishing what I actually believe, what my convictions are, and learning to do what is right because I believe it is right, not simply because "it's what my parent's made me do." It is about standing up for what I believe and not simply following the crowd because it is the easiest thing to do. Even at Bible school, I am discovering that I am not immune to having to make such choices.

These days are once-in-a-lifetime days. I recently read the following quotation: "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." ~Jim Elliot.
I believe God has me here at CBI for a purpose. In chapel last week, the question was asked various times: "Why are you here?" My answer in a nutshell is "To grow in my spiritual walk and become better equipped to serve the Lord." Now let me ask you: "Why are you where you are now?"

God is good. . .

God is good. Have I mentioned that? All my life, I've heard people say: "God is good. He is in control of things." However, it isn't until one actually experiences His Goodness that one can even begin to understand. Now that I am somewhat "on my own," I am beginning to see a little for myself how good God really is.

One example that stands out is my job. You may remember how, back in April, I began working at Pleasant View Home. I really enjoyed it there, but, for reasons God alone knows, I was putting in a minimal amount of hours there. So, as you can imagine, when June rolled around and I had yet to even get 30 hours a week, I began to ask myself: "Do I stay here and hope to somehow pick up some more time, or, do I look for another part-time job to fill in all the extra time I have?" I began to ask around town to see what my options might be, but at every turn, I seemed to run into dead-ends. God brought me to the place where I had no choice--I had to choose to trust Him and believe that He would provide for my needs. I had done all I could.

And God provided! It was the beginning of July, I believe, on a Sunday morning, that a good friend of my family mentioned a job opening at a sign company that was needing help, even for a few weeks. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will say that it sounded like an answer to prayer! However, it wasn't all that easy. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of it all was discerning whether this truly was of the Lord and an answer to prayer. For two or three days, I really wrestled and struggled over it, but to get to the point: I applied, was accepted, and worked there from the second week in July until just this past Wednesday! Now that it is all over, I can only say that God is good. There were so many things that seemed to be big hurdles to get over--juggling two jobs, transportation, schedule, etc.-- but in the end, God worked out each of those things! Yes, God truly does see our needs and when we are willing to wait for His timing, He will bring about His best for us!

And now, I'm heading off to Cornerstone. I've been looking forward to this day for soo long, but now that it is finally here--literally, as I'm leaving this afternoon--I'm beginning to feel a little nervous. "Can I really do this?" "What if the study load is more than I can handle?" "What if. . . what if. . . what if. . .?" But I try to remind myself that even in school, when I feel overwhelmed and discouraged, God will be faithful and work out all and give me the grace and strength to do what I could not possibly do on my own. Like a dear lady mentioned to me earlier this week, "if someone totally satisfies us [or I am totally able to do it on my own] we would not trust in God."

My life seems to be full of "finallys" lately. Let me list a few:

• For one, I think that when you opened this site, you probably at least thought, if not exclaimed out loud: "finally, she updated her blog! Hurray!" Yes, I admit blogging is fun, but it also requires a lot of individual attention--quality time, if you will--from the owner of it, which sadly, hasn't been the case for the past few weeks.

• On another note, I myself shouted "finally!" when I saw that my sister Melissa had posted pictures from Brazil on her facebook! I had been waiting since the time they got back to Brazil for her to post lots and lots of pictures of what things were like there, but they never came! Until a couple weeks ago! I was so excited to see all those familiar faces, to see for myself how much the neighborhood kids had grown, to reminisce of days gone by as I clicked through the pictures of places that I have been. Yes, it was a long awaited "finally!"

• "Just think of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven,

of touching a hand, and finding it God's.

Of breathing new air, and finding it celestial.

Of waking up in glory, and finding it home."

These are the words to the chorus of the song "Finally Home", a beautiful song that attempts to depict one's first moments in heaven. I would like to think that Mrs. Kroeker, the dear old lady I cared for for quite a while, had such a feeling of joy and exhiliration as she stepped into glory the twenty-third of July. Yes, I believe she would now say that she is "Finally Home," finally in the presence of the Savior Whom she loved and sought to honor.

• After sitting out of school for a year once finishing high school, I am at last going to college! As of the 17th of August, I will be studying at Cornerstone Bible Institute, in Hot Springs, South Dakota! I have been looking forward to it for such a long time that I can hardly contain my excitement when I realize that in one week I will finally be in college! However, to simply be able to say that "I am a college student" is not my main reason for looking forward to this next big step in my life. My ultimate motive for heading off for further schooling is to be better equipped to serve the Lord. In all honesty, that is what life is all about: serving the Lord and making Him the center of your life! So please be praying for me, not only during the next few weeks, but also throughout this entire chapter of my life. These are probably among the most important years of my life and I desire to take advantage to the fullest extent every opportunity that God gives to me and not get distracted and sidetracked from why God has brought me here and what He wants me to learn.
• With that thought, I am finally, once again, beginning to pack. That seems to be the favorite thing I like to do: pack up, unpack. Pack up again, only to unpack and get settled in again. Oh well, I guess that's how life is for an MK. . . :)

Having said that, I will now finally give you some peace from all of my "finallys" and sign off. Probably the next time I post, it will be from Cornerstone Bible Institute! Woohoo! Hot Springs, here I come!

In Him,

Angie