the new semester.

It's looking good. really good.

Three days of classes, tough classes, but i'm really going to learn things this semester, people.

It's official. I'm moving into Contraband. Right now I'm listening to my potential new best friends, Harrison and Joanna, play guitar and sing some Welcome Wagon, while Dee sits in the corner and hums along. There are some seriously good people in this house.

Four day weekend. Every weekend. Balllin.

I'm deeply considering a bake sale for Haiti in the courtyard at State. This way, I'll get to bake, make new friends at State, and raise some money for sending out the people that need to get to Haiti.

There is a kitchen at Contraband. I'm going to cooook. :)

With these four day weekends, and poor poor job schedule, perhaps I will be able to create pretty things on the weekend.

I've got a couple of things I have got to see this semester as well. The Da Vinci exhibit is at the High right now until February 21st. Also, Goats on a Roof is only two hours away, instead of four. I caught wind last night of a petting zoo where they have baby goats, and you can pet the deer. And there's stone mountain. I'd like to climb that. There's also North Georgia in general. And Chattanooga. Two hours away. So many adventures just waiting to be had.

I'm meeting with the YoungLife area director next Friday for coffee.

Sarah Watson has an apartment with a kitchen. We're going to make really fancy meals and talk about life.

There's lots of windows in Contraband. And lots of good chairs to read in. I've got a new Hudson Taylor book and a couple good books in the queue. As well as the opportunity (thanks to my perfect school schedule) to drink in the Word every morning, slowly and fully while drinking my morning coffee. These things are very important.

Lastly, I'm leaning so much. Mostly about people and my place in loving them. That sometimes it is going to be really really hard. Really hard. Like people forgetting I'm new and don't have friends to hang out with on Friday nights. But it's good. Jesus loves me, and I am loved. I will love the people God has put into my life, even if it's not so easy at times, because they've already got everything they need, what's plus one more friend besides just a lot of work? I can fight through it. Mondo told me it's like pregame for Ecuador. I don't need people to love me. It would be nice, and I think with time, I will have people here that know me and love me just like I do in Augusta. But until then, I will be alright.

Good, good things.

I just keep praying that I would make myself most available to Him who brought me here. I don't want to get tied down by self pity or by the distracting things to keep myself from the hard things. I want to not be scared. I want to be keep being vulnerable with Jesus as He teaches me how to love people and how to follow Him in a place where I am not so comfortable.