Wait...Wait...

My sister's dog, Roca, is pretty smart.

I've taught Roca a few tricks (and as my sister would dispute, WE have taught her tricks)

One of the most entertaining is the "Wait" trick.

"wait", I tell her. She sits down and stares at me expectantly. She knows whats coming...

I hold the treat bag in hand and pull out an odoriferous treat.
I place it in front of Roca.
To me it smells not so great, but to her...you can just tell,
She wants that treat. She wants that treat now.
"Wait.", I repeat.

Amazingly, our dog has the willpower to not eat the treat. She even averts her eyes so that she isn't tempted. She holds gaze with me, waiting for permission to scarf down the treat.

This is a representation. My dog is not quite that talented yet...

"Okay!"
As soon as those words leave my lips, Roca gobbles up the treat.

It was such a perfect reminder to me.

There are some things that God tells me "wait" about. They're much bigger and better than a milkbone treat, and He has better reasons for having me wait than just for an entertaining trick. Just as Roca trusts that I'll eventually tell her, "okay!", I trust that my Father will tell me when I can stop waiting.

Love these verses:

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
~Psalm 27:14

But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
~Isaiah 40:31

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

Let me say, this book is amazing. I read it, and it just floored me. I was convicted and encouraged.

The book is called, What Are You Waiting For? by Dannah Gresh. It is so pertinent to people {especially girls} entering the relationship realm (whether you call it "dating", or "courting", or "hanging out"...)

I strongly suggest you read this book.

It's pretty life-altering.

A term I HATE

Now I have grown up in Christian circles.

I've learned much about relationships from various speakers and books. It's definitely a blessing that there are so many resources out there!


But there is one word. One word, that when I encounter it, makes me feel a little queasy.

You know what this word is?

Help-meet. 

*shudder*

It sounds so...strange! The connotations that come with that word are just not right.

If someone were to call me that, I'd feel like a literal piece of raw chicken.
 
A helpful one, I guess.

 I can just imagine this playing out someday:
"Honey, if you are going to insist on calling me your help-meet to friends, how about you just call me Hamburger Helper? It's much more preferable."

I mean, I guess to some people "help-meet" is somehow sweet?

But, if you love that term, good for you! I'm not telling you to change.

It's personal preference.

To me though, as happy as I'll [someday] be to help my [way-in-the-future] husband, I will not be called his "help-meet"

up late? time to blog!

It's the wee hours of the morning and I'm awake.

You know what that means: BLOGGING TIME!

A great many things have been swirling around inside of my head the past few weeks.


I came back to America expecting extreme culture shock.
I was so prepared, I had such high expectations of my own inability to adapt, that well,

...really, pretty much all has been well for me.

For the most part. There have been a few, "WOAH, Americans are strange!" moments, and a few, "I MISS BURUNDI SO STINKING MUCH!" moments sprinkled in there.

But on the whole, the culture shock in both going over and coming back have been pleasant experiences.

So, I praise God for that. I praise Him that he is the one in control of all things (despite my feeble attempts to be the one in charge)

I have this horrible habit of stressing out and overthinking. God has been hammering the lesson of "my child, I am the mighty one who has got this." into my head. Still, if I'm not careful, I go back to my way of thinking that the world rests on me.
Newsflash: IT DOES NOT.
I forget that I can't do any good thing without my Jesus.

I'd be lost without the Holy Spirit's guidance.

It's a daily struggle that needs daily reminder.

Surely God is my help;
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.

-Psalm 54:4

I am a hypocrite

During those lovely years of high school, I took a chemistry course.
I loved it.

It was my absolute favorite class, and I was actually good at it.
I understood the logic of the class and I pulled off an A in Chemistry.

 I decided that I wouldn't mind having a career in the Chem field. It was just that fun to me.

This was in 9th grade, however, and many subjects have happened since. I've even had a gap year of no school! (except for that calculus class...)

But when people would ask what subjects I liked, I always said "Chemistry. Chemistry is my favorite! I could study reactions all day!"

...fast forward 4 years.
I'm supposed to take a placement test for getting into the basic 101 college class. I looked at sample questions and... I'm a little rusty.

So I am sitting here with my old textbook and notes, cramming for the placement exam. I am happily having AHA! moments.

I am feeling more than a little sheepish for declaring to the world so often that I love this subject.

Because now, I'm blanking out.

keeping up the blog?? HA

I have not kept up this blog very well. I have posted PLENTY on my other blog. You know, the AFRICA one.

When I was in Africa, I couldn't get enough of it.

Before I left Burundi, I made a joke of using the adjective "African" before pretty much everything. I was soaking in the most of Africa I could.

I'm pretty sure Whitney (the other volunteer I was with the last month of my stay) thought I was too silly.

Me: "Well, here I am sitting under the african sun, on the african grass, drinking african soda. How about we go to walk on the african path and meet up with our african friends?"


It was silly, I admit. But I do have this sort of deep-down-crazy-unexplainable-love for Africa.

It seems to be the trend nowadays for Christian girls (guys aren't as into this: why?) to go overseas for a few months. I don't know what started this trend.

So, a hint to Christian guys looking for solid girls: go to the short-term mission field. You'll meet so many!
haha, but seriously.

I didn't go because it was the trend.
I didn't go to look good.
I just went to Burundi to grow and broaden my worldview.
I went because I felt like it was God's timing for the trip to happen.
I went in with no idea as to what would happen.
I had expectations, and many were unmet in ways that God used to teach me some big lessons. Some expectations were incredibly exceeded.

I don't feel quite like the same person I was before I left...
Which does sound a little dramatic.

I have only been home for 2 days, so I haven't seen a huge change (as I've been pretty out of it) but I feel that as I interact, my interactions with others will be changed for the better.