Speed With Direction...

Tonight I'm hanging out at church waiting for my Starting Pointe class. I've been debating on going home and coming back on Thursdays, but seems like the drive is just not worth it. Well, tonight I met up with someone who has been having a debate of her own. Whether to serve in Velocity or not. She asked me if we needed anyone as small group leaders in the fall because she wanted to be involved with the kids and make a difference. The answer was "yes"! Since the move to the new building, Velocity's attendance has more than doubled. It's so exciting to see so many kids eager to learn and hear about Jesus every Sunday morning. But the one thing we always need is adults to help lead them to that relationship. So if you're looking for a place to serve, we'll find a place for you!

My trip was a great sucess. Aside from the great weather and perfect drive down and back, I got to see almost everyone that was on my list. Although by Sunday, I was a bit tired of having "plans". Seriously, who uses their Daytimer on vacation? My visit to Trinity went great. The kids loved posing for pictures and telling me about what they had been doing since I last saw them. Noah kept screaming "it was just a dream that Ms. Jessica left, it was a dream"! And I did have one offer from a parent to take their kid with me. I was very close to accepting!


Lauren and Shelby on the playground. Two redheaded divas that are best friends. I promised to post this on my blog.


The rest of the time seemed to fly by. I helped Julie decorate her son's birthday cake and get ready for the party. I ate lunch with the Greene's at Ramsey's, one of my favorite places to eat, and then we hung out at the pool. I made it to my Asbury College reunion picnic and I went to church at Southland and observed their kids program. Thanks to Derrick for being taking the time to answer all my questions. I ended the trip eating lunch with my friend Jamie. It really couldn't have been a better trip.

My biggest fear on this trip? That leaving the second time would be as hard as the first. When I left KY last August, I really felt like I left a part of my heart. I knew it was the right choice to move, but every kid I'd see reminded me of someone in Lexington. It took a while before I could even look at a picture of my old students and not cry. But, this trip reminded me that God cares about what I care about. He knows how much I love working with kids and now He's given me a whole new group to care about. And along with it some amazing staff and volunteers! So even though I've been posting that "I" did a million things this past weekend, it was really me and God. He prepared everything so that the trip was a reminder of how much I've been given, not how much I'd left behind.

Well, the trip down was uneventful, though there was a lot of construction. I can't say whether or not it was new because the stretch between Cin. and Lex. seems to be in a constant state of repair. But it was a great time to get out and have time by myself, with no stress.

My first stop was my old workplace, Trinity Hill Child Care Center. It's been almost 10 months since I've seen the kids and I wondered if they would remember me...well, no worries about that. I have received enough hugs to last me at least a month. The kids are all taller and smarter than last I saw them, but they're still as amazing and adorable. I have to say, if the kids were the only thing I saw when coming down here, it would have been worthwhile. I might put a couple in my car and bring them back with me. You never know.

I'm also staying with Julie and Joe Stone from college. They have two wonderful kids as well. When I get back I'll post some pictures of them, right now my camera is having a meltdown. But Will and Lauren are so much fun. It's Will's third birthday tomorrow and he's totally into Bob the Builder. The party should be so much fun.

I'm blogging on Cady's computer right now. (Thanks!) She works at my old school and is leaving to teach in Haiti in August. Talk about a life change. But she is SO wonderful with kids and Haiti will be a much better place once she gets there. Hopefully I'll get some pictures posted when I get back. I still have a full weekend ahead of me and it's already going way too fast.

On Thursday, I'll be traveling to Kentucky. I'm going down for my college reunion and to see some old friends. I haven't been back to Lexington since early last August! I can't believe it's been that long. At first I just missed everything too much to visit and then bad weather and commitments here took priority. But now the date has been set and the bags are almost packed. I almost can't stand the wait!

I loved living in Kentucky and I got to know some amazing people while living there, from both work and my church. But in the last year, there were small hints and nudges from God that He wanted to do even more with my life than I was allowing. I'm so thankful that I listened, even though it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I'm not big on change, or new experiences.

Today it feels like I'm just spinning my wheels waiting to go. I know that things won't be exactly like I remember them. People will have changed, I've changed and the kids will all be about 6 inches taller. But I'm still ready to hit the road and go back down south to the heart of Bluegrass country. In the four short days I'll be there I've already got a full schedule. I'm visiting my old church, attending my college picnic, eating with my old preschool class, helping out with a birthday party, watching a little league baseball game and just catching up with everyone. So although I doubt I'll come back physically rested, I'm sure to come back with some great new memories and a bit of my old southern accent.

I spent most of today up at Cleveland Clinic and I was reminded of one huge thing. I am so blessed! I saw over a dozen folks today missing a limb or needing a wheelchair to get around. It was a good reality check to see people having to get on with life regardless of what has happened to them. The next time I complain that life's not fair or that some thing's too hard, I hope that I remember back to today. God has blessed me more than I deserve.

Okay, I'm going to try and blog while feeling the effects of Benadryl, so be wary. My allergies are in high gear today, and it was time for some serious battle. Why take them when I'm still at work and they seem to put me in a semi-coma state? Glad you asked. You see tonight is Aqua night at church and it's one of my favorite things to attend. Why you ask? Another great question! It combines two things I enjoy doing. Building my relationship with God and serving. I run the PowerPoint slides for the worship and message and because of that fact, the meds must wear off before it starts or it won't be pretty. So if you're 20-30 something, (I'm part of the latter group) and you're looking for a great time with awesome music and relevant teaching, stop by the Warehouse. But leave the Benadry home!

Well, I thought I'd post some before and after pictures of my kitchen. This is as I was tearing out the old carpet and discovered 50 year old tiles waiting to be removed. Some were a bright red color, which inspired me in my final paint choice.








Meanwhile, my dining room was being used as cat look-out post, rather than a room for eating!


The finished results...it's still lacking some rugs but that's another day. The funny thing is I was able to get a ton of things accomplished, just by working on and finishing this task. I got caught up on some Andy Stanley Cd's, had some great talks with my sister, and just spent time with God. For me, the hustle and bustle of the day came to a complete halt while I worked and sitting on a floor is about as slow as I can go. I love to be involved in anything I can. But it was a chance to really thinki without a lot of distractions around me and I enjoyed it. So if anyone needs their floors painted...just kidding!

I love to be organized. I love to walk into a dark room and find something without even turning on a light. To open a cupboard door and know exactly where everything will be. You get the picture. So imagine what tearing up my kitchen floor has done for my tidy little life. Yep, totally made it chaotic. Nothing is where it should be, from the dishes on the dining room floor, to the stove in the living room doorway. Only because I know the end result, a new and better kitchen floor do I let my house become a mess.

Where is this going? ( and Jim, you'll love this) Well, in the midst of stripping all the glue off the floor, a 20 hour endeavor, I started thinking about how this applies to God. If we had a choice, our lives would be neat and tidy, everything would fall neatly into place. But often times, God has other plans. He strips us down and reorganizes our lives so that we can be better than we were. He SEE'S the end result, even when we don't. So next time my spiritual life "seems" a mess, I'll just remember that God knows best.