anyway you want it

because of school i haven't really been able to sit down by myself and write thoughts and plans in my journal. i was able to that this morning and i will never stop doing this in my lifetime. i find it is very therapeutic and meaningful to have a journal and write thoughts, goals, ideas, or aspirations. i write a lot of my teaching ideas in my journal and i have nearly 3 books of information. today was simply what the summer may or may not hold in my opinion. 

i am excited because i am planning to graduate in december of this year with a masters in counseling, and i have a practicum site lined up for this summer as well. i will be actually meeting with people whom i have never met before and helping them with their issues. i am so pumped to do this. i have heard so many testimonials of those doing this being afraid about what they may or may not counsel. i don't have an opinion, i guess fear is natural, and in some forms good. it keeps reminding me i am human, however, i am doing something i have wanted to do since jr. high and this dream is coming true very, very soon.

liz is pregnant with our second child. this one will be due a week later in december than dutch's was 2 years ago. two kids with birthday's in the same month, oh and did you notice that it is also the same month of our lord's birthday...i know so awesome. when liz and i went to ukraine 2 years ago we had received a word from a guy named simon from belarus that we would have two children, one would be a teacher, and the other an evangelist. this brings joy to my heart because at least i know one will serve the lord whole heartedly! i am kidding i believe both will serve even better than i am. we have our first sonogram on may 11th, two days before my birthday. people ask me if i want a girl or another boy. i truly don't have any desires for a boy or girl, i just want it to be healthy, and not deformed, or mentally ill. i don't know if i would have the patience or courage to raise a child mentally ill. those who do are so amazing.

due to my career getting started i am planning on this summer being the last summer i am involved with 1829. i thought about it a long time and think that it's time for me to move on and pursue something the lord has placed on my heart less than a year ago. i have several individuals i desire to disciple and my schedule is only getting busier. i have been investing lots of time into my friend kumar from nepal i met last august. we have been to himalayan restaurants, starbucks (his first time), and a mav's game, which he has ever been to anything like that before. i have shared jesus with him and he has told me his mother back home wants to become a christian. i was excited when i heard this. i told him, "i must go to your house!" the only issue is nepal is millions of dollars in expenses...ok not millions, but definitely more financially than i can handle at this moment. so yeah, the summer will be my last for 1829. next fall i hope to start doing more with the gathering, which is the young adult ministry at shady grove church.

liz and i are planning on selling our house this next year and my 2002 subaru wrx is up for sale as well. we have reasons for this and not just that we rolled the dice one day and i lost. working at whole foods has been eye opening and fun. i am learning a lot about wine, cheese, and other great things to know about foods and the way they are prepared for the market place. i think every week i try a new cheese, and look at what new organic wine is out, hopefully is cheap. the organic difference is that wines are made without sulfites, which is basically a preservative. i know that all wines have some sulfites (miniscule content) but there are a few that don't contain any. but this job is challenging me to minister to those who don't really care for church or any organized religion. i have met this one woman who told me she had so many questions that didn't line up with her catholic faith, or any of the other churches. she told me that so much was preached that seemed contradictory to her. don't you love this about our maker. he so cleverly revealed himself to the foolish and baby's of intellectual knowledge, and those who aim at wisdom apart from him have eyes but cannot see. she told me she went to israel and she found the bible. the words jumped out of the pages into her heart. she celebrates shabbat and is the kindest person. oh, she does believe that jesus is the messiah.

so those are things i wrote about today. comment if you like.