Interests of Rebecca

Today I realized that there are specific things that Rebecca likes and things she does not want. I am reminded of the movie Runaway Bride. Julia Roberts did not know what kind of eggs she liked. She adapted to the guy instead of being her own person. Well, I definitely know how I like my eggs and they need to be dry scrambled or as an omelet. I am sensitive to the texture of food. I look forward to the creamy tomato soup and cheese crouton soup at Panera. I like coffee, mochas, green tea, and coffee shops. I am probably addicted to Starbucks mochas and the internet. Ikea puts a smile on my face and probably a bit of glowing even if I only see the blue building where Ikea will be located in Charlotte one day. Right now the VW Jetta or Rabbit is my favorite car. I am happy with a paid for car that provides transportation even if it is not my dream car. God knows what he is doing, he sees the big picture, and he is my daddy. As a result, I can take life one step at a time because I know who has my back and sees where the next step is taking me. I love to listen to people talk who are from a different culture - especially Europe. I pick up accents easily which can be entertaining at the call center. One call I talk to a guest from Alabama and have a thick southern accent and the next call is a lady from Canada with a French accent. My accent changes with hello. I miss traveling and hope to one day return to Switzerland even for a few weeks. Life is much more fulfilling and exciting when relying on God daily. Life with God is full of calculated risk and living on the edge. God has to be the one to be glorified. At the moment, I enjoy learning more about the great state of TN and walking out this adventure one step at a time.

Streams of Water in the Desert

I am reminded this evening of God's faithfulness and his provision. God cares about little things like time spent between a father and his children with the provision of a snack. God cares about a lady wanting ice cream. God knows that people are cold and need heat. God knows that a girl has recently moved, broken up with her boyfriend, and in need of an additional job and cash. God knows that this girl's car needs repair. God knows.

I can easily forget that God knows. God also desires to be known. I need to lean on him, spend time with him, and trust him. Then I will see that God sees me, knows me, knows my situation, and will provide for my needs. I am also reminded that God provides my daily bread. God provides what I need today. Tomorrow is a new day. God will take care of tomorrow just as he has taken care of today. I just need to seek God's face, listen for his voice, and trust him.

God is all about producing streams of water in the desert. God is the only one who can be given credit for the miracle of water in the desert, and he desires to be glorified :)

God, what are you up to?

God,

I sit here close to midnight pondering you, me, my dreams, and being in Nashville. My mind goes back to Switzerland and the idea of going to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I listen to worship music and my mind begins to create dances in response to you. I sense that I am where I need to be, and at the same time I sense that there is something more that I have not reached out and grasped. I desire to live like no one else so that I can one day live like no one else. I desire to get out of debt and use my finances responsibly. I desire to work in a place where I can serve, encourage, educate, and use my strengths. I desire to glorify you in my work. I desire to study and be aware of current events. I desire to challenge my beliefs and desires so that I can challenge others. I have an income crisis, but then again you know that! You know me. You know the very core of me. You know all the complexities, all the changes, all the steps back, and all the steps forward that have occurred this past year. What am I doing in Nashville? Where do I need to be working? What do I need to be doing? How long do I need to stay here? I desire to have a broad area of influence and get back to school to be a professor. What should I be teaching? Why does Southeastern and Dr. Little continue to come to my mind while I wonder if education there would limit me. Yet, what an education and foundation I would gain! What surgery needs to occur within me so that I may better reflect you and glorify you with my life? What steps need to be taken? Life has meaning, hope, and joy with you. I know that I need to lean on you more. You are my stability. If I depend on anyone or anything else, they change and float away. You remain the same. I have seen this in a more realistic way this past year. Thank you. How does my thinking need to change? My interests are in philosophy and theology. A core of these interests are beliefs and ideas. My beliefs and ideas need to be challenged and change before I can expect others to allow me to challenge them. Father, help me to take one step at a time. I sense you telling me to take life one step at a time. Your Word lights my steps. I desire to pay attention to you, your character, and your ways to take the steps you want me to take.

Thank you for time today. Thank you for providing for my needs. Thank you for the time to see old friends. Thank you for time to cook. Thank you for the questions, dreams, and inspiration. Even though I am unsure where the next steps will bring me. I know that you are with me every step of the way. I love you! Accept love and a smile from your daughter.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Life in Nashville

I am writing after recently moving to Nashville. I am now closer to work as well as the city life that I have missed. Today I was able to go to the Mall at Green Hills and browse books on Germany and Switzerland for fun. I also drove by the Parthenon. Nashville has a replica of the Parthenon! Who would have guessed? I am now settled in my new place and ready for a new beginning. I am hopeful.

Recently, I finished the book The God Who is There by Francis Schaeffer. It is an incredible book that will take a few times of readying to digest. I could take a sentence of a paragraph and ponder it all day. One thing that I recall is the importance to know the culture of the day. There is no cookie cutter way to share the gospel. One must know the thoughts and beliefs of the people one is trying to reach. That is a challenge and a challenge worth embracing.

It is now time for a new book. There may be less time since the calls are becoming more frequent in the call center with the holidays near.

1500 Miles in 4 Days

I just came home to TN after a 4 day weekend in NC. It was full and refreshing! I visited 20 people in NC and SC. I traveled about 1500 miles to and from TN. 8 cups of caffeine in the form of coffee, a latte, or a mocha kept me awake. I stayed up 24 1/2 hours on Saturday to catch up with my best friend and had 4 hours of sleep on Sunday morning starting at 5 am. That was a record! I am happy to live in TN, but I miss my friends and family.

I had confirmation that relationships are important. Community is important, and I must take action to see results. As a recently single young lady in a new town, I must make the effort to develop friendships and meet new people. My church's meet and greet time becomes more comfortable as I get to know people. I will not know people as a result of saying hello every Sunday. I need to try to spend time with people outside of church so that there is something to talk about and a true concern on Sunday morning. At the moment, I sit near many strangers at church. That needs to change.

I am still enjoying my job as a call center agent. Over the past weekend, I started to lose my voice. That will be a problem - I need my voice to work! :) I hope to move in about a week or week and a half. It is my second move in 4 months. That will be an adjustment, and a welcome change.

I rediscovered my interest in philosophy during a recent visit to Barnes & Noble. I sipped coffee and browsed through a recent T.D. Jakes book and a few philosophy magazines. I discovered the topic of fuzzy logic. My first impressions of this logic are fuzzy and one of concern. Maybe I will spend more time sipping coffee and browsing philosophy and theology literature. I hope to post notes of recent studies. I still have the same interests I pursued in college. They may just rise to the surface in new ways.

I will end my notes after a 7 hour road trip today by commenting on my life in TN. Only God knows why I am in Nashville. It is a weird and amazing mystery to me. I do know that life so far has brought surprises, challenges, and growth. There may be clarity as I take one step at a time. At some point, I need to write an autobiography. My story has had too many interesting twists and turns to keep it to myself. Thanks for reading and encouraging me to write.

Change and Growth

I am human and saved by God's grace. No matter what happens God is good all the time. I need to rely on God to be enough and I have not been relying on God to be enough. Times of unexpected growth and unexpected pain have occurred since my move. The move to TN began with tonsillitis. Then I found out that my boyfriend needs our relationship to slow down and he is unsure what is going on as well as a lot of stuff that he is dealing with. Surprise! God worked in me through that time. I discovered a great church named New River Fellowship where God's spirit is ministering to me. I am experiencing healing, peace that passes all understanding, and an increase in faith. My own thoughts and feelings take over at times, but these times are becoming fewer. Praise the Lord! Now I realize that the boyfriend must face the past and the future is uncertain. I believe this is healthy and I am praying for God to intervene and give both of us clarity, direction, and guidance. I also pray for more of a dependence on God and growth. Life and love is empty without God. It is superficial and leaves a hole that only God can fill. I cannot rely on people because people let you down and disappear. I have not achieved total reliance on God, but I am growing and seeing myself more clearly and my need for God.

I have been working two part-time jobs since I moved here. I praise God for the full-time job at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center beginning July 22nd. I will keep my part-time job at Banana Republic in the mornings as I establish life after college. It will be a drive to get to work, but I have been used to driving at least 30 minutes to travel to a lot of places while I lived in the Charlotte area.

Right now I am spending the weekend alone and am fighting a new round of tonsillitis. Life is stressful right now and I probably did not get over the first time of tonsillitis about a month ago. I have not had tonsillitis before TN.

I had the opportunity to get connected with many people from church on Wednesday which was a big blessing. Tomorrow I will go out for lunch after church and get to know other people my age. Then I will rest and pray that I do not have any bad side effects from powerful medicine fighting tonsillitis. I may bake some zucchini bread and go bowling. Then I will thank God for all that happened last week and thank God for all that will happen next week. God's mercy is new every morning. The sun always rises the next day. God sees the big picture and he is good.

I invite you to stay posted. I hope to post pictures of my nice little apartment. I hope to continue to post and I welcome your comments. If you feel led, please keep me and the boyfriend in your prayers especially through August. Thanks. I will try to remember to post again soon.

New Beginnings and New Opportunities

I am hoping that this post will encourage me to begin to write on a regular basis again. Time will tell if this is true.:) Life is happening, I am seeing myself more clearly, and I am enjoying a time of change and growth. I graduated from UNC Charlotte May 10th with a B.A. in International Studies and Philosophy. I have an interest in being a professor, but I do not have a specific passion. I only have many general interests. As a result of this and listening to Dave Ramsey, I am interested in working for several years. During this time, I may be taking a class or two at a time to stay in the world of academia. After graduation, I moved to Columbia, TN to be nearer to my boyfriend and enjoy a new location with new possibilities. I live about an hour south of Nashville. I am enjoying my initial impressions of the area and the evidence of music being very important. I have a cute apartment, working two part-time jobs, and discovered an awesome church in Franklin, TN. I have had time of feeling alone due to the fact of being in a new area and knowing few people. I am faced with the need to rely on God and the reality that I have not lived like He is my everything. If God is here, that is all I need. It is easy to make that statement. I am feeling a time of growth, and am thankful for all the God-moments along the way. I see many new and exciting things occurring in the next week. Stay tuned.