Disappointment and Divine Appointments

I had a great time in Chapel today. Dr. Walker Moore came and spoke about global missions. His message included "willing wanderers", and "divine appointments." And I was blessed to be reminded of all the times in my life when I had been disappointed in the short term, but that it turned out to be a divine appointment, instead. From my college choice (I was accepted to Wash. U. and wanted to go there, but couldn't afford it - but ended up at WWU where I met lifelong friends and NAU where I met my sisters), to God's amazing plans for me with singleness and marriage opportunities.

Friends, there is just a lot going on in my life right now - I'm really busy and I don't know exactly why - perhaps because I'm not doing a great job at keeping myself firm to my time boundaries....

Anyway, updates.

The Kenya team is almost formed. Just a couple more interviews (which I could schedule for tomorrow, except I can't get my baylor email to work!) and then the team is complete! Most of you who read this blog are likely to get a letter in the mail soon telling about the trip and what we are planning, as well as providing you an opportunity to partner with us.

Bible reading and prayer has been going well. The one nice thing about not having early classes is that I can make lots of time for reading in the AM!

Additionally, I'm committing myself to actually reading novels (mostly classics) this semester, on the weekends. I started "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier (click title to read about it) over Christmas break, but it was a huge hardback book and I didn't want to bring it back with me (it was from my parents classic collection). I've read it before and its thrilling and great. So I just bought it. I also purchased "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens to read after I finish Rebecca.

Some other of my favorite classic novels are: Pride and Predjudice (by Jane Austen), The Woman in White (by Wilkie Collins), Gone with the Wind (by Margaret Mitchell) and The Brothers Karamazov (by Fyodor Dostoyevsky). Oh, and the Narnia series, by C.S. Lewis (I don't know if that's considered "classic" or "modern"...)

Some of my favorite modern novels are: Break In (by Dick Francis), Bolt (by Dick Francis - I just read this one last weekend), almost anything by Agatha Christie, and two series by Nora Roberts: The "Dream" series: Daring to Dream, Holding the Dream, Finding the Dream and the "Born in" series: Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame. My mom also likes the "Chesapeake Bay" series. I just really like the strong female characters in the two series I mentioned, I have to skip over the occasional sex scene, but its worth it to become a part of the lives of some amazing women as they learn about themselves - and as I gain hope for who I am as a woman.

Check out some of those classics... and if you really like mysteries, check out Break In and Bolt - I bet you can get them for cheap online or at a thrift store.

The pictures above are of my newest favorite game: Settlers of Catan - and its variations: Seafarers, and Cities and Knights. I was introduced to it last semester and then over the break I introduced my parents to it.... they now play a game almost every night. I would play every day, too, if I didn't have to study... and do other things. :) As it is, we play a LOT - in most cases we play at least once per week here in Waco. :)

Blessings, friends. That's it for tonight. God be with you till we meet again.

TR