28 things I'm thankful for :)

So here goes 28 things I'm thankful for specific to in my life :D Meaning, I'm thankful for butterflies and flowers and stuff, but those are sorta general things :D

1. I was born :)
2. I reborn in Christ :)
3. I was adopted
4. I was adopted again by Jesus haha!
5. I've been able to spend a good chunk of my - wait - all my 20's until now in FORT COLLINS, CO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With my PEEPS at SUMMITVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
6. I'm thankful I grew up in Denver that had a really nice bus system so I could learn how to get around.
7. I'm glad Mom is a nurse so she knew when I was getting sick (even though I tried to hide it) and she'd just magically decide to fix chicken noodle soup for dinner!
8. I'm glad I learned how to play the piano and sing in the choir at school.
9. I'm thankful that now I can sing for God :)
10. I'm thankful I do well in school.
11. I'm thankful that I've been able to find employment in my field even during a recession!!
12. I'm thankful even for my limitations / challenges / disabilities because God is working through them :)
13. I'm also thankful that I have this blog :)
14. And I'm thankful that other friends have blogs that inspire me as well :)
15. I'm thankful for my current roommates who know how to make me GIGGLE!!!!! 
16. I'm also thankful for my time in Children's Ministry where I could influence the next generation for Christ :)
18. I'm thankful a dear friend who's working on her tan in Arizona :) She reminds me of who I truly am in Christ and she also makes me smile and I love her hugs and in general, she just makes me eeek!!!!
19. I'm also thainkful for another friend in Arizona who's now been married 6 months hehehehehehehe!!! I am thankful for her wisdom that I still call to mind :)
20. I'm thankful for Mom and that she only lives an hour away and that she likes to come up to FoCo and visit and eat Old C's with me.
21. I'm thankful for my Summtivew peoples that keep on praying that Mom grows closer to God!
22. I'M THANKFUL THAT MOM IS DRAWING CLOSER TO GOD TOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
23. I'm thankful that half - wait - over half - hm.... probably 3/4 or 75% of my new D-Team is very very nerdy because I fit right in!!!!
24. I'm thankful for my stuffed animals :) hehehehe! I'm thankful that they each have a cute little story behind them :)
25. I'm thankful for my previous roommates and the times we've had.
26. I'm thankful how God has taught me how to be content in my place in life while being open in anticipation to whatever He has for me in the future.
27. I'm thankful that it's early spring, and I'm tanning easily because I was born on a TROPICAL ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
28. I'm thankful that I'm going to paralegal school and that God has opened this new door to my future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

YAY!

Not so radical after all

At Summitview, Mitch showed this video  before the message as it was Missions Weekend. He talked about some initiatives Summitview was starting to continue supporting individuals we knew in other countries that were working to spread the Gospel. 


I've been thinking about this video for the whole day. Because right now I really want to get my career on. It's been long enough after graduating in 2009. Sure I've had jobs related to my major, but they didn't necessarily require a bachelor's degree much less a master's degree to do. 


What dictated my career so far has been a) my inability to drive since that disqualified me for a lot of jobs that I would have otherwise gotten easily. The other factor that influenced my career decision was my decision to stay in Fort Collins because God had led me to stay there after graduation to be a part of Summitview. 


I honestly feel like it's my turn to call the shots. I've put off a career long enough. Moving to Denver is also beneficial because I can be closer to my mom and be an example of Christ to her, my aunt, and my grandma. That is something I am also genuinely excited about. But I am also excited about FINALLY getting access to some decent jobs. I've been applying to some that sound promising. If I got a nice job along with a nice apartment on a bus-line, I wouldn't complain :) If I lived with a bunch of other single ladies from the Denver church (that was started by some Summitview people), that would be even better. I am excited to maybe do some volunteering with Alternatives Pregnancy Center or a like agency once I get to Denver and get a schedule figured out with paralegal school + a potential job. I'm also really looking forward to getting back into Children's Minstry :) 


But am I super-radical like David Platt's video calls me to be? Nope. I'll be the first to admit it. He would ask me, is using my degree in a nice career of ultimate importance in the grand eternal scheme of things?? Is having a nice high-rise apartment on a bus line the most important thing? Are all these things ultimately worth pursuing?  


The first answer I'd give him which is partially tongue in cheek would be, "Well you see, Dave, that would make my mom immensely happy to see that her daughter has made it." Yeah, I'd be satisfied knowing that Mom would be at peace knowing I had made it if I had a nice career and such. 


But of course, it's God's opinion that matters. He made Mom, myself, this world, and He is the sovereign ruler and redeemer over it all. Obviously, if He thinks it's important that I have these things, I should have them. But if He thinks I am better off and if His goals are more suited such that I do not get these things, I should agree with Him on that line. 


The trouble is, I don't. I, like many people, want to be respected for being successful, and I want to feel like I contributed well to society. Contributed well, to me on a merely earthly perspective means using my talents and skills in the workforce to their fullest extent to help society progress. 


This video we watched shook me today because I realized I can be in very real danger of loosing my eternal perspective on my career. Even if I worked at minimal wage jobs, but yet God used that to bring people to Himself through the Gospel, my life would have an eternal impact. Even if I got my career for a little bit and gave it up to raise children who know Christ and are confident of sharing Christ with others, my life would also have an eternal impact. Finally if, by God's grace, I get a nice career and stay in the workforce for a long time in the private sector or going back into academia, my resume won't eternally matter. What will matter is how many people I reached for Christ in these contexts. I pray and need to always pray for this perspective no matter where God directs my career path. Because the lives touched through that trajectory rather than my accomplishments and my monetary reward will ultimately matter. 


God, please help me believe that. Help those in my demographic believe that as well!!! Thank You for saving me from utter selfishness, because without You, that's all I would have to drive my aspirations. Thank You! I pray that the kids going on missions as teens this summer will gain this eternal perspective to allow them to reach others in college and as they start their adult lives! Amen :) 

A little brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At work I have a little brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll explain: There's this kid who's an aspiring computer science major who works at Corbett with me. We talk during lunch before our shifts, but today we worked at adjoining stations. I served sandwiches and he served gluten-free food :)

At some point we were talking about something or other and I mentioned that I was diagnosed on the autism spectrum as well. He had talked openly about being on the spectrum. It was like we suddenly became brother and sister - sorta - I don't know exactly what that feels like, but it's like we could relate on a whole new level. It's like someone saying, "You know, I grew up in France, and now I live here in England." and suddenly you're like, "OH MY GOSH, I GREW UP IN FRANCE TOO!!!" "Did you have to adjust to THIS... and THIS????" "UHHUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

So in between serving customers we totally nerded out about stuff like things Dr. Grandin says and stuff about our own lives. I still think of him first as a computer science major, and secondly as my brother on the spectrum. Just like I think of myself as pre-paralegal and then on the spectrum.

But it's nice to have that connection :) Just to know there's someone that I can actually talk to without feeling intimidated (read: someone else besides Dr. Grandin) who knows what I'm going through :)

I also want to keep in touch with him. Maybe tell him what college is like and advice on what I know now that I wish I knew my Freshman year. It would be kind of cool to be his mentor of sorts. :)

I also realized this: If God gave me a little brother on the spectrum, than He could give me a HUSBAND on the spectrum or a neurotypical husband who maybe not experience what being on the spectrum is like but is understanding of all of it to live with me hehehe!!! That thought also made me smile :)

When a Desire Resurfaces

I'm in the house of Summitview nerdlings (children of parents who are both enginerds) watching them for an evening.  We ended the evening of Lego robot demonstrations and Star Wars Wii with a Bible study.  I won't lie,  it felt weird teaching a passage to kids outside of a classroom setting and in a different age group than what I'm used to. 


But when I was done,  I felt an odd feeling: the desire to be a Christian parent.  Yup.  You read right!! The spectrumite who until recently assumed she would neeeeeever marry because a certain famous spectrumite never did is rethinking all that.

Here are my feelings on all this:

Why do I want to get married all of a sudden?  Because what if God really DOES have an earthly man who gets me enough to want to tie the knot?  It would make me happy.  The adjustment would take getting used to, but I would be less scared knowing said guy would be there to help too!  Plus nerdlings are so cute!!!!  God, if I with copious COPIOUS amounts of Your help raise a future scientist, doctor,  or professor who wants to reach academia for Jesus, that would be SOOOOOO COOOOOOL!  And even if I pop out super-nerdlings (spectrumites) I'd understand them and they'd understand me and that would be cool!!!! 
I still want a career and I'm not ready to rely fully on a guy to support myself + progeny.  I like the idea of me relying on myself (somewhat since God ultimately provides) putting money in the bank.  I also like the single life: roommate dinners, eating ice cream for dinner and leftovers for breakfast (sometimes). But I am opening up again to see that I still think it would be cool to raise the next generation of. Christians. Not as the ultimate HDFS badge of "you made it!!!!!!" But if that is how God wants to show His power through limited people :):)

Worship on a Not-So-Tropical Island

The book of Revelation begins with Jesus Himself crashing John's solo Sabbath Worship Dance Party!!!!!!  Ok - I don't really know if John was having a little dance party on Patmos,  but here's what I figure: after being by a lonesome exile for a while I'm sure dancing wildly by oneself would be a legitimate way to pass the time.  In my head...Or maybe he was collecting starfish and playing Sunday School with them or something :)

But I thought to myself: John, after being persecuted and possibly seeing friends die for the faith, still chooses to worship God. That is cool!  Not everyone could do that.  Observing the Sabbath wasn't just something he did around his Christian friends and he didn't pray only with them.  His faith was something he cultivated on his own too keep it up on an isolated island.

And maybe seeing persecution and hard times strengthened his faith when he chose to talk to God through it.  That is pretty cool!!!!!!

Updates!

Hello blogsphere!!!!!!!

Seems as if I owe this blog an update!

I'm wrapping up my Gross Anatomy class.
I didn't get into OT school.
I applied for paralegal school.
My roommate and I planted garlic cloves that were already growing :) They're now in the soil by our little parking lot hee hee!