Changing Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1- 12

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.

Lately, I feel like everything is changing and I can barely keep up. I picked up my graduation announcements, yet another reminder that in just about a month my life is going to be very different. I am excited, and nervous, and a little scared that things are going to sneak up on me (and by things, I mean very strong feelings of sadness... haha). But there is indeed a time for everything. Tomorrow I defend my thesis and take my oral comps, and then its a few more papers and projects and of course clients to see until I'm done here. I keep reminding my self that I have choice: I can freak out and cry and worry about the future, or I can "be happy and do good." So here's what's been making me happy lately:

- I teach Nepali refugee children on Wednesday nights. We usually focus on learning about American customs. For example, at Valentine's Day we talked about giving valentine's to friends, and why it would look like pink and red threw up on their schools. At St. Patrick's day we talked about why you wear green and how to avoid getting pinched. Well today was Easter, and I knew they were going to an Easter egg hunt, so we talked about how to politely go and find plastic eggs filled with treats that would be hidden in a yard. After discussing this for a good 10 minutes, on of the boys asked me an interesting question: "Do we need a gun?" You see, when he hears his sweet West Texas friends at school talking about "hunting" he hears them talk about shooting deer in the woods... so he was envisioning hunting live eggs with guns in the woods. After I stopped laughing, I gently told him not bring a firearm to the church easter egg hunt. Apparently we still have a ways to go...
- There were 5 baptisms this week at So Hills, all Nepali refugees, even one boy from my class. I was so proud of them, and I'm excited about what God is doing there.
- I just watched Sister Act 2. It's my feel good movie for when I'm stressed out. Even though I can't stop thinking about this thesis defense in the morning, I can at least get a little joy out of the musical nuns!