Change

I figured it was time for a new blog post! It's been awhile...sorry!

There are a lot of changes coming up in my life! For example:

      In one day I begin student teaching

      In 103 days I graduate college

      In 152 days I watch my best friend get married

      In 183 days I get on a plane to go to China

I'm sure these are just some of the many changes that are coming my way. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, and I have to constantly remind myself to breathe, take things one day at a time, and enjoy the present moment instead of dreading or looking forward to the changes of the future.

A song by Keith and Kristyn Getty that we sang at chapel this past week has been a great help in assisting in this reminder. I've probably listened to it or sung it about 50 times since then! The first line says:

“Still, my soul be still and do not fear though winds of change may rage tomorrow. God is at your side no longer dread the fires of unexpected sorrow.”

You should check out the whole song here.

Peace,

爱琳

'Tis the Season

My life is full of polar opposite emotions right now. Joy in spending time with friends, partnered with extreme dread at the thought of all of my homework, excitement about the approaching holidays and break, and sadness at the thought that this is the last major break I will ever have in my career at Messiah College. My mind and my body don't really know how to handle these simultaneous conflicting emotions (which is probably part of the reason why I am currently having a knock-down, drag-out fight with a cold virus...I can't tell who's winning...).

In addition to the craziness of college life right now, I have always on my mind the thought that next year at this time, I will be in China. I feel like I think about China in every spare moment of the day, so much so that I'm even dreaming of it. I am so excited to have the opportunity to live and teach there for a blessed 11 months next year. There is some bittersweetness surrounding the thought too, though. Every wonderful thing I experience here is accompanied by the realization that I will be missing out on it next year. It broke my heart a little at Thanksgiving when my Mama mentioned something about me helping with the turkey next year and I had to gently remind her “I'm not going to be here”. Singing in all of the concerts this weekend also reminds me that this is my last Messiah Christmas concert, and one of my last concerts for a while...

Yet, with these sadnesses are intermingled plenty of joys. I know that though I will certainly be missing and craving these times while I am away in China, I will also be experiencing some other wonderful things that I can't even imagine yet. So for now, I will do my best to live for today and the joys it has to bring, not taking for granted what I am blessed with right now.

Speaking of blessings, we have a new gratefulness poster that we are creating for our apartment to remind us to be thankful. Since it is the season of giving thanks, I thought I'd share some with you! Please feel free to post things you're thankful for in the comments. Remembering all my blessings is definitely one of the major ways I have in staying positive in hard times! So, here's some of ours:

Wonderful roommates

Music

Nice people

Amy Garrett!

中国 (China)

Christmas Lights

Haircuts

Pictures

Being giddy!

And many more! I hope your day is full of many things to be thankful for!!

再见！

～爱琳～

The Road...

One of my absolute favorite authors is J.R.R. Tolkien. A piece of his poetry is particularly fitting for how I feel about my life right now:

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can.

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

Now, if you're in the know about my life right now, it should be pretty obvious why this poem means so much to me right now, or why I am starting this blog for that matter. However, if not, let me explain.

I have just committed to teach English in China next year. That means I will be living in China from August 2012-June 2013. I have decided to start this blog to keep all of you (my family and friends, and anyone else who cares) informed about what is going on in the process of getting ready to go, and then, of course, everything about day-to-day living and teaching in China.

So...back to the Road...

Right now I feel a little like Bilbo probably did when he agreed to set out with Gandalf and a bunch of dwarves on their little adventure. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time, and I'm sure that there are oodles of adventures and surprises awaiting me as I journey down this Road. There is a lot of unknown right now. But...that pretty much pertains to life in general, so in some ways I am exchanging the unknown of life after college to a different kind of unknown: the unknown of life in another country. In spite of some of my fear of this unknown, however, I am stepping out onto this Road with a clear head and an eager heart because I feel that I am being Called to do this.

So please, bear with me as I journey on this new Road one step at a time!