Make Something Beautiful...

Laura Story songs are the best...this song is exactly what I am feeling right now [Don't worry people, just the life of a single girl sometimes :)] and came on my Pandora at the exact time I needed to hear, words from my heart I tell you!

When I'm at the point of breaking at the place where I resign,
When I'm at the stage of shaking my head as I look back on my life,
When I'm halfway through the grieving, but not quite through the ache,
When I cannot see the ending, or which road I'm supposed to take,
All I know to do is lift my hands to You...

[Chorus:]
Take all of my life, all of my life,
And make something beautiful.
I open my hand, trusting Your plan.
Make something beautiful so all will see
Your work in me, as You make something beautiful

When I'm tired of pretending, and I can't recall my lines,
Do I say, I'm barely breathing, or just say, I'm doing fine.
I admit there is a yearning, for the hurting to subside,
But not at the risk of missing what You're doing with my life
All I know to do is lift my hands to You...

[Chorus:]
Take all of my life, all of my life,
And make something beautiful.
I open my hand, trusting Your plan.
Make something beautiful so all will see
Your work in me, as You make something beautiful
Make something beautiful

Cause all I know to do is lift my hands to You.
All I know to do is lift my hands to You.

[Chorus:]
Take all of my life, all of my life,
And make something beautiful.
I open my hand, trusting Your plan.
Make something beautiful
Take all of my life, all of my life,
And make something beautiful.
I open my hand, I'm trusting Your plan.
To make something beautiful, so all will see
Your work in me, as You make something beautiful
Make something beautiful
You make it beautiful

Visitors...

This past week I was able to show my parents around Texas a bit. I don't know how much we really got to see, because they let me sleep in every day!!! So nice of them! But we did take a trip to San Antonio and visited The Alamo...

We also did some walking on the Riverwalk...

Then we returned to Houston and I did some more sleeping :) But we also visited the park here...

And did a little shopping and a lot of eating! Most importantly we were able to spend time together.

Update on what I am doing the next few weeks...I am staying in Houston for a few more weeks. I actually am extending my contract through the second week of December. Which I am very excited about, because it means I am taking the rest of December off and will be home for Christmas. Being a nurse this is a rare feat to conquer to arrange to have holidays off. I will also get to spend some more time with Drew, Deepti, and Ava-because they will be home for a few days during the holidays.

I am thinking my next stop will be California at the start of the year...what do you guys think? Any suggestions on where to travel?

Growth

These past few weeks have been such a wonderful time for me, but also a tremendous trial in some ways as well. I really feel that God is preparing me and "growing" me for something bigger. What that is I have no idea.

This past year I have really turned my life upside down...rented my house, tried my hand at a new job close to family, decided to move to a new city. I know my parents have thought, "What is going on?" so many times (and trust me I have too, and still do!)

In a way, I am learning more independence. Which is strange because I really have felt very independent for the past 10 years. But I am also learning MORE DEPENDENCE on God-which is HUGE! I know my faith has been strengthened, even though at times I feel that in the past year it has been stretched beyond belief.

As I'm typing this Laura Story's song "Blessings" is playing in the background. Can I tell you how much I love this song? Every single word speaks to me and means so much. If you haven't heard it please listen and read the lyrics. I also love that after this song plays, the next song on my playlist is Matt Wertz "Everything Will Be Alright" which is more a song about a relationship, but I do love the reminder that everything WILL be alright.

I am coming to the end of my travel assignment here in Houston so I have a lot of decisions to make about what I am going to do...extend my assignment, travel somewhere else...I am still at a loss for what to do and it has been my prayer for the last few weeks for clear opened and closed doors. Whatever the next step is I know that God is going to guide and direct me.

I pray that wherever I might be next I will continue to grow in Him!

There's something about fall...

Fall is quickly becoming one of my favorite times of the year. This definitely has just happened over the past few years. I think a lot of it is because of college football, the cooler air, and the leaves changing color. I love thinking about it even :)

Being in Texas this year has made my anticipation for fall a little different. I know I will miss the leaves changing color (but I will be making a trip to Birmingham in October, so hopefully I will get to see some!) Who knows if it will ever become cooler here. I don't think my thermostat in my car has seen below 90 since I have been here. And football is just not the same here...no matter what they say! Nothing compares to SEC football.

This past Saturday [of course] I had to work the day of the Alabama game, but thanks to satellite radio (which I am loving and subscribed to this time in my car, just so I didn't miss a football game!) I was able to listen to Eli and hear Bama's first victory of the season. ROLL TIDE!

As I got to work that night I was thinking of the other big SEC games that I would have been watching, and hoping that my patient would be watching one or there would be a room empty and I could watch occasionaly if I wasn't too busy. Was anyone at work watching or even talking about football? Nope, not one person! I know we would have had a game on at work in Birmingham even if it was not our team that was playing.

Just different observations, no matter what I still believe that the SEC is the best and definitely has the most loyal fans.

So here is to fall coming soon and hopefully visiting me in Texas too!