New Adventure...

I am getting ready for my new adventure...which starts tomorrow! I finished my time at Apria today and am launching into a new career with AchieveGlobal tomorrow. I am thoroughly excited and nervous all at the same time. I've got my work cut out for me, but I think it will be a really good change for me.

It was hard to say "See you later" to a number of my friends today. But, when one journey ends a new one begins. So I am lasing up my boots and looking forward to the journey. I have been blessed with some GREAT pals at Apria. I have learned so much and been stretched beyond what I could possibly imagine. I have walked a faith road there that some days seemed more than I could handle. Yet, I walked hand in hand with Jesus every day. Hoping that I would learn along the way, and I have. Learned to give...learned to listen...learned to serve...learned to sit quietly...learned to lead...and learned to follow. Through it all, I have learned more about what God wants for me in my life. What a journey this walk has been for me. I have found friends and made friends that have impacted my life.

Thank you to everyone that has challenged me, loved me, supported me and even pushed me to be better that I was. I truly owe a lot to you and look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds...

Here goes nothing...

Another year older and hopefully wiser

I recently celebrated my 28 birthday. It is difficult to believe that I have come this far in life. I remember just yesterday I was a much younger Becky, but how time flies. I find myself still awaiting a number of things, yet content with who I am and a mountain of experiences to lean upon. I have wondered numerous times if I have taken the best road in life. Am I where I am supposed to be? Have I journeyed more paths than were required of me? Have I answered the call to live life to the fullest? What will the next 29 years be filled with? I have hopes and dreams, but I also understand that I want the best. I recently read "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews (highly recommended by Keith). The theme of the book is "Sometimes all one needs is a change of perspective." Isn't that true? We can be overwhelmed by life and the situations that is throws at us. However, let "Jones" come by and paint a different picture and the entire outlook is different. Well, I have decided to paint my picture differently. I want to think deeper and respond slower with my words. I want to love more intensely and life life more freely.

Can't wait to see what type of artist I turn out to be...

Why you tripping? All I did was fart...

What's the big deal about farting, anyhow? You know that EVERYONE does it...but AJ does receive honorable mentions. He rarely does it and my friend Rocky swears he never does in front of his wife...is this still true dude?

Well, here's my tale (you know I always have one).

We had a food cook-off day here at Apria that I crashed (because it wasn't my team that was having it). They had so much yummy food...you would have LOVED it. :) Well, afterwards I had some gas, so I excused myself to take a quick walk outside to release it. Well, a group of gal pal smokers were outside smoking and Arloa asked me what was wrong. I said, "Nothing, I had to fart so I just walked over there to let it go." They roared laughing and said, "I just didn't expect you to say that!" A roar of laughter exploded among us!

Hey, at least I didn't shart...:)

What does it mean to wait?

Patience is a virtue...but what if you don't have any. I've been thinking about this very thing for the past few weeks. How patient am I? If you know me at all, you know that I am not very patient...but God is teaching me to be patient. It takes an ENORMOUS amount of energy for me to be patient. I just want to jump the gun and go. But, there are moments where He simply states "...to be still and know that I am God."

Here I stand knocking on the door of my 28th birthday and I think, have I reached my potential? Have I achieved everything set out before me to accomplish? I unfortunately have to say no. Yet, I find myself asking for other things in life. I want to embark upon the marriage and family trail. I want to live in Cusuna, Honduras for a while. I want to live out my life to the complete fullest. What will this take? What can I still offer? Am I truly open and ready to jump? Well, right now He is calling me to be still and know that He is God. Now this takes patience...

What is He calling you to be still about? Things that make you go hmm...

A long week again...

As I am finishing up another day here at work, I've reflected on how LONG my days have been recently. They have been REALLY long and drawn out. I can't explain it much other than saying, "They are long enough and slow enough for me to almost stop breathing." I just might have stopped breathing two times today...:) But it also have given me plenty of time to reflect on life and where I am...and where I want to go. I am blessed to work with some dear friends of mine who I can talk about life with. My "twin" at work and I have a lot of "life" talks. Today we talked about marriage and the hopes and dreams of it all.

I learned yesterday of a dear friend of mine who lost a close friend of his. My heart just sank when I thought of the loss that he is experiencing. We never know what we have until we loose it. Isn't that the unfortunate thing. I've lost a few friends and a parent over the years and it just makes you stop and think of the impact they had on your life. Was it positive? Was it negative? And then in turn I think...did I impact their world at all? It makes me think of the song, "Lifesong" by Casting Crowns. What a powerful song. Does your lifesong sing to God? Whose name is written at the end of your day? I want God's name to be the signature at the end of my time.

I have to tell you about the man named Brad that I met over the weekend. His friend flew him down here to help pack and move his family back to Ohio. Well, on Friday night he went out and got wasted then woke up in someone's back yard without his shoes on. When we awoke, not knowing where he was, got up quickly and left. He was so disorientated. He smelt of alcohol and was dirty and had no shoes. I noticed that there wasn't even a pair of shoes next to where he was sitting. I thought to myself, "I'm sure he's got a pretty interesting story." Well, next thing I know he followed me into the laundry mat and asked, "Ma'am, may I ask you something?" "Sure," I responded. He proceeded to tell me his story and was embarrassed to not have his shoes at all and didn't even have a clue where they were. He asked if I would purchase him a pair of sandals from Wal-Mart so that he could walk back to his friends house. I agreed. So I took off and purchased a pair of sandals & a t-shirt w/$5 he gave me. On the way back I returned w/McDonald's as well. I thought, the least I could was feed him as well. He was blown away at the generosity and kindness. He said, "You must be an angel. I am not a bum or a bad person, I just made some stupid decisions that got me her." I reassured him that we put our pants on the same way and it could be me in this situation. I was blessed to be able to give to him and what a blessing he was to me in disguise. I had the opportunity to pray for him and bless him...something that I will never forget about it. When he asked me how he could repay me, I challenged him to pay it forward. He promised he would. So Brad, if you ever find this blog, remember our conversation and always remember to pay it forward!

I'm out...Beckster

Dinner w/a friend is like reading a good book...

I had dinner last night w/a pal of mine that I have known for a long time. However, we've never gotten together outside of church. What an incredible time we had together getting to know each other and sharing "life stuff." I am just amazed how having dinner w/a friend is like reading a really good book. SIDE NOTE: I've only been a true book reader for 7 years now, but dang it was like reading a really good book. We shared parts of our hearts and lives that ministered to the other...and we found comfort in the fact that someone else knew exactly what we are going through. Isn't it crazy...that sometimes it takes us getting out of our hectic schedule to sit with an acquaintance and somehow that person quickly becomes a good friend. Another God blessing in my life!

Thank you for sharing what you shared with me, friend...it is an honor to be your friend. I love you..."warts and all." That's something my friend Jean says...love ya Jean! I'm glad that God loves me, Warts & All! :)

Psalm 19:14- "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

Reflecting...

I sit here today in a reflective state of mind. Thinking about all of the wonderful memories that I made in Cusuna over the past 6 years. Can you even believe that I have been traveling to Cusuna for 6 years? Weird, but awesome. I have loved each trip. I think about Nessie, a girl that I met on the 1st trip there and have connected with each trip since. She was 4 years old and was wearing a cute purple dress. Now she is 10 years old and even more beautiful. She loves Jesus and wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. And then there is my friend Diani...what a special gal. She & I have been friends since that first trip as well...although it has taken her much longer to speak to me. She is VERY shy and a woman of few words. She is 22 years old and has a 7 month old daughter named Ashely. Both ladies are gorgeous and a blessing to me. My friend Belkin and her family are near and dear to my heart. Belkin is the friend who washed my clothes for me every Wednesday while I lived there for 3 months and I watched her kids. I specifically got really attached to Adrianna. She's my girl and I call her mona, which is monkey in Spanish.

Well, today I have cleaned out all of my letters from Honduras and read through most of them again. Some brought tears and others brought laughter. I am keeping a few special ones to cherish, I just need to get them in a book of some sorts so they aren't just loose papers. We'll see.

On an extremely random note, I might go see Rent tonight w/Sean (my cousin). How cool will that be...we'll see.

I've GOT to get to work now...LATER!

BB