Blogging: A summer thing?

I have noticed recently that many friends of mine who blogged faithfully this summer have tapered off in their blogging. I have also noticed that I have as well. Interesting. Maybe it was a good means of communication in the summer but now that the majority of us are back in our comfort zones with our friends we don't feel the need to keep up a description of our lives. Or maybe we are just doing more productive things with our time. Hmm... Something to ponder.

To let you know why I have been slow at blogging this year, it is because of my distaste for using the dial-up internet at my host family's house. Not only do they have dial-up but they also have a limited number of hours of dial-up. Thus, I don't check my email as often or post to my blog for fear of using all their hours. So, I apologize if this has been disappointing to some.

BUT I am in Omaha this weekend so it seems a good opportunity to keep you posted. I had this whole weekend off. I spent Friday afternoon/ evening in Lincoln hanging out with friends that I miss SO much. I spent the afternoon with Tracy, ate dinner with some folks, went to Navigators and then stayed up until 5 a.m. chatting with Sonya. It was really really fun. The trip hurt my heart a bit because things are different and will continue to be and that is sad as much as it is exciting to move onto a new stage.

To update ya'll on campus life, it has been a tough week again. I am starting to understand why I find it tough though and that is helping. I find myself having a tough time with the pace that the friendships I am forming are moving at. They are moving much more slowly than I wish they would. I want to have tons of people who want to be my friend, spend time together, talk about deep stuff and Jesus - NOW. But, I am reminded that takes time to form. I see my impatience SO clearly and have been forced to ask myself if I believe in the gospel enough to perservere. It was good to go to church in Omaha this weekend and see that I am the only one who is putting that much pressure on myself. None of my suppporters I talked to back here think I should have really deep relationships yet. I seem to have the biggest expectations of anyone.

The other stuff God has been doing in my personal life is in the form of teaching me deep things about trials. If you check out 1 Peter 1, it discusses how trials come so that our faith may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus is revealed. Later in the passage it goes on to tell us to set our hope FULLY on the grace that we will be given when Christ is revealed. As I have been facing various trials and insecurities related to ministry, I have been forced to set my hope fully on Christ. In and of itself, moving to Manhattan has forced me to set my hope on Christ and not on my friends, people who "need" me, people who enjoy me, my family, knowing the campus, having plans on the weekend, etc.

SOOOOOOOOOOO.... that's the news. I have been meeting lots of folks and trying to be patient to watch the relationships form that God wants to work in.

Have a beautiful Sunday.