full house

I have been waiting for the carpet to dry in my room before moving in all the furniture and putting things away. Right now I only have my bed set up so I can sleep. But it's official. I am now a tenant in the basement apartment of Will's house occupied by Will, his two kids, and another new tenant, Ed, who moved into a room upstairs.

Two nights ago, on my first night at my new place, I was in bed talking on the phone when Ed knocked on my door. Now normally I would have gotten up to answer the door, but I wasn't wearing any pajama bottoms. At LEAST I was smart enough to realize it would be a good idea to put a t-shirt on instead of lounging around in nothing but underwear.

Once I made sure my blanket covered my bottom half, I told Ed he could open the door. I don't even remember now what question he had for me. All I remember is that he apologized and said he would never bother me again. Haha. Poor Ed.

This morning I decided to risk walking out of the room into the bathroom, again with just a t-shirt on. While I was washing up, someone knocked on the door and there was a strange male voice I didn't recognize. Later I realized it was the plumber.

I guess I should get used to wearing more clothing when I'm at home now...or at least make use of my robes.

another one

Oh, another lesson is learning when and how to ask for help and to be able to receive it graciously without a sense of guilt or to not be devastated if no help is offered.

*sigh* I think I really need a vacation. Maybe I should plan a trip to California.

learning lessons...the hard way

I have complained often about life in NJ; it has been a struggle and a challenge in many ways, at times more than I felt I could handle. I came to NJ having lost a sense of who I was as a person, and instead of being at my best...I allowed the struggles to bring out what I lacked. The struggles have led to depression, and MANY times I have wanted to give up.

I have learned quite a few hard lessons since I have been here, and these lessons have come at a price. That is what saddens me the most. My relationships with people, my ministries, my job, my sense of being, etc. have all suffered because of this.

For whatever reason, it seems as if I needed to come all the way out to NJ to learn these lessons...the hard way. Lessons regarding the need for clear and appropriate boundaries in relationships and in my role as a leader (needed from the beginning for the health of the relationship/ministry), how overcommunication is better than making assumptions, lessons in needing to be assertive instead of giving in/making excuses/giving up, realizing that being a people-pleaser ultimately prevents people from knowing you and from you knowing them...so on and so forth.

The hardest part may still be yet to come, the part of learning how to make the change. No pity parties and no excuses allowed.

baptism photos

Pssst...pictures were added to last Monday's entry.

bitching and complaining

I'm so freakin' exhausted.

Moving is so completelly exhausting, and since my friends refused to let me move in until I steam cleaned the carpet in the bedroom and since Kirk and I did that yesterday evening and it's still drying and my bed is currently being run over by the cats and will need to be cleaned of cat hair and disinfected, I don't know when I'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep.

After the ladies helped me move in and saw the place, Amy decided she needed to give me a hug and insisted I stay at her place until my home is ready to be lived in. But her apartment is way too hot and stuffy for me. And she, uhm...quietly snores but not so quiet as to not keep me awake because I'm such a damn light sleeper. And sunlight illuminates her apartment way too early in the morning.

And I'm in a bad mood. I think PMS has arrived. I'm supposed to get this church's newsletter out by the end of the month which is not possible b/c I'm STILL waiting for everything I need to complete it, and I've decided I'm not going to work my ass off trying to get it done on time like I ALWAYS do because other people are always late. If it's late, IT'S NOT MY FAULT. I shouldn't have to bust my ass to try to make up for idle time.

This morning when I came into work I was reminded by all the extra cars and kids running around that there is VBS at the church this week. In truth, I don't mind the kids so much, it's the adults and their various little requests and questions that get to me instead.

If you ask me how I'm feeling right now, I'm ready to give up on everything. Isn't there a reboot button on life somewhere?

But that's just not possible, is it? Maybe I just need a good cry. Then I can move past it and take one thing at a time.

you and all the other stuff

These days I've been thinking about all the "stuff" that you knowingly or unknowingly bring with you. You bring it to your job, ministry, relationships, etc.

An old thought/behavioral pattern might show up...something from childhood or something that emerged later out of multiple negative experiences. Maybe you are unaware of the negative and potentially destructive pattern, and the pattern ends up repeating itself. You end up being stuck. Or maybe one day you do notice it and you wonder why you are thinking/acting a certain way. Where did THAT come from? What's going on beneath the surface? And how can things change? Only when you get to that point can you begin the process, possibly long and painful, of becoming unstuck.

Yes, something has to change. You are going to play by different rules now. It's time to re-learn how to play the game.

being me

I've decided not to let myself become a certain way. I am better than that. Fear does not belong in knowledge of God's perfect love.

the moving blues

This move has been making me feel rather alone. I'm sure it's partially due to the fact that I'm the one moving, not me and a roommate...just me.

It's strange how a move, just a few towns away, can stir up emotions and bring certain insecurities/uncertainties to the surface. Instead of thinking of the positives, like how I'm moving really close to work, I'm thinking, "But how much longer do I really even want to be at that job?" Instead of thinking how much easier it will be to park my car after arriving late at night, I'm thinking, "But I'm moving farther from Kirk."

I find myself wondering if my new place will feel like "home"...and the effort I will need to put in to make it feel that way.

When will I ever feel "settled"? It seems to be an elusive concept for me.

Maybe I should have some friends come over and help me pack. Maybe then I won't feel like it's just me. Maybe I really SHOULD focus on the positives like being closer to my work/church/gym. Maybe I need to remember why I'm moving and that I really need to be in a better financial situation instead of living paycheck to paycheck.

*sigh* Maybe I need to trust God...that if He really is the one leading me that all things will work out better in the end.

out-of-sorts

I'm feeling a little out-of-sorts today. I know part of it has to do with the stress of packing and moving. Last night I could feel the stress coming back to me as the day began to wind down. I think it's beginning to affect my mood and, in turn, other parts of my life. It's not the biggest stress in the world, but sometimes it just takes a little to throw you off balance.

I was rather exhausted last night, but I didn't sleep until a little after midnight. This morning I woke up at 5 a.m. and slept fitfully the rest of the morning.

I think I'm feeling a little scared...not about moving...but scared nonetheless.

retreated and celebrated

It was nice to get away for a couple days...leave the stress of packing and moving behind and just enjoy being with the Metro family. We started with a really cool prayer/meditation thing on Thursday night, and we were blessed to have a gifted speaker challenge and encourage our vision as a multi-ethnic and reconciling church.

This weekend I also witnessed two baptisms. Won was baptized on Friday morning at the retreat. He was dunked in the hotel pool, surrounded by the Metro family. It was very cool and very special.

Yesterday was Kirk's baptism. =) Okay, so I totally wanted to give him a great big hug and a great big kiss as soon as he got out of the pool...but I didn't. I was happy to see him beaming with joy, grinning from ear to ear. I told him later that I was proud of him for taking the step to be baptized. It was awesome to be a part of the celebration.


me, kirk, piko w/ alex, dave, pastor gregg 


pastor gregg shares a few words and asks kirk "the" question before the big dunk. 


dunking time 

packing and retreating

The realization that I don't have much time to pack and prepare for my move has been causing me some stress this week. With the retreat this weekend, I have even less time to pack. *sigh* Unfortunately, I feel like this is keeping me from being mentally prepared for the retreat.

I decided last night that I would hold off on painting until after I move in. I will also continue cleaning after I move in instead of trying to get things spotless beforehand. My main focus now is just getting packed and moved in by the end of the month.

It turns out Sarah, who has been eyeing my apartment since her first visit, may be moving into my place! Sarah is looking for a place to move into sometime in September, so I left a message with my landlord to let them know of her interest. My apartment may be staying within the Metro family! Yay!

I only have a few short hours to finish my work for the week and prepare myself for the retreat. We'll be focusing on racial reconciliation...certainly a necessary issue to tackle if Metro really truly wants to be diverse racially AND socio-economically.

I'm feeling sluggish and out-of-shape. I think I've added a couple of pounds although I don't think I've been eating more than usual. Strange. Maybe I should bring my sneakers to the retreat.

the politics test

So Won asked me to take the politics test.

My results:

You are a Social Liberal(60% permissive) and an Economic Liberal (21% permissive). You are best described as a Democrat. You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness.

In the graph of famous people, I am on top of Mikhail Gorbachev's left eye, next to Hillary Clinton.

Poor Won...he was disappointed.

Hmmm...there's a test on "How Sexual Are You?"...

struck by lightning

We suspect that this church was struck by lightning on Sunday during the nasty storm. Apparently during the evening service, the pastor said there was a bright flash and all the electricity went out. At that point, the alarm system went on the fritz and started going crazy. The fire department came by and walked through and around the church for signs of possible fire. The electricity eventually came back on and no fires were found.

When I came into the office on Monday morning, the electricians were already here, and they've been back every day since. The lighting system in the sanctuary was completely fried, and they still have not been able to fix it. They expect that it will not be fixed this week at all. The alarm system is still not functioning properly. Someone is supposed to come today, and hopefully it'll be an easy fix. The music director discovered that the cable modem in his office upstairs was not working. He got a new cable modem which is now working, but the lightning must have damaged his network card because the modem and the computer are still not talking to each other.

I was told by the previous office manager that this church is struck by lightning pretty regularly. This church is a rather tall building and is on top of a hill, after all. Whenever we would have lightning storms, the pastor would tell us to turn off our computers, but not until now have I seen evidence of the damage lightning can do to this church. Crazy, huh?

conflicts on the conflict

I've been listening and reading about the settlers being evicted from the Gaza Strip. Naturally there is much emotion from the settlers, from the public, and from the many officers who must fulfill their duties. And it's all being done for the sake of peace. There is a huge sense of uncertainty, however. Is this really a step towards peace or will it give Palestinians more boldness in claiming more land?

Personally, I'm not really sure how to feel about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Having spent some time in a conservative Christian school, very pro-Israeli and Zionistic ideas were touted as the proper Christian view. Both at church and school, much emphasis was placed on the end times...watching for signs that the end is imminent..and therefore the belief that the land must belong to Israel in order for the end to come.

Now as an adult...the emphasis doesn't sit very well with me. Are we really supposed to spend so much time thinking about when the end is coming? Aren't we supposed to live life with the mindset that the end IS near? Doesn't that mean living life fully and with purpose?

I am not trying to disregard that God had chosen Israel as his special people, but...the privilege of being the people of God was given to everyone after Christ's death on the cross. The Kingdom of God isn't of this earth...and the Kingdom that does exist on the earth belongs with God's people...wherever they are. We are no longer restricted to worship God in one place. Isn't that what Jesus was telling the Samaritan woman at the well? And doesn't the temple of God reside within us?

Are we, as Christians, really supposed to put so much emphasis on this? That's what the fundamentalists and many evangelicals would have you believe. I just can't seem to justify all the military power and violence.

I would much rather see Christians put more emphasis on being advocates for the oppressed...ministering to the "least of these" and bringing the hope of the Gospel, the unconditional love of God to people of all nations, tribe, and tongue. It just seems like the more Christian thing to do...or my understanding of it anyway.

Is my view too simplistic? Perhaps. I realize the on-goings of this world are far more complex with deep-rooted issues and opposing beliefs. Unfortunately, conflict and war are inevitable in our world. There are no easy answers, and with the evil that exists, no easy solutions.

I do feel for the settlers leaving their homes in the Gaza strip. And I do think the Jews have endured so much injustice throughout history. I certainly don't want to see them endure any more. Is the evacuation the answer to peace? I don't know. I'm not an expert by any means. And it's not always easy to know how history will unfold.

If you've made it through this post, I'd love to hear what you think. What are your views?

all grown up

My bro is all grown up. He's a homeowner!

Let's hope he takes care of the place. =P


my bro in front of his new condo 

rain

Yesterday in the late afternoon, the long-awaited and much needed rain finally began to pour. It was a welcome relief after days of disgustingly hot and humid weather. The rain would be a constant throughout the rest of the evening.

Kirk and I had decided on watching a DVD at his place, so I grabbed a bottle of chilled wine and some popcorn from my apartment before heading out into the pouring rain...without my umbrella since it was in the car. I began the evening nicely soaked but not deterred in the slightest.

I drove carefully through NJ's flooded streets with buckets of rain pouring down from the heavens. The rain was moving eastward, and so was I. After arriving at Kirk's apartment (and parking was easy. yay!), I would discover that he was over at Dave and Piko's place, so I walked the few blocks to their apartment. The umbrella did little to keep me from being completely soaked again. I didn't mind.

We never did end up watching a DVD, eating popcorn, or sipping on chilled wine. I hadn't told him about the popcorn or the wine until we left Dave & Piko's and it was too late. I think we were both a little disappointed that the evening turned out differently (not that it's bad spending time with friends!). Kirk was sorry, and I said we would do this another time.

I drove home, the rain still coming down hard though not quite as bad. As I drove home, hoping that I would be able to find a parking spot close to my apartment, I thought about all the driving in and out of the city to spend time with Kirk, even in this pouring rain. I thought about how I would willingly walk in the downpour to see him, without a complaint, and I thought to myself, "I must really like this guy, or I must be crazy."

Strange...the things that make you realize how much you like someone.

bro in a condo

My brother closed on his condo this morning! Congratulations!! =)

Two bedroom/two bath and a study. He has plans to turn the study into a music studio. Niiiiice.

no more hooking up

The final episode of Hooking Up aired last night. What an anticlimactic ending!

The show did however confirm to me that the dating world can be scary, confusing, and quite frustrating! And how strangely true that it is often the ones that aren't looking or about to give up that finally find someone. And the ones that are too eager-beaver and move too quickly will most likely lose in the end. But, when it comes down to it, how two people EVER hook up is quite a mystery.

A friend of mine in California used to always say that. He never could understand how it ever happens that two people "find" each other. I suppose he felt like it was a mystery he couldn't figure out.

Heh. I still remember on his 35th birthday, when someone asked him about his birthday wish, he said without hesitation "to have sex." Heehee. Mind you, it was a church group he was talking to. Ha! He was just being honest, not that he was planning on fornicating. Well, a couple of years later, he did find his princess bride (after waiting and praying for months for her to respond!). And at 40, he became a dad to an adorable son.

The wait can be frustrating, and the process can be difficult...but I guess it's never too late. A mystery indeed!

baptized

My sweetie is gonna be baptized on Sunday, August 21!! =D

Since Mosaic Manhattan is Southern Baptist (although some may be surprised to hear they are), Kirk is gonna be fully immersed...DUNKED in H2O!

Having grown up as a Presbyterian, I was baptized as an infant (although I have no recollection of this) and confirmed as a teenager. As an adult I felt kinda gipped about the baptism thing. Full immersion just seems so much more...dramatic. That, and also, my thoughts on baptism have moved away from the Presbyterian way of thinking.

Although I guess in the end, it's not really about the drama or which particular baptismal practice is followed. And, no, I don't believe baptism is a required part of salvation. It's an outward and public expression of your faith in Christ, and that's the important thing.

Yet the full immersion still seems much more fun and celebratory. Baptism is definitely a reason to celebrate!

(FYI, the Evangelical Covenant, the denomination Metro and NewSong are a part of practice both infant and believer baptisms, leaving the decision up to the people involved.)

downstairs at will's

The song Situation by Yaz has been playing in my head...

Move out, don't mess around
Move out, you bring me down
Move out, how you get about
Dont make a sound just move out

Does anyone have the album Upstairs at Eric's? I must have had the tape years ago...

My "move out" "situation" will bring me "downstairs at Will's"...Har.

Which reminds me, I need to start packing! Eek!

a sunday at central park

On Kirk's Match.com profile, he wrote about families of turtles at Central Park. Well, we decided to look for them on Sunday so he could prove they do in fact exist. =)

I hadn't eaten lunch yet so I brought my lunch with me on the boat. You don't want to mess with a hungry Joo!

Sure enough, you CAN find turtles in Central Park. Here's a sunbathing turtle and a duck that wanted to get into the picture. We found a total of two sunbathing turtles and two swimming ones. Too cute!

Okay, so Kirk doesn't look too happy about being the only one rowing.

Maybe that's why he left me stranded on this rock in the middle of the lake.

He promised to come back for me! Kirk, don't leave me on this poop-covered rock!

Yay! I'm back on the boat! Buildings in the background.

The bridge and a gondola in the background. The gondola guy is quite a talker. If he's not talking, he's attempting to sing.

"Faster! Faster!" I would tell Kirk every so often. Heehee. Here he is rowing hard in the afternoon sun. And apparently Kirk has come often enough that one of the boat dock employees recognized him as a regular. Hmmm...

After the boat ride and ice cream sandwiches, we made our way to the bandshell. My swing dancing is way rusty!

Kirk introduced me to the fascinating world of dance skating. The Central Park Dance Skaters Association sets up dance skating events every weekend. The DJ's are situated in the middle as skaters dance around them.

Non-skating dancers could dance next to the DJ set-up so that's what Kirk and I did until our throats were parched and we were sweating through our clothes. =) It was fun day!

plus 2 free videos!

Yesterday, a piece of mail advertisement addressed to someone who does not live or work here arrived in an envelope with a couple pictured on the front and back. The man, badly tanned, is holding what looks like a vitamin bottle. The woman, dressed in white lingerie, is trying to look sexy. The outside of the envelope reads:
Male Adult Film Star's Doctors Asks:
WHO ELSE WANTS TO GROW BIG AND LONG LIKE HIM
(where it counts the most!)
Apparently with a free no-risk trial supply, they'll send you two free videos! *rolls eyes*

After a month of not being at my Thursday classes at the gym, I came back to find the PowerFlex instructor had changed. The new guy is definitely a better instructor. He pays a lot more attention to form and proper technique in lifting weights thereby ensuring better results. But...I don't know...maybe it's the moustache. I can't help but imagine him wearing a polyester suit, wearing gold chains, and directing sleazy porn.

hooking up

Kirk has gotten me hooked on Hooking Up, a reality show which follows 11 women through a year of online dating.

Here are some thoughts after watching two episodes (#3 & #4): Why are men such pigs?? It obviously doesn't matter WHAT age they are! Women who date with the goal to have babies (meaning they must get married) SCARE ME.

I was sad to see things didn't work out with Reisha and Acie. They hit it off really well in the beginning. Reisha seems really Christian (even more than me!) cuz she prays before her meals (you see, I don't always do that) and has chosen to practice abstinence until marriage. In fact, after three dates, she hadn't even kissed Acie yet and wouldn't until they were in a committed relationship...which Acie wants! But she wants to continue dating other guys. Poor Acie who has been flying in from Atlanta to see her...he gets no kiss and no commitment. Things went quickly downhill from there.

Kirk reminded me that I had faced the dilemma about being exclusive with him or continuing my "plan" to date around. The main difference was that I ultimately chose to stick with Kirk and take my profile off of Match. I'm glad I did.

Oh, another HU sidenote. Kirk had a bet with someone at work (a student!) about whether a particular couple would stay together or end it. They ended things, and he won the bet. Only now in a preview of next week's episode, they decide to give it another shot! Har. You just never know.

it's pink!

Okay, so after taking a look at my new residence last Saturday (it will be my new residence as long as nothing happens...), my mind has been racing with ideas and possibilities on how to make it home. What could I put where, what would need to be moved, what additional things might I need, how to compensate for lack of natural light, etc.

The first thing needed is a good cleaning and reshuffling. Peter, the former tenant, has promised to clean all his stuff out and do what he can to spruce the place up. That's a good start.

I think I can work with the space and layout of things, but the one thing I am having problems figuring out is the bathroom. Right now, my bathroom is a pleasant white/blue/gray/silver. The bathroom I will be using is tiled in a very bright flamingo pink. And the shower door has a frosted image of a mermaid on it. I seem to recall a little bit of blue in the bathroom as well...I think. The pink dominates for sure.

I decided to google "pink bathroom" and lo, and behold, other people are wrestling with the same issue.

Any ideas?? Aesthetics is important!! I have my work cut out for me!

tennis illustrations...

On Sunday at the dedication of the memorial for Andy Kim, I arrived to a crowd of many people I didn't know. A man wearing a suit standing maybe 30 feet in front of me waves and begins approaching. It wasn't until he stood next to me and said, "Joo!" that the recognization hit me. For one, he never wore suits in college. Secondly, he's now old and married with a kid (ha. okay, not old). And third, he gained some weight. =P

He was wearing a suit because he was asked to share a few words. And when he did, he talked in a more mature and polished way than he may have in college...yet his familiar corniness crept out...but in a weird polished way...

He talked about how tennis was so fitting for Andy because it's a sport where there are "loves" and "serves". Now in college, he would have said something like that in an obviously corny way. This time around, it was uncertain how people were to take it...because he was being more serious.

In any case, the reporter really took to it in the article that was written in local news. The tennis theme dominates, and Richard is quoted for his tennis terminology. Har.

another quiz thingie

Okay, is this getting out of hand now? Dan-E took this one first. =)

Cultural Creative 100% Postmodernist 56% Romanticist 50% Existentialist 50% Fundamentalist 44% Idealist 38% Modernist 6% Materialist 0% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com

Wow, okay, so I decided to google "Cultural Creative" and found some interesting information. I wonder if this newest group will bring about cultural change in our world. Hmmm...

i was only dreamin'

Three nights ago, I had a dream that everyone in the world worked in hair salons. We would all go to our separate salons (by countries) and work all day. They weren't even hip salons. It felt like they were from the early 80's. And then we would close up and go home, and out in the halls of this huge mall you might make eye contact with someone from a different salon. But you weren't allowed to talk to them; you could only give them knowing looks.

And at this one really hip salon, Johnny Depp was on-stage with his rock bank. I remember there was a list of songs written on a board, and I remember thinking his songs were quirky and interesting. Later I met him backstage. He was cordial, and he grinned in that charming sort of way. He was talking with a woman I thought might have been his wife. (Kirk, I told you the dream was harmless! =P)

Two nights ago I had a dream that I recall included all these people I knew in grade school. But I can't remember the dream anymore.

Last night I had a dream that I called a friend to see how he's doing. In my dream I was thinking his wife wouldn't like me calling him...I could see her in my dream, in fact, about to pick up the phone. And then I was waking up wondering when my friend got married. And then I woke up puzzled and a few seconds later, realized I had been dreaming.

being a whole person

These days I've been thinking about what it means to be a whole person...being a person who is emotionally stable, has an understanding of their abilities and limitations, who knows when to say "no", who relates in a healthy way with people of different gender, race, and background, and who knows when and how to act, respond, and speak, etc. in various situations.

I've been thinking how a truly whole person can be that kind of a person on their own and doesn't need others to fill what they are lacking in some co-dependent way...not that they are perfect. At the same time, this whole person would be able to appreciate community and realize they can learn and grow from being in community and will recognize what gifts other people bring.

But how many truly "whole" people do you know? Aren't we all basically broken people? Regardless, shouldn't we work towards being whole?

And, yes, I've been thinking about this not only on a personal level, but how it affects the church too.

podcasting

Kirk and I can be somewhat of a nerdy couple sometimes...

On Saturday, before we met up with Piko and Dave, Kirk was browsing through the Podcasts available through iTunes. We ended up listening to a good portion of a sermon from Pastor Tim of Liquid Church. The sermon was from a series based on the Song of Songs. The particular sermon was titled "Taking the Initiative" and was about how it's important for men to take the initiative throughout the life of a relationship (and not just the beginning). Pastor Tim explains why it's important using text from Song of Songs, chapter 2.

It's a part of their sermon series on Sex and the Bible. This particular podcast can be found in the religion section and in the uhm...health section of Podcasts. (har)

Podcasting is the way to go! And if followers of Jesus can find innovative materials (we listened to this one dreadfully boring very Christiany podcast with a "hip" title which sounded like it had promise but didn't) to put into a podcast and categorize under other sections BESIDES religion/Christian, then imagine the potential audience it can reach...

Btw, thanks to Tim for reminding me about theOOZE.com. I put a link to it in my blog template...a must for all of you Postmodern/Emerging folk out there (whether you know you are or not). =)

post-fast

On Saturday morning before I broke my five-day fast, I spent some time reading/reflecting/praying. It seemed like such an unspiritual fast to me this time around, and I wanted to at least finish the fast in a more "spiritual" way.

I asked God why life circumstances seemed so frustrating this time around, frustrating to the point where it was difficult to be spiritually focused. And I wondered what God might be trying to say/do through it all. And what should my response be?

In response, I decided to write a 30-day notice to my landlord before I broke my fast. This will be my last month at my adorable little apartment in Cliffside Park.

I know without a doubt that God provides for all my needs. The question I had to ask myself was how am I managing what he has given to me? Can I do with less so that others can have more? Since my apartment is no longer used for ministry purposes and since it does require a substantial portion of my salary (even if the cost is considered reasonable by local standards), it was time to give it up. I didn't want to compare myself to tri-state living standards anymore. The truth it, by world's standards, I'm very wealthy.

I will miss my apartment, for sure. But the money I save can be used to pay off debt, create a savings account for emergency situations, and to give more away.

After all this is settled, I think I'll be better prepared for what God may have in store for me next.