A time of restoration...

Whew. It's been a little while since I've written. For you dedicated followers...I apologize. I have been incredibly busy, and also I forgot. Oops.

What's new in my life:

I researched, wrote, and submitted a report on the trend of the hook up culture in colleges. Fascinating. Probably the best paper I've written thus far in my Higher Ed (HE) adventures. It was exhausting, but I really loved writing it.

I went to the Missessinewa War of 1812 Reenactment. It was great. Particularly the food (can anyone say mouth watering beignets?). Also the time with my super awesome roommate Megan and her cool IWU friends.

I *almost* pulled my first all nighter. Four hours isn't too bad. It was great though.

I will be home in 51 days. So that's pretty exciting.

I learned how to bake bread! Really quick bread that only takes two hours to rise.

I think that's all that's new with me at this point. Although I have had lots of thoughts lately. Being away from home hasn't been this hard before. Granted, I've never lived this far from home and friends and family. I think one of the hardest aspects has been learning how I fit in socially. You know me. I LOVE PEOPLE. So much. I think I'm a pretty relational person (hence the MA in HE). But I have also had a pretty easy time integrating myself into community, at least in the past six years. Yet somehow I have had a much harder time integrating here in Indiana. Part of it might be that I don't know the Taylor community. Part of it might be that I don't know the midwest community. Or part of it might be that I had really high expectations for what community would look like. That said, it's been a challenge trying to plow forward without knowing where and how I fit.

All that said, I have been learning over again how important it is not to rely on my identity through relationship with others. It's so easy to fall into fear over how others perceive my identity, but there is no freedom through that. Freedom comes through loving Jesus and embracing the gifts he has blessed me with. I have been trying this week to remember the things I have been promised through the years. Peace. Love. Restoration. I heard an incredible woman speak last night. She spoke on restoration. She said that suffering comes before restoration. I would be the last person to say I am suffering right now. But I am struggling. I believe that restoration will come. The things I know about myself that I feel in this moment I have lost, will be restored. In the meantime, I will continue pressing on, pursuing joy and peace in everything I do. Loving others as unconditionally as my imperfect self possibly can.

Thanks for listening.

-n