Day 31

Studying with Carolyne :)

Day 30

Christina's 1966 Volkswagon.

Yes, I did drive it. No, I don't know how to drive a manual
(very well that is).

Day 29

For today's picture I went hunting in Krista's room and found Ralph.

I also just wanted to post this one.

Day 28

I absolutely love Jacksonville's weather in January! (although I do wish we could get snow)

Day 27

Back in the air at last!!! No, I was NOT flying as I took this picture - I was in the back seat.

Day 26

I made grilled cheese sandwiches with my iron :)

Day 25

Blossoms after a night of storms

Day 24

Studying outside in the BEAUTIFUL weather :)

Day 23

On campus at UWF for FRAS

We made candy sushi :)

Day 22

Crossing a bridge on the way to Pensacola for FRAS

Day 21

Welcome to the Sunshine State!
Where we have severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches in January.

Day 20

Kolo - an Ethiopian snack of roasted barley - my supply is quickly diminishing :(

Heading back to Ethiopia in July and I CAN'T WAIT!!! :)

Day 19

Yes, I practiced my violin today :)

Day 18

Found this in my resident, Brianna's room

Day 17

My family  made homemade donuts for breakfast this morning :)

Day 16

Decorations from the wedding I videotaped in Atlanta

Day 15

Sunset in Jax

Day 14

Basketball hoop in the valley...Actually took this one trying to capture the clouds, but I like how it turned out (even though it doesn't really capture the clouds)

As a pilot, I believe I am obsessed with the sky - especially sunsets and sunrises. There's just something so beautiful about it to me, whether its a cloudy, sunny, or stormy. It's simply captivating to me, and sometimes I just can't tear my eyes away. It sort of goes with a quote by Leonardo da Vinci that I love: "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." However, I'm not sure what caused him to say that, seeing that, as far as I am aware, he never actually flew. Even so, he hit the nail on the head and couldn't have been more right. So, this rant, is really just to warn you that you will most likely see many more pictures of the sky before the year is up.

On that note, I'm not sure I can post just one picture a day because, 1 - I end up taking alot more than that to actually get one that I like and 2 - through taking more than 1, I usually end up liking more than one. SO - bear with me when I post multiple pictures. :)

And finally, I want to mention something I am doing with my church here in Jacksonville, Missionway Church. It is called New Thru 30, and we are reading the New Testament in 30 days. At first, I wasn't going to do it because I was doing other Bible studies with myself, but I decided to anyway. Also, when I set goals like that for myself, I tend to focus on the goal, and not what I read, and that is what I fully expected to encounter this time around. However, since I began just 3 days ago, God has touched my heart and opened my eyes to so many new things in Bible, and I really look forward to my reading. Furthermore, as I right this, I realize that this is God's answer to my prayers. I've been doing my quiet time/Bible reading lately, but I just haven't enjoyed it; it hasn't been the highlight of my day; it's been an obligation, not a choice. Because of that, I'd been praying to God, asking Him to make it something I look forward to, to open my eyes to His truths, and to let me enjoy my time in His word, and He has done just that. Sometimes, we just don't realize it immediately when God answers our prayers.

Day 13

Aaron and Christina Kinman...two members of one of my favorite families in Jacksonville!

Day 12

One of my beautiful residents...I just love that she is genuinely happy in this picture, not just posing for the camera.

Days 10 and 11

Day 11: The sun coming through the trees...sorta forms a cross

Day 10 - Found this in the Williams Office :)

A few more pics from today...

Days 8 and 9

Day 9 - Sunset in Jacksonville

Day 8 - coffee with Jenna.

We have the same phone and this must be the first we have EVER agreed on anything :)

I love you Jenna!!!!!

Day 7

Today's picture is a little (or more, alot) random, but I liked it. Classes have started again, so its getting busier as well as more difficult to take pictures and less time to write, as you can probably tell. Regardless, I am going to try to write more than one sentence once in a while. This picture was taken walking back from Resolution to the dorms, and this is the backside of one of the guys' dorms. I was looking for something to take a picture of as it was getting late and I still didn't have one, when one of my residents pointed out this shot. So, not really alot of significance, but I really like how the shadow casts the light on the rail, almost making it look like a staircase leading up the wall.

Days 5-6 (Day 4 to come later...)

Day 5: A much needed and long overdue Bible study...

Day 6: Frozen bushes at JU...and they say it doesn't get cold in Florida...

Day 3

Driving back to Jacksonville!!!

Day 2

Bath time for the puppies!!!

Day 1...2 pictures

A blue moon on New Year's Eve; the next one won't be until 2028. Looking forward to new days and new opportunities for the new year: 2010. I've decided not to make a New Year's resolution this year, but hope just to make it a good year, following God and simply loving the people around me.


Every summer, my family and I volunteer at the Royal Family Kids' Camp (RFKC). RFKC is a weeklong Christian camp for abused and neglected children, and for one week, we spoil the kids as much as possible. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny come to visit, we have pool time, activities, and shaving cream fights, and the highlight of the week is the birthday party. While there, the kids get toys, clothes, and a birthday bag full of presents. After Toys for Tots donated 1500 toys to my church, we came home and sorted through 10 trash bags full of toys for RFKC plus 15 bicycles! It's amazing to see how God has made this happen for us and so many others, especially when it seemed impossible.