I'm heading out into the desert tomorrow for my second internship shift. I am excited and a lot less nervous going into this shift. I feel like I learned so much during my first shift and my comfort level will be so much higher. I think my challenge this week will be to add more responsibility and have more on my plate. I still do have some butterflies and worry about some things dealing with my job and outside of my job. I still have to work on letting my mind get the best of me. But, I can already see changes in my thinking since I have gotten here and how I handle things differently. I expect only good things to continue personally and profesionally. 

This past off-week was pretty busy for me. On wed. I found a place to live and started moving in, and then on thurs. rachel came to visit me and we spent most of her time in town moving me into the house and getting things set up. It is amazing to me how much goes into moving into a new place, even just moving myself in, there were so many things i had to get and set up. It was great that Rachel was here to help because she is a great organizer!!! Saturday night we went to Las Vegas and had a blast seeing the city and doing some gambling!! Sunday we watched the game in a casino and even put bets on the Titans!! Rach left before the game was over and I stayed in Vegas till the game was over...I had to collect my winnings!!:) I had a great time with Rachel here, it felt like a piece of home was here with me, and I felt a little more comfortable with things. I hope she will be able to come back sometime soon. 

Looking forward to next off-shift, I will be driving to Colorado to see Jeremiah! It turns out he will be in Fort Collins doing some scouting and he will be able to spend some time with me! I can't wait to see him, it has been a few months and there is nothing like seeing a family member to cure a little homesickness!! I am also looking forward to the drive to Co...I expect it to be beautiful. 

I have found it interesting just looking back at this off-week, I felt like all the outside distractions got in the way of my time with the Lord, it's funny how when I am in the field I spend so much time just talking to God and marveling at his majestic wilderness, and when i am back in the 'real world' I focus on less important things. I know in my heart that that is one of the reasons God has me here at this job in this location. So, I can spend 8 uninteruptted days praising him and reminding myself how important He is and how He is the only way to succeed in life. He has put me in an amazing position to learn to love Him more and more. Sometimes I am prone to getting wrapped up in my own mind, worrying about missing home, titans games, big family events, everyday things, and then I remember that God has me here for a reason. And is this going to be my life forever...no. Will there be hard times...yes. But, there is a reason I am here, and I need to embrace God's plan, because it is his, and not mine. What a blessing I have been given. Daily reminders of how Loved I am by God!

I hope whoever reads this enjoys the little, and i emphasize little insight I have gotten from my time away from home and out in the desert. I am ready to get back out in the desert and learn more and more and have more Godly realizations! I'm glad that this blog gets read and helps us all stay connected...that is VERY important to me, staying connected to my family and friends back in the south. I hope everyone has a great week, if you ever want to feel close to me or look at what I am looking at, take a minute at night and look for the big dipper...every night before i go to bed I find the big dipper because it is the only constilation I can always find!!! So, enjoy that little relation between our world!!!