entirely new

The biggest challenge so far in my new life has been the internet. I was told that my apartment provides free wireless, but the network they gave me a password for is horrible. Last night it disappeared entirely, and I have been unable to connect at all to that network since. It's amazing how much I depend on the internet, but here in a place where I know no one, I begin feeling insanely depressed without connection to the outside world. I know it will be okay, and soon school will be starting and I will make friends and have less need to use my laptop to keep away the loneliness. But for now, having wireless in my apartment would be really nice.. :)

God has blessed me here. I already feel like I pretty much know my way around, and I love the bug-free-ness. I am not homesick, and I love my apartment. I even feel as if the budget will not be that hard to keep control of. :)

I got my drivers' license today. Rather, I got a temporary license that will work until they mail me my real one. :) That was pretty easy - I didn't even have to show any other form of ID other than my SD license. Aaand, they let me keep my old license - just punched a hole in it to invalidate it. Woot!

Today I took a big step and biked to campus. Being from the middle of nowhere, I have never biked in a city before, much less in a hilly city. I felt ridiculously out of shape attempting to navigate the hills on my way to campus, and felt slightly winded, but I made it. Before I know it, I will be much more in shape and these hills will be nothing!

I'm planning a church hunting extravaganza for this weekend. I'm going to church on Saturday night and maybe even twice on Sunday morning. That way I will accelerate the church finding process. :) Criteria include: 1) ways for me to get involved in ministry. hopefully a worship team I can be a part of that includes more than just piano. :) 2) a radical Christianity that takes the commands of Christ and translates them into real life. Ways for me to reach out in tangible ways to this community with the Gospel. 3) a focus on God's word & a focus on worshiping Him.

It is intimidating to think about starting school again. I have been looking forward to it for so long, but I know that it means a challenge for me as I attempt to put God and service to Him above all else. I want to be a responsible historian who faces the facts, but I do not want to believe everything taught just because someone claims it to be truth. I want to be salt and light in the world of academia - there is such a lack of truth and light here. I am committing my life into God's hands, and like Paul & many other New Testament writers, I am giving myself as a bondservant to Christ. No turning back, no turning back. :)