Ready for Another week

Ready is such a strange word. When are we ever really ready for anything? But here I am sitting, hoping I am ready for another week in the woods. And I think I am. But who really knows. Just one way to find out.

These past six days have been fairly productive, very restful, somewhat exciting, but in general they were just days. And I am thankful for days. I have been trying to find part time work to fill my days while I'm back in Asheville and today I had some potential success! I had an interview at the YMCA, about five minutes from my apartment, for a position as a lifeguard. I had to take a drug test and once that and my references come back negative and positive (in that order) it looks like I'll officially be a lifeguard. I am very excited about this, and looking forward to having something to do with my time while I'm back and another community to be apart of. Speaking of community, I went to the young adults ministry that my church offers. It wasn't quite what I had expected but it was good to try.

Community is so complex and yet so simple. Making friends is a weird process and one that I never feel I'm very good at. Sometimes I feel as if I don't really need friends (don't judge just listen) and that is true... sometimes. Sometimes I just want to be alone for days at a time and I love it! But at the same time, I need people. I need interaction. Sometimes it is nice to have people to say 'no' to, sometimes it's nice to have people to do nothing with. I'm figuring it out, I'm sure people will be in my future.

So tomorrow I go back into the woods. This morning I tried to savor laying in bed a little bit longer knowing I wouldn't be able to do that for another 8 days. I made sure to eat a little extra icecream, who am I kidding, I always eat a little extra icecream. But you get the point. I'm reading a book that one of the girls (JoJo) from the internship I did at Timber-lee gave to me. It's called, "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. It is a book about thankfulness, which is something that I am trying to be  more conscious of. Ironically, my job helps with this a lot. When I am in the woods I find that I am thankful for the smallest things: a colorful salamander, the sun shinning through the leaves just right, a cardinal, a short rain shower, when the short rain shower is over, the list goes on. Then I found I am thankful for things when I'm not in the woods: a bed, food I can eat with a fork, short sleeve shirts, facewash not in the form of a wipe, fresh fruit and veggies! There are so many things that I am thankful for. In this book one of my favorite parts so far is, "As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible." Giving thanks is the beginning, the ignition of joy. And man oh man do I have things to be thankful for. So I'm going to try it, to have thankfulness at the forefront of my mind throughout this next week, and I encourage you to do that same.

So here I sit, pretty sure I'm ready, but who really knows. When I come out of the woods next week my parents will be down here! I am very much looking forward to having them see where I am living and getting to spend some time with them for a few days.

But until then, may you not forget how blessed you are, may your dreams be big and your prayers be even bigger, and may you enjoy your indoor plumbing...