New faces, new places

It has been a few weeks since I last took time to write my thoughts. Quite a bit has changed. My location is different from the two previous entries. I am writing from my new apartment in Durham, North Carolina. Being outside of OHIO for the first time, it's exciting to have had to learn a new part of the country (although not extremely far from what I know) The biggest difference between home and Durham is the amount of shopping areas. At church last week the pastor said that Durham, or north carolina in general, is the area of the country with the most credit card debt... i can believe that. You don't have to drive very far to find ANY kind of store that you need. There are more SUPER TARGETs near me than I can count on one hand. But things are great down here. My mom asked me last night if I felt like Duke was the right place for me. It is funny to think back to where I was a year ago, completely without a clue about where God would lead me. I can still remember a friend saying how HARD it was to get into Duke, and after that I almost wrote it off of my list, thinking there would be no way I could get in. Boy, am I glad to be here though. The fifty-one new friends that I have made are extremely incredible. It is hard to believe I have only known them for a little more than three weeks. There are so many different personalities, lifestyles, and interests, but we all mesh together really well.

Classes started last week and that was quite a challenge. The information is great though; for the first time in a long time I can see true significance in the material that I'm learning. Don't get me wrong, I am sure there is a place for knowledge on Organic Chemistry and Physics, but the material that we're learning is PRACTICAL for physical therapists, and that is really cool! My professors are amazing. They have such passion for their jobs and I truly feel like they have an investment in each of us. That is VERY cool!

Church hunting has been a lot of fun. North Carolina has a plethora of phenomenal churches. One I went to last week was HUGE and inside of a high school. The choir was close to a gospel choir and it blew me away! This past Sunday some new friends and I went to a church called Chapel Hill Bible Church. It was so refreshing, because it reminded me a lot of my church back home. I found a piece of paper inside my Bible while at that church-- it was a prayer I had written back in Oxford towards the end of last year, praying for the new church I'd find down here. It was cool to see that God cares about everything I ask Him in prayer.

I've noticed that with the crazy schedule I've been on down here, it's easier to go through a day without even saying "Hello" to God. It's bothersome and something I am going to have to be aware of daily. I just reread the entry I had written about Mexico. It's sad how quickly the passions God gives us can be swept away by the busyness of this life. I am trying to figure out how to bring God into my school work and my studies down here, and I know it's going to be more of a challenge than it was at Miami. I miss having Crusade-- the worship team, my amazing Bible study, discipleship times. It is great though, that now I have the chance to trust in the Lord with all my heart... without the "stuff" that can sometimes consume our faith standing in the way. All I know is that I need to hold onto the Lord, trusting in His faithfulness to guide me and keep me close to Him!

God is good, all the time! I pray that YOU know this today!