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Things have been crazy busy this past week, but so good!
Tuesday night we drove to Dallas after my 7 pm class- we got in very late, then on Wednesday morning we packed up to head to Arkansas. This was my first time to Arkansas and my first time to meet a lot of this side of Steve's family. We had the best time.
Arkansas is beautiful this time of year. The trees are amazing colors and when you drive down the highway it looks like a patch work quilt- amazing. It was great to meet Steve's dad side of the family. They welcomed me to the family and made me feel right at home- that was a good feeling.
I had my first (and last) buttermilk experience. Steve's granddad love to have buttermilk with crushed saltines after he eats. So the fist night we were there I thought I would join him in this endeavor- not a good idea. I took one pretty big bite and couldn't even get it down my throat. Never again, but at least I tried!
Friday we went all over the Little Rock area and the Sargent's showed me the places they use to live and such- it was good to be with Steve for that.
We drove back to Dallas on Saturday night and we all stayed with Steve's family. We made breakfast together that night and it was good to all be together. Kelly also has taught me to crochet. I am in the middle of making my first scarf. I kinda like this new hobby.
I have also started reading a new book: A Million Little Pieces. It is a very hard book to read, but I am so glad I am reading it. It is about a recovering drug and alcohol addict. I think it is a great book for people to read- it is real, but know that is a pretty hard book to read.
Today at 1 pm I am leaving for the Christian Camping Conference I go to every year with camps. This year it is in San Antonio. I am very excited about this trip, I always love this conference.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving... Now bring on Christmas!!!!
I know, I know, it is not even Thanksgiving yet, but I went ahead and decorated for Christmas this weekend. Saturday Steve and I spent the day shopping for Christmas presents and then that night we set up our tree and decorated the apartment. Our wonderful tree makes our apartment look all the more cozy. So I jumped the gun a little bit and got in the Christmas spirit a little too soon:)!
Saturday Steve and I also went to a big Thanksgiving potluck with a bunch of grad school people from ACU. It was amazing- I have never seen so much Thanksgiving food!!! I made green bean bundles- they were a huge hit! So many people had never seen them so they thought I had cooked some gourmet dish- little did they know how easy it was to create- that will be my little secret:)! We had a blast at the gathering- and my tummy was pretty satisfied when we left:)!!
Sunday we also got to see our good friends from Eugene, Oregon: Matt and Sarah Lynn Grubb. What a treat!
Tuesday we are leaving for Dallas and then on Wednesday we are making our way to Arkansas for Thanksgiving with the Sargent's. I am excited- I have never been to Arkansas and I have not met some of these family members. It will be a Thanksgiving full of firsts!
So in case I do not blog again until next week- enjoy your Thanksgiving and time with family!!
Just wanted to briefly touch on a couple of the highlights of my week:
-Sunday I went out on our street around Highland and passed out white chocolate popcorn to our neighbors. It was good to be among friends.
-Christin came in town Sunday and we had dinner together.
-I counseled down at the Pregnancy Resource Center on Monday. Every time I leave that place I praise God for the time I get to spend down there with those girls. I am learning so much right now- how to be a better counselor and what it looks like to be a child of God.
-Then on Tuesday I was in Wal-Mart, talking on the phone with my mom and shopping when I heard a "Yeah you, this little boy says you're his mom!". I turned around to find one of the women I had counseled Monday standing behind me with a big grin. It was so good to see her and chat with her awhile. This was a first for me because most of the women I see out in public that I have counseled ignore me, which it expected, but this was a pleasant surprise. The little boy was actually hers- she said she was just trying to give him away for the day:). I am so blessed!
-My Tuesday night class was phenomenal- I love being in the mental health world.
-Steve and I have free passes to Hendrick's Health Club for the next month- we love getting to work out there.
-I got a package in the mail today from my Grandad- great surprise.
-Started my 8th Francine Rivers book yesterday- man I love to read!
More later, enjoy the rest of your week!
This blog is dedicated to my amazing husband, today I am going to brag on him a bit.
Friday night was turning out to be like most of the Friday nights around the Sargent household. I thought we would make a homemade pizza together and watch a movie. We were out running some errands and when we got back Steve took me in the back door of our apartment instead of the front. He showed me to a room next to our apartment and had me change into one of my "fancy" dresses- one he had already pre-picked. When he came back he was in a nice suit and tie- looking mighty fine I might say. Next he lead me into our apartment and there he had a good friend of ours- Jordan Swim- making a gourmet dinner for two.
So Friday night I was spoiled. We had our own personal chef for the night and a candle light dinner.
He did good! It was an evening to remember.
Thanks Steve- I love you!!!
Last night was church. And I mean that in every since- it truly was church.
Every Wednesday night after my 4 o'clock class I rush back to the apartment to grab my sweet husband and we head up to Highland to partake in the weekly Oasis meal. Last night we had Mexican food- a favorite of mine! While we were in line I had some of my Colonial girls run up to me for a hug and a quick update on their junior high lives. I love junior highers.
Then it was off to get a drink there I met up with Desiree- another one of my sweet Colonial girls. She had a heaping plate of taco salad so I helped carry her drink to her table and was convinced to sit with all her friends and sisters. What a joy it was to sit around with these girls and laugh and eat. Soon Steve's sister- Kelly- joined us and we had a table full of all sorts of people. Another one of our Colonial kids came up and made camp on Steve's lap- too cute to watch him feed this precious child. Desi, the little girl he was holding, was having a ball in her taco salad- I think she was wearing more of it then she ate when it was all said and done!
Before we left I got a huge hug from one of my dear old roommates- Libby and had the pleasure of talking with an old camper- who is now in college! Makes me feel old! We drove Zach and Aubrey- two more Colonial kids- to the apartments and we all had church together in one of the small apartment rooms. We are in the middle of practicing for our Christmas pageant. The pageant is in about 3 1/2 weeks and lets just say we have a ways to go, but you know, in the end it always looks like a scene from heaven. This will be my 3rd year to help with the pageant and every year I walk away amazed at how God continues to speak through the youngest of his people- this is going to be a great pageant.
As we were leaving Colonial we were saying goodbye to all our precious kids and I was overcome with a sense of gratitude and awe in God. I praise him fo this opportunity and I am continually amazed at how these kids bless and teach me about Christ's love.
And that is what Church is suppose to be like.
It is terrible hot outside right now. While I was walking to work I thought I was going to start sweating! It really does feel like late May early June here in Abilene today- I am very ready for it to get cold.
We had a great weekend. Went to Roscoe for our annual small town football game with Steve's grandparents. It was so fun. We ate at Buck's in Sweetwater- a great small town barbecue restaurant. The game was exciting- Roscoe killed the other team. Then we went to a friend's house for coffee and homemade cookies. Steve's grandad played football at Roscoe when he was in high school so he still has friends from high school that live there- it is fun to watch his grandparents with old high school friends! Steve's brother spent the night at our apartment- good to spend time with him.
Saturday was full of garage selling, naps, college football, and homemade chicken enchiladas. It was a good, relaxing day. We did not find anything too exciting at the garage sells, but I did buy some homemade cookies from a sweet old lady at one of the sells. I couldn't help myself- she was too cute!
Now it is back to work, school, and dorm life. I am so blessed.
As many of you know I am in graduate school at Hardin Simmons University. I am getting a masters in Counseling and Human Development. So far I have loved the program. It is challenging me and I am learning so much I often feel as if my head is going to explode- but don't worry, no explosions yet.
Wednesday was a tough day in class. Since I started this program back in August I have been wrestling with new ideas and starting to really look at and evaluate my values and morals. We had one of the administrators from MHMR (Mental Health, Metal Retardation) come and talk with us in our Legal and Ethical Issues class. I was overwhelmed by the time I left class- and that is putting it lightly! He explained what is like to work in a government funded program. He talked about the heart ache, the ethical decisions you have to make, and the people you work with in this field. He also brought up the issue of morals.
He used the initials E.L.M to explain the dilemmas many counselors/social works struggle with. E stands for ethics. Like most health professions, counseling has its own code of ethics, and when I become licensed I am required to abide by these code- doesn't mean I have to agree with it all, it's just what I follow. Then there is the L and this stands for the legal aspect of my job. I can basically get sued for anything so I need to know all the legal implications my counseling has. I need to be familiar with the laws and always be mindful of this when I am with a client. Last but certainly not least there is the M- the morals. Now this is different from the other two because everyone's morals are different. What do I stand for, what are the real and important issues to fight for, will I bend this rule to help this client, do I go non-profit or take a $110 an hour private practice job, and so on? All of these are questions swirling in my head.
Now all of this did not come on at once, this has been a gradual process since August, but Wednesday was the icing on the cake. I am having to really look at my values and morals and dig deep and decide what I truly believe. I want to help people, help them make a better life for themselves and help sort through their problems but you know what- the "system" is just not fair at times and sometimes there is only so much I can do.
So now I am at a cross roads- who am I going to be in this profession and what values and morals am I going to stand for? These are hard questions. Questions I think and hope I am going to be evaluating and shaping the rest of my life. I don't ever want to stay in the same place and stop growing. I know Who I stand for and I know Who I belong to, so I am once again relinquishing thoughts and worries over to the Lord- what else can I do.
"... And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
"... And I said, Here I am, send me." Isaiah 6:8
It has been a busy and fun weekend here in my small piece of the world. Steve and I went to Dallas Thursday night to get ready for the Dallas Christian Retreat on Friday morning. We were able to stay at his parents house- what a nice treat! Friday morning we got up at 5:15 AM so we could go hunt down a Krispy Kream and bring donuts to all the college kids helping with the retreat. We found one- across Dallas. Needless to say we were driving a lot and in early morning Dallas traffic- those donuts are not that good!
The retreat went well. Steve was the speaker and like usual he made me very proud. I love listening to him speak in public. Friday night we had dinner with his parents and went to the Dallas Christian High School football game, they were playing Midland Christian. Since I am from Midland and I knew some of the players it was a fun game to watch- Midland won.
Saturday we got up early and hit some garage sells. Garage Selling is so much better in the Dallas area- there are more places to go and more people out having sells. We went to a huge estate sell- I found some fun treasures.
Then on Saturday afternoon we drove over to Grandbury to look at the land Steve's parents have bought to build on and retire in the next couple of years. Their land is breath taking- full of big trees turning fall colors. They are so excited about their future house. Later that afternoon we walked around the town square- which is so cute- and ate dinner at a yummy Mexican restaurant. By this time Steve and I were getting ready to head back to Abilene but his parents insisted we stay the night. They were staying a local Bed and Breakfast so they put us up in a hotel for the night- what treat!
The next morning we got up and went to the Grandbury Church of Christ with his parents. The church family there was so warm and welcoming, I think Steve's parents felt welcomed. Later we ate a fast lunch and headed out to the land for one last look then headed back to Abilene.
It was a good weekend. Now it is back to work, school, and dorm life. We so enjoy our short excursions away from Abilene. This coming weekend we are going to the small town football game of Roscoe. Every year since Steve and I started dating we have gone to a Roscoe game with his Grandparents. I love small football. Then on Saturday Catherine is going to come in and spend the rest of the weekend with Steve and I- great things to look forward to.
I did take fun picture this weekend- I will try to post them later.
