I love this poem

I heard someone read this poem recently and I thought I would post it on here. It's called "Footprints in the Sand" by Mary Stevenson. I've heard it before sometime when I was younger, but I've never really read it until now. It has reminded me that God is always with me and will lift me up when I need him most.


One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."

Through faith in Christ: trust

I hope everyone is doing well!! It really seems like time has flown by since I got back from Michigan. It feels like yesterday I was actually there!! These past few months has been good for me to rest and God definitely has been showing me more of himself. I'll admit some days feel so wasteful considering I'm still job hunting, but I'm slowly learning to accept that even though I'm not where I want to be, I'm still making a difference in this world by helping my family out day to day. Last night I read a chapter out of the book "Strong Women, Soft Hearts" by Paula Rinehart called Trust: The Art of Falling Backward and there were some points that were good for me to hear. I feel like I write and read about trust a lot, haha. But it's a good question to ask yourself daily. Do you trust God? And how I answer that question daily is based on how I live my life daily. God is so amazing and creative in the ways he just wants us to realize that all we need to do is trust him. God is in control and everything happens in his own perfect way. Anyways, here are some points in the chapter that really stuck with me.

A major turning point in my life came when I realized that being able to trust God is grounded in staking the whole of my being on the reality that he loves me.

Before the foundation of the world, in a way you can never earn, beyond the validation of any human being, you are loved.

Trust is rooted in being loved. God loves us and is so faithful. I often neglect/underestimate the depth and height of God's love and it affects my ability to trust him.


Eph 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Quotes

"The real need is not clarity, as we think, but to be able to trust. The path will always appear no clearer than one little step at a time." -Paula Rinehart, Strong Women, Soft Hearts

"The scandal of God's silence in the most heartbreaking hours of our journey is perceived in retrospect as veiled tender Presence and a passage into pure trust that is not at the mercy of the response it receives." -Brennan Manning

All I need

Don't need a thing
My good Shepherd brings me all
You are all I need

You let me catch my breath
Even in the valley of death
You are all I need

All I need to be complete
Is Your love
Your blood that covers me

You lift up my head
You provide the wine and bread
You, You are all I need

There's no need to fear
Even with my enemies here
You are all I need

Goodness and mercy are following me
Your all that I need
You make a home for me
Where pastures are green as far as I see
You are all I need

All I need to be complete
Is Your love
Your blood that covers me



I really love this song by JJ Heller. The song goes on a little, but the point is-Jesus is all we need. It caught my attention and I can't get it out of my head. All I need is Jesus. It's so easy to get side tracked and believe... All I need is [fill in blank] and I will be happy. Even though I KNOW all I need is Him. It's a hard time right now...I have no job and don't know where I'll be next.
God has really transformed me into a prayer warrior these days. Before, prayer just wasn't my strongest thing. My prayer life was like a flat tire (due to lack of faith; sin)... it still rolls (not very often), but needs air (more praying/Jesus). Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying. Eph 6:18 However, I just get really frustrated when I pray and pray about something that's on my heart and it's like God is not even listening. But I've learned that God does hear me and has a reason for his silence. There's a verse I read that spoke to me about this whole issue... and I was floored (literally on the floor). Matthew 27:46 Jesus says "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus was dying and cried out to God! Silence.
God hears us. He wants us to trust him, build our faith, and to keep praying. Because of Christ I'm free, I'm alive, washed by His blood. Jesus is all I need.

Two of my fav's aka my nephews!

Ethan at the Museum

Transition

Heb. 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
No matter where I'll be next, the job I get, the people I will meet, the degree I have and where I am at now... Jesus is the same.

Being done with school is great. Right now I'm transitioning in to life after college. These past few weeks I've been settling in at home in Charlotte...and giving away some of my things I no longer use that are piling up. Looking and applying for jobs is something I work on each day. But whats more important is my relationship with Christ, something that I haven't made much time for these past few weeks. Transitioning without Christ is like taking a boat ride with no sail and no wind; wondering aimlessly on a broad path with no direction. Christ is my direction; my pinpoint; my lighthouse; the same. Tomorrow I will be taking a Sabbath day; time to reflect and worship. Christ is someone we need daily. He is our savior and lord. He is all we have. He is enough. He is worth it all. Psalm 63 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.



I probably should go to sleep now. Goodnight.

Pictures

Here are the links to my pictures from Michigan and Niagara Falls, Canada!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2119845&id=44106350&l=df8c7acf38

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2116970&id=44106350&l=e3b88a2ba6

Back in NC

After two months in Michigan I'm back home in NC! It's really good to be back home to more familiar places and faces :) Being in Michigan was great and I had an amazing experience working for the health department. I learned a lot about myself and how to deal with certain situations and unexpected moments. The summer went by super fast and my last two weeks were crazy busy. I delivered letters to pools that still weren't meeting the requirements of a public swimming pool, ie. no license/fees. By the end of the internship I was ready for a vacation. My parents came up to help me bring my things back and we did a little sight seeing. We went to Michigan's upper peninsula and it was beautiful. Though it wasn't much cooler. Apparently the summer I'm in Michigan it decides to be one of the hottest summers. We visited Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising and Mackinac Island. Mackinac Island was really interesting because of Fort Mackinac and the fact that there were no cars just bicycles and horses. Michigan is a great place to visit. Since I've been home I've been unpacking and getting rid of old things that I don't need anymore. Also, I've been working on finishing up my internship assignments. I have some jobs to apply for and I may get a part time job until I find something more permanent. I hope everyone is doing well and I do miss that I won't be living up at Western this year, but I hope to visit! Will post pictures soon!

Two More Weeks!

The weekend before last my dear friend Brittany was in the area and I was able to see her!!! It was her Birthday and she had the day off from work. We went shopping and saw a movie. Later in the afternoon we walked around Northville, a small town outside of Detroit. The movie Scream 4 is being filmed in several towns outside of Detroit and this was one of them. Eventhough there was no filming going on at the time, we got to see the bookstore they have been using. Later that night we went to a country dance hall, haha. We didn't dance, but we had fun watching other people. Everything they did was pretty much choreographed. I really want to learn how to line dance.

Only two more weeks left of work! I told them I could stay longer, but since they have been training new permanent employees I don't think I will be staying. I'm glad to be going home soon. Actually, I'm glad I can get a break soon. I'm very worn out. Driving around the county everyday is draining, but I enjoy what I've been doing. I really have experienced what it is like to work in a health department. Most employees are out in the field all day; it's hard and rewarding. I've learned alot about pools for sure and swimming in a pool will never be the same for me. I don't know where I'm going from here, but I do know I can take what I've learned and apply it to anywhere I go next.

So in December I will graduate, even though I'll be done in August. Therefore, many visits to Western this fall for sure! :) Hope to see everyone soon!!!

Week 7, Niagra Falls and the HEAT!

**It's week seven in Michigan and only 3 more weeks to go. The Health Department has offered me to stay a little longer because there is lots of work to be done. I haven't decided yet what I'll be doing. I'll have to see if I'll be able to stay longer where I'm living. I think it would be nice to stay a little longer to get some extra money since I don't have a job yet for when I go back home. I'll also be looking into part-time jobs and volunteering until I find a permanent job.

**This past weekend my sister came! We went to Niagra Falls, Canada and it was beautiful! The last time I was at Niagra Falls was when I was 3 or 4 yrs old. I also saw it from the American side, but the Canadian side has a better view and places to shop and eat. So if you ever head to Niagra Falls make sure you have a passport to go to the Canadian side. There is a boat ride called Maid of the Mist we took right up to the falls. They provided ponchos for when the mist at the falls nearly soaked us.

**We stayed there Sat. and Sun. before heading back to Michigan for the 4th of July Fireworks. On Monday we went to the Detroit Zoo. It was really fun seeing all the different animals and learning that some of them were rescued animals. Some of the different animals were kangaroos, a polar bear (yes, out in the heat, but he was used to it from being in a circus in south america), zebra, giraffes, and Rhinos.

**This past week we have had a heat wave and I'm glad we got some rain this afternoon to cool it off. Being out in the heat doing pool inspections is not fun and draining especially since I have to wear pants. I'm glad it will be back in the 80s starting tomorrow!

**On Saturday I get to see Brittany, which will be fun. I'm planning some things to do since it will be her Birthday! Even though I'll get to see her one day, it's awesome and ironic she's going to be nearby working the same time I'm here!

**My job is going well. I've done many pool inspections and lots of shadowing by now. The pool inspections have gotten easier, but I still learn something new or learn to do something different everyday.

**Anyways, I'll let you know how this weekend goes soon! Let me know if you hear about any Environmental jobs I could apply for :)

Life on the road..literally

It's been a month since I've started my internship here in Michigan. Its been great. I'm getting use to driving around in an unfamiliar place and I don't have to always pull out the GPS now. Sometimes I'm glad not to use it because it can be distracting. I'm also getting use to being asked 'where are you from' everyday. I didn't think my southern accent was that strong but I guess it's really noticeable here. I've tried talking in a northern accent and I think it just makes me sound more southern. The weather here is really nice also, when its not raining every other day. It pretty much stays in the 80s, with some chilly mornings. It rained on me a little bit out in the field today, but I haven't had any issues with the weather restricting me from doing any pool inspections or beach sampling.

Last week and so far this week I've done a lot of shadowing in different programs at the health department. It's been really awesome to get a overall view of how other inspections are done and it will give me a better idea of what I would like to do in the future. I have an interest for the well program, so I would like to do more shadowing in that area. Today I saw a Geothermal well. The geothermal system basically heats and cools the water for the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning of a home or business! I thought it was really awesome and it's suppose to be more cost-efficient.

I finally found some post cards, so if I don't have your address send it to me and I will send you one! I can't believe June is almost over!

So far so great in Michigan!

This week went by really well. Most of the time I was out on my own in the field collecting beach water samples and doing pool inspections. I'm pretty comfortable doing these things on my own. So far I have had good responses from pool operators when I've told them I have to close their pool. They have all been so nice and understanding. I spend a lot of time in the sun, and I like it, but my farmers tan is already starting.

I'm so excited it's the weekend! Yesterday I bought some cookware and this morning I was able to actually cook in the kitchenette on my hall!!! I've also been trying some different restaurants in the area that we don't have in the south. I went to this restaurant with another intern called Olga's Kitchen. I think it's greek, but not sure. The food was awesome. Also, there's this store here kind of like a Wal-mart, but better. It's call Meijer, I've started going there for essentials. When I get home in the evenings, I love to relax or go to the coffee house down the road to use the internet. It reminds me of the coffee house I used to work at in Charlotte. On Tuesday, Evan was born (nephew #2). I can't wait to see him and more pictures.

In July my sister is coming to visit me. We are planing to go to Toronto, Canada for a day since it is only 5 hours away. I really want to go to the Detroit Zoo and a baseball game while she is here. I haven't sent out any post cards yet because I haven't seen any. This area is not really a tourist area so that's probably why, but I'll keep looking.

Overall, I'm doing well and meeting lots of people! Hope everyone is doing well!

Evan

This week Evan was born!! 8lbs 9 ounces and 25 inches long!!

Week two of Michigan

So far Michigan is treating me well. Last week I started work. I went through orientation and Swimming pool training. It was a week full of learning and was a bit overwhelming with the amount of information they threw at me. Training consisted of shadowing and in the classroom. By the end of the week I was doing pool inspections while supervised. Many of them I had to close due to low disinfectant in the pool, but the owners took it well. I'm ready to started inspecting on my own. I have a feeling I will get all kinds of reactions from pool owners when I start closing pools on my own.

This week I started doing Beach training which took place in a classroom. Basically I will be going out to 10 beaches over 2 days and collecting 3 water samples at each beach... and take the samples to the lab by noon... no pressure right. After training I mapped out the locations of my assigned beaches and began driving out to them to survey. Finding these places was a lot harder than I thought. Several times I had to stop and pull out a street atlas to find the locations (some didn't have addresses). It took me all day and I was exhausted. I'm going to be kept busy for sure, but overall I really like it. Tomorrow I will be doing more pool inspections with another employee before I start on my own next week.

I'm doing well. The county I work in is so big and soo many people live here...which means traffic everywhere. Also, I've learned that summertime in Michigan is when they like to do their road construction. I think they should start making left turns (you can't turn left at a lot of places here-- therefore having make a "Michigan left" aka go make a u-turn). Yesterday for dinner I stopped to get take-out on my way home. Well since I couldn't turn left and drive 0.2 miles to home.. and there was road construction plus traffic down the road so I had to drive around the block and cut through neighborhoods driving several miles just to get home. It's kinda funny.

I hope everyone is doing well!! I miss North Carolina for sure. I'll let you know how next week goes!!!

Destination: Rochester, MI

Duration: 11-12 hours.

My parents drove with me and we took two days to drive up here. The drive through Virginia and West Virginia was beautiful. A couple things I learned: don’t drive through Detroit during rush hour traffic and don’t listen to your GPS when driving through a construction area or decides to take you around the block for no reason. When we got to Detroit it happened to be late in the day and had a lot of traffic. At one point the GPS took us through a detour and led us to the Canada border. It gets confused sometimes here, but I’ve learned when to listen to it and when to not. As you can imagine, it was really frustrating/stressful at the moment, but when I look back now it is kinda funny.

I’m living in the dorm at Oakland University. My neighbor or suite-mate is from Staten Island New York and is here doing an internship too; she seems really nice. The people here are really friendly and most have strong northern accents. The area I’m living in is a really nice community right outside of Detroit. I'll be working for the Health Department in Pontiac, but really I'll be driving all around the county doing water quality inspections and other assignments. One thing I noticed around here is a lot of the roads are in really bad shape. I guess due to the snow in the winter time. The roads are really weird. At a lot of intersections you can't turn left so you have to turn right and make a u-turn. It's a little annoying.

I start work tomorrow. So far its been good. I'll post some pictures once I get a chance!

Michigan

Finally! It is official, well once I complete the paperwork. I've been recently offered a job this summer with Oakland County Health Division in Michigan. I survived the long process of applying for internships and my last semester at Western. Praise the Lord! Finding an internship was a lot harder than I thought. All semester I waited in anticipation to receive an offer of employment for an internship and wondered at many times if it would even come. Not knowing where I would be this summer and if I would even graduate in August allowed me to just trust the Lord, be patient and rest in knowing He has a plan and will provide for me. So out of all the places I applied, Michigan is the only one that came through.

So this is it. After this summer in Michigan, I will be done with school (at least for now). And after that, I have no idea what's going to happen. God will have me where he wants me to be and that may mean being at home for a while. I'm sad to be leaving Western after 5 years. It really has become home and will always be near and dear to my heart.

So anyways, I'm starting something new- this blog. I will be posting about my experience in Michigan, things I'm learning and so forth. Holla!!


-Katie