Ilbob Efta (The Open Door)

Ok, so I'll be the first to admit that I am the world's worst blogger. I know...I know...but things have been crazy since we got home two weeks ago (exactly) and I am just now stopping to get my bearings and slow down enough to finally post. And let me say that I have no idea where to begin, so this'll be completely random.

I guess the biggest news is that I got accepted to Arlington Baptist College in Texas, where I'll be majoring in Biblical Counseling. I remember talking to my sister (thru instant messenger) and deciding to do this back in January. There were two things that went through my head as I resolved to do this...a) That sometimes in life you have to take risks, and that if you're in the Will of God, nothing and no one, not even me, can mess that up, and b) I thought "If I don't do this now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life". So after what felt like eons of waiting and wondering if I made the right decision, I finally found out on May 22nd (when we first flew back in the country) that I got accepted! So now, a new journey begins...(And thanks to everyone who has been praying for that-sorry to keep you waiting for so long-and Rebecca and Robert...I cant even begin to tell you how thankful and grateful I am for everything that you guys have done...muchos muchos gracias!)

Also, I fell 3 pounds short of my weight loss goal. The original goal was to weigh 180 lbs by the time we left Iraq, BUT I finally made "tape", and dropped my bodyfat % a ton, so I'm good with it. It's funny, I remember writing in a journal a couple of years back that when people saw me, I wanted them to say "wow" not "woah", and that's finally happening. And even though I've only been back 2 weeks, me and my boy Flip have been going to the Rush in Hixson for about a week and a half, and it has been great. Despite all that we can't control in our lives, this is one thing that we, I, can, and even if you've had the worst day in the world, you can go workout hard, and it seems like everything is going to be alright. (And it is, that's a promise. Check out Romans 8:28)

I do have to say, going back to church was really wierd, because I recognized alot of people, but I couldnt remember some of their names, so I'd just wait for someone to holler at them, then I'd remember. And I was really suprised on my first service back in a year (it was a Wednesday) because not only did they move the College/Career group "Quarter Life Celebration" (QLC) to Wednesdays, but invited my Monday Night Bible Study Teacher, (and one of my very very good friends) Ann Blackburn to speak, and she is always such a blessing! (And she's a fireball too, so if you're in the Cleveland, Dayton, or Hixson/Chattanooga areas, get plugged in!)

On that note, this past weekend there was a Chrysalis Walk/Flight in Cleveland. For those of you who dont know, Chrysalis is the youth version of the Walk to Emmaus. Normally, when I go to help and serve, I'm in the kitchen, and let me tell you, we were throwin' down and cookin it up! I'm talkin about fajitas, mastacholli, Aretha Frankensteins' pancakes (they are awesome), fried potatoes and onions, ham/turkey subs, the best roast beef you've ever eaten in your life, homemade chicken noodle soup, and it goes on...and dont even get me started on the dessert...italian ice, brownies and ice cream, peach cobbler, chocolate torte, and homemade cheesecake. Working in the kitchen there is one of the toughest jobs, partly because you are feeding atleast 80 people (not to mention everyone that comes to help serve) but also cooking almost everything from scratch, washing all the dishes, setting tables...you can get to feelin like Brother Lawrence...but to have an outlet to serve, and just be the hands and feet of Jesus, man, there is nothing like it. While I'm at it, I want to say a huge THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone in the Emmaus Community for praying for me. You will Never Ever know just how much you mean to me until we get to glory, and I really mean that.

Now that I've rambled, let me talk about the title of this blog, then I'll shut up :-) Ilbob Efta is arabic for "the open door". God has used my going to Iraq to open the doors for me to do things that I thought would never be possible. Friends have become brothers and sisters, prayer warriors, gotten into shape, and finally gotten into college. When God's got a plan for you, and you are open to it, He will make it all happen. That doesnt mean that it wont take some work on your part, or that you'll see the whole plan at once, OR that the path wont be extremely difficult; but it does mean that He will guide you each step of the way, and that He will work it all out wether WE see it or not. So let me encourage you to walk in whatever God's calling you to do, and if you dont know, ask!