Realizations to prepare my heart

So last night I was hanging out with a group of my best friends, and I was enjoying how much fun they were to be around and how much I loved them, and I was thinking how much I am going to miss them when I am gone for two months.

I also came to realize that God has rather recently brought me to a place where I could more fully understand his incredible love through the love of and from other people. I guess in some subtle way I have always been hiding from that love, or, unable to accept it, because of the fear that it might not be realized. You know? Like I have never allowed my heart to get too attached to anyone because something might happen and their love might go away for some reason. Which I see now, is a silly reason not to love anyone.

Well now, as I prepare to leave for a far off land, my heart is ready to love these new people that I am about to meet.
I want to show them God's love in any way possible, and clearly the best way to show this love that I know is to love others in return.

I also want to thank Heather for sharing this incredible verse with me: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Phil 1:9-11)

I still have a lot I need to prepare for, and I leave next Wednesday (!) but I am more excited than anything.
If you are one of the wonderful people supporting this trip in your thoughts and prayers, pray that all goes well in my preperations, that I don't forget to pack anything, that I don't pack too much, and that I am provided with enough money!

Again, check out: TeachOverseas.Org

Thanks again!