Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Autumn!

Well, another Louisiana summer has come and gone...not that you could tell by the weather. It's still plenty hot here, and I can't wait for the cool snap to come through and bring football with it! Things got pretty busy this summer, so let me give you a quick recap...

I finished two more graduate classes including one graphic novels class in which I read 60 graphic novels in 7 weeks. Yes, 60. And I LOVED it. I have a new-found appreciation for comics. Oh boy, add another nerd sticker to my collection. I can't believe it's flying by this fast. This time last year I was finishing my first semester, and now in a few weeks, I'll begin my final semester of school EVER! Yay for a master's degree! Let the job search begin...prayers very very very much appreciated. :) The plan is to look for a teen services position in a public library somewhere between Virginia and Georgia preferably in the Carolinas. We shall see. I'm trying to think positively despite the fact that this isn't the best time in the world to be looking for a job with the economy as bad as it is. I keep telling myself that there's a public library in nearly every city in America...surely one of them will hire me, right?

And speaking of libraries, ALA in Chicago was incredible! Shame on me for not blogging about it while I was there, but I was a little pre-occupied. ;) I learned so much from the conference, met some amazing librarians, got some free books, met some of my favorite authors (Laurie Halse Anderson, Neil Gaiman, Jennifer & Matt Holm), and generally confirmed that I am absolutely going into the right field. I am beyond excited about beginning my journey as a librarian very soon!

I had also never been to Chicago before, and I fell in love with it. The way it's surrounded by water gives this huge city a quaint, quiet feel. I can't really explain it, but you don't feel like you're in a big city at all, and the way the river winds right through downtown, I felt like I was in Italy or something (not that I've ever been there haha). I crammed in TONS of sightseeing (Sears Tower, Chicago River architecture tour, Navy Pier, Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, University of Chicago, Art Institute, Lake Michigan...and much, much more!), and I took way too many pictures to post here, but I'll include my favorite one. I had dinner one night on the river at this cute little cafe (It felt quite Parisian...never been there either) and snapped this right after dinner on the bridge:


Student ministry events went well this summer too. My girls are growing up so fast, and it's hard to believe they're starting 8th grade this next week. Wow. I saw many of them grow in their relationships with Christ this summer, and one even started her journey with the Lord. Yay, Anne Marie!!! She accepted Christ at Beach Week in Panama City, FL, which was just spectacular. Something about spending a week on the ocean just lets you hear the voice of God a little clearer...maybe it's the crashing waves or the blazing sun. He showed up in a big way, and it was a blessing to see how lives were changed.


And so the summer ends, and a new semester will begin soon...just one of hopefully a few new beginnings in store for me in the next year. New beginnings bring uncertainty and questions, but I'm embracing the change and am thrilled about trusting God to drop me right where He wants me. Here's to new chapters written by the Author and Perfecter of our faith!