Update #8 from Princeton Theological Seminary: "What a blessing!"

Dear family and friends,

Well, the time has come for a new school year, and with it, some wonderful additions to my update list. Before I get going here, as I've said before please feel free to let me know if you'd no longer like to receive my updates and I'll take you off...no love lost. =)

Now, to go further up and further in: there is too much to talk about already! Let's start with the end of the summer. I finished up at First Pres, Visalia at the end of August only after preaching my very first sermon ever! My text was the wedding at Cana...and amazingly enough I felt like it went very well and received a lot of great feedback. What a blessing! Leaving the kids was very difficult as I had become rather attached to them over the summer. We finished the summer off with a girl's spa night and several great weeks of youth group. Again, what a blessing they are.

Along those lines, as I spent some time reflecting on my time at home I found that while I had been apprehensive about returning to Visalia for the summer, and really had no intentions to do that, God knew what he was doing. It was great to spend some time at home with my mom. It was wonderful to reconnect to First Pres and the families there that I used to know better and to get to know some of the newer families and people in the church. It was indeed another example of God's great faithfulness!

After I finished up my job I loaded up my car, drove to Bakersfield and picked up two of my best friends from college to begin our 3,000-mile cross-country road trip! In just seven short days we arrived in Princeton, but not before seeing a friend of ours from college in Colorado, stopping at a glass marble factory and shop in the middle of Kansas, going up 637 feet in the St. Louis Arch, experiencing the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and getting cheesesteaks in Philly! We got my stuff unloaded and prepared for a very busy few days before Jules and Brian left: New York City, Princeton, and church and antiquing!

Now that we're on to present day, school has officially been in session for three weeks! I love my classes this semester, it has been good to reconnect with friends, and enjoy some of my favorite east coast places. And to answer the question I'm sure you're all asking, no, the fall colors are not here...not quite yet.

Well, I believe I'll wrap up for now....this has gone on long enough. I'll write again soon more about my classes and such. I hope you are all well. Please find my address below...I love to get little notes and stuff! ;-)

Many "what a blessing!" moments I wish for you today,
Megan

...Whelmed...

Current Princeton Temp: 54

I am overwhelmed. There is much to do, and little time to do it. Between reading and writing, making new connections and redeveloping old ones, and readjusting to "community life" there has been little time for what I like to call "decompression". I need it to function. It usually involves what I affectionately call "verbal vomit," wherein I find someone who will listen and proceed to dump everything out in one long, incoherent string of babble. Were I to sit down and write it all out, it might be akin to stream-of-consciousness writing. Tonight I hit a breaking point and had a good conversation with Daniel about it. I feel a little better, but I am still overwhelmed. But I suppose that will be something that has to change little by little.

In the midst of all the reading, burying my nose in books, and previously warm weather of last week, fall unexpectedly arrived today. It was as though the weather realized it was October 1, and in so doing, decided to change from warm (downright hot on Saturday during apple-picking) to brisk and cool this afternoon. I actually had to wear a jacket to walk downtown! I chose my red Italian leather one. Anyway, I am excited about fall. The leaves around here are just barely starting to turn shades of purple and red and yellow...but I know the most vibrant colors are yet to come. Oh, how I cannot wait!

One last tidbit of information before I sign off for the night...on Wednesday morning, I will have the incredible opportunity to sing a solo (!) with the Chapel Choir in chapel. It's wonderful, and amazing...a beautiful musical line and profound lyrics, which I will post later. I am nervous. I want to memorize it so I can get completely into it, but am terrified to be without the safety of my music folder. Prayers for confidence in God and the extra time I need to memorize it would be appreciated.

I miss Santa Barbara, and my friends, and family I feel I have there. I don't think I've said that enough to those of you who I am desperately missing these days. Know that even in the midst of busyness, you are in my heart.