florida

Holy

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

remembering

On December 21, 2004, Jo Ellen Allbright Vick danced into heaven. I never saw my grandmother walk. By the time I was born, the arthritis had stripped her of that ability. She came for Christmases when we lived in Dallas and sent birthday cards every year. By the end, a scribbled signature was all she could manage at the bottom of our cards, but she never forgot.

I found out that my beloved grandmother had passed away in O'Hare Airport. Every time I walk past that Starbucks, my eyes fill with tears. I'll never forget that moment. Mom got a phone call, closed her eyes and said "Thank you for telling me." She didn't have to say anything else. I ran through the airport, tears streaming down my cheeks. I had been in denial up until that moment. I had refused to pack nice clothes for our cross-country trip. I had made her snowflakes out of folded paper to hang in her room since snow is scarce in West Texas, even at Christmas time. I wrote her letters and sent a couple with my dad. He was with her. We didn't make it in time.
I placed the snowflakes next to her body on December 23. She looked so peaceful. I had never seen her without pain. In the next few days, we went to the nursing home to go through some of her belongings. Next to her bed sat two small crosses. I knew she could always see them. Of all the things we found in her home, those were all I wanted. I carried one with me for years. It was always in a jacket pocket or purse. They sit next to my bed, now, a reminder of a woman who always smiled despite the immense pain and discomfort caused by her arthritis.

Mimi Jo loved everyone with all of her heart and never complained about anything. She was genuinely happy to see everyone who set foot in her home and trusted that her Jesus would bring her through anything. She was only 62 years old when she went Home. She has a grandson who won't remember her and a granddaughter on the way who she will never have the pleasure of spoiling. It brings me such joy to know that my grandmother is in Heaven today without pain.

update

I've started five posts in the past few weeks. I don't know how to finish any of them, so I'm going to leave them for a while. I'll figure it out eventually.

I'm doing this new thing. It's called loving life. I'm really a fan. God has totally blessed me. It's been really amazing for me to experience. He has opened my eyes to friends and opportunities. I recently hit #400 in my gratitude journal, which has been an awesome experience in and of itself. I think laughter in some form is in there at least 6 times. It's been a long time since I've laughed enough to be thankful for it.

I just can't believe the ways that God has been answering my prayers. First, he brought me friends. Lots of them. Friends that love me and hug me and call me. A very best friend. We say that we're the same person about 30 times a day, and it's pretty much true.

He has brought me rest and peace and joy. And I have seen prayers answered more than I have in years.

I feel like things have changed completely since the beginning of the semester. I was lonely and anxious and had rules for everything. I can eat in the caf now. I still have some anxiety about eating in front of boys, but God has removed the bulk of the anxiety. None of the "rules" still apply. And now God has shown me that he is capable of anything.

Almost exactly two months ago, I wrote a post called "lonely". I can honestly say that everything that I wrote in that post has changed. I will remember this semester for the laughter and the friendship and the irony. For things like "yuh-ee", "isgusting" and "NAD". For the boys that I'm never allowed to talk to again and the girls that I couldn't imagine my life without. For the "ice" skating on the front lawn, greek salads and tacky sweaters. Pledge week, Berryhill Park and Christmas cards. And really, the list goes on and on. Things from my past have come back bite me in the rear. Mistakes have been made again. But there's a difference. This time, there's redemption and hope and forgiveness where before there was only hurt and regret and reprimands. My God is so good.

The Lord your God is with you, He is MIGHTY to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

-Zephaniah 3:17

exchange

Tuesdays have quickly become my favorite day of the week. I've only been three times, but I feel like I've gone there forever. The singing and shouting and prayer that fills the room is incredible. I have cried tears of gratitude for the joy that fills hearts. I leave completely at peace. I can't wipe the smile off my face. My God meets me there. He speaks to my soul. I leave feeling refreshed. It's an experience that I really can't describe. He has used it to free me from bondage. I don't think I'll ever be able to express to the people who make it happen how much it means to me. It's comfortable and it takes me completely out of my comfort zone. I raise my hands in worship. I've never done that before. I whisper prayers out loud. I've never done that before, either. The freedom is overwhelming. There is no judgement. It's incredible. Seriously. That's the only word I have to describe it.

I long for the assurance that I feel in that place every day of the week. Assurance that I am not crazy or alone. Assurance that my Jesus lives. I feel it. I feel Him. I needed a place like that. And I've been presented with one.On one hand, I want to share it with everyone, but on the other, I want it to remain a personal experience. I know a few of the people that go, but I don't ever want to be self conscious. That's not at all what it's about. In fact, it's about the complete opposite. The Exchange is about being God conscious. It's about being open to Him and what He wants from us. It's about being open with Him.

This is what I wrote in my journal this week. I don't have the right words to explain it. This is the best I could do.

The hugging begins before we get through the door. It is the accepted and expected greeting in this place. The room is dark and loud. Meaningful conversations are heard from every group. Little girls gather up front, ready to dance while little boys find a row to sit in together. College students hold babies while their parents sit and talk among themselves. 7:15. Music starts. Eyes close. Hands raise. Clapping. Jumping. Singing. Dancing. Praise. God is in this place. Everyone feels Him here. Hearts fill. Joy overwhelms. Laughter. Some whisper Jesus' name while other shout Amen. Babies crawl. Children dance. Adults fall to their knees in prayer. Freedom abounds in the place. Freedom from chains and freedom to worship in any way. Dancing, shouting, singing and clapping are acceptable here. It's like nothing we've ever experienced, but it feels like home.

tuesday

For the past 72 hours, my heart has been calm. I have been overwhelmed with a peace that I can't understand. On Tuesday night, I was invited to The Exchange. I really don't even know how to describe it other than beautiful worship. I felt Jesus like I have never felt Him before. I walked through the door into a barely-lit room full of believers. I got chills. Before anything happened, I had goosebumps. And then we started singing. We sang beautiful, passionate songs. With tears in my eyes and raised hands, I praised my Jesus. Determined to hold it together, I stood quietly for a minute. We sang "How Great is Our God". I gave up. I was overcome with Jesus. I cried. The tears of rejection and worthlessness and loneliness ran hot down my cheeks. They fell to the floor. And so did the anxiety. I have never in my life worshipped like I did on Tuesday night. I have never known Jesus to be so real as I did in that place. We were free to sing and pray and praise however God asked us to. It was absolutely incredible. He was there. I felt Him. I begged him to help me remember the way that it felt to be in His presence. And He has.

After Tuesday night, I was convinced that this week was going to be rough. Satan is dumb. He likes to strike when we're ahead. And I was feeling great. I woke up yesterday morning with a feeling of calm. I was overwhelmed with peace. I looked at him, stared at him really, and felt nothing. My conversations with people were meaningful. I was calm. My attitude was great. I was happy and absolutely content.

Today, it is more of the same. I have been finding passages in my Bible that speak to me. Psalm 91, Psalm 18, Ephesians 6. Every time I open my Bible, God is revealing His love and promises for me. I am overwhelmed with Him. My journal entries for this week have been happy and refreshing. I have found it easier to pray to Him and ask Him to guide me. On Tuesday night, I begged Him to teach me to trust Him. I begged Him to remind me that He loves me regardless of the things in my past. He has been. This week has been incredible. After the frustration and loneliness of last week, this is exactly what my spirit needed.

truth

Truth: The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. he will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing. -Zephaniah 3:17

Truth: Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. -Psalm 126:5

Truth: I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. - Jeremiah 31:13b

Truth: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness! -Lamentations 3:22-23

Truth: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. -Proverbs 4:23

Truth: Now glory be to God, who by this mighty power at work within you is able to do far more than you would ever dare ask or even dream of. Infinitely beyond your highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hope. -Ephesians 3:20-21

Truth: He has made everything beautiful in its time -Ecclesiastes 3:11

Truth: We also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, becaue God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. -Romans 5:3-5

Truth: But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. -Isaiah 40:31

Truth: Apart from me, you can do nothing. -John 15:5

Truth: Savior, He can move the mountains. -Mighty to Save by Hillsong

Truth: Please be still and know that I Am God. -Peace be Still by Rush of Fools

Truth: You have calmed greater waters. Higher mountains have come down. -The Valley Song by Jars of Clay

Truth: My sin, not in part but the whole, was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul! -It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford

Truth: And He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy! -Job 8:21

project

I'm working on a project. I like it a lot. We'll call it my truth journal. Really, it's a journal of truth and lies, but the truth is all that matters. Anyway, I got the idea from my conversations with a woman that I love. For me, it's about being proactive. It's good for me to be able to open a journal and see the lies that I've been told and believed. So here's the process:

1) Pray. I open my heart to God and ask Him to reveal to me where I've allowed Satan's voice to creep in more loudly than His. This is a very important first step.

2) Write the word "lie". I write it five times on my page. I skip a few lines in between, but I always do five at a time. Sometimes, it's a struggle to come up with five. Sometimes, my heart is overflowing with the identification of lies that I've been told. Of course, if I'm writing and God has put more than five lies on my heart, I will write them all.

3) Start at the top. I write down the lies that God shows me. Sometimes they surprise me. Sometimes they seem too obvious. But I write everything that is put on my heart.

4) Reflect. I look back on the things that have been revealed to me. I pray over each one and ask God to remove the lies from my thoughts. I ask Him to help me identify when I'm giving into the lies.

5) Find the truth. I open His word. Sometimes, this part of the process doesn't come until later. I have entire pages filled with scripture. I write the promises that He has given me. Sometimes, the truth is a direct contradiction to one of my lies. In that case, I write it on the same page. It's comforting to know that when I'm starting to believe one of the lies, I can open my journal and find God's truth for my life.

This has been one of the most powerful exercises I have ever done. I try to find the time to write some every day. Sometimes they're lies that seem so obvious and small, but if Satan can use it to pull the darkness around me again, I want them on paper. I'm loving my truth journal and the fact that it gets me in my Bible every day. It's an awesome long-term project. I can't wait to see where God takes this!

thankful

I am so thankful for the people that God has put in my life. I am blessed to have professors and friends who really actually care about me. It's new. I like it. There are people here who know me. They allow me to be honest about the way that I'm feeling even if it doesn't make sense. I know that it doesn't make sense that I still want attention from him. It doesn't matter here. There are people here who love me and tell me that they do. I think that's the biggest thing. My friends at home never tell me that they love me. And that's fine. Sometimes they show me that they love me. But my friends here tell me every time we talk. They hug me. A lot. They're patient and understanding. It's all new. They tell me I'm pretty. They pray for me. I have healthy relationships for the first time in my life and I love it. I'm thankful for them.

I am so thankful for the experiences that God has given me. He brought me to Harding. I know a lot of people may not be able to understand. All they see is the curfew and dress code and chapel requirements, but they don't understand how important Harding is to me. I complain about it sometimes, but I love it more than I could ever express. It's normal for me to go out on the front lawn and read my Bible. It's normal for me to tell my friends that I'm praying for them. God has blessed me with the opportunity to grow. He has blessed me with the opportunity to learn to be content. He has blessed me with the opportunity to be hurt and to bounce back with the help of my friends. He has allowed me to see how important other people are in the healing process. He allowed me to travel to London this summer where I was blessed to be surrounded by some of the most important people in my life. Whether they know it or not, their continued love and patience has blessed me beyond belief.

I am thankful that I don't know what dorm he lives in or when he has classes. I'm thankful that I only ever have to see him at soccer games and football games. I'm thankful that my friends are understanding and don't mind when I talk about him.

I'm thankful for the dorm that I live in. I love my room. It's comfortable and already feels like home. I have covered the walls in His word, pictures of family and friends and postcards from my dad. I love my RA. I love my dorm mom. I am so blessed by both of them. God knew what he was doing when he put me here. I want to live in Kendall forever. I am so thankful for that.

I am thankful for the life that I'm living even if I'm not always happy with it. I'm learning to be content with the situations that God gives me. I get frustrated sometimes when things don't go the way I want them to, but He is showing me that He remains in control. I'm thankful that He is.

regret

Regret is my biggest enemy. I don't know why it is that I can remember every single thing that I have ever done wrong in my entire life. In seventh grade, there was this boy that I liked. One day, I hugged him. The end. I can remember things as far back as second grade that embarrassed me. Things that I regret. And then there are the big ones. There are things that have happened in the past 12 months that I regret more than anything that has ever happened in my life. It's a constant nagging in my soul. A constant "told you so". So many people told me not to do it. I think I needed to in a way. I just wish it didn't hurt so much.

The enemy knows that he can get me with regret. He knows that he can make my heart hurt with the things that I have said and done and thought. He uses it to get to me in the dark of night when my mind takes me back to those places. And on the nights when I'm alone in my room. And on the nights that one of the babies is sick. And on the nights that I'm lonely and sad. And on the nights that I'm scared to death about what comes next. And then someone will text me or I'll look up and see a picture of a friend who loves me or I'll happen to check a blog that speaks to me (which, by the way, was Ellyn's blog tonight. Wow). The enemy cannot defeat me. He knows how to get me, but I'm cherished by a God more powerful than him. He knows where I hurt, but it doesn't matter, because so does my Jesus. My Jesus died on a cross for me. He died on a cross for my pain and my sin. Mine. And there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do to take that away. So no matter how much it hurts to be reminded of the things that I regret, it's a million times better to be reminded that I've been forgiven for them by my Creator. Take that.

enough

I couldn't begin to count the number of times in my life when I have felt or been told that I was not good enough. Dance classes, soccer and basketball games, the cafeteria at school, church, graduation day, the dorms, chapel, Bible classes, and other every day events. I don't know where this feeling came from. I've spent enough time in therapy over the years to be aware that everything I feel and believe now came from a comment or experience from my past. But that's not important here.

"By the grace of God, I am what I am" - 1 Corinthians 15:10

But am I good enough? I've always struggled with feelings of inferiority. I'll never be as skinny or pretty as the girl next to me. I'll never be able to paint or sing or dance as well as someone else. I'm constantly comparing myself to others. I'm conscious of what others are thinking about me. And in my head, it's always negative. My friends never want me around. Boys think I'm fat and ugly. The adults at church know I'm not "good enough" to be there.

I find value in negative situations because it makes me feel good enough. And I know that is ridiculous.

This morning in the devotional, we sang Here In This Place. I love that song. I don't know if I loved it before this morning, but I love it now.

Lay your burdens down

Every care you carry,

And come to the table of grace,

For there is mercy.

Come just as you are,

We are all unworthy

To enter the presence of God

For He is Holy.

Lift up your heart, lift up your hands

Fall on your knees and pray,

For the King of kings and the love He brings

Is here in this place.

We raise our voices, raise our song,

We offer Him out praise

For the King of kings and the joy He brings

Is here, He is here in this place.

Isn't that awesome? I love it. Two sweet women that I appreciate and love have gently reminded me recently that we're not good enough. We're not good enough for God to love or even look at. But the grace of the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross covers us. So maybe I'm not pretty enough or skinny enough. And maybe my dancing will never make anyone happy besides myself. And that's okay. Because the blood of my Savior covers me. And His Spirit fills me. And that is good enough.

running

The more that I think about it, the more ironic it becomes that I've started running this summer. It's not necessarily ironic in the haha that's funny kind of way. It's more of an I run away from everything but this time I can't so I'm actually physically running kind of way. I have a history of running away when things get tough. I've decided more than once that it was easier to stop talking to someone than to work through things with them. I run away from difficult situations. I run from awkward situations. I always run away. And this time, I would love to run away more than anything else. But I can't. Because that would mean transferring...an idea that I am not particularly fond of. I'm finally content with where I am (see this post) and I hate the thought of giving it all up because of it. This is one thing that I can't run away from. It's making me physically sick to think about what will happen when the encounter actually occurs. I can't breathe. I get nauseous. I want to run away more than anything else. But running away this time would mean giving up everything else. So I run. Physically run. This summer, I started running. This summer, when it became apparent to me that I would have to face one of the most difficult challenges thus far, I started running. My feet pound on the treadmill. I can't run fast enough to get away from the thoughts swirling in my mind. I run fast but go nowhere. I cant run away, and so I run. Ironic.

dance

I danced for a long time before I realized that I wasn't cut out to be a dancer. Seriously, like, a lot of years. I just love it SOO much that I don't want to admit that I'm just not good. Now that I'm not dancing, I miss it. I miss it so much, in fact, that every week while I watch So You Think You Can Dance, I cry. Every week. I have every single episode saved and I have three favorite dances (Travis' If It Kills Me from last week, Battlefield from this week and the breast cancer one from this week) that I have watched fifteen times in the past 48 hours. That is, sadly, not an exaggeration. And last week, there were different dances that I watched over and over and over. And every time I cry. Every. Single. Time. I so wish that dance was one of those things that if you tried hard enough you could just be good at it. But it isn't. I wish I could start dancing now and get to be good enough at it. But I can't. And so I cry every Wednesday night for two hours while I watch a slowly declining number of dancers be something that I wish that I could be.

On a totally separate note, I dropped a five pound weight on my foot yesterday. It really hurts. And my foot is very bruised.

i need to do something...

So I have this friend. Her name is Erin. She is wonderful. She got married a little over a year ago and just moved down to Texas to start a summer camp. I love her very much. And I really want her to have a baby...

Anyway, Erin and I were talking not long ago. We hadn't talked in a while so it was GREAT to get to catch up with her! We were talking about life and how I feel like I really need to DO something...something that matters. I don't know exactly what it is. For a while, I wanted to go to Africa. I'm not really sure about that one anymore. I thought maybe I wanted to go work at E's camp. That one's still a possibility. But maybe I'd like to just work at Uplift at school next summer. I've been looking at everyone's pictures from Uplift. I think I could do that. I need to feel like I have a purpose. I need to feel like I'm here for a reason. I want to be a part of something bigger. But I just don't know what to do. What's realistic? I mean, it doesn't necessarily have to be something huge. I think working at VBS counts. I'll be doing that in July. I'm going to have to work on this a little bit. It's like that song by Lady Antebellum...I Was Here. Have you heard it? It's a really good one.

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This morning at 8:00, I had my very first workout session with my new best friend Bob. Bob kind of kicked my butt. It was great. Tomorrow morning at 9:30, I'll be heading back over to Lifetime to run with Bob. We'll see how that goes. I am so NOT a runner, but I have to get into shape!! Bob is a running machine. Hopefully he can help me learn to love to run. I'm a little skeptical...

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This afternoon, Mom and I are going to look at paint colors for "my" new room. This room, by the way, is not mine. Mom told me I could do whatever I wanted to and then picked out all of my bed linens for me. I guess it's fine. I mean, I'm not going to be in this room very long. I'll only be here until August and then home twice a semester until next summer. A white comforter is just fine. I kind of just want her to pick the paint color on her own. I don't really care that much.

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It's official! All 23 of us are back in America! The last few free travelers came home yesterday. I haven't talked to them since they've been home, but I am certainly hoping that their flights home were less eventful than mine was! Being delayed in a London airport for five hours was not my idea of a fun way to spend my last day in my new favorite city in the world. I miss everyone. It's such a weird feeling because I was with all of them all day every day for a month and now I really don't even talk to them. But here we (almost) all are at the top of the Wallace Monument in Stirling! We climbed 246 stairs for this picture.

Jesus lives in scotland

We had a four hour drive today from York to Scotland. I slept for a while and woke up when we crossed the border. I had my iPod in and just watched out the window as we drove through the incredibly green country. I was overwhelmed. The beauty and simplicity of the landscape was beyond words. I couldn't stop thinking about what Angie Smith (yeah, I read her blog a lot) said when she was in Ireland. As she admired the incredibly vibrant green of the land, she heard God speak. "It takes a lot of rain to make grass this green." Those words were so significant to her as she went through what she did with Audrey and, when I read them the first time, I realized how significant they are for me, too. There has been a lot of rain in my life. More than I would have liked there to have been. I looked out the window today and the greenest green I have ever seen and was reminded of those words. I was struck with this thought, an epiphany maybe, clarity for sure. I am so burdened by this sin. It hurts me and it haunts me and I can't stop thinking about it and dwelling on it, but the God of this universe has already forgiven it. It has no power over me. He isn't holding it over my head. He didn't think twice about it. When I asked Him for forgiveness, He gave it. No question. And if He can forgive me for it, why am I still GIVING it power? Seriously. I don't know why it hit me at that moment, on that loud, crazy bus, but I am so grateful that it did. And then Beautiful Lord came on and I lost it. Cried. On the bus. Oh it just felt so good to be able to cry and pray and thank Him for reminding me that the power that this sin is holding over me is power that I am giving it. I think He might be sad that I am still hurting. I think He might be disappointed that I'm still dwelling on it. But I know that He is there. He's been there all along, hasn't He? Scotland, I love you for so many reasons. You are beautiful and peaceful and incredible. And you brought me back to the One who's been waiting for too long.

When the storm is raging all around me
You are the peace that calms
My troubled sea
And the cares of this world
Darken my day
You are the light that shines
And shows me the way

Oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me!

Beautiful Lord
Awesome and mighty
I’m captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It’s Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord

When my sin is all that I can see
Your grace remains the shelter that I seek
And when my weakness is all I can give
Your gentle Spirit gives me strength again
And oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me

Beautiful Lord
Awesome and mighty
I’m captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It’s Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord

And I am lifted by Your love to sing!
It’s Your mercy that has made me free!
And I am lifted by Your love to sing!
It’s Your mercy that has made me free!

Oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me!

Beautiful Lord
Awesome and mighty
I’m captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It’s Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord

You’re beautiful, my Lord
You’re beautiful, my Lord

Hyde Park

I have started this post at least five times. I can't find the words to describe the most incredible place on this earth. It's called Hyde Park. As I walk out of the tube station, this feeling of calm overwhelms me. I love it. I really honestly can't tell you what it means to me. There are no words. If you are ever in London, it is the only place that I will tell you that you have to go. I don't know what it is about it- it really is just a giant park- but it is the most peaceful place I have ever been. Rather than try to tell you about it, I'll just show you a few of the hundred and fifty pictures that I've taken there in the past two days. No joke. I'm in love.

London

Right now, it is 11:11 at night. I am sitting in the living room of my flat. We just got home from seeing Jersey Boys (AMAZING, by the way). I should be in bed. I have a workout class at 8, chapel at 10 and class at 10:30, but I'm just so very awake. We're on the third floor, but the noises from the city creep in through the windows. London. My home. The city is so alive. We make friends everywhere we go. How can two countries that share a language be so incredibly different? I don't understand. But I see it everywhere. The people are friendly. They ask where we're from as soon as a conversation starts. They walk everywhere. Seriously. It's insane. But I love it. I hear a skateboard outside. A lively group just walked by, probably going home from a pub. Barcelona played Man U tonight. It was a disappointing game for all of the adoring Manchester fans in my flat. Flat Five. That's where I live. With five girls that I didn't know before we landed in London two weeks ago. I love these girls. We're living on the edge of the theatre district. We can walk to almost all of the theatres. Tonight was Jersey Boys. We've also seen Chicago and Spring Awakening. Tomorrow, we're going to Wicked. Such incredible opportunities for us. We have classes. Believe it or not, class in London isn't any better than class in Searcy. It is so worth it. Living in London. What an incredible gift.