Spring semester with snow on the ground

I am sure more snow will come. Lots more?

I've been back in Chicago, the city with big shoulders, for a little over a week. Already I am tired of the snow and the cold. Last year it was novelty, and continues to be when I am perched in my heated room looking out at the cold. Trudging through dirty snow as I walk to and from the train is another thing. I am always praying not to slip on the ice the lies beneath the fresh snow. So far I've only experienced one blunder. It was pretty comical. I was exiting a bus and splat, I went down. I'm not sure if it was a graceful dive or not but I left the ordeal unscathed.

On a happier note, this is my FINAL semester of GRAD school! It has gone so quickly. Don't misunderstand, much hard work has gone into each 4 month semester to make me more than glad that I am 15 weeks away from the end! In less that 15 weeks I shall hopefully know the next step in this journey. Will I be staying in Chicago? Can I handle more winters? Should that be a deciding factor?

or will I move back to California, the state I did not realize I belonged to until I left it?

or will God take me to new borders?

mmmmh. Lot's to pray about. Lot's of job searching to do. The whole process is so weird and foreign to me. I've had a total of two jobs my whole life. Both were during my college years, both were very part-time and were acquired for the sole purpose of making some play money (like for purchasing Park Place and beginning the construction of my Hotels)

Between now and full-time, real-life career time I have a lot of time on my hands to live and explore and learn. If I believe God is who he claims to be, then he's got my back, and my heart and mind and most of all my future.

I plan to live this semester, to live it well and deeply. I truly love Chicago and the friends she has bestowed upon me. Here is to a great semester, a final semester!

I hope you will join me back here more often as I plan to update more consistently and include many more visual aids. I know I get bored with just plain text and rarely suffer through blogs that look like mine. So an extra cheers to you if you are reading this.

Love to you,

Alexandra Marie

A Leak

New insight on where my next book will not start


I received an email from BYU today informing me that they had made their final grad school decisions.

Their decision was to not accept me to the Master of Social Work Program.

My first rejection. Aly has also received her first rejection. From the U.
This means we will not be attending grad school together.

Now I wait and pray that God grants me the grace to trust in Him.

I don't want to be in a state of worrying about what will come next
or what I should do to insure my future. God is sovereign in all things. He promises to work out all things for good for those who love Him. I want my heart's response to acknowledge the goodness of where God is going to take me this summer, this next school year, etc. Even if that means not getting into any grad school and the possibility of moving home for a while. I don't like that last option. Especially not with all that is contained in moving home. God knows my heart and what it would take for me to look upon that option with contentment even when I don't and frankly cannot see the solution.




Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own
understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.