A precious gift

Life continually reminds me to appreciate everyone I have in my life- whether they be a long-time friend or a passerby, life's too precious to ever take anyone for granted. I'm reminded of that more and more lately, and because of that, I've also felt a deeper sense of appreciation for the beautiful creation I get to see as I make my way up the east coast.

I've been slacking on writing lately, so I'm referring back to the pictures I've taken on my phone to remember what we've been up to the past two weeks. My last post was on June 9.. I can't believe how fast June is flying by! On that Wednesday, we went to Andretti Thrill Park. Yes, it might be a kids attraction, but you bet that we raced the go-carts, climbed the rock wall, and versed a group of kids in laser tag. You'd never guess by the amount of enjoyment we got out of it that we're college graduates. We had an event the next day in Melbourne, and after the event left for Orlando.

The 12th and the 13th were also event days in Orlando. One of them was our busiest event yet, so that was alot of fun! After work on Saturday we went to the downtown area of Orlando for dinner at Yard House. There was a turf area with a bunch of shopping stores around there, so we walked around down there, saw the end of a light water show, and sat down by the ferris wheel for a bit. It was a super big one, and it was awesome to lie down and just look up at it and the stars surrounding it and feel so small. I Skyped with my family & Christen that night for quite a while, so that was a good ending to my night.

Sunday I decided that I couldn't only be an hour from Tampa and not go back for church one last time before I was hours away. So, I woke up early and made the drive back to Christ Fellowship. It was a good final sermon to hear & it was great to see the guys again. Words can't describe enough how incredible these men are. I could probably sit and listen to them talk about what they're doing at the Tampa project and discuss the Bible for hours on end and not get tired of it. It's amazing to hear how the Lord is working through them and how they are changing Tampa for the better. A group of us went out for lunch after the service and then I made my way back to Orlando. 

That afternoon, Marie and I made our way to downtown to explore. There was an Orlando City soccer game that night, so they had blocked off the streets of the downtown area for block parties. It was a really cool atmosphere to see, and we found an awesome little park that we walked around. There were swans swimming around and even swan paddle boats, with a huge fountain in the middle. 

Monday.. Monday was the most magical day i've had in a very long time! We went to Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. I went as a child, but I was too afraid of the rides to enjoy them, and I'm pretty sure I spent more than half of the time hiding in my sisters sweatshirt. This time, it was awesome. Toy Story, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and all of the other rides were a blast. The park was packed, but the lines weren't too outrageous. We stayed until the light parade and then the firework show. I won't lie, the firework show got me feeling a little sentimental. It played to some Disney songs and just all of the beautiful colors and lyrics to the songs made me feel like a kid again. That was definitely one of the top moments of the trip so far. 

We had to drive to Daytona Beach after Disney, so it was a late night. We woke up early for our event on Tuesday, where we got to hang out with Olympian Walter McCoy again. He's a really cool guy (and it didn't hurt that he was going to be a chiropractor when he was younger so he knew how to crack my back!)

Wednesday I woke up at 5:30, but for one of my favorite reasons. One of product facilitators and I went out to watch the sunrise at Daytona Beach. Seeing the sun poke up over the water for the first time of the day and seeing it slowly rise in the sky is so peaceful. I love being up before the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world begins. To just see the clear sky and birds flying, dipping down and trying to catch a fish. To walk miles down the beach without huge crowds packed on there. It's a new day, a new beginning, with new hope, new grace, and new opportunities. 

After that, I went and got a hair cut, then Marie and I went for some shrimp at the Crab Shack II. Then, we ventured out to the beach for a bit. There's been so much talk of bacteria and sharkbites that I was a tad bit afraid to even get in the water. Let's just say I didn't go any further than mid-shin. I'd much rather be safe than sorry! We walked through all of the shops and stuff down in that area, then made our way back to get ready for our first home cooked meal of the tour! 

Marie's uncle lives near Daytona, so his family asked us all to come over for a barbecue that night. I ate like I haven't eaten for days.. It was so incredibly good and his house was out in the middle of nowhere, so the stars out there that night were just like at home.

Thursday we woke up and went out to see a lighthouse that was in the area. We stopped by one of the piers by the water, and I saw some dolphins (I hope they weren't sharks) out in the water. Then I had to go back and pack up my bags once again to head out for Gainesville. We went to lunch when we got there, then explored the area a bit. We walked around the downtown area, then made it back to the hotel just in time for it to storm. The rest of the day was pretty laid back- laundry and grocery buying, and sleep.

Friday we had an event, then we decided to have a team workout at University of Florida. Anyone can go into the stadium, so we went and did some bleachers and abs. The stadium was so cool, and alot bigger than what I'm used to at IWU. My legs felt like jello after that, and the soreness is just hitting me today. Most of the team has Fitbits now, so my motivation to workout everyday has increased two-fold. We challenge each other, so it keeps us moving for sure. 

Saturday was another work day, but Saturdays start earlier and end earlier, so we were done around 5. I got to Skype my parents again which was nice- it was my dad's birthday so it was great to see his face there on my screen since I couldn't be  there. We went downtown for dinner and hung out there for the night. 

Finally, we have arrived at today. Today I woke up and went to a church in Gainesville. It was weird having to go somewhere new today, but I enjoyed the message and the people there. The pastor spoke on pressure points and how there is so much pressure for so many different things in today's society. He reminded us that God is in control, that we must remember whenever we feel stressed or to our breaking point, that we need to go back and remember God's delivering power and bring it back to the present moment. We don't have to rely on ourselves at those times, or any time, because He is always there. We can carry the load, but we never have to carry the weight because we can give it all over to Him. There are some things that can only be produced by pressure, so sometimes we have to remember that as well. God is good all of the time and he will rise to the occasion and make something beautiful. 

Speaking of beautiful.. My afternoon was pretty indescribable. We went to the Ichetucknee Springs State Park and floated down the river. The water was SO clear- I've never seen anything like it. We bought goggles beforehand at the dollar store so we could look underwater while we swam. Though they didn't work the best, I did see some cool fish and plants in the water. Even without them, I could see straight to the bottom the entire float which was so cool! The trees surrounding the water were all really neat as well. Creation never ceases to amaze me. Half the time I just sit and stare out at it and can't find the words to describe how I'm feeling because it's all so intricately created and beautiful. 

Who would have known that something like that existed a month ago? Not I! Driving to Jacksonville tonight reminded me alot of home. I saw corn fields and cows and I even saw a tractor on my way to Gainesville the other day. It surprises me how much country there is in northern Florida, but I love it. It's a good change from the touristy towns we've been in and there's nothing like the open fields and road. 

I've been hearing alot about sicknesses and death lately, and its scary. Life can change so quickly, and for many people I know, it has been changing alot. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow, and things can happen that we don't expect. Life is a precious precious gift, and we musn't forget that. We just have to trust that God does indeed have a plan for us in this life, and whether we like it or not, everything will happen according to His plan. Realizing this over and over again, this tour has continued to change me from the inside out. My heart grows fuller with each new sight, with each drive to a new destination, with each check-in and out of a hotel, with each interaction with Olympic & Paralympic athletes, and with new friendships developed along the way.

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