I am courageous, resilient, and unstoppable!

As you may recall, part of my well-being goal this year was to spend time with friends and to grow spiritually. I got to do some of both this week. I had a friend over to play a game of Phase 10 with me on Monday, some friends invited me to dinner on Monday night, and I stopped at another friend's place for lunch on Saturday. It's always good to keep your relationships nourished.  I had a cultural experience this week as well. I was looking for a Spanish Bible study to attend and found a couple of options. On Tuesday night, I went to the one nearest my apartment. I was not prepared for the cultural shock I got when the service started. When prayer began, everyone in the room began praying aloud, each over different things, one on top of the other. They shouted, prayed, wailed, wept aloud, and fell to their knees in the most fervent show of supplication I've ever seen. The person "leading" the prayer prayed for twenty minutes straight with all that going on all aro...

I rented an apartment in Cedar City so I could resume my studies at SUU this Spring. It's a nice place with a shared kitchen and bathroom. It's wheelchair accessible, and I have my own bedroom. My dormmates are all young. Most keep to themselves for the most part.  My Cozy Little New Apartment The little place suits me well, and I fancy I shall enjoy it the time that I'm in it. The building is new and everything is fixed up nicely. It's about five minutes from the college when I go with my front-end motor attachment, so it's very convenient as well.  As I am in the habit of setting a goal for the year at the beginning of each year, I did the same this year. My goal is to end the year as healthy as I possibly can physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I will do this by taking care of my body; exercising regularly, eating healthfully, and keeping up with my medications; by staying connected with loved ones; inviting people over, visiting family, and making phone ca...

How boring would life be if everything always went smoothly? Would we have that unbelievable experience to tell people about that we got only by bumping into unplanned circumstances? How many people get to celebrate their birthday in Paris with a "Happy Birthday" song in French at midnight? What other stories do we miss out on by not taking risks and facing the challenges life throws our way when things don't go as planned?  After my classes ended, I spent a week resting and getting ready for my return trip. Boy, did I ever need the strength I built up for the journey! Between buses, trains, a delayed flight, hotel rooms, broken luggage, and inaccessible elevators, I definitely had my work cut out for me trying to get home. I did get to have an extra eight hours to celebrate my birthday though, so there were a few silver linings. The lease for my apartment in León was up the day before my bus ticket was scheduled, so I loaded up my things and moved to a hotel next to the ...