I got here at 11:11 Mon. night, no joke. I was anticipating arriving at 7ish, but a few things altered the plans:-) And it rained on the way. (Deut. 11:11)

So, I'm driving to SF to meet my friend Winton who I haven't seen in a year since I was at Biola University. I'm on the 101 near South San Francisco when I see this cop car behind me. Now, I've already passed two cops on the way, nervously, because I'm always nervous around them. Well, I'm talking to myself thinking, oh, look, so glad there're out on the road protecting my wellfare, keepin the streets safe. My fear is that I'll be the only one of 50 cars going 70 that he'll decide to pull over to keep his numbers up. I merge into the slow lane, so does he. Then, I see the lights.

Long story short, he tells me I don't have reg. tags. Well, I know I do and was very puzzled til finally he has me go out and look with him and now he's the one who's puzzled. There's this tiny corner of yellow tape where my old sticker was still left on. It had fallen off.

He still gave me a ticket that would be revoked when I get a new sticker, but said he wouldn't tow my car. If it weren't for that little strip of plastic, I'd be watching my brand new car behind bars, weeping.

So, that threw me off schedule, and once I met up with Winton it was like we'd never been apart and all we wanted to do was hang out longer. We did. He's a fabulous composer and I had to hear his new stuff. I left around 7.

I got lost, my card didn't work at on of the gas stations, and there was a swarm of plegue-like bugs on the I-5, but I made it safely to Redding, only to find the best wa yet to come.

My roomates are hand-picked. Christianne is bubbly, generous, and the Martha Stewart of the two. She made us ( myself and the other newbie Christie) a gift basket and welcome card. There was a little flower on my beautifully decorated room, and in the morning she made us quicke...from scratch! Amber is the introverted one, very honest and forthright, understated and discerning. Christy is from Norway, and such a sweet, graceful girl. We all get along swimmingly.

So, as I was having time with the Lord yesterday morning, thinking about all this, I realized all aong the way he has been drawing out my fears to make me gold. The cop car, the worry about gas money, the worries about transfering enough into my account, my work being able to send my check here at the end of the month, my curves membership being put on hold, finding a place, the sap stuck on my new car, finding Winton's place in SF, etc. ect. IT ALL WORKED OUT. I had even mis-calculated balancing out my check boook before I left, so when I checked again things were ever so better financialy.

The Lord brought me to two verses that He actually led me to on Sunday. Isaiah 55 has been my prophetic verse for this year ( the 55 on my e-mail is from that), and Pastor Jason read it last Sunday during worship. Before he read it, I was sensing Isaiah 54. They are both about Zion being restored from her former devastation to her future glory. As I re-read them, I was struck by the references to fear. "Do not be afraid, you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace, you will not be humiliated...in righteousness you will be eastablished...no weaon formed against you will prosper"
I hadn't realized it til then, but shame was the underlieing fear: that I would get to Bethel only to find that I didn't really have enought money, or that the place I'd had to stay in a crappy place, or my check wouldn't come and I'd be without funds for the month of July, etc.etc. all leading up to the biggest fear: the God is not behind me...that I am shamefully on my own, doing my own thing without his blessing.
Well, it couldn't be farther from the truth! I've never had so much blessing, and really all the fearful things that keep coming up are drawing out of me all thses unnecessary, ungodly fears. His provision, His faithfulness are actualized more and more. And Amber, as we were sharing stories, said she felt like God had lead me through a very difficult time and had restored me to where there were no scars, only his glory. She didn't know me from Adam, and she percieved this.
There's more about the verses, esp. 54. It talks about God beautifying the temple with turquoise and sparkling jewels. That Suanday I happened to have painted my finger nails glittery, and was wearing turouise rings. Then yesteday before I sat with the Lord I accedently spilled glitter from my makeup bag that I thought was lip gloss all over myself. I was sparkling when I read the passage. God is so funny.

One last thing; this is a good one. So, I'm trying not to be grumpy as I'm spraying my car with sap spray, trying to scrub the caked on bus and sap off my pretty Shadow. I'm asking the Lord, as it's not coming off, "Why? Why give me a spit-shined car, and then allow me to do something as stupid as park under a sappy tree and ruin it forever? Why?"
Then this scruffy guy and girl all in black with a media hat ask me for directions to Bethel. We get to talking and it turns out they hitched a ride from a church friend from Bakersfield because they felt called to Bethel. She worked for the media dept. at International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and is hoping for a job here with the church. I said I'd love to give them a ride. They said they'd love to help me get sap and bugs off me car.
These are hysterically funny people. We ended up haing them over for pizza, and had a blast sharin stories and laughing.

This was a very long blog, but God really has done so much, I can't imagine leaving anything out!

Blessings to you, and thank you for all your prayers. Please pray for my first day of school today, that I'll remain centered and choose the right classes. There's also a huge phone bill I'm trying to figure out. I keep seeing Brandon's face smiling " It's really not a big deal"