Here are some pictures from St. Augustine

This one is Matt and his shark. It looks like a baby Hammerhead, but really it's full grown. I am not sure what it's actual name is but the locals call it a Dog Fish. I just wikipedia (ed) dog fish and it says that this is common name for several species of small sharks. He had really nasty teeth and was NOT happy about being caught, we let him go, and Matt even was able to keep his bait!

These next two pictures are my adorable nieces on the beach. They loved the sand and water so much!!!! It was a blast watching them learn and explore their new environment! In the top picture, Caroline is laughing in the background, Abby is in the front. I can't really tell on the bottom picture, but I think Caroline is on the left and Abby is on the right.

This is Matt and I on the beautiful St. Augustine beach. You can see the white beaches and the Atlantic Ocean in the back.

This is a picture I took from the top of the lighthouse. It over looks a peninsula and part of the bay. Just over the peninsula you can see the ocean.

Update and New Job

Yes, you all read correctly, after months and months of waiting and let downs, I finally have a new position at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta! On July 30, I will begin at the very first Child Life Specialist for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I got the news while i was at the beach and all was made official this week with sending in my resignation from the Emergency Dept. Because of already approved travel, my last weekend day working will be July 8th!!! WOOOHOOO!!! Finally I will have my weekend nights free. There may be an occasional Saturday that I come in to work with siblings, but this will not be on a regular basis and will only be for an hour or two. I am very excited about this job, apprehensive about the challenges it will bring, but I honestly can't wait to begin this next step in my career!

Now for the life update. All of my trips were great, and the highlight of this past month was visiting family in St. Augustine. Matt and I had a great time, and it was so good to have him meet my extended family and for him to see a city that is dearer to my heart than even Athens. We hung out on the beach with my nieces, went to my favorite seafood restaurant, cooked out at my Uncle's house, walked through Castillo de San Marco (a.k.a. "the fort"), climbed the 219 steps to the lighthouse, and even did a little fishing with my cousin where Matt caught a little shark that resembles a hammerhead! If I remember, I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how small I think God is, and how big I think others are. I care more about the approval of others than I do about who I am in Jesus. I get my feelings hurt unnecessarily, and become self conscious when I am not doing what the "crowd" is doing. I strive off of others compliments, and my mood will completely change when I hear about how great someone thinks I am.....yet when I am reminded of the Truth of the Gospel and WHO I am called to be and WHO loved me enough to die and face separation from His Father, it doesn't even phase me one bit. I need to be reminded everyday that my hope and my worth has NOTHING to do with what others think of me, and everything to do with what He has done for me and what I cannot do for myself.

On yet another note, I visited Camp Westminster last night for the Friday night bonfire. It was so good to be out there and see the kids and hear their simple, yet profound words about the Gospel. It was great to see the next generation of counselors, kids that I had as campers, out there as counselors loving on kids as I did so many years ago. It made me miss it though. It made me wish that I hadn't grown up so fast. I wish I could still be out there, that I could still be part of the day to day ministry of those 122 acres in the middle of Conyers, GA.