His Purpose Prevails

I hate traveling.  That’s not to say I hate going new places, seeing new things, and meeting new people. I actually really enjoy all of that. But I am a destination-oriented person, and traveling is often full of cramped cars, coach seats, gas-station or airplane bathrooms, and tiring hours listening to the maddening mechanical hum of whatever vehicle you’re traveling in.  Once you arrive, though, that is when you can begin enjoying what you came for, right?  The most brilliantly composed metaphor for the way I feel when traveling is captured by an episode of one of my favorite shows: Avatar: The Last Airbender. The episode begins with the main characters on their way to a particular city when they meet a group of hippie-like nomads who encourage them to take a less well-used route to their destination. Their side-route allows them to avoid their enemies, but creates a few more obstacles. After some creative finagling, they all manage to get to where they were going with a

I have lived in Arkansas for a little over six months. Some of it has been really difficult. Some of it has been really fun. As a whole, the adjustment from single college student to married full-time worker has not been easy for me. There are a few differences between Arkansas and Texas that I didn’t anticipate. 1. Higher sales tax: Arkansas is one of the top five states when it comes to sales tax rates 1 . Local governments here contribute their own sales tax to a state-wide sales tax, meaning more of your daily spent dollar doesn’t go toward your groceries. A whopping 9.19%. Ew. At least the roads here are better than Oklahoma’s. 2. Climate & wildlife: The weather is only minimally different here than in North Texas 2 , but the seasons are distinct and the countryside is forested rather than flat. The trees are huge here. We have a grove that’s taller than a three-story building behind our apartment. I drive over the river and through the woods every day to get to work, a

This weekend, one of my husband’s dear friends got married. The first of three of his friends to get married this summer. He was the first of his college friends that I was able to get to know extensively during a summer stay with Walker’s family in Dallas, and consequently, one of the most down-to-earth people I know. He has been a steadfast friend to my husband for the past three years. They even got to share a best man, who was their RA freshman year.   His fiancé was one of the first girls I connected with at JBU, and she opened up her dorm room for me to stay when I visited Walker in the fall. I quickly discovered that she is a witty, intelligent, book-loving writer who shares a lot of similar passions. I was incredibly excited to be able to celebrate the kick-off of their marriage with them, and even though they’re going to be living far away from us (Texas is just too attractive, I know), it is good to welcome another pair of friends into a growing fold.