Beach Shots + Words of Thanks

I have walked at least 12 miles in the last eight days from going to the beach. It all started last Monday with a bike ride as a roomie date, and now I'm hooked. It's a good thing rain is in the forecast this week, otherwise I would be there every day this week too. These are pictures from my time there on Saturday afternoon, right after a small but significant amount of homework and before dinner in the SDR (student dining room). My favorite part of going to the beach is not dipping my toes in the still-freezing water, or even sitting on a towel and getting some reading in, but instead the trek through the sand to wherever my feet lead. The only problem is that this beach is limited, unlike previous beaches I've been to at the Gulf of Mexico which have sand as far as you can see. This beach, Oak Street Beach, is limited, but good. I had no idea I loved the beach this much. This definitely changes things as to where I'd love to live one day. Where can you have sheep and also take a walk on the beach?

Totally unrelated, but something kind of big happened two weeks ago: an anonymous donation on my student account to cover 92(ish)% of my last payment for the semester. I got an email the Monday morning after spring break informing me that my account would be updated by the next morning, and that was that. I haven't posted anything about it before now because I didn't know how to put it eloquently, and I still don't, so: thank you. I don't know who it was, and I'm content to not know if the person doesn't want to reveal themselves. It's a really crazy fact to digest, even though it's not a completely new concept to me. After all, our (as in, every Moody Bible Institute Undergraduate Chicago campus student) tuition is covered by donors.

There's not much to say besides that. It's a crazy, mindblowing thing, but it's a fact. While part of me wishes I could keep it a secret and be able to thank the person, that's not possible, so on the blog it goes! In other news, I have three major things due in the next week, which stresses me out a little, but I know they'll all get done somehow. A lesson plan on Malachi, a research paper on how homelessness has an impact on families and children, and a New Testament reading report. There's progress on each, so now I just need to do my best to finish each of them strong. Don't even get me started on the fact that the semester is coming to a close. So many bittersweet feelings on that!

- rl