Updates!! Updates!! What's (been) going on??.

I've actually been writing a lot in the past 6 months. But it's been more of the old fashion way, just me, my pen, paper and some goooood music! I decided just to write somewhat of an update on here just for lack of online blogging sake. :) Oh, of course! And for my thousands of followers on here! Can't forget about ya'll! ;) Well, whether anyone reads this or not, my online blogging conviction has been set free and I get to review some of the things that have taken place of the past 6 months or so.  With that being said, I'll start with my summer....

Was it a GREAT one or what? I'm pretty sure it was my favorite one thus far! Having the privileged to me up in Maine for two months, surround by a great group of fellas (and a few gals) and young fellas, was just the tip of the iceberg! I was asked to be the group leader for the 14yr old boys. And without hesitation, I accepted! (I had been previously working with the younger boys - 9,10,11- the last 2 summers) With older boys, come more or well, different challenges and opportunity. Now when I say challenges, that does't necessarily mean difficult ones. I had the best time with them along with the other counselors that were in my group! We went on a 3 day whitewater rafting and paint balling trip.... ohhhh man! Where do I even begin to talk about that one? Well, I'll just cover the highlights we gave to the camp director when we returned. ;) Uh hummm.... let's see... after the 5 hr (slow) bus drive, we arrived in this back woods, middle of no where ( no phone service for miles!) whitewater rafting hotel type place... unloaded our stuff and was taken straight to the paint ball battle fields. (ie, another 15min slooooow bus ride) When we arrived, the counselors quickly formed an alliance and got some of the 15yr old's and took on my group of boys! (PAYBACK time) We didn't lose a match! MUUUhahahaha..... Finally at the end of our battles, it was "time to meet your maker" for a select few of the boys who gave us some trouble on the bus ride up. The counselors and I lined them up in the firing squad position and on the count of 3 the five of us shot the rest of our paint balls at them! Needless to say, we didn't get too much trouble from them during the rest of the trip. :) It was all in fun, none of them suffered any extreme wounds of any kind. ;) As for the rafting goes.... we started the next morning and had a BLAST! Went through some class 5 and 4 rapids, lost a few youngins, rescued the ones we wanted to keep and made it back to the hotel for a steak dinner! GREAT trip!

I would love to share some of the other adventures (especially the Quebec trip) but honestly were way too many and my fingers would hate me for all the typing they would have to endure!

Soooooo.... My summer went by waaaay too fast. After saying my farewells to all the amazing people at camp, I started my last semester of my undergrad!! WOOP WOOP!! I was particularly excited about this semester, not only because it was my last, but because it had my internship included in it!

I started my internship at St. Josephs Hospital in Atlanta with the Cardiac Rehab department. This is where my life changed in so many ways in those 4/5 months! I can't even begin to describe all that I learned, gained, and appreciated all the kindness and help I received! The patients I worked with changed my attitude on life... it was beautiful to see these strong people go through a type of rehab on their bodies to gain prolonged health and overall fitness. AND, the best part of it for me, is that I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of that process! I gained so much knowledge from the staff and even the patients. I had some of the best conversations with a few of the patients that just shared their story of life and how they ended up there, talking with little ole me! It was beauty at its finest! There was one person in particular that gained my interest.... We'll just call her Ms. Mary Mary for confidentiality sake. :) Well Ms. Mary May was quite the lady back in the day from what everyone was saying... she would always came in dressed in her little exercise jump suit... make up on like she was going on a hott Friday night date and smelling like flowers. (the good smelling kind, not the old gross old nursing home kind) So, she would always come over to me and greet me with a hug and ask me how I'm doing... and I would always say "Giiiiiirrrrrl SO MUCH better now that you're here" and she would always just blush and tell me I was just the sweetest thing! hahaha I loved it!! Well, during one of our MANY conversations, somehow the topic of chocolate milk came about... and if you know ANYTHING about me, you know that chocolate milk is my absolute favorite drink! :) Well two days later, she showed up ready to exercise, gave me my hug, asked me how I was doing.... I gave her my usual answer and then she reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of chocolate milk!! YESSSSSS! I went nuts... and thought it was just one of the kindest gestures someone could do... remember a conversation, go out of their way to buy something as meaningless as a bottle of chocolate milk and give it to me just because it would make me happy. That's awesome to me! Annnnnnnyways... we shared so many stories with each other and became the best of friends! Ms. Mary May became like another Grandma for me! Seeing how both of mine past away a few years back, it was such a blessing to have her in my life! She would give me "girl" advice all the time... it was hilarious! But as time went on, and my time at the hospital was coming to an end, she completed her rehab process and no longer needed to come. On her last day, she asked me how long I had left, and I told her 2 more weeks... so she asked if I would like to have lunch with her a few times while I was still there. Of course I said yes! During our first lunch together she wanted to tell me why she asked about lunch....  She said she wanted to pray with me and talk about this amazing God that I spoke about throughout some of our conversations! Just to go back real fast... she asked me one day why I was so nice to the people there and always so happy... and I said it was because I just felt honored and blessed that the Lord put me in this place to learn and to assist. She went on to say, "I knew there was something different about you". "You love Jesus don't you?" And I said, well yes ma'am I do, very much so! He's saved me, raised me and brought me out of darkness and blessed me beyond belief. She just smiled... and that was the end of that....

Okay, back to the lunch. She asked to pray with me and talk about the Lord more with her because at one point in her life, she did that every day with her husband. (whom passed away about 5 years ago) And mentioned she blamed God for taking him from her and because of that, she stopped praying, going to church and all things about Christ, ceased in her life. She told me that my love was passed  onto her and she gained a new love that shes never felt before! And that she wanted to get involved with her old church again...  have bible studies and so on. And praying with me was just the match to light her fire she said! We met a few more times, prayed together.... embraced for the last time and we went on our ways.... never to be the same again! It's just so awesome to see who or what God puts in our life to help us in whatever time we're in.... it's beautiful!

GRADUATION time!! Internship was over, finals were taken and graduation day finally arrived! I wish I could explain in detail what that day meant to me.... how the transitions and challenges that I went through to get there.... how through sickness and pain, I pressed on and ONLY because of the help and guidance of my Heavenly Father, I finished that journey! As I sat during the commencement speech, I turned to find my parents in the crowd... and when I finally locked on with them, tears were streaming down their face. True happiness at its finest. They said that joy, proud, love, excitement were just a few of the words that went through their thoughts when my name was called and I walked across the stage.... It was a releasing feeling. A weight that was being taken off.... and it felt amazing! :)

That all took place in December... It's now toward the end of January. And here I am.... working toward my new journey and future. Unsure, but extremely excited! I have goals, I have dreams.... and I intend to reach them. I'm on a path that I've been praying for.... and although the terrain doesn't seem easy, I press on and still find the beauty in it all.


Here I am Lord, send me!

ps... here is my intsagram link if you want to follow. :) http://followgram.me/jwalters32