You would never imagine all of the different products that are in the Wal-Mart "travel-size" section. It's hilarious. Mini hairspray, mini soap bars, mini hand sanitizer, mini stain wipes, mini paper towels. I have now mini-sized my collection of toiletry items. And they are all packed neatly in little "travel bags", which will even pass through the security at airports, and are basically ziploc bags. Oh well. They look cool anyway, all seven of them, with airplanes on the front and an arrow showing me how to close them.

I keep getting asked if I'm nervous, excited, scared of homesickness...none of the above, really. I'll be nervous tomorrow, trust me. I doubt I'm going to be homesick, no offense to my dear family. Excited? Definitely!

So...prayer requests. Pray for my physical condition; many of you know about my back and ankle problems. My back especially will cause me pain. I have had a hard time keeping up my physical therapy exercises, so pray that time is given for that, even at SMTS. Pray that the pain does not distract me from learning, and retaining what I will be learning. I think I have all of my piano songs mastered, but pray that I don't mess up really bad during worship times!

Pray for my family at home. Especially pray for my little sisters, the 2 and 5 year olds; apparently it is very difficult for them when I am gone. Amy, 5, will put things on my pillow to welcome me home. I left for four days a few weeks ago, and came home to bubble gum, tic tacs, and an orange Starburst. As Mom commented, my pillow is going to look like a shrine when I get home.

And finally, pray that I would have humility to accept whatever God brings my way over these next two weeks. I don't want to just know, but believe that all things work together for good for those who love God. Everything is predestined by God; I'm just here for the ride.

Romans 8:28-39, "God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become confromed to the image of His Son, that He might be that first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; whome He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justified; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principlities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, not any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."