I'm not sure that I can capture my thoughts about the trip to India. We leave in 3 days and I'm finalizing my preparation. I have no idea what to expect. My dad mentioned that he's bringing a bag of toys, presumably the children at the orphanage that my father's church supports. I did budget to take money for pure giving. I'm praying that the Lord will show me a need that I can address and fulfill. I know that the need there is great and to do one small thing isn't a drop in a bucket.  But I can't dismiss the overwhelming urge I have to help. I'm praying that my efforts will be guided. I did pick up a journal that I'm taking with me. I plan to do a lot of writing and transcribe my thoughts to the blog when I return. A good friend bought me the digital camera that I wanted, so I'll be taking some great photos (and possibly videos) of the trip from beginning to end. I'll do my best to get another entry in before I take my first flight Thursday morning. I counted and now realize I will have 10 flights over the 13 day trip. Please pray for us. Pray for our safety and that the we will hear from the Lord.

        

I had an extraordinary experience at church yesterday. A friend invited me to come to a church that he found and I agreed to go. I thought it a bit odd that he invited me to go...he never invited me in the past and has not yet decided on a home church. He explained that the Pastor is a prophet and that the church service is a bit different from what I'm use to. When we arrived, you could hear the singing all the way up the street. It's a small church with an energetic congregation. To say that I was "lost" when I walked in was an understatement. I told my friend I couldn't understand the words to the song they were singing. Needless to say, it took me a solid 30 minutes to understand all of what was going on and follow the service. 

        

I have a little less than 2 weeks until I leave for India and I'm doing my best to prepare for it. Truth is I feel that my world has been changing bits at a time but cumulatively I've moved leaps and bounds. I just don't feel like the typical "Christie" that I'm use to. I know that my life is evolving and my dedication to following the path that God has given me is giving me a new norm. My best way of explaining it is to say that the things that use to preoccupy my mind and spark my interest are no longer remotely important to me. The business that I'm starting is picking up steam. I've actually filled out all the paperwork I need to be a viable business and I'm just waiting to get back from India to push forward. The business is called "A. Elohim." A. Elohim is what I envision God's signature to be if He were to sign His name....He'd write, " love always, A. Elohim."  His full name is Adonai Elohim, Hebrew for The Lord God. Yes, I named my business The Lord God. Why would I name a business after myself when it doesn't belong to me. It is a Christ-centered business, so it should at least bear God's name. The web address is www.aelohim.com. A lot of my time has been taken making sure everything is set up properly...fictitious name filing, occupational license, Federal EIN, sales tax certificate, domain registration, opening business account. There is still much more to do but everything is coming together. I know that God gave me this business to run and I know that He will bless it. The deeper I get into making this business a reality, the more I am drawn to the Lord, the more time I want to spend with Him, the more I find myself needing to be near Him. There are times that I know that NOTHING else will satisfy me other than to be near the Lord. This is one of those nights. No visitors. No TV. No phone. I just want to be near my God. I want to hear from Him. I want Him to be pleased with this business and I pray that lives are enriched and people come to know Christ as their Savior because the business exists. I'm not sure how going to India will play a part in my overall progression, but I know that I won't be the same after returning. So as I peel off these layers of the person formerly known as "Christie" and move forward, I wait with great anticipation of what is to come. I am not the same. And God willing, I will never be the same. 

        

In exactly 3 weeks I will be leaving for India. I'm not sure what to expect.  I spoke with my mom earlier and she mentioned that I may draw a lot of stares due to my short hair. She said the last time she was there, people would crowd around them and stare. She assumed they haven't seen many Black people before. I'm not sure why skin tone alone would create such a reaction, when there are many Indian people who have a darker complexion than us. She also mentioned the sacredness of the cow. She said they roam the streets freely, poop where they want, and there is nothing you can do about it other than avoid it. They must think we Americans are just horrible with the way we consume beef. I want to take some time this weekend to take inventory on what I have, decide what I need, and buy the difference. I'm hoping to avoid spending as much as possible while away....not sure how successful I'll be.  The lack of job security has me very conscious nowadays. 

        

I received my Visa from the Indian Consulate today. Extremely excited! The reality of this trip is setting in. I was able to stabilize arrangements for Tyler and it appears that everything is in place. I still need to go through my list of required items and begin the packing process.  I'm still having a hard time believing that I'm actually going to India. I've been out of the country before, Mexico and Canada, but to go to the other side of the world and live within a different culture that is so different from my own seems unreal. I've received instructions on what to pack as far as clothing is concerned: No sleeveless shirts, no shorts, nothing remotely showing cleavage, no dresses above the calf...I'm realizing I may need a new wardrobe for this trip. So I'll take inventory and see what I will need....What I KNOW I need is suggestions on what to do during a 17 hour flight. There is only so much sleeping, reading, and movie watching that one can do. I also need to purchase a good camera. I want to make sure this trip is well documented and is captured in written and visual forms.  I leave in 24 days.

        

Well...

        

*long sigh

        

The past week has been something incredible. I'm so use to people quoting scriptures that in the past have meant very little to me. Meaning, the scriptures weren't real, I didn't know them as being true. But over time, many scriptures are becoming "alive" to me. The one that comes to mind is the scripture that "all things work together for the good that love God and are called according to His purpose". What would have been a stressful month-end/year-end process of working late nights without a Nanny (who as of Monday, my first day of late nights, informed me that she took another job and would not be available) has been seamless. God has put people in place to help me with Tyler and I am so, so thankful. I've saved a bunch of money by not paying her....but I know that I will need to find a long-term solution for as long as I'm still working at this job. That reminds my new business that is currently under construction....

        

The momentum from last night has carried over to today. Maybe its working past 7:30 every night this week that is fueling my fire. I found myself awake at 3am this morning brainstorming my new business. My excitement kept me up until 5am. I was itching for lunch time to come so that I could do SOMETHING to move closer to getting the business off the ground. So, I called the local paper to will run the required advertisement to file my fictitious. Once the ad runs I can formally file with the state. From there I can open a bank account and begin conducting business....yeah, I know. I haven't said exactly what it is. But since I have to work straight through the weekend into next week, I'll have more than enough motivation to get the business moving. I'm thrilled about the possibilities.

        

The past few days back to work have been eye-opening. After taking a week off, it's hard to jump back into work life with any level of enthusiasm. But I've come down another bug (chills, body aches, runny nose, you get the idea) and I'm forced to work every day, including the upcoming weekend. I went to lunch with a good friend today and we talked about following the desire that God has given us to pursue other paths in life. I spent a lot of time over my vacation thinking about similar ideas and kind of backed away from it as time went on. Our conversation re-ignited my desire to get a new business off the ground. It's a desire and idea that I know that God gave me and if I don't do it, I'm sure God will find someone to do it...and they will reap the rewards. So I want to make sure that everyday that goes by, I do something to move forward. Working from 8:30 - 8:45pm when you're sick and the Nanny quits at the last minute is more than enough motivation to move forward. I've spent a lot of time away from Tyler over the past few months and it bothers me A LOT. Perhaps my uncomfortable work situation and dissatisfaction is part of God's plan to push me in this direction. Well, it worked.