Wow, she's actually posted a blog!

That is what many of you (ahem, especially Mr. Anonymous in Brunswick) are thinking...it's about time she wrote another blog. Yes folks, I know. My original intent was to keep up with this thing, and well, like other excuses, life got in the way. We'll see how well I can keep this new trend up, though. So...what have I been up to, eh?

Well let's start with that I left my job at UGA on August 8. I don't think I had officially posted the blog on here about it, who knows, I might have. But anyway, I decided to leave my full-time job to pursue my master's degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. I needed time to devote to school, and I needed time to devote to myself to get well. So I began classes on August 18.

Well, backtrack a couple of days - my 26th birthday was on August 11. I had a marvelous celebration - with family and friends that lasted a couple of weeks, really.

So my classes started on August 18. I'm just about to start week four of my semester, and things are really going well. I am taking three classes - one of them a prerequisite undergraduate class that I didn't take the first time around because I wasn't a psychology major. The other two are the beginning classes of the master's program. So far, so good - I am 4 weeks into the prereq Developmental Psychology class, and my second class will start September 15. With the distance learning program (aka online), you have the option to tier your classes so that they don't all start and begin at the same time. So I have three eight-week courses that will start at different times, it is designed to help with the course load of non-traditional students (those with families, jobs, etc.). For this semester I'm trying it out so I can get used to class and college again, and then I'll probably opt for the classes to be all at the same time.

I am really enjoying my class on Developmental Psychology. We are basically learning how the human body/brain develops from birth to death. I have already learned so much - everything is absorbing a lot more this time around, probably because I am motivated and actually enjoy what I am learning!

I have also made some significant progress in the arena of my health. I have begun a detox program, which is aiding in how much energy I have every day as well. Now that my body is pretty much recuperated from 3 months of hard-core IV antibiotics, I am indeed feeling better than I did when we began. That is a positive! I still feel some of the lingering effects of the disease some days though - so I know it's still here. I think we killed a good bit of it, though, with the IV treatment. I have recently gotten an appointment with a good doctor at the Medical College of Georgia (thanks so much for the recomm. MI and Citystreams!) and hopefully he can help me continue on the road to recovery.

I have been getting more sleep at night, eating better and exercising more. I have enjoyed walking in my neighborhood, going to work up to 5 miles a day, that is my goal. I used to walk that much when I lived with my grandparents for a year after college down at the family lake house. When I was walking 5 miles a day down there, I lost 50 pounds relatively quickly. It is my hope to accomplish the same goal and more again. I have lost a few already here and there, though I don't have an actual number because I refuse to look at a scale right now. I can just tell it in my clothes.

The stress level in my life has reduced significantly. While I enjoyed most of the folks I worked with at UGA and enjoyed working for UGA in general - there were daily stresses that literally shouldn't have been daily stresses that kept adding up. I have erased most of those stresses from my memory, simply becuase I want to look back at my days at UGA and think of them fondly.

But I will say I am indeed glad and thankful for the new change in my life. I welcome the challenge of my master's degree and the challenge of my health because it was time to step up and make some changes in my life. I cannot tell you how much happier I am because I made the decision to do so! The good Lord has patiently been right beside me, guiding me to where I need to be. Even when I was impatient and wanted to make all kinds of hasty decisions, He was there to make sure that I didn't because He knew when the right time would be. I can see that now. And that is all part of God's amazing grace - the fact that sometimes the puzzle pieces just don't seem to fit, but in good time, they will all make a beautiful picture.

My little sister, Lisa, you know who lives with me at my house, recently got a baby Pug and she has just been an absolute delight to take care of and love. Her name is Bella, and she is the most precious thing ever. She loves to give kisses - and loooves to play. I mean, what puppy doesn't? My kitties have recepted well to her arrival - and so Lisa and I are adjusting to having a 'baby' in the house.

Well, I think that after a massive post after a massive amount of time without one, I will draw this to a close. I can't make promises that I will update this every day, but I will do my very best :)

All the best,
Joy