The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the water spout.

Down came the rain and washed the spider out.

Then out came the sun and dried up all the rain,

and the Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the spout again.

This is my life right now. The weather is quite predictable in its own unpredictable way. The mornings start out just about the same; sun shining, the air is cool and the ground is dry. Then somewhere between 2pm-4pm, the weather changes to anything between a light drizzle to a full onslaught of a super cell. Then somewhere between 15 minutes to an hour and a half, the light drizzle/super cell will stop and the sun will return to dry up all the rain. And the Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the spout again.

Soon I will start my training as a character attendant in Magic Kingdom! I will have to be trained at all the parks to be sure I can properly keep Disney's icons safe and sound. No one wants to meet Minnie if shes sad and crying! (Well, maybe if they want to give her a hug and make her feel better). I am super excited for my role and I know I can perform well onstage.

Aside from training for the experience of the internship, I have also started my two classes now. Yesterday and every Monday for the next 9 weeks I will have Experiential Learning and today and every Tuesday for the next 9 weeks I will have Human Resource Management. Both of my professors are very sweet and absolutely love their jobs. You can see it in their eyes! There are some crazy fun assignments that I have to do, which I may elaborate on later as they unfold. I think I am going to thoroughly enjoy both of these classes and hopefully the other two classes I will be taking next term for the fall.

With all the official stuff out of the way, I can happily say that my buddy and I are settling in quite well. We have gotten into the routine of which buses to take to get to the stores, which buses to take to get to the various parts of each of the parks and for the most part, we get along with our respective roommates and the others' as well! As for me personally, there were a few hiccups amongst my roomies and the apartment. We need to set a cleaning schedule and need a few things for the bathroom that we share. On the micro-level, me and my roommate (there are 2 per room in this 3 room apartment) get along quite well. She likes to spend her time gaming just like me, so we are both practically on our computers in our leisure. I have also found time to read some more, which I cherish at the beginning of my training. I am sure that once I get to working and classes start to pick up, I won't have nearly as much free time as I do now.

Now that I am getting acclimated to the routine of work, classes, shopping on the bus, the Disney Look, the many Disney Guidelines and life with 5 other people, I can honestly say that I can blatantly see that there are some people here who I am meant to help. There are also people here who are meant to help me. There is so much learning I want to do as well as teaching that I want to show. As big as Disney is for me right now, I don't want to lose sight of how much bigger Christ is in my life, wherever I am. Whenever I get the chance, I still wear my oversized cross and everyday I wear my scripture ring. Despite the information overload I am experiencing, I want to somehow remember to keep Christ in the middle of it all, not pushed off to the side. That being said, my eyes have been opened to many volunteer opportunities linked with being in the Disney College Program, which all sound super amazing and fun. Though these programs and trips are the obvious ways to serve Christ and help people all the time, I get this pinching feeling in my heart that there is something much bigger that I am supposed to help with. Perhaps not something as big as say changing something within the company, but something a bit closer to home-base. Just about everyday, I see people who live and fill their lives with something harmful (alcohol, gossiping, health carelessness, etc.) and wonder why they still feel empty. They know there is something missing, but instead of taking a step back to see what it is, they continue to fill up with these attributes they don't need. I may not know what their lives were like before they came here, but I can spot an empty person when I see one (usually). That being said, I don't mean to imply that I haven't met anyone who doesn't have Christ in their life or at least have some form of focus/care for their health and future. It just so happens that many of the people that I see here are rather reckless and carefree in a negative way. Drinking and smoking and drinking and smoking until you pass out is not the healthiest way to spend one's day off. I think anyone can agree to that on some level.

One reason why I can believe that I am here for a reason is because, if one does a little research, you will find out that Vista Way Apartment complexes, where I currently live, is considered one of the “best places to get laid, next only to the Playboy Mansion” according to quite a few articles and websites. This place has also gained a nickname, being called Vista “Lay” instead of Vista Way. To me, that's scary. Here I am, smack-dab in the middle of this place! Although, personally, I don't think God could have put me in a better place to shine His light. He loves His children but let's face it, we are reckless and don't think too far ahead into the future at this age. A large group of twenty-somethings, extra spending money and very few classes to attend is a mixture for impulsive, instant self-gratifying behavior which can have dire consequences in the long run and even in the moment. I could have chosen to be in a Wellness apartment (Chattam Square or Patterson Court) with the folks who are under 21, but at that age there is a whole different type of drama (*cough* HIGH SCHOOL *cough) that I'm not sure I could deal with on a semi-daily basis. Then again, we pick and choose our battles, to some extent...

Though I have time to spend here, I don't want to waste time helping people. For now, I will bide my time and wait for the right moments. A good message delivered at the wrong moment will not be received well. God is shaping my heart and my words to those I need to speak and I know He will always guide me. I will follow the guidelines set forth for me and with a smile on my face and Christ in my heart, I want everyone to have a magical day!