where the peace is

The wisest words I ever heard
Came with a gentle wind
Though it didn’t hit me then
It made no sound
‘Til no one was around
This it blew me to my knees
And handed me the keys

Go, just go where the peace is
You always know if you seek it
Go, just go where the peace is
You always know if you seek it

I know the truth
I can show it to you
Or anybody else
But can’t apply it to myself
I already know which way to go
If I stop and breathe the air
The answer is right there

You can fight
You can try with all your might
It may be the hardest thing
But it’s the only way to peace
Close your eyes
Count to ten
Take a deep breath and try again

You have access By one Spirit

Go, just go where the peace is
You always know if you seek it
Go, just go where the peace is
You always know if you seek it

*coolhandluke

conference went well. it was crazy. great. that song almost sums up what it was like for me.
where will i be going?
keep in mind that the location is not finalized for a few weeks.
the peace is: west africa.
not the country i've already been to.
once i know that is indeed where i'll be going, i let you know the name of it.

more later!

my prayer

"let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for i am trusting you. show me where to walk, for i have come to you in prayer...teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious spirit lead me forward on a firm footing." psalm 143: 8 & 10

"show me the path where i should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. all day long i put my hope in you." psalm: 25: 4-5

ICA

my father chose my name: Jessica Leigh Busko.
i like my name. i don't like being called Jess. only two people are allowed to do so: my dad and my aunt. that's it, no exceptions. if you don't feel like pronouncing the ICA, then pick something else...just not jess!

previous or present names that i don't mind answering to:
jessica
miss tetka
busko
bassé
jb

you can make up something for all i care. not jess though!
thanks for understanding.

i emptied the peanut butter and the jelly jar at the same time this week
quite amazed
i over slept by two hours and 45 minutes on wednesday
haircut today
free manicure and pedicure tomorrow
my body aches all over
i over do it
by day i work with ...
by night i go to school
on weekends i study and babysit
i miss traveling
traveling more in the next few months
ready for cooler weather
i want a camera
i'm not broke, but i say i am
i'm making sweet tea for the first time in a long time
time is flying
there is so much bird poo on my car, it looks like it has been egged
i love laughing
i love randomness
i probably love you

strong tower

when i wander through the desert
and i'm longing for my home
all my dreams have gone astray
when i'm stranded in the valley
and i'm tired and all alone
it seems like i've lost my way

i go running to your mountain
where your mercy sets me free

you are my strong tower
shelter over me
beautiful and mighty
everlasting king
you are my strong tower
fortress when i'm weak
your name is true and holy
and your face is all i see

in the middle of my darkness
in the midst of all my fear
you're my refuge and my hope
when the storm of life is raging
and the thunder's all i hear
you speak softly to my soul

*kutless

high five for...

chick-fil-a!

i've always been a fan of chick-fil-a, but today the restaurant made my day.

after class this evening i had about an hour before i had to be somewhere. i was hungry and decided on chick-fil-a. i decided to park and go inside since i wasn't in a hurry and because i was going to use my debit card. it was definitely not crowded. nice young lady took my order, smiling the whole time. i took out my debit card and was informed that their server was down, so they could only accept cash or checks. well i told her to cancel my order then b/c i didn't have any cash or my checkbook. the young manager was standing there. he said, "don't worry about it." voided my order and handed me the food and drink. huh? free food? something isn't right. he said that it wasn't my fault that their server was down, and that i therefore didn't have the means to pay for the food. nice fellow. i was bound and determined to pay for the food, for some reason it just didn't seem right. i said, "i know it is going to come out of someone's pocket." then i offered to bring some money tomorrow. he said they would look at me like i was an idiot. well, truth be told, i was already feeling pretty stupid. .... at the last second, i realized that i had paid my bills at work today and therefore by checkbook was in the car. i ran to the car then paid with a check. whew! the manager and girl thought i was crazy. they just kept laughing at me!

this manager was by far the most...let's see, dedicated that i have ever seen. at one point in the conversation, he pointed to a picture on the wall of the founder and said, "that is what he would want." most managers i have come across, would just cancel the order and not try help you out. i would rather him have the chance to give some free food to someone who deserves it, someone who truly has no money and was hungry. that wasn't me. made my day!

moral of the story: carry cash, be generous, be thankful.

"Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else-our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return." — Quote from "Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People" by S. Truett Cathy

this event has been encouraging to me, seriously. b/c for the last couple of weeks i have thinking about how we, the things crawling on the earth, are mean, rude, selfish, unloving people. reminds me that not are that way.

where o where?

i am me
excited
anxious
nervous
crazy
soon to know
where i will go
the world is big

yeah i should be a poet.
so later this month i am going to the jman conference. lots to do there, but the biggest thing is learning about job assignments and narrowing down where to go. i have no idea. just praying. its weird and cool and nerve-racking all at the same time. in a month or so i will know where i will be spending two years of my life. today i don't know. tomorrow i won't know either.

thanks to those who are praying with me. we'll know soon.

now i do know that i won't be returning to 1005 smith mountain dr. closing will be later this month. won't see it before then or for a long time after, i assume. so excited that it is selling. mom is ready to move out of the apartment they have in louisville and into the home she wants there.

all makes me realize: life is ever-changing.
no more dville, soon no more uab, alabama, usa........
...and soon enough, no more earth.

heureusement...

...i passed my french history exam.

i always think i do worse than i really end up doing on all of my exams. in reality, its my way of not being dissappointed, but rather glad that i didn't do too bad. well this exam was different. a brief intro:

as this is my last semester at uab, i needed two random courses and two more french courses. so i am in french composition (not too bad) and l'histoire de france (bad!) i don't need a french class at such a high level, but it was my only option if i wanted to graduate in december. i actually like some of the class, its just super duper crazy hard. this would be a hard class if it were in english, but no its in french. ...our first exam. i didn't even answer a good portion of the questions. nothing. blank. i haven't quite learned how to bs in french yet. left the exam scared. wondering if it would keep me from graduating. ....the suspense lasted until this evening.

a comment at the top of my exam: "dommage que tu aies raté..." (it's a shame that you failed...")
oh my i failed??? okay, i really didn't think i would actually fail. i just wanted to make myself think that i failed, so that when i passed i could be content. oh goodness...

somehow, literally i don't understand, i passed. with a B. weird. doesn't make sense. je ne comprends pas! no complaints though. craziness. oh about the its a shame part...i didn't read the whole comment. it was referring to the fact that i failed the section which i left blank.

only two months of college education left. will i ever learn to not freak about about school? no. and i don't know why.

tomorrow i have a mid-term in my Eastern European Politics class. i also have to turn in my topic for a paper/presentation on developments in Eastern Europe since 1989. brainstorm with me: any narrowed down ideas????? gotta know by 1730 tomorrow.

it's october!

oh my, it's crazy that it is already october.
i am reminded and shocked that it is october:

the cool weather
i had to buy my cap & gown
loan exit counseling
soup and chili time
i have to put the flip-flops away
bought a new winter coat
midterms and papers
going to the jman conference this month

and i got some pics developped from...





















lisa's wedding. ooops, i forgot to get a pic of scott, the groom.
they've been married for two months now.















joey and i at the wedding.
















riding a funky bird in louisville. there were all these weird, painted birds along the river. mom wasn't paying attention to what the birds were doing...















and she was swallowed by one mad bird!!!

luckily, i was able to pull her out.
















also while in louisville, mom, dad, and i went to a hotair balloon festival.
mom has always loved hotair balloons, so we woke up at the crack of dawn to head to the air field. it really was quite fun. some 90 balloons raced through the sky.

while at the festival, i witnessed someone do one of the stupidest things i've ever seen. this woman/crew member of one of the balloons was trying to help her balloon land from the ground. the guy guiding this balloon was coming in way fast and the STUPID woman held onto the balloon as it bounced back in the air. she didn't let go until she was 20 feet in the air. then boom, she fell. ambulance had to come and everything. all because of her stupidity. now i don't know how to fly/land a hotair balloon, but any idiot could see that this balloon was going to bounce right back up into the air. no sympathy!

rrrrrrooooaaaarrrrrrr!!!!!!

i sat down at church this morning and a fairly new friend walked over. invited me to see the lion king. even tho i have tons to do, i went. it was great. truly. very enjoyable. hakuna matata!



mom and dad moved into an apartment two weeks ago in kentucky. they got an offer on their house today!!!!! still a lot to work out with the offer, but its exciting. praise and pray!


back to my tower of french work.