Update

Hello friends and family,
It has been a busy month! While I have uploaded my photos from my November and early December appearances, I haven't had time to sit down and write about them. It's the end of the semester. I am preparing to administer final exams, finishing up some grading, and submitting grades this week.

I also had my first experience as Toastmaster last week (Thank you to everyone, but especially Mike Dobbs, for making this first-time experience as painless as possible). I have been giving presentations to Mrs. Mills' 5th class, I spoke to a very young group of boy scouts, and I spoke to the third, fourth, and fifth grade classes at Skelly Elementary's student of the month assembly last week. I have had so much fun and I have learned as much from these students as they have probably learned from me. I am finding it much harder to relate to children at 27 years old than I found the same task when I was 19 or 20. It's just been so long since I was 10! I also did some modeling in November (which was fun and is helping to fund the pageant expenses), celebrated my wonderful sister-in-law Carla's (29+1)-th birthday, had a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner at my sister-in-law Melissa's home, and sang the national anthem at the BMX Grand Nationals, the biggest BMX event of the year (other than the Olympics).

I was also elected Vice President Public Relations of our Toastmaster's club. My experiences in Toastmasters have been so helpful to me. It is my hope that my participation, preparation, and public relations efforts will benefit others and introduce new people to our wonderful organization. Visit our club online.

I am looking forward to doing more with Blended Love, a wonderful Tulsa-based organization that supports children of divorce in public schools, and continuing to support Kendall Whittier, Inc.'s programs, especially the new Fab Lab project, this year. I look forward to teaching many more marriage workshops for OMI as well!

While I find myself looking ahead a lot as 2009 comes to a close, I am doing my best to take the time to enjoy the present moment, to serve in small ways where I am, and to always give the glory and honor to God, where it belongs. I am confident and excited about the future because I know I'm the daughter of an amazing all-powerful God! But I also know I'm only human and I have so much room to grow and so much to learn. God's greatness is most evident in our weakness. My prayer is that He'll use every part of us, strengths, weaknesses, personality quirks, and all that He created us to be, for His glory this year.

I'll update the blog with photos and entries about my events soon!
May God bless you and your families during this wonderful season.

Sasha Townsend