Dear God,

I want to pray for the accounts payable lady who I just spoke to on the phone. You know the one I'm talking about, the one who was very rude and mean to me. I have learned that people who are angry like that must have anger in their heart as well. I know she was not lashing out at me personally, I was just at the receiving end of her frustration at anger. Please God, help her find peace.

Love, Tara

I'm not too sure who all read my blog yesterday with my request for prayers, for all of you that did, THANK YOU! My prayers were answered. I have never seen the work of God so strong and it made me MORE of a believer. Daniel and I have been talking for a while now about me moving to Fairbanks. We have recently decided that after spring semester at UAA I will be headed there for good. I have been taking baby steps because I am TERRIFIED about moving there. I made an appointment with my UAA advisor to discuss transfering my credits to UAF. I have been looking through the Fairbanks classifides daily to check out the job market. All day yesterday I was feeling scared and anxious about the whole move. So I wrote a blog asking people to pray for me, to ask God to show me the right answer. The main reason I was feeling scared was because this is a big step, I'm not sure if things will work out between Dan and me. I will be leaving a good job, selling off my furniture, and basically heading to Fairbanks with the clothes on my back, love in my heart, and the hope of finding another good job. This morning I woke up at peace with my decision. I had text messaged my friend, Cari, last night asking if she needed any furniture because I was going to be leaving and she just bought a new house in Palmer. She texted me back this morning and said she could definitely use some. We came up with the plan that I wasn't going to charge her for it, but if things don't work out and I end up moving back home I will be able to take my furniture back. Being the great friend she is, she also offered up room in her crawl space for my other valuables that I won't be taking with me. I know this was all a part of God's plan. Now I feel great about moving there and I know everything will work out the way it's supposed to.

"Do you have a case of the Mondays?"

Another Monday and here I am at work. I was here at 7:30 a.m. this morning in preparation for the hours I will miss due to my three days classes during the week at UAA. How great it is that I have a boss that lets me take time off work to go to college. My job is the one thing keeping me in Anchorage, and I'm sad to say that it isn't reason enough anymore. Daniel and I have been talking about me moving to Fairbanks. It's the more practical thing to do. Daniel is in the process of owning his own business, so there is now way he can move for the next couple of years. We have decided it would be easiest for me to move. I meet with my UAA advisor today to see what I need to do to transfer to UAF. I plan on taking summer classes, so if I can transfer there in time for that, I'll be moving in May. If not, I will be moving in August after classes have ended. I am terrified. Daniel is the love of my life and I want to be with him. I'm just scared of not finding a good job. I'm scared of it not working out with Daniel and me. I have never done anything like this in my life, I have always been very stable and put work before anything else. My best friend, Ashley, asked me what I would say if he asked me to marry him tomorrow. I said without a doubt in my mind, yes. Then she said I should move to Fairbanks. I am looking to God for the answer, please help me pray so I can make the right decision.

"My father said being an artist was the shortest road to the poorhouse, claiming "real" work is something you don't like. I ignored him through oppositional behavior, later reasoning that only an idot sets out to find the poorhouse, not to mention devote himself to something he doesn't love. Instead, I discovered an interesting back road to the unknown, and deliberately without a safety net."
~Russel Chatham~painter, lithographer, author, publisher, and restaurateur.

This reminds me of my own father, although not in a negative way. I know that my father wanted us to seek out an education towards a job that would always provide for us. I admire people like Mr. Chatham who are able to make a great living doing what they love. I would love to be a freelance writer and be successful at it, but instead I'm majoring in accounting because it pays well and I'm good at it. Although, I am really thinking of pursuing an associates or even minoring in journalism, because writing is what I love.

Ten days (counting today) until I see my love. Every time I think of him I thank God for allowing us to meet. I know that every relationship I had ended because I was supposed to be with Daniel. I didn't know it was possible to love someone this much. He is everything I've always wanted and everything I'll ever need.

I love this picture of Daniel and me. He recently cut off all his gorgeous curls, so now his hair is really short. I love his smile in this picture and I try hard to remember what it was that was making him laugh so hard. That is the great thing between the two of us, there is always laughter. Eleven more days until I get to see him again! How lucky we were to meet in Valdez!

Great friends, loud laughs, and beer. I believe they make the world go round. Tonight I have plans with my dear friends, Cari and Drew. We are the last ones remaining from "the old group." There used to be a bunch of us who would get together at John's apartment to hang out. We keep that memory alive. Drew has became an older brother to me. I am so excited to see them tonight!

It has been a long time since I posted a blog! It seems I am on here once a week checking out my sister, Katie's, blog! Just thought I would write one for my own. Every since Katie met Isaac I hoped and prayed that I would meet a guy as great as him. I know how happy he makes her. Strangely enough, I met that guy WHILE visiting Katie and Isaac in Valdez. I had driven to Valdez for the Labor Day weekend of 2006. My good friend, Steve, was also in Valdez with a bunch of his buddies going fishing. One of the nights I spent at their campground and that is where I met Daniel Lamar Stephens. We have been dating for a little over four months now and I am completely in love with him. He lives in Fairbanks but we travel back and forth as much as we can. In fact, I'm flying there tomorrow after work! It has been almost two weeks since we've seen each other and I am so excited!!