hmmm

Things I've learned from being in this room alone:

I don't see my family nearly enough.

I love living with people.

I love laughing with people.

I choose to have a lot of noise in my life.

I am learning to find beauty in silence.

I fill my schedule with a lot of frivilous things.

I love to read...lots of things, old novels, my bible in large portions, my journals, letters.

I miss a lot of people from... elementary school, high school, fairmount camp, youth group, voices of power, river terrace, new zealand, accesss, summit grove, yolijwa, pascagoula, bayou la batre, pine ridge, and new york city...

I have had an INCREDIBLE amount of opportunities in my life to go places and be exposed to the world.

I love long times of prayer.

I am so thankful for so many things I take for granted daily.

I need to tell more people what they really mean to me more often.

I am overwhelmingly blessed.

I want to learn more...

Our Worship...

There was once a story told of a young group of people in China who gathered for a Bible study and as they sat in a small cold basement they tried to stay quiet so that no one from the street could hear them speaking. All of the sudden there was a break in of several communist soldiers ready to come against them forcefully, they kicked the Bibles from their hands and forced their heads to the open Bible saying, “If you’ll only spit on this Bible we will let you go and we won’t harm you.” One by one young adults came up felt the cold hard boot of the soldier on the back of their neck, spat on the Bible, and were released. Yet, there was one young girl at the back of the line that had her neck pressed to the Bible as well and she lifted her trembling hand, not to wipe her tears, but rather to wipe the spit off the Bible. After they shouted at her to stop, she quietly kept wiping it off was promptly shot in the head. Her blood was shed protecting the sacredness of worship.

Thousands of people across the globe know of Christ, and many cannot worship Him freely because of the way they are living. A girl who is only 14 and yet forced to sleep with several men a day just to survive and not be thrown away by the pimp that stole her from her family. Or we could take a glance at maybe a young man in Iraq who is immersed in the Islamic culture that would be cut out of his family for even the thought of worshipping this Jesus man. And then there is the picture of maybe an IWU student, or maybe the frustrated Pastor’s kid, or some one who had a bad experience in the church all three fighting to change what has happened to them, or the way that they believe worship to be.


Are we fighting for the wrong things?

Jesus’ fight was for worship to be available to all through the freedom that came by His death and resurrection.

Seems to me that it is probable that we should be fighting less for us to have worship the way we want it and just start
getting into the dirty of the world to fight for others to have the freedom to worship at all.


Your thoughts?

Finals...

Monday at 3 has FINALLY come!!! woohoo!

I had an exegesis and a math final and they were both well...okay.

But they are done. I praise God for getting me through my all-nighter.

Certainly wasn't any strength or words of my own.

I'm tired, but God is good. :)

Hooray for naps...this one will be more than amazing. :)



"Make yourself necessary to somebody. Do not make life hard to any." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Winding Down...

Oh how I have tangled myself in the procrastination web yet again...so so so many things to do and it all must be finished by 8 am on Wednesday. From the surface it sounds pretty simple, but I have three basic yet HUGE things to get done. All the while figuring out I am going to get my things out of the way for a couple other girls to move in here and get myself moved into another room...we'll see how that works.
I am looking forward to summer. My May Term class should be fun and I know I will be pushed in my job. I want to learn so much more...from God, about who I am, about how to grow more, about my abilities, about life in general. The two greatest things I can think of to do now are reading (for fun!) in the sunshine and laying under stars. What a huge blessing this weather has been!

Yeah, so nothing too important to post...just finishing an exegesis today and taking every shot I get at being outside! :)

Here's some thoughts I enjoyed from Oswald Chambers this week:
"Readiness for God means that we are ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, it makes no difference. We have no choice in what we want to do, whatever God's program may be we are there, ready. When any duty presents itself we hear God's voice as Our Lord heard His Father's voice, and we are ready for it with all the alertness of our love for Him. Jesus expects to do with us as His Father did with Him."

Here I go again...

Well, I used to have a blog on here and then I just all of the sudden quit with the posting on it. I think it's good
though because it seems to be the only way that I am disciplined enough to get myself to sit down and journal.
Hopefully this works out. Seems to be kinda a trend these days...I don't know how much I am into being trendy
but here it goes. :)

Life has been, well, pretty lovely lately. I think it's fitting that I just list some blessings in my life to start this out.

1. My Parents: Who could ask for two more incredible people to be placed in their life? Granted there were some
rough spots in my life, but they have only driven me forward. (<---due to an incredible God...I'll get to that) From
the time in sixth grade when I set my path toward IWU my parents have supported and encouraged me to follow
the path that God was leading me to. Know that I am the girl that says "yes, Lord...okay now what did I agree to?" so
they have been just amazingly incredible in situations where even I didn't know what I was headed into. They see
everything they do for me as an investment in the kingdom and I just could never be greatful enough for all they are.
Yeah, I love 'em. :)

2. My Friends: Looking back over my life thus far, there have been many friends who have come and gone, but each
of them shaped me in important ways. There are just so many people in my life right now that are contributing to
who I am and being supportive. Probably it's you, the person who took the time to click on this and read my ramblings.
For those of you that care about my rambling life...thank you. It means more than you know and I'm sure more than
I tell you.

3. My School: Cliche or something...maybe, but IWU has really been amazing to me. I have so many professors that go
out of their way on so many occasions to assure me and give me Godly guidance. I could never have imagined how
amazingly supportive they would be! The Religion Department has considerably overdone themselves in being there
for me...and it's not like I'm the only one. I am so greatful for the way that they care about each of us.

4. My Lord: There's a commonly used sermon illustration from the scene in Indiana Jones in which he is above this huge drop off and just steps out over it with his foot dangling and a rock appears underneath where he steps. I cannot count
how many times I've had my foot dangling over the ledge and He has not just put a rock there but also chose to pour
out blessing upon blessing in every moment of my life. No matter what this world is doing around me or if times are
amazing or amazingly tough He gives me the joy and strength it takes to keep serving Him. Oh that I could grow to deal
with others in the way He has dealt with me time and time again.

5. Other: My summer job-Conference Services Coordinator, nervous but I know I'll be used.
Going to the Cayman Islands in August!!!!! The amazing Patrice has invited me to her home to chillax on the beach, hooray!



That is all for now...but how about you...have any blessings you wanna share? Love to see your comments! :)

Live like you mean it...