Up late tonight studying for ed. psych. quiz/test tomorrow. My brain hurts. My workload is manageable this week, but for some reason I feel overwhelmed by one of my assignments. I also am slightly dreading Wednesday, when I am literally going nonstop from 10 am to 7 pm. I think it's funny that a 10-7 stretch is a dreadfully long time to me now....back in high school it was more like 6 am to 10 pm, and I functioned just fine. Over the past few years I've just developed this expectation of having at least a little downtime in the middle of the day....but I suppose that's going to have to change drastically once I get a job! :-)
My friend Mark just dropped me off some buffalo wings from BDubs. They smell delicious and they are going promptly into the fridge so I may enjoy them tomorrow!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE buffalo wings. It's quite tragic that my absolute favorite foods can't be salad and celery...nope, in stark contrast my favorite foods include buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, oreos, dill pickles, macaroni and cheese, and Qdoba burritos. And therein lies the challenge. :-) But alas, my bed is calling. Though I didn't have much to say tonight it felt good to write. It's a nice therapy to blog before I go to bed. :-) So until next time, I bid you adieu!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Quitters
I just got back from watching "He's Just Not That Into You" at the movie theater. If you haven't already seen it, please don't waste your money. It wasn't that it was horrible. It had many great actors and actresses in it. The filming was pretty good, too. But there were several parts of the storyline that just made me angry.
The movie follows the stories of several couples and the different types of relationships they're in. One couple in particular is married, but the husband makes a series of choices that lead him into an affair. When he admits it to his wife, she wants to try and salvage the marriage, and he agrees. Yet he continues to cheat on her as if nothing had happened. When she finally gets fed up with the lies, she files for divorce.
My generation is facing a dire situation. We are the society that says, "Hey, if you're not enjoying it, then something's wrong and you have every right, maybe in fact an obligation, to ditch the situation until you find happiness." We are part of the generation that embraces divorce as a viable alternative to fighting out the storm. We are a generation of quitters, unwilling to do the work to make our relationships succeed. This is a scary thing indeed.
I am eternally grateful that God doesn't quit on us. Can you imagine? "Oh, well little Johnny is not pleasing me right now. That's it. I'm done. Let's cut the cord and go our separate ways." Indeed I would be a woman most lost if my Lord treated me like many in our society treat their spouses. People are not expendable. Covenants are not temporary. As I was watching the dynamics of the husband and wife on screen tonight I asked myself, "Why can't he just stop doing this? Why doesn't he just throw himself into their relationship and fix it?" I realized I was comparing this on-screen marriage to that in Fireproof and I suddenly understood the difference. The husband in Fireproof even says that, "God has given me a love for my wife that I never could have had on my own." The difference is Jesus. What would marriages be like in America if those struggling submitted to Jesus and let Him teach them what true love is like? How many broken hearts and broken lives could be avoided? I live in a wayward nation, and a wayward world. Though Cornerstone isn't perfect, I realized why I love this community so much: it is a closer model of heaven than most other communities I've ever been a part of. I have a longing for a new earth, where people love the Lord and submit to Him. May this new earth be realized quickly, and may we learn what it means to have steadfast love like our Lord, keeping our commitments to one another.
The movie follows the stories of several couples and the different types of relationships they're in. One couple in particular is married, but the husband makes a series of choices that lead him into an affair. When he admits it to his wife, she wants to try and salvage the marriage, and he agrees. Yet he continues to cheat on her as if nothing had happened. When she finally gets fed up with the lies, she files for divorce.
My generation is facing a dire situation. We are the society that says, "Hey, if you're not enjoying it, then something's wrong and you have every right, maybe in fact an obligation, to ditch the situation until you find happiness." We are part of the generation that embraces divorce as a viable alternative to fighting out the storm. We are a generation of quitters, unwilling to do the work to make our relationships succeed. This is a scary thing indeed.
I am eternally grateful that God doesn't quit on us. Can you imagine? "Oh, well little Johnny is not pleasing me right now. That's it. I'm done. Let's cut the cord and go our separate ways." Indeed I would be a woman most lost if my Lord treated me like many in our society treat their spouses. People are not expendable. Covenants are not temporary. As I was watching the dynamics of the husband and wife on screen tonight I asked myself, "Why can't he just stop doing this? Why doesn't he just throw himself into their relationship and fix it?" I realized I was comparing this on-screen marriage to that in Fireproof and I suddenly understood the difference. The husband in Fireproof even says that, "God has given me a love for my wife that I never could have had on my own." The difference is Jesus. What would marriages be like in America if those struggling submitted to Jesus and let Him teach them what true love is like? How many broken hearts and broken lives could be avoided? I live in a wayward nation, and a wayward world. Though Cornerstone isn't perfect, I realized why I love this community so much: it is a closer model of heaven than most other communities I've ever been a part of. I have a longing for a new earth, where people love the Lord and submit to Him. May this new earth be realized quickly, and may we learn what it means to have steadfast love like our Lord, keeping our commitments to one another.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
While I'm Waiting...
Yesterday and the day before I had the opportunity to watch the independent film "Fireproof". In just a couple days, God has really used this film to work on my heart. The message is so uplifting, and although the acting is a bit cheesy, the movie is definitely in my top ten.
In particular, one song from the soundrack, "While I'm Waiting," by John Waller, has really stuck with me. It talks about how even in seasons when we are waiting on the Lord, we are still called to continue our service and our worship. Though we may be waiting, we can not become stagnant because when we wait on the Lord, we always have hope that He will give us what we need....our waiting is not for nothing. If we choose to stay still in our time of waiting then what will happen when the season comes to a close and we have become stagnant? Or perhaps our season of waiting comes because God chooses to form us during that time, and it will not come to a close until we have come to the point where God wants us. Either way, seasons of waiting are not a punishment, but a gift, an opportunity.
Right now I feel as though I'm in a big season of waiting: waiting to go to Spain, waiting to find out what I'll do this summer, waiting for a special someone in my life. The song keeps playing over and over in my head, and I know God is speaking to my heart. I want to keep serving Him and worshipping him...drawing close to Him.
In particular, one song from the soundrack, "While I'm Waiting," by John Waller, has really stuck with me. It talks about how even in seasons when we are waiting on the Lord, we are still called to continue our service and our worship. Though we may be waiting, we can not become stagnant because when we wait on the Lord, we always have hope that He will give us what we need....our waiting is not for nothing. If we choose to stay still in our time of waiting then what will happen when the season comes to a close and we have become stagnant? Or perhaps our season of waiting comes because God chooses to form us during that time, and it will not come to a close until we have come to the point where God wants us. Either way, seasons of waiting are not a punishment, but a gift, an opportunity.
Right now I feel as though I'm in a big season of waiting: waiting to go to Spain, waiting to find out what I'll do this summer, waiting for a special someone in my life. The song keeps playing over and over in my head, and I know God is speaking to my heart. I want to keep serving Him and worshipping him...drawing close to Him.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Pucker up!! Cow kissing galore!
Hahaha...here's some photos of the fundraiser! It went off with out a hitch this morning, and it was very amusing to see Gerald, our director of ministry development, and Richard, the head of campus security, kiss these cute baby cows! (Captions are for the picture above them.)
Rob S. from my church graciously offered us the use of his 3-week old twin calves, Chili and Pepper.
Rob S. from my church graciously offered us the use of his 3-week old twin calves, Chili and Pepper.
Corralling the calves was a little tricky. hahaha
Dr. Brown held up the sign and caught students' attention as they were leaving chapel.
The poor calves look so frightened in this photo! And for good reason! hahaha
This is Chili above....and Pepper below!
Thanks to everyone for all your help and support in YES's fundraising efforts.
Or should I say, "Thank MOO!" :-)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
God is faithful, despite our brokenness
I randomly went out to Applebees tonight with Abby, and it was such an amazing time. I am so blessed to have her as a friend....and I honestly think I burn twice as many calories when I hang out with her because we laugh so hard...continuously!
I am going to miss her so much after this semester. Of course I'll miss her over the summer and while I'm in Spain, but I think the hard part will be coming back from Spain next spring semester and not having her here. Therein lies the problem of befriending people who are a year or two older. :-(
We also talked about an interesting issue tonight in my social studies methods class. We read an article about how first-world nations ship all their broken and outdated technology crap like old monitors, computers, cell phones, etc. to third-world nations where they form vast expanses of "e-waste" landfills. As if this weren't bad enough, the real problems lies in the fact that many of these products are shipped to places like Ghana, India, and China under the pretense that they are working gadgets that can be used, only for people to find out that they are mostly trash upon their arrival. Children in Ghana living and scavenging in these e-waste dumps can make $5-$10 a day, versus the average daily wage of $2 per day, and so many parents send their children to live in the dumps to make money. The problem is that many computers contain toxic chemicals like lead and dioxins, not to mention glass shards, and so when children go to scavenge the copper wiring to sell, or burn parts to get rid of the plastic and collect the metal remnants, they are exposing themselves to countless dangers. It is such a sad situation, that we consume so much here in America, and in Europe, that now even our technology is not beyond the reaches of our impact on third-world nations. It makes me think twice about how much I use stuff just to throw it away.
Another cool story that I forgot to share:
So last weekend at church the offering plate went by and I decided not to put any money in because I didn't have any. That was a lie. I did have money, $18 to be precise, but I was keeping it in my wallet because that was basically all the money I had. I had counted my money the night before: a ten, a five, and three ones. Well, after I let the offering plate pass, I really felt God tugging on my heart. I realized that even though I have little money right now, I still need to be faithful with what I do have, so I decided to put money in the offering basket on the way out. I thought to myself, "I'll give all the singles I've got in my wallet." (In my head, thinking of the three singles.) So after the service ended I opened up my wallet and I pulled out my three singles and then I saw the corner of another one peeking out, so I pulled it out thinking, "Wow, I guess I missed that last night when I was counting." And then I saw another one and another one and another one!!! I just kept pulling dollars out of my wallet...$10 in singles in all!!! I was absolutely flabbergasted! God multiplied my money! So I quickly put the money in the offering basket lestI was tempted to keep it and lightning would come down from the sky and strike me dead in the sanctuary. :-) So there's another God story for you! He's a pretty cool dude and I am so delighted to be His child.
I am going to miss her so much after this semester. Of course I'll miss her over the summer and while I'm in Spain, but I think the hard part will be coming back from Spain next spring semester and not having her here. Therein lies the problem of befriending people who are a year or two older. :-(
We also talked about an interesting issue tonight in my social studies methods class. We read an article about how first-world nations ship all their broken and outdated technology crap like old monitors, computers, cell phones, etc. to third-world nations where they form vast expanses of "e-waste" landfills. As if this weren't bad enough, the real problems lies in the fact that many of these products are shipped to places like Ghana, India, and China under the pretense that they are working gadgets that can be used, only for people to find out that they are mostly trash upon their arrival. Children in Ghana living and scavenging in these e-waste dumps can make $5-$10 a day, versus the average daily wage of $2 per day, and so many parents send their children to live in the dumps to make money. The problem is that many computers contain toxic chemicals like lead and dioxins, not to mention glass shards, and so when children go to scavenge the copper wiring to sell, or burn parts to get rid of the plastic and collect the metal remnants, they are exposing themselves to countless dangers. It is such a sad situation, that we consume so much here in America, and in Europe, that now even our technology is not beyond the reaches of our impact on third-world nations. It makes me think twice about how much I use stuff just to throw it away.
Another cool story that I forgot to share:
So last weekend at church the offering plate went by and I decided not to put any money in because I didn't have any. That was a lie. I did have money, $18 to be precise, but I was keeping it in my wallet because that was basically all the money I had. I had counted my money the night before: a ten, a five, and three ones. Well, after I let the offering plate pass, I really felt God tugging on my heart. I realized that even though I have little money right now, I still need to be faithful with what I do have, so I decided to put money in the offering basket on the way out. I thought to myself, "I'll give all the singles I've got in my wallet." (In my head, thinking of the three singles.) So after the service ended I opened up my wallet and I pulled out my three singles and then I saw the corner of another one peeking out, so I pulled it out thinking, "Wow, I guess I missed that last night when I was counting." And then I saw another one and another one and another one!!! I just kept pulling dollars out of my wallet...$10 in singles in all!!! I was absolutely flabbergasted! God multiplied my money! So I quickly put the money in the offering basket lestI was tempted to keep it and lightning would come down from the sky and strike me dead in the sanctuary. :-) So there's another God story for you! He's a pretty cool dude and I am so delighted to be His child.
OPERA!!!
I had the awesome opportunity to attend a dress rehearsal of the Grand Rapids Opera last night for free! It was so much fun!
Cornerstone was offering free tickets for the same night that I had made plans to go over to my friend Ryan's house to hang out. Ryan, being a lover of music and theater, enthusiastically agreed to alter our plans to include dinner and the opera! So yesterday I drove to Ryan's house where we enjoyed our creation of lemon-pepper chicken, parmesan mashed redskin potatoes, and parmesan-herb broccoli. MMMMmmmmmm!! Then we drove to the opera, where we discovered that our seats were basically ideal: in the orchestra, about 10-15 rows back, nearly dead center, and (the best part for me) no one was sitting in front of us which meant I could see the whole time! :-) I don't know how many peope realize that I can rarely see everything when I go to the movies or to a play or concert, etc. because I really am so short that even an average-height person in front of me effectively blocks a good portion of the screen or stage. So it was a real treat to have a clear view! The opera was called "The Elixir of Love" and it was quite funny! The singing was all in Italian, and they put some of the words up in English on a screen above the stage, but thankfully I could understand some of it from my knowledge of Spanish too, so between the English lyrics and my deciphering the Italian, I understood quite a bit! :-)
It was also a real treat to randomly run into one of my friends that used to be a Huddle Leader with me at Summer Games. He goes to Grand Valley, but we haven't hung out since our freshman year, so we've been long overdue for catching up. Hopefully we'll be able to spend some time together soon.
The Kiss-a-Cow fundraiser is going better....we found a cow! A man from my church has a cow that just had twins, so he's bringing one of them. It will be a baby cow, but that's much much better than no cow at all! :-) I'm ready for it to be over, though. I have little time for myself because I have to sit at the table during lunch hour. It has, however, pushed me into a regular wake-up routine, which I sometimes struggle to establish when I start a new semester. Now my days are generally: wake-up at 8:30, do some stuff on the computer, shower, maybe go to chapel, then head to the corum to set up the fundraising table where I sit and get a bit of homework done, eat lunch at the table, and head to either class or work depending on the day. After work/class I come back to my apartment for a bit, and three days a week I have Zumba classes (so fun!), then two nights a week I also have night classes. So it's a busy schedule. I'm glad I'm not working on the weekends again this semester.
On another side note, I found my camera!! I thought I lost it, but I found it in the bottom of one of the pockets in my backpack. I was very relieved. :-)
So I suppose that's all for now. I'm very tired today and wish I had time to go back to bed right now, but alas, my duties are calling! Farewell for now and blessings!
Cornerstone was offering free tickets for the same night that I had made plans to go over to my friend Ryan's house to hang out. Ryan, being a lover of music and theater, enthusiastically agreed to alter our plans to include dinner and the opera! So yesterday I drove to Ryan's house where we enjoyed our creation of lemon-pepper chicken, parmesan mashed redskin potatoes, and parmesan-herb broccoli. MMMMmmmmmm!! Then we drove to the opera, where we discovered that our seats were basically ideal: in the orchestra, about 10-15 rows back, nearly dead center, and (the best part for me) no one was sitting in front of us which meant I could see the whole time! :-) I don't know how many peope realize that I can rarely see everything when I go to the movies or to a play or concert, etc. because I really am so short that even an average-height person in front of me effectively blocks a good portion of the screen or stage. So it was a real treat to have a clear view! The opera was called "The Elixir of Love" and it was quite funny! The singing was all in Italian, and they put some of the words up in English on a screen above the stage, but thankfully I could understand some of it from my knowledge of Spanish too, so between the English lyrics and my deciphering the Italian, I understood quite a bit! :-)
It was also a real treat to randomly run into one of my friends that used to be a Huddle Leader with me at Summer Games. He goes to Grand Valley, but we haven't hung out since our freshman year, so we've been long overdue for catching up. Hopefully we'll be able to spend some time together soon.
The Kiss-a-Cow fundraiser is going better....we found a cow! A man from my church has a cow that just had twins, so he's bringing one of them. It will be a baby cow, but that's much much better than no cow at all! :-) I'm ready for it to be over, though. I have little time for myself because I have to sit at the table during lunch hour. It has, however, pushed me into a regular wake-up routine, which I sometimes struggle to establish when I start a new semester. Now my days are generally: wake-up at 8:30, do some stuff on the computer, shower, maybe go to chapel, then head to the corum to set up the fundraising table where I sit and get a bit of homework done, eat lunch at the table, and head to either class or work depending on the day. After work/class I come back to my apartment for a bit, and three days a week I have Zumba classes (so fun!), then two nights a week I also have night classes. So it's a busy schedule. I'm glad I'm not working on the weekends again this semester.
On another side note, I found my camera!! I thought I lost it, but I found it in the bottom of one of the pockets in my backpack. I was very relieved. :-)
So I suppose that's all for now. I'm very tired today and wish I had time to go back to bed right now, but alas, my duties are calling! Farewell for now and blessings!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Long Overdue...My Bad!
Let's see...oh my, so much to update since I haven't posted one in nearly a year.
I guess I will start with the highlights of my life since last May.
In the month of June, I travelled to Greece with a group of students from Cornerstone. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I definitely want to go back someday, especially to Crete, but I would rather go with my future husband or a group of close friends. Never again with that particular professor for many reasons that would take several hours to list. :-)
Upon return from Greece, I started work at SpringHill Camps, in Evart, MI. SpringHill is a Christian camp that has pretty much everything a kid could want. I worked as a wrangler in the horse barn, teaching riding lessons and leading trail rides. As part of a team that cared for 90 horses, my days would start between 5:30 and 6:00 am with rounding up horses in the pasture. Once in the barn, we would catch each horse individually and put them in their spot. We would groom and tack all the horses, have our morning meeting, and go to breakfast to be back by 8:30 in time for the first classes and trail rides. I have never been so physically exhausted for such a long period of time! My days would end around 11 pm, and I would wake up the next day and do it all over again. Whew!
The day after I finished work at camp, my mom and I flew down to Bogota, Colombia, to visit my Grandpa Bob and his wife Maria and her family. It was so wonderful to see them, as I haven't seen them since I was 12 or 13. It was also great to meet Maria's family and get an "insider's glimpse" into the culture, which I haven't been able to do a lot in the many places I've travelled. Grandpa Bob and Maria tooks us to some small, quaint, and beautiful towns up in the mountains. I can't explain how wonderful that week was and how badly I want to go back again!
As if I hadn't been going nonstop already for several months (literally: school to Greece to camp to Colombia), my mom and I flew in from South America to the GR airport, landing around midnight, and driving straight from the airport to my apartment at Cornerstone. I had one day to gather my wits, attempt to unpack, and get ready for classes, and then I started bright and early on Monday morning. Crazy!
Last semester was a rough one. I was still working at SpringHill on the weekends, and my classes had quite heavy workloads. In addition, I had one class that is one of those nightmarish, stereotypical college classes where the professor stands in front of the class and reads his notes aloud in monotone. It was so hard to pay attention, and that combined with my hectic schedule and lack of motivation to learn the subject matter added up to my first grade below an A- ever. Shocking! hahaha....If it had happened to me in high school I likely would have been very depressed and really hard on myself. College has given me a lot more perspective, thankfully. :-) I also joined an AMAZING Bible study last semester called SOS, short for Song of Solomon. It was an in-depth look at the way God desires us to live out our relationships. The study was so powerful that I am looking forward to the next time I can do it. Which sadly won't be for awhile since the next opportunity will be while I am studying in Spain next semester.
Christmas break was a nice respite from my semester schedule. I quit my job at SpringHill, which I miss, but I don't miss the way I felt at school when I worked there. So it came down to a matter of healthiness, and I made the right choice.
The new semester is going SO well. I am planning my last semester as president of Cornerstone's Young Educators' Society (YES). I LOVE my classes and my schedule. I'm still working in the Learning Center as a Spanish tutor, which brings such joy to my life. I want my "real job" when I graduate to be this awesome! My friend Abby, who is such a blessing to me, is teaching a Zumba class and doing a study for her senior project. So I'm taking Zumba classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons. It's so much fun, and a really good workout! I'm also training to walk 60 miles this summer to fight Breast Cancer. The walking is not so much a challenge as is the fundraising! In order to participate this summer I need to raise $23oo! That's a lot of money! So prayers for being able to meet this amount would be greatly appreciated. Also, because I have committed to doing this, it is complicating what I am able to do this summer job-wise.
My plans for the fall are coming together nicely, and I'm in the process of applying for my classes for Spain! Hooray!
So there it is...the past 9 months in a nutshell! Hopefully, I'll do a better job of updating more often. :-)
I guess I will start with the highlights of my life since last May.
In the month of June, I travelled to Greece with a group of students from Cornerstone. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I definitely want to go back someday, especially to Crete, but I would rather go with my future husband or a group of close friends. Never again with that particular professor for many reasons that would take several hours to list. :-)
Upon return from Greece, I started work at SpringHill Camps, in Evart, MI. SpringHill is a Christian camp that has pretty much everything a kid could want. I worked as a wrangler in the horse barn, teaching riding lessons and leading trail rides. As part of a team that cared for 90 horses, my days would start between 5:30 and 6:00 am with rounding up horses in the pasture. Once in the barn, we would catch each horse individually and put them in their spot. We would groom and tack all the horses, have our morning meeting, and go to breakfast to be back by 8:30 in time for the first classes and trail rides. I have never been so physically exhausted for such a long period of time! My days would end around 11 pm, and I would wake up the next day and do it all over again. Whew!
The day after I finished work at camp, my mom and I flew down to Bogota, Colombia, to visit my Grandpa Bob and his wife Maria and her family. It was so wonderful to see them, as I haven't seen them since I was 12 or 13. It was also great to meet Maria's family and get an "insider's glimpse" into the culture, which I haven't been able to do a lot in the many places I've travelled. Grandpa Bob and Maria tooks us to some small, quaint, and beautiful towns up in the mountains. I can't explain how wonderful that week was and how badly I want to go back again!
As if I hadn't been going nonstop already for several months (literally: school to Greece to camp to Colombia), my mom and I flew in from South America to the GR airport, landing around midnight, and driving straight from the airport to my apartment at Cornerstone. I had one day to gather my wits, attempt to unpack, and get ready for classes, and then I started bright and early on Monday morning. Crazy!
Last semester was a rough one. I was still working at SpringHill on the weekends, and my classes had quite heavy workloads. In addition, I had one class that is one of those nightmarish, stereotypical college classes where the professor stands in front of the class and reads his notes aloud in monotone. It was so hard to pay attention, and that combined with my hectic schedule and lack of motivation to learn the subject matter added up to my first grade below an A- ever. Shocking! hahaha....If it had happened to me in high school I likely would have been very depressed and really hard on myself. College has given me a lot more perspective, thankfully. :-) I also joined an AMAZING Bible study last semester called SOS, short for Song of Solomon. It was an in-depth look at the way God desires us to live out our relationships. The study was so powerful that I am looking forward to the next time I can do it. Which sadly won't be for awhile since the next opportunity will be while I am studying in Spain next semester.
Christmas break was a nice respite from my semester schedule. I quit my job at SpringHill, which I miss, but I don't miss the way I felt at school when I worked there. So it came down to a matter of healthiness, and I made the right choice.
The new semester is going SO well. I am planning my last semester as president of Cornerstone's Young Educators' Society (YES). I LOVE my classes and my schedule. I'm still working in the Learning Center as a Spanish tutor, which brings such joy to my life. I want my "real job" when I graduate to be this awesome! My friend Abby, who is such a blessing to me, is teaching a Zumba class and doing a study for her senior project. So I'm taking Zumba classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons. It's so much fun, and a really good workout! I'm also training to walk 60 miles this summer to fight Breast Cancer. The walking is not so much a challenge as is the fundraising! In order to participate this summer I need to raise $23oo! That's a lot of money! So prayers for being able to meet this amount would be greatly appreciated. Also, because I have committed to doing this, it is complicating what I am able to do this summer job-wise.
My plans for the fall are coming together nicely, and I'm in the process of applying for my classes for Spain! Hooray!
So there it is...the past 9 months in a nutshell! Hopefully, I'll do a better job of updating more often. :-)
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