one day trip

so i heard through the grapevine that there was going to be a work day at my house in michigan on saturday... and so saturday morning i was able to come home and surprise my family and true vine equestrian center staff. a friend and i came down just for the day, helped put up some fence, and then went trail riding. it was such an unexpected, refreshing day of being among friends and fam. as well as being outdoors in God's beautiful creation.
we returned to moody saturday night where, after eating dinner, i promptly went to sleep (around 8pm) and was able to sleep for 12 hours!!!

I love walking down sidewalks in autumn. it seems almost like i have stepped into a different place.
city streets lined with yellows
reds
crisp, cool air
scarves
hats
sweaters
my visible breath as i walk to class
pumpkins for sale across the street
apple cider
hot chocolate
mini marshmallows...lots of mini marshmallows
roasting s'mores on dryer lawn (over a grill)

...trying to find time to think...to be still

completely in wonder at this God i serve

painting faces/frozen fingers

tonight i went down to help at a halloween party with sunshine gospel ministries. it was a lot of fun, i painted faces non-stop for at least two hours, drank lots and lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and my fingers about froze off...those kids bring such joy to my heart...and sometimes frustration.

it's funny when you are painting someone's face. if they smile while you are painting, the picture will be all distorted...so you tell them not to smile, which makes them smile even more...and it seems absolutely horrible to tell a child (or anyone for that matter) not to smile, especially when the purpose of what you are doing is to bring a smile to their face.

on my way back a friend called to see if i wanted to go see a movie...i totally would have gone-but $8 is a lot to spend on one movie...i think next time we should rent a movie instead and split the cost...that would be like a quarter each

soccer on the beach

the other night after our session, some friends and i went down to the beach to just hang out
soccer ball
sand
rain
wet sand
bare feet on cold, wet sand
playing tag
trying to block the ball
blocking the ball
in the process of blocking the ball, causing someone's toe to collide with my shin
pain
a broken toe
a bruised shin
still playing soccer
falling in the sand
laughing
friendship
covered in sand
walking back barefoot on cement earth
good conversations

so sore the next day...
all week we went to different sessions, heard speakers
hung out
it was a much needed break from the daily schedule
we also do not have classes on mon or tues, so i am looking forward to the extended time off of classes.
however...it is a little bit hard to get motivated after such a long break-which is why i find myself blogging instead of writing my reading reports (which i am currently four behind...)

i was reading in psalms a few days ago, and in light of the turmoil and chaos that has seemed to overwhelm the world, the words of the psalmist ring true:

psalm 9:18-20

"For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but mere men!"

So often we put a false hope in man. We forget our frailty and our dependence on Him-the creator God who is sovereign, and actively working in each of our lives- to the praise of his glory. May we know that He is God, and we are not, and may that leave us in awe at His feet.

this week i found myself in two extremely fancy dining places. the first was a cruise boat called the spirit of chicago. some friends and i from holy trinity church went with the rest of the church to hear more about its vision over the next few years. someone had paid for the entire cruise, including meals, drinks, etc
candlelit tables
white table cloths
roses in a vase (now drying in my room)
2 shirley temples
clams (which scared me a little..i am petrified of snails, and clams are a snail-like consistency)
chicken
fish
other really good food i can't remember now
cheesecake
chocolate cake
watching a video i was able to help out with a little(as described in previous blog)
good conversation
black pants/black shirt/black coat/pink sweater
meeting new people
going to the top deck to view the city from outside
the skyline at night as seen from lake michigan
a group of moody students taking up an entire bus on the way back
being able to say "i ate dinner on a boat tonight..."

the second place i found myself in was on the 95th floor of the john hancock building
i went with some other women from sunshine and from church
all we could afford was to get drinks
i ordered the cheapest thing on the menu...which was a ginger ale-$5.
i then split a $7.50 dessert with a friend...and when it arrived it was so small..although it tasted very good-maybe four bites each.
however, it was fun to get dressed up, and see the city at night, lit up,
we could see for miles and miles-how amazing the vast number of people, buildings, street lights..
this next week classes are cancelled starting tuesday for the annual missions conference...i am so excited to go to seminars, talk to missionaries, and just learn from them.
i am looking forward to hopefully being able to catch up on some work and to spend some time just hanging out with people

until next time...