a trip to India-only minutes away

We took Lakeshore Drive north until the end and after only a few wrong turns, pulled onto Devon Street. We parked in a side street, and began walking down the main street. We passed stores carrying ornate dresses, restaurants advertising Kebap, grocery stores filled with spices such as curry, shelves with payneer, and walls with pictures of Mecca. As we walked, we passed women with head scarves made of beautiful fabric. I am sure that my two friends and I stuck out, especially when we went into the dress stores. We passed bright fabric with beautiful beads sown on in different patterns. We entered a few stores to browse, and some of the employees knew very little English.
Before we left, we stopped at a restaurant to buy some food. I ordered naan along with my meal of Chiken Biryani. While I was waiting for my food, I walked through the restaurant. I passed a prayer room with rugs facing toward Mecca. I listened to people speaking in different languages, and it seemed for a moment as if I were no longer in Chicago. It is almost unreal, how one can drive a mere thirty minutes and feel like they were transported to a completely different culture and country.
However, it wasn’t long before I remembered that I was in Chicago-a very diverse city. I heard someone speak in Spanish, while another couple of people were speaking a language I had never heard. This clash of cultures is so unique.
It was my first time visiting that area of the city, and I know that I definitely would like to go back again.

ehaeahhhhhhhhhh-welcome to moody bridal institute

yup, that is pretty much the sound that could be heard coming from my room late on sunday night...
i was sitting in the room across the hall, studying diligently, when my roommate debbie walked in, having just arrived from being home that week-end..
"hi" she says, walking over to me to give me a hug
"how was your week-end home?" i asked...
"It was a really good week-end..."
i look at her...she smiles....i look at her again, then grab her left hand and yup, sure enough...'
EAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
much jumping and screaming
her boyfriend (now fiance) had popped the question after she had to follow 12 clues (which in the process caused her a speeding ticket) to him waiting in a flower garden.
they plan on getting married in may '07-so excited for them!

relaxing week-end

friday night myself and several girls from the floor went to our friend hannah's house for the night...(hannah lives across the hall from me). it was a much needed time of rest, watching movies, and playing outside, just being away from the city.
we watched mean girls, then elf...which though i was enjoying it, my eylids were too heavy to stay open and i went upstairs to hannah's super comfy bed and had an amazing nights sleep...
the next morning we woke up to breakfast, homemade bluberry muffins, and i even at a few scrambled eggs....(for those of you who don't know, scrambled eggs and i usually do not mix, as i have bad memories of having to eat them with soy sauce as a child...)
we then went to the park and played on one of the sweetest playgrounds i have ever seen..rock climbing, ropes course, it was pretty much amazing
also, hannah's 8 year old sister abby and i were adventurous and crossed the stream, jumping from rock to rock...very cold water...
i was able to get a little bit of studying done before we headed out to harvest bible chapel to hear joe stowel speak...
he was talking about purpose...God's purpose for our lives

We are chosen on purpose with a purpose in mind (ephesians 1.."even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him..."

He is willing to use short term trouble to achieve his glorious outcomes in our lives...

we must turn our hearts toward what we KNOW rather than what we FEEL..."Knowing this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on unto completion..."

we must recognize that we are a risk to the process of what God is wanting to accomplish...our tendency to bail under the burden...james 1"consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverence..."
bitterness blocks the grace of God...

Despair is never an option...
do we believe: (that He is)
Presence of God
His protection
love
capable
worthy
enablement

Stop looking at trouble and start looking to God...

though these notes are somewhat sporadic, they are truths that i constantly need to be reminded of ...do i really trust Him...do i really believe that he is all of these things? why do i despair?
do i love and follow Him for the blessings that he gives....or for He Himself?
can i really say
"blessed be your name!"

quiet on the set!

this past week my electronic media class has been doing more hands-on stuff, including work in the t.v. studio...today my jobs included (we are at very, very basic things) sitting and being the person video-taped, demonstrating proper focus on the camera, being the floor director..."Quiet on the Set!", recording the tape, demonstrating proper head room...just learning the basics-and even though it is so basic..so much fun...

monday i will be graded as the director...

my schedule for next semester is very full:

Hebrews
Systematic Theology I
Fundamentals of Video
Introduction to Mass Communications
Hermeneutics
and also finishing up a philosophy course that i am taking independent study

I am really looking forward to these classes, b/c i have amazing profs as well

to see some great photos from this year, click this link:
http://moody.facebook.com/photos.php?id=163800283&l=57bfc

the dramatic events of smith 7 and culby 10

follow this link to find out tonight's drama
http://www.xanga.com/kerfufflous_mermidon

today i look like a leaf

i didn't know what i was going to wear this morning (after i slept through my 8:00-despite my rooomate trying to wake me up/shaking me/speaking loudly- i just turned over, moaned something like, "i let you sleep in last week..." and going back to sleep...)
i was glad though, because the extra two hours were wonderful, i woke up feeling refreshed, and had a rather enjoyable day...
i think it was partially because i dressed kind of like a leaf
it was a little chilly out so i pulled out my orange, long sleeved fall looking shirt, put a brown tee-shirt underneath for a super-stylish layering effect, and felt very festively fall...
someone even told me i looked like a leaf...
yes...
look accomplished...

today i was reading in Matthew 5
so often i do not realize the power of Christ's words. i have them in this category of sunday school cartoons or softly spoken suggestions...
they are so unlike those things

"unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven..."

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'you shall not murder," BUT I SAY to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement..."

over and over, Matthew writes, "It was said....BUT I SAY...."you have heard that it was said...BUT I SAY..."

it is a standard that can only be achieved through Christ...through his righteousness.


These words are so radical
challenging
impossible
only accomplished because of Christ's righteousness.

Jesus also says..
love your enemies.
pray for those who persecute you
which is exactly what he did for us
Romans 5:10
"For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."
may i be one who loves
selflessly
-apart from my convenience and comfort.

random personality test

Your Hidden Talent

Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people.You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together.Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly.People crave your praise and complements.

What's" Your Hidden Talent?

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...

tapestry

it is amazing isn't it...how life can be going on one minute, and the next-it is radically changed... your views are changed, you can sense that the future as you thought it would be has changed, and it is can be hard to accept...
however, as many of us long for life to go on seamlessly, perfectly, without error, without drama...
do we really long for that?
what is it that makes life beautiful?
i don't think it is the seamless moments, or the lack of difficult circumstances.
without the hard times, without the emotions, without the drama of life
there would be no richness, no depth...
this tapestry of life would be one color, rather than many different circumstances woven together
some painful threads
some joyful threads
some different beyond what we could have ever expected threads
some normal, day to day threads
some threads that can't even neccessarily be seen
and to know that the Master Craftsman's ways are not our ways...nor are His thoughts our thoughts.
no thread is placed without His knowledge
no stitch is made apart from His will
and the tapestry He weaves, though from close up may appear confused and jumbled
when it is finished it is more beautiful
it is stronger
it is ready to accomplish the purpose that it was created for-to bring its Creator, the Master Artist praise and glory for the work that He has done.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows Him counsel?
Whom did He consult, and who made Him understand?
Who taught Him the path of justice, and taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?...
Do you not know? Do you not hear?
has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

IT IS HE who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness...

to WHOM WILL YOU COMPARE ME that I should be like him? says the Holy One? Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these?
He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing.
why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "my way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
HAVE YOU NOT KNOWN??? HAVE YOU NOT HEARD???
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
even youths grow tired and weary
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strenght;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary
they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40

day starting: 3:30 am

Yesterday was unique...
i awoke at 3:28 (actually before my alarm clock, which was set for 3:30) and got ready for my day-showered, dressed, hair done, make-up, time with God, and left at 5am for Rush Hospital. i was helping out with a film shoot for a church nearby. one of my profs had asked in class if anyone would be willing to help, and i jumped at the chance. it was my first experience with filming, and i must say it is fun to walk around downtown chicago with a boom mic, camera gear, and a sign that reads "crowd advisory: by walking in this area you give the consent to appear on film."
from going down the hospital corridor on a gurney holding a camera,
to avoiding the CTA authorities(because we didn't have documented permission) it was quite the experience,
fun
learned
most of all, became even more excited about film/video.

returned to moody about 10:40-
had class from 11-12:15,
work(babysitting in the loop) from 12:30-6:15,
Dr. Easley's inauguration at moody church at 7,
crash in bed at 10,
wake up at 9 friday(today)
go to chapel..
hear Howard Hendricks, an amazing teacher, man of God, he tells to ask ourselves three questions everyday
1)is the Lord well pleased? ...you can be successful in the evang. community and not in the eyes of God-our need for the Lord is not partial-its total...the Christian life is impossible-watch the danger of a misplaced confidence

2)Was the work well done? develop a passion for the gift God has given you...talent is cheap-dedication is costly-how disciplined are you? so many times we are aiming too low, and it is costing too little

3)Is the Word well used? Develop the attitude of a professional who will not settle for second class work...how do i use the word effectively? know it. live it...a lot of Christians are like poor photographs...overexposed, underdeveloped...

eat lunch,
sleep(power nap)
work at 2:30-my child's room,
learning baby furniture, cribs, changing tables, gliders, lots and lots of information,
until 8:30-back in my room
eat dinner
get online
find pictures from my friends wedding (tamara and attila in Hungary)-click here to see pictures!!!!
check email
blog
read
go to bed

sometimes, I revert back to junior high

sometimes i feel like a silly little girl, giggling about things/so unimportant/yet in a sense i guess it touches on the deeper things of community, friendship, and joy.

My roomies and i each have "pursuers." It is the source of much laughter, and though we probably exagerate it quite a bit, and really (only one of us has any real evidence of an actual "pursuer") we just join in on the fun. My one roommate recieved 3 calls in one day from the same "person" inviting "all" of us to hang out at Quizno's. Funny, because every time this "person" only asked for her.
Tonight bethany and i went to study, and we joined my other roommie in the fireplace room...only to find her sitting next to "someone" "studying"...we spied on her through the huge fake flower arrangement on the table next to the couch we were sitting on. We laughed, wrote notes, whispered...chased her down after she tried to sneak out and hide in the bathroom...

of course, this loopiness may be a result of rearranging our room for the millionth time...deb brought a six foot couch into our room, and we had to move it all around again...our bunk beds are now stacked 3-high(they were three high before, just in a different arrangement)
we'll see what new adventures will await tomorrow at MBI

already eventful

yesterday i went to a great coffee shop called the Bourgouis Pig. there were a couple independent musicians there performing live- folk pop. one of them, Dawn Xiana Moon, played and her lyrics were deeper...and there was just something about her...Listen to her and decide for yourself : )

Today i went to the new building on 61st street that Sunshine Gospel Ministries owns. They are in the process of gutting out the building, cleaning it out. click here to see what it looks like from the inside. needless to say i was covered in dirt by the time i got back on campus-yet it is so rewarding and such an encouragement to see the Body of Christ working together to accomplish goals for the Kingdom.

Rollerblading 101

this semester i am taking a beginning rollerblading class...notice i said beginning
now, before i go any further, it is important to know that
1)i have never rollerbladed before
2)i have only rollerskated a handful of times at rollerworld, and that was a very VERY long time ago
3)i have ice skated once

so...as i looked over the classes i could take, and realized that i needed a p.e. credit, and thought rollerblading would be fun...i thought i would give it a shot

i know several people in the class, so a few of us walked over to class together. we were late (don't you hate that on the first day) and we couldn't find the room (probably because it was never written in our schedule.) we finally find the room and it is very small...in fact too small. the professor is very nice, and tells us we can pull out a few of the fold-out desks that are leaning on the wall.

always the one to be resourceful, i chose a desk (while others just sat on the floor...)
i unfolded the desk (kind of) and felt i was drawing to much attention, so i just sat down...but you see the desk wasn't unfolded all of the way-so i drew even more attention when i sat down and the desk very abruptly opened all of the way...

we had a brief lecture on the benifits of rollerblading and health stuff...
fact: rollerblading for 1/2 hour burns 300 calories
fact: rollerblading puts less tension on muscles and joints than running or other high imipact sports (in theory...that is if you don't fall, roll into traffic, etc)
fact: they actually make padded shorts for rollerbladers ( i may think of investing in some...)
fact: in order to lose 1 lb, 3500 calories must be burned

after briefly looking at the parts of the rollerblade (we will be quized on it later)
we headed outside to the parking lot....

when we got outside we put our rollerblades on...then the prof told us to stretch...

now, for someone who has rollerbladed before, this task may have not seemed so daunting, but as i hugged the side of the building and tried to lift my leg for a hamstring stretch, i realized that the only result of this would be certain death...or at least falling flat on my face...so i wheeled/scooted/pulled myself around the corner and hid.

After stretching the majority of the class...ok everyone except me and another brave soul began rollerblading around the parking lot in a circle. I learned how to stand, then roll, then kind of stop. now i was able to get the going part, it was just the stopping part that was giving me difficulties.(i don't know, but if i am going to be rollerblading down sidewalks and across streets-it seems pretty important)
well...the super nice professor told me to roll to her and stop-in order to work on knowing the distance needed for stopping. after a few times of this, she told me to pick up speed and then stop-well, i did pick up speed and as i tried to stop, i instead ran right into my professor, knocking her down, scraping both my elbows, and hitting my head....and i got up again/making some cheesy comment about how rollerblading was like getting back on a horse after they had bucked you off...

then, as time went on, my confidence in balance a little better, i joined the circle of rollerbladers...i was doing great...

then, the prof said we were going to play a game-where we would be in two teams, each forming a line, and we would skate around, rotating the person who was in the lead....

so, i am in the middle of the line, basically holding on for dear life while we skate, faster, faster, faster...to fast as we were making the turn i suddenly did not have control-my feet went straight, my body kept turning, and i fell, causing my friend mark who was behind me to literally fly over me and fall, causing the entire team to lose their balance and a select other few people to fall....

thankfully everyone was extremely gracious, and it was fun...
next tuesday i am wearing a helmet, wrist guards (my roommate found me some for 10 dollars...so exciting)

needless to say-this story has provided much entertainment the last few days.

back in Michigan

I arrived back in Michigan a couple of days ago...it is amazing to look back over the summer and see 1)how quickly it went by, 2)that I am already wanting to go back to Chicago, and 3)the biggest thing...how much I have learned. This summer has been growing, learning, stretching, challenging, exciting...
the first week of the summer was spent in Memphis, TN. We lived in a neighborhood called Binghampton, and stayed in a vacant apartment there, working with Eikon Ministries. Our first "culture shock" came when we first arrived and noticed a cockroach dead on the floor right by the front door. Optimistically, i tried to encourage the group..."well..at least it is dead....that is a good sign, right?" Unfortunately, optimism does not always mirror reality.
we began noticing these "friends" appearing everywhere-in our bags, the kitchen, the bathroom, the couch. Our response at the beginning of the week was screaming, running, (staying up all night with the light on, watching the door to our bedroom for any intruders). However, by the second day, we began to fight back...squashing the roaches with our flip-flops-by the end of the week it really wasn't that bad.
While in Memphis we helped out at a community center nearby-they run an afterschool program and are very understaffed. We helped out with the different game times/i helped clean two huge fish tanks, and we had a chance to spend time with some of the kids.
we also had the chance to hold a small 3-day basketball camp on our block...many kids came. We played games with the younger kids while the guys played ball with the older ones. The second to last day, we presented a skit, shared the gospel-and kids came to Christ! The last day the gospel was presented again and more people came to Christ-including two moms! As our team reflected over this, we were amazed. People coming to Christ was not a result of anything we did in our power. It was God drawing these people to himself, and we were privelaged to be his instruments-to share in the work that he has already been doing there.
Also in Memphis, we had the chance to go to the Civil Rights Museum. It is built around the hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was so impactful-and is so amazing to think that it was not so long ago that racism and segregation so permeated society...and then to realize that in many ways-it still does. And what a contrast it was for our team (a team of different ethnicities, home backgrounds, church backgrounds) to walk past exhibits that showed that segregation.

We left Memphis in our donated van (an astro), and our leader's minivan, and headed back to Chicago. There, we (the girls) stayed in a family from the church's garden apt. no cockroaches. the guys stayed in an apt at the church.
One of the first things we did was help out at "The House" a hip-hop youth service in Lawndale.
During the service we were able to get involved- i helped out with a drama-and was able to pray with a couple of girls after the service-who wanted to get serious about their faith.

We also had the amazing opportunity to work with Kids' Club in Cabrini Green. Kids' Club is a ministry through Moody Church. They have an afterschool program for the kids that struggle in school, and many come to Christ as a result of this ministry. We helped them advertise for thier summer "Sidewalk Sunday School!" We passed out fliers and candy, walking through the row houses, talking with families- the next day a couple of us went into some of the high rises to pass out fliers again.
Gang symbols on painted walls
the smell of urine
profanity
a little girl swinging from a makeshift swing, made out of a pillow and rope
boys fixing a bike
playing basketball
children laughing
metal fence around the buildings
barbeque
community
double-dutch
music

a few days later we went back to Kids' Club again, but this time it was for a different reason. We helped out at a funeral of an 18 year old boy who had been shot. The pastor had done 7 funerals of boys under the age of 18 in 12 days. This young man was a follower of Christ, and it was such a reminder of the urgency to share Christ...we never know how long we have-life is so short.

Our summer also consisted of helping out at sports camps, helping a school in the area move some boxes, desks, etc..., office work at Kids' Club, office work at Holy Trinity Church, Bible study (discourse analysis), and eating lots of chocolate. To write everything would take forever...as i have already written so much. These are just a few snapshots...
thanks for your prayers, encouragement...
hope your summer is going well
mar

life in Hyde Park

so...i know it has been a while, and even this little update will be extremely short...sorry.
We have been crazy busy, learning, growing, being challenged-and God is so faithful. I will write more in detail soon, but for now, here is a brief glimpse into the last few weeks
Memphis, TN
Civil Rights Museum
Kids...tons of kids
basketball
sharing Jesus' love
kids coming to Christ
moms coming to Christ
helping out at the community center
cleaning 2 giant fish tanks
first-screaming at the sight of cockroaches crawling in my bag-eventually killing them without mercy or second thought
eating carrots and grahm crackers for breakfast
watching "Bewitched"
road trip
knock-knock jokes
relay games
Chicago
five girls in a garden apartment
walking, walking, walking....and walking
passing out fliers
a carnival with over 300 kids showing up
face-painting non-stop
being caught in a rain storm, invited into someones home to stay dry-an hour long conversation about Truth
VBS
getting the material for VBS 3 minutes before it started
teaching the material for VBS
learning to be assertive
prayer
challenging
Working with Kid's Club in Cabrini
Hip-hop church service
eating lots of rice, pasta, and donated chicken
4 girls in a grocery store...sent to buy milk an bread...returning with chocolate and moostracks ice cream
waking up at 5:30am
sleeping in is 7am
being invited to eat dinner in wonderful homes
playing my guitar
drawing with charcoal on newspaper
too much caffeine
eating cereal out of cups
Roman's Road
Asking others "who is Jesus?"
good conversation
and finally
very little extended time of internet access
love you all
mar

The World's Largest Buffalo

Most states are known for one main thing. Michigan is known for its lakes. Florida for its sun. Colorado for its mountains. Kentucky for its horse farms.

North Dakota is known for having the world's largest buffalo.

I flew into Jamestown around noon on Tuesday, after a quick stop in Aberdeen SD where everyone (excepting myself, of course) got off the plane. From Aberdeen to Jamestown I had my own private flight, and had to move a few rows back to (as I was told) "equalize the weight of the plane since i was the only passenger"....still haven't figured out the reasons exactly-and frankly it kind of scares me that one person could throw off the balance of a commercial airplane, and that by moving 3 rows back the problem is solved...
I even got to hear the "ladies and gentlemen. thank you for choosing to fly northwest today. please make sure your seats and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions..."

I hadn't seen Heidi since December of 2003, so of course, i was super excited. We were in Jamestown until Friday at her apartment. During that time

we went to see the world's largest buffalo, a fifty foot statue made out of cement that overlooks the entire town of Jamestown.

we toured the booming town of frontier village, a tourist trap ( i think we were the only ones there.)

I was carded for trying to buy cold medicine at the local wal-mart, and since i didn't have ID on me, i recieved a reciept that said "underage...denied sale by federal law." I just looked at the cashier, as i held my kleenex box in one hand, and my eyes watered with sinus congestion. So, Heidi had to buy it for me.

we went to the buffalo museum, which cost $5, so instead we went to the gift store. I never knew that so many things could have a buffalo theme.

I helped Heidi decorate her apartment more, we baked a lot, watched some movies, and I was able to meet some of her residents (from the nursing home where she works.)

I am now at her home in Maddock, a booming town of 500. The house is beautiful, overlooking fields complete with porch and porch swing. It has been such a blessing, and encouragement, as well as much fun to be here. I will be returning back to the great lake state on Tuesday.

home again

well...it has been a while since i have added to my blog...last week was finals week, and i feel pretty good about the semester. I have learned so much about God's faithfulness, and how his faithfulness is not dependent on my faithfulness. God is faithful, that is who he is, and he has plans for us that are way better than we could ever imagine up or try to orchestrate on our own. I am learning so much more about what it means to trust in him, and a result of that trust is ultimately surrender. i feel like i am barely scratching the surface when it comes to understanding all of this, but i have fallen more in love with my Savior these past few months, and looking back at this past year, i can clearly see God's hand directing me to where i am now. It is easy to try to imagine what the end result of all of this will be, and to try to plan my life now for what might happen in the future. However, I know that I must learn to take it day by day, moment by moment living for Christ. One of my favorite quotes.."wherever you are, be there." I don't want to miss out on what is in store for me know by living too far ahead.

Saturday morning, about 12:30 am, justin and katie arrived at moody to pick me up and bring me home...didn't get back until 5 am...was pretty tired...slept until 3 in the afternoon. It is so nice to be home, surrounded by trees, grapevinyards, horses, and of course...
the smell of dad's cooking
mom waking up at 5am
jeanette riding horses down the hill with student in tow
mom falling asleep on the couch around 9, sleeping soundly and then finally going to bed around 10.
dad falling asleep around 10, sleeping soundly until 11, calling the cat inside the house, doing dishes, then going to bed.
TVEC talk
filling water tanks, moving hoses, throwing hay
seeing 5 people i know in the check-out at the grocery store
leaving the car unlocked in the parking lot with keys inside
contemplating with katie if the horse treats in the fridge are alright for human consumption
black skies at night, bright stars
the smell of freshly cut grass
the sound of horses running in the pasture
home.