the Call Sacramento

Last Wednesday 9 of us and a baby all piled into a 15 passenger van (with the back seat out) and drove 22 hours straight from Colorado Springs to Sacramento, CA. It was a long drive, but went by surprisingly fast! The ministry that I'm interning at, Every Home for Christ, paid all of our expenses to attend the Call, a solemn assembly focused on intercession for revival in California, our nation, and in the world. We were so blessed to get to go!

September 3 (Friday) was the "pre-Call rally" at the baseball stadium in Sacramento. The stadium was nearly full as well as the majority of the field for five hours of worship. It was an amazing time of coming before the Lord in abandoned worship as we prepared for Saturday. Jesus gave me so much joy as I worshiped before Him. He continues to humble me as He shows me His glory and perfection... it's all about Him, not at all about me! He's helping me to get over my tendency to worry about what people think about me or to compare myself to others. My identity is only in who He says I am, not what others think about me or what I think about myself.

Saturday was the Call, held right on the front steps of the capitol building in the capitol city of California. I'm not sure how many people gathered, but they projected the whole event on screens for blocks in the middle of Sacramento. It was an amazing experience to gather with thousands of Christians with one heart and one mind in intercession for our nation. It was very sobering, realizing all of the lies that Americans have believed, and that if we continue in the same path, destruction really is imminent. The Lord has given us so many chances to turn back to Him, but we continue to deny Him. We prayed for just about every major issue that Americans deal with as well as took time to repent for our own personal sins and make wrong things right in our own lives. There was a cross that was set up that we would turn to, symbolizing our need for the blood of Jesus and His mercy in our lives.

An amazing thing happened two hours after we prayed for the end of human trafficking: craigslist removed the adult section which facilitates prostitution and trafficking! (Link to the article about it http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20015629-71.html) Only God could have done this! I have so much hope that what we did on Saturday was the beginning of a new movement of people who will start prayer houses on college campuses and in the nations, starting a revival! God will be the one to do it, but He is inviting us to join Him by consecrating our hearts to Him and genuinely saying yes.

Three Weeks In

It's already been three weeks here in Colorado Springs at the Wall internship. I am so amazed at how time flies and how much God has spoken to me in this short amount of time. The other night I was having ice cream at McDonald's with my two leaders (Ashley and Rico) and Rico asked me what the main thing God has taught me so far is. I had to think about it for a second. He's showed me so much about His love, His faithfulness, and His worth. He's spoken to me a lot about what it looks like to be consecrated to Him. He's asked me to give Him things that waste time and hinder me from being fully focused on Him. But I think the main thing He has been showing me, which is what I told Ashley and Rico, is that He has been giving me more of a perspective on the bigger picture of His plan. The president of EHC, Dick Eastman does mentoring sessions for us and has been telling us about how he prayed daily for decades for a 24-hour prayer room at the Jericho Center (the EHC mission's base and new location of the Watchman Training Center/Prayer room). As crazy as it seems to me, I am part of God's answer to that prayer, along with all the staff that's been involved. I'm humbled that God wants me to play a small part of this amazing prayer movement, which is truly preparing the way for His return. He has been revealing to me the reality of His kingdom and that literally He is being worshiped 24-7 by heavenly hosts. Heaven is a real place that was really part of the earth at creation and that will be restored at the end. This prayer movement is a mere reflection of what goes on day and night in heaven! God has a plan to purify His bride, the church, so that He can come back to marry her. This reality seriously blows my mind. I am humbled that he chose me to sit before Him in worship of who He is. I am also very thankful that he did!

So, it's been really good! Something else that I found out on Thursday, is that EHC is paying for our internship and the leaders to go the the Call in Sacramento, CA!!!! Dick Eastman is going to be giving out a copy of his revised version of The Purple Pig. At the Call, they will be calling for 10,000 young people to join the intercessory missionary movement, to build prayer houses in the nations! We are going to have a booth about the Wall. I think there's even a chapter in this new book about the Wall and the internship that I'm doing. I can't wait to see what God does and I'm so excited that we get to go!

So in short, my eyes are fixed on my King Jesus, who is literally sitting at the right hand of God in an actual place called Heaven, longing for the day that His relationship with His creation is restored to its fullness. And we get to be part of His plan to restore that relationship, as long as we keep on saying yes.

theWALL

I have officially started my internship here at theWall prayer room with Every Home for Christ and it has truly been amazing! We have only just started and God has already showed me so much and has confirmed in my heart that this is the best place that I could be right now. I feel like the four other interns are a new family that I get to grow with over the next five months. They each have a different story and it is so obvious that God brought each of us here for a specific reason. God is so good and I am so excited to see what he has in store for me and the others that are here. I don't know how much I'll be able to update my blog because I want to try not to waste or spend a lot of time on the internet, but I will definitely as I am able. I have given up facebook for these five months to consecrate this time to the Lord. I believe He has huge plans for our group! (Picture to come:)

Pictures from the last week or so!

I've gotten to do so many fun things these past couple of weeks. First of all, here are some pictures from hiking Mt. Jumbo with my good friend Hannah. It was a beautiful hike overlooking Missoula!

It's kinda hard to tell, but there were sheep on the mountain!

There were some beautiful flowers!

Then, I went on a bike ride with Lauren and Hannah and we went to the end of the Kim Williams trail...something we've all wanted to do. It's not as long as I thought, but it was really fun! On the way back we went on some side trails and I got all scratched up from running into branches and bushes! It was a lot of fun!

And, on Sunday I watched the Missoula Marathon with Lauren, Heidi, and Lauren Morey. Lauren and Heidi's dad ran the full! He did really well, finishing in 3:48. Not too bad for a 49 year old first time marathoner! We got up at 4am in order to bring him to the race, then went to different places along the course to cheer. The last half we rode bikes, which was really fun!

This was the sunrise we watched as the runners passed us. It was so pretty!

It was so early! Quick funny story...one of the first girls that passed us running went behind our car and as she passed us was like, "Don't be weirded out, but I'm going to pee behind your car." Oh the things that runners will do!

The coffee was much needed!

Mr. Cross finishing strong!

We were his loyal cheer team! It's really cool to watch a marathon and see people after they finish, just knowing how much work and time they had to put into training. It really takes a lot of will and discipline to run a marathon!

So much to say...

As I lay here on the couch after a day of being sick, I decided to blog. Being sick really gives you a lot of time to think about life, past...present...future. So far, this summer has been full of adventure, stress, and also relaxation. I have been working at the Lighthouse Espresso, which has been a wonderful experience for me. It's my first real job, so it's been pretty exciting. It has taught me how to handle difficult people, patience in frustrating situations, and work ethic. I've gone to the lake, the river, hiked Mt. Jumbo (the mountain the "L" is on), and spent some time at home with nothing to do. And, in less than 2 weeks I will move to Colorado Springs. Today I received my official acceptance letter and packet for theWall internship at Every Home for Christ. It's all starting to seem real, though I can't believe how fast my summer is going by. I haven't decided for sure what I want to do after the internship, so I am leaving that decision in God's hands for now. I am so thankful for the places and experiences God has taken me through and those He will take me through. I am really looking forward to taking this season of my life and dedicating it to the Lord - in prayer, worship and in missions.

Tomorrow is the fourth of July, or Independence Day. We live in a country where we are free to worship God. I am so very thankful for that, and although at times it can cause me to become lazy in my faith, it also gives me so many opportunities to grow in my faith. I have often complained about the church in America being lukewarm and that people who call themselves Christians aren't truly living the lifestyle. But as I complain, I also realize that I am guilty of that many times, and that there really are some amazing men and women of God in America, who have given their lives to spread the Gospel. I am so thankful for those people who give me an example to follow, and I am thankful that I am free to follow Jesus. I am truly blessed. Independence Day reminds me of that.

Creepers and Crawlers

So, I didn't want this to be on facebook, but I needed to sing this for my sisters because of the facebook conversation we are having!

Welp, I cooked

Sorta. I started out very simple - a twenty minute recipe from that Betty Crocker cookbook. But, it tasted wonderful! Pita bread spread with hummus and topped with fetta cheese. Put that in the oven for about ten minutes to let the cheese melt, then top it with diced tomatoes and spinach (the recipe called for olives and onions, both of which I'm not a huge fan)...and you have dinner! I'm excited to start trying more new things! Maybe I'll make some homemade Pad Thai next!

Also, I start working tomorrow at Lighthouse Espresso! Well, actually I'm just going in to figure out my schedule and sign up for times to work. I'm pretty excited, though...this is my first actual job so I hope it goes well!

My Resolve

Okay, so first of all I'd better tell you about my crazy week. So, it was Kylie's birthday last Thursday, and her wonderful husband, Jesse, wanted to give her a multitude of surprises. My mom and I were her first surprise. We got to meet her for coffee and then go and pick up her second "surprise" (she knew about it), my sister Beth and niece Ty. We went to Ky's house for a picnic lunch then met Kay Valentine at the mall (a surprise to us all) then had a Mexican fiesta for Cinco de Maio. That's right...Kylie's birthday was on Thursday, but this was all on Wednesday. The fun was yet to begin. Thursday morning we woke up with the kids, had lattes, and gave Kylie her biggest surprise yet...a massage and pedicure scheduled for later in the afternoon. After lunch with my mom, Amanda, Beth and I, Kylie went to get pampered. But we also surprised Beth, who got to get a massage at the same time. It was fun!

Now, Thursday evening is when the fun truly began. Kylie's parents both got sick with the flu, and we had planned to go to their house for dinner. Her mom had cooked the whole meal, but wasn't feeling well enough to eat it, so we went and got it and brought it to our house. It was delicious curry chicken and the most beautiful multi-sized cupcakes I've ever seen! After dinner I went over to Kylie and Jesse's house and was going to spend the night. But, low and behold, as I lay next to Beth on Kylie's bed, while Kylie was answering her seventy-something birthday wishes on facebook, I got that feeling. You know, the one where you're about to throw up... and I lost it. Dinner, dessert, and all. I decided to go home and I'm glad I did. The routine that night was throw up in the bowl, go wash it out, try to rest a little, then repeat half an hour later. I lost count after about 12 times. When morning came, the time gap was a little longer, which was nice. So this nasty bug sorta ruined the rest of our plans for Kylie. Beth didn't feel well the next day either, so poor Kylie had to take care of Ty and her kids (I say poor because she was so exhausted...I bet she loved being with Ty!) But, at least we got through her birthday! I am feeling much better now, thankfully.

And this next part has absolutely nothing to do with all of that...my resolve:

I have resolved to learn how to cook. Not to become a cook or anything super fancy. I just want to learn how to cook. I think it is a very valuable art, not to mention, fun! Therefore, I will be cooking a meal each Tuesday for my family, starting tomorrow. Well, for now it's each Tuesday..that's flexible.

Tomorrow I will make Middle Eastern Pita Pizzas, a recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, 10th edition. I'm really looking forward to this new little adventure! There was something else that I resolved to do, but I just can't remember right now. Maybe I was being ambitious...oh well! Anyways, I will let you know how it goes!

And this chapter has ended...

Although it has gone by so fast, I wouldn't trade my choice to spend my freshman year of college at George Fox University for anything. I have made some amazing friends. I have met some awesome people. I have been challenged to think for myself. I will truly miss this place. Tomorrow I will be leaving Newberg, OR. I will spend a weekend at the beach with my mom. I will spend the summer in Missoula, MT working at Lighthouse Espresso. And then I will move to Colorado Springs for an internship. And after that, who knows? I am so thankful that my life is in the Lord's hands and that I can trust in His plan. He is such a good Father. So, I thought for this post, I would put some pictures up from my time here at Fox. I thank God for these amazing people that He has put into my life!

At Macaroni Grill on my birthday

Valentine's Day with Lauren and Megan

We got all dressed up and went out to dessert for Megan's birthday

An adventure to Washington Square

We went to Jimmy Mak's, a jazz club in Portland, for my Understanding Jazz class

Our first adventure together...to the creepy pet cemetery. Not really sure why we went there!

Serve Day with my RA, Anika :)

All of the girls on my floor on serve day. We served at a local ministry called Love Inc.

Our last weekend together, we went to the Seaside beach and took over 600 pictures!

One of my favorite pictures from our beach adventure of me and Megan!

And one of my favorite pictures of me and my roommate, Dana

We did some very random things together! There were many times when we were stressed out about tests or papers, and times when we were unmotivated to do anything. We would get inspired and write random songs, or we would feel down and have an evening of worship and prayer. I've gotten so close to these girls! They both love the Lord so much, and I'm so excited to see where God takes them. Megan is going into the nursing program next year and Dana is going to Music Therapy school in Lake Oswego. We have done pretty much everything together this year, and I'm really going to miss them.

Rotic with Courtney, who lives across the hall

Penn 2 girls floor retreat to the beach. What a nice relaxing place to study for 3 tests and write a paper!

My cross country team. These were the first people I met at Fox, and I love each one of them. We had some great times running together! This picture is from our cross country camp the week before classes started.

And this is from a fun weekend that I went to see Lauren. I'm so thankful that Lauren lives so close to me. It was so good to get to visit her every once in a while and see her play basketball and run in track. The girls that she has gotten to know are really awesome! God has huge plans for Lauren's life, and it's going to be hard to live so far away from her.

Invisible Children

In 1986 in Uganda, the longest war in Uganda started, and it is still going today. Joseph Kony is the leader of the "Lord's Resistance Army", the rebel army that is trying to overthrow the government. He claims to have spiritual powers and acts like he has the same authority as Jesus. Apart from ordering the death of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans, Kony gets the majority of his army by abducting children, generally under the age of 20. Ugandan children are always at risk of being kidnapped in their sleep and forced to become child soldiers for this evil man's army.

Tonight, I about Invisible Children, an organization that is working to put an end to this injustice. A few years ago, three young men went to Uganda, on their way to Sudan to do a documentary. But, God had different plans. They stopped in Uganda because they found that thousands of kids were all sleeping in the streets in an area protected by the government, in order not to be abducted. They talked to a young man named Jacob, who was abducted when he was 12 and escaped. The decided that they had to do something, so they worked to raise awareness in the states and in the Senate by making a documentary and organizing rallies.

Tonight, they showed a documentary they made of their journey, and it broke my heart. Also, we got to hear the young man, Jacob, speak. Because of "Invisible Children", he is on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming a lawyer. He is currently a freshman in college. "Invisible Children" started a program to sponsor children so that they can get an education and grow up to be the leaders of the country and hopefully bring peace. Right now, they are sponsoring 800 children.

The thing that really got me is that this war has been going on for the past 24 years, and I knew nothing about it, at least very little. I've heard of child soldiers before, but never to this extent. It is also weird for me to think about what I was doing when I was 12 and comparing it to Jacob. Jacob is the same age as me, and I have never had to worry about any of the terrors he has experienced. God is using his voice to bring hope to a nation, just like he used St. Patrick to bring hope to Ireland. St. Patrick had been taken captive and escaped just like Jacob. (I refer to St. Patrick because today is St. Patrick's day:)

This issue is very important. Hundreds of people are affected each day by the war in Uganda. I think the best thing I can do right now is to pray for God's mercy on that nation and on those children, who are unknown, who vanish in the night. Pray that God disarms the power Joseph Kony holds on the nation. Pray that the people find hope in the Lord. I can't imagine the terror those kids and their families experience every day, and I don't think it is right that they have to experience that.

So, in the midst of all the chaos of upcoming tests and plans for spring break and my future, I can remember that this world is bigger than just the issues I face personally. I need to remember these children and keep a wider perspective. God's grace is sufficient, and I believe He can and will save those children.

Birthday Fun

Friday was my birthday, and although it was sad not to celebrate it in Missoula with my family like usual, my friends here made it such a special day! My mom had sent me a "party package" with balloons, blowouts, a happy birthday banner, candy, and lots more fun stuff! On Thursday night after Bible, my friend Megan and I returned to my room to find that Dana had put the balloons up all around the door frame and printed off some birthday signs. We had to go in armed with the big punching balloons that had also come in the package. When we walked in Dana and another friend from my floor attacked us with the balloons and we had a big fight! Then, at 12:00 am, Dana, Megan and I had some of the ice cream cake that Dana had made for me. On my birthday, we got free coffee from Dutch Bros. and had dinner at the Macaroni Grill. At dinner, I got a free piece of cake and one of the waiters sang happy birthday to me in Italian! He stared at me the whole time, so it was really awkward, but fun :) After dinner, I got to open the presents my mom had sent...I got a GPS! It was really exciting, because I get lost all of the time, and this is going to SAVE me time and stress. That evening we watched Pride and Prejudice with a couple other girls on our floor.

Then, on Saturday, I got to go see Lauren's track meet which was so fun! She's amazing. We went to Red Robin for dinner then church, and on Sunday we went for a nice run and got some homework done. It was a very enjoyable birthday!

At Macaroni Grill!

A fun Life is Good mug from my mom (it says, "Gotta run")

My new GPS!

Dana's lovely door decorations

Free chocolate cake!

Jealous Love

These are the lyrics to the song I wrote yesterday. This is basically what has been going on in my heart recently. Last night in Bible study, we read some passages by Catherine of Genoa. What I learned is that when I am in God's love and content to remain there, He slowly will reveal to me my imperfections and the power of His love to remove them. Don't try to understand God. It will get you absolutely nowhere. Just receive what He reveals to you in His time, and allow Him to work when He wants to work. Out of the place of Christ's all encompassing love his where our love for people will come. It is not by our power, but by His. It is a long journey of slowly growing more and more in love with Him. I shouldn't try to rush God.

Here is the song:

JEALOUS LOVE
Vs.1
How I love the way that you look at me
How I love the words that You speak to me
How I love the grace you have shown to me
How I love that you want to be just with me

Vs. 2
How You love the way that I look at you
How you love when I share my heart with you
How you love when I give my all to you
How you love when I want to be just with you

Bridge 1
I am drawn into your arms; and I trust that there I will find strength
My heart dances when you speak; for I hear the passion in Your words

Chorus:
And I am awestruck by your beauty
You have captured my heart with your selfless love
How could I fall for any other lover
When you're standing here with jealous love in Your eyes

Bridge 2
So face down I come to you; with one desire - to be yours, Lord
And I know this path won't be easy; that is why I'm giving it all back to you


And here is a quote from what we read last night by Catherine of Genoa:

"May this be our prayer: 'I do not want to turn my eyes from You, O God. There I want them to stay and not move no matter what happens to me, within or without.' For those who trust in God need not worry about themselves. As I think about you, my spiritual children, I see that God's pure love is attentive to all of your needs. It is because of this tender love that I need not ask anything of God for you. All I need to do is lift you up before His face."

When I am in a place of total surrender and trust in God, I know that His love is sufficient and He knows what we need before we ask. Therefore, when I am praying for others this week, I'm not going to list all of the things I want God to do. Rather, I'm just going to lift them up to Him, knowing that He knows what's best. That will leave no room for my own disappointment if things don't go the way I thought they should. I will see everything that happens as an act of God's love. It doesn't have to make sense, and it really shouldn't make sense to my own mind. God wants us to live by faith so that we are acting out of love rather than out of fear, selfishness, or obligation. I am so amazed by God!

Just a few thoughts from my heart!

Looking Forward

I'm thinking this weekend will be both wonderful and horrible at the same time. Wonderful, because tonight I get to host a girl here for a scholarship competition and Lauren's coming on Saturday and spending the night, then we're going to a dessert place nearby! Horrible, because yet again, I have a lot of studying to do. I have a lab practical on Tuesday, so I will be spending the majority of my morning and afternoon tomorrow looking at the blood vessels in a stinky cat, trying to memorize them all...ugh. Plus I have another test on Monday. It will be really good to have Lauren here, though! And, on a more positive note...I spent a lot of last weekend writing a research paper on Jonah for Bible in order to hand in a rough draft on Tuesday to be fixed. I got it back yesterday, and she just decided to grade that copy because the changes I would have had to make were so minimal, and I got a 100!

So, although I'm not really looking forward to studying so much, I am really looking forward to seeing Lauren! It's so nice to have her living so close. I think it will turn out to be a great weekend.

Below is a picture of me "eating" a worm I found yesterday on the way to the lab. Megan and I thought it would make for an epic picture, and indeed it did. I really felt like maybe I could star in the show, "Woman Vs. Wild"! Haha!

Results

You know that pop test I told you about? Well, I got an 88% on it. I was hoping to get an A because I studied so much for it. Guess what took my grade down so much...it's something that I have always struggled with...MULTIPLE CHOICE! Even though he gave us questions that were almost exactly the same as the ones on the practice test, I still managed somehow to miss a bunch! But, I am happy with an 88%! It's better than and 87%, right?!

I'd also like to share that I have really been enjoying my Bible class! I have been opened up to a much wider perspective on the Bible, and I love reading it as a historical book, rather than always trying to apply it to my own personal situations. It's amazing to realize that these were real people who went through these things. Many of the choices they made have greatly influenced our world today. Yesterday we had a discussion about whether or not the Israelites establishing kings was a violation of the covenant they made with God. Our teacher split us into two groups and we were each given one side to defend. Eventually we all came to the conclusion that we really can't say what should have happened (like much of what happened in the Bible)! God works in such mysterious ways, and through this class, I have been forced to ask questions that I haven't really considered all the options of. Anyways, it's been really good, and I just wanted to share that :)

Pop Test!

So if you read my last post, you would know that for Anatomy, we have pop exams. We had one a couple of weeks ago, so it seemed to be about time for another one...and we had one today! Luckily I studied my brains out this weekend! I felt pretty confident about it. I like that they are pop tests because then I am forced to be studying my notes on a regular basis rather than just cramming at the last second. Some people hate it though!

In the last couple of weeks...

Okay, so sorry about being lame and not posting in so long...here's my life in the past couple of weeks in a nutshell:
Last weekend: Lauren came to visit! We did lots of homework, had dinner at that amazing Thai restaurant (Mee Sen) in Portland, hung out with Lauren's friend who lives in Portland until 2am, and watched "My Best Friend's Wedding." It was so much fun to have her here for a change (i usually go there to visit)!
This weekend: It was my friend Megan's birthday on Saturday, so we made cinnamon rolls and ate them with fruit for breakfast, we got free drinks from Dutch Bros. (you get a free drink on your bday, and there are two in Newberg!), did homework, and then got dressed up and went to a wonderful restaurant in Portland called Papa Hayden's for some delicious dessert! (I got to wear my new yellow dress!)
Today: church. homework. lunch. homework. dinner. homework. a short break. homework outside under a tree because it was so sunny and beautiful out. homework at a coffee shop. I've done a lot of homework today! I have a Bible paper due soon, anatomy practicum next Tuesday, two other tests this week, and I'm not sure when my Anatomy test will be since they are pop exams. (I have a feeling it's going to be either tomorrow or Wednesday) This week will probably be pretty crazy, but I'm trusting God and I know I'll be able to succeed! Enjoy the pictures!

At Papa Hayden's!

The top view of the dessert I got. It was called "Chocolate Cube". Basically a chocolate shell filled with chocolate mousse! It was amazing!

Me, Dana, and Megan!

The full body view of our dresses!

Breakfast in bed: cinnamon rolls, strawberries, blackberries, orange juice. Yum!

Oh yeah, and I also got to dye Dana's hair...it was the first time I've ever had the privilege of dying someone's hair! We were so nervous (even though you can barely tell a difference since she just wanted to even out the color)!

My Weekend

I feel like I had such an eventful weekend, and I want to share about it! I really can't believe how much I've been off campus lately, compared to last semester. Friday night I went to Portland with a couple of people from my cross country team and we had amazing dessert at a cute little restaurant in downtown Portland. We walked along downtown Portland, wandered in Powell books for a little while, then headed home. I haven't gotten to do much with them, so it was really fun! Saturday, I slept in, did some homework, went on a run with my friend Jeanette (it was a beautiful day!), then that evening Megan, Dana and I went to Washington Square. We wandered around in Target, and tried on dresses (notice the yellow one pictured below that I bought!) Then we got cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory to go. When I got back, I watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith with some other girls on my floor. Then today, after a wonderful church service at the Foursquare church, I got to go visit Lauren! Her mom and sister, Heidi, were visiting and it was so good to see them! We got some homework done at a coffee shop, played a little basketball, and went to dinner at the Newport Seafood Grill. I had a delicious salmon BLT. It's been a good weekend!

On our trip to Washington Square on Saturday night

When we were driving back to George Fox, we saw this house and had to stop. It was decked out with Valentine's Day decorations! We looked at it for probably about five minutes, just in awe. There wasn't a section of the house that didn't have something!

And this is the fun yellow dress I bought, basically just for fun (which I never do!)

An evening in Portland

I haven't been able to go to Portland very much since I have been here, but last night, I went to Portland with two girls from my floor, Elise and Katie. Elise was borrowing her mom's convertible for the weekend, so we rode in that to Portland and back.
First, we had dinner at a fantastic Thai restaurant called "Mee Sen"! (Kylie, Beth and Lissa: you would be SO jealous!) I had a wonderful soup with rice noodles, chicken, and other wonderful ingredients (that I can't remember) in the broth.
We then went to a cute little coffee shop and did some homework. After that, we had to get some cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, especially since I had never gone. It was sooo delicious!


On the way back to Newberg, we drove with the top of the convertible down: cold, yet fun! (Luckily I was in the front) It was a fun night!

Stanley

My parents got a new puppy today! He's a 14 week old laberdoodle, named Stanley. Of course, no one can replace Piccalo, but he is pretty cute! (I knew my mom was probably going to take a while to post, so i just used the pictures my dad sent me on my phone :) I just wish I could be there to meet him.

XANADU

Today I went to a Broadway musical with Dana called "Xanadu". It was probably one of the most weird and odd performances I have ever seen! It's set in 1980 and there is an artist named Sonny, who wears short cut of shorts and a red tank top, and is depressed when a painting he makes doesn't turn out. 9 "sisters" or "muses" from ancient Greece are given the task to bring him inspiration in his art. One of them, named Kira, is given the task, and the other sisters are there to help. She meets him on a beach, and she is riding on roller skates. He feels inspired to turn an old theater into a roller disco where there will be all kinds of art and an athletic center. Two of the other sisters get jealous, because if Kira completes her task, she will be rewarded by Zeus with the gift of Xanadu, a magical gift that is suppose to be amazing, so they put a curse on her to fall in love with him. It is against the rules for a muse to fall in love with a mortal, and the penalty is eternal damnation into the underworld. She does fall in love with him, and he falls in love with her, but since the love is real, the goddess of the sea convinces Zeus not to penalize her and to allow her to live with Sonny as a mortal. In the end, they all got to live in "Xanadu", the name of the new roller disco that the Sonny created.

It was a weird plot, and they tried to make it funny, but although there were some funny parts, I thought it was kinda lame. They rode around on roller skates and the sisters all talked in unison...just WEIRD! Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience, and it was fun to spend the day with Dana!

Mid-Week...First Week

My second semester of college started on Monday after a nice long Christmas break, and it is going really well so far! I am really looking forward to all of my classes. Here's the list: Math 150 (practical math for life), Anatomy and Physiology (new teacher:), Care and Prevention of Injuries, Responding to Emergencies, and Bible Survey. I still love my roommate, and have gotten back into running. I think this will be a good semester as long as I trust in God and am diligent in my work! Now I'm off to a floor meeting...fun stuff!

One in Six Billion

I know not many people read my blog, and I like it that way, but for those who do, you may notice that I have changed the title. In 2008, the World Bank approximated the world population at 6,692,030,277. That's a lot of people! "It is estimated that approximately 250,000 to 300,000 people die each day(see http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_die_a_day). When given that estimate, and the estimated 217,000 additional (population expansion) babies are born, an estimated 467,000 to 517,000 total births per day." On March 5, 1991, I was one of those babies to be born. Each one of those humans born will one day be in the count of the number of people who have died. It's amazing to me that each day so many lives begin, and so many lives end, but the majority of the population will continue to live, whether or not we are affected by this change. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live through the day will make at least 5,000 decisions in a day...some that will determine the path of our lives, others that determine what we will eat or when we will get out of bed, small yet important.

When I was five or six, I made the most important decision I would ever make: to accept Jesus as my Savior. Since then, that one decision has been the basis for every decision I have made, although I can't say I have always made the right decisions. I am imperfect like all of the other 6.5 billion people out there, but because of one man, Jesus Christ, I am free from those imperfections and the eternal consequence of them. ONE MAN.

I decided after graduating from eighth grade at Valley Christian to continue my High School education there, a decision I will never regret. I decided to play basketball and soccer and run cross country. I decided to run for Student Leadership and was voted president. After graduating from high school, I decided to move to Oregon to attend George Fox University, another decision I will never regret. Although, with all of these decisions I have made, I feel as if I am still just at the beginning of my life. I can't yet tell story after story of my many life experiences or write on a job application that I have a Masters in Sports Medicine or even that I've had a consistent job. My life is still an unfinished book, just like each person who will go to sleep tonight, wake up tomorrow, make 5,000 decisions, go to sleep, and do it all over again the next day. I am just one person. I am completely confident that if I can be totally surrendered to Jesus, and willing to go wherever he wants me to and do whatever it is He asks...if I actively work on living my life like Jesus lived His, if I pursue a relationship with Him each day that He allows me to be alive on this earth, if I deny myself to follow Christ, if it is not me living but Christ living in me, it will be impossible for me to make a wrong decision, and it will be impossible for no one to notice a difference.

The most recent decision I have made is that in July, I will be moving to Colorado Springs for a six month internship and school afterward. I am confident that this is the Lord's will, because I will be challenged in every way possible to step out of my bubble, figure out what I believe, and to be bold about it. I am so thankful that God chose to put me where He did so that I can share what I have received from Him with everyone around me. I can share His love. I am one in six billion, and if I can lead someone, who is also one in six billion, towards the love of Christ, I know my life was worth all the effort that went into it.

So, after a wonderful Christmas vacation, I continue my life here at George Fox, waiting patiently for the Lord's timing in my life, and growing in my knowledge of God's Word, my desire to pursue Him, and doing everything to glorify His name.