Beautiful Life.

I love my silly, beautiful life. 


I love my jobs. I love my churches. I love that my family lives so close and that they are so awesome. I love that I've managed to switch my wardrobe to basically all solid color v-neck t-shirts. I love that I have a bookshelf full of half read books and books to be read. I love that Minnesota summers make up for the terrible winters. I love that even though I drink too much coffee, my favorite cups are during good conversation with good friends. I love that I am moved into a house in which I will live with three amazing girls. I love that I live in a city that has so many opportunities for me to try new things. I love that I have a passion to learn. I love that I'll be starting grad school in a subject I care a lot about. I love that this is a stage of life for me to figure out who I am and who I want to be. I love that I have a God who cares about the mundane details of my life and who knows my heart completely. I love conversations with friends about issues that actually matter. I love sweet potato tater tots. I love that I am growing and changing in so many different areas of my life. I love that I'm excited about my future; where I'll go, who I'll meet, and what will happen. 


My life certainly isn't perfect, but I don't want it to be. It's the challenges and the silliness of it all that have made me who I am. 


My cup overflows :) 

My Favorite Place on Earth

A couple weeks ago I got to go to my favorite place on earth, Camp of the Woods. Ever since my first time as a mission camper in 2004, I jump at any opportunity I have to go back. Between summer and winter camp, the longest I've been away in the last seven years has been a year. It is such a great place, with great people and a great mission. I could talk for days about everything Camp, but as my fingers would get tired, and you would get bored, I'll summarize in list form :)

1. Ever since my first summer, I've got to watch God be faithful in the most practical ways. Almost every year there has been an almost shortage of staff, yet God always provides.Literally, one year we thought we would be short guys staff, when a guy unexpectedly drove into camp for the week and said, "What? You guys didn't get my application? I sent it months ago!" ---This year, I got to be an answer to the prayer of more staff AND I got to meet and bring someone awesome with me. So, we had even more help and my mother was pleased I wasn't driving myself. AND I got to go in a car that didn't have transmission problems nor 275,000 miles on it...but that's a whole different story.

2. For a moment I thought I would be going up as support staff...but nope! I showed up Sunday night, and Monday morning I was in a cabin with a co-counselor and 10 ten and eleven year old girls, as well as a co-team captain with 16 seven to twelve year olds. It was awesome. I prayed that my cabin would be okay with being silly and wouldn't be too cool for me. We got to be silly.  Though it may have been the first time Journey and The Black Eyed Peas made an appearance at camp, let's just say we had the "best dance party of all time." After spending so much of life doing adult like things, I was SO BLESSED to hang out with kids again.

3. New friends and old friends. Even by only being there for a week, I could tell that this summers staff was stellar. Top notch. Awesome. Meeting all the cool newbies made me wish I had been up there all summer. One of the great parts about camp, though, is that we WILL meet again. That's just how it works. In my week up there I got to connect again with friends, who though I don't see often, we can pick up just where we left off last time we were together. It's awesome. So good for my heart. AND since staff are from all over North America, I have great excuses to travel. Possible TN trip coming soon? I think yes :) 

4. Downtown Minneapolis vs. 40 miles from the nearest town, only people on a lake, trees, wildlife, stars, quiet, beautiful. Enough said.

5. FOOD. Three square meals a day. Homemade. Delicious. Fantastic. After a summer of sporadic eating habits, that was phenomenal.

Again, I could talk about camp for days straight. If your interested in hearing more, or just want to give me an outlet to talk and talk and talk, let's grab coffee and I'll tell you some great stories :)

After Blatant Eavesdropping.

“True wisdom is being able to entertain an idea without accepting it.” -Aristotle

I do love a good theological discussion (not argument, mind you.) I don’t even need to be a part of it; I sometimes merely love to listen to what people have to say about things that really matter/issues of the human spirit/purpose/things below the surface. It is so easy to get caught up in polite conversation. Deeper questions don’t get brought up nearly as often as one would think, considering their importance/implications. It’s too politically incorrect. Bringing up deeper issues could easily turn to argument, and no one wants to offend anyone, or make a situation awkward; it’s much easier (safer) to talk about the weather and the newest box office hit.

Today I blatantly eavesdropped on a theological discussion. These two guys, both Christians who just met each other (and who I also had recently met) started talking about all sorts of things. I didn’t catch all of the conversation, but I was so impressed with them. Both held different views on God’s will, predestination, Calvinism, etc., yet they were still able to discuss what they thought/believed, and did so without attacking each other; merely presented different view points.

One part of the conversation I found particularly interesting was about humans and our continuous search for satisfaction/fulfillment/lasting happiness. Many think that if they had more money, more possessions, or a significant other, then they would find that satisfaction/fulfillment/happiness. Unfortunately, those things ultimately don’t satisfy us. Maybe for a short time, but we are always left wanting more.

Instead of spouting off my theories of why I think this is (or why these guys thought so) I pose some questions to you, oh reader of my little blog:

What does it take for a human to be satisfied/fulfilled/happy? Is there anything, or are we doomed to always keep searching without finding it? Is it part of our nature? Designed by God? What do YOU think?

Leave a comment. I’d love to read it :)

Unexpected.

Life doesn't always turn out like we think/plan. I recently have finished my undergrad, and I've had some time to think about what my expectations were going into college. Here's some things I assumed when I started:


1. I would graduate as a Baylor Bear in the great state of Texas. 


I loved my time at Baylor. I think it was great for me, and I met some awesome people. I assumed I would be there for all four years, but I ended up transferring back to MN halfway through my undergrad career. Private school in Texas to public school in Minnesota? Woah. Talk about a big change! 


2. I would earn my degree in entrepreneurship and be on my way to opening a coffee shop and a bookstore. 


HA! One semester of business classes and I was done with that. I still would LOVE to own/work in a coffee shop/bookstore. I mean, coffee and books? Come on. If you know me at all you'd know that I'm usually surrounded by both. Unfortunately that's why most of my books have coffee spilled on them, but I digress.. I've graduated with a degree in Elementary Education...basically the opposite direction. 


3. That I would know what I want to do with my life.


One would hope that since I'm about to start grad school, I would be super convinced in what I want to do. I do love working with kids and I love working with people with special needs, and I can't wait until I can do more with both, but honestly, I'm loving life right now. I'm enjoying working two jobs, exploring the city, hanging with friends, being a poor college student...I kind of love it. I feel like even when people get degrees, the job they end up with somehow just falls into their lap. A lot of people don't even do what they have their degree in...but I also believe one has to be in motion instead of just sitting and waiting for that perfect job to fall into their lap. I'm in motion and excited to see where I'll end up. 


4. That I would graduate with fiance, serious boyfriend, boyfriend, or hint of a relationship.

I'm not alone in this. There is a reason the phrase "ring by spring" is in existence...it happens a lot! A lot of us girls assume that we will meet our future husband in college. I'm pretty confident that I haven't met him, which is sometimes disappointing, but then I remember this: I'm only 21! I'm just a baby still! I'm waaaay to selfish to care about another person the way I should care for my future husband! And with a husband brings the chance of children. WHAT? Are you kidding me? Sure I like kids, but for now I like other peoples' kids. Kids are a lot of work, and they mean I can't be out til 3 am if I want to. I'd have to grow up way more than I want to right now. That is a LOT of commitment. Hitting the "delete forever" button in my spam e-mail makes me nervous...forever. That's a long time. ANYWAY, I'm single. And lovin it. And for all you single ladies (and gentlemen) out there, cherish this time :) 


As we go through life, things change. We change. Life isn't what we may expect, but that's beautiful. 

Ten Highlights.

1.        Summer! Lots of work, but no homework. Score!

2.       Northside cleanup- At the end of May a tornado came through North Minneapolis. There was a lot of damage, but it was awesome to see the amount of volunteers that bonded together to help with the clean up process. The first day I went, they had a “problem” of too many volunteers. Pretty sweet problem if you ask me. I am so glad I got to be one of those volunteers! We went out and cut up some fallen trees, piled the branches by the side of the road so the city could pick them up, and offered to help people anyway we could. Not only did I get a good workout, but I met some awesome people and got a new heart for North Mpls.

3.       Fishing- I love days by the lake with my family and grandparents. Peaceful. Relaxing. I not only got my first tan lines of the summer, but I also got the biggest fish. Large mouth bass. No big deal ;)

4.       The Davinci Code- It has been on my list and on my bookshelf for quite sometime. I got a chance to read it, and I could not put it down! I was hooked from the beginning. Dan Brown is a very creative author. I understand why the book has been a point of contention, but I personally thought it was a great work of fiction and would LOVE to discuss it with anyone who wants to. 

5.       Walnut Staff (ACR)- I am so blessed to get to work with such fantastic ladies! Gosh, I love working with people who care so much about what they do. These women have such awesome hearts and it has been so fun to live life alongside them these past two years! Keep it up Walnut!

6.       Hillary in MN!-  Hilly, a friend I met at Baylor, came up for an art conference  and got to spend a bunch of time with me! After a year, it was so great to see her! I got to give her the “Annie Brock Tour of Mpls,” which included stops at the Guthrie (for the view) and Sebastian Joe’s (for ice cream).  We went to Grand Ave, Cupcake, a birthday party, The Sculpture Gardens, and downtown where we discovered a free outdoor concertt, and of course we hit up MOA J It was such a fun and relaxing time with her here! Maybe I’ll see her for Baylor’s homecoming in the fall? We’ll see.

7.        Hope Small Group- I love Hope Community Church. The people and the preaching has been such a blessing in my two years in the city! I have been wanting to get more involved, but I didn’t want my time to be too much divided between Hope and the Navigators. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m ready to jump head first into the community at Hope. I am now involved in a small group on Thursday nights. I’ve only been to two so far, but I am loving the study and the people. I can already tell it’s going to be phenomenal.

8.        Becky’s Bachelorette Party- Dancing the night away. With old friends and family. What could be better?

9.       Mom’s surgery- Well, I guess the fact that Mom had to have surgery isn’t a highlight (she’s recovering well), but the amount of time I’ve gotten to spend with my family these last two days has been awesome. When we were little, we fought a lot, but now were in the phase of realizing that that we actually like each other. It’s pretty great. So the waiting room was quite exciting with all of us siblings, my dad, and my brother’s girlfriend there. We like to have fun, no matter where we are, and we LOVE to laugh. We are probably some of the only people who play games in hospital waiting rooms and laugh hysterically…while trying to be respectful of course. (This may have led to some laughing at inappropriate times…. But we won’t get into that…;)…)

10.  Psych- I’m halfway through season one of Psych. It’s great J

The End. For Now.  

Summer Goals.

1. Join a small group through Hope Community Church
2. Find somewhere to regularly volunteer.
3. Make a budget and stick to it. 
4. Cook more. Try new recipes. Invite people over to test out my experiments.
5. Read a book about the history of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
6. Get a bike and use it. 
7. Subscribe to the Star Tribune and read it daily. 
8. Write letters to my friends who will be all over the country and the world this summer.
9. Spend time with God daily, memorize verses, and spend more time in prayer.
10. Explore. 


I'm a little nervous about what this summer will bring. I don't want to look back and realize that I've regressed. I want this summer to be one of extreme growth; both spiritually, and into the adult that I want to be. I want this summer to be a summer where I actively develop those traits that I want to have, but have felt like I haven't had time for...such as being more politically aware, staying in contact with the people who have made me who I am, and actively pursuing my relationship with Jesus. It could be so easy to slip into a state of apathy and complacency, but I want more than that. I want a challenge. I want change. I want growth. So, send me your address or a recipe, recommend a life-changing book, sermon, or blog, volunteer to test out my experiments and/or accompany me in exploring, or give me more ideas. Most of all, join me in prayer that this summer not be wasted. Thanks friends! 

Selfishness.

So why is it that relationships with other people seem to bring out the worst in us? Before I had boyfriends, or roommates, I thought I was basically perfect. Gosh, was I wrong! For the past four years, I have been knocked off my high horse, realizing different ways that I am certainly NOT perfect. In relationships, I've seen how selfish I can be. That's really the problem, isn't it? We're selfish people. We are the center of our worlds. We are the people we are thinking about constantly, not others. We're thinking about our own well-being, our own satisfaction, our own interests. How is that working out for us? For me, it sucks. Why? Probably because I am (we are) called to something different:


"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."-Philippians 2:3-4 


Gosh, so much of my life is doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, based on my feelings.


"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."-John 15:12-13


Sure, I'd lay down my life for my friends and the people I love, but would I give up some of my little "rights" or things I think I deserve? Like giving up the remote after a long day when I just want to veg out with my favorite show? Like having to prove that I'm right, even when it really shouldn't matter? Like not acting on my impulses when others' feelings may be involved? Like having a good attitude when I feel I have the right to be crabby? Blargh.


Honestly, I don't have the right to those things. As a follower of Christ, I am to lay down those rights for other people. This doesn't mean being a pushover, but it does mean focusing on things that are eternal, instead of temporal. Only three things are eternal; God, His word, and peoples' souls. Lord, help me.