Waves.

There has been a reoccurring theme in this semester and it took me till this weekend to see it. This weekend we had our staff retreat. I would use two words to describe that: joy and peace. On Sunday we had time in solitude which I have grown to love more and more. In that time I thought back to the beginning of this school year. During training our staff went to Splash House.

One of the highlights was playing in the wave pool. I will remember laughing till I thought I was going to drown, jumping over, into and under the waves with those girls for many years to come. I love metaphors and illustrations and  I took time in the wave pool to relate the wave pool to ResLife. I said "ResLife is like wave pool...we get hit with one event, one situation, and there is no recovery time before the next event (wave) hits. " If you miss a beat you are confused, choking on water and trying to keep your head above water. However, if you keep your head up, stick to the rhythm.. touch-touch-jump, you will make it over every wave. And when things start to fall apart (or swim suites come untied) we have each other (our staff) to help pick up the pieces and put things back together and get back into the rhythm of the waves. It is so encouraging to be bouncing around in the waves and look to the faces of the girls on my staff and know that we are literally in this together. They are right there smiling back at me rocking the touch-touch-jump rhythm.

Another big theme from this season of life has been constantly reminding myself to turn my eyes upon Jesus. And when I do that the things of earth will grow strangling dim in the light of His glory and grace. If my eyes are on Jesus I will be able to jump over the waves. It's the times that I get distracted and start to focus on the waves or something in the water or think about tomorrow that I get out of rhythm and start to choke.

This semester has been filled with waves. The waves have been fun, good things, but still waves. I am continually reminding myself to fix my gaze on Jesus face and not on the waves. I am so incredibly blessed by those in the water with me. His faithfulness never ceases to amaze me.

Recent adventures

Just a quick update. Like really quick.

Here is my flag football team. 

I had guests this weekend and they left me some treats.

 Last weekend Josh and I decided to drive to Bluffton in the middle of the night to get Katie. It's just one of those things you need to do in college. This is our awkward prom pose at a gas station picture.

Today Mary and I did homework outside in my favorite spot. It was beautiful. 

I am blessed. 

Running in Circles

This song cut me to the core tonight. Click the title to listen to it on youtube.

Running In Circles - United Pursuit Band


im so forgetful, but you always remind me

you're the only one who brings me peace

you're the only one who brings me peace

so i come, lord i come, i come, lord i come

to tell you i love you to tell you i need you

to tell you theres no better place for me than in your arms

to tell you im sorry for running in circles for placing my focus on the ways and not your face

you're the only one who brings me peace

you're the only one who brings me peace

im so forgetful but you always remind me

you're the only one who brings me peace

so i come lord i come i come lord i come to tell you i love you

to tell you i need you

to tell you theres no better place for me than in your arms

to tell you im sorry for running in circles

for placing my focus on the ways and not your face

you're the only one who brings me peace

you're the only one who brings me peace

in the storm

in the storm

im so forgetful but you always remind me 

you're the only one who brings me peace

you're the only one who brings me peace

Summer Flashback

On my way home from our family vacation in Michigan I took time to write out a bunch of things that I did over the summer. It is for real just a list. Pretty much strictly for memory purposes.

So here it is: Summer 2012 everyone!

• At the start of the summer I cleaned my room/ closet so that I could fit all my college stuff back into that space
• Grant graduated college so we went down to EIU to celebrate that.   
• Ayla hosted a 31 bag party
• My friend Nathan came to visit for memorial day weekend.
• I did an internship- I was paid, and got college credit and lots of experience.
• It included but was not limited to: planning and facilitating college ministries, designing and mailing postcards, designing and implementing a mural on the south side of Chicago (Roseland), attending middle school sunday school and TREK.
• I meet weekly with a group of peers to study the bible and hold each other accountable (PUREL). 
• My mom and I read the book Cold Tangerines and discussed it.
• I took fine arts online- and along with that it included a trip to the Chicago art institute
• I went Kayaking in the Fox River with my friend Claire.
• I went to Mongolian BBQ with friends a few times on Monday nights for college night.
• I had the chance to visit my dear friend Jordan at her lake house. It was such a blessing to catch up with her. 
• I was in Roseland, a neighborhood on the south side, for a missions trip with students in 9th and 10th grade. 
• I ended up getting heat exhaustion and throwing up all night and having to go home early.
• I went Kayaking downtown Chicago with my family for fathers day.
• I attended the wedding of Travis and Christina Meeks. 
• We (PUREL) went to Willow Creek to hear Tony Campolo speak. 
• I met up with Emily to have dinner and frozen yogurt and great talks. 
• I spent the 4th of July playing the American Girl game with Kelsey and Claire and went to Mr. LeVan's for fireworks.
• We went to Feed My Starving Children as a college group.
• I did a tour of Indiana- Surprise visited Katie and Grant (via planning with Nick). I also went to an Indiana wedding reception for my cousin Annette.
• Emily came to my house for a sleep over. 
• Lead222 Week happend and was intense. In the middle of the week I got to attend a cougars game for free (props to Jordan Coffey). 
• I went to the midnight showing of Dark Knight Rises..I still hate midnight showings.
• I helped lead a group of 5th grade girls during Summer Impact (VBS-like)
• I donated the plasma from my blood and ended up passing out for the first time in my life... find that story here. 
• Our family hosted a family camp reunion party. 
• I watched all 3 Bourne movies in 3 days...and saw the 4th.
• I taught on the book of Habakkuk to middle schoolers and in TREK. 
• My family rented a house in Michigan for a week. 

This summer would not have been complete without a host of coffee dates with the following:

   Alli Crawford, Dana Taylor, Susy, Claire, Allie Thomas and Emily to plan bible study, maybe a few I am missing :(

I also shared my fair share of meals with some great people: 

I took the Chinnault girls for ice cream,  shared a few meals with Elizabeth Dannan,  had ice cream with girls from the Roseland trip. Ate with Allie Thomas. Experienced bien trucha (and had a coming of age moment), a few lunches with Jordan Coffey. Lunch with Jordan and Katie Mcnutt. A meal with Michael Olsen and Katrina. One day Alexandra brought lunch to me. I went to dinner at the end of the summer with the lady lead hosts. I also had a few meals with PUREL and Tom etc. 

I guess I did some stuff. 

It was great.