Late night blog

I always seem to blog when it is late at night. Tonight I am sitting in my room thinking about the fact that my neighbors are having a big party. The party was so big that in fact I could smell the alcohol and cigarettes upon getting out of my car in my driveway this evening. Ick. I should pray for them tonight...

In other news, I am on break now. Kind-of. Last month was a bad month funding wise. I got the privlidge of being negative for the first time in the history of being on Nav staff... YAY! In all seriousness though, it has been really fun to work hard and watch God use my efforts to provide for my financial needs. At the moment, I am no longer negative and we will hope that this month brings enough support that I will not be come next months paycheck either!

Things with Phil and I are still going splendidly. We have had a great time together over break and into the end of the school year. I really like him! It will be interesting and exciting to get to spend Christmas together too!

Well friends I will post more as I learn more.

Oh, one more thought. At the moment, I am still really trying to figure out what I am going to do when I grow up. Will I be on staff with Navs? Or venture into the graet unknown? If you get a chance pray for me to make a good choice in the upcoming months!

Call if you get a chance I will have a little more free time the next few weeks!

busy bee

So I think the next few weeks are going to be pretty much insanely busy. Where does the time go?

Sick as a dog

So I'm sick. I've been sick for 3 weeks off and on. Grrr. Do you think this is the Lord's way of calling me out on living with no rest?

Photo montage

So I thought I would update ya'll on life. This weekend was really good. Rachel was in town and she slept at my house. We had some fun girl talk and it was just good to be with friends this weekend. It has been a long time! It is weird how things change. Time does put distance and circumstances do change you and others. But this weekend it was really good to reconnect; however it looked like.

Here are some of the amazing pictures of the fun times had by all.

PS- Tom Morris and Emily Hunter got married this weekend. So some of the pics are taken at their wedding. I am not a very thorough picture taker though because I don't like to be "that girl."


This picture is of my old Bible study gals plus a few. We had brunch at Molly's!



This picture is of the groom and Rachel. Doesn't Rach look great?



This picture is Philbilly and I at the wedding. Don't I look unhappy or sassy or something?



This is a picture I took in California. This is of me and Eileen. One of the girls Kara and I stayed with at UCLA. I also think my hair did amazing things when I was in California. In other words, it just looked good there. No wonder movie stars look so perfect!



This is another CA picture. It is of all the girls that were in my EDGE class that are now in CA. The baby doesn't belong to any of us.



Phil and I in front of a 20 foot flame (bonfire) at a thing his friends affectionately call "Death Fest."

1 day and 37 visits later

So if you didn't notice I just installed that counter map thing. I checked it today and in the last 24 hours 37 people have read my blog. That makes me want to post more. It also freaks me out a bit. Who are all these people? Who are you, blog reader?


In other news, tommorow I leave for better weather and a good time of learning and fellowship. I can't wait! Although I will miss home (and a certain someone in particular- don't barf please!).

I think I need some space

From life that is. Life has been too busy... Main Event, campus, Staff trip to CA, catch up with what was missed, thankgiving, 2 weeks, end of school semester. Where does the time go? I wonder if I will ask that for the rest of my life.

Anyways, have you ever just wanted to say to life- responsibilities,work, friends,family, thoughts, my house chores etc that you just need to take a break. Things just aren't working out. I need some space. Tonight I want to say that. It has been a long week.

I think me the over-extended hyper extrovert is finally needing some alone time or some down time. I am unsure which. Don't worry about me though. I don't think this problem is something a little sleep and rest can't fix.

comments

So the last post was an interesting blog not to get any comments on. Not upset, just thought I would point out the irony!

Just for the record, lately I have been really missing chilling with all my college friends (who most of the people that read this blog probably are) and I have especially missed the card parties we had at my house last year. Oh, and I leave for California for staff training (I KNOW-EXCITING!) on Wednesday of next week. I will be gone for a whole week!

Real friends

I am glad I have real friends. Real people who read this blog and pray and care and call. I love you guys!

Spiritual warfare

So tonight I had a very interesting hour. I think you could safely say that I was being attacked by the enemy/ my flesh. It was so interesting. I wish I could post more details of what happened but I think this is probably a little too public to do that well.

Suffice to say, I wonder how many times in my life I have not given as much credit to the spiritual realm as I should have. Tonight it would have been easy to blame my frustrations/insecurities etc on people and circumstances but I really think the enemy and his lies and schemes were behind it all. Crazy thoughts kids.

"...be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might...For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forced of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Eph 6: 10, 12,13)

facebook junkie

So I am still a facebook junkie. I have decided I need to get myself some self-control and stop checking facebook obsessively.

Ugggggg......... It has been a long week but a good one! In fact, it is getting ready to get better. Phil and I are going to Manhattan together this weekend!

I love Manhattan and I like spending time with Phil. As a matter of fact, I can scarcely think of a better combo!

Facebook

So my life is being sucked away... moment by moment... detail by detail. Facebook is a HUGE time sucker but I enjoy it. Most of the time! The only problem with it is that it allows me to never stop "working." It is always possible to do ministry or be setting up things with students and caring about them. And sometimes you just need a break and you need to stop and think about your own life and walk with God instead of someone else's.


There ya go. I have a love hate relationship with facebook. Already!

I get to plan a wedding

Or at least help.

One of my best friends is engaged! Woo hoo! I am so excited for her. If you haven't heard you should survey the rock here.

UPDATE: It occured to me that I didn't announce WHY I am helping plan the wedding. In case you haven't heard I am the maid of honor. There is one other matron of honor!

sleepy

I am SO tired. It has been a long week with little sleep. But I am going to go to bed now.

I feel like I am over the hump of the beginning of the year. I think about campus and I am not just instantly stressed out. It is amazing! So much to say but I am going to bed instead. :)

Jack Johnson

I love Jack Johnson. Have I ever told you guys that?

I had an amazing weekend! I spent quality time with my bed, myself, my friends, my family and my boyfriend. It was amazing. AND I get to go back to work tommorrow morning!

My profile picture

So someone who shall remain nameless (but I'll give you 1 guess) thinks that I look like an ogre in my profile picture. Thanks Phil (oh wait did I say your name for the whole internet public to see?!). Actually it makes me smile to think that the shrunken picture makes me look like an ogre. Honestly, it is a very good picture when it is bigger.

PS- Phil wasn't too excited that I told you all he said I looked like an ogre. Oh well. I still think it is funny. "Ogres are like onions..."

Sleep

So I slept with the lamp off last night. Big steps. Baby steps. Whatever you call it. It was terrible. I think I am sleeping with the lamp on tonight again. I woke up every hour pretty much last night and looked around the room for bats in the dark. I hope I feel safe in my room again sometime- ever!

PS- I had chipotle for 2 meals today. One of them was free!

Ugg...

Tonight my spirit and my emotions and my heart are just heavy. I am so sinful and believe so many things about God that are not true. It makes me just want to give up. I am having deep issues with trusting God. DEEP! Phil and I talked about it tonight and Evie began this challenge this afternoon and they skillfully spoke into my life and challenged my socks off.

It's funny I want to post about it all but it seems too personal. And I am also a little jaded. Part of me doesn't see why anyone else should care either. When did I get so cynical? I should ask God to help me stop thinking that way.

blogging and the story of my life

You know what I have learned recently? I have learned that many people know about my life because they read about it on the blog. I have tried to explain the bat situation to folks and they have already said "yeah I know that. I read it on your blog. Interesting.

Speaking of the bat situation, I should write the whole story out for you sometime. It is actually quite amusing (or I am counting on it to be someday) BUT in light of the fact that it is late I think I am going to take my chances and sleep in the (formerly) bat infested place I call my bedroom!

Good night friends!

PS- Yesterday was Philip and I's 6 month. How crazy is that? It was really exciting. He planned probably the most romantic date of my life minus the shmoopy factor. But if it was too shmoopy I wouldn't have belived it anyway so it was great! We went out to branched oak and grilled shishkabobs that he prepared beforehand, then we hiked up a hill in the country and watched the sunset, then we went down to the lake and played guitar and looked at the stars. Then, we went back to my house and played card games and talked to Weasel on the phone. Yay!

Internet!

I have internet on my computer again! AND I have bat-proofed my room so I am sleeping in my room again.

I feel less stress already. It is amazing how much I need a space that is my own for me to feel like a productive and functioning member of society! Ahh it is bed time. Wish me no bats!

Changes

So recently I have had a change of scenery, change of pace, change of well just about everything.

School is back in full swing. This week consisted of a lot of recruiting for Freshman Connection and reconnecting with students. I had many moments where I remembered why I like my job and few where I question if I should put my teaching certificate to good use soon.

The most wild thing that happenned is that I woke up one morning to something flying around in my room. After a couple days research (ie- sleeping on the couch and checking the room late at night) I determined (as in saw again) that I have a bat in my room. The place we think it is ocming from has been locked up so we hope it leaves poor me alone but who knows what will come of this.

I have read enough websites to be thoroughly scared of Rabies though. I think I am going to get that shot if the doctor even hints that I need it.

Oh the adventures of living in the attic bedroom!

And I quote...

I don't care enough to care. -Sonya

spiders and moving

So I went to Lincoln this weekend and helped Phil move for days in a row. It was exhausting yet satisfying. It was really fun to see him and know I was helping him out.

Also, tonight as I got back to Omaha I walked under a spider web that I was pretty sure had a spider on it. Well, I got inside and looked for the spider and sure enough there it was inside my pillow case. Doesn't get much grosser than that does it? The spider was also brown and decent sized. I wonder what it was. Oh the times I wish to be Tracy with her abundance of knowledge!

I don't know what to title this news

Alright, random information about me. In my life I have only ever admitted to thinking one boy band member is cute. I remember telling my friends when I was younger that I didn't know why everyone freaked out about boy bands and n'sync and stuff. So they badgered me until I admitted that at LEAST one of them was cute. I gave in and said that if I had to pick one of the N'sync boys it would be Lance bass. Well, they teased me for the next few years about it. When I left for college they even bought me a Lance Bass poster which I proudly adorned my dorm room with freshman year.

So, here is where the news goes. Yesterday I was watching CNN (I think- maybe it was something else CNN seems unlikely) and I heard that Lance Bass came out of the closet. So my betrothed (as my friends referred to him) prefers men. What an interesting turn of events. I guess that is alright since I am dating someone else. Now I can assume beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has different plans for my life. :)

All the nav gossip

Here is the Big Red welcome t-shirt design for this year. It will be on a charcoal grey shirt. You can say you heard it here first! :)

You know you are bored when...

A) You post on your blog EVERYDAY... sometimes even multiple times a day!!!! Guilty!

B) You spend your time discussing new words for the term D-T-R. Ummmm.... Phil and I have spent probably hours discussing new words for DTR which traditionally stands for define the relationship.

Here are some alternatives we discovered:
D= deter, dehumanize, demolish, demand (this was thanks to me), defer, delay, denude (that was thanks to the wonderful Phil himself), defend, deepen, disorganize, deplete, demotivate, disenfranchise, disband, die, discover, deharmonize

So you can read this: deter the relationship, dehumanize the relationship, demolish the relationship...

Any other thoughts? Watch out this is kind of an addicting exercise.

My promise to you

Alright peeps... I am going running. I am planning on working out Tues-Fri of this week everyday. I won' t lift everyday but do some aerobic exercise. Now that I've told the internet public I have to do it, right?

Amazing Day

I had an absolutely amazing day! I worked out so hard that my arms were shaky for the next couple hours (I biked for a half hour and lifted). Then, I worked on Bible study at Starbucks. I learned today that my favorite Starbucks drink has 440 calories in it. I need to find something new to like there. It wouldn't really be bad if it cost less too.

After this, I talked to Evie. Evie and I still do accountability almost every week but it has been almost 2 months since we chatted. Man, it was so sweet to talk to her. Oh it is so precious to be known and loved. I missed talking to her.

Finally, I went to Bible study and closed the evening by chatting on the phone with an old friend for a while tonight. As far as lazy summer days go, it was A-mazing!

By the way, I saw a spider today that was 4 inches in diameter. It was brown and in a bathroom but it wasn't hairy. I guess if you are going to be that big and a spider it is good not to be hairy. Needless to say I didn't use the bathroom. EWWW!

Favorite EDGE saying

There are a few words for what happenned tonight in my heart. These are words that one of my EDGE 04 friends said so eloquently.

The phrase is "Doing it scared..."

Nothing too exciting

I can't wait for summer to be over. It can be so boring!

American Idol anyone?

This is an open invite to audition for American Idol with me this year. Of course, I have to see if Mike is alright with me skipping a Nav night to do it but man would it be fun.

Anyone up for it?

Sept 8 (Friday) 8 a.m.- So you would probably have to go up Thursday and spend the night. I have friends we could stay with! Auditions are in Minneapolis MN. That is only a 7 hour drive from Lincoln. Only a 9 hour drive from Manhattan! Only a 6 hr drive from Omaha- now thats what I'm talking about!

Ya know you want to!

PS- I have a date tonight in Omaha with one cool dude! Woo woo!

Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore!

Did anybody chuckle at the title to this post? I certainly did. I am busy amusing myself as I am posting on this blog.

So the title is true. I am not in Kansas anymore nor do I have the company of 2 Siberian Huskies anymore (they belong to my sister in law and are now safely at her home). This last weekend I made a trip down to ManHappenin (ie- Manhattanm KS)! It was a joy to my heart. I don't know how to fully describe what that trip did for me but it was really refreshing. I actually feel today a lot like I used to feel when I lived in KS and would visit NE for a weekend. I feel loved, content with who I am and what God has for me and just well happy.

Why did I go to KS you might ask? Well, I went because my sister in law and 2 dogs(do not read this as my husband's sister because I dont have a husband- it is my brothers wife) needed a ride home and her home is Ft. Riley (which is essentially Manhattan KS). You see my brother is off in San Antonio for 3 months of dog handling school to be a K-9 MP. He hopes that the change of job in the military will decrease the rick of being sent to Iraq for a third time. I hope he is right. Anyways, since I have a flexible schedule I got asked to take my sil (sister in law) back to KS and I decided while I was there to try to get some support appointments. I got to meet with 4 people for support while I was there. It was really good.

It was an interesting way to go to a city you used to live in though. My number one priority was Whitney (my sil). My number 2 priority was fundraising and my number 3 prority was seeing friends. After I had been there a day it occured to me that I should call friends up and try to see them. Silly Jenny Tricks are for kids!

So that is why I dont think I am in Kansas anymore. Actually I know that I am not. But Kansas is an amazing place in my heart. God was very good to me for sending me there for EDGE and letting me go back and visit this weekend.

I also wanted to let everyone know that my birthday was last month. If you want the exact date email me because I dont really want to post it on the internet. The reason for this random info is: A friend emailed me the other day and told me that she thought my birthday was coming up but was unsure as to when it was. She sited the lack of discussion about a birthday on my blog as proof that she could be off in her memory of when it was. So I thought I would clear that up for any interested parties. I didn't post about it this year she was right.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Cora!!!!!!

Everyone say happy birthday to her!

In a list mood

I want to make a list. So here goes. This is a list of my favorite summer things:

1) Water. I love to see water and swim in it and float on it in a motorized object.

2) Free time in the evenings.

3) Volunteering to do stuff at church.

4) Living with my parents. Connecting with old high school friends.

5) The continual desire to go running which is thwarted quite consistently by the HOT weather.

6) Vacation.

7) Strawberries. Fresh strawberries...yum.

8) My birthday. Yep I like attention.

9) Sitting on my back porch with Jesus.

10) Having cats around.

11) Having shingles. EEEK!

Home from the Holidays

So this weekend I went to a family reunion. A family reunion of which I knew almost no one. That is an interesting experience- let me tell you!

Then last night I went and shot off fireworks with some friends. It was a good time. :)

Not much else to report. I am living in Omaha again so that is exciting. I feel like I have more of a life here.

I changed the title of this post because it was not happy enough...

Yep. You read that right. This is how I feel about life right now... I don't like it. I feel unemployed. I don't want to fundraise and I just want to have one place to live.

But I am stuck because I begin thinking this way and then I realize what is true. I have God's love, MANY places to live, all the money I could ever want, great friends and boyfriend and family, and I have a job that I love much more often than I hate it. What am I complaining about anyway?

I've also been thinking about John 10:10 and how Jesus said that he came that we might have abundant life. Is that a promise for now? If so, what do I need to be doing to experience that? Any ideas!?

PS- I need a creative blog name. I am itching to change it again! What do you think of the current one?

Update: Just for clarification sake (so you understand the comments- yay for comments)the post title was originally "hating life" and the blog title was for a brief time changed to "Compelled."

creepy things that move in the night and the woods...

Aren't opposums the grossest animals in the world? Tonight I was happily chatting at Phil on the phone and I walk out into my backyard. The porch light was on and some light was spilling onto the yard but for the most part it was dark.

I round the corner behind my porch and peer into the darkness and what do I see? A white face and beaty eyes staring me down! I can pretty safely assume those eyes belonged to an opposum. As you can imagine, I started screaming and jumping around. I also began yelling ewww eww ewww and shuttering! This did not flow so well with Phil and I's happy chatting but well some things just happen. As if I had not had enough trauma for the night I decided to go back for more...

Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go back and look at the oppossum to see how big it was. The opposum had disappeared. For future reference curiousity won out in the battle versus grossness.

I still maintain that opposums are some of the grosset rodents in the world! They are nothing but big scary looking rat like things. I am shuttering at the thought of it!

Oh since I am telling you about gross things. I got approximately 20 chiggers last week and have bites (that still itch a little) all over my body. Those were attained by romping in the forest in the hills of Desoto, NE! Meanwhile my friend that was with me was wearing shorts and got NO chiggers. There is no justice in this world!

I love this song

I also hope it is not illegal, unethical or immoral to post lyrics to a song on my blog. This is a song that I love. Thank you God for your love!


"The Love Of God" sang by MercyMe

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin

Could we with ink the ocean fil
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whol
Though stretched from sky to sky

Hallelujah

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song

What does emo really mean?

On my most recent post, I alluded to some "emo" things I could write about but I actually don't know what emo means at all. Anybody know?

so much to write

There are so many things I could post about here. I could even get a little emo but I don't know where to start exactly. I tried to think of something funny. I am not funny. I have decided this.

How's that for an ironic pointless post?

Father's day -Top 10

I have always wanted to be cheesy and post things I love about someone on the internet.

Here is a list of things I love about my dad:
1) He is a great dad. He notices things about my life, remembers whats going on and cares.

2) He gives me boy advise!

3) He is really good at fixing things.

4) He is good with cars. He saves me lots of money.

5) He loves supporting missionaries. Which saves me some stress!

6) He is really smart and inquisitive about things like: presidents, fixing things the human heart and the Vikings.

7) He is a servant. He loves to do nice things for other people.

8) He loves my moms side of the family really well.

9) He is really funny. He has more weird jokes than anyone I have ever met. AND it is HILLARIOUS!

10) He could talk to anyone about anything. He could probably also talk to a brick wall for a half hour easily. This is a good thing!

11) I love him and am glad he is my dad!!

Happy Father's day!

ks here I come!

This weekend I am going to Manhappenin! I am SO excited. I heart KS!


UPDATE: I didn't get to go to Kansas. Sadness! But I get to see Tracy and Phil today and Jill and Rob! Woo hoo!

Not a morning person

I was not made to (or do not have the self-discipline and desire) to wake up before 7 in the morning... I might even say before 8. But alas I will do it willingly and cheerfully soon. Tommorrow morning to be exact.

NSE here I come!

Check this out

You have to watch the first minute or so of this. It is A-mazing!

Also at about 2:30 there is a very fast rift that I'm sure anyone could do...

Fun times

So tonight I was driving around Omaha and I got a little turned around. I was chatting with a friend on the phone and realized that I really didn't know how to get to Millard from where I was. My instincts fooled me and I ended up at 120 and Fort which is pretty far from where I live. Anyways, that was comical in and of itself but I stopped at a gas station to use the restroom (because at this point I was SO far from home I couldn't hold it that long). I started talking to the gas station clerk who tells me... You have a very Amy Grant look. HMMMM.... I was perplexed. I followed up with are you calling me a ditz? (I had just told him about how lost I was and that comment in and of itself was probably a little ditzy). He procedes to ask me if I understand what he is talking about with the whole I look like Amy Grant thing. I clearly did not. But he said that Amy Grant was pretty. I was flattered. And amused. I am going to bed now.

Fellowship: the other white meat

Have you ever had fellowship with yourself? I think that I just did. I went back and read my blog from years ago. I was encouraged by what God taught me last year and challenged. What an interesting experience.

Pictures!

This is a strange thing me and my roommates did at the EDGE summit. I thought I would share our fun with you all!















This is me and Tracy on our 10 minute trip to Canada.











This is the most amazing 3 person kayak team ever. Aren't our skirts lovely?













Insert your own caption here.

The things you do when its bedtime and you are not tired

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Quality Time
with a secondary love language being
Words of Affirmation.

Complete set of results

Quality Time:		12
Words of Affirmation:		8
Acts of Service:		4
Physical Touch:		4
Receiving Gifts:		1

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

Back to reality

So here I am needing to return to reality! The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of travel. I went to Seattle, the San Juan Islands, Canada (briefly) and Arches National Park near Moab Utah with my roommates Tracy and Sonya. I have never seen so many amazing things in such a short period of time. All we saw was absolutely beautiful. I also learned how little I know about geography, history and the like. I am not naturally very curious about the world around me. I am curious about people and what makes them tick but not things ya know?

This last week after all of the adventuring in the Pacific Northwest, I went to my final training for EDGE corps Navigator staff. My 2 year committment to EDGE corps is over but I am continuing on for at least another year. The summit was good but it was sad to say goodbye to people that I have had such sweet fellowship with over the years. I felt like I was with a group of fellow soldiers for the gospel and that we were sharing the stories of people who had gone to battle and come back victorious but not without scars. So some of the time was spent discussing those scars and some of the time we spent mending the wounds and some of the time we spent celebrating the victory and the God of the victory. It was really cool.

But now I am "back to real life". I need to fundraise almost 2000/month more this summer and I need to decide if I am going to live in Lincoln or Omaha. It will probably be Omaha since I haven't made any moves towards living in Lincoln and it is already summer.

Speaking of back to reality, one part of reality as I am calling it was getting to see my amazing boyfriend Phil. We got to spend most of the last 2 days together. A lot of it was with other people but it was so GOOD to see him. He is cool!

In other news though, I feel like I have forgotten how to function like a normal human being. Today when church was over I had NO idea what to do with free time. I have not had any free time in the last 2 weeks to choose how to spend my time. It has all been decided for me or at least partially by someone else. So naturally what do I do? Update my blog.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Week in the Word

In exactly 24 hours I will be on my way to the first half of week in the word. This is a very exciting thing minus the fact that I am supposed to give a message that isn't exactly started on Monday night. Umm you can pray for that. I have spent the better part of the afternoon researching relationships in the book of proverbs. Uggh. I really need something to say to the students. I need to pray.

After that I am officially running away to Seattle. Running from what, I don't know. Hopefully it will be a spiritual journey of sorts. I need to get good time with God. I am tired!

After that week I will be in Colorado Springs for a week. My final week with my EDGE corps class. That may be sad. It will undoubtedly be refreshing.

Random story: I gave my email address (and phone number to 1 of them) to 2 complete strangers at Parables (Christian bookstore in Omaha) today. They were both middle aged men who had very legitimate claims of connection to the Navigators. Hope that I dont get a stalker or something out of that deal! They seemed trustworthy and legitimate enough!

Have a fantastic 3 weeks!

Life moves so fast

I am moving out today! It is really sad. But not too sad because Tracy and Sonya and I are running away to the pacific northwest together as soon as finals week is over (which is next week).

In other news, my boyfriends blog get messed up a couple days ago and we are NOT engaged. He summarized what happenned well so I am not going to write about it again. Made for an ironic mistake! :)

Wanting to post

Ever have the urge to post on your blog? I do. Right now and I am feeding it! These past two weeks have been insane and incredibly fulfilling! School is over in 2 weeks! That is nuts.

I talked to Cal on the phone for an hour and half tonight. It was fun. Last week I did about a million LESTER interviews and someone came to Christ during one of them! Isn't that cool? I have also gotten to share the gospel with lots of people these last few weeks. That is so incredible. God has been so gracious to me to let me be a part of all that.

I love my roommates and I am going to miss them so much this summer. Speaking of summer, I have no idea what I am doing with mine. My summer more happenned to me than I planned it. I feel bad for not going to STP but when I had to make the decision I was praying about it and just didnt have the desire to. I am going to assume Psalm 37:4. So now I am in a conundrum. Where do I live? Who do I live with? Omaha? Lincoln? Somewhere else? What exactly needs to be done with my summer? Probably fundraising. Probably some Bible study. Probably some discipleship. Probably some hanging out with friends. Interesting.

Well, it is late in the morning and I should go to bed. My urge has been satiated.

Procrastination

So here I am... Day alone with God. Crescent Moon coffee shop. Procrastinating spending time with God. I should stop. Watch me stop procrastinating.

Would you make fun of me if you saw me wearing this?

My staff team did.

This is another angle of the new haircut. I like it!

in all its glory

The only boy who could ever reach me

Well that title has nothing to do with this post. Other than the fact THAT it is in my head. I am preaching tonight at Navs! You should come if you live in Lincoln. 7 p.m. at the union!

Winter in Nebraska

Tonight was SO much fun! First of all, I am on Spring Break (kind of). Since I lead the Spring Break trip to Chicago last week, I get to take a week off. Woo hoo! I am enjoying having free time to do whatever it is that I want to do. I know that sounds terrible but well it is true!

For those of you who are reading and not in NE, we got some major snowfall today. Probably a foot. That is my guess. Anyone out there know?

Anyways I had a sweet evening because Dusty (one of Tracys friends from church and my friend too) came over in his huge truck so we could go out and drive around in the snow. It was really fun! We ended up over at one of the high school parking lots whipping cookies and just having in general a good time. Eventually we came back to the apartment and had a snowball fight. Tracy and I made snow angels. I will let the pictures incite you to jealousy.

I have also decided that I like snow a lot more when I know that the end is in sight. I like snow in March better than snow in December because I know winter will be over soon! So today I think that the snow has been absolutely beautiful!

Tracy and I below a tree. Isn't it beautiful? Aren't we?

Snow angels! Tracy on the left, me on the right!

This is all the UNL students that went to Chicago.

This is in Chicago with Sammi and Meredith, two of my freshman. We are in a boxing ring that was started in the inner city to help get people off the streets!

These women are friends I made in Chicago at the drug rehab center we stayed in.

spring break

Howdy friends!

Life has been interesting lately. I am starting to feel like myself again in many ways that I have not in a long time so that is very good. My little brothers wedding reception was this weekend and that was a good time. I got to dress up in a red velvet dress and dance a bit. There was even a brother/sister dance. Good times!

This week is going to be so interesting. I am leaving to go to Chicago on Sunday for a week with Navs. I get to lead 20 of our students on an inner city missions project. Tonight as we were having our meeting it occured to me that it was going to be really intense and that thought makes me tired. I have also been sick lately. Hopefully I will get better soon! Bye!

update

I wanted to update so I thought I would write something even though I don't really have the time.

SO I went to KS this weekend! KS has become my second home. Clayton is back from Iraq! What a huge blessing of God. I am absolutely humbled that God would grant my family the privilege of having him back. You think that would be enough to make a girl really happy but instead I was pretty depressed this weekend. Probably mostly the my younger brother is married and moving into his first house and I am not dating anyone blues.

Well I have some flowers to deliver to some lovely ladies in the dorms and a Bible study to prepare so I must go!

Yay I updated...

KS, Phils birthday and bears oh my!

All of the sudden I am very self-conscious of what I am writing about on my blog. I always wonder if anyone wants to hear about the subtelties of life from my corner. BUT on account of the fact that I refuse to be super emo on the blog and am not that politically minded accounts of my life is what you get!

I went to KU this weekend and saw Jer Bear (aka Jerry Bridges) preach on the glory of God with my fantastic Nav staff cohorts. That was a good time! I stayed up until 3 am the first night we were there talking to Tracey M (who is staff at KU). That was definitely the highlight for me but it was also the thing that probably ruined the rest of the weekend/ beginning of this week. I am SO stinking tired. Oh well. It was still good times.

Yesterday we celebrated Phil's birthday by watching the Super Bowl- just for him! Arent we good friends? (read very fecisiously). His actually birthday is today SO Happy Birthday Phil!

Well, I am off. See that is the update on my life. If I possesed the capacity to be emo on a blog I might talk about what it is like to try to cling to God when what He asks of your life is not what you want (which seems to be the repeated story of my life). Or talk about the sadness of losing a member of my church body in Iraq this week. But I dont think I possess that capacity.

responsibilities

I have had a lot of things to be responsible for lately- EWWW!

Here they are:
Planning and implementing the women's retreat.
Getting people registered for our Spring Break trip to Chicago.
Speaking at LESTER today.
Leading Bible Study last night.

I feel like there are a lot more but I don't know. Anways, I am off to give my LESTER talk. :)

this is definitely substituting for real human interaction

I wanted to write and just be excited about what happenned on campus tonight. First of all, I just got home (it is 1:15 a.m.) and I spent the whole night talking with strangers (most of whom I assume are not believers) about life, Jesus and the Bible. It was SO fun.

We had our first evangelistic Bible study in Abel tonight. There were probably 10 or 11 folks there. A couple guys and the rest were girls. We talked about why people kill in the name of religion, if it was important to explore your faith and whether or not the Bible was true. And it was honest good discusion. The coolest thing though was that even after it was done people kept coming by the room. We would give them pizza and they would ask about our "Bible discussion" and invite themselves to come the next week. There were probably 5 extra people that stopped by as the night went on.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!
I love my job!

ponderance before bed

If you seek to validate a rumor you have heard by typing it into google and do not find it can you assume the rumor is incorrect?

adult life

Alright, how many of you hate being an adult? Managing your own finances, having your overdeveloped college sense of idealism crushed, finding fellowship in the realm of the real world, finding meaning in life. All of these things have compounded recently to make me frustrated with life in the real world as an "adult."

But tonight was a moment when I saw hope in the midst of all of that. I started in a small group at church. It was so fun. We are doing this book called Fire and Reign. Tonight we shared about our different struggles in giving God full reign in our life. It was so sweet. There are people in this world that are in my stage of life that are trying to find their way and want that way to be one that brings honor to God! Wow! I am pumped.

Other than that, I saw End of the Spear this afternoon with my freshman. It was good but I am still unsure what to think of the Christian movies that have come out recently. I am really curious if they have any value to a nonbeliever.

Anyways, despite the beginning of the post I am really encouraged. It has been a good weekend. Guess who is still going dancing later tonight?

Cal was in town this weekend. It was so fun to hang out. I felt like a college student all over again!

long day...

How do you define a workaholic?

I spent 18 and a half hours at "work" today! 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.

dreams and my childhood

I am feeling particularly pensive tonight and not quite tired, so I thought I would post a poem that I loved when I was little.

“Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly, Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams go, Life is a barren field, Frozen with snow."

I don't completely agree with it anymore. Give your dreams to God. He is the one who makes life not barren and worth living. Besides he knows what is best for me (and for his glory and his worthy reputation) and loves me perfectly. He can be trusted with my heart and my life and is worth NOTHING LESS!

Not something to comment on

That last post just wasn't something to comment on, was it? Uggh. My life has been turned upside down the last couple days. Thank you to everyone who has loved me so well in the midst of this. I have the best friends anyone could ask for!

I have a funny story for ya though... the other night I was in downtown Lincoln getting some copies made at Kinkos and I couldn't find a meter to park in so NATURALLY what do I do? I go ahead and park in this parking lot that is completley illegal and has "Authorized parking only, violators will be towed" signs up. I send up a quick prayer in the midst of a lot of apathy (I didn't really care if they towed my car or not) and go into kinkos. I was intending to spend 20 minutes at kinkos, almost an hour later I come out a little frazzled (kinkos does that to a person). I go to get my car and there is this big black gate closed in front of the lot and I barely figured out how to get to my car. I threw up a quick prayer (still a little apathetic though) and see a woman walking through a gate that I think will get me to my car. Halleluyah. Alright one problem down. One to go...

I get in my car and still have no idea how I am going to get the gate open. I drive up to it hoping it is one of those automatically opening ones. No luck. As I am doing this, I see a woman walking out of the building attached to the lot. So I decide to ask her if she knows how to get out of the parking lot? She says "Umm, were you in Swanson and Russell? (this is apparently the legitimate reason for being in the parking lot)." I am BUSTED. I do the only thing I can and say No very sheepishly.

She smiles and says let me see what I can do. She went back in the building and got the gate open. Close call! What a fun random way God provides.

Sad news

For those of you who haven't heard... Jon and I broke up on Saturday. It has been hard on me but I am surviving. I would love to hear from anyone who wants to call!

happy things

So many exciting things have happenned recently. I got funded, bought a Shawn McDonald c.d. and get to see Rachel all weekend this weekend!

As far as getting excited for worldly things, it doesn't get much better than this.

Also, I am visiting Kansas in 2 weeks. I heart Kansas!