And... I'm Off!

Well, just wanted to say goodbye to everyone before I leave on vacation/college visit time! I'm sad I have to miss the open house at the Sarr's and one28, but it's part of God's plan for me to go to Texas and Florida instead. I'll try to post somehow while I'm down there or I might just journal thoughts and post them all when I return. I am so thankful for the time that I will have (many hours in the car when we trek from Texas to Florida in a rental car) to re-evaluate where my spiritual life is at and focus on what I want to work on. I love just having time to think and pray! May I be open to His leading! I hope all of you have a wonderful spring break, too (if you get one)! I can't wait to come back to fourth quarter refreshed and ready to finish the year off strong for the Lord!

First, however, I have a track meet tomorrow, and you all know how I feel about that... God's working in me, for sure, but I'll still need prayer and strength to overcome the nervous feelings.

Thanks, my brothers and sisters! Please remember to put God first in your lives and love Him above all! I've been frustrated with issues in others' lives around me- their problems are all a result of wrong priorties. They are seeking after things of this world. It can be discouraging. I know God is faithful and ultimately He will get the glory, but seeing the ugliness of sin breaks my heart.

See you a couple Wednesdays from now! I'm off to 80 degrees and pensive road trips!

Praise God! Soli Deo Gloria

It's God's Plan, Not The Planet Alignment

Isn't it a wonderful thing that God is the one in control of our futures? I have been very confused lately just wondering what plans He will have for me in light of the plans I am attempting to make for myself. My family and I are going "college-visiting" over spring break by flying to Texas and driving along the gulf to Florida. More than warm weather and good memories, those two states hold two colleges (of four total) I am interested in. LeTourneau University (TX private Christian) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL private). So here I am making grand plans to do well on the SAT or ACT and go off to college for four years to become an aeronautical engineer. Then what? Oh I plan to be married sometime after that and working at NASA... WAIT A MINUTE! I have no idea what will happen! How can I even begin to assume something, good grief! I don't know where I will live, what job I will have, if I'll even be able to find a guy who likes me (and loves God most of all), if I'll make it in to any of these colleges, if...if...if! If I try to plan out my whole life and think, "Ok, THAT's exactly what will bring me happiness," I am dead wrong. Ecclesiastes has made that crystal, looking into the fountain of life clear. I must find joy, right now, in being a junior and doing the research paper I have to do today, and going to work this evening. As for the trip, while I'm down there, I'm going to make sure that my heart is right with the Lord so I listen to his prompting. I know He will guide me if I ask.

Another issue I'm unsure about goes back to the good 'ol days when one28 was held on the opposite side of the hallway. I believe we were somewhere in the relationships series and the topic of the role of women came up. My favorite moment, of course, being when SKH made an illustration like so: "How can a woman be fulfilling her responsibilites to her family if she's off doing something else... orbiting around the moon or something!" Of course, that was before he knew I wanted to be an astronaut, so it was a very comical moment. Everyone, ok not EVERYONE, turned to look at me. I thought it was hilarious that he chose that, but it honestly did get me thinking. I was the farthest thing from offended, I know that comment happened for a reason. Since that time, I've often wondered why I had that desire at the forefront of my mind instead of being a wife and mother. I've always wanted that, too, I guess, but I never really thought about the conflict that might come from being so busy as an engineer. Seeing all the wonderful relationships of the one28 staff with their children is a beautiful thing. It kinda makes you imagine being a parent someday (A long way from now granted, but someday). Even helping out with Sunday school and enjoying the conversations I have with 1st and 2nd grade kids reminds me. To be able to instill all you have learned and have a deep love for a child that came from you is something very special. I love helping and teaching others and the ultimate responsibility would be a family. I do have a desire also to be a servant and what better way than taking care of the house while my future husband is off at work? I really would be OK with giving up being an astronaut if it meant I wouldn't be a good wife/mother. I'm not sure what to do, then, but if God doesn't bring someone into my life, then I will need to have a job to support myself, so a degree is important. Either way, God would provide, so there's no need to worry. In this world women being independent and equal with men in the workforce is common, but maybe it's not the best. In fact, I know it's not, the Bible never condones that. Well, Proverbs talks about the ideal woman, and... I have a long way to go.

There's Peace at the End of the Rainbow

Well, I promised many people that I'd write a blog about yesterday's track meet, so here it is:

To give you a full appreciation of what God did for me yesterday, I have to go back to my freshmen year. I started a new track season with a naive ignorance (isn't that the same thing??). Little did I know the ridiculous things I would endure as I slowly but surely stopped trusting God and let fear take over. Let's face it, from the very first meet, I discovered that I was TERRIFIED of competition racing. I would get a heavy feeling in my heart for days before the meet even arrived and I was rendered into a mass of quivering tears when it finally arrived. (Ok, so I'm being a little over-dramatic, but it was pretty ugly!) I did the long jump and the 4x100 relay no problem, but the 200m... oh man did I fear that sucker! The unsureness of which heat to go in and how to set up the blocks followed by the horrific sound of a gun going off... I was miserable! And yet the second I would start to run, I would feel the weight being lifted. When I crossed that finish line, I was the happiest 9th grader in the world! I was done! But soon after, I would realize I'd have to do it all over again, and the weight gradually sank back in. One time, I even refused to get on the bus for a 1/2 hour or so. Then my new approach was to plead to do the long jump and the relay but not the 200. I got out of it a couple of times. What's amazing is God allowed our relay team to make it to state and actually beat our school record in spite of my pathetic actions. All in all, I ended the season with a positive outlook... happy to have beaten the record and happy to promise myself I was done with track. Never again would I set foot on the track to compete........hah!

So here I am, junior year, back in track after a golf furlough of sorts last year. After talking with Coach Holt and realizing there were no senior girls, I became the girls track captain. Me, who had cowered in the corner the regular season track meet I had been at. I decided to work hard at practices by doing my best to keep up with the guys while jogging and listen to instruction the best I could. It was difficult to want to spend the 2 1/2 hours dedicated to listening to suggestions on nutrition and events and running hard sprinting exercises at the end, but I did it anyway. Still somewhat unprepared and out-of-shape, I realized my first meet had arrived. At school I had to push it aside due to 3 quizzes/tests I had to take before getting on the bus, but I still felt very nervous and sick. I realized it was the track meet pressing down on me once again. My irrational fear had returned. I knew I had to give everything to God or I would be absolutely lost.

I got on the minibus with Bible and iPod in hand. I listened to my favorite worship songs and read David's psalms to the Lord. Then I closed my eyes and took a 1/2 hour nap, falling asleep to my prayers. "Give me peace, Lord. I want to run for you... I want to give you my trust and stop my fear... give me peace." I awoke from a tap from Dave and the sound of the girls laughing- we were almost there. I looked over at Andrea next to me and realized, I have to be strong for these other girls, they've never even competed before! As we passed the Concrete sign and saw the track looming ahead, my face got pale. All through the warm-up, I felt awful and my friends asked what was wrong, "I'm terrified." was all I could say.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the
peace of God which surpasses all understanding wll guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."

First up was the 100m, a race I hadn't run since junior high. I watched three of our guys race first and then I was up. God gave me Mr. Johnson and Dave to help me get ready and feel confident. I truly did love the new type of blocks Coach Howard made for us, and I was ready to go. I was still nervous, but I did feel peace creeping in for the first time. God also gave me something to laugh at: David was holding my blocks for me and the guy said, "Stand behind your marks." I couldn't seeing as how Dave was sitting there so I was off to the side. He stared at me, "Get BEHIND your marks." I hastily stood behind David. "On your mark." "Oh my gosh!" "Get set..." "Watch out, here I come!" -CRACK- "Oh yeah, baby!" I tore out of there and ended up getting 2nd place out of 5. Not bad for my first race. I was feeling better. Next, I walked over to the long jump pit and laughed. I hadn't practiced much and it was starting to rain like crazy. I was cold, my hair was frizzy ringletts and I was having fun. I got 12 feet on my second try (I had scratched the 1st). It was freezing! My best jump two years ago was 12'10" so it was pretty blase'. But, I only had time for one run-through and my footing was way off. Then, I would've got 13' something, but my foot was somehow 2 feet behind the line, so I only got 11' something. Oh well... it's a start, I didn't care. Poor Andrea got injured in her hurdle race, so we didn't have to run the 4x200 meter relay any more. Jamie and I realized this right before we had to run the 200. By that time I was just excited to run it and be done. I was pretty calm and walked over to the area. It was 4 girls from another school and Jamie and I. I wondered how fast they would be and secretly figured I'd be close to last place. As we got set and the gun went off, I heard another gun. But, all the girls kept running, so I did too. Everyone was yelling, "STOP!" After 50 meters, we finally realized something had happened. One girl had false started and she was out of the race. I had to hear the gun one more time. This time, the man didn't give me enough time to set up. I guess he was impatient. I didn't get the best start, but I took off. In practice I had been working on pumping my arms higher and driving my knees up.

While I was running, I instinctively looked down and used my hands to play with my shorts. I didn't realize I did that until Coach Holt, Coach Howard, Mr. Johnson, and Dave asked me about it later. I laughed: I remembered thinking that it felt like there was nothing there on my thigh and I was making sure my shorts weren't all the way up or something. They felt so light and I had never run in them before. Despite my "costume" adjustment, I ended up being first place thanks to the lean Coach Johnson had taught me in practice. I couldn't believe it! I was finally done! I grabbed Jamie in a hug and almost started crying. I had finished my first track meet in 2 years and actually did well! I turned to face the other side of the field and saw a beautiful rainbow covering the length of the field. I thanked God and smiled at the significance to me: The rainbow was a picture of God's promise... not the flood this time, but that He would always be with me. I never had to fear... He would always give me peace. I hugged Coach Johnson and Coach Holt when they walked up and made everyone laugh with my giddyness. Praise God.... praise God! The rest of the evening was relaxing and fun. Erwin showed me pictures of WW2 planes on his iPod and then we stopped at Burger King. We chatted about our elementary and junior high years at Grace and shared good and bad memories. I finished the ride home with Brian Regan. When my head hit the pillow that night, I smiled... the rainbow will always mean more to me now.

I Puked at the Paramount And All I Got Was This Puny Post

This blog is purely about my realization of something... I have the best friends in the world!

(And please, don't do that annoying, "Uh-uh! I have the best friends in the world!" 'cause you just don't, ok?! How can I prove that I have the best friends in the world? I don't have to prove anything to you... you're just sitting in front of a computer screen reading a blog, obviously you don't have that awesome of friends because you're not doing anything with them!)

It has been a long week for me, with video filming, a spanish report, and the musicale, but I didn't want to neglect a thought I had on Tuesday evening after I left Esther's house. So, God has brought me to a wonderful school and church where I have so many opportunities for leadership and growth! Now, I love all of my teachers and pastors and I get to serve on a student council and be captain in two different sports, but I think the most special part of all that is the friendships the Lord has given to me.

Although most of us endure extended periods of teasing and mocking, we
really do love each other.

All of my buddies that fateful day were concerned about me and encouraging me to feel better by laughing with me about the absurdity of the situation. We came up with quite a few awesome quotes! They didn't leave me to fend for myself, they were constantly checking up on me before and after. And, yes, the title is exactly what happened, and, yes, I'm embarassed about it, but the whole internet world can know all because I want to thank God for my brothers and sisters! True, it was a semi-comical event, but hey, it was still disgusting and my friends were faithful even then! You'd never guess it from the banquet promo video, would you? Nope, and we had quite the adventure that day from cave-like parking garages that threatened to rip off the antenna to cell phone directions to pouring rain to gorgeous chandiliers to staying up 'til 3 in the morning. What a day... what a day... Banquet will be so stinkin' awesome! (And I mean this 100% truthfully:) It will be the best one yet!

So, to all of my friends, especially those who went to Seattle... I love you guys! I can't wait for more memories together all the way up to praising God for eternity in heaven. (Yessss! No more sickness!) You always are such an encouragment! I love going through life with you by my side during the hilarious and hard times!

As a side note: don't wear a fancy dress when you don't feel good- it's dry clean only for a reason :D (Wow... gross and funny... I love it!)

Crepe Contemplations

Weird title, I know. That might be because I am currently typing this in my kitchen while cooking Costa Rican crepes. If you haven't listened to the radio, typed a blog, and cooked Costa Rican crepes at the same time yet... you should definetely give it a try. No joke, that bizarre combination has inspired me to recall lessons I learned in chapel today. So anyway, Pearce was talking about good 'ol Peter. A normal, act-before-you-think type of guy always wanting to impress Jesus who was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirt. The same God that resided in Peter after Pentacost is in all believers! It's unbelieveable that we ignore the power we can have if we only live for Christ. He can get us through anything and will give us victory over sin if we make Him our ultimate love. The thing that really stuck with me was Peter's denial of Christ. We are quick to roll our eyes at Peter's bold argument with the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE that he would never deny Him and would die with Him. But, just because we don't have servant girls coming up to us and asking if we are followers of Christ, we deny Him every day. Pearce alluded to this, but my thoughts kept exploring the truth further.

We deny our Lord and Savior every day.

I was surprised to find out how true it really was:
When I am afraid... I'm denying His protection.
When I am upset... I'm denying His sovereignty.
When I complain... I'm denying His provision.
When I take praise... I'm denying His glory.
The list goes on... when we sin, we deny all that Christ did for us in the sense that we aren't showing others joy. We seem to not really believe that He is in control. We play the hypocrite.
Don't deny! I BELIEVE JESUS IS THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD! May that rooster never crow for me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those of you still wondering, "What's with the crepes?" I have a Spanish country report that I'm doing on Costa Rica with Esther and I'm testing out the recipe for our presentation next week. They taste pretty good, almost like a waffle cone.

For those of you still wondering, "What IS a crepe?" It's a thin pancake made with egg batter typically associated with the French. ooh la la

For those of you still wondering, "How do you say crepe?" Just say grape and replace the g with a hard c.

For those of you still wondering, "When will this post be over?" The answer? Right about...



Now.