smells like Fall!

It's only the end of August but it's already feeling like FALL here! The air has gotten crisp and cool and I even smelled something very like burning leaves today - yay!
I love Fall. It's one of my favorite seasons (my other favorites are Spring and Summer... Winter's got a bit too much of that cool air for me though I do love the cold). I'm looking forward to:
- leaves changing (do they do that here? guess I'll find out)
- fall festivals
- barn dances (doesn't that sound great?)
- hayrides
- sweaters
- experiencing a true FALL season... one that's not 90 degrees.
- October. For some reason, I really like October.

Yay for Fall :)

lots of green

Pictures as promised! Here are most of the things I've been doing, and words to explain the pictures!
1. Molly (my room-roommate) and I
2. The WA version of Hardees :)
3. Eating with chopsticks
4. Molly's mom pretending to jump while helping move the beds
5. Molly and and I after moving our beds and her desk
6. Our beds - very bright
7. Molly's GREEN bowling ball.
8. The roommates: Amanda, Madeline, Molly, Lindsay
9. Maddie, Molly and I at breakfast after church
10. Mom's huge calzone
11. Saying goodbye to mom
12. Molly and I with some of the food we prepared (60+ meals!)
13. At the Indians game
14. Maddie, Dustin and the "K" sign we never understood
15. (out of order) Nailing my cubes together
16. Baseball game - Indians won 5-3

Born to Be Here

“You were born to be here.”

The words echoed in the quiet auditorium, resounding in the ears of 168 new students. The man with the glasses and full beard continued, “each one of you was destined to be here. God created you and you were born to be here at Moody Bible Institute - Spokane.” It was a different approach to the typical cheery devotion, the nice things that make you feel fuzzy inside, but he put his sarcastic humor aside to share some very true words. We were born to be here.

So orientation was yesterday. Dr. McMath spoke to us with a devotional and a charge for the rest of our time here in Spokane during the first session and immediately, I realized the truth of his statement. Here I am at the place I always wanted to be but never really thought possible. I’m a student at Moody Bible Institute. And this is where God wants me. Come to think of it, I never really specifically asked God to put me in Chicago to begin with. I wanted to go to Moody… I just didn’t know the Spokane campus existed.

I’m not completely sure why I’m not in Chicago and why I won’t be going there for another year but I’m anticipating understanding that someday I WILL know. I’ll look back and with a shock see how clear God’s hand was through Spokane. Perhaps He’s just been clearly leading me HERE. Maybe I’ll live here for the rest of my life. Maybe someone here will impact me, or maybe I’ll impact someone else. Maybe I’ll learn a lesson that will change the pattern of the rest of my life. Only God really knows and that is exactly why I’m so excited. God the Author of Life, the One who set creation into motion – this God knows. And I was born to be here – at Moody Bible Institute Spokane. Even though no one in this town has a clue that such a school exists, and even though it seems crazy to move 4,000 miles away to live with people I met on Facebook to go to a school I’d never visited. It seemed insane at first but it doesn’t seem that way now… I think it’s because God’s will was for me to come here.

I’ve doubted His will in this before. This process has been such a stretch of my faith, something that has felt very like a roller coaster. There have been doors closed and different doors opened because of the doors closed. The intelligence in God’s design and of His plan haven’t escaped me as I’ve reflected on His grace in His will. This whole process has served so far to show me how truly beyond my comprehension God is. He doesn’t make things easy or make them hard without reason. Gently, He’s shown me how I don’t put my faith where it belongs. He has me where He wants me and I need to trust that. And to be honest, I’m excited about it. He hasn’t taken me to places that I’ve hated and made me do the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. He’s been good and faithful and has shown me more of Himself through this than any other trying experience. I can now say without any doubt in my mind that THIS is exactly what I am supposed to be.

I want to grow while I’m here. I want to see God in new ways and meet people who are passionate and inspire me to love God without abandon (I struggle with that). This is so much more than about the school I’m attending. That’s just four years of God’s plan for me. How neat that what I am doing NOW is a part of GOD’S PLAN! How amazing to know that. To not doubt or even want to question.

I was, indeed, born to be here.

From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth. Whether for correction or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. Listen to this, O Job, stand and consider the wonders of God. [Job 37:9-14]

sneak peek

Coming soon: pictures of the roommates and apartment.

I'd show more but our room is anything but set up.
The mattresses are stacked on the floor where the bed will be and our things are strewn everywhere.
We're hoping to get the bunk bed in our room this weekend and once it looks nice, I'll show pictures.

My actual roommate Molly and I picked out things together so they match (awww) and everything in our bathroom and room is extremely... happy. There will be a LOT of bright colors and lots of green in the pictures to come, so be warned :)

changes

new address
new time zone
new climate (no humidity!)
new people
new roommates
new town
new bedding
new towels
new home
That's a lot of new.
I think I'm going to get tired of "new" and "change" pretty soon but right now, it's exciting. I'll write more about it later.

confessions of a late night procrastinator

[written while taking a break from packing.]
goodbyes stink.
packing is a daunting task.
i like philippians.
my closet is nearly void of clothing.
i am ocd about list-making.
(obviously)
i didn't realize it was so late.
i really like my header... it's happy...
so glad i took those pictures in ukraine because otherwise i wouldn't have a header.
come to think of it, i regret few of the pictures i take.
doesn't feel like i'm packing to MOVE.
i'm procrastinating now, so perhaps that's why. i'm not packing.
i want a carolina t-shirt, roll of stamps, and a good night's rest.
wish i could cry about moving but i can't decide if i'm sad or not.
i'm so glad jillian and emily helped me pack on saturday. thanks y'all!
when i get my new license (since the old was stolen), it will be my fourth
...maybe fifth.
i've only been licensed for four years.
facebook is amazing (no, i'm not on it right now).
i think i'm going to need more boxes. or less stuff.
where can i get more boxes?
i hope the next iPod i get is green.
i need sleep.
going to move the things off my bed.
so i can sleep.
goodnight.

My Cross

I found this paper among a stack of things while packing. It's an extra credit essay written on "My Cross"... I knew it would still be on my computer because I'm bad about cleaning things off at the end of the semester so I thought I'd share. It wasn't often that I got to write from MY point of view so I enjoyed this assignment immensely. Enjoy!

I have come to realize that discipleship means much more than saying a quick prayer in a Sunday morning service, walking an aisle, and being baptized. Being a disciple of Christ is not quick or easy or cheap; it is an all-consuming lifestyle and it must cost me something. If I truly desire to become a follower of Jesus and to learn from His life, things in my life cannot stay the same. I will always be changing, always be growing. A disciple of Christ without a changed life is not truly a disciple. Daily I must make a choice to give something to Him: me.

My cross is my pride. It is all the things that I believe I have done: all the triumphs spiritually and physically, all the things I have held dear. I must realize that my vanity because of these things is just that: useless, vain and futile. They have no end and no eternal reward and are only in the here and now. I do not want to realize that or come to that conclusion but I have. I have realized that the cross I bear is the thing I hold most dear, and that God is most glorified and I am most satisfied when I give that to Him, allowing Him to use me and my talents and accomplishments for His glory.

After the Apostle Paul tells the church at Philippi many of his accomplishments and the things he has to boast of, he makes an astounding statement: “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7, NASB, italics mine). If Paul who really did have a “claim to fame”, could say this, and deny himself, I know that I am more than capable of the same thing. I have no claim to truly boast; I have not accomplished much in my nineteen years. Like Paul though, I am a prideful person. I do not want to deny myself, but I have no choice. Paul used the best words in describing this, words I feel from the bottom of my heart: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, NASB). This is what I think it means to lay down my cross: to give Him the thing that means the most to me, for His glory and to gain Him. I may lose myself, but I have gained something of infinite greater value.