Nervous & Awkward Freshman Welcome

The first day of my life at NorthPark has come and gone before my eyes. And I am still waiting to take a breath. There are so many new ideas already growing in my head I don't know where to start, or what to tell. I am embracing the joy and the sorrow. I am embracing the change, or trying to. And that is not an easy thing to wrap your arms around. There are new opportunities every second I turn around. I am getting to focus on people and new relationships that are being built. Like the girl 2 floors down, and Scott the Manager of the Starbucks across the street, Mercy who is trying to make a life for herself all the way from Africa, my RA who has a twin, the Russian maintence women (I can barely pronounce her name - why try to spell it) who cleans our floor, and the 500 + nervous and awkward freshman who walk around hoping they don't trip and fall in front of everyone (and off the record I am up to 3 embaressing falls myself). The diversity and culture around me are giving me a new perspective already.

During one of the many long and ridiculous lectures I have been sitting through for orientation - something spoke to me. A lady named Judy, the pastor on campus, was talking about seeing God speak through the ordinary moments and not just the nice, shiny, polished ones. While that sat in my brainbox some more, I started thinking about Jesus (cool guy) and what an ordinary life He chose to live. Yet in His day to day life, He was completely holy. Meaning He wasn't ordinary. That Jesus understood what it meant to hear God and seek God, being divine and perfect, in every day regular moments. So, instead of just stopping at the thought that God speaks though regular people in regular places - it hit me that what you find in those things are anything but ordinary. That Jesus sought out the holiness of God in everyday life pushes me to seek that same holiness in every moment - even when it seems like the most mondane thing. Because I know that God is in those moments, and in the ordinary God shines through and there is a glimpse of the extraordinary.



1 - me and my momma in my room



2 - me and my new roommate



3 - me and some new friends!

School starts Monday! I can't wait for that to get going!

Armadillos & Uncertainty

No turning back, I am in Chicago.
Mom and I made it through our very long, long, drive and are happy that's over with. After making it out of Arizona, we hit up New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and finally Illinois. Real quick.

New Mexico = teepees, plateaus, route 66, meteorite site, and moccasins.
Texas = the world's largest cross, and a nap (sorry I was tired).
Oklahoma = sticky, heavy accents, dirty McDonalds filled with dead bugs, and tolls.
Missouri = weird towns like Cuba, Lebenon, and Miami (all very original), Busch Stadium, The Arch, and more tolls.
Illinois = corn, corn, soy biodiesel farms, and some more corn.

I will spare your time and just give you the highlight of the trip - armadillos! Towards the end of Texas, through Oklahoma, and a TON in Missouri, we counted 33 dead armadillos on the side of the road! All flipped over on their shells with their little feet in the air. Can you believe it? It was the weirdest thing! Apparently none of them passed onto their friends the memo that when you walk out into the road, you don't come back. Bummer for them, highlight for us.

The past few days I have been given lots of time for reading (even outloud - which mom loves) , and wanted to share something out of a book I am going through called Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. In this chapter, he is talking about uncertainty. He writes, " I know this may be a real stretch, but it is always right to do what's right, even if it turns out wrong. There are times God calls us to do the right thing, knowing that others will respond in the wrong way." What a confidence in God's character that sort of perspective has. Having a faith that doesn't depend on the outcome, but believing in God's capacity to work even through horrible results. This is a challenge for me. I know that thoughout the day I make various decisions about what to do even in the littlest situations because I know the outcome. And because what I decide ends in good, I assume what I did was good. I am realizing that when I do what is right and in line with God's will, it does not guarentee a good result. And that takes faith. Not no-risk faith, but dangerous faith. Faith like Jesus had when He decided to do what was right and be killed for it. I don't know about you, but I don't see that as a good outcome. But what I am sure of is God's character, and what He does promise. He promises that He will be there with us before, during, and after when the result isn't so easy to deal with (Joshua 1). So in that truth, I am willing to do what is right, even when it turns out wrong.


We move in on Tuesday. Just enjoying the city, the rain, and each other until then.

Preparation & Wisdom

Less than 2 weeks and I will officially be starting a new chapter of my life in Chicago! I am anxious to see what God has been preparing for me. Yet, as I think back on this summer and what God is doing in my life here in Mesa, I am in awe to see what God has for me at THIS moment, right now. I know that God has a will for my life at NorthPark, but he has a will for my life this very second! And I don't want to miss it!

I have been reading through Proverbs for some wisdom and insight and instantly have been overwhelmed with the direction and guidance God is giving to me.

"For attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
for aquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young -
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidence -
for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
Proverbs 1:2-7

Right away I am hit with the thought that wise people seek more wisdom. They refuse to be satisfied with what they already know. They refuse to believe that they have already obtained all the knowledge they can. They seek more. And more importantly they seek the Lord. Because He is the start of all knowledge. That is a mind-blowing thing to tap into. ALL KNOWLEDGE! Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

So, I have committed myself to learning. I refuse to become apathetic and comfortable with what I already know. I commit myself to keep my mind open, to continually learn, to ask questions, and to gain wisdom from those around me who have experienced more than me. And most of all, search out more about who God is. He is the beginning of all to know and all that is....and if there is anything I want to be a part of, it is that Truth.