Worldlife

Oh-my-goodness! I can't even begin to tell you how excited and amazed I am! But let me try to explain. =)

The BSM has an organization called "Worldlife" where transfer students from other countries come to meet new people and learn English. Most of the students I met were from China - bless you Kendall for teaching me a little Chinese!!! I was able to tell them all "woh ai nee"!!! =)))

But they were so direct with their questions! It was amazing because they were reading the Bible for their very first time!!! And they asked the most intriguing questions!

The girls in my smallgroup, Joy, Vicky, Glinda, Sarah, and Amber, they were all such sweethearts! I was blown away by how much we had in common and could relate to each other!!!

We taught them the stories of the house upon the rock and the tax collector and the Pharisee. Rereading those stories, I saw them in a completely new way and a higher level of understanding than when I was a child. It was intense.

But the most incredible thing is how pouring doctrine into someone else's heart, it teaches you as well!!! Discipleship is a beautiful thing. I'm so happy that I could share some of the spiritual truths I've learned with someone meeting the Word for the first time! It fills my heart with joy.



I skimmed through this book at Tyler's house. It was kind of funny. I used to really like manga books, and seeing the Gospel in cartoon form was the strangest thing...


Hey...Share a truth with someone today. Someone younger or less experienced. Help your brother take the next step in their faith. None of us walk alone. =)
Or if you don't have doctrine to share, build someone up. Kindness is the only precious jewel that is a renewable resource.

I hope that made sense! Love you!

For my Cenny Ukochany

Some of you may have noticed that I've been slipping in a bit of polish here and there on some things. Well, I have compiled the snippets into a sort of ...Polish poem.
Trying to read it aloud might be silly

"To Jest Pozegnanie, Cenny Ukochany!"

to jest pożegnanie, cenny ukochany

czas kłębie wszystko
rozdzielony miłość, najwięcej

byłeś moim jedynym
ale teraz moje serce jest otwarte

to jest pożegnanie, cenny ukochany!
ja będzie czułością patrzy
ale dzisiaj ja gonić mój Panie
i nie więcej miłość z wczoraj

Community

Naps are a beautiful thing.

This blog is called "community" because I just watched that tv show for the first time at Tyler's house. And we had cookies. It was wonderous.

Yep! Today was swell =) I took this photo on my way to class. It's the typical cheesy flower photograph, but I haven't been photo-ing lately, without a supernice camera. This is the closest I've gotten to photography. sad.

Crave was intense. I've been stuck in this habitual sin rut, and this past week, I've been letting all kinds of sin creep back into my life. And the stumbling led to guilt, and the guilt led to a kind of spiritual sickness. I had been trying to get out of that funk, and I think I'm starting to get back on track!

A word of comfort, my friends. Sin has no power over you. You may feel like you've messed up, but if you want to come back to God, He's waiting with open arms. There is nothing that can pluck you from His hand! I feel like once I've messed up that my whole spiritual walk is ruined... so, it helps me to remember that.

I can't wait for tomorrow to see how God will move in my life and the lives around me! Hugs and kisses.

Good news for bad moods. also, yogurt.

Today was fun. I was kind of in a bad mood because I stayed up late working on design, but you know what? I can't really be too unhappy smack in the middle of my favorite school in the world. Life is good. that bad mood didn't stand a chance. >:)

I have been studying pretty intensely lately and doing a lot of homework, so I decided to take a break tonight and me and some other cool people got some tasty frozen yogurt at this fantastic yogurt shop.

Gosh I love yogurt. It's a mutual friend of the tongue and the waistline.
The same goes for applesauce.

I got a good grade on my drawing assignment. =)

Annnnd I got a good grade on my design quiz!

Now one last big project and then it's the weekend....

Changes!

It's funny how the the weather has been treating me kindly. The day after I buy rainboots, there's torrential rain. The day I come back bringing all my fall and winter wardrobe, it's chilly and I can finally bust out the sweatervests and argyle socks!

I've been looking forward to hot chocolate and scarves.

But there's other changes going on too. Like my taste in music. It seems like there isn't much I don't enjoy listening to these days.

I have a big project due tomorrow. And another one due Thursday. After that I think I'll be able to sleep soundly, but right now I'm cranky afljeiorusflsjefskkk@#$@$!!!
I used to think naps were pretty wonderful back in high school. Now they're like special rewards to myself.

Another change is my relationship with my alarm clock. We used to respect each other, but lately I haven't really been treating him right. Things are just a little tense between us right now...

It seems like I don't have time for anything. I know, welcome to college. But for realz. It's tough.

I was reading through Luke 12 and it filled me with joy because it's part of the inspiration for Jon Foreman's "Your Love is Strong"
But it's also very reassuring. How much more valuable are we to God than sparrows or ravens? He will take care of us.

Change is a scary thing, but it's good to know some things never will. =)

Darkness and fear

There was a shooting at UT today. I don't know if anyone was actually hurt, or if/when the attackers were apprehended, but it breaks my heart all the same.

What kind of state would someone's soul be in if that person truly believed the best course of action would be to hurt/kill other people? They must have seen a lot of pain - they must be so confused.

I feel like I'm surrounded by God's love shining through other people and nourishing my heart. Everyone around me is so kind..
I do my best to walk in the light, but also to show others the love I don't deserve, but have been blessed to recieve.

I firmly and strongly believe that showing others God's love that pushes away darkness inside people. Love heals.

If you would pray for UT, pray against the darkness and fear that may have been caused as a result of this frightening event, as well as UT's safety.

Candles in the grass

Communion was different tonight.

Firstly, I biked to Communion. I almost didn't get lost. I actually got confused multiple times. I biked to the hospital and realized it was too far, I biked down the wrong road and had to get directions.
But then.... my lack of directional skills is nothing new

Secondly, we had communion in a field. We put candles in the grass. They were protected in little cups, no need to fret. And then we worshipped and sang and prayed out in the field under the stars. I've never done anything like it.

Something about singing "you placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name" while looking up right into the big dipper is special.


I realized something though. It's harder for me to follow God the way I do here back home. I just slip back into the same ruts and stumble over the same things - even after I prayed for strength to fight against them!

But I'm getting stronger all the time. There is still so much I don't understand, and sometimes it overwhelms me, but in the best of ways. The world doesn't have any power over me, the only thing I want to overwhelm me is the glory of God.

Back home

There's not so much to say. Home is home. I'm amazed all the time at how grown-up Daniel is getting. He says the darndest things.

I'm also amazed at how different Jessie and I am - her high school experience seems to be going completely differently. She got nominated for homecoming court!
It's funny. Jessie has to help me with my wardrobe. I think that I would dress rather absurdly if Jessie wasn't there to point and laugh at me before I walked out the door.

I got a webcam for my birthday!!! Real exciting!

Oh, I had a real blast with some of my friends from back home. I still look forward to getting back to Denton though =)

Birthday

I still am trying to take in all the events of today. It was easily the best day I've had all year. It was wonderful through and through.

This picture of a man being carried away by balloons represents me just soaring with joy. =)))))))


You know what?? People are just wonderful. Especially the people here. There is so much kindness and love and ahhh it just makes me cry with happiness! (I seriously did have tears of joy earlier today)

Maggie got me some baked goodies from Ravelin Bakery (AHHHH and she remembered that I LOVE chocolate croissants! sweet girl)

I had really been wanting to go to Beth Marie's ever since I got to Denton, and I finally got to go!!! So that really completed the day for me. I was satisfied.

Then I got to go to an honors picnic and that was pretty fun. I got sung to =)

I received an unexpected cake when I got back to honors! So I decided to take it to the BSM! Because I wanted the wonderful people there to enjoy it! And I had already celebrated, in my mind.

But the best part of the day was yet to come. The BSM pulled off this really great surprise party and I honestly have never felt so special and it was the best birthday... ever. Just because I didn't expect so many people to share my birthday with me because it's my freshman fall year and I'm still making friends. It was just so special. That's really the only word in my head right now.

I really don't think I deserved such a wonderful surprise. God has given me such a precious gift, having them in my life, and I am overwhelmed by their kindness.

I just don't know what to say.

Thank you...

Goodie Bags =)

Today we passed out paper bags of snacks and candy to people to tell them about FLOW - Free Lunch on Wednesdays. =) It was really nice... I miss goodie bags!

There is a special joy in giving a stranger a gift.

I had this idea after Maggie talked with me about putting on the armor of God and the "Phillipians Filter."



I wrote the elements of them on my door, so that before I left my dorm room each day, I wouldn't forget to prepare myself spiritually!



Just as a memo to myself. Then I thought, to help me learn these things, I should add them to the door!



Seeing them so often should help engrave this doctrine on my heart!