Cardboard

For years, I've loved cardboard. There's something about the texture and the endless possibilities. It must have started in my childhood with Mrs. Powers' classroom being turned into an airport with a huge life-size cardboard airplane. Best Teacher Ever!

My friend, Hanna, sent me this video a few days ago and I finally got the chance to watch it just now. I love it. These short testimonies written on cardboard say so much with so few words.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I took 22 college hours all at once, became a missionary intern for the Quiocho Family in Costa Rica and graduated from college!
2. Did you keep the new years resolution you made last year?
I decided not to make any last year and I think that worked out rather nicely for me.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yeah! Alejandro and Yendry gave birth to Deikylnn. Jason and Connie gave birth to Rowdy.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
Belize and Costa Rica.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I struggle with loving everyone no matter what. I want to learn how to do that. - This has not changed since 2007. That still stands. Also, I would really like to have a big girl job that I enjoy.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
New Years Even with Laura, Lori and her friend, Gina. The random nights spent playing board games at Otter Family Game Nights. It's not really a particular date, but all the nights spent at Chelsea's house doing WILgroup Bible Study and discussing life together. Disciple Bible Study with the "counselor" group. Brambling in Belize. All the Fall 2011 Monday nights doing Journey to Christ and then driving Bri Wilson to ASC. Tons of time watching trick shot videos, hanging out with youth and baking for StudyBreak Cupcake. All those moments spent at the Rio Frio community playing Sorry, hanging out with little children, having sleepovers with Angie, cooking, sharing stories and life in general, laughing and worshiping alongside each other. My last night in Rio Frio - the dinner with everyone and the sleepover with Angie and Kristina. Graduation day.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating from college.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Can not knowing what I want to do for the future count as my biggest failure?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yeah. We're still not sure what's going on with that.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Costa Rica Internship!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
What?
13. Whose behavior appalled you the most?
Like I'd really put that here.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel, Food & Gas.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Costa Rica!
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Kristian Stanfill - Like A Lion and pretty much anything from Passion.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
a) happier or sadder? happier after the holidays.
b) thinner or fatter? thinner without a doubt.
c) richer or poorer? poorer for sure.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Study the Bible and talk to Him. SLEEP/RELAX (in the spring)! Study! Job Hunt.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I'm not really sure.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
I spent Christmas eve with my Aunt Polly, Uncle Jim, parents, and Lori eating chicken tetrazini and opening presents. Christmas day was my parents, Lori and I and Jason with his wife and kids. We hung out around the house, ate a big meal for dinner and opened some presents.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Nope.
22. Did anyone close to you get married?
Alejandro & Yendry! Ben & Jessica! :)
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Wizards of Waverly Place, Haven and FRIENDS.
24. Do you hate anything now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope.
25. What was the best book you read?
I read the first of the Yada-Yada Sisterhood series and loved it. I also read a series about a girl that didn't know what she wanted to do with her life and so she became a baker. I feel like that may have been a beginning catalyst for my baking fall semester. I can't remember the name of the books, but they were actually about that. I mainly read and adored reading blogs though.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Kristian Stanfill I guess. I already knew about him though.
27. What did you want and get?
Joy.
28. What did you want and not get?
Jobs.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
HP7 - the ending, Kung Fu Panda 2 or The Muppets.
30. What did you do on your birthday?
Otter Family Game Night with a few extra friends that turned into broomball at the church.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Knowing what 2012 would look like.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Vintage, classic, detailed, layered, comfort, styled.
33. What kept you sane?
God, youth group, Kathy Kothman, The Quiochos, ASC girls, Kali Myers, A&M UMC, road trips.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Carlos Whittaker.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I can’t really think of any at the moment.
36. Who did you miss?
I miss my friends in Costa Rica.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I'd have to go with the Quiocho Family and all the people that we met along our summer journey. Also, getting to know Zac Gilts, the A&M UMC Youth Dream Team and some of the A&M UMC counselors better.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
These are from 2010, but I never published my 2010 New Year Questionnaire: Plan B. Be flexible and it will all be okay. (Summer study abroad falling through). Just because you started it a long time ago, doesn't mean you are tied down to it. (Crazy Love Bible Study). Do what you love and be with who you love because those around you and what you are doing will affect you, especially your attitude towards life.
& For 2011, there is: Listen to others. Everyone is interesting even if they don't believe it themselves. Help them find it if need be. (Costa Rican Internship). The roots of my faith aren't really what I originally thought. (Spring 2011 WILgroup). Investing time in people will never be a waste of time. (Fall 2011). With God's help, you really can do anything, even 22 hours of classes. God really does care about the little things. (Spring 2011). Days without laughter, are not truly lived. (All year long - Costa Rica SAPC B Team, especially).
39. Quote a song title that sums up your year:
Roaring Like A Lion - Kristian Stanfill

my Life Changes for the year two thousand and twelve are as follows:

1. Grow in Christ's Likeness- become a Godly Woman
- it's like a John 3:30 thing where,
"He must increase, but I must decrease."

That is it for the resolutions this year. I don't want to be "tied down" to others, even if they are fabulous or needed.

& A Different Way To Remember '11:

45 of the most powerful images of 2011. 15, 20 & 45 are my favorites.

Keeper

Psalm 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
² My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
⁸ The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

fiftyone. fiftytwo. [53]. fifty4. fifty5. fifty6. fifty7. fifty8. [59]. 60! sixtyone. sixty2. sixty3. sixty4. 65! sixty6. sixty7. sixty8. [69]. 70!

fiftyone. unseenbeauty: learningtocookviacellulardevice.
fiftytwo. unseenbeauty: organization.

fiftythree. Sad no photo day.

fiftyfour. unseenbeauty: helpfulroommate.

fiftyfive. unseenbeauty: ASClove.
fiftysix. unseenbeauty: trickbasketballshots.
fiftyseven. unseenbeauty: stoppingtosmelltheflowers.
fiftysevencontinued. unseenbeauty: God'screation.
fiftysevencontinuedagain. unseenbeauty: thepowerofketchup.

fiftyeight. unseenbeauty: bookcoverillustrations.
fiftynine. Sad no photo day.

sixty. unseenbeauty: the12thman+Bible.
sixtyone. stressful weeks.

sixtytwo. unseenbeauty: thepoweroflaughter.
sixtythree. unseenbeauty: paperstacks.
sixtyfour. unseenbeauty: favoriteverse+awesomedisplay.
sixtyfourcontinued. unseenbeauty: freedominChrist.
sixtyfive. unseenbeauty: wonderfulfriendfilledweekends.
sixtysix. unseenbeauty: comfyspots.
sixtyseven. unseenbeauty: sweetartskills.
sixtyeight. unseenbeauty: dailychoices.
sixtynine. Sad no photo day.

seventy. unseenbeauty: packing.

La Chureca Is Holy Ground

Tonight at Disciple, we spoke about the part in Exodus where God speaks to Moses in the burning bush. Moses takes off his sandals because he is on holy ground and hides his face in reverence. Laurinda, our pastor and leader of the study, asked us if there has ever been a time we were on holy ground. Tongue-tied is the only way I can describe that moment as I saw the faces of those that I passed by in La Chureca, the city dump in Managua, Nicaragua, the faces of those that I spoke with, tarped houses for and generally enjoyed. Our team claimed La Chureca in the name of the Lord as his holy ground. Tonight, as Laurinda spoke about holy ground and us being on it, I began to read part of Exodus as if the Lord was speaking directly about La Chureca in the passage.

The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in [La Chureca, the city dump in Managua, Nicaragua]. I have heard them crying out because of [the situation they are in], and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the [oppressors] and to bring them up out of that land [known as La Chureca] into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey ... And now the cry of the [Churecans] has reached me, and I have seen the way the [government] are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you ... to bring my people the [ones I adore] out of [that filth and grime]." - Exodus 3:7-10 NIV

God said, "I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in [La Chureca, the city dump in Managua, Nicaragua]. I've heard their cries for deliverance from [the situation they are in]; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of [those who oppress them], get them out of that [dump] and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey ... "The [Churecan] cry for help has come to me, and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the [government]. It's time for you to go back: I'm sending you ... to bring my people, the [ones that I adore], out of [the dump]."- Exodus 3:7-10 Message

The Lord is crying out for his beloved people who are living in this filth, grime and oppression as the world turns, having the knowledge of this and yet living life as if it is not a reality but just a fact of life.Wake up, for it is real and Jesus Christ desires to redeem his beloved people of La Chureca.

Consider the Birds

I struggle with a sin called worry. I struggle with a sin called stress. I struggle with anxiety. Over the last few weeks, Jesus and I've been talking about a beautiful thing He did on the cross. He covered my sins: worry, stress and anxiety when he was nailed to the cross. He gave me freedom to live my life and not be a captive to these things. This is kind of an oversimplified explanation of what this means in my life, which I hope to come back and explore in the future.

In the meantime, it's finals week. It's a week where the libraries, coffeeshops, and really any spot on campus gets flooded with people hacking away at a paper on their laptops, readings are being furiously highlighted and many study early into the morning with coffee cups glued to their hands. One common fear binds us all in this. We won't make the necessary grades. We won't do well. We worry, we stress, we give our lives over to anxiety instead of giving it all to God. My WILgroup for ASC has been discussing this a lot lately. Here's some verses that the girls, especially me, are clinging to:

"Look at the ravens. They do not plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that what's the use of worrying over bigger things? ...Don't worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need." - Luke 12:24-31

My lovely WILgroup leader, Jana, sent me this the other day on facebook:

"Isaiah 41 starting around verse 21 it talks about idols and at the end it says " Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. See they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind"
-so do not put things above the Lord..those things are of Satan and they are meaningless without God...whatever you do-do it for the Glory of God...so if you are going to study hard to get good grades...do it for HIS glory...not your own..and do not let it consume your thoughts because whatever you think about is what you will care about and what you care about will stir the affections of your heart...I urge you to pray before you study and have the Lord do what he wants with that time..."

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7

"For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore... do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own troubles." - Matthew 6:32b-34
^"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

"I'm leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart, and the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid" - John 14:27

"Come to me all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

"I will never fail you nor forsake you" - Hebrew 13:5

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Freely Loved, Freely Loving

I don't want to discuss immigration anymore after today. Forget the series that never really started. If you want to discuss immigration, one on one, I'd love to sit down with a cup of joe or facebook chat about it all. However, I just wanted to leave you with a quotation from my friend Mikey because I agree with him 110%. This was from our original discussion about immigration way back in October.

“My biggest fear is when I go before the judgment seat of Christ to have been found lacking - that I didn’t go to the least and the last, that I ignored people outside my own door that need Jesus, like illegal immigrants. We’re supposed to love the criminal. Yeah, they’re illegal immigrants, but Jesus still died for them. His grace is sufficient to cover that. Who are you or I to judge them? By feeding them you’re not offering amnesty, you’re offering love - a love that they might not love, but a love that was freely given to us and a love that we must freely give.” - Michael Ryan

Enough

Yesterday was Easter. It's kind of funny but Laurinda asked a question in one of the services that really stuck out at me. It seems to be a question that was never fully formed, but that I had been mulling around on my mind for the last two weeks. Now it is phrased:

If you lost all your possessions and all your loved ones right now, would the Easter message be enough for you? Would the sacrifice Christ made be enough for you?

Wreckage

I have a problem.
I like my plans, even when I tell God he can wreck them.
I like to keep my fist semi-clenched around my plans.
I like to make justifications on how God can wreck my plans, as long as it's the part of my plan that I'm okay with being wrecked.

God is in control of my life and my plans, not me.
God has indeed granted my prayer of wrecking my summer plans to glorify Him, just not in the way that I asked Him to.

I posted this on here last week:
I'm not sure if you're supposed to necessarily pray for wrecked plans with how you'd really like God to wreck your plans, but if this is what God's going to wreck them for, well, BRING ON THE WRECKED PLANS LORD! (whatever they may be!)

Well, God answered those prayers. My summer plans have been wrecked. Instead of wrecking Argentina so I could have the missionary internship. God wrecked the Argentina Global Media program, the missionary internship that I could possibly do and my backup Costa Rica classes for Summer 1. All in all, it looks like I will be in the states this summer. (Or maybe I'll be in Brazil? Haha!)

This leads me to wonder what I'll be doing this summer...
all I know is that it will be for God's glory wherever I am, whatever I am doing.

I'm clinging to my lifeverse for this season because yet again it rings true for me: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

What's Been Bothering Me...

Something's been bothering me all week. Really, something's been bothering me since the first day that I stepped into my immigration class freshman year. What bothers me is the immigration issue in general and how God relates into it all because it seems very conflicting to me. I've been conflicted for ages and just when I forget, it seems to be brought up again. All the same old confusions and things that keep me up at night that I have known for so long are brought up, they mingle in my brain and yet still are not straightened out in a way that I feel like I can ever fathom what the correct response to immigration is, especially illegal immigration.

Don't be surprised if this isn't the last time you hear me bring up immigration. I know it's controversial, but I'm trying to figure everything out. These next three verses are ones that I perceive can see interlocking, yet seem to reject each other at the same time when they are perceived within the context of immigration.

Before letting you see the verses, because I know you can't just scroll down and see them, I want to say that I don't have the answers. There's so many shades of grey in my head over this that it is simply troublesome.

Please, read the next three verses pertaining with immigration in mind: policies, people, everything it entails, etc. and let me know what you think. How should we treat these people? Should we treat illegal and legal immigrants differently? Should we ship everyone back? Should we let them stay? Include anything you want to on the issue. Please do let me know what you're thinking though. Feel free to be anonymous if that makes you more comfortable.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. - Romans 13:1-6

" 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God. - Leviticus 19:33-34

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'- Matthew 25:34-45

Comment away!

Loving Links

Tonight, I'll just be posting a bunch of links to get y'all seeing a bit of what I see on the web that I like, so enjoy the short blurb about each and hit the link in the middle to see more.

Social media engagement is changing as more and more ordinary people don't blog themselves, but rather link to other "better" blogs, aka what I am doing right now.

I wish I could nap like Jesus.

Men think they can fix anything and apparently they do so in creative ways.

I fell in love with these vintage postcards for save the dates. Maybe you will too?

Christians and bubble wrap are remarkably similar.

What's better than combining vision, photography and love?

Defeat and Hypocrisy hit home in a way that never seemed more clear.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Cries Among the Trash

I read a lot of social justice stuff in a given day. I don't always focus on it though. A lot of days I like to read, meditate for a second on whatever issue I'm reading about and then click over to a "happier" blog or to facebook or to whatever else will distract my mind from the hurts of so many in this world.

While reading Pete Wilson's blog today about a girl named Puja Ghosh, a sentence struck out at me and made me take notice of it.

"She lives with a family here in the Khalpar slum who found her in a pile of trash. Her mom literally tossed her out like you would a loaf of moldy bread."

Soak the reality of that sentence up.
That could have been me. That could have been you.
God has crazy plans that are for each of us. I don't know why I was allowed a loving, generous family while Puja, a sweet daughter of the King, is growing up with a different family than her own. I don't know why I don't have to deal with the pain of that situation and Puja does. I don't know why, but I am thankful that I got to hear her story. You should go read the rest and pray for Puja.

Pray for love. Pray for her future. Pray for her relationships. Pray for God to shine through her. Pray for her new family. Pray for her parents that tossed her into the trash. Pray.

Just a Thought to Ponder

I didn't plan on posting today, but this was on one of the blogs I have been perusing lately and it caught my eye, especially the bolded.

The call for unity in the SBC is a call to move past generational and
methodological differences in an effort to partner together for gospel
advancement in our cities, our nation, and around the world. We can do far more
together than any of us could do apart. And when we display gospel unity to the
world, they see and believe in the One we love, worship, and preach (John 17).

The flip side is also true…when we bicker, compete,
fight, slander, gossip, and act like fools, we do serious damage to the gospel
work God has called us to locally and globally.
-Jay Hardwick

After reading that, all I've got to say is think about it and praise the Lord for the words he spoke through Dan that I am clean. I am free.