Music...it tends to move me

Music is moving. Yes figuratively, but also literally. I recently discovered it is near impossible for me to listen to good music and stand still...and if I'm singing, forget it. Yeah, I'm that person. It's not so bad though, I feel like moving to music displays passion and fire for life. That may seem like a far jump, but think about it. If you get so into the music you can't sit still, you have a passion for that music that forces you to move. And sometimes we need to move, we need to do. The Italian verb for "to do" is "fare" (pronounced far-ay). To do something, isn't that why we're here? To do something? To leave an impression? I think so.

So bringing it back to music, what music have I been hooked on lately? Funny you should ask. Well here's the thing, when I get hooked on a song I listen to it about 100 times. In a row. I don't really know why, I guess I'm trying to learn it, to internalize it. So all that said, I've been hooked on Lady Gaga's new hit "Bad Romance". Yes it's random, but also amazingly catchy.

So that you lady Gaga for your crazy music and even crazier music video's. I can't decide if you are certifiabaly insane or the next Michael Jackson, way ahead of your time. I guess time will tell.

"Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah, Roma roma-ma, Gaga, oh-la-la..."

Writing writing writing...

Wow, it seems like I've been writing alot, yet I haven't blogged in eternity. How does that happen? Life has been good, extremely busy, but I like it that way. I figure life is short, so lets pack in what we can into every minute. So I've been writing for the FAU paper, and it's been going really well so far. I still have a ton to learn about the writing style of a newspaper. It's funny to me how it can take me less time to write a 5 page paper than a simple 600 word news story. Oh well, it'll come in time I suppose. I'm working on being patient with the learning process...that has never been my strong point. I did just have a cover story come out, which I was pretty excited about. I took the pictures for the article as well and its really trippy to see your photo on the cover of the school paper all over campus. Haha, I guess I'll get used to it.

Anyway, I just wanted to shoot out an update...more to come later

- Ciao!

More from the West Coast

Well, it's coming up on week 4 out here in Cali. It's been an amazing trip so far, we've seen and experienced so many new things that are simply impossible to experience in a shorter amount of time. For example, the luxury of biking to the beach almost every day for the pure enjoyment of sitting on the sand or seeing the coast of Huntington Beach. All in all it's been great. 

Its funny how when you're removed from different places or situations for awhile, you begin to notice how insignificant some things really are, and on the other hand, what's really important. Being out here removed from life in Florida has given me a new perspective on how to really live. Be thankful for the time we have with people, but be open to the Lord leading you out of a certain place and into another. Don't worry, I'm not packing up and moving to California as soon as I get home, but I have begun to realize that God has a different plan for each of us, and while it's nice to have roots somewhere, isn't it better to have wings to go wherever you're called? I used to be afraid of losing people when they moved away. Maybe it had something to do with moving alot as a kid, I don't know. But this summer I realize that we should get the most out of every single moment we have with people in a particular place, and then be ready for the new friends and adventures that wait for us in the next. 

Maybe this is a lesson everyone already knows and I'm just slow to catch on, it wouldn't be the first time, haha. But it's freeing to know that God is in control of everything, and he has it all planned out already. We're just waiting to find out the next piece of the puzzle. 

California!!

With my last post giving thanks for summer, I figured now was as good a time as any for a summer update. This summer I am out in California for 6 weeks total, its been about two and a half so far. I absolutely love this state. It still blows my mind that in a single state you can have so much variety; deserts, mountains, beaches, lakes, skiing, surfing, huge cities, vineyards, ranches, you name it. 

Our first week we we're very busy seeing lots of family and friends we hadn't seen in awhile. Staying with my aunt and uncle in Costa Mesa, we live about a 15-20 minute bike-ride from the beach...it's amazing. We spent the 4th of July with my mom's side of the family and seeing our cousins and grandparents and aunts and uncles was really a blast.

Week two consisted of a trip up the coast with San Francisco as our final destination. We stopped in several town as we slowly made our way up, the first of which was Solvang, a small Swedish town. It was simply adorable, all the windmills made it quite charming.  After that we made a few more stops, including the Monterey Sea Aquarium, and then finally ended up in San Francisco. 

San Francisco was amazing, I definitely want to go spend much more time there exploring the city. Its so alive and vibrant, there's music and art,  and so many people walking and biking. The golden gate bridge was incredible, we drove across it on our way to Muir Woods, a national forest of redwood trees. 

Altogether our trip was great, minus maybe the seven hour long car ride back to Costa Mesa where my uncles lives. But now that we're back we've been biking to the beach, surfing, tanning, and just hanging out alot. There's a surf competition in Huntington next week that I'm stoked for...

Summer

Summer is a wonderful invention. Really. Whoever thought of giving students, who have worked hard for 9 solid months, 3 months of vacation, sunshine, and bliss, my hats off to them (figuratively, as I'm not wearing a hat, but you get it). 

This summer is one of the last I will probably have as much freedom as I have now, being jobless and all. However California is calling, and I will be spending about 6 weeks out there starting June 26th. I think my favorite part of summer is the time it gives me away from deadline and stress in general. Of course I still have responsibilities and such, but nowhere near the pressure I feel from when school starts in August to when it ends in May. 

It's a season of relaxation, a type of sabbath if you will. Sitting here after sleeping in, going for a bike ride, swimming, and organizing my CD collection, I realize why God calls us to take a sabbath. Because despite my hardest efforts, I'm not superwoman. I can't do everything forever. And I'm not supposed to. 

Thankfully, I have time to recoup from the hectic schedule and life I lead from August to May. And don't get me wrong, I love to be busy and I love everything I'm doing and learning during this time in my life. I love the pressure of being in charge and getting things done...I thrive on it. For awhile. And then I need a break. A short time-out on reality.

Thank you summer.

Pride.

I hate pride. Pride keeps people from saying I'm sorry, or I love you, or you were right. Pride can separate the best of friends or even family members. Worse than that, pride keeps us from giving God glory and fulfilling his will for our lives. Pride makes us take our focus off God and put it on ourselves. And what's the point of pride anyway? Why do we think we're so great? We're dirt. Dust. Powerless on our own. And yet there is that part of us that is longing for recognition from our peers and respect from our followers; and it can easily make us proud when we receive it.

 I think the scariest thing about pride is how subtle it can be. It's easy to spot pride in others, but how about ourselves? Our pride won't let us admit we're prideful! We think that somehow we are above the prideful temptations that Kings David and Solomon, and even Jesus faced. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, one of the temptation was dominion over all the world. How would that boost your ego? Yet Jesus didn't stumble, he remained completely humble and used God's word to counter the attack. Like a sheep before his shearers, he was silent in the face of ridicule and disdain. If the son of God can face murderous threats with humility, how much more do we need to? 

In The Wilderness

Have you ever had one of those moments where, say its been a rough week and your just feeling really bogged down and kinda discouraged, and then all of a sudden, in a single moment, everything gets put back into perspective? I had one of those this week. I love those moments, because to me thats when you realize that God is there fighting for you. Not that he hasn't been doing that the whole time, yet that moment is when you realize that he already has the victory. Last weekend and on into the early part of the week I was really getting discouraged and frustrated with myself and some situations I've been dealing with. Thats when I finally learned the value of withdrawing to a private place to seek God...going into the wilderness. So I took a walk to a park, and literally just sat and read his word and prayed, and it was amazing to just be still. I had never really thought about how Jesus would "withdraw to a quiet place" and spent time with God. Jesus. If God incarnate would spend time with his heavenly Father in a quiet place, how much more do we need to? 

But the moment that hit me wasn't until last friday at Encounter, the Ocean's Edge night of worship. As we took communion together as a body, and all around me people were singing and worshiping God, I realized that thats what heaven will be like. All the believers were worshiping together as one body. It was awesome. All the stress and troubles from the week suddenly seemed so insignificant. Why was I stressed and worrying? God has already won. 

Two songs really hit home as I was going through this last week...both from Contrary Motion. Prodigal and To My Rescue. These lyrics are so inspired and really touched my heart last week:

"Waves are crashing, storms are raging, I don't see you there...then you come running to my rescue again, so far I've fallen, only you can save me now, you're running to my rescue again, how many times, how many times, will you be there to catch me"

"You are a Lover, whose touch I can't mistake, my source of comfort, when the whole world fades away, you are a healer whose making all thats broken whole, and I am whole"

I Guess Beauty Does Come From Pain

Emotions are a funny thing. I've never really been a super emotional girl, I figure, who needs that hassle? Not my style. If something upsets me, you will rarely know it. I love to be happy. I also hate uncomfortable situations, I would rather be hurt than bring something up to make someone else uncomfortable or hurt. And I always want the hurt to go away...preferably ASAP. However, I'm not so sure that's really the best course of action. There was a sermon at Calvary not too long ago, taught be Doug Souder I believe, regarding suffering. He talked about how often our first reaction is to seek the end to the hard or hurt times, but then we end up missing the lesson we needed to learn in the first place. Pain hurts...obviously. It's not fun. But its probably one of the most effective teaching tools because when we are hurting we don't rely on ourselves because we simply can't, pain shows us our weaknesses. When we are uncomfortable, we are much more apt to change. Its human nature. Often we are content to stay where we are until it becomes to uncomfortable and we have to change something. One thing i've had to learn lately is that some things just take time to heal. They can't be fixed overnight, or by talking, or by changing the subject. They need to settle, and the healing process simply can't be rushed. But the other side of that process is unbelievably great. Once the pain ends, the healing can be completed. God is so faithful not to leave us where we are. I've heard it said "God loves us exactly as we are, but he loves us to much to leave us that way" That in itself is comforting. The God of the universe is loving us and teaching us through every trial we face, so he can shape us into his image. And isn't that our goal?

Round One

Enter the world of the blog...woah...

So this is blogging? I must admit it's not as scary as it sounds. I've always been terrible at keeping a journal, yet writing really helps me organize and process my thoughts. So I'm hoping the blogging will stick. I must admit I'm not sure exactly what to write, this relaxed style of writing is very different from the professional, "academic voice" papers I write for school. But I guess i'll just jump right in...

So yesterday I did a prayer walk around the FAU campus with Jamie and Sara. I have to be honest, at first I was a little nervous, i didn't know what people would think. Which is stupid really, because who cares as long as we're bringing praise and glory to God? It was really amazing though. As we began to pray, I didn't care so much what people thought of us as we walked all around the campus praying out loud...I suddenly saw people in a new light. Instead of being caught up in my world, and just getting through the day, I began to see all the lost people in the campus as precious to God, like the lost sheep Jesus talks about in the bible. I't made me realize number one how selfish I am. I have the truth, yet fear of rejection or ridicule can keep me from sharing it with those who really need it. Secondly, it made me realize that God has me and Jamie, and Sara, and all the christian on the campus for a reason, for "a time such as this". I believe God wants to work in this campus in a mighty way...and maybe we'll get to see it, maybe not, but we can be the ones planting those seeds. Once we had finished praying, we invited a few people to church. This was also a first for me on this campus, but by this time I no longer cared what anyone thought of me. It's an amazing experience when you're praying and God shows you exactly who to walk up to and talk with, or just give an invite card to. You never know what he can do with it...

This experience reminded me of the song "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. We get so caught up in our own world, sometimes we miss the ministry God has for us to do. THis kinda opened my eyes again to the bigger picture. Here I am...send me.