Transformed

I guess I really don't know what to say. To tell you of all that God has done in my life in the past three or so months would require explaining some things in a depth that I don't really want to go to. Let me just say that He has done so much healing and transformation that I can honestly say that I am not the same person I was when school started. The most obvious difference is the fact that, a few weeks ago, I came to the realization that I am perfectly content on the NDSU campus. That's so weird to say, because my whole life I've hated living here. I've known it's where God has called us, but that didn't change the fact that I still considered the Cities to be home. To fully understand this difference, I'd have to go into a lot more detail, but suffice to say I know that God has called me to the campus, and I'm perfectly content and satisfied with it. A couple of friends used to ask me, "If God called your family back to the Cities, would you want to go with them?" And I used to answer "Of course! I want to go back with or without them!" But now? I don't know what I'd say. My heart is so fully for the kids on campus that I don't want to leave it. I'm even looking forward to going back to school because I'm ready to pour into their lives again. I continually stand amazed at this, because not only am I content, but the anger I used to battle has been totally eradicated. There is such pure joy flowing from me that I can honestly say I know what it means to have the joy of the Lord as my strength. A lot of this change I know has to do with Fargo First, Chi Alpha, and one amazing girl God has used to change my life. When the semester started, I felt like I was, in a way, losing my family; but instead, God has extended my family. Through Chi Alpha I have been surrounded by amazing Christian girls who love their Savior and who love each other. I feel closer to some of these girls, in the few months I've known them, than I do to my friends I've known my entire life. And that leads to another change in my life. I have grown so much in my walk with the Lord this semester. A few months ago I started praying something to the extent of "God I want my heart to beat with Yours. I want my heart to break over everything Yours breaks for. I want my heart to burst with joy everytime Yours does. Open my eyes so I can see the way You do." And I'm finding that the closer I draw to my Savior, the closer I get to everyone around me, and the more love and joy start to flow through me. All I want to do is pour into the lives of the people around me, especially the girls He has given me at Chi Alpha. And you wouldn't believe how many times I've questioned this. It seems so backwards, but then, I'm the one that's had it backwards the whole time. I'll ask "God is this really how it's supposed to be?" It feels wrong, almost, to love those around me so much. Like I'm not loving Jesus enough or not focusing on Him or something, I guess. Sometimes I think He just shakes His head at me. Because for as many times as I've asked, His answer is always the same. "Andrea, when are you going to get it through your head?! THIS IS MY HEART! The closer you draw to Me, the more like Me you become, the more you're going to love people!"
No, it's not always easy. Of course there are still days that I struggle. This past month my family and I have dealt with some things that have been pretty tough, and there are still times when all I want to do is cry. Or scream and throw things around. But in the end God has carried me through, and He has filled me with such an intense love for my family (including my Chi Alpha family) that all I can say is it's awesome. People have always told me "You are so blessed." And yeah, I believed them, but sometimes it was hard to see. Now, every single day tears come to my eyes as I realize that "yeah, I am so blessed. So, so blessed."

This really only scratches the smallest surface of all He has done in me. I could go on and on, but it's hard to explain in writing. If you spend any amount of time with me, you'll pretty much hear about Chi Alpha nonstop, because that's where my heart is. And if you ask me about Tiffany, I could spend hours telling you all the ways God has used her to help walk me through some trials, to answer my prayers, to challenge me, and to just be there for me. She has been a blessing beyond anything I could ever have imagined or asked for.

Blogger has been really frustrating with uploading pictures lately, so here are a couple links instead.
Here are some pictures I took when I was bored over break.
Here are some family pictures from 2009, including some from last week.

Did you believe?

As he sought a safe and dry place for his wife to stay
Did your heart start to race as you began to realize
That this was no ordinary man, with no ordinary wife
Did your hands start to tremble at the thought
Of God Himself seeking your help?
Or did you simply see a woman about to give birth
A woman with no place to stay
And no place to lay her babe?
Did you believe?

Was the compassion you felt the same as it always had been
Or did it flow from you with such intensity
That you could not ignore the Divine nature of love
The love that was so beautifully shown that night?
Did you believe?

Did you show them to the stable and then turn away
To go and attend all of the others at the inn
All of those who demanded your attention?
Or did you look back a second time and wonder
At the strange way God would choose to enter the world
Did you believe?

When the baby uttered His first cry
Did you smile as you always did
When a newborn child wailed in the night?
Or did a shiver run down your spine
As you understood that you were hearing the very cry of God Almighty?
Did you believe?

As the shepherds came seeking a newborn babe in a manger
Did you smile in contempt at their crazy story?
Did you ignore the ruckus as they crowded the stable
Thinking it was only their foolish imaginations causing such an uproar?
Or did you follow them to the stable
Barely daring to breathe as they told of the angels
Of the message, of the sign?
Did you whisper your awe as you wondered
Why God Almighty would reveal Himself to lowly shepherds?
Did you believe?

When the wise men related their experience
Of following the brightest star in heaven
In hopes of seeing the coming King
Did you shake your head and discard the theory?
Did you tell them to look elsewhere?
Did you think them crazy as they began to quote Scripture
In defense of their quest for the Holy One of Israel?
Did you say “It couldn’t happen here”?
Or did tears begin to stream down your face
As you began to comprehend the fact
That this night was the beginning of redemption
Not just for Israel, but for all of humanity?
Did your heart burst with joy and humility
As you realized that God Almighty had chosen you
To help bring His beloved Son into the world?
Did you believe?

I'm done . . .

It's weird not being in class, and not having homework, and not being away from home, etc. You get the idea. I've begun to formulate a long post about the semester, but right now I have no motivation to sit down and write it all out. So maybe later. Or tomorrow. Or never. I don't know. But for now, suffice to say that I'm done, and I finished the semester with a 4.0 in all my classes. So getting on the Dean's List was a good accomplishment, though I will say right here and now that all credit for that goes to my wonderful Savior--He's the One who deserves all the honor and glory.
However, the GPA isn't the big story--it's what God has brought about in my life throughout the semester. Like I said, I may get around to writing about it. Maybe tonight, maybe not at all. But my God is amazing, and that pretty much sums it up.
Click here for a few pictures from finals week, as well as some that have already been posted here on the blog.

From the Inside Out

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart and my soul
I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord
Let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine
When all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring
You praise from the inside out
Lord my soul cries out.

~Hillsong

I've been tagged . . .

Thanks Hannah, for the tag. And since I have nothing else to do, it'll give me something to write about. :)

Rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Copy the award.

3. Post it in your blog.

4. Tell us 7 things that your readers don't know.

5. Link 7 new bloggers as recipients.

6. Notify winners of award with comment on their blog.

7. Keep being an encouragement!

Seven things people don't know. Oh boy, well here we go. Note: I'm really bored right now, so it'll probably be pretty long. :)

1) I am a part of a group on Facebook called "I judge you when you use poor grammar," and it's true. I am an absolute grammar freak. My family calls me the grammar police, and I don't mind a bit. It drives me absolutely crazy when people use improper grammar, spelling, or punctuation. My biggest pet peeve (besides improper verb/noun agreement) is using adjectives when you should use adverbs (i.e. slow, instead of slowly). And yes, to all you writers out there, I do edit your stuff as I read. :)

2) I'm finding that spending time in the Word and in prayer each morning is vital to how my day goes. I know that's a no-brainer for most people, but when the semester first started, I felt like I didn't have time to read the Bible in the morning, so it'd get put off 'til the evening, and by then I was too tired, etc. But now that I'm in the Word every morning, my days go so much better. And starting the day in prayer helps to keep me in His presence throughout the day. I'm also finding that the more time I give to God, the more time I seem to have--or the more productive He makes my time. It's crazy, 'cause He doesn't require me to, for example, spend time at Chi Alpha, or at small group, or so much time in prayer and in the word; but when I do, He blesses me so much. It's not only that He gives me that time back twofold; it's that He so fills me with His presence that I want to give Him all my time. This semester, I've gone from focusing on schoolwork alone, and not giving God nearly the attention that He so deserves; to where I have to work to have motivation to do school. All I want to do is bask in His presence. So I'm learning how to do both at the same time; and when I do, He blesses my study time and makes it so productive.

3) I have major food texture issues. My family tells me on a regular basis how weird they find it, but I can't help it. I can't even explain exactly what it is; there are just certain foods that I just can't eat. One thing would be if it's sort of crunchy, or sort of crunchy-yet-soft foods. So foods like onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, or water chestnuts are out. And I also don't like most desserts or junk food. I love chocolate, of course, but would rather do without the rest--pie, cheescake, and pretty much all candy.

4) God has literally saved my life, probably many many times, but I can think of three in particular. When I was three, I ran out into a parking lot without paying any attention, and ran right in front of a car that was driven by a teenager. It was totally God's protection that they were being watchful, and they stopped before they would have run into me (and yes, I do remember this experience--very clearly. So does my mom!). When I was nine, I had appendicitis, and the doctors sent me home saying I just had the flu or something. And the ONLY reason they said I didn't have appendicitis is that when I was lying on the examining table, they asked me to stand up, and I did. Their thought was "Oh, people with appendicitis can't do that, 'cause it hurts too much." Inside, I was going, "Hello, I'm not a wimp. Yeah it hurts, but if you tell me to do something, I'm gonna do it!" Anyway, they sent me home and said to come back in twelve hours if it wasn't better. By all human standards, my appendix probably should have ruptured and I should have had to battle a horrible internal infection. But once again the grace of God protected me and they finally figured it out and removed the appendix before it ruptured (but I still was in the hospital for five days). The last one is actually an instance where instant obedience saved my life. I don't remember how old I was, but one time my dad and I were taking my cousins over to a park, and just as I was going to cross the (empty) street, my dad yelled "ANDREA, STOP!" I literally froze in place, and from out of nowhere a car came screaming past where I would have been standing just a moment later. My parents taught me from a very young age to obey instantly, and to this day if someone tells me to stop, I freeze without even thinking. So as an encouragement to any parents reading this, teaching your kids instant obedience may be challenging, but it could end up saving their lives.

5) I have watched maybe four or five vidoes or TV shows since school started (and that'd be stretching it). And I have yet to watch more than one or two quarters of a football game (except for Carl's games, but those were in person). And yet I'm finding that I have no desire for any of it. Part of the reason is that Sunday afternoons I'm busy doing schoolwork or whatever else needs to get done before the evening. But mostly, I don't care about football, movies, whatever, anymore. I'd rather be spending time in worship, reading my Bible, doing school, or just hanging out with family or friends. I'm not saying any of it is bad; if you want to watch the stuff, great. And have fun while you're at it. But don't take it personally if I would rather not.

6) I'm running out of things to say. I guess I could say something about music, though you all have probably heard me talk about it before. I am still amazed at the passion God has instilled in me. And yet, throughout the years I took piano lessons, I have to admit that I slacked off a lot. Carl and I were pretty much at the same level throughout the years, but if I'm going to be honest, he worked twice as hard as I did. Now, does that make me a better pianist? Absolutely not. Mostly, it makes me lazy. :) In fact, it makes him the better pianist, because it was hard work and determination that got him to the level he plays at now. Not to say that it was only hard work; Carl has an amazing ability to play the piano, and it's a joy to listen to him (most of the time). But God has given me a natural ability to play, and because of that, I never had to work as hard as he did. That's not to say I didn't work at it; I did. I practiced. I cried. I prayed. It was hard, and there were times I wanted to quit. But God refused to allow the fire burning within me to die, and because of it, I still LOVE music. It pierces through to the very depths of my soul and moves me in ways I could never describe. And now that I'm not taking lessons, Carl's definitely surpassing me in ability. I still play as often as I can, but not the challenging stuff he does. And now Robbie is playing, and for all his hard work, it won't be too long before he surpasses me, too.

7) I can't think of anything else right now. Anyone want to remind me of random facts about myself? :) If I come up with something, I'll add it later.

I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you're interested, feel free. Just let me know so I can see it!

GO VIKINGS!!

Some of us Vikings fans amuse ourselves by scaring every Wisconsin fan we see strutting down the street with that obnoxious green and gold "Packer" on their shirt and/or hat. We swerve our vehicles as if to hit them, and swerve back just missing them (not that I condone such an act - of course not!).

One day, while driving down the road with my wife, I saw a priest walking. I thought I would do a good deed, so I pulled over and asked the priest, "Where are you going, Father?"

"I'm going to say Mass at Our Lady of the Hills Church, about 2 miles down the road," replied the priest.

"Climb in, Father. I'll give you a lift."

The priest climbed into the rear passenger seat, and we continued down the road.

Suddenly, I saw a Wisconsin fan walking down the road, with that irritating "Packer" shirt on, and I instinctively swerved as if to hit him. But, as usual, swerved back into the road just in time.

Even though I was certain that I had missed the guy, I still heard a loud thud. Not understanding where the noise came from, I glanced in my mirrors, but still didn't see anything.

I then remembered the priest. I turned to him and said, "Sorry Father, I almost hit that Packer fan."

"That's OK," replied the priest, "I got him with the door!"

GO VIKES!

Thanksgiving 2009

To say we were busy this Thanksgiving would be an understatement. We pretty much went everywhere all at once, and while it was good to see everyone again, it left us rather exhausted. Wednesday we picked up a couple of cousins on our way to our grandma's house, which always makes for fun memories! "Hot potato/dodgeball", football, hide-and-seek (in the DARK), and lots of card games kept us busy. I love my time with my cousins, and wish it could happen more often. Friday morning we left for my grandparents' farm, and got there around lunch time. It was great to see everyone again, especially those that we only see maybe once a year. By Friday afternoon, I was dragging and trying very desperately to stay awake. I had pretty much refused to allow myself to be tired the weeks before, and then when the stress of school and everything completely dissapated for a couple days, the exhaustion hit. I think I was in bed by 9 that night, and stayed there for about 12 hours. Saturday was my cousin's wedding, and once again I got to see cousins that I hardly ever see, so that was good. Sunday afternoon we came home--and now I think I need a vacation from my vacation. :) Anyway, here are the pictures I'm sure you're waiting for. And I know I said I'd post about my birthday, but that's gonna have to wait 'til another day.

Hot potato/Dodgeball--hurry up guys!

Great view from here (but not too safe!)

Cards are always a huge hit in our family . . .

. . . and football, of course!

Crazy cousins!

And I love them dearly!

All dressed up for the wedding . . .

Ah, sibling love . . .

Awesome rendition of Amazing Grace

Random things I'm thankful for

These aren't in any particular order, just things that happen to come to my mind as I write.

• Music, and the amazing passion for it that God has instilled in my soul.
• My parents, for living their lives wholly devoted to Jesus.
• All the biking/hiking trails at the state parks, and the ability and freedom to enjoy them.
• A God-given hunger for learning.
• Books, and the ability to read.
• My brothers, for teaching me patience, and for loving me even though they often see and bear the brunt of the very worst of my faults.
• Only six more days of sitting through English class.
• Friends who love me and are willing to listen when I need someone to talk to.
• The boldness to carry the name of Jesus no matter where I go.
• The soldiers who are giving their lives overseas (and those who aren't overseas) so that I can enjoy the freedom to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.
• Above all, my beautiful Savior, who never gives up on me.

So, what are you thankful for? What did I leave off of my list that should totally be on there?

As usual . . .

. . . I don't have the time (or right now, the energy) to give a full update, but I just wanted to let y'all know we're doing fine. We'll be making quite the run-around over Thanksgiving, but it'll be good to see a lot of our family at least for a short while.

School's going well; I'm very ready to be done with a couple of my classes, but I'm beginning to wonder how much of an adjustment it'll be going from being in school every day to being home all day. Not that I'm complaining, but it'll be a switch. It'll be so nice to be with my family more, though. This past week I hardly saw them at all--how is it that I can live at home and still miss them so much?

Anyway, I could go on and give a lot of updates on what we've been up to, and what God's been doing in my life, but like I said earlier, I don't have the energy--less than four hours of half-sleep on a hard floor will do that to you. :-) I'll try to update again either after my birthday or after Thanksgiving, but don't be surprised if you don't hear from me 'til after finals. On that note, I would really appreciate prayers for health and a clear mind during finals week.

Happy Day

The greatest day in history
Death is beaten
You have rescued me
Sing it out
Jesus is alive
The empty cross
The empty grave
Life eternal You have won the day
Shout it out Jesus is alive
He's alive

Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same
Forever I am changed

When I stand, in that place
Free at last, meeting face to face
I am Yours
Jesus You are mine
Endless joy, perfect peace
Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate Jesus is alive
He's alive

Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious way
That You have saved me
Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious name

~Tim Hughes

Thank you for serving

I don't care what you may think about the wars we are waging over seas. The fact is there are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers giving their very lives so that your freedom is preserved.

To all my friends and family who serve, and who have served. And to every soldier laying down their life for me. Thank you.

Just ‘cuz I’m bored . . .

. . . here’s a tag I found.

1. Do you like to write?
Love it.

2. Favorite books?
Yeah, right. The Bible first and foremost . . . others include “The Apocalypse Code,” “Mere Christianity,” “Do Hard Things,” “They Shall Expel Demons,” “Heaven,” “Vote of Intolerance,” and most of Frank Peretti’s stuff. And I could go on and on.

3. Do you compose music/write songs?
Well, sorta. I’ve been someone who mostly just reads music, but I often do just sit down and play whatever comes out. Problem is, I could never replicate what I played, so I don’t know if that counts as composing.

4. Do you like poetry?
Some. Depends on the author. I like my friends’ stuff. :)

5. Love someone so much who made you cry?
Yeah, like I’d admit that. :) Yes. All the time. And I’m not gonna name names, ‘cause I’ll start crying right here and now.

6. Broken a bone?
One finger and two toes. Nothing major. But still painful.

7. Been in a police car?
Yup. NO, IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!! When I was younger we got to go in police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, etc, while on field trips.

8. Been on a boat?
Nearly every summer. My grandpa LOVES to fish, and he’ll take us tubing and skiing, too. Lots of fun.

9. Fallen asleep in school?
*Cough* Um . . . er . . . well . . . *sigh* . . . yeah. Once in high school ‘cause I was s’posed to be listening to this computer-based lecture on how to use Microsoft something or other, and well, the dude doing it spoke in this really monotone, slow, annoying voice . . . and I was tired as it was . . . I woke up and saw the screen was telling me it was time to take the end-of-lecture quiz . . . “Oh boy. I’m in trouble.” And I’ve come super close to falling asleep in Stats on more than one occasion.

10. Did you sing today?
Oh yeah. All day. Probably drove people nuts. :)

11. KFC, Popeyes, or Church's?
KFC’s okay. Never heard of the other two.

12. Chick-fil-a or What-a-burger?
Huh? I don’t like chicken sandwiches very much . . . have no clue about the other.

13. Starbucks of McCafe?
Coffee. Yech.

14. What's your favorite time of year?
Fall. I love the cool, crisp air, the gorgeous blue skies, and the leaves turning brilliant colors. And of course the return of FOOTBALL! Don’t like the fact that winter comes after it, though.

15. Do you ever talk to yourself?
Uh . . . do I have to answer that? *grin* Actually, mostly I talk to God, and people give me weird looks ‘cause it looks like I’m talking to myself. But yes, I do on occasion have one-sided conversations.

16. Do you have a favorite treat you like to buy on occasion?
Music, when I have the money. :)

17. Do you believe the Bible is the literal Word of God and is infallible?
Absolutely yes.

18. What's your favorite sport?
To watch: football. To play: football, volleyball, baseball, basketball, etc.

19. What color is your iPod?
Don’t have one.

20. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Minneapolis. Or thereabouts. *smile* I dunno, maybe New Zealand or London or Austria.

21. If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go?
If it’s fictional, why should I care?

22. Do you love to write or do you just like writing? Or do you write at all?
Isn’t this like the first question? I love writing—blogging, essays, articles, stories, you name it (well, not so big on the poetry).

23. What do you want to be when you’re a grown up?
I have to grow up? :) Well, besides a nurse, eventually I want to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, and a part of a missions-oriented family. (On that note, I’m already part of that family. But you know what I mean.)

24. Favorite animal?
Pet or in general? Pet: dog. In general: lion.

25. Favorite song?
Yeah, just one? Right now I am loving “Overcome,” by Desperation Band. Another would be “Worship the King” by First Assembly.

26. Do you like school?
Sometimes. I’m enjoying making so many new friends and having more opportunities to witness to people. I don’t like some of the junk they’re teaching. But that just comes with the territory. Jesus, keep me focused on You.

27. Are you a people person?
Kinda. I really like being with people, but I also enjoy being by myself and spending time with just me and my Savior.

28. Do you like to talk?
Depends on whom I’m with. And what kind of day it’s been. With my mom and a scant few others (and I do mean a scant few), I can talk and talk and talk. Especially if it’s been a rough day and I need to blow off steam. But most of the time when I’m with friends I do most of the listening.

29. Favorite food?
Most stuff my mom makes (the things she makes that I don’t like are just things I don’t like; not her cooking). But my favorite would probably be lamb, when she marinates it, grills it, and serves it as gyros. Yummy.

30. Hobbies?
Music, reading, music, biking, hiking, playing sports, music, hanging out with family, hanging out with friends, more music . . .

31. Favorite author?
God. I love the Bible. Other authors would include C.S. Lewis, John Piper, Derek Prince, Frank Peretti, Brannon Howse, Michael and Debi Pearl, and a gazillion others.

32. Favorite weapon?
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
I like shooting guns, too. And some day I’d love to learn how to sword-fight.

33. Is this a fun tag or are you getting bored?
It’s okay. Not too boring.

34. Do you like Hannah Montana and all those girly people and movies like High School Musical?
Absolutely not. Never ever. Yuck.

35. What are you scared of?
As I’ve said before—like I’d admit that! I’m not scared of much . . . sometimes I get nervous or upset, but actual fear? That’s something God worked out of me when I was a little girl. ‘Cause I dealt with it a lot. Psalm 91 is still a favorite.

36. Favorite flower?
Roses. But I’m not really that picky.

37. What is the expression on your face?
I’m singing to the radio. And smiling. It’s one of my favorite songs.

38. Color of your eyes?
Blue.

That's my brother!

Last night Carl's football team had their end-of-the-year banquet; basically lots of food and giving out awards. The players vote for most of the awards, and this year Carl earned Most Improved Player. He deserved that so much; he started earning it way back after last season was done, when he started getting in the weight room. He was there pretty much every day throughout the whole winter, spring, and summer, and it sure paid off this season.
Way to go bro! We're so proud of you!

Say what?

I started the chapter on Organic Chemistry this week in Chem. I figured evolution would be preached, since it always has been. But I was absolutely astonished to open my textbook and find that the Miller experiment was still being taught in the schools as proof for evolution. My jaw nearly scraped the floor. The Miller experiment! The one that's been proven completely bogus in so many ways I can't even count them.
Click here for an excellent article explaining all of the problems with the Miller experiment, as well as other experiments cited as "proof" for evolution. (You have to scroll down a ways to find the Miller experiment part of the article.)

Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth."

John 1:1-3
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

On the topic of homeschooling

I've been thinking about the video I posted below ("The Homeschool Song"), and I've realized that it has stirred up two different responses in me. And since I'm at a lack of things to post, I figured I'd share my thoughts.

The first response is obvious; I find it absolutely hilarious. It accurately depicts what people think of when they hear "homeschool." One of my friends (who was also homeschooled) and I were talking about this after class one day. She commented that while there are homeschoolers who fit that stereotype, it's only like 20% or so. But because they are so outside of the "normal" society, that's all people see.

The second response I usually have comes later, as I'm really thinking about the "stereotyped" homeschoolers. When I stop and think about it, I wonder why people would live like that. Not "only wear certain clothes," or have tons of kids, or school a certain way; I couldn't care less what you wear or how you teach your kids; and I too want to have a big family some day. No, I mean living so far away from the rest of the world that they are in essence hiding. Hiding from the government, hiding from the world, hiding from the Call God has placed on every Christian. Living out on some nowhere farm and always staying at home; never interacting with those outside of your family; never sending your kids into the world as witnesses for Jesus; only befriending those who live exactly like you. It's like modern-day Pharisees, and it saddens me. Now, I know I'm probably stepping on some toes here, but please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that any of these things is wrong; I know full-well that God has called people to farm, or to raise their children a certain way, whatever. What I do think is wrong is when that's all you do. So many times I've heard homeschool parents say something to the extent of "Oh, I'm so glad we got out of the city and are away from all the bad stuff in the world." Again, I know that God calls many people to live in the country or on a farm. BUT, He did NOT call them to hide from the world. He calls us to go into all the world. You would not believe how many homeschool kids have told me (or my brothers) "You guys need to get out of the city and move to a farm. Get away from all the junk and 'bad' influences of the city." Uh, excuse me? Leave my mission field? Um, no! Should I say it stronger? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Leave the very people God has called us to minister to? Dream on! Let the lost continue to live in utter darkness and hopelessness while I hide? As if! Can I get my point across any other way?

Again, I don't think living out in the country and stuff is wrong. I have many friends whose families live on working farms, or live out in the country, homeschool, whatever. The thing is, these friends are also very active in promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ. They support missions, pray for our nation's leaders, are strong witnesses for Jesus, are involved in the fight against abortion, etc. Their parents are teaching the kids to be lights in the midst of darkness, which is awesome. So like I've said, it's not living out on a farm that I think is wrong; it's when people use it as an excuse to avoid going outside of their comfort zone and into all that Jesus could do through them.

Stereotypes

I love this video. It so perfectly captures the stereotype of homeschoolers. And it's HILARIOUS!

Why?

My Chemistry class has been quite the adventure. Of course, the textbook and my instructor are both very evolution-based; but despite that, the more I learn about how the world works on a microscopic level, the more I stand in awe of my God. And the other day I had a conversation with Him that left me smiling.

One of my practice problems for a chapter was to estimate how many atoms are in the entire universe. Now, believe me, the numbers they gave me to work with were huge. But the thing that really caught my attention was when the book said "Because the planets constitute less than 1% of the atoms in the universe, they can be ignored." Now, just think about that for a minute. ALL of the planets are so small that they are completely ignored when calculating the mass of the universe. Think about how big our planet seems to be to us, and how much bigger other planets are compared to earth. And yet they still don't count! Now think about how much bigger our God is compared to His creation. It'll blow your mind if you think about it long enough. After a few moments of silence after realizing how incomparably insignificant we are in relation to our great Creator, this is where our conversation went.

Me: If You're so much bigger than we can comprehend, why do You even care?

God: Why do you care about others?

Me: Huh?

God: When I created you, I created you in My image. I gave you a heart fashioned after My heart. I care for the same reason you love those around you.

Me: Oh.

God: So, why do you care?

Me: (pause) Um, I dunno. I just do.

God: You can't explain it?

Me: I guess not.

God: If you can't even comprehend why you love others, why should I explain why I love you?

Me: *smile* 'Cause I'd never understand it anyway.

God: Right.

Lighter post

Okay, so as I've been looking back on my previous posts, I've realized that for those who mainly keep up with our family through the blog, it probably looks like I've absolutely been hating school, and it's a complete waste of time, and why am I paying for something when it's so awful? Right? Well, not exactly. I guess I should set that straight.

Let me start out by saying that yes, I do get frustrated, and yes, sometimes I do think it's a waste of time; though you probably already knew that, considering some of the stuff I've written. :) BUT, it has not been as bad as I've been making it look. For one thing, I've met some great friends, and have been having fun getting to know others better than I used to. I have a couple of classmates that I see every single day, so that's been really nice. Also, I know some of you have heard this from me before, but I've been getting involved with Chi Alpha, and it's been amazing. Chi Alpha is a college-age oriented ministry by First Assembly and is fantastic. The kids are so deeply in love with their Savior that it is super-motivating for me. It's been a long time since I've seen kids my own age dive into worship for their King, and it's awesome to be able to spend time in His presence with other believers--especially other college students! The worship week after week is amazing; and the preaching is great too. The place packs out every week, and each week we see more and more college students turning to Jesus. On that note, I will say that while I do sometimes question the accuracy of the number of people who actually become Christians, I think it is definitely more accurate on the college campus. These kids know full well what taking the name of Jesus will do; the price they will pay, both in the classroom and with their friends. It's not anything close to what people in some countries go through, but it's still a price they must be willing to pay.

Anyway, so yeah, Chi Alpha's been great. The biggest thing for me, though, is a change in viewpoint that God has completed in me. During the summer, I was kinda dreading college, because although I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that's what He had called me to do, I didn't want to deal with the battle that I knew would take place. But since the school year started, the Lord has changed my thinking to come from His viewpoint; that is, seeing the campus as a mission field. Many years ago, God called me to be a missionary and a nurse. Well, here I am fulfilling one part in that plan, so why can't I begin to fulfill the other part? Who says I have to go overseas, or graduate college, before lighting my world for Him? When Jesus said "Go," He didn't say "Go into foreign countries," and He didn't say "Get a good education and lots of training and then go;" no, He said "Go into all the world." And right now, my world is my campus; therefore my mission field is my campus. It's been a long and sometimes hard process, but God is faithful. He has already given me chances to be a witness for Him, most of which I've taken. Yeah, there have been times that I've totally blown it. I'm not saying I'm perfect; but "He who began a good work in (me) will carry it on to the day of completion."

I'll leave you with one final thought that I hope encourages you the way it does me.

"God doesn't require perfect preaching; He requires a perfect heart. If you don't have a perfect heart, He'll make it perfect; just yield it to Him."
~Bruce Harpel

Don't we wish!

Where will you stand?

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
~Patrick Henry

Multi-Piano

For the second time, Carl participated in the Multi-Piano Festival, which was held this past weekend. Basically what it is is twelve kids (six duets) playing the same duets at the same time, with a conductor keeping them together (you hope). Carl and I both participated in it two years ago, and we had an awesome time. The worst part was the auditions, because you pretty much have to be perfect to get in. And once you're in, you have to be really tough to stick it out. Mr. Cole, our conductor, is the nicest man you'll ever meet; except when he's directing this! Then, to a lot of people, he gets way over the top extreme. He has no problem yelling at you and making you play your part over and over in front of everyone until you get it right (to be fair, I should say that he tones it down for the younger kids, thankfully). For a lot of kids, the thought of that alone is enough to keep them from ever trying out or performing--with good reason. But Carl and I have played team sports forever, so we're used to being singled out and yelled at for messing up. (Never mind the fact that we're both pretty thick-skinned to begin with.) We also love performing, and that outweighs any negatives about working with Mr. Cole. So we stuck it out, learned SOOOO much from it, and got to show off in historic Fargo Theatre in the process! :) This year, though, obviously I couldn't play with Carl, so he auditioned by himself. He got in (in the most advanced group; like we did last time), and they performed SUPER well. I really enjoyed listening to all the performances, and Carl did a fantastic job.
So here are a few pictures from the day. Carl's in the red shirt on one of the back pianos. (And I will point out that he was the ONLY guy in his group--and there weren't any guys in the group before him, either. Way to stick it out, Carl!)

Happy birthday Dad!

It's my dad's ?? birthday today!! I hope you have an awesome day Dad!
I love you!

Today also would have been my grandpa's birthday. It was ten years ago this summer that he went home to the Lord, and I miss him more with every passing year. I love you Grandpa, and I can't wait to see you again!

Ticked off

I'll try to post a full update fairly soon, but in the meantime, I have some steam to blow off. Be thankful you can't see me right now, 'cause there are probably flames shooting out of my eyes.

I guess I'll start by saying that I have been super frustrated with my English class from day one. During the class time, do you think we spend most of the time writing or learning proper writing form or anything like that? No, we spend it writing down "how we FEEL" about whatever the topic is. It's like being in a stinkin' counseling session. Or we'll spend half the time "brainstorming," which really means that the kids toss out ideas for whatever the instructor wants us to think about, and then she says "yeah, that's good." I'm sorry (okay, maybe not), but isn't the instructor supposed to be the one TEACHING????? (On this note, I'll point out that my instructor and my textbook use absolutely horrible grammar all the time.)
Another thing that's frustrating for me is the kind of GARBAGE they're forcing down my throat. I've posted about it before, but it's the absolute worst in English. We have to read articles that are totally pro-homosexual, feminist, relativist, and the like. Okay, I should clarify something here. It's not the fact that we have to read this stuff that gets me upset. It's the fact that homosexuals can write papers totally bashing Christians and the Bible, but if I so much as said one little thing that even hinted against homosexuality, I'd literally be kicked out of the university because of a "hate crime." I'm all for free speech, BUT IT HAS TO GO BOTH WAYS OR IT'S NOT FREE SPEECH!!!! Like I said, I've known this to be the case for a long time, but it doesn't make it any less annoying.
The thing that's got me ticked tonight, though, is something I read in my textbook. It's talking about reasons to be suspicious of sources, and this is what it said:
"Either/or choices . . . Be deeply suspicious whenever you encounter some version of the 'either . . . or' collocation. Writers writing about issues as being black-and-white will typically present one side as completely wrong."
As if it's a bad thing.
DUH!!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! MURDER IS ALWAYS WRONG; COMMUNISM IS ALWAYS WRONG; STEALING IS ALWAYS WRONG; WRONG IS WRONG NO MATTER WHAT!!! Just because someone said truth is relative doesn't mean they're right. If they are right in saying that truth is relative, then that statement is relative and not always true in every situation. And we could go 'round and 'round with that argument. My point is that some things are just wrong, no matter what your opinion is.

Anyway, that's all for now. Hope I didn't get anyone too riled up. :)

Been busy . . .

. . . to say the least. School's going okay, though it's still frustrating sometimes. I don't have time to say much else, but here are a few pictures from Carl's FB game this past Saturday--which they won, by the way.

16

My "little" brother turned 16 today. Sometimes I can't believe how quickly time has flown. It seems like just yesterday we were building forts out of cardboard boxes and learning to climb trees (or in my case, fall out of trees). Now I'm pursuing a Nursing degree, and Carl is excelling in school and music and is starting on the Varsity football team (yes, I said starting). We don't always get along perfectly, but underneath the disagreements, Carl is by far one of my closest friends. It has been absolute joy to see him grow into the young man of God he is now. Happy 16th birthday, Carl!
I love you bro!

Double standard

I got this as part of an email today.

"The US House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsiblity Act of 2009 (SAFRA) on September 17, 2009 by a party-line vote of 253 to 171.
This legislation eliminates the federally-guaranteed student loan program and replaces it with 100% direct lending from the federal government."

This was part of an email about how to obtain financial aid for college, but that's definitely not what ran through my mind when I read this. The first thing I thought of was:

Matthew 18:28
"But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest."

Not really related at first glance, but think about it. My point is that even though the Federal Government owes WAY MORE money than college kids ever will, it's okay for them (in their eyes) to lend out money and later scream "Pay it back!" even while they refuse to pay off their own debt. Talk about a double standard.

Counting on God

I'm in a fight not physical
And I'm in a war, but not with this world
You are the Light that's beautiful
And I want more
I want all that's Yours

Joy unspeakable that won't go away
Just enough strength to live for today
So I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring
'Cause my faith is on the solid Rock
I'm counting on God

I'm counting on
I'm counting on God
I'm counting on
I'm counting on God

And the miracle of Christ in me
Is the mystery that sets me free
I'm nothing like I used to be
Just open up your eyes
You'll see

~First Assembly

Brainwashing and music

Okay, stop looking at me like that. I know it's a weird title, but it's the best I could come up with. If you can think of a better one after reading the post, feel free to let me know.

I'm not really sure where to start. School is going okay, but then again it's not okay. The academic part is fine (as far as I know). But as time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that, at the heart of the university, it's not about teaching kids new things in their particular field of study—it's a battle over their minds. What they really want is to control your mind by forcing you to believe what they want you to believe. For most students, this isn't new, and they probably would think I'm crazy (no comments!) if I told them this. But since I have been raised so completely different than them, I can see it. And I can feel its affects. Sometimes I come home absolutely exhausted, mentally and spiritually, and I have no idea why! Then I realized that the minute I walk on to campus, I am engaged in a war over my mind. Sometimes it's not blatant, but it's still like someone is trying to wrap their hands around me and control what I think. I guess they figure if they pound their ideas on me long enough, I'll fit into their mold of what I should be. And I've finally come to the realization that I absolutely cannot win. Not on my own. I have to totally and completely rely on God to fight and win for me.

The other part of the title is sorta hard to explain, unless you have the love and passion for music that I do. During the day, I listen to music all the time—yes, including when I'm doing homework. And I love listening to my brothers practice the piano, or plunking around on my guitar. But a few days ago I actually sat down at the piano and started playing. It was the first time I've touched the piano in several weeks. All of a sudden, it felt like all the stress and frustrations of the last weeks just totally melted away. Like I said, I listen to music all the time, but I'd forgotten how much playing music affects my very heart. The passion within me is something I could never fully describe, but when I play, it's as if God is reaching down and pulling all the junk out of my soul and filling it with His peace and comfort. And it's like that any time I hear good, pure music (my faves would be piano or guitar solos), but it's strongest when I'm playing. Hopefully, that won't be a lesson I soon forget.

Real advertisement

This is awesome.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a fun, anything-but-relaxing, long weekend. Friday night Carl had a football game, and Saturday we went down to visit my grandma (Mom's mom). On the way, we stopped visited with some friends, whom we hadn't seen in probably close to two years. That was really fun, and it was a very sweet time of fellowship. Saturday night, all of Sunday, and some of Monday we spent at my grandma's, which is always a great time. We went over to the golf course and hit balls on the driving range, and putted on the practice putting-green.
The biggest thing, though, was the Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street. I got a lot of pictures of it, and it was cool to see that put up.
Anyway, here are pictures of our weekend.

This is the reason the Memorial meant so much.

I'll try to fix the orientation of the picture later. Notice what war it was.

This is a mural that has been around for a long time; this is one of the town's "claim to fame."

Golfing.

Thanks, Robbie, for helping me take this picture.

I love this picture. My camera rocks!