Ash Wednesday...

I have never paid attention to this holiday or season of lent ever in my life until this year...

The only reason I even thought about it was because I got an email from Blood:Water Mission, who are having a lent campaign of fasting every beverage except water and donating the money you would have spent of coffee, soda and so on...to their cause of building wells in Africa.

But as I prepared myself for sacrificing my beloved beverages, I realized how much my coffee drinks and tea are such a distraction for me. I can not start my day with out a cup of coffee, I don't ever miss it, I can't...but for some reason I have trouble starting my day with the Lord...getting in the Word and easing into my day prayerfully. So even though this season of lent will be difficult, I am so excited for all the God is going to do.

I also had the pleasure of participating in an Ash Wednesday service at All Saints Episcopal Church tonight. It was so amazing! Christian and I walked in having no idea what to expect, and it was so powerful! It was awesome to step into an environment that was not "normal feeling" but I felt so comfortable. The things the bishop had said seemed to relevant to what I am walking in right now, and also things that we talk about at the Stirring.

The practices were not something that seemed run by works and doing this or that and not knowing why, but really understanding and honor something so powerful that has been done for thousands of years. I really can't say anything but how amazing it was. Christian and I didn't even talk on the way back to campus, I think were both just process that amazingness we had just experienced! haha!

And I left the ash on my head, at first because I had no idea if you're supposed to keep in on for a certain amount of time or not, but then I found out that a few hours or however long you wanted was okay...so I left it (my hair covered it up mostly anyway). It's supposed to be a cross but my hair got in the way when he did it...ha.

blog.

i want to write one...but there's not enough time in the day!

So good...

(click on it for a bigger picture...)

I'm alive...I promise.

Well...I haven't thrown up in 24 hours but all I have in my body is 4 saltine crackers (not an exaggeration) and a few electrolyte enhanced apple drinks.

It started around 7:30pm Monday night.
Didn't stop until 8am Tuesday...yepp 13 hours straight...hell.

I watched law and order SVU...no lie...from 2am till 8pm. RIDICULOUS.

I thought it was food poisoning because it was exactly like last time I had it, but I just read Shelby's blog and she said she had the flu, with all the same symptoms as me...All I know is that I feel like I am going to die, it's just a little less painful now.

Off to email the professors! I should be out and about tomorrow!

post valentines day blog...

I think I might have had the best V day ever! The day started out with me making a "Saint V Day Love Mix" which I listened to all day and now I am going to pass it on to Mrs. Amy Coverdale because it has been far too long since we exchanged mixes. Every single song has the word love in the title...plus the song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (only because it's such a great song, I'm especially fond of the Across The Universe version...so here's the play list....

start things off with...
1. I Want to Hold Your Hand - T.V. Carpio
2. All My Loving - Jim Sturgess
3. All You Need Is Love - Dana Fuchs & Jim Sturgess
4. If There's Love - Citizen Cope
5. Love is a Fast Song - Copeland
6. All is Full of Love - Deathcab
7. Better Than Love - Griffin House
8. Oh, It's Love - Hellogoodbye
8. How Sweet It Is (To be Loved By You) - James Taylor
9. My Love Goes Free - Jon Foreman
10. Lovely Tonight - Joshua Radin
11. I Wanna Be Your Lover - K.S. Rhoads
12. Love Is No Big Truth - Kings of Convienence
13. Love Is Something - MoZella
14. Inside of Love - Nada Surf
15. Your Love - The Outfield
16. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
17. Be Be Your Love - Rachel Yamagata
18. Love That Girl - Raphael Saadiq
19. (I Wanna) Call It Love - Sondre Lerche
20. Lover's Lie - Vedera
21. Love Doesn't Last To Long - The Weepies
Basically I just put love in the "search engine thing" and picked the good ones. ha!

Okay! On with the day! So I was very productive on my Saturday, even though it's my Sabbath, I have Monday off of school so I want to fully enjoy that day! So I went to Starbucks on Lake Blvd., got a London Fog in a for here cup and sat and did home work for 2 hours. (I finished all I have to do and today I'm even getting ahead and doing this whole weeks worth of work!)

I then grabbed some food and headed over to the Miller's house to hang out with the kids so Kristen and Randy could enjoy Valentines day with Meg and Jeremy! I seriously had so much fun. The kids pillow fought and I refereed. We watched Sponge Bob, we ate popcorn, we watched a little of Prince Caspian on my laptop, we played with Photobooth on my computer...it was a blast!




Then I headed back to campus, got things ready for the Stirring and the I am Jonah series...and then watched Juno with a group of amazing girls back in my dorm!

I honestly don't think I've ever had a better Valentines Day!

Unity: One Father. One Faith.

Thought I'd share with you the painting that happened tonight...pretty cool. It's not done yet, I still want to put some finishing touches on it! The piece was definitely inspired by Nate's message, which was awesome by the way..totally a slap in the face but I needed it!

It's way past my bedtime. Goodnight!

country music is blasting...

in my room...and I'm not the biggest fan, but my suite mates love it...and love to play is very loudly! Haha I think I'll live though.

So it's Friday and I could not be more excited! This week has been the epitome of insane.

(side note- I can't stand the country music anymore...headphones on!)

Okay...so yeah week has been crazy and basically have had no social life. I left campus for about 3 hours yesterday to help Meghan out and run some errands but other than that it has been STUDY STUDY quiz STUDY quiz STUDY quiz STUDY STUDY test STUDY STUDY STUDY test (for realz)!

This week has been so crazy that I think I already talked about this in my last blog...dang.

Well it's the weekend and I think I deserve it...I have no idea what I will be doing but it will be fun and restful. Hit me up if you want to kick it!

Sitting Down

This is the first time I have sat down since 6:30 this morning...it's almost 10 o'clock.

and it's only Wednesday...still have an oral presentation, study sessions, working and 2 more huge exams to go.

I am forcing myself to have a TRUE sabbath on Saturday. No homework. No work. No nothing...

I am only sleeping, watching movies, riding my bike and maybe I shall do some painting!

G'night.

I can rest assured...because I belong to you.

I have had this blog in me for a few days but I couldn't seem to write it out...until now.

God is doing so much in me lately. It's been tough...really tough, but I feel like I've gone through 2 years of growth in 4 days...and I'm learning so much about me, the people around me and my future. I actually forgot how old I was today...funny. I thought I was twenty...a small difference, but really...it's been that long of a week...

Along with the growth God is truly calling something out in me. I feel like this whole week, in midst of all the growth (I need a thesaurus...growth is getting old) God is calling out the child in me; the little girl. Through the heartache of this week, He has given me an uncontrollable joy. I have been holding a genuine smile on my face, a smile that I can feel, a feeling I forgot.

As Heather and I drove back from our day trip in Mt. Shasta City on Saturday, I watched the sky. I was completely dumbfounded by the huge periwinkle blue sky, I felt so small between the mountains, looking up at the heavens. I felt so small. I smiled as I watched the sky turn. I was fixated on one cloud that didn't seem to fit with the surrounding landscape. I thought, "Hey Jesus...that cloud isn't the prettiest color, it's mauve...I'm not the biggest fan of mauve."

As soon as we made our way into Redding, the sun continued to disappear and as it did the mauve cloud turned into the BRIGHTEST most beautiful hot pink with a purple lining! Again I felt so small, and I smiled amazed at how great our Father is. He loves me, his daughter, so much that He desires to change a mauve colored cloud into the most beautiful thing, for me, His small little daughter.

It was just a small reminder, that during all the craziness of life, He wants me to be happy...not only a small fake smile, but an overflowing joy that can only be found in a daughter as she is held in the arms of her Father.