Hmm.

So today is Random Day.
(by the way..does anyone remember saying "It's Opposite Day!" and negating everything you said when you were a little kid just to get on people's nerves??)
I also put a random picture of a bear cub on here. Cute, but nevertheless, random.

Anyway.....Easter break is coming to a close and now I'm thinking of how bothersome the post-break small talk can get. People always say, "So....how was your break??!!" That gets kinda annoying to me after about the 250th time....so this time I've decided to change things up a bit. When people ask me that I'm going to turn the conversation in this direction:

"Hey! Did you have a good break??!"

"Oh I so did! I found out I'm pregnant!!! Can you believe it???"

Yeah...should be pretty funny. But please...for the sake of all, please change your post-break questions to something better than the typical. Thanks.

Ok now that that's over, I'll tell about campus church this week. It was a communion service for Easter, so it was amazing. I got to be in the worship choir that helped David McKinney lead worship with the campus praise band. It was so awesome and God was definitely dwelling there in the praises of His people. We'd practiced for two days and went through the song sets over and over, so on the final night there were no empty distractions. I'm convinced that lack of preparation can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks to true worship. Of course, God can always work in spontaneity with songs and prayer, but one of the key principles is Worship Preparation.
We walked in and the lights were dimmed. There were candles all around on the floor, and a huge cross formed by tables holding the elements. We all sat down and verses were put up on the screens about examining your heart for any sin. So after a time of prayer and confession, Dwayne Carson got up to speak about the cross. We each had an opportunity to write our names on a paper cross, and our crime: being a sinner. He then invited us to come to the cross and lay our paper crosses down, because Jesus bore our cross for us. We approached the tables and layed our sin down and took up the bread and juice. Isaiah 53 was flashing up on the screens while we ate the bread and drank the juice. "For He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." With those words pounding in my mind and the implications of all I had done to condemn Him resounding, I could do nothing but be filled with deep gratitude and love for my Savior.
After we took the elements, it was the time for thanksgiving. We all stood up and started singing,
The enemy's been defeated
Death couldn't hold You down
We're gonna lift our voice in victory
We're gonna make your praises loud
As the music built, everyone started cheering in victory and singing as loud as they could. The sound was deafening but thrilling. After that song was done, we went on to others that thanked God for being good to us. The celebration grew and progressed as time went on, and by the end of the service, I was completely surrendered to God.

"'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him."
-Mark 16:6

"4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you."
-2 Corinthians 13:4

Turkeys Scratching Around...

Like my title, huh?! I know..its totally amazing. Anyway, it comes from my favorite Jerry Falwell quote of the day. Today in convo he was talking about the verse where we can "mount up with wings as eagles..." and then he quoted Helen Keller on something about 'who could be content to creep when we could soar' or something like that..and then he goes "So..do you want to be an eagle..OR a turkey scratching around??" .....
......maybe ya had to be there..but anyway I was cracking up about it all convo. Then I got to go through the wonderfully delightful fun of registering for fall classes at Liberty University. All these beautiful little sweetheart surprises come into the picture, like hard holds and PIN numbers and student accounts and lifted flags and all that....crap. But besides that, I now have a 16-hour fall 2007 schedule, which is pretty sweet.

SO. Today was magnificent.

Ok I lied.

Today was ok.

And I shaved my head.


ok just kidding I didn't shave my head.
but I did have frizzy hair. In light of eternity, though, this has no value. So I'll quit rambling about it.

ANYway. I went to campus church tonight and I always find it funny how (confession) a lot of times I don't want to go to begin with, but then I feel a tug pulling me there, almost like I can sense that God is trying to get through my thick head (...and frizzy hair).
So I go.
And boy do I always hear His Voice.
Not in a shouting way that knocks me over. And not in a quiet whisper that confounds me. I hear His voice in a particular line of song, or in something that Ergun says. It's always a "wow" moment, and applies so well to what I was feeling or needing to know at that point.
Tonight's wow moment was through the entire message. Ergun spoke on Knowing What Your Calling Is. At least this week I brought an index card to write on... :) but still ran out of room. (Maybe in a couple of weeks I'll graduate up to an actual peice of college-ruled paper.)
The Scripture he spoke on was 1 John 2:18-28. Verse 27 pretty much sums it all up: "As for you, the anointing you recieved from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit---just as it has taught you, remain in him."
First of all Ergun gave us this definition:
*ANOINTING: God's specific touch, for a specific task, at a specific time.
Wow. There ya go. Talk about specific. Then he went on to point out that when you are truly called, money doesn't matter. You should do it all for the mission and not the cash coming in. He even went as far as to say that if the only reason you're doing a specific major/ job is for how much you'll make, it's not a calling from God. That's pretty intense, but so true. Some other points that caused me to "wow" were:
*Be willing to ask God for a calling, not a career. (You may be called to move out of your comfort zone).
*Don't EVER settle for a beaurocracy.
*Would you do what you do for nothing except what it took to pay the bills?
And, he closed with reminding us that nothing is more liberating than being in the will of God.
All of these points seemed to come together and impact me with a force so powerful I couldn't ignore it. I'd known for a while that I wanted to be a worship technology major and do something with recording studios/ whatever... but tonight those desires that I have for that type of ministry were affirmed. Thank you God for doing that!

So, in summation, hopefully God can use even these pitiful little notes that I took on an orange 3x5 card with a light-up basketball pen. Maybe it was something you've been struggling with, or maybe you just needed to remember to listen for those moments when God wants you to really get something. But here I go and send 'em out to you. May you live in God's marvelous light, and remain in Him.
Peace out!

Weekends Make Me Happy.

Hello to all! As you can tell, the title says it all. I'm happy as a result of the weekend finally being here! This first week back at school after spring break went pretty well..but nonetheless was loooong. This is my third blog on my new..blog. Wow.

Ok, so I went to campus church on Wednesday night and Ergun Caner spoke. One word: Amazing! He opened up with his normal banter and funny stories, and then announced what he would speak on: How to Prove the Bible Is Valid To Someone Who Doesn't Even Believe In It.
As Christians we like to use circular reasoning when asked, "Why is the Bible true?" We answer without a pause, "The Bible is true because it says its true!" (Duh!) or "The Bible is true because its God's Word!"
However, think critically about that statement and there is no validity in it. So Ergun gave us 3 ways to actually prove that the Bible is true. Always the prepared one, I had nothing to write notes on except a little post-it note..so I had to cram it all in. But here it goes:

3 Evidences That No Other Book Has:
1. Prophecy- Jesus Christ fulfulled EVERY ONE of 300 prophecies given in the Old Testament!
2. Archaeology- The land of the Hittites was thought nonexistent and couldn't be found anywhere. Then it was found in
the 1980's, confirming that the Biblical Hittite community was real. Also, tablets were found in Iraq in the 1960's that
confirmed EVERY city in Genesis.
3. Science- The Bible stated that blood was the circulation of life a mere 3,000 YEARS before the scientist Harvey
"discovered" that life was in blood circulation.

Of course, I couldn't write down everything he said, but I would definitely download the podcast and listen to the whole thing. Its amazing to think that all those things prove that God's Word is living, complete, and nothing but Truth!

Well, I think thats about as long as I should write on here...I don't want to make a novel...(yet.) Anyway, I hope everyone has an amazing weekend, and take time to get into God's Word and appreciate its truth and powerful uniqueness.

**Honorable Mention: this note is dedicated to my sweet friend, Aimee.....may you live forever long and have a beautifully happy life..with no more locking your keys in the car and painful nose piercings. <3

Over-blogs and Ponies.

Ok, so I know I'm probably over-blogging, but I just feel like last night, or this morning, rather, I couldn't quite release all the words I desired to say. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep....who knows.

Anyway, a revelation in my life: coloring books. Who knew they could be so relaxing?

...especially My Little Pony coloring books. However, make sure you buy good Crayola crayons. I bought some Dollar Tree crayons yesterday and they color like crap.
And I definitely think I just lost all the respect I had from all civilized adults reading this. Oh well. Coloring is fun. And if you're lucky, I just might color a picture *for you*.
Today was pretty interesting, and should get even more so by tonight. I had an Aural Skills sightsinging test...and those are always a barrel of fun. My professor and I have a discovered that I have the obscure talent of starting in a completely different key than what he tells me to sing it in and continuing to sing in this key until he brings it to my attention. Mind you, not just anyone can do this as well as I do. It takes talent to ignore those chords he plays and just plunge on into solfegge.
Hopefully those of you reading can latch onto my sarcasm.
Anyway, somehow I pulled off an A on the test...yeeessssssss!!!!
Now I'm about to take a nap...and am anxiously awaiting to find out if I made my scholarship choir for next year. We were supposed to find out by today. Needless to say I'm worn thin in the nerves department.
And now to a decision: maybe you can help me. One of my favorite bands of all time, Mae, is performing on May 11th in Charlotte. But also Michael W. Smith is coming to Liberty for a concert on the same day. Which should I choose? I could possibly try and catch Mae in Atlanta on the 18th..but it would be more difficult to work out.
*Sidenote: Mae is A-Mae-zing.
^ lame-o statement of the day.
Well..give me any thoughts you have on that decision. I'm still exploring this whole blog deal. Any tips or whatever you feel like gracing upon me would be enormously appreciated.
Peace out.

Beginning Early

So here I am. Creating a blog.
Why?
Various Reasons.
Why at 2 am?
More reasons.
Things are definitely going on in my life...but who doesn't have things going on? Sometimes I can get so self-centered that I think I'm the only one with problems and I have to slow waaaaayyyy down and realize: I'm incredibly blessed. God has given me freedom. God has given me health. God has given me family. God has given me the Gift of Himself. God has enabled ways for me to attend Liberty University. How could I think I have the right to complain?
To reluctantly use a cliche...easier said than done.
So sitting here at my desk with earbuds in and playing random A Walk To Remember Soundtrack music....things start to fade. Problems aren't that bad....fears aren't so valid....tomorrow isn't so uncertain...and dreams aren't so unreachable.
I've made a decision to conciously reach out. I don't solely exist on this planet. Other people have struggles much more difficult than mine. God has called me as a disciple to lift up my brothers and sisters in Christ, and hold up the arms of the fallen. I resolve to cast aside selfishness and put myself at the bottom of the priority list.
Maybe I should go to bed now.

==Isaiah 12:2-4==