An Opportunity...

An opportunity to go to Ethiopia in December/January for 2 weeks to do missions has presented itself. I instantly thought "Omigosh I want to go" and then I instantly thought "How will I raise the money?". But I think that second thought is evidence of my lack of faith that God will provide. I'm going to be praying about it (and I ask that you would be too! please! and thank you!), but I'm pretty sure that this is an opportunity that I shouldn't pass up. I've been building up my vacation time at work searching for a good way to put it to use. What better way? Plus, the trip takes place over New Years. What would be more amazing than ringing in 2010 in AFRICA?!?

Okay, I'm welcome to your thoughts, comments, prayers, suggestions, etc. etc. etc.

And, if you're feeling especially loving and giving while reading this and have this nagging desire to donate somewhere around $2500 then you will have sealed the deal for me. Seriously. I'm not even kidding a little bit. :)

Oh and if you want more details in order to give me better advice and offer more prayers, just let me know and I'd be happy to share with you the details (as much as I know) about the trip and the organization it's with.

Thanks friends.

Roommate Bonding

Roommate bonding time. It's true. We find entertainment in the most ridiculous things.

Divas.


Thinking. Fawn has found a solution.


Silliness. It's what we're about.


Don't mess with Fawn the Princess. I'm her bodyguard. I look tough, don't I? Oh yeah, Westside represent. Hahahaha.


Utter ridiculousness. Can you see all of my teeth?

Thankful and Blessed

So I was going to write a blog about how I feel blessed even amidst a time of trials and struggles. I had literally just started writing when I received an email from a friend that can be described as nothing but divine timing. This friend sent me an email full of encouraging words--exactly the support and encouragement that I needed right now. It's a reminder that my purpose is to honor and glorify God and to continue to seek His will. I'm so thankful that God knows when I'm struggling and sends encouragement just when I need it to remind me to keep pressing on.

Similarly, I'm thankful and blessed for the community of believers that God has placed in my life. I feel energized, enlightened and encouraged (there's a lot of that going on recently in my life!!) by spending time with these people. The more conversations I have with friends talking about God's promises for his people, what the Bible says, etc. the more energized I feel. The more I desire to seek out Jesus and continue to get to know Him. I'm thankful that these friends are willing to live life so transparently with me.

Finally, I'm thankful b/c of a gift I received this weekend from a good friend. I was hanging out with my friend Dan and we were talking about something having to do with the PCA Church (actually, I believe we were discussing the differences between Arminianism and Calvinism). He pulled out a copy of The Westminster Confession of Faith (along with the The Larger Catechism and The Shorter Catechism) to show me something when he realized that he had 2 copies of it and offered to give me one. This may sound totally unexciting to many, but I was THRILLED!! Learning and understanding reformed theology is not only interesting to me, but continues to draw me closer to Christ and to understanding more of who God is.

To leave you with words from the Heidelberg Catechism that are of continual encouragement and reassurance to me:

My only comfort in life and in death is
That I am not my own,
But belong--
Body and soul,
In life and in death--
To my Faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

Note: Apologies if this is just a jumbled mess of thoughts. I don't always expect for the Truth that God is revealing in my heart and the works that He is doing in my heart to be fully capable of being articulated right away. I think I'm still discovering the full effect of what He is teaching me.

Who says Ohio isn't football country?

As the 2009 college football season kicks off, I'd like to bring everyone's attention to this lovely fact (brought to you by USA Today):

And while less than 4% of the U.S. population lives in Ohio, 15% of college football's major-conference head coaches were born there, the most from any state, according to the Journal. These also happen to be some of the nation's most successful coaches: 14 of the last 18 teams to make it to the national championship game had head coaches with Ohio connections.

Some current examples:

Jim Tressel, The Ohio State University -- Born in Mentor, OH
Bob Stoops, University of Oklahoma -- Born in Youngstown, OH
Urban Meyer, University of Florida -- Born in Ashtabula, OH
Bo Pelini, University of Nebraska -- Born in Youngstown, OH
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State University -- Grew up in Zanesville, OH
Les Miles, Louisiana State University -- Born in Elyria, OH
Gary Pinkel, University of Missouri -- Born in Akron, OH
Ron Zook, University of Illinois -- Born in Loudonville, OH
Mike Stoops, University of Arizona -- Born in Youngstown, OH
Jim Harbaugh, Stanford University -- Born in Toledo, OH
Mark Snyder, Marshall University -- Born in South Point, OH
Nick Saban, University of Alabama -- Played at Kent State University in Kent, OH


Read the rest of the USA Today article here.
And then read some more about Ohio being a college football goldmine:

• Successful College Football Coaches from Ohio Reflect State's Culture
• Why Ohio Makes the Best Coaches

GO BUCKEYES!! :)

Intelligent Evolution--Yes Please.

Relevant Magazine's website has a fantastic article suggesting Intelligent Evolution. I've believed this for quite a while. Read the article. Good stuff.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/current-events/18120-intelligent-evolution

Music Wednesday

Two Blogs in one night. It's kind of crazy, eh? Hey now, it's about music...I think this is a topic I can explore endlessly. Anyway. Here's Music Wednesday for you. A friend and I decided to trade iPods for the week. The idea came about quite brilliantly, if you ask me. We kept telling each other about sweet bands/artists that the other needed to listen to. And we kept trying to play music for each other. But there were just too darn many good songs to be played. So, it just came to us (I don't actually remember whose idea it was, so I'm going to give us both credit). We decided to trade iPods and explore eachother's music tastes for the week. Let me just say I've discovered some lovely new artists. First, here are the list of songs that randomly shuffled through the iPod on Monday.

• All the Trees of the Field Will Clap their Hands -- Sufjan Stevens
• Myxomatosis -- Radiohead
• Bicycle Gasoline -- Delirious?
• Constellations -- Jack Johnson
• Fingertips (Part 2) -- Stevie Wonder
• Souverian -- Andrew Bird
• Two Points for Honesty -- Guster
• Tenor Aria/But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell -- Handel's Messiah
• Outside -- Ours
• Louder than Radio -- Delirious?
• Realize -- Ours
• Falling Through Your Clothes -- The New Pornographers
• The Creeps -- Rebel Saints
• Handjobs for the Holidays -- Broken Social Scene
• Awake My Soul -- Caedmon's Call
• All I need -- Radiohead
• Soon -- Like Summer
• Andvari -- Sigur Ros
• Hey Rabbit -- Fionn Regan
• Muzzle -- Smashing Pumpkins
• Per Te -- Josh Groban
• Clothes of Sand -- Nick Drake
• Days Go On -- Greg Laswell
• Cold Cold Heart -- Norah Jones
• The Boy from Ipanema -- Diana Krall
• Stumptown -- Nickel Creek
• The Prettiest Thing -- Norah Jones
• Execution Day -- The New Pornographers
• Mother of God, Here I stand -- Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
• Something's Missing -- John Mayer
• After the Curtain -- Beirut
• Sabra Girl -- Nickel Creek
• Hands Open -- Snow Patrol
• 42 -- Coldplay
• Cumulus -- Imogene Heap
• Another Kind of Green -- John Mayer Trio
• C'mere -- Interpol
• When in Rome -- Nickel Creek
• The Outer Banks -- The Album Leaf
• Boxcar Racer -- Blue Merle
• Weird Fishes/Ar Peggi -- Radiohead
• If You're Wondering -- Eisley
• Message in a Bottle -- The Police
• Go It Alone -- Beck
• Great Expectations -- Steven Curtis Chapman
• Everlasting God -- Spin 39
• Life's a Bitch -- Rock Kills Kids
• Oliver James -- The Fleet Foxes
• The Believer -- Chris Thile
• Heaviest Heart -- Magnet
• One Day/Slowly Floated Away -- Eisley
• Bones -- Syd Matters
• True Love Waits -- Radiohead
• Running Out -- Mutual Admiration Sue
• Daylight Robbery -- Imogen Heap
• Gold Mine Gutted -- Bright Eyes
• Alive Forever Amen -- Spin 39
• Fix You -- Coldplay
• Seven Years -- Norah Jones
• Layla -- Eric Clapton
• Love Song for No One -- John Mayer
• Sunrise, Sunset -- Bright Eyes
• Maddening Shroud -- Frou Frou
• Hallelujah Chorus -- Handel's Messiah (London Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Always in Your Mind -- Jennifer O'Connor
• The Dumbing Down of Love -- Frou Frou
• Just Called to Say I love You -- Herbie Hancock
• Buttons & Zips -- Elbow
• The Chimbley Sweep -- The Decemberists
• 12 -- Alexi Murdoch
• The Last Time He Saw Dorie -- Copeland
• You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. -- Bright Eyes
• Ashes of American Flags -- Wilco

Second, these are some bands or songs I've decided I really like

Bands/Artists:

• Eisley
• Imogen Heap
• The Magic Numbers
• The Flaming Lips (I've liked them for a while, but I was just reminded today how much I enjoy them)
  

Songs:

• "Soul Sloshing" -- Venus Hum
• Hoppipolla -- Sigur Ros

Okay there is probably more, but that should give ya'll plenty of music for today.

Oh and PS--I've decided that Augustana and The New Pornographers are 2 of my all time favorite bands. Seriously. I'm not kidding.

I want to be chiseled

I got this from a friend. It's almost hard to watch because it's so convicting. I want God to chisel away at the things that are not of Him in my life. But it can be a scary thing...