John 4:23 [msg version]

There are tons of verses in the Bible i love- some of which i know from heart. but i lately I've been thinking about how often verses get taken out of context and get distorted. for example, read this-

Jesus said, 'That's the kind of people the Father
is looking out for: those who are simply and honestly
themselves before him in their worship.'

after reading this I think, That's so true. the Lord wants us to be true in our worship of him- to not think about ourselves- to give him glory. but this is actually only part of the verse. the complete verse is:

But the time is coming-it has, in fact, come-when what
you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. 'It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.'

Now, there is a lot more I think about. Additionally, I think It doesn't matter if I go to a lutheran church or baptist church or christian & missionary alliance church- it's my attitude when I worship there. It matters how I live, because I want to serve and honor God is all I do, and somethings I do are not consistent with that.

relationships, marriage and love- oh my!

Is it just me or is EVERYONE getting married these days!? Nuts. In the next few months I know of 4 couples tying the knot, and 2 more are engaged. And there are probably more out there. So maybe not everyone is getting married. But it seems like everyone is fluctuating between two 'extremes' - either engaged or single. Maybe it just seems this way because the past month it seems all anyone's talked about is love.

Hilarious!

I have a 3-5 page research paper due in a few weeks for my wealth and justice [IDEA foundation] class. Today we went to the library to research and finalize our topics. I had a hard time deciding on one- my prof told us to pick something we are interested in, but in that class it's hard to get excited about anything. A few days ago i was searching for something on the internet and I stumbled upon Social Choice Theory, which led me to Public Choice Theory, both of which I knew nothing about. I read up on it a bit and started reseaching PCT today in class. It started to slightly interest me, so I asked my prof about it. He exclaimed, "Wow! You must be an econ major to tackle that topic!!" I think this is the most hilarious statement I have heard from a professor this semester. AN ECON MAJOR!? Yah right. I would rather major in Biology than economics [and I dislike bio very much]. Anyway, we talked about it for like 10 minutes in class- I was surprised at his careful consideration of the topic. It's a tough one and would require a lot of research and reading, and even then it would be a hard paper to write. He also said he didn't want to totally discourage it if he thought I could handle it, because he's told people the same thing every year and they pull it off. So we researched some authors I could check out to get a better picture of the topic. I eventually settled on voting/elections and class structure, etc. During a silent spell my prof asked me what my major was, so I told him. [darn. now he knows I'm a journalism major. he will surely expect a wonderful paper from me.] He said it's important for writers to know something about economics. He also said he's convinced I'll become an econ major before the end of the year. ha! maybe when the vikings win the superbowl.

I Love You

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Encouragement & a Reminder

And I forgot to write last thursday- but at the last CRU, Danen Kane led us in worship and played for us after our meeting. So awesome. It was nice to just be in the audience for once. I know I focus too much on my self when I'm up on stage leading, but I've been working through it lately and have really grown in that area. I talked w/Danen afterwards and he was so encouraging to keep at it. After his set I just wanted to run back to my room and write some more songs!! crazy. We also had a speaker about the final purpose in our Purpose-Driven Life series. "Made for a Mission" - Loved it. And Allison (speaker) put up a pick of sara & amber - man i miss them!! so glad i got a chance to get to know them last year. Back to the message. Yes, it really hit me because i need to do a better job of fulfilling my mission right here, right now. I focus too much on what's to come- Graduation and what to do afterwards, the rest of my college career, living in our farmhouse next year, summer project- so much to distract me from my girls on 2B. Chapter 37: "Your mission field is all around you. Don't miss the opportunities God is giving you." What a great reminder!

faithful.

The Lord is so faithful. I realize I often limit his power and even his sovereignty. Every day he continues to amaze me with project support checks, in my devo times, even just in my wonderful friends who are here to encourage me when I'm trudging along through life. He is Father, Protector, Faithful Provider, and I love him more each day.

QUOTES!

i love quotes. always have, always will. here are some random sayings of my wealth & justice prof:

"In playing devils advocate I'm always concerned I might convince some people."
"If they're unemployed, they usually have less income."
"You know, if our tax laws were less confusing, then all those tax lawyers and accountants would have to do something meaningful with their lives."

My Favorite Band EVER

Probably a little known fact about me- my favorite BAND ever is Nine Days [b.dill is still one of my fave singers, right up there w/shawn mcdonald, don't worry.] here's some more lyrics that i love-

Could it be that you want more than your place in the Sun?
Could it be you've reached the end and you've only begun?
I will not waste my time here, I will not waste my life here,
Waiting for you...

You're beautiful unlike anyone,
Like a whisper and a breeze you were gone.
You're everything that the heart would sing,
And now without you I'm just like a disease,
Slowly fading...

beautiful // nine days

the week

i have been so dysfunctional over the past 10 days. the worst part is i know i've been dysfunctional, i don't just think i have been. and right now, [i don't feel good about it] the following song fits my mood:

In my heartsent my confession my condolence,
You're indefinite you're incompetent inconsiderate.
You're so childish,
I will push you out of what is real out of my head.
You can stick and drown at your residence of dissapointments,
Are of yours to come.
So embrace them oh my shallow one today,
If I could change anything then I would change everything.
These bitter days shall remain.

bitter // nine days

Spring ... Break?

Serveski 06 was a pretty awesome trip. relaxin in rapid, spaghetti, skating & hiking with the Torbert crew, hanging out at the cabin, driving down to mission to white eagle (or black bird, according to joy) christian academy, cleanin & organizing one of their classrooms, basketball with local kids and tons of fun.

after that, joy and i headed down to hastings, nebraska to her house. went out to eat, watched a few movies, hung out w/family, went to kansas [yes, that's right]. drove up to springfield, minnesota on friday [seriously took about 7 hrs i think]. hung out with family, watched a few movies, ate a lot, drove back to verm on sunday through a snow storm. all around, a pretty good break! :] not sure if there was much 'break' in there but it's all good.