Headed home...again

On the plane back to Fort Lauderdale! So stoked. :)

Great time in MI though!! Saw some great friends/family. Super fun time at Becky's wedding. Learned more Spanish to add to my vocab. ;)

There's a little kid sitting behind me that keeps kicking or hitting the back of my seat. It's lovely. I was starting to get a headache from my head being continuously jarred. Then I had the brilliant idea of sitting up so I wasn't leaning back on the headrest.

Yep, I'm smart, I went to college. So did my mom.


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Rain

Oh, Michigan. Some things never change. I thought over the 3 1/2 years I've been gone you would've accepted some global warming. Maybe tried letting the sun shine a little more often. I guess you need to visit Florida and get some ideas of what you could do better.

Rain, rain, go away.

:)

Good excuse to get another chai latte from my new love, Biggby Coffee. Which, by the way, was a great addition to your coffee house selections, Michigan. That's something you could share with the rest of the country.

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back in the North

i'm back in G-Rap for Becky's wedding! i think the last time i was here was 2008. it's stinkin' cold. but i get to fly back to warm sunshine on saturday so i can do this.

it's so fun being back! seeing friends who are family. had Becky's bachelorette party friday night (woot woooot!). seeing the old stompin' grounds. i went to Herman's Boy to get a chai and i ended up getting my drink for free because someone earlier in the day had "paid it forward"! haha it was cool!! drove by my 2 old houses.

this morning we went to church at Ada Bible Church - the campus that meets in Cornerstone University's gym. i realized gyms are not a good place for me to go to church because during the message, i easily start dreaming about playing volleyball and invision the chairs and stage moved and the court there and...then i start thinking about the gym (as in weights, cardio machines, etc) and what i want to train for and...then i start thinking about food because working out makes me hungry all the time and...oh it's just not good. haha :) i guess it gives me an opportunity to practice taking captive every thought...haha :)

i also watched Inception last night and finished it today (fell asleep last night - what else is new). totally lost. i should watch it again sometime and see what else i can catch.

busy but fun week ahead! Becky & Mario's boda (wedding) on Friday!

having fun speaking/learning Spanish with Mario and his parents here! totally legit at speaking spanglish.

Returning to the cold

Currently - Marathon: 84. Grand Rapids: 38. 10 days. I can do this.

:)


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Gospel Ninjas

So our ATF group is small - 4 students and 2 leaders. While a big group is fun, we've realized a small group is too! We've gotten to eat at Cracker Barrel, Panera, Olive Garden, Smokey Bones, and Applebee's. :) and with such a small group, a quick escape from the ATF parking lot chaos is always a great thing. Hannah commented, "it's kinda like we're...Gospel Ninjas!!" :)



The Gospel Ninjas.




Sanctus Real wishes they were Gospel Ninjas.

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Olive Garden

Eating at the O.G. tonight before going to session 1 of ATF. Last time I ate here was late at night in February. Both of our DTS outreach teams had just flown back to the States and we had just been reunited at the airport. Awww!!! :) great memories. So much more awake this time... ;)


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Welcome to the Circus

My apartment's under there somewhere...

On our way to Tampa for Acquire the Fire! Super stoked!
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Steak!!

Totally just used the grill all by myself and grilled my very first steak!!!! I wanted it medium rare but it turned out medium well. That's ok. It was edible!!! Seasoned with Everglades seasoning. And I made black beans and rice!

I also feel the need to mention that I grilled 2 steaks tonight and gave one to Shane and he ate it!! The grill/steak master ate MY steak!!!

Living on my own this time around is going better already. ;)


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doors

recently, I’ve been trying to figure out if God was calling me to surrender some of my own dreams or if it was just doubt/confusion - which is not from God.  wrestling.  I kept feeling like God was saying, “Look – surrender your small-minded dreams to Me because I have much bigger plans for you – things you can’t even imagine.” 

I decided to surrender my dreams to God, anyway.  I figured that way I couldn’t go wrong.  :)  and I kinda felt like God was wanting me to surrender like…my small-minded, one-direction dreams to Him.  as if He wanted me to keep my desires and passions, but allow Him to show me different ways He wanted to use them instead of me just heading one specific way that I had chosen.

but I also realized surrendering my plans and dreams isn’t the easiest thing to do.  the selfish side of me wants to do what I want. the controlling part of me wants to be in charge of what direction I go and what my plans will be.  so the past few weeks have been a wrestling match between me and God.  but it’s been worth it.

as soon as I truly felt like I surrendered my plans and dreams to God, things started changing.  out of the blue, I got a call from a friend who wanted to have lunch and discuss ministry opportunities.  turns out their church is looking for someone to take over the youth ministry and they wanted to know if I was interested.  hello!  of course I’m interested!  :)

a few days later, my cousin calls from out West and encourages me again to come out there, even if it’s just for a month this summer, to get some worship leading experience with him.  play some music, write some music, do worship at youth camps.  hello!  of course I’m interested!  :)

I believe God has much bigger plans for each of us than we could ever imagine.

Eph. 3:20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than al we ask or imagine, according to His POWER that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.”

there is freedom in surrender.