Mormonism was #21!

Today, as I was trolling through the Thinklings archives (these 40 hour work weeks are SOOO difficult ;)), I stumbled across this gem...


According to the Christian Denomination Selector...

• My #1 result: Reformed Baptist

• My #2 result: Presbyterian Church in America/Orthodox Presbyterian Church

• My #3 result: Reformed Churches

• My #4 result: Southern Baptist

• My #5 result: Assemblies of God

My top five were all pretty close, though I was kinda surprised by the Assemblies of God result. But I guess ya never know...they always say college is the best time to experiment ;)

So what about you?

P.S. Please spare me the comments about how you aren't defined by a denomination or whatever... I get it already! Ha.

For the Ladies

John Piper's Challenge to Women is awesome, encouraging and convicting.

1. That all of your life—in whatever calling—be devoted to the glory of God.
2. That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing.
3. That this fullness of God overflow in daily acts of love so that people might see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.
4. That you be women of the Book, who love and study and obey the Bible in every area of its teaching. That meditation on Biblical truth be the source of hope and faith. And that you continue to grow in understanding through all the chapters of your life, never thinking that study and growth are only for others...

You should really go read the whole thing...

Just do it.

In an attempt to be more interactive, this post is for all 3 (or so) of you that read this blog. Participation = Required ;)

Now buckle your seat belt, it's time to choose!


Winter or Summer

Christmas or Birthdays

Giving Gifts or Receiving Gifts

Hot Chocolate or Coffee

Ice Cream or Cookies

Watching TV or Reading

Action Adventure or Comedy

Owen Wilson or Luke Wilson

The Notebook or A Walk to Remember

David Keresh or Joseph Smith

Peter or Paul

Snickers or Snickerdoodles

Hot Dogs or Corndogs

Reindeer or Elves

Snowmen or Snowcones

Gloomy Days or Sunshine

Augustine or Calvin

Candler or Driscoll

Soup or Salad

Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus

Michael Buble or John Mayer

History or Sociology

Barak Obama or Michelle Obama

Firefox or Internet Explorer

Mandy Moore: Singer or Actress

Shane&Shane or Hillsong

LeCrae or Kanye

Black Death: Disease or Cult

Funnier: Will Ferrel or Steve Carrell

Don't worry, I'm still alive

Alright, I won't spend a lot of time apologizing for my lack of blogging, just know that I'm back and plan on getting back in the swing of things.

In other news, Christmas this year was a year of firsts. It was the first year without my grandma, the first year where Kaitlyn really knew what was going on, the first year with Ryan as a almost legitimate bro in law, the first year we didn't go to Papadeux for Christmas Eve dinner, and the first year my dad and I went to the Christmas Eve service alone. But even though it was different, it was still a really sweet time with family, and I really enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone. This past week has gone by SO FAST...I can't believe I have to go back to Dallas on Monday.

So here are some of the highlights of the week:

1. Kaitlyn is so much fun now! Even though I wasn't sure it'd be possible, she's even cuter than before. Also, she called me "My Dani" this trip and my heart just about stopped.

2. My sister, Kelly, got engaged to her long time bf (Ryan).

3. Watching bridal shows with my mom even though she's totally not in to that stuff.

4. Having a long discussion with my dad about ministry.

5. Watching Kaitlyn open all of her Christmas presents...homegirl got a TON of fun toys this year. Oh, and I managed to find her a red-headed doll as part of her gift from me. PERF.

6. Cooking Christmas lunch with my mom (always one of my favorite parts of being home).

7. Spending the night with Molly, Kate, Amanda, and Kelsey.

8. One word: Perm

9. Hanging with my Poppy. He is by far one of my favorite people of all time.

10. Christmas Cafe with LG, Danica and Yermey.

Navigating Dallas = Fail.

Last night I had a meeting with my group leader from the covenant membership class I attended a while back. It was supposed to be a relatively quick meeting where I just showed up, shared my testimony, asked some questions, and signed the covenant. Only problem was that she wanted to meet me on the other side of Dallas...

I don't know how many of you know this, but I am THE WORST with directions. Seriously, if I was any worse I'd get lost walking to work.

But nevertheless, I was determined to get this meeting knocked out, so I printed out directions and went on my way.

Problem #1: I miss my first exit.
Problem #2: I keep driving for 20 minutes before I realize problem #1.
Problem #3: I turn around to correct my mistake and drive for another 35 minutes...past my exit again.
Problem #4: I finally get on the right track and find the destination...an HOUR after I was supposed to be there.
VICTORY #1: I sign the Covenant!! And I try Bubble Tea...not sure if the last part counts as a victory. Ha.
Problem #5: Insane Dallas traffic on the way back. I probably went 5 mph for 45 minutes.
Problem #6: I almost get run over multiple times.
Problem #7: I take 35E going North...I should have taken 35E going South. Another 45 minutes of wasted time.
Problem #8: I finally turn around and head towards campus and exit Loop 12 West. I should have exited Loop 12 East.
Problem #9: I end up in the ghetto with NO idea where I am or how to find out.
Problem #10: I REALLY had to pee by this point, but couldn't stop anywhere because everything was so shady.
Victory #2: Apparently there was a GPS laying on the passenger side floorboard the whole time.
Victory #3: I finally make it back to campus at 8:35 pm.
Problem #11: I had a final paper due by 11pm.
Victory #4: I finish and submitted my paper at 10:59pm!!

Needless to say last night was a wee bit stressful...but today it's over (can I get an Amen?!). I actually think it's pretty funny now, in an I-hate-my-life type of way ;)

Maybe I should start praying that I marry someone with a great sense of direction... otherwise our poor children will be out of luck!

The best kind of encouragement

Today at church they showed this video from Matt:


http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/blog/hvpastor/


Hope it blesses you like it blessed me.

Walking in a Paper Wonderland

This year my office entered the Christmas decorating contest for pretty much the first time ever. It was so intense. Since we didn't have any decorations to speak of, the other student worker (Savannah) and I spent HOURS upon HOURS hand crafting decorations made of paper. They are ridiculously precious. So we spent all day Monday and Tuesday (and a few micelaneous hours before then) decorating our tiny little office, yada yada yada, we ended up not even placing. It was a total robbery. But PTL, one of the advisors threw us a pizza party anyway :)



Since it's Christmas and such I decided to share some of our Christmas spirit with you guys. Enjoy!


What you see when you first walk in...


"Jesus is the reason for the season!"-cheesy AND classy ;)


The paper chain that took me FOREVER

Our faux Christmas tree and Christmas Countdown! (P.S. I know you can't see it, but we made personalized "face" ornaments for everyone in our office...including matching hair and eye color! So legit.)

The precious fireplace, stockings and tree.

Ok, that about sums it up! I know you guys probably don't care, but we worked really hard on all this. Ha. I feel obligated to show it off ;)

Oh, and in case you didn't know, Christmas is only 22 days away!

Sched

Monday
12-1= Social Psychology

Tuesday
11-12:15= Intro to Computers
2-3= World Lit

Wednesday
12-1= Social Psychology

Thursday
11-12:15= Intro to Computers
12:30-1:45= Meteorology and Space Science
2-3= World Lit

Friday
12-1= Social Psychology


***Besides that, I also plan on taking Political Science from Lonestar, and I'll be taking Principles of Biblical Leadership as a one week, January mini-term.***


I'm not super stoked about my classes or anything, but I decided to bite the bullet and just finish up the rest of my core classes at the same time....I've been procrastinating up to this point. Ha. Oh and for those of you that are paying attention, I've decided that I'm done with Greek. I just don't have the time to commit to studying that it requires (I know that sounds like a lame excuse, but it's legit). I mean, I'm not failing or anything, but it has just become really draining trying to prepare for weekly quizzes and finish all the homework and such. Ah well, maybe I'll pick it up again later in life. But for now, it looks like Spanish might be the better option...

Winter?!

Since when is it winter in Texas?!

Today I had my annual winter-overreaction and put on every warm article of clothing I owned. I managed to wear boots, tights, a scarf AND a winter coat... all for 40-50 degree weather ;) ha.

But in all fairness, it's a long walk from my apartment to work and that wind is KILLER in the morning!

Hopefully everyone is having a wonderful winter kickoff!

Next step = hot chocolate

New Favorite Phrase

Lately I've been kind of reflecting on the different things that "stir my affection(s?)" for the Lord.

Here's some of the things I've come up with (both general and specific):

1.The sermon series we're doing at church right now called "The Path". It has been both encouraging and challenging...basically I leave every Sunday evaluating myself and my sin and pondering the goodness and mercy of God.

2. Everything by Tim Hughes

3. Listening to people share their testimonies (not only their conversion stories, but how God is currently at work in them)

4. Reading Acts and Romans. I feel like I've been walking through them for a LONG time, but it has been really intense and incredibly rewarding.

5. Hearing/Learning/Reading about theology. This is a new one, but recently it's all I want to read about. I've been spending most of my work day (when I'm not working of course) reading different articles and doing research.

I'm sure I could think of more, but right now those 5 seem to be doing the trick :)

It's official!

Well...almost.

This last weekend was my covenant membership class at the Village, and let me tell you, it was WONDERFUL! I feel so blessed and honored to serve, worship and fellowship with the people there. I could gush and gush about it, but I'll spare you and just give you a breakdown of the weekend.

Friday Night:
Basically just a 2 hour Gospel presentation. It was incredible. I have never heard the Gospel so packed-full of Scripture (probably becuase of time restraints! ha). I'm sure my eyes were the size of basketballs the whole time. I'm also pretty sure I spent the next 30 minutes after class recounting the whole thing to my mom.

Saturday Day:
We went over the core values of the church, why we believe what we believe, and all that the covenant entails. I don't think I could summerize it even if I tried, so I'll just say...I love it, I agree wholeheartedly, and YES YES YES. Then at the end they had a Q&A with some of the campus pastors* that was really good and insightful.

I still have to read some articles and meet with my group leader to tell her my conversion story and ask any questions before I sign the covenant, BUT once all that happens I'll officially be a covenant member. VICTORY. I really hope everyone feels as inspired, blessed and encouraged by their church as I do. My heart soars whenever I think about it :)

P.S. Guess who was in my Covenant Class?!?! You guessed it, Tedashii (oh, and 240 other people ;)). Plus he helped lead worship Sunday. Legit.

*Matt wasn't there this weekend, but all the pastors from my campus were, so that was really cool. Every single one of them is so awesome. Gah. Sorry to gush again, can't help it.

I hate...

1. law & order: criminal intent
2. shaving
3. 40 hour work weeks
4. the Mav's
5. sunburns
6. statistics
7. cold toes and fingers
8. band-aids
9. dress pants
10. blisters

Tyrone Wells

Last night I got to go to the Tyrone Wells show downtown. It was incredible! He was so good live! He played all my favorites, and even one or two off his upcoming album (which I am definitely going to buy). It was actually really cool, because his set was clean. He's not a Christian artist or anything, but he did have very subtle Christian undertones*...a change of pace from my all-time fave Ernie Halter. Ha.

Anyway, when all was said and done, I had an awesome night. More fun than I've had in a long time. Side-note: the show last night was at the Prophet Bar, and apparently anyone who goes and doesn't drink (either because of their age or by choice) gets a stamp on their hand. The funny part? The stamp is a church ;)

Oh, and here is the picture you requested, Marie...I completely forgot my camera in the car during the show, but I managed to get one of Kailea and I on the way back.



And for those of you who have never heard of Tyrone Wells, here is one of my personal faves...



* Tyrone is actually a PK! It's so legit. I'm pretty sure some of his songs crossover...like his song Stronger: "I'll do my best to be here for you through the years/ But I can't carry all your hidden pain and fears/But there is one who wants to wipe away your tears/ He is waiting/ Lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus"

Soapbox

The other day, in my Religious Education class, this question was posed to us:

"What do you want to teach a child by the time they are 12?"

During class we were supposed to get in groups and discuss what we thought kids need to know by that stage in their lives, and honestly, I was kind of appalled by the answers I heard. I mean at face-value they were all okay answers, but they just really struck me as complete garbage.

Here are some of the first ones I heard...

• actions speak louder than words
• how to be a good person
• how to be obedient

I mean seriously, are you kidding me?! One girl had the audacity to call me "harsh" because I said that they need to know that they are sinners. How can anyone have an appreciation or understanding of salvation without first knowing what sin is and that they are a sinner? I understand that the average child cannot comprehend the intricacies of theology, but what Jesus-loving Children's Minister can look at the kids in their ministry and knowingly keep the whole Truth from them? Bible stories are great and important in building a foundation for these kids, but knowing who Zaccheus was, or being able to sing the books of the Bible in order isn't going to get anyone any closer to Heaven. Just sayin.

I guess the reason it frustrated me so much was because I was thinking of my own (future/potential) children. I don't want my ten/eleven/twelve year old thinking that "being a good person" or being "obedient" means anything without having a personal, intimate relationship with Christ. I mean sure, I want obedient children ;), but in the grand scheme of things that would not be on the top of my list.

My group mentioned Jesus once (minus my submissions) . And the one time they mentioned Him, the exact words were "...to know Jesus died on a cross". Seriously, that was it. No explanation of His life and why He had to die on a cross, no emphasis on salvation or the Gospel...just flat historical facts. I'm sorry, I know working with kids over the summer and taking classes doesn't make me an expert, but I'm pretty sure the average kid can retain and understand more than that...especially the older ones.

I'm not saying every church should try to scare their kids, or anything like that, but if the thought of Hell scares them...well, it should! Children can be taught all kinds of things as long as they are taught in love and kindness. Give kids the opportunity to understand, instead of withholding Truth from them. Offer them the whole Gospel, not just cartoons or cut-and-dry facts. I know I probably sound like some hardcore beat-truth-into-them type of lady, but I hate the thought of kids wasting what can be the most influential years of growth on pointless trivia or partial Truth.

Alright, I think my rant is over now... *steps off soapbox*

In case you're wondering...

I have to walk up 162 stairs in order to get from my apartment to my office. Plus I make multiple trips up and down the stairs every day.

Why count them? Because I felt every single one of them today.

But hey, I can hobble with the best of 'em ;)

It's all Greek to me!

This last week has been a teency bit hectic and stressful, but Praise the Lord, it's the weekend!!! I'm currently watching the Red River Shootout (Hook 'Em!) and am enjoying my first taste of quality alone time (not just time spent alone and studying) in a LONG time.

Since I don't have much to say, I'll just give you the highlights of this past week...

1. Got my grade from my first History of Christianity test...and considering the lack of time I could commit to studying and the amount of material covered, I think I did pretty well. An added bonus was that I had a reason to memorize the Apostles Creed :)

Sidenote: I'm having a really hard time with my schoolwork lately because of my work/class schedule. On the average night I don't even get to start studying/doing homework until like 7pm at the earliest because I work till 6, then have to come home and cook my dinner, and eat before I have time to buckle down and do schoolwork. Add that to the fact that my classes are SOO much harder than I anticipated and it's a recipe for disaster. That said, basically I need to just suck it up and get more disciplined *sigh*, but right now it's just REALLY hard.

2. Homegroup on Wednesday was really good (as usual). I'm finding it easier and easier to open and share with the girls, and it has been really good getting to know them and hearing their struggles, triumphs and what God is teaching them. Having homegroup once a week has definitely been the silver-lining to my weekdays these past couple weeks.

3. Earlier today I got to go on a jog, and it was GLORIOUS outside. Seriously. I haven't seen a day as beautiful as today in a long time. I am so jealous of everyone at the UT/OU game! Today is just one of those days where everything is better outside.

4. Speaking of weather, the past month we have had awful weather here (excluding today, of course). I think I've officially decided that God didn't make me for colder climates. Even when I am just sitting at my desk at work my fingernails turn purple after a while because it is SO COLD. I always love the idea of winter, but I have a feeling it's going to get old really fast this year.

5. Marie and I are ordering aprons so we can be legit Stepford Wives for our costume dance party. I am so excited, it's ridiculous. I am going to wear mine ALL the time :)

6. Also, I am so excited for Thanksgiving. I'm ready to be home. I miss my family. Plus Thanksgiving is my 2nd favorite holiday. It's a BIG DEAL in my family, plus it means I get to cook all day with my mom, which is always really fun. Recently she has started letting me cook some of the dishes all by myself... I'm not gonna lie, I make a mean sweet potato casserole!

7. Exciting News: I'm officially signed up for the covenant membership class at The Village!!! It's actually kind of hard to get in because the classes fill up so quick and they only offer them every so often, but I got in to the one in November. After November 7th I will officially be a "covenant member".

The class is spread out over two days, Friday night and Saturday day. Here are some of the topics it covers:

• What is the Church?
• Gospel: What does it mean to be a believer in Jesus Christ?
• What are the core values?
  
• Why a covenant?
• Our philosophy of ministry
• Expectations

I am so excited! Hopefully I don't geek out during any of this ;)

8. I took my Greek Midterm yesterday! It was probably the most intimidating test I've ever taken. I don't know if it's just me, but Greek is REALLY hard. Seriously. The other day my History of Christianity prof said that even "Augustine hated Greek because it was so hard"! Basically I studied all night (minus a nap from 2-4am). But I think it might have actually paid off! I haven't gotten my score back yet, but I'm pretty confident I didn't fail, so at least that's something! Ha.

9. Last night my roomie and I finally rearranged and decorated our room! It's so cute! I'll see what I can do about posting pictures or something later so everyone can appreciate our sweet decorating skillz ;)

Prosperity Gospel?

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 14: 21-22

Yeah, I didn't think so...

State Fair = Deep Fried Fun

I just got back from my first ever state fair! It was so much fun, BUT I ate so much that I basically made myself sick. I am so bad about moderation when it comes to stuff like this! I love trying new things in general, so seeing things like fried banana pudding, fried smores and fried anything-else-you-can-imagine definitely put my brain and stomach into overdrive!

Fried PB&J. Surprisingly good and satisfying...not a bad way to start.


My first ever funnel cake!

Probably my favorite picture of us. Ha. We couldn't help ourselves.

Petting zoo! This little guy was pretty much my best friend :)

Fried Butter. We decided to try this just to say we did. Basically it tasted like a biscuit with melted butter inside. Not half bad, BUT our bodies were on the verge of shutting down at this point from grease overload... hence the facial expressions. Ha.


And for those faithful few that are dying to see the henna...

Reasons I could never get a tattoo...

Last night I was hanging out with a friend, and out of no where she pulled out a tube of henna. For those of you who don't know what henna is, it's a type of body art that is painted on and dyes the skin from anywhere to 1 week to a month (depending on how long you let it set, where on the body, etc etc). Personally, I've always thought it looked really cool, so of course I was pumped I got to do it last night. Only problem is we're a bunch of white girls who seriously lack the artistic skills needed to make an awesome henna design (me more than her... her's was actually really cute). So basically it looks like I just doodled all over myself. Granted, I know it will fade and eventually disappear, but it got me thinking... I could never get a tattoo. I mean, I've always kind of wanted one (and even as I write this I still kind of do), but I would get so tired of it so quickly! I haven't even had my henna on for a full day yet and I'm tired of it! Ha. It's cool though, I'm glad I learned my lesson this way instead of the hard way.

((For those of you that are curious, I'll post pic's of it later...))

In other news: TODAY I GET TO GO TO THE STATE FAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME! I'm ridiculously pumped. Things I want to do while there: eat. Things I plan on eating: Fried PB&J, a corndog (apparently it's a MUST at the fair), and a deep-fried oreo. Goodbye diet, hello fried deliciousness! Ha. I'm going to try to document it as much as possible so you all can share in my joy... plus I'm sure I'll post more thoughts on it later.

And just when you think the day couldn't get any better, I get off work at noon today! Hallelujah! I have high expectations for you Thursday... don't let me down.

Soon

I officially have a new favorite worship song. DD.

Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness
And crowned with love
When I see Him, I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I'll be going to the place He has prepared for me
Then my sin erased, my shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders round the thrown
At His feet I'll lay
My crowns, my worship
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb, the Lord of heaven

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon

Hillsong United- Soon


I could (and have) listened to it over and over again. If you haven't heard it I encourage you to go check it out!

P.S. I was going to just post a portion of the lyrics, BUT I like it so much I just posted all of it. Go big or go home!

oh how I've grown...

Today my boss handed me a card (from the enrollment celebration party that I missed today) that said the following:

"Danielle, you have grown so much! When you first came to the GSB*- as a freshman- you had a look of surprise on your face most of the time- sort of shy- pretty, okay very, quiet- a little reserved didn't know a whole lot about how business offices operate- certainly not a lot of outward confidence. But- always with a light that is shining- always with a sweet voice- sweet spirit- one that reflects the love of the Lord in everything she does. Now- WOW! Talkative! Confident! Laughs! Has a way of showing others "I Can Help!" Thank you, Danielle!"

She read this outloud to our office...and a few others. Ha. Little does she know I've always been the same talkative girl...I just needed some time to adjust!

I thought it was pretty humorous. OH, and my card came with a bookmark that has a fairy and says "get your sparkle on"! That pretty much topped it off for me ;)

Okay, now I'm off to homegroup and then studying my life/week away! Hope everyone is having a good night!


*GSB (for those of you that are completely uninformed) is the Graduate School of Business, where I work on campus.

No. Me. Gusta.

School is starting to get ridiculous. I actually had to turn down an invite to a social outing tomorrow (something I rarely get these days) so that I can stay in and study for History of Christianity test Wednesday. I'd normally just study for it the night before, but I can't because I have an event for work Tuesday night! Not. Cool.

In other news, I've watched like 10 episodes of Police Women of Broward County this weekend, and it kinda makes me want to be a cop. Seriously. Maybe I'll lead a double life one day: Children's Minister by day... Crime Fighting Heroine by night ;)

Law and Order: 4102

**In the average college students schedule, achieving a deep, restorative sleep is considered especially vital. In Dallas, Texas, the students who don't get enough sleep are members of an elite squad known as apartment 4102. These are their stories. [insert cool law and order sound effect here: DUM DUM].**


Ok, so I am officially convinced the universe was against me having a good nights sleep last night. First, I woke up a little after midnight (I had only been asleep like 5-10 minutes) feeling really nauseous. Very unusual for me, so I got up and my lovely roommate got up with me and medicated me while I sat in our living room waiting for my stomach to quit doing somersaults. So we hung out of the couch for a while...watched some TV and around 1:30 I decided I was feeling well enough to give this whole sleeping thing another shot.

Well unfortunately our fire alarm had different plans. Around 3:20am I woke up to three PIERCING beeps coming from somewhere in our apartment. I tried to convince myself to fall back asleep, but it was no use. Every 3-7 minutes we'd hear the same noise. So all four of us got up, and started searching our apartment, checking that our oven wasn't left on and burning us down, etc etc...until eventually we decided we should call security so someone could come fix our problem.

Twenty minutes later, and there was still NO security and that alarm was STILL beeping. Ugh. So we call again...waited another 10-15 minutes, until finally I decided to go out looking for security. Yea, sounds a lot more brave than it is, trust me. It turns out he was on the other side of our breezeway just standing, staring off in the distance. Well, we finally corral him in, explain our situation, and he doesn't know what to do! At this point it was pretty laughable since it was creeping closer to 4 am and we still had no solution to the problem. So he calls another security officer, we wait another 10 minutes for him to get there, and once the second guy arrives he realizes we need someone from Apartment Life and calls the "head honcho guy" who gets there in a matter of minutes.

They discussed the problem for a while (it was the alarm in my bedroom...only a few feet away from my coveted bed), and finally decided they'd have to pull the alarm out and disconnect it for the night. Which, when all was said and done, only took like 2 minutes. Awesome.

Needless to say, I didn't even get to crawl back in to bed until a little after 4, and even then I had trouble falling asleep and probably didn't actually snooze until 4:30-4:45. Leaving me with a grand total of 4.5-5 hours of sleep, with no more than 2.5 hours at a time.

But at the moment I seem to be doing ok. I slept through Greek and have every intention of trying to get off work early, so hopefully that all pans out. All I know is that at the moment I am about ready to smash the next fire alarm I see...

I love my church

Can I just say that I REALLY love my church?! After a long search for a church home, it is such a good feeling to know that I've found a place where I can plug in and really grow in the Word and in fellowship with other believers.

Last Sunday was week two in our ten week series on Progressive Sanctification and it was such a challenging (not to mention painful) sermon to hear. Matt spoke on walking in the light and in fellowship with God from 1 John, and it not only made me completely reevaluate my life and my sins, but it made me look at repentance and redemption in a completely new light (I highly recommend the podcast).

But it's not just the speaking that makes The Village such a great church home...I mean, anyone who has heard Matt Chandler can attest to the fact that he is a phenomenal speaker...but it's more than that. It's the fact that the entire church staff is dedicated to transforming people through the power of the Gospel. It's the fact that it offers and encourages deep, intimate community and authentic relationships. It's the fact that even though it has grown tremendously over the last few years, it is still dedicated to serving people inside and outside the church walls.

My homegroup consists of about 10-13 girls from DBU that are committed to serving Christ and letting Him transform their lives. It has been such a huge blessing to see their hearts and know that there are other people struggling, failing, but still pursuing an intimate relationship with Christ. I can't say enough how grateful I am to be able to fellowship and grow with such a great group of girls and to be a part of such an awesome church. I know everyone probably feels this way about their church (or at least I hope they do), but I just feel so blessed to be able to be involved with The Village.

"The Village Church exists to bring glory to God through lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We desire to live and serve as a community of God's people throughout the city of Dallas exhibiting and extending the love and hope of Jesus Christ." -Steve Hardin, Lead Associate Pastor

Restless, Reformed and Single

I don't know about you, but I know that when I'm trying to decide if someone is dateable, the first thought in my head is almost always "I wonder how the Doctrines of Grace have changed or affected his life?"!

Finally, a site for someone like ME ;)

SoverignGrace.com finds love for Calvinists everywhere

P.S. If I was ever going to use this site my name would be RighteousReformista. Just so you know.

It Burns SOO Good

Tonight, for the first time in a long time, I decided to go for a jog around campus...and it was glorious! I've never been one of those people who could just ease in to working out (or anything else for that matter) so I just dove right in. We have this jogging trail around the outer edge of campus that is perfect for nights like this. It has been rainy here for the past couple of days, so outside was misty and cool and the paths were soft and sloppy.

I'm not normally a big "jogger", but I forget sometimes how good it feels to just run. After sitting at a desk all day it was nice to just let loose.

Needless to say I came back drenched in sweat and covered in mud, and chances are tomorrow I'll be walking funny...but it was worth it :) This might have to become my new Monday night routine...

The Awesome List

Music
Michael Buble
Frank Sinatra
Patsy Cline
Johnny Cash
Ray Charles

Songs
Revelation Song- Kari Jobe (still stuck in my head from chapel last week)
Give Me Jesus- Jeremy Camp
'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (I've been singing this one all morning. SOO good.)
Georgia- Ray Charles (I could listen to this song over and over and over and never get tired of it)
Feeling Good- Michael Buble

TV Shows
18 and Counting! (I love me some Duggars)
Law and Order SVU ( they've been showing marathons lately AND the new season starts soon!)
Say Yes to the Dress
Make it or Break it (even though it's technically over, it's still playing in my mind ;))

Time Wasters
Napping (something I NEVER get to do anymore)
Procrastinating
Talking with friends
Reading about motherhood/marriage (I know, I know...I'm WAY ahead of the curve)
Cooking/Cleaning (I feel bad saying this is a time waster, but lately I feel like that's all I do when I'm at my apartment)

Foods
Fruit
Chicken
Pasta
Bucky's Fudge (two stops in one weekend! ha)

Classes
History of Christianity
Intro to Religious Education
Greek (even though I secretly hate all the work)

Phrases
Perf! (I sing-songy-say this a dozen times a day)
Look at me, Look at me! (this can also be replaced with "check me out, check me out!"... and for the record, I only say this to my roommates. ha.)
OHHHH, you would. (in order to say this correctly you must put the emphasis on the "OHHHH", and say "you would" very disapprovingly.)

Topics
Acts/The Early Church
Cooking
The future (mine or other people's)

Acts 4: 5-12

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:5-12

I have been reading through Acts bit by bit, and so far it has been AWESOME (it helps that I also get to talk about what's going on and the background of it in History of Christianity ;)). Today I got to read this, and it was definitely something I needed/wanted to read and re-read and re-read over again.

"for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved"

I get chill bumps just thinking about it.

Kaitlyn says hi!

My sister sent me this picture of Kaitlyn in an email and I'm sorry, but could she be any more precious?!

Blessed

I know I've said this before, but I am so blessed. I'm blessed to have the family and friends I have, I'm blessed to go to a university committed to offering a Christ-centered education, and most of all I'm blessed to know and live in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.


Today was the first chapel in our new chapel building, and it was wonderful. Kari Jobe (a DBU alumni. whoop ;)) lead worship and we had a string of different uppity-up's speak, but all that was to be expected. I feel like lot of people complain about chapel (probably because we have to go twice a week every week), and even though their reasons sound valid, I just don't get it. For me there is something really special about getting to worship with other believers, especially 3000 of my closest classmates ;). But seriously, today it was beautiful...there's nothing like hearing a huge group of students sing...

"Jesus your name is power, breath and living water"

Listening to people worship never gets old.

Quirks

Today I've been thinking a lot about quirks. I mean, we've all got 'em...right? Lord knows my roommates have them! What even qualifies something as a quirk? Does it have to be weird? Does it have to be unique?

All I know is that I love getting a glimpse of people's weird quirks (especially the unexpected ones!). So without further ado, here are some of my own:

1. Most of you probably already know this, but I really don't like for people to touch me unnecessarily. Example: Today I was sitting at my desk at work and an acquaintance/friend came up behind me and rubbed my shoulders for a couple seconds. Completely unnecessary and unpleasant. To add insult to injury, it was a boy. Double gross.
2. I have this compulsive desire to always be on time...even if "on time" to me means 15 minutes late. Once I have a set time I think I need to be somewhere, that's what time you can expect me. DD.
3. I could eat frozen berries by the gallon. I think I've had them every day since I've been up at school. Regular berries aren't as good...they've gotta be frozen.
4. I feel like this is a common one, but even though I can text all day and night, chances are I'm still going to be a complete train-wreck on the phone.
5. I'd rather be barefoot. All. The. Time. Example: I was reading an article the other day about how all men who agree with the complementarian viewpoint probably have wives that are "barefoot and pregnant" all the time... which made me laugh, because that's exactly what I want out of life ;)
   
6. I type out my thoughts on my leg (or whatever is closest). I'm pretty sure this makes me look crazy, but I usually don't notice when I'm doing it.
7. I don't brush my hair unless I have to. At most I'll do it once a week.
8. I learned to read by sight-reading (instead of phonetically) and because of it I am HORRIBLE at spelling, I skip letters/words when I read, and I have a terrible time with pronunciations.
9. To this day, I still hold on to the grocery cart when I go to the super-market. Especially if I'm with my Mom. Old habits die hard...
10. Even if my entire body is still, chances are my tongue is still moving. I used to play games as a kid (counting things using my tongue on the inside of my mouth, etc etc), so now I can't help it.
    
11. I crack my back every night before I go to sleep. First I twist to the right, then to the left.
12. I always eat ice-cream out of a mug. If I'm really craving it I'll go for a glass.
13. The only place I'm ticklish is on the back of my neck, and even then it takes a skilled hand...
14. Even though I'm am optimist, I always play out worst case scenarios in my head. Not the typical "what if mamaw died...", it's more like a visual image of what would happen if I fell off a motorcycle. On the freeway. Without a helmet.
    
15. This is more of a Black Death quirk, but I always assign characters in movies (and sometimes books) to people I know.
16. I always fold my trash if I can (as opposed to rumpling it up).
    

So there you have it. I probably have more, but I figured these would suffice!

P.S. Feel free to leave some of your quirks in the comments :)

Sophomore Year = too little sleep + two(ish) years to go :)

1. These past few days have been pure chaos (or at least that's what it feels like). My work schedule + my class schedule could potentially kill me...SOON. I considered posting my full schedule (both work and class) but I didn't want to sound like a complete whiny-baby, so I refrained ;). Basically, I'm just going to have to buckle down and suck it up. I know that as the year progresses I will adjust and maybe even grow to love it (cross your fingers. ha)...but right now all I know is that I'm tired. All. The. Time. I am just going to have to rely on God to really restore me physically, mentally, and emotionally throughout the year.

2. My apartment situation is interesting to say the least. I really do love the girls I'm living with, I just have a feeling this year will be more of a ministry than a living arrangement for me...

3. Speaking of my apartment, I LOVE LOVE LOVE having my own kitchen :) Definitely my favorite part so far. Also, having my own bathroom/shower again (shared with only one of my roomies) is a HUGE plus. PTL.

4. I have been driving myself crazy lately trying to figure out what I should start reading in my quiet times (because I'm completely cliche and want to have a new routine for this coming school year ;)). I'm thinking of reading through Psalms and (Fill-in-the-Blank), but I can't decide what else to read through...the Gospels? Major/Minor Prophets? Pauline Letters? I know I can't really go wrong, I'm just trying to chose one I can really delve in to...so feel free to give input :)

5. My classes are a little intimidating. I have this sneaking suspicion that Greek is going to eat my lunch (mostly because I REALLY dislike studying). Intro to Religious Education should be pretty tight (and VERY similar to the Educational Ministry of the Church, which I took last semester with the same prof. ha). The big surprise was that my History of Christianity class is almost ALL seniors, so I'm wondering if I should have been warned or something before I signed up for it...but once again, I love the prof (he taught my Christian Doctrine class), so I'm sure I'll like it. And lastly, I have Statistics for Social Sciences (YAWN!). Ugh. I hate math. I hate math. I hate math. So that's pretty much a DD....Oh, and I'm taking an online english from lonestar but I'm not too worried about that.

Anyways, that just about sums it up! I'll try to start posting more regularly now that I'm settling in to a routine.

Some lingering thougts

Today was my first official day back at DBU...

In related news, it was also my first day living in my apartment (more on this later, promise.).

So far so good. I'm tired and flustered, but thank the Lord, tomorrow is Sunday and I'm getting quality time with my mom.

P.S. I'll try to post some pic's of my new place in my next post...be ready ;)

Yahweh Yireh: The Lord My Provider

This morning I received a call from the head of the DBU Ministry student program telling me that I could potentially lose my grant money because I had to be endorsed by a church in the Dallas area that could vouch for my service and leadership over the past year. For those of you that don't know, this past year I had to go without a car and was therefore unable to go to the same church on a consistent enough basis (and be able to plug in, hold a position of leadership/service, etc etc). And even though I managed to be in a church every Sunday, there just wasn't any way for me to be in the same one every Sunday. Well as soon as I heard the news I was crushed. If it had been up to me, I would have been plugged in somewhere all last year doing ministry, but because I couldn't seem to find a reliable way to do this I had to just make do. As soon as I got off the phone with him I had to (audibly) remind myself that God has provided a wonderful job and a ton of opportunities to help pay for my college education...there was just no way He would leave me without the means to continue on after He had already done so much to put me at DBU.

And even though I knew and believed God would continue to take care of me and provide, I had no idea it would unfold the way it did...

This afternoon I received a call from the same man saying that he couldn't get me off his mind, and even though it would mean making a major exception for me, he still wanted to help me out and find a way around the problem. After we talked for a little while, he gave me a very small task to complete (I have to get a hand-written note from my pastor at NW) in order to keep my grant money and buy another year until I get the car situation worked out and I get settled in a church. Hallelujah!

I am constantly in awe of God and the ways He choses to get my attention. Though I never doubted His faithfulness, He still managed to show me just how much I underestimate Him. Praise be to God, Yahweh Yireh, My Provider!

¹⁹And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ²⁰To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4:19-20

Lights! Camera! Awkward!

Today I learned a very important life lesson... I do not enjoy being on camera (or at least I'm not very good at it)*. It kills me that some people are just naturals when it comes to this kind of stuff, because for some reason, when someone turns a camera on me I just get all awkward and clam up!

Let me just start at the beginning...

Today I was supposed to help Dwight Davis (the Missions pastor) with a video that is going to be used on the church website...unfortunately, I forgot to mention to him that I'm not really good at thinking on my feet and especially not with that amount of pressure! The question I was supposed to answer was "how has going on a mission trip with Northwest changed the way you live at home?", and in my mind I had an awesome answer planned out that would have been both encouraging and insightful...but when it came down to it I was completely lost. I tried to say words like "Jesus" or "missional" or "intentional" as much as possible, but I'm not sure I got out a single coherent thought.

Hopefully whoever is in charge of editing can work wonders!



* for those of you that remember, I was on the video team... but no, I was never very good at it.

Boston and New York City

Since on my vacay to Boston and NYC with Marie, I have noticed a few key things about life in a big city... but more specifically, life in the Northeast.

1. People are RUDE. Seriously, no one says excuse me or exchanges pleasantries, and almost everyone walks around in a foul mood ready to snap at the first person who does something to set them off.

2. You take public transportation everywhere. This is nice for some of the trips downtown where parking is scarce or expensive, or traffic is too frustrating to bother with, but for the most part, public transportation means unnecessary contact with strangers... and yea...i mean physical contact.

3. Summer here means mid 80's. This has probably been my favorite part of the trip :) the weather has been absolutely beautiful. But, from what I hear, it rains more than shines here in Boston. I'm just glad we've had good weather so far. Our first full day here was like 75 degrees with sunshine and a light breeze (aka PERFECT).

4. Generally speaking it is a lot more liberal here. Example: gay couples and anti-Jesus bumper-stickers are a LOT more common.

5. It is a lot healthier to live here than it is in cozy little Cypress. You walk everywhere (when you aren't taking "the T"), there are hardly any fast food restaurants, and people seem genuinely more concerned with their health.

6. EVERYONE here smokes. I know this completely contradicts my last point, but seriously, it's ridiculous. New York was the worst! You couldn't walk half a block without being immersed in someone else's cigarette smoke. Yuck.

7. Everything is really fast-paced and the people are really high-stressed. It seems like everyone is in their own world... a world that will collapse if they don't make it to their destination in time.

8. People in Boston don't use the letter "r" except for in words that end in "a"... then one magically appears at the end. It is kinda ridiculous. Example: the harbor= "habah" and idea= "idear".

9. Baseball is life. It is as close as a lot of people here come to religion. And it's not any baseball team. If you live in Boston, you live and breathe the Red Sox's. If you live in New York, you live and breathe the Yankee's.

10. Everything is super crowded. Whether it is the train station or just walking through downtown, you officially have no personal space once you arrive in NYC (or Boston for that matter).

Fall Sched.

I know many of you are DYING to hear what I'm taking next semester and what my class schedule looks like, so I won't keep you waiting any longer... Careful, it's pretty exciting ;)

Monday:
8-9: GREEK
12-1: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
2-4:30: INTRO TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Tuesday:
2-3:15: STATISTICS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

Wednesday:
8-9: GREEK
12-1: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
1-2: GREEK LAB

Thursday:
2-3:15: STATISTICS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

Friday:
8-9: GREEK
12-1: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY

I'm also going to try to squeeze in an online English from Lonestar and a mini-mester or two! That plus 30 hours of work a week should keep me pretty stinkin busy. Wish me luck!

A Danielle Moment

Lately, I've realized I'm a little bit crazy (and by "a little bit", I mean "a LOTTA bit"). For some reason, whenever I'm trying to explain something or argue a point, I have trouble getting an entire thought out before I contradict myself or argue against myself. I tend to just say what I'm thinking... but sometimes my thoughts are moving too quick for my mouth and I end up saying things out of order, or moving on to another thought before I finish explaining the first one. Make sense?! Yea, I don't get it either.

Here's an example of something other people might hear me say:

I would really struggle if God told me to cut off my hair.
But even if I did it I'm sure God could...
BUT THAT'S NOT MY POINT!
I don't have to do it because it doesn't define me!


When in reality, I was thinking this:

I would really struggle if God told me to cut off my hair;
1) because I can be pretty vain
2) I'm ridiculous about my hair
3) I love red hair
4) there aren't enough red heads in the world
5) girls shouldn't have to cut off their hair if long hair is their "glory"
But at the same time I'm sure God could teach me something and grow me from that experience...oh wait, everyone has that glazed over look in their eyes...wrap it up Danielle! Make this point make sense! Quote Leviticus, yell something, anything! Red hair doesn't define me! Yea... go with that. Wait, why does everyone look so confused?


So next time I say something that doesn't make sense, just nodd and smile...because chances are I don't know what I said either.

Women in Ministry

Lately I have talked to a LOT of people about what I believe a woman's role in ministry is, what I base that off of, and what I think about how Baptist churches have handled it. Since I'm going into ministry, this is obviously something that has been heavy on my heart for quite a while (two years to be exact ;)). And after all the research/soul-searching/prayer/etc., I think it comes down to a few basic principles that everyone needs to understand when they make up their mind about this issue. They aren't fun to hear for most people (especially women), but God's Word is pretty clear. I'm not saying my view is flawless, or that I'm an expert (I most definitely am NOT), but I think a lot of people (mostly women in my experience) need to be reminded of a few things when forming their opinions on this issue.

So here is what I've come up with so far...

1. Before you form an opinion, you HAVE to understand what Scripture says about women in general, but more specifically, what it says about women in the church and church authorities. Passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-14, 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 are very clear about this issue.

2. You must understand that this is not about male chauvinism or female empowerment, it's about biblical interpretation. I know that a LOT of women and men think the only reason the whole "women in ministry" thing is an issue is because of outdated viewpoints and overbearing men, BUT the reality is, it's an issue that has been around since Paul's time (and even before). Just because women have been "liberated" (whatever that means) since Paul's time, doesn't make the issue any less applicable or valid! Our flesh is deceptive, and it will always question those things that don't seem to feel right...which brings me to my next point...

3. You have to look at this issue separate from how you feel about it. Like I already mentioned, it's about what God's Word says, not how you think or feel it should be. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that as women, we have a tendency to live life based on our emotions, but when it comes to the foundational belief's of a church, or your personal belief's about what Scripture says, it is important to see beyond how you feel and really look into God's Word. Do research, ask older, wise men and women, just don't base it off how you feel. Your emotions are not the same as Truth.

4. Since we come from a generation and culture that teaches self-entitlement, it is important to make a conscious effort to break through that mindset. People are sinful and our flesh is weak...so how is it that Christians (those of us that should be the most aware of our own depravity) would think that we deserve anything? It is by God's grace that people are saved from themselves and their own wickedness, so how did we get the impression that we deserve anything other than God's wrath? Our culture tells us that we deserve things (in this case it's authority and leadership positions), when God's word tells us we deserve death.

5. We have to remember that Christians are set apart and called to be obedient to God's will and commands regardless of whether of not we understand them (Matthew 5:18-19)... I had to remind myself of this a lot when I was searching through scripture looking for "answers". God has laid out a plan for humanity through his Word. I don't understand why some things are the way they are because I am not God. His ways are higher than our ways! I will never understand why people feel that they can pick and chose what scriptures to believe and honor based on convenience. I'm sure most of us have been guilty of this at some point, but when you recognize it for what it is, it's ridiculous! Sure it may be easier to pick and chose what you believe or practice, but God is omniscient. We have to be satisfied with our belief that God is good and wise and wants the best for us!



Now the rambling begins...

The main argument I have heard in favor of women in authority positions over men (in churches) or pastoral roles, is that, when scripture talks about women in ministry, it is talking about a specific group of women at a specific point in time. I've been told countless times (even by professors at my Baptist school! ha) that it was culture/tradition/etc. that influenced Paul's words. I would be a fool not to acknowledge the specific instances Paul was addressing, BUT I also believe that God has established a set system for the way he desires the Church to be run. Isn't it possible (and maybe even probable) that God would chose to use these specific instances to inspire Paul to speak His words of Truth? In 2 Timothy 3:16 it says that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". That verse serves as yet another reason we should not take lightly God's instruction... even though it may seem "inconvenient" or "unfair" or even "sexist" to us.

I also don't understand how people can justify looking at this issue from a purely cultural standpoint and not other issues. If 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is only addressing the women in the church of Corinth, then who's to say homosexuality wasn't a problem that was only applicable to that time and culture? A lot of churches and denominations are dealing with this very issue...in fact, the Episcopalian Church is dealing with it right now just like the Baptist Church is dealing with the "women in ministry" debate! When we start dissecting God's Word to the point of declaring what is and is not valid, we walk a fine line. Again, WE ARE NOT GOD.

I realize Scripture may not give us a black and white diagram of what women are and are not allowed to do, but it does give us principles and guidance for deciding what is and is not Biblical.



My personal conclusions...

It has taken me a LONG time to come to my conclusions, but I have finally reached the point where I feel grounded in what I believe about this issue. I would be lying if I said this process was easy...it was really hard. It challenged me, stretched me, and made me really look at what I believe about God's Word, His character and Biblical interpretation as a whole. When I first felt called into ministry I pleaded with God to change His mind because I didn't know what or how He could possibly use me, BUT he was faithful and pursued me, and after a lot of prayer, sifting through Scripture and Godly council, I am confident that God has made a place for women in the Church. I could list "jobs" that I think would be appropriate, but I'd rather not. If you really look at Scripture and believe in the infallibility of God's Word then I think it's relatively clear. The Bible has laid out some things women should do, like in Titus 2, or the countless examples of women raising up children in the Truth. Unfortunately, a lot of people (including myself for a long time) focus on the negative aspects and the things women have to "miss out on" or are "forbidden from doing". The reality of the situation is that it's a hard Truth for a lot of people, but it is Truth nonetheless...


So what do you think? What are your views on women in ministry?

Random Bits and Pieces

I don't know what is up with T-Mobile lately, but ever since I got home from school, I NEVER seem to get signal in my house. It is really annoying. I almost always have to walk around or mess with it till I can score some bars. LAME.

In other news, this week has been really crazy so far. VBS is next week and there are a lot of things that need to get done that can't be done until last minute, so yea, it's been pretty intense. BUT I am so excited about VBS! I have never been a part of one (and I can't think of a single reason why...mostly just me being too shy or intimidated to get involved), so I am really pumped to see how it all unfolds.

Reasons I think it's going to be awesome:

1. It's a "Bible times" VBS.
2. Bible costumes!!
3. NW ususally has over 600 kids. WOW.
4. Different rooms for "the underground church" and Paul.
5. The curriculum and verses we are using are powerful.
   

My prayer for all of this is just that God puts the kids there that needs to be there and that we are able to use whatever means available to share the Gospel and hopefully help kids understand Scripture more fully. Gah. I love Children's Ministry.

Oh, and P.S. tomorrow night we have a "mad scientist" coming to put on a show for our Summer in the Zone night!! SOO TIGHT. We're also having a contest to see who can dress up as the most convincing mad scientist. Pretty sure it will be the highlight of my week. Have I mentioned how much I love my job?!

:)

Sin

Last Friday marked the due date of my mammoth research paper on sin...and I am SO glad to be done. The basis of the paper was supposed to be about why it is important to talk about sin and why Christians seem to always focus on the "negative". I chose that prompt out of probably 15 others because it was the one that most appealed to me, and even though I procrastinated till the last second (like always), it was still a really fun* paper to write. One of my sources came from one of John Piper sermon's, called The Greatest Thing in the World: An Overview of Romans 1-7. You should check the whole thing out, but what really caught my eye was this description of sin...

The glory of God is not honored.
The holiness of God is not reverenced.
The greatness of God is not admired.
The power of God is not praised.
The truth of God is not sought.
The wisdom of God is not esteemed.
The beauty of God is not treasured.
The goodness of God is not savored.
The faithfulness of God is not trusted.
The promises of God are not relied upon.
The commandments of God are not obeyed.
The justice of God is not respected.
The wrath of God is not feared.
The grace of God is not cherished.
The presence of God is not prized.
The person of God is not loved.

The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist (Rom. 11:36) - who holds every person's life in being at every moment (Acts 17:25) - is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed, and dishonored by everybody in the world. That is the ultimate outrage of the universe.

*By "fun" I mean the kind of fun where, after hours and hours of research, you can still be completely floored by how awesome and full of mercy God is and how wicked and depraved we are.

Competitive Much?!

For as long as I can remember, I've always been SUPER competitive. I blame it on an entire childhood spent playing sports and the fact that I'm the youngest of four, but to be honest, it effects pretty much every area of my life. Recently, I've been trying to figure out appropriate situations to express my competitiveness...here's what I've come up with so far:

Good Times to be competitive:

1. When sizing up strangers to see who I could defeat in a random (but necessary) street fight.
2. When playing sports with other competitive people...not to be confused with playing sports with non-competitive people.
3. When showing honor (as long as your motives are pure and you don't lose sight of the ultimate goal).
   
4. While doing random things that don't matter (aka "who can finish washing their hands first", or "who can write the funniest thing on the birthday card", etc)
5. When saying outrageous things in the appropriate context.
6. When trying to get some much needed work done.
   

Bad Times to be competitive:

1. When eating. This is a really bad habit to form! Ha.
   
2. When playing sports with people who aren't competitive, or are just really bad.
3. When saying outrageous things in INAPPROPRIATE situations (still working on this one).
4. When no one else wants to compete.
5. When doing something that no one else cares about (like writing a paper or doing office work).

Typically, when I'm competing with people, they are completely unaware. I will just have a running tally in my head of what's going on. But sometimes I compete without knowing it...Marie is pretty good about calling me out on this one. Ha.

So what are some other situations/times that make it ok (or inappropriate) to be competitive? I'd love to hear from some other people on this one...

Oh hello, SUMMER!

So summer has officially started! Woop! I started interning on Tuesday, and so far I LOVE IT. It's my first time really working in children's ministry, and Stephanie (the CM) is keeping me really busy and is really good about explaining why she does things and the logistics of everything, etc etc. I'm totally eating it up.

Wednesday was our first event, and it was a really good one to start out on since it was the end of the year party...and since my life is one big party, it was like having two helpings of awesome ;)

There is just so much I want to learn this summer! Gah. I just hope I retain it all and God uses this to help me in the future.

This weekend should definitely be a fun one. Tomorrow I plan on sleeping as much as possible, then potentially a movie with people that night. Saturday I'm going to a wedding, then a grad party. Then on Sunday I have my first experience in Kidzone! Ha. I'm a little late, but it's better late than never, right? Anyways, I have every intention of blogging regularly once I settle in to a schedule, but I have no idea when that might be. There will definitely be some basketball posts in my immediate future...just a warning ;)

True Story

The other night I got to go on a late-night adventure with some friends...I don't know if I can fully convey the awesomeness of that night, but I'll give it a shot.

Let me start by saying that for the last couple of days there has been this HUGE fire off I20 (the highway we take to get anywhere and everywhere) and as far as we could tell no one knew what it was or why it was there. The first time I saw it, I assumed it was the beginning of a forest fire because it's surrounded by trees on all sides, but considering it hadn't spread in a couple days, we knew it had to be something else.

Monday night some girl friends and I decided to go grab some coffee around 11, and on the way back to campus we decided we were feeling adventurous and wanted to find out where this fire was coming from. It took us quite a while to find out where it was coming from, but we finally found the road that led to it...only problem was it was REAL sketch. It was a one-way dirt road with really tall trees lining each side (basically the same type of road they use in every horror movie). Needless to say we had come too far to give up, so we decided to call some burly "man" friends to come and help us finish out our adventure...something about just the three of us girls going down a dark road in the middle of the night didn't seem quite right ;) ha.

I kind of thought we were going to stumble upon some type of KKK rally complete with a huge burning cross...but I'm a sucker for an "adventure" so I just pushed this thought to the back of my mind. Well once the guys arrived we all hopped in to the back of one of their trucks and headed on our way (picture 5 college students hanging on for dear life). Anyways, we finally made our way back down that path and we could actually FEEL the heat before we could see it, it was that intense. Then, after what seemed like forever, we reached this HUGE clearing and saw what looked like a GINORMOUS birthday candle*. So there we were, standing in awe of this tunnel of flame, when we noticed a truck on the other side of the clearing making its way in our direction very quickly. Ha. So we ended up having to maneuver our way out of there ASAP.

It ended up being a pretty exciting...mildly anticlimactic, but overall it was definitely an adventure to be remembered.

*Apparently they were burning fossil fuels

SUMMER? Yes, please.

So my plans have changed...yet again. Ha. But now they're even better than if I would have tried to plan them myself.

I just found out (kind of last minute) that I am going to be able to intern after all! I was dreading not being able to intern somewhere, but felt like I had to do summer school all day, so I didn't have many options. I even turned down an internship earlier in the year because I felt like I HAD to do SS. Thank Goodness God had different and better plans in store for me :) I'm really looking forward to interning in a children's ministry (especially considering that's what I'm thinking about doing for the rest of my life. ha) and I'll still be able to go to Boston/NY with Marie (woop woop!) AND take a summer school class online! Gah. It's perfect.

And as if that wasn't enough, I got offered a new position at work that is pretty stinkin sweet! It's going to mean 30 hour work weeks, and working full-time during our breaks, but it will more than pay for itself. Seriously, it's like the best position you can have on campus as a student :)

On a related note, I'm starting to realize I need to loosen the reigns a little bit. I have my life so tightly mapped out that it's getting a little ridiculous (can I get an Amen from my fellow control freaks?!). I'm sure my little plans make God chuckle...well I guess it's either that, or He is going to smite me for my false sense of independence! ha.

Anyways, I just figured I'd throw an update out there. I know you guys live and breath for this stuff ;)

Tuesdays are for...

...stealing molly's idea's ;)

I feel like blogging (which is rare these days) and since my brain is complete mush after these last few days of nonstop homework and work, I figured I'd just list out some current faves for you guys...but to be original, I'll do lists of four! ha. Enjoy :)

Boy Names

1. Noah
2. Elijah
3. Micah
4. Caleb

Girl Names

1. Grace
2. Delilah (don't judge me)
3. Rebekah
   
4. Bethany
   

Phrases

1. come get some! (said in my best ghetto voice)
   
2. hey boy, hey! (compliments of my RA)
3. thebomb.com (usually preceded by "we are...")
4. better than ever (because 19 feels SO good ;))

Short-term Goals

1. Do well on ALL my finals
2. Maintain my GPA
3. Sleep at LEAST 6 hours a night (this one probably won't happen)
4. Figure out my summer situation

Long-term Goals

1. Graduate (duh)
2. Work in ministry somewhere...anywhere
3. Marry and procreate
4. Be everyone's favorite grandma

Things about DBU

1. My classes
2. The wonderful people I've met
3. Having prof's who care enough to invest in students on a personal level
4. Campus

Things to do

1. Talk to people (what can I say... I'm a talker ;)
2. Sleep
   
3. Watch random movies (this one is hit or miss with me)
4. Procrastinate.

Musicians

1. Ernie Halter (my #1 for 3 years now, and he's STILL not getting old! ha)
2. Amos Lee
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Jeff Johnson

Songs

1. Arms of a Woman- Amos Lee
2. Hosanna- Hillsong
3. Darlin' I- Tony Lucca
4. Feeling good- Michael Buble
   

Things to talk about

1. Biblical Womanhood and scripture v. evangelical feminism ;)
2. Other people's love stories
3. My future
4. SUMMER

Blessings

1. DBU and being able to study something that really excites me
2. My job (as much as I complain about it, it has been steady and SUCH a help)
3. Having an amazing family that is supportive and willing to challenge me
   
4. Awesome friends that bring me so much joy :)

Most Interesting Classes (so far)

1. Old Testament
2. Educational Ministry of the Church
3. Intro to Christian Ministry
4. New Testament (sadly, this is in spite of my prof)

Movies

1. Fireproof (because it challenges me)
2. A Beautiful Mind (because it's my classic)
3. Far and Away (because Jeremy finally chose one I'd like ;))
4. Arranged (because I love learning about different religions...and an arranged marriage is REAL tempting these days! ha)

Foods

1. Soup...even though it's not soup weather anymore :(
2. Mocha Maddness ice cream
3. Really good bread...like the German Dark Wheat wholegrain bread I have stashed in my room.
   
4. Cheese Enchiladas (because #1. they're delish and #2. I only get them when I am home, so they always go along with me and my rents "debriefing from college" talks :))

Things I miss

1. My parents
2. My friends from home
3. Big Love *sigh*
4. My bed

Things I need to do more of

1. Prayer
2. Cardio
3. Studying
4. Sleep

Random things I want to do over summer

1. Go camping...unchaperoned just cause I can.
   
2. Go tubing...because it's thebomb.com.
   
3. Cooking and Baking...on a regular basis.
   
4. Watch movies...lots of them.
   

Pastors I listen to

1. Mark Driscoll
2. Matt Chandler
3. Josh Patterson
4. John Piper
   

Productivity...

I am finding it increasingly hard to be productive. I'm just counting down the days till the end of this semester :) I am overdue for a little vacation. But before that I'm taking Christian Doctrine in a mini-mester, which I am REALLY excited about! woop woop! I think it'll be better if I just bullet my thoughts at this point...

• I starting to enjoy Christian rap. Yea. Judge me if you must.
• I have my first (and hardest) final Thursday! Yikes!
• I am SOOO ready to be out of college and in ministry somewhere (but that is a subject for another blog...)
• That being said, I still love my classes and the things I get to learn. It is such a blessing to be at a Christian school learning about the things I'm most passionate about!
• I have a new favorite ice-cream. Me gusta Mocha Maddness.
• It is ridiculous how many sermons I've listened to and books/articles I've read lately on the relationship between husbands and wives.
• Speaking of husbands and wives, I totally aced my research paper on Ephesians 5:21-33 :)
• I love babies (Just in case you forgot). And I am real excited about spending time with my precious niece over summer!!
• Oh, I am super-dee-duper excited about starting greek next semester. but I am also a little nervous that it's going to eat my lunch.
• The Spurs are already out of playoffs. It was tragic, BUT I am glad they get more time to rest and start rebuilding the team before next season. I feel a post about them coming up in the near future ;)
• I can't wait to reunite with BD over summer!! woop woop. Nothing like being home with besties!
• I've had a strong urge to play sports lately. I think it's because I've been couped up indoors writing papers and such.
• If I have to write this many papers every semester for the rest of my college career I would probably consider dropping out.
• I am really bad at procrastinating. Case in point, I have 7 papers/reports due tuesday and I've only done one of them.
• I pulled my first all-nighter last week...well almost. I ended up going to bed at 5am and waking up at 7am, but I still count that as an all-nighter. ESPECIALLY considering how much I like sleep.
  
• I am really sad I'm not interning anywhere this summer, but I keep reminding myself that this is only one season of life, and hopefully I will spend the rest of my life working in a church or being a part of ministry somewhere :)
• Verse of the week: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5
  

Lies I've Believed

Lately I have been reflecting and working through certain lies and misconceptions I have bought in to over the last few years. Lies that I've believed as a Christian woman, and lies that I think many Christian women believe. This is not an attempt to debunk Paul's teachings that women should be quiet in the church (or argue with any scripture for that matter!), it is just my way of dealing with the way I think our church culture has perverted and manipulated certain scriptures and principles. I am merely speaking from my own experience, so feel free to disagree.

Lie #1:

To have a gentle and quiet spirit, a woman should be practically mute. Strong personalities and women that are boisterous or outgoing are not walking fully in the light, or they are not as holy as those women that tend to keep to themselves.

Let me start by saying that I understand and recognize the importance of using discretion when choosing what you are going to say. Proverbs 13:3 says that, "Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin", so there is a clear Biblical call to use wisdom and good judgment when choosing what to say and when to say it.

However, what I think this has been turned in to is a scale with which to measure a woman based on her personality. In other words, women that are outgoing or talkative must be falling short in this area. I realize this might not be as common of a belief as I think it is, but it is something that has bothered me for some time. Why should a Christian woman be looked upon as inadequate or unwise simply because she is spirited? Sure, there is an extra responsibility that comes with an eagerness to talk, but wasn't this woman's personality shaped and molded by her Creator? Or on the other end of the scale, why should a quiet, reserved woman be put on a pedestal simply because of her quietness?

Women, like men, are endowed by our Creator with certain characteristics and gifts. I believe that even though culture and society can have a negative impact and shape certain (sinful and unbiblical) qualities in us, we are first and foremost the craftsmanship of God. He has equipped and prepared everyone in unique ways, and it is in these differences and similarities that the Body is made complete.


Lie #2:

Modesty is centered around a list of rules and regulations (as opposed to a pursuit of holiness).

This is just another form of legalism, and I am just as guilty (if not more so) than everyone else that has viewed modesty in this way. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most girls find the issue of modesty a controversial and fuzzy topic. Personally, I grew up being taught that it was my responsibility to control the thoughts (and lust) of the men and boys around me based on how I was presenting my body. That is an enormous responsibility, and one that I don't believe to be fully Biblical. I do believe that Christian women have a responsibility to their Christian brothers to help guard their hearts from lust and temptation...but it is impossible for a woman to know or control someone else's thoughts.

This is where I believe legalism steps in. It is so easy to think "well as long as my shorts are this long" or "no body part is overly exposed, so I should be ok". But that is not what the Bible calls us to do. There is a reason that there isn't a concrete list of do's and don'ts in terms of modesty, it's because it is so much more than a list of rules! This is a lesson I'm still learning and something I pray God continues to affirm in me, I just think it's extremely important that Christian girls (and women) learn that modesty starts in the heart and our clothing is just an outpouring of that.