Much Ado About Autumn Again.

Last Thursday, we had our first big A.S. event for the year: Much Ado About Autumn: A Talbot Family Celebration. It was so much fun! Many families came, and it was a joy to be able to celebrate God's provision and just have fun. There was a bounce house, petting zoo, games, food, and drinks. At the end of the night, we had a more intimate time of prayer and worship to just praise God and give thanks for what He has done in our community.

We also had "Ebenezer" stones where families could write how God's provided for them.

Even though it was busy preparing for the event and during the event, I thoroughly enjoyed everything we did. I remember last year, when I was so stressed out during this first event - feeling like I was crumbling under the pressure, that after it was all over, I just felt like hiding in a hole and never coming out. I am thankful for the team that the Lord placed around me, that even when I felt weak, that they loved and supported me through it. I am thankful that there are signs of growth this year: that I didn't feel stressed out and that I was able to enjoy it.

I love seeing Talbot students and faculty with their families - seeing the different sides of these men and women as fathers, grandfathers, mothers, grandmothers, husbands, and wives. I love seeing kids and parents playing, singing and dancing. Oh to be a kid again! Such simplicity and such joy! I love being able to worship God and praise Him with other students. I enjoyed coming together with the new A.S. team this year, co-laboring with them in this ministry. It makes my heart full of joy and gratitude :)

It's begun...

My 4th year at Talbot.

Last semester in the M.A. Bible Exposition program. Starting my journey in the M.A. in Spiritual Formation program.

I've been meditating on Psalm 1 recently:

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

¹Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

I've been reflecting on how God's grown me in the past year - how he's been rebuilding a stronger foundation after the foundation I thought I had crumbled to pieces - how He's deepened my roots like a tree and now I actually see fruit, and I am so grateful :)

God is so good and faithful, and His steadfast love endures forever.

Even just looking at the change of how I actually was able to really enjoy Welcome Week this year, instead of being so crazy stressed out and wanting to withdraw like I did last year, is exciting to me.

New A.S. team. We had our planning retreat at Hilltop last weekend. Good times. Amazing people. Excited to see how God's working and how He will work this year.

I'm Biola official.

It's official.

Yesterday was my first day being a staff person at Biola, working as the Assistant to the Manager of Recruiting and Outreach of Graduate Programs - Graduate Admissions. I get to tell people how amazing Biola's grad programs are and convince them to come here.

It's pretty sweet how God has provided this opportunity for me. I'm super thankful :)

*And if you or anyone you know is interested in Biola's grad programs, tell them to call me ;)

Jacaranda Trees.

6.1.11

The first day of June.

“Look at the trees, Papa. They’re purple!”

“Yes, sweetie, they are purple. Come on, don’t dilly-dally. Mommy’s waiting for us.”

“O.K., Daddy, can I just pick up one flower from the purple tree? There’s so much on the ground.”

She went under the tree, picked up one of the small blossoms on the dewy ground, feeling the wet flower on her fingers. She pulled the blossom apart, leaving only the innards- bare and exposed.

“Come on, sweetie, we need to go. Pick up your pace. Hold my hand.”

She dropped the flower on the ground, and stepped on the blossoms that lined the floor. One step at a time, she felt the squishiness beneath her feet, as if she were walking on a kind of carpet. Looking under one of her shoes, she saw that there were flower bits all over the bottom. She scraped the flower bits off on the curb.

“Daddy, can we have purple trees in our backyard? I want to have a purple tree.”

“Sure, sweetie. You can have a purple tree.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, of course. Now, come on, keep up.”

So, she ran to catch up with her father who was now three feet ahead of her. She walked two steps for every one of his large strides, walking doubly fast to keep up with him, and she held his hand.

Dabbling in Photoshop.

Now that I actually have time on my hands (whoo! I love the summer), I've been dabbling in Photoshop with a recent picture that I took at Mt. San Jacinto National Park in Palm Springs:

Original picture:

With a Sepia overlay:

Making a Fujifilm Velvia effect:

For Good.

(A.S. team at Talbot Baccalaureate)

After a weekend of graduation celebrations, the song, "For Good" from Wicked comes to mind as I know the friendships of this past year have been so influential in my life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQJaZO2nfGg

(Elphaba):
I'm limited
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
For both of us - now it's up to you...

(Glinda):
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made from what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you


[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/for-good-lyrics-wicked.html ]

(Glinda):
Because I knew you

(Both):
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for

(Glinda):
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

(Both):
And none of it seems to matter anymore

(Glinda):
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

(Elphaba):
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

(Both):
Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

(Glinda):
And because I knew you...

(Elphaba):
Because I knew you...

(Both):
Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good...

Congratulations to the Talbot Class of 2011. I will miss you very much!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

(Picture from http://theblissfulpixel.com/blog2/page/2/)

A wedding.

A dance party.

A bridal shower.

A graduation.

Times of celebration. These are the moments when I realize that despite all the hardships and pain in life, there are also such great times of joy and laughter. I love being able to celebrate the good moments in life and I am thankful for these times of fun :)

I love being able to dance without inhibition in a place I am comfortable with around good friends.

So fun!

I also celebrate the past year - seeing the areas of growth in my life, seeing how I'm so far from where I was a year ago, when I was struggling so much...Taking one step at a time towards growth wasn't always fun, and many times it was hard and painful, but now I look back, and see so many benefits...

I am so thankful for the Lord's grace through it all. He is truly so good to me.

And I will celebrate His love.