College 101: Get an Awesome Roommate, Like Mine

My roommate is awesome! She's been teasing me that I haven't washed my sheets the whole time we've been here, and then I confessed that I've been putting it off cause I don't like putting the sheets back on. So today after I washed them, I was sitting here doing homework and she told me she wanted to make my bed! So she did! =) Kate is great! =) Lol...

This is Annoying!

Ok so I had this all in three separate paragraphs because it's about three separate events, but everytime I post it, they all combine into one!! So sorry about the confusion, I do know how to write, my computer is just a butt.... Anyway... So I really love this picture =) It's Kate, me and Monz after our shopping/studying day at the Woodburn Outlet mall! We had a blast! All of us our wearing new Roxy sweatshirts that we got for sweet prices! =) Woodburn is a good meeting place because it's about half way between Monz and I! =) I love to see Monz and I love to hang out with my roomie =) I love them both! =)

Today was Church at the Park again and it was awesome! I've really connected with two woman, Christene and Crystal. Which you could pray for both of them. I know specifically that Christene has voiced that she's having a rough time and I've even hugged and prayed with her while she's cried. And Crystal seems to need prayer just as much. But it's awesome to connect with these women and just love them and be their friend! As I left today Christene told me with tears in her eyes that God had brought me to the church for a reason...which really humbled me!

And the homeless people are so giving! They have almost nothing, yet every week someone comes with little treasures they've found and gives them away to someone else just because they know it's something that the other person would love! They have next to nothing yet they still give and think of others! Today Tammie, another woman I've connected with, put a purple plastic girl's bracelet on my wrist. I'm definitely going to be wearing it all the time because it is a great reminder of the servant heart!

Jason and I have also decided to memorize a verse together every week, so he picked our first one, it's 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." I love that we're memorizing verses together =)

College 101: Dad's Have Wisdom

This is a direct quote from my dad's email to me Sunday:

"Wow- you sound like your dad studying so much. One truth though, like anything in life, you get out of it what you invest in it (this applies everywhere except the stock market)."

I miss you dad! And I love you lots!

Dorris Ranch, Springfield OR

So I know the picture is hard to see who is who...but starting in the back from left to right its:

Jen, Kaitlin, Grace, me, Courtney, Amy, (now front left), Becca, Jackie, Jocelynn, Heidi, Becca and Mel.

We had a super fun meet in the rain (of course...this is Oregon!) at this nut orchard! It was so pretty and the trails were really nice to run on!

I got personal best for a 5k: 20:21! (My old best is something like 20:54) So that was exciting! And it's just the beginning of the season! I was our teams 3rd runner again too! =)

So I guess the tradition for Coach T-Dub's (basketball coach) birthday is to come to open gym in crazy outfits...needless to say I'm in cross-country still so I didn't get to participate, but here is Kate and Sunshine!

"Just A Walk Across the Room" thoughts

I have to read "Just a Walk Across the Room" by Bill Hybels for my Evangelism class, and I am loving it! It is VERY challenging to my faith though! Ponder these two quotes...and see what they do to your heart!

"...even the most 'Christlike' Christians on the planet will be totally ineffective unless they get near people who are living far from God."

"...the potential is colossal. Think of it! One more treasure-a priceless human being-might be snatched from the clutches of a horrendous, lifeless eternity because of your work. So go! Go right now and bear witness. Sow the seed. Take the walk across the room. Leave what's comfortable for that which is eternally significant. Risk your life for this, and know that you will never regret your decision."

College 101: Expect Initiation

me with some of the upper classmen xc runners (L to R) Jen & Amy

fellow initiated freshmen (and one first timer sophomore) from L to R: Heidi, Jackie, me, Kaitlyn, and Becca (there are two other freshmen girls not pictured: Mel & Grace)

Cross Country Initiation!! Yay!! We were expecting a morning practice at 6:30am, but at 5:36am I wake up to a cell phone shining in my face a a girl crawling over me saying, "Get up get up you're late for practice!" Looking at the clock, I knew I wasn't late...and it hit me...INITIATION!! We were herded down to the parking lot, blindfolded, taken in a car, dropped off on the side of the road, and told to run back to school (of course they removed the blindfolds!) Thankfully, the pointed us in the right direction! =) It was about a half hour run, and it's actually kinda fun and pretty to run so early in the morning!

Once we got back to school they made us breakfast =) and we received our outfits that we have to wear ALL DAY! A bag to carry, a crown and a t-shirt that they cut into weird shapes! My shirt says "Princess of the baller kingdom." It's actually make me laugh to see all the weird looks people give me, or to walk into class and hear the teacher say, "Our princess has arrived!" Haha

Now I am officially on the Corban Warrior's Women's Cross Country Team!

PS: I wore a t-shirt under my initiation shirt all day...in the picture though I'm wearing my swim suit because I had just changed to get ready for practice, which is aqua jogging =)

Samson & Delilah

This is Delilah. She (it's actually a he...but don't tell him that!) is named Delilah and she is very pretty and blue! She has a little castle in her tank that she loves to swim under! My room mate Kate also has a beta fish (in a different tank of course) who is very handsome and red! His name...is can you guess? Oh ya I told you in the title...it's Samson!

Silver Creek Falls

The Montana girls! Left to Right: Kyra Brown (from Conrad), me (obviously), and Emilee Grubb (from Bozeman)

These are pictures from when our Core Group went to Silver Creek Falls during orientation (so a couple of weeks ago) It was SO BEAUTIFUL!

"God Most High is stunning, astride land and ocean... The powers of earth are God's- He soars over all." Psalm 47:2, 9

If you would like to comment with a piece of scripture or song that looking at these pictures of God's wonderful creation makes you think of, I would love that!!

I Met a Drug Dealer

Today I went to the Church in the Park for with homeless. Nika, this girl across the hall from me went too. It was totally...different...than anything I expected.

People smoking and doing drugs at church.

A guy with a mo-hawk of dreads who introduced himself as "Horse Sh**."

He also had his name (as well as other things) tattooed on his face.

A cute lady in a wheelchair admitting she is a drug addict and was a dealer.

People broken and needing the love of God poured out into their lives.

Pray that I can be a vessel of God's love poured out for these people. That I won't be afraid to let God use me. That I can have the words to say, words that just build relationship and bring dignity. That I can have the heart and compassion Jesus had for the lost, broken hearted, and poor in spirit.

It was a very eye opening experience. But I can't wait to go back! To go back and talk to Misty, Tammy, Brett, Caroline, & Steu and all the others. To learn the rest of their names, and their story, and their needs. To love them like Jesus does.

Lewis & Clark Invitational, Estacada OR

Well we had our second cross-country meet today and this one was a 6k! I ran a 26:22 (which is actually not that great...averaging 7:04 minute miles...but ya...) and I was 3rd on the team and 69/107 girls. Our Corban girls team was 8th and we beat George Fox (ha Monz!) Speaking of Monz, she was there!! That was such a nice surprise! And I'll get to see her tomorrow too at the beach party!!

Tonight I'm going to Salem Alliance Church with Kate and Sunshine and tomorrow I'll go to "Church at the Park." It's this service that the Church of Emmaus puts on for the homeless and they also serve a meal. And starting next week I'll be helping lead worship for them! So I'm excited about that ministry! They basically just try to build relationships and give the people dignity...and love them like Jesus would!

"...for to love and live beloved is the soul's paradise..." John Winthrop

I was reading this for my American Thought & Culture class, and it fits so perfectly with what God has been teaching me- to love and serve people! The whole article Winthrop wrote was really challenging and good!

From left to right: Kate Tracy (my room mate), me!, and Sunshine (aka: Katerina Nilo, she's from Greece!!) All of us are friends and we all play basketball =) This picture is from the volleyball game the other night =)

God...this is my prayer...

"And I want to add to the beauty

To tell a better story

I want to shine with the light

That's burning up inside

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful"

(borrowed from Sara Groves)

I now understand the meaning of this quote: "a friend is someone who knows the song on your heart and can sing it back when you've forgotten the words." Today I got to hang out with Monz and Corie and Kate and her best friend Mikayla at the Oregon State Fair. It was totally awesome...but it also made me realize how much I miss Monz and my family and Jason, and how much I miss being around people who know me and how I work and what I struggle with and how I think and all...who know what I'm trying to say even when I cannot find words...

For those of you who have never been to college or want to live vicariously through my college experience, I will occasionally be posting tips to aid you in your experience or memory recall.

College 101: Poor hungry college student needs dinner. After volleyball game (that students get into for FREE...ya that's right...free entertainment!) the concessions stand wants to get rid of hot dogs. Bam- you've got yourself free dinner!

We had our first cross-country meet today! It was just us and Warner Pacific, so it was pretty small =) the course was on our campus and it was only a 3k (1.8 miles). It was raining SO HARD we were all soaking wet but it was a blast!! Mud splattered legs are the best! =) I love that we start the meet with prayer and our girls team sings this song...

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love"

So that is just really cool to publicly glorify God before we even start running!

And...don't get to excited cause like I said it was a SMALL race and a short course...but I was 5th overall and 4th on my team! =) I even got a shirt that says "top 7 finisher" =) God is great! =)

The above picture is Josie on the first day of third grade =) They had gotten back from Oregon late the night before, so she was very tired! =)

Yes this is a camel and yes it is by my campus. Drive less than 5 minutes past the campus and there you find a rich attorney who has a fetish for exotic animals! He has a coupe camels (and a baby one!) and some zebras...and that's all we could see through the fence =) So who knows what else he has! =)

The above pictures are of my dorm from the outside, the lobby in the dorm and my dorm room. My roommate is Kate Tracy a freshman basketball player from Idaho. We roomed together for the basketball camp and then requested to be roommates cause we got a long great! Our dorm is the only co-ed dorm on campus (=() but they are separate wings obviously! It's called "PVG" or Prewitt Van-Gilder.

This is random pictures of class rooms and paths and the gym and chapel...and some of the MANY stairs! The campus is on a hill...so there are A LOT of stairs!

We started classes on Wednesday...a lot of homework! So far classes are mostly good. I'm taking Old Testament, Evangelism (probably will be my favorite!), Freshman Seminar, Speech, Anatomy & Physiology and American Thought & Culture (probably my least favorite!).



I've met a great group of girls between the ones in cross-country (Becca, Courtney, Jen, Alethea, Grace, Josilyn, Amy, Kaitlyn, Becca S., & Mel), my roommate Kate, Claire and Rian from my freshman seminar (core group), and Emilee and Kyra (from Montana!!!), so that has been a huge blessing!



Cross-country is going great! The coach thought I would really benefit the team but after watching me practice he said I'll do even better for them than he thought! And the girls are so nice! We had a girl-team bonding time tonight where they lead us in prayer and gave us our uniforms and cute team bracelets =) We also have an encouragement partner that we have to do special encouraging things for throughout the season! I love the dynamics of our girls team =) We have our first meet tomorrow, but it's pretty casual. It's at our campus and only one other school (Warner Pacific) is coming. And I guess we're gonna "team" run it anyway, so it won't really be an all out race...



Chapel this morning was really neat... We had it outside and it was a worship chapel with verses shared for you to reflect on. They also asked us to reflect on what God has been doing in our lives for the past couple years and that was incredible to think about! God has been doing some amazing things...and the most amazing thing is He isn't even finished yet!



Well I've got to go to homework now =)