Life, Liberty and the Choice to Trust Him when it matters

There is a deep underlining question that often plagues the pondering heart: Is this the direction that God has for me?

I have been recently faced with such a question--and have brought too many possible solutions to the table, that things are getting a bit crowded. Does God want me to take a year off college, or go to Aurora university? And if I am to take a year off, where? And what to do with the year? Would I live with the guys from Boer in their house? Would I go abroad and join the Peace Corps? Would I find myself in some European country and peddle for room and board? I have been bogged down with overwhelming uncertainly that I need a clear and decisive answer to come streaming from the clouds above and say, "THIS IS THE WAY!" Obviously, this is not to be.

So I have been praying to God through all the confusion and doubt...what to do. "Give me a clear sign God," is basically what I said to Him. Well, it seems that God likes answering my prayers. I have been getting message after message from preachers or sermons, or slight of conversation about trusting God. Is there something that I am not trusting God with? Is there an area of your life that you aren't ready to let go, or want so bad that you can't wait? To be patient may be the hardest thing. To trust in God that going to Aurora and leaving all of my closest friends (and by closest, I mean people I have laughed with, cried with, and done stupid things with that I will never forget. We are talking closer than some people I have known for my whole life.) is the right decision. To say, "God, you got it, and I can't second guess the timing that you have for me. I can't try to make what I want, happen. It is my time to leave. I have done what you wanted me to do. God, I have been more blessed in this place than I have ever been in my lifetime. I cannot give you more thanks than I have breath in my body. Let my life be a lifesong for You.

Trust in the one who sees everything that is good for you and laid out the plan. Follow His ways.

Ode to the Man we Lost

Last night we lost another good man to the bonds of matrimony. Okay, so he just asked her to marry him, but WE STILL LOST HIM! Last night, we tailed Mike Bosscher and his girlfriend Valaree around Grand Rapids, taking pictures everywhere they went. We went into coffee shops and parks, nature preserves and the actual house where he was proposing in. It was crazy stealthy, and I don't think that they ever saw us. We also were there as a certain moral support--being a physical presence wherever he was.

The whole night was great. We got some good pictures, but alot of bad ones, haha. After that I went into Ben Dykstras room and Nikki, Erica, and Dan Prins were in there. We just played on the accoustic and mellowed out--making up songs and just fooling around. It was a great night. BUT...it was bitter sweet.....because..we lost Mike. Farewell Mike, we knew you well.

Congrats!

Zombies? Yes. I think I shall.

So Saturday was great. Besides wasting half of the day around doing homework, ha. No, but it was good. It was a normal day of relaxing and enjoying the freedom of the great day called Saturday.

After homework though, we headed to Johnny's to grab a snack for the movie we were going to watch. We had decided that since we had already seen the second zombie movie--Resident Evil-Apocalypse, then we might as well see the third one, Resident Evil-Evolution. This was a movie packed with blood, zombies bitting people, making them into zombies, shooting zombies, taming zombies, and just plain zombies. It was okay, but for those squeamish to blood and zombies popping out of no where to scare you, I wouldn't recommend it. After that, we headed into The Cody Cove to talk some more, cause thats what men on 1st Boer do...we talk deep. yeah-you wish your floor did.

For what it's worth, I am so blessed with the guys that God has sent me. I will not only never forget them, but will never forget what I have learned from them. Thank You God for them and thank you for lighting my path.

Peace and Love to you guys

EP

Cinematography and Co-ed's

Wow, so yesterday was interesting.

I went to my friends dorm in BHT to finish the movie Munich. It was really good. I loved the cinematography in the film. The shots were super thought out and intentionalized. Yeah, I just made that word up. Anyway, I recommend it to a mature audience who are interested in a very interesting story of the after events of the Munich incident.

After that I went to go pick up my Friday students from Kenya. I showed them around and gave them the quick tour of the place. I wasn't always around for them and for that I regret, but I was told that they had things planned out to do. Anyway, they were tired and they slept most of the day.

After finishing a movie in Jeff's room, a friend from third Boer--my dorm, we went downstairs and hung out with some girls from our sister dorm. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the whole night. And it wasn't that there were girls, but that we were able to come together and just talk about stuff. It started out as a game,but we started getting into some serious discussion. I really liked what we talked about and it felt really good to have an awesome Friday. Can't wait for tonight, ha. Who knows, maybe it'll be better!

Shaken Up

Today, in DeKalb, Illinois, a young man opened fire in the campus of Northern Illinois University. Five people were helicopter rescued and taken to the hospital. The thing is, my sister was right there when it all went down. She was coming out of the building early for a class and heard something that sounded like gun shots. She kept going, thinking that it was weird that she had thought just a few days ago how strange it would be to have a shooting at her campus. Suddenly Nicole heard screaming. Then she saw people running out of the building. She asked a guy coming out what was happening. He said that someone was shooting inside of the building! Then my sister saw a severely shaken girl come out of the building saying that a professor, who was bleeding out of his arm, told her and the others to get out Now!

My sister was fine. I thanked God that minute when I talked with her on the phone. She was shaken up. She couldn't believe that this happened. She was right there! Thank you God for your wings of protection. God, I don;t know what I would have been able to do if she was hurt or killed. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

People. Pray for the victims and their families right now. They need that prayer. That small prayer of comfort and care. Thank you


Updated Reports
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/15/
university.shooting/index.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/
story?id=4293081&page=1

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/
us_and_americas/article3372540.ece

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/14/
gunman-opens-fire-at-n-i_n_86734.html

Naps, and GoldieLocks

Ahhh, the feeling of the mid afternoon nap. Yet to my knowledge is there a force that makes you feel as refreshed as a pile of snow hitting you square in the face. I was sleeping all through Art History today, and I felt terrible. After it--I clicked my heels back to my "no place like home" and plopped for a good hour. I had to set an alarm otherwise I would have been even more drowsy later. So I wake up, and I feel ready to take over the WORLD!! Muahaha ha.....ha....yeah, so naps are something I am seriously considering for my permanent schedule.

In other news, I was chosen along with two others to complete a mission. i chose to accept it, so that it wouldn't blow up in my face.....................okay, lame. Anyway, so the mission was to follow our fellow RA around and take pictures of him and his girlfriend. Why you may query??? Because he is going to freaking PROPOSE!!! We follow him around town for the whole night and snap them in ice rinks, on the streets, and finally in the house where he is going to serenade her. It feels slightly like that game, Splinter Cell because we are sneaking around all over the place and we can't be seen! It is a highly dangerous mission that we so code-named, GoldieLocks, but we are willing to lay down our lives for the cause. I'm pretty stoked!

Mediating the unseen

Well, a few nights ago I was involved in a massive statewide battle of phone calls between friends and family involving a very touchy issue. Eventhough this is a blog, and most likely no one is seeing much of this, I still have confidential matters to keep in mind. ANYWAY, when I was done talking for the night, I found myself utterly and completely drained of any strength to move, think or care about anyone. I found myself at a loss for any words, as I have never been "helped out" before.

The only thing that I could even think about doing was going to God. I had to just sit before him (kneeling was too much at the time) and ask for peace. I needed more peace in that moment than I had ever needed it before. When He started giving it to me, I found that I was weeping. I was weeping hard. It was like He was telling me that He's got it. he was telling me that He was going to mediate the unseen and fix everything from now on. I didn't have to fix it--even though that is exactly how I felt.

I am doing better now. Much better. I just need to remember that when I become overwhelmed--don't ever forget God. He is right there.