Move in!

The last few days have been long and packed with new places, faces, and information. I moved into my IWU dorm in Kem hall on Friday morning. So far, this is what it looks like. :)

Goodbyes Coming Soon

IWU Freshman move in is tomorrow [eeeek!] and my fam leaves for Honduras on Tuesday. Now, anyone who can do basic math knows that PACKING x 5= CHAOS! Right now our little condo looks like a tornado blew through. *sigh*
(this is just a small bit of my lovely, condensed packing...)

Feeding Swans

Think Small

As I finish up the book "The Irresistible Revolution," I find it hard to pick just one of the hundreds of quotes and topics I have highlighted throughout the book for a discussion. the whole book is really very discussional. Mom says it is because i have to say exactly what i'm thinking in order to process it (she thinks i talk too much...imagine that). Regardless, i have a lot to say and very little space (ok, not true. I will probably write more later....limitless space on the internet...). So here goes just one of the many thoughts rolling around in my head (thank you, shane claiborne).


"It is easy to fall in love with the great things..."
The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

How often do the big things catch our eye? The grand house at the corner of the ritzy neighborhood, the suped up sports car cruising by your own car, the colorful new gadgets lining store shelves, the superstar athletes winning the shiny gold... All the time. As humans we rarely notice something that is not "big," "in-your-face," "wow." We forget to stop, take a breath and notice the greatness all around us in the small and simple things of life. Greatness often comes in small packages. In the smile of a small child, the cheeriness of a ladybug, the gratitude of a struggling beggar, in the simplicity of a stable.... Claiborne says it best:

• We have a God who enters the world through smallness-- a baby refugee, a homeless rabbi, the lilies and the sparrows. We have a God who values the little offering of a couple of coins from a widow over the mega charity of millionaires. We have a God who speaks through little people-- a stuttering spokesman names Moses; the stubborn donkey of Balaam; a lying brothel owner named Rahab; an adulterous kind named David; a ragtag bunch of disciples who betrayed, doubted, and denied; and a converted terrorist named Paul.

Dont forget the small people and the small but beautiful details in the creation all around you. God uses it all for HIS glory. See them all through HIS eyes. Don't miss it.

Treasured Times

Thursday, August 7th - Saturday, August 16th

My boyfriend Ronnie and his eleven-year-old brother Jake were able to make their very first trip to Indiana last week. It was a wonderful but very busy week packed with trips, activities, and family. It had been over two months since I had seen Ronnie so I was quite anxious to see him.

My family and I picked up Ronnie and Jake on Thursday afternoon. From the airport, we headed off to our first great adventure; McCormick's Creek. My family has spent time at McCormick's Creek every summer for as long as I can remember. It was exciting to share the experience with Ronnie and also give him time to bond with my family and my "second family" the McCullough's. And he did. He fit in like he had been there all along and so did Jake. While Jake, Cori, and the McCullough kids were off riding bikes and playing games, Ronnie and I were able to hang out and catch up with the family. We all had a wonderful weekend staying in the McCormick's Creek "Family Cabins," hiking, swimming, and hanging out as one big family.

Things didn't slow down after a weekend at McCormick's Creek. We were back in Indianapolis for a few days from Saturday to Tuesday. I made it a point to show Ronnie my world as he had done with me in Oklahoma. We stopped by my old house and school and attended my home church on Sunday morning. We met up with Alex, a friend of Ronnie and I from Honduras too. Shopping, movies, ice cream, and swimming were at the top of our to-do list in Indy which was quite a bit to pack into so few days. Of course, we managed just fine. J

Ronnie has clicked with my family from the very beginning and Jake was no exception. The true test would be meeting much of my mother’s family in Ft. Wayne. And of course, my social, charming boyfriend and his cute, quirky brother had no problems. Ronnie and my grandpa clicked especially well. My grandpa loved having someone to show off his collections too as they two shared many of the same interests. Grandma loved having someone else volunteer to cook for a change (Ronnie and I made a big breakfast for everyone one morning). Our time in Ft. Wayne was coincidently a reunion of sorts as many relatives from out of town were in Ft. Wayne visiting my grandparents. While others were occupied with family history, Ronnie, our siblings, and I (along with Grandpa and Dad) amused ourselves by feeding the swans and ducks and watching movies.

The end of Ronnie’s stay came far too quickly. Before we knew it, we were saying our sad goodbyes yet again. We still don’t know how long it will be until we see each other again. Hopefully not too long! J For now, school is our priority as we both realize it is where God has placed us.

I am so glad I was able to spend some time with my Ronnie and Jake before school starts. What a wonderful end to my already wonderful summer!

McCormick's Creek

Indianapolis

Ft. Wayne

Striving

I don’t know about you, but my family and I have been keeping up with the Beijing Olympics. Whether it’s watching Michael Phelps swim for his 8^th gold or seeing Shawn Johnson’s flawless gymnastics performance on the balance beam, I stand in awe of the world’s greatest competitors. I cannot even imagine the time and preparation it must take to compete at such a level. I see the tiny Chinese girls flipping through the air and the muscular Jamaicans running faster than I could ever dream. But isn’t that the point—to go beyond your dreams; beyond what is humanly possible? To do something the world will remember you for? Perfection? Of course it is. No matter what nation you come from or what religion, the ultimate goal is the same; perfection.

What is perfection? Is it possible? Ask any athlete if they have achieved complete and total perfection and I can guarantee that they will say “no” (well, if they don’t say “no,” they are lying…). But why? Because perfection is impossible for everyone… except Christ. Christ stands alone on the Gold-Medal Podium and no one else even comes close.

So why compete? Shouldn’t we all just give up and go about our pitiful little lives as the “spiritual losers” we really are? NO! Christ is our example. He gives us something to strive towards, something worth fighting for. He gives us hope for something beyond our lives and a dream and vision to chase after with all of our hearts. He gives us the coaching we need to get through all of life’s hurtles. He gives us something worth remembering; something perfect. It’s worth fighting for. Are you willing to fight for it?

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

(more verses: James 5:11, Hebrews 10:36, 2 Peter 1:6, Romans 5:3-4)

Family Fun and Favorite Food

Aren't road trips fun!?!? Well I think they are, even if I do sleep for the majority of the car rides. The fam and I traveled up north last week to visit family and friends. Our first stop was near Rockford, IL to see friends Mr. and Mrs. Davis. The friendly couple recently made the move from Indy, North when Mr. Davis got a new job. We have known then for many years from our church and also from a small church group that met in our home.

Next stop, Oshkosh, Wisconsin to visit Mom's Aunt Suzy and Great Grandma Charlotte. Swapping stories with Aunt Suzy, dinner with Great Grandma, shopping (of course), and a trip to the EAA Airplane Museum filled up our 3 day stay. Then we were off North again.

Visiting Uncle Erwin, Aunt Janette, and cousins Lindsay and Hailey in Minnesota took up the majority of our trip. We stayed in Minnesota for a total of 5 days. We, of course, made time for shopping at Mall of America and IKEA (my favorite!). We also experienced a neat dog show at the Lumber Jack Festival. Hahaha, that sounds so....wood-sey. It was fun though. On Thursday, we went to a park called Taylor's Falls. It was on the St. Croix river and had walkways all around massive "pot holes" I had never seen anything quite like these pools carved into huge rocks. We hiked around a bit managing to get ourselves lots at a point. Obviously We made it back. LOL. Some of my Aunt's friends invited us all over to their house on the St. Croix on Saturday. The house was a hundred year old river cabin with a beautiful view. We canoed around played in the clay for quite some time. It was a very peaceful getaway.

And what would a family trip be without a Concepcion FRY FEST?!?! Nothing, that's what it would be. So we had a fry fest complete with Dad's arrepas, Uncle Erwin's almojabanos (my favorite food in the whole world), and Aunt Janette's grilled chicken. :-) Then our trip was complete and we could drive the 10 hour trip home with full tummies. I cant wait until the next family road trip to see my amazing northern family!

The Irresistible Revolution

Lately, I have been reading a book called “The irresistible Revolution, Living as an Ordinary Radical” by Shane Claiborne. The book is a mandatory summer read before I start at IWU this fall. It has a wonderful message and has been very thought provoking. I agree with the heart and motive of this book (caring for, living among, and sharing with the poor) but often wonder if Claiborne’s philosophy of “living in community with the poor” and living a lifestyle of a community untouched by the world is slightly unobtainable here on earth and [dare I say] communistic? Community money pools, rejecting all foreign made clothing, bartering hours of work instead of money, rejecting government help…. It is all a little bit far out and perhaps unnecessary. I don’t mean to sound as though I am “slamming” Claiborne’s book. His heart for the poor and Jesus is beautiful, passionate, and genuine. His insights and experiences are testimony to the works God is doing all around the world. I am learning a lot from this book, both through the typed words and through thinking beyond the pages.

I decided to share a few of my favorite quotes so far from this book. Some are sad truths, some are very wisely worded. Ponder them. There will be more to come, I am sure.

Rich [Mullins] stood up in chapel and said, “You guys are all into that born again thing, which is great. We do need to be born again, since Jesus said that to a guy named Nicodemus. But if you tell me I have to be born again to enter the kingdom of God, I can tell you that you have to sell everything you have and give it to the poor, because Jesus said that to one guy too… [and he paused in the awkward silence.] But I guess that’s why God invented highlighters, so we can highlight the parts we like and ignore the rest.”

In our culture of “seeker sensitivity” and radical inclusivity, the great temptation is to compromise the cost of discipleship in order to draw a larger crowd. With the most sincere hearts, we do not want to see anyone walk away from Jesus because of the discomfort of his cross, so we clip the claws on the Lion a little, we clean up a bit the bloody Passion we are called to follow.

…everyone can be a Christian but no one knows what a Christian is anymore.

“God comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable.”

I learned a powerful lesson: We can admire and worship Jesus without doing what he did. We can applaud what he preached and stood for without caring about the same things. We can adore his cross without taking up ours. I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor.

We are just one little cell within the body, very full of life but only a small part of the whole. Cells are born and cells die, but the body lives forever.

Gerd Theissen calls the two groups the “wandering charismatics” and the local sympathizers.” The wanderers were traveling apostles and relied on the support of the sympathizers. Both shaped the early church. They did not look down on each other. They sympathizers did not write the wanderers off as radicals or freaks, and the wanderers did not judge the sympathizers as sellouts. They loved and supported one another.

There are Matthews who encounter Jesus and sell everything. But then there are also the Zacchaeuses who meet Jesus and redefine their careers. So not everyone responds in the same way, but we must respond. We must seek our vocation listening to the voice of God and the voices of our suffering neighbors.

We need converts in the best sense of the word, people marked by the renewing of their minds and imaginations, who no longer conform to the pattern that is destroying our world. Otherwise, we have only believers, and believers are a dime-a-dozen nowadays.