I'm leaving tomorrow!!

I can't believe it!!

I'm finally heading out tomorrow!!

It feels like I have been looking forward to this for so long and now I'm actually going!! If you can't tell, I'm really excited!!

Thank you all so much for your love and support as I prepared to go. All of you who gave so generously to my support and to my book project, you have overwhelmed me completely!

So you know, I have send $600 to the Crosspoint office to sponsor 1 Bible student for the year and I will be taking over $1000 to India to spend on books for the orphans!!

You all have been way too good to me, which points my focus straight to our God who has been way too good to me and to all of us!!

Thank you for reminding me of His goodness through your generosity!

I love you all and I can't wait to get my next post up!! Coming at you from CA or India!!!

And to leave you with a picture-- this is what my packing looks like. I'm actually done earlier than I would have expected. With enough time to blog. Last year I was up till like 2 in the morning packing.

Sewing

This is a little random-- I'm sure you were expecting me to post about leaving-- that will be next!!

Since school let out, I've been feeling the desire to be crafty. Not serpent in the garden crafty, but Martha Stewart, make your own stuff crafty. Or as Summit people might better understand-- Jen Thompson crafty.

My brother also recently moved into his own house, so I decided to make him some curtains. It took me forever to get around to it, but they turned out really well. I enjoyed the project and I'm excited to start my next one.

My next project-- quilting with Veronica!

I choose hope

We all know that the world can be overwhelming. 

At times it seems there is nothing that we can do about all the pain and suffering in the world. 

It seems that if we let a little bit in, we will be engulfed in a flood of helplessness, too paralyzed to do anything worth while. 

Today, I choose to not be paralyzed. 

I choose to not be jaded by the evil in this world. 

Today, I choose hope. 

Instead of focusing on the suffering children in the world, I will remember those who aren't anymore.

I will remember the sweet face of this little girl who loves to dance and say her memory verses

She has hope. 

On this little boy, who no longer has to worry about where his food will come from or what is going to happen to him now. 

He just plays "double, double, this, this" and smiles for my camera. 

 He has hope. 

Tonight, I'm not going to be overwhelmed by the 26 million children who are suffering, who are lost, who are lonely and in pain. 

Because for tonight, 76 is enough. 

Because, for now, its enough to know that there aren't 26 million orphans in India, there are 25,999,924.

And for tonight, that is enough. 

What do you need to choose hope in tonight? 

Don't let the world defeat you, hope in Jesus, hope in the truth that we believe and hope for a better tomorrow. 

I life my eyes up to the hills. Where does my help come from? 

 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 

Psalm 121:1-2 

A little wisdom from Anne of Green Gables

Last week, I went over to the wonderful Michal Rudolph's house to watch the first half of Anne of Green Gables (we need to finish it sometime next week, Michal!!) This was one of my favorite movies when I was younger and let me tell you, its even better all as a (sort of) adult.

Anne is such a character. What a sweet, innocent child. My friend, Ellen, pointed out, that despite everything that this little girl has been through, she is hopeful, imaginative, and happy. Somehow, she managed to avoid some extreme mental scarring.

But that's not really what I want to write about.

I was struck by something while watching the movie.

If you have seen it, then you will remember that sweet Anne hates her red hair. She thinks that it makes her hideous. Personally, I think that she is a beautiful little girl, and I used to long for pretty red hair like her's, but she hated it. She even tried to dye it black, but it turned out green.

At 2 points in the movie, other characters mocked her because of her hair. The first was her adoptive mother's friend and the second was Gilbert Blythe. In response to these comments (Gil called her "Carrots"), she verbally attacked the friend and broke her slate over Gil's head. It isn't until the end of the movie that she finally forgives Gil for his comments. (They end up married- but that's a different, wonderful story.)

Her responses seem extreme, right? Anne is just over dramatic, right?

At first glance, I would agree. But when I thought about it a little more, I understood.

These characters unintentionally picked on the very thing that Anne hated the most about herself, the things that she constantly was telling herself. When Gil called her "Carrots", he was repeated and cementing the thoughts that plagued her. He was validating the thing that she already thought- that she was ugly. That her hair made her undesirable and hideous.

Has this ever happened to you?

Has anyone ever unknowingly, hit that extremely raw nerve and confirm your worst fears about yourself?

Maybe, not. Maybe I'm just as dramatic as Anne, because I know that this has happened to me.

And I know how much it hurts.

I know how much I wish sometimes that I could break a slate over their head in response. (not really, you get my meaning)

But then I started thinking- What if I'm not Anne, what if I'm Gil?

Have my words unknowingly hit that raw nerve in someone's heart? Have I unintentionally found the thing that someone hates about themselves the most and then just flaunted it to the world? Have I done that intentionally?

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 
Proverbs 12:18


A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 
Proverbs 15:4

Believe me when I say, I am writing this more to myself than for anyone else. More times than not, but tongue is like sword thrusts, hurting instead of building up.

I need to think before I speak. I can't tell you how many times my mom told me that growing up, and not just saying mean things, just saying things in general- like Anne, I like to talk and don't always know when to stop.

Discernment in speaking is something that I need, its something that a lot of us need. So lets ask for it. Lets ask God to give us the wisdom to know when to not speak, when to just be quiet. Because even a joke, a little bit of teasing, it can be the thing to make a girl with pretty red hair do something completely stupid and end up dying it green.

I want people to say this about me:

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 
Proverbs 31:26

If you had no idea what I was just talking about, PLEASE go watch Anne of Green Gables. It is wonderful!

This song always makes me think of it. (random)

Last one!!

It was a tough night of babysitting- we had to make a mcdonald's run afterwards. The kids weren't bad- there were just a lot of them in a small room. 

Before the Brook Fraser concert.

Brook Fraser. love her

 

KG making cookies before bed. 

Packing up my life. 

And I finished off my year in pictures with a picture of me and my stuff. Since you all tell me that I don't put up enough pictures of myself. 

And I'm done!!! (sorry if you are using a google reader, especially Bemi in Senegal!)

Thanks for sticking around this year! I had a great time sharing it with you all. I hope that you keep checking into the blog every once in a while!!!

Love you all!!!

Almost done!

Studying for my Geol lab final. So very glad to be done with that class!!

I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning to do this project. I had to redivide the 50 states. Sounds simple- it was not!

My awesome friends that I worked with in International Friends. So excited for all that they are doing now!! 

Studying with the roomie for our Geol final. Can you tell that we were not enjoying this?

I think this is after a Nerts tournament at the Rudolphs house. My brain was pretty fried at this point from exams. 

Bemi and Becca at Torrero's in Durham- the best Mexican place around. then we went to Local Yogurt-- all things wonderful in one night!

Sweet KG getting baptized! Such a wonderful thing to see. Not going to lie- I teared up. Actually, I almost starting crying during JD's sermon when he was just talking about baptizing her. Love this girl so much and I can't wait to see how God uses her in years to come.

And some more

Bemi and I stuffed a whole bunch of Easter Eggs while watching the latest Harry Potter film-- is there a better way to spend on evening? I don't think so! 

This picture doesn't do it justice, but the Bell Tower at night is absolutely beautiful!

So happy that I didn't have to do this!!Another benefit of having an apartment/living off campus-- no more gross meal plan!

Cooked some of my friends Indian dinner, they wanted it and I needed a cultural event to write about for Hindi-- sounds like a win win to me!

Oval park covered in Easter Eggs, the hunt lasted like 10 minutes tops! Every year, the West Club campus does an Easter Egg hunt for the neighborhood. They love it and we love a chance to serve our neighbors!

Bunny cake for Easter Sunday. Not the point of Easter, but a fun tradition!