it's spring and i like it!

it's spring! and i like it!

we had pickadate tonight (aka pickafriend if you want to be less awkward =P...basically you and your friends surprise each other with "dates" and it's just a fun way to get to know new people)
i went with my friend matt from momm, we all had a lot of fun...picnicing at john bryan and playing the walmart game and catch phrase...good times

life is good....New Testament test this week...i've learned a lot in that class....so thankful for my school.
and for the gorgeous weather and summer plans and friends and relaxing times and life :)


ooh, and i'm on a nichole nordeman and beach boys kick right now. in case you wondered. beach boys are just fun. and her music makes me want to spend time with Jesus...and i like that in music .

i guess we call it spring fever...

struggling to focus these days and ready for break i spose :-). a good week though.

we're planning a pickadate for this weekend. it's exciting to see how God's answered prayer and brought details together...i didn't really think we could pull it off for awhile there. should be interesting and none of us willetts girls know the secret of who we're going with yet...hooray for surprises!

much to do right now. not much concentration to do it.

pray for God's guidance for the future, this summer, next semester, my life please?

i got into all the classes i wanted next semester...big answer to prayer!

off to finish the speech i'm giving tomorrow. have a good night.

"this is my Father's world"

discontentment vs. contentment vs. apathy...
i feel like i swing back and forth between the two ends and don't stop for long enough in the middle, but i'm learning about that.
i was reminded tonight of how very, very much i have. and how very little others have. and of the ones who are given much, much is demanded. i'm still not sure what that means in my everyday life, but i'm thankful for the reminders to pray and for people who show me how to give.

in other news it's time to register for classes soon...my advisor says i'm even kind of ahead of schedule apparently which is nice...and i just sent in my application to counsel at camp this summer...in California. I just spend earth science lab today looking at maps and it's true--California is all the way on the other side of the continent...but if God takes me there i'll get to spend a few extra weeks with my family before i leave and i would be done in time to come back for family camp! so prayers would be appreciated as the director looks through applications. i also have been given the opportunity to lead a discipleship group again next year and i'm really excited about that, and jen (my roommate to be) and i just signed up to lead a getting started group of freshman together. looks like it will be a fun year!

but only if i get past this lack of motivation and get homework done! gnite all =)

oh and He gave us beautiful weather!

ramblings turned grateful

what to say....another week of school gone by. twas a good week, i felt very productive and organized and that's always a nice feeling. it was good to be back at my own churches again and see people i hadn't seen for awhile. i'm thankful for my relationships right now....being at Midtown worshiping with people I love and then being at Creekside with more people iwhat to say....another week of school gone by. twas a good week, i felt very productive and organized and that's always a nice feeling. it was good to be back at my own churches again and see people i hadn't seen for awhile. i'm thankful for my relationships right now....being at Midtown worshiping with people I love and then being at Creekside with more people i love....both times it just kinda hit me while we were singing how much i love being surrounded by these people who mean so much to me and being in unity and being able to worship together.
i'm thankful for my school....for the fact that i have to take a New Testament class and for all that i've learned there this semester. like that justification means declared righteous. not really one of the big things you expect to learn in college, actually i'm pretty positive i knew that before. but my prof mentioned that a week or two ago almost in passing really, but it hit me hard....declared righteous. incredible.
i'm thankful for times of contentment. for how far God has brought me this year. how much He has taught me. i remember sitting down with a friend at some point this year and talking about how if we all knew the things that were going to happen this school year a lot of us probably would never have wanted to come. but so much good has come from it. i've changed and grown much this year. there have been tough times. stretching times. hurtful times. but so much healing too. God has taught me things in the midst of pain that i don't think i would've learned other ways. (and He's taught me in the good times too!) there were things i thought i understood that i've had to face in a whole new way. like what forgiveness means and what loving like Jesus means. and obviously i don't understand it all now, but i don't think i ever realized how much of it i didn't understand before, if that makes sense. and it's encouraging to look back and see the struggles change...that things get better sometimes and that even though i get frustrated with needing to learn the same things over and over, there's growth along the way.

so yeah, mini-summary of the life of elizabeth in sophomore year and it isn't even over yet, but that's what was on my heart today... i have been blessed with so very much....so many good memories from this year....so, so much in so many ways.....and i'm really glad to be here

break was wonderful...when i'm not so tired i'll try to post some pics and fun stuff like that.

i just found out tonight that i didn't make DC this year. kinda disappointing and kinda relieving but i'm convinced that God's will was done...that decision was very covered in prayer. it was exciting to see who did make it though, because i'm praying about/planning to lead a small group again next year and i would learn a lot under some of those girls. a lot a lot! so that's exciting!

the weather is beautiful.

the ocean was beautiful!
we were there for 3 days and it was amazing to get to see the changes in the ocean and the colors and the sunrise and the beach! twas beautiful!

and yet i have time to blog =)

these days.
when i'm so busy that i feel like i don't have time to even sit down and think.
make me so very thankful for long walks back from class!

"so i cast all of my cares upon You.
I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet.
and anytime I don't know what to do,
I will cast all of my cares upon You."

i'm thankful for good friends, family, upcoming breaks, growing pains, and Jesus:that He's there and makes it worth it.
that came out soudning cheesy. but i'm worn out and it's so very true. =D

"oh how i long for that day"

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

"give me one glorious ambition for my life...to know and follow hard after You"

just wanted to let you know my interview went well today; it was encouraging to talk to the director about different things. i'll found out after spring break who made the group. it was really nice to talk to him though and hear about the team...i'd be really excited to make the team this year or even next year. i really hope that's where God's taking me. so thanks for praying and please keep praying that God will give wisdom in the decision making and that his will will be done.

i have a question. and i've been wondering about it for a couple weeks now i guess. but if you have wisdom and insight to share on it, i'd love to hear. i want to know why it's okay for me as a christian to buy two pairs of shoes when there are people starving and people who haven't heard about jesus and it is possible for me to live with just one pair. there's more to the question than that, but that's kinda the simplest way to put it i guess. i wonder. and it confuses me. any thoughts?

hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather! happy monday!

so i love ludlow falls...

i pulled out the camp applications to fill out tonight....looks like thats how i'm going to spend my summer! it's exciting! i'm having a hard time being motivated to apply right now though, because i want to be at my kids kamp. i really want to be there. but the good news is that i should be at family camp. so i don't really have anything to be upset about =). and maybe i'll even get to be at kids kamp too...who knows =). my mom talked to me about it today though...so i'm going to apply. should be much fun...i've wanted to do this forever!
tomorrow i'm interviewing for a spot on the Discipleship Counsel next year. if i get it i will be leading a group of the girls who lead bible studies on campus. if i don't make it i'm planning to be one of the leaders who are being led under a DC member again. either way would be wonderful! please pray that God's will will be done there tomorrow and as our Ministry leader makes choices =D.
i got to do cedarmania this weekend, and go to a surprise bridal shower for my DC leader from this year, and celebrate for bethanys bday, and go to Sunday School with Miss Judy and the boys, and go sledding (even though i only went down once ;D). twas much fun, but i'm sleepy still....time to head towards bedishness.
gnite

i smile...

today i am thankful that God gave me:
good friends

good conversations that i don't expect

postponed tests

pretty snow

a wonderful bible study

girls for girls' night

valentines

boxes in the mail of homemade cookies

emails from family

His forgiveness and patience
twas a good day. hope you enjoyed it too. gnite now.

some of my very favorite people when we went out for bethany's bday supper =)

sophomore year hospital run #3

jen got very sick and very dehydrated last night.
we talked to my RA and then i called campus safety and then the ER then 911 and they came and took her in the ambulance around 2:00AM.
they even let me ride along which was very nice especially cuz it was really snowy and we couldnt take student cars out.
they got her on some IV and drugs and then released her, so the two of us got home around 5:00 this morning...
it's an interesting story, and i'll tell you about it sometime if you ask =).
but she's feeling much much better today! hooray!
and i had gotten a lot of sleep the night before but i was exhausted that afternoon and didn't know why so i had napped for almost two hours which was great cuz then i had plenty of energy to have a good old fashioned allnighter with jen at the hospital haha. God knew that i needed sleep even when i didnt.

i have a sleep addiction i think. i want more all the time.

we have fun playing on the stairs

reasons today was good...

family/gma time
saturday brunch with friends
ben's bday party w/ more friends
phone time w/ maggie
midtown/ time w/ God
supper w/friends
having a fun drive back with mel and jessica and ben's mom ;)
running to get to the play
You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
sitting on the stairs talking
cranium
zack's run-in with the statue


cinnaberry...it's the new haircolor =)

thoughts

ah, january...it's almost gone. this semester is going by so fast, so often i feel like if i could just get caught up and get ahead i could slow down and enjoy it, but there's so much to do. but it's still been good, though in a different way from last semester. not as much time with friends, probably mostly because we're all busy, but i miss it. i miss our sunday afternoons picnicing and our walks and stargazings. but i enjoy the willetts times and the walmart games and the "dates" with friends and the good talks. i get up earlier this semester even though i don't have classes before chapel...i have breakfast with nathaniel one morning and i go to the gym with mel another morning. it's good.

but i feel disconnected almost this semester. kinda like i keep going through the motions of life, but i like i don't talk as much now. and that's hard. i get tired, but nighttime is my talking time when i want to have deep conversation about life and God and people, but my nightime talking people don't talk to me at night anymore and i miss that alot. but it can be good too...it's starting to teach me to go to bed earlier, which can be a good thing i spose. and it's good to spend that time talking to Jesus. so much to talk to Him about right now too...

i see some of friends from growing up years..some who i never knew that well and some who were some of the best friends that i've had who are changing and who aren't seeking God. i don't understand the change. what happens that causes that? little steps away? big bad choices? what do i do to make sure that who i am isnt just the environment i live in, but that it's who i really am? it hurts to see people change, to see relationships change. some of it's good...sometimes i love change...but i don't always know how to respond to the changes that shouldn't happen. or to those people. and that hurts.

it's been a kinda nostalgic semester...certain times i used to spend talking with friends are over mostly now that those friends have moved on in life...i miss them...but it gives lots of times for thinking. a lot of good memories of lots of different years of life to think about. and the conversations i do get to have with my girls here are encouraging...so very much to enjoy in life right now and even to look forward to in the future. life is grand. i'm enjoying it. just sleepy tonight, hence the kinda melancholy post.

i like it here. =)

thanks for praying! one of the girls found my lost library books today while she was cleaning out her desk! saved me $70!...i was feeling really bad about making a stupid mistake that would waste that much money, but God provided in perfect time so that i hadn't gone to pay for them yet! hooray!
and now i can get my library privileges unsuspended. =P

how we know i'm not ready to be a mother - or a nursing major...

my roommate started feeling sick wednesday night...i never even saw her awake on thursday because she was in bed almost all day...she's been sick ever since, and this morning was the worst yet....she didn't sleep much last night and it hurt to breathe, so we had the EMT come on up this morning and he sent us over to buy her meds and they helped for a little while, but we made an ER run tonight...they got her on antibiotics so she's feeling much better now. thanks to all of you who prayed. we'd appreciate more prayer that none of the rest of us will catch any of it...i think the final diagnosis was strep throat, a sinus infection, and an ear infection or two. crazy stuff. God sent people to help at all the right times...it was an eventful day and i'm a little beat...but it's looking like the rest of the week will be a little more relaxing =).

and hey guys, it's winter! it even snowed! yay!

i smelled the smell of camp today.
it kind of makes me want to be there. actually so does talking to camp friends and family at church and quizzing.but that's what august's for i spose. and maybe even june...who knows

i'm missing two library books...i have about 6 days to find them. pray, please? much thanks.
this weekend i talked to a good friend or two who are still in high school. tomorrow i talk to one or two who are going to graduate from college and be married in about the next six months. where am I in life? good friends who are living with their parents still and good friends who are becoming parents...it's messing with my mind

ps i like it here

ah , break.
it's been good. it really does go by fast, but that's okay. i miss school friends when i'm home, but i'm content here. i tend to be happy when i'm at school and not ready for break and then i come home and i'm pretty happy here and not necessarily ready to go back.

i love to sit here by my window...it's the epitome of midwest-ness out there (except there's no cows, hmmm oh well) but i love to see it. i can see forever...just fields and fields and trees and sky...a few stray cars now and then, but it's soothing to hear them drive by. on days like today i can see the raindrops sticking to the tree branch out my window and see the puddles all around...and later in the afternoon the sun will start to go down and the sunset is gorgeous through the trees and it gives my room this golden glow....and then at night the stars will come out...theyre so bright out here....and it's all so peaceful! mountains are pretty and canyons are awesome, but theres just something serenely beautiful about midwest scenery.
hmm that was sappy.

well, i think this break has almost accomplished it's purpose....i came home really, really drained in so many ways and i'm feeling recharged. amazing what sleeping and thinking and praying and sleeping all day can do for a person. i thought of lots of questions over break...about life, and motives, and emotions, and choices. i think i even came to some conclusions. came up with some goals for next semester. we'll see what happens. it's been good to catch up on time with God over break....it's different when life's at a slower pace...gives me more time to think about what i'm learning...not at all that He doesnt teach me when life is going faster, because i definitely learn then too....i just don't get the time to sit around and ponder it like i do over breaks. it kinda reminds me of the story about Elijah about when he was waiting for God and He wasn't in the huge wind or the earthquake or the fire, but He was in the gentle whisper. not really the same thing, but it reminds me of that...the whole "Be still and know that I am God" thing i think.

it's been a good day. haven't really done much, but welcome to break =). but it was a good night. sometimes God answers prayer in ways that i don't really understand what changed, but i can tell that He changed me. and last night was like that...i had lots of random dreams haha, but i woke up with a change of heart i spose. odd huh? but good...
He is Good =), break is helpful, friends are great...life is nice. the end.

2006:

• changed my major to pscyh

• went to the ocean with the family! and thought i was gonna die cuz i dont wear sunblock...but we'll ignore that part...it was still fun.

• got to spend a week-ish with the MI cousins

• went to kids kamp and got to counsel with mandy again! our 3rd year as cabin Esther!

• went to quiz finals for probably the last time

• went to my grandpa's funeral

• got to know a lot of my extended family (my gpa's step-kids)

• went to family camp and got to watch jenna again and try being in charge of a preschool class for a few day! and had lots of good times with friends in the middle of it all! i love it there

• spent one more summer traveling with my family.

• met jessica, ben, jen, and mel! how crazy is that, that i didn't know any of them at the beginning of last year? it's kind of exciting to think about what could happen now this year too.

• moved into a hall with a bunch of amazing girls!

• got to lead a getting started group with kaitlin!

• started going to the same school as nathaniel again!

• took lots of wonderful picnics and an amazing road trip to MI with some of my favorite people!

• got to bring friends home lots of times...even 10 once!

• still get to go to church with two of my favorite families and even got to start taking some friends from school with me!

• got the chance to lead a discipleship group of 8 great girls and the chance to be in a group with 7 other girls who have taught me so much about God this year!

had one of the best and hardest semesters of my life thus far. this last semester was really hard at some points...times with friends were really difficult in some ways, but as cliche as it sounds, those are the times when God has taught me the most. pain is a good attention-grabber and i've learned a lot this year. i'm really thankful for that!

it was also the best semester i've had in that i've gotten close to so many people that i love at school and even been able to be home a lot too. i've never gone back to the same group of friends at school before because of moving and graduation and stuff and that was a definite blessing this year. it's been so good spending time with a few close friends too...God has given me several friends that know me better than very many people ever have and i get to live with them and hang out with them a lot...i have journal entries i can look back at where i was asking God to send me someone at school that i could talk to about things and He's provided way more than one person!!! it's been good and i'm excited about 2007!