Autumn

   Last weekend my housemates and i traveled to a Greenbluff which was reminiscent of my lovely home near Snohomish. It was perfect for a lovely fall day with Apple Orchards and "pick your own pumpkin" fields! 

Can you eat Indian corn??

A couple Housemates on an autumn day

ONLY 50 cents... one of these sweet babies turned into a pipe for my pumpkin

Thoughts on arrival

   This week i begin my 10th week at Moody Bible Institute. There is a strange feeling that i have been here for years, and yet at the same time that i only got here yesterday. I have had time to settle in, begin to make friends, create a persona that i wish others would see, and fall into routine. I can't believe all that God has done for me and im reminded of how i felt when i started this journey.
   When i first got accepted to Moody-SPOKANE, you couldn't imagine the disappointment. I had spent the past 6 months dreaming about how life would be in Chicago and what my life was going to be like in a big city. The worst part about reading that letter was getting excited when in congratulated me on my acceptance, but then halfway down the letter realizing they didn't have "room" for me in Chicago and they were sending me to Spokane. My heart sank and the next 5 hours at work felt like a lump was in my throat followed by a car ride home filled with tears. I learned a lot from that one experience with the major lesson being that i was prideful and arrogant. I have seen a lot of prideful people fall hard and i thank God that he corrected me early so that i wouldn't have to be humiliated later on.
   I got hit hard that summer with things going on around me and i was really distracted. Before i knew it August had rolled around and all of a sudden i was leaving in 2 weeks. The moment i came to that realization was on a mission trip in Mexico when my friend started to make plans to say goodbye to me. I stiffened up and i started to get really scared. One of my good friends asked me if i was okay and i remember saying, "I'm not ready for this. I can't  move out and go to school... I'm too little." He then proceeded to look at me and awkwardly try to comfort me but i was a little too overwhelmed.
   Two nights before i was going to leave, i started to pack all of my things. I had put off the lengthly process because when you begin, it becomes real. I remember sitting in my room, folding clothes, and crying my eyes out because i was so scared. I prayed so much that night and i was so nervous. I didn't want to say goodbye to anyone because it was embarrassing to cry in front of them and admit i wasn't as strong as i had pretended.
   The morning i left it was a warm and sunny and i had a lump in my throat all day. I started to cry when i put my bags in the car and throughout the five and a half hour car ride, i felt guilty as i drifted in and out of sleep while my Mom drove. That afternoon was terrifying as i clumsily met a few of my house mates and a boy next door with a nice southern accent while texting people from home i was sorry that i hadn't gotten to say goodbye. My room was big which made me feel a little bit better but i still felt extremely unprepared. I spent the night with my parents in the hotel so that we could get up early and begin shopping.
   Shopping with my parents when everyone is stressed out is really NOT fun. We argued a lot because i didn't want to hate my room and they didn't want to spend a million dollars. I met my roommate that day and slept in my room for the first time. I was SO scared and SO uncomfortable and just wanted to go home to Seattle. I spent the next 3 days at New Student Orientation which is where you are forced to uncomfortably meet people who are uncomfortable. The dedication ceremony was nice and it reminded me and my parents that i was not here by mistake and that although i had thought that Chicago was where i was suppose to be, God had a different and better plan for me.
   P.F Changs was the last dinner i had with my parents and it was nice to sit down and relax for a second. They bought A LOT of extra food so i could have all the leftovers. We went back to my new house and we prayed, hugged, said goodbye, and cried. I can't tell you how uncertain the future felt, how scared i was, or how unaware i was of God's plan.
   I'm still trying to understand God's plans for me and i still feel uncertain and afraid at times but i know that this is where i am suppose to be right now. I have met a lot of really great students out here who have told me about their disappointments about not getting into the Chicago campus and i can see that God is still good. I'm not the only one who gets scared and confused at times but i need to trust in God at all times.
   I'm learning a lot and excited about God's plans for me.

College Life

   I have only been a college student for seven and a half weeks but i feel like im taking nicely to the life of one.

• I'm drinking cold Folger's coffee and unsalted Saltines (does that make them ines?)
• There is a package of 48 toilet paper rolls sitting at the foot of my bed because it doesn't fit in our quaint bathroom.
• I've never had so many peanut butter tortillas in my life... why are they all of a sudden so good?
• I feel like all i do nowadays is read blogs. They are perfectly sweet.
• I picked some lavender the other day from a restaurant garden as i walked by (is that legal?) I can't really tell a difference in my room but sometimes i imagine that i can.
• I'm feeling really DIY-ey lately. I can see the possibilities in everything!
• I can't believe that i ACTUALLY like my classes. They can feel long at times but im no longer learning about chemistry and the history of Russia (things that i really don't care about). I love actually going to class and wanting to remember every bit of every detail im taught!

I'm taking nicely to this... i might have to be in school for a long time. 

Sorry Mom and Dad!

Church Visits

   After 7 weeks and 7 churches.... i have come to realize and appreciate my home church.
NOT to say there aren't some great churches out here but oh how i miss Alderwood! So far i have visited:

• 1 Foursquare church (didn't realize it was foursquare until i got there)
• 1 Acts 29 church
• 1 plant church
• 3 Non-denominational churches
• and 1 Greek Orthodox Church for the fun of it!

It's been interesting to say the least. I have been slightly baffled and confused at the number of churches who choose not to preach straight from the text of the Bible. I don't have a problem with topical preaching (when it's done correctly) but i don't understand why you wouldn't choose to preach from a book of the Bible. I believe that there is nothing better to change the hearts of people than teaching straight from God's word and letting it do the work. I guess there will always be things that bother me about each church i go to and i need to be okay with that.
   The MOST interesting church by far has been the Greek Orthodox church. For my music class we needed to go to a worship service that is opposite of what we are use to and OH my goodness was it opposite! We went at 9:00am for the Orthros worship Service where they sing through a number of Psalms. We decided not to stay for the Divine Liturgy Service in which they partake in the Eucharist. It was an hour long service in which 5 other people attended plus the 6 people i had driven with. We stuck out like a sore thumb. The Bishop very kindly explained to us how the service worked and i was so kindly deemed "the talker" by my housemates. I had to explain why we had been frantically pulling on the latch to what we thought was the front door and why we had no idea what was going on. It was slightly embarrassing and i felt so awkward. The service was extremely traditional, stagnant, and passionless. There was nothing about the service other than the monotonous routine that would cause you to fall in love with our Lord. It made me sad and i felt like i needed to actually read my Bible instead of listen to the two Bishops in their monotone voices recite the Psalms.
   We decided to sneak out as the Bishop stated burning incense and before the Eucharist started because we couldn't even partake in the service. It was an interesting Sunday to say the least.

   I finished my Sunday by watching Dan in Real Life, taking a nap, writing a Anthropology paper, eating 2 pieces of cake, skyping with my sister and friend, watching EverAfter, and then reading for my class the next day (in that order).

   I'm still praying that God would lead me to a church that teaches the Word and where i can serve.

Home... let me go hooooome!

   Not that i don't love school out here and all the people i get to meet and learn from but... there is no place like home.

   I'm so excited for Thanksgiving! I wasn't quite sure how or when i was going to be able to get home due to the fact that "Big Blue" the truck isn't really reliable. One of my house mates is visiting the better side of WA for Thanksgiving and a few guys from my brother house want to see Seattle and visit friends in Enumclaw!

  With her little car and $25 bucks from each of us for gas... I'll be home to eat turkey, ski ( i vow to get my family up on that mountain),  and visit friends and family! 

Yeah!!! I'm coming home soon!

p.s.

I'm currently listening to "Home" by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros  hence the blog post title...

Boxing and Flowers

   New hobby... boxing! Our brother house last year bought a punching bag and never used it. A couple girls in our house recently discovered this and we have been vigorously reading our books about boxing (no joke... we actually have them) and working out daily with a little karate on the side (lovingly taught to us by our house mate Audrey). It is SO much fun and i love punching the heck out of the bag with the GINORMOUS gloves they have.
p.s.
   our brother house use to be a meth house so the basement and garage walls are covered with old 1970 carpet samples. I'm kind of afraid that if i touch them im going to get meth on my hands and become addicted.

   On a more feminine note, today i went to Manito Park. It's really beautiful and it was the perfect day to go.
After having a three hour "exploring music" class where i had just practiced for an hour how to draw the treble an bass cleft, it was really nice to go out right before sunset in the warm weather and look at the garden. There are three different gardens within the park and they are gorgeous! The rose garden smelled wonderful and i have decided that Dahlias are my new favorite flower along with peonies. (Walking through the park reminded me of the Arboretum at home...)

   God's creation is beautiful!

Dahlias

Japanese Garden