I've been compiling a list of things to do for a year of fun when I turn 30 - I have some great ideas! I'll blog them as I do them, and if you have any more suggestions (especially if you want to do it with me) that would be great!
Here's the list of suggestions ~ at least ones that are most feasible at this point... We'll see how many I'm able to do in the next year :)
1) Visit Los Angeles (Suzanne P)
2) Visit Blacksburg, VA
3) See Niagara Falls
4) Go see a play on Broadway
5) Make a difference in the life of another person
6) have a party
7) Visit a National Park (my picks are Yellowstone or Yosemite or somewhere in CO)
8) plant a butterfly bush
9) put up a bird feeder and learn the names of birds that come to it
10) go white water rafting with friends
11) find the "rail to trail" nearest you and ride your bike
12) stay in a really cool bed and breakfast
13) Missions trip to work with needy children
14) Go contra dancing
15) learn a new cooking style (take lessons)
16) Climb a local mountain
17) learn a new hobby
18) Volunteer with Habitat to learn hands-on skills/work as a translator
19) Go to FL to see Ginny
20) Buy a piece of jewelry or art work to commemorate the occasion
21) Treat myself to a day at the spa
22) plant a garden
23) Go to Lake Ozonia w/family
24) Parasailing
25) skydiving
26) make chocolate soufflé or fudge
27) go horseback riding
28) run a half marathon
29) train for and do a triathlon
30) go on a backpacking trip with Steph H and Jenn H
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Running with horses
Today's sermon was really good at church today - lots to think about, and a good reminder for where I'm at these days.
The sermon was on Jeremiah 12:1-5, but the part that stuck out to me was verse 5a:
"If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?"
The pastor explained that in ancient times, the opposing army would first send in thousands and thousands of footmen. These weren't the best trained, or the strongest soldiers, but the strategy was to overwhelm and tire the enemy with sheer numbers. Then, they would send in the trained, strong soldiers on horseback to attack and hopefully defeat the weakened opposition. So in essence, God is telling the Israelites - there's more coming, and you're getting weakened and worn out by mere footmen?
The challenge being, hold out against the footmen, the relatively minor (but numerous) everyday challenges, so that you can stand strong and have victory when the horses come. I feel like that's where my life has been lately - complaining about the footmen, because they are so numerous, and everywhere I look there is a minor but pressing need to take care of something. I can so easily get wearied by putting energy into trying to wipe them out, and focusing on the present dilemmas instead of maintaining sight of the bigger battle.
A good reminder for me, and I hope for you as well.
The sermon was on Jeremiah 12:1-5, but the part that stuck out to me was verse 5a:
"If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?"
The pastor explained that in ancient times, the opposing army would first send in thousands and thousands of footmen. These weren't the best trained, or the strongest soldiers, but the strategy was to overwhelm and tire the enemy with sheer numbers. Then, they would send in the trained, strong soldiers on horseback to attack and hopefully defeat the weakened opposition. So in essence, God is telling the Israelites - there's more coming, and you're getting weakened and worn out by mere footmen?
The challenge being, hold out against the footmen, the relatively minor (but numerous) everyday challenges, so that you can stand strong and have victory when the horses come. I feel like that's where my life has been lately - complaining about the footmen, because they are so numerous, and everywhere I look there is a minor but pressing need to take care of something. I can so easily get wearied by putting energy into trying to wipe them out, and focusing on the present dilemmas instead of maintaining sight of the bigger battle.
A good reminder for me, and I hope for you as well.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
New place
Thought I'd put up pics of my new place!
The front:
The back with a nice deck for grilling :)
The garden, with some zucchini and eggplant growing. If only the animals will stop chewing on it! Guess I should put up some fence, huh? :)
More to come soon....
The front:
The back with a nice deck for grilling :)
The garden, with some zucchini and eggplant growing. If only the animals will stop chewing on it! Guess I should put up some fence, huh? :)
More to come soon....
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Reflections
I've been reminded a lot lately of all that's gone on in the last year - lots of changes, lots of good things, lots of joys, lots of fears and unknowns. My friend Cheryl always says to me - think of where you'll be in a year from now, looking back. Kind of interesting - I don't remember exactly how I felt a year ago - July 6th, 2009. I imagine I was a combination of nervous and excited and certain but uncertain at the same time. My roommate had just moved out to get married, leaving me alone in the farmhouse, and I was a few hours away from defending my Ph.D. - a few short months after my committee told me I might get a Master's degree. I didn't have a job, and was getting ready to move back in with my folks, leaving the farmhouse in Hershey that I had called home for 4 years. Quite a lot going on, wasn't there?
And here I am today, July 6th, 2010. New state, new house, new job, on my way to new friends and new routines. Lots of things have been good, especially in the last 4-5 months that I've been in NC. Lately though, I've been really down on myself, letting those old familiar fears creep in somewhat. Your experiment isn't going to work, or get done on time, your boss is not going to think you're doing a good job, what if it fails, what if, what if, what if. Couple that with a pretty busy last few weeks with moving and traveling, and you have a recipe for a potential emotional disaster!
Fortunately though, God has been reminding me of his faithfulness and provision over the last year, and how his sense of timing is perfect. All of those times that I complained that I wasn't getting done faster (like in '07, '08, or '09) or that there were absolutely no leads on the job market.... and literally my current bosses were granted their funding October 1st, 2009, 3 weeks before I first interviewed at Duke for what has turned out to be an absolute perfect fit in terms of jobs. He's reminded me of his faithfulness in so many ways - rediscovery of my talk to CMS buried in my laptop (It was "thoughts on God's faithfulness and puzzle-making"), church on Sunday, Christian radio on the way home. It's been good to remember and to run to Him - makes the fear go away and not as prominent in my mind.
I'm reminded also to not worry about the things that "haven't happened yet". I am still looking for a church, and that had kind of been my primary focus - trying to "make it happen" so to speak. Sunday, I went to a church that totally isn't where I'm going to end up, but it was just what I needed for that Sunday, and the message completely fit with what God was telling me. It might not have happened if I had found the right church already. Why worry about finding Mr. Right or the fact that sometimes it feels like it's taking FOREVER with no leads.... oh yeah, God took care of the job situation when it took FOREVER with no leads...
Deuteronomy 10:20-21 Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.
And here I am today, July 6th, 2010. New state, new house, new job, on my way to new friends and new routines. Lots of things have been good, especially in the last 4-5 months that I've been in NC. Lately though, I've been really down on myself, letting those old familiar fears creep in somewhat. Your experiment isn't going to work, or get done on time, your boss is not going to think you're doing a good job, what if it fails, what if, what if, what if. Couple that with a pretty busy last few weeks with moving and traveling, and you have a recipe for a potential emotional disaster!
Fortunately though, God has been reminding me of his faithfulness and provision over the last year, and how his sense of timing is perfect. All of those times that I complained that I wasn't getting done faster (like in '07, '08, or '09) or that there were absolutely no leads on the job market.... and literally my current bosses were granted their funding October 1st, 2009, 3 weeks before I first interviewed at Duke for what has turned out to be an absolute perfect fit in terms of jobs. He's reminded me of his faithfulness in so many ways - rediscovery of my talk to CMS buried in my laptop (It was "thoughts on God's faithfulness and puzzle-making"), church on Sunday, Christian radio on the way home. It's been good to remember and to run to Him - makes the fear go away and not as prominent in my mind.
I'm reminded also to not worry about the things that "haven't happened yet". I am still looking for a church, and that had kind of been my primary focus - trying to "make it happen" so to speak. Sunday, I went to a church that totally isn't where I'm going to end up, but it was just what I needed for that Sunday, and the message completely fit with what God was telling me. It might not have happened if I had found the right church already. Why worry about finding Mr. Right or the fact that sometimes it feels like it's taking FOREVER with no leads.... oh yeah, God took care of the job situation when it took FOREVER with no leads...
Deuteronomy 10:20-21 Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
50 Days, 315 left
This was the kind of random greeting I got from my e-mail calendar the other day - hard to believe we've already gone 50 days into the new year! Time flies when you're having fun, I guess.
Today has been a pretty good day - a fair amount of alone time and just hanging out, which has been nice. This morning I started off with reading through "Living the Christian Year" by Bobby Gross. I decided to catch back up with reading, as I had been to an Ash Wednesday service this week, which was a good chance to reflect and just be at peace and connect with God. Just by way of background, I don't come from churches with a lot of traditional elements in them, so celebrating Lent is kind of a new thing for me. In fact, I don't think I have been to an Ash Wednesday service before this.
Anyhow, the service on Wednesday was really neat, so I wanted to read Living the Christian Year, both for background and to further connect with the idea of Lent. Some things really spoke to me from the book.
In his discussion of Lent, Bobby Gross states: "Each year, the season of Lent asks us to embrace a spiritual gravity, a downward movement of soul, a turning from our self-sufficiency and sinfulness. In such a quiet turning, we are humbled and thus made ready to receive from God a fresh and joyous grace."
Later he states: "...fasting is much like sabbath-keeping: a restriction that creates space for God....Fasting then, is to deny ourselves food for a time in order to more vividly know Jesus as the source of our sustenance and being."
That just really spoke to me, particularly about the "quiet turning" and creating space for God. My life hasn't been particularly hectic these past few weeks, but I do feel like there is constantly something going on, something demanding my attention, especially if I let it do so. It's just a neat picture of slowing down and creating space for God, and that's why we fast. It's not because it is such a particularly spiritual thing, or that it will earn us brownie points with God - but rather, it is a nourishing, pure thing that allows us to more fully connect with God and receive what he has for us. What a neat thing indeed.
Today has been a pretty good day - a fair amount of alone time and just hanging out, which has been nice. This morning I started off with reading through "Living the Christian Year" by Bobby Gross. I decided to catch back up with reading, as I had been to an Ash Wednesday service this week, which was a good chance to reflect and just be at peace and connect with God. Just by way of background, I don't come from churches with a lot of traditional elements in them, so celebrating Lent is kind of a new thing for me. In fact, I don't think I have been to an Ash Wednesday service before this.
Anyhow, the service on Wednesday was really neat, so I wanted to read Living the Christian Year, both for background and to further connect with the idea of Lent. Some things really spoke to me from the book.
In his discussion of Lent, Bobby Gross states: "Each year, the season of Lent asks us to embrace a spiritual gravity, a downward movement of soul, a turning from our self-sufficiency and sinfulness. In such a quiet turning, we are humbled and thus made ready to receive from God a fresh and joyous grace."
Later he states: "...fasting is much like sabbath-keeping: a restriction that creates space for God....Fasting then, is to deny ourselves food for a time in order to more vividly know Jesus as the source of our sustenance and being."
That just really spoke to me, particularly about the "quiet turning" and creating space for God. My life hasn't been particularly hectic these past few weeks, but I do feel like there is constantly something going on, something demanding my attention, especially if I let it do so. It's just a neat picture of slowing down and creating space for God, and that's why we fast. It's not because it is such a particularly spiritual thing, or that it will earn us brownie points with God - but rather, it is a nourishing, pure thing that allows us to more fully connect with God and receive what he has for us. What a neat thing indeed.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Reflections
It's been an interesting day - this week seems like it has flown by. The first half of the week was work intensive and chilling in the evenings, and the second half is lighter at work, and evening intensive. So I guess that's good. I went to a Bible study tonight that was really good - I think there's going to be some good friends that come out of it.
I've been marveling the last few days about how perfectly this job fits me, and how God just brought it about. It's been neat telling people how God dropped it in my lap, and then remembering how everything really did come together. And then hearing how impressed everyone was with me when I interviewed, and hoping that I would accept the job.... what a new feeling. Almost 1 yr ago exactly, I was told that I might get a Master's degree! And here I am today. God has been so faithful, and so awesome to me.
I've been comparing that to stories that people are telling me about their lives, and how different it is for people who don't know Christ. A friend who also moved here from PA is upset that after all this education, we're still in a period of training, and don't make any money. They're dissatisfied because the job market is "so bad" for PhDs. So many people have either been divorced or had parents who are divorced. A lady at work tells me today that her 8 y/o daughter's dad is coming to pick her up - "well, you can't really tell, but you have to pick one of them as the dad when you find out you're pregnant..." So sad! And such a contrast.
Life is interesting for sure. I'm just praising God for His abundant goodness to me, and praying for opportunities to befriend and share with others I meet on a day-to-day basis.
I've been marveling the last few days about how perfectly this job fits me, and how God just brought it about. It's been neat telling people how God dropped it in my lap, and then remembering how everything really did come together. And then hearing how impressed everyone was with me when I interviewed, and hoping that I would accept the job.... what a new feeling. Almost 1 yr ago exactly, I was told that I might get a Master's degree! And here I am today. God has been so faithful, and so awesome to me.
I've been comparing that to stories that people are telling me about their lives, and how different it is for people who don't know Christ. A friend who also moved here from PA is upset that after all this education, we're still in a period of training, and don't make any money. They're dissatisfied because the job market is "so bad" for PhDs. So many people have either been divorced or had parents who are divorced. A lady at work tells me today that her 8 y/o daughter's dad is coming to pick her up - "well, you can't really tell, but you have to pick one of them as the dad when you find out you're pregnant..." So sad! And such a contrast.
Life is interesting for sure. I'm just praising God for His abundant goodness to me, and praying for opportunities to befriend and share with others I meet on a day-to-day basis.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Settling in
Just an update on how things are going - it's only been a week, but it feels like so much longer. Not in a bad way, just that I guess a lot has happened, and I've had to learn or retrain my brain on just about everything. Although, I can sucessfully get to work and back without a GPS! Wahoo! Getting back is easy, there's only 2 ways to go. Getting to work is another challenge - there's about 8 ways to Sunday to go, and each one takes WAY longer than it should. Guess I'm used to living right near where I have to be... :)
Let's see... some highlights from the week.
- I discovered that NC has absolutely NO IDEA what to do when that white stuff comes down from the sky. My dad and I were laughing at what passes for plowing and snow plows on Sunday, and ironically, several of the accidents we saw were snowplows that had driven off the road and were stuck in snow banks. School was cancelled for 3 days and a two hour delay on Thursday, and we only got 5 inches total, and the snow/ice melted by Tuesday night. Guess it's good we're not getting the snow that's in PA right now - we'd be shut down until spring!
- I finally had a chance to go to the doctor yesterday and got antibiotics. I don't feel that much better yet, but at least my head is not exploding as much from the sinus pressure.
- I really like my place and my roommates - it's going to be a neat living situation I think. I have 4 roommates - Amy, Lizzy, Katie, and Ashley. More on the house later, when I have a chance to dig out my camera and take some pictures.
- Work is going to be good. It was a little slow at points this week, and there's a lot to take in. But I have been so content this week with where God has me. I can see that I'm exactly where I need to be, and exactly the level I need to be at. It's not too challenging to be over my head and frustrating, but not too easy that I'll be bored. It really is perfect. It's also neat to be at the next level up in terms of quality and expectations. Not that Hershey or PSU was a bad school or slacked off, it's just that this is definitely the next level up, which is nice in many ways.
Well, thanks for all your prayers and support - I appreciate them! Please keep in touch. More to come soon!
Let's see... some highlights from the week.
- I discovered that NC has absolutely NO IDEA what to do when that white stuff comes down from the sky. My dad and I were laughing at what passes for plowing and snow plows on Sunday, and ironically, several of the accidents we saw were snowplows that had driven off the road and were stuck in snow banks. School was cancelled for 3 days and a two hour delay on Thursday, and we only got 5 inches total, and the snow/ice melted by Tuesday night. Guess it's good we're not getting the snow that's in PA right now - we'd be shut down until spring!
- I finally had a chance to go to the doctor yesterday and got antibiotics. I don't feel that much better yet, but at least my head is not exploding as much from the sinus pressure.
- I really like my place and my roommates - it's going to be a neat living situation I think. I have 4 roommates - Amy, Lizzy, Katie, and Ashley. More on the house later, when I have a chance to dig out my camera and take some pictures.
- Work is going to be good. It was a little slow at points this week, and there's a lot to take in. But I have been so content this week with where God has me. I can see that I'm exactly where I need to be, and exactly the level I need to be at. It's not too challenging to be over my head and frustrating, but not too easy that I'll be bored. It really is perfect. It's also neat to be at the next level up in terms of quality and expectations. Not that Hershey or PSU was a bad school or slacked off, it's just that this is definitely the next level up, which is nice in many ways.
Well, thanks for all your prayers and support - I appreciate them! Please keep in touch. More to come soon!
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