WARNING: Random

Finals are next week. The weather outside is gorgeous. I so wish that I could be outside more and enjoy it. For Mouw's class we have been shooting "48 hours at Judson," so I have my camera with me practically 24-7. I should always do that. I have more pictures than I know what to do with and my friends now consider me paparazzi, but I guess I should get used to that. :) I know how to flip someone over my back now, thanks to my self-defense class.

Next week we are doing refreshers and a bunch of scenarios. Kind of excited, but a twinge of scared-ness as well. :) In the picture I am throwing down the instructor. So, bottom line, don't mess with me ;-) So finals....my photo 2 final is on Monday and i am kind of freaking out about it because I still need to shoot people and make it into a book. AHHHH!!!!! I think I shall take a nap and re-evaluate :)

Human Wrong

Judson is selling t-shirts to bring awareness to child slavery. This is the one I got. Ashley, one of my friends, thought it was kind of ironic. Because I tend to be seen as a "Suzy Homemaker" kind of person. Which I love :) Anyway, I was really excited. And apparently on Thursday we are gathering together at lunch to pray for those in slavery.

Wow.

I just don't even know what to say. God is amazing. [End of post.] Nah, I am way too excited to just say that.

My wonderful friend, Joy Goodrich is visiting campus for the weekend. (I wish I had less homework this weekend!) Anyway, she organized a prayer meeting and invited a ton of people. There were about eight of us there in the prayer room in the basement of the chapel. We started at 9:30. It lasted until midnight. First we were praying for revival on the campus, then we prayed for Chara's ankle (which she said felt better by the time we left). Then came the best part. Joanie suggested going around the room and praying for each person. Before I keep going, I just thought I'd let you know how crazy-awesome last night was.

Almost everyone was praying in the spirit. As in, not really knowing what they were saying, and just letting the Spirit talk through them.

Now I grew up Methodist, where we stood for the hymns and sat for everything else. It is the same every week. That's fine, but our God is the God of everything! He is not something that can be put into a box. We should be shouting and proclaiming His name. It took me awhile to get used to all that was going on, and truth be told, I wasn't completely sure of everything. But since when are we supposed to be comfortable?? When we are comfortable, we just sit back and let things happen.

Back to story.

The person being prayed for would sit in the middle and the rest of us would lay hands on that person. There were people who would see things. These visions, I guess, would vary and alot of the time we would have no clue what they mean. The one I saw was a girl in white in a huge cathedral. She was walking down the aisle on a red carpet, she had a long way to walk. But a king was sitting on his throne and waiting for her. He had the biggest and most beautiful smile I had ever seen. You didn't even have to look at Him to know He was smiling, you just knew. She needed to run. And later, Joanie said that she saw the same cathedral. That the red carpet represented God's blood and her white dress her purity in Christ.

There would also be words that God would put on our hearts. Usually they didn't make sense. One was french fry. We would try to push aside, thinking that didn't make sense, so it can't be from God! Since when does God make sense to humans?

I had never even heard of falling out of the spirit (I think that's the right phrase--correct me if I am wrong), but that happened too. Joy fell out when we were praying for revival. I actually fell out too, when I was in the middle. It was just me letting go of everything and letting Him take control.

When I first God in the middle, Joanie hugged me and didn't let go for a long time. And I just started sobbing. It was God hugging me. For a long time, all I could do was cry. People were talking about how I was restored. One saw a chalkboard and that everything is wiped clean. Everything. I was also wearing a dress, completely white--my purity. Ben Shenkin talked about how he saw my smile, my real smile. He said he hadn't seen it in a long time.

Then there was Luis. He is really quiet, so when he talked, we all got really quiet. But he would say things he couldn't possibly know. During prayer, it dawned on me how absolutely amazing it would be to kiss God's face. I mean, wow. But when I sat in the middle, Luis read from Song of Songs 1:2-4

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

All of this in less than three hours!

Ya'll might think I am absolutely crazy now for typing this. And you would be right. I am crazy.

Crazy for God.

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God;

if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

2 Corinthians 5:13

So very tired.

Last night I got approximately 1.5 hours of sleep. Night before that I accidentally slept in, but the night before that I got two hours of sleep. It's only a matter of time before I develop permanent bags under my eyes.

Thank you, art school, thank you. What a wonderful present you gave me.

Pride

I think the one thing that turns me off of people (meaning anyone, not just the opposite sex) is pride. Hearing someone go on and on about how much they know or how wonderful they think they are is so annoying. Makes me wonder though as I am typing this, do I do the same thing?? We all chime in our own little stories about our life at the dinner table. Are we trying to help the story along? Or is there some strange reason we have to share our successes with everyone? The Creator of the Universe knows all of our accomplishments. Shouldn't that be enough? Apparently not.

We are supposed to be clothed in humility. If that is so, then how much are you wearing? Although, I know at times I have been guilty of wearing next to nothing!

After Easter, it is hard not to be humbled by the Cross and God's love for us. Yet, it seems like it is quickly lost. His love for us is quickly taken for granted once Monday rolls around. We are NOTHING without Him.

From the outset of the day, I want to greet my Savior with gratitude, not grumbling. ::CJ Mahaney::

Protectors

After a girl is grown, her little brothers

-now her protectors-

seem like big brothers.

::Astrid Alauda::

[sniff, sniff] Are they really growing up?!

Love

Does God really love us?

I say look to the crucified Jesus.

Look to the old rugged cross.

By every thorn that punctured His brow.

By every mark of the back lacerating scourge.

By every hair of his beard plucked from his cheeks by cruel fingers.

By every bruise which heavy fists made upon His head.

God said, "I love you!"

By all the spit that landed on his face.

By every drop of sinless blood that fell to the ground.

By every breath of pain which Jesus drew upon the cross.

By every beat of His loving heart. God said, I love you.

::Billy Lobbs::

At the heart of the story stands the cross of Christ

where evil did it's worst and met it's match.

John W. Wenham

Guilty

I attended my church's (Harvest Bible Chapel) Good Friday service tonight. It was amazing. They had this walk through, with art and a tactile experience (instruments of torture that they would use in Jesus' time) Anyway, the last part of it was when two guys in black robes stamped your hand in ink, as they said "Guilty!" The next part was taking a red sharpie and writing your name on a huge cross and then taking communion, sitting down and meditating on what Jesus has done.

The part that struck me most about the service, was that I am guilty. Guilty of putting my sins on the one holy man in the universe. The only one who didn't deserve one speck of punishment. I put him on that cross. My own sin and failures kept him up there.

i.

am.

guilty.

Joy

Be merry, really merry. The life of a true Christian should be a perpetual jubilee, a prelude to the festivals of eternity.
~Theophane Venard

Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.
~Robert Schuller

When you have become penetrated with the joy of God, all of your sorrows will turn into joy, all of your trials will be graces; you will recognize your faults, you will be sorry for them, and they will be forgiven so that they may become happy faults. They will remind you only of the goodness, the tenderness, the joy with which God forgives them.

~Louis Evely

Happiness depends on happenings; joy depends on Christ.

~Anonymous

I'm a fan

of these people. Even though the one on the left is a stinker, and closed his eyes. [smile]

"Studying" with Anne

Meet my friend, Anne, from the Netherlands. She's a riot.

Vintage Shopping

So I went to Goodwill and an amazing vintage store today for gathering props for my next photography project. Difficult, I know! =) This amazing vintage store is in the basement of a sporting goods store. I think that makes it even better--it's a hidden treasure!

The REAL book about Camping.

Tins I got at Goodwill. Two dollars each. Have I mentioned I love thrifting? I almost just got the sugar and flour ones, but I promptly returned for tea and coffee. How could I pass up such an amazing find?

One of the four plates I got at Goodwill. 99 cents each. Bam.

Cloves tin, glass milk bottle, and a Beta Lactose tin on the Camping book.

I also got white gloves and a red gingham apron at the vintage store. I tried on some dresses when I was there, but none fit. (No sizes printed didn't help) There were so many hats there. It was fabulous. There was a whole cabinet of gloves and aprons. I definitely want/need to go back to look at more of the books, life magazines, cookbooks, and everything else.

Hebrews 12

Verses 1-3:

"...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.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith,

who for the joy set before him endured the cross,

scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,

that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

It is so easy to get fixed upon all the distractions that our world, and even our technology, offers. But if it is taking us away from focusing on God, we need to seriously reconsider our use of it, or putting a cap on it. Jesus suffered so much, and so many of us (myself included) don't even give so much as a second thought some days. He was not deserving of such as death, or any death at all. But he died on the cross, so none of us would have to--so that we can have hope on dreary days when nothing seems to go right.

And then it goes on to talk about how only a loving and true father disciplines his son,

that if he doesn't discipline, the child isn't really his. The end of verse 10b says,

"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

Verse 11-13,

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness

and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled,

but rather healed."

As much as I hated being disciplined as a kid, I am so glad my parents did. Who likes a spoiled brat for a friend? I remember that look that mom and dad would get. Just that look from one of them, and my heart sank. I knew I was in trouble and there was no way out. My excuses wouldn't get anything but more trouble. Disappointment. I hated seeing that in their face. It wasn't a condemnation, just disappointment--at least for the moment. How much more grief should I have when I disappoint the God of the Universe who rescued me from the deep miry pit of my own sins?! He brings me up out of that pit and sets me on sturdy ground. It is time to stand up, tall and proud for what He has done for me. I might need discipline, but it is what I deserve. I will hate it when I get that discipline, but it is good in the long run. Thank you God, for the pain that transforms to peace.

Verses 14-16:

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy;

without holiness no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one misses the grace of God

and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau,

who for a singe meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son."

Verses 28-29:

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,

let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably

with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"

I am loving the book of Hebrews! It always amazes me at how things seem to pop off the page and seem like they were meant JUST for me. Even if I had read them before. God is so amazing. I am so privileged to get the opportunity to serve and praise Him.

Hebrews 10:17, 22-24

Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts shall be remembered no more." 

And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin...

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, 

having our hearts sprinkled 

to cleanse us 

from a guilty conscience

and having our bodies washed 

with pure water. 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, 

for he who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider how we may spur one another

 toward love and good deeds.

What a beautiful visual!! Our hearts, full of all of our sins and errors and sprinkled clean and our very bodies are washed pure with water. We are pure through Christ. Isn't that such a beautiful thing?!

All of our sins are washed away in that beautiful water that Christ pours onto us.

Broken Chains

Chains be broken
Lives be healed
Eyes be opened
Christ is revealed

I have decided
I have resolved
To wait upon You Lord
My rock and Redeemer
Shield and reward
I'll wait upon You Lord

As surely as the sun will rise
You'll come to us
Certain as the dawn appears

You'll come
Let Your glory fall as You respond to us
Spirit rain
Flood into our thirsty hearts again
You'll come
You'll come

We are not shaken
We are not moved
We wait upon You Lord
Mighty deliverer
Triumph and truth
We wait upon You Lord

As surely as the sun will rise
You'll come to us
Certain as Your word endures

You'll come
Let Your glory fall as You respond to us
Spirit rain
Flood into our thirsty hearts again
You'll come
You'll come

Chains be broken
Lives be healed
Eyes be opened
Christ is revealed

Heard this song at Upper Room tonight. Beautiful words.

Amanda

Trisha

Happy birthday Trisha! Gosh, you are old. 23. Well I'm in North Dakota, waiting for you to get here. But for some reason you are staying in sunny Oregon. Silly. I guess we will just have to celebrate in style this summer. (yes, the queens of thrift shopping must conquer the stores!)

I love and miss you, Trisha! I hope your birthday is a most splendid one! (Eat some cake and do some shopping for me :)

I am sure that this picture is at least four years old, but it is all that I have.

Time for a photo shoot!

http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ecard|10001|10051|123725|147551;-102001;11443;-102034;183075|ecard|P1R8S|ecards?cardType=premium&isComboCall=false&template=n&categoryId=183075

Spring Break

Picture it. Spring Break, 2010. Going from 40 degree weather in Illinois to...lower 30s in North Dakota. It's the best ever. Today I made two batches of carmel rolls and did lots of cleaning.

My family has many socks! :-)

Title

A video I made last week....mom will probably be the only one who will enjoy it, unless you enjoy Rascal Flatts. :-)

Thoughts on Slavery

Here are some of the final images from my portrait project. I came across many different people—differing political backgrounds, opinions, accents, and living situations. I took the majority of the images by the Hershey store in Chicago and told people that the Hershey’s company uses slave labor for much of their products.

I just asked their opinion about it and if I could take their picture. Some did not let me take their picture, one didn’t speak English and the first person I asked about it just didn’t know what to say and laughed it off.

As for these people's opinions....

• The man on the top left--"Well, I'm against that."
• The man on the bottom left (pardon his 'French')--"That's bulls--t"
• The couple--"Well, I obviously don't approve of anything with slave trade."
• The man on top right--"I wasn't aware that Hershey's did that...capitalist."
• Charles--"I'm a Democrat. I do not shop at Wal-Mart because they are products from slave labor entities. I do not eat chocolate."

During crit yesterday, one of my professors commented on how I could have taken the picture first and then asked their thoughts. I want to continue going into Chicago and asking people, and I'm going to try to remember to take their picture first. And I have to remember to be more assertive of moving the subject so they are in a better composition and lighting situation. Truthfully, I was so nervous and out of my comfort zone on Saturday, that it was hard to remember.

Did I mention I got lost for about an hour?