Wanna stay up-to-date on my life from now until November 2012 as I work with Campus Crusade for Christ in Buenos Aires, Argentina?
...then follow this: http://www.berkeleyinba.blogspot.com/
Dios les bendiga :)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
From CO to BA
So, in these past few weeks, I have experienced the biggest spiritual and emotional rollercoaster of my life. One minute I think I'm going to Argentina, the next I'm not, and the next I am again! I just praise God that He reminded me of His faithfulness and sovereignty through the entire experience.
Jan Sherard, a Crusade staff woman at Clemson, called the CRU regional headquarters and begged them to make an exception for me so that I could apply for STINT late and still go. I got a call during my internship one day from the offices and they told me I could go! Wow!
So, following that phone call was a flurry of applications, paperwork, supporter-brainstorming, and flight scheduling in preparation for the STINT/Intern Kickoff weekend that was this past weekend in Asheville, NC. God was good and everything got finished.
I flew into Greenville and got to spend some time with my parents, which was so nice. :) I had a wonderful time in Asheville meeting my STINT team and learning how to raise support. We got so much information though and this whole support-raising has started to intimidate me a little. However, God has convicted me time and again that I should not be intimidated by any amount of money--He owns the cattle on a thousand hills! He has also blessed me and my family with so many Christian, mission-minded friends. I have no doubt that all of my support will come in, though it will take most of my time this summer. I can't wait to see what miracles God performs!
So, right now, I'm at this place called The Jericho Center, which is a place that has a live praise band playing worship music 12 hours a day, every day. They also have little rooms to the side where you can go read Scripture, pray, or even do homework. It is such an incredible place and has an amazing atmosphere. In each room, there are touchscreens that will give you prayer guides, worship music playlists, and will even read any Bible passage to you aloud! We need a place like this in Greenville. :)
Please continue to be in prayer for me as I start raising a full year's salary for my STINT in Buenos Aires (BA), Argentina. I'll leave Greenville September 6, 2011 and return November 1, 2012.
Thanks for reading!
Jan Sherard, a Crusade staff woman at Clemson, called the CRU regional headquarters and begged them to make an exception for me so that I could apply for STINT late and still go. I got a call during my internship one day from the offices and they told me I could go! Wow!
So, following that phone call was a flurry of applications, paperwork, supporter-brainstorming, and flight scheduling in preparation for the STINT/Intern Kickoff weekend that was this past weekend in Asheville, NC. God was good and everything got finished.
I flew into Greenville and got to spend some time with my parents, which was so nice. :) I had a wonderful time in Asheville meeting my STINT team and learning how to raise support. We got so much information though and this whole support-raising has started to intimidate me a little. However, God has convicted me time and again that I should not be intimidated by any amount of money--He owns the cattle on a thousand hills! He has also blessed me and my family with so many Christian, mission-minded friends. I have no doubt that all of my support will come in, though it will take most of my time this summer. I can't wait to see what miracles God performs!
So, right now, I'm at this place called The Jericho Center, which is a place that has a live praise band playing worship music 12 hours a day, every day. They also have little rooms to the side where you can go read Scripture, pray, or even do homework. It is such an incredible place and has an amazing atmosphere. In each room, there are touchscreens that will give you prayer guides, worship music playlists, and will even read any Bible passage to you aloud! We need a place like this in Greenville. :)
Please continue to be in prayer for me as I start raising a full year's salary for my STINT in Buenos Aires (BA), Argentina. I'll leave Greenville September 6, 2011 and return November 1, 2012.
Thanks for reading!
My STINT team going to Buenos Aires with me!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
God, I choose to trust You
Hey everyone! So, I'll briefly update you on my Spring Break with the fam and then let you in on what God has been doing in my life over the past few days. Here was our Spring Break schedule for the week:
Sunday, March 20: 1) Visit Manitou Springs, CO 2) See Manitou Incline and Pike's Peak Cog Railway
Monday, March 21: 1) Tour the US Olympic Training Center (Brandon LOVED this) 2) Hike/eat lunch at Glen Eyrie
Tuesday, March 22: 1) Visit Eldorado Springs/Estes Park/Rocky Mtn National Park in northern CO
Wednesday, March 23: 1) Tour the Air Force Academy (again, one of Brandon's favorites) 2) Visit Garden of the Gods 3) Attend Isaiah Bible study at Calvary Worship Center (my church here)
Thursday, March 24: 1) Head to Copper Mountain for snowboarding (Brandon) and snowtubing (mom, dad, and myself) 2) Eat dinner in Idaho Springs, CO
Friday, March 25: 1) Tour Focus on the Family
What a busy week! I felt like Spring Break lasted a month! But we had so much fun and spent some great quality time together as a family. I loved staying in the Embassy Suites with them all week and getting away from my apartment, where I've spent SO much of my time these past few months. I've never missed having a car as much as I do now. Haha It's so hard to have any alone time because people are always in my apartment and if I want to go somewhere else, I have to get someone to give me a ride--not very convenient! I don't think I'll ever take my car for granted again! :)
So, about this past week...
I can't remember whether or not I blogged about this, but over the past several weeks, I've been looking at two different jobs here at Focus. One was with Enfoque a la Familia and, after being interviewed, both the hiring manager and I decided that the position wasn't the best fit for me. My Spanish skills need to be greatly improved before I work for a Spanish-speaking organization like Enfoque.
The other job was presented to me by my internship supervisor. A position opened up in our department (Direct Marketing) and he asked me if I would be interested in applying and interviewing for it. Of course I was ecstatic about the opportunity. However, this past Monday, my boss informed me that he had interviewed and hired someone else while I was away on Spring Break. Obviously, this was very disappointing for me since I at least expected to be interviewed for the job before they chose someone.
So, after that happened, I talked with my parents and we decided that since I had fervently pursued job options and God had closed those doors, He was giving us confirmation that He might want me to go to Argentina on STINT with Campus Crusade for Christ this fall. However, once I started applying for STINT this morning, I found out that the deadline to apply was March 1st.
Needless to say, I was confused. Why would God wait until after the deadline to give my parents and me confirmation about STINT?
Amidst all of these changes, God has been speaking louder than ever, "I'm in control. I never make mistakes. I gave you and your parents confirmation about Argentina at this specific time for a reason. Trust Me." So, that's what I'm doing. I'm trusting Him. Though I don't understand at all, I am choosing to have joy and trust that He is still in control, because I know that He is. I feel like Abraham, when he was told to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. I have surrendered all of my plans and I've been willing to stay in Colorado Springs, but God shut that door. Again, I surrendered my will to God's and was completely willing to go to Argentina, but it seems God has shut that door too. It's as if God is testing me to see if I'm willing to give it all up for Him, then He relinquishes and doesn't require the sacrifice of me, just like He did with Abraham.
I don't know what exactly He's doing right now, but I know He's in control. And that fact alone gives me so much peace in this extremely confusing time of my life.
God has been so faithful in the past and I know this time will be no different.
Continue to pray for me as I figure out if any exceptions can be made for the STINT application deadline. If not, my plan is to move home and look for a job there. Please continue to pray for wisdom. God brought Psalm 19 to my mind this morning for a reason. I know that His "statutes are trustworthy" and so is He.
Therefore, I have absolutely no reason to doubt Him or His plan. None at all. :)
"The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, not a call to do something for him." -Oswald Chambers
Snowtubing at Copper Mountain
At one of the most beautiful locations in Colorado Springs
At the famous and beautiful Air Force Academy chapel 
US Olympic Training Center Saturday, March 19, 2011
Marriage & Family: My favorite class :)
Hello, my faithful blog readers! I apologize that it's been 3 weeks since I last wrote--time FLIES here! So, I guess the biggest news in my life right now is that I applied for a job with Enfoque a la Familia and got an interview, but they didn't end up offering me the job. However, I'm still going to volunteer with them once a week for a couple hours until my time at FLI is over! :)
But, please pray for wisdom because my internship supervisor approached me last week with an opportunity to work in the Direct Marketing department in Focus, so I'll be applying for that this week! Who knows?? I might be moving here!! :)
(Pray my mom and dad don't freak out...lol)
Speaking of my family, they'll be here tomorrow for Spring Break--I'm SO excited! I have a FULL schedule of events for us to do this week and I can't wait to get started! Please pray they have a wonderful time here and that they don't get altitude sickness :)
So, on to my favorite class: Marriage and Family Studies! I cannot believe how much I've learned in this class! By splitting up the material according to the different books we've read, I'm going to TRY to summarize the main things I've learned over the past 2 months, so here we go...
Sacred Marriage (by Gary Thomas--the guy we met on the set of "Your Family Live")
The main idea of this book is that God actually created marriage to make us more holy, not just happy. Most men and women who get married today do so primarily because they want to make themselves happier. So, when they no longer feel that "on cloud 9" feeling inside, they just end the marriage and move on. This will never bring either person fulfillment or satisfaction, and will definitely not make them more holy, like the Lord desires.
-------
Why Marriage Matters (by Glenn Stanton)
This book objectively shows why marriage is not just one of many valid relational options by providing statistics that prove heterogeneous marriage is healthier physically, emotionally, and psychologically overall than divorce, cohabitation, or homosexuality. For example, statistics show that divorce rates, risk of domestic abuse, and risk of infidelity all increase when a couple cohabits before or instead of marrying. Also, studies show that married people are healthier because an actual benefit exists in permanent, married relationships. Basically, marriage provides emotional and physical protection from the hardships and pressures of everyday life. Many people today look at marriage as an unnecessary burden. Yet, if a man and woman create a godly marriage together, the relationship won’t be a burden, but a refuge!
--------
The Most Important Year in a Man's Life/The Most Important Year in a Woman’s Life (by Mark & Susan Devries and Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth)
This book is split in half--one half is for the groom and the other half is for the bride. It offers such great advice about married life--especially for couples within the first few years of marriage, when both are trying to adjust to this radically new way of living. This book made me consider for the first time that at the root of many marital issues is the simple difference between what the man and woman consider to be “normal.” You can discern so much about a person’s lifestyle preferences by asking about their parents’ and grandparents’ 1) marriage, 2) method of dealing with conflict, and 3) spiritual life. Often the root of a marital conflict isn’t the surface issue at hand; it’s the different lifestyle patterns that the man and woman were raised in. Many times, the conflict could be resolved if the couple simply stepped out of the boxing ring and each defined what he or she thinks is a “normal” response or solution to the situation and why. Understanding the various patterns in your husband or wife's family of origin is so important, yet so few couples ever talk about them.
I loved the three “Can Openers to Your Husband’s Soul” that the book's female authors detailed: 1) Conversational clarity 2) Third-object conversation 3) Pillow talk. #1 and #3 are pretty obvious, but you might be wondering what "third-object conversation" means. Basically, in general, men prefer to be engaging in some sort of activity while they’re getting to know another person. Therefore, wives must be sensitive to that and plan fun adventures to take with their husband—a strategy which very well may produce great conversation.
--------
Holding Hands, Holding Hearts (by Rick Phillips, who is actually the senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville!)
In our class on dating, we discussed this book along with the Triarchic Research on Love, which argues that true lifelong love is a delicate balance between intimacy, passion, and commitment. Many girls offer too much intimacy before commitment and end up getting their hearts broken. It is common today for a girl to offer intimacy to get commitment from her boyfriend, while the boy will offer fake commitment in order to get intimacy from his girlfriend. God doesn't want us to give intimacy without commitment in order to protect our hearts from unnecessary grief and pain. This showed me yet another way that God has my best in mind when He created rules and guidelines for me to live by. One thought in the book that had never occurred to me before was that, as a redeemed woman of God, I should make it a primary goal that my boyfriend will be spiritually stronger by having been in a relationship with me, even if we don't end up getting married. Wow! How many couples date with that goal in mind?
-------
In one class, we addressed the topics of conflict and communication. To be honest, I was not looking forward to this class at all. We took a Conflict Inventory test and I scored very high on Accommodating, which I could’ve predicted before I even took the test. I have struggled with avoiding conflict my entire life. Whenever I’m faced with a conflict, my tendency is to discount my own emotions and concede completely to the other person’s wishes and desires in order to maintain harmony in the relationship. I know this approach to conflict is very dangerous and harmful in a marital relationship, and over the past year or so, God has brought it to my attention and has been helping me break free from it. College life has provided me with plenty of opportunities to confront others in a loving way instead of avoiding the conflict altogether. I'm getting better, but I still have a long way to go...good thing our God is so patient. :)
Overall, this class has been so wonderful and eye-opening for me. It's taught by an older husband and wife and they do such a great job conveying godly advice for marriage, parenting, singleness, and dating. They're so open and honest about the successes and failures within their own marriage as well. What a blessing they have been to me! :)
But, please pray for wisdom because my internship supervisor approached me last week with an opportunity to work in the Direct Marketing department in Focus, so I'll be applying for that this week! Who knows?? I might be moving here!! :)
(Pray my mom and dad don't freak out...lol)
Speaking of my family, they'll be here tomorrow for Spring Break--I'm SO excited! I have a FULL schedule of events for us to do this week and I can't wait to get started! Please pray they have a wonderful time here and that they don't get altitude sickness :)
So, on to my favorite class: Marriage and Family Studies! I cannot believe how much I've learned in this class! By splitting up the material according to the different books we've read, I'm going to TRY to summarize the main things I've learned over the past 2 months, so here we go...
Sacred Marriage (by Gary Thomas--the guy we met on the set of "Your Family Live")
The main idea of this book is that God actually created marriage to make us more holy, not just happy. Most men and women who get married today do so primarily because they want to make themselves happier. So, when they no longer feel that "on cloud 9" feeling inside, they just end the marriage and move on. This will never bring either person fulfillment or satisfaction, and will definitely not make them more holy, like the Lord desires.
-------
Why Marriage Matters (by Glenn Stanton)
This book objectively shows why marriage is not just one of many valid relational options by providing statistics that prove heterogeneous marriage is healthier physically, emotionally, and psychologically overall than divorce, cohabitation, or homosexuality. For example, statistics show that divorce rates, risk of domestic abuse, and risk of infidelity all increase when a couple cohabits before or instead of marrying. Also, studies show that married people are healthier because an actual benefit exists in permanent, married relationships. Basically, marriage provides emotional and physical protection from the hardships and pressures of everyday life. Many people today look at marriage as an unnecessary burden. Yet, if a man and woman create a godly marriage together, the relationship won’t be a burden, but a refuge!
--------
The Most Important Year in a Man's Life/The Most Important Year in a Woman’s Life (by Mark & Susan Devries and Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth)
This book is split in half--one half is for the groom and the other half is for the bride. It offers such great advice about married life--especially for couples within the first few years of marriage, when both are trying to adjust to this radically new way of living. This book made me consider for the first time that at the root of many marital issues is the simple difference between what the man and woman consider to be “normal.” You can discern so much about a person’s lifestyle preferences by asking about their parents’ and grandparents’ 1) marriage, 2) method of dealing with conflict, and 3) spiritual life. Often the root of a marital conflict isn’t the surface issue at hand; it’s the different lifestyle patterns that the man and woman were raised in. Many times, the conflict could be resolved if the couple simply stepped out of the boxing ring and each defined what he or she thinks is a “normal” response or solution to the situation and why. Understanding the various patterns in your husband or wife's family of origin is so important, yet so few couples ever talk about them.
I loved the three “Can Openers to Your Husband’s Soul” that the book's female authors detailed: 1) Conversational clarity 2) Third-object conversation 3) Pillow talk. #1 and #3 are pretty obvious, but you might be wondering what "third-object conversation" means. Basically, in general, men prefer to be engaging in some sort of activity while they’re getting to know another person. Therefore, wives must be sensitive to that and plan fun adventures to take with their husband—a strategy which very well may produce great conversation.
--------
Holding Hands, Holding Hearts (by Rick Phillips, who is actually the senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville!)
In our class on dating, we discussed this book along with the Triarchic Research on Love, which argues that true lifelong love is a delicate balance between intimacy, passion, and commitment. Many girls offer too much intimacy before commitment and end up getting their hearts broken. It is common today for a girl to offer intimacy to get commitment from her boyfriend, while the boy will offer fake commitment in order to get intimacy from his girlfriend. God doesn't want us to give intimacy without commitment in order to protect our hearts from unnecessary grief and pain. This showed me yet another way that God has my best in mind when He created rules and guidelines for me to live by. One thought in the book that had never occurred to me before was that, as a redeemed woman of God, I should make it a primary goal that my boyfriend will be spiritually stronger by having been in a relationship with me, even if we don't end up getting married. Wow! How many couples date with that goal in mind?
-------
In one class, we addressed the topics of conflict and communication. To be honest, I was not looking forward to this class at all. We took a Conflict Inventory test and I scored very high on Accommodating, which I could’ve predicted before I even took the test. I have struggled with avoiding conflict my entire life. Whenever I’m faced with a conflict, my tendency is to discount my own emotions and concede completely to the other person’s wishes and desires in order to maintain harmony in the relationship. I know this approach to conflict is very dangerous and harmful in a marital relationship, and over the past year or so, God has brought it to my attention and has been helping me break free from it. College life has provided me with plenty of opportunities to confront others in a loving way instead of avoiding the conflict altogether. I'm getting better, but I still have a long way to go...good thing our God is so patient. :)
Overall, this class has been so wonderful and eye-opening for me. It's taught by an older husband and wife and they do such a great job conveying godly advice for marriage, parenting, singleness, and dating. They're so open and honest about the successes and failures within their own marriage as well. What a blessing they have been to me! :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Christian Worldview...and other updates
Hola a todos!
Wow, I have so much to update you on!! Where to begin?? I'll give you a quick summary of some of the fun things I've done in the past 2 weeks and then I'll pass on a few things I've learned in my Christian Worldview class. Ready? Here we go...
So, Valentine's Day 2011 definitely beats all the rest by a long shot! That morning, my roommate and I wake up to the sound of knocking. When we opened the front door, we found our next door nieghbors had made us a breakfast of omlets, sausage, pancakes, fruit, and toast--how fun! We found out later that the 11 guys in FLI had each taken one room of girls (a few doubled up) and made breakfast for each room. How sweet! Then, after breakfast, we were given a personal invitation to a Valentine's banquet that night. The guys had reserved a nice dining room in one of the buildings on the Focus on the Family campus and had Italian food and cheesecake catered just for us! Not only was there valet parking, but there were rose petals leading from the outside door to the dining room, live music (one of the guys plays piano beautifully), and they were all dressed in suits and served us dinner! After we finished dessert, the guys went from table to table and slow-danced for a few minutes with each girl--what an incredible night! Every girl there felt so loved and special. :) Some of the girls with long-time boyfriends even slipped up and said that this was the best Valentine's Day they had ever had!
Two weeks ago I was able to be on an episode of Your Family Live, which is a webcast put out by Focus on the Family weekly. That week, their guest was the author of one of the books we're reading in our Marriage & Family class, Gary Thomas. His book, Sacred Marriage, is incredible! I definitely recommend it, whether you're not dating yet, currently dating, newly weds, or have been married for 50 years! Also, Stephen Kendrick who helped direct and produce "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof" and wrote "The Love Dare" was live-streamed for his interview. Here's the link to the webcast--Don't get too excited, I'm just in the audience :) http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/community/webcasts/2011/0209
Also, I was able to sit in the studio with the other FLI students during two daily broadcasts hosted by Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, and John Fuller--it was so cool to meet and talk with them! On the first broadcast, Gary Smalley and Ted Cunningham were the guests and on the second one, Josh McDowell and his son Sean were there! On the second broadcast I was even able to ask a question and have it answered by Josh! I'll let you all know when the broadcast is aired. :)
A week ago yesterday all 44 FLI kids and most of the staff went to Copper Mountain to go skiing and it was SO MUCH FUN! I had been "skiing" once before when I was 12 years old, but I don't really count it because I stayed on the bunny slope the entire time and hated every second lol. This time was so different. It snowed a lot that morning, so it was very powdery (so it hurt less when I fell--which was often!) and Copper had so many different slopes--it was a huge ski complex! The mountain's green slopes were perfect for me because they weren't very steep and they were long, so it allowed me to really practice my form. :) Besides almost running into a tree at full speed and almost decapitating my friend as we got off the ski lift, I had a wonderful time!
This past Saturday I went to the AFA (Air Force Academy) campus with a few FLI girl friends and one of their Air Force guy friends to go horseback riding at the campus stables. It was so much fun! It was an incredibly beautiful 70 degrees outside and the view of Colorado Springs was breathtaking. I've posted pics below :)
Ok, so onto my Christian Worldview class...
This class is taught by the VP of College Student Ministries at Focus, Dr. Chris Leland, and I am amazed at how wise this man is. He has such an incredible wealth of information about the Bible, other religions, and how believers can effectively defend their faith. He has debated some of the most famous liberal and atheist leaders in the country and is so talented at explaining why he believes what he believes. He really challenges his students in every single class.
So far, for his class we've read The Universe Next Door, The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis, Five Sacred Crossings, and To Everyone an Answer. All of these books concern either the various worldviews that exist or Christian apologetics. The main worldviews we'll be studying are Christian Theism, Atheistic Naturalism, Pagan Mysticism, and Postmoderism. So far, we've studied the basics of Christian Theism and the two foundational presuppositions of this worldview: 1) God is 2) God reveals Himself (generally through Creation and specifically through his Word). How incredible is that? Those two principles alone should blow our minds! Not only that the God of the Universe exists, but that He loves us enough to reveal Himself to us. Wow.
We've also studied that the bottom line to every worldview that ever existed, exists, or will exist is this simple statement: Either God is or God isn't. A worldview's belief about this statement shapes the rest of its entire belief system. Worldviews are essential for a human being to live on earth. Why? Well, for a few reasons: 1) We need to unify thought and life experience 2) We need to define the good life and find hope and meaning in life 3) We need to guide current thought and actions 4) We need to deal with our diverse culture. So, every person on earth, whether they realize it or not, has a worldview.
We've also studied a little about how to defend our faith as Christ-followers. In order for a Christian's defense of their faith to be Biblical, the truth claims must first be biblically based and then culturally relevant. It must also be personally relevant, intellectually responsible, and respectful of persons. It is so important for believers to be able to defend why they believe what they believe. As believers we are encouraged to do this in 1 Peter 3:15: "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
One topic we touched on that I found very interesting was the different methods of sharing your faith that Christians have utilized over the years. The mains ones are: 1) Crisis prayer 2) Lifestyle evangelism 3) Socratic evangelism 4) Moral confrontation 5) Invitation to church or Christian event. The most popular among people ages 45 and older have been #1 and 4. For Christians under 45, #2 and 3 are used the most. Interesting...
We also studied how to communicate worldviews to the community in a way that will change society. The 3 ways to do this is 1) Make issues moral not biblical 2) Know the culture 3) Engage in principled persuasion. We must be educated about our beliefs and know the culture and opposing beliefs so that we are not taken off guard by questions that come up. However, we must never enter a spiritual debate with the sole purpose of winning. Our goal should be to be used by the Holy Spirit to draw that person closer to salvation. So many Christians get heated in debates and lose sight of what their motivation should really be. Many times, they end up being an awful witness for Christ as they selfishly just want to make themselves look good by winning the argument and making the other person look stupid. That method will win no one to Christ.
Lastly, we studied four great questions to use when discussing spiritual beliefs with another person: 1) What do you mean by that? 2) How do you know that to be true? 3) Where did you get your information? 4) What happens if you're wrong? The RIGHT questions will always work much better than accusations when trying to show the other person the holes in their belief system.
So...my question is: Are you sufficiently prepared to defend your faith??
If not, I encourage you to read any or all of the books I've listed above. All of them have changed my view of Christian apologetics and how I should discuss what I believe with those who hold opposing beliefs.
Thanks for reading :)
Our wonderful breakfast the morning of Valentine's Day!
The FLI worship team all dressed up for the Valentine's banquet
Some of my closest FLI girl friends after the banquet
The amazing guys who made Valentine's Day 2011 so wonderful!
Goofing off with my roomie, Danielle :)
Slow-dancing to live music with the hosts of the evening
FLI Valentine's banquet 2011
Josh McDowell and John Fuller discussing a mess-up that they had to re-record :)
The comedian, Jim Daly--that guy's hilarious :)
(From left to right) John Fuller, Sean McDowell, Josh McDowell, and Jim Daly posing for pictures after the broadcast recording
All ready to ski on Copper Mountain!
Riding the ski lift--this was right before I almost decapitated the girl on the right
A few of my beautiful FLI girl friends :)
Horsebacking riding at the AFA in gorgeous 70-degree weather :)
Me with my horse, Mac
All the girls at the AFA stables
Wow, I have so much to update you on!! Where to begin?? I'll give you a quick summary of some of the fun things I've done in the past 2 weeks and then I'll pass on a few things I've learned in my Christian Worldview class. Ready? Here we go...
So, Valentine's Day 2011 definitely beats all the rest by a long shot! That morning, my roommate and I wake up to the sound of knocking. When we opened the front door, we found our next door nieghbors had made us a breakfast of omlets, sausage, pancakes, fruit, and toast--how fun! We found out later that the 11 guys in FLI had each taken one room of girls (a few doubled up) and made breakfast for each room. How sweet! Then, after breakfast, we were given a personal invitation to a Valentine's banquet that night. The guys had reserved a nice dining room in one of the buildings on the Focus on the Family campus and had Italian food and cheesecake catered just for us! Not only was there valet parking, but there were rose petals leading from the outside door to the dining room, live music (one of the guys plays piano beautifully), and they were all dressed in suits and served us dinner! After we finished dessert, the guys went from table to table and slow-danced for a few minutes with each girl--what an incredible night! Every girl there felt so loved and special. :) Some of the girls with long-time boyfriends even slipped up and said that this was the best Valentine's Day they had ever had!
Two weeks ago I was able to be on an episode of Your Family Live, which is a webcast put out by Focus on the Family weekly. That week, their guest was the author of one of the books we're reading in our Marriage & Family class, Gary Thomas. His book, Sacred Marriage, is incredible! I definitely recommend it, whether you're not dating yet, currently dating, newly weds, or have been married for 50 years! Also, Stephen Kendrick who helped direct and produce "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof" and wrote "The Love Dare" was live-streamed for his interview. Here's the link to the webcast--Don't get too excited, I'm just in the audience :) http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/community/webcasts/2011/0209
Also, I was able to sit in the studio with the other FLI students during two daily broadcasts hosted by Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, and John Fuller--it was so cool to meet and talk with them! On the first broadcast, Gary Smalley and Ted Cunningham were the guests and on the second one, Josh McDowell and his son Sean were there! On the second broadcast I was even able to ask a question and have it answered by Josh! I'll let you all know when the broadcast is aired. :)
A week ago yesterday all 44 FLI kids and most of the staff went to Copper Mountain to go skiing and it was SO MUCH FUN! I had been "skiing" once before when I was 12 years old, but I don't really count it because I stayed on the bunny slope the entire time and hated every second lol. This time was so different. It snowed a lot that morning, so it was very powdery (so it hurt less when I fell--which was often!) and Copper had so many different slopes--it was a huge ski complex! The mountain's green slopes were perfect for me because they weren't very steep and they were long, so it allowed me to really practice my form. :) Besides almost running into a tree at full speed and almost decapitating my friend as we got off the ski lift, I had a wonderful time!
This past Saturday I went to the AFA (Air Force Academy) campus with a few FLI girl friends and one of their Air Force guy friends to go horseback riding at the campus stables. It was so much fun! It was an incredibly beautiful 70 degrees outside and the view of Colorado Springs was breathtaking. I've posted pics below :)
Ok, so onto my Christian Worldview class...
This class is taught by the VP of College Student Ministries at Focus, Dr. Chris Leland, and I am amazed at how wise this man is. He has such an incredible wealth of information about the Bible, other religions, and how believers can effectively defend their faith. He has debated some of the most famous liberal and atheist leaders in the country and is so talented at explaining why he believes what he believes. He really challenges his students in every single class.
So far, for his class we've read The Universe Next Door, The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis, Five Sacred Crossings, and To Everyone an Answer. All of these books concern either the various worldviews that exist or Christian apologetics. The main worldviews we'll be studying are Christian Theism, Atheistic Naturalism, Pagan Mysticism, and Postmoderism. So far, we've studied the basics of Christian Theism and the two foundational presuppositions of this worldview: 1) God is 2) God reveals Himself (generally through Creation and specifically through his Word). How incredible is that? Those two principles alone should blow our minds! Not only that the God of the Universe exists, but that He loves us enough to reveal Himself to us. Wow.
We've also studied that the bottom line to every worldview that ever existed, exists, or will exist is this simple statement: Either God is or God isn't. A worldview's belief about this statement shapes the rest of its entire belief system. Worldviews are essential for a human being to live on earth. Why? Well, for a few reasons: 1) We need to unify thought and life experience 2) We need to define the good life and find hope and meaning in life 3) We need to guide current thought and actions 4) We need to deal with our diverse culture. So, every person on earth, whether they realize it or not, has a worldview.
We've also studied a little about how to defend our faith as Christ-followers. In order for a Christian's defense of their faith to be Biblical, the truth claims must first be biblically based and then culturally relevant. It must also be personally relevant, intellectually responsible, and respectful of persons. It is so important for believers to be able to defend why they believe what they believe. As believers we are encouraged to do this in 1 Peter 3:15: "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
One topic we touched on that I found very interesting was the different methods of sharing your faith that Christians have utilized over the years. The mains ones are: 1) Crisis prayer 2) Lifestyle evangelism 3) Socratic evangelism 4) Moral confrontation 5) Invitation to church or Christian event. The most popular among people ages 45 and older have been #1 and 4. For Christians under 45, #2 and 3 are used the most. Interesting...
We also studied how to communicate worldviews to the community in a way that will change society. The 3 ways to do this is 1) Make issues moral not biblical 2) Know the culture 3) Engage in principled persuasion. We must be educated about our beliefs and know the culture and opposing beliefs so that we are not taken off guard by questions that come up. However, we must never enter a spiritual debate with the sole purpose of winning. Our goal should be to be used by the Holy Spirit to draw that person closer to salvation. So many Christians get heated in debates and lose sight of what their motivation should really be. Many times, they end up being an awful witness for Christ as they selfishly just want to make themselves look good by winning the argument and making the other person look stupid. That method will win no one to Christ.
Lastly, we studied four great questions to use when discussing spiritual beliefs with another person: 1) What do you mean by that? 2) How do you know that to be true? 3) Where did you get your information? 4) What happens if you're wrong? The RIGHT questions will always work much better than accusations when trying to show the other person the holes in their belief system.
So...my question is: Are you sufficiently prepared to defend your faith??
If not, I encourage you to read any or all of the books I've listed above. All of them have changed my view of Christian apologetics and how I should discuss what I believe with those who hold opposing beliefs.
Thanks for reading :)
Our wonderful breakfast the morning of Valentine's Day!
The FLI worship team all dressed up for the Valentine's banquet
Some of my closest FLI girl friends after the banquet
The amazing guys who made Valentine's Day 2011 so wonderful!
Goofing off with my roomie, Danielle :)
Slow-dancing to live music with the hosts of the evening
FLI Valentine's banquet 2011
Josh McDowell and John Fuller discussing a mess-up that they had to re-record :)
The comedian, Jim Daly--that guy's hilarious :)
(From left to right) John Fuller, Sean McDowell, Josh McDowell, and Jim Daly posing for pictures after the broadcast recording
All ready to ski on Copper Mountain!(Thanks Gehrman family for all the gear!)
Riding the ski lift--this was right before I almost decapitated the girl on the rightFortunately, she survived the experience :)
What skiing all day did to Berkeley's body...yeah.
A few of my beautiful FLI girl friends :) 
Horsebacking riding at the AFA in gorgeous 70-degree weather :)
Me with my horse, Mac
All the girls at the AFA stablesSunday, February 13, 2011
Identity & Leadership
Hola!
Sorry that it's been two weeks since I last wrote--my life is a little crazier here than I thought it was going to be! But, man, has it been incredible!
I love all of my classes so far. I'm learning so much in my Identity & Leadership, Christian Worldview, and Marriage & Family classes. On this post, I'll be focusing on what God is teaching me in my Identity & Leadership class. In the next post I'll cover my Christian Worldview class and in the following one, I'll discuss what God is teaching me in my Marriage & Family class.
In my Identity & Leadership class, (taught by a man and wife) we've been studying the different lies Satan loves to tell us concerning our identity. We learned that even though Satan says my identity comes from what I've done and what people say about me, God says my identity comes from what He's done and what He says about me. Wow! I can't believe how different my life would be if I really believed that and lived it out.
In this class, I've really had to come to terms with my tendency to be a people-pleaser. In The Search for Significance, there are quizzes for the reader to take concerning fear of failure and fear of rejection. Wow, the results of those quizzes were definitely a wake up call for me. In my Life Group (made up of me, 4 other girls, and 1 guy) we talked about what we struggled with the most in the book and most of us said fear of rejection. We talked about how, as Christians, we should never look to others' approval to determine our self worth. A healthy self-image is seeing yourself as God see you...no more, no less. We learned that a few ways I can work to repair my self-image through Christ is by 1) recognizing and confronting Satan's lies about me 2) making a conscious decision to focus on the truth about myself 3) surrounding myself with truthful people 4) taking time to meditate on Scripture 5) not labeling myself negatively 6) thanking God for who I am and 7) accepting, loving, and encouraging others. God is teaching me that, because of reconciliation, I am totally accepted by God, so I no longer have to fear rejection! But it's a slow and steady process... :)
I think an ugly side effect of being super driven and self-motivated can be a fear of failure. As a overachieving, Type A firstborn, I often struggle with thinking I have to be the best in every area of life...well, minus sports--I couldn't care less about that. ;) However, a fear of failure can quickly turn into an avoidance of risks, anger and resentment, pride, depression, low motivation, addiction to success, identity entangled with success, a sense of hopelessness, and anger at myself and God. God is teaching me that because of justification, I am completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God, so I no longer have to fear failure.
My second Identity & Leadership class this past week was centered around the book StrengthsFinder 2.0. This book accompanies an online "strengths test" that determines a person's strengths and abilities after asking about 80 situational and personality questions. After taking the test, I found that my top 5 strengths are as follows:
1) Developer - These people recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
2) Positivity - These people have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
3) WOO (Winning Over Others) - These people love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
4) Communication - These people find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
5) Individualization - These people are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
Sort creepy, huh? I was shocked to read these five definitions and find that they each describe me perfectly! For one of our in-class exercises, we wrote down one of our most fulfilling experiences and then thought about which of our top 5 traits played a role in making this experience occur. My fulfilling experience was being able to lead Bible study and see God show up in incredible ways by speaking to the girls and radically changing their hearts and lives for His glory. Once I thought about it, I realized that my strengths of Developer, Communication, and Individualization played a huge role in giving me the opportunity and ability to lead that small group. What an awesome realization!
It was also cool to realize that all 5 of my strengths are very helpful in the Marketing world! When I chose Marketing as a major, I had no idea what a perfect fit it would be. God is so good to lead and guide us through life, even when we have no idea if we're on the right path or not. :)
Talent x Investment = Strength
I also learned that I must first discover my talents and then invest time in using them before I can discover my strengths. Finding my strengths involves my 1) purpose 2) passions 3) vision 4) satisfaction and 5) meaning. Even though my talents will never change (you're either born with it, or you aren't), my strengths can change, based on the experiences I have in life.
In a recent study, it was discovered that all of the world's highest achievers have one thing in common: they know what their strengths are and they capitalize on them.
Do you know and capitalize on your strengths?
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
-Frederick Buechner
What is God's calling on your life?
Thanks for reading :)
Sorry that it's been two weeks since I last wrote--my life is a little crazier here than I thought it was going to be! But, man, has it been incredible!
I love all of my classes so far. I'm learning so much in my Identity & Leadership, Christian Worldview, and Marriage & Family classes. On this post, I'll be focusing on what God is teaching me in my Identity & Leadership class. In the next post I'll cover my Christian Worldview class and in the following one, I'll discuss what God is teaching me in my Marriage & Family class.
In my Identity & Leadership class, (taught by a man and wife) we've been studying the different lies Satan loves to tell us concerning our identity. We learned that even though Satan says my identity comes from what I've done and what people say about me, God says my identity comes from what He's done and what He says about me. Wow! I can't believe how different my life would be if I really believed that and lived it out.
In this class, I've really had to come to terms with my tendency to be a people-pleaser. In The Search for Significance, there are quizzes for the reader to take concerning fear of failure and fear of rejection. Wow, the results of those quizzes were definitely a wake up call for me. In my Life Group (made up of me, 4 other girls, and 1 guy) we talked about what we struggled with the most in the book and most of us said fear of rejection. We talked about how, as Christians, we should never look to others' approval to determine our self worth. A healthy self-image is seeing yourself as God see you...no more, no less. We learned that a few ways I can work to repair my self-image through Christ is by 1) recognizing and confronting Satan's lies about me 2) making a conscious decision to focus on the truth about myself 3) surrounding myself with truthful people 4) taking time to meditate on Scripture 5) not labeling myself negatively 6) thanking God for who I am and 7) accepting, loving, and encouraging others. God is teaching me that, because of reconciliation, I am totally accepted by God, so I no longer have to fear rejection! But it's a slow and steady process... :)
I think an ugly side effect of being super driven and self-motivated can be a fear of failure. As a overachieving, Type A firstborn, I often struggle with thinking I have to be the best in every area of life...well, minus sports--I couldn't care less about that. ;) However, a fear of failure can quickly turn into an avoidance of risks, anger and resentment, pride, depression, low motivation, addiction to success, identity entangled with success, a sense of hopelessness, and anger at myself and God. God is teaching me that because of justification, I am completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God, so I no longer have to fear failure.
My second Identity & Leadership class this past week was centered around the book StrengthsFinder 2.0. This book accompanies an online "strengths test" that determines a person's strengths and abilities after asking about 80 situational and personality questions. After taking the test, I found that my top 5 strengths are as follows:
1) Developer - These people recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
2) Positivity - These people have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
3) WOO (Winning Over Others) - These people love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
4) Communication - These people find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
5) Individualization - These people are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
Sort creepy, huh? I was shocked to read these five definitions and find that they each describe me perfectly! For one of our in-class exercises, we wrote down one of our most fulfilling experiences and then thought about which of our top 5 traits played a role in making this experience occur. My fulfilling experience was being able to lead Bible study and see God show up in incredible ways by speaking to the girls and radically changing their hearts and lives for His glory. Once I thought about it, I realized that my strengths of Developer, Communication, and Individualization played a huge role in giving me the opportunity and ability to lead that small group. What an awesome realization!
It was also cool to realize that all 5 of my strengths are very helpful in the Marketing world! When I chose Marketing as a major, I had no idea what a perfect fit it would be. God is so good to lead and guide us through life, even when we have no idea if we're on the right path or not. :)
Talent x Investment = Strength
I also learned that I must first discover my talents and then invest time in using them before I can discover my strengths. Finding my strengths involves my 1) purpose 2) passions 3) vision 4) satisfaction and 5) meaning. Even though my talents will never change (you're either born with it, or you aren't), my strengths can change, based on the experiences I have in life.
In a recent study, it was discovered that all of the world's highest achievers have one thing in common: they know what their strengths are and they capitalize on them.
Do you know and capitalize on your strengths?
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
-Frederick Buechner
What is God's calling on your life?
Thanks for reading :)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Let the classes begin...
Is it just me, or does it feel like I've been in Colorado Springs for at least a few months? I feel so at home here! I can't believe I arrived only two weeks ago! Last weekend was so much fun as the entire FLI staff and students went into the mountains to Intervarsity's Bear Trap Ranch. We had so much fun worshipping together, hearing from a few of our staff, playing lots of board games, eating delicious food, ice skating, snow tubing, playing broom ball on the ice, and doing a few leadership exercises with our Life Groups. (Our class of 44 guys and girls is split up into 8 Life Groups, in which we'll do all of our leadership exercises and in-class projects all semester.) I loved getting to know all the guys and girls better--what an incredible group of people. :)
(See pictures from the retreat below.)
This past week was the first week of classes and we actually only had one class all week. From 8:30am to 11:30am Monday through Thursday we were taught by the creator of The Truth Project, Dr. Del Tacket, about Family, Church, and Society. Bascially, he gave us a broad overview of all of God's social institutions (family, God & man, church, labor, community, and state) which we'll study more in depth in our other three classes throughout the rest of the semester. Then, at the end of the semester, we'll have his class for a week straight to close everything out.
I started my internship/practicum this past week and I love it. The people I work with are so hilarious and really made me feel at ease. Mainly, I've been working on finding statistics, stories, and quotes for Focus on the Family's monthly Pledge letter that the ministry sends out to its 15,000 regular donors. Each month there's a different theme. For example, I'm working on April's letter right now and the theme is Counseling, so I'm getting testimonies and statistics from Focus' Counseling department to read through, compile the best ones, and send to Focus' ad agency, CSK. (P.S. I was able to attend my department's meeting with CSK and I talked with them about being interested in advertising! They said I should come see the agency sometime and they'd treat me to lunch!! Who knows?!) It's been incredible reading through so many stories from real people whose lives have been affected by Focus. I was even able to use my Spanish when one of my co-workers asked me to proof read a Spanish pro-life booklet that Focus is going to publish! I've never been so excited to find typos in my life. :)
This past Friday and tomorrow our FLI class is going through a leadership intensive course, training us on what is takes to be a good leader according to the Bible. The course is split between classroom time and interactive leadership activities. At one point on Friday, we signed up for guys and girls Bible studies and I decided to attend one on the Proverbs 31 woman. There will be 9 other girls in this study with me and it's going to be led by the wife of Dr. Leland, the VP for College Student Ministries and professor of our Christian Worldviews class. She will be leading it with another young woman who is just about to finish her Masters in Christian Studies and, for her thesis, she wrote a Bible study on the Proverbs 31 woman applied to the college-aged woman. So that's what we'll be using in our small group and I can't wait! :)
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Danielle. is. incredible. God could not have placed me with a more perfect roommate this semester. We get along so well and she has been so encouraging and fun to be around. Our personalities go so well together--I feel like I've known her all my life. No joke.
Yesterday morning Danielle and I hiked all the way up the Manitou Incline (a huge set of stairs made of railroad ties going straight up the side of Rocky Mountain, gaining 2011 feet in elevation over a length of about 1 mile) and we had no clue what we were getting ourselves into! Basically, it's a huge outdoor stairmaster that is sure to zap any strength you thought you had and leave you feeling like you got hit by a truck the next day. I've been feeling extremely sore all over today, but I'm so glad we went--the peak had such a beautiful, clear view and it was a refreshing 65 degrees outside.
(See pictures below.)
Random side note: Brandon's twin is in FLI with me. His name is Ben and he was born 5 days before Brandon. Kinda freaky...
(See picture below.)
This morning, I had the opportunity to attend the service at Northland Community Church (where Danielle's sister attends) with Danielle, Ben (Brandon's look-alike), Danielle's sister Elisha, and some of Elisha's Air Force cadet friends. Tonight at the church's baptismal service, Ben, Danielle, and I will be leading worship. I am so grateful that God has given me this opportunity. I've committed to leading worship at the church's youth group on Friday nights this semester, but please pray God would give me wisdom about which church he would have me attend on Sundays. There are so many great churches in the area, so I would like to just choose one soon so that I can get plugged in over the next few months!
Again, thanks for remembering me in your prayers! Let me know if you ever want to skype! My skype name is berkeley.bagwell, or just shoot me an email at berkeley.bagwell@gmail.com -- super easy to remember. ;)
Leading worship at Bear Trap Retreat
Snow tubing for the first time--SO much fun :)
Whipping my way down the snowy slide
Beautiful Colorado Springs from above
Playing broom ball with a few of my new friends
(Plus Mave, my friend since 6th grade)
Bear Trap Retreat
From the top of the Manitou Incline, overlooking the Springs area
Looking over in the direction of Pike's Peak
The top of the indescribably long outdoor stairwell dubbed "The Incline"
Overlooking God's breathtaking creation
Hiking up The Incline
The beginning of The Incline--we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...
Brandon's look-alike here at FLI...crazy, huh??
(See pictures from the retreat below.)
This past week was the first week of classes and we actually only had one class all week. From 8:30am to 11:30am Monday through Thursday we were taught by the creator of The Truth Project, Dr. Del Tacket, about Family, Church, and Society. Bascially, he gave us a broad overview of all of God's social institutions (family, God & man, church, labor, community, and state) which we'll study more in depth in our other three classes throughout the rest of the semester. Then, at the end of the semester, we'll have his class for a week straight to close everything out.
I started my internship/practicum this past week and I love it. The people I work with are so hilarious and really made me feel at ease. Mainly, I've been working on finding statistics, stories, and quotes for Focus on the Family's monthly Pledge letter that the ministry sends out to its 15,000 regular donors. Each month there's a different theme. For example, I'm working on April's letter right now and the theme is Counseling, so I'm getting testimonies and statistics from Focus' Counseling department to read through, compile the best ones, and send to Focus' ad agency, CSK. (P.S. I was able to attend my department's meeting with CSK and I talked with them about being interested in advertising! They said I should come see the agency sometime and they'd treat me to lunch!! Who knows?!) It's been incredible reading through so many stories from real people whose lives have been affected by Focus. I was even able to use my Spanish when one of my co-workers asked me to proof read a Spanish pro-life booklet that Focus is going to publish! I've never been so excited to find typos in my life. :)
This past Friday and tomorrow our FLI class is going through a leadership intensive course, training us on what is takes to be a good leader according to the Bible. The course is split between classroom time and interactive leadership activities. At one point on Friday, we signed up for guys and girls Bible studies and I decided to attend one on the Proverbs 31 woman. There will be 9 other girls in this study with me and it's going to be led by the wife of Dr. Leland, the VP for College Student Ministries and professor of our Christian Worldviews class. She will be leading it with another young woman who is just about to finish her Masters in Christian Studies and, for her thesis, she wrote a Bible study on the Proverbs 31 woman applied to the college-aged woman. So that's what we'll be using in our small group and I can't wait! :)
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Danielle. is. incredible. God could not have placed me with a more perfect roommate this semester. We get along so well and she has been so encouraging and fun to be around. Our personalities go so well together--I feel like I've known her all my life. No joke.
Yesterday morning Danielle and I hiked all the way up the Manitou Incline (a huge set of stairs made of railroad ties going straight up the side of Rocky Mountain, gaining 2011 feet in elevation over a length of about 1 mile) and we had no clue what we were getting ourselves into! Basically, it's a huge outdoor stairmaster that is sure to zap any strength you thought you had and leave you feeling like you got hit by a truck the next day. I've been feeling extremely sore all over today, but I'm so glad we went--the peak had such a beautiful, clear view and it was a refreshing 65 degrees outside.
(See pictures below.)
Random side note: Brandon's twin is in FLI with me. His name is Ben and he was born 5 days before Brandon. Kinda freaky...
(See picture below.)
This morning, I had the opportunity to attend the service at Northland Community Church (where Danielle's sister attends) with Danielle, Ben (Brandon's look-alike), Danielle's sister Elisha, and some of Elisha's Air Force cadet friends. Tonight at the church's baptismal service, Ben, Danielle, and I will be leading worship. I am so grateful that God has given me this opportunity. I've committed to leading worship at the church's youth group on Friday nights this semester, but please pray God would give me wisdom about which church he would have me attend on Sundays. There are so many great churches in the area, so I would like to just choose one soon so that I can get plugged in over the next few months!
Again, thanks for remembering me in your prayers! Let me know if you ever want to skype! My skype name is berkeley.bagwell, or just shoot me an email at berkeley.bagwell@gmail.com -- super easy to remember. ;)
Leading worship at Bear Trap Retreat
Snow tubing for the first time--SO much fun :) 
Whipping my way down the snowy slide 
Beautiful Colorado Springs from above
Playing broom ball with a few of my new friends(Plus Mave, my friend since 6th grade)
Bear Trap Retreat
From the top of the Manitou Incline, overlooking the Springs area
Looking over in the direction of Pike's Peak 
The top of the indescribably long outdoor stairwell dubbed "The Incline"I can't believe we actually made it...but we did!
Overlooking God's breathtaking creation
Hiking up The Incline
The beginning of The Incline--we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...
Brandon's look-alike here at FLI...crazy, huh??Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I'm finally here!
Yes, I'm finally here in beautiful Colorado Springs! And I mean, it. is. GORGEOUS.
First of all, I want to thank all of you who were praying so hard for safety on my trip out here. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The worst part was getting off of Greenville's icy roads!! Once we were out of Greenville, the roads were clear the rest of the way!
TRIP SUMMARY:
Mary Avery (one of my best friends since 6th grade and my college roommate for 2 years) and I left Greenville on January 15th, spent the night in Nashville, then traveled to St. Louis, where we ate lunch and went to the top of the Gateway Arch with Jessica (a friend of mine from my Cordoba study abroad trip). After a few hours in St. Louis, we continued on to Kansas City, where we spent the night, and then spent the entire next day driving across the very flat and usually boring state of Kansas to get to the beautiful Colorado Springs. Fortunately, one of the girls in my Campus Crusade for Christ Bible study is from the Springs, so we stayed with her incredibly hospitable family that night and then checked into our apartment the next day!
I LOVE it here already! It is so incredibly gorgeous! I left a freezing and icy Greenville, SC to arrive at a beautiful, sunny 50-degree Colorado Springs!
After all the FLI students moved into their apartments yesterday, we all gathered at the Focus on the Family campus to have a mini-orientation and dinner with all the students and staff together. There are 44 students total: 33 girls, 11 guys...yeah, I know, shocker.
I've met almost everyone by now and I have been blown away at the sincere kindness and excitement that everyone has here! Everyone on staff is so thrilled that we're here and all the students are so excited to be here. All day today, we started our 2-day orientation schedule and went through the 4 different syllabi for our classes with our profs (which I'll detail in a sec). The FLI staff and our professors are such cut-ups--they had all us students laughing almost the whole time! However, we definitely saw the faculty and staff switch from hilarious to serious when they started to discuss the reason that we're here. When the professors started talking about their heart behind their particular class, and the material that we're going to cover in it, I could really see how sincerely passionate they are about this program, which made me so much more excited. :)
I am living in the program's only 2-person apartment with a super sweet girl named Danielle, who is from New York. We have gotten along so well already and have even opened up with each other about some about things we're struggling with and things we're passionate about. She has been such an incredible blessing already.
Click the link below to see a more detailed description of the 4 classes I'll be taking this semester:
http://www.focusleadership.org/Display.asp?Page=classes
Also, at the bottom of that web page, you'll see a section called "Professional Practicum." That's the internship I'll have while I'm here. From what I understand, we'll be in class everyday from 8:15am to 11:30am on the Focus on the Family campus, eat lunch in the cafeteria there, and then do our internships twice a week in the afternoons. I just found out today that I got my #1 choice for my internship placement (yay!), which is Focus on the Family's Constituent Relationship Management/Fundraising department. I don't have any nonprofit marketing experience, so I am so excited about this opportunity! I told the internship coordinator that I would love to incorporate my Spanish skills somehow too, and she said that Focus' Hispanic CRM department would love to have me help them for a few weeks too! I am just blown away at what God has provided for me here. The staff here truly care about us students and really want us to get the most out of our experience here. Click on the link below to read a little summary of my internship:
http://www.focusleadership.org/Display.asp?Page=practicum-CRM
About a week before we arrived, I volunteered to help with the group's praise and worship band, and then found out yesterday that we were supposed to lead worship that night! But, honestly, it was such a blessing to lead worship the very first night we were together and I'm so excited to help in that area over the next few months.
I have absolutely loved meeting and getting to know so many college students who passionately desire to know God more and delve deeper into what the Christian worldview is all about. It's just so incredibly refreshing and encouraging.
I do ask that you pray for our student/staff retreat this weekend. Please pray that we all get to know each other more so that we can learn to fully trust one another and really become transparent and vulnerable with each other inside and outside the classroom.
Thanks for reading! I love you all and I thank God so much for you. :)
First of all, I want to thank all of you who were praying so hard for safety on my trip out here. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The worst part was getting off of Greenville's icy roads!! Once we were out of Greenville, the roads were clear the rest of the way!
TRIP SUMMARY:
Mary Avery (one of my best friends since 6th grade and my college roommate for 2 years) and I left Greenville on January 15th, spent the night in Nashville, then traveled to St. Louis, where we ate lunch and went to the top of the Gateway Arch with Jessica (a friend of mine from my Cordoba study abroad trip). After a few hours in St. Louis, we continued on to Kansas City, where we spent the night, and then spent the entire next day driving across the very flat and usually boring state of Kansas to get to the beautiful Colorado Springs. Fortunately, one of the girls in my Campus Crusade for Christ Bible study is from the Springs, so we stayed with her incredibly hospitable family that night and then checked into our apartment the next day!
I LOVE it here already! It is so incredibly gorgeous! I left a freezing and icy Greenville, SC to arrive at a beautiful, sunny 50-degree Colorado Springs!
After all the FLI students moved into their apartments yesterday, we all gathered at the Focus on the Family campus to have a mini-orientation and dinner with all the students and staff together. There are 44 students total: 33 girls, 11 guys...yeah, I know, shocker.
I've met almost everyone by now and I have been blown away at the sincere kindness and excitement that everyone has here! Everyone on staff is so thrilled that we're here and all the students are so excited to be here. All day today, we started our 2-day orientation schedule and went through the 4 different syllabi for our classes with our profs (which I'll detail in a sec). The FLI staff and our professors are such cut-ups--they had all us students laughing almost the whole time! However, we definitely saw the faculty and staff switch from hilarious to serious when they started to discuss the reason that we're here. When the professors started talking about their heart behind their particular class, and the material that we're going to cover in it, I could really see how sincerely passionate they are about this program, which made me so much more excited. :)
I am living in the program's only 2-person apartment with a super sweet girl named Danielle, who is from New York. We have gotten along so well already and have even opened up with each other about some about things we're struggling with and things we're passionate about. She has been such an incredible blessing already.
Click the link below to see a more detailed description of the 4 classes I'll be taking this semester:
http://www.focusleadership.org/Display.asp?Page=classes
Also, at the bottom of that web page, you'll see a section called "Professional Practicum." That's the internship I'll have while I'm here. From what I understand, we'll be in class everyday from 8:15am to 11:30am on the Focus on the Family campus, eat lunch in the cafeteria there, and then do our internships twice a week in the afternoons. I just found out today that I got my #1 choice for my internship placement (yay!), which is Focus on the Family's Constituent Relationship Management/Fundraising department. I don't have any nonprofit marketing experience, so I am so excited about this opportunity! I told the internship coordinator that I would love to incorporate my Spanish skills somehow too, and she said that Focus' Hispanic CRM department would love to have me help them for a few weeks too! I am just blown away at what God has provided for me here. The staff here truly care about us students and really want us to get the most out of our experience here. Click on the link below to read a little summary of my internship:
http://www.focusleadership.org/Display.asp?Page=practicum-CRM
About a week before we arrived, I volunteered to help with the group's praise and worship band, and then found out yesterday that we were supposed to lead worship that night! But, honestly, it was such a blessing to lead worship the very first night we were together and I'm so excited to help in that area over the next few months.
I have absolutely loved meeting and getting to know so many college students who passionately desire to know God more and delve deeper into what the Christian worldview is all about. It's just so incredibly refreshing and encouraging.
I do ask that you pray for our student/staff retreat this weekend. Please pray that we all get to know each other more so that we can learn to fully trust one another and really become transparent and vulnerable with each other inside and outside the classroom.
Thanks for reading! I love you all and I thank God so much for you. :)
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