Life Adjustments

Who cares if you disagree? You are not me. Who made you king of anything?-Sara Bareilles

So I haven't blogged in awhile. 2 primary reasons. 1. I'm legitimately busy. 2. I don't want people looking at my life right now, one of my close friends said my life closely resemble's Annie's from the movie Bridesmaids. No objection there.


I'm a mess, why hide it? I got dumped a month before my wedding, no big deal. I didn't hardly blink an eye about that. Seriously, not a big deal, and I'm fine with that. 


But I didn't realize that in breaking off our engagement Josh meant to break off our friendship. That thought didn't cross my mind for a while, and didn't actually set in until earlier this week, when I realized that I was supposed to be a wife right now, and I've got nobody. And it's been a huge adjustment. With company of good friends I'm making the adjustment.


Of course, I avoid pain at all costs. So in order to not feel any of my sad emotions take over, I've done everything in the book short of taking drugs. A couple weeks ago I got a tattoo after thinking about it for 2 days. Last night I got legitimately drunk for the first time. Don't get me wrong, it was really fun. For me. Maybe not for other people. I was having a blast...I kept catching the balls in beer pong (they let me keep playing cause I was wearing sexy cutoffs I think) and when it came time to leave I didn't want to go, so my babysitter came and picked me up and carried me out. 


When I stop to think about my behavior problems, I see that it looks like I'm falling apart. But I'm not. I'm finding out who I am. Don't judge me, because I never judge you either.

New post

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. -Hebrews 11:1 (I think but didn't check)

One of my friends got on my case for not blogging in a month. Well...I've been busy. A quick summary: finished up all my wedding plans; dead week week, went to Oregon for soil judging; finals week...somehow failed most of my exams and kept a 3.5 gpa (I know how to work the system); then Tulip Time; just this past week- wisdom teeth removal; died and came back to life (seriously, but that's a story for another time); went to my fiance's college graduation and had a blast; had marriage counselling; got dumped after 4 years; and moved into my apartment by myself yesterday. And here I am. And I'm fine (still in shock) but even when I go through the grieving stage, I'll be fine. I never imagined that every song Taylor Swift ever wrote could apply to me, but they clearly do.


Liz, this is dedicated to you. :p

I'm in love with Judas, baby!

So last Friday Lady Gaga released her new single, Judas. Shockingly, many people were offended. Okay, not shockingly. But still. It irritates me. Probably because I basically never get offended.


But the main reason it annoys me when people get all riled up is because it's always "Christians." In this case. Gaga offended many religious groups with her song Judas. I'm not sure how, as it's about a Christian who loves sinning. Um.....don't we all?  I mean, it's time to step up to the plate Christians-Jesus is the only one who's never sinned! We all sin, whether accidentally or on purpose, we like what we're doing!


So if you're a Christian, you should really be thinking about whether you're hard-hearted like the Pharisees of Jesus's day or soft-hearted and willing to address your sin, which is what you believe in if you really follow Jesus.

So it's been a while...

~"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal."-Isaiah 26:4


As I sit here avoiding typing my lab report for a class I despise and a professor whom I can't find nice things to say about, I realized it had been 3 weeks since I wrote anything. Oops.


I just came across the bulletin from church yesterday, and I scribbled all over the back of it. Before I throw it out, I'm going to share what I took for notes. 


1. agape is love. It is NOT touchy-feely "love," but it is the love that Jesus had for us-an attitude adjustment, a committment. 
2. kosmos is the Greek word for "world." To go into a greater depth, kosmos is an entity that is at complete enemity with God, a God-hating world. 
With this in mind, read John 3:16. "For God so agaped the (God-hating) world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
I hope that's powerful for you, because it was for me. 


Well I don't have a whole lot of thoughts right now. The thoughts I have at this moment are mostly about school and how much I hate every class I'm taking this semester except for one. Well...maybe 2. My two electives. But I hate Geology, Meteorology, Psychology, and Horticulture. Horticulture is the class I'm despising right now. It'll only take me an hour or so to write my 13 page lab report...but that's because I do half-ass, actually less than half-ass, work for professors I can't stand.


On the positive side, I rode my mule last week, so that's always beneficial for my health and the health of those around me. Cause I'm more tolerable when my needs have been met. ;)


A picture of me at my finest (well sort of...finest would be a real nice trail somewhere, but for some reason nobody ever has a camera on them)

Reasoning

"'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though you sins are like scarlet, they shall as be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'"-Isaiah 1:18


What a concept. I discovered this verse last night when I was running through my favorite verses of Isaiah (so far). 


It seems ridiculous, to me, that God-who is perfect, who is everything good, powerful, awesome, all-knowing-would want to 'reason together' with me. Which makes me think, what did they think back then? I mean, here's this crazy dude (Isaiah) in this society that's so f-ed up they don't even realize it, and he's telling them that God wants to make a deal, that if they clean up their act they can be completely forgiven and made white as snow. What a crazy idea!


I have an advantage on them-I know Jesus. I know that in this verse, God is talking about shedding His innocent blood...to make my life pure again. 


But still...when I come across a verse like this, I just have to stop and think for a moment about how incredible this is for me to believe today. I know it's true, God forgives and washes me clean every day, but it's hard to forgive myself, and to see myself as something that's new.

The Manifesto of a Little Monster

"Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? ..."-Malachi 2:10

Confession: I adore Lady Gaga. I am a Little Monster for sure...I have all her music, a few of her better videos, a T-shirt, and a Gaga Halloween costume. I think she is fantastic. Her songs are well-written, have good beats, and, in the case of many, impart a good message. But my favorite part about Lady Gaga is her videos...each one more "edgy" than the rest. I did not particularly care for the "Alejandro" video, I like to pretend that didn't happen, but as soon as I got out of class yesterday I came back to watch "Born This Way." And I was not disappointed.


Let me introduce you, if you haven't seen it yet. I think it's amazing-the way it opens up, the disgustingness of some scenes, Gaga's lovely...dancing... and I am partial to the skeleton scenes and the pop culture scenes (Madonna anyone?). Viewer Discretion Advised...as if you'll take caution, ha!

Discipline

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." -2 Timothy 4:5


Ministry. That's one of those things that I want but I don't know how to get. I want to be like a youth group leader or something, but I "don't have time for it." Literally. Without dropping something, I don't have time for it. So it's one of those things that I pray in circles about. I want the guidance, but I don't, at the same time. :/


In other news....I submitted an application for an apartment this week! I'm a big kid now!


Academically, this week has been ridiculous. Even to the point of being mildly stressful (even for me! And I don't care about school that much!). And to all those who had to deal with slight crabbiness, sorry. 


And also I miss Josh (it's been 3 weeks!) and I miss my mules (it's been 5 days!). And I'm ready to get out of here. So tomorrow afternoon I'm bailing on my classes and getting the heck home!


I finished up reading the New Testament this week. That was fun. And I was really excited to read Isaiah. Well. It's now day 2. And...Isaiah is not "easy to read" like Philippians, for example. I have 2 Bibles open right now. TWO! One so I can write notes in, and one so I can read the footnotes and understand what's happening, because this would have no purpose if I didn't understand it. This is the most self-disciplined I've ever been in my life. It would be neater if this was 9 pm instead of 12:30 am, but if I wasn't exhausted, then it wouldn't be discipline anymore.

Hahaha, if I studied this hard for school...well, I'd have no friends cause I'd be a nerd. However, what's this studying for if I don't apply it? Next week's goal: Affect people positively rather than negatively.

Learning to Unbelieve

"I urge you, brothers (and sisters), for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them." -Romans 16:17

Paul was the man. When he was converted, he just ran around telling everyone about how awesome his God was, and confronting the cultures about their corrupt ways and how they should be changed. This is a really hard thing to do! Here I am, trying to not become corrupt by my surroundings, and I'm so busy trying to hold my ground that I can't hardly even begin to confront others. And as far as keeping away from those that cause divisions.... those that cause divisions...are those to whom we are drawn. In my case, anyway. Or maybe I'm causing the divisions...I am sorta self-destructive by nature.


...


I'm writing this as I catch up on the sermon I missed Sunday from my church in Ames (I went home this weekend). And the sermon is about learning to unbelieve, and the first thing the pastor talks about is this book of "Sunday School myths":


10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe - by Larry Osborne


1. Faith can fix anything
2. Forgiving means forgetting
3. A godly home guarantees godly kids
4. God has a blueprint for my life
5. Christians shouldn't judge
6. Everything happens for a reason
7. Let your conscience be your guide
8. God brings good luck
9. A valley means a wrong turn
10. Dead people go to a better place


And I get it. We need to learn to "unbelieve" these things we've learned and been taught. And live in the Light of God's truth. 

Prayer

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."~Colossians 4:2

A well-worn Bible

A well-worn Bible with my personal notes and markings (mostly from church sermons)

Random verses that I'm memorizing/have memorized...
they're posted everywhere on my side of the room

I love Francis Chan. At 1 am, knowing I have to get up at 7, I'd rather watch one of his sermons than sleep. But this brings up something about my nature that I struggle with: I've been listening and reading a lot lately, and very good about my Bible reading schedule, I go to church every week and watch sermons I miss (since I'm in 2 churches but can only go to one/week) but my prayer life is... sketchy.


Sad day. Because when I pray, and I don't mean the two-minute-end-of-the-day wrap-up, I pray. It's...a gift. Something I'm good at, and not afraid to do in front of others. Of course, verbal communication would be my gift haha!


But when I do something "bad," on purpose, I get to "hiding" from God, in a way. And then I start avoiding prayer a bit. And then little by little...I stop. Not totally, I still have that one end-of-the-day prayer. But the praying all day bit...It's gone. And I feel the absence, but I'm not sure how to get it back.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1V7X3o03Ds


"If you want to humble a man, why don't you ask him about his prayer life?" -Chan


I just told you about my prayer life. How's yours?

I'm beautiful in my way, cause God makes no mistakes

"I tell you that...there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."~Jesus, Luke 15:7

How many of you are familiar with the story of the prodigal son? The first definition (for prodigal) that comes up on google is "a recklessly extravagant consumer." I don't know about you, but if you're in America (like me), this probably describes you (like it describes me).


My Bible heads the story "The Parable of the Lost Son." Here it is: Luke 15:11-32....


 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
   ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
   ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
   ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
   ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”


I bring this up for a few reasons, so bear with me.


1. The verse up top: Luke 15:7 came from a (Francis Chan, of course) sermon that I was listening to last night. I really need to branch out but there are 75 more sermons by Francis Chan on the database I found, so for the next 3 months anyway, that's who I'm listening to/reading/sharing with you fine folks.


Anyway, the sermon was "God's Love For Messed-Up People." And that pretty much describes the 35 minutes. And that pretty much describes me. Not that I love messed-up people, but that I am one. One thing Chan mentioned was that the self-righteous people are the ones who are least likely to repent (as opposed to "hard-core" sinners). I hope that I am not self-righteous, although I know that pride is one of my...downfalls...even though I'm too "proud" to think so!




2. (And this is supposed to be reasons for sharing the story of the lost son)


This story came up last week. My dad, Josh, and I were on a walk, and we were talking about my brother. It really bothers Dad (I think) that Chris is turning out the way he is: a rebellious hellion. I'm pretty sure he (subconsciously) sees it as partially his own fault. On one hand, I think so. But that's because I saw this all coming a loooong time ago, and things were a little different. On the other hand, I think they (Dad and Mom...I guess I'll include her too) did everything they could. I mean, they really didn't treat him any differently than me, he just...reacted differently, for lack of better words. And it sort of makes sense: everyone is different and reacts differently.


So we're walking along and Dad's sharing how he feels that things will turn around....I should back up a step. I see the world through "uncolored" eyes and so I've seen things in Chris that I didn't like from day one. Fact. My parents did not. They saw with "colored" eyes and maybe still do. But they see more reality now as Chris's actions become more rebellious.


So we're walking along and Dad's sharing how he feels that things will turn around. Eventually. And I recently read Luke, so I piped up, "Yeah, like the prodigal son." And so we talked about how the father in the story is so happy to see his son return, and Dad was saying he's sure that will happen someday. But first Chris will have to go through a lot more shit. And knowing Chris like I do, I'm sure our family will be living out this story.


3. I want to be a youth group leader/minister when I grow up. Or now. Whenever the opportunity arises. And this is one of the sermons that I want to preach because it's so awesome! This son goes off and squanders everything he has, and when he comes back, his father is soooo happy to see him! What an amazing story. It is never too late to return to our Father. And He'll always take us back, no matter what! Wrapping us up in His love with a joy that nothing can compare to!


So remember that if you're a sinner like me. :)


ps, the blog title comes from the new Lady Gaga song, "Born This Way," and I'd highly recommend that we all live by every lyric in the song!

Praise the God who gives...and takes away

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~Hebrews 11:1

So there have been a few times in the past year when I've thought about how my life would be different if I were single. And there have always been aspects that I've been slightly envious of in single people. For one, I wouldn't have to hear the lectures about how "you're so busy and you're never home!"


And I've always been able to remind myself of what I have. Josh is the most wonderful man I could ever ask for, in fact, I would never think of asking for him if it hadn't just happened, because he's waaay out of my league. And of course we're so far into the wedding planning, I'm game to just keep going. But it takes two being all in to make it work.


And now, due to no fault of my own, ironically, he's thinking about calling it quits. We just want different things all of a sudden, and he's done working with it. I'm not going to hold him back, he has that right, we aren't married yet. And I'm looking at the single life a hell of a lot different now that I'm so close. I can't find one single aspect of it that I'm okay with. It could be that the biggest trial of my life is right around the corner. 


Just as I was about to post this, "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns came on my iTunes. So ironic. And maybe prophetic?

a good time to blog about this

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."~1 John 3:18

Valentine's Day. Bothers me. So much. I guess I think it's dumb how it's such a big deal. We spend so much money on cards and flowers so we can celebrate "love" this one day a year. Well I'm sorry, but this year I spent $.99 on an adorable card and called it good. And Josh won't even be getting his card on time because I haven't mailed it yet. I'll probably just hand it to him the next time I see him, which is 2-3 weeks from now. 


I don't even like the kinds of flowers stores sell (red roses especially turn me off); hopefully I've got Josh trained by now to not get me the same things as everyone else. I realize that because of his sweet nature, he'll probably get me something. That's cute. As long as it's not expensive and/or flowers. 


The thing that bothers me the most about Valentine's Day is that it's the one day a year people think it's okay to stick their tongues down each others' throats. For extended periods of time. In public. With lots of people around. Newsflash: that will never be okay. Ever. 


And as far as Valentine's Day being "a day to appreciate love" or some such crap: that's bullshit. I either want appreciation evenly distributed over 365 days/year or none at all. Anniversaries are a good time to celebrate love in an extra special way. That's the only time it should be predictable. Otherwise, I want a random homeade gift at a random time.


And let's all rub it in that if you're single, you're worthless! Way to go Hallmark, Kay's Jewelers, etc!


Whether you're married, dating, single, whatever...celebrate the holiday in a classy way. And keep your tongues in your own mouths when I'm around, and I'll do the same for you. Thanks! 

How to serve?

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."-Ephesians 2:10

Wow. So I'm at work right now, since we got the morning off school, this is me being productive. And I'm listening to a sermon by Francis Chan. A sermon titled: "What Every Christian Needs to Do Part 4/5-Serve." And wow.


I'm so inspired right now, but I don't know what to do. I literally stopped what I was doing to write this. 


How would you feel if only half of your body was working? Only half to two-thirds of the Church serves. Guess who's in the minority, like always? Yeah. Me. Wow. Wake up call!


How can I serve the Church? I mean, don't get me wrong, but how can I serve? This is something I've struggled with since last summer. It started off when I started going to 2 church services on Sundays-the church my parents attend followed directly by the church that Josh has always attended. And I was so stretched out, and stressed out because my Sunday was so crowded. I was discovering new opportunities at my "new" church while struggling to break ties, in a sense, with my "old" church.


Things got easier when the preacher left my old church. I mean, it sucked-I literally still went to that church because he was there, and I miss him a lot. But also, it was the perfect opportunity to become strictly an occasional visitor to that church. So naturally, when I started only attending one church, Sundays got better. But I still don't know how to serve.


And now I go to a church in Ames every Sunday I'm up here. A church I love. So I attend two churches regularly, even listening to the sermons online of whatever church I missed, but I still don't know how to serve. It's nice only going to one church every week, but it's still frustrating to essentially miss church half the time.


So I guess to prevent me from driving myself crazy, I'm asking you to pray for opportunities for me to serve the Church. Because I can't stand not being productive, and as long as I'm not serving the Church, I'm not being productive. Thanks, and much love to all  :)


ps-I'm sure the opportunity will present itself as soon as I slow down a bit in school...or graduate...haha, maybe that's what we should direct our prayers to!

Careful: This Contains Deep Reflections

~Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."


I got an email today from a friend wanting some of my favorite Bible verses. A year ago, I'm not sure I would've had any. Today, I rattled off like 15 in 10 minutes, and that was limiting it, to make sure that I only had one verse/book. Then I ran out of time so that was all I sent.


The first verse that came to mind was Philippians 2:3-4. I thought back about the origins of this verse in my life, which is what (ironically) triggered the Bible memorization in the first place, and I laughed out loud a little. God sure does work in the very most mysterious of ways! Anyway, hard work and a large time commitment (time with God= avg. loss of 1 hour of sleep/day) paid off.


I'm reading the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan right now. I read Crazy Love last summer, and if I hadn't spent the past several months reading Mere Christianity (Lewis) I would've already returned to dear Francis-I highly recommend checking his books out, maybe even googling a sermon or two. :)


Anyway the chapter I'm in right now is addressing personal image issues. Like...how I might feel awkward reading that book in public, because I might not want people to think I'm "weird" or something. On one hand, I don't care what people think (really, I don't!) but on the other hand, I haven't exactly told everyone I know what a wonderful book it is...so...GUILTY!


And I am a Jesus freak for sure. I mean, I'm crazy about my God and everything He's done! And I (secretly) live my life different from most people I know. And Chan addresses the issue that believers' lives (in general, in America) don't look any different from unbelievers' lives. Guilty again. 


Prime example: "Shannon, why don't you drink?"  Me, "Uh.....I don't like the taste." (I don't drink because as a follower of Christ, His ambassador to the world, I know it's morally wrong for me to drink, etc. and whenever I have, I feel a distance from God), but rarely/probably never have I ever...said so. Guilty yet again.


And for the record, Josh and I have abstained from sex in all its forms. Another thing that I'm really proud of, but I don't go around broadcasting it like I should. In fact, as much as I know about purity and its purpose and the dangers of the promiscuous culture I live in, I don't just tell people: when it comes up, I'm sheepish about something where I should be proud! I don't tell people what a wonderful relationship we have; I don't tell people I know we'll have one of the best marriages I (and many of you) will ever witness. And when I don't tell people, I'm in danger of forgetting (again).


I don't tell people how Christ has changed me. Or that I'm extreme in the way I worship Him. There's a time and a place for that. Or is there? Absolutely not! The very first thing people should know about me is that I'm a practicing Christian! But for some reason, I only share this with my closest friends. Fail.


BUT MY GOD GIVES SECOND/THIRD/MILLION/BILLIONS OF CHANCES!!!!! And with Him, I can change. And now that I know you're all watching me, looking for me to stumble in my faith...challenge accepted. I'm not perfect, but He is. And I hope that you will see Him in me.


If you're interested in more information, music, book recommendations (I have a library), etc, facebook me or email me at shannon1@iastate.edu.

so much to do, soooo little time!

~2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."


So much to do: story of my life. Somehow it all gets done!


Right now the biggest challenge in my life is wedding invitations. I gave my parents a bit of an ultimatum: we either get the ones I want, or I'm sending out a facebook invitation only (which excludes lots of family and is "tacky"). So we've finally settled on an invitation, but now I need to pick out a phrase for the inside of the invitation. There's only 10,000,000 to chose from. Luckily, most of them are sickening, which narrows it down to about 25. I'm shocked that I like that many of them! :)


In 5 months from today, I marry Josh. Am I freaked out? yes. I am. Very. Not necessarily at the marriage part. Mostly at the wife part. Or the...yeah it's the wife part. What if I'm not good at it? That's likely, given my many faults. I mean, I've cooked once, maybe twice in my life. I can't even get cookies in the oven without eating half the raw dough first!


And I'm selfish. Very selfish. I always have been, but I could never figure out why. Maybe my parents spoiled me. Okay, my parents did spoil me. Mostly my daddy. But that's because I have always been an angel. 


I think I'm getting more cooperative as I age. I give generously to the church, which is a good sign. And I share my mule with Rylie and other children. And my friends. Also an improvement. But when it comes to getting things my way, there's no options. I do get my way. I do what I want, pretty much when I want, and I tend to get what I want. So far this hasn't really been an issue for Josh, as far as I'm aware. But maybe it is. Maybe he's nice and just lets me have my way to prevent arguments. Or maybe my way is legitimately the good for everyone. Likely :)


And people keep referring to me as being "tied down."  (insert bitchiness here) I'm not sure what this means, but I will most certainly NOT be this. Silly people, this isn't the 1800's; I do in fact have more opportunites than most men because I am female, and I do intend to take said opportunities. And Josh is being stubborn, like we can only live within a certain distance of Pella, Iowa, but when push comes to shove, I am positive that if I feel like I need to live in Texas or New Zealand, I will be doing so. And I'm not sure I'll be making a permanent settlement in Pella. But at this point in time, who knows?

Randoms for the New Year

~Galations 5:13, "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92isX62fv1g

Shannon is obsessed with this song, "Haunted." Actually, I am obsessed with Taylor Swift in general. And so I will see her in concert in May! Theory: You only live here once. Might as well live it.


I am also a big fan of "Change This Heart" by Sidewalk Prophets." Here are the amazing lyrics.

I've been trying to run away from this harsh reality
no matter where I turn my back You're always right in front of me.
And so I push you away but I don't know that I'm wrong.
I don't know the words to say to make my faith that strong

So I will pray to You right now
to take away my sin
heal away my brokenness
and change this heart again.
Without you I am nothing
but a weak and dying man,
so I will pray to You right now
change this heart again

What is going through the motions if my life is still the same?
Everyday's the same old puzzle all the pieces re-arranged.
And I refuse Your help out of my own selfish pride.
Lord I have so many messes to cover up and hide

So I will pray to You right now
to take away my sin
come heal away my brokenness
and change this heart again.
Without You I am nothing
but a weak and dying man
So I will pray to You right now
change this heart again

Also, I think this is the greatest video ever made. Especially with New Year's changes and all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwtcwQwgdsA&ob=av2nm

Ecuador Photos

~2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come."

This verse will be on my mind as I begin this new year. I get married on June 18, which I'm excited about. And I have to get past a couple things on my mind, which is going to continue to be challenging. But I'm sure that with God and good friends, we'll have some good times :)


Here are some photos from my trip to Ecuador December 27-January 4.

Quito, Ecuador-located in the mountains

Giant rose at a rose farm

standing on the Equator

cute roadside calf

an interesting way to sell your product

The devil's face carved into the side of a mountain

mule!

giant leaf

mule! The mules weren't part of the tour provided by ISU,
but I did inform some people about these wonderful critters :)

pineapple

inside of a banana plant

I thought the mango looked neat in the dead and green vegetation

pretty flower in a lime tree

biker dude

proud peacock

view of the Pacific Ocean from my balcony

getting ready to go tubing in the ocean!

New Year's Eve festivities

fires all along the beach

getting ready to go to the ocean again

pretty bird

Rice plantation-rice at the beginning, middle, and last stages of development

Guayaquil-largest city (population) in Ecuador

church steeple!

heaven :)

heaven again :)