Monthly Archives: May 2014

Divisions and Diagnostics

It’s strange to come home when you divide your time between places. 

Yesterday, I returned home from the city. Falling in love with Chicago, I feel a strange compartmentalization in my heart that I’m trying to work through and process. You see, I’m in love with the Northwoods, too, which is a completely different everything: isolation, quiet, crickets, birds, bears, trees, the stars, my church, lakes, family. Contrast that with: friends, the noise, campus, vibrancy, concrete, mazes of streets and buses and trains. I refuse to use to term “my other life,” because it is all, by God’ grace, part of mine.

Somehow, I fit in well in both places. Somehow, the complexity of my personality has adapted to both. Somehow, I can love both. I am still myself; yet, I do feel an odd sense of division. Can

Divisions and Diagnostics2019-10-08T02:29:20+00:00

Adios and Endings

Tonight is the last night before my closest friends and I begin to separate for the summer. The first, Kyle, leaves tomorrow morning.

I feel this odd sense of bittersweetness. I have never experienced a community like this where one can grow to love people so deeply after knowing them for such a short time. God is alive in the people here, and he has challenged me, tested me, and taught me so much. My chest hurts with how much I care for my brothers and sisters here on campus, and I can’t imagine being separated from them.

As I watch the seniors walk on Saturday, I know I will think about this fall when their empty seats will be filled by the next crowd, faces unknown to me. As people disappear from my life, I will no

Adios and Endings2019-10-08T02:29:20+00:00

Angst and Alaska

It’s funny how one thing can suddenly change your entire attitude, and you don’t even know why.

Yesterday was wicked sweet–party in the campus plaza, comedy show with friends, pranking, being able to say I can longboard now, and late-night junk-food-filled conversations with brothers in the plaza until past curfew.

Today was honestly good. Church was great. Studying a little for finals was great. Calling my mom was great. Hanging out with friends and getting soaked to the skin while attempting to walk to BOGO at Chipotle was great. I loved it.

Then I got back. 

I don’t know, it was weird. All of sudden, I was delivering a burrito bowl to a friend at work and she goes, “Are you okay? Something’s up.” I was spacey, not

Angst and Alaska2019-10-08T02:29:21+00:00

Candids and Crashers

I completed the last day of class today. Besides two finals next week, it’s done. Whoa.

I’m experiencing the oddest mix of emotions–happy for the summer, excitement that I’m moving on to another year of school, bittersweet about brothers and sisters who aren’t coming back to campus, frustration at the rate time is passing. I’ve been pretty open about this, and most others I talk to are feeling the same way. I want so badly to treasure these last days, and today was no exception.

So, I lived it up.

I went out with friends to get homemade sodas from a hole-in-the-wall to celebrate turning in our last paper, took fun photos around campus, learned to longboard from a friend this afternoon and subsequently went out late tonight to hit the streets with

Candids and Crashers2015-01-08T00:43:58+00:00

Teaching and Tearing

I find myself asking God so many times in my life, “Lord, what are you teaching me with this? Why did you show me this? What is the reason why this happened?”


Today, I had training for the women’s ministry group I’m blessed to be a part of next year. We talked about discipleship by modeling Christ. We talked about the importance of reminding this campus of the Gospel and living our lives in humble, sacrificial, servant leadership. Essentially, I am so excited to be involved in this, especially the event planning part of things. God is eternally good to me, and I don’t deserve to be his child, let alone helping his other children closer to Him.


What a gift. What a privilege. God is teaching me way more than I could ever express or imagine and understand. He
Teaching and Tearing2015-01-08T00:43:58+00:00