Church was awesome today. It's Founder's Week at Moody---- and Ravi Zacharias is going to be the keynote speaker on Thursday night!!!!!! I'm so excited. I think we should make it an IV event.....

I went to an On Call for Christ meeting yesterday, and I left so encouraged. All the youth are completely on fire for God, and they're really passionate about missions. They're planning a trip to Romania this summer... and I'm praying about going. : )

Share-Bear's birthday was yesterday. HAPPY 22nd SHARON!!! I loooove you!!!! I don't know what I would do without you! I remember when we first met. I was in awe. You spoke of your faith with such confidence..... and you knew the Bible so well. Like a little kid, I wanted to follow you around so that your knowledge would rub off on me - I wanted to imitate you.

Who knew you would actually befriend me? And that we would be so close?! What a blessing....

I took the train today. I haven't taken the "L" in a looooong time (It really made me appreciate the fact that I have a car). I just sunk in my seat and buried my nose in my scarf - desperately hoping that the wool would somehow neutralize the terrible train odors. It was really cold, and I was only able to remove my gloves for the few seconds that it took to put on my headphones. And that was it- I was completely lost in my music. I would watch the people around me and drown in my curiousity. "Why is that woman alone with 3 children? Does she have a husband to help her? Is she a single mother? Isn't it past their bedtime? Maybe she's watching her sister's kids, and they're not even her children..." "Why is that man reading a book on zen buddhism? Maybe he's reading it for a class. Or, he might be seeking buddhism. Or maybe he's a Christian that wants to be well-informed about world religions.... nah, that last one doesn't sound too likely." "Why is that woman so dressed up? Did she just get off of work? Or is she dressed up to go out to dinner?".

And then, BAM. I had this sudden impulse to pray. PRAY. So I did. I prayed for the people on my train car, even though I didn't know who they were or what their names were or what their life story is. I prayed for their salvation...I prayed that they would meet Jesus regardless of the circumstances in their life.... and I prayed for their safety and protection. And suddenly my grumbling heart began to rejoice because tonight was one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had on the Red Line.

Marta and Claudiu 

Congratulations to my BEAUTIFUL cousin Marta and her new fiancee, Claudiu!!!

he's coming in three and a half weeks!!

Hilarious.

For some reason, teenie-bopper magazines (like YM and CosmoGirl) keep flowing into the office, even though my boss never subscribed to them. One day I decided to feed my curiousity and flip through one of the magazines- only to find the most bizarre article ever. I couldn't stop laughing afterward! I decided to cut it out and then type it into my blog, so that you too can get a good laugh. It's an advice column..... keep in mind that the advice is given to girls that are generally in their mid-teens.


Dear Terry,
I ride horses every day and I always get feelings that things are going to happen to other riders. I'll "see" them falling off a horse or a horse bolting away- and these visions usually come true. It only happens around the horses. What's going on? -Cameron, 16, Pawcatuck, CT


Cameron,
according to many animal communicators (people who receive psychic information from animals), it's common for those who spend a lot of time around stables to "see" or "hear" messages from horses. I believe you too have this gift. Be excited that you can receive information from such powerful animals and open yourself up to its possibilities! I can see you working as an animal communicator yourself- you'd enjoy travelling the world, helping horse owners and trainers to improve their relationships with their animals. And you could help sick horses express their problems to humans ... Keep a journal of the messages you get from horses. Read it each month and pay close attention to all the details. This will help you make sense of the imagery and eventually gain more control over your psychic gift.

NOTE TO SELF: never, ever eat Taco Bell late at night again.

Anger Management

I cannot understand how people can get angry with God. I've heard so many times, "When such and such thing happened to me, I became so mad at God...."

Whoa. Stop right there.

How can any Christian find fault with their holy and perfect creator?? Because to say that you are angry with God means that you are not in agreement with His will or His standards. Is your situation so severe that you would be willing to place blame onto your Lord? Has the Lord not been sovereign in saving you from the depths of your sin?? Surely He will sustain you during your times of struggle!!

I hope that I do not sound self-righteous, in any way. Because for a long time I had to fight my resentment toward certain people... this anger had a tight grip on my heart, and it was so strong that for a time, it hindered my spiritual growth. Whether anger is directed toward God or toward other people, it has the potential to be detrimental.

Anger, however, has a purpose. Amos 5:15 teaches that we should "HATE evil and cling to all that is good." Sin, not circumstance (nor people), should stir our anger. Let's call this "righteous anger". Like the time that Jesus overturned the tables in the temple in response to the sin of the moneychangers (John 2). Sin should repulse us... it should cause us to turn our faces in shame... it should anger us... in the way that it angers God and prompts His wrath.

Job's wife was mad at God- she said to Job, " Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9) Job's response was to disregard her statement as foolishness.

But here is an encouraging story. It is a true story.

The wife of a missionary fell sick while on a trip to Africa.... so sick that her body went into a vegetable-like state.... she couldn't communicate, couldn't feed herself, or change herself.... her body was almost useless. Her husband was so upset that one night he prayed to God, "We put our lives on the line for you, and this is the end result? How could you do this to my wife? There is no good in this situation. I don't love you anymore!" But the response he heard from God was, "I still love you."

I find this encouraging because even through our selfishness, even through our misguided anger, even through our sin, we can still receive God's abundant love. This, my friends, is the premise of grace!!!!!!! Even when we tell Him that we are angry at Him, His nature does not change! He is still forgiving.

I will wrap this up with some of my favorite scripture:
Philippians 4:11-13
"...not that i speak from want; for i have learned to be content in whatever circumstances i am. Iknow how to get along with humble means, and i also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance i have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

It's the new year! YAY! Such an exciting time!

I'm so excited for 2005... mabye it's because the prospect of "newness" in the year ahead seems so promising. Or maybe it's because there are going to be so many changes (with nursing school and all). But one thing's for sure: I'm anxious to be stretched and grown by God.

On another note, I had quite a harrowing experience last night! My evening started off so lovely.... with dinner at home (with the family) and then a church service at Popovichi. Then after church, at around 1:00 am, I was on the road when my car decided that it would be a good time to BREAK DOWN!!! In a terrible neighborhood! Luckily Tabea was with me, so she called Brian to drive over and jump-start my car. As we waited for him, we just kind of sunk in our seats and tried to be inconspicuous to the passers-by. Tabea kept her hands warm by tucking them under her legs, and we both suppressed our hunger by sucking on tic-tacs.

Unfortunately my car still wouldn't work.... but they were both gracious enough to wait with me until my dad came to the rescue... at 2:45 am. He used a cable to connect the front of my car to the back of his work van... and just kind of "pulled" me along the city streets of Chicago (talk about last resorts). I didn't get home until 4:00 am.

Good times.

I treated myself to a HUGE slice of double-layered white chocolate mousse cake this morning for breakfast.