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Yard work day! Most people do not exactly get excited about mowing, weeding, trimming, and raking, but I enjoy spending all day outside in the yard. Plenty of sunshine plus a little bit of sweat and hard work makes for a good day. Today, as I was picking up after my dad as he trimmed the bushes, I paused when a thought struck my head. These bushes only have a few months of optimal growth out of the entire year. And here we are, chopping off everything they have worked so hard to accomplish. My tender little heart almost felt sorry for our bushes as I watched their fresh green sprouts fall to the ground. But I remembered that cutting back the wild branches actually helps the plants to grow. Year after year, they only get bigger and bigger despite our trimming. ~~~ These past two weeks at home have not been easy for me. After a wonderful semester full of spiritual awakening and growth, I came home feeling on top of the world. Shortly thereafter, I felt like I was ripp...

After a three-hour climb up a 2.5 mile mountain trail, I finally reached the summit. I knew in advance that this trail would be a strenuous 2,000 foot climb to the top of a waterfall, but I had no idea that it would take three hours to climb that 2.5 mile staircase. Yet as soon as I reached the peak of the mountain and peered over the ledge, every labored breath and tight muscle was worth it. At 2,000 feet above the valley floor, I felt like I was on top of the world. The peaks of the snowy mountains stared back at me at eye level. The puffy clouds rolled through the sky within my reach. When I peaked over the ledge of the rock face I stood upon, I could watch the tumbling waterfall crash down 500 feet into the river below. The wind and mist from the falls cooled my face and neck, but the sunshine warmed me back up when I closed my eyes and pointed my nose toward it. Can you believe this? I asked myself as I laughed out lou...

As this semster comes to a close, I just want to share with you the highlights of my school year in pictures. Spending weekly time with my dear friend, Carolaina, has been such a blessing to me. This year, she has taught me how to sew (as you can see by my lovely apron that I made)! We have also cooked, gardened, and shopped together.   Getting involved with a community group at my church, Fellowship Bible Church, has been an important part of my life this year. We meet to eat, fellowship, study God's words, and encourage one another in the Lord. I have also been involved with the children's ministry and the worship team at Fellowship, both of which have been a blessing to me. Of course spending time with friends is the best part of college to me. Some of my special memories include enjoying picnics, playing frisbee on the front lawn, or going out to dinner together. I have made many new relationships this year as well as strengthened old ones. ...

I could see the light at the end of the tunnel from the back seat of the car, but I had no idea what awaited me underneath that sky. Coming out of the tunnel was like yanking back the curtain to reveal the most spectacular sight I dare say I have ever seen. It was my first view of the valley of Yosemite National Park, and it absolutely took my breath away. I will admit that I have described many amazing things in my life with the word "breathtaking" because they were just too beautiful to put into words. However, this time I actually think I quit breathing for a few seconds. It was like breathing would distract my other senses from taking in the beauty. There was so much to behold, that even breathing was forgotten for a moment. The lush, forested valley nestled beneath enormous, sheer, granite rocks that jutted out of the ground. Like mountains, these gigantic solid rocks towered over the valley. Their vertical faces reached from the valley floor all the wa...

"Okay, I'm not looking! I have my eyes covered, so you have to lead me," My sister said to my dad as he touched her shoulders and directed her towards the overlook. "I'm not looking either!" I added as I followed them with my eyes fixed on my feet. "This is the perfect spot," Dad announced when our feet reached the edge of the sidewalk. Then I lifted my eyes to see my first view of the grand canyon, and it took my breath away. I knew that the grand canyon was indeed enormous, but no picture I had seen or imagined compared to actually standing at the edge and peering down into the valley. The valley was so deep that I could only catch a small slimpse of the Colorado River below. It was so wide that the other side seemed foggy as if I was looking through layers of the atmosphere to see the other side. The canyon twisted through the valley, forming not just one canyon around a single river, but a maze of rock formations that seeped up the sides ...

As I entered the cafeteria, I handed my card to the entrance worker in order to be "swiped in" to the cafeteria. With my meal plan comes a certain number of swipes on my card and thus a certain number of meals. "Do you mind telling me how many swipes I have left?" I asked the lady. When she replied, "38," I knew there was no way for me to eat that many meals by myself with only three days left of school. I also knew that I had $50 left to spend on meals, drinks, and snacks in the student center. I couldn't let these meals and monies go to waste, so my mind began thinking of ways to give them away. I remember singing a little song when I was a child. "Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away..." The end of the semester has been give-away season for me. I really enjoyed being creative in thinking of people to invite to a cafeteria meal. I had fun shopping in the student center for groceries and then delivering them ...

The week before semester finals is accurately termed "dead week". I think the administration calls it that because there are supposed to be a reduced number of extracurricular activities. If the campus is "dead", perhaps all the students will be more motivated to study. However, we students know it as "dead week" for a totally different reason. After a whole week of assignments, last minute tests, project deadlines, and due dates...you feel practically dead. Living on five hours of sleep and extreme doses of caffeine doesn't really help. By the end of this dead week, I definitely felt the affects of stress, overexertion, and information overload. Once all the duties of the week had been accomplished, there was only one thing I wanted to do. So I hung my hammock on the front lawn of campus, kicked off my shoes, and took a deep breath. I finally had nothing to think about and nothing to do. As I watched the clouds drift gently across the pale blue ...

If you are looking for a great passage of Scripture to read over the next week, consider the book of Ezra. Now Ezra may not make the top ten list of popular Bible stories, but in my opinion it is definitely worth the read. It is one of my favorite books, tucked away in the pages of the Old Testament like a buried treasure that you must sift through the sand to find. Ezra tells the story of the Israelites as they return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. As they build, they encounter opposition that eventually forces them to completely halt the project.  Ezra describes it as a "standstill". Although I have read the story ten times, I got to this point with surprise. "What? They can't stop building now!" I said to myself with frustration and disappointment. But don't worry for long! Two verses later they are back to building again (thanks to God's grace). I suppose I got so involved in the story because it struck a chord in my own heart. I relate to t...