Vroom Vroom!!

The past few weeks have been busy. We checked out the Chicago Auto and Motorcycle shows, both of which were awesome. There were so many amazing things to see. Both shows were loads of fun.

▫ I've started volunteering at the Crisis Pregnancy Center by my house. I just started and it's been great so far. I think it's a really good fit for me. I love working with little kids, old people, and girls around my age. :o) I'm just helping right now until I get the hang of things, but soon I'll be involved with counseling, pregnancy tests, and the different learning programs. I'm really excited. It's a really great ministry.

▫ I'm praying about going on the missions trip to the Philippines and Japan in August. I know if it's God's will for me to go, He'll line it up perfectly with nursing school(if it exists for me by then, that is). If not, there will be other summers.

▫ Pray for me March 10 because that's the day for my TEAS exam for nursing school at JJC. I have an advantage because I've taken it for Butler already so I know what it's like. I have to say that I've never been so excited to take a comprehensive exam before in my life. Yay for the TEAS exam!!!

▫ Last night Heather and I went to see The King and I at Drury Lane. It was great. I loved it.

▫ Tonight begins Liberty Day Weekend. I'm so excited! Stay tuned for Liberty Day pictures!

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Funny story:

I was at Circuit City before meeting 2 of my coworkers at TGI Fridays yesterday. I was just looking around at some of the DVDs. This guy who works there was following me around, asking me if I'm finding everything ok every time I move. He walked around my general vicinity, looking over the aisles, trying to look inconspicuous, but he was NOT. Then I really wondered if they had a musicals section because most places do.When I set out to hunt it down, he asked me again so I told him yes, I'm looking to see if there's a musicals section. He said no, they were spread out but he could help me find them. I told him I want Meet Me In St. Louis. He goes and looks it up and says sorry, but they didn't have it. Ok, that's fine. Thanks.
"You know...", he begins. I'm thinking he's about to offer to order it like most places would. But no, instead:
"Would it be a gift for someone or is it for you?"
"It's for myself"
"Ok...because...I actually have it at home, if you want me to make you a copy..."
What?!?! I just looked at him, completely shocked. A circuit city employee is offering to burn me an illegal copy of a DVD that they could order at their store?! What is wrong with this guy? I just told him no, that's ok.
But wait, it gets better. He started trying to make small talk and was asking me all these questions. Then he proceeds to tell me that he has a degree in massage therapy. That's nice. I was ready to check out and of course when I started walking to the counters, he says "I can take you over there!!!" Eeek. I started thinking maybe I should find someone else, but I followed him over to the counter. I bought my things and as I was leaving, do you know what he said?!
"You know...."
(oh no)
"...I have my business card on me if you're interested in a massage!"

First I snorted. I couldn't believe he just said that. Then I burst out laughing. I told him I didn't think so, took my bag, and walked out. I laughed the entire walk out the door, all the way to my car, and the entire drive to TGI Fridays. Then I laughed some more with Katie and Karen when I told them.
What a pervert!!! Yeah, I'm sure he would have just loved that. What kind of service rep offers their customers illegal copies of DVDs and massages! How gross. If I wasn't laughing so hard, I would have vomited all over his counter.

Goodness.
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Randy is a little too enthusiatic about driving the ATV. Ahhhh!!!!


Biker Babes.


Look at my sweet ride!


This car was pretty amazing. If only they didn't haul me off when I tried to drive away in it... :oP


Look at how big this truck is! Dan looks inebriated by its grandness.


Rob and Dan go for a ride on the Dodge track.


Getting harnessed up to climb the wall.


Can you believe I almost missed the button?! I lost my balance and my grip when I reached for it and barely made it. How tragic.


What a beauty.


Audis are pretty cool.


Mmmmmm.






Yay for ice cream!


Aaron and I hanging out re-living my adventures at 1 in the morning.


Look at my new 'do.

Something To Chew On

The pastor of the church we visited on Sunday talked about how so many people put conditions on Jesus. "Ok, God. If you're really there, if you really love me, then prove it and do this (fill in the blank)." Or we put God in a box and let him just become big enough to make him relevant to our lives. But who are we to do that?

If we choose to reject Jesus, or even acknowledge him but not let him reign in our life, we will not just stop looking. We have an ache in our life, in our heart, that we long to fill. So we will look. To people, to things, to even ideals of our own selves. We will search and long and live for those things, but we will never find fulfillment. We will look forever until we look to Jesus. He created that ache in us to draw us to Himself. But we still choose to look away.

It's funny how even as believers, we are constantly straying and looking away from Christ to other things. I know for me, it's a constant battle. I'm always finding myself wanting and trying to control my own life to reach a desired outcome. And every time I find myself disillusioned. God is constantly thwarting my plans. It's like he shines a flashlight on my heart and shows me what's really going on. He reveals to me the insecurity, the fear, the pain, anything in my heart that I hang onto that is only hurting me. And even though it's a constant, painful struggle, he always gives me the strength and courage to give those things up. It's terrifying sometimes, to give up my will, even if its unhealthy for me. I want to hang onto it because it's something tangable, something I can control. It's natural for us to want to control. But when I'm trying to control my own life, I'm not free.

I've learned that the only time that I can be truly happy, completely free to enjoy my life and experience the fullness of God's love and grace to me is when I have given everything that I want up.

I can't lose sight of God's promise of future grace to me(an eternity with Him in heaven) or forget what He has done for me in the past(die for my sins).
I have to remember how he's loved me when I've felt dejected, how he's shown me mercy when I have done the 'unforgivable', how he's given me peace when my life was in chaos, how he's given me strength when I thought I would never make it through. I can't let myself forget those times. That is God's proven love and faithfulness to me. He has never let me down and he promises to continue to be faithful in the future, right up until the day that He comes again.

That's the only time when you can truly be free. When you surrender your desires to him. Yes, it's terrifying. But at the same time it's exciting just knowing that God loves me and He's in control.

Yes, I know all this, but sometimes it's good to hear it again and it's especially helpful to hear it in a new, fresh sort of way.

"Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
-Lamentations 3:21-23

Baby It's Cold Outside!!

While most people go to Super Bowl parties, I go to Anti-Super Bowl Parties. They're great fun. They mostly consist of Aaron, Heather, and I kicking Rob's, Dan's, and Randy's butts in the computer game 'Call of Duty'. Yes, it's very tragic for them(we're crying a river for you guys!), but hey, what can I say? We can't help being good. And I'm sorry the Bears lost. Even though I didn't watch the game, I did wear my Bears scarf.

With the weather taunting us with subzero temperatures, we've been doing our best to keep warm. Kara has played a major role in keeping us toasty by making sure we're keeping up with a healthy tea intake. A nice hot cup of tea is not only good for you, but it also warms you up. Except what she serves are more like tea shots...

Today Ryan and I visited a church in Chicago. It was so great to see something a little different. It was very very culturally diverse and their passion for worship was amazing. I loved it.
It was also fun to walk around in the ridiculously cold weather. And I haven't ridden on the CTA since I was little. It was interesting to say the least. I felt pretty dumb trying to stick my card in the little feeder. For the life of me, I could *not* get that thing in. How hard can it be to stick a stupid card in the slot?! Apparently I have not been fortunate to have been blessed with that skill. "No, it has to go in the other way. No, flip it over...yea-no! Wrong way! Upside down, hun!!" Oh, boy...









Gerilyn, Ryan, and I on the bus.


On the way home. There was hardly any traffic. It was football time!


Baby, it's cold outside!!!