Time Flies

I catch myself thinking "I can't believe it's October" a lot these days. I know it's somewhat cliche but I really can't believe that we are here. Seriously, October?!?! This semester has been incredibly busy and that tends to lead to time flying by. I wouldn't recommend this pace of living though but it is what it is for me right now. I'm finding that I don't like saying that I'm stressed though because that seems to imply that I'm not happy. Well maybe my definitions are off but I'm definitely happy but just trying to not spill anything off of my very fully plate. God has given me many open doors to experience ministry and to stretch myself and for that I'm thankful. It has also felt really good to be here for a 3rd year. A few weeks ago when I walked into someones house to watch the "Office" premiere and was greeted by a group of 20 or so students that I know and that I love doing life with here. And I realized that none of them were students that I had known from CBC, and I thought "Hmm, when did that happen?" That is just one example of how gracious God has been to me this year as I feel like I have found my rhythm here and that I have built a life for myself...there were days that I thought that would never happen. So now in the midst of a crazy schedule I'm just trying to soak it all up before I graduate and have to move again (that's a whole different blog for a different day!)

Here are a few highlights of my life the past few weeks...

In the past week I  have managed to fit in a few really great shows like Sigur Ros, Ray LaMontagne, and Aaron Espe. All of these shows just reminded me how great it is to experience bands and musicians who are all about the music. Don't get me wrong, I love shows with great production too but I have really enjoyed sitting through these musical experiences and taking it all in without the hype and showmanship that sometimes comes with some acts. This is a pic from Sigur Ros...globes, nice...

One of my favorite parts of fall is homecoming and the NP homecoming BlocParty! Our chapel planning team has helped out for the past 2 years by making sno-cones, popcorn, and cotton candy. There are tons of people who come from the neighborhood and there are always lots of great friends that come back for the weekend.

And my days with these two are never boring. It's fun to see how they are growing up and becoming funnier every week! Hanging out with Kyle and Ellie is always a nice break from homework.

Zambia or Bust

My newest adventure to report is a trip to Zambia that I'll be taking Dec 27th - Jan 10th! For the past few years North Park has sent a team there every December and May to partner with Hope Ministries. I have always been intrigued by this trip but never seriously considered going. Then the combination of several things rolling around in my head and the prompting of some people around here pushed me to fill out the application and see what would happen. And after a few weeks I found out that I was chosen to be apart of the team and go on this trip.  

I'm mostly excited, but a little nervous for this adventure. I'm excited to not be a leader and to get to participate. I'm excited to meet new people who are going. I'm excited to get out off of this continent and see how God is working in other contexts. I'm nervous for what God needs to mess up in me. I'm excited to see Tom, Aaron, Rox, and Amanda (NP grads who are living there now) I'm excited because I have no idea what to expect...

For more info on our trip check out the North Park Global Partnerships Website

my first flood day

Front of Von Steuben

I've seen a lot of things on Foster Ave, but this was new 

(This is looking west at Foster and Pulaski for those of you who know the area)

Park, pool, or Lake...you decide

The view from the front doors of Anderson

Anderson Dorm, notice how the river flows under the dorm 

The Front of Anderson Dorm

As some of you may have heard, we had kind of a crazy weather weekend here in Chicago. The short story is that 90 billion gallons of water rained down on our city in about 2 days. Now I don't have any experience with flooding so it never entered my mind as an option, but flood it did right in my neighborhood. My street was not bad but everything around us was. The flooding really affected the North Park campus and they had to evacuate some buildings for the weekend. All in all pretty crazy. So because of all this we all had a "flood day" today...no class! The good news is that the water is receding, the dorms are open again. The bad news is that our neighbors in this Albany Park area were hit pretty hard. 

So Proud

While this week has been eventful on many levels (ie starting the fall semester and starting a new job), more than anything this week have been overwhelmed with pride and appreciation for my family.

There have been some significant things happening in the lives of my grandparents and I'm proud of the way that my family has acted in the midst of stress. I'm proud of my mom, aunt, and dad have worked hard to help my grandparents transition while still honoring them. I'm proud of Ben for helping to move grandma and for being there for my mom. I'm proud of Michele for jumping in to our family and for loving and honoring our grandparents so much, I can't imagine / remember our family without her. I'm proud of my grandma for aging with grace and patience and for making the best of her new home. I'm proud of my grandpa for deciding to have his 2nd open heart surgery for the sake of those that he loves. The fact is that none of these things are easy but I'm thankful that God has been preparing these things ahead of us and that he has given me a family this wonderful. I am also thankful that my grandpa survived his surgery today, praise God!

Another piece of my week was getting to watch Ben this week on the set of a music video that they shot here in Chicago. Now, it is always good to see him and I am always reminded of what a great friend I have in my brother but it is also just really great to watch him "work". I also get a thrill out of watching him play his music. So it was equally thrilling to watch them tape this video. I love how Ben interacts with everyone on the set and how he knows the name of the little old lady that is  assigned to sit next to him in the bus scene. I love how we can have deep conversations about the songs that they have written. And I love that he still has the same sense of humor (you all know what I'm talking about). 

Another source of my pride is that Michele started orientation this week as a graduate student. I'm so proud of how hard she works and how focused she is. I'm also so excited for her to pursue this degree and to have the chance to pursue her career as an artist.

So at the close of this week I am tired and feeling weary but I am also so thankful for my family and just wanted to brag about them for a bit...

My favorite things...

Usually my blogs involve lots of pictures because sometimes I don't know how else to describe what has been going on other than to show you. Unfortunately this summer has been different for me because I haven't been "going" as much as I've been staying put and "doing". Doing the hard work of learning greek (which is over!) instead of taking a bunch of trips was not my first choice for the summer but ended up to be just fine. So in complete Oprah style I decided to share what I would call my Summer Favs, also known as the things that got me through greek!...

Music...

"Take a bow" - Rihanna

" Trying to stop your leaving" - Dierks Bentley

"Love Song" - Sara Bareilles

"Free Fallin' (live)" - John Mayer

"With You" - Chris Brown

"Come on get Higher" - Matt Nathanson

Viva la Vida (album) - Coldplay

Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (album) - Sigur Ros

Till the sun turns Black (album) - Ray LaMontagne

19 (album) - Adele

Memory Man (album) - Aqualung

Books...

While I did read my fair share of novels these were my favorite

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" - by Khaled Hosseini

"So Brave, Young, and Handsome" - by Leif Enger

"The Glass Castle" - Jeannette Walls

Recipe...

This is one that my mom found and it has been a refreshing a simple salad / salsa to have around and snack on

Black bean & Corn Salad

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup minced cilantro

2 garlic gloves, minced

** combine and mix with dressing 

2 T. sugar

2 T. white vinegar

2 T. canola oil (or I use olive oil)

1 1/2 t. lime juice

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. pepper

** refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve with chips, enjoy!

TV...

 The "O.C." (such a guilty pleasure but only a few more discs to go)

re-watching "Gray's Anatomy"

THE OLYMPICS

"It's greek to me"

Well folks I'm currently wrapping up my 8th day of intense summer Greek. Now as that might not sound like to much of a big deal to you let me tell you what a big deal this has been for me. I realized this past fall that part of my hesitation of going for the MDIV degree was that I had to take Greek and preaching. I realized that those are lame excuses and so I switched and faced my fears head on. So that brings us to this summer when I'm spending 6 weeks learning Greek.  As much as I expected to learn a lot of new things about this language and about the New Testament, I wasn't really expecting to learn as much about myself as I have. This first week really pushed me and it wasn't a very pretty process. Luckily my roommates were out of town so they did not have to try to live with me. But I feel like I'm finding my pace this week and I feel like I just might make it out of these 6 weeks alive. 

I've learned that...

1) You really do have to take it one day at a time

2) That it is possible to study something for 7 hours straight in the library (this was a new experience for me even though I am 2 years into seminary)

3) That I'm glad I had to learn all that hard stuff about the english language in Junior High

4) That I can get up and study BEFORE an 8:30 class and not necessarily need a nap later

5) That coffee and diet coke are things that I should not give up 

6) That I have never loved the weekend more!

A few weeks off

Winter and this past semester were two things that I thought would never end. That sounds a bit dramatic but seriously there were days when there was no end in sight for either of those things. But the semester did end and I more than survived with all A's and B's (you can applaud...) and the snow did melt and now it rains or is really humid. So there have been a few things going on since the end of school and since a picture is sometimes the best description of these good times enjoy some of the highlights below....

May 18th - Matty and Kris's Wedding

The NPU Gang

Memorial Day - I went home for a week over memorial day which also included a chance to hit up some graduation parties and RV's graduation. And even though it poured on memorial day, my dad found a way to still make it possible to grill and make S'Mores. I like my house and the people that hang out there.

Kristen's big day

The S'More adventure...

Tate's visit - After my time at home Tate come back to Chicago to hang out with me and to get some time with the Van Rossum's.

Classic Chicago bean picture

The biggest tourists of them all...
Tate and the her favorite babies

It's nice to have good weather and some time to relax. I just have a few more weeks though before greek starts and then my summer will look more like flashcards and tests. More to come...enjoy your summer!

Girls Weekend

I feel like all of my posts this spring have been about trips or people coming. It might seem like all I do is play but really it's just that everything else is just not something that you would really write a blog about. I mean if you want me to post my latest paper or case study or book review I would but I just don't think that would be a real "fun" blog to read. This semester is going well though, I feel like I'm connecting the dots in new ways and I am encouraged by how I am growing and being stretched. I also only have about 2 weeks until the end of the semester so things are a little crazy right now.

The real purpose of this blog is to show you some pics from a recent weekend visit with Melissa and Lily. I'm honored that they came out to see me and I'm also proud of how many Chicago things we crammed into one weekend. Even though we may have worn ourselves out it was a blast. It's fun to see how Lily is growing up and how her personality is coming out and of course it was good for my heart and soul to be with Misa for a few days. I have to admit that I was in a bit of a funk when they left. Having good friends is great...except when you live far away from them. **sidenote...I thought up a new idea today, I think that the year after I graduate from Sem I want to just spend a year traveling around the country connecting with all these people that I dearly love but never get to see. Consider yourself warned**

Here are a "few" pics from our many adventures that weekend...

Riding the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier













Molly's cupcakes...enlarge the picture to see the cupcake creation that Lily picked out :)

Lincoln Park Zoo














Energized by some cupcakes and ready for the cubs game!



















Lily sleeping off her suger overdose during the Cubs Game















Making breakfast...Lily enjoyed her coffee in a Nordy's mug, that's my girl!


Waiting for the El



















Lily Bean and the Bean
On top of the Hancock















Thanks for coming girls, I already miss you and can't wait for our next visit!

baltochicoxville

You know those cell phone commercials that combine all the different cities into one name...that's what I tried to do...maybe it's not that funny...

Anyways, the point is that to catch you up on the latest happenings in my life involves 3 different cities...Baltimore, Chicago, and Knoxville.


I went to Baltimore for Easter to spend some time with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandpa. I haven't been there for 5 years and the last time I was there was for my grandmother's funeral. It was a great weekend and it was fun to be there by myself but a little weird as I'm so used to being there with my family. It's funny the way that you remember places from when you were a kid and then you go there when you are 27 and it's not quite what you remembered. But I am very thankful for my family and it was fun to spend the weekend with them. I also confirmed that fact that I'm not the biggest fan of crabcakes (don't tell my gpa, good thing he doesn't read this!)







My adventures of the past few weeks brings us back to Chicago next where Sophie came to visit during her spring break. I really love when people come to visit because it makes me get out and do some fun Chicago things. Plus it was just really fun to have my sister here. I think she was frustrated that she couldn't really wear flip flops here seeing as it was snowing when she landed! So we managed to fit quite a lot into a fun weekend and I'm so glad that she came!


Last weekend found me in Knoxville with my CHIC iteam for a few days of dreaming and planning together. While it was kind of crazy how much we needed to talk through and plan, it was a great weekend for me. It was great to be with my good friends who are on my team and to do the hard work of brainstorming and planning together. I'm so thankful for the history that we have because I think it freed us up to collaborate together much better. I was also encouraged with how I found myself engaging in this planning. I found myself thinking about things that I wouldn't have thought 3 years ago and found that I had insights that I don't think I would have had 3 years ago and so for once it just felt like I'm actually changing in seminary. It's hard to get perspective sometimes and this was a chance for me to do that. I get so caught in this world that it is really helpful and encouraging when I can step out of it for a little while and see how all this hard work that I'm doing will impact ministry opportunities that I might have later down the road.

I always think that I'm going to slow down but as you can tell that doesn't happen to often. But I'm thankful for the chance to travel and to have people come visit. That always gives me something to look forward to and it's always refreshing for me to connect with family and friends. So that said, I have 6 days until Melissa and Lily come...YEA!!

Spring Break '08

This past week was my spring break and I opted to go for more of a Chicago style spring break instead of the beach. Um, actually it was a decision that my bank account made for me:) But I am thankful for the chance to have a slower week around here. This semester has been busy so it was nice to have a chance to play a little around here. My friend Kelsey stuck around as well so we had some adventures around town (That's us taking the very touristy picture of our reflection in the bean). I'm also proud (or not so proud) to report that I finished watching all the episodes of Felicity. I also managed to finish my taxes and give my room a good cleaning which revealed a long lost flip-flop that has been missing since this past summer.


Another spring break accomplishment that I'm not so proud to report is that I managed to get into my first Chicago car accident. Oh yes, it's true and it was totally my fault. But everyone was ok (except my poor car) and it's already being fixed. So for the time being I am enjoying driving a nice red Ford Focus from Enterprise and eating my humble pie.




Kelsey and I also took in a historical Chicago event on Saturday morning as the Chicago river was dyed green (for St. Patty's day). Having never witnessed this before I didn't really think that the river could get much greener but apparently I was wrong. The dump all this dye in which looks orange at first and then eventually turns the river bright green. As we stood there among the crown waiting to witness this unique event Kelsey asked, "How do you think those geese feel about this whole thing". I can't imagine that it's fun for them to now live in florescent green water but who knows. I'm glad I can add this experience to my list of things I've seen in my life.

So that was my spring break, a pretty good week all in all. Plus today I wasn't feeling well at all but that gave me more of an excuse to watch basketball and get excited for March Madness. Some other things that I'm looking forward to is my trip to Baltimore this week to spend Easter weekend with some of my family and then the week after that Sophie is coming to Chicago for her Spring Break. For now, I'm going to bed to fit off this cold.

Women's Retreat

As an intern with UMIN we all work together on somethings but then are other things that we work on by ourselves. My main responsibility this semester was heading up a Women's Retreat. It's funny to me that this is where I was pouring in most of my time because I typically would not be the type of person who would sign up for a women's retreat. As stressful as it was at times to make sure that everything was getting done to make this weekend work I'm glad that I had the chance to be apart of this retreat. I was struck by how many amazing women I have met in the past year and a half of being back around NPU. So many of these girls I can call my friends and I look forward to our coffee dates and conversations throughout the week. I have the tendency to get caught up in the details of pulling off a weekend like this and I forget the people that will be involved. So sitting there on the floor Friday night it was moving for me to look around the room and realized how much I love those girls. I think that there has been apart of me that still hasn't gotten over my time as dean at CBC and my ministry there. What I mean is that I wasn't really sure how I would ever really love students as deeply as I had at CBC. But this weekend helped realize that I have moved past that and thst my time here in Chicago has been made so rich by the students that I have gotten to know here.

Still on "break"...

It's been about a month since I've written any blogs and while I still haven't started classes yet there has been quite a bit going on. While January was a break from homework I did not have as much down time as I thought I would. I'm not complaining though because it's all been really good for me and such a needed break from the normal routine of school.

At the beginning of January I took a week long class called "adolescent issues and assessment". I wasn't sure what I was really getting into but I thought it was a good deal to get another 3 credits out of the way. It ended up being a really intense week because every adolescent issue that we talked about would remind me of a student that I have known with the issue and most days just made me really sad. But it also reminded me of how much I love working with students and that is why I am in school. An intense week but a good reality check.

The middle of the month found me back in Colorado working with a team of people to pull off Powderburn again (it's a weekend high school ski retreat that the front range Covenant Churches put on). I helped plan the main sessions this year and had a blast working with my good friends to great meaningful times for students (and the rest of us) to encounter Christ. Somehow God used us and it was a great weekend. A little mountain air never hurt either, man I love Colorado. I also put in a total of 2 runs at Winter Park and was probably the most high maintenance skier that I've ever been! Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Before we took over for the weekend...
Friday night Worship...
Sunday Morning Communion...

January ended with the Covenant Midwinter conference in Chicago. It is always great to see everyone who comes into town for this event. There are plenty of late memories over overpriced food at the Hyatt. But it's weeks like midwinter that make me thankful that the Covenant is small and that I am so connected to people that I dearly love. I helped coordinate the worship connection again this year and while it was tons of work it was a great weekend and a great experience.

So that was pretty much my January. Well all that and the fact that I had a birthday and am now 27...yikes! My next semester start on Monday and as much as I have loved not having homework I am excited to get back into a "normal" routine. Also our semester starting means that we are just getting closer to the day when the snow will melt and we won't have to wear 5 layers to go outside!

A Christmas break montage (of sorts)

It's hard to believe that Christmas break has come and gone already! I'm back in Chicago after being in Colorado for 3 weeks. It was a really great break filled with tons of downtime...maybe to much downtime! But downtime with family and friends is something that I can never get enough of. Some of the highlights were Bob and Rachel's wedding, Sophie's birthday, the "Blue Hair" Family Christmas party, Christmas Eve at Ben and Michele's, a White Christmas day, and some New Years puzzle making. I've heard that a picture says a million words, so here are some pics (ok maybe a lot of pictures) from the break...

BOB AND RACHEL'S WEDDING...

The Happy Couple

Me and Ben...and rachel's flowers, I'm not sure how Ben ended up with those

BLUE HAIR FAMILY CHRISTMAS...

3/4 of the "Blue Hairs" (missing Teri)...love these ladies!
Robin, Gloria, and my Mom

Laura and I...she is the only one that Bill could talk into wearing the antlers

Dave looks like Harry Potter

CHRISTMAS EVE...

The Fam

Making Dinner...soup and mini grilled cheese, awesome!

A WHITE CHRISTMAS DAY...

On a walk with Soph and Dad

Digging in

Mom and Grandma

NEW YEARS...

We headed up to the very cold mountains as soon as they reopened I-70...you don't even want to know how many times I tried to take this picture

Waiting at the weird stoplight at the tunnel...I like these ladies a lot!

Group pic...Cav and Ev are there behind the balloon

And then this is what we did the rest of the time, a puzzle...it was awesome

Well congratulations, you made it through all the pictures. Christmas really was great, I feel very rested and it was so good to be with good friends and my family. There is just something about going home that feels so safe and familiar. That said, I am very thankful for my life in Chicago too. I was realizing that it is unusual to feel so at home in two different places but for right now I'm thankful that I have a foot in Chicago and Colorado. This year has flown by and I have learned way to much to put into words, but I do know that I am thankful for what has happened and I'm excited about what will happen. At a church service that I went to last weekend the pastor talked about approaching the new year standing still for awhile and reflecting on what you just did...take a breath...what just happened?...then using that to help you move forward. I like the image of taking a breath while standing between last year and the coming year, that's what I hope I can do in this month that I still have before classes start. Yea for long breaks...!