I should be in bed

But I'm obviously not! So I thought I would like to talk to y'all instead!

Summer's end. It's been a wonderful summer. It wasn't hard to be back home, except for missing my friends at school. But it's hard to be at school for missing my friends and dear ones here, so ya know, it's kinda half a dozen of one and six of the other. I can't believe it's already almost time for me to head back to school. This having-two-lives thing gets a bit difficult. It's nice that this time, I'm leaving for something I know and people I love, instead of leaving all the people I love to go to somewhere completely unknown. But I have to admit I'm a bit apprehensive about this next year.

It's not fun to look back at all the mistakes I made last year and know that I'll have a brand-new chance at making all new ones. Oh, goody. But that's rooted in a kind of thinking that says, "Don't let them know that you make mistakes; don't let them know you're just human too. They might not love you anyway. So don't let them see you fall and make a fool of yourself." But after nineteen years of trying it, I can tell you that it's no way to live. It's true, some of them might not love me anyway, when I mess up and hurt someone or make the wrong choice. But God does. Always. And in the end, I won't stand before a panel of my peers to account for my life. I'll stand before Him.

So often I try to make my expectations higher than His, expecting myself to be perfect already, when He knows I won't be perfect till I'm dead or He comes back to get me. And though He knows I have messed up, am messing up, and will continue to mess up, He loves me anyway. And so do a whole lot of other people. If you're reading this, that's probably a sign you're one of them. I want to thank you for looking past the mistakes and loving me like Jesus does. That is a precious gift I do not want to take for granted.

So here's to a brave new year, where God is on His throne, and the management of the world is up to Him instead of me. Here's to a year devoted to learning to submit my will to His. Here's to living without being afraid, for no other reason than that He is with me. I don't need any other reasons to help me be brave; that's the only one He chose to give. L'chaim! To life!

Ready? Set. Go!

...to bed. ;-)

Brandy

I am currently in love with Looking Glass' "Brandy." It's a great song. It's one of those tragic ones that would be awful in real life, but makes a wonderful (and even cheery) song!
Here's a link for it:

http://www.brown.edu/Students/Bear_Necessities/oneluv/brandy.mp3


I love you all to pieces.
Lisa

Of Chocolate, Gastroenteritis, and Gilmore Girls

So, I was going to spend Easter break with five of my friends in Tennessee. But I didn't. I was really tired, and therefore crying profusely for no apparent reason. What can I say? It's apparently the way I cope with stress and fatigue. It's rather inconvenient...

Anyway, for the good of the order (and my sanity) I chose to remain on campus for break. It was actually really nice. The campus is really quiet, which means there's hardly any lines in Chuck's (the cafeteria)! For two days, I holed up in my room (only emerging for meals and a brief trip to WalMart), ate copious amounts of chocolate, and watched the first season of Gilmore Girls. Hadn't ever seen it before. It was pretty good. I hear it goes downhill from here.

One of the five girls with whom I was going to Tennessee wasn't able to go either, because the day before break began she had been taken to the hospital and diagnosed with gastroenteritis (stomach flu). For the first day of break she was confined to her room, and I brought her food from Chuck's. Poor girl. But the next day, she was well enough to eat in Chuck's and we made a run to WalMart in a friend's car. She seems to be fine now, praise God. So we hung out together all of the weekend that I didn't lock myself away in my room, and watched some chick flicks.

All things considered, it was a lovely Easter break, even if it was rather unconventional. We're still off today, and I'm going to use it to get some work out of the way. Well, at least until the Posse gets home from Tennessee. Then there will be no working for a very long time... :)

Hey, guys! Remember me?

So...
I haven't written in forever, huh?
Well, I'm writing now. Forgive me?
Thanks.

I've almost finished my first year at school. Wow. I can't believe how far God's brought me. Right now I'm sitting in my cousins' front room with my good friend Emilie, just chilling and soaking up the relaxation. Now, I did work this break, but I've decided that I've done enough. There's no point in working all through your break and being almost as tired when you get back as when you left. So, I've done enough work to be a bit ahead when I get back, and I'm stopping.

Isn't it interesting how it takes more discipline to rest than it does to work? Praise God for His patience and sense of humor!

Voice is going very well, and I'm enjoying the rest of my classes as well. The semester will be over before I know it, and then I'll be back home for the summer. I'm looking forward to seeing those of you who live in WA. I miss you all very much!

I'm not quite sure what else to write. Life is good, God blesses me beyond belief, and I'm going to enjoy the rest of my break to the hilt!

Alright, everyone! Are you happy?

So, awhile ago, Janel challenged me to write a post of ten things that are either wierd or just little known facts about me. I know, you're all thinking, "How can she pick just ten?" but I assure you, I had a little trouble thinking of strange things no one knows. Most of my eccentricities are well-known, indeed, unconcealable (is that a word? it is now)! So here goes:
1. I have been known to enjoy eating my rice with mustard on it.
2. In an amazing twist of Providence, I too have freckles on my toes! Well, just one on the big toe of my left foot.
3. I jump really easily, even when I'm not really scared or startled.
4. My family used to called me "Weese McGeese" and "Weesie." (Ok, they still do, but generally not in public!)
5. I have a little necklace an angel gave me when I was born. Actually, it's a little freckle that's right in the groove of my collarbone, so it looks kinda like on of those "invisible necklaces" that used to be all the rage.
6. My dance teacher once told me I had beautiful feet, much to my surprise, as I had felt a bit awkward presenting her with my broad size-nines at first. And no, she was not referring to the fact that I am a carrier of good news.
7. When I was younger (about twelve or so), I read over one hundred books in a single summer. It was during this time that I came to be on first-name basis with the staff at the Ferndale library...
8. I still play dress-up.
9. When I'm embarrassed, I smile. The more embarrassed I am, the bigger the smile.
10. If I were a superhero, I'd choose to be able to fly. And I would never, never, never wear spandex. I can honestly sing with Larry the Cucumber, "...I don't look good in leggings..." I mean, really. Who does?

Ok? I posted something! See you next month.

Sunday Morning Discussion

So, God and I had an interesting conversation during the introduction to my pastor’s very good, but completely unrelated message. Here’s how it went.
Lisa: Oh, man! That woman is here again. She’s weird. I don’t think she’s quite there mentally. I hate talking to her. I know she’s lonely and she needs You and she needs love, but I don’t want to!
God: Lisa, you absolutely may not pick and choose who you are going to love.
Lisa (whining): But I don’t like it! It’s uncomfortable, it’s difficult, it’s not fun!
God: You know that’s not true. Remember how awesome Monday was when you focused on serving? When have you felt happiest, most content, most filled to overflowing with joy? That’s right. It is when you are least concerned with getting these very things for yourself, least concerned with yourself at all, when you are sacrificing your comfort for that of others and your interests for Mine. Is it enough that I asked you to do it?
And Lisa didn’t say anything. She just tried her hardest to obey. And He was right.
Then, when I got home, I was reading a good book by Eric Ludy and I read, “From the outside, it would appear that a life of sacrifice is a life of discomfort and pain. But actually, a life of sacrifice is a life of matchless satisfaction and exhilaration. To go where our King goes and do what our King is doing is to forge a deep and eternal friendship with the God of the universe.”
Lately, God has been teaching me a lot about how my life cannot be lived for my enjoyment, but must be consumed in loving Him and loving others, which basically equals service. And every time I obey and cheerfully surrender my agenda and my comfort, it’s absolutely amazing. However, as my shameful part in the above conversation shows, my memory is short. But He is faithful!
Father, thanks for not giving up on me!

Much-Afraid and Me

If you've never read Hannah Hurnard's Hinds Feet on High Places, you must! It's a really good book. It's an allegory (even if you despise allegories, you should read this book. Jesus liked allegories...) for a believer's walk with God. In the story, Much-Afraid is a simple, lame shepherdess in charge of a small flock of the King's sheep. But her fearsome Fearing relatives have her completely in their power, and as their name suggests, in their power is not a very nice place to be! But every morning and every evening, Much-Afraid slips away to a crystal pool to keep tryst with the Shepherd. One day the Shepherd asks her to go with Him to the High Places. Much-Afraid protests on account of her malady. The Shepherd tells her that by going to the High Places, she will develop hinds' feet, and then He plants the seed of Love (which is very like a thorn) in her heart. The sowing is painful, but the Shepherd promises her that Love cannot come without pain, and that when the seed of Love has grown up and is ready to bloom, then He will take her up to the High Places. But it will be a long and arduous journey which she must begin at once. The Shepherd give Much-Afraid two helpers to help her on her way and to bear her up when her lameness keeps her from ascending. These helpers are sisters names Sorrow and Suffering.
Well, to hear the rest, you'll just have to read the book! I hope my little synopsis has whetted your appetite. The most special thing about the book is the relationship between Much-Afraid and the Shepherd. She is a cowardly, crippled thing, but something about her looks very familiar...
Read it!