A different sort of Friday night

Last night, there was no swing club, but our Student Activities Board puts on a coffee house in our snack bar once a month with free coffee and live music, and a friend was playing last night, so we went to cheer him on. He and a friend of his played some songs the friend wrote, and they sounded really good. I love coffee and live accoustic guitar. :-) He was really excited that we came to see them play, so it was fun.
After that, we went to Galloway (one of the boys' dorms) so that we could learn to play guitar hero. Let's just say that last night does not bode well for my future as a guitar player ;) I made it through freebird after I think five tries... so we went and watched the Office instead, which was really fun. It was college-style: Geoff hooked his iPod up to Rick's computer, Sam brought pop-tarts, Dan gave Clara and I a fuzzy blanket he doesn't ever use, and six of us crowded into a tiny little dorm room to watch. It was great. I'd never seen it before, but I think I may have to keep watching. :-)
Today... I have to write a paper on the Northwest Ordinance, which I need to read first. So I'm going to settle down with some coffee, a notebook, and my American History reader, and get writing. Thank you, Lord, for coffee, for Clara and my girls, for snow, and for church to look forward to tomorrow! And for grace, that always keeps me thinking and singing.

I woke up today to two sweet valetines on my desk- one from Natalie and one from Mary Beth. Natalie wrote that she preffered mine and Amy and Clara's serenades to those of the Mu Alpha boys- and that is saying alot; Natalie is in love with the whole music fraternity. ;) And Mary Beth's said, "I want a valentine who cries when she laughs." She knows that I am forever lamenting that I cannot laugh without looking like a mess, tears streaks and mascara and all, whenever I laugh, and made me smile about it :) But the best was when I actually sat down at my desk to read and saw the sheet music I put up there a few days ago: "I Love You, Lord." It reminded me of the One who loves me more than anyone else in the whole world :) It was a sweet reminder, and I felt so blessed and loved as I walked through the foot-deep snow to class. Here's the song that came to mind, written by a band of friends from church, one they taught us for worship at summer camp.

Stolen My Heart

In my life, you've heard me say I love you
How can I show you it's true?
Hear my heart, it longs for more of you
I've fallen deeply in love with

You have stolen my heart
I'm captivated by you
And never will you and I part
I've fallen deeply in love with you

You and I together forever
Nothing can stand in the way
My love for you grows stronger with each new day
I've fallen deeply in love with

You have stolen my heart
I'm captivated by you
And never will you and I part
I've fallen deeply in love with you

~Dodging Failure

I love this song. It's always a challenge to me because it reminds me to mean what I say. One day at our church's college group, we talked about the word "love" and how deep its meaning really is. It's beautiful :-)
I love you, Lord.

Remaining In The Land

It is a very cold Monday evening here! But the sun is still shining, and I have Scottish breakfast tea, and that makes me happy :)
I was just thinking about about our pastor Rick Norr's message on Sunday; he talked about abiding in the land God has given us until He tells us to leave it. He was teaching on Genesis 26, when God tells Isaac to stay where he is even though there is a famine in the land, so that God can bless him through his circumstances and use him to bless others there.
I thought it was good, but didn't think it applied to me specifically right now, since I wanted to come here to Hillsdale in the first place. Then Sunday evening I was looking at a website of grooming and student jobs for big barns, and I realized I was thinking, "I wonder how soon I can have this kind of job? I wonder if I could get it next summer? Am I really supposed to be reading Colonial history now when my goal is to be a horse trainer?" Once I started asking that, I realized that Pastor Rick's message applied to me more than I'd realized. If I'm looking three and a half years ahead to the job I want, instead of being blessed and blessing others in this place I wanted so much, then I'm not remaining in the land I've been given.
I am so thankful for the Bible, and for a pastor who speaks the word of God with respect and intelligence. I pray that I would love this land, until it's time to move on... which will be fun too. :) But I really do love it here, and I am so thankful for my life.

A day in the life of History 105, with illustrations...

I thought this picture was funny, and that Felix would appreciate being included in history class. He is, after all, the professor.

2/2/07
Connections between the Great Awakening and Independance
*the people realize that the Church of England is not the only way to salvation
*they realize that no "Church" is; only Christ. John Whitfield unassociated itinerant preacher.
*Learned to be free of institutons. If they didn't need institutions, they didn't need the institution of English rule. Freedom & Independance.

-Two intellectual traditions: Religious/Enlightenment
1.
*Religious: Judeo-Christian faith. Man inherently evil.
*Enlightenment: Baconian science, reason emphasized. Man inherently good & able to perfect himself.
2.
*Religious: Man powerless to save himslef
*Enlightenment: Man can perfect himself through reason
3.
*Religious: Truth revealed in Word of God
*Enlightenment: Truth revealed in nature & discovered through reason.

I think you get the idea... it's pretty interesting... but watch out. This is what happens when you study too long:

Hebrews

Happy Weekend to you all :)
I am re-reading Hebrews right now, and coming across some of my favorite verses, so I wanted to put some of them up here.

6:17-19: "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus..."

7:19: "... for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the brining in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God."

7:25-26: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He alsways lived to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, seperate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens..."

10:19-23: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... let us hold fast the consfession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

These are some of my favorites. :-) God is so good to provide so for us when we don't deserve it, and to draw us into the Holiest of his presence!