Celebrating life.

My hall theme this year is "Celebrate Life". And by all means, we are going to do so.

We started last night with a Fiesta!

I set up some things to do in the hall way and girls came through to decorate doorstops (bricks covered in pieces of t-shirt fabric) as well as plant flowers. We plowed through some tortilla chips, salsa, and queso.

The girls had a blast decorating with their roommates and painting cups to plant flowers in.

Their smiling faces made my night.

\

The bricks decorated were phenomenal.

Creativity shines through when people are given a blank space to work with.

But it was not during the 8-10pm time slot that I realized how much community we had on the hall. It was the time afterward... when things got really out of HAND.

Finger painting happened out of nowhere!

We were cleaning up the paint, and then realized that there was a lot of excess. 

So why not put it to good use?

This hall is an example of the church. We are all believers. We care for each other with tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. We visit with each other daily and know what is happening in each other's lives. We are all at different places in our lives and from different places on earth. Our stories do not often seem alike, but we all carry two common threads: our love for Jesus and our room assignments.

Without those threads, I probably wouldn't have met many of these amazing girls. But God gave us the opportunity to bond in a way that I never expected. He is so faithful.

Community happens in the strangest times.

Thank God for some leftover paint.

Of Sabbaths and rainy days.

I decided to take a Sabbath this Sunday.


I can't really explain why, but taking a day of rest has always been one of those commandments that I never followed. I knew it. I read it. I could quote it right out of Exodus 20. But I never followed it.


It was harder than I thought. I had things hanging over my head and I was stressed because of that. But I had to put aside my stress to say, "This is a day set apart for rest and for the LORD."

We just weren't made to go... and go... and go. So I took a day off. Went to the on-campus service for church with some of my freshmen, then had some lunch and went to Valley Forge, where we painted and flew kites.

Emily had never flown a kite before, so that was fun. I didn't take phone calls while we were out. And I didn't  worry about what I had to get done for a few hours.

I was even able to spend the evening making cookies with my RA staff and enjoying some knitting and movie.

Why don't I take Sabbaths all the time?

Because I don't trust. That's why.

As I was reading through my Bible reading yesterday, I realized this: God promised to provide when we keep the Sabbath holy.

Exodus 16:23, 27-29

²³ He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”

 ²⁷ Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. ²⁸ The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? ²⁹ They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” 

God provides. This Sabbath thing is for real.

On a note of self-confidence, I had quite a lot today. It's rainy, which usually means my mood plummets. But not today. 

I have found the secret to a really good rainy day.

A really great outfit.

My roommates v-neck, the skirt that I made from a men's dress shirt, leggings, hounds-tooth rain boots, and a clearance hot pink sweater from the Target girl's section clearance rack. Not a fashion statement. Just a pick-me-up. It made today so much better to walk around in confidence thinking, "Man, I love this outfit. I am comfortable in my skin."

I'm going to strive to feel this way every day. Regardless of the outfit.

God made us to enjoy the life He's given us. And I refuse to miss out on that, regardless of the rain.