A Story To Be Told: 03.10

...Cake-Shakes at Portillo's are a real treat!
They literally throw a piece of cake in the blender with some ice cream and stuff. You've got to share it with a friend because it's amazingly filling :). Logan, Kristen, Chelsea & I (along with some of the brothers) enjoyed them on Friday night.

...hallway hangouts are ALWAYS permitted.
Our floor definitely spends a good amount of time hanging out in the hallway. It's a good place to bond. I especially love sleeping on the girls (like Logan) from my floor, as you can see below. (Embarassingly, my body still hasn't figured out how to be a college kid - it's ready for bed at like ten, haha).

...I have a new job!
The reason I'm spending half of my spring break in Chicago is because I was hired at Barnes & Noble Cafe! I've had two days of training and two more to go. I am very much enjoying it so far, and I feel incredibly blessed to have found a good job!

...I get to go home on Thursday.

And you better believe I am excited about that. I can't wait to go to my church, see my family, see my friends, and stare at my boyfriend ;). Oh Thursday cannot come fast enough!

That's all for now!

Aprendiendo a rezar...

Since I've come to Moody, the biggest thematic lesson God is giving me is on prayer. I am learning to pray, it's as simple as that. It's not that I didn't pray before arriving here, my idea of prayer is just being radically refined. We're to pray relentlessly, unceasingly, diligently, confidently, genuinely, and kingdom-mindedly; and though undeserved, He hears, answers, moves, speaks, keeps His every promise, and is ever-patient with us. Also, seemingly most importantly we're to remember that we were created with two ears and one mouth, and we should use them accordingly. God's heart is to tell us, show us, and teach us His will in His timing; the Word tells us His sheep know his voice .* God speaks to us through His word, through another person or a song, and sometimes directly (and specifically) to our hearts. He never contradicts Himself, never lies**, and never fails***. (Phew! I'm also learning that it never gets old to talk/type about how amazingly good God is).

Then yesterday happened.

This the start of our spring break, so people have been stirring, packing, leaving, hugging, etc. I was feeling a little broken, honestly. I was recently hired at a Cafe (more to come about that), which is a huge blessing... but the timing just isn't what I would've chosen. I was so ready to go home, not to do training for a new job. I'm only staying in Chicago for a week of the 18-day break, but yesterday there would've been no convincing me that that was fair in the least. As Graci Mitchell (a 3-year-old I love) sang to me over the phone, my eyes welled with tears. I just want to hold her. Feeling mildly ridiculous, I thought to myself I just need to do something... I packed a small bag with my bible, my camera, my journal, and some cash and decided I was just going to go for a walk. I didn't know where I was going to go, but I knew I needed to pray; my new default instinct to all things! So I left... which turned out to be an excellent decision.

I was pleasantly greeted by sunshine.

The weather was picturesque. I thought to myself, if only I could remove all these buildings to feel the full effect of the sun. I then decided the closest I was going to get to that was being on the "beach" by lake Michigan. I walked there, found a dry spot of sand, and rolled myself onto my back. It was so bright I could barely keep my eyes open. My only prayer was God, be my comfort. Just as I prayed three white birds flew through the blue sky above me. I giggled in the irony of the trinity idea. I closed my eyes for a moment, but opened them again as they began to leak. This time two white birds flew over me and my heart was reminded of John 14: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (Comforter, Encourager, Counselor), who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." (vs 16-17). One of the birds has made a home in my heart. When I'm feeling discouraged, alone, frustrated, confused, (or any emotion across the spectrum); I need not to look anywhere but to the One who lives in me, (and with, around, and above me). What joy I'm finding in the fact that the One who sastisfies my every need, is the same One who relentlessly pursues me, and intimately knows the innermost workings of my heart, soul, body, and mind.

"...remove all these buildings..."

As I said earlier, the first thought I had as I stepped into the sunshine was that I wished I could remove all the buildings. Ironically, I'm continually discovering that is exactly what God desires to do in my heart; to burn away everything that is not of Him so that I might simply lay in the presence of the sun (Son). I ache for the walls to fall, longing to feel the heat of His fire. It's about time for a renovation. It's about time for the Kingdom# to come and replace the distractions, temptations, and idols in my life.