Nine years ago...

I would say I am a people person. I like people a lot. I would even go as far as to say I think people are the most interesting creation in the entire universe.

I also enjoy talking. In fact, I can converse for hours on end, with pretty much anyone, because like I said, I like people.

However, I am particularly fond of a certain two girls. And I am particularly fond of conversing with these two girls.  They truly are the most beautiful, interesting people I know. I am genuinely blessed to have the two best friends I could ever ask for.

            Who would have thought that three 11 year old girls, coming from three different "rival" elementary schools, who were completely new to the chaos and drama of a middle schooler's life, would be best friends forever?  Although new to the wild jungle of the halls of Ridley Middle School, I'd say we caught on rather quickly, and together we learned to survive the heartbreaks and misdemeanors of a middle schooler's life. But the funny thing is, sometimes one of us accidently caused the heartbreak of another.  I can remember one specific night at a Ridley Park firehouse dance (if you don't know what that is, I'm not sure that you want to know) where my heart was broken into a million pieces as I watched my best friend kiss the boy I was "crushin badly" on.  And then, we had a sleep over afterwards.  Awkward? I think so.  And sometimes, one of us accidently ratted out the other.  Among the three of us was "the girl who never turned down a dare."  When the entire Language Arts class was together given the liberty of a "bathroom break," we couldn't simply go to the bathroom, return to class, then continue on with our work.  Naturally, we dared the infamous "never turn down a dare" girl to go into the boys' bathroom.  Little did we know that we were being watched by another authority figure, who proceeded to follow us into our classroom and tell our teacher that they saw one of us three enter through the door of the boys' bathroom.  When I was pointed out as the suspect, I came very close to putting the blame on my best friend and accurately identifying the true rule-breaker.  But more importantly, we made it through these little bumps in the roads of our friendships, clearly seen in the many memories formed from that same Language Arts class.  One time, we thought it would be a good idea to get up in front of the class and do a little performance to "The Little Mermaid."  However, though the two of them are quite talented clarinet players, not a single one of us has a voice that is aesthetically pleasing.  Or there was another time when our teacher became very frustrated with the lack of commas being used in essays and therefore drew the biggest comma I have ever seen in my life on the chalkboard.  You might not think it's that funny, but the three of us literally laughed out loud hysterically for 10 minutes straight.  So we may have been the three girls that received the report card comment from our first year homeroom teacher that said, "lacks self control," and we may have been the girls who got the phone call home to our parents about being too cliquey and leaving the other girls out, but it's where we are at in our lives right now that matters, right?

            And where we are now is not even close to where I thought we would be as 6th graders.  It's actually a miracle, and all I can say is that God is good. Today I got to spend a beautiful morning with Rebecca Concepcion and Meghan Geiser.  We decided to visit our dear friend, Jenna, at "The Bagel Hut" on Temple's campus.  As Meg drove us through Philly we joked about finally being able to travel places with just the three of us, seeing that we were/are the last people on earth to get our licenses. (only 10 more days Reb!)  When we got there, we were given the extremely generous gift of three free bagels and coffees! So we sat, ate, drank, and talked. We talked about the book of Genesis, about the theology behind it and what different religions believe and about the character of God.  It is so refreshing to talk to passionate people who have a thirst to learn and know more.  I'm currently going through Genesis because we are doing bible in a year as a Leadership for Young Life, and they both took bible/religion classes this past semester.  We all contributed different input, and it was very interesting to hear what each of us had learned at our respective colleges and with our personal experiences.  The three of us go to polar opposite schools.  Meg at Temple University, a medium sized diverse school in the busy city of Philadelphia; Reb at Azusa Pacific University, a smaller Christian, yet fairly liberal college (resort) in California; and me at James Madison University, a pretty big school with a bunch of conservative Virginians in the small town of Harrisonburg.  After lots of discussion, I think the one thing that stuck out to all of us is how redeeming God is throughout Genesis.  Even before Jesus came to earth, God was so redemptive in the lives of Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, and countless others and continuously blessed them with what they didn't at all deserve.  I generally write off God to be full of wrath throughout the Old Testament, but in reality He is loving and compassionate towards His people.  I was so encouraged as I sat next to Rebecca and Meghan and thought about the women we've all grown into. Granted, we still have our child-like vigor and/or immaturity at times.  For example, an elderly black man from the heart of North Philly asked Meg where a certain building was, and in her directions she explained the building "that looks like Hogwarts."  Or I could refer to how Rebecca and I, at the exact same time, called the Old Testament the "Old Testi." Oops.  But, as I reflect on our friendships and on the past 9 years of our lives from 6th grade until now, one thing that is so obviously apparent is that God has redeemed each one of us.  God is definitely good.

The adventures of Rebecca, Meghan, and Lindsay:

And Ms. Snyder never would have thought that one day...

 We'd be little NHS scholars,

 People would actually like us,

 Or that we would graduate!

eeeeeeeeek

Certainty in Uncertainty

"Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things."—Ecclesiastes 11:5

            I've been thinking a lot about the time of life that I'm in right now.  I know most college age students think about the future quite a bit because "real life" is fast approaching.  I've recently talked with some friends about how ever since we graduated high school, we've been transitioning into the next thing.  Especially when I started college; I felt like I never even had time to think about it and then time disappeared and now here I am, starting my second semester of sophomore year.  We even talked about Winter break and how the entire time is basically a transition period.  The first week we transition to being home, the second week is crazy with holiday festivities, and the third week we are getting ready to go back to school.  Conclusion of all of these random thoughts: My life is uncertain.  I have no idea what the future holds.  And that could be really scary, but being a "look on the bright side" kind of person, I find uncertainty to be one of the greatest things that life has to offer us.  Because the more uncertain my life gets, the more certain I must become of God.  Isn't it so comforting to know that in the midst of the confusion and unknown that we have a Lord who does know and who will reveal his plans to us on his timing?  And I am SO thankful that it is his timing and not mine, because if I was in control and if I got to choose the timing of things in my life, I would undoubtedly screw it up...badly.  Whenever I hear people say, "I wish I could just fast forward to see like five minutes of my life in the future," I instantly think that is a terrible idea.  Not in a harsh or mean way, but where is the adventure in that? This past Sunday at church, the pastor spoke about the Christmas song, "Come All Ye Faithful" and about adoring Christ.  Adoration means to tell someone something, and the dictionary defines it as "fervent and devoted love."  He told us to tell Jesus what we adore about him, and one of my favorite things about Christ is the mystery of him and the adventure he brings.

           Going to college with a bunch of people I have never met before in a different state with a totally different culture than I have grown up in, there are many, many times when I feel misunderstood.  I know everyone goes through it, and initially it sucked to feel like no one truly knew me.  But again, during those times of uncertainty, my certainty is found in the Lord.  The more I feel misunderstood by others, the more I feel understood by God.  It assures me that I was designed to be in a relationship with him and that he is the only one who will never fail me.  And the more I know God understands me, the more I know that he loves me, because he knows the depths of my heart and STILL delights in me.

           The thing that got me thinking about this whole "certainty in uncertainty" thing was from Oslwald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" back in April.  (I know "Utmost" is a cliché pop culture Christian devotion, but you can't deny that it is good.)  He wrote, Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life—gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises."  As a follower of Jesus, I no longer live the commonsense life.  I remember someone saying at Summer Staff (Where you work at a YL camp for a month) this past July that we no longer fight worldly battles; we fight spiritual battles.  In another devotion, "Come Away My Beloved" by Frances J. Roberts, he says, "For we labor not in the material realm, and we work not with the elements of this world; but our labor is in the realm of the Spirit, and the accomplishments are not judged by the human eye, but shall be revealed in the light of eternity."  I want to live like I am a citizen of heaven and not of this world, with an eternal perspective and in the Spiritual realm. I can't even begin to imagine the revelations we will see in the light of eternity, but what a gift that we get to see them at all.  Christ is our hope, light, and peace in times of hopelessness, darkness, and restlessness, and that is what I cling to.

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the thing we cannot see will last forever." —2 Corinthians 4:18

Winter Break FUNZONE!!

El Día de Gracias

Happy Thanksgiving!

Five things I am thankful for: (starting where we left off...)

1) Harry Potter.

It sounds trivial, but seriously though, there is nothing like getting lost in a good book-especially Harry Potter.  Entering into the fantasy world of wizards always seems to be my escape away from the chaos of this world. I could (and have) literally sit in my room for three days straight with no communication with the outside world and be totally fine if I had a HP book in front of me. J.K. Rowling writes in a way that makes you feel like you yourself are a student at Hogwarts.  I swear I would leave behind everything in my life now if I could actually transfer to Hogwarts. (I was gonna say just kidding after that, but honestly I'm not sure that I am.) Anyway, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1-amazing. Obviously not as good as the book, and they missed some great details that I was really looking forward to seeing, but I thought they did an incredible job at portraying the main scenes.

2) Family.

I am thankful that I have been raised with the freedom to make my own decisions in life.  I can't remember a time where I was forced to do something or told I wasn't allowed to do something.  I know for a fact that I wouldn't be the person I am today if I didn't have the chance to choose for myself what I wanted to do, and I have learned so much from each decision I have personally made.  Also, I am grateful for the humor of my family.  Each of them has such a unique sense of humor from most people I know, and I am just glad we can laugh at the most ridiculous things ever. (Although I seriously believe Joe may be borderline mentally insane with some of the things he does.) I am glad that I am able to take a joke and laugh at myself because of them.

3) Friends.

Each and every one of them. I am so incredibly thankful that I have people who genuinely care about me and love me. I am thankful that I have friends who listen to me and rejoice with me and who I can listen to and rejoice with as well.  And I am SO thankful that I have relationships where we share in each other's sufferings, because that is what is rare.  I don't think I would be able to think clearly if I didn't have people in my life to process things with.  It is so encouraging and comforting to be able to simply observe the lives of my friends and know that I am learning from their example.

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

-Philippians 1:3-6

4) My Teammates.

Yes, my teammates (Young Life team that is) are of course my friends too, but when you do ministry alongside of people, your relationships deepen tremendously.  They are the ones that know why your heart is so broken for that one kid.  They celebrate with you over the smallest victories that others can't understand.  And most importantly, they are the ones that have the same exact purpose and mission as you do, to go after lost kids no matter how hard it gets.  I am so fortunate to be on a team where grace and love flow abundantly and unconditionally.  My teammates know my heart better than anyone else does, and not only because we spend crazy amounts of time together, but because we take up our crosses together and encourage each other along the way.  It is so amazing to truly know someone's heart and to see how much each of them has to offer to God.  I am blessed to know someone with the most passion I've ever seen, someone so dedicated and giving, someone who lives expectantly and dreams big, and someone whose strength comes completely from the joy of the Lord.

Philippians 1:7-8 says, "So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus."

This perfectly reflects my heart for my team.

5) The Cross.

I am thankful (that is an understatement) that God our Father sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for me and the rest of this world so that he could literally become our sin and so that we could live freely and innocently.  I am thankful that Jesus was obedient to his Father's will so that I could be forgiven of EVERYTHING and live in perfect relationship with my Lord.  I am thankful that we have the Bible to tell us all of this, and that we have the example of Jesus to follow.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!"

-Philippians 2:5-8 (I am aware that everything in my blog posts is from Philippians-this is not intentional.)

I think this relates back to what I mentioned before about Simple Spirituality and the five simple stones of WMF. Those things are based on the example of Jesus and what lead him to carry the cross for us. At church a couple of weeks ago, the pastor said, "Be careful of a Christianity without a cross." Because that is what it all comes down to. And if I give thanks for anything at all, it is the cross. Because through it, I am cleansed and perfectly loved.