Classes, dinner, and a movie...

This past week was packed with classes and awesome teachings.  Altogether, we had class 4 out of the 5 days.  On Monday night and Wednesday morning, we had about 3 hours worth of teaching from Genesis, most of which I need to study and re-study.  Then, on Thursday night, the EL's had 2 hours of teaching on Bibliology.  (Never heard of it?  Welcome to the club!  I'm the President.  Ha.)  And, on Friday morning, we had 2 hours of teaching on evangelism.  So, aside from swimming in all I was taught during the week, it was good.  :)

Then, I had a pretty good weekend, too.  I had dinner with the parentals on Friday night.  Saturday, I had lunch with friends, Allen and Brittany.  (I would've taken a pic, but there's nothing that great about Chic-fil-a.)  Sunday night, my housemates and I were treated to Lee's culinary creations.  He made chicken parmesan with pasta.  We also had broccoli and garlic bread.  For dessert, we had a homemade, chocolate swirl cheesecake that Jill made.  It was all delicious!

Delicious!

Thank you, Lee!

Jill and her awesome cheesecake!

After dinner, I went to see the movie, Unconditional, with friends.  Oddly enough, I found out my 7th grade science teacher and her husband produced it.  Small world, huh?  It was a great story with several unexpected twists.  But, the overall theme was God's unconditional love for us.  Hopefully, it did well in theaters over the weekend!

"Nothing you ever give to Jesus is wasted."

This past week was a good one.  Nothing too exciting or noteworthy went on.  I had a pretty low-key weekend.  On Friday night, Jill (one of my housemates) and I made a trip to Jerry's Snowcones for dinner.  I had never eaten "real" food there before.  I had a corn dog and cheese fries.  I wouldn't order either one of those again.  I get the impression other things on the menu are much better.  Then, on Sunday after church, I went to lunch with friends.  I spent the rest of the day with the one and only, Sarah Eichner.  I really enjoyed finally getting to see her new house and hearing about her upcoming wedding plans.  Congrats to her and Caleb (the fiance)!  

But, that's not all.  In the sermon yesterday, my pastor said something that really stuck out to me.  He says alot of things that really stick out to me.  But, for some reason, he said one sentence that I'm still thinking about today.  "Nothing you ever give to Jesus is wasted."  It's not earth shatttering.  I realize that.  But, it hit me right where I'm at right now in my walk with the Lord.  My pastor was actually referencing the story of the woman, who anointed Jesus with a very expensive jar of perfume not long before his crucifixion.

The story is told by two different accounts, once in Matthew 26 and once in Mark 14.  So, I was reading over both accounts today.  And, I learned a few things.  First of all, I didn't realize this story appeared in the Bible twice.  Second, I'm not sure I've ever really read it for myself to see what Jesus actually says about the woman.  When the disciples freaked about what she did, Jesus replied very calmly.  "Why are you bothering this woman?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.  When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."  Matthew 26:10-13  Did you see that?  Did you hear what He said about her?  I don't think I ever noticed that before now.

So, you combine what my pastor said and the words of Jesus, and it speaks straight to my heart.  My problem is that I look at my life as the woman through the eyes of the disciples.  I never think that what I am doing for the Lord is good enough or done well enough.  I live in a constant fear of disobeying Him.  And, I think I make it all too difficult.  I look at life from a completely skewed view.  And, I know it in my head, but it hasn't quite sunk into my heart.  I want my life to look like the woman's perfume.  I want my life to be a sweet fragrance poured out for my Savior.  And, what He said of the woman, I want Him to say of me.  I'm so glad the Lord is perfect in all things.  I'm so glad He's perfectly patient because this girl is a tough one to get through to.  :)

Last Week...Late

So, I realize we're already halfway through a new week, and I'm posting about last week.  Oh well, it's ok!  Last week was a great week.  In my classes, I have been learning so much.  It is all truly life transforming information.  And, it very much feels like trying to drink from a fire hydrant.  No joke.  It's alot of information!  The beautiful thing is it's not just information.  The things I am learning are invaluable tools I can use to further my own understanding of God's Word and be able to re-teach it to others.  Monday, we didn't have class due to the Labor Day holiday.  Wednesday morning, we learned about Genesis 1-2 and Thessalonian Legacy (may have to share more on that later).  Last, we had a Friday morning class on Proverbs.

The weekend was fun also.  On Friday night, a bunch of the EL's went to Las Delicias for dinner to celebrate Emily's birthday.  (We should've made her wear the sombrero...)  Afterwards, we played games at one of the girls' houses.

Most awkward pic ever...that's what I get for making memories!

Then, on Saturday, we got together at Shelby Farms for fajitas and "capture the flag".  (I know.  Kinda reminds you of middle school, huh?)  There was a twist to our game though. . . water balloons!  Water balloons, I have decided, make everything better.  It was a blast! 

Water balloons!

Yummy fajitas!

Post-game smack talk...

After leaving Shelby Farms, I went to have dinner with some more friends.  (I sound like a real social butterfly!  Yeah right!)  It was fun, too!  (No pics though, because I would have been the only taking pictures of us just doing normal stuff.  Ha!)  We played several games, ate too much, and laughed alot.  I'm so thankful for the sweet friends God has blessed me with!  :)

A Birthday, Bestie, BattleBash, and Bible Overview...

I apologize in advance because this post is super random.  (Consider yourself warned.)  On Monday night after class, one of the EL girls had a birthday.  Dannie wanted to celebrate with a "fiesta" of sorts.  I don't have photographic proof of the awesome strawberry cake and ice cream we ate.  But, I do have proof of Dannie dominating a pinata.  It was probably the best part of the night!  (Hope I don't get in trouble for the pics.) :)

Birthday girl!

Dominating!

We love Kinsley and Addi!

Then, on Thursday, Jennifer came over to see the "new" house I'm living in and just to hang out.  While she was here, we decided to make a care package for two of our most favorite little girls, who recently moved to Ohio.  I think we had as much fun buying their surprises and writing them letters as the girls did opening it.  We both miss them beyond words!  And, we can't wait to go visit soon!

On Saturday night, all the EL's had a BattleBash.  Never heard of it?  I hadn't either until Saturday.  One of the guys in the program teaches at Collierville Arts Academy.  And, he wanted to host one for us.  In his words, "A BattleBash is a knight/samurai/jedi themed party where you get to safely fight with swords, staffs, knifes, and arrows."  Don't be too impressed though.  We "fought" with heavy duty FOAM swords and arrows.  Ha!  It was still really fun!  We even got together beforehand and put on "war paint."  :)

Arrow game...

Me and Jill :)

Get 'em, Jill!

On a different note, classes this week kicked my B-U-T-T!  We went through several "Overview of the Bible" classes this week.  And, let's just say, I was more than a little confused.  Basically, over the course of 3 hours, we went through the entire Old and New Testament.  3 hours!  Yeah, I have alot of homework to do to get a good understanding of it all.  And, it was just an overview.

First Week of Classes

This past week was the first week of DownLine classes.  DL classes are Monday nights, Wednesday mornings, and one Friday class a month.  So, my housemates and I had the joy of attending our first Wednesday morning class.  It starts at 5:45 in the morning!  But, surprisingly, it wasn't too bad.  We also had our first EL class on Thursday night.  Overall, I can honestly say I am learning a ton.  Don't ask me for specifics though, because I would have to look back over my notes.  It's just A TON of information to process and remember.

Aww... one day this week

Other happenings this week included Kelly (one of my housemates) finishing a table she built for our house.  It's pretty stinkin' awesome!  And, yes, she built it from scratch, stained the top, painted the bottom, and put glaze over the paint.  There's been talk of Kelly starting her own furniture business.  :)  I said she should name it "Kelly's Custom Creations".  She's one talented girl!

Awesome table!

She did a great job!

Also, on Friday night, all DownLine students went to For the Kingdom Campground here in Memphis (actually Millington).  We ate dinner and then split off into men's and women's activities.  I'm not sure what the guys did, but the ladies had alot of fun.  At one point, we split into groups and had a "purse" scavenger hunt.  We nominated one person to be the runner for our group.  The runner had to be the first to take the item to the front in order to win (pic below).  Needless to say, it got pretty competitive!  At the end of the night, we had a fashion show.  From each group, one girl volunteered to be the "model".  We had to come with an outfit for her from a mixed bag of clothing, accessories, shoes, and wigs.  We also had to write a description of what our model was wearing (pic below).  It was a great night of fun and time to get to know each other.

The girls stretching out for the "purse" scavenger hunt...

All the models for the fashion show...

Orientation Week

The last week seems like a blur.  Most of my time was taken up with orientation for the program and special events to kick off the year.  Each day we met at a different location: Baptist East Hospital, Memphis Athletic Ministries, Urban Young Life, First Evangelical Church, Barnhart, and Network of International Christian Schools.  Each day consisted of different activities, including teaching time, being introduced to different ministries to volunteer with, and helpful information.  At the end of each day, my housemates and I felt sufficiently overwhelmed with the amount of information we had heard.  Overall, it was a great week with a fun ending.  Friday night, we had an EL cookout and time to hangout.  Then, Saturday night, there was a DownLine welcome dinner.  Everyone, who is in the EL program or taking the DownLine Institute classes, was invited.

Our first day!

Welcome dinner pic!

One thing that really stuck out to me this week was visiting the Civil Rights Museum downtown.  I'm ashamed to say it, but I had never actually been inside it.  I'm glad I was the given the opportunity though.  Going through the museum really made me think, and I learned alot too.  At one point, I remember standing in front of an exhibit made to look like a restaurant.  I was standing next to one of my housemates, JaNell, as we watched a video about what it was like during the Civil Rights Movement when African American people staged sit-ins in restaurants.  As we stood there in silence, we watched video footage of white people beating black people for sitting where they were not allowed to sit.  And, it made me sick.  And, it made me thankful that I wasn't born during that time.  And, it made me thankful that one day I'll be home in heaven.  All racism, hatred, prejudice, and evil will be no more.  And, I will worship my Jesus alongside people from every nation and tongue.

Our little family :)

New season and a Redbirds' game...

This past week was a whirlwind of change.  I moved into a new house.  Well, it's new to me.  I started driving a different car.  Again, not a new car, but it's new to me.  And, so far, I'm enjoying every step of this new season of my life.
     

To backtrack a little, I moved into a new house last Monday in order to begin a year long discipleship program.  I am a part of the Emerging Leaders program through DownLine Ministries here in Memphis.  Today, we had our first day of orientation.  And, next Monday, our classes will officially begin.  In addition, my old car (affectionately known as Blue Thunder) has been put to rest.  She didn't die, but she has been retired.  (And, yes, there may be another post about Blue Thunder at some point in the near future.)

Potential name: Gold Magic

To finish out this past week, I went to a Redbirds' game with friends on Friday night.  It was super fun and, surprisingly, not that hot.  Then, on Sunday night, the EL's had a progressive dinner in which the girls' houses cooked for everyone in the program.  It was a fun time of fellowship and getting to meet other people in the program.

Casey, Tracy, and Emily were cheesin'!

Me and Carrie :)

Typical. 

All in all, there is alot of change happening around me.  Friends have moved away.  Others have bought their first homes.  Some have gotten engaged.  Some have gotten new jobs.  I could go on and on.  And, I am so happy for all of these new changes and seasons of life for my friends.  And, not to be outdone, I am beginning a new season as well. :)  In the middle of all this change, I have a distinct feeling that the Lord is up to something in my life.  And, I am trusting that He is going to shape and mold me in more ways then I can imagine over the course of this year.