Wrapping up 2013

Good afternoon, here's a look into what my life has been like the last couple of months since my last update.

2013 has been an incredible year, it all started with me rutruning back to school in January. An now as this next January appoarchs I will be finishing my final semester at bible school. I thank God for his provision and timing, we really never know what to except day to day but he sure does.

So In October, we had tribal cup against our sister school it was, such a great weekend of fellowship, sports, and competition between the two schools. Happily Jackson came up with the win of the tribal cup for the weekend. All our sports, perpetration over the semester paid off :-) I got to participate in soccer and ultimate frisbee, it was so much fun! I always enjoy getting know other students at our school in a different environment other than classes, specially in an area I feel most comfortable in :-)

Tribal cups trophy 

Waukesha and Jackson ladies

Rachel and I for spirit week.

So I am not sure if you have ever heard of the game spike ball!? ( it's a mix between volleyball and four square but more intense) it's probably the best game ever, it's not a new game it's actually been out since the 80's but just has lost interest over the years. Anyways I learned how to play over the summer and started playing it at school, and as more people learned to play I got to searching to see if other schools played to my luck Spring Arbor University had a group that did, so cool to be able to connect with another school.

Some of the guys playing Spikeball at Spring Arbor 

So I finished my junior semester of bible school one more semester till graduation. Goodness I can't believe how fast time has gone. This semester has taught me so much about myself in so many different areas. For starters I think we can all relate, but boy to I rely more and more on myself than God with situations, needs, issues, ect. I realized this after my job let me go, at the beginning of the semester, and how I find security in having that job. But after some time The Lord has blessed me with a job that is right up my ally. I work at a local discount sports store. 

So have you ever thought about how we communicate things to each other? Well let me tell you I highly value communication these days, even though I stink so badly at communicating. I really never have realized how much you can actually communicate to someone through body language or speech but thankfully The Lord is continually  growing me in failure, by learning from it and learning how to show more grace. The end of the semester I took a class called Soteriology, it was a awesome class about the study of salvation. It had me really pondering what salvation is, it had some strong truths and really picked up more on our romans class. Just reassuring that we are justified by His grace through the redemption of Christ and because we have been set free from sin we are sanctified which ultimately leads to eternal life, praise God for this amazing truth and free gift that we can never pay back now matter how much we try. This is something I have to continually remind myself!

Some of our staff lead a worship chapel 

So with this next semester approaching fast please be praying for me to finish strong, pray that I continue to pounder theses truths and stand strong on what is true, it is a tough thing. Also please pray for God to provide financially, I don't have enough to finish my senior semester, but I have seen God do some pretty incredible things so I have faith I'll make it through even though it'll be tough as I said before trying to rely on The Lord rather than yourself is a tough learning process.

Just some extra things to be praying for as well, the youth group I am working with has their winter retreat at the end of January please pray for them and the leaders as well I am super stocked for it and I know they are as well. 

Rives Youth Group for our thanksgivermess

As I wrap up my last semester at bible school, my future plan as of this moments thoughts are; I have applied to intern at the school to work, if I am granted this position I want to take night classes at the local community college to get my EMT and work to save money for MTC (Missionary Training Center)please be praying and I thank you so much for praying and supporting me where I am at in the training! 

Christmas party

Christmas decorating 

Please be praying for these girls to return as well, they are my roommates and are a blessing :-)

As we wrapped up the intermural sports season we had a Staff vs. Student game it was intense. 

This picture explains it all! Ice cream before the winter season! These two kids are amazing! I consider them as siblings! I always have a blast with them! I Can't wait to see what God does in their lives!

October 2013

Hey there,
So it's been like two months since I have updated this so I'll try an keep it short and sweet. Key word "try."
So, STP was super sweet and challenging I came away from that week, feeling overwhelmed and challenged from Gods word more than I thought I would be from the start. Truly grasping what it meant to consider others, work together in a team, and ultimately what Gods word had to say about my standing and identity in Christ. So with that said I was given a leadership role of being an RA (Resident Assistant) I have three girls in my dorm an I am so blessed to be apart of their lives.

I have been attending Rives Baptist Church, since the beginning of the summer and have really enjoyed it. I am involved in the youth group there which these kids are super awesome! Please be praying for me as I contained to invest in their lives and grow in our friendships.

Classes, oh boy can I just say one book and let you think, "ROMANS" must I say any more! Yeah seriously though I have been stretched and challenged so much in my walk with The Lord and my thinking, sometimes I get discouraged and other times I am encouraged funny how Gods word can do that ahh!

Ok so every other week I get to meet with my this stellar lady Martha Conard, she is my dean and what I am so thankful for and blessed to have in my life, we get to just chat about life and Gods word, what it looks like in our lives, struggles anything and I value her input so much, as well with other deans and staff I talk to on a regular bases. I am also in a discipleship program where I meet every week with Tamara Mathew, she is a blessing as well I love being involved in her life and the lives of her children. Please pray for growth in both relationships. I value these ladies so much, pray also for the other staff as well.

Well that's about it I'll leave you with, please continue to pray for me, I am thinking a lot about what next semester and summer may look like I'll fill you in hopefully around December.

Oh and that spoken word I been promising here is a little taste:

See we where the sheep that put him on a crucifix to fix a death that we clearly were dismissed from, as we labor in sin. He took our shift with holes made in his wrists as our spots were switched and death swung a haymaker that completely missed, because my God is like Muhammad Ali in the ring with the grace of a butterfly and the sovereignty of a King he dodges every cold single sting of death with the very same breath that put life in side our chest. So if you call the gospel trash than I guess you have grasped the message cause my God dumpster dives head first into wreckage, he transforms recycled sinners into his very own reflection so you can call my him a garbage man cause He turned my mess into a message.
Luke 15:4

Summer 2013

Well hello again glad you decided to come back and read what God has and is doing in my life here is a little update from the end of school and as we wraps up the summer, I apologize for it being long I know I haven't been updating this much things got real busy. 

The end if May,  graduation happened and class of 2013 was on there way to start a new journey where ever God was leading them. I have to say I am going to miss some very very dear friends of mine from that class, but I am so excited some of them are heading to the MTC! How awesome is that!

Also that month I decided what I was going to do for the summer, I worked for a lawn company called MI Green and I worked at the hospital across the street. Yes you may ask yourself how did she sleep? Let me tell you I didn't sleep much, my weekends were full of sleeping to be honest. But I do have to say working all summer 24/7 has paid off! Now once school starts I plan and hope I can work one day a week at the hospital hoping it won't be over whelming. 

This summer was a struggle staying in the word, I have read some pretty good books though, and have been studying here and there out of Romans! It was very hard to find time when I wasn't sleeping or working! But I did manage and boy has God taught me something's about my self and my walk with The Lord, for one I depend so much on my self and my own strength! Oh boy did I learn fast on how weak I truly was, I also learned a ton on being communicating with people which I am not so good at! Lets says I speak my own language and just hope people assume what I am thinking.

So school starts in just over a couple of weeks, which is like Christmas to my ears yes call me crazy school who is ever excited about that! But when you get to sit upon hours a week under the word from teachers that have such great incite and mind boggling thoughts, to stories from the mission field to life lessons or tools in my own life, you get excited and ya how can you not!

So this semester maybe a little bit more stressful for  myself I for some reason am a little stressing already you as me why to be honest idk why. Please be praying for me and to have the strength to make it though. Also I been asked to be attend leadership, please be praying for myself and my fellow students and staff as well to have open hearts and to be challenged by His Word.

I spent some time home last week with my family and got to be apart of VBS which was so much fun I was so exhausted by the end of the week but was over joyed at how much fun it was :-)

Just a few pictures form this summer.

 

April

April is here and it brings rain lots of rain, seems like Michigan can't make up its mind of the weather I swear we mine as well call it Narnia :)
Well, like I have mentioned in my previous blogs classes are great, but these classes that we are in now (Acts, and Christology) are well the BOMB! It's pretty much a first time of reading the whole books of Acts and really studying. Christology to me is like a whole new world, but it's sweet learning about Christ deity, attributes, and Kenosis. I have to say I have been pretty shocked on how well I been actually understanding it all sometimes it can be hard and discouraging but i know if I stick with it it's totally worth it!
So, Tribal cup, we didn't win but we won Girls basketball in overtime whoop whoop and the guys won indoor soccer ( I won't mention vball:( ) it was a lot of funny, got to meet some new people and see some friends I haven't seen since the summer :). On our way back from tribal cup their was a group of us that stopped in Chicago it was super windy, but so much fun.
Spring Break: well for the majority of break I was pretty busy, for the first couple days I did some yard work, then I went camping with a Big group to Indiana/Kentucky we camped and went to the creation museum. Let me tell you it was a blast but FREEZING cold bahaha but their is totally going to be some good memories from that trip. The creation museum gave me a whole new look on things it was mind boggling. Once we got back I was able to do some homework, and then a little more side yard work. I didn't get to go home like I wanted to, to see my family but other wise the break was great.
Job: I still really haven't found a Job for the rest of the semester, so maybe next semester I really don't wanna work next semester just because its going to be a big load of homework and I just wanna give myself time but we will see what happens. Now for the summer things are still up in the air I am not sure what's going to happen but I ask for prayer in this decision. I just know as of this point I don't have enough funds to come back but I have A few job opportunities this summer that will work out hopefully.
Well, this weekend we have another school event "Youth Day" so please be praying for for all the the volunteers and participants. Also we just had a school event called Spring Fling/ No Talent Night. Lets say it was a night of sci-fi and interesting talents :) I did my spoken word which, (I did say, I would include in my next blog) but I think I may post a video on Facebook or YouTube so be on the look out :) I have never ever been so nervous to speak/share my thoughts with people well yeah any ways it was a great night of laughter and talents :)
So to conclude this, I start by saying I really really appreciate the staff and adults and friends I have in my life man it's crazy to see how the body of Christ works and just to see the encouragement, the console, and investment from others I think sometimes we take it for graduated.
Looking forward to a break but at the sometime I will miss being busy. Thanks again for reading up on my blog. Thanks for the prayers and support its means so much.


Jen

:)

March what? Does anyone else think the time is flying by?
Well I know it's like already the second week in March but these last couple weeks have seemed really crazy and busy.
Last week we hosted Potential students for our catch the vision we had local and some out of staters visit the school. These students got to experience life here at the BI, that we live. It was great to meet some new people and fellowship with maybe some future class mates. I also celebrated my birthday that weekend and a group came from my home church! I have to say I felt pretty loved!
Lets see classes are great as usually, I am in "Life of Christ" right now for two hours. I have a free hour in the morning which I am so thankful for I have been able to do a little extra studying myself with out ANY distractions, which in this environment is pretty hard to do! I am so pumped to start Acts and 1st Corinthians!
Well this weekend we have tribal cup which is we're we travel to our sister school and compete in a variety or sports, volleyball, soccer, and basketball. And Yes, you guessed it I am playing in all. I just can't seem to pick one haha.
Super pumped though its going to be a fun trip and time of fellowship.
Also this week, we have/are in the middle of special emphases which pretty much it's two days totally focused on missions we have Paul Wyma here speaking with us about the NTM core values and even telling the story of how NTM Mission started, and IBC (Immanuel Bible Church) has been mentioned! Makes me think of my home church back home and miss everyone! Looking forward to the session in the morning.
Well little bit info about me, I am looking for a job right now cash follow is a little low but it's ok I am not to worried I have what I need to get by. I am Absolutely looking forward to spring break though. I think because everything has gone by so fast I just need a moment to think on of what we have actually been learning and studying and of course to SEE MY FAMILY!!!! I miss them so much!
Well thank you for your prayers, and your thoughtful cards I love getting mail from everyone! And I try to write back.

As I look to the summer I have a couple options but will let you know hopefully in my next blog what that maybe.

I think that's about it, here is a thought I leave for you. ( I have been thinking about this)
"So we must think twice before we eat what society feeds us and come follow the King, who is Jesus" (maybe works of a new poem)

P.s. I have been writing a lot of poetry maybe ill share one next time. Thanks for taking time to read this.

Hope you enjoy the pictures ones from our nerf night and the other from catch the vision.