Showing posts with label Younglife Leaders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Younglife Leaders. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

You're Gonna Miss This



      So I figured out that while waiting for the bus my iPod gets internet! From where, I have no idea where it's coming from but it's great!!! Anyway Corvallis is beautiful today! And warm too!!! I am about to go on an adventure with my friend Neil. We met freshman year at the University of Oregon and have stayed really good friends even after I moved to Corvallis. I'm excited, our adventures are always amazing. Our freshman year we were able to get into the steam tunnels under the campus and the city. Who knows what we are doing today. I will miss him though, I'm moving and he's going into the peace corps, so I will miss him. Along with everyone else.

   It is getting a little bittersweet now that more and more prices are getting put together. I was talking to a friend in dance class today and we realized that we are only going to have about two more chances to really swing together. He was my "original" dance partner and who I've been able to learn a number of tricks with. We both have been able to branch off and teach the rest of our friends, invite new people to Eagles (or Bushwackers depending on the mood!) and learn new things but we definatley have our own style and it's always fun to go back to that every once in a while .
     Then there is my roommates, it's been an interesting year for sure but I love all three of them. Me and Hannah have become especially close, and honestly if you would have asked me about a year or so ago, I would have thought you were crazy. Same with my friend Thomas, for one reason or another I really didn't like either one of them when we lived in the Courtyard together but now they are probably the two people I spend the most time with. It took a while too. I think that is what I am worried about the most. I have no problem making friends, I'm not shy what so ever. But I love intimate relationships and that closeness and it took me a couple years to find that but I love that and I thrive on that. I know I'll have those connections when I leave here but I also know that it's going to take a little while. I'm ok with that though and I think my internship is really going to help that. I am really excited for the people that I am going to meet this summer!
  
      But it doesn't stop their either, there are 4 of my girl friends I've just started to really get to know this year and I love them all so much! Sometimes I am a tad jealous because they all live together but that doesn't really matter. We have become a dancing machine the 4 of us, and we are all involved in younglife so I've been able to lead with one of them and have many Washington Family Ranch adventures with the other two and one of our other guy friends as well. Just thinking about all the connections and traditions we've developed. Like trips to the Ranch and Monday night pool at McMenamins happy hour and country line dancing! I feel like everything started to really fall into place this year and now I'm gonna have to start all over again. The traditions, the inside jokes, even the comfortability level you have with someone takes such a long time to develop. Case and point, one of my absolute best friends right now, I use to hate his guts about 2 years ago. Now I spend almost too much time with him but love every minute. My friends really are great. From family dinners to dancing, I know that they've got my back and love me as I love them!

   We had a Younglife team meeting tonight and even then I realized this whole other family that has been created in Corvallis! They are going to do such great things, I am so excited to for what this area is going to accomplish as they let God work in them and through them to love on some of the best high school kids I know! We really are a family and tonight was so evident in that.
     I think also to the friends that I have back home in Washington, from high school and such and I am grateful that I've been able to keep in touch with them over the last couple years. It's been a little challenging at times but I do know that the ones that have stayed in my life will stay there forever.
  
  I will never forget my friends here and the traditions we put in place but I am excited to develop new ones and see this adventure God has for me! Thanks to todays technology (and yes I will bring my Facebook back when I move) as well I know I'll be able to keep in touch with all of them. I mean just look at my zip/swing crew from summer staff this summer.

All 9 of us are spread out over 5 states and they are one of the closest group of friends I have right now. I truly believe that the people that are going to be in your life are going to stay there forever. One of them is the reason this whole moving thing came about. Another is like a sister and is coming to see me in a couple weeks!! Another is the goofiest kid I have ever met but is so intentional about keeping a relationship with you and wanting to know what's going on in your life that he will drive across 3 states just to pick you up. All of them are so great and we've loved staying in each others life. It's been about 7 months since we were able to spend that month with each other and it's about now that things start to fade out and people loose touch but I would say they are the 8 people I talk to the most! Not to mention other connections I made on summer staff as well.
 I didn't even know I applied and it was the greatest month of my life!

      God doesn't place anyone or anything without intention. I had one major piece of the puzzle fall into place today. God [IS] Faithful! One more real piece left!
  
 Can't wait to see where this goes.

"Friends come and go but a true friend sticks to you like family"
 {Prov 18:24, The Message}



You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this
~Trace Adkins




Til the next new day ♥ ,

Friday, March 4, 2011

Reality Sinking In

     p.s. (OK I know this is the beginning of the message but oh well..) if anyone is wondering and if anyone cares I did deactivate my Facebook. This is temporary, well right now it is. I was annoying myself for how much time I was spending stalking my friends rather than just asking them about their lives! So right now it's just this lovely blog of mine! I am planning on bringing it back when I move but I will let you know. Even then I am going to limit myself by how much I am on it. 

     Well guys, I found someone to take my room for spring term..... it's real now, I have to go somewhere! It's my roommates little sister and I love her very much! I think she's pretty cool but you can see for your self Hi Michayla! But with all that I am realizing that I can't really take a lot of stuff with me when I leave. I have a mini fridge, my full size bed, numerousness book shelves, the dining room table is mine.... random stuff that I am going to need to sell and start over. I am kinda of getting excited though about being able to decorate my apartment with whoever I end up living with after my internship at Younglife's Sharptop Cove!!!

    There are so many cool ideas that I have right now for what my place in Conway is going to look like. Especially my kitchen. {I LOVE BEING IN THE KITCHEN!} Me and my current roommate Hannah were talking about kitchens and stuff when the plan was to live together in Portlandia next year. One of the things that we really wanted was a coffee cup wall hanger, which we got :), and a wine rack. I was able to find some sweet ones on Become.com. There's tons of stuff and kitchen toys like slicers, free standing pantry's, loads of gadgets and stuff outside the kitchen too. I think I "stumbled upon" it (again another death to my life and academic career) but knowing I am going to have to start over and get to (kinda not really) build a kitchen that I love... it's entertaining. Right now I am just using it mainly for ideas and such. Ya know get the creative juices flowing.
      But I need to be careful not to get ahead of myself until everything is certain and I am in my car (which I still don't have) driving across the country. Remember a lot of this move to start College Younglife is a huge leap of faith and I am learning to give it God one day at a time. Not let the little things break me. Tons of prayer and tons of listening to what the Lord is telling me. Right now it's scary because so many doors have opened and that's where I am feeling pushed but there are things like money and a car that I still don't have. I know He is faithful though and I know He will provide just as He let the Jews escape through parted waters. I know I need to be trusting and just wait in expectation. {psalm 5:3} Hold on, Spin around and Let go remember?!

     Needless to say I am extremely excited however! There are business details that I need to work out but I do know that it will. Because God is bigger than that, He is bigger than all of that. He's going to direct me in His will in His time. There are multiple people who think I am absolutely crazy but you know what, I am sorry but those people aren't me, they don't have the same peace I do and they are not the King that I am serving.
     I mapped out where I would be going. Anyone know somewhere I can crash between Santa Rosa, CA and Austin, TX?? haha I know someone in Arizona, maybe I should call him... I should probably call my Uncle in Austin too huh? He's awesome though, I miss him a ton! He's my uncle and Godfather on my mom's side. A couple years ago he gave me a C.S. Lewis year devotional book, LOVE IT! In my phone he is just "Texas."






Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
You dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?
~ Sara Bareilles





{1 Corinthians 1:18} "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. "



Til the next new day ♥ ,

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Megan Jones

I never thought I would see the day that this dinosaur of a computer would come back to life. But 6 hours later and a bunch of words, numbers and combinations later the great people at the OSU computer help desk made it happen!!! It's amazing really, technology and the advancements of the world. And no body seems to be satisfied with it. Think about it, where we are now compared to where we were just a couple of years ago. I could go on and on about this but I think this video sums it up pretty good, and it's good for a laugh too.


Had campaigners last night with the group of high school girls myself, Rach and Kelley are walking with. Man I love these girls, and I am so excited to watch them grow into the wonderful women of God that they are becoming. They really are my little sisters I never got to have and I love watching they succeed and go on to great things. Two of them are planning on doing work crew this summer and I couldn't be more excited for them! Everything they are going to learn, everything they are going to experience and everyone they are going to meet, I know that it's going to be the best month of their life! 
A friend sent me a video yesterday from Chattanooga, TN Younglife and I loved it so much! It talks about the importance we have as younglife leaders and what we do and why we do it. When I think back to where my story started, it started with my younglife leader.

  Megan Jones. 
Thank you Megan for coming into the commons at Kentwood and saying hi to me even when I wanted to be cool at lunch. Thank you Megan for being so excited every time I showed up at club on Monday nights even though you knew I hadn't even gone home from school yet. Thank you Megan for inviting me to campaigners even when I didn't even know what it was and didn't want to go until I had a boy break my heart. Thank you Megan for making "Big Pink Cookies" at campaigners and not giving them to the boys upstairs. Thank you Megan for laughing when I sang every word to "One Week" by the Barenakedladies to earn 50 bucks off camp. Thank you Megan for not hating me when I backed out of going to camp that year. Thank you Megan for letting me ramble on Starbucks dates. Thank you Megan for taking us through Breaking Free. Thank you Megan for not caring when high's & low's took up the entire time at campaigners. Thank you Megan for taking me to camp after my senior year of high school. Thank you Megan for eating breakfast, lunch and dinner around a table with me and my friends. Thank you Megan for sitting next to me in club while Kent McDonald talked about how our story fits into HIStory. Thank you Megan for buying me ice cream at the Sassy and talking to me about evolution and creation and answering every question that I threw at you. Thank you Megan for praying for me that week. Thank you Megan for praying for me. Thank you Megan for being there when I got off the ridge runners. Thank you Megan for having candy at cabin time. Thank you Megan for sitting in the club room with me after Broken Heart while I balled my eyes out. Thank you Megan for having a surprise box of 80's gear for us when we were all mad that you didn't tell us we needed anything! Thank you Megan for inviting me to the new Christian walk and watching me put a stone in the pile and praying with me as I stepped into HIStory. Thank you Megan for cheering for me as I told the whole camp!!! Thank you Megan for calling me when I moved to Eugene. Thank you Megan for still letting me call you MY Younglife Leader. Thank you Megan for still having Starbucks dates with me when I'm in town. Thank you Megan (and Jason) for having the cutest kids ever! Thank you Megan for loving me. Thank you Megan for believing in the ministry of Younglife and setting an example for me and I go on to new things in Corvallis, Georgia and ARKANSAS!! Thank you Megan. I love you.



Chattanooga Younglife and Younglife Leaders

Megan you mean the world to me, 
~JilyBean