Alright, so August has been what I would call “insane.” I warned some of you I probably wouldn’t do much blogging…try none. So here’s a quick update of what’s been going on:

August 1-3 I was at a family reunion up in Cambria. It’s been a long time since all of us cousins and aunts and uncles have been together and it was so refreshing. Being with the cousins again made me feel like a little girl. I love my aunts and uncles and the fam and we had a great time together. Plus, it was great to see my parents and sister and brother-in-law, although the brother and sister-in-law couldn’t make it.

August 4 I started RD retreat. The team of 8 RDs here at the college (minus one who was still on a missions trip but greatly missed) plus the men’s and women’s deans headed up to Three Rivers. We stayed in a cabin there, laughed a lot, explored the sequoias and the river (hence, Three Rivers), spent time talking through vision, planning for the coming year, praying together, worshipping, and eating. When I was interviewing for the position they asked me what was one thing I was looking forward to about the team, to which I answered “Laughing together.” My every hope and dream was answered on the trip. It was a good time to be together and I was really thankful for the way Gunner lead us. It just wasn’t overwhelming and we had time to process and pray about all that we were given to think about so I actually left feeling more prepared instead of more overwhelmed. We returned from that on Friday, helped Karrie, the new dean of women, move into her place on Saturday, and then….

Sunday, August 10 the Resident Assistants came and we began RA retreat! The RAs are students at the college who have been chosen to oversee one wing of girls in the dorms. They oversee a small leadership staff as well. I have 4 RAs and it was a good time to get to know them. The girls are refreshingly real and were impressively comfortable together. The first few weeks can be tough as the girls certainly could put pressure on themselves to be something more than what they are, but my girls were very honest and didn’t seem to try to impress anyone by being anything else than what they are. Which I was thankful for. We have a great team and I’m excited to see what the year holds for all of us. RA retreat ended on Saturday and I got a half day off to go to a Dodger’s game and then….

The Servant Leadership Staff came on Sunday! Sunday morning I booked it from church to get back for the SLS meeting in Hotchkiss after which we promptly hopped into our cars and drove out to Palm Springs. By this point I was full swing into a summertime cold and spend most of the trip sniffling and coughing. I was out of commission all day Monday but got to enjoy Tuesday and Wednesday with the team. They are great girls and we heard from Joe Keller on the exco-centric (I think?) Christian Life, essentially living for others instead of ourselves. That retreat ended on Friday and then…

The new students came on Saturday morning! So bright and early we began WOW (Week of Welcome) by checking all of the new students into the dorm. The week was supposed to be a little bit more relaxed, but all in all I’ve still been pretty busy. Sunday I went to a pool party at a couple from my bible study’s house, Tuesday night was a luau in which all of the RDs dressed up as old people on a cruise (I wore a mu mu, red visor hat, red lipstick, and ugly sandals and called myself Margret and morphed into a bossy old Southern mama), yesterday we spent all day at the beach and then had a dorm celebration, and tonight we had a ho down where we dressed up as beauty queens, followed by the Master’s Cup! Dixon, unfortunately, came in second to last place but we looked good doing it! Then we all went to Jack in the Box to celebrate our underwhelming performance and my tire blew out on the way over. So…after two AAA trucks and a good time of getting to know some of the girls in the dorm, I’m finally back in my apartment.

Tomorrow all of the returning students come and that will cap off August. I’ve written a lot already, but if you’re still reading I’ll share with you what I’m learning and feeling.

1. I love what I do. I think this is what work is supposed to feel like. It is hard and tiring…but often I don’t realize that until I’m done. I go to bed at night tired and sleep well for the most part. I enjoy the days but am thankful when they are over. Mostly, I feel like I am exactly where God wants me and it gives me a sense of invincibility. Not that I’m not weak, not that I’m adequate to do this job…but that no matter how hard the days are and no matter what faces me, this is where God wants me and He will not leave or forsake me. That’s enough.

2. Old habits die hard and old truths are constantly reviving. This morning I was praying through Philippians 4 and found myself thinking back on how many times I’ve prayed through that passage. Many times I’ve gone back to it but the truth of rejoicing in Christ, being able to be strong but controlled because God is near, not being anxious but instead bringing my supplications with Thanksgiving to God, asking for God’s peace that passes all understanding to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus….those truths still pierce me and convict me over and over again. God’s Word is pretty impressive with how new it always seems no matter how long you’ve been reading it for.

3.God is really, incredibly, insanely good and does not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly (which, through Christ, includes me). I’ve been astounded with what a wonderfully amazing life God has given me. I often wonder how I got this life. I’m thankful for all that God has given me at this point, and thankful that He’s given me so much that I am overwhelmed enough to have to turn to Him for help. Often we can take God’s good gifts and forget about God. We take the gift and ignore the Giver. Fortunately God has made it so that He has given me a lot of good things, but without His help I couldn’t manage it all so I am forced to be dependent on Him. His timing is perfect.

Welp, folks, that’s all. I need to go to bed. Until next time…

Do you ever have those moments that all the sudden you are really aware of how undeserving you are of the good things you have in this life? And suddenly very grateful for what you have?

I must admit that those moments are rarer than they should be in my life, but tonight it happened.

Tomorrow I have the final walk through at my old apartment in Valencia. It’s been looming over my head the past few weeks but I’ve been enjoying moving into my new place, spending time with old friends, and having family come through to visit and keeping myself VERY busy with projects around the house and errands. So I haven’t spend much time on the old apartment. But I knew these last few days would be busy, because a lot of the cleaning needed to be saved for these final days.

I am the only of the roommates left in town, so we all thought it’d be best to hire a maid and carpet cleaning service to take care of everything today. I had it perfectly planned out and timed and even called yesterday to confirm that the maid would be there at 1 pm today. And I planned my RD training time around having to let the maid in. But 1 pm came and went….and no maid. Finally, after 30 minutes, I went to get my own cleaning supplies because I knew that place needed to be cleaned before 4 pm when the carpet cleaners got there so we wouldn’t be walking around on the clean carpets.

After 3 and a half hours of cleaning….I was extremely exhausted and had only finished one bedroom and bathroom of a two bed/two bath, plus office, living room, and kitchen apartment. But Esther called and had made me dinner so I headed over there and cannot tell you how refreshed I was just by that meal. I just felt so thankful for her kindness and hard work to put all that together for me (and her husband, Rick). Then, they both offered to come over and help me finish up the cleaning. And my friend Gavin drove straight from work to help us too.

Their help made the work go by so quickly. It really didn’t seem like that much work…but it would have taken me hours to do it. And having them there made it much more enjoyable. And we even had time for a field trip to Target where we ran all around the store trying to get our items before the other team, which I think the Target workers and shoppers alike found enjoyable. They were even cheering us on! It’s not every day you find four grown adults running around a store frantically trying to find cleaning supplies, ice cream, and lamps. So the work ended up being light and enjoyable thanks to Rick and Esther and Gavin.

I just think it’s not every day you realize that you have a burden so great that you might not be able to do it. I was imagining staying up all night, or waking up at 5 am, and being stressed out all day tomorrow and getting down to the deadline and not having it done. And it’s not every day that you have friends who are so kind and sacrificial that they are willing to give up so much to help. And I’m very aware of how undeserving I am of such kindness.

I think this entire month has been incredibly humbling for me. From the day I moved in to my new apartment at Master’s I have been served, and blessed, and treated so kindly by my friends. And often times all I can say is “thank you.” I can’t really repay them- not in money, or service, or kindness. And it’s really humbling to just accept that kind of love and not try and pay it back. To just let people do things for you when you aren’t able to do it all yourself.

All that to say, I walked into my apartment tonight sore, and tired….and really really thankful. I feel like I just can’t say enough how thankful I am. And I hope that I can become the same type of person- who loves when it comes at a cost.

But for now, I’m going to bed. Goodnight.

The summer after my freshman year of college the Lord changed my life significantly. Through a series of events there came an instant when I realized, “If this is a God who causes men like Ezekiel to fall flat on their faces and men like Isaiah to say ‘Woe is me, I should die’ when they see his glory….He deserves so much more than I’ve been giving Him. He deserves everything.” The thought of giving up “normality” was paralyzing to me. I was petrified of the consequences of really truly serving God and being wholeheartedly dedicated to His Lordship. But by that time God had convinced me so much of His goodness that I had nowhere to go but to follow Him. I knew He was good and whatever the cost, He would be kind and good in it.

That summer the Lord used several quotes- in conjunction with His Word- to say what my heart felt but I couldn’t put into words. I was reminded of them today and thought I would share them with you. May we live to glorify God and find in Him our treasure and all-satisfaction.

“So, may all that we hold so dear leave us appetized, at best, for Him who created it - the Author and Fulfiller of life and pleasure. Who, no matter how shiny ‘things’ become, outshines them, and no matter how cloudy our days become, outlasts them. For in Him, clouds become glorious (Romans 8:28)! Their rain falls with grace and we are flooded under the downpour of a fallen world (Romans 8:20). Wet, hurt, and…SATISFIED. Blue skies are no longer our pursuit and sunny days no longer our reward…He IS! And He is better! Jesus- the richest of fare (Psalm 63:5)! Who came not for ‘Good Days’, but that we may have life and life to the full John 10:10)!” - From the inside cover of the CD “Carry Away” by Shane & Shane

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.” - Isaiah 55:1-3

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.” - Psalm 63:3-5

“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” - Psalm 73:28

“…We should be blood-earnest-deadly-serious about being happy in God. We should pursue our joy with a passion and a vehemence that, if it must, would cut off our hand or gouge out our eye to have it. God being glorified in us hangs on our being satisfied in Him. Which makes our being satisfied in Him infinitely important. It becomes the animating vocation of our lives. We tremble at the horror of not rejoicing in God. We quake at the fearful lukewarmness of our hearts. We waken to the truth that it is a treacherous sin not to pursue that satisfaction in God with all our hearts. There is one final word for finding delight in the creation more than the Creator: treason.” - John Piper

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39 (Don’t think of the song when you read this- think- ANYTHING can happen and I won’t be separated from God’s love. So who cares what happens– because that’s all I want. To never be seperated from His love.)

“I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term than to gain a distaste for it, because of a superior satisfaction in God…The human heart remains a ceaseless factory of desires. Sin remains powerfully and suicidally appealing. The battle remains: where will we drink? where will we feast?,,,,FEAST ON GOD!” - John Piper, Desiring God

“Many Christians are miserably dissatisfied because they accept Christ’s salvation and yet reject the fullness of daily relationship that satisfies.” -Beth Moore

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - Psalm 16:11

I moved back into the dorms at The Master’s College last Sunday. This time I moved by boxes and suitcases into the Resident Director’s apartment in Dixon Hall and have spent the last week unpacking, cleaning, purchasing, and catching up with old friends. I’ve also had some time to think, now that I am living alone, and have come up with a few reasons why I love this place and am positively ecstatic to be back.

1. I love the smell of the dorms in the summertime before the rest of the students arrive. Having served on Servant Leadership Staff for 3 years at the college during my undergrad, I got to come back to school earlier than the rest of the students every year. I love the way it smells. I know, I know….I was born for this.

2. The people here are phenominal. I’ve been amazed and incredibly humbled since the moment I stepped into my apartment by the people who create the community that makes this college what it is. I arrived to a note from the Dean’s, a potted flower from my friend Cindi (who happens to be married to one of the new Deans of the school), and a fridge stocked with the basics and a countertop full of goodies for my pantry. Incredibly thoughtful. Awhile later Esther Ko Dennis (one of my best friends, new next door neighbor and colleague) dropped by with her new husband, Rick, with a tote full of cleaning supplies for my new apartment and four willing hands to help. The three of us rearranged furniture, moved some large items out of my room, and then headed over to my old apartment where they helped pack up a ton of my stuff. It should be noted that they had to drive down to San Diego that night and that I eventually had to kick them out of my apartment so they would get on the road! The next few days were full of kind, thoughtful, sacrificial gestures from various people. Cindi helping me drive around L.A. to find various apartment necessities. Joe Keller and Siona dropping by with a welcoming pineapple. People coming over to help and to hang out. Today another fellow RD sacrificed his Saturday morning to come over and help me hang pictures. I can’t believe these people– but I’m thankful to be at a place where I’m surrounded like people like this whose lives ooze over with the love of Christ.

3. What’s not to like about a small Christian school? I read this article tonight In Defense of the “Small Christian College” and couldn’t agree more! Bigger is not better. Smaller = more community, opportunity, and still plenty of friends to go around!

4. The close proximity in which I get to live to some of my favorite people. I know this kind of goes along with 2 and 3, but hasn’t been explicitely mentioned. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I made the long drive around the block to Cindi’s house. I didn’t have to leave 15 minutes to get there. Monday night Siona came over with Joe. Wednesday night I went over to his place. Thursday I picked Jackie Knapp up from the airport and went over to her place before heading home. Yesterday I walked up the ramp that connects my apartment to Esther’s. We came home late from “dinner” and they dropped me right off at my doorstep and this morning I walked up again for breakfast after picking up some Starbucks for us. Literally we are steps away from each other. I LOVE IT!

5. Two words: Plant Ops. If something breaks, they fix it. End of story.

6. It feels like summer camp all year round. If you look out my windows you see pine trees. If you walk to my door you’ll come up to a big brown building surrounded by grass and trees. If you go to the laundry room it smells EXACTLY like a camp laundry room. Again, this life isn’t for everyone but it sure is perfect for me.

That’s all I have for now. Just wait until this place is full of girls. I can’t wait!

20 years ago I . . .
1. Was in preschool
2. Dressed in matching clothes with my sister- I always wore blue and she wore red
3. Had a boyfriend named Timothy Harrison

10 years ago I . . .
1. Had just finished my freshman year of high school
2. Ran varsity track
3. Didn’t believe in the sovereignty of God

5 years ago I . . .
1. Was having the time of my life in college!
2. Was the MOH (Maid of Honor) in my sister’s wedding
3. Was TMC Basketball’s #1 fan

3 years ago I . . .
1. Went to Israel with the most wonderful group I could have dreamed
2. Was starting my senior year of college and trying to figure out what to do with my life after graduation
3. Began attending Grace Community and Generations

1 year ago I . . .
1. Rekindled my love for Mexican food
2. Was homeless and looking for an apartment like a madwoman
3. Still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life

So far this year I . . .
1. Have thrown more parties than I can count
2. Got the job of my DREAMS!
3. Found the neutral salad plates I’ve been looking for for years.

Yesterday I . . .
1. Cried…what’s new?
2. Ran into Tyler Morley at my sister’s salon
3. Took my parents dog for a walk

Today I . . .
1. Switched cars with my sister
2. Bought new bedding at Macy’s one day sale.
3. Got my hair done and cut bangles!

Tomorrow I. . .
1. Am going to pack all my stuff up to head back down to LA!
2. Will work on my tan and finish the book I’m reading.
3. Am having the traditional going away dinner with my fam.

In the next year I will . . .
1. Finish my MABC and write my thesis
2. Say goodbye to two of my best friends as they head to the mission field.
3. Buy a wet-dry ceramic hot iron (or request one for Christmas, whichever comes first).

Next up: Caris, Ben, Polly, and Phil