shouts of joy

PA school or Nursing? Health or PE? Loma Linda or Portland? US or Overseas? Defer or Accept? Study or Sleep? 2.5 or 3.5? Go or Stay? Now or Later? Alone or Together? Comply or Infringe? Lunch or Dinner? Progress or Revert? Run or Climb? Give or Receive? See or Believe? Expect or Accept? We need answers...

Sun, are you coming?... after a late night I'm watching a beautiful sunrise. Waiting is hard. The silhouetted Blue Mountains are becoming lighter and lighter. The sun should peek out any second. The house is filling with light causing my eyes to squint out the window toward the East. We had a girls sleep over last night. 12 of us! Each girl, such a close friend to me. I've never had so many awesome girl friends in my life! And never have I had as many sleepovers in my life, as I have in the past 4 months. Sun, I'm still waiting for you! Are you coming this morning? Did you rise behind the forest of black trees? Am I at the right window? I was talking with a friend the other day about how life is so different after an SM experience. She said, "Am I depressed? Or maybe I'm just not an extravert anymore? I lose energy in big groups. I need to get away to have my alone time. I'm different and I don't understand why. And nobody understands me. It's overwhel...

But I remember encouraging my wakeboard girls with, "falling is learning." Maybe I should stop preaching to the choir.

I tried something new today. Well, not new, but I snowboarded for the first time in a LONG time. My first time down the slope took a while, the second time was a little faster and by my 4th or 5th run I was carving like a sharp blade on wood. I was having fun, wow look at me, I've got it down. Wham! As I switched from heel to toe I caught my heel edge on a small mound and my board flew over my head and down I rolled. When everything stopped spinning I felt my tailbone to make sure it was still there, and hopped up to grab my hat that had been thrown off in the disaster. It took me some time to build up the courage to stand up and keep going. When I did finally start moving it was different. Slower, more cautious, fearful. The repercussions of the terrible fall followed me like a shadow the rest of the day. My head pounded, so I chugged water, thinking that dehydration was causing it. It continued to pound, so I ate, thinking that food would satisfy the hunger that sometimes causes ...

Everyday when the school bell rings, the energy bursts out the windows and doors of the classroom. The tops of desks are slammed down to their places and chairs are slung on top of the grimy desktops. Backpacks are rapidly stuffed with papers and half zipped when they leave the room in a ganglionic flock. Thursday after everyone disappeared Maria came up to me... "Teacher, I think I'm in love." I quit grading my papers and looked up regurgitating her words again through my head. With all the hype about the Valentine's day party the next day I wondered if that's what she was talking about. "What are you talking about?" "I think I'm in love..." I looked at her with a quizzical eye. "I really like Skyler," she continued, "And I had a dream about him." You had a dream? And now you think you're in love? It took all I had to keep from laughing, because she was absolutely serious. "Someone told me once that if you'...

We did a drama a few summers ago at camp. Where everyone lives in their own box. It's their perimeter of comfort. One day Jesus approaches them and offers each of them an opportunity of a lifetime. He only requires that they follow Him over the hill. After much consideration they all agree to follow and begin marching in place, inside their boxes, and Jesus begins to walk toward the hill. They had all made the risky decision to follow Him, but choosing to follow and stepping out to follow were two different things. I'm big on the idea of stretching. Stretching in ways that will grow a deep-rooted character with lots of substance. I've accepted an opportunity to stretch and grow in such ways. But there's a difference between accepting the opportunity and doing something about it. It's always a nice thought to step out of a perimeter of comfort, but it can't just be a thought in the mind, the idea has to form into something more. It must move to the heart and circ...

Often times I wonder if the US postal service is only good for getting my bills to me in an orderly manner or reminding me of my thousands of dollars worth of student loans or for the stack of junk mail I never open filling up the trash bin in the corner of my room. But today I got two things in the mail that wavered my position on the US postal service. Two things: 1. - 10 year Indian Tourist Visa. Now there's nothing keeping me from going for Spring Break. Also I can go any time I want in the next 10 years... if only I wasn't reminded of my debt to student loans every other week, bah! 2. - A Valentines Day card from my Grandma. I guess my moms dad kept a collection of antique Valentine cards and my Grandma kept them after he died. She's sent me one every year for the last 5 years or so, and this years is super cool. Inside was a note from my Grandma and the last part said, "He would have loved you a lot." From the stories I've heard, he was an awesome man! I...

"Pull in the reigns. She's getting wild. You need to show her who's in charge." She wanted to escape the reigns, her wild heart was ready to be freed. Still the imperious instructor advised his pupil to keep the rambunctious horse under control.