An interview and more importantly, a cause...

A quick update--my interview for school on Friday was interesting, to say the least. There were about 30 potential candidates there, and they divided us into three smaller groups to be interviewed by a professor, a current graduate student in the program, and a professional from the field. For about two hours, we were asked questions as a group and we each gave our individual responses. I don't usually get nervous about these sorts of things, and I wasn't, so hopefully I didn't come across as not caring or indifferent. I don't have as much experience in the area of counseling or education as most of the other candidates, but I answered the questions honestly and hopefully that will come across.

On a completely unrelated note, I wanted to talk about something that has taken the forefront in importance at our little home. Lindsay has been appointed, along with one other person, to head up a Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter of a global-wide event put on by the organization Invisible Children.




The organization was founded in order to bring awareness to the longest running war in Africa today, but more specifically, to encourage governmental action to bring an end to the use of child soldiers in that war. It was formed by three film students who traveled to the Sudan in 2003, and wound up in Northern Uganda as a woman informed them of the fact that thousands of children were marching into cities at night in order to escape being abducted and forced into an army formed by rebels against the Ugandan government.

These kids are being abducted at even the young age of 5 and brought into the jungle and forced to kill. The primary way to get this to stop is to bring attention to the issue--which is what the event is all about. If you go to the website (linked above), you can check out more information about the issue, as well as about the event--called The Rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers--that takes place on April 25 of this year. If you want more information about being a part of the event, or on volunteering and getting involved, you can check out the Facebook event site or email seekersofpeace@gmail.com and I can forward the questions on to someone who can answer them more thouroughly.

It's a great cause! I encourage you to check it out!

White Wednesday

As I said when I walked into work this morning, I'd really be ok if there wasn't snow on the ground when I went outside in the morning anymore. That's something I could really get on board with. Call me crazy, but there's something about the end of March that screams "SPRING, PLEASE" to me.

I have my interview for grad school on Friday morning. It's with faculty, school personnel, and graduate students in the program. I believe they are interviewing a few of us potential students at a time--the interview is scheduled to be an hour and a half long. I've been trying to prepare, but seeing as they are very vague as to what will exactly be happening in the interview, it's been hard for me to wrap my mind around it. I know why I want to do this--hopefully I'll be able to articulate that and act like the 23-year-old that I am. In any case, I've got my business suit all ready.

I have a problem asking for prayer--I never want to bother others with my mundane issues--but if you could pray for this interview, I would appreciate it. The other thing to pray for, if you keep it in mind, is work this week. I hate complaining about it, but it's just been a big struggle for me this week. I have lost all patience with our clients, and to be honest, with my co-workers. It's an environment that gets me so angry that I cry at least once a day (how embarrassing, I know, but it's actually true) and it's just not good for me. I want to appreciate it, and not dread going there, so I'm working on it. I took all of Friday off, so hopefully the break will do me some good.

That's all in my little life for now. Thanks for reading.

The Little Things

I've realized a few things in the past few days, so I thought I'd share them.

If I've learned anything in my 23 years of life, it's that God usually speaks to me in three different ways:

1. Through nature

Countless times when I have had big or small decisions, or just get wrapped up in the societal pressures of making the most of my time, I try to make it outside. There's just something about the physical world he has placed us in that make things clear to me. If I can feel the wind, and see the trees, and the little grubs and insects, and see everything for its parts, not the whole, I feel better. Not only that, but I feel God speaking to me. I have made many big life decisions this way--and they've worked out, so I've determined this is one way how God gets to me.

2. Through dreams or semi-consciousness

Maybe I'm crazy, but I can't deny that this happens to me. Most often in that little area between falling asleep and being asleep, things pop into my brain that I know are truth, and I make a mental note to remember it. Since I'm not a person who actually writes down my thoughts a lot, especially when I'm finally able to be falling asleep, I make a mental note of it, and if it's a truth God wants me to remember, it's always the first thing on my mind when I wake up. For instance, this post came to mind in that state last night.

However, every now and then God gracefully helps me along in dreams. A number of times I have had a dream about a person that lingers over my head, and I learned a long time ago to pray. I found out pretty quickly that when I was dreaming about such a person, he or she was actually in need of that prayer. It's pretty cool to me--sort of like dreams are God's way of putting into my head what I should be praying for. Sometimes, he even allows me to make little decisions in my sleep. The other night I was stressing over a relatively minor decision that would have no drastic consequences, and I just couldn't make up my mind. I woke up the next morning to find out that I had made the decision in a dream, with all the pros and cons considered. It was actually pretty funny. And I'm grateful for this.

3. Through other people

When I say this, I don't mean a stranger walking up to me and laying a hand on me and saying "God wanted me to tell you your purpose in this life." I know that such things happen, and I think it is so amazing that people can step out in faith like that to speak to another, or to be at the receiving end of a conversation. What usually happens to me, however, is that someone in my life already will say something, or do something, and without even knowing, share God's truth with me. It's happened countless times, and has come from the mouth of Christian friends sometimes, but more often then not it has come from those who even deny that God exists or is doing anything in this world at all (which is very ironic). It's pretty cool to have someone tell you what God wants you to hear without them realizing--and without some big dramatic scene.

As I was thinking about these three things last night, trying to connect them in my brain, I realized that the primary idea connecting them all for me was that they all often centered on the little things. Whether it be finding 20 minutes in a day to stare at a leaf, or taking 2 minutes in the morning to pray for a friend whom I just had a dream was running away from some crazy monster, or in seeing an email in my inbox from a dear friend who just wanted to brighten my day by sending a little love, God uses these things more in my life than others. If I briefly glance at my Bible for 20 seconds in the morning, there is always a gentle reminder.

Another example--last night, I was talking on the phone with a close friend from college whom I hadn't gotten to speak to in a while, and it turned out that both of us were dealing with a similar issue in our lives, and both of us also felt there was no one we could talk to about it. I laugh now thinking about it, because we had been just storing it all up inside ourselves, not talking to anybody about it, when we could have been talking to each other. But again, God used my friend to remind me that he is there, listening to those thoughts I don't speak out loud, and finding people in my life to reassure me that he is there (and I hope he did the same for her).

Of course, the little things aren't always nice things. Often a small sentence leaked from someone's mouth convicts me so greatly that I actually have to do something about it. And sometimes I choose to ignore the little things because they are pushing me in a direction I don't want to go. Either way, I've determined that I can't really deny that this is how it happens.

I realize that this is just about me, but it is cool for me to think about all the different ways that God speaks to people. I encourage you to look for that in your life--you could be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised at what you find. The things is, once you know, you have to listen. :)

Happy Day Times Two

I inadvertently wore green today. Which works out, actually.



C'mon, we Irish! Celebrate.

And also, this day makes it easy for me to remember my Aunt Pam's birthday! Happy Birthday!




So now, I have given you two reasons to have a very good day. I will be working, then going to the humane society, and then going to listen to a band with friends--all around a good old time.

If I don't see you today, have a wonderful day! God is good--even when we refuse to acknowledge or believe it. Isn't that something?

Peace,

J

Blah-g

I was going to write a bunch of stuff, then I realized, it's just me complaining, and really, what good does that do. There's not much it will help, and besides, what do I really have to complain about? I'm more than well-fed, I'm warm every night, and I have a job.

So, in lieu of complaining, I am going to show you this picture and hope that I can meet everyone there in my imagination.


See you there!

I Have to Celebrate...

...because today is Friday the 13th! Woohoo!

Just kidding. What I really meant to say is that I have to celebrate because it's Lindsay's birthday! For those of you who don't know, she is one of my closest friends and my roommate as well. We met in our freshman year at college, didn't really take to each other right of the bat, but somehow. here we are.

Last year, around this time, Lindsay was living in Amsterdam, and had been there for over a year. When I think about it, it's pretty miraculous that we remained as close as we did while thousands of miles apart. In fact, I usually knew more about what was going on in her every day life than I did friends here in the states! I like to think that we had something to do with that, but when it comes down to it, it was probably all God. I think he figured we need each other.

This picture is from last March, around Easter, when I went to visit her for a week in Amsterdam. It was taken at the top of the library there--where you could get a beer at the cafe and read your books. What a wonderful place! I chose to post it because it reminds me of how despite being an ocean apart, and various other differences, we have still kept this friendship up with relative ease.




All this to say, Lindsay, I am so glad you are in my life. I hope this keeps up for years, and that I don't end up calling you out of the blue from my ranch in Big Sky asking you to make blueberry muffins for my children--I hope you already have.

xoxo

J

Developments

There really aren't many, but one little tidbit I recently found out is that I will hopefully be driving out to Portland with Lindsay in June. This is very exciting for me--I haven't taken any road trips west (excluding childhood hunting excursions to the far western reaches of North Dakota) so it should be a blast.

On a completely unrelated note, I was flipping through my Bible this morning, looking at all of the scraps and bits of paper I've stuffed in there over the years (yes, I am one of those people, I never actually underline or write in my Bible for some reason) and came across a post-it note entitled "What I Believe." Hmm, I thought to myself, I've always wondered this. Lucky I wrote it down on a small post-it note, just in case I was ever wondering. It's nice to have such things so concise and handy.

I don't remember when I wrote it, or why I wrote it. There were three verse references on it, so I decided to look them up and share them. I don't think they make sense all together, but apparently, this is "what I believe."

Mark 5:36

But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."

Mark 11:22-25

And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Deuteronomy 4:29

But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

It's interesting to me to go through things I have written down over the years. I don't quite know what to make of it yet, but hey, it's what I believe.

Good News!

Well, it's a bright spot in my life, at least. I just found out I have an interview for grad school at my school of choice! I'm not sure if it means much, they could be interviewing all of the applicants, but I am still happy about it. Apparently I will be interviewed with a number of candidates by the counseling faculty, students, and school personnel--it's a little nerve racking to think about. And of course, I have no fashion sense, so I will be calling in the troops so I don't end up looking like this--



--which is what usually ends up happening any time I go out. Ahhhh, social politics! How will I ever master thee.

Hopefully, also, I will be able to articulate myself--I'm a little rusty at school, it's been two years!

In other news, we are having baked potato night tonight at our weekly gathering! I am very much looking forward to that. Tomorrow, I get to have dinner with a friend, and then see part of my family for the weekend.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Ahh, weekends.

I spent the night last night with two dogs and two guinea pigs. It was quite the adventure.

I do love the weekends, though. On Saturday I got to help quite a few families find the perfect little kittens and dogs to bring home! It was so busy at the animal shelter, which was such a cool thing to see.

I also got into interesting conversations yesterday at church. I haven't quite figured out how to articulate everything that went through my head, but hopefully I'll be able to share it soon.

For now, it's time to welcome March and move on into another week. Bad attitudes, be gone!