The day the Son rose

Have you ever cried so long and so hard that you eventually ran out of tears, and were physically and emotionally exhausted?  Well I did… last Sabbath… 

Shoving my way through the crowd, I stumbled, blinded by my tears.  People were screaming, some were wailing, most were simply rushing madly along, driven by the mass.

I tried to get in closer to where he was… but the people were packed in too tightly.

As we neared our destination, the crowd grew increasingly louder.  A chant began to resound through the mob, echoing off the nearby hillsides… “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

 The scenes that followed brought tears to many eyes that day, as over ten-thousand people walked through the SonRise pageant here on Southern campus. 

There were six main scenes on different parts of campus – the Opening Scene (different every year), the Last Supper, Gethsemane, Pilate’s Hall, Golgotha, and the Resurrection.  You start in the church, and make your way across campus, stopping at each of the main scenes.  The Promenade is packed with 60 different shops, resembling a street of Jesus’ day. 

 Signs declaring “Balam’s Donkey’s”, “Jerusalem Sandals”, and “Eat More Chicken” advertise the venders’ wares.  Animals on site include birds, chickens, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses, and camels… as well as a few leeches being sold to cure any ailment. 

As you made your way through the scenes, you eventually came to the road to Golgotha… and that’s where I was… all day long.  Thirteen times that day, I walked the road to Golgotha; and thirteen times I watched Jesus crucified. 

As a “believer” at the crucifixion scene, I was to portray a mournful weeper.  The first time it was real.  The tears came naturally as I was overwhelmed by the sense of what took place on that day so many years ago.  The second time it wasn’t so dramatic.  Sure I played the part, and acted sad and mournful, but the feeling wasn’t quite the same.  By the third and fourth time, I was beginning to think, “Boy… this is going to be a long day…”

 Eventually my voice started going, and I could feel my face taking on a reddish glow…

“Why again am I out here?” I asked myself, as I stood watching Jesus nailed to the cross for the umpteenth time.  Then I happened to glance at the women standing next to me.  Tears were streaming down here face as she beheld the very same scene that I had grown so callused to.   What did it matter that I had seen it ten times before?  For her, this was the first time… and it was very real.

As I paused to take a break before the next group came through, my mind was still processing what I had just seen…

Do I realize the full impact of what was done for me on that cross?  Or has the story become so old and familiar that it has lost all it’s meaning?  If what He did so many years ago can still have such a miraculous affect on lives today… how could it ever become just another story to me???

As I think back on that day as a “believer” in the SonRise pageant, I can’t help but wonder at what was done for us on that cross.  To think that one act, preformed so many years ago, could have such a powerful impact on lives even to this day… it just baffles my mind.

Next time you read the crucifixion story, try looking at it through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time.  I promise you, you won't see it the same…

- Shannon

One banana, two banana...

As I sat at my desk, I could just feel those bananas glaring reprovingly at me from the shelf above my head.  Why did they have to do that? Secretly they must take pleasure in making me feel guilty for not consuming them.  Ugg.  I’d eaten about seven already, and there were two left – two lone, spotting bananas.  How many bananas can one person eat, within the course of three days, without losing one’s appetite for the things… for the rest of one’s life???  I was close to finding out.  Nonetheless, I was DETERMINED that I was NOT getting leg cramps on this scuba trip, and our instructor had said that bananas would prevent that. So there I was, peeling my eighth banana… “If this doesn’t do the trick, I’m going to puke… no… If I see another banana I’m going to puke… I wonder if you can overdose on potassium?...” 

 As 9:45 p.m. came around that Thursday, I was headed out of the dorm with my scuba gear, backpack, and pillow.  This was going to be a looooong night.  But I haven’t known too many overnight bus rides to prove themselves very short.  We were to arrive in Florida for breakfast the following morning… at 6:30 a.m.  Joy oh joy.

As I had expected, the night was a long one.  On the bright side, it did provide ample time for deep contemplation of life’s many perplexities.  Sad to say, no grand epiphanies were experienced. ;)

At 6:30 the next morning, a bleary-eyed group of 19 college students stumbled into the local Denny’s, in Crystal River, Florida.  Yummy!  Let’s see… that will be oatmeal and fruit for me. :P  Unfortunately our waiter informed us that the “fruit” would just consist of grapes and pineapples… seeing as they were out of bananas.  I nearly choked on my water.  I assured her that that was perfectly fine with me. 

After breakfast, we loaded back into the van, and headed down the road to our first dive site – Crystal River.  We arrived at the local dive shop, and began struggling into our gear (a comical site to behold, I assure you).  We were then assigned to four boats, and told to keep our eyes out for manatee.  Right away we began seeing them.  They were a lot bigger than I had imagined – almost intimidating… (if you can imagine a sea cow being intimidating).

 We dove there for the remainder of the morning, performing our dive skills, and swimming with the manatee.  Underwater visibility was about five feet, and partway through the morning it began raining – completely drenching us. :p  (yeah, so that joke got old REAL fast…)  This didn’t do much to improve the visibility. 

After having completed three dives, we pried ourselves out of our wetsuits, and headed off to some fine dining - Taco Bell!  I can honestly say that Taco Bell never tasted so good before… and it was warm.  I sat there shivering in my damp swimsuit, clutching my warm burrito… I didn’t want to eat it. lol

Our second dive was definitely the most interesting.  We arrived at Manatee Springs State Park to be told that we wouldn’t be able to dive in the main spring.  We would have to dive in Catfish Sinkhole. 

 Now there are times when I am grateful for ignorance, and this was definitely one of them.  We were still damp and cold, and it was still raining, so needless to say, none of us were in the gung-ho mood.  Our instructors led us along a path, to what we assumed would be the dive site; but instead stopped in front of a stagnant looking pond, literally covered in green stuff (you could see no water).  “This is it!” they informed us.  At first I honestly thought they were kidding.  “We’re going scuba diving in THERE?” some brave soul quarried from the back of the group.  “Sure are!” came the cheery reply.  “Oh, and don’t worry about the green stuff… that’s just Duck Weed.  It will clear away as soon as we begin stirring up the water.”  Oh boy…  I’d always wanted to swim in a pond covered in green stuff…

 They split us up into two groups, and group one got their gear on and headed in.  I was in group two, so I decided to stand on the deck, in the rain, and watch to see what REALLY happened with the green stuff when group one got in.  As they walked into the water, sure enough, the Duck Weed began clearing away – and low and behold, there was water! Crystal clear water that revealed a view nearly all the way to the bottom – 90 feet down!!!  

Now by this point, I was getting excited.  There supposedly was a cave somewhere down there too, that led to the main spring.  We were told that we couldn’t go in it, but it would still be neat just to see it.

When it came time for group two to go in, I was ready.  The view underwater was incredible, and we went to a little below 50 feet (somewhere between 50 and 55 ft. I think).  The coolest part for me, though, was looking up towards the surface, from 50 some feet below, and realizing that I am actually down here breathing!  It’s an incredible feeling.

 The dive was over way to soon, and we were loaded up again, and headed off to Camp Kulaqua where we were to spend Friday night, Sabbath, and Saturday night.

Sabbath morning we had our own little church service, and then the rest of the day was spent playing frisbee, visiting the camp zoo, going for a hike, picking off ticks, canoeing, etc…

There was one incident that I must relate, due to its hilarity…

Early in the afternoon, four of us decided to go canoeing down the small river that was fed by the spring.  We go into two canoes, and immediately the adventure began.  First, someone nearly fell out of the other canoe, while trying to step into it.  Then their canoe was having difficulty maintaining a straight course, which provided much mirth and photo opportunities. 

 We canoed for a little less than an hour, through some incredible, jungle-like surroundings, until finally we reached the main river.  From there we headed upstream for another half hour or so.  We saw turtles, fish, and this one great blue heron that seemed to be stalking us.  Then we met a guy along side the river who told us to keep our eyes out for alligators!  We hadn’t really taken those into consideration…

As we canoed back to camp, we met up with some others from our group who had decided to canoe as well.

We were in the home stretch, and another canoe decided to race our canoe.  We began paddling furiously, and were staying in the lead, until the guy in the front of the other canoe grabbed onto ours and wouldn’t let go.

 The two guys in the front of both canoes continued to cling to the other’s canoe, while me and the other guy in the backs of the canoes continued paddling.  After a short while, the other guy in the back suggested that he and I switch canoes, confusing the two up front. 

That was when it happened… 

Grabbing the edge of the canoe with one hand, I picked up my camera (in its case) with the other hand and went to cross over.  As I swung my hand to the other side of the canoe, my camera went flying out of its case… and into the murky water…  

 “Oh dear…I just TOTALLY threw my camera in the river!!!” 

Instantly I froze in reflective horror… Where on earth did THAT come from???  (Later contemplation of this random comment would produce bouts of hysterical laughter.  I never, and I mean NEVER, use the word “totally” like that! I later came to the conclusion that it must have been the best expletive this poor sheltered homeschooler could produce on the spur of the moment.  Foul, I know. )

 So there I was, standing partway between two canoes, empty camera case in hand.  The camera had instantly sunk out of sight, and we were floating away from the spot where it had fallen in.  I deemed the situation as pretty hopeless, but the other guys suggested that we get in the river and look for it. 

We pulled the canoes over to the shore, said a quick prayer, and began wading into the murky, brown water.  Feeling with our toes was the only possible way that we could find it, and thankfully the river wasn’t too deep.  One of the guys commented on the unfortunate fact that there were snapping turtles in these rivers… comforting. 

 After about five minutes, and countless stares from random passers-by, one of the guys reached down into the water and pulled out my camera!  We immediately took out the battery, and then said another prayer of thanks.  Then it was back to the cabin to try and dry it out.

That night, our bus driver took us to the nearby mall to get supper and go shopping.  After eating a yummy veggie wrap in the food court, I made a beeline for the Radio Shack (what?... isn’t that the first place every girl hits when she goes to the mall?) :p  I was on the hunt for a small screwdriver for my camera, and that was the only place that I could think would have one.

Needless to say, as other girls left the mall with their Aero, American Eagle, Bath & Body Works, and Victoria Secret bags… I left carrying my little Radio Shack bag.  :p

The next morning, at 6:30, we were loaded up and leaving camp Kulaqua, for our final dive of the trip.

The site was a place called Blue Grotto Dive Resort, and it was amazing.  After gearing up, we again split into our two groups.  This time, group two got to go first. 

Walking down the stairs that led to the spring, I was amazed by the color of the water… It was such a pretty aqua blue!  We got in, and began descending.  Pretty fish swam around us, some passing directly in front on our masks! lol

We were told to stay in direct view of the surface, but were allowed to go in the dive bell located just under the ledge of the grotto. 

The bell was a glass dome that is pumped with air from the surface.  Divers can pop their head up inside it, take out their regulator, and chat with their dive buddy.  Looking through the glass at the other divers, I was reminded of standing in front of the glass at the aquarium, as a little kid, wishing I could be in the water with the fish… and now I was! lol   Again… a really cool feeling.

 All too quickly, our last dive was finished, and we began disassembling our gear.  After everything was loaded up, our instructor began passing out our dive cards - we were now lifelong certified scuba divers!!!

The trip back was uneventful, and far sooner than any of us desired, our bus was pulling into Taylor Circle at Southern.

As I walked into my dorm room that night, I had such a good feeling inside… I had accomplished another one of my lifelong goals, and besides that… I didn’t have to eat another banana for as long as I wanted!  Or at least until the next dive… 

- Shannon

They're Back!!!

This afternoon, my brother and sister arrived home from school in MT, for spring break!  Seeing as they flew into the Chattanooga Airport, I was able to go with my family to pick them up.  It was so neat seeing Michael and Elise again, even for just those few short minutes.  Next year maybe Southern and TSA can work out their spring breaks so that they'll land together, and I won't have to say goodbye 15 minutes after saying hello! lol  

- Shannon

Home

- Shannon

God must laugh...

The other night I sang for one of our churches evangelistic meetings.  Before our Pastor got up to preach, he came over to where I was sitting and told me that towards the end of his message he was going to say something along the lines of, “...and now as Shannon sings for us…,” and that would be the cue to make my way to the piano.

The sermon was on God’s incredible love for mankind.  Part way through, Pastor Chad began telling an illustration about a young lady, ironically named Shannon... 

Shannon was living a wild and reckless life, and at the age of 16, she became pregnant and had a baby.  Soon afterwards she fell into depression, and turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with life.  Unable to find happiness, Shannon got married.  This only made life more miserable for her, and she found herself falling deeper and deeper into her addictions.  One morning, as Shannon woke up from another hangover, she turned on her TV and came across an evangelist preaching on God’s love.  As Shannon listened, she began to sense a love she had never known before.  Her heart was touched, and she gave her life to Christ… 

As I sat there listening to the sermon, inside I’m thinking, “please don’t let this be close to the end, please don’t let this be close to the end...”  Not a minute later, what should we hear but, “…And now as Shannon comes forward to sing for us…”  Biting my lip and staring straight at the piano, I made my way forward.  Inside, a battle was being waged to regain my composure… I was ready to explode with laughter! lol 

I’m not sure how I ever managed to keep a straight face while singing that appeal song… The whole while, I could just picture some poor soul out there thinking, “My she sure looks good for having been on all those drugs and had a baby!”

As my mom and I laughed about it afterwards, I commented that if even one person was touched by “Shannon’s” testimony… well, praise God! lol

And here I had always thought my testimony wasn’t all that exciting…

- Shannon 

Spring Break :)

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I am packing up and heading home for spring break. As I bustle about the room, Suki looks on rather apprehensively (if a fish can look apprehensive…) I can imagine his thoughts just about now… “What’s with all the clothes… and the suitcase?... why is she… oh wait, don’t tell me we’re… no… I heard rumors about what happened to the last guy who rode home with her… tank tipped over, and two inches away from drowning in pure H2O… This could be the end…” I glance over at the tank, “You ready to go Suki?”… “Bubble… bubble bubble…” “I thought so! Ok, well let’s get out of here!”

Before vacating the premises, I glance about the room one last time to see if I can remember anything that I forgot… “The beans!” Opening the fridge, I pull out the Tupperware of re-fried beans, and dispose of them… “Those would have smelled great after two weeks!”

With fish tank in one arm and plant in the other, I head out the door – Spring Break has officially begun!

So far, this semester has been a really good one.
My sister told me that second semester would be much better than first semester… and she was absolutely right. The campus isn’t so big and strange, the teachers aren’t so scary, and I feel like I know so many more people. Granted the food is still the same as it was first semester, but I can handle that. ;)

I also feel like I’ve accomplished so much more in this half-semester, than I did all of last semester. You see, it’s never really been my life-long dream to be a PTA. I do feel that is where God is calling me right now, but not as a permanent thing. Eventually me dream is to have some sort of ministry, working with young people in the great outdoors - hence, the Outdoor Ed. minor. This semester I’m taking kayaking and scuba diving as two of my Outdoor Ed. electives, and it has been a blast!

In kayaking I’ve mastered my brace and paddle roll, and just last week I got my hand roll. Boy did that ever take a lot of wet exits! lol When we get back, after spring break, we’re going to start hitting the freezing TN rivers. I’m assuming the goal will be NOT to have to use your rolls. lol

In scuba diving, just this past Monday, we took our final written exam, and Wednesday was our pool exam. Well of all things, Wednesday morning I woke up with the flue… NOT a brilliant move on my part. I had a sore throat, congested sinuses, the chills, and a funny stomach. As the day went by, I began feeling weaker and weaker. I had no idea how on earth I was going to swim the 13 ½ laps required to pass the exam. I began praying. I also took two naps, gargled with Listerine every hour or so, and managed to choke down a sandwich.

Seven p.m. came around, and I grabbed my gear and headed over to the pool. We started the exam with donning our gear underwater, ascents and descents, buddy breathing and rescuing, etc… So far, so good. I was feeling great, and was able to perform all the required tasks. After two hours of this, it was time for the laps. We were to do 4 ½ laps with no gear, and 9 laps with mask, snorkel, and fins…. and no hands. My buddy went first, and then it was my turn. After two laps, I was feeling pretty tired, but not dead yet. ;) I made it to the end of the 4 ½ laps, and was surprisingly still alive. Then it was my buddy’s turn to do the 9 laps with gear. This took a bit longer, but eventually I was jumping back into the water, to begin my 9 laps. My fins propelled me much quicker through the water, and the snorkel made for easier breathing. After three laps, I could no longer deny the existence of my screaming calves. I began counting tiles on the bottom of the pool as thy filed beneath me. “One, two, three, four, five…” The shadows reflecting on the bottom of the pool shimmered gaily across the tiles, jumbling up my counting. “…eighty-two, eighty-three, eighty-seven, eighty-four… am I done yet?... eighty-nine…” After what seemed a very long time, I crawled, half asleep, out of the pool… “That was 9 ½ laps. You did ½ lap too many!,” my buddy cheerfully informed me. I managed a weak, “oh…”, as I stumbled off to the locker room. We were finished, and we had all passed. :)

As I rinsed off in the shower, I felt so good. I realized that my throat wasn’t sore, my sinuses hadn’t bothered me, I didn’t have the chills, my stomach was feeling fine, and I wasn’t all that exhausted! In fact, I was feeling better than I had all day long. By now it was 9:45 p.m., and I called up my mom to tell her how things had gone. I told her that I had passed the pool exam, and that I was feeling better than I had all day. She chuckled and said, “I’m not surprised, with all the Listerine you’ve been consuming throughout the day!” lol

So now all that’s left is to go on our checkout dive. The weekend following spring break, we head down to FL to do our five dives. Then we’ll get our cards, and be lifetime certified scuba divers! :D

So yeah, needless to say, I’m pretty excited about life right now.

And to top it all off, this semester I’ve been taking an awesome class on Christian Spirituality, from Allen Parker. It’s challenged me to look at God in a whole new way; to attempt more for God, if I want to expect more from God; to find where He’s working and join Him, instead of just waiting for Him to tell me what to do; to yield my plans over to His control.

So far this year has brought many changes in my life, and the lives of those close to me… some of them pretty major. I’ve seen God open doors, and I’ve see Him close doors, and often I’m tempted to ask why… “Why did You close that door?" or "Why did You open THAT one?” Sometimes it just feels like things are so wrong… like I wouldn’t have done it that way. But then I have to stop and ask myself, “Wait, am I saying that I trust myself more than God? Am I suggesting that I could do a better job of planning my future than He could???” Scary thought indeed! lol Then I can relax, and entrust everything into His hands… no matter how near or dear to me it may be. That is when I find the greatest peace, and can enjoy life the most – when everything is fully and completely entrusted to Him.

Anyhow, enough blogging for now. The kids sound like they’re having too much fun without me. ;)

God bless!

- Shannon

Suki desu

Here we go again...