An End of Sorts

So finals week is upon us once again... Fortunately for me, I have it pretty easy this semester.  I had my A&P Lab final last week, and I turned in a final paper this morning, and then I only have two more finals on Wednesday and I'm done! :D  (Both of my other classes don't have finals. ;)

 Seeing as I didn't have a lot of studying to do over the weekend, I put aside my books and went camping with some friends up at Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains.  It was a fun, relaxing weekend, and the rain that was predicted held off until we were just about finished packing up on Sunday morning.  

Sitting back here in my dorm room, I can still smell campfire smoke in my hair... and that's after two showers! lol  I don't mind it though... in fact, I kind of like the smell... It brings back lots of good memories. :)  

Today was my last day babysitting Anisa... It was sad saying goodbye.  She'll be so big when I come back next year... I wonder if she'll even remember me. lol 

Mom and Dad came up here to SAU this evening and picked up my harp.  They took it home today so that when they come back up on Thursday, they'll have room for all the rest of my stuff. ;)  Isaac, Heidi, and Hannah came along with them.  Seeing my family made me even more anxious to go home!  I was ready to hop in the truck with them and leave right then. ;)  But alas, those two finals still await me.  Seeing, though, as God has sustained me thus far, I am optimistic that three more days shouldn't be the undoing of me. :)

On Wednesday we're having an end-of-the-semester party in the student park, with a bunch of friends.  It should be fun... and sad too.  That's probably when I'll have to say goodbye to most of my friends... I don't enjoy saying goodbyes. :(  At least I can look forward to seeing the majority of them again next school year. :)

It's going to be interesting to see how this summer turns out.  I'm thinking it should be a fun one though.  I had my own plans all worked out, and was pretty confident with them.  But then I guess God had different plans, because mine unexpectedly fell through. :)  In a way I felt relieved, because it showed me that God was in control.  

Another door has now opened, and I'm anxious to see if this is where God is leading me to work for the summer.  If so, this would be far better than anything I could have ever planned.  I'm so thankful I left my summer in His hands. :)

Anyhow, guess I've babbled on long enough... nothing really earthshaking, I know... just felt the urge to blog. :)

Hope all is going well for everyone, and that your finding His mercies new every morning! :)

- Shannon

P.s. If you get the chance, check out the song "The Only Thing" by Ronnie Freeman.  My sister sent it to me the other day, and I can't listen to it enough!  It has a powerful message. 

Memories

Boy, time flies... I pulled out my old computer to get one thing off it, and I got sidetracked for nearly an hour looking through old picture. lol  Highschool pictures, WFL pictures, home pictures... talk about memories!

But I came across this one picture and couldn't resist posting it.  It's one of my favorites. :)

Meekus - only a few weeks old.

- Shannon

"Ode to Mary"

For those of you who have taken A&P, or simply enjoy studying the human body, (or enjoy classic nursery rhymes with a twist), I thought you might appreciate this poem that our A&P teacher presented in class the other day.  He has quite the gift for coming up with little poems and stories to help us remember the different processes, and this one was by far my favorite. ;)

"Ode to Mary"

 Mary had an oocyte, a gamete pale as snow

And everywhere the follicle went, oocyte was sure to go.

With FSH there on the scene, the follicle did flourish

Till one day LH had its surge, and made that oocyte scurryish.

Into the infundibulum and on to the ampulla

Where oocyte met a little sperm, and grew a baby "newla"

So if you have an oocyte, a gamete that is carried

Remember Mary's oocyte, and wait till you get married.

[Dr. Norskov]

I'm sure you can't guess what system we've been studying... :p

- Shannon

One of those days

“Oh, and try feeding her some of that carrot baby food with the rest of her supper… that would be good for her.”  With these parting instructions, I was once again left to baby-sit my little friend “Nisa.”

Everything was going smoothly.  We played hide and seek, banged away on the piano, went for a walk, swung in the back yard… things were great.

Then it was supper time.

I set Anisa down to toddle around the kitchen while I prepared her food.  Opening the refrigerator, I pulled out the container of spaghetti, a block of tofu, and a small bowl of corn.

I cut the tofu into small cubes and warmed them for 20 seconds in the microwave. (Nisa loves eating raw tofu.)  Then I warmed up the spaghetti, after cutting it as well.

Setting the warmed food on the island in the center of the kitchen, I suddenly remembered the carrot baby food.

I got the baby food out of the refrigerator, took the lid off the small glass jar, and put the jar in the microwave for 30 seconds.

The timer beeped, and I opened the microwave and took the baby food out.

What occurred next took all of about two seconds...

I was in the process of turning around to set the jar on the counter, when without warning, the jar exploded in my hand, sending fragments of glass and orange colored baby food everywhere!

I stood there in shock, hand stretched out as though still holding the non-existent jar… “What on earth…”  Then I burst out laughing uncontrollably… I couldn’t help myself.

Finally coming too, my eyes darted to where Nisa was standing on the opposite side of the island.  Clutching her little book to her chest, she stood motionless, eyes as big as saucers.  Little specks of orange baby food dotted her white-blond hair. 

I picked her up and rushed her to her highchair, wanting to keep her away from the glass and baby food that coated the entire kitchen.

There was baby food on the floor, on the refrigerator, on the counters, on the cupboards, on the walls, even in the next room!

Then I happened to glance up at the ceiling…

“Oh my…What have I done...”  

Once again, I erupted into laughter… There, in the center of the ceiling, was a bright orange splat of baby food.  It had also managed to coat the nearby florescent light pretty decently.

Glancing around me, I didn’t know where to begin.  Then a perturbed squeal from the corner of the kitchen where the highchair was located, reminded me of the initial intent of this whole mishap - to feed the baby. 

I grabbed her now cold food off the counter and was just about to place it on her tray, when a warning thought came to my mind… There had just been a shower of glass… Nisa’s food was on the counter… Nisa’s food could have glass in it!  (Looking back, I definitely see that as God speaking to me… I just wasn’t with it enough to think about it at the time.)

I dumped that food out, and quickly fixed Nisa some more, to the tune of much protesting. 

Then it was back to the kitchen, to see about cleaning up the mess.  I took a rag and cleaned up the counters, cupboards, walls, refrigerator, etc.  Then I mopped and swept the floor.

Seeing as the ceiling was still a lovely shade of orange, I grabbed my rag and a bowl full of warm water, and ascended a stool to try and tackle the unsightly splatter.

Now those of you that know anything about popcorn ceilings… well… you know more than I knew, let’s put it that way…

With the first sweep of my rag, the popcorn stuff turned to mush and smeared off the ceiling along with the orange baby food. 

“Oh dear… this is not good…” 

(Profound, I know… I somehow manage to come up with the most profound statements at the most opportune moments…)

Then the thought dawned on me, “Why don’t you call the parents?” (Another thought from God, I’m sure. lol)  I called up the mother, and explained the situation.  After making sure the Nisa and I were both ok, she assured me that that was perfectly all right, and that I didn’t need to worry about trying to clean up the ceiling.  As long as the two of us were both okay, that’s all she cared about.

When the dad arrived home not long after that, he too assured me that everything was fine, and that I didn’t need to worry about the ceiling – that could easily be fixed.

Sitting here in my dorm room, I can’t help but think how thankful I am.  First of all, I’m thankful that Nisa didn’t get hurt.  I’m sure it was her guardian angel that had her on the opposite side of the island, from where the jar exploded.  Second of all, I’m thankful for such a wonderful, understanding family to baby-sit for.  I couldn't have asked for anyone nicer.  And third of all, I’m thankful that I managed to escape the incident without even a scratch.  God was definitely looking out for Nisa and I. 

...I can still see some orange specks on the shirt I’m wearing…  they contrast nicely with the green. :)

...I’m thinking maybe next time I should put the baby food in a plastic bowl before microwaving it…

…maybe go to Barns and Nobles and find me a book on Baby Food Warming for Dummies while I’m at it…

- Shannon

Come Away...

I suppose it dawned on me during class a few weeks ago... You know, the way something so seemingly simple can strike you as though for the first time? It was in Christian Spirituality class with Dr. Parker, on a Thursday morning. His presentation was on devotions that day... and I was feeling pretty discouraged.

My devotional life had basically come to a standstill... and I didn't know what to do about it. I had tried to be faithful with my devotions, and really get into them... but homework always seemed to preoccupy my mornings until the very last minute, and then I would only have time to read a few verses and say a quick prayer before rushing off to class. It was depressing.

In class that morning, Dr. Parker had us do an exercise on devotions. We were to look up a passage of scripture of our choosing, read through it, and then simply meditate on what God was trying to say to us through the texts.

I had been reading through Song of Solomon in my sporadic "devotions," and decided to pick up where I had left off.

What God impressed on my heart, in those next few minutes, I will never forget... I never WANT to forget...

Song of Solomon 2:10-14

My beloved spoke, and said to me:

"Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away."

Whoa... did He just call me His fair one??? Never heard THAT before... this guy sounds serious! So, He wants me to come away with Him...

"For Lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone."

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my personal time with Him here recently... winter... rains... just plain dreary weather. I haven't felt very close to Him...

"The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land."

Ok, so maybe He's hinting that it's time for a fresh start? Oh, I would love that!... but can I? It seems like I've tried so many times before and failed...

"The fig tree puts forth her green figs,

And the vines with the tender grapes

Give a good smell.

Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away!"

Alright, alright!... He's got me convinced. If a fig tree and grape vine can produce fruit... well than, I guess I can too if I'm connected to the right source. And He's obviously pretty insistent about this coming away thing... guess He really does want to spend time with me...

"O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

In the secret places of the cliff,

Let me see your face,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is sweet,

And your face is lovely."

*gasp*... wow... does He really think that about me?...

I guess I have heard it before, "Jesus loves you," and all of that... but, it never really dawned on me...

So, by not spending time with Him... I'm like... crushing Him...

As I walked out of class that beautiful spring morning, I saw new life all around me. My heart was nearly giddy with the realization that all this He wanted to do in my life... and more! Winter was over and gone, and He was offering me a fresh start.

Since that morning in class, I can't say that my devotions have always gone amazingly... but I can say that I have experienced a closeness with God that I never felt before. I actually look forward to spending time with Him in the mornings, and I come away feeling like a new person.

What's exciting is that I know this is only a fraction of what God wants me to experience with Him. Each day He calls for me to come deeper... deeper... into the kind of relationship that I could only ever dream of having...

...His call to, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away...

- Shannon

Change

Her small arms clasped tightly around Audrey's neck, she clung there, not wanting to let go. The time had come for my family to leave, and this was the last time that most of them would be seeing Audrey and Luke before they left for Michigan the following morning.

As the tears began to fill her eyes, Hannah's little body shook with sobs.  She didn't want to let he big sister go...

Watching my six-year-old sister say goodbye to Audrey, my own eyes began to fill with tears... "Why do we have to say goodbyes?..."

Early the next morning I stood alone in the driveway, tears streaming down my face as I waved goodbye to my sister and brother-in-law for the last time... "Why can't things stay the way they were?..."

 Goodbyes have never come easy for me, especially when they involve my family.  When I was younger, I claimed that I was never leaving home.  I was going to homeschool all the way up through college, and then... well, I wasn't sure what would happen next.  I hadn't heard of too many guys that were interested in taking up permanent residence with their in-laws. lol 

Thankfully, as the years have gone by, my ideals have changed a bit, and I'm now attending college away from home! (...granted it is only an hour away... ;)

Still, goodbyes are some of the hardest things for me.  Any time a family member departs for any length of time, there are bound to be many tears and hugs involved. 

Seeing as there have been so many changes in my life and the lives of those close to me in just this past year, I've thought a lot about change recently, and how we cope with it.

I looked up some quotes on change, and came across the following...

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." 

- Alan Cohen

"Disconnecting from change does not recapture the past. It loses the future." 

- Kathleen Norris

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better." 

- King Whitney Jr. 

My favorite quotes, though, were by Ellen White.  The way she expresses God's involvement through the changes in our lives... it's just so encouraging.

"With the continual change of circumstance, changes come in our experience; and by these changes we are either elated or depressed. But the change of circumstances has no power to change God's relation to us. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and He asks us to have unquestioning confidence in His love." 

{HP 120.4}  

"All the changes of life, all the hard places in the way to heaven, will be blessed by the grace that is sufficient for every trial. We have assuring promises of protection and help. The everlasting arms will be beneath us to encourage, sustain, and uphold."

{BEcho, April 1, 1889 par. 9}

Now reading these quotes is one thing... but remembering and applying them is quite another. 

So often my first response is a reflection of the thoughts I wrote above - "Why do we have to say goodbyes?" or "Why can't things stay the way they were?"  I question circumstance as though I knew better than God, what would be best.  Yet what kind of faith is that?  If I have truly committed my life to Christ, than I should be willing to trust Him in every change... not just the convenient ones.  Faith is not faith if it is conditional. 

While things may remain unclear, and the future may look bleak, we need only to remember that God has promised to work everything out for good, to those who love Him.

We may still have questions... I know I do... but I've also found the peace that comes from trusting God to know what's best for me.

And one day, when I am able to look back on it all, I think I'll agree that I wouldn't have done things any differently.

- Shannon

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