Day 4 - The Rudolph Sweatshirt

The Rudolph Sweatshirt

I spent the day again in my room for the most part, so I knew I wanted a really comfortable outfit.  So, it came down to a few of the sweatshirts that I own.  They are very christmassy, and remind me of my mother, because she had many a Christmas sweatshirt back in the day.  

I chose this one because it's one of the fuzzier ones on the inside.  It's quite charming, however, with the image of Rudolph looking over at Santa, who is holding a present.  IT's charming and happy and represents everything my day of writing and planning this paper WASN'T.  

Day 3 - The Eskridge Family T-Shirt

The Eskridge Family T-Shirt

Today was reading day, so when I got dressed this morning I knew most of my time would be spent lounging about my room, finishing up some assignments.  I didn't want to waste one of my better outfits when no one would see it, so I decided to go with the tried-and-true Eskridge Family T-Shirt.  

The T-Shirt was given to me last Christmas by my aunt and uncle.  The whole family got one, and we were required to pose for the stereotypical awkward family Christmas photo in the shirts.  

The shirt is super comfy, so it was perfect for an overly lazy reading day.  

Day 2 - The Mitten Sweater

The Mitten Sweater

Today was an eventful day.  I had two tests, and then a Christmas party hosted by Cru, the on-campus organization I attend, to go to.  I was super excited for the day, so I got on one of my favorite Christmas sweaters.  

This sweater is the appropriate ammount of itchy, just a little but not to much.  It has snowflakes that cover the entire sweater.  It is also a classic zipper-front, with two red yarn pom-pom balls that pull the zipper up and down.  

My favorite part, however, has to be the mittens featured prominently on the front.  They come with a string that goes up around the neck of the sweater, like I used to be forced to wear as a child so I didn't loose my mittens.  The mittens also double as pockets, so when you put your hands in the pockets, it looks as if you are wearing the mittens.  One of my absolute favorites!  

25 Days of Christmas (Sweaters): Day 1 - The Green Snowman Sweater-Vest

I, Kailyn Eskridge am on a mission.  A mission to own 25 Christmas Sweaters/Vests/Outfits, enough to wear a different one each day of December.  

I am not yet up to the number 25, so I will be forced to repeat the sweaters this year, but I hope to one day reach my dream.  And carry on the tradition to annoy and embarrass my future children. For the blog, I will post here about my endeavor and let you enjoy the fun!  

The Green Snowman Sweater-Vest

As the first day of December, I decided to ease into the tackiness of the season.  I had a Christmas party to attend, hosted by the college ministry at the Church I go to, so I accessorized with my light-up Christmas light necklace and my purple sequin Santa hat.  I wasn't going to be outdone at a Christmas shindig!  

This is a nice sweater due to the triple snowman action.  There is a snowman in the top right corner carrying presents to the Christmas Tree.  The second is smiling to the bluebird that is perched on it's branch arm.  The third is skiing happily.  Also, like any good tacky Christmas outfit, there are some Christmas presents that carry onto the back of the vest.  It was the first time I wore it, but it was super comfy, especially with the comfy shirt underneath.  

Overall, a good start to the 25 days of Christmas Sweaters!  

Resting on the Wings of an Eagle.

This summer has taken its toll on me.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely ADORED being a member of Deep Impact's staff.  I'd love to get the opportunity to work with them again next summer.  But the transition has been hard.

I keep thinking of my fellow staff, especially Blue Team..  Every time I hear that silly whistle alert tone that comes with the iPhone, I think of Cameron.  When I hear anything with a beat, I imagine Ethan  banging on whatever is closest to pound it out.  When I hear "All My Fountains" or "Take it All" or any of the other songs, I hear Carson and Abigail singing sweet songs together.  And every time I talk about Monster's University or Despicable Me 2, I think of Autumn and all the fun times we had.  

But there is also so much to do now.  I'm remembering the past, but I'm also super excited for the present and future.  

I'm in leadership positions in both Cru, my ministry on campus, and Lawndale, the church I go to.  I've reconnected with so many people, and I'm already building new friendships.  I'm starting to help with the worship team in the college ministry in my church.  I'm itching to get back to choir.  I love my classes so far and I'm actually excited to go to them (though not as excited to do the work itself).  

I'm stuck between this amazing, God-inspired and spiritually uplifting summer and the fantastic potential to see how God moves here.  Most days I feel like I'm barely hanging on, one hand on the amazing summer experiences and the other reaching ahead toward the near future.  

Sometimes, being very involved in things is hard.  

But I know I serve a God who tells me that if I walk in him, I won't grow weary.  That, with him, I will soar on wings like eagles.  

So I rest in my Lord.  I pray for smooth sailing, but I know that when the air gets rough, I have the Creator of the Universe by my side, carrying me on His wings.  

Caswell AKA An Ever Faithful Lord

Deep Impact, Week 3

This week has been very easy from a Deep Impact job description standpoint.  We haven't had to sell canteen, since there's the Drift Inn.  We don't have to lock up at night, because Caswell staff takes care of it.  We don't even have to pass out lunches in the morning or help with sound during worship because the BeDoTell team is helping us out this week.  

But personally, it has been difficult   Satan has been trying my patience.  I've found myself almost each morning and afternoon frustrated with people around me.  And most of the time it's for silly little things.  Things that normally wouldn't get under my skin.  Things that shouldn't put a damper on my whole day.  But this week, they have.  

Until I realize I follow the one true God, a Powerful yet Merciful Father who knows I am doing a work for his Kingdom.  And who loves me enough to come alongside me, reminding me of Himself, and then calming me down as soon as I turn to Him.  

The mornings have been rough, but the afternoons and nights have truly been "Glory Revealed".  

This week has been different not only because of all the extra help, but also because we are partnering with World Mission Week.  Rush of Fools is leading our worship time, and David Nasser is our speaker.  I can honestly say that they are ministering to us, not just performing.  They go forth with the intention of glorifying God, and worshiping alongside us, not just looking big and awesome.  David himself constantly points everything back to God.  It is refreshing, and the Holy Spirit has moved every day.  

There was a moment in the service  on Wednesday night, when we were singing a song, "Here I am to Worship,"  a song I have sung a thousand times.  I distinctly remembered singing the song as a 3rd grader, one of the first times I'd sung it.  I was sitting in church service, and I really liked the song.  

This memory came flooding back to me in that moment of singing it here, at the auditorium at Caswell.  I was struck by the providence of God, his knowledge and power.  Back then, when I was 8 or 9, God knew I would be in this moment, singing it again.  The same God who smiled at my honest praise then was smiling at it 12 years later.  

And He knew I would be there, working on staff with Deep Impact.  Even when I didn't care or had no idea what Deep Impact was.  And that first summer I went on a Deep Impact trip, He knew I'd help lead similar trips one day.  God knew. He's always known.  He's known it before I was born.  

I began to weep tears of joy.  Not only had God handpicked me to be here this week, He had handpicked me from the beginning of time.  How vast and awesome and powerful is the Lord my God!  How amazing is He?  That He would love me enough to let me understand just a piece of how He works, how He loves me and is orchestrating my life the way He does.  

The Lord our God is ever faithful.  He is consistent   He calms, and He prepares our way.  He is the Lord God almighty, and He reigns forever!

Shelby AKA When Frustrations Become Blessings

Deep Impact, Week 2

We walked into our site this past week to 90 very loud middle-schoolers and their chaperons.  We were not expecting them.  

There was a couple who showed up that needed a room, so our speaker and his wife had to bunk with the staff.  We were not expecting that.

At 11:00 the night before the churches arrived, we received an email that one of the churches was no longer coming, leaving some teams cut in half.  We were not expecting that.  

The day the churches came, as our coordinator was going over the jobs, a children's group cancelled, and we didn't have addresses for a number of the projects.  We were not expecting that.  

A volunteer showed up who criticized everything we did from an organizational aspect, comparing it to a missions camp he had been head over in the past.  We certainly were not expecting that. 

I guess you could say the week started out rough for us.  

But we persevered   Not through our own strength, but through God's.  

I can't tell you how many times the first few days I had to stop for a few seconds, reorient myself to God, and pray for His guidance, patience, and joy.  But pray I did, and He was ever faithful.

I don't know why I was so surprised that God managed to work everything out.  In fact, many of these frustrations and obstacles that we were forced to overcome turned into blessings.

The on-site coordinators at the Shelby Mission Camp are very particular about the way their facility is used.  It's totally understandable, as the camp has been open for a little less than a year.  They do a good job of keeping it working, but sometimes they can be a bit strict about how they run things.  It's understandable, but we as a staff wanted very much to make sure they were pleased with how the week ran so we could continue to use the facility.  

The group immediately before us, the middle-schoolers, were very very loud.  And mostly because of the way we organize things and schedule things, our group of 150 people worked so smoothly and were very respectful of our space.  Not that the group before us wasn't, but the quiet and peace seemed to be a relief to the on-site coordinators, and they left the week very pleased with our leadership and the attitude/actions of the campers.  

Since Jason and Allison, the speaker and his wife, were bunking with us staffers, we got to know them both much better.  We built closer relationships than we might have because of the extra time spent with them in our respective rooms.  

Because the church cancelled, I bonded very quickly and got to work soon with Dollie, our coordinator.  We worked hurriedly together to reorganize the teams and to work out transportation.  This not only grew Dollie and I closer together, but it also taught the campers the necessary life lesson that in missions, as with everything in life, we must be flexible.  

The Children's team who's job site got cancelled ended up being a "Miscellaneous" team, that did odd jobs throughout the week.  They all had such a good attitude and in themselves became a blessing to us because of their willingness to do whatever they needed to do.  One day, they installed smoke detectors.  They met an elderly man who's wife had recently passed away, and, due to odd circumstances, had no pots or pans to cook food in.  They brought him food and took up some money to get him kitchen supplies so he could cook food for himself, a need that would not have been realized if they were working with Children.  

And finally, the volunteer who criticized our team actually ended up bringing us closer together.  His sarcastic and biting remarks were hurtful, yes, but partially due to our pride.  We learned to set aside our own pride and make rational, God guided decisions even if we were personally affronted.  We grew closer to each other and to God.  We even learned to love someone sacrificially, sacrificing our own emotions and pride to pray for a man who hadn't been godly towards us.  

It's funny how the things that seem the most troublesome, burdening, and frustrating can turn out to be blessings in disguise.  Only God could take annoyances and frustrations and turn them around.  

And surprisingly, at the end of the week, I found myself thanking God for everything we didn't expect.  Because hand-in-hand with the unexpected bad, God always seems to provide some unexpected good.  We just have to look at situations through His eyes.  

Avery County AKA The Learning Experience

Deep Impact, Week 1

Let me tell you, everything I thought that Deep Impact was going to be, I was terribly and horribly wrong.  

It has been so much better.  

Yes, I've had the stressfulness of Registration, fielding all of the youth leader's questions.  I've counted the money we've made from Canteen four times and gotten four different numbers.  I have very little cell phone service, so I barely get to talk to my family, which is really hard, as close as we are.  I've woken up earlier than I've had to in a LONG time, maybe since last summer's Deep Impact.  I've been stressed out, tired, weary, and frustrated.  

But it's also been positively brilliant.  

I've made such close, deep friendships with people that I'm working with, from both teams.  It's strange how terribly I miss them, even though I know I only met them a week and a half ago.  

I'm turning out to be a pretty good photographer, being able to capture all the moments the Campers experience on camera.  I like to think it's because of all those youth trips I've been on.  

I'm getting along with campers and chaperons far better than I expected.  I thought I might get along with one or the other, depending on my mood, but it turns out I'm getting along well with both at the SAME TIME!  I know, right?  It's crazy.  

I am actually being pretty organized and efficient with my space.  I've even voluntarily cleaned up around me because there was too much clutter and I knew it would get too messy.  You have to understand, that's a really big step for me.  Really.  

And I feel like every day I am walking in the Lord's will.  I know everything hasn't been smooth, but I've felt and sensed God along every bump in the road.  Around every sharp, mountain-winding-road curve, He's been leading the way.  And it's been phenomenal to see Him work.  

And the campers? They've been awesome.  I've made so many friendships with them.  And to be a tool in God's plan for their lives, I'm so humbled and honored.  I've helped them laugh, cheered them up, encouraged them, and smiled while they grew in their faith.  I'm so excited and thrilled to see how God has changed them in the course of the week, and pray that their growth will continue.  

And now, as I sit here in Shelby, exhausted but joyful, all I can think is: Bring on week 2!

-

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for both the Orange and the Blue teams, while we're in Shelby and they're in Honduras.  
• Pray that we remain strong in the Lord, that we would draw upon Him, and continue to fill ourselves as we pour out to others.
• Pray that I would remain peaceful and patient.  It's easy for me to get into my head, get stressed out, and shut down.  Pray that God would keep me calm and focused.
• Pray that we would continue to work together smoothly and happily   There haven't been any real issues on our team, which I am so thankful for, so I pray that this would continue.  
• Pray that every hour of rest we get would feel like two.  We're all so tired!  :)  

Training Up AKA "The Most Sleep You'll Get This Summer"

Deep Impact, Staff Training

Well, this is it.  This is me, being on staff with an organization I've been a part of for 5 summers now.  This is me, working and being one of the cool staffers that I've looked up to for so many years.  This is real life.  And honestly, I can't believe that it's even happening.  Even though it's around me all day, every day, right in front of my face.  

It's finally sunk in though.  Now that we've sorted T-Shirts and gotten all sorts of swag with "Deep Impact Missions" plastered on the front.  Now that I've bonded with the amazing people, half of which I'll be with all summer.  Now that we're over halfway through with Staff Training.  Now that I'm about to learn how to make the famous "Smooshies"  [Where smoothie and slushy meet] that I've had every summer.  Now that I know Tom Beam, the director, and have already begun teasing him and the others here on staff.  Now that God has already shown us his providence and knowledge and just overall care and love for this amazing team.  

But every once in a while I just sort of step back and look at this place.  Where I was doing a mission trip as a Rising Junior in high school, a moment when God really spoke to me and told me he would take care of me and guide my life to where he wanted me to go.  

If you'd told me then that I'd go through the next four years and somehow end up back at this place, on Deep Impact staff, I don't think I would have believed you.  

This week has been a lot of information.  A lot of overwhelming sights and sounds and feelings.  A lot of sweat and uses of muscles that don't like to be used and are now in protest.  But also a lot of fun.  And a lot of blessings.  

I know this is only the first week, and I know I may have a momentarily different opinion come Registration tomorrow, which I'm mainly in charge of, but I am pretty confident that this will be one of the best summers of my life.  

-

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for us staffers, both the Blue and Orange teams, that we would continue to be hard-working and diligent in everything we need to do to get ready.  
• Pray for the campers at our first two sites this week, that God would begin to work in their hearts before they enter camp.
• Pray that we would be patient and calm with our first week, for a lot of us it truly is our first ever Deep Impact missions week as staffers, and it's a little daunting.  
• Pray that no matter what happens, God would get all of the glory.  May He shine in our shortcomings and show us his magnificence, or may He be given all credit when everything runs as smoothly as possible.  Let Him increase, and let us decrease.  

Preparing for Deep Impact, A Timeline

For those of you who are unaware, and to remind those of you who are, I am working this summer with a group called Deep Impact.  It is a branch of NC Baptist Missions, and I will be helping to lead week-long summer mission projects for middle- and high-school aged youth.  I'll be traveling all around this lovely state of mine, and living out of suitcases along the way.  

I am super excited for my trip, but I've decided that it might be fun to describe my last day here at home as I prepare to go.  Partially to keep myself on track, and partially because pre-trip Kailyn is always super procrastinating and super stressed a lot of the time. 

So, here we go, my last day home, June 8, 2013, occurred as follows:

8:00am - My mother enters my room to make sure I am waking up. I had actually set my alarm for 8:10.  I grunt some sort of reply at her and am asleep again as she closes the door.

8:10am - Alarm goes off.  Reluctantly, I crawl out of bed and grab a small hand mirror near my bed to asses my hair.  It is frizzy.  Braid it is.  I braid my hair, quickly dress, and head downstairs.

8:18am - I am running late already. I realize I should have woken up when my mother woke me up.  Once again, she knows my morning-self better than I do.  I need to print off my proof of certification that I completed the online portion of my CPR/First Aid class.  The printer is not working. I reboot it, and the printer turns on.  I rush around, gathering my things, grab the printed paper, and head to the car.

8:27am - I enter the address of the place I'm going into my GPS.  It's in a nearby town I haven't been to since middle school, when one of my friends lived there.  My GPS has me arriving at 8:59,  My class starts at 9:00.  I begin to panic slightly, but I maintain composure to set off driving.  

8:42am - I begin to enter unfamiliar territory.  I begin to become more alert, listening ever so carefully to my GPS.  

8:51am - "Just Give Me A Reason" comes on the radio.  I resist the urge to Snapchat my friends Sarah and Schuyler, as this song holds deep and emotional significance to the three of us (that is to say, we just really really really really really really love the song).  I come to this strange intersection and have to concentrate missing the most climactic part of the song, just at the end of the bridge.  I sigh heavily, continuing to drive.

9:00am - I pull into the parking lot of the building I'm taking the class in.  I park, and rush inside.  

9:03am - The community center is a maze.  I go to the woman at the front desk, who points me toward clearly labled signs detailing where to go.  I mentally face-palm.  

9:05am - I sit in the classroom and text my father I made it safely.  I turn off my phone and loose all track of time.  I perform various CPR tasks, then first aid-like procedures.  All I have to show for it is a nice little card saying I'm certified, and the assurance that now my friends and family members are much safer with me around, since I could help them in an emergency situation.  

11:43am - I make it to the car.  My class ran late.  I call home and get lunch orders, learning my little sister is just now waking up.  I am jealous momentarily, but push the thought away as I drive off.  

12:02pm - "Suit and Tie" comes on the radio.  I immediately think of my friend Sarah, wishing she were here to impersonate JT.  

12:15pm - I pull into the McDonalds drive through.  I go to order only to discover they are out of all things ice cream   After a few silent tears fall gently down my face, I gather the strength to order a cherry berry chiller instead of a chocolate shake.  I hope my father won't be disappointed.   

12:26pm - I arrive home like a victorious conqueror with the spoils of war, in this case, McDonalds.  We all eat in fellowship.  

1:10pm - My sister tries to steal one of my fries.  I frown at her.  She complains she hasn't had anything to eat.  I sassily retort that this has been my first meal too.  She pouts.  I eat the fry.  

1:13pm - I pull out my laptop to spend some time on it relaxing. My sister is sitting next to me on the couch, watching Doctor Who on Netflix.  I am a proud nerdy sister.  

3:47pm - Oh dear, where did the time go?  I have lost some hours.  Well, I'll watch one episode of Supernatural on Netflix then I'll start packing.  

4:24pm - Aww man, this episode is one away from the season finale?  Ok, one more episode... *yawn*

6:37pm - Wha... WHAT?   I wake up.  I had fallen asleep   I know I should pack more... but I smell food cooking.  Momma is almost done making it.  I decide to eat and pack afterward.  

7:10pm - In a moment of procrastination, I decide to blog about my day.  

7:15pm - I finally get off the couch and decide to start gathering my things to pack.  

8:00pm - I take a break to watch ANTM with my momma.  It is an episode we recorded the end of.  It is super important I see the end, so all packing must stop.

8:30pm - I begin packing again, rather reluctantly, but with a smoothie from my daddy to tide me over.  

9:43pm - I take another break to shower, realizing a number of shower items are needed in order to complete the packing process.  

9:45pm - I turn on the TV.  Monsters Inc. is playing on ABC Family.  I become distracted.

10:22pm - I realize I should probably get in the shower.  

10:30pm - I exit the shower and begin fixing my hair.  

10:53pm - I resume packing.

11:20pm - One suitcase is packed.  One more suitcase is yet to be filled.  I look around, slightly discouraged at all I have left to fit into one suitcase. 

11:43pm - I loose all sense of reality.  I have been packing for an eternity.  The packing will never ever end.  

11:58pm - I become pulled from my world of packing by Snapchat.  I must respond to such important photographs.  

12:02am - I realize it has become June 9th, 2013.  It is officially the day of my first day of training for Deep Impact.  I realize I still have much to pack.  I sigh as I resume packing.

12:26am - The zipper on my final suitcase closes.  I lean against it in relief and accomplishment.

12:27am - I go into the kitchen to find my mother backing up my laptop.  I realize I never finished my blog post.  I decide to wait for my computer to finish before going to bed.

12:42am - My computer finishes backing up.  I take it, promising to go to bed soon.  Church in the morning.  

1:12am - I finish composing my blog post and glance at the time.  I rub my eyes, quickly format the post, and hit "Publish".  I browse a bit more online before finally heading upstairs to bed.  

Memories

If you could have any sort of magical item from the Harry Potter series, what would you choose? 

I've thought about this for a while.  There are many wonderful magical items in the Harry Potter Universe.  And at times I've wanted all of them.  A flying car to get out of heavy traffic and get to places faster?  Heck yes.  A Rememberall?  Well, actually, taking the worlds Mr. Longbottom, "trouble is, I can't remember what I've forgotten".  Any sort of Bertie Bots, Chocolate Frogs, Acid Pops, or any of the other myriads of candy?  Absolutely.  

But I think I would honestly choose a Pensive, and the ability to save memories and live through them again.  

I know, I'm only 20 1/2 years old.  I'm not like Dumbledore, a man with crowded thoughts and a lifetime of memories.  And I also know that the wise Professor mostly used his to look back through thoughts of greatest importance to his current cause.  And Snape (at least in the books) only used his so Harry wouldn't see his most embarrassing memory on accident, though we can see how well that worked out for him.

But I think I would use mine a bit differently than good old Dumbles.  I would save the little memories I am prone to forget.  

The late nights I've sat in a car with my friends playing "Would you Rather".  The midnight Cookout milkshake runs.  The Sunday Afternoons after church sitting in the quad doing homework.  The WAY TOO LATE but hilarious adventures of the Knights of Club Jack [AKA late night study sessions at my university's Library, for those who are confused].  The quick drives to get a Roo Cup refill with my sister.  The rides with one or both of my parents to and from school.  Those moments of the day when I take a deep breath and just thank God for the little things and realize how I'm blessed.  

And that's just in the past two years of college.  That's not even counting all of the wonderful, small but fantastic moments from the rest of my life.  Some of which are blurred with time, or forgotten altogether.  

And I think, how many of these fleeting, small but lovely memories will I manage to forget over my life?  Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to extract them while they're fresh, and then store them away for safe keeping.

Then, when I'm particularly sad or lonely or stressed, I can pick a small vial of shimmering memory, pour it gently into the bowl, and sink into a moment not-so-long gone, remembering a simple time when I remembered I was loved, blessed, and happily enjoying life.  

Ruth [Ruth]

To begin the series, I wanted to start with one of my favorite stories in the Bible: Ruth!  

The Story:

Ok, so Ruth is a pretty average girl in her town in Moab, and this new cute guy, moves to town.  Well, the cute new guy sorta likes Ruth, and she sorta likes him back, even though he's not a Moabite himself, but then they get married.  Ruth is pretty much welcomed into their family, along with Orpah, who married her brother in-law.  She seems to get along pretty well with Naomi her mother in-law.  Their happily ever after is cut short, however, when both of the sons die.  

Naomi, now a widowed, child-less woman, decides to move back home.  Orpah and Ruth both  decide to go with her, because she's their family.  But Naomi tells them they're young. They have time to go back to their family, get new husbands, and continue with their lives.  Orpah tearfully leaves, but Ruth refuses, saying she will stick by Naomi's side.  

When they get Bethlehem, Naomi's home, Ruth decides she's going to do what she can to provide for the both of them.  She gleans in the fields of a man named Boaz, who takes a liking to her.  Gleaning, she goes behind the harvesters and picks up the left-overs with other women of the town.  Boaz asks around, and when he learns Ruth's story, he convinces his workers to leave extra grain for her.  

Naomi learns about it, and thinks Boaz would be a good match for Ruth.  She orchestrates it so that Ruth follows the right steps so that he can be her "kinsman redeemer " a Jewish law/tradition that basically allowed for a widowed, childless woman a way to continue the family line and not suffer the way widows did in the society.  

Long story short, Ruth and Boaz get married, live happily ever after, and have a son named Obed.  He has a son named Jesse, who in turn has a son named David.  That's right, good ole Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of King David, one of the most celebrated kings of Israel.  


Sorting Hat:

Ruth, you are loyal to Naomi, and you worked hard in the fields.  Your patience with God's plan has put your story into the Bible, but the Sorting Hat places you in...

HUFFLEPUFF!

Rationale: 

Those placed in the Hufflepuff house value loyalty, hard work, and acceptance.  Ruth clearly displays all three of these traits in her story.  

When Naomi begins to venture off to her homeland, both Orpah and Ruth follow.  But Naomi tells the two of them they should go back to their families.  Orpah goes back, which is completely acceptable and understandable.  But Ruth shows intense loyalty by saying she would rather go to a place she's never been, with people she doesn't know, than to abandon Naomi and leave her all alone.  

Once in Israel, Ruth proves her dedication to working hard for herself and her mother-in-law.  She does one of the only jobs available to women, gleaning.  She goes behind the workers of the field and picks up the leftovers.  It is hard, tiresome labor.  Especially in the sun, with all of the layers that women wore at the time.  But that was the only way she could respectably provide for herself and Naomi.  So she grit her teeth and got to work.  

One thing that has always amazed me about Ruth is her willingness to adopt, accept, and embrace the people.  She moves away from her homeland and begins to adopt all of the usual  customs and traditions of the people.  Even in trusting Naomi with the idea of going to Boaz as the kinsman-redeemer, which was probably something she wasn't used to.  She completely accepted the people, and was in turn commended by the people around her as being better than "seven sons".  

~*~*~

To me, Ruth is a Hufflepuff.  She's courageous, smart, and I suppose a bit cunning as well, but her loyalty and willingness to get to work make her a Hufflepuff in my mind.  

What do you think? Do you agree with me, or do you think the hat would've placed her in another house?  Let me know!

Biblical Sorting, A [Sporadic] Series.

Truth time:  I am obsessed with Harry Potter. And as such, I mentally sort the people I meet into the four Hogwarts houses.  

This also translates into my quiet times, when I read about biblical characters in the bible.  And I know a blog a lot of heavy, deep things.  So I figured sharing some of my mental sortings would be entertaining for you to read and me to write.  

So, every so often, I will post my "evaluations" on here, under the tag "sorting" and the heading "Biblical Sorting: Insert Name Here [Insert bible passage they're found here]"  

I'll give a short summary, in my own words so it will be fun, of the person's story in the bible, and then I'll give my rational as to what house they would be in.  Fun, right?  I promise, I'll make these rather light-hearted and try to make them fun to read.

And I would love to hear what you all think of each person too!  This is the time to use the comments to let me know what you think!  Who knows, if your rationale is good enough, I might even retract my previous statement and go with a different house!  

Well, until then, have a wonderful day!  

Looking Around.

There are a lot of sayings telling us were to look.  Look at your past to see who you've become.  Look ahead to see where you want to go.  Look where you are, and live in the present.  Look up to see the possibilities.  Look down to know where you're going.  Look inside yourself to see who you are.  

It's hard to know where to look.  

Sometimes, I just wish that I could go around life with my eyes closed. When everything is going out of control and I just can't seem to make sense of it all.  

That's how I felt the last few weeks.  Last week of classes. Exams. Moving back home. Getting ready to work for Deep Impact.  It's all been a lot.  And I've almost felt like I've just wanted to close my eyes and breathe.  Letting the world rush past me, feeling everything moving, but not moving myself.  

It seems nicer that way.  Let everything else keep going and leave me behind.  

But that is not what I am called to.  

I am called to be here, to fulfill my purpose on this earth as designed for me by my wonderful, loving, amazingly beautiful Lord.  He has a plan for me, and if I'm here, it's because He still has purpose for me.  I'm meant to be here. I'm meant to do something, not just let everything happen around me.  

My past is there to shape me like clay into the vessel God needs.  My future is dictated by the one who holds my life.  I am here for a specific purpose that I am fully equipped to handle.  God is above me, guiding me towards everything I need.  I know I am walking on solid ground, because I have put my faith in my Savior, who is a firm foundation.

And when I look inside myself, I see a child of God, a wonderful creation that has been made new for him.  The orphan He saw in the muck and filth of her sin and somehow decided she was worth everything to Him.  Whom He plucked out of the dirt and cleaned in His sacrifice, making her a beautiful princess, heir to His victory and Kingdom.  

So I won't go through life with my eyes closed, no matter how much I want to.  I will go through life looking around, seeing the fingerprint of God everywhere I go.  

#One

I am tired.  

Physically, I'm tired because this past weekend, I helped lead a youth event.  I was a leader to 5 wonderful 6th grade girls, who grew and laughed and loved each other and God this weekend.  It was basically one big sleepover, and it was a blast.  But I'm not a 12 year old girl anymore.  They have way too much energy, those girls!  Haha just kidding, I loved them all and miss them terribly.  

But I'm also still tired.  Spiritually.  

The theme of the weekend was "One".  The youth focused on the fact that we, as believers, are the body of Christ.  As such, we are called to be united with one another.  We are called to love, support, and forgive, no matter what.  

And this is why I'm tired.  I'm tired of the representatives of Christ around me fighting among themselves.  

It's no wonder we are mocked, ridiculed, and judged for our faith.  Because how can we represent a single Kingdom, a single purpose, when we're so split.  

I'm tired of grudges held between brothers and sisters. I'm tired of nasty looks, eyerolls, whispered secrets, even if they're "totally true".  I'm tired of mistrust, hurt, sighs, frustration.  

I'm tired of being distracted in the worship of my God because someone else is casting a piercing glare at me, or my friend.  I'm tired of being worried to speak up for worry of rocking the boat.  

I'm tired of he said, she said, they said, I said.  

I'm tired of it all.

We are the body of Christ.  Do you really think Jesus went around glaring at his own left hand or kicking himself in the butt with his foot?  I don't.  

But I also realize I've been part of the problem.  I'm not perfect.  I've held some grudges and judged unnecessarily   And, when I've noticed a problem, I haven't spoken up.  I sat quietly, awkwardly, waiting for the moment to pass.

Well, no longer.  I'm not acting out of anger, but out of love.  I love my brothers and sisters in Christ.  And a family should not fight.  A kingdom should not be divided and splintering.  The church should be one, with one purpose, one mission, one goal.  And our goal is to spread the kingdom of God here on earth.  We are to go and make disciples of all nations.  And we cannot make disciples if we are fighting and arguing and glaring.  

We are one in Christ.  So why don't we start to act like it?