Dance on..and on...and on...and on

This weekend was a big weekend at Penn State. A weekend students wait for all year - the annual dance marathon...better known as THON. It's the largest student-run philanthropy in the world! THON is a year-long effort that raises funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer and the culmination is this weekend. This year they raised a record-breaking $7.49 million!! 700 student "dancers" stand on their feet for 46 hours straight...no sitting, no sleeping (needless to say, people go a little delerious). It's a remarkable thing to see..I don't think words can even do it justice. I remember being a student and wanting to dance (I even tried to climb under the fence to get onto the floor...only to be immediately caught and sent back under!!). Ten years later I wonder how I could have even entertained the thought..I need my sleep!
This year Navs had 4 of our own dancers (two of them are pictured here in green...the girls are in the middle of one of the dances!). They were champs! We even made the front page of the student newspaper. We also had the priviledge of having a THON family this year. The family has a 12-year-old son, Mac, who was diangosed with a brain tumor last January. Our students got to know the family pretty well over the past few months and they were here the entire weekend. It's been an incredible opportunity for the students to love on the family and show them Christ during this difficult time. There are hundreds of families who are like Mac's family who are impacted by THON (they receive money from the funds raised that help to cover medical bills that insurance doesn't cover). It is heart wrenching to look out on the dance floor and see children with little hats on, to cover the fact that they have lost their hair. And yet at the same time, it's heart warming because they are having a blast running around the floor playing with the students. I'm so proud of our students and the ways they have loved Mac and his parents. And by doing that they have shown them Jesus. They kept Christ at the center of everything they did this weekend. Did I mention how proud I am of them?!

30 + 1

I spent a lot of time dreading the big 3-0. I can remember a day, 6 months BEFORE my birthday, when I woke up from a nap in a complete panic. "I'm going to be 30, my 20's will be gone, I'm getting old!" I vividly remember my father's 30th surprise birthday party. It was an "Over the Hill" party. And I truly did think he was old. So, I was amazed that it was my turn.
I got to a point where I decided that I was going to celebrate this day, not dread it. So I entered into my thirties with a bang...I took a trip to Hawaii! I went with two wonderful friends. It was the most amazing trip of my life...the beauty amazed me and I often verbally reminded us that we weren't dreaming, but in fact were in Hawaii. Before I left, my friends told me I needed to do something every day that scared me. I took ther challenge and met it! We surfed, we snorkeled, we went parasailing, went for a helicopter tour, rented mopeds, ate shrimp from a truck on the side of the road (who knew sketchy could be so good?), tried on a $107,000 ring at Tiffany's, got up and did some hoola dancing in front of a large crowd (which is way harder than it looks, those women have mad skills!), had a picnic on the beach...you name it, we did it! What a way to start this decade of life.
Somewhere along the line during this year, something changed. I LOVED being 30. I had worried for so long and instead was blown away this year. Maybe it's the ring of it...I love saying "I'm 30". Maybe it's the shock of it (I still look like I'm 22). Maybe it's realizing I'm more mature. But I also think it was seeing the blessings that God brought this year...he made the year more than I could have asked or imagined.
I found myself getting anxious about officially being in my thirties. And then remembered what God has done in the past year. I love that word - Remember. I don't think I often take enough time to do jus that. I forget to remember! God called the Israelites to remember a lot. It helped them see God's faithfulness, it helped them remember who He was and what He was capable of doing, it helped them press on. Even as I write this, I'm speaking to myself yet again! I can be excited about what is to come. I know God's character and I know what He is capable of. So, I look forward to this next year, 30+1 (I can't quite bring myself to say 31 yet), with anticipation for what God will do in and through me.

Came and Went

Before I lived in Colorado, I thought it was normal to have gloomy days for a few months straight. Then I learned what it was like to have sunshine nearly 300 days out of the year. And life will never be the same! I love being near family and friends, but why can't we just move Colorado here?!
My roommate and I needed a little pick-me-up and bought some crocuses a few weeks ago. They started to bloom and we have been enjoying our own little spring in right in our kitchen. For a few days this week State College had "spring" not just in our kitchen, but outside. Sunshine. Warm weather (for a few brave (or stupid) souls, it was even shorts weather). Birds chirping. Melted snow. I knew it was too good to be true, and yet there was part of me that hoped maybe it was here to stay. Last night brought some rather gusty winds...and with it the freezing weather. It was all a tease. It wasn't as cold as the picture makes it look (I took it from my front window a few weeks ago), but the wind sure did make it feel pretty darn close...it chills me to the bone. And so I'll bundle back up and put my bright pink hat back on and cuddle under my big, brown, fuzzy blanket for another two months or so. And in the mean time enjoy the beauty of the snow we'll surely get before now and the real deal. And maybe just pretend I'm back in Colorado with all the sun. Actually, if I'm going to pretend, I should aim for something even better...Hawaii, where I'd get sun AND warmth :)

So far...

Here's a glimpse into the past few weeks:


Dinner at the Corner Room with "B Stud"


Standing on frozen water at our winter retreat (yes, those would be cracks beneath their feet)


200 Students gathered for a regional conference. Times of worship were my favorite part.


The beautiful sunset over the Maryland Bay..I ventured out onto that ice to get this shot..maybe not the smartest move, but worth it!

Let 'em flow

It seems that in the Navigator world, everybody speaks in Meyers Briggs lingo (a personality test). We use it to explain ourselves or other people. "She needs her "I" time" (translation: she's an introvert and needs to refuel). "He's such a "J" (translation: he's always on time, loves to make lists and is organized). I'll add one more to the list - one about me. I'm such an "f"...feeler that is! I'm just going to admit, I'm not afraid of tears. Actually, I'm a sucker...when I see somebody else cry, it's likely that I'll join them. I think they're beautiful because they can reveal a lot about a person. Tears can mean many different things: what means the most to a person, what makes them tick, what hurts them, what they're passionate about. Over the past few weeks, I've sat with women who have cried over the death of a best friend. I've sat with a woman who, at the thought of abortion, cried over the millions of innocent lives have been lost. I've seen people broken over loved ones and friends who don't know Jesus. I've sat with women who have gotten "misty" (I've heard it said that they can't be considered tears if they never venture down the cheeks) over what Christ has done for them. I've heard the pain behind the tears of people struggling with illness. And yes, I've even shed a few of my own over unmet longings and expectations (and perhaps some while watching the "Biggest Loser"...and yes, I just admitted that).
Yesterday was one of those days when I left my house and already felt tired and unmotivated. It was one of those days where I wondered if I was making a difference. My focus was on myself rather than on the One who gives me strength. In the midst of my "me moment", God gave me a gift. As I met with women, I clearly saw God working in their hearts in a way that I could have never made happen. And then I got to see some more "mists". As I sat with one of the girls in the student union, we talked about my birthday. She asked what it felt like to be one year older and then kindly reminded me that I didn't seem "old"! And then tears welled in her eyes as she told me that she was so thankful that I've chosen to be here with the students. I was humbled and honored that she would choose to share her words and tears with me. Humbled that God would give me a glimpse at the work He is doing through me. Humbled that in the midst of me focusing on myself, that God still moves. Honored that I get to share in so many different kinds of tears with people I love.

WORD.

I love it when worlds collide. When God teaches you the same lesson through different means. When you feel like saying "Ok God, I get it...I think I get what you're throwin down". Our current sermon series at church is about the Word. Last week our speaker at Nav Night talked about the importance of the Bible in our daily lives. Ten different students shared verses that have impacted them recently, things that touched them during their personal times with God. This talk was meant to encourage the students and in the mean time jolted me. God speaks so differently to people...and yet so similarly. One by one, as each student shared their heart, I was so encouraged. Encouraged by the way these students seek God. Encouraged that God spoke to each student in a unique way. Encouraged that God would use their words to speak to me. Encouraged to see how God moves. Encouraged by the fact that His Word is living and active and changes lives. Encouraged by the fact that they don't keep the Word to themselves...Mike shared..then Ken shared something that Mike had shared with him...and then Kyle shared how Ken had shared something with him. The domino affect...gotta love it.
One of the vereses that struck me was Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in pefect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you". As usual, God's timing was right on. He knew what I'd been carrying around with me...stuff I should have trusted him with weeks ago. I've been meditating on that verse for a few days...and probably will for a few more. I've been amazingly refreshed...and it all came from students who were willing to use their words to share God's Word.
Here are a few more that were shared that night: Psalm 16:11, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 1 John 4:19, Isaiah 1:18, Romans 8:32. Go check 'em out...and let the domino affect continue.