Let's Go to the Beach, Each, Let's Go Get Away

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[youtube=SeIJmciN8mo][youtube=-w6YG2NZguc]

As the title suggests, today was a day at the beach. I apologize for getting the song stuck in your head if you watched the video...and for your suffering through watching a Nicki Minaj video. This song has been sung more than 3 times daily since I arrived in Burlington, so I suppose it's only fair that the rest of you experience a bit of my stuck-in-the-head misery.

on another note

Last night was by FAR the most fantastic date night I have ever experienced. Date? I'm dating someone? What's his name? It wasn't an actual awkward one-on-one, let's try to push the relationship another step forward then DTR at the end kind of date. At GMS, character-building is probably the most prominent goal for the summer; to grow more into the character of Christ within the roles He created for us to fit. Date night was set up to help women grow more into the role women were created to play, and vice versa for men.

It all began with a proposal at dinner Friday night. The guys proposed to us girls by getting down on one knee (for real) and asking if we would go to this mysterious date night with them. Of course there was much giggling and blushing, but overall we were excited to see what the guys were up to. Honestly, I didn't have much faith in them because they didn't seem to know much more about the event than we girls did. Oh was I wrong.

After dinner last night (Saturday), we girls got dressed up (yes, I actually wore make-up! Katy: this was the one time of the month to wear it!) while we waited for the guys to finish their schemes and direct us to wherever we were going.

We were driven to Oakledge Beach, where we women immediately ran toward the water to take pictures in front of the sunset. If this had been the whole date, I'm pretty sure all of us still would have been satisfied. There ain't no mountains err water in Cinci-nasty!

But, of course, we were surprised by more activities (after a while of joking, a short-lived game of Make It or Break It, and some deep theological discussion) that led us back to the rest of the guys who hovered around a picnic table with all of the supplies they brought. As we looked closer, we saw a bowl full of batter, a skillet, and strawberries. Yep, our guys made us CREPES. They were DELICIOUS and much thinner than any crepes I've ever attempted to make (the one time Jeremy and I attempted crepes way back when...).

While more crepes were being perfected, some of the guys went toward the beach to start a fire on the sand. None of the guys having any Boy Scout experience, it took a while. But once it started and was maintained, they pulled out S'MORES materials (including the most ginormous marshmallows ever)!! With so many tricks up their sleeves, we were taken aback and felt incredibly impressed by the men for stepping up and planning so well.

I don't think I've felt so loved, desired, and worth being pursued like I did last night. I hope I speak for all of the ladies by saying that the guys made us feel beautiful...the way God created us to be. Time with the other women was so much fun, and when the guys weren't busy putting everything together for us (treating us like PRINCESSES), they hung out and laughed with us too.

Needless to say, I will never forget this night, and anyone who wants to pursue me or any of the other women from the group will have a much higher standard set for a wonderful first date. Thanks, guys, for an awesome night. You're already growing into men of God, leading well by following His example of leading His church.

today

The frenzy to wake up, get ready, and scramble to figure out who was going to which church and what each church was about started my morning out on a rather unsettling note. I have a LOT of patience to gain through this summer...

I ended up going with a big group of people who went to Calvary Chapel. A non-denominational church, Calvary sounded like my best option based on what would most likely feed me the most. I didn't notice how large our group was until we walked into the church and took up 2/3 of the congregation. We all chuckled as we looked around us and saw how small the church was, feeling like we were invading the place. The congregation was incredibly friendly and inviting, greeting us and offering us the best seats. The worship music was solely a man on a piano with the aide of a powerpoint projected on the wall in front of us to help us with the lyrics. The style of music reminded me of my childhood church, or at least what I can remember of it, at South Dayton Presbyterian Church. Traditional, but familiar songs were sung with the melodies and rhythms to which they were originally played. The music contrasted both the up-tempo bluegrass versions familiar to the Oaks and the slowed Indie-rock style often played at Missio Dei .

Aside from the music, the pastor (the same man who played the piano/led worship) spoke true, convicting words from 2 Kings 14 . He spoke about the surprise of Jonah being included in the passage and continued to provide background on Jonah, explaining his mission and why he decided to travel in the exact opposite way to which God was leading him. He wasn't simply a stubborn, disobedient man looking for trouble in the belly of a whale. He, like many of us involved in ministry of any kind, was burnt out from loving and speaking truth to whole communities of people who refused to listen and take heed to the word of God. He was tired of spending so much of his resources and energy on people who seemed hopeless to ever let go of their idols (the actual golden calves at this point) and instead worship the true King. Ironically, Jonah ended up making the same decisions these people had made. He decided to walk away from God and trust his own path to lead him where he needed to be.

The pastor's explanation of Jonah's journey related to our own seasons of life was captivating. He described our trials as enormous waves "like the ones in Deadliest Catch" crashing over us. These waves are overwhelming and often bring us to a point, like Jonah, where we wish for death to come to end our suffering. These waves are more than simply wrath from an angsty, pissed-off God. They are powers that allow God to wipe away our idols, to wash us clean, to bring us to our knees begging Him for mercy. They offer no option for us other than to choose between following and trusting God or death.

sounds familiar?

Spring quarter this year was not as full of sunshine and careless fun as we'd all hoped. Many of us at UC (and surely everywhere) have been through waves like these, enormous, hopeless of escaping alive. Through deaths, pain, failure, insecurity, and other exhausting trials, God has been shaping our community more into the sculptures He wants us to become with His terrifyingly powerful, but loving and Dikaios (righteous-just) waves.

My prayer for those of you about whose struggles I know and for everyone else whose lives have been overwhelmed is that you would consider the choice that leads to life instead of to death. We have hope! You may not have any now or see any for a long time, but the God of the Bible has some awesome promises for EVERYONE who trusts Him:


• John 15:7If you keep following and trusting Him and His words, instructions, and grace remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
• Philippians 4:6-7You don't need to be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, you can present all of your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends everything we can understand and experience, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• and my favorite promise: 2 Corinthians 5:17 if you are in Christ, you are a NEW creation (you're not the same person anymore!); the old has gone (it's dead and no longer part of you), the new has come!


The last verse reminds me of one of my favorite songs of the moment, "I Am New" by Jason Gray. I added the video to this post, and I hope you enjoy it. The song itself is pretty, but the lyrics are simple, yet incredibly powerful for people like myself (and maybe you, too) who are in desperate need of a new start, true hope, and a set purpose for the rest of my life.

Love you all and still thankful for all of your support!

-Mere

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