“There's
such a lot of different [Charlottes] in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a
troublesome person. If I was just the one [Charlotte] it would be ever so much more
comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting.” ~ Anne of Green Gables [edited]
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Biola explores the theme of rest in the Bible quite a bit, since so
many college students are overworked, stressed, and exhausted. |
The last weeks of November overflowed with the theme of rest. Bits of home permeated the overwhelmingly busy college schedule and my anxieties were replaced with peace and contentment as God answered my prayers and showed up in very real ways. In my Torrey sessions we began studying the Bible, specifically the Pentateuch, which was a refreshing change after Sophocles and Plato, and it's been wonderful discovering the truths that God revealed to Israel and reveals to us. To top it off, the Biola apartments hosted a free evening focused on rest--I made s'mores at the fireplace pavilion, listened to an RC read Winnie the Pooh in a Swedish accent, started a 500-piece puzzle, colored with crayons, & listened to live music!
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| Kathryn and I, dressed at Secret Agents for Cosmic Bowling! |
The weekend before Thanksgiving, I ended up going on a spontaneous GYRAD (Get Your Roommate A Date) with my friend Ike--we went cosmic bowling and then got dinner at In-and-Out! The funny thing is, I don't seem to have a picture of Ike and me, but I do have one of Kathryn and me at the GYRAD...but I guess that's ironically a bit more appropriate since Kathryn and I spent most of the time at the bowling alley together :) Love this girl!
Enter: THANKSGIVING!
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How to do the Gobble.
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For Thanksgiving break, I traveled 3 hours to Bakersfield to stay for 5 days with my friend Lauren and her family at her grandparent' s house. I met her wonderful family--her younger sister Lani and her parents, and we had a lovely time! We watched a few movies--my favorite was the new Disney princess movie Frozen! I highly recommend it, since it has none of the "believe in your heart" "follow your dreams" "true love's kiss" jargon that Disney princess movies usually have. Instead, it values truly sacrificial love, and is a beautiful example of John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." The picture on the left shows all the wonderful food we had for Thanksgiving dinner! A highlight for me was being able to pick an orange off their orange tree and eating a freshly picked orange! That's a first! Featured below is a Salted Pecan Pie that I made!
Enter: CHRISTMAS!
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My floor, Legacy, at the Hope dorm Christmas Party with Santa!
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My dear friend and budding photographer Brook decided to do a photo shoot with all the beautiful Christmas decorations in our dorm lobby, and we had a total blast! She is so talented at lighting and angles--and she didn't even edit any of the photos.
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| JOY |
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| LOVE |
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| PEACE |
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| HOPE |
"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
~Isaiah 9:6-7
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It's the most wonderful time of the year!
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| With the photographer herself: the beautiful Brook Rulison, my wonderful, spontaneous, joyous friend! |
I hope you enjoyed this little taste of what I've been up to! Besides all the exciting moments I've shared, college life still consists of the usual: Chorale rehearsals and concerts, CSP meetings with the high schoolers I'm mentoring, Torrey lectures and finalizing my term paper, lovely chapels, and quiet evenings in my dorm doing homework with friends.
Last night, I had the privilege of seeing the actor Tony Lawton perform an 80 minute solo performance of C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. Of the many lines that touched my heart and resonated in my soul, this quote sums up that call that I have been hearing from Christ these past few months:
"Will you come with me to the mountains? It will hurt at first, until your feet are hardened. Reality is harsh to the feet of shadows. But will you come?"
God has been teaching me, growing me, challenging me, and pouring His love and grace on me so that I may pour it out on others--I pray that He is doing the same to you!
I'll see many of you soon! I can't wait!
Blessings,
Charlotte
