Sorry it has been so long. We'll just catch up with the craziness that is my life one piece at a time. The last three weeks of Spring semester found me back up in Morris, in the craziness of trying to finish everything before they would let us Education majors graduate. In the nine days that I had class, there were ten essays and two half-hour presentations to complete. But, I survived with flying colors, little sleep, and great memories. Here's a picture of the Elementary Education class of 2007 and our professors. (Yup, only two guys... they have put up with a lot from us and were a great asset to our class.)
May 12th proved to be a beautiful day. Beautiful enough, even, to have the Commencement ceremony held outside on the mall. It was so nice! Each year the seniors vote whether we will march in alphabetically or randomly (so we can sit with our friends). This year, as usual, we marched randomly, so I was able to sit with a bunch of my closest friends and it was an awesome experience to share.
Throughout my four years at Morris, each week I have gone over to my friend Dorothy Sayre's house for Christian fellowship, making good food, and having lots of fun. This year, there were EIGHT of us who graduated that call ourselves "Dorothy Girls". These are the ladies I was privileged enough to spend the last few years with, share amazing lives in the Lord, and also walk through graduation with. They are an amazing group. We're spreading all over the globe: throughout Minnesota, Colorado, and even Kenya! The Lord is good and will continue to bless us as we grow.
So, it was a great day. I was blessed to have my parents, sisters, and even my grandmother from Iowa there. The Lord additionally blessed me by letting me be fairly un-emotional. I realized what was happening, but was able to say goodbyes without breaking down. It felt weird, but I realized that this peace was from Him. That evening we had an Open House at my parents. That was a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord's goodness with all of my friends in the Twin Cities as well. Thank you all for your support and shared life that you have given me throughout my four years in the prairie. Glory!
In my discernment process for what the Lord is calling me to next year, I have been considering many options. I feel that the Lord wants me to be teaching in a branch while living in household. One of the forerunners among those living situations is Dinkytown. So I have been checking out life there this past week. (Well, I'm still here.) :) It has been a great week! The head of the women's house that I am staying at has made me a schedule for each day... it's awesome.
Each member of the household spends an hour of their time each week doing missionary work (affectionately called "mishing") This involves walking up to people (strangers or not) and talking to them about the Lord, getting together with previous contacts, and other activities of this nature. So, I went with Jen and Cara to experience this first-hand for the first time on Thursday. Jen led the first charge and Cara the second. Unfortunately, neither one produced much of a connection. Then Jen turns to me and says, "Do you want to lead the next one?" (pause) "Umm... sure!" Our opening line which I really like was "Hi, (introductions). We are looking for women who are interested in building Christian community..." We ended up talking to two friends, Kristen and Veronica, who are both strong Christians. A few minutes into our conversation they said "Well, we're both graduating this spring." "Really? So am I! And you know the best thing about living our life in Christian community? We form friendships that last a lifetime. We've come from all over the country and committed to live our lives this way, together." Their comment could have been a conversation ender, but the Lord opened a door there. Jen was really direct and asked if they wanted to come over for dinner that night. They were busy, but then we invited them to Lord's Day... this is the best part. (Kristen:) "I think I could probably do that." (Veronica:) "Well, I think we should at least try it out." Praise God!!! We kept praying for them the rest of the week, and they both came to Lord's Day. Glory!!! We had some great conversations and I know they enjoyed themselves. The Lord really blessed all of us in that and it was a great first "mishing" experience. Hopefully they can come to a dinner here next week or something.
Our King's blessings are never ending. He gives us desires in our heart that we may not even be aware of! He showed me that twice this week... but those are stories for another time. You'll just have to ask me about it. :) After our Lord's Day meal tonight, we had a cd release party for J-T Kelly. It was great! The house was full of Division members, guests, and Action team members. I bet that there were at least 70 people there. What a joyous occasion! I've been thinking about Allendale a LOT this week and really miss it. The Lord has united my heart with that place and those people. Rejoicing in J-T's efforts was a great way to end the week... especially since he was my boss in Allendale. Ah, good times!
Other random highlights of the week: playing soccer on the mall, free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, running into a number of friends from UMM and Trinity, roof of the Physics building, having lots of time in prayer and reflection, doing chores, hearing talks from the PTI, reconnecting with friends from grade school, Morning Prayer at 6:30 am, beautiful weather, many long walks, job hunting, getting asked to schedule my first interview, the "happy meter log"... But by far the best part of this week was being able to spend real, quality time with these sisters and brothers. There were so many great talks about life. I was inclined to distinguish between "life in general" and "life in the People of Praise" but then I realized that for me, they are one and the same. That has become clear. Come, Father, move in power!
For the past four years I have had bits and pieces of my life in a few different worlds. This is not to say that I have lived completely separate lives, but the distinctions are clear. Care to take a gander into the trichotomy?
Obviously one of these worlds is that in which I go to school and live in Morris. Morris is a small, rural town in Western Minnesota amidst fields of corn and soybeans. The major features of the skyline poking out of the prairie are the Morris water tower, the ethanol plant (don't you just love the smell of ethanol in the morning?), and our really cool wind turbine. This 230 foot tall "windmill" provides about 60% of the entire campus' power. Since that is all renewable energy, it also makes UMM one of the greenest campuses in the country. I love my Morris life, but it's very different. I keep more than busy by studying Elementary Education, singing in Concert Choir, being involved in the local Newman Center, and forming many excellent friendships. Living in such a liberal learning community, I have been pushed way out of my comfort zone and learned a lot about tolerance and communication while still remaining true to my own beliefs. I am not afraid to be direct with people and provide a place where truth can be discussed. It was an adjustment to living the small town lifestyle, but it's been fun. I will miss these people a lot. I has been wonderful, but that phase is very quickly coming to a close.
Another huge part of my life is that in the People of Praise. I have my Women's group which consists of seven college women on four different campuses. Cathy Nordman (a wonderful woman in People of Praise) makes this unity possible. Evidence of this is seen by looking at her odometer. All of us are a part of the Campus Area, a vibrant illustration of area life in the Servant Branch. We do shared life really well: Lord's Days, social nights, works of service for one another, celebrations, etc... In our area, some things are very evident: we love good food, good drinks, and good conversation with good company. There is a vibrancy to our life in Campus Area.
However, I have also had a window into the world of Campus Division in the People of Praise. I love this way of life as well. This week, I'm actually seeing what day to day looks like here in Dinkytown / U of M (Twin Cities) Division life. It's been great having Jen make me a schedule every day... I don't have to plan anything! The life here is really full and rich. Ever since living in Allendale (Summer 2005) I have had a very strong desire to put life in common. That is how they live here: space, food, rent, cars, money, state in life, etc... It's a great way to live life too.
So, now I have some decisions and sacrifices to make. I know where my heart and determination lie, but it has been recommended to me that I go through this discernment slowly and methodically. So, that is what I intend to do.
Tonight I was incredibly blessed by the opportunity to get together with a former classmate. We have literally known each other our entire lives, but have not seen each other in nearly two and a half years. I hate it when I lose contact with people, but I'm having to accept that it's just a part of life sometimes. I have kind of realized that there seem to be two main natures that friendships can take in this context. One, is that once contact is lessened or lost, it is extremely difficult to regain. The other path is where you can pick up again, right where you are in life without missing a beat. This friendship renewed tonight is certainly the latter.
I was able to go over to her new apartment and we spent nearly five hours together, just talking (plus exploring a favorite old bookstore and some delicious ice cream). We covered a gamut of topics and opened doors to many more conversations to come. I am hoping that with my upcoming proximity to her, that this renewal is able to be strengthened even further. We have both gone through a lot in our lives and have many exciting experiences and learned life lessons to share with one another.
But the biggest blessing? It was very clearly when I came to the realization that God has her in the palm of His Hand, whether or not she knows it. In the past, this dear friend of mine battled with a depression worse than many cases I have ever seen and she also struggled with eating disorders. Now she is healthy and stated to me enthusiastically, "Karen, I have never been so happy in my entire life! I am just bursting with joy and loving life." Her joy is my joy... I was elated. Lord, I would ask that You continue to draw her close and protect her as she continues on the path that You have set for her. Show her that You are still her God and her best friend. Whether or not she realizes it, I know the deep-seated love that she has for You. Show me the way to go and the words to speak. Let me radiate Your Love. Amen.
"We live, we love. We forgive and never give up 'cause the days we are given are gifts from above, and today we remember to live and to love." (Superchic[k])
Sometimes I cannot help but stop and look around at my life. It is times like this when I am able to stop and breathe, and I am filled with true gratitude for all that the Lord has given me. The best thing about birthdays is getting to talk to everyone! So, even though I should have been doing lesson planning, I was on the phone for most of the night with people in Minnesota, Virginia, Nevada (that's just my immediate family), Texas, Indiana, Colorado, and Costa Rica!!! Technology is a beautiful thing... for more reasons than one.
This past year was a crazy one, mostly one of growth. I don't consider twenty-two years to be very many to have been on this planet. But, I did catch myself in the mirror today and was fairly pleased with what He's been up to in that short amount of time, especially recently. Within the last year, the Lord has really been working in my life, in my heart. I especially have a fresh perspective on some of the relationships in my life. I truly cherish those who He has brought into my life both at Morris, through the People of Praise, and also from other areas of my life. They keep me in check, in perspective, balanced. I always have a number of people who I can talk to at any time about anything. The Lord has blessed me immensely in the last two months as well through my roommates in El Paso. We've known each other for a few years and had all of our classes together for the past two years in the El Ed Program. But, I never expected it to be going as well as it has been. It was immediate, no akward period of adjustment or anything. It's odd though because I realize these months here will provide us with a bond, but it doesn't mean that we're going to be great friends or even stay that close after graduation. I'm sure we'll keep in touch in terms of teaching, and I'll think of them often... but you know what I mean.
That is one thing that I have been thinking more about recently, which I should have been expecting. There was a time near the end of my senior year of Trinity that I realized that I would not stay in touch with everyone from our small class of 55. This was a hard realization because I had kind of fallen / put into the role of "class organizer" -> the one who knew everyone, where they were going to college, most of their birthdays and middle names, their possible majors, one of the seniors on yearbook, etc... I am the only class representative for our class, I'll coordinate things in the future. I think that because of this, I held onto people for longer than many do. For the first two years of college, I stayed in touch with most of my class and would give the "Christmas / Summer updates" to people. I've gotten away from that in recent years to a certain extent. I still really value these people and it is truly my pleasure to serve them by being a link between them and Trinity.
I guess I have been realizing the value of relationships being two-sided. They have to be two-way streets. I don't want to have to put all of the effort into my friendships. There has to be a mutual commitment to something or someone for it to work. I've been realizing that I shouldn't feel bad about not putting myself through the agony of exhausting myself over things like this. I'm not giving up, I'm not going to change who I am, who I love, or what I value. However, I've had to convince myself that sometimes people float in and out of our lives, it is natural. It's a hard reality to swallow, but as a result of the choices that we make, it is true... it is what we choose, all of us. And I'm OK with that now.
And that is one reason why I love my life in the People of Praise. It is how I am choosing to live. It is what I am inviting others to live with me. It is who I am choosing to live it with. Won't you join us?
