Today was such an amazingly beautiful day that made me grateful that I live in Birmingham, surrounded by warm (comparatively) fall weather and the bright colors of autumn.
It was by far one of the best Saturdays of the semester. Know what I did--NOTHING! I made a point to not plan anything for the day so that I was free to do whatever I felt at the moment--whether that was to laze in my PJ's, sleep in, read a book, watch the game, whatever, and I did just that.
My favorite part of the day was spent on Vulcan Trail. I went up there to run, expecting to get a little exercise and enjoy the cooler weather, but God treated me to so much more. The trees were clad in their reds and golds and leaves were falling from the trees with every gush of wind. There were many people walking around with their fancy cameras. It made me stop and say thank you--I get to exercise not on a treadmill or stuck in a gym but at a place that people come to take pictures--isn't that cool?
I finished up a round of tests this week, and I think they all went well, but now there are none until the last round of tests which all fall on the SAME day!! So, with little studying to do, I got to start a new book entitled MY HANDS CAME AWAY RED. It is a book about a summer missionary who went to an island in Indonesia and got a little more adventure than she bargained for. I am not sure that I want to finish reading it because frankly it scares me a little and it makes me ask the question that I am not quite ready to answer--Am I willing to give it ALL??
One other thing that I wanted to share--
I adopted a child this week!--well, kind of. I did adopt a child, but not in the classical way. I adopted eight-year-old Olivia through Compassion International. I have always, always wanted to adopt a child and thought that this was a good place to start. She is SO cute, and much cheaper than a real child--only $32 a month. "What a bargain" as Dad would say.
It is such a simple way to help "the least of these." I am excited to be able to communicate with her, pray for her, and provide for some of her needs through my measly $32. Interested? You too can adopt a child, or maybe your Sunday School class could and then it would only cost you like $10 a month or maybe even less than that! Check it out at http://www.compassion.com/default.htm.
Well, I'm off to read some more of my book and enjoy what remains of my lazy Saturday!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Terrific Thursdays!
Thursdays are simply amazing...
For me Thursdays mean the end of what is normally a long week and the beginning of the weekend. I have class on Fridays unfortunately and meetings and such, but I officially allow my brain to shut off on Thursday afternoons.
This week has been quite long but WONDERFUL. I returned from the honors conference on Sunday a little later than expected due to flight changes that were quite annoying (we ended up sitting in the airport for 3 hours because our flight was rescheduled from 11:45 to 1:40). Upon my return, I celebrated my birthday with dinner with my amazing roommates. They baked a gorgeous sunflower cake, had sunflowers on the table, and gave me the most thoughtful gifts. Monday morning I awoke to streamers hanging from the ceiling, polka dots on the wall, Happy Birthday notes on the mirror, and, perhaps my favorite, the numbers 2-0 created from polka dots on the side mirror. I have spent much time on the floor of my room this week studying and surfing the web and one of my favorite things has been laying back and staring up at the streamers and polka dots on the ceiling--they are just so much fun!
Sunflower cake created by Jessica (and her mom)
Dinner at PF Changs
Yesterday, Wednesday, was a day that I had been anticipating for the past thirty days. Adam had the day off, so he graciously drove up here so that we could spend some time together. We ate at this really cool restaurant called Open Door Cafe--just a little family owned place with really good hummus, super sweet sweet tea, and very good pasta. All there food is home-cooked and seems fairly healthy and fresh (except maybe the sweet tea). You should definitely check it out (www.opendoorcafebirmingham.com). After dinner we grabbed coffee and just sat in the park and talked for a while. It was wonderful just to be together.
He brought me flowers (as you can see at the top of the blog) and the Jim Elliot biography--Through Gates of Splendor. I meant to ask when I was supposed to read this considering my schedule, but refrained.
I am really excited to get into it soon though--perhaps I can finish it by Thanksgiving. I know that it will be encouraging to read about someones RADICAL devotion to Christ. Jim Elliot was willing to give up his home, his dreams, even his family and eventually his life for his Lord, knowing that all these things pale in comparison to the Splendor of Christ. I think that the sacrifice of my own ambitions and plans for my life is MUCH scarier than even the fear of death. I pray that God will use this book to continue to ignite a passion in my heart for missions, one that He has been kindling for many years, a passion that will greatly outweigh the fear that often creeps into my heart.
As I think about missions I have begun to pray about what God would have me do this summer. I want to know all of the details before I say yes, but is that really obedience, does that really require faith? There are many questions that I have, like will I be able to halt my research project for the summer? These questions make me a bit anxious, so I would ask for your prayers as I seek the answers and His will.
Well, it is a little late, and although I can sleep later than usual on Friday mornings, I need to get up and at em to study--3 tests in the next week. I am heading home this weekend to relax, shop, and celebrate!! I can't wait!
For me Thursdays mean the end of what is normally a long week and the beginning of the weekend. I have class on Fridays unfortunately and meetings and such, but I officially allow my brain to shut off on Thursday afternoons.
This week has been quite long but WONDERFUL. I returned from the honors conference on Sunday a little later than expected due to flight changes that were quite annoying (we ended up sitting in the airport for 3 hours because our flight was rescheduled from 11:45 to 1:40). Upon my return, I celebrated my birthday with dinner with my amazing roommates. They baked a gorgeous sunflower cake, had sunflowers on the table, and gave me the most thoughtful gifts. Monday morning I awoke to streamers hanging from the ceiling, polka dots on the wall, Happy Birthday notes on the mirror, and, perhaps my favorite, the numbers 2-0 created from polka dots on the side mirror. I have spent much time on the floor of my room this week studying and surfing the web and one of my favorite things has been laying back and staring up at the streamers and polka dots on the ceiling--they are just so much fun!
Sunflower cake created by Jessica (and her mom)
Dinner at PF Changs
Yesterday, Wednesday, was a day that I had been anticipating for the past thirty days. Adam had the day off, so he graciously drove up here so that we could spend some time together. We ate at this really cool restaurant called Open Door Cafe--just a little family owned place with really good hummus, super sweet sweet tea, and very good pasta. All there food is home-cooked and seems fairly healthy and fresh (except maybe the sweet tea). You should definitely check it out (www.opendoorcafebirmingham.com). After dinner we grabbed coffee and just sat in the park and talked for a while. It was wonderful just to be together.
He brought me flowers (as you can see at the top of the blog) and the Jim Elliot biography--Through Gates of Splendor. I meant to ask when I was supposed to read this considering my schedule, but refrained.
I am really excited to get into it soon though--perhaps I can finish it by Thanksgiving. I know that it will be encouraging to read about someones RADICAL devotion to Christ. Jim Elliot was willing to give up his home, his dreams, even his family and eventually his life for his Lord, knowing that all these things pale in comparison to the Splendor of Christ. I think that the sacrifice of my own ambitions and plans for my life is MUCH scarier than even the fear of death. I pray that God will use this book to continue to ignite a passion in my heart for missions, one that He has been kindling for many years, a passion that will greatly outweigh the fear that often creeps into my heart.
As I think about missions I have begun to pray about what God would have me do this summer. I want to know all of the details before I say yes, but is that really obedience, does that really require faith? There are many questions that I have, like will I be able to halt my research project for the summer? These questions make me a bit anxious, so I would ask for your prayers as I seek the answers and His will.
Well, it is a little late, and although I can sleep later than usual on Friday mornings, I need to get up and at em to study--3 tests in the next week. I am heading home this weekend to relax, shop, and celebrate!! I can't wait!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Celebration
I know that it has been WAY to long since I have posted, but to attempt to catch you up on my life would take all night, and it is already almost midnight and an hour past my bed time.
This week is officially my favorite week of the year. You know what week it is?? Yes, it is my birthday week! I will be turning the big 2-0 on Saturday and leaving my teenage years behind (tear). This year has been simply amazing. I cannot complain (well I could but it would not do any good). I have been given so many great opportunities. I finally feel like I have a bit of direction as to my career goals and future plans and, in addition to all of that, I have gotten to spend the past year with an incredible guy--Adam Waters!
Not only is it my birthday week, but this is the also the week that Adam and I started dating (that was such a good week!). So, as of tomorrow, we will have been dating for one year--yeah! God has truly blessed me with Adam as he is such an encouragement and lifts my spirits on a daily basis. I am thankful for the year that we have gotten to spend getting to know one another and enjoy each others company.
As icing on the celebratory cake, I am going to San Antonio tomorrow and returning on Sunday. I will be attending a conference, so not all fun and games, but it will be good to get away from the hustle and bustle of classes for a few days. I am not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for this trip because it means that I will not get to celebrate my birthday with my family or my roommates :-( However, we shall celebrate upon my return and drag the birthday festivities out even longer--and that I do like.
I will try to be better at keeping you updated on the life and adventures of Sybil Sexton, but I promise that you are not missing too much!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Finally Friday
Classes have been going for two whole weeks now, and I must say that I am still not used to the busy pace. I have class four days and week and hope to relax on Fridays, but today is just not going to be one of those days! I am going to go study for a while and work in lab after that.
Despite the LONG hours of class and extended time on campus, there have been highlights to everyday this week. I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of time that I spend just sitting around. God has provided friends and dinner dates galore to insure that I am not too sad over "the loss of a loved one" as Mary Katherine so put it. That, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration. He (Adam) is not lost, just a few hours away and I will be seeing him very soon (Thursday afternoon actually, the countdown has begun)!
So, as I said many exciting things this week. Monday Ashley was in town from California so she and I ate at an amazing restaurant downtown called Fire and Ice. You must check it out. It is a very modern place with cool colors and good customer service. The meals are of the stir-fried variety and you fix them yourself by selecting meats and veggies as well as pastas and potatoes from a smorgasbord of choices. I myself chose chicken, shrimp and scallops along with broccoli, oranges, onion and a spicy teriyaki sauce. After making these selections you cart your bowl to the grill where the "grinning grillers" fry up your tasty meal. Our griller was grinning indeed, he even sang us a song (in an attempt to learn the lyrics) but I could not recognize the song. Perhaps he should just stick to his day job.
After dinner, Brittni and I took our first trip to WalMart as roomies. Eighty dollars and a lot of food later, we were settling in at the apartment.
Tuesday brought many more blessings. It was the first night of summer Bible study. Jenny and I are co-leading a Bible study for college girls and to my delight it is in our apartment!! So Tuesday Brittni and I picked up the apt and I made HOMEMADE peach cobbler. I wish now that I would have taken a picture of it; I was so proud! However, perhaps it is best that you didn't see what it looked like--the pan was a little too big so the crust only covered a very small section of the cobbler. Despite this, it was VERY yummy. We served it with ice cream and I must say it was a hit.
It was getting close to 7, the cobbler was done, the apt was clean, and there were only like 2 girls here. I was starting to get a little concerned, but not overly surprised: it seems that this is the way things often go. Oh me of little faith! In less that five minutes five people arrived!! Giving us a total of nine. We were not only blessed with numbers, but with incredible conversation. I learned so much from discussing the message from this previous Sunday on singleness.
I should have probably posted solely about that message earlier in the week.
One of my favorite quotes from the message was this:
Love desires that which honors God in another's life.
That is a big definition of love to live up to, but one that we can each use as a litmus test of our love for others.
As the girls left Jenny and I were in the kitchen cleaning up. We both grinned from ear to ear and almost did a little dance. "You know Jenny," I said, "I think that this is how Bible study is supposed to be."
I can't wait until next week. Jenny is making homemade cookies and spinach dip and I will be leading. Remember me and the girls in your prayers.
So that was Tuesday, Wednesday Jenny and I worked out after class and then I hung out at the BCM for a while.
Yesterday, oh yesterday was such a long day! Brooke and I went to step class around 5:30 p.m. I must say that for a person with no coordination step class is quite a challenge. I kept up for the first few steps, the ones that consisted of putting your foot up on the step and taking it off, but I was pretty much lost after that, especially at the end when she began to add mumbos (or something) and pivots and twists just for fun. I found myself marching in place and hoping that not too many people noticed that I was facing the wrong way! Despite my inadequacies, it was a blast and a really good workout--definitely feeling the pain today.
Well, I am off to open lab to look at slides of fungus and plants, then MK and I are having coffee this afternoon. Tonight holds many exciting things as well of which I must update you at a later time :-D
Despite the LONG hours of class and extended time on campus, there have been highlights to everyday this week. I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of time that I spend just sitting around. God has provided friends and dinner dates galore to insure that I am not too sad over "the loss of a loved one" as Mary Katherine so put it. That, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration. He (Adam) is not lost, just a few hours away and I will be seeing him very soon (Thursday afternoon actually, the countdown has begun)!
So, as I said many exciting things this week. Monday Ashley was in town from California so she and I ate at an amazing restaurant downtown called Fire and Ice. You must check it out. It is a very modern place with cool colors and good customer service. The meals are of the stir-fried variety and you fix them yourself by selecting meats and veggies as well as pastas and potatoes from a smorgasbord of choices. I myself chose chicken, shrimp and scallops along with broccoli, oranges, onion and a spicy teriyaki sauce. After making these selections you cart your bowl to the grill where the "grinning grillers" fry up your tasty meal. Our griller was grinning indeed, he even sang us a song (in an attempt to learn the lyrics) but I could not recognize the song. Perhaps he should just stick to his day job.
After dinner, Brittni and I took our first trip to WalMart as roomies. Eighty dollars and a lot of food later, we were settling in at the apartment.
Tuesday brought many more blessings. It was the first night of summer Bible study. Jenny and I are co-leading a Bible study for college girls and to my delight it is in our apartment!! So Tuesday Brittni and I picked up the apt and I made HOMEMADE peach cobbler. I wish now that I would have taken a picture of it; I was so proud! However, perhaps it is best that you didn't see what it looked like--the pan was a little too big so the crust only covered a very small section of the cobbler. Despite this, it was VERY yummy. We served it with ice cream and I must say it was a hit.
It was getting close to 7, the cobbler was done, the apt was clean, and there were only like 2 girls here. I was starting to get a little concerned, but not overly surprised: it seems that this is the way things often go. Oh me of little faith! In less that five minutes five people arrived!! Giving us a total of nine. We were not only blessed with numbers, but with incredible conversation. I learned so much from discussing the message from this previous Sunday on singleness.
I should have probably posted solely about that message earlier in the week.
One of my favorite quotes from the message was this:
Love desires that which honors God in another's life.
That is a big definition of love to live up to, but one that we can each use as a litmus test of our love for others.
As the girls left Jenny and I were in the kitchen cleaning up. We both grinned from ear to ear and almost did a little dance. "You know Jenny," I said, "I think that this is how Bible study is supposed to be."
I can't wait until next week. Jenny is making homemade cookies and spinach dip and I will be leading. Remember me and the girls in your prayers.
So that was Tuesday, Wednesday Jenny and I worked out after class and then I hung out at the BCM for a while.
Yesterday, oh yesterday was such a long day! Brooke and I went to step class around 5:30 p.m. I must say that for a person with no coordination step class is quite a challenge. I kept up for the first few steps, the ones that consisted of putting your foot up on the step and taking it off, but I was pretty much lost after that, especially at the end when she began to add mumbos (or something) and pivots and twists just for fun. I found myself marching in place and hoping that not too many people noticed that I was facing the wrong way! Despite my inadequacies, it was a blast and a really good workout--definitely feeling the pain today.
Well, I am off to open lab to look at slides of fungus and plants, then MK and I are having coffee this afternoon. Tonight holds many exciting things as well of which I must update you at a later time :-D
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Two long plane rides later...
After two days of flying and one incredible week, we are back. We arrived back in Birmingham at about 10 am yesterday (Saturday) morning. I was so sleepy and ready for a shower. The red-eye flight seems like an amazing idea because you can just sleep the whole flight, right? WRONG! It is so hard to sleep sitting straight up. We had an ornery reading light above our seat that flashed on and off for no reason at all. I think that the flight attendants just cut off the power to our seat or unscrewed the light bulbs or something to make it stop. By the time we got home I had not showered in over 36 hours and I am sure that everyone around me was aware of it.
We left "the compound" at about 10 am Friday morning with all of our things and spent the day in Lima before flying out on Friday evening at midnight. Lima was so much more American than the place that we stayed during the week. There were Starbucks and we at a Tony Roma's for lunch. You would think that it would be nice to see things that look familiar, but it was actually sad to me that people thought highly of American things and brought them to their country. To me it said that the "get all you can and can all you get" mentality of America was invading the rest of the world. This belief was further verified by the fact that all of the casinos in Lima were named after America cities (New York, Miami, Las Vegas). The BINGO trend was even catching in Lima, and "The Bingo Boat" looked to be a pretty popular destination.
Despite the American influence, Peru was a beautiful country, especially the Peruvian people. Before leaving for Peru, I had prayed that God will open my eyes and allow me to see the Peruvians the way that He sees them. When I saw the kids at the orphanage for the first time, I fell in love. They are absolutely gorgeous! I think that when you see the pictures you will also feel the same way. The spirit of those kids was just as beautiful as their faces. They were so giving, even with the little that they had.
When we arrived at the orphanage, the kids were eager to give us gifts. One of the girls took me to their "craft room" which was actually just a barn-like structure in which the craft supplies were kept along with chicken feed and old sewing machines. This room also housed the things that they had made. Diana (the face of Peru to me) gave me a bracelet and a colorful pony tail and placed brightly colored feathers in my hair. She then stepped back, looked up at me and said "Tu eres linda" (you are pretty). In this moment I thought--I am supposed to be ministering to her and here she is ministering to me.
That thought went through my mind most of the week--did I come to minister to them or to be ministered to? The natives with whom we worked were incredibly mature in their faith, and I was constantly challenged and encouraged by them. Our translators were incredible people of faith as well; they were both college students in Lima, Peru. They had incredible senses of humor and were constantly making me smile.
I learned a great deal about missions on this trip and am beginning to see that one of God's purpose for sending me on missions is to encourage and challenge me to live life as a stronger Christian at home. Sharing on the mission field is much more comfortable for me than sharing at home. Perhaps it is this way for everyone? There are fewer distractions on the mission field, and it is much easier to focus on the task at hand.
However, the Christians in both Peru and Thailand were excited and passionate about sharing the gospel with their OWN people. The boldness and commitment to God's Word at the places that they worked and lived showed me that God is calling me to live out the gospel at UAB and wherever else life takes me.
Well, this post is lengthy already and I feel that I have not even begun to describe the children, the country, or the work that God did through us. Perhaps I will post again later. For now though, I will leave you with some pictures and an earnest plea for you to pray for Peru, for the orphans and for the ministry of Alejandro and his team.
THANKS!
The cutest little boy--Carlitto
Diana and I being silly in our work goggles.
We left "the compound" at about 10 am Friday morning with all of our things and spent the day in Lima before flying out on Friday evening at midnight. Lima was so much more American than the place that we stayed during the week. There were Starbucks and we at a Tony Roma's for lunch. You would think that it would be nice to see things that look familiar, but it was actually sad to me that people thought highly of American things and brought them to their country. To me it said that the "get all you can and can all you get" mentality of America was invading the rest of the world. This belief was further verified by the fact that all of the casinos in Lima were named after America cities (New York, Miami, Las Vegas). The BINGO trend was even catching in Lima, and "The Bingo Boat" looked to be a pretty popular destination.
Despite the American influence, Peru was a beautiful country, especially the Peruvian people. Before leaving for Peru, I had prayed that God will open my eyes and allow me to see the Peruvians the way that He sees them. When I saw the kids at the orphanage for the first time, I fell in love. They are absolutely gorgeous! I think that when you see the pictures you will also feel the same way. The spirit of those kids was just as beautiful as their faces. They were so giving, even with the little that they had.
When we arrived at the orphanage, the kids were eager to give us gifts. One of the girls took me to their "craft room" which was actually just a barn-like structure in which the craft supplies were kept along with chicken feed and old sewing machines. This room also housed the things that they had made. Diana (the face of Peru to me) gave me a bracelet and a colorful pony tail and placed brightly colored feathers in my hair. She then stepped back, looked up at me and said "Tu eres linda" (you are pretty). In this moment I thought--I am supposed to be ministering to her and here she is ministering to me.
That thought went through my mind most of the week--did I come to minister to them or to be ministered to? The natives with whom we worked were incredibly mature in their faith, and I was constantly challenged and encouraged by them. Our translators were incredible people of faith as well; they were both college students in Lima, Peru. They had incredible senses of humor and were constantly making me smile.
I learned a great deal about missions on this trip and am beginning to see that one of God's purpose for sending me on missions is to encourage and challenge me to live life as a stronger Christian at home. Sharing on the mission field is much more comfortable for me than sharing at home. Perhaps it is this way for everyone? There are fewer distractions on the mission field, and it is much easier to focus on the task at hand.
However, the Christians in both Peru and Thailand were excited and passionate about sharing the gospel with their OWN people. The boldness and commitment to God's Word at the places that they worked and lived showed me that God is calling me to live out the gospel at UAB and wherever else life takes me.
Well, this post is lengthy already and I feel that I have not even begun to describe the children, the country, or the work that God did through us. Perhaps I will post again later. For now though, I will leave you with some pictures and an earnest plea for you to pray for Peru, for the orphans and for the ministry of Alejandro and his team.
THANKS!
The cutest little boy--Carlitto
Diana and I being silly in our work goggles.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Dos dias until PERU!!
In only two days, I will be leaving for Peru. The trip will be short compared to the one that I took last summer, very short!! Only one week, and two of those days will be spent in the airport or on the plane. That means that we have only 6 days on the ground in Peru...6 days to share the gospel, 6 days to be the hands and feet of Christ, only 6 days to disciple the believers in Peru. I have been overcome by how little time we have and how much we have to do!
We, we, we...it really is not about us at all nor are WE going to accomplish anything outside of HIM. Him, Him, Him...it should be all about Him, but somehow the focus is often shifted in the wrong direction, the direction of me and we. Pray that our focus this week will be HIM. I believe that our main purpose is going to Peru is not to change the country (or even a portion of it) but to be changed ourselves. We can be an encouragement to the believers there and even share the gospel with a few. However, I believe that God's main purpose in taking us to Peru is to change us so that we can return with our eyes open to the vast world around us, a world in which over a billion people have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ; a world desperate for the good news that we have kept hidden "under a bushel" for too long when we should "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
There are many prayer requests that I have for this week, but my main request of you is that you please PRAY. Pray for these requests or any others that God may lay on your heart, remembering always that the prayers of a righteous man avail much!!
Pray for the children in the orphanage that we will visit, pray for the administration at the school and the orphanage, pray for the team of local Peruvians that we will be working alongside, pray for safe travel and good working weather, pray for good attitudes and a team spirit, pray, pray, pray and thank you for your prayers!!
The week leading up to this trip has been simply amazing. I have gotten a lot of time to relax. Adam and I played chess outside on a life-size chess set on Monday. The weather was gorgeous and I even won a game (I think that he was slacking on the first game :-) It was my first time to play chess, and I can not wait to go back. Kate and I spent some time by the pool on Wednesday. Today and tomorrow I will be spent hanging out with Mom and Dad and Corey. God has certainly answered my prayer for a time to relax and catch up with friends and family. It has definitely been a wonderful last week of summer--well my summer at least. As soon as I return from Peru, the summer semester will begin, complete with classes and a research project. I am disappointed that the fun will end so soon, but also excited to be productive once again!
I can not wait until I write again. I hope to share with you many stories of God's glory revealed.
Much love and gratitude,
Sybil
We, we, we...it really is not about us at all nor are WE going to accomplish anything outside of HIM. Him, Him, Him...it should be all about Him, but somehow the focus is often shifted in the wrong direction, the direction of me and we. Pray that our focus this week will be HIM. I believe that our main purpose is going to Peru is not to change the country (or even a portion of it) but to be changed ourselves. We can be an encouragement to the believers there and even share the gospel with a few. However, I believe that God's main purpose in taking us to Peru is to change us so that we can return with our eyes open to the vast world around us, a world in which over a billion people have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ; a world desperate for the good news that we have kept hidden "under a bushel" for too long when we should "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
There are many prayer requests that I have for this week, but my main request of you is that you please PRAY. Pray for these requests or any others that God may lay on your heart, remembering always that the prayers of a righteous man avail much!!
Pray for the children in the orphanage that we will visit, pray for the administration at the school and the orphanage, pray for the team of local Peruvians that we will be working alongside, pray for safe travel and good working weather, pray for good attitudes and a team spirit, pray, pray, pray and thank you for your prayers!!
The week leading up to this trip has been simply amazing. I have gotten a lot of time to relax. Adam and I played chess outside on a life-size chess set on Monday. The weather was gorgeous and I even won a game (I think that he was slacking on the first game :-) It was my first time to play chess, and I can not wait to go back. Kate and I spent some time by the pool on Wednesday. Today and tomorrow I will be spent hanging out with Mom and Dad and Corey. God has certainly answered my prayer for a time to relax and catch up with friends and family. It has definitely been a wonderful last week of summer--well my summer at least. As soon as I return from Peru, the summer semester will begin, complete with classes and a research project. I am disappointed that the fun will end so soon, but also excited to be productive once again!
I can not wait until I write again. I hope to share with you many stories of God's glory revealed.
Much love and gratitude,
Sybil
Thursday, May 8, 2008
It is very quiet
The sound of the dishwasher and the washing machine are so very peaceful to me. They remind me of those summer days during high school when my to-do list contained three items--wash clothes, read a book, swim--and all of those were optional. The past few days have been much like that. Granted, the to-do list now contains a few more items. Today, for instance, it looked much like this
--Kill the bugs that are invading the kitchen
--Write thank-you notes
--Read a book
--Cook dinner
--Wash clothes
Notice what it did not contain. There were no meetings to attend (except lunch with mom and nana), no classes for which to study, and no homework to complete!! So, now that my short to-do list is complete, I am not really sure what to do with myself. I am now sitting, listening to the hum of the dishwasher and considering dessert at SONIC!
In the quiet of the day, I have had much time to think. My thoughts traveled many different paths, but they kept leading me back to Peru.
In looking at my calendar this morning I saw that today was the day that I was supposed to leave for Nambia, a country in Africa. I just knew that was where I was supposed to go this summer. I made plans to attend, told everyone that I was going-- but God had other plans. I went to sign-up for the trip, only to find that it had been cancelled due to lack of interest. There was my neon sign that this was not the trip for me. So, a little discouraged, I began to check out my other options--or option I should say. There was only one open trip that did not conflict with classes, so after 24 short hours of deliberation and a bit of wise counsel, I signed up for the trip to Lima, Peru. Hindsight (which is always 20-20 they say, but I think that it is even better than that, magnified to perhaps 40-20) shows me that it was I, not God, who wanted me to go to Africa. It was such a glamorous trip--one that made me feel good about myself, like I was somehow going to save all the orphans with one smile. God, in His graciousness, painlessly aligned my will with His.
As I wrote a few thank you notes today, I had a chance to reflect on the way that God has provided for this trip. So many people have given VERY generously to support God's work. Because of their efforts, I will be able to see God's work first hand in Peru. Through their gifts, I was able to see God as the Great Provider.
As I sat down to read today, I began to think even more about the trip and how spiritually unprepared I am to go into a foreign country. However, I received great assurance from His word that He will provide the power that I need.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses...to the end of the earth"--Acts 1:8
Pray that God will continue to use the quiet moments and even the not-so quiet ones to prepare me for His missions. Pray that my eyes will be like His, able to see the whole globe as the work of His hands and as the orchestra intended to sound His praises. Pray that He will prepare my feet to walk, my lips to speak, and my hands to touch in a way that reflects His glory.
Well, I am about to head off to bed--or to SONIC I haven't quite decided.
Ta-ta for now.
--Kill the bugs that are invading the kitchen
--Write thank-you notes
--Read a book
--Cook dinner
--Wash clothes
Notice what it did not contain. There were no meetings to attend (except lunch with mom and nana), no classes for which to study, and no homework to complete!! So, now that my short to-do list is complete, I am not really sure what to do with myself. I am now sitting, listening to the hum of the dishwasher and considering dessert at SONIC!
In the quiet of the day, I have had much time to think. My thoughts traveled many different paths, but they kept leading me back to Peru.
In looking at my calendar this morning I saw that today was the day that I was supposed to leave for Nambia, a country in Africa. I just knew that was where I was supposed to go this summer. I made plans to attend, told everyone that I was going-- but God had other plans. I went to sign-up for the trip, only to find that it had been cancelled due to lack of interest. There was my neon sign that this was not the trip for me. So, a little discouraged, I began to check out my other options--or option I should say. There was only one open trip that did not conflict with classes, so after 24 short hours of deliberation and a bit of wise counsel, I signed up for the trip to Lima, Peru. Hindsight (which is always 20-20 they say, but I think that it is even better than that, magnified to perhaps 40-20) shows me that it was I, not God, who wanted me to go to Africa. It was such a glamorous trip--one that made me feel good about myself, like I was somehow going to save all the orphans with one smile. God, in His graciousness, painlessly aligned my will with His.
As I wrote a few thank you notes today, I had a chance to reflect on the way that God has provided for this trip. So many people have given VERY generously to support God's work. Because of their efforts, I will be able to see God's work first hand in Peru. Through their gifts, I was able to see God as the Great Provider.
As I sat down to read today, I began to think even more about the trip and how spiritually unprepared I am to go into a foreign country. However, I received great assurance from His word that He will provide the power that I need.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses...to the end of the earth"--Acts 1:8
Pray that God will continue to use the quiet moments and even the not-so quiet ones to prepare me for His missions. Pray that my eyes will be like His, able to see the whole globe as the work of His hands and as the orchestra intended to sound His praises. Pray that He will prepare my feet to walk, my lips to speak, and my hands to touch in a way that reflects His glory.
Well, I am about to head off to bed--or to SONIC I haven't quite decided.
Ta-ta for now.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
It's been a long time...
Since I posted on my blog--last summer actually. I had forgotten what a privilege it is to be able to not only write my thoughts but have someone read them!
I was reminded of these things while reading Jessica and Amanda's blogs through which they are chronicling their trip to Spain. They left today :-(
I can't believe they will be gone for a whole month. In the big scheme of things, that is not too long, but to a girl who is wishing for Qdoba dinners with her roommates, it is quite a while.
So much has occurred since last summer, I couldn't and wouldn't even try to catch everyone up on all the details, but I will try to provide a little catch-up. First, I am officially finished with my sophomore year. It has FLOWN by so fast, even faster than my freshman year. Move-in seems like the day before yesterday. I am now officially a junior and anticipating the summer semester in which I will begin my honors research project. God has orchestrated things in that crazy way He does, and during this past semester I have discovered that I actually enjoy research. I will begin to see just how much I like it (or not) at the beginning of June when I begin working alongside Dr. Tim Nagy in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.
Other than academics, many other things, more important things, have occurred this year as well. God has led me to a church home--the Church at Brookhills. I am beginning to feel connected to the people there and can't wait to serve alongside these amazing Christ-followers in Peru at the end of the month and throughout my college career. The church as a whole has an amazing desire to see the name of Christ spread to all nations; that passion is fueled by in depth study of the Word and weekly, even daily, accountability and fellowship.
These two semesters have brought me new friendships and strengthened those that had already been established. It was sad to see the semester come to a close. As I drove past RAST last night, I just wanted to pull into the parking lot, walk back up to room 330A and open the door to hear the sound of laughter and smell brownies in the oven. However, I know that if I did I would only see empty white walls, smell dust and must, and hear the sounds of construction out the window. Funny that the room really meant nothing, it was simply the four walls in which we created so many memories.
I moved into a new apartment last week and the girls who live here are amazing as well. I know that I will quickly develop the same love for them that I had for my previous roommates and in no time we will begin to laugh and share in much the same way. I must admit though, I do not like driving everywhere I go, but I will get used to it soon enough (unless gas goes up again).
I will try not to wait so long in between posts next time. Thank In the mean time, please pray for the upcoming trip to Lima, Peru--May 24-31.
P.S. I have added some pictures below from this past year--enjoy!
Jessie and Woody (Adam and I) at the BCM Halloween party.
All the roomies at my birthday party!
Spring Break missions in Baltimore, MD
I was reminded of these things while reading Jessica and Amanda's blogs through which they are chronicling their trip to Spain. They left today :-(
I can't believe they will be gone for a whole month. In the big scheme of things, that is not too long, but to a girl who is wishing for Qdoba dinners with her roommates, it is quite a while.
So much has occurred since last summer, I couldn't and wouldn't even try to catch everyone up on all the details, but I will try to provide a little catch-up. First, I am officially finished with my sophomore year. It has FLOWN by so fast, even faster than my freshman year. Move-in seems like the day before yesterday. I am now officially a junior and anticipating the summer semester in which I will begin my honors research project. God has orchestrated things in that crazy way He does, and during this past semester I have discovered that I actually enjoy research. I will begin to see just how much I like it (or not) at the beginning of June when I begin working alongside Dr. Tim Nagy in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.
Other than academics, many other things, more important things, have occurred this year as well. God has led me to a church home--the Church at Brookhills. I am beginning to feel connected to the people there and can't wait to serve alongside these amazing Christ-followers in Peru at the end of the month and throughout my college career. The church as a whole has an amazing desire to see the name of Christ spread to all nations; that passion is fueled by in depth study of the Word and weekly, even daily, accountability and fellowship.
These two semesters have brought me new friendships and strengthened those that had already been established. It was sad to see the semester come to a close. As I drove past RAST last night, I just wanted to pull into the parking lot, walk back up to room 330A and open the door to hear the sound of laughter and smell brownies in the oven. However, I know that if I did I would only see empty white walls, smell dust and must, and hear the sounds of construction out the window. Funny that the room really meant nothing, it was simply the four walls in which we created so many memories.
I moved into a new apartment last week and the girls who live here are amazing as well. I know that I will quickly develop the same love for them that I had for my previous roommates and in no time we will begin to laugh and share in much the same way. I must admit though, I do not like driving everywhere I go, but I will get used to it soon enough (unless gas goes up again).
I will try not to wait so long in between posts next time. Thank In the mean time, please pray for the upcoming trip to Lima, Peru--May 24-31.
P.S. I have added some pictures below from this past year--enjoy!
Jessie and Woody (Adam and I) at the BCM Halloween party.
All the roomies at my birthday party!
Spring Break missions in Baltimore, MD
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