Secrets

The last couple of days in Geology class this one guy has walked in late everyday. He's tall and handsome but has this sort of tough guy look to him. This morning I sit down in rock class content with my notebook and travel mug filled with vanilla chai tea. In walks the tall, handsome guy and guess where he sits? Not in the front row, the last row, the row in front or behind me... not even in the three empty seats a few away from me to my left. No, he sits right next to me. He even asks for a piece of paper. After class was over he proceeds to tell me that he's majoring in geology/geography, is a junior and his name is Blare. He was very polite and seemed genuinely happy that we met today. When he walked the other direction for his next class he said, "I'll see you tomorrow." Well guess what buddy.. we don't have class tomorrow. Oh, it made me smile. Thank you Jesus, for cute boys to make life fun.

Laurel sent me this photo today. I like nose rings. Therefore, I like this picture. He even has a beard.. that's a plus. The smoking is an ultimate no-no though.



Post Secret. This man named Frank Warren had an idea. He handed out thousands of post cards addressed to himself and asked people to anonymously contribute to a project by writing down their secrets. In the last five years he's gotten over half a million post cards. He's published five books and the last one made it to #1 on New York Times best seller. He was at Central tonight and I was about 5 rows away from him. He shared his stories about doing the project and how he's raised thousands of dollars with all proceeds going towards the suicidal hot line. At the last part of his presentation he allowed for people in the crowd to share their secrets. My favorite was a bubbly red headed girl who said that she worked at a smoothie place and that this one nasty, terrible lady would come in every day and she would secretly add weight gain to her drink! Be nice to those serving you!

Your Love Never Fails...

... You stay the same through the ages.







I sat on a blanket in the shade of a tree and did some homework today.
It was so relaxing and a nice change from my dorm room.
When I called Laurel the other day she was doing just that so I thought I'd try it out myself.
The leaves on the trees here are beginning to turn yellow and it's simply beautiful.
I like autumn time just for that reason.

I had a good workout at the gym.
Solid sweat.. front and back of my gray t-shirt was soaked.
My hair was drenched and every two seconds I had to wipe the streams running down my face.
I felt pretty BA actually working out and not just looking pretty in my yoga pants, perfect pony tail and ipod arm band so the hot guys can get a good look at me.
Typical girl profile at the gym, haha.

Laundry time again.. this time it was worth the $3.75. My hamper was full and it is quite a lovely feeling to have fresh, smell good clothes to put away. I sat on the washing machine and attempted to read my PSY book but with people around that becomes immediately impossible. All in all, my homework is complete and laundry is done. Success!

Bradley Anderson posted this song on his blog the other day and now I'm hooked. It was the only song I listened to while working out. With the reminder that God makes all things work together for my good I couldn't help but run faster and harder. He gives me energy, breath, life, love, courage, strength and purpose for every day. I honestly wouldn't be here at school if I didn't have a relationship with him. I have felt lonely, afraid and just helpless but God has given me a reason to wake up every morning knowing that I have the chance to live for him.

Matthew 5: 3

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I am poor in spirit and confess that I cannot do it alone.
I need the Lord to consume my life.
To help me live each day as he wants me to.



Hello Mr. pop tart.

Geology, Young Life and Polish Dogs

Did you know..
that the sun accounts for 99.8% of the mass in the solar system?
Or that Jupiter has a mass 318 times larger than Earth?

Yea, I didn't know these things either and guess what? I learned them in Geology class. Isn't that strange.. this is a class about rocks and the earth's formations, not about the sky and galaxies beyond what we can see.

I went to a Young Life BBQ with Jon tonight! Jillian who did the talks at Breakaway in February was there. She and her husband just moved to Ellensburg because Corey (her husband) just became the area director. Also, Jake, who was on work crew at Malibu and ran the zip line was there. He apparently goes to Central and is only a ear older than me. Small world if you ask me. They said they need lots of leaders so I'm very excited! I hope God wants me in this ministry. I would love to be a young life leader here!

I ate a polish hot dog. Let me say it again.. I ate a polish hot dog for dinner. It was about a whole foot long and is now not settling well in my stomach. I'm not quite sure why I did such a thing. I suppose it was because I was pretty hungry and I didn't want to be one of "those girls" that asks for a veggie burger. Haha whatever!

Doing a little homework before Movie Madness Monday. Free movie at 10:00! Yay for late college nights.



I miss Bella. Well animals in general. I wish I could have one in my room.

Mercer Creek Church & Generation Church

Today was my "try out church day." I walked to Mercer Creek church with Rubal and Jon which is down the street from where I live. I liked it.. nice traditional family kind of church. They had a free welcome back lunch which was really nice. We sat at a table with three black guys who were absolutely hilarious and kept us laughing the whole time.

The weather was beautiful today. It was absolutely perfect. Temperature, nice breeze, slight cloud coverage.. just everything about it. That lead to me going for a run outside instead of the rec center. That had a disadvantage unfortunately. I didn't get to see the hot guys working out all around me ;)

Next was Generation Church which is held at 7:00 p.m. in the rec center. On campus, that's a plus! I walked in by myself, not knowing anybody and a girl immediately came up to me and introduced me to some other girls. I felt so welcomed. The worship, the message, the people.. just everything about it was just what I needed. I'm pretty sure I'll be attending regularly!

Jesus isn't concerned about making us comfortable, he's all about saving us. He wants to know the condition of our soul.

Jesus is acceptance, forgiveness, life, everlasting love.

Jesus is _______.
You fill in the blank.

Family, you are the best.

I am truly one lucky girl. I have been blessed with the most wonderful family ever. Being at college for only two weeks I've realized just how much my mom, dad and Carly mean to me. They picked me up today on their way to Seattle. Carly moved in to her house today. She is going to be living in the upstairs room of a little house with three other people on a busy street about two miles from school. It's a cute little place and I'm excited for her. We unpacked all of her stuff.. I think she had close to the amount of things I did so there's no more saying that Jessi packs way too much. We walked down to U-Ville and had dinner and walked through Anthropology. That store is always inspiring. Makes me want to make something and be crafty. Then back on the road we were... back to E-burg, my place of residence. I just typed "my home" and had to erase it. Even though I'll be living here for the next four years, well as planned right now, the Tri-Cities will always be my "home." I miss all of you back home and hope you're all doing well.









As I was sitting here the song Keep My Heart Alive by Sanctus Real started playing from my lap top and it really got to me. Just before this I watched a movie in my neighbor's room. It was a pretty gory movie and I can't even remember the name of it. Every other word was the "F" word or some foul language. Almost every person in the room had a swear word coming out of their mouth every couple of minutes. I'm tired of living in a world where this is okay. Where this is what is normal and the standard for today's world. I want to be surrounded by people who live this song as their policy for their life and want Jesus to rule their lives... I hope to find some people here that have these same views that I do... sometime soon.

I’m so tired of politics
And all this bad news
I’m so tired of chasing the moment
Instead of chasing you

I let the world wear me down
I’m desensitized
Jesus, keep my heart alive
Keep my heart alive
Only you can save me from a world that’s breaking right before my eyes
Keep my heart alive

Take these empty hallelujahs
Fill my lungs again
Cuz I wanna sing
And I wanna mean it
I wanna feel again

Just Another Day

Today was just a relaxing day...
English class at 8:00.
Homework.
Psychology lab at 12:00.
Work out at the Rec Center.
Ultimate frisbee on the lawn.
Laid on a bench in the sun, almost fell asleep.
Shower and dinner.
Made some new friends.
Hung out with Rubal.
Watched Robin Hood on the big screen in the 202 lounge.
Niel had to explain a lot of it to me.
Me and movies.. don't really understand each other too well.
Bed time.



I get spend all day tomorrow with my family in Seattle :)

Fuel

I tried out Fuel (Campus Crusade for Christ) tonight.
I liked it but I think that I like Salt a little bit better. There is still one other youth group type gathering I want to attend before I make my choice of what to go to regularly. I did make a new friend named Anna. She's a transfer student and doesn't know anyone so it was fun chatting with her. I also came home with a sticker. Woohoo!

My computer crashed and I had a meltdown about my english homework. Ugh.. some things just go so wrong but I soon got over it and realized how simple and unimportant those things were. My mom helped me get through that. I really don't know what I would do without her. She's still helping me along at college.

My RA/neighbor, Niel, took a look at my computer and fixed it! Ah, he wears toms, is a christian and super nice. I'm glad he's my neighbor. We also ate rice cakes together while he healed my lap top :)

Grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3

He always knows how to make me feel better. Thanks God for all you do.

College.

Well today was officially the first day of college. I started the day out right with all 4 of my classes. Geology, Psychology, University and English. I was a bit overwhelmed and I cried but overall I'll admit that I think my classes will be okay. Anything new is a challenge and I found that out today.

Some key points for the day:
- My english professor wears toms. Yay.
- Two of my notebooks are sparkly. I didn't notice that until I pulled them out of my backpack. Not a fan.
- You can print an endless amount of things for free at the library. Score.
- Talking to your mom makes things okay again.
- Showering in the late afternoon is so much better than the morning. No line.
- It's getting cold outside. I'm not ready for that.
- Don't fall asleep in Psychology class. You'll be embarrassed by the professor in front of 200 people. It happened to a boy two rows behind me. Thank goodness she didn't look at me when my eyes were closed.

My new friends and I also had a laundry party tonight. We got frozen yogurt from across the street and gathered up our quarters. We each had about two loads which equaled approximately $3.75 to wash and dry. We attempted homework but with loud machines and voices going everywhere around us it was kind of hard to concentrate. I decided that I don't like doing laundry. It was my first time ever doing it by myself.. I've been so spoiled.



Day 1 of college... over and out.

Salt of the Earth

Lots of exciting things happened today.
First off..
Bite of the Burg. All of the restaurants downtown had free samples and coupons and the streets were packed with people. We ate lots of food and had a grand 'ol time.
Next came Salt which is a christian campus youth group. Tim and Ty, the christian boys who live on the floor below me, and Elizabeth accompanied me. We all decided that we enjoyed it and I really want to go again.

Brian talked about being intentional and bold in inviting others to join the journey. God's heart is that he will transform us.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4



Fred Meyer Night came next. It was crazy! We showed up at 9:00 and waited outside for 2 hours before they let us in. Complete chaos is how I should describe the night. I bought 2 floor rugs, a roll of paper towels and 2 doorstops all for 7 something. I got to my room and realized that all I had was one rug and a bag of free chips. I'm so bummed. I have no idea what happened to my stuff. I didn't think the bag even left my hand. Oh well :(

A late night for the first day of college tomorrow.



Oh, and Laureli and I matched today :)

Naps, Good Work Outs and Food

We had three required class sessions to go to this morning. I fell asleep in two of them. I'm so happy that all of this welcome mandatory stuff is over with now.

I took a two our nap. That was very much needed. My bed is so comfortable that I probably could have slept all day. After getting some rest I headed over to the Rec Center to work out and that was seriously one of the best workouts I've had in a while. I ran and then biked but by the time I was done sweat was dripping off of every part of my body. I love those kind of work outs. I really like the Rec Center. Everywhere I looked were attractive men with their muscles bulging. Probably trying to impress the new ladies.

Dinner with some friends.. I ate a huge quesadilla. It was big enough for two meals but I ate the whole thing. Now I know to save some for left overs.

Another cool thing about Central is that they play free movies in the big theater in the Student Union building. Tonight was Iron Man 2. I liked the parts that I could stay awake in. On top of being tired.. I honestly can't stay awake while watching a movie. My frustration for that issue is rising once again.



I also can't wait to get some mail in my mailbox :)

Galations 5:6

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

This verse really stuck out to me today. I had some time alone so I sat on my super high in the air bed and talked with God. It's amazing how alone and helpless you can feel and when you turn to the Lord for guidance it's like everything is okay. He'll never leave your side and there's no reason to try and fit in with the world because that's not what we're here to do. We're here to love Jesus and love others they way he would. That realization always gets me through a touch situation.

Busy Day

Today was one of the busiest days I've had in a while.

Every year there is a competition called the Wildcat Cup which is a giant relay race between the different areas on campus. We each have a color to represent and South campus was blue. We got decked out in our color and headed to the football game! First CWU football game of the year and it was great. We dominated the other team so the score was pretty racked up but that's a good thing. Next came the most intense relay race I've ever seen. So much yelling and jumping around... too bad North campus won the competition. Supposedly, they get bragging rights for the rest of the year.



Some more free stuff tonight. I also got my picture drawn by a very popular caricature man. I apparently have lots of freckles on my nose. The hour wait was worth it. I will be hanging it on my wall soon.

Now, it's pouring rain outside and I'm more than ready for bed.

Hello Freshmen!

I woke up early and went for a jog around campus. The air was a perfect temperature and I felt good running with music to my ears. Central's campus is beautiful. One of my favorite parts is the little stream that runs through campus. I love the arched bridges you have to cross and standing in the middle looking at the water as the rains makes little ripples. I can get use to this :)

My roommate arrived today! She is so nice! I think we are going to get along great! Her boyfriend is also going to school here and he is a gem too. I helped with Movers and Shakers today. It was hard but totally worth it. I met so many people including cute christian upperclassman boys who are on the floor beneath me ;)

Lots of free food today! That's always good for poor college students.

I'm seriously slacking on my new year's resolution. No picture again today :(

Water Filters, Stick Hunting and Van Rides

So this morning we took a wilderness survival training class. We were taught how to make a trap to catch small rodents to eat if we were ever in the middle of nowhere. Jocelyn and I were searching for sticks and rocks when she flat out tripped over the grass. She rolled and ended up covered in grass. It was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while and I'm still laughing from it. We also were instructed on how to filter dirty water so it's drinkable. We tasted it and it had a hint of cinnamon to it. Interesting, I know... but it was fascinating to see the water turn from black to clear. We also worked on building fires and reading compasses and maps. It was a fun filled morning with lots of laughs.

We learned some more about Central and tons of ways to be involved. We then had team pictures, cleaned the camp and loaded up for the ride home. Everyone was way more talkative on this van ride since we had just spent 3 days getting to know each other. We get to be a part of something called "Movers and Shakers" tomorrow where we get to help all the other freshmen move in so we had a meeting for that with free dinner!

Mom, Dad and Carly stopped by on their way home from Seattle. Carly had her second elbow surgery today. They had to completely replace her whole radial head so it's now metal. I'm pretty sure it went well but I'm just praying for a quick recovery. She leaves for school next weekend. It was really great to see them all. Even though it's only been 4 days, I miss them so much. Lucky for me, I get to see them next weekend. I might even be able to go up to Seattle and help Carly move in.

I didn't take a picture today :( so here's one that's not mine.



Oh, I also can't wait to explore and find sweet places to take pictures!

This lifted me up again today..

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3

New Friends.

The first day I got up here at Central I thought I was going to die. Not knowing people and feeling all alone in a strange place that has to become like home is a little frightening.. no actually, very frightening. Everyone says that you'll make friends and it's true. I've met some really wonderful people over the last couple of days.

I got up and had a little quiet time in the meadow. The perfect verse found me. I know God is right here with me. He'll never leave.


Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
Psalm 54:4

Today we spent the afternoon hiking. Only a small portion of us made it to the top of the trail but that was okay. It lead for some great conversation with the Outdoor Pursuit and Rental guys. The mountains were beautiful.. seeing the snow peaks poking through the trees was a sight to see.

[ELP]

Experience Leadership Project.
I get to be a part of this group for the next couple of days.
It's a bunch of freshmen who get to move in early and go up to camp Ghormley to hang out in the wilderness, get to know each other and become better leaders.

I'm on the Red team.. we're the best. Our name is the Red Kool-Aid Fireballs, Oh Yea! Everyone in my group are amazing people and it will be fun to get to know them better.

We loaded up in vans and drove the hour and a half to Ghormley. It brought back lots of memories from elementary school when I went there for church camp.

Goodbye Home...

My mom and I went to the gym this morning bright and early.. 5:00 a.m. I had to get my exercise in before I ate a big breakfast at Ihop. Lots of lovely girls and two boys met up for breakfast to say goodbye to Karyn and I. She left for Africa today and I left for Ellensburg.. and now here I am. Sitting in my room all alone. My parents left.. my roommate isn't here yet and I feel quite lonely. I know it will get better but I don't like this feeling right now. I cried when they left and now I can't seem to get the tears to stop coming. Ugh.. I'm not good with change.

Murbs helped us move in along with his friend Dennis. They were so helpful and I still would be unpacking if it weren't for them.

I've got an early morning ahead of me. I'm going on a leadership retreat up at Ghormley. I went there for three summers in elementary school for church camp so it will be fun to visit again.

Well... I guess this is the beginning of college.



My new room for a year...

Lots O' Stuff!

I used up a role of film in my GT-304 and had it developed. I wasn't sure if it was going to work since it's the first role that's been in the thing since I got it at an estate sale. And guess what.. it worked! Here's a picture from the role of film:



Laurel and I are picking raspberries at her grandparent's house in Pullman.

I've pretty much put the finishing touches on packing. The floor of my room is completely covered and that's not even all of it. I'm just so thankful that I don't have to ship my things across the country. There is no way all of my stuff would make it. Two hours is far enough for me to go with half of my bedroom.



It just hit me that tonight is the last night I get to sleep in my own bed. Tomorrow night I'll be in an unfamiliar room all by myself. I'm scared and nervous but more importantly, I'm excited. Here's to the next chapter of my life!

Goodbyes aren't forever

These aren't my suitcases but I sure do like them. I spent a lot of time packing things today. It's quite a bigger task than I ever though it'd be.

My family went to dinner for our last harrah! Carly and I will both be out of the house and my parents will be empty nesters as they call it.

I sold my Gibson Les Paul Jr. Special today. It went on ebay and surprisingly I felt a little bit sad. Not that I played it nearly enough to become attached but it was a beautiful guitar. I guess I'm just more sad that I never stuck with it to actually become a good guitarist. That was my dream in the 7th grade but not all dreams come true. Maybe if I have some free time in college and meet someone who is willing to help me along I'll pick it up. I still would love to be able to sit around a campfire and play songs for people to sing along with.

I said goodbye to some people I truly love tonight. After playing some intense card games at DQ I hugged everyone as my eyes welled up with tears. Goodbyes aren't forever though so there's no need to be sad. I'm just temporarily living somewhere else for a while. You guys mean everything to me.. you know who you are!

UW vs. Syracuse game was on when I walked in the door for the evening. UW pulled out the win.. atta babes!

I Enjoy...

- I enjoy hiking badger mountain with dear friends and talking about food all the way down.
- I enjoy walking barefoot to the mailbox and barely avoiding a bee sting to the bottom of the foot.
- I enjoy receiving letters from my best friend in the mail and laughing at the hilarious way she talks.



- I enjoy making crafts. I made two more adorable flowers today.
- I'd like to say I enjoy packing but it's been a struggle so far.
- I enjoy looking at the uniqueness of buttons.
- I enjoy going for walks with my parents.

Flowers

Craft time with Carly.
She showed me how to make these cute little flowers.

One Last Photoshoot.

I snapped some head shots of Kailee today. She wanted some just in case she ventures off the Cali to be a Disney Princess or something along those lines. I'd actually be surprised if she didn't end up being cinderella someday.

6 days!

My room is
beginning to look
like I'm moving soon.

Oh,

Not much happened today.
I did accomplish quite a few little things though.
And I ate way too much pizza for dinner. 4 huge pieces, yeah stomach ache now.
Way to go Boise State! That was such a crazy game!

A Day Well Spent

Here's my play by play for the day...

Woke up to blasting music for our alarm clock. Laurel let it go for longer than necessary because she was wearing ear plugs. The rowdy drunks are too loud for her at night, haha. We had a little bit of time to spare so we went to the Daily Grind Coffee shop. Talk about adorable. I love it there and someday I will add a book to the lending library in the back. We met Laurel and Meryn's grandparents at church and listened to an awesome sermon by Ceaser. He was full of enthusiasm and gave some great insight on "Giving" and being more like Jesus. Then we went over to their grandparent's house for lunch. We arrived a little bit early so we helped Grandpa pick some raspberries in the back yard, watched some tennis and talked. They are just the cutest elderly people and I felt so welcomed. They even felt like my own grandparents. We had a wonderful lunch prepared by Grandma, complete with cake and tea. We decided it was time for Meryn and I to get back on the road so we packed up, said our goodbyes and were on our way. Sobe's and sing alongs made the trip go fast and Meryn and I had some great laughs. I just love that girl. She might as well be my little sister also.



I came across this verse and it's one of my new favorites.
One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.
Proverbs 22:11

Pullman, here we come!

Meryn and I packed up and took a trip to Pullman to visit Laurel. It's been three weeks since either of us have seen her and it's a much needed visit. She gave us a tour of the campus, showed us where she works and all the cool places. We walked around downtown and stopped in the neatest book store. They had an incredible amount of books everywhere. I even bought one! We then stopped at the park to play on the toys and some boys asked us to join their game of ultimate frisbee. It was fun, I worked up a sweat and then Laurel stepped in dog poo so it was time to exit. Youtube videos, a nap and dinner followed. We walked to the tennis courts, blasted some gangster music and danced while the boys next to us secretly enjoyed it. We rented the Backup Plan and sat on Laurel's super comfy bed while we ate ice cream sandwiches and drank chai tea. It was a great movie.. kept us all laughing the whole time. Fell asleep on the floor. Overall, a really awesome day. I've missed my best friend.

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

First Grade Again

Who knew picking out silver ware at Value Village could be so difficult. So many forks to choose from. After standing in front of the bins for a long time I finally walked away with two spoons, two forks and two knives that I really like and will be accompanying me to school. I will eat my homemade college meals with them.

Carly and I visited my mom's new class today. I brought along my camera and snapped some 1st grade mug shots. They were all so adorable and wouldn't stop smiling at us.
These two are my favorite from the first impression:

New Month.

At the beginning of every month I find myself saying the same thing. I can't believe how fast this year is going by. It's already month 9 out of 12... I'm leaving for college in 11 days and if I looked back to my first ever blog post on January 1st I never would have imagined this day would be here so fast.

Anyways, I had a really good quiet time today. Something that was very much needed. I was reading in Matthew 21 verses 28-32 which is the parable of the two sons. The first son was asked to go work in the vineyard by his father and he said no but ended up going anyway. The second son was also asked to go work in the vineyard. He replied with a yes but never went. This really made me think about my attitude, willingness and obedience to what God is asking me to do. Am I more like the first son or the second son? I thought about this and realized that I am so much more like the second son and my laziness is taking over in times when I need to be a true obedient daughter to the Lord God Almighty.

Something else that really spoke to me was Proverbs 10:9.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

By following God's laws that he has layed out for us he will keep us safe and secure. I picture his arms cradling us like an infant. Holding us tightly to him so we don't get into trouble.

Another great point from the study book said that...
Character is shaped in a person's heart and reflects what God has done (or cannot do because of our hardness) in our lives.
He has given us ways to live by so we need to consider them and apply them to our lives.