A Few "Fun Things"

Hey Guys!

Thanks for sticking with me through this semester in Philly!  It's been crazy busy, but I've learned a ton and have gotten to do so many cool things!  I want to share some of my favorite moments with you, and at the end of this post, I'll put some pictures :D  (ooh so exciting I know haha)

Fun Thing #1—Travel!

During my time in Philly, besides all the exploring I've done in the city, I've also gotten to check out Chinatown, Delaware, and NYC.  I've loved coming to all these places because random adventures always ensue!  Here are some of my favorite memories...

Chinatown:
So a few weeks ago I decided to check out the shops, restaurants, and culture in Chinatown.  I really miss being in China, so it was amazing to have the opportunity to hear Chinese and observe the culture again!  I went into this restaurant called the Happy Noodle Bowl and checked the menu for anything that resembled the noodle dishes I had when I was in Xining.  When I asked the waitress if they had anything from the QingHai province, she freaked out and asked how I knew that name.  I told her I'd been there, and then we started talking about China, food, and Philly.  Unfortunately she had to get back to work, so we swapped numbers and said we'd meet up later—and we did!  She's one of my favorite people now and we hang out multiple times a week!

Two days ago, I went to the opening Phillies game with Nikki and some of her friends, and we had a blast!  I convinced Nikki to get a caricature with me, and that, dear reader, is picture #1. :)

Lesson learned from this experience (#1a):
Always be nice to your waitress...JUST KIDDING! The lesson is to always be open to meeting new people.  You never know when you might meet a new friend!

Delaware:
I'm trying to get to all 50 states.  When I arrived in Philly, I just had six left: Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, and....Delaware. Yeah.  I know. Seriously??

As I'm sure you understand, I was determined to not live 10 minutes from the Delaware boarder for three months and not ever cross it!  (I mean honestly, when will I ever be this close again??  People fly across the country to go to Hawaii and Nevada, but no one tries to get to Delaware.  It's one of those things that just has to happen.)  SO!  I got a group of friends together, and we planned out a few things to do while we were there.

We found a Brewery in Wilmington that had tours and stuff (and since that was like the only thing there) that became our destination!  However, we ended up missing our first train, which wasn't initially a big deal because another one came 10 minutes later.  The problem was that the bus we were connecting to left 5 minutes before we got there and another one didn't go out for two hours...yep.  No worries though, we did what any delayed college students do while traveling: we got food!  And it was good food too :)

When it was finally time to leave the station, we all filed onto the bus where we had an invigorating two hour debate with a man about diversity, civil rights, and contributing to society. (Haha this is back to lesson #1a: always be ready to meet interesting people and make friends).

The next hurdle we had to overcome was that the the bus stations weren't very well marked, so we had no idea where we were or where we were supposed to get off.  We watched the signs and tried to figure out where we were, and we decided that we must be in Wilmington by this time, so we hopped off the bus, and I have to admit, I did quite the happy "I'm-in-Delaware" dance haha

We walked into a McDonalds to figure out exactly where we were annnnnnnd low and behold, we were still in Pennsylvania... Yep. haha that happened!  We called a cab to take us to the brewery, and by the time we got there, we were three hours late, and the tour was just finishing up.  This turned out to be in our favor though because we were going to have to pay for the tour, but since we missed it, we got to jump straight to the FREE beer tasting!  Score.  (Enjoy picture #2) The people there were so fabulous and after chatting with them for a while, they offered to give us a ride to the restaurant we were going to eat dinner at!  That was awesome, because we didn't have to pay for (or try to figure out...) public transportation (since we had such a great track record so far that day.)

The restaurant was a fantastic fish place and omg. It was amazing!  I highly recommend that everyone go to Wilmington so they can try the Big Fish Grill!  YUM!

Lesson learned from this experience (#1b):
Don't sweat the small stuff!  Even if your travel plans get skewed along the way, just roll with it.  Things will probably work out better than they would have if everything had been "perfect" anyway, AND you'll have a better story to tell :)

NYC:
A few weeks after the Delaware trip, I realized that I'd been having fun on weekends and had been doing new and interesting things, but that I hadn't done anything  "major" in a while.  I decided to spice up my life... with a solo trip to the Big Apple!  Oh yeah :D

I woke up on Saturday morning, walked to the train station, and asked the man at the window for a ticket to New York.  He told me there was a train leaving in 1 minute, and I said "I'll take it!" haha flawless timing if I say so myself.  I hopped on my train and away I went.  I planned on just chilling out in Central Park for the day.  Maybe rent a bike and check out the trails or something.  HOWEVER, as so often happens, my plans changed—for the better!  I texted my friend Jackie who is doing a semester in New York to see if she was free to grab a cup of coffee and catch up or something.  She ended up being free all day and was like: LET'S HANG OUT! so we did!

We spent the day seeing all her favorite places in the city.  It was so cool because I always want people to come visit me in Philly so I can show them my city, and then I got to be that person for Jackie.  It was fantastic!  I saw where she works, we went to her favorite pizza place (picture #3), saw Time Square (where I got scolded for being so friendly to the people handing out fliers and stuff on the street corners....Jackie was right, they apparently really do just want your money!!), we got some free chocolate at the Hershey store, walked by Rockefeller Center, and spent some time in Central Park—where we saw the most bizarre thing! There was a person dressed in a Big Bird costume who was sitting on a bench holding a Cookie Monster and and an Elmo puppet.  He was doing a puppet show for himself.  There was also a group of about 15 people in military fatigues sitting on some rocks.  Each of these people was only wearing one shoe.  A few individuals were also carrying several members of their group across their shoulders...If that wasn't strange enough, they walked over to the Big Bird, circled up, and took a group picture with him at their center.  Then they all got up, picked up their person again, and walked away.  Big Bird went back to his bench to continue his puppet show.  It was truly one of the most bizarre experiences of my life...

After this, Jackie and I went to her favorite place in all of New York.  It was Madison Square Park by the Flat Iron building.  It was so peaceful there!  And, the building and park were both designed by one of Jackie's ancestors!  I thought that was so awesome, and it explained why she felt such a connection to the place.  I loved just getting to visit with her and hear about her life.  It was fantastic :D

Lesson learned from this experience (#1c): Expect the unexpected...it's much more fun that way!

(This post is turning out way longer then I thought it would be, so I'm going to just do one more "fun thing")

Fun Thing #2—Growth

I've been very faithful with my Bible study this semester.  It's been tough though because I've been asking a lot of really hard questions.  I've learned a lot and I think I'm stronger in my faith because of it.  One thing I really love is that I've gotten into the routine of reading my Bible right when I get home from work.  I love that even when life in the city is so crazy, I have the stability of knowing that my Bible is still by my bed, and I'll spend some time with it every day.  It's really beautiful I think!

I terms of the Big Challenge, I've kind of fixed myself into study and prayer currently because I really want to cement these things in my life.  I think I will practice fasting next though.  I've never done this before, and I really want to try it out.

Lesson learned from this experience: Prioritize the quiet and reflection times in life.  They are so valuable and necessary for living a life balanced with both fun and thought.  I love that.


I think that's it for right now!  Congrats for sticking with this post... I know it was super long!

Rebekah

Diversity and Me

I've been learning so much this semester.  So much about society, individuals, Philadelphia, and living life "as an adult."  The crazy thing for me though, is how much I've been learning about myself.  I'm not an introvert and introspection isn't my greatest strength, but throughout my life, I've known myself pretty well.  I might not spend time thinking deeply about why I do things the way I do, but I know very decidedly what I like and what I don't like.  (It's ironic then that I originally went into Psychology so that I could understand why people do what they do.  I guess that's other people and not me so in a way it makes sense...maybe.)  

Here in Philly though, I'm being challenged to think about my own motivations everyday.  Why did I react so strongly when I visited the prisons?  Why is it important to me that I find a church?  Why do I try to make friends with people who work at the various establishments I go to?  Why do I enjoy going to coffee shops and bars?  What are my values, and how are they changing or staying the same?  In what ways am I becoming more solid in my beliefs?  In what ways am I questioning things that I have always considered to be true?

I'm learning that boundaries are meant to be stretched.  Justice, entertainment, fulfillment...nothing is black and white.  They mean different things to different people.  I'm realizing that I don't particularly like or enjoy certain things, but that other people do and that's ok.  Likewise, there are some things that are important to me that others don't necessarily agree with.  Everyday I'm experiencing how those differences are not only ok, they add flavor and diversity to life.  

I used to think that diversity was restricted to race and culture.  Now, my eyes are being opened and I'm seeing diversity all around me.  I can see it in the way people walk and talk, in how they spend their time and in the experiences they open themselves up to.  I see diversity in what people believe and in their styles of communicating their beliefs.  Diversity isn't just something that we passively obtain by our birth or upbringing.  It's the way we actively live our lives, and the choices that we make.  

All that to say, that I'm learning things this semester that I've never taken time to think about before—particularly in regards to myself.  So, I wanted to share a "poem" that I wrote as my first assignment here in Philly.  It's about identity.  Usually, I would write a super generic paper introducing myself in terms of where I've lived and what I've done.  However, this time I felt inspired to do something different.  I've never written poetry before so it was kind of a liberating experience.  I also love how it turned out...it's very raw and I like that.

So here it is.  I hope you like it:

I Am Many Things. I Am… Me

I am many things.

I am a daughter, a sister, a grandchild, a niece.

I am a student, an employee.

I am more.

I am idealistic, some say unrealistic, silly.

I am hopeful.  Hopeful that I will live in and create a world in which people are inspired and motivated by their love for one another. 

I am an advocate for opportunity, experience, diversity, and justice.

I am true. 

I am not afraid to be hated or disliked for my beliefs, my opinions. 

I am joyful.           

I am more.

I am a Christian, beloved, child of the King, a servant. 

I am a supporter of the LGBT community.

I am complex, conflicted.

I am called to love.

I am more.

I am a wanderer. 

I am not confined to one place.  The world is my home.

I am confident.  I am bold.  I am smart.  I am adventurous.

I am inspired by challenges. 

I am more.

I am selfish.  I am protective of my own space and time. 

I am weary of spending money.

I am undisciplined in frugality.

I am inexperienced.

I am more.

I am a lover of wisdom and understanding.

I am forever a student, sometimes a teacher.

I am a passionate heart.

I am many things.

I am me.

A Hurried (and belated) Update

Hey Everyone!

Thank you so much for your patience with me over the past few weeks.  I haven't been posting because I've been super busy with my internship, but that's definitely a good thing!  I really love the organization I'm with as well as the work I'm doing.  :)

For those of you who don't know... I'm working with a consulting firm that specializes in leadership development.  Basically, they get called into a various companies when a leader is having a difficult time connecting with his/her subordinates and efficiency and moral is suffering.  The consultants will then facilitate training workshops, team building exercises, and coaching sessions, and provide feedback to managers and employees.  They customize a sustainable solution that will allow everything to run optimally.  It's pretty cool, and the best part is that they let me be a part of everything they do!

Whether it's sitting in on meetings and interviews, researching new leadership approaches, editing proposals, finding and "mastering" new programs, or running (very basic) statistical analyses, they invite me to be a part of everything.  I love that!  Also, whenever I ask if I can be in on something, I'm always surprised by how open they are.  As long as it's appropriate and the clients agree—I'm in!  I'm already learning a lot, and I know there's so much more for me to figure out :D

In addition to my internship, other things in Philly are also going well.  I've been trying to take advantage of living here by experiencing as many different things as possible.   I've gotten to go to a lot of places including the zoo, the orchestra, the Liberty Bell, and the art museum. I've also gotten to try THE MOST amazing food!  I love that every time I walk to work, I pass half a dozen coffee shops, seven different ethnic restaurants, four chains, at least ten dessert shops and convenience stores, and so many nail salons and boutiques.  I really love the diversity and convenience of living in a city!

My goal for the next good-weather weekend we have is to spend an entire day in Chinatown.  I want to buy random food, shop at the underground market, go into little shops, and (maybe) even revive my broken Chinese :D  It will be awesome and I can't wait!

I can't believe I've already been in Philly for six weeks... time really does fly!  Only eight weeks left...yikes! This is crazy!  I want to stay in Philly forever :)

Rebekah

Coffee Shops and Thoughts on Submission

May I just start this post by stating once again how much I love Philly???  Haha it’s amazing.  I woke up at 5 this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I got up, went to the gym, came home and showered/changed, and now I’m sitting in this fantastic little coffee shop that’s like half a block from my apartment.  It’s called Cake and the Beanstalk, and it’s literally the cutest café around!  They have this little sunroom that is filled with several mismatched tables and chairs that are all painted in different ways… one chair has a scene from Charlottes’ Web on it.  Others have Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, and other really cute scenes or sayings.  The atmosphere here is so fun and relaxing!  Also, there’s a table with a bucket of legos.  Yeah, I KNOW! Haha I have definitely spent my fair share of time playing with those…. #noguilt:)

Another great thing about Philly is that it is now the city in which I am employed!  (Technically speaking anyway… I’m an unpaid intern, but that’s ok!  Let me rephrase that: I’M AN UNPAID INTERN!!! Haha I’m super pumped.)  I’ll be working in a consulting firm that specializes in effective leadership training and research.  I don’t know all that I’ll have the opportunity to do, but I’ll be sure to post updates as I know more. I start on Monday :D

Speaking of starting new things.  It’s time for me to start the next Spiritual discipline in my Big Challenge.  Before I tell you what I will be focusing on though, here’s how submission went in January:

January was very eye opening for me.  Not particularly in a good way, but it revealed a myth that I had been feeding to myself, which is really good to know.  I had always thought that the reason I got behind in/stopped doing Bible study was because I was so busy that I literally didn't have time for it.  However, after being home on Christmas break and then in Philly where (while I was busy with house hunting and interviews) I had a pretty substantial amount of free time, I noticed that I was committing roughly the same amount of time to Bible study that I was when I was at school and hardly had time to breathe.  That was definitely sobering to realize that it wasn't necessarily business but actually laziness/lack of initiative that kept me from developing my relationship with God.

After realizing this, I spent a few days sulking and just basically throwing my hands in the air and proclaiming that I didn't care.  Shortly after that however, I saw how stupid I was being.  I knew that I was certainly not ok with putting my relationship with God on the back burner.  I had never actually stopped doing my Bible study or prayer time (except for those few days), but my heart hadn't been in it.  

I started praying earnestly again and really focusing in on what I was reading for the day.  I want to start being more intentional in my study/prayer time... maybe read my way through a devotional or something.  So while I was supposed to be practicing submission, I don't know if I actually did or not.  God didn't let me down though.  If all I learned was that I can't blame my schedule for my lack of time spent with God and that I need to fight to make it a part of my day whether I'm busy or not, than I'm really glad to have learned that.  I need to keep my focus on God though and maybe have a much more tangible thing to guide my time with Him, especially now that I'm trying to really and honestly get into the swing of things.  

I think I will focus on the discipline of study this month (and maybe next month if need be).  I want to read my way through a devotional so that I can have a physical goal to meet every day.  I think that would be helpful.  I also want to deepen my understanding of God's love, commands, and promises because I feel like I disregard them far too easily sometimes.  I want them to become so precious to me that I can't bear to not spend time soaking them in every day.  I don't know if that is possible, but I like to think that it is.  

I would very much appreciate your prayers and encouragement as I focus on the discipline of study.  Even though I no longer believe that the sole cause of my slacking was due to business, I know that that does play a part in it.  As I noted at the beginning of this post, I’m starting my internship on Monday.  I’m really excited about that, but I know that it will be way too easy to slip back into my old habits.  I don’t want that to happen, so I am asking/giving you all permission to check up on me if you would like :) I would really appreciate it, and trust me, I won’t take it as nagging.

Also, if anyone knows a really good Beth Moore study, I would love to start one soon.  I’ve never done a Beth Moore study, but I was at a conference where she spoke last year, and I think I would learn a lot from her perspective!   

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.  Hopefully I will have some awesome things to share next month! 

Rebekah

            

Something New...TPC!

It’s been an exciting month since I last posted! 

Because I’m spending this semester studying off-campus in Philadelphia, I got an extra week at home (which was fantastic!), and then I got to start on my latest adventure.  You know… life itself really is an adventure!  You just have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and really live, taking advantage of each new opportunity as it becomes available.  It’s awesome. 

Ok, I’m going to make a conscious effort to step away from my soapbox before I jump up there and make this post a very long rabbit trail about “life’s great adventure” or whatever.  Haha you’re welcome by the way ;)

So, for anybody who doesn’t know, I’m studying at The Philadelphia Center (TPC) this semester.  This program is absolutely FANTASTIC in that it focuses almost exclusively on experiential learning.  (Anyone who knows me knows that I love nothing more than experiencing new and exciting aspects of life—hence the soapbox a few paragraphs ago.)

I arrived at TPC on Saturday January 11 and had one “leisure” week in a hotel in Center City (downtown Philly).  In this week the other students and I literally got a crash course in how to establish yourself in a new city.  In that first week, we had a brief (and very experiential) orientation to the program.  This orientation consisted of walking around the city, learning the basics of navigating SEPTA (the public transportation system), and house hunting. 

Yes…you definitely read that correctly!  On our second day in the city, the fabulous faculty and staff at the Center gave us each a sheet of paper listing the houses and apartments that students had rented in the past, and other listings that were willing to do short term leases.  Obviously it’s easy to see why TPC has been described as real life with a safety net!  With this trusty list in hand, I and the other TPC students set out to tour this new city and find the place that we would call home for the next fifteen weeks.  In addition to finding a place to live, we also had to find roommates.  Luckily, I was blessed with two fantastic roommates whom I have very much enjoyed living with and getting to know! 

After several days of trecking around Philadelphia in rain, sunshine, and bitterly cold wind, my roommates and I had signed our lease and had rolled, carried, and pushed our luggage over from the hotel.  We moved into a fantastic little two-bedroom apartment in the “gayborhood.”  We’ve got two bathrooms, a kitchen, washer/dryer, and lots and LOTS of stairs leading up to our place!  It’s a great workout if nothing else :D

(I also got to experience first hand how satisfying it is to pull a large box on a dolly behind you as you walk through the downtown area of a major city.  I got a lot of inquisitive as well as incredulous looks… and here I thought people in the city would be more used to seeing people doing strange things!  I guess even city people see something new occasionally!  I was honored to give them that experience) ;) 

This wrapped up our very first, very full week in Philly!

Next up, in week two of the program, we started classes.  I have one class on Monday nights—Abnormal Psych, and one class on Wednesday morning—Urban, Political, and Social Problems.  As with everything else at TPC, the classes are as experiential as possible.  In my Abnormal Psych class, we do a lot of role-playing in addition to the readings.  It’s definitely a lot easier to remember details about various disorders when either you or your classmates have acted it out!  Likewise, in my Urban class, we take a lot of field trips to talk to people who are in the situations that we’re reading about. I really like this because if we’re going to be discussing poverty, why not walk outside and get the perspective of someone who is experiencing homelessness, or someone who has dedicated their life to assisting those in poverty?  It’s so much more enriching than merely reading a textbook and taking notes on a lecture.

Also in week two, we began our search for internships!  (At TPC, we take two four-credit classes throughout the semester, and work a 32 hour a week internship with some organization in our field.)  The first step in the process of finding our internship was spent with several days of pouring over many of the 800+ placement files that they have in TPC.  Each file is for a different company or organization that has either had a TPC intern in the past, or has expressed interest in having one in the future.  We each came up with a list of our top six choices, which the staff at TPC then took and started working their magic on.  They emailed and called each of these supervisors on our behalf.  This is yet another aspect of the safety net that is TPC.  Even though we personally had no credibility as potential interns, we had the good name of TPC and their students that had preceded us in these organizations.  As a result, potential supervisors were generally very willing to give us interviews! 

On a side note, there’s nothing cooler than walking into the Center everyday and seeing your new friends all decked out in their most professional ensembles and seeing how nervous/excited they are to go out and meet their potential future employers.  It’s inspiring, you know?  It reminds us that we’re all in the same position, and it built a sense of community very quickly!  I’ve known these people for just a few weeks, but because of all we’ve been through, I feel very close to many of them already.  I feel like I’ve known them for years :)

Currently, I have had four interviews, and I potentially have two more at the beginning of next week. I’ve interviewed at everything from a consulting firm, to a non-profit activist group working for economic rights of the homeless population.  I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the most inspirational and motivated people in Philadelphia.  Honestly, I think the reason I haven’t locked in on an internship yet is because I want to keep meeting people and learning about how various organizations are operated!  But don’t worry (Mom) I’m making lots of good contacts, and have at least one offer, so I will work soon!  Don’t worry… :P

That pretty much brings me up to today.  It’s Saturday again, the beginning of my fourth week in Philly, and I’m sitting in a fantastic coffee shop down the street from my apartment, sipping an almond joy latte, and typing away on my laptop.  This is a happy place.  I feel very content.  If this is the way the semester starts, I’m so excited to see how it progresses over the next 12 weeks!  I feel so fortunate to be apart of this program.  I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to go back to campus life where each day is filled with classes and each night with homework and stolen moments for froyo runs with your besties.  I much prefer my “real world with a safety net.”  I love the freedom of a city, and the responsibility that comes from being a young professional in said city.  I feel like I’m expected to carry myself in a mature way here, as opposed to people constantly thinking that I need to loosen up at school.  I almost feel more myself here, and I like that :)

I’ll close for now and post again soon about how January went with submission in the Big Challenge.  Thanks for your support, your prayers, and your letters!  I really appreciate everything, and I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you in the near future!

Much love from Philly,

Rebekah 

New Year, New Challenge

It’s the first day of the New Year!  I’m pretty excited about all the things that this year will hold, specifically studying in Philly, celebrating my sisters graduation from college and my grandparents 50th year of marriage, being the maid of honor in my friends wedding, living in my own apartment for the first time, being in Holland (MI) over the summer, starting my senior year at school, and other things along those lines.  I’ve got to tell you though, one of the things that I’m most excited about in this new year is growing in my faith and learning to meet with God in new, more rich ways.   

            I certainly have not been perfect in my practice of this Big Challenge so far.  Quite the contrary actually!  I’ve known for a long time that I struggle with being faithful in keeping up with a lot of things: exercise regiments, plans to study x amount of hours a day, writing in my journal every day… basically anything that I can’t ever finish is a struggle for me.  I run out of steam when the process is literally never ending.  I was talking to my Grandma about this yesterday, and we joked about starting the “Haters of Eating Less and Exercising More Club” (HELEMC) … yeah, we’re going to have to work on the name haha but the point is, it’s so hard to stay true to the plan of eating less and exercising more, especially when it is intended to be a lifestyle change rather than a diet.  It really sucks!  The same is true with spiritual disciplines in that they are also “a lifestyle and not a diet.”  It has been said that the Christian faith is a marathon not a sprint, and that’s true.  Paul talks about the need to press on until we finish the race, but it’s really hard to press on indefinitely.  If I’ve learned anything from the first month and a half of this challenge, it’s that my own strength runs out pretty quickly!  I’m learning that I need to rely on God in order to make it through each day. 

That’s actually an answer to prayer in itself because I am a very self-reliant, proud person.  I know that’s really not good (to say the least) so in the past few weeks I’ve constantly been praying that God would show me my weaknesses and how much I need him.  I’ve also been praying specifically that God would renew my desire for him, and give me a real need to spend time with him every day.  I’ve been amazed by the ways that God has been faithful to me in this!  Whether he quickens my heart while I read about the desperation of others to draw near to him, as in the Left Behind series, or see how God speaks to people in the Touched By An Angel series, I’m always left wanting that for myself.  That desire has transitioned into a need that I myself have to meet with God every day.  As a result of this, my Bible study has become so much more than an opportunity to cross something off my list.  It has become a source of inspiration and understanding instead. 

For the month of December, I had decided to focus on the spiritual discipline of meditation.  I wanted to learn to soak in God’s words instead of just rushing through them.  I had many high and low points with the practice of this over the past 31 days, but through it all I’ve learned a lot too.  I’ve learned that rather then just sitting somewhere and thinking about a Bible verse, in order to really process God’s words, I need to write about it.  That’s where my journal comes in :) It’s funny because at first, it was really easy for me to ignore the idea to journal about some things that God was showing me, but as the month went on, the Holy Spirit became more insistent to the point that I have felt that I literally MUST write things down or I’d burst!  Journaling has been so fruitful for me… I love it!

I want to share last night’s journal entry with you, at least parts of it anyway.  So here it is:

“…I was a bit sad when I came to bed tonight.  In about five days Deborah and Sarah fly back to school and a few days after that, I fly to Philly for my scary, potentially life-changing internship.  More then that though, this is Deborah’s last Christmas break/our last “guaranteed” family Christmas. 

            I was a little depressed that it’s almost “over,” however God has been really amazing lately with meeting me in my Bible study.  Today, right after I was thinking about “the end of life as I know it” (yes, I have a tendency to be melodramatic), I randomly turned to Isaiah 43 and read from the passage where God says:

      See, I am doing a new thing, now it springs up, do you not perceive it?

I was left thinking, in the words of my sister Joanna, I see what you did there God! Haha I realize that God is telling me that even though things are changing, even though we’re moving into uncharted territory, we’re still family and God is still in control.  He is doing a new thing, and like everything he does, it will be beautiful.  I just have to keep trusting him and moving forward.   I have to let go of the way things have always been so that I can see and perceive this new thing when it springs up.  I don’t want to be left clinging to the phantom of the past when God is giving me the opportunity to be a part of the exciting future that he has planned.”

As you can see, even in the little things, God has been meeting with me and changing my perspective.  I think that’s what meditation is all about.  It’s not just thinking deeply about some words that God has spoken in the past.  Rather, it’s about hearing him speak in the present and letting his words transform the way we see and react to the things that are happening in our world. 

Hearing God’s voice is a lot more complex than I thought it would be, especially considering that I thought all I had to do was sit down with my eyes closed and wait.  This month has shown me that it’s bigger than that.  God speaks to me through Scripture and then shows me an opportunity to apply it.  That’s meditation to me because in order to apply something, you have to think about what it means, how it impacts you and others, and the possible outcomes of thinking/acting in that way.  The phrase used to describe meditation in the dictionary is ‘to ponder something.’  I think that’s what I’m doing, and I really like it! 

            So, even though my practice of meditation this month has not been the most consistent, I’ve really learned a lot.  Meditation (and journaling) will definitely be something that I take to Philly with me!  I’ve learned that I can’t/don’t want to go through life without turning to God, sitting at his feet, and hearing what he might say to me.

Btw, I’ve decided to focus on submission in January.  I think this will be beneficial because I need to submit my time, finances, and habits to God, but in addition to that, I need to submit my internship and time in Philly to whatever purposes God has for me.  Pray for me as often as you think of it.  I have a feeling that this spiritual discipline will be harder to practice than I think it will be.   

Praying God’s blessing on you in 2014!

Rebekah 

Compelling.  An InterVarsity conference I've gone to for the past three years.  Each year I leave with convictions about ways that I want to strengthen my faith and make it more real and tangible in my life. My intentions were never followed by action following freshman year, never bore the desired fruit sophomore year, and this year...well let's just say I'm hoping that the saying "third times the charm" is applicable here!

This year I took the Conformed to His Likeness track.  It's all about spiritual disciplines and how to use them to exercise your faith.  I went into the track with little to no understanding about these disciplines, and was amazed by all that I learned!

For example, I didn't really know what the point of meditation was.  I thought that it was the act of trying to push literally EVERYTHING from your mind.  As a female and a type A personality, I knew this would be a losing battle before I began.  I also was never able to understand what the point of fasting was.  I thought people used it as a gimmick to get what they wanted.  Kind of like a "hey God, so I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but I haven't eaten for a few days, and I was wondering if you could please pay extra special attention to what I'm asking for....because, you know, I'm not eating for you!"  That just never sat well with me, and now I know that my perception of fasting couldn't have been further from the truth.

Before we left Compelling, we were given the opportunity to participate in the "Big Challenge", which is a year long application of the 12 spiritual disciplines that we studied at the conference.  Each month is dedicated to one of the 12 disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, confession, worship, guidance, celebration, simplicity, solitude, submission, and service.  I decided that even though it will be difficult and I'm sure I will miss days along the way, I want to do it.  I want to grow in my faith, and I want to start now.  It's long overdue.

Because I don't want to catch myself trying do this challenge in my own strength, I've decided to start with the discipline of prayer.  I want to focus on God right from the start, and make sure that I'm depending on Him for strength, motivation, and direction over the course of this challenge.  I'm not sure exactly how I will be practicing this discipline beyond just...praying, so studying up on it will be the first step.

I will most likely post at the end of each month and talk about which discipline I did, what I experienced (challenges and triumphs), and how I observed God working over the course of that discipline.  Please pray for me when you think of it.  I know that I will need all the prayer power I can get over the course of this challenge!

So, here we are—November 11, 2013—day one of the Big Challenge.  Here I go :)

Rebekah

Jesus, please guide me as I start this challenge.  Please prepare me to learn more about you, and meet with me daily as I learn how to glorify you in the way that I practice my faith.  Thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for those who have committed to keeping me encouraged and accountable along the way.  Thank you for loving me and wanting to meet with me.  Amen.