Formation

Take my life, and form it

Take my mind, transform it

Take my will, conform it

To Yours, to Yours, Oh Lord.*

   This is what God has been doing in my life this past week.  When we sang these words in church this morning, God led me to gratefulness as I reflected on just how He's been doing that this past week.  It certainly was not the week I had planned for it to be.  A lot of things happened that I would not have placed on last week's agenda, but God is so much wiser than me.  He is teaching me to trust Him, and showing me how very sorely I fall short of trusting Him when things get difficult.
   I started the second semester of my freshman year at Calvin College on Monday of last week.  I also started a job at Calvin this week.  That meant that I had to fill out employment forms before I could start work.  That also meant I needed official documents to verify my eligibility to work, all of which are (or were) at home in California.  I didn't know this till Monday night however, so, long story short, I had to have my mom overnight mail what I needed.  Arranging all that, and starting work, and trying to actually do homework was stressful...
   ...And then my computer went out.  Yay, more time spent not doing homework, but instead trying to figure out how to fix my computer, and all that fun stuff.  As of right now, I think we have a solution, but the solution won't arrive for a few days, so I have no computer currently (I'm writing this from the Computer Lab in my dorm).  It may not seem like much, but to me, all of this was stressful, and tested my ability (or lack thereof) to be able to be content in all circumstances.
   But God is so gracious. Even when I forget how to trust Him and rest in Him, He is so gentle in reminding me.  These are the events through which we learn.  These are the events through which we grow.  These are the events that cause us to draw closer to the One Who Knows All Things.  This week I've experienced stress and frustration, but I've also experienced God's grace and tenderness and patience.  I know not what this coming week will bring, but I know God will be faithful no matter what. Hallelujah!!!

Forever God is faithful,

Forever God is strong,

Forever God is with us,

Forever.*

 

 

*I did not write either of these songs.  I didn't credit the writers because I do not know who wrote them, but I did not.

 

Interim and Interim Break

   Well, Interim was wonderful!  I took a DCM class* on The American Civil War and Reconstruction, and it was one of my favorite classes I've ever taken.  The worldview aspect of the class was awesome - it was neat to analyze that period in light of a Christian Worldview.  I did a lot of thinking in that class, which was really good. 
   I really enjoyed getting to strengthen my relationships with my girlfriends during interim.  With less homework and class time, we had lots of time to do fun things.  One Saturday, four of us went to a friend's Aunt's house and went sledding and hung out in the hot tub and tromped around in the snow and had a grand time.  We also watched movies during interim, and baked, and talked, and generally had good times together. 
   I spent interim break at my roommate's house.  She lives on a farm and it has been so relaxing being here for several days.  I woke up with a cold the last day of classes, so it's been nice to just rest.  We've watched movies and baked, and I've gotten to spend a great deal of time reading.  I'm getting all refreshed and ready to start classes on Monday.
   Next semester I will be starting a job on campus as well.  I'll be working at the campus Rhetoric Center, which is Calvin's writing help center.  I'm excited (and maybe just a wee bit nervous).  I would appreciate all your prayers for this semester, as I have a good class load, I'm going to work, and I'm going to try to increase my opportunities for dance.  I just want to do whatever the Lord wants me to, and whatever brings the most Glory to Him, and then be content with whatever that is, as it often looks very different than what I'm expecting. Happy February!

*DCM (Developing a Christian Mind) - DCM is a required "worldview" class at Calvin.  It's often taken during interim, and there are about 20 different classes you can take in DCM.