I know, I broke a promise…

…I didn’t write a long list about what I learned last quarter. Instead, my spring break was spent eating delicious food, hanging with friends, sitting for about 6 hours in a window seat staring at the sun, baking (in a kitchen with no one hovering), and sorting through old baby clothes. It was reflective, relaxing and beautiful.

One thing I did explore over Spring Break was my heart towards some difficult people that God has placed in my life. I’m ashamed to admit that I am not hte most forgiving person. I think if I had space and distance, that would make it easier to let go and move on. Unfortunately, at college, there’s no such things as space. Everyone seems to be walking in and out of my life each day with no reprieve. I’m learning what it means to love generously even when it takes up my precious time and how to let go of things that have hurt me (and love that person tangibly in the middle of that process). It isn’t easy.

I joined a “community group” at our church recently. On Monday night I talked to the leader for a long time and he said some things that I needed to hear. I almost started crying, and I’ve known the man barely over a week! It was amazing the amount that God said to me through him, and he didn’t even realize it.

This quarter, I’m also applying for jobs. I have to figure out my life now, which is both exciting and daunting. Right now I’m hoping to return to Colorado. I realized over Spring Break how much I miss it. I never have thought of anywhere as “home” until two weeks ago when I stepped off the plane and marched cheerfully to the train. I giggled at the sunshine pouring in the huge windows of DIA, and I think I clapped my hands in the car for joy over the wide open spaces. But at the same time, I am being open to where else God might take me. I’m looking forward to eagerly finding out whatever plan he has–Idaho, Colorado, Oregon–wherever and whatever! Maybe it’s the sunshine and the flowers in bloom and the trees blossoming: I have rarely felt more optimistic in my life.

 

It’s a New Year!

Hello out there!

It’s a New Year, and my computer is running slower than ever.

Break was wonderful, I spent most of it in Colorado, but about a week was spent with Anthony’s family traveling around the Northwest. It was so great and relaxing–just what my heart and mind needed. I certianly wasn’t ready to come back to university and start back up with classes and homework again.

Colorado was a time of real healing and confirmation in a lot of ways. I was supposed to work a bunch, but that ended up not working out, for various reasons. Obviously, God wanted me to take a break, and learn to trust him to provide for my needs financially. I had a lot of time to knit, read books, drink lots of hot chocolate, and just spend time with my family. It was exactly what I needed, and I didn’t even realize it. I love my parents even more than I already did, and I realize how blessed I am to have such a good relationship with both of them.

The Northwest was a lot more activity, but still very good. Anthony and I had some time to ourselves, usually on walks or drives through the cute downtown of the area we stayed. But we also had a lot of time with all of his family, and that was good too. Plenty of card games, some Wii fit, and movies all made for a really good time getting to know people better.

Overall, the people I spent break with meant a lot to me. They were incredibly affirming, something I didn’t realize I was lacking in until four weeks ago. It was a huge blessing to be surrounded by people who cared about me, and to be encouraged a lot in my relationship with Anthony–it can be awkward being the only couple in our group of friends.

I don’t have much else to say. I’m back at the grindstone. I’m researching again this quarter, taking a heavy load, mentoring for a freshmen class, and trying to maintain relationships even as I’m prepping for graduation this year. break was a very encouraging time, a really boost which I think I needed to get me through the next couple of quarters.

I love you all. I hope that your New Year is full of blessings and laughter.

sara

 

Pues

I haven’t updated in… let’s see… months? creo que si.

I am back in Colorado now, for Christmas break. It is basically wonderful thus far. I have a friend, Sarah Barton who came with me for a few days. She leaves tonight, so this will be short as I want to spend all the time I can with her.

 Fall Quarter was good. It was long and tiring and exhausting, but I learned a lot. God was so good to me, in so many ways that I did not deserve. I mean, we never deserved anything from him, but this quarter, he just showed continual grace and love to me, in ways I cannot even describe. I ran the whole quarter on his strength, and his endurance.

I made some pretty awesome new friends. MuKappa (a cadre for mk’s) had a bunch of new people this year, and that was good. It was also wonderful to reconnect with the old ones, and get to know some of them better. For instance, Daniel, who had a girlfriend last year, I hardly knew. Well, I knew him, but I knew him in the context of Anna Marie. Now that they aren’t together it has been interesting to get to know them separately, as individuals. One of the newbies: Anna, is from Spain and she is basically wonderful and sarcastic and funny and we get along super well.

Also, I have just learned so  much academically. I got the opportunity to do a big research project on Chechnya/Ingushetyia/Dagestan, and it was amazing. My prof was incredibly helpful, and I cannot have imagined doing the project without his help and encouragement to delve into a subject htat I wanted, rather than my second choice.

And yep. Life was tiring and emotional, but it was good.

selamet,

sara

postscript: I might have forgotten to mention that I am dating someone. so that is good too.

 

I’m still here

Yes ladies and gentlemen,

sara has not left the big CO. I am still lying here, in my own sort of purgatory, awaiting my eventual, and inevitable return to Seattle.

In other news… I’ve read some more books. Last of the Mohicans: very different from the movie, but wonderful all the same. Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Cout: amusing, I found Hank irritating, until the end. When I felt superbly sorry for the poor chap. I’m now reading Fresh Encounters, and Changing the Mind of Missions. The former is interesting, the latter, um, boring. Basically, I’m rereading stuff I already know. [ah the glorious beauty of having missionary/pastor parents.] Oh, I also finished Exiles which I started while at school. Let’s talk about htat one.

You know, the first three chapters, if you read that, you’ve read the book. That’s where Frost lays out all his theory on the incarnational church. (ie: not grace chapel, for my co readers) But I enjoyed the rest of the book as well, because it got into the more practical aspects of how to apply the theory to real life. There were some chapters though, where I had a hard time agreeing with Frost. Some of that was hard stuff to hear and acknowledge. But, then I thought that so many people turned away from Jesus, after saying, “Rabbi, this is difficult teaching.” Jesus didn’t run after them to make it easier. And I don’t want to be one of those people. I’m not puting Frost on the level of God, either. But it did make me think about his more heavy practical ideas. Checking clothing companies to see where they make their merchandise, for instance. I mean, that’s just plain time consuming, and I hardly buy clothes anyway… but, it’s true. I should be concerned about child labor, so, I hsould take an interest in where Gap and Target get their clothes made. Who cares if it takes up my time? I still need to be responsible in caring for God’s creation–humanity.

And I have started attending an incarnational model church. Oh, glorious day! I am actually excited to go to church again!

so yeah. that’s about it. If you want more info about incarnational church stuff, let me know. I wrote this really long message to a friend recently, to explain what I was talking about. If you want to know more, I will give you that. Heck, if I get around to it between packing and cleaning for Kelsie coming to visit… maybe I’ll just post it so you cna know what I am talking about. Also, I am here until the 17th, so… if you want to have coffee and talk about missio/incarnational church stuff, please, lets. it’s one of my favorite topics.

 

hiya.

alright:

 Skin was really great. I enjoyed the plot twists, and I wont lie, I actually did not see the end coming at all. (By end, I mean the revealing of the villian.) I thought it was good, but my one complaint against Ted Dekker: many of his characters begin to run together. I feel like many of them are very similar. But maybe that’s because, you know, you are writing from yourself. I mean Jane Austen has similar characters and plot lines. I’m sure quite a few of my characters seem alike. Because (in my opinion) good writers write from their heart. And even as you grow and change and learn, there are some basic things that stay the same in every person. So it’s not a complaint against Dekker, just an observation.

No, I have not yet read Silmarillion. Right now I’m working through Arabian Nights and Principles on Philosophy. After that, I’m doing The Last of the Mohicans and A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Those should be faster. We’ll see where I’m at when I finish those. I still plan to read Sex God, though I wouldn’t mind (terribly) waiting until it comes out in paperback. I’m a big fan of cheap.

shalom

 

More books!

because I love Ted Dekker:

Skin and The Martyr’s Song.

I’m also cutting out Tale of Two Cities. I never did appreciate Dickens, why put myself through it? I might take on St. Thomas Aquinas instead. As well as some Tolstoy or Dostoevsky.

Maybe I should tell you about the books rather than just list them off? Okay, here are some basics. I read a couple fantasy books from Nick. They were really good, picked up some new ideas for my own writing. A Severe Mercy was pretty incredible. I loved the ideas on time and service. It was very interesting and I highly recomend it. All the Ted Dekker books were high paced, and thought provoking. They dealt with spiritual and worldly ideas. The physical vs the spiritual world and peeling back the layers so that we can see what is really going on, rather than what we think is going on.

 yep, basics. I recommend them all. a lot.

shalom shalom shalom

sara

 

Summer Reading List

(thus far)

 Books from Nick

Showdown

A Severe Mercy

The End of Poverty

Augustine: Confessions

Descartes

Tale of Two Cities

The Sillmarillion

Sex God

Through Painted Deserts

maybe Shake Hands With the Devil… that’s undecided

and probably rereading Screwtape Letters

also have to finish up Exiles and The Shaping of Things to Come

well it’ll be a busy summer, and some pretty provocative, probing things. I’ve already gone through all my junk thanks to the book on poverty… and thanks to living in seattle, and being friends with Kelsie and Sarah. Yeah. But I have Thursdays and Fridays off of work. So who knows what can get done? This may even be a short list! Considering, I have three done…

 

Dear Goknertap

This sucks.

I miss you. Please, skip camp and come visit me in Colorado. I mean, it isn’t all that bad. My kids are super fun, even if they are both ganging up on me and crushing me in “Risk.” Bailey and I played in her pool yesterday. The walls fill up with water and have holes that shoot out the cool blue liquid.

I wrote about seven pages yesterday. It was lovely.

I cleaned my room and went through my first box. You know that book I borrowed from Lauren? About ending global poverty? Well it’s one of three books I’m reading right now, so I’m still in the introduction… But it really convicted me. I need to get rid of all my junk, you know? I don’t understand how I could have accumulated so much junk over one year. And it wasn’t even a year!

Isn’t that interesting? It was barely nine months, but my life has moved on so much. I don’t understand. Gok, how is it that we went so deep so fast in only nine months? Is it possible for me to do that with people here at home? I’m going back to school in three months, though, so is it even worth it? But these people were my life until last August. I still cry when I watch the Costa Rica dvd. So I guess, in some ways… they still are my life.

But you are my life now. Our emo-ness and crazy headbanging. 352 and 378 is my life. And so is Karin, and the craziness of Amanda and August. Kelliega cheers me up, always. With Kayti I can go on long walks, swear when a car tries to run us off the road. Sarah… ah Muktuk. What can be said? Krysta and Natalie and Katie and JJ. Seattle is my life. SPU is my life.

I never thought I would say it… I even miss Nick’s whinning.

Jesus come quickly.

(I am your friend… I just don’t have time for you)
sara