Monthly Email

Wow, okay, so been a while... I think I'm gonna start calling this the "monthly email" - no really, I am. :) So, yeah, it's been a BUSY month!! Here's the highlights, as usual... :)

I had a couple lunches/coffees with some girls on my floor which was really fun... I LOVE getting to know people - I've decided that my goal in life is to cultivate relationships with people and know them and be there for them and love them... whatever else I do along the way will just be a means to that end. :) I love people! :)

We had Missions Conference which was pretty good! It's a 3-day conference wherein we have to go to at least 8 "sessions" to get credit for the conference. I've actually never gone before cause I've always been out of town, so it was fun to actually participate. My favorite sessions were one on postmodernism and how that affects Christianity and evangelism & then another on spiritual disciplines (reading scripture, praying, fasting, etc.) and reaffirming that if the Lord is the center of your life, it will naturally flow to talk about Him - it shouldn't be fake. I like that... it was also fascinating, because I had just gone to the postmodernism session the day before and then the speaker on spiritual disciplines totally spoke in a postmodernist fashion (very interactive, very real, he told us HIS story so we'd trust him, etc.) It was fascinating. It was pretty good, overall. :) A nice experience.

I went home that weekend and hung out w/ mom and dad and grandma and grandpa - went shopping a bit, watched a couple movies, relaxed - it was great. :) Also, I got to hang out on Saturday with Angie and do wedding stuff which was fun. :) She got her dress which is just PERFECT. She obviously is in love with it... :) She'll be gorgeous. Then, we looked at some flowers and planned some bridal shower stuff... it should be fun! I celebrated Easter early with the family.... that was fun as well! I made green beans, bread, and sauteéd mushrooms and dad made steak. It was all very yummy... Then I made dessert! (The best part!) It was awesome - I put raspberries on the bottom layer, then mandarin orange sorbet, then blackberries, then passionfruit sorbet, then a touch of whip cream and a strawberry on top! It was pretty. :) I liked it. :)

Last Monday, Chrystal, Cari and I met with Dr. Thoennes (an AWESOME Bible professor on campus) and we discussed the sovereignty of God vs. Free will of humankind and it was a reeeeeally awesome conversation. I think that'll be one of those conversations that I remember the rest of my life. He just really helped present scripture and clarify questions, but still left it open to what we would believe. It was cool. :) I basically got from that conversation that Scripture supports both choice and sovereignty and it'd take me a while to explain, but it works and it's awesome. Yay. :) And now it all makes sense why we pray for people and evangelize and everything... I feel like I'm starting to connect the dots more and more... and yet as I connect more and more, I realize the millions more dots I have left to connect! But... it's still super awesome. :) I'm excited about life - I have never felt so much peace as I've felt this week... Knowing God's in control and yet we still have the ability to choose sounds really confusing but gives such rest to my soul. :) Ahhh... :)

I bought a new camera this week! It's this one:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/z10.html

I'm suuuuper excited for it, beings as my brand-new one that my parents bought me for Christmas got dropped in TJ and is now permanently busted. I must be allergic to cameras or something... anyways... I'm super excited for this one! :) We'll see how it goes!

I got a lot of errands done this weekend - I even found silver shoes (Thank the Lord)! I've been looking for a while, but there's a pic attached of what they look like... I've been looking for a while now! :) Uh... let's see...

Oh, I went to TJ yesterday, too. :) It was soooooooooooooo wonderful... here's what I posted in the TJ folder:
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I just wanted to let ya'll know who went today that I had such an awesome time and was SO blessed to be there... what a wonderful day. :) It's like a built-in vacation every 2-3 weeks. :)

I LOVED it - I loved getting to know a few of you better, listening to the Pastor, having freezing fingers while we tried to make ice cream (haha, Julia), and watching Yessica fall asleep while we played Sorry. :) Ahh... what a fantastic day... I'm so refreshed.... I love that place... thanks for partaking in the blessing with me... you are all so encouraging to be around. :)
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It was so fun! ;) I LOVE it down there! I'm gonna live there someday. :) At least, for a little while. :) The Pastor was so sweet... he almost cried because he was so happy that we still came even though it was raining... he really touches my heart every time I hear him speak... He was talking about having a vision and how God says that His people "perish for lack of vision". I'm starting to pray for a vision... I'd love to know what God has for me - but I guess that's part of life's adventure!! :)

I have 2 midterms this week, so I've mostly just been studying all day... took a little break to write to ya'll. :) I hope you're all doing just great! Remember to let me know if you have any prayer requests, and if I don't talk to you, have a WONDERFUL Easter!!! :)

Okay, so I'm gonna go now, for reals. :)

Love you more than frozen fingers!
~Vanessa

~Live your life passionately, adventurously and inquisitively and you'll never be bored~