Well...the end of our sophmore semester is coming up soon...May 15th I believe. We're looking forward to summer. As much as we LOVE homework assignments, it will be nice to have a break for a few months:) We'll be in Illinois for a week- May 18th-26th and then again July 6th-14th...then we'll be headed to California from the 15th-29th to visit family and friends and for Matt and Shayla's wedding!!! Other than that, we'll be here in Jackson working full time at GFS (both of us) trying to save up a little more for the next school year. We also might be looking at moving dorms this summer- which will be very nice. Hopefully a little bit bigger space, but if not- we're okay with that too. Currently we are taking the Bible Basis of Missions and 1 Corinthians- which are both great classes! Our elective doesn't start until the 5th and I believe it's the Biblical way of handling conflict.

Spring break was a great time. We got to go to California for about a week and see our friends get married! I know we're both really looking forward to seeing our families this summer though, hopefully it wont be too busy so we can really enjoy the time we have. It's crazy to think that this August, we will have lived here in Michigan for a year! People said this time would fly by, and they definately weren't kidding. So we want to make the most of it and really soak up all that is being taught to us!!!!

Things to come and the God of Second Chances

I really wish we had created this blog sooner but oh well! We are currently halfway through our second semester here and I can't believe how fast time is going by. Our classes right now are: Minor prophets, The Life of Christ and Hermeneutics 2. We enjoy them quite a bit and I love that I'm waking up every morning and being challenged in my daily life. Sometimes I feel like I walked into Bible school thinking I already knew everything...and that is clearly not the case :) I love that my way of thinking is being transformed more and more because of the truth that is being presented to me. I love it here!
This has already been a great month and we have a lot to still look forward to. This Monday and Tuesday is 'Special Emphasis,' so we'll be sitting in chapel when we are normally in class and listening to a speaker. I actually don't know a lot about it but I'm thinking that someone is coming from the MTC (New Tribes Missionary Training Center) to talk to all of us. The following week, from Mar 16-20, Brad Buser(missionary/rep with NTM) will be here to speak in chapel. This is exciting because his ministry had a huge impact on Tom's life and was a big part of what got him pumped for New Tribes. That Saturday, the 21st is not only my big brother Rob's 23rd birthday but a field day for the Bible Institute here in Jackson and in Waukesha Wisconsin. It's a whole day of competition between the schools and we'll be playing volleyball, basketball and indoor soccer. I'm especially excited because I get to play on the basketball team. THEN our spring break is March 28th-April5, where we will be traveling to CaLiFoRnIa for Micah and Regina's wedding and we'll get to spend time with Tom's side of our family! Like I said, A lot to look forward to.
And now, I'd just like to leave you with something I was challenged with this morning at church because I think it's something that we've all struggled with. Our pastor was sharing out of the book of Jonah where most know the story of Jonah and the BIG FISH! Well his message has been titled 'MAN ON THE RUN.' God wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah to preach, but he didn't want to and instead tried to run from God. That's where the gigantor fish comes into play.
Well, he began to talk about times where we think we can run from the Lord...or when we have just been out of fellowship with him. The thing is, some people don't run back to Him out of shame or a lack of understanding of His love and forgiveness. And when we decide to run from God, we run into the most self-destructing places because we're running from the one and only source of truth, wisdom and love. Of course we're going to feel lost. And God is often involved in the circumstances that bring us to the end of ourselves...and that looks different for all of us. But I know I've been there. And when we go through hard things in life or fall FLAT on our faces, we need to remember that it's not God paying us back, it's God bringing us back...to Him. Sometimes his tactics are not gentle, but we have to remember that he disciplines us because He loves us and doesn't want to see us apart from Him. To run from God is to run from His grace. Jonah figured it out, he said "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord." Jonah 2:8-9. We have to stop clinging to the worthless idols that come between us and the Lord and remember that God is a God of second chances.