Home Cooked Food…

Tonight I got to make some Filipino food with my boyfriend in his on-campus apartment! It was so much fun, and a relaxing break from homework and stuff. I love the fact that there are now so many kitchens on campus…I can’t wait to live in the apartments next year! It was also comforting to have a home cooked meal in the midst of a crazy week!

Last Friday, I went snowboarding for the first time…an awesome experience! We’re literally only an hour away from the snow, which is quite nice. Let’s just say I was pretty sore by the time the day was over! God taught me alot, too…just how to trust in Him when I was afraid and frustrated (trying to learn how to snowboard is pretty intense!).

Another way God stretched me this week was giving me the opportunity to be a peer preacher in chapel! It was such a blessing to be able to serve Him in that way…but I also learned what it meant to really “live” with a message. God truly engrained that message on my heart…a message of trusting Him in all circumstances and focusing my gaze on Him. Another bright spot was the fact that my family came up to hear me speak, and afterwards, I got to spend some time with them. It was really nice to see them again!

Well, it is midnight and I am quite tired…

Have a wonderful rest of the week!!! Don’t forget to spend some time with those you love!!

Beautiful February

Alot of people see the months of February and March as challenging because the workload is setting in, midterms are coming up, and the weather is dreary. But for me, the month of February has been much like a doxology (a joyful song). Not only did I spend my first Valentine’s Day with my sweetheart ;) but God has used each and every experience this month to draw me closer to Him. He has shown His glory in my weaknesses. He has been faithful when I have not, and He has shown me His love in so many ways!

There is one class that I have been enjoying so much: Applied Integration. It is our senior-level Psychology capstone course, and it includes a very big test. If we do not pass it, we do not graduate this year. So much is riding on the test, but God has been showing me time and time again that He is ultimately in control. Our teacher has been very helpful in nurturing our spiritual walks as we prepare for this test–encouraging us, challenging us, and helping us calm our fears. It has, in and of itself, been a growing experience. Yet God sees fit to generalize what He has been teaching me in Applied Integration to my entire life. I find it so refreshing when He does that–He shows His loving hand through so many avenues! I am so blessed to go to a school where the teachers are in tune to the moving of God’s Spirit!

Yes, February is a crazy month–packed with leadership meetings, mission meetings, mission banquets, papers, projects, classes, and more. As one of my favorite songs says “I stand only because You’ve given me strength to walk. You carried me…through it all. And I believe…You’ll carry me all the way home!” That’s my theme song for this semester. It’s not in my strength that I will get everything done…it is only through His!

Surprise! It’s a new semester!

It always seems to happen…it sneaks up on you like a quiet cloud and then lets out its fury. If you’ve ever had it happen to you before, you know what I mean. Days and weeks seem to sail by, fairly carefree…except for a few chapters here and there to read, and maybe a small quiz to study for. Then all of a sudden, bam, it hits you like a freight train. You are caught in a whirlwind of papers, quizzes, reading, tests, activities, work, illness, and sleeplessness. You can’t seem to see the way out…the path is foggy and muddy…almost impassible. You scream until your lungs ache, but to no avail…it’s like you’re falling in a dream and the only way to stop is to wake up. But you can’t. There is no way you can make your brain understand that it’s a dream…maybe because it isn’t. In fact, it’s NOT a dream…it’s called life…it’s called school…and the only way out is to endure.

Almost every college student has had this experience at least once: a sense of being overwhelmed. The good thing is, though, that every time I have had to go through it, God makes Himself known to me in a new and exciting way. The thing I keep learning over and over again is that when I cannot do something or endure something on my own, He can do it for me, take me through it, and make me better for it.

No matter how life looks right now, be encouraged. He is going to do something amazing in your life, just trust Him!

May you have a wonderful week full of calm skies and brightened by His love!

In the Library…

Hi All!

Right now, I’m standing in the library waiting for a few things to print. The library is a great place to study, to use the best computer technology, to find resources for class, and to print documents when you don’t own a printer :) According to the advancement office, our school has the best theological library in the greater Sacramento region. We see alot of pastors and seminary students using our library for research purposes.

On another note, we just had our crazy Week of Welcome…the first week of classes, filled with activities put on by student life. It was so much fun! We went roller skating, had campus communion, watched movies, played Prison Break, and more! Now we are getting ready to jump right into the regular school schedule!!!

Guess what! I finally bought a pretty coffee mug!! I’ve been wanting one for months and finally found one that I really liked. I actually found it in the school bookstore…it’s a sea foam green with a pretty brown cursive script that reads “William Jessup University” I’m excited because now not only do I have something pretty, but I also have something to remember the school by when I graduate in December! (as long as I don’t break it! lol!)

I couldn’t believe the storms we’ve been having this week! It was so hard on Tuesday and Wednesday to walk the short distance from the dorms to class and back because of the wind. Despite it being slightly unpleasent, the view from my window is quite gorgeous when it storms. Someday I will have to take pictures and post them on here.

Well…it’s back to homework and then watching a movie with one of my wingmates…have a great weekend!!!

Christmas Break!

Christmas Break has begun! I am sitting here enjoying being at home without having to think about homework or anything else except making cookies and wrapping presents and visiting friends. Finals week went by pretty fast and pretty painless, which is nice! We had our traditional “Midnight Breakfast” on Monday during finals week. The Resident Directors cooked up tons of pancakes, sausage, eggs, monkey bread, and coffee. We also had fruit, orange juice, milk, and yummy toppings for the pancakes. It was so much fun just to take a break from studying and spend a little time relaxing with friends…plus it was nice to get re-energized from the food. :)

The last few mornings that I spent on campus I awoke to a foggy scene outside my window. My window looks out towards the front parking lot and the trees, creek, and field beyond. This makes for a lovely view anytime of day, but especially when it rains or is foggy! Such a special treat!

The week before finals week, it snowed in Rocklin! We had about 3 inches of snow, but by the time I went for a walk that morning, it had rained and refrozen, so most of the outside was coated in ice. My car had some snow on the windshield, and the lake out behind the school was partially frozen too! It was so fun to see snow, which is something we don’t get where I’m from.

I am excited for Christmas! Rocklin is great because it is so close to the popular Roseville Galleria mall, where I went to do all my Christmas shopping after I was done with finals. Just another perk we get living here at Jessup!

I hope that your Christmas is fun and enjoyable! Until next semester…

Winter wonderland

Ahh…it’s beginning to look alot like Christmas…especially around Jessup! Tuesday, the first day of December, the student leadership team got together and decorated the campus. We wrapped garland around the lampposts that are scattered around campus, tied fantastic ribbon bows, made wreaths, and put up the enormous Christmas tree in the Commons. It was quite a job, but we had so much fun doing it all! This has to be one of my favorite seasons here on campus. The community feels more and more like a family around this time of year…Christmas cheer is plentiful this year. I believe that the economic hardship is only reminding us how much we appreciate and value the simple things such as spending time together, baking cookies, singing Christmas carols, and decorating trees. I know it is for me.

On Wednesday, the Orientation Team put on the Christmas Extravaganza! We decorated ornaments, made gingerbread houses, posed for funny Christmas pictures, snacked on yummie treats, and held an ugly Christmas sweater contest! :) Best of all (in my mind, anyway) was that all of us Orientation Assistants went caroling through the dorms and campus apartments…that is one of my favorite college memories so far!

Yesterday evening, I went for a chilly walk around Jessup’s property with my best friend. All bundled up, we drank hot chocolate and sang Christmas carols as we watched our breath evaporate in the air. Just another reminder of the enjoyment of simple things that I had forgotten in years past. If only we had had a sleigh and some snow! *sigh* 

Back to the real world…the Christmas season also brings papers to write, tests to study for, projects to finish, and many early mornings and late nights. Yet it is all part of the fun…if we didn’t have such a crazy schedule right before Christmas break, then we simply wouldn’t enjoy the break as much. It is quite enjoyable to cozy up in a comfy chair near the Christmas tree in the Commons and study (but then, I love both Christmas and studying…so I have the best of both worlds!)

Hope you’re enjoying the start of winter wonderland just as much as I am! It’s a beautiful sight!

Brokenhearted

Last weekend, I went with about 27 students and faculty members to San Francisco to serve at the YWAM base in the Tenderloin district. It was such a great experience–we were able to help with their bucket brigade (cleaning up the streets and local businesses), hot chocolate ministry, and lunch ministry. We talked with many people who live on the streets in the Tenderloin…people from all different backgrounds and lifestyles now. The culture in the Tenderloin is so unique and heartbreaking all at the same time. It is difficult to spend time in a place where poverty, hunger, homelessness, drug deals, human trafficking, and prostitution are common, everyday experiences and then walk three blocks away (literally) and find Union Square, one of the richest and most materialistic areas of San Francisco. Still, I find my heart breaking more and more for people like those who live in the Tenderloin each time I go there. This is a kind of mission trip that I encourage you to go on…whether it’s with our school or with your church or family. It is an experience that you will never regret. Just remember to have your heart focused on God and ask Him to break your heart for what breaks His.

On a lighter note, I have to say that I am really excited for Thanksgiving! This past week has been crazy…with baking, hosting a student, meetings, fieldwork (my Psychology internship), birthday parties, late nights, papers, and little sleep. Now I find myself spending the weekend working on more papers and projects in order to lighten my load over break. I cannot wait to see my family and friends again! Living away from home is an awesome experience, but sometimes you just miss home…and the holidays are some of the best times to reunite with family and take a break from the routine!

I am excited for the next few weeks…we only have five more weeks left in the semester…incredible! Those of us on student leadership are putting on a Christmas Extravaganza soon, and we are having lots of fun planning and making posters for it! We get to decorate the campus for Christmas when we come back from Thanksgiving…it is so neat to see the campus lit up with Christmas lights, trimmed with garland, and made a little cozier with a giant Christmas tree in the Commons! It’s so much fun looking forward to the upcoming weeks!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! I challenge you to make someone’s Thanksgiving brighter by inviting them to your home or buying them a turkey or a pumpkin pie! 

Change your lifeSan Francisco

Hello all!

Let me introduce myself…I am Elizabeth and I am a senior majoring in Psychology. I transferred in last year from Modesto Junior College, so I’ve been able to compare a secular school to a Christian university. There are alot of differences which I am grateful for!

 I live in the amazing Rispoli Hall dorms on campus! I love my wing and the unique community that we have here at Jessup…it’s a mix between students living in the dorms, apartments, and commuters. Not only is it fun to be a part of, but it is also spiritually uplifting and a great environment to grow in.

This year, I am a part of Jessup’s leadership team, which creates even more community and accountability in my life. It’s an awesome way to get involved and meet all the new students that arrive on campus every semester.

If you haven’t checked out our campus, I encourage you to do so. Our Fall Preview Day is coming up on November 19th. In fact, if you wanted to, you could stay the night on campus in one of our dorm rooms…we have plenty of students who are excited to host you and want to make your experience the best it can be! Check out www.jessup.edu for more info!!

Well…after giving you a quick overview of myself and some of my favorite things on campus, I must sign off. Dinner at the cafe awaits, as does the Fall Concert and a wing meeting. Ahh…the joys of college life…don’t worry, it isn’t all about the studying! :) (though you have to do some of that too…)