The Office

This last Thursday was the Office season premiere and it was so awesome! Every time I watch it it makes me so happy and Thursday was no different. My favorite part though was the fact that Jim purposed to Pam at a gas station in the pouring rain. It was so unexpected which made it even greater. I loved that Kelly tried to ignore Ryan when he showed back up but tried to make him jealous by making out with Darrell, when Dwight tries to act like he is better than Jim, and that Holly, the new HR lady, is a dork and has a crush on Michael. Nothing can beat it. The people that made this show are geniuses!!! Can't wait until next Thursday! 

Fall Retreat Camp Whittier

This weekend we went to a retreat at a campsite up in the mountains of Santa Barbera near a lake. Brian Mashburn spoke. The only bad thing about the place we stayed was that it was so dusty and there were these flies that were constantly annoying everybody. But the sky is so clear there that every star seemed visible. I could have looked up at those stars forever.

Brian spoke on three simple concepts that all fit together.

1. Our mission is to make disciples 2. Our motive for making disciples is love 3. The way we do these things is to make strong relationships with a core group of people. He said that relationships were key because we can't live life on our own and being able to confide in and being able to be completely open and honest in those relationships will help you along lifes journey. If you are vulnerable and honest with your group then it should be easy enough to see where people are coming from and be more relateable. If you talk about your struggles and where you are at first and foremost then the relationships grow deeper faster and they aren't the superficial type of friendships but the kind that will last and be strong for a long time. The goal though is to have loving relationships with these people. It shouldn't be judgemental or some sort of project you are working on, but a truth seeking and loving relationship.

He talked about the group of guys he meets with and what happens when they meet in his basement on Tuesday nights. It is a group of guys so rare and genuine. Some of them alcoholics, drug-dealers, drug addicts, sex-offenders, and adulterers all seeking a better life. When they first started meeting he said it was only him, some guy named Jay from his church and his roofer. It was like that for over two years. Then other guys started being asked to come join. One guy was trying to get sober and was drinking water at a bar one night when another guy in the bar who was also trying to get sober, but who had kept relapsing, went up to the guy with the water and asked him why he was drinking water. He told him that he had been trying to stay sober for 8 months but couldn't keep it up so the "water" guy asked him to go to Brian's basement with him that night. The "water" guy 8 months previous to this occasion was working at the same bank as Jay. Jay had been trying to get this guy to come to the basement for a long time when one night after work he went up to Jay and told him he wanted a better life. So Jay called Brian and asked Brian to come up to the bank because this guy needed to be free now. So Brian went to the bank and in the conference room they had a session with Jay's co-worker. 

In order to get into the regular basement group the guys must sit in the "hot-seat" and basically tell their whole life story along with all their sins and struggles. Those are just a few of the stories Brian told that stuck out to me but he has so many that are great. But yea it seems to really work because not only do they listen to each other pour their hearts out but they want a better life for each other and mostly they love each other like Jesus loves us; no judgement at all. 

He gave an illustration about when he was a youth minister. He said there was a kid in his youth group who was pulling pranks on him but it didn't bother him because of the relationship the prankster had with his son. He said that his son and this guy were really good friends even though his son was young and he cared for him. The illustration is that just like we mess up and God may want to punish us he knows that the relationship with his son makes all the difference in the world. 

STEP FORWARD DAY

Today was Step Forward Day. A day on campus where on average 1,400 students go and do 42 hours of service in the greater Los Angeles area! Alot of times people are hesitant about signing up because the work sites that they are assigned to are somewhat lame. Some people think they don't do enough and some people think that its too strict. Last year my group walked across PCH and went to this huge lot where these "green" people wanted us to pick these huge weeds that had grown in after a wildfire. Lets just say our work day wasn't a great day. 

This year I signed up to work with the Campus Ministry group and it was great. A sorority came with us too. Our ticket said we were going to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Site. Most of us didn't know what that meant and wondered what we would be doing. We arrived at the site which happened to be near Marina del Rey, right on the beach. We were helping with an Ovarian Cancer Walk/Run. It was really fun. Some people worked at water tables, and others were traffic control people, but me and some other girls walked the race with the supporters, survivors, and their families. It took us about an hour to walk a 5k but it was fun none the less. After the race we got free food, t-shirts, and lots of other stuff. There was an orientation thing after and the spokeswoman for the Ovarian Cancer Coalition talked which happened to be one of the main characters in the show CSI: Miami. She was really cool and just talked about spreading awareness about Ovarian Cancer because so many people have no idea what the symptoms are or how to talk to their GYNs about the disease. 

When we got back on campus we all went to Alumni Park and got free In-N-Out; which is one of the best fast food burger places ever! YUM!!! And just hung out at the Volunteer fair. All around it was a good day and I had fun even though I had to wake up at 6:30 on a Saturday.  :D

Top 10 things of the DAY in 1 word!!!!

10. napping

9. snacks

8. music

7.  breeze

6. sunshine

5. fan

4. nap

3. advil

2. parents

1. Bible

..... oh and the OFFICE season 4 came out on video today!! YAY!

"Harder Than The First Time"

Last night at chapel my friend spoke on how when he was sophomore he felt like he was having trouble with his faith even though for his whole life he grew up going to church. Listening to him I felt like I was feeling the same way. Its weird because he made the point that many people in their sophomore year of college struggle with their faith and it's true. He said that he struggled with the reason why he  believed in God and why he called him Father. After a year and a half he lives his life for Jesus everyday and loves reading the bible, because every time he reads it it becomes something new to him. So with that said.......

For the last couple of months I have felt so lost and empty, and have tried to fill my life with the things of this world, like alcohol and working out all the time. I thought that this stuff would make me happy and it didn't fill the void in my life. I don't think I even realized I was doing it. I was really missing something. When I got to school it really hit me that I was lost and didn't know what I was doing with my life. The people around me were happy and I could tell that they had something in their lives that I wanted, it was JESUS. I knew I wanted Jesus to come back into my life because on my own I am nothing. I want to be whole heartedly in love with the author and perfecter of my faith. I want God to always be in my life, I want him to be my Father and my Friend forever. 

There is this song by Barlow Girl called "Harder Than The First Time" which I believe really relates to where I am at in my life.

Here are the words: "Harder Than The First Time"

I walked with you

Just like we've done for so long

You seem so near

But even that's become so common It's not just You, just been together so long

That I thought I knew everything about You

But today I saw

Did you open up my eyes?

'Cause I feel like I've just seen You for the first time

I didn't see You

But God I want to

You've come alive

And I think I've fallen harder than the first time

Was I so blind?

How did I not see You?

Yet in that time You never left my side 

so far all my life I will live to Know You 

So here I am, I'll take Your hand

I see Your face 

I feel You close

the love You've always shown me

Won't miss it now can't waste a day

Jesus I'm Yours completely