the gift of family

Christmas was different this year. The differences helped me realize that Christmas is more than gifts and bragging rights. It's a time to spend with family and enjoy time together. Circumstances that the Lord brought into my life this year helped me realize how important it is to spend time with family.

Christmas in our family always started on Christmas Eve. Grandpa Frank would come to our house for Christmas dinner. He would stay over until nearly midnight. Just before he would leave Dad would let us open one present each. This year was...different. Grandpa passed away one week ago today. Dad did NOT want us to be by ourselves this year, so Auntie M, Uncle Rusty, Paul, Timothy, Peter, Andrew, & Arrena came to our house to celebrate Christmas Eve. It was different, but it was a good different. Paul & I took the opportunity to teach Arrena how to play ping-pong.

Christmas morning has always started with omletes--yum! No change here. I was the first one of the kids up and Dad made me a delicious omlete. Dad made omletes for each of us as we woke up and came into the living room. Omletes. Eggy golden goodness filled with olives, onions, cheese, & ham. I LOVE it!! After breakfast we would open stockings, the remaining presents, & then head over to Grandmommy & Papa's to celebrate Christmas with Mom's family. Well, we haven't gone to grandma & grandpa's in a couple years--they have spent Christmas in Texas with Uncle Russell, Aunt Debbie, & Carena. So, Christmas is just our family. Different. Our gift to each other this year was different too. Rather than spending money on gifts that would set gather dust laying around the house, my parents decided to put the money they would have spent on gifts toward making sure that Crystal, Jarid, & I can stay in college. I think it's the best gift I have ever been given.

This Christmas I realized that Christmas is more than snow, trees, lights, & gifts. It's about family. The love & friendship of family is unique to every individual. Family is the best gift that can be given or received at Christmas.

drip, drip, drop

I am not one to openly cry, but yesterday, the tears came often. Just after noon yesterday Dad informed me that Grandpa Frank had passed away.

Christmas is going to be different this year. Amidst the lazy falling snowflakes tears will fall each time we remember Grandpa. Grandpa Frank always came over for Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. He drank coffee and slipped slices of ham in to Greyson's dish, always claiming that dogs should get to celebrate Christmas too. He called me Grandma--I never really knew why, but I liked it because it made me feel special. He would never leave until he got a kiss from each of us grandkids. He is one of the very few people I would let kiss me, let alone me kiss them. Tears will fall when I become selfish at all the things he is going to miss: me graduating from college, bringing home a boy, getting married, having kids. Since I left for college Grandpa kept asking where my boyfriend was. He thought it odd that I was waiting on God's timing, but he would relish in the fact that he was the "only" boy getting a kiss from me.

I'm not going to lie or try to sugar-coat the facts, as far as we know, Grandpa Frank was not saved. I think that is what hurts the most. Knowing that for the past 15+ years my family has been a faithful witness to him and he rejected the free gift of eternal life. He was an amazing man. I have never seen someone display such undying love. He cared about each of us and wanted us to succeed in life. He never quite undersood why Crystal, Jarid, & I chose to attend a Christian college, but he could see our dedication to serve the Lord.

But, God works in ALL circumstances. My uncle and cousin seem to be open to the Gospel right now. The death of my grandpa affected them greatly--they are thinking more than ever before about spiritual things. Again I am reminded of my life verse, "And we know that ALL things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." There is nothing I can do for my grandpa now, but God has given my family an amazing opportunity to be a witness to my Dad's family.

Will I cry at the funeral? Yes, if not outwardly, my heart will be crying. But my tears will only last during this life. I have hope and confidence in eternal salvation. I know exactly where I am going when I die. My purpose now is to show Christ's love to my family so I can see them for all eternity.

winter ball

December is such a beautiful time of year. The snow falls and makes everything a winter wonderland. The wind, though terribly cold, adds a natural rosieness to everyone's cheeks--a fresh look that cannot be achieved with makeup. Everything seems to whisper of beauty and romance.

Just before a hard week of finals, Maranatha's choirs and orchestra performed Handel's Messiah. It was amazing to see how many families from the community came to hear our students perform. It was as beautiful and romantic as the pure white world outside the Gymnatorium. Kristin, Kat, Khristina, Tim, and I went together on Friday evening to enjoy the beautiful production. It was a beautiful "winter ball".

After the concert, we met up with Jarid and then headed over to Watertown Bowl with about 50 other Maranatha students for a different kind of winter ball: late night of bowling--11:30-1:30 a.m. We had so much fun! Some of Jarid's roommates and friends joined us so we could fill two lanes. After the first game we enacted the "push-up" rule--for every pin left standing at the end of your turn you had to do one push-up. I'm not going to lie, I had to do the most. I can tell you, however, that I had the best form--whatever that is worth.

poor unfortunate soul 2

God chooses to work in amazing ways. He allows people to be the instrument by which He blesses and encourages His children.

Not to long ago, my computor died without cause or explination. It was a bummer and a slight inconvienience, but not a detrimental loss. Just before Thanksgiving, my aunt let me know that she had a surprise waiting for me when I got home. I refused to guess what it might be--I tend to dream too high too often, and I did not want to prepare myself for a let down. Early in the afternoon the day before Thanksgiving my mom and I went to my aunt's house to drop off my dead computer--my uncle was going to see if he could fix it for me. Instead of fixing my computer, he gave me a new-to-me laptop! He had heard through one of my cousins that my computer had died and decided to give me one as a gift before my aunt even knew I had a need!

God is so good! I was truly able to say that I am thankful for the way He provides, especially when He chooses to work through those we love most, like our family.

you've got a friend in me

Anything done alone is boring, but when six college students get together, staring at cars can be fun. Among all the stress of tests, papers, & projects it's nice just to relax & enjoy the company of friends (even if you are related to one of them).

There isn't much that Kristin, Khristyna, Kat, Jarid, Tim, & I don't do together--or at least with some of the other members of the group. From relaxing & studying in the coffee shop to Guesstures to bowling, ice skating, and shopping we most definately entertain ourselves.

Saturday was not out of the ordinary. After changing our plans for the zillianth, we finally got off campus (YAY!). We played pool, Guesstures, & fooseball in the student center then headed to Mullen's for some of the best ice cream I've ever had. Full of sugar and dairy, we headed to the bowling alley to enjoy some down time together. Strikes and gutterballs where the least of our concern as we just enjoyed goofing off together.

What can I say? Life is just more fun when you've got a friend like me.

poor provential life

The cost of college has be weighing heavily on my mind. Wouldn't it be nice if my bill was the same of those who first came to Maranatha in 1968? I am thankful that my parents want me to work for my education. It gives me the feeling that it is truly MY education--after all I am paying for part of it. I will be able to look back in five years and say that I helped my parents give me more than a "poor provential life."

It would be nice, though, to be part of one of those financial blessings that you always read about in college magazines. You know, the student who was working hard & praying for the finances to complete the semester & out of no where they receive a financial "gift" that could have only come from the Lord. I can say that I am one of those students.

In late September I completed an essay for a financial scholarship. I turned in with a week in advance & prayed for the best. The day before the deadline, the scholarship committee asked me to send them a piece of information before they could enter my essay into running. Because of different circumstances, I was unable to send them the item they requested & gave up hoping that I would be awarded the scholarship.

On Thursday, November 8, 2007, Mom called me after returning from leadership camp. She passively told me that a large envelope had come in the mail for me with no return address. She was going to throw it away with the other junk mail, but decided to open it just to see what it was. The letter began:
"Dear Ms. Lawson,
Congratulations! You have been selected to receive. . . "
The letter went on to tell me the specifics of winning the scholarship. I SCREAMED!! My roommate nearly fell off her bed, computer & all. I ran down my hallway screaming. How great is my God?! I had been praying for two months for the Lord's help financially. He answered my prayer in such a way that I know only He could have worked. I received a scholarship that I thought I had absolutely no chance of winning!

My God is my Father. He owns a cattle on a thousand hills. Why do I ever doubt the power He has? I do not deserve the love He show toward me.

picking out a carriage

On October 20, some friends and I "kidnapped" Kim to celebrate her birthday. The highlight of the day was the two hours we spend at Waldvogel's Farm enjoying hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and a cornmaze. It was fun to act like . . . little kids.

Turkies, Ghosts, & Witches, Oh My!

Waldvogel's had a plethera of plywood facades for kids (and kids at heart) to pose behind and place their faces in. There were witches (or, rather, you could be in the withes' brew), ghosts, the gothic farmers, a prize-winning turkey, and more. You would never had known that we were nine college age girls. There was also a . . . very interesting prop that we all enjoyed the most--a false outhouse. We all laughed as we tried to top each other for the funniest picture (I think I won!).

Haunted Grainery from Bed Rock

Creaky floors, butcher's knives, and amputated arms and legs engulfed in a heavy, black darkness. Nine girls entered the haunted grainery arm-in-arm not knowing what to expect. . .

Just kidding--it really wasn't that scary, except for not knowing where the walls would be. Michelle seemed to find the corner of every wall in the grainery as we felt our way through in the darkness. Bekah, Kim, and Kris did show aprehensiveness on wanting to enter the haunted house.

For a reason which none of us can explain, Fred and Barney were standing outside of the grainery. It did not bother us too much, for we all posed with our childhood friends from Bed Rock. Weird, but fun.

Picking Out a Carriage

We spent the most time at the farm's pumpkin patch. We were able to enjoy a hayride out the the patch; then, we were able to pick our pumpkins to our choosing. Michelle searched for the perfect pumpkins to give to her roommates, Bekah chose small gourds that she could give to her Sunday School class, Sarah looked for "Squishy", and Robyn chose some squash that she could cook. I did not care to buy a pumpkin, gourd, or squash, but it was fun to wander around the patch with the girls. Almost immediately I found a pumpkin that came right out of Cinderella--it was the perfect carriage pumpkin! It was so much fun! I haven't been to a pumpkin patch since first or second grade--I really enjoyed myself & laughed at everyone else as they meticulously judged each pumpkin.

Corn Maze

The most beautiful time of the evening was spent as we wandered through Waldvogel's corn maze. Yes, we went in circles, but it was fun to spend time joking and laughing with each other. It was my first corn maze and I enjoyed every minute of being lost and being "rained on" by corn kernels. We truly believed we accomplished a great task when we exited the corn from a different path than we entered.

The twilight seemed to call us back to the dorm, lest the spell of the day be broken. After two hours of pumpkins, haunted houses, and corn mazes we were all ready to head back & enjoy sweets, pizza, pop, and a movie.

It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

feast of fools

Spirit Week! The one time of the year that it is not only acceptable, but also encouraged to dress as crazy as possible. In a way, I suppose it is our Feast of Fools (or at least our Festival of Fools)--we are crazy students relishing in the opportunity to be. . . CRAZY. Spirit week at Maranatha was different compared to high school. Yes, there were still students who refused to participate. (Oddly enough, they are usually the ones that look out of place.) But on the whole, the excitement of this past week surpassed any of my previous spirit week experiences. It was fun to relax and have fun. On the whole, it made classes a little more exciting than usual--if you got bored, just look around the room and you were sure to be entertained. Monday was Home State Day--Go Missouri! It was fun to see who was from what state. I myself have friends from Colorado, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Alaska. It was also disappointing to see a certain Missouri friend walking around in a PACKERS shirt!

Tuesday was Out of Date Day. Originally it was going to be 1920s day, but seeing the impracticallity of this, the day was changed. The girls in my room and others donned colored tights, socks scrunched over our tennis shoes, outrageous tanks over Ts, and completed our outfit with side ponytails complete with a scrunchie. Welcome to the '90s!
Wednesday was Patriotic Day Sadly, I only have one picture--in the business of school, work, and church, we all changed before grabbing a photo :(. But I must say, Jarid and Tim make a great hanging flag.
Thursday: Blue & Gold Day--Go MBBC Crusaders! This, I must admit was the easiest day to get dressed for. School spirit was visible everywhere as nearly every student donned blue & gold for the day.
Friday: Class Color Day-- Go FRESHMAN! Those of you who know me know that I would prefer NOT to wear pink (especially to the extent that I did on Friday). However, I and 230+ freshman made ourselves "pretty in pink". Jarid and the sophomores made a mountain of green across the gym from the freshman, juniors were a crazy bunch bathed in red, and the seniors decked out in black & blue.

Though I may have looked foolish (especially to the visiting volleyball team who didn't realize it was MBBC's spirit week), I truly enjoyed being part of the Crusader spirit.

poor unfortunate soul

Have you ever something bad happen, that though it was bad, it was REALLY funny? I had one of those today. I seem to have a gift of having humorous, yet not-so-very-good things. I guess you could classify me as one of Ursela's "Poor Unfortunate Souls". I tend to get chocolate ice cream on every green shirt I own, without being completely sure how it got there. Or, spilling my orange juice not only all over myself, Sarah, and the table, but also on the "emergency exit" stairs at the back of the dining common (As of Monday, there was still a visible sticky spot on the stairs). Today, the worst thing happened. It's really not that funny, but it made me "laugh quietly to myself". My computer died. Yes, DIED. It turned itself off last night & has refused to turn back on. I didn't even get the "blue screen of death". Sad, isn't it. But the thing is . . . I laughed really hard when it happened. C'est la vive'.

I find it as an opportunity to see the Lord work. Don't laugh or look at me skeptically! Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that ALL things work together for good . . ." Yes, it is somewhat of an inconvienience to go to the computer labs to work on papers or e-mail or blog (especially seeing that I live in the furthest dorm on campus), but I know that God has a purpose. I can't wait to see what good thing God can bring from a humorous trial like a computer dying.

a whole new world

College. A hundred thoughts came rushing into my head every time I thought about Maranatha & what God had planned for me at college. What was I to expect--college is a whole new world compared to what I was used to. Would I be able to handle the classes (& the projects that came along with them)? What would my roommates be like? Would I be able to get along with them? Would I make any close friends of my own, or would I forever be known as "Jarid's little sister"? How was I going to pay my bill?

Now that I have been at college for about a month, I can dimly see God's purpose for me. I know that I am supposed to be attending Maranatha. My classes are not difficult, but challenging. I have an abundance of friends of my own, plus several of Jarid's, who appreciate me for me. God has blessed me with the coolest job on campus--yearbook & publications. What more could I want? My official & unofficial roommates have been such a blessing to me--with them I can laugh (& honk), relax, share a serious thought, debate, or just listen.

The Lord has answered my prayer in every area, and I know that He has many more marvelous things planned for me in this whole new world of college.

once upon a time...

The Lord blessed me by putting me into a Christian home with a strong Christian heritage. Though church was mandatory Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, I loved going to church and hearing stories from the Bible. Church was always exciting to me and I couldn't wait to spend time with my family and friends. It wasn't until I was eight years old that I truly realized the importance of church. I wasn't there to spend time with friends, sing songs, and hear Bible stories--the church is a gathering of believers, coming to worship the Christ who saved them.

In November of 1996, I went to mother, deeply troubled that I was going to hell if I died. Wisely, my mother changed the topic to see how important salvation was to me. I forgot for a while, but came back to her later. She encouraged me to think about it, and, if I truly wanted to be saved to come to her again. I thought about it for a month. Finally, one week after my eighth birthday on December 17, 1996, I went to my mother and she led me to the Lord. On that day, I became a true princess in God's kingdom.

I don't always do what I know to be right, but I do want the Lord to have complete control over every area in my life. I've surrendered the throne of my life to Him. He is the saviour of my soul and I owe Him everything. My goal is to live a life that points others to Him and I am willing to do whatever he asks of me.