At the end of all things

4 days. 3 tests. 2 articles. 1 cleaning inspection. Then... HOME!!! :) I've almost completed my freshman year, a quarter of my college existence. It still amazes me sometimes that I'm here, living 3000 miles away from everything I grew up with, attending one of the most academic schools in the country and making most of my own decisions. I still feel like such a little girl inside. How am I here; how am I living, surviving, thriving? Only by the power of our awesome God.

These last few weeks of school have been packed with plenty of fun. Here's a few highlights:

Last week Thursday was my roommate Mary Sue's birthday. Of course, Emma and I had to make it special. So before she woke up, we decorated the room with streamers and balloons and set out cupcakes and gifts. Mary Sue has class in the afternoons, and when she got back from them all nobody was in the room. Emma and I and two of our friends came in and kidnapped her, not telling her where we were going. We took her down to Harper's Ferry to see the bookstore (she's a literature major :P). We visited the graveyard and Jefferson Rock and walked around the town. Then we went to see "How to Train Your Dragon" (it's a cute movie, and has great music... ;D). We ended the evening with Taco Bell and WalMart. Enjoyable birthday outing = Success. :)

Wednesday was the last day of classes!!! WOOT! It was definitely time to celebrate. My literature professor, Dr. Hake, put together Lake Bob Day for our enjoyment. We had boat races, a slip-n-slide, and a zipline over the water. All this in the tiny pond we affectionately call Lake Bob. It was such a good time of sunshine, friends and laughter. Besides, when else do I see my esteemed lit professor in warpaint, leggings and flippers, with a parrot on his head and carrying a surfboard? Trust me, it's not an everyday sight.

Friday was Gracy's (my friend, wingmate and future roommate) birthday. A few of us set up a birthday surprise in the dining hall. When she walked in, the entire cafeteria stood up and sang "Happy Birthday." Epic win. Later that evening, we were having a Gilmore Girls marathon (in a guys' lounge, ironically). One of the girls stood up and said, "Let's do something. Let's go get dressed up and take my car and go somewhere." So Gracy and I and two others put on nice dresses, did our hair and just left. We put the top of the convertible down and drove (this was about 11 at night). Nothing was open, but with the radio turned up and wind in our hair and friends in the car, who needed to go anywhere? We finally ended up at McDonald's having ice cream at 12:45. Of course, fellow PHC students were there and laughed at us for going to McDonald's in heels, but we enjoyed ourselves. We stayed long enough to break curfew before heading back to campus, where Gracy and I watched a Christian comedian until I fell asleep. That was probably the craziest thing I've done since coming to college. The weird part is, when I told my mom she was proud of me. :P

Last night we had a party as our last event as a wing. Gracy and I made another tent, and we gourged on pizza and breadsticks and chocolate. As a thank-you gift, our we went together with our brother wing and bought our RA's a giftcard to a local fancy resteraunt (conveniently, our RA's are dating). It was good to simply hang out with my wing. I have been blessed here; these girls are amazing, each one of them, and I am so glad to have shared a wing with them.

So now, Gracy and I are sitting in our tent in the hall, on a mattress we dragged out, eating chocolate and studying for finals. This is the last big push before the end. In one week I will be home and doing home things: attending my sisters' Prom, going to my church, taking a family vacation, my sisters' 18th birthday, my sisters' graduation, a road trip with friends, starting camp again... Life won't slow down, but do we really want it to? We were made to have a purpose. Rest and relaxation are important, so important that our Lord commanded us to rest, knowing our tendency to go and go and go. So I will rest this summer, but I will also have a purpose. I will rest from my scholastic endeavors, and hopefully come back refreshed in the Fall to tackle new classes, new adventures and a new freshmen class. :) I may not post again for a while, so I thank any of you who have taken the time to listen to my ramblings, and I especially thank you for your prayer. May you have a wonderful and relaxing summer soon.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

God is faithful. He got me through yet another week.

It's paper season, which means that there is plenty of schoolwork to keep me busy. Last week I had two papers, one article and a speech all due. It was difficult. I haven't been getting enough sleep and I've spent most of my time in my room studying. And I'm sorry to say, I haven't used this experience to God's full glory. I was (am?) tired, cranky, stressed, impatient and complaining. Of course I thought I had every right to be - I had so much to do, I had very little sleep, I had x, y and z to justify myself. But I was wrong. There is no justification for my attitude. God gave me last week as a gift, and I didn't realize it until halfway through the week. It was an opportunity to realize my weakness and God's strength.

It was also an opportunity to realize how I need others. I couldn't hole up in my room and with me, my schoolbooks and God make it through the week. I needed fellowship and encouragement from others. I had some great times at meals with friends and some late night talks. But the highlight of the week was seeing Peter Pan. Our theatre group has been working all semester on it, and the end result was fabulous. There was so much energy and talent. The choreography and scenery was creative. I just have to say it: this school is pretty incredible. :)

Oh and guess what? I'll be home in 2 and a half weeks! I only have are 1 paper, 1 speech and finals left. Can't wait to be home!

~Carissa

Spring Break!

Life never stops! I was so busy savoring the last few hours of Spring Break last week that I didn't find time to post, and I apologize. I played much more the second half of Spring Break than I did the first, but I still did *some* work. I had a really good break, and I'd like to share some of the highlights.

From Tuesday to Sunday of break Mary Sue and I house-sat for one of our professors. It was SO nice to have couch, and an oven, and real cooking. :) Not only did our professor hand us the keys to her apartment, but she also gave us full use of her car. I find it amazing that she would trust two college freshmen so much. I think her trust is a reflection on the students here at PHC, and I am honored to be part of this body. It's funny how much I enjoyed doing things like dishes and cooking in a real home.

Wednesday evening our friends Becca and Bethany came and spent the night. We all made dinner together and watched a movie. Thursday morning we woke up and went to DC. What was supposed to be a 45 min drive turned into 2 hours. We were trying to get to a metro station, but we took a wrong turn, missed more than one of our exits and had awful directions. When we did get to a metro station, the parking lot was completely full. But, we refused to be thwarted. We pulled over, got out a map, and found our way all the way into DC and parked at Arlington. We wanted to see the cherry blossoms, but all we saw while walking the mall were green trees. Finally we figured out that those were the cherry blossoms earlier in the week. We went to the American History Museum and saw some cool displays like the First Ladies' dresses and a war exhibit. But it was really crowded, which was not very pleasent. Our next stop was the National Gallery of Art. That was not crowded, it was very enjoyable. It is incredible the talent that God has given to some people. I could spend days in that museum. But our hunger pulled us away from the art, and we went in search of food. We wandered away from the tourist section, into the business zone of DC. We saw many big, impressive-looking and important buildings, moseyed through a farmers market, and found lots of Starbucks. However, we did not find real food. We ended up eating at the food court in the Reagen building, and then we took the metro back to Arlington. We made our way to the tomb of the unknown soldier and saw the changing of the guard. Everything at Arlington was very sobering and impressive. Our soldiers deserve that respect, yet again I was reminded about how rarely we give God that absolute, magnificent respect. True, our God is a god of gaity, laughter, and comaderie. But He is also the Lord of all, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and He has more majesty than we can begin to comprehend. This is the Lord we serve.

The quiet part of spring break was over, and people began to trickle back on campus. Emma returned on Thursday, so from Friday on she joined us at the apartment. Gracy came back on Friday, and on Saturday she and I had a picnic at Harper's Ferry. We hiked at least four miles in our flats and flip-flops, climbed on ruins of an old church, and purused cute shops. On Sunday we milked the last few moments of our break. Becca, Bethy, Emma and I walked around the historic section of downtown Leesburg. We had lunch in an outdoor cafe and stuck our nose in whichever shop struck our fancy. Then we got coffee and went back to the apartment, where Mary Sue had made us dinner. We finished out our lovely time with a girl movie and brownies. I may be really bad at the idea of college partying, but I seriously had a really amazing Spring Break. :)

It was hard to jump back into school. Thankfully, the schoolwork I did has put me a little bit ahead on assignments and relieved some stress. These next two weeks will be difficult, as four papers, two speeches and five finals stand between me and home. I trust in God's strength to get me through, and prayer is gratefully accepted. There is plenty of fun in these next weeks as well, from the play to the the comedy show to the football game to Lake Bob day. :D I cannot wait to be home with my family, rest, and see my friends. I'm almost there!

~Carissa

He is risen!

Christ our Lord is risen today! Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia.

Easter is a wonderful, truly wonderful, holiday. Can you imagine the scene at the first easter? How must the faithful have felt, when all hope was lost, their messiah killed by the power of darkness. What confusion, what would you do with yourself? To have no hope, no assurance. And then - to find the tomb empty, your rabbi missing. Christ is risen! Hope is restored in a greater measure, and the darkness is conquered by a much greater power. This is why we celebrate today. Bunnies are cute, chocolate is one of God's good gifts, and I think Peeps were invented directly by Christ before he ascended (is that heresy?). But if Christ was not raised from the dead, we are to be pitied most among all men. But Christ has been raised from the dead! (1 Corinthians 15:19-20) This is why we celebrate.

Our marvelous God is so good. He blessed me with a wonderful day with wonderful people. It was a beautiful day - warm and sunny. I attended church at Blue Ridge (my regular church). It was a lovely time with beautiful worship, a great message and just a time of celebration and remembrance. During the meet-and-greet time, we (myself and three friends) met a family, who later invited us over to their house for lunch. They had four other families over, including the pastor. Their house is beautiful - huge, and beautifully decorated - and their property is even better. We dipped our feet in the creek, hid easter eggs, jumped on the trampoline with the kids and a delicious lunch. God's family is a remarkable blessing.

I'm almost halfway through Spring Break, and how the time has flown! So far it's been mostly work. Even so, it is nice to have the time to actually give proper attention to my studies instead of being pressured. Campus is so quiet, but there are enough good friends here to keep me from being lonely. I've had a great time of rest, study and enjoyment.

I hope this post finds you safe and well, and that you take time to consider the blessing God has given you. Our God is a good God, and He always cares for us. Always.

~Carissa

A disjointed post

Hello!

I don't know if it's because it is late, or due to all my studying last week, but I can't pick out a specific theme or event from these past two weeks to focus on. So if this seems to be a disjointed, rambling tale, I apologize.

A week ago Thursday, I attempted to go ice skating. I still have tickets from my birthday that needed to be used. So, I round everyone up, get my gloves, and prepare for some fun. Only one problem: where do we get a car? I literally just called off the trip when I found someone who let me borrow their car. Great! I bustled around printing last-minute directions and gathering my stuff, then hurried to the car. We were on our way! Halfway there Mary Sue asked, "You brought the tickets right?"



Uh oh.



Okay, so they don't happen all the time, but that was definitely a blond moment. Because in my room, sitting neatly in an envelope on my desk, were the tickets.



So what do we do then? Like any good college students, we pull into a gas station, look over two maps and talk to three different guys, and get directions to a town center a couple towns over. We make it there uneventfully, and had a great time walking around a cute downtown area. We didn't get back too late, and my friend Gracy and I stayed up giving ourselves tattoos with permanent markers. There was our act of rebellion for the week.



On Saturday I went to the D4 block party, and for a moment it felt like I went to a normal school. (For those of you who know what real college partying looks like, please don't burst my bubble) The block party is put on by the men of D4 (we only have two guys dorms - D4 and D5). It was an absolutely beautiful first day of spring - warm and sunny and lovely. Outside, they grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. There were chips and cookies and coolers full of sodas. Everyone broke out their shorts and tee shirts, mingled with the crowd, and listened to the loud, upbeat music. The main event was the dodgeball tournament, where we got to cheer for a favorite teams to slaughter their opponents. It was a lovely day of friends, warmth and fun.

This past week has been busy with studying (as usual). The work never seems to let up. But it's good that way. I am terribly blessed to be here and have the luxury of spending my days consumed in learning. I am thankful for this school and these professors. I am thankful for many things here, such as my roommates, my church, my friends, and AWANAs, to name a few. I am glad to be here.

Next week Spring Break starts. The challenge will be to discipline myself enough to focus on my schoolwork and get things done, while not becoming a hermit and going stir crazy. Don't worry, I'll find something fun to do, such go see the cherry blossoms in DC. :) I CANNOT wait to come home. Only a month and a half!

3.14159265...

Happy Pi day! (If you don't get it, check the date. If you still don't get it, well, you might want to review your basic algebra)

I know, I know, that's cheezy. If you love me, you'll put up with it. :)

I apologize for not posting last week. Since I started doing AWANA's on Sunday evenings, it's been harder to find time to blog. AWANA has been great. I've been assigned to work with the 8-9 year old girls and I adore them. They are so sweet and so much fun. I had one girl name her stuffed animal after me last week :). Last week I also worked in the toddler room during service. I've missed little kids; it's so great just to be able to play with them. I'm thankful that God has given me these opportunities to get involved in the church. I would like to eventually work with the youth group, but I don't think He's leading me to that door yet. For now I am very content with the work He has given me to do.

Speaking of work, I made it through all the work of the past two weeks!!! Through God's grace He brought me through midterms successfully. I did very well on my lit midterm, and I haven't gotten my other grades back quite yet. Whatever happens, I know I did my best and the results are all up to God and for His glory. I have very few assignments due between now and Spring Break, so the challenge will be to discipline myself to get ahead and knock out a few papers. Hopefully I can get enough done that I don't die when Spring Break is over (that would be bad, because if I died I would miss the pleasure of going home).

We had a three day weekend this week which the school dubbed "March Break." Basically, it's so we can all actually SLEEP after enduring midterms. On Thursday night, my roommates, two of our friends, and myself went to see Alice in Wonderland. The movie itself was alright; whimsical and pretty, but lacking substance. But the theatre was adorable. It was in the historic district of Leesburg. It's little-tiny, with only two screens. What made it even better is that we found out that tickets are $3 on Thursday :). After the movie we went to McDonald's and had shamrock shakes. Okay, so maybe going to a movie and then McDonald's doesn't exactly sound like a "night out on the town" to you. But for me, just getting off campus is thrilling. And to discover new places and just have fun with good friends is a blessing. I didn't do anything else terribly exciting this weekend, but it's been good to catch up on school and work at a slower pace.

God's been teaching me a lot lately as I've had emotional ups and downs. Mainly God is pointing out my self-centeredness in everything from how I spend my time to who I talk to and where I sit. I've been thinking about what introvert I am. I've always know that I'm an introvert, and it's never really bothered me, nor did it ever occur to me that I could change that. But if being an introvert means that you're always looking inward at yourself, than it's really a selfish perspective. If I'm always looking at myself, then I'll feel awkward or nervous about how a present myself, what people think of me, and what my reputation is. It's all about me, and there's very little love or energy left to care for or notice others, unless it will help my reputation. To "die to self" means that I live not for me, but for Christ. And through Christ, I live for others. I should be my last concern.

Anyway, these are some of my thoughts lately. Any prayers for God to continue to convict me of and teach me this lesson would be appreciated. I'll try to let you know what God does with it. As always, I would love to hear from any of you about what's going on in your lives and what I can pray for. May God richly bless you this next week, and may you share those blessings with others.

Until next time,
Carissa ♥

God gives good gifts to His children

Hello everyone!

It's getting late and I have midterms next week, so this is going to be a short little post. I just want to share that God is a loving God, and He delights in giving us gifts. He can give us a wide variety of gifts, but this past week He has lavished me with material, physical gifts. First of all, I received a package from my best friend Kira. She sent me all sorts of things - from chocolate to cough drops, pop-tarts to shampoo. Everything had little sticky notes on them, and it was a very fun package to open. She also sent me birthday gifts from my friends Krystina and Brittany. Then, on Saturday the senior girls had a sale to get rid of clothes and things that they don't need anymore. I got a few cute skirts and things for not very much money. But the most exciting purchase was a classy, long black dress that fits me just right. It was $10. That was truly a blessing from God, and I am SO excited to wear it sometime.

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm bragging about my possessions, because that's not the point of this post. The point is, God loves us. And God shows us His love in many different ways- through protecting us, guiding us, disciplining us... the list is inexhaustable. But sometimes God shows His love through gifts, and He did for me last week. Remember to thank God when He gives you gifts, and give gifts to others. God wants to use you to spread His love.

♥♥♥
Carissa

A wonderful visit

Happy Valentine's Day!

Okay, okay, I know I'm a week late. But I just had to say it, because Valentine's Day is my favorite minor holiday. To all you cynics out there: Yes, it is a holiday and yes, it is worth celebrating. It's a day dedicated to love and friendship and pink and flowers and chocolate and hearts; what could be better? ♥

My Valentine's day was fantastic. Did I have a special valentine? You betcha! ;) As I mentioned, my best friend Kira came all the way out from California to visit me last weekend. She flew in early Saturday morning, and left late Tuesday evening. We had a phenomenal time. We took lovely pictures, danced to crazy songs, "played" (ie. me watching Kira play and sing) music, took walks, laughed at crazy things, went to a dance, and got very little sleep. But for all the fun things we did, my favorite part was simply having Kira here, showing her around my school, introducing her to my friends, and taking her to my classes. It was good to integrate her into my life here. Even though our lives the past 6 months have had very little in common, I have been so blessed to be able to stay close and connected with her. She is truly a life-long friend.

One of my favorite things about Kira is how she can bring out a side of me that some people don't even know I possess. She makes me be more bold and outgoing than I usually am. Somehow, having her here last week gave me a new perspective on college. She let me see the fun and excitement there is in this college adventure. All the sudden, I can look at my experiences as enjoyable, instead of merely a few months to live through before I can go home.

I'm also becoming more involved in my church. I will start helping in the 2s and 3s class once a month, and I just got back from my first night at AWANA's. It feels good to get involved somewhere other than PHC. I'm also developing closer friendships here at school. and if all this weren't enough, Kira is seriously considering transferring here in the Fall. God's blessings are abundant.

More challenges and opportunities loom on the horizon, but for the first time since coming to college I can say, I'm content. God has me where He wants me, and I will serve Him to the utmost of my ability.

God is good.

For your sins were as scarlet, but He has washed them whiter that snow

I hope that you all are having a Sunday afternoon just as lovely and relaxing as I am.

God has been teaching me about His strength this week. I could not have made it through the week without Him. Seriously. More than once, I've been totally overwhelmed with the projects that needed accomplished. But God has given me the strength to accomplish what I need to at the given time. On Tuesday I gave my first speech for rhetoric. It was a pretty low-key, informal project. But God gave me the courage to get up in front of people (did you know that public speaking is the number one fear?), and my professor and classmates seemed to enjoy it. I told how to go down a zip-line (since I have plenty of personal experience :P). Thursday a five-page paper was due, and God gave me the grace to accomplish that. Another 10 page paper is due on Monday, and I was able to finish that last night. I've learned a few key ways to tell that you're a college student: 1) When the clock reads 11:30 and you think "it's not that late; I can keep working for a while." 2) When you tell you're friends, "it's only a five-page paper; I'm not that worried." and 3) When your breaks from paper-writing consists of meals and reading your lit homework. By these standards, I am definitely a college student. :) And like I said, I only got through this past week by the strength of God. I can't do it on my own. It was a lesson I had to learn last semester, and God is making sure I learn it.

As you may have heard, the east coast got a pretty major snowstorm. We like to call it the "Snowpocalypse." It started snowing Friday morning and went non-stop until Saturday evening. We have about three feet of snow, which is more than this region is used to. It's absolutely beautiful to look out and see the beautiful, white, pure snow covering everything in sight. It is such a wonderful example of what Jesus does to us. Because of Him, we are white as snow. We're not hoping to be white as snow, or trying to be or longing to be: we ARE white as snow. We are perfect in God's sight. The God who created the universe loves us so much, that He sent His perfect son to pay the debt that we owed. I'm trying to wrap my mind around this truth. I try so hard to be perfect, to be righteous. And I fail, time and time again. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by how proud, selfish and self-righteous I am. But although I've grown up hearing it, I am just now beginning to realize that I am pure. I am perfect. By my own strength? Not at all. But Christ paid the penalty, in full. What have I to boast of? Only Christ's sacrafice. I am His, and He is mine. This is the foundational truth that we rest our faith on. I think that growing up in a Christian home taught me well many of the particulars of the Christian faith: how we treat others, how we deal with certain situations, etc. But coming away to college has stripped away my external structures of security, and laid bare what is at the foundation. God had been showing me what the foundational, simple truths are, and He is making them real for me. The particulars are important, but they all make sense only on the foundation of Christ.

This is the theme of my college experience so far. I'm excited to learn more and pursue God further. He is a good God and knows how to give good gifts. Speaking of which, I probably will not update next week, because my best friend Kira will be here visiting me! She comes in on Saturday, and I am SUPER excited to see her.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, and I hope it was beneficial for you. Enjoy this all-American holiday: Superbowl Sunday! I'm not a sports fan at all, but this is the one game a year I watch. :) May God bless your week.

~Carissa

Lessons, lessons, lessons

Here I am at the beginning of another week. I feel like I really grew up a lot last week, and I learned much about my Lord and myself. First of all, my mom is okay. :) She got out of the hospital on Friday morning, and made it home that evening. Now the family (minus me) is reunited on the mountain. :)

So how did I grow up last week? Well, the trials really taught me a lot. James 1 is true -we should rejoice when we face trials, because if we perservere through them God will use them to make us perfect and complete. No, I'm not perfect yet, but I think I took a step further.

First, I learned that I have to grow up and take a step away from home. Christmas break was wonderful; it really taught me to appreciate home and family. It also made it very difficult to come back to school. For the past couple weeks, I've been resenting being at college. All I wanted to do was be at home to cook, clean, and be with my family and friends. But I realized that if I'm resenting being here, am I not resenting God's plan? And if I'm resenting His plan, doesn't that mean I'm resenting Him? And resenting God is most certainly a foolish thing to do. I had to trust that God knew that my mom would have complications, and He planned that I would be here in Virginia at the time. So instead of wishing for California, I needed to fulfill my purpose here in Virginia. God blessed me by allowing me a role in the situation. I was the only family member with reliable internet connection, so I was the one who kept people updated with what was happening [by the way, it was amazing how the body of Christ surrounded all of us with care. God is so good]. So now, I've learned to be content with where I am. I've accepted that if I was home, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's plan for my life, and I don't want to disobey God like that. I have to accept that my life will never be quite like it was in highschool, and that it's not a bad thing. God is a good God who gives good gifts to His children. He has a plan for me, and He will always provide for me. God is good.

Secondly, I had to be reminded yet again about my own insufficiency, and God's great power. I know, I know, I should have learned this lesson ages ago. But I'll get it down eventually. :) With everything going on last week, I spent lots of time on the phone. Consequently, I did NOT spend that time stuying. Additionally, it was exam week for the girl I tutor, so I put in some extra time helping her. Since next week is crazily busy, I was feeling overwhelmed by the work. But by God's grace, and not my strength, I've been able to keep up. I'm not ahead, but I'm not behind. I had to deal with a pride issue, since it was bugging me that my roommates are ahead of me. I'm fiercily competitive, if I think I can win. :P Anyways, it was wrong of me to have to be first. With God's strength, I will be faithful to what He calls me to do. No more, and definitely no less.

Finally, I thought I would share a reminder from a senior testimony last week. No matter what we do, we cannot do anything to cause God to love us any more or any less than He already does. We can strive our hardest to be perfect, and He won't love us anymore. When God looks at us, He sees the perfection of His Son, and we can't beat that. Yes, we should strive to be like Christ. But we should be motivated by God's great grace and love, and not out of hope to win His affection. He already loves us more than we can ever, EVER deserve.

This next week will have its challenges. A policy prospectus, a paper, a speech and a book report are all due (and we're not talking Little House on the Prairie, I had to read Wealth of Nations). But here's a bit of exciting news - my best friend, Kira Muraoka, is coming to visit me in two weeks!!! I am SO excited. I know I've said this, time and again, but I just have to say it again: God is good. All the time. All the time, God is good. :)

~Carissa

Snow, Birthday and the Hospital

My my my, what week it has been! Let me see, where to begin...

I guess it all started on Tuesday. California was in the middle of one of the craziest storms I can ever recall. There was massive rainfall, floods, mudslides, and at least one tornado at Sunset beach (yes, I'm serious). My family had decided to ride out the storm on the mountain, even though there were predictions of up to 10 feet of snow and a high likelihood of being snowed in. So on Tuesday night, just as I was climbing into bed, my phone rings. It was my sister Corrie. She told me that my mom's surgery site had become infected, and it was serious. Of course, it's snowing like crazy outside. My parents finally decided to take her down the mountain, with the help of some emergency vehicles. It was a scary time, and it was hard for me to be here, seemingly unable to help. But thanks be to God, they got down safely and made it to the ER.

Wednesday morning I woke up and talked to my mom first thing. It was my birthday. It was my first birthday away from home, first birthday that I had to go to school, first birthday in 6 years without my best friend, and first birthday in 4 years without going to Disneyland. To top it all off, my mom was in the hospital. It was a really rough morning for me. I made it through my first class, and was doing better by the time I reached chapel. I knew my mom was safe in the hospital, my sisters (who stayed at camp) were doing alright, and classmates started to wish me a happy birthday. I was overawed and humbled by how many people from my school wished me a happy birthday. It really made me feel, for the first time, that I belong here. I have friends who do care about me, and I about them. The people here are amazing, and I am blessed to be here. At dinner my friend Gracy made the cafeteria sing to me; slightly embarassing, yet a sweet gesture at the same time. That evening I attended a lecture about C.S. Lewis (who is absolutely amazing and inspiring and talented and such a godly example :D). Afterwards some friends threw me a "surprise" party with cake, cookies and a movie. In the end, it was a birthday completely different than any I've had before. And yet, it was a good birthday. I learned a lot through it. I learned that I must grow up in some ways and face the fact that life will never be exactly as it was in highschool. I've turned a bend in the road, and I will go forward with joy instead of longing for what's behind. I'm learning how to face trials and difficulties with grace and strength that comes from the Lord, and to perservere so that I may be "mature and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1). And I'm realizing even more how good, and kind, and loving our Holy, powerful God is.

Thursday and Friday were very topsy-turvy. One moment it seems that my mom is getting better and can go home soon, the next she's getting worse. The infection kept spreading, and the doctor's weren't sure what was wrong. She tried a few different antibiotitcs and has undergone some different tests, but the doctors still don't know. My sisters finally got snowed in at camp, since Caltrans isn't plowing past Chilao. They have somewhere around 3 1/2 to 4 feet of snow at the moment, and more snow is forcasted for Monday.

As a birthday present, my parents had arranged for myself and four friends to go ice skating on Friday night. We went to the rink, and it turned out to be very crowded due to a middle-school fundraising event. But the manager allowed us to exchange our tickets for another night, and instead we got coffee (at Starbucks!!!) and went to see Sherlock Holmes. It is SO nice to get off campus every now and then, and actually realize there's a world out there. I had a great time being with my RA, roommates and my good friend Gracy. It's just another example of the great people God has put around me.

So now I head into next week with some new lessons learned, and I'm ready to face the lessons this week holds. Mom is still in the hospital, but is feeling better today. I look forward to going ice skating and I'm still waiting for the birthday package from my sisters :). I'll go back to tutoring, which has been a really good experience so far. God is good. Then, Now and Forevermore. Amen and Amen.

With love,
~Carissa

Back to School

Hello everyone!

After a nice, long break, I'm back. Back to blogging, back to Virginia, back to school. And what a nice break it was! It was less hectic than my Thanksgiving visit, but I still had plenty to do. I spent the first two weeks of break simply with my family. I came home a week before Christmas, and so the whole holiday season I remember in a blur. Oh, I definetly enjoyed my Christmas. We were home, just the family enjoying each other. Living so far away from home has given me a new perspective that I don't think I would have if I got to go home more often. I'm starting to realize just how important family is. I have a new appreciation for my family, and I enjoyed just being back with them. I also really enjoyed being back at my church. The family of God is truly wonderful. They accepted me right back in, almost as if I had never been gone. My church family is such a blessing.

About a week before I left, my mom had surgery. It was a voluntary thing, meant mainly to prevent problems in the future. But it was still something major to our family. We parked our fifth wheel trailer in our church parking lot so that we would have somewhere to stay for the duration of the surgery (side note: does anyone realize how strange it is to shower in the church on Sunday morning? Unfortunately I do...). I spent lots of time shuttling to and from the hospital (including driving our duelie-pickup through Hollywood, which I am very proud of myself for). The surgery went very well, but the recovery was more difficult. My mom was in the hospital for 3 days following surgery. It was very impactful to see my mom lying there in a hospital bed, too weak to get up and too sick to eat. It unnerved me a little bit, and reminded me of the fraility of life. But I'm very glad that I was able to be there with the family throughout the surgery.

Coming back to school was very hard, maybe harder than the first time. Since my mom can't do any housework for three months, I was doing a lot of chores before I left. I enjoyed doing them; I enjoyed being helpful and productive. I seriously thought about staying to take care of things at home. But I knew, without a doubt, that God wanted me back here at college. It may not be where I think I need to be; it might not always be the place I want to be. But I want to be where God wants me. I'm here to honor Him, even though I might not really know why. I will trust Him to take care of home, to take care of my family and my mom. And I will do what He asks me to do, which is to be diligent and focused here.

Speaking of home, my family could use quite a bit of prayer right now. There is an absolutely HUGE storm predicted for Southern California. They're forcasting up to 8-10 feet of snow. We have never had so much snow before. If we get that much, my family will be snowed in for weeks, maybe months. They have decided to stay up at camp and ride it out. We have generators and food, but my mom is still on antibiotics from surgery. Also, since the fire wiped out all the vegetation, the mountainside is very unstable. With this much moisture major rock slides and mud slides are quite likely on the road. The road is already shut down, and we have no idea when it will reopen. I'm starting to see a trend here - I leave California in August, and a week later there was the biggest fire ever in So. Cal. I leave Virginia in December, and two days later the east is hit by a big storm and record low temperatures (by the way, it was a beautiful, sunny, 80 degrees while I was in Cali :]). Then I leave California, and a record storm prepares to hit my home! Crazy. But God is sovreign, and He will take care of my family and of me.

Meanwhile, I jump straight back into school. I'm excited for what lessons are in store for me - both academic and outside the classroom. I'm taking 15 credits instead of 13, and I have a job tutoring an 8th grade girl in pre-algebra. Pray for me as I face new challenges and new experience. As always, I keep you in my prayers and would love to know what is going on with any of you. May God bless this coming week, and if He permits I will blog again next Sunday!

~Carissa