friends, singing men, and babies galore!

This weekend has definitely been one to remember!  Our neighbor, megan's birthday was on Friday, and in traditional 2S style, we all ventured to noodles and company and then partied it up with "mean girls" afterwards. That night I again realized how lucky i am to have the friends I do here, we always have SO much fun together, no matter where we go or what we do. 

 On Saturday I went with my aunt, uncle and step grandma to a barbershop choral concert, SO AWESOME...great music, 3 men's college choirs, it was easy on the ears AND eyes :P

And hands down the most amazing part of this weekend was *drumroll*

 meeting my step cousin's baby! Benjamin Leo Marso, WHAT a treasure that little boy is.

11 days old, beautiful, and tiny as can be. I've never seen a baby so young, and I held him for as long as I could loving every second of it. 

Seeing my cousin and her husband so happy and proud of what they created brought joy to everyone in the house.

now THAT is the best thing in the world. New life. The wonder you get looking and holding this new person is indescribable. You can't see it in movies, or read it in books. But that kind of wonder is more real than anything. Just think, it's the basis of humanity, new life can't be commercialized, revamped or recreated . It's simple and yet so complex. It's love at its core. 

okay..i'm done ranting about babies now.

That's all for tonight, now off to rock out to ingrid michaelson and study till the sun rises..

Ingrid Michaelson- Breakable

Hazelton

Today was busy busy busy, and I felt totally back in my element, it's been months since I've had plans for a straight day, and I gotta say I'm loving having actual things to do with my time again! And it's always nice to have room 235 to go home to go to after a long day. 

So far it has been a very chill evening with my roomie and some frandss..

I've been sitting here laughing about today's events ("you know who else looks good in green? my cat" :P), stumbling upon, talking with kathy, and just thinking. 

I've been SO blessed. I've made many great friends here, and am still super close with friends back home. I've learned so much about the world around me, and am excited to be a part of it, I'm closer than ever with God and... I'm just content with life.

Life is full of wonderful things, sometimes we just have to look more closely to find them. There are days when all I want to do is think about what's going wrong with my life, but that's not what it's about. The good moments, the precious times we have make everything worth it. At times life can be a HUGE bitch, but when we realize what we do have (friends, family, ben and jerry), maybe it'll help us get through those days.

hmm..I guess that's all for tonight! I'll leave with a new song that i've had on repeat all night, i'm pretty much in love with it!

Justin Vernon- Hazelton

Judgement

For the past few months I've been going to a new church here, and literally, my life has been changed by it.
The motto  "No judging, no politics, just Jesus" is so refreshing in itself that I couldn't not try it out. I've never learned more in 6 weeks of church in my life.

I've never liked giving off the image that i'm one of those crazy jesus freaks who are all about talking the talk, judging everyone else around them for making mistakes, and then making those same ones, and pulling the "I'm saved by jesus so it's all good.." card.
Those kind of christians made me wanna go bury my face in a hole. 

I legit hated those kinds of people. Whenever I would go to my churches youth group all I could see was a bunch of hypocritical "christians". I would go and complain to my friends about how fake everyone there was, tearing their character apart because I was convinced that their faith was make believe. Then I would go swear up a storm, and gossip about whoever came to mind.


Through trying to stay away from being a hypocrite I became one. The worst kind of all,the hypocrite who judges everyone else for being a hypocrite...

I've learned so much about true christianity at my new church. I've learned that
God didn't send his son to judge, but to save.
Being a christian isn't about trying to be perfect, it's about knowing we're imperfect and accepting His grace and mercy.

Galations 2:21 says "...For if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing." 


Sinning is the only way we can ever be saved. Why judge others for making mistakes, when we're everything but perfect? 
We can never measure up. But He saved us from the law. Jesus is the liberating king of all, He freed us from the judgment, and anchors our hearts with compassion and unconditional grace and love.

This world is hopeless. We are hopeless people, just look around. All we do is fight, cry, gossip and save face. We judge everyone around us and make the same mistakes.

 If He is unconditionally loving toward us, why not at least give others some slack? Lord knows how much slack i've been given over the years. Jesus forgives no matter what, he loves no matter what, he transforms every ready heart. Judging gets us no where, but love- His love- gets us everywhere, from person to person and all the way to heaven.


I'm done judging.




 

Goodnight moon

Well, here's to the end of yet another snow storm in St Paul! Over the last few days, it's snowed at least a foot and I have yet to step in that frigid white fluff, and will do all I can to stay out of it!

And with snow days, ponder time comes as well, and here I am, almost 2 AM and cannot stop my mind from wandering.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my goals, and what I want out of this life I've been given. We all have our mission in life, and although I have yet to find mine, i have goals. Here's a few of mine,
1) Be happy
2) Travel the whole wide world.
3) Help people wherever I am.
4) Learn to truly forgive.
5) Eat every kind of ethnic cuisine
6) Save a tank of lobsters
7) Move to NYC
8) Join the Peace Corps
9) Live for today, and let nothing get in the way of it
10) Have His grace and love be shown through me
11) Unlearn the words "me" and "I"

I'm still young, and have time to find my "purpose". My mission doesn't have to be a one sentenced, perfectly phrased statement, maybe it can just be a list. Or at least come from one. Through my goals now, maybe I'll find purpose. 

..oh great, now that dumb song from avenue Q is running through my head!

Anyway, It's now 2:30 and my mind is ready for a rest. More on purpose laterzz
:)