God's love

I wrote this back in January, over winter break. This is way deeper than my past entries have been, but I think it's important. 


God loves everyone equally.

This thought has been on my mind for the past week. I have been lamenting the death of Lena Jenison, a beautiful, compassionate young woman who was killed in a car accident while serving in the Peace Corps in Mozambique. I have been trying to figure out why it was "her time", why she had to die when she was wholeheartedly serving the world, why someone else couldn't have died instead. And then a dear friend said that sentence that changed everything: "God loves everyone equally. He loves her as much as he loves the homeless man on the corner." Whoa.

Why is it that our society puts value on people? That we see someone as "more valuable" that someone else because of their sense of humor, or their looks, or their attitude, or their drive to succeed, or... Because that's not how it's supposed to be. We are supposed to love everyone like Christ does, which means loving everyone the same. Regardless of their strengths or weaknesses.

What kind of world would it be if we loved everyone equally? What would it look like without competition to be loved? Could we maybe be ourselves?

I want to love everyone as God loves them. I want to see the value in the homeless man. I want to see the value in the girl that no one talks to. I want to see the value in the celebrity that is in all the gossip tabloids for all the wrong reasons. I want to see the value in everyone. God, help me to see these people as you do. Help me to see the world like You do.

Feria!

Monday at midnight marked the beginning of Sevilla's "Feria de Abril." The week is filled with dancing sevillanas, drinking tinto and other beverages, food, family, and friends. 

In honor of this wonderful celebration, here are a few photos from last year, when I was there. 

Dancing sevillanas in a public caseta. 

My señora was friends with a private caseta owner, so I was able to see what it was like. 

The niños, as cute as can be. 

Dancing sevillanas with my señora. She invited me to go to Feria around midnight with her and her friends. 

The main street of Feria, beautifully lit. 

My friend Kate was able to borrow a beautiful Feria dress. 

Even the horses were decked out for Feria!

The main gate of Feria. 

Root Root Root for the Brewers!

Last week, I boarded a bus with around 30 other college students and St Paul's staff to travel to Milwaukee for my first Brewers' game of the season. After a bit of prayer, we settled into conversations for the trip.

Upon arriving in Milwaukee, we tailgated a bit with frisbees, baseballs, Cheetos, and homemade cookies.

When we finally went inside Miller Park, we were happy that the roof was closed, as it was a bit chilly.

Highlights of the game:

Maggie couldn't resist the fluffy, delicate treat known as cotton candy. And since we all secretly wanted some, she gladly shared with us. 

We also introduced Maggie to ketchup for the first time ever! After we (unsuccessfully) tried to describe it as salty, sweet, and tomato-y, she gave in to peer pressure and dipped a fry in it. The verdict? Not her favorite. 

I have never seen a hot dog vendor (nor one dressed like this) walking around at Miller Park before, so I had to snap a picture. I'm pretty sure he realized what I was doing and wasn't too thrilled. 

Great times and memories with new and old friends. 

And we won! It was a close, exciting game, but our Brewers pulled through in the end. 

The trip back was filled with lots of deep conversation with my friend Carrie, which was the perfect end to this fun, fellowship-filled night. 

Parking!

With each passing day, this internship becomes more and more real. Although I have yet to start, I have been immersed in the fundraising, planning, and anticipation of starting to work at Blackhawk in a little over a month.

The next step in the process: How to get my car on campus for the summer. After many phone calls to local property management companies and parking lot owners, I discovered that a tenant in my building was looking to sublet his space because his roommate (who owned the car) went back to China.

We signed the paperwork today, and I am excited to have my car on campus starting Sunday! I have truly missed the freedom that comes from jumping in the car whenever you'd like and running errands, going for dinner with friends, or even just going for a drive.

Also, received some exciting news today... more on that in a couple weeks if it turns out to be something worth telling. :)

A New Phase in my life

It has been almost a year since I have blogged. In case you were wondering, yes I did safely make it back from Spain. I have been busy enjoying my last year in undergrad at Madison. I have been spending lots of time making memories with friends, trying new experiences (like Bachata, a sultry Latin dance), and making the most of my time. Oh yeah, and doing a little homework along the way. 

What brought me back to the blogging world, you may ask?

This summer I am embarking on a new type of an adventure. I am going to be interning for the middle school ministry at Blackhawk Church. I will be planning, organizing, and leading our 4 weeks of missions camps (among other responsibilities). I am super pumped for this opportunity to learn and grow in a faith-centered environment, as well as the opportunity to stretch my leadership skills.

Check back for updates on life, as well as (hopefully) photos of my last few weeks as an undergrad.