My favorite way to start my day...

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot.
The sky is still black. The world is asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose...

I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to e cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live
I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My companion will not question my love. And my family will never fear that I won't return home.
I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I choose self-control
I am a spiritual being... After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

LOVE, joy, PEACE, patience, KINDNESS, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, and SELF-CONTROL... to these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

-Max Lucado
(this book helped me survive New York and
still serves as a daily reminder of God's grace)

Jim Jarmusch...

Everything Starts Where It Ends...

J-term (a.k.a Interim) here at Bethel is finally over! While I loved the two classes that I chose to take for the month of January, it is so nice to have a new schedule again. I am really excited about the classes I signed up for this semester, especially because I will finally be getting to take classes within my major now that I have most of my generals wrapped up : )

...Here's my schedule in a nut shell...
Monday-Wednesday-Friday
Urbanism (I am really excited about this class, we are going to be learning about several aspects of poverty, I think this will be a really great class for me to take as I'm preparing to leave for Appalachia in March).
Sculpture II (I'm a little nervous about this class... I need to start brainstorming some ideas)

Tuesday-Thursday
Drawing (The class I am MOST excited about!!)
Making of Minnesota ( I feel like this class might be kind of lame... but it fills a required "L-course" so hopefully it's not too bad!
Senior Seminar ( I am extremely nervous about this class... yikes!)

"It's like there's a gun to your head... but you just kind of have to pretend it's not there."
- Dale Johnson, in regards to Senior Seminar

Another thing that I am really excited about for this semester is my new job as a teacher's assistant for the Painting course (No more Radisson!). I get to work for Dale Johnson, probably one of the nicest/funniest professors I have ever met. He makes the most incredible paintings!!!!! I really hope that I can learn a lot about painting from him this spring while hanging out in the studio! And hopefully I can get some of his advice for my projects for Senior Sem this semester. I'm starting to appreciate being able to work on campus and not having to drive to work everyday anymore, it's nice to be done with class and to be able to just walk to the library or art department : )

Why I love Interim :)

... I've finally had some time to pick up my guitar again and learn some new songs :)

One of which is one of my favorite songs by Iron and Wine
I posted the video below because I think it's pretty cute

also because I have finally had some time to kick back, spend some time with my friends... read more of the "good book"...catch up on some sleep.... and to go running :)
It's also been nice to be able to take a break from making art. Its been nice to have the time to brainstorm without having to make anything. I am excited/nervous about Senior Sem this spring. My emphasis is going to be in sculpture (I'm going to be taking the advanced sculpture course alongside Senior Seminar, should be interesting)

I found this article...

...and thought it was pretty humorous/informative...

"How To Use Self Defense Methods To Overcome Your Fears" (in my case ... fish of all kinds!)

While it is far more likely to be killed by a stray dog, few animals evoke sheer terror in the way that walleyes do. Fortunately, freshwater fish only very rarely attack people... and while most species are considered harmless to humans, even medium-size northerns are MORE than capable of inflicting serious injuries. While it is very important to learn how to prevent a fish attack, it is also very important that you know what to do in the event of an actual attack.

Exhibit A: large fish caught just north of Mille Lacs Lake

...in the event of an attack remember to follow these important steps

1. Stay Calm!

While you should get out of the water quickly if a fish appears, it is important to remember that you cannot outrun a fish in the water, (simply trying to sprint to safety may not be your best option). It's important to keep your wits about you. Sunfish are highly instinctual, (like dogs in a way). They have "fear" sonar and can sense panic- even if you are not displaying it overtly - if they can sense that you are afraid, your fear will stimulate their instinct to attack.

2. Keep your eye on the fish at all times...

fish may retreat temporarily and then try to sneak up on you. Don't let this happen! Never turn your back on a fish!

3. Get into a defensive position

If you can't get out of the water, reduce the fish's possible angles of attack. In open water, get back-to-back with another swimmer so that you can see, and defend against an attack from any direction. Gradually make your way back to the boat or shore.

4. If you are still feeling threatened... prepare to fight
(playing dead won't deter an aggressive muskie)

Your best bet if attacked is to make the fish see you as a strong, credible threat. Usually, a hard blow to the gills, eyes, or to the tip of the nose will cause a large fish to retreat. If you have a speargun or pole, use it! If you don't have a weapon, improvise! (extra points for creativity)

5. Get out of the water!

You are not truly safe until you are out of the water! Your goal should always be to get back to the shore or back in the boat.

An Exciting Opportunity...

I wrote previously about the mission trip that I am planning on going on over spring break this year to Appalachia, West Virginia... this past week I got an e-mail from Bethel Campus Ministries asking if I would be interested in being the leader for the trip. I was a little caught off guard because while I have been a youth group leader in the past and am currently a leader for Wyldlife, I've never been a leader for a group my own age. After meeting with the trip coordinator and discussing what the position entails, and after hearing his reasons for picking me for the position, I told him that I would pray about it and get to back to him as soon as I felt confident that it was something God wanted me to do.

I've spent the week considering the postion and praying about it and I think I am going to accept the offer. I think that over the past several months I have really been growing in my faith, I feel like God has been changing and shaping me. I think this would be an amazing opportunity to serve God, I feel like He is really calling me to share my faith and to be a loving support and ecouragement to the others in the group.

If you read this and think of it, I would really appreciate prayer for our group and prayer about the decision that I am in the process of making.

What's a "Full Nelson"....

haha, that was my first question after looking at the syllabus for my self defense class. So far this class is ranking high among my favorite courses offered by Bethel (now if only I had taken it before I went to New York...) We start every class with an intense warm-up of either dodgeball, or king pin... it's just like being back in phy-ed class!

 After our fun warm-ups we get down to business! 

So far we have learned the following... 

handshake releases (how to get Creepy to let go of your hand)

the "defensive stance" (also known as "how not to get knocked over")

the "evasive sidestep" (a.k.a. "how to dodge pretty much anything")

general punches (how to inflict pain on the enemy)

general blocks (protect yo face!)

shin scrapes and foot stomps

the Pop-eye (how to pop someone's eye balls right out of their head!)

Sick!

Next week we going to learn....

non-secured and secured choke holds 

walking punches and kick-punch combos (look out Chuck Norris)

the "Hammer Fist" (I'm excited for this one!)

the Crab position! (not quite sure how this one will come in handy...)

wrestling and ground defense

BEAR hugs (from behind and from the front)

double person attacks (heeeee Ya!)

and last... but not least... "THE FULL-NELSON" (what on earth is that?!?!?!)