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Saturday, May 8, 2010

Of dried flowers, ceremonies, Ellerslie, and to-do lists!


Remember these flowers? There were the ones my dad and I planted at the beginning of the semester. I snapped some pictures of them last month and devoted a post to them. As nature would have it, they have been getting quite crispy in the heat of Arizona. I pulled all the dying flowers from their roots, hauled them to my backyard, and went through them all to make a dried-flower boquet. I hadn't planned to hang it from my curtain rod, but my mom gave me the idea. Doesn't it look nice next to my vintage poster?

I graduate with my AA next Friday evening. I shall miss Acapella Choir, my crazy-awesome Jazz combo instructor (so aptly named Pete PanCRAZI, haha!), and sitting in the practice hall and reading while the music majors fill the building with melodies and rhythms. I made some friends this semester (which is new for me, Miss Introvert! hehe), struggled through many discouragements and tough courses, conquered ProTools, and met many interesting, delightful people along my college-journey. This entire semester was filled to the brim with learning experiences. Although I am unbelievably relieved that the semester is over, I cannot say I'm looking forward to a graduation ceremony. I'm just not interested in those types of things. After all, I shall not be putting my degree to real use (long story). Feels like a big to-do over nothin'. I'm still continuing college for a couple more years to pursue an education in sewing/tailoring (another long story - one for a future blog post!). Sometimes, I have felt as if I am just blundering around in life with no clear direction. I think it's just living 'regular' days that quickly muddies life. How often we need some clear, spiritual, Gospel-drenched refreshment to keep us guided and rooted!

"My life is but a weaving/between my God and me/I do not choose the colors/He worketh steadily/Oftimes He weaveth sorrow/and I in foolish pride/Forget He sees the upper/And I the underside/The dark threads are as needful/in the skillful Weaver's hand/As the threads of gold and silver/in the pattern He has planned." ~ Anonymous

In three weeks I shall be on the road to Ellerslie. Maybe this sounds funny, but I'm looking forward to it as a bride looks forward to her honeymoon. I cannot say how many times I have longed to forget 'regular' life and get away to a beautiful place where I can pray to my Lord, study His Word, and think only of Him. Yes, I shall miss my family and dog. Yes, there are rules at Ellerslie that require discipline and giving up things that I'm so accustomed to in my daily life at home. But there is not a single thought within me that these 'sacrifices' will be too difficult. None at all. After all, a disciple never makes a sacrifice. A disciple, by the grace of God, is a vessel freely poured out and given. The Lord placed this path to Ellerslie before my feet during a time when I was on my knees, broken and repenting for how I had foolishly forsaken Him. He has provided me with all the necessary things to get me to Ellerslie up 'til now. Not for a moment am I afraid to leave home for my King! How could I be when He has proven His faithfulness and grace to me over and over again? Every day that I'm living is telling of His sustaining grace; what a glorious reality that is!

"The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you-- your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything-- then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it!... True godliness leaves the world convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the explanation for you, is Jesus Christ." ~ Ian Thomas

Today was Day 2 of preparing for Ellerslie. I had forgotten that living in a dorm for ten weeks meant supplying a lot of your own living supplies. haha! Leave it to me to forget practical matters! ;-) I am glad that the majority of my wardrobe already fits Ellerslie's dress code/standards. That helps me to focus more on the practical items for bed/bath. I've also made sure to stock up on paper, journals, stationery for all the note-taking, thoughts, and letter-writing I shall be doing while I'm there. It will be fabulous! But, next to my preparations, I have a list of things 'to-do' before I leave AZ for ten weeks. That list includes (but is not limited by): getting my driver's license, two sewing projects, getting together with friends to say goodbye, and complete two books (A Sweet & Bitter Providence by John Piper and A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner). So, I need to get crackin'!

Goodnight, blog world of lovely friends. I wish you all rest underneath the shelter of His wings!



"…let the last thoughts before falling asleep be set on Him…" - Amy Carmichael

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure your time at Ellerslie will be a tremendous blessing, a refreshing break from the normal pressures of life, and a time to develop new disciplines. God bless you!

poetic_capture said...

I love your dried flowers and your poster. :0) Very neat!

Congrats on graduating! I hope you have a great time at Ellerslie.