Marvelous Happy Things

I‘m running, tripping, clawing at the trees around me to climb back up, losing my grip on the slippery moss. My breath rips out of my chest and throat, grasping oxygen desperately. I never look behind me—I‘m not running away, I‘m running toward. Toward what I don‘t know; I pray that it‘s home.             A tree root catches my foot and I tumble down. My body flings arms over legs over feet as I fail to protect myself from the roots and twigs that tear my skin. The scant moonlight disappears as the sticks do, and suddenly I‘m rolling over cold, hard dirt with no light whatsoever and no idea where I am.             I collide with a cool dirt surface. Light like that from candles reflects off the dirt around me, causing it to look reddish and alive. Slowly, I push myself off the floor and look around me. I‘m alone in a tiny dirt room that looks like a hollow cube, with no...

It began with a realization and a prayer. During the last year, I realized that I do not have many friends of a different race (white) or culture (American) than me. At some point, I prayed something like, "God, please bring more people who are different than me into my life." Racial tension has been a large topic within the last year, and many of my classmates have spoken strongly about this issue on blogs or social media. I would excuse the issue by thinking that I didn't have anyone to relate to who was dealing with it. Therefore, I did not engage with it in conversation or action. God answered this prayer by putting more men and women of different races and cultures in areas of my life this semester than I think I've ever interacted with before. Last Wednesday in chapel, Pastors Derrick Rollerson and Mark Soderquist spoke about race and unity. It was humbling to listen to them confess weaknesses as black and white men serving inner-city Chicago together. Becau...

It's hard to be single. I guess it could be worse. I'm in my 20s and am not yet considered a spinster. I can still attend young adult groups at church without getting weird looks. But what if I continue to be single into my 30s and beyond? How could that affect my relationship with the church? From what I've seen of women's ministry, many Bible studies and fellowship are centered around a woman's relationships with her husband and children. But what if you do not have either one? If you are used to looking to friends in college or a close-knit group at church for support, this could be alarming. Choices for ministry that deal with women relating to other women and to the world may be few and far between. I receive emails from a group called Faith.Full , the women's community of FaithGateway. These are often encouraging and speak to me but sometimes also discuss topics that may never be applicable. My relationship with God and the church matters whether or no...

Today I'm going to introduce you to my favorite new duo in music. They are Dove Cameron and Ryan McCartan, otherwise known as The Girl and the Dreamcatcher . The two met as onscreen love interests in the Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie . They soon began posting covers on YouTube under the name "Dove and Ryan" and became an official duo in 2014. They've recently released their first EP, entitled Negatives , and that is what I am reviewing. 1 Make You Stay- Ryan begins the song with a catchy melody. It has an overall pop-feel, with a strong drum beat and electronics on the chorus. Both switch up the melody on the second verse. They add subtle harmonies on the chorus, with the melody shining through. The beat moves to a dubstep feel on the bridge. This is one song that gets stuck in your head easily. 2 Glowing in the Dark- Ryan starts the first verse. The electronics drive the song. We get to hear Ryan take the melody on the chorus. This song has many similarities...

At long last, I've read  The Fault in Our Stars  by John Green - otherwise known as the one that makes girls cry. I didn't read it years ago when the movie came out, because I didn't want to cry. I saw the movie first. Because of that, some of this review will be comparisons between the two. I like that Gus tells Hazel that he loves her on a plane rather than in a restaurant. It makes the mundane ride seem more special (and he mentions oblivion). I like that the book explains Caroline Mathers' relationship with Gus so that the reader assumes it won't be the same with Hazel (because for an author to do that twice with a character is unoriginal). The worst part for me is when Peter Van Houten refuses to tell Hazel and Gus what happens to the characters in their favorite book. This frustrates me because characters, even though they are fictional, do matter to readers. Some would say that is the whole point of writing. Van Houten, as an author, needs to understand thi...

Background: Except for this summer, I've been on a mission trip every summer since my freshman year of high school. Here are some of my thoughts without that part of my life. I miss the friendships and the team-building. I miss being shaken from my comfort zone. Maybe I miss it because I expect God to move in a tangible way, and I don't (usually) when I'm not in that context. I miss working with other people in community for a purpose. It's hard to relate that to a job or school or a church service. On mission trips, most everyone becomes closer as you go through the same type of Bible lessons or small groups. People are willing and sometimes coerced into being vulnerable. I'm studying missions in school, and from what I've learned so far, trips are supposed to be about the people that we (mission teams) serve, not about us. But I've found that most trips I've been on have impacted me and the mission team the most. Is that bad? Yes and no. It's goo...

Tragedy: (n) an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe. Look around. What do you see? Pain, sadness, and tragedy. How do you cope with the loss of a friend? Of someone you knew? In a city you've visited? If you're grieving, how do you heal? Through acts of kindness or charity? Do you get mad, hating the world? Do you hate the shooters? Do you hate the rapist? Do you shake your head and say, "This country's going downhill" or "I can't stand the world today"? What do you do? Some will bring hope and healing to the conversation. Others will bring hate and continue to hurt. How do we heal? As cities and as a country, as atheists, Christians, and Muslims. As politicians and lay people. How do we handle tragedy? Voices of hope Christina Grimmie Memorial Video To Brock Turner's Father, from Another Father