Me Without Facebook - Week 1

For those of you who know that I am giving up Facebook for Lent, i'm sure you're just beside yourselves with laughter, because I have always been a devoted, and avid user of the social networking site.

Well, for a month I have decided to fast from the website in order to grow closer in my relationship with God, because honestly it occupies entirely too much of my time and is a horrid distraction for my homework, spiritual life, and ironically social life.. at least in the real world.

The first day was mostly resisting the habit of checking my facebook, and it wasn't necessarily a temptation. I caught myself a few times with my mouse hovering over the bookmark I had set on my browser bar, and I quickly decided that it needed to be deleted asap, or the temptation would be too great. The following days were mostly spent catching up to all of the information in the House, because most of our communication is through Facebook, as well as other areas of my life where that communication is key. So, therin, fasting from it has really just been more of an inconvenience than anything else... also when our house has a function and i can't view the pictures it gets really obnoxious, but a few of them were kind enough to let me view them, so that's okay :)

And for those of you who are seeing this without me posting it on Facebook... I LOVE YOU! And for those of you who see this series after I break my fast, you're okay... but I have fans then! Ah! That's so cool :)

A few areas of the bible have really stood out to me, as when you fast from something you're usually supposed to fill that time you would have spent doing that activity, in the Word.

With my best friend, I read a few chapters in Joshua. Well, the first three, ha. The biggest thing I noticed is how God said over and over and continuously reiterated "Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave or forsake you. Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS for you shall cause these people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you." (Joshua 1:5-7, emphasis mine). It is so beautiful that even through the beginning, one of the biggest things that God emphasized was that he was always with us, and will never forsake us. I encourage you to check it out for yourself, as always. If you have questions, there is a perfectly good comment box underneath this post that I also encourage you to exercise. Ask anything you want, and i'll answer it to the best of my ability!

Another book I've been getting into is one of my favorites in the Old Testament, 1st and 2nd Samuel. A particular verse is 2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him." It is so beautiful to me how confident we can be in the strength, power, and Love of God. One particular verse that seems to always put me in my place in regards to the might of God is Job 25:4 "How can a mere mortal stand before God and claim to the righteous? Who in all the earth is pure? God is so glorious that even the moon and stars scarcely shine compared to Him." How amazing is that? That this mighty God who caused walls to tumble, loves us and pursues us with a fierce, and i'll repeat it FIERCE passion. How truly amazing and awesome is it that we, sinful human kind have the all-powerful God who looks on us with compassion and made a way, a bridge to Him over the pit of sin to eternal life, through Christ Jesus the Lord. Yes, we mess up His message in a variety and diversity of ways by being what we are, but He made a way. "For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). I'm sure that if you've ever been to Sunday School at all, you've heard that verse.

Well, that concludes this Post. If you're looking for a great read, check out 2 Samuel 9. Good stuff, it just goes to show you what a gem David was, and how he was constantly chasing after God's heart. And maybe, keep on reading! There's a wealth of info in there, and DO NOT be afraid to ask someone who could give you answers, questions :) ...if that makes any sense.

Also, this week (Feb. 27-Mar. 2) I have the opportunity to perform this monologue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YBWuQ2gnw

It's pretty bare bones here, but i'm performing it live at Super-Village at Resonate during worship and I feel so blessed, because it was on my Bucket List, and now I can say that I've done it! Hope you like it :)

Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it!

~Alyse :)

Keep the Beat up

My obsession with upbeat, happy songs is not restricted to seasons, because i just stumbled across this little gold mine and i've been listening to it on repeat daily through YouTube. So please, check it out and see why my life was drastically changed by it's smooth rhythm and hypnotic beat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7gzJFwB0JzE

That was by a band called "Walk off the Earth" that I am currently obsessed with, and if you know me at all, you know that songs like this and ones similar to it by artists such as: Eric Hutchinson, Sara Bareilles, Band of Horses, Needtobreathe and so many others are the artists that know my heart without ever meeting me. I even have a playlist riddled with music like this that just makes me want to dance the day away and go frolic in a field or something. And in all actuality if it's a sunny day, and i'm listening to any of these artists and i'm walking to class you might see me with the biggest smile and a little skip in my step, because they have that effect on me. It's practically involuntary as they invade my muscles and force me to move along with their rhythms and beats.

Going into college I thought I would have to pick and choose my passions, as I did not have the opportunity to exercise all of them. This was true to an extent, because I cannot major in all of the arts that I greatly esteem, but I can find other avenues to exercise them on my own time. I have so many opportunities at Resonate, the church that I attend here in Moscow, and at Cru (formally know as Campus Crusade for Christ).

Every week I am thankful for the support system that I have been surrounded with, both at home, and through the friends I have made at school. I know that my mission and purpose for going to U of I would not even be remotely successful if I did not have them in my life.

Ecclesiastes1:2-5 says, "'Everything is meaningless.' says the Teacher, 'completely meaningless!' What do people do for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again." It has become apparent to me, that this is more true than ever. Sometimes the motivation to engage in every day responsibilities takes every ounce of will-power I can muster and then some. It is also very hard to get used to putting every ounce of effort into studying only to fall short of my goal on a test... I guess it's one of the many lessons i'm learning about college (and, as so many people have so  kindly pointed out, life lessons) and I should get used to it. Unless of course I get myself a nice sugar daddy and all of my money problems will be solved. THAT was definitely a joke... yuck. 


Since we are on the subject of marriage, and in the spirit of Valentine's Day, and to quote a favorite movie Court Jester (check it out) "When I marry, I marry for love". AND that dude better have his head on his shoulders and stuff together, because there's NO chance. In fact, to all the boys out there: stop being so scared of everything you hide in your room constantly fussing over life's problems, and whether or not a girl likes you, and fricken PURSUE HER. I guarantee you that if you dig up the dead idea of chivalry, and treat her like the daughter of God she is, give her genuine compliments instead of fake empty ones, you will have a date. Sheesh. Be confident in the Man of God you were meant to be, trust in His ultimate plan, don't plan so far in advance that you're married in your mind, live day by day, and enjoy life while you have it, you WILL have a good date! I think every one needs to stop obsessing about finding their "one and only" because the truth is that no man or women will ever satisfy that hole you have in your heart that you're constantly stuffing with the crap that King Solomon was talking about in Ecclesiastes... that turned into a rant about something that's a little larger than a simple date I guess, but hey the information got out there somehow. 


I apologize if this post is choppy at all, because i'm multi-tasking by watching the musical "Hello Dolly" with Barbara Streisand. Fun fact: did you know that Gene Kelly directed Hello Dolly? That's the same guy who also directed and starred in "Singin' in the Rain" which is my all-time favorite musical, and a large reason why I love them so much. 


Well, that pretty much concludes this entry. It was kind of all over the place for many reasons, and I think I let a little bit of my opinion slip... but whatever, all the more entertaining, right? Thanks so much for reading! And if it inspired you, tell a friend!


Sincerely, 


~Alyse :)

Late Nights

For a short while it was a New Year's resolution of mine to go to bed early, but as the semester has progressed, my old habits have come back and i'm seeing sleep around midnight to 1:00 a.m. I have decided that if I could just absorb energy from the sun, that would be optimal. Then, I could stand in the sunshine for say, an hour, and then quickly get back to various tasks throughout the day, and stay up into the night. Oh well, i'm sure God knew exactly what he was doing when he made us to sleep.

As i said before, the past few weeks have been largely spent hanging out with girls who are in my PC, as we are all living on the same side of the house. It is funny to me how much closer we are getting by just living on the same side of the house. A few weeks ago, we had a spur-of-the-moment movie day/night and laughed as we watched the late Heath Ledger woo Julia Stiles in all of its 90s glory.

The other day as i was walking across campus I got the distinct feeling that I was a lot farther from being a child at the beginning of the year. It's weird, because I can't even really describe it. It was like, all of the sudden i'm more of an adult, making my own decisions, and caring a whole lot less about the opinion of the world as opposed to last year, or two, even three years, when practically every decision I made was based on what I thought other people would think.

God has been continually restoring my faith by his usual methods. Love notes. These have been mostly been taking form in compliments from my sisters, lines in love songs, or just moments when I take a deep breath of fresh air, and I am suddenly very thankful that I had the blessing of being able to do simply that; breathe.

Speaking of love notes. A few weeks ago, we had an assignment in my English class to write an essay entitled "This I believe". The guidelines were obvious, write about something you believe in, but not necessarily the stereotypical, or general things one would immediately revert to. I decided I would write about the love notes that i receive from God everyday.

This is what I wrote:

I believe in looking at the mundane to find joys in every day living. Finding joys throughout the day are a great way to add value to a struggling college student, because often times college can be strenuous, boring, stressful, etc. This belief largely stems from my faith, which is that God would send his only son to die on a cross for all of humanity so we could be in relationship with him. These little joys serve as a reminder that His promise to do this was fulfilled. I guess it could be the romantic in me, or the artist, because searching for beauty is not what every person who believes what I believe, does. I’ll never forget, though, the several instances where I have felt overwhelmed because of the natural beauty around me. Once, just last semester when I was walking through the Admin Lawn at the University of Idaho, the leaves were changing, and the whole canopy above me was rippling with hues of yellow, orange, green, and red. Leaves of every shape made almost a stained-glass effect, and the lawn was basking in this autumn light. I also was seemingly the only person walking on the lawn, which made the experience that much more beautiful. My iPod was playing Mumford & Sons’ “Dust Bowl Dance”. The combination of the Autumn light, eclectic music, and beating heart in my chest gave me a thrill of being alive. A question prodded my mind: “How many people just have the joy of walking? How many have a heart that is capable of keeping up with its body? How many can use their lungs properly?” All of these and their realizations were gifts to me that day.

Another time was when I was a child, playing in our backyard. It had just snowed and I had to have been six or seven. My older brothers were at school, and I was hanging out by myself like I usually did. Snow was falling and it was the most silent I had ever heard the world to that point. Being an imaginative child, I had been playing all day fighting against snowmen and women to maintain authority over the backyard using the snow leftover by the day before’s dump. Until the present snowfall, I guess I had not fully experienced it. The effect of watching those giant flakes was magical, and I was almost certain the world around me had ceased to exist for a short moment, and that I was all alone in my backyard just me and the world. I felt a distinctive ping of individuality. That I was the only one like myself, and that I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to.

As I grew older, so did my appreciation for different joys. Small joys could be anything from a genuine compliment, to a friend asking you how you’re doing, to that just-after-the-rain smell. In my case it was the rippling natural cathedral of the University of Idaho’s Admin Lawn and my childhood backyard. Small Joys are literally everywhere every day, little treasures begging to be noticed and sought after like a crustacean on a sandy beach. Looking at these little joys, or reflecting on these moments show me that I am loved and cared for. I know it may seem to some it’s out of a Nicholas Spark’s romance novel, and it may sound extremely cheesy and corny, but what can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic, and I believe in finding the joys in every day living.  

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In addition to our essay, we had to present it in class. I was extremely nervous for this, but God totally provided with other students who also had a little Jesus in their lives, which greatly encouraged me. When i was finished with my presentation, I wasn't greeted with an angry mob like i had prepared myself for. Class went on as usual, and we were excused without incident. When we received our papers back, i saw i had received one of the highest grades in the class. 

Lesson: God provides. Obvi.

As i conclude this post, it is indeed, true to form, 12:22 a.m. and I am heading to bed... eventually. I have a response to an article due, and I guess I should just get used to late nights, because that is one of the many lessons of college. Like learning to laugh at yourself, being productive even when you don't feel motivated, and so many others, time management is definitely a lesson of college.

I hope this blog has been encouraging to you, and if it is, tell your friends! A huge thank you to my support system back home! I couldn't do life without you, literally. 

~Alyse :)

Falling

Well, in reference to the weather, this week could be accurately described using a simple phrase... if i wanted to do figure skating, skiing, or any kind of Winter Olympic sport, I would have used my time in my childhood and adolescence to do so. Seriously, the combination of the hills in Moscow, with the snow, ice and freezing rain makes for an interesting usually 10 minute commute to class a twenty or forty minute commute depending on the state of your shoes, where you go, etc. Luckily, the view from the windows in the top floors of my house make for perfect people watching (yes, it happens) which is incredibly entertaining.

We recently switched rooms this is wonderful because now i get to experience life with girls who are in my PC (pledge class) and oh the many memories we've been making this week. Every day it seems as though God gives me something else to be thankful for midst the trifles of being a young adult.. which is a weird concept to me still.

Just today I was thinking about how much I have grown up. It's weird how scents, over all the other senses bring back memories the strongest. Today there was a breeze blowing in my room, and as i was alone i was going to shut it, but as i bent to pull the window down, my nose stopped me before I could and as I closed my eyes i was instantly six years old again laying in the snow in my backyard looking up at the clouds wondering what i was going to be like when i grew up, and knowing that i had my whole life in front of me (ever since i was a child i thought about EVERYTHING). Honestly, those times i had to my own devices as a child in little Challis Idaho were probably some of my favorites. I never had imaginary friends when i was little, but I almost always conversed with Jesus like i was talking to my mom or a best friend. It's interesting now, because throughout my various (and incredibly minimal) life experiences, i have leaned heavily on the fact that Jesus is always there for me, and will always know what to do. A reality I still rely heavily on now as a young adult, with responsibilities mounting upon me. I'll have it known that I never had a desire to grow up. If I could have maintained a five-year old persona in Neverland, it would've happened. However, I do want everything God has for me and a five-year old Alyse could probably not accomplish what an eighteen or whatever age Alyse could accomplish for his purposes.

Another thought that has been recurring in my mind has been that in two years I will be twenty years old... I have had yet to feel old, but it is definitely been becoming familiar as i let my mind mull over this. I know it's not OLD but just the thought that i've been around for two whole decades is big. I also feel like 20 is the official mark for being an adult. Legally i'm an adult, but 20 doesn't have teen in it. Yuck. I'll officially have to grow up then... or not.

Thursday was a pretty big day, because we got the news we had a snow day, the fire alarm went off, and then the power went out all in a span of three hours. Some of my favorite memories were made that night, however. As with most power-outages, an adventure is born when your home is suddenly turned into a magnificent land when something as simple as the lighting is affected. I know that growing up, many a hide-and-go-seek was the best when all of the lights in the house were turned out (man i'm getting a little teary-eyed here).

The past few weeks have been spent making new relationships midst trifling with work from classes each day. Thank goodness the snow's gone, because with the hills around here it was getting to be quite the work to get off of campus.

--this post will soon be followed by another as this was obviously written a few weeks ago, haha. I was positive i posted it, but i guess not!--

~Alyse :)