Christmas Letter~

Hello Friends,
Some of you received my fellows Christmas letter. I wanted to post it on my blog for those of you who did not receive one. I literally ran out of stamps. Well... Here it is!


Dear Friends and Family,

We are in the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas once again! I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday with those closest to you. I was fortunate to head home for a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving with my family and friends. I have been thoroughly enjoying the fellows program, but there is nothing like being with the people you love for the holidays.

The past three months have been beautiful chaos! Between running around like crazy with the middle schoolers of the Falls Church and building strong relationships with the fellows, I have learned so much about my faith and my character. I am meeting spectacular individuals everywhere I go; people who are willing to encourage me, share with me their lives and how God plays a major role. I am so blessed to be coming in contact with so many inspiring people who love the Lord and want to see me grow.

Before Thanksgiving, the youth staff invited me to join them at the National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The experience was amazing on so many levels because not only did I have the opportunity to meet other youth workers, but also, I attended several workshop seminars with famous published youth ministry experts like Chap Clark, Kara Powell, and Heather Flies. The five-day trip created a bonding experience for the staff because we had the opportunity to learn and worship together in a fun environment. I am so blessed to have a job that I love: a job where I can feel challenged and also succeed, have fun and learn, and best of all, serve amazing young people.

The fellows are wonderful, too! In addition to our busy schedules, we are trying hard to build an intentional community. We see each other at least 3-4 days out of the week for class, Bible study, seminar, round-table discussion, youth group and if we have time, we try to squeeze in a few social activities. As we grow in relationship together, we are recognizing our unique personalities that God has so strategically created and brought together to build this special group. I am excited to see how this year ends and how the new begins with the fellows and all that God has planned for us. Please help me to pray for them as we move into the next year: pray for our internships, the many dimensions of our fellows program, and our friendships. Pray for God’s plan: that they may be ready and willing to go wherever God leads them! Their names are Rebecca, Tim, Ryan, Kristin, Griffin, Katherine, Greg, Ryan W., Lauren, Ben and Chris.

Thank you so much for your continuous prayers and support this fall season. You have been such a blessing in my life and I just wanted to let you know that I am so thankful for you all. I pray that we can stay in touch via email elisa.a.fernandez@gmail.com or if you’re in town, come visit us at the Falls Church sometime.

Blessings to you and your families this Christmas,


-Elisa

Fellows Christmas Photo


Sibling Photo! New as of Winter 2010 (Matthew 6 and Lucas 9!)

Neti Pot.

Dear Friends,

I cannot remember the last time I was this sick. Sick as a dog. Actually, I do. I remember the time when I was so sick last fall that I had no idea what to do with myself - I WAS MISERABLE.

Today, I am experiencing it all over again. Perhaps I have a special strand of swine-flu... I am not sure what I have to be honest. But the symptoms include headache, body ache, chapped nostrils, sore throat, major post-nasal drip, and drowsiness. I feel like I just ran a marathon, gone through a cycle in the washing machine, fallen out of a tree, and smacked my head against a door far too many times. Sounds appealing, no? What is possibly holding me together?



This here, my friends, is a neti pot. Now I am sure that I do not look any more graceful than this lady does... but it works WONDERS. I was introduced to Neti, here, by a friend of mine. During my sickness last year, she brought it to me at school (James Madison University) and we decided to whip that puppy out in the public bathroom by the nearby dining hall. A bathroom we thought was private and pretty quite. Little did we know...

At this point in time, I didn't know how to work a neti pot. My dear friend helped me to create the saline mixture; she showed me how to exactly tilt my head and pour in the solution into my sore nostril. Next thing I know... I am screaming my head off an extremely unexpected snotty substance pours out of my nose. You would scream too if you felt solution going through your nasal cavity and sometimes through YOUR BRAIN if you happened to tilt incorrectly. About 5 minutes into the agonizing and surprising creaming, a lady from the nearby dining hall came into the bathroom. "Is everything okay in here!? I could hear you from outside." We just stood there: neti pot in a dry nostril. Not a very appealing or satisfying response...

All in all -> Neti Pot = Miracle. My congestion broke down and I was neti-ing like it was 1999.

Thank you, Mr. Neti, wherever you are. If I could, I would shake your hand. This little neti pot is saving me today... and Nyquil. I have slept near 15 hours today.

Neti On,
Elisa

Christmas Album Recommendations.

I think Amy Grant has released about 582 Christmas albums over the span of her career. I am just saying... That's a whole lot of Christmas tunes. I love me some holiday cheer and music - and she is totally blowing up my Pandora Christmas radio. Lovin' it!

There was a time in my life when I would listen to Christmas music year-round and I LOVED IT! I would be mowing the lawn in the middle of summer listening to my *NSYNC Christmas Album, on my DISC MAN, by the way, singing along out loud and without shame! I highly recommend you make the purchase... TODAY!

But this album, Your King Has Come, is by far one of my favorites. If you enjoy the classic songs like "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" - have you ever heard the Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken version? I thought so. Check it out immediately if not sooner. This album contains a treasure trove of classic re-made, super-sweet, acoustic versions by great artists.

If I had to choose one song that I did not like that plays CONSTANTLY on Christmas radio, it is "Christmas Shoes." I will never understand it. I will never like it. This is by far the most frustrating Christmas song I have ever heard in my 23 years of living. If I am on my death bed and happen to have a small child, I will not send him out to buy me a pair of shoes with my last few dollars - OH NO. I'd want to spend time with my family and USE the cash to purchase something important... like... hmm what... oh yeah, perhaps a REMEDY FOR MY ILLNESS.

I imagine the pair of shoes looked something like this one. Perhaps this style of shoe would be called the Debbie Downer Low-tops by Keds.


(I do not mean to offend anyone by any means. I am just sharing my frustration. Thanks. And... sorry.) In any event... Everything else is pretty good! :-)

Don't fight the Christmas rush, friends. Embrace it. Dance, if possible. Sing along to some *NSYNC as you rake the leaves or shovel the ol' walk! Hope you enjoy some of my recommendations!

Peace and blessin's
-Elisa

P.S. I really don't want to read these books for my Apologetics class... Hope you took delight in my train-of-thought.

Thirsty.

I am walking in a desert. I am in a dry, quiet, desolate place. But God quenches my thirst. I haven't been able to pin-point my "status" until recently. But, in a way, I finally have a Christianese diagnosis for where I am at right now. Maybe you can relate.

After writing and re-writing this post, I realized that ^ this sums it all up. I was blessed to attend the National Youth Workers Convention this past week with the youth staff. If I were to share with you that experience, I would have to leaf through the voluminous amount of notes in my busted up "Crossroads" composition notebook - and it would most likely drive you crazy. As my friend says, we are a "skimming generation" of people... so I will spare you. In any event, Mike Pilavachi spoke to us one evening concerning deserts. Let's just say that although I am walking is a desert, I am not yet dying of thirst.

I stumbled upon this verse a couple of weeks ago and I have been reflecting on it a lot:

Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings."
~Jeremiah 17:5-10

What does this say to you?

This past summer, the series we were working on with the youth was called Thirsty. The pastor, and my friend, Jessica, talked about trees in the desert versus trees in more wet areas like what we are used to or rain forests. Where are you? Like this scripture reads, I am in a position right now where I feel like I am that tree in the desert with roots striving to reach God's rivers. Just stretching and wanting more of Him to enter in.

In the dry desert, we encounter God. I want more. I want to be pushed to my utmost extent in order to reach and feel God in a new way. I want to absorb all that He has to show me right now. But it is hard and it can be slightly painful being in this place. The beauty of it all is this: God provides and He nourishes. As the Jeremiah scripture says, there are rivers present and when we reach far enough, we are satisfied!

"The desert place is not that of the devil. It is he place where God meets us. It's God's place where He takes away all distractions so that we can focus on Him." -Pilavachi

Take heart, fellow desert dwellers: even fruitful trees survive in the desert.

Slice of humble pie.

Dear Friends,
This past weekend I had the privilege of attending and helping out at the parish retreat in Canaan Valley of West Virginia. What an amazing weekend it was! Being the middle school ministry intern, I was able to help out with all of the middle school activities. Including a couple talks (which were great; about the Bad News and the Good News given by Laura and Jim), paint ball, banana rugby, swimming, entertainment night, dance party and duh, awesome relationship building.

Paintball
This weekend was the first time I had ever been played paintball! I was thrilled at the thought of totally creaming some students! My host little sister, Alyssa, and I were on the same team along with the lovely Mary-Elliot that we so fiercely named, "NORTH FACE." Let's just say that team NORTHFACE truly got "tow-up." We were facing four 6th grade boys (one who was an 8th grader, mind you) and we were getting attacked left and right. Of course, two boys were after me the whole time... but I put up a good fight, no doubt. If it weren't for my cat-like reflexes, NORTHFACE would have been goners within seconds. By the way, paintballs hurt. If they do not explode on you immidiately, they will indeed puncture your skin. Let's just say that Matt, my co-worker, looks like a leper now. Check out this early photo of this bruise. Right now, it is the size of a cantaloupe. I will update with a new photo soon...

I have about four huge bruises in places that cannot be displayed in this blog. But check out my hat! That's what I would like to call INTENSITY.


Banana Rugby
Who would have thought!? Kudos to Matt for running the game: it's ultimate frisbee with bananas. Can you imagine 40+ middle schoolers and about 6 leaders playing this game?! It was hilarious. Catching a squishy banana in the end-zone = victory.
I looked for a photo on google images of a squished banana all to be surprised when I saw this:

Who on earth saves a banana like this? Some people's children...

Entertainment Night
Here's the thing... Every year the fellows put on a skit at entertainment night and it is "always good." So the pressure was totally on for us to do the best job EVER. We came up with this as our performance. ((Sorry the edited version will not post - but this should be okay for now.)) We received many a kudos for our incredible performance. :-)

Dance Party
I think I have shin splints from dancing so hard on the dance-floor. Let's just say that Cornerstone and Crossroads kids know how to get down! I loved dancing with my little host sisters all night long. Their names are Jordan, Shelby and Alyssa and I think that they are awesome. They have cool friends, too. Have I told you lately how blessed and thankful I am... well, I am.

On a serious note; there were so many things that I truly loved about this weekend. I really enjoyed getting to know my students more on a different level. We had a smaller group attend the Canaan Valley retreat, about 43 or so, and we enjoyed being silly together, talking, and just affirming each student there. Along with learning all of their names slowly but surely, I am also growing in love with each of them. I love being surrounded by my little brothers and sisters in Christ. I see their hearts opening up to me and the other fellows and leaders, and especially to Christ every day I spend with them. What an honor it is to do what I do... Some may call it a job; I'd like to find another word to use to describe it. What do you call a "job" that is constantly exciting, fun, fulfilling, honoring, glorifying, satisfying, emotionally stretching, exuberant, exhausting, and energizing all at the same time? Yeah... chew on that for a while and email me later at elisa.a.fernandez@gmail.com.

It is amazing to see students loving each other the way the do. When I was in middle school, I would have LOVED to have had friends like these guys. I was a hungry student: hungry for attention, hungry for affirmation, and hungry for any delicious and unhealthy snack. I needed so much, and I was receiving so much but I didn't really understand the right things that I needed. I can only imagine how my life would have been with these kinds of friendships or what it would be like if I were in a program like this. Well - I wouldn't be here now, would I?

It is incredibly humbling growing in relationship with these students and seeing God through their eyes and hearts. St. Augustine once said, "Preach the Gospel always and if necessary, use words." I saw this being played out all weekend either through the middle and even the high school students, among my own friendships with the fellows, or amidst the rest of the congregation attending the retreat.

One student in particular named Matthew F. really took hold of my heart. Matthew is a student with William's Syndrome. Matt is by far the master of affirmation and his favorite line is, "You're awesome!" and if you return the compliment, he hits you with, "No, YOU'RE AWESOME!" Being with him, spending time with him, and looking into his heart will amaze you and effect you directly in such a way that most of the time, it is hard not to smile or cry when you think about him.

Here are a just a few of many major quotes from Matthew this weekend that squeezed my heart so tightly:
"I am so glad I got to share my love with Greg and the other fellows this weekend."
"I think about love ALL the time."
"What's awesome is that when I walk into a room, everyone says hello to me; they all know my name. And they listen to what I have to say."
"You're awesome!"
"Super-poke!" (That one is just cute and funny if you know him!)

As my friend and fellow fellow prayed, Matthew says things that God would say to us. Matthew affirms us in a way that God does each day. Matthew just says it loud enough for us to hear it and acknowledge it. Mind-blowing.

These young people are creating some serious marks on my heart. Marks that aren't at all similar to that of a permanent marker, but that of carving knife into a tree. Friends - I know you don't know who they all are but God does. He knows each and every one of us so deeply and I just ask that as you lift up your prayer requests today, lift up the youth of this church. As it is written in the song: My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His heart. "Before the Throne of God Above" by Sojourn. Just shout out a prayer for their hearts - that they may be continuously encouraged by Christ and in return, encourage their friends and anyone who they come in contact with.

Sometimes, I feel like these kids are serving me more than I am serving them.

1 Peter 3:8-9
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Of the Vine,
Elisa

Spelling Tests and Towers.

I remember in 3rd grade, one of my spelling words for the week was COMMUNITY. And if there was anything that I was actually good at academically, it was spelling. Times have changed a bit... I mean... I like spelling and such, but I felt like spelling was my best subject because I truly hated the rest.

I was probably every teacher's nightmare because A) I talked in class everyday. SO much so that I sat out at least 3 or 4 times a week from recess. The orange and red cards became an everyday norm in my elementary life. B) I hated completing homework assignments. And C) I talked too much... please see A.

But again, I loved spelling. I loved the idea of memorizing words, learning what they mean. I remember my mom defining words for me and the joy that would arise when I would use a word IN CONTEXT successfully. The clouds parted and the sun shone in the big blue sky when I noticed liter in the road and said, "Mom, what's up with all of this debris in the road?"

Anyways... tangent. Sorry. One week, community was a word that was added to my list of spelling words for that day. I was so excited to learn it. I was so proud when I aced that spelling quiz. Not because it was my only A that week... but because of the accomplishment I felt knowing that I knew big new words.

If there is one thing a communications studies major knows is that communication is key to any relationship between two or more people. The word community actually derives from the word communication. If you check out the Greek word used for communication in the Bible, you will find two references - koinoneo meaning "to have share in" (Strong's 2841) and sunkoinoneo "to share together with" or "communicated with" or "have fellowship with" (Strong's 4790). Now check this out: the word for communion or community in the Greek is: koinonia meaning "having common koinos, partnership, fellowship" (Strong's 2842).

So pulling it all together, God calls us to be a community of people who share common interests and fellowship - but who connect and communicate those interests together. Let's see what scripture says about koinonia.

Today, in our Fellows Bible study at 8AM (ouch...), we discussed the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Yeah yeah... the origin of all the languages, blah dee blah dee blah... But let's think of it in a different way. Why were these people coming together to build a tower? One new theory that I heard today is this: they were building a tower to yes, use their skills to create something for themselves, but maybe it was built to help them avoid another flood like the one God had created in chapter seven. They were building a tower for protection and boasting in their own creative manly abilities to do so. Why would God confuse those people? We then took a gander at the awesome Acts 2:40-47.

Tower of Babel Peeps-
You got your creative guys here taking all necessary measure to protect themselves from God's crazy flooding ways. They were excited to work together. However, was their work for the Lord? Did it glorify Him at all? He just made a covenant with them in Genesis 10:15 and promised never to bring the flood again - but by building this preventative tower, they were throwing out God's promise like yesterday's bran muffin.



Acts 2 Koinonia Peeps-

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47

Like the Tower peeps, this group had stuff in common. They obviously got along, they worked together, had fun, they were communicating. But here is the different defining characteristic - everything they did was unto the Lord. They gave up their belongings to serve others, they ate together, prayed together, they hung out at church with each other, they praised the Lord as a Body, and they were able to draw others nearer to the Lord by upholding this awesome koinonia example. See how they communicated? They used their common denominator: Christ and everything else fell into place.

When we use Christ in our lives to control our hearts and actions, see what happens in your community life. The Tower folks had good EARTHLY intentions, but who were they really serving? Themselves. God calls us to be a community - yes - and that is important. But He also calls us to be servants and not only serve each other, but serve Him and His people. How amazing is it to be in a koinonia environment? We are so blessed, but we tend to all loose site of the blessing sometimes.

I know I have been on a community kick lately, but bare with me. God is making it more evident how important each person is in the Body and we must embrace it all. He delights when we commune with each other, but even more so when we commune and glorify Christ together. I am still learning how to do this. My prayer is to learn how to continue to embrace koinonia, open my heart to new people, and invest myself in others who seek to glorify the King. We can get wrapped up in building our own towers - ones that consume our focus and that cause us to celebrate in our own victories. But we are being called to pour ourselves into others and have Christ pour into us as a whole so that we may be a sacrificing Body for the Lord.

Of the Vine,
-Elisa

Forced Intimacy

Hello Friends,

Most of you know that I am a Fellow in the Fellows Program in Falls Church, VA and working in youth ministry as my internship. I couldn't be happier. There are 11 other fellows besides myself and we joke that in the last two weeks, we have been experiencing "forced intimacy." Pretty funny, slightly true - but the real truth is this: we really like each other, and I think it is great. For any of you juniors and seniors in college out there... check out the Fellows Program. It is for young adult/post-graduate people who are looking to be successful and upright citizens for Christ who seek to glorify Him in all things that we do! Amazing. www.thefellowsprogram.org

Anyways... back to the "forced intimacy" thing... Our first weekend together, we journeyed up to Somewhere, PA to the Summer's Best Two Weeks camp where we spent four days together. We played lots of games - a personal favorite, Ultimate Frisbee - and spent a lot of time chatting and getting to know each other. All of that is easy... it is not hard to bond over a few games here and there or late-night chats, but another important component to the retreat: sharing testimonies. I was scared out of my mind for some reason. My summer ended somewhat difficultly, I was already slightly nervous and anxious, I was experiencing a million emotions already and on top of that, I had to share my most private story about me and God. For those of you who know me well, this takes time for me to do - especially with new friends. I love the Lord so much and I love hearing everyone's testimonies - but when I share mine, I am usually very comfortable with the people I am with and people who I feel will love and support me. On this retreat - I was going in somewhat blind. I had no idea who these people were, where they have been, what they were expecting of me, or if there was a chance that they would become REAL friends and REAL brothers and sisters to me.

Soon enough, it was my turn to share. I prayed for God to bless me with strength, energy, and the ability to share my testimony without fear. He blessed me immensely. The words came with ease. I had everyone's eyes on me, listening attentively. I received prayer from a fellow who I was still getting to know - someone new in my life had the sweetest heart to pray for me!! This was a huge deal with me. For anyone who is hesitant about sharing your testimony, do it anyway. You need to find a way to share your story about God in your life and the transformation He has going on inside of you. I learned so much about these awesome fellows here and about myself and I am SO grateful that God gave me the courage to share. My self-confidence sky-rocketed and I am realizing that I am being loved for who I am and who I want to be and who I will be. I pray and hope that the fellows feel the same way because I do appreciate them for who they are, each and every one of them, and who they want to be and I am excited to see the person God will form them to be. A lot of amazing things will happen in the next 9 months and I am thrilled to be a witness of all of that.

Here's the question for you: What is your Christian community like? Do you have one? If not, why not? What is holding you back? If you have one, what are the aspects that you like/love about it? Have you shared your testimony?

These are important questions to ask!! I am learning more and more how vital these relationships are going to be for me this year and I am so thankful that we have started our year out on a good foot by sharing these intimate stories about God. After leaving an amazing community of women, Into Hymn, I was absolutely heart broken. I would have a hard time just listening to the music and I was scared that I would never find a community like that one. I was right. I will never find a community like Into Hymn. However, God has blessed me with a new and different kind of community. New brothers and sisters who He has placed in my life (and me in theirs) to learn about each other, accept, appreciate, affirm, and to encourage each other. We will be seeing each other a lot - seminars, classes, retreats, youth group stuff... but amidst all that craziness, refreshing relationships will blossom into awesome Christ-centered friendships and that is SO GOOD. God provides, friends, He provides what is best for us and I am so thankful.

I am so excited about what is happening here. My youth ministry job is incredible and I feel like I really belong! It is a great feeling to feel needed and desired in the work place. The feeling that YOU are of great importance and value within the ministry or organization. And even better, it is great to learn about how your work for God is making an impact on several others around you. I am incredibly thankful right now. Or as I'd like to say, "Happy as a Clam." Thank you for your continuous and steadfast love and prayers. Constantly, I am encouraged by you all and I appreciate you! Please send me an email and let me know how YOU are doing at elisa.a.fernandez@gmail.com. I know I have been a little slow with the correspondence lately - time is hard to come by while being in this program - but I do check my email often. I would love to know what is going on in your life, how God is moving in your life, and how I can be praying for you.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

We are called to bear fruit together now that we are of the same Vine and Body of Christ.

Fellows Class 2010-2011


God is good.
-Elisa

((Sorry if there are oodles of edits throughout this blog... I am not going to make the time to edit it tonight!! ENJOY IT ANYWAY!!))

Firsts and Lasts

So, the past two weeks of my life have been somewhat emotionally overwhelming. Sometimes that can be good - sometimes that can be bad. I would not have considered myself an emotional person until I met my dear friend Evie K. She is to blame for this new wave of emotionality this past year (yes... I think I might have made up that word.) She cries on the regular; it makes her feel better. She says something to the effect of, "I just need to cry it out and I will feel better." Now, when I first heard that, my initial thoughts included, "Are you kidding me?! Why on earth would you wanna cry?!" Silly and slightly insensitive me came out and I totally didn't get her then... but I do now since her Evie-crying-influence has finally rubbed off on me after nearly 3 years of friendship.

In any event, emotions like this are still somewhat new to me. I am also realizing that this summer has been one of many firsts and lasts. One of which being: This is the first time I have truly recognized certain emotions. I know that sounds weird but for example... I have realized that it takes a lot for me to be vulnerable and disclose myself to people. I'd like to think that I am an outgoing, lovable, crazy, and funny young woman - but I am pretty good at hiding my fears, my insecurities, my pain. This summer I learned that that might not be the best thing. That it is good to unlock those emotions - and that holding back tears might not always be the "strong" thing to do. I have been so thankful for the outpouring of happy and sad tears this summer. Praise.

Second: I really enjoy spending quiet moments with the Lord. Now, if you asked me a year ago, I would say that YES - I enjoy quiet times in the morning... yadda yadda... But now, most days, I am just ready to go for a drive in silence, to sit and read a book without any interference, to extend my quiet times from 30 minutes to who-knows-when. I am learning how to not set limits on my time with God - but instead to encourage as much quiet time with the Lord as much as possible. If you know me well, you know it is hard for me to sit still! God has done something to me that makes me want to sit and be with Him - and I think that is good.

Third: A last. This is the last summer that I can spend worrying about what's next. God has been SO good to me - putting people in my path, opportunities that pop up - I am not worried about my next move because I already know that there is something just around the corner. It is such a great feeling being a college graduate and knowing that there is a set plan for at least a year (if not more) post-graduation! No worrying about classes or a college budget or overwhelming exam schedules. From here on... it's one day at a time. This life is running at a completely new and different pace.

Fourth: Another last. This is the last time I can be with my family in this way. I worry about this... For anyone who knows me, you understand that this will always be a journey. Sometimes there are rocky paths but other times there are smooth courses. This summer might just be the last time I can be at home and be a full-time-live-at-home daughter.

Fifth: A first time that I have been away from friends for this long. It has been such a blessing to be near friends in the past, but this is the first summer I have spent away from SO MANY friends. It has been different working every day and not being able to invest more in more people. It has taught me a good lesson though - that yes, work is consuming, and yes, it is possible to pour into friends but just not several at a time. Loving a couple friends at a time is good too. :-) I can't always be a "big-group" girl.

Fifth-and-a-half: This summer has been good for me to learn more about the incredible love of Christ and what He has called us to do: love others. I want to love others more. It is one thing to really like someone or to "love" your super cool road bike (ha...) but it is not quite the same as the LOVE that Jesus has taught us. I recognize more what that LOVE looks like, and I want to learn how to extend and accept it more.

If there is one thing that will always stay consistent - meaning it can never be a first or a last thing - is God and His love and provision. God has blessed me so much this summer and I have no idea how I am so worthy of it all. I have been challenged so much this summer. I have had to dig deep in my heart, recognize weaknesses and strengths and deliver my worries to the Lord. I learned that there are walls that I have built that are hard to chip away from - but then I was able to watch God break them down. He is SO good. He is the alpha and omega - the beginning and the end - He will remain the same through all of the ages! No matter what circumstances I find myself in. Isn't that great news!? That no matter how much we think we fail, His provision remains and the blessings flow - one and then the other and then the other. I have been so thankful for tears of joy and tears of pain, amazing quiet times of worship and heartbreaks left and right. The blessings God has delivered to me: special people, certain conversations, interesting books - all have encouraged me and have taught me lessons that were so needed in my life.

I am incredibly thankful and proud to be emotional about it. :-) I am praising God for these new firsts and lasts in my life. God, keep bringing them on because it just goes to show that I have so much more that I want and need to learn.

Check this out:

Love strug.

Hi Everyone.

I think I need to share a serious struggle with you all. But before I do, let me preface with recent events that you all may or may not know about. Nate Henn - strong advocate and fighter for Invisible Children was a victim of a terrorist attack in Uganda this past July.



I do not know who this man was, however, a seriously large group of people do. I was able to learn about him in the Hangar today. In case you are wondering, the Hangar is the name used for the student ministry program at the church I am working at this summer. We are currently working on a summer-long series called, "Summer of Love" emphasizing Christ's teachings of love and how to give it, receive it and accept it into our lives. Along with the series, we are have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers, including a friend and staff member who happened to be a person friend of Nate Henn.

Today, our speaker did a fantastic job sharing the story for Nate Henn. To learn more about Henn and his remarkable efforts, check out this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-c4G2bIcxU He shared with us Henn's uniquness: his ability to follow Christ's Word. John 13: 34-35 was the scripture focus of the day:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

The point our speaker was trying to make was this: Henn lived his life not only to the full and for God's purpose, but he lived his like to love God and love others deeply and wholeheartedly. This is something I am finding that I struggle with. And it is something that I wish I could change about myself. Through prayer and time, I am sure it will - but more and more, I think I am learning about my struggle. Everyday, I am constantly in contact with people: people I work with, people I live with, maybe even people I sometimes don't want to be with. Either way - I am around people. It is hard for me to have much alone time... in this case... past midnight, I finally do have some alone time! When I am around people, I try to be a light. I really do - I want Christ to illuminate inside this flesh of mine - I want to do all things possible to glorify Him - even if that is by making someone laugh, or providing listening ears - I want to be able present God to others through my actions. Now don't get me wrong; I know I am not always the best at doing so, but I put forth a lot of effort. But the thing I struggle with most is loving others the way God loves others and us.

After a lot of thought, I think there are a few reasons for this:
1) I am scared. I am scared of failing those who show love to me. I hate the thought of not being able to invest enough time. I can only be so many places at once - but I try to invest so much of myself... But I hate the thought of not spending enough time with someone who needs it. That's when I feel like I fail.
2) I am scared that if I get too close, my heart will be shattered. Not that this happens a lot, but I get easily discouraged if I pour into someone who has no interest in me. This causes me to guard my heart with all types of people - friends and family.
3) I am scared that the love I show won't be enough. My mind moves a mile a minute and sometimes I get teased for being all over the place - which I agree, if I have a million things going on, yes that is true. But what if I don't solidify my focus enough - I need to work on this!

There might be other reasons I cannot identify - but the truth is that I am seriously scared of showing 100% love. I like a lot of people!! I do. And I really like those who are earnestly seeking God - I want to reach out to them and show them God's love - but I am scared about showing love to those who are closest to me. I need prayer for this. I recently had a conversation with a friend who mentioned to me that she noticed I am not so "touchy-feely." She insists on giving me hugs whenever she sees me - and that's great! The push is good. But I still fear. I have a very hard time telling someone I love them. I take that phrase so seriously and if I say it when I am not ready, it bothers me. I think it is one of the strongest most powerful things we could ever say. But sometimes, people need to hear it - and I rarely have the guts to say it to someone I am unsure if I actually love.

I am praying that God breaks my heart for what breaks His; that He blesses me with His love and the courage to share it with others. I am praying that God can teach me more about Nate Henn - his vision to help others selflessly and love God and others with an unending and free love. I do not want to be afraid anymore of failing. I just hope that the Lord provides me with the ability to love as much as possible so that He can make a change in people's lives through this vessel.

Thanks, A.G. for the talk today and the encouragement. I think I have learned a lot this summer and I appreciate your words today.

-Elisa

99 Balloons -

If you haven't seen or heard this yet, you should. This video reminds us all to be extremely thankful for what we have. As Pastor Rod Stafford shares in his sermon on July 18th, 2010, http://fairfax.cc/assets/1101/2010-07-18_forgotten_virtues_part4.mp3, we must practice this virtue of gratitude.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

I'm hungry.

I am hungry. I am sleep-deprived slightly. And God is good. :-D

DC Serve was the best I have ever seen it. If I wasn't so exhausted, I would explain more. But at the moment, I am droppy-eyed, famished, and loopy. My sense of humor is weird and I haven't eaten since 8:30ish AM. I am waiting for Chelsea and Ben (two other interns at Fairfax Community Church) to get their lives together so that we can go eat. Then, I am hanging out with the awesome Ally P. from the Hangar. Today will be a good day once I get some food in my system.

I love this photo. I laugh hysterically when I see this commercial... and I think I am the only one in the greater metropolitan area that thinks so. Ha. I'm hungry.

Love.
-Elisa

This is how I draw, man!!

SO I have to speak in the Hangar (youth ministry) at FCC this weekend and I am SO stoked. I am so excited, I just might throw up... no big deal, right? This summer, we are doing a series called, "Summer of Love." What is that, you may ask... well... basically, we are taking 10 weeks of this summer to talk to students about giving, receiving, accepting love by checking out scripture to see what Jesus says about love.

ANYWAYS so we have a super funny video... everything is 70's-ish style. Kyle wanted to make videos with Old Navy mannequins... awkward, right? But we soon decided that was strange so we are making funny video clips or series teasers with the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family. We may be awkward, quirky, silly, but you know what - we youth workers at FCC are pretty darn funny and I think this series is gonna be awesome!

My message with be specifically about John 15: 9-17. I will be talking about how Christ has called us to love. His greatest commandment is love and we are called to take action and go out into the world and share it.

Brett Wilson told me a story a few weeks ago when we went to the beach about a drawing she once made. Imagine little Brett at her desk scribbling about with crayons with weird names like macaroni and cheese, razzle dazzle and jazz berry jam. (For more fun Crayola crayon names, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Crayola_crayon_colors) That day, Brett decided to draw and color the beach. She drew a line and colored it blue below to illustrate the ocean and repeated the same action for the sky above - both using lines to indicate a separation of the two. Her teacher commented on her art and said something to the effect of, "Why did you use lines to illustrate the water and sky like that?" Why did Brett do that!? When we are children, we draw what we can see. We cannot begin to conceive the idea that the ocean and sky continue on forever and ever - we can only see so much with our eyes. The best way to fully understand the ocean or the sky is to experience it - swim in the ocean, better yet, jump on a sail boat, fly in a plane - something that will help us understand that there is more out there than we can possibly understand. More out there than the eye can see.

Here is Brett... She loves horses...? <3


I bet Brett's picture looked something like this...


My point is this: love is the same way. We can see love as just a word, but it won't mean much to us unless we experience it: give it, receive it, accept it, show it, etc. We are called to be people of love and love each other as Christ has loved us. This image and idea of Brett's artwork of the ocean is a great way to understand that there is so much to discover about the love our Lord has given us. He has presented so many examples in the Word, but there is so much to explore in this area that we will be constantly seeking it out for the rest of our lives.

Wish me luck and say a prayer for my talk in the Hangar. It stink that Kyle, Jess, and Chelsea will be gone on a missions trip during that time, but I have some friends who will visit and support me.

Peace and LOVE!
*~Elisa

Mission: Just starting...

Hello Friends,
It has been way too long. So much to say - so I will do my best!

The past 7 weeks have been fantastic! I am truly enjoying my time here at Fairfax Community Church and I am learning SO much about student ministry, my role as a leader, and my heart for young people. Huge praise that I am working with an awesome team of people, including my bosses/mentors, Kyle and Jess. There have been so many seeds planted in my heart while I have been here, and I am receiving so many affirmations from the Lord that I am in a place where He wants me to be right now.

I know a while ago I shared with you all that as a graduated senior, it is so very difficult to feel confident in the future and what it holds for us. The truth is - the real world is scary. It is busy, hectic, traffic sucks, coming home late sucks, working your butt off and not having any time to watch old Joan of Arcadia re-runs or making enough time to enjoy a good work out - those days can become overwhelming. We will learn how to make time for that and adjust our schedules accordingly, but what I am trying to say is that things will not be like they were when we were in school. We have to adjust and learn to take on a new lifestyle... which is OKAY! Calm down... breathe... you will be fine. Your new mission has just begun and it takes a little adjusting to realize how good God's plan is.

So.... About these affirmations... God has spoken so loud and clear in the past couple months and I am so excited to see all of the things He is doing in my life. Recently, I studied 1 and 2 Corinthians with two of my lovely sisters: Evie and Mikaela, and God used that study to communicate His plan for me. This scripture encouraged me so much and I hope it does the same for you -

I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yes for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be completion out of what you have. 2 Corinthians 8:8-11

At the time that I read this, I was already loving my internship but feeling slightly discouraged. I was wondering - am I doing what God wants me to do right now? I am passionate about ministry, but is this a selfish want or a calling from the Lord? Reading this scripture made me realized that I was definitely called to be where I am right now, this very second, this moment, this summer. What a refreshment it was to see God's Word tell me that indeed He has placed this passion in my life and that He wants me to follow-through all the way.

What are you passionate about? What makes you excited? To all of you post-college people out there: what is it that you have a heart for and are you doing about it right now? God wants you to follow your gut - a.k.a the Holy Spirit. Even if you had some awesome idea for a life career a year ago, have you chased that dream? What are you doing to obtain it? I do not have all of the answers but I know that God is good. He blesses us when we follow our gut and do the absolute best for Him and for ourselves. Do not become discouraged - but know that God is doing a thing in you right now and He wants you to follow-through with confidence and praise! Keep your eyes, ears, and hearts open to listen and follow.

Life is so exciting right now and this is only the beginning of my mission.

-Elisa

Boogie Boarding World Cup

Hello Friends,
Long time no chat... It's fine. I am back and have lots to share. Will have to share in doses, but here we go!

I just got back from the Outer Banks (yay!) and spent some time with my sister and some friends. Can you believe that it has been over 3 years since I have actually gone to the beach; basked in the sun; boogie boarded all day; gained baller tan lines; eaten so much that I was about to explode?! Well, it's true! Praise I was able to just chill and relax with some wonderful friends and completely disconnect for a few days.

While staying in Kill Devil Hills, B-dub, Courtney and I decided to have a competition. Not just any average competition - OH NO - but the BOOGIE BOARDING WORLD CUP 2K10 OF THE OUTER BANKS! B-dub represented the UK/Europe, Courtney - Africa duh... and me, South America. Viva la Raza!! Anyway, we were neck and neck all three days we boogied (?). It didn't matter if our hair was in shambles or out bathing suits in disarray, or if we were rockin' out so hard on our way to the shore that sand got in our bottoms - we played to win. It was the most cut-throat World Cup for boogie boarders EVER.



Here is a photo to show you how totally ON I was. I made it to the sandy, shelly surf like... every single time going at least 40 if not 45 miles per hour. Who won, you ask? We all won. None of us like to say who won or who lost because at the end of the day, we won for WORLD PEACE. We competed simply to rejoice in the WORLD and to show everyone on that beach that we can rock out on a board. Although B-dub's board was about 106 years old, she could rock it all day long. Courtney and I were so intense, we bent our pro-boards big time - but we did it all for WORLD PEACE.

DSB all day long. <3 LOVE YOU GIRLS!

Oh, Joan!

As of lately, I have been watching old episodes of "Joan of Arcadia." What is that program you ask? A television show that only lasted about 45 episodes starring Amber Tamblyn from "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." It's precious... and I am obsessed. It is ridiculous, funny, and touching. I think you all should try to watch it for free via tvduck.com. P.S. The theme song is lame... I know... but the show isn't! http://www.tvduck.com/Joan-of-Arcadia.html

Please and thank you,
Love,
Me

Jeremiah 17:7

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

Graduation day - I didn't want to check the weather forecast. A week before graduation I kept checking weather.com hoping for a miracle man. Now I might not be 100% correct, but I am pretty sure that all of the ceremonies at JMU were outside. YIKES. Yeah, I was worried a little bit about the thunderstorm threats. So instead of worrying about the weather, I just continued to pray that God would provide a day that everyone could enjoy. "God, make today great - that would be lovely. If it rains, it rains. I don't know where the grad party will be if it does rain... but make this the best day possible for all of us. That'd be lovely right about now. THANKS!"

At 8AM as I am walking to the quad, I see these huge dark clouds overhead. "Ok, God... any minute now... really..." 9AM the ceremony begins and would you believe God cleared the skies and the sun came out and a beautiful breeze encompassed the quad. My mother, being the hot mama that she is, was actually comfortable! I cannot remember a time where my mother has sat outside and not complained about the heat or not sported her little Spanish fan. "God - You are good!" He waited 'til the last minute to spring up that sunshine - soooo cool!

Hope = confident expectations. When you pray - how do you pray? In Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love" he talks about the essence of prayer. What do we ask of God? Do you have hope? When we pray, we might want to analyze what we say and how we say it. God can do absolutely anything He wants to. Why do we worry at all when we know He has it under control? If there is something weighing on your heart - something that you cannot control or understand, yes, pray about it, but EXPECT God to ANSWER PRAYERS. He will - He has the ability to do anything and beyond.

As of May 8th, I am an official alum of James Madison University and I have been praying for my future - obviously. I am thankful to have a few plans in place but some things still weigh on my heart. I am concerned about community: After leaving JMU, will I be able to maintain the strong relationships I had? Will I be able to have such near and dear friends in Northern VA as I did back at school? Will my plans for the next year help me to accomplish goals for the future? I do not know! I will drive myself crazy if I keep worrying about these things. It is time to, YES, "let go and let God" - but also time to EXPECT God to do what is best. I have "confident expectations" that "something bold is brewing" and that God will provide so much!

- - A charge to all seniors in transition like me: pray for God's plan before your own. Expect God to do wonderful things in your life - He wants that! Don't be a bump on a log; get up and do something. If you are fearful of the plans you have or don't have, pray about it but also consult friends and family about it. People want to support and love you. Support will help you grow in your faith and confidence. Lastly, know that you can do this! The Lord will never give us more than we can handle ;-) You were made "for such a time as this." - -

Giving Him all the glory,
-elisa

Are you a proud investor?

I have been able to invest myself in wonderful friendships and experiences; all of which I have learned so much from. I cannot remember a day that I have not spent with a friend. I cannot remember one Into Hymn rehearsal where I did not leave without my heart filled with the love of Christ. I cannot remember one day where I did not laugh! I cannot remember one day that I felt unloved.

Last night I had the chance to meet with a lovely friend of mine, Brett Baker. Being one of the finest bloggers I know (insert plug here: http://brettbattenbaker.blogspot.com/) I realized how much I missed her: her voice, the way she talks, her silly idiosyncrasies. Evie, Brett, known lovingly as Butt, and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up over a nice home-brewed beer in Charlottesville and oodles of appetizers. It was wonderful to be able to catch up with two women I admire and care for (two among many!).

I feel like the past week and a half, it has finally hit me: I may never have these opportunities again. I am graduating in May: I may never take another JMU class. During the concert on April 17th, I kept praying for God to stretch the minutes just a little more so that I could savor each moment. I may never have the chance to sing with another group - but that's okay because I will remember that the ministry I have been involved in here at JMU, was one of the greatest things that could have ever happened to me. At dinner last night, I was hoping that time could just stand still and let me take everything in. Life goes by too fast, friends, and that kills me! But, I am so incredibly thankful for investing my time wisely in great people and great experiences.

If you haven't yet, you all need to invest yourselves. We are called to be a community of brothers and sisters and to love on each other. Why wait any longer? How can you invest yourselves, you ask? Oh... I will tell you:

First - Invest your time in seeking the Lord.

I do not know what your daily schedule is, but I am telling you right now - you have time to make with Him. If you are still shaking your head and saying, "No... Not really! You don't know me or my schedule!" Then I would respond to this effect... "Don't get sassy with me. :-) How much time a day do you spend on Facebook? Watching TV? Surfing the net?" There is time that can be made and spent wisely. When you find that time, enjoy it with the Lord. He has so much to say to you if you just shut up and listen.

Second - Invest your time in listening.

Not all the time are we supposed to be the ones talking. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to talk. It is one of my favorite things to do! But keep in mind, communication is a privilege and it works in this fashion: One sends information to another, and the other must receive it. Someone needs to be listening and it should be you. Did you know that 85% of what we know comes from JUST LISTENING? Or that 7 out of 10 minutes a day we are communicating with another human? Shocking stats, ya'll. Listening is not only vital to your life, but in the lives of yours family, friends, and peers.

Third - Invest yourself in friendships.

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight," (Proverbs 27:9). God desires that we build strong communities with each other. Friendships are not just about kids you eat lunch with - it is about sharing a part of yourself that only God knows. Open up to others, let them open up to you, and love on them with the love that God shows you. LOVE people unselfishly. This has become one of the greatest lessons I have learned this past semester.

Fourth - Invest yourself in new experiences.

Life is too short not to have fun and climb and mountain. Try to experience this world that God has created. Seek Him in all that you do because He wants you to experience Him in so many ways. Your relationship with the Lord comes from many things - not just prayer - but through people, experiences, and your personal time with Him.

If I never invested in these things, my college experience would how have turned out life this at all. My relationship with the Lord would not be where it is right now. My friendships would not be as strong as they are today. Invest today - whatever it takes. If that means that today is the day you dust off your Bible, then great. If that means that today is the day you call an old friend and catch up, do it. Do not wait around anymore - make this happen!

A basket can't hold all these thank you's!

Hello Friends,
Thank you to all of you who came to the Into Hymn concert this past weekend. What a phenomenal evening it was. I can easily say that April 17th, 2010 was the best evening of my college career. Pride, joy and love filled my heart as my sisters sung a surprise for the senior class and our love for each other and Christ illuminated the room. I cannot stop praising God for the awesome work He has done in HHS 2301 in the past 3 years.

One of the most amazing responses I have been able to see in the past 24 hours are those of people I have never met who decided to come to the concert. A handful of people have talked to me about how moved they were by the Lord and our worship. God is so good! Believers can pray all they want about helping to "save" and reach out to others, about proclaiming the Word of God at the top of their lungs - but at the end of the day, God does all the saving. We are just vessels - we roll with it because God wants us to be in a certain place at a certain time, right? He places hope in our hearts and again, we roll with it and share Him with others, and it is the Lord who does all the saving! He placed in each person's heart a message and a call to attend our concert and His message was shared through our songs, words, and visible love for each other.

I am SO proud to be a vessel.

This ministry, Into Hymn, has been one of the most amazing ministry experiences I have ever had the chance to participate in. My words cannot describe...

Alum, family and friends: thank you for being there! Thank you for wanting to come, hear and see all that we do for Christ. It is so cool to be able to share it all with you and I am so proud to call you all my friends! YOU ROCK. I am thankful that you all shared our tears and joy as we sang and worshiped. What an amazing feeling it was to worship with everyone in that room on Saturday night.

My mind is racing because I am so overjoyed I cannot even think straight. That might need to change soon considering I have an 8AM class in 20 minutes.

Until next time...
Love,
elisa

Psalm 63:3-5

Sometimes I just have to sit back, shut up, and enjoy the moment I am in right now. God is SO good to me and I just want to acknowledge Him right now and shout out - THANK YOU!

I have been so encouraged and inspired by so many wonderful people this past week. A few weeks ago I was faced with a huge challenge. Several difficult conversations and emotional waves later, I have found that God's embrace has been so much more than I could imagine: His love is so overwhelming. I have enjoyed tears rolling down my cheeks at the thought of how much His love is shown for me each day.

For all my friends out there who are facing challenges: welcome them. Welcome them with open arms because I tell you...

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let the patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. -James 1:2-4

I have been made so complete by God's comfort - and you all are included in that.

If there is one important last thing I could say to you all tonight it is this... Invest yourself. Invest yourself in the beautiful things that matter like loving your friends. I am not talking about just giving them a hug, telling them they look good; those things are great and sure, important... but love on them. Actively listen to them; embrace them when they need it, and stay in touch with their everyday lives. That's what friends do - they love without question. I have been so fortunate to witness that during the past two weeks among my friends.

- - Into Hymn... just you wait for the tenerd. This will probably be the main topic of my senior-last-words-moment-thing. NBD - -

My heart is so full and what a glorious feeling that is.

Your thankful friend,
-elisa

"Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You..."

Push.

This past year, 2010 that is, I have learned so much about what it means to give yourself completely as a living sacrifice. It is amazing to see how God uses us in our everyday lives and how He uses our weakness and transforms them into strengths.

If you knew me a few years back... you couldn't get me to run a mile without breaking down after 15 minutes in a heavy sweat, breathing heavily. Now, with a little help, encouragement, and motivation, I am running miles upon miles, biking like crazy, and swimming as if I have been swimming for years. Let's just say... Courtney Hixson, my beloved friend and triathalon coach, is a slave driver whom I am so thankful for!

Training for a triathalon is difficult for several reasons one major one being this: you cannot listen to any music. It is a safety hazard, as a matter of fact, to listen to your ipod during any segment of the race. So, Courtney has ordered me to train without music. My first thought is, "Are you kidding? How can I run without jamming to 'Let God Arise' by Chris Tomlin!?" (Call me a dork... I don't care!) But the point is, I had no idea what I would do without music. When you listen to your jams while working out, you can focus on the lyrics, or get into a certain rhythm and groove. But no... all of that had to change.

After several work out sessions of quiet, I decided to drop my "woe is me" attitude about my loss of music and invest that time wisely. As I started thumping me feet against the track floor on the upper level of UREC, I began to pray. I cannot tell you how many conversations I have a week about this, but I am always asked to pray for someone or something - and I am thankful for that. Being entrusted with prayer is a big deal and sometimes it is hard to keep them all in line. I decided that day that my time working out would be best spent in prayer. Soon, I realized that the track began to disappear. My own troubles took the back seat. My own worries and hesitations were figures of the past. I became solely focused on the Lord and acknowledging His presence beside me through the run, or swim, or bike ride.

I have never experienced such beautiful worship. When I sing, yes, that is indeed beautiful - I am able to share a part of myself that is unlike anything anyone else can share. My voice is mine and when shared sends a message to others. But when I push my body in worship, I recognized that God has created this body for so much more than I can imagine. At a point where I would usually give up - doesn't seem to matter anymore... I just keep going. The other day I ran for a solid hour. Don't know where the time went... but I thought I had only been gone for about 20 minutes. Just know, friends and family, that you are being prayed for all the time!

Find time and make time to worship the Lord in a different way. Let yourself be stretched; challenge yourself - push yourself. As my dear friend once told me, remind yourself that you were fearfully and wonderfully made for this. Offer your very best to God... isn't that was worship is about? Giving your best to the Lord?

-elisa

"Over time I realized that when we love God, we naturally run to Him - frequently and zealously." -Francis Chan, Crazy Love

Evergreen

Hello friends,
I guess this my first official cliché blog welcoming everyone to my new blog site! But...it's fine. The reason I wanted to call it Evergreen is, like the definition, in every season, we will each bear new fruit. Every season, whether it be every month, maybe every year, we see and learn new wonderful things; things that I would like to share with you all.

Thank you, first off, for being such wonderful supportive friends and family. I am truly looking forward to this new season of my life post-graduation. Until then, I am trying so hard to invest in each day that I have left here at JMU. It seems like only yesterday I was a psyched transfer student here - thanking God everyday for having the chance to be a student at the university of my dreams.

This past week has been a little sad, stressful and joyous all at the same time. Senioritus should really be considered a true illness; one composed of symptoms like stress, loss of sleep, slight depression, lack of investment in academic areas and more so in the study of "quadtastic sunny days." I want to soak up every minute here and enjoy each person and moment as much as possible.

I will be keeping you all posted on my soon-to-be endeavors like... my super awesome trip to Puerto Rico in May, my summer job (hopefully) at my home church, and the Fellows Program in falls church where I will be working full-time with their youth program! Dreams are coming true, kids... I cannot wait!

Love from me to you,
-elisa