Party in the Office

Today's we're having a little going away party for Jason. He has been working in admissions here at Grace for...hmmm...well.....quiet awhile. More than 4 years at least! So its a bitter sweet day around here. We do love to have a party whenever we can but we will certainly miss his wealth of knowledge and humor.
This morning I was listening to the birds sing as I got ready for work and it was a beautiful sound. I was so thankful for a couple of things: 1. I can hear. 2. New mornings and new grace from God. 3. Creatures (birds) that sing praise to their Maker in the morning - reminding me to have a thankful heart.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend - dwell on the things you are thankful for!

Holiday Weekend!

Well, yesterday was my one day off this summer and it was certainly a great long weekend! This summer I am working for the Kosciusko County Extension Office as a 4-H summer staffer. I worked the same place last summer and it's such a blessing being able to live in Winona Lake during the summer! This weekend I hung out with my friend, Adriane, a lot. Friday night we were on a walk around the gorgeous island and were invited into the home of a family we go to church with when we walked past their house. They have such an awesome perspective of ministry and we just chatted with them for almost 2 hours! Saturday I had the chance to hang out with another family from my church. I feel like a part of this family and was able to do laundry and have a home-cooked meal that I didn't have to make :-) (always a plus when you live on your own!). Sunday included church and more hangout time before I just relaxed yesterday. Now it's back to work for the rest of the week. I love it!

As I was logging in to write this blog, I noticed the video that Mark posted earlier. I know it's 9 minutes, but it would totally be worth your time to watch it. I just sat here and watched part of it and it was such an awesome reminder of how God works on our campus and in our community here at Grace...I am loving summer but I'm excited to see how He will work this coming school year too! I hope you're all having a great week and that you enjoyed the long weekend :-)

Quiet Office

I don't know if it's as quiet as Cara mentioned below. Earlier today I heard alot of laughs when someone poured a portion of their bottled water into my shoe...the shoe that one of our fabulous admissions counselors untied.

Perhaps it's quiet, but there is some mischief going on in the admissions office these days. But it's all in good humor as the admissions team continues to recruit great students for the Fall. I predict it is going to be an exciting summer and a good Fall with hundreds of new students attending Grace.

May in Winona

The sun is out. The sky is a beautiful clear blue. The village down at Winona Lake is busy with people walking, riding bikes, sitting on porches, or lying on the grass in the park reading and napping. It really is "picture perfect". But I'm not down at the village right now (I just saw all that earlier). No, I am a block away on campus in Mt. Memorial. Its quiet here too. A little too quiet. You see, usually we have student ambassadors who would be coming in to work in about 15 minutes. They usually stop by our office to say hi and let us know what's going on around campus. We have a lot of laughs, hear their stories, and enjoy their friendship. But no, none of that is happening and hasn't happened all week. They are all home for the summer with all the other Grace students enjoying their break. We really miss them :( There are a few stray kids - taking summer school, but that wraps up tomorrow. Then we're just "stuck" with each other (actually I do love the people I work with). And sad to say y'all be hearing about campus from my perspective this summer and what is going on in our admissions office (unless some wonderful bloggers stop by to blog about their summer *hint,hint*...please oh, please I hope they do!!).
So all is quiet here as everyone moves about their tasks to get ready for another school year to start the end of August. We can't wait to see all the fresh and "refreshed" faces!

Are you a good Christ?

Happy Summer everyone!! This is an article from one of my favorite pastors Francis Chan. I hope he doesn't mind me sharing it with you all:) I hope you will read this and then put it into action. I know I can do a better!!

Are You a Good Christ?
By Francis Chan
I think it's time we stop asking ourselves the question: "Am I a good Christian?" We live in a time when the term "Christian" has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves "good Christians." We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly. Others will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance to the way Christ spent His days on earth. Perhaps we should start asking the question: "Am I a good Christ?" In other words, do I look anything like Jesus? This question never even entered my mind until a friend of mine made a passing comment to me one day.
Dan is a long time friend of mine. In fact, he's the pastor who performed my wedding. He was talking to me about a pastor named Von. Von has been working with youth in the San Diego area for decades. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing missionaries and powerful servants of God. Dan described a trip to Tijuana, Mexico with Pastor Von. (Von has been ministering to the poor in the dumps of Tijuana for years). Dan didn't speak of the awful living conditions of those who made their homes amidst the rubbish. What impacted Dan the most was the relationship he saw between Von and the people of this community. He spoke of the compassion, sacrifice, and love that he witnessed in Von's words and actions as he held these malnourished and un-bathed children. Then he made the statement that sent me reeling:
"The day I spent with Von was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."
Dan explained that the whole experience was so eerie because he kept thinking to himself: "If Jesus were still walking on earth in the flesh, this is what it would feel like to walk alongside of Him!" After that discussion, I kept wondering if anyone had ever said that about me-"The day I spent with Francis was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus." The answer was an obvious "no." Would any honest person say that about you?
What bothered me was not that I hadn't "arrived," but that I wasn't even heading in the right direction. I hadn't made it my goal to resemble Christ. I wasn't striving to become the kind of person who could be mistaken for Jesus Christ. Isn't it ironic that a man can be known as a successful pastor, speaker, and CHRISTian even if his life doesn't resemble Christ's?1 John 2:6 "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
When John made that statement, he wasn't speaking about how to be a church leader or even how to be a "good" Christian. He merely stated that anyone who calls himself Christian must live like Jesus did. So how did Jesus live? You could make a list of character traits to compare yourself to, but it would be far more beneficial to simply read through one of the Gospels. After you get a bird's-eye view of the life of Christ, do the same with your own. Are you comfortable with the similarities and differences?
It's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of "success" as American church-goers define it. The thought of being well-known and respected is alluring. There have been times when I've been caught up in the fun of popularity. I've even mistaken it for success. Biblically, however, success is when our lives parallel Christ's. Truth is, there are many good Christs that you'll never read about in a magazine. They are walking as Jesus walked, but they are too focused and humble to pursue their own recognition.
May we make it our goal to someday have someone say of us: "The day/hour/15 minutes I spent with ______ was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."
As Christians in America, we often complain about how antagonistic people are toward Christ. Personally, I'm not sure that Americans are really rejecting Christ. Maybe they just haven't seen Him.
Try to be COMPLETELY honest with yourself right now. Is the following true of you?
You passionately love Jesus, but you don't really want to be like Him. You admire His humility, but you don't want to be THAT humble. You think it's beautiful that He washed the feet of the disciples, but that's not exactly the direction your life is headed. You're thankful He was spit upon and abused, but you would never let that happen to you. You praise Him for loving you enough to suffer during His whole time on earth, but you're going to do everything within your power to make sure you enjoy your time down here.
In short: You think He's a great Savior, but not a great role model.
The American church has abandoned the most simple and obvious truth of what it means to follow Jesus: You actually follow His pattern of life. I pray for those who read this article- that we don't become cynical or negative toward the church. Instead, let's make a personal decision to stop talking so much and begin living like Jesus. Then we can say as the apostle Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). My guess is that you've never had someone say that to you, and you've never said it to anyone else. Why Not?

Pressure

It seems like everywhere one turns, bad news awaits. Bad economy. President Obama at Notre Dame. Earthquake near Los Angeles. College affordability. Ohio State University.

Well, I am seeing more positive trends with the students who are looking at Grace College. At least, that's how I am looking at the situation. In spite of a slow week last week, students are depositing on pace with last year's record freshman class. We've already eclipsed last week's deposit total for the week with today's strong start.

Will this trend continue?

I think so.

Well, I definitely hope so!

GRADUATION

Several of my very dearest friends graduate from Grace College tomorrow morning. This means a cap and gown; 4+ years of achievement and learning; so many memories; a change of life; ...oh and a diploma! Almost forgot haha. ;-b They will not be back this fall: I AM GOING TO MISS THEM!!! What an emotional day it will be. How can I be so happy for them yet so sad to see them leave? Life presents you with so many relationships that while you have them it's easy to forget what a gift they are and how much they enrich your life until you are faced with the prospect of having none, or less, of them.

I just wanted you to know, Jeff and Arturo and Annie and Kristy, Sarah and Micah and everyone else who has reached the beginning of this new end: I treasure you, the relationship we share, the times we have spent together on campus and off. I'm grateful that being here has given me some of the closest friends I've ever had and will continue to have forever! My friends, I am praying for each one of you, and can't wait for the times of reunion down the road. May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, and give you Peace... Pursue Him with all your heart, and always remember that HE IS FAITHFUL!

Happy Graduation, Class of '09!!! :)


CARPE DIEM!

Campus Tour in Video

I was sent the following link from a colleague at Grace and thought more people should see this work done by a student. It's interesting, not totally accurate, but interesting nonetheless. I think it's worth sharing because it gives a nice quick look of campus life.

Take a look by clicking on the link below--and enjoy the tour. Then, give the A-Team a call in admissions so they can help you better understand the great place called Grace College. We're a growing college that is worth considering!

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

Here are more photos from the Bike Race

"If I can't win in the big person's race, I am going to win
this race."



Crossing the finish line well ahead of my nearest
challenger...it looks like we won the race but our
team actually finished in fourth place.


Matt Hotchkin, third from left in grey shirt, gets
our team off to a good start with his fourth-place
effort. At least he didn't crash his bike!



Michael Voss finishes his leg of the race as Aubrey
Evans jumps on the bike very quickly.

Team Grace

This past weekend, four members from the Grace College community (Michael Voss, Matt Hotchkin, Aubrey Evans and Mark Weinstein) participated in a community event in the Village of Winona. It was the annual Fat and Skinny bikefest that included a relay race on "cruisers." This is a bike like I have never experienced. Well, I hadn't experienced it in 40 years.

This one-speed bike was used by all 16 teams in the relay that took place around the Island in Winona. It was a beautiful day with the temperature hovering near 70 degrees, plenty of sunshine, and along the race course, many people cheering each team. Our goal, as a team, was to win the race. Another goal was to have fun. We had a lot of fun as we finished fourth. We would have finished higher if it wasn't for the oldest person on our team--it wasn't my intention to lose one spot in the final order (I got the bike with us in third place).

Below are some pictures from the race. As you will see, the team was excited at the beginning of the race and from one of the pictures, it looks like I brought home the championship. Oh, pictures can be misleading at times. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity to be a part of our community, something we are committed to doing every year. Grace will field a team in this race for years to come and be a sponsor of the Fat and Skinny event that brings many bikers to our community each year.

What a great time we had; what a great opportunity to rub elbows and skin knees with so many other people. Being part of a community is real special...and our team had a blast!

Oh, by the way, after the race, I felt so good (physically) that I talked a little girl off her bike so I could compete (and win) in the age 5-7 race. I was a little taller than most of those competitors, but no one really noticed. (See this photo, and others, in the post above).

Games at TOL

The on-campus Tree of Life has an entirely different atmosphere tonight compared to this past week. As I sit here studying for my Sociology final (which really means I am surfing the internet) and watching students herd in and out of this socialization spot, I see a majority of the students with smiles on their faces while they play Dutch Blitz or Settlers of Catan. I assume these students see the need for a break from their studies and possess an attitude of excitement for summer. While Grace College is deeply enveloped in finals week, it is encouraging to see students still relaxing enjoying each others' company. I also believe that the lively students at Tree of Life realize that they have few days left to enjoy their friends and want to make the most out of their last times together before they part for summer.

'Tis the end.

Here we are at the end of classes, into our week of final exams for the close of another school year. Time is so fleeting, and the last few days have given me a hunger for reflecting on the memories of so many moments here at Grace. I am truly grateful for all of the experiences I've gone through, created, or been put through during these college years. I'm going to miss my friends who are graduating a lot...like, a lot. I love you guys. Never give up that place you have in my life, please. :) To the rest of campus and friends...see you really soon! And when our time comes to leave and enter the real world like the brave ones who are going before us...

CARPE DIEM!!! :)

Love,
Elly