It's Friday, our day off. Where am I? The Berkeley SDA church, tiptoeing around because a non-christian clinic also uses the facility Monday through Friday. You know how hard it is for 17 young people to not talk loud, laugh, or generally make noise at all? Very hard. At nights when 17 tired but happy young people come back from a long day of canvassing is our time to kind of "get it out of our system."  Much merriment is made as they chatter about the experiences of the day. Sounds of... "So I met this lady who was a..." "Sold the prophecy set to a drug dealer." Things like, "Noooo waaaaay! That is CRAZY!" "PTL!" and  "God is so good!" echoes down the halls and through the bathrooms as 17 joyful christians prepare for bed.

I can't imagine a happier life.

When we got here a couple weeks ago, I made it clear that I wanted to see the Golden Gate bridge before I left the San Francisco area. Our director, Anthony, whom I love dearly, made it very clear that it is "just a bridge." What a melancholy thing to say! (When he was getting excited over some books that he was finding in the library I just had to say back "Its just a book, Anthony." I'm not sure he appreciated or understood my point of view.) Either way, last Friday while I was on kitchen prep for breakfast, two of my friends, Brooke and Daniela, came in, sat down, made me close my eyes and started telling me a story. "Once upon a time there was a little blond girl who really wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge. Well one day, two girls walked into the kitchen and told her that she could see it. But there is one condition, and that is she will be excited when she sees it." Yaaaay! So they kidnapped me and a couple other girls and we got to go see and walk on the famous not-really-golden bridge, drive through China Town, and catch a glimpse of Alcatraz from the freeway.

I just love my friends!

Just yesterday I was canvassing this young teenager, and a car pulls up behind us out in the street. I glance over my shoulder and it wasn't Anthony, so I asked the guy if it was his mom or dad. It wasn't, so after I closed him, I went out to the street and looked in the car. There was a woman maybe in her 50s sitting there, talking on the phone. I waved to her, and she rolled down her window a tad. I asked "Do you live around here?"
"No," she replied, "I just stopped to call the post office really quick."
"Oh, interesting. So I'll be really quick. My name is Laressa, and I'm a student working on a scholarship. I'll let you take a look here," and I handed her our cookbook, Naturally Gourmet.
She looked through it and really liked the simplicity and layout of it. Then I asked her if she likes to read. She said no. I felt like pressing her a little though, so then I questioned if she ever reads her Bible. Looking me not quite in the eye, she said, "No, I guess I don't really, but I really should." I agreed with her. I told her the price range for the books, and she got out her wallet. I could see the struggle. She told me straight up, "I have the money, but I really don't want to spend my last $20." So she gave me a $5 instead.
I was disappointed but thought maybe this is what she really needs. "For that donation, I would love to give you this little book," and I handed her the little Steps to Christ.
She flipped through it, reading each chapter title. "'Peace' Oh I could use that! 'Freedom from Guilt.' wow, I better read that chapter too. 'Abiding Joy' Oooh thats a good one. 'Reaching your Full Potential' Man! all these chapters are soooo good! Everyone should read this book."
Again, I agreed. We were just kinda chatting, as I was getting reading to go, but then she asked if she could see the cookbook again. After looking at it again, she finally decided that she would get it anyways, so she gave me the $20. With that plus the $5 she gave earlier, she was able to actually get another book as well. I showed her the Man of Peace, which is a modern version of Desire of Ages. I showed her how she could read the Bible along with it, and it would just make the Bible simple and understandable. She LOVED that it was simple, and she could start being consistent with God. I suppose she felt bad about not reading her Bible, as one should. The Holy Spirit was working and convicting. Just before I left I told her if this wasn't God's divine timing, I don't know what is.
We said our goodbyes. I went to the next house and she drove off. Just like that. She wasn't there before I got there, or after I left. God put her there just in time.

You guys, God is SO good!

I really haven't made any time to write for my blog, but since I had to type out a number of testimonies for Youth Rush, I decided to just share what I have. Sorry it wasn't specialized for the blog... but yeah....  and I didn't even put too much time and effort into these either. Hopefully they can be a blessing to someone though. :-)

Testimony 1

As I was going up to this house, I noticed some rude, vulgar stickers on the car and trash around the place. Already I was making assumptions about what kind of people would be there and bracing myself for maybe a rude rejection. However, a nice, older black lady came to the door. I canvassed her and she said "honey, I'd love to help, but I really just can't." She went on to explain that she was being supported by her son and his family, and living with them. I dropped down to the Steps to Christ and told her it would help her deal with stress. She started tearing up and said she really needed that. Then she asked if I could pray for her. She explained that family relationships were really hard. Her son was not living the Christian life and it tore her heart and made living with him really hard.  We held hands and prayed right then and there. By the time I said amen, tears were streaming down her face.  You never know who needs you there, and you never know whose behind a door and so don't judge. 

Testimony 2

I was doing businesses one day and walked into a little cafe. The lady behind the counter, we'll call her Sophie, was really busy and not interested. I was just walking out the door when I heard another lady say "Wait, what do you have?" So I came back in the business and started talking to this second lady, whose name was Shayla. She was really interested in a lot of the books that we have, including Man of Peace, Peace Above the Storm, the Great Controversy, and Lessons of Love. She told me though, that first she had to pay off her bill at this restaurant, and then whatever cash was left over she could use to buy the books. Just then, Sophie, listening in, told Shayla that she would cancel her debt to the cafe so she could pay it forward, helping a student through school. So I was able to upsale her and  she ended up getting an 8 book set. 

Testimony 3 

One Friday we were at the laundromat washing our clothes. While we were waiting, I pulled out a book that a friend had just gotten, Guide's Greatest Miracle stories, and started reading it out loud to one of my friends. It just so happened that a mom and her 3 year old son were sitting close to us and could hear. The boy left his mom and came sat by me. After the story was done, the mom asked me what kind of book it was. I told her it was just a book of stories, and also told her what our group was doing. All of our books should have been taken out of the car, but I checked just to make sure, and sure enough, there was a whole box of different books. I brought back Storytime to show her and she was really interested. She decided to either checkbook out of her car and give $10 for it. Then I ran back to the car to get a receipt and a pen, and decided to grab Real Heroes and a little Steps to Christ. When I brought them back and showed her, she decided to take the book on Bible stories over the general kids stories, and she was very happy to get a book for herself too. Divine appointments happen everywhere. Even at laundromats!

Testimony 4

We were canvassing in a small town with tons and tons of dog. One house I came up to had four crazy dogs jumping and barking all over the yard. Coming in the gate was a bit of an ordeal, not letting them out, and not getting bit or scratched or jumped on as they hopped all over. Once I was inside the fence, I quickly and cautiously made my way to the door and knocked loudly. Finally, just as I was about to leave, a man came to the door. "Are you crazy?" was the first thing he said. "No one comes in my gate. You are a brave lady!" So I showed him Your Pet and Your Health and he decided to get it, just because I was so brave to come into his yard. He went to get his money and came back with a $20. "For that donation, you can actually get another book as well!" I showed him the Great Controversy and asked him if he had any religious background. He told me he used to be a pastor, but his perfectionist side just couldn't stand all the corruption, luke-warmness, and hypocrisy. So now he doesn't go to church, but he worships in his own home. I told him the GC was perfect for him, how it talked about the idea of Babylon being fallen. So he liked that one and I also decided to show him MOP, just so he could know his options.  He liked that one too, so he asked if he could change the Pets for the Great Conroversy and Man of Peace. Of course he could, and we were boh happy. And I made it safely back outside of the gate. PTL. 

Testimony 5

I met this lady named Kathy. She told me that she's a new Christian and has just been listening to some audio books that have really been helping her, but she was really interested in our books anyways, being a baby in Christ. When she told me she didn't have much money though, her eyes teared up a little and she told me how her husband left awhile ago, and she's really worried for her daughter growing up without a father figure. We prayed together for her and her 15-year old daughter, Goshelle. Then she went into the house and found $4 for me, so I gave her a little Steps to Christ. Then as I was walking down her driveway, she opened the door again, and said "Hey! I think I will write a check after all! I just checked my account and there's just enough to get one book!" So she invited me inside and I showed her all the devotional books I wasn't able to before, and she ended up getting the Man of Peace for her and Goshelle to read through together. They were really excited to have a resource o help them connect spiritually and grow closer to God. 

Blanked

I've been thinking about writing a post for quite some time but for some reason I am lacking the inspiration. Can't think of a thing to write about.
One of my friends wrote this nice blog about how he went ice skating in the morning, and it was so beautiful and descriptive, and I thought "Wow, why can't I write something like that about the little precious moments in my life that I want to remember?" Probably all I could have thought of to say was "uuuh, so I went ice skating this morning and it was really nice." Blah, I feel completely uninspired at the pen right now.
It's all this laziness from not having school for a week. Seriously. Who ever heard of canceling school for a whole week because of 4-10 inches of snow? I can't remember every closing school because of weather in Wisconsin... When you have snow 5 months out of the year you can't let it get in the way of your education like that... So my brain has been rotting for a week. I've tried to keep it active, but I'm not very self motivated like that. I've read almost the way through the Laura Ingalls Little House series. That has been a delightful pleasure...
I'm really excited that I get to see Cora in less than a week!! Yay for choral clinics at Walla Walla. haha, which reminds me of the speaker at the Youth Rally last weekend in Seattle. He was from the UK and he poked fun at WWU in one of his stories saying, "And I cried my eyes out as my sweetheart got on the plane to go back to Walla Walla... Who ever heard of naming a college twice anyways? What is this?" hahahaha..... Okay, so it wasn't that funny, but I thought it was. Anyway...
So obviously this wasn't a very well thought-out, put-together post, but I felt like writing something....
Happy Sabbath!

Memoir

I never knew my Grandpa Sandford. He died in a tragic logging machine accident before my mom was even married. My mom talks about him occasionally, but that is, for the most part, the only person I'd heard about him from. Recently though, my Uncle John posted a comment on Facebook about the Grandpa I never got to know, and it really touched my heart: 

"Dad was the greatest man I have ever know and when he died an elder stood up and said "if Jesus were alive today I don't know if you could tell the differance between Phil and him." He would tell you up front what was right or wrong but then would let you decide what you wanted to do with the information, but he would show you the way by his example. And even though I might not have been on the straight and narrow path and was doing many things he disapproved of he loved me unconditionally." 

Proud to be his granddaughter! I love you Grandpa!

Jan 7, 2012 Journal Entry

Yaay! :) Yay for happiness. 

These last couple months have been pretty challenging emotionally and spiritually, but PTL (Praise the Lord) for the New Year!

The week before Christmas break was really stressful, and then when vacation came it was a HUGE breath of fresh air, exactly what I needed: relaxation and time to regroup. So now it's the new year and I'm like on a happy high. My room is freshly arranged, cleaned, vacuumed and dusted. My schoolwork is all done. I started a worship journal to keep track of when and what I do for my devotions, and any thoughts I want to write down. It's working out just great. Also a 9:00pm every night I stop what I'm doing and do 10+ pushups, 40+ situps (however vigorous I'm feeling), as well as back arch stretches and leg stretches. Then after that I have my worship devotion time. 

Since it's Sabbath I went on a hike with Dad (Mom had a headache, and Isaac no le gusta caminar.) So I got to drive =D. I kept asking where we were going, but he just said, "You're the driver!" So I made up my mind and we went to Anacortes, to the dock that spans the bay. It was fun, Dad ran ahead with Apache, so I hid beside the trail in the rocks by the water. When Apache realized I was missing, he came back to find me, and while his back was turned, Dad hid as well. Hahaha... poor Patchy got his running resolution in plenty, running all the way ahead of us to the actual bridge/dock and back past me a ways several times. He looked so relieved when we finally came out! I felt bad, but Dad didn't... 

About the straight A's goal, it is going surprisingly well! With one week of school left in the quarter I have only one B+ (Anatomy) and one A- (History) and the rest are A's (95+, the highest being Pre-Calc at 98!) And I got an A- for both of my correspondance classes, Adventist Literature and Structure of Writing, but those don't count. With those classes out of the way I decided to add Physics to my plate this next semester because it is a beautiful science! This will make me the most active Senior this year, taking 2 sciences, 2 music classes, and every other class offered (PreCalc, A+P, History, Literature, Bible, Spanish II, Band, Choir, .... oh, and Yearbook... and basketball... I'm starting to wonder why I'm taking on Physics on top of all that! I still have time to decide otherwise... But I kind of want to to get a feel of college busy-ness.) 

So anyway, my plan right now is to graduate, do Youth Rush (which ends on about August 10), spend a week or so at home (at least till my birthday!), then move to Walla Walla to start working. I want to work for the Walla Walla General Hospital or a nursing home and maybe get my CNA, see if that's the kind of thing I would like to work in. Then either start Nursing with a minor in Religion and Spanish, or... idk what else.  But this summer still might change my plans drastically and I might decide to go to Souls West... Ya never know! 

There was a point where I loved to look back, to dream of my favorite memories and read through old letters and journal entries, but now I can't help but think about he exciting future! I wouldn't even go back in time half a day if you paid me! Well, maybe if it was going towards my college fund! But I have enough to look forward to without even thinking of college! THe next 5 months are going to be CRAZY! End of January is the Choral Clinic, February brings the WWU Friendship tournament, next comes the big March Honduras Mission Trip for 2 weeks..... SUPER EXCITED! Moving right along to April is the Senior Class Trip to Hawaii. Who knows what May holds, but I'm sure it's hectic too! And all along that path are banquets, camp outs, weeks of prayer, music tour, music festival in Seattle, and all the extra Senior planning I have to do. 

Oh boy! I can' wait for life! I better go to bed so life can hurry up and happen! 

Goodnight! 

TQM!!

LF

New Years This and That

Last year I started a new tradition: instead of writing New Years resolutions, I began writing a New Years Thesis. Resolutions are way too breakable. They tend to be more a momentary satisfaction of feeling like you're making a change, then disappointment later when you don't follow through. I'm not saying they are always bad, but I prefer my alternative.  Thesis on the other hand lays out a statement of HOW you are going to live your life. It gives a standard to live up to, without the "rules." So here is my thesis: 

"This year I will devote my every day to Christ, even when I don't feel like it. In every struggle between God and Satan in my heart, I will pray for strength and choose the way that Jesus is leading me. 

I will remember that my life is not my own, that time is short, and that Jesus would be heartbroken if any of His precious children are lost. 

I will strive to do my personal best in academics and work. 

I will whole-heartedly seek for God's will in my life. 

By God's grace, this year I'll grow up to be a young woman of honesty, integrity, focus, and passion."

With that said, I actually did write out New Year's resolutions... about a whole page of them, actually! Some of them under the category Accomplishments are ~ Finish reading the Bible,  ~Vote in the 2012 Presidential election,  ~ Research and celebrate Shavout, Yom Kipper, and Rosh HaShannah, some Biblical Jewish holidays, and ~Get straight A's for an entire semester... my last semester of high school!!!! (I've never even aimed at getting straight A's before this last quarter, but I was SO close, which makes me think I can actually do it!) 

Another resolution under the category Day to Day is pushups, sit-ups, and flexibility stretches every night. That's been fun! It usually takes about 10 minutes, which lets my mind relax from homework so I can start my devotions without some of those mental distractions, still trying to figure out #37 in Pre-Calc. That kinda thing. And also I'm having my devotions at 9:00 every night, instead of like 11:00 after my brain is completely fried for the night. So that has been a real blessing. 

So far this year has been just dandy! I'm truly loving life. Every day is just a joy to live! 

Have a happy New Year! (A week after New Years, but still, its not too late to make your own New Years Thesis!)

Laressa