Snow Upon Mt. Olympus (AKA, Greek Koinonia And The First Snow)

“Ashley!! It’s snowing! I’m NOT driving in this!” my roommate Christine proclaimed as she entered our apartment. All day people had been talking bout the coming snow, the southerners all sure we would be snowed in forever and never survive (um, ok, I’m exaggerating, but as a hardened northerner, Michigander no less, seeing people freak out about the chance of snow is comical). But I was sure it wouldn't snow, it was too warm, and all day not a cloud in the sky. My roommate Emily and I had been texting all day as she was at her practicum and I was at the apartment, betting whether it would snow or not. When a small dusting appeared Emily texted me to announce it, to which I replied “that’s not REAL snow!” however, by the time Christine came home from picking Emily up at the end of the day, it had become very much real and thick.
That night was the Greek Koinonia dinner at the Leland’s. Our apartment had decided to dress up as the myth about the golden apple (then the gods were all gathered for a party, but failed to invite Eris, but she showed up anyways, and, since she was a bit of a troublemaker, she held a contest of sorts, a golden apple was offered to the most beautiful goddess. Well, Hara, the wife of Zeus, Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Athena, goddess of war, all thought the apple should go to them, so they all went to ask Paris, a mortal man, who he chose. Well, we the girls of room 1037 all chose one of the four goddesses to recreate, I was Eris and I carried a golden apple, Emily was Hera, with a pomegranate (since we found somewhere online that said she carried one in a lot of art) Christine was Athena with a Nerf gun, and Joy Aphrodite with a red rose.
So, we got all dressed up and I drove us to the Leland’s, excited to be able to drive in snow once again! (snow driving is my favorite!)
The night was a lot of fun, everyone in mismatched togas made of bed sheets, and lots of GREAT Greek food, and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” playing on the TV downstairs.
Halfway through the night I was talking with Ciera, when Chris came up to as and said “lets go make snow angels!”
“in our togas!?” we asked,
“sure, why not?”
so out we went, we made toga snow angels (yes, barefooted too) and ran around and threw snow at each other until we were forced by the cold to retreat laughingly back into the warm house.
After some more hanging out, a short photo shoot with Hannah as she reenacted the story of the Fall with the golden apple, and the help of Chris and Patrick, I drove Hannah and Patrick home, with so much laughter that I’m surprised we stayed on the road! What started as Patrick being a GPS with about fifty different accents and voices, ended with him and Hannah pretending to be an old married Italian couple, fighting all the way back.
Later that night, as I was “reading” my phone buzzed with a text from Cierra. “SNOWBALL FIGHT! 15 mins” it read. I jumped up excitedly and raced to find my gloves and hat. My roommates watched me skeptically as I dashed around.
I raced over to Ciera’s apartment to wait for her, Meg, Hannah, and Kendra to be ready, we all went down together, only to be attacked as we rounded the corner by Andrew, Dusten and Daniel! What followed was a long, and happy fight, with most of the students showing up at one point or another. Even Kjersten, our RA made an appearance (after we pelted her windows that is) and she offered rounds of hot chocolate at her place whenever we were done, an invitation we of course we happily accepted.

Carless Drive In

One of the traditions at FLI is the Carless drive in, when we transform the classroom into a genuine, outdoor on the inside movie theater! I got to help set up for this event, and it was so much fun. First we cranked up the country tunes, then we moved all the desks and chairs out into one of the hallway rooms, then we laid out astro turf with popcorn ground into it from who knows how long! Then we decked the walls with black tarps, moved in some lawn furniture, about a dozen bean bags and pillows, several sleeping bags, and about one hundred and fifty plastic balls strewn around…end result, and normal classroom met morphed into a beautiful outdoor theater!

The next night we arrived for the double feature of Toy Story 3 and The Princess Bride. Outside the classroom was Jessa, one of the staff’s eleven-year-old daughter, stationed behind the plywood booth boldly declaring “Tickets! Tickets!” we were given tickets, which she took back and ripped in half, warning us not to loose the other half before the raffle.
We walked into the classroom where a ball fight had already commenced; colorful plastic balls darted everywhere as we chucked them back and forth. Soon it was one side against another, we all had our hoards and our allies.
After while the first movie started, but even as Woody and Buzz tried to escape the daycare the plastic ball war continued, with a random ball arching across the room, creating shadows as they passed the projector.
After Andy gave Woody a teary goodbye, we popped in The Princess Bride, and quote pretty much the whole thing. After which Kjersten called out the raffle, giving away both movies and two theater passes (I won Toy Story and my roommate Emily won Princess Bride :-) finally, together we all disassembled the drive in, and rebuilt our classroom, returning it once again to it’s full glory, leaving behind nothing but the scent of popcorn, and the echo’s of laughter.

The Classroom Before:



And After (Click on the link to see a youtube of us setting it up :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1aCkNZl43c

FCA Lock In

Briana and Cody’s practicum (or, internship) was with a school youth group, one of the requirements for practicum was that we had to get a certain amount of hours by the end of the semester, well, with the youth group Bri and Cody were only able to get a couple hours a week, so to make up for it and gain more hours they decided to host a lock in at a local church. (fun fact! The church they ended up booking was the church I had been going to while out there, Grace Bible Church). Bri and Cody weren’t sure at all how many kids to expect, so a bunch of us students went along to help out.
Turns out only four showed up, so there was about two FLI students to every FCA student, but it was ok. We played a few rounds of dodge ball, then the churches youth group, which was having a game night upstairs came down and joined us for a rousing game of Ghost in the Graveyard. As it got later the church youth group left, as well as three of the FCA kids, leaving one boy with eight FLI students, the boy wanted to watch a movie, so he and a few of the FLI-ers hung out downstairs. I wasn’t too interested in a movie just then, so I followed the sound of piano music upstairs to find Chris playing away as Meg and Ciera listened. We hung out up there for the rest of the night till we went to bed, playing around, we may or may not have gotten just a slight bit goofy :-)

List Of Rather Random Things To Do In An Abandoned Church Sanctuary On A Lock In:
1) Make up a story with music and play it on the piano (Chris asked us to give him some words and he’d make up a story about it, we gave him butterfly, boy, net, thunderstorm, and jar. He played a song and we could tell exactly when everything was happening, though we couldn’t quite understand how it ended…the butterfly was flying around, happy and free, when suddenly the boy showed up with a butterfly net! The chase was on and the butterfly desperately tried to out run the boy, but alas, he was caught, and placed in a jar. The music got sad there, as the butterfly sadly sat in the jar, every once in awhile with a desperate attempt of escape, with now luck. Then, suddenly, the storm came, and played the same game of chase with the boy as he had played with the butterfly! Finally the boy was chased inside, in the meantime knocking over the jar, setting the butterfly free. The storm calmed and the butterfly gladly and joyfully reentered the world once again a free soul! But (as Chris explained) the song ended with a sudden and unexpected dun dun duuun! Which was a stray bolt of lightning striking the butterfly…he died.)
2) Explore the baptismal tank
3) Give a sermon in tongues (however, since it’s not biblical to speak in tongues without an interpreter, have someone (like Ciera) give an interpretive dance behind you.
4) Have an army crawl race under the pews from the back to the front (phew, it’s a lot harder then you'd think! What a work out!)
5) Lie in the pews and talk for hours.

Photo Adventure

I know my adventures are over as a student at FLI, but the last several weeks I fell hopelessly behind in documenting them for memories sake, so now I’m going to try to catch up in several posts. However, I can’t promise they will be in order, or the most detailed. Oh well, I know what I mean, and as I’ve said before, I see this blog as a personal journal that you get a peek into :-) now aren’t you privileged?

Photo Adventure:
For months a sign up sheet had been posted in the communications room (a room where we can post info of events, we have boxes where the professors return our papers, give us handouts, etc.) asking who would be interested in a photo adventure. I was excited to do something like that, especially with so many talented photographers in our class. About halfway through the semester Chris let everyone know that he’d found a place a few hours away called Bishops Castle. Turns out it’s a castle some guy (who may or may not be insane) is building with his own two hands, and he opens to the public. So, six of us piled into Meg’s car and headed out for our adventure.
It’s hard to explain what the castle was like, imagine a middle age castle, tall, narrow, and cold. Rickety and unstable are to words that come to mind as well, forbearing, full of mystery, and of course, adventure. The whole thing was made of rock the man had taken from the land, and it wore many skirts of wrought iron balcony, which encircled it on many levels. We climbed the tall, narrow stone stairs, which led up to the main part of the castle, where you could just imagine a ball of knights and ladies being held. Today we were the knights and the ladies, and instead of dancing, we would be posing, and instead of candlelight, it would be our flashing cameras that lighted the grand hall.
We took several pictures there, the sunlight danced in rainbows through the wall and ceiling of mishmash stained glass. Soon our adventurous thirst drew us to attempt the wrought iron balcony just outside. It was a rush to navigate around the building as the mesh of iron beneath our feet swayed and creaked with each step. There were signs all over the castle proclaiming the visitors own risk, the owner warned that he was not responsible for anything, thus should the floor fall out from under us (as it certainly felt capable of doing at any given moment) the responsibility would be all our own.
We posed for many more pictures out there, stepping in and out of broken windows, glass strewn at random.
Next we endeavored to explore higher. We climbed through narrow and twisted stone and iron steps, leading to the tops of unfinished towers. It was windy, but the whoosh of it was sweet and thrilling.
Finally, Chris, Ciera and I chose to climb to the ultimate top. The giant iron globe balancing at the highest point of the castle. We discovered upon entering the globe that the mesh iron floor was only connected at the center, where the stairs descended, and not to the outer cage, allowing the floor to rock and wiggle precariously, especially in the wind. And I loved it. If I had a hammock, I would have hung it in that cage and slept right there, on top of the world.
We took many photos up there, one with all of us defying gravity and jumping (yes, I do believe the insanity of the castle and her builder was rubbing off on us) and we played tricks with the sun, creating an E.T. esque shot as the sun shown through Ciera and Chris’s touching fingers.
Finally we climbed down to solid ground, but the fun wasn’t over yet! Before we piled back in for the long ride home, we played in the street for a bit.
Finally, weary and all photoed out, we drove home, as knights and ladies traveling home after a long and memorable quest.

Symposium

Today and yesterday the students of FLI have been giving ten minute presentations about what we've learned this semester. It was not without tears and laughter, as each of my brothers and sisters opened their hearts to us.
For my presentation, I decided to write two letters to myself. Letters have always had a huge impact on my life, especially since having been pen pals with Rachel for six years.
The first letter for my symposium was addressed to me at the beginning of the semester. In it I talk about all the things I learned over the course of the semester. The second is written to me now, as I'm leaving, in it I talk about the different things I hope to do upon returning to "the real world".
For me to truly talk about everything I learned and all the things I want to do with this knowledge, I would need at least 4 hours, but this is what I had for the ten minutes I was given:


September 2010

Dear Ashley,
What can I tell you, as you stand at the beginning of the semester in a room of 43 strangers in blue shirts, desperately trying to understand what's going on in your life. You’re finally here! But now what?
Something I know you’ve already realized is that this year is an important one for your story. It’s been downright insane the way things have been happening, where your standing you're a totally different person than you were last December, God has been doing things in your life and you don’t know why. Take a deep breath, collect your thoughts, because now might be the most calm time of your semester.
God has been writing your story, and you’ve been confused as to why He’s writing all these different plots, where is He going with this? Well, don’t be surprised if everyday you're sitting in class and whatever is being talked about connects with one or more of the issues you’ve faced this past year. I can’t even explain to you how crazy it will connect. Just sit back and let Him keep writing.
As you're sitting there, eating pizza looking around that room wondering who in the world these people are, one of the first things you will be challenged with is the thought that your name may be changed over the time of this semester. At first you will think this is strange and, eh, probably wont happen. Well, be ready, because even though your physical name wont change, you will gain a deeper meaning and understanding of your name, which will be the first step to discovering who you are and who you want to become.
Do you remember that Brio article written several years ago about the meaning behind the name “Ashley”? You’re going to enter into a journey to rediscover that article and it will inspire you to dig deeper into what your name means, and what defines you.
The definition you have always been less than satisfied with is “beautiful meadow” which is lovely, but what does it mean? The definition given in the article, based on research of the ash tree is “she who rests in a place of sustenance, where she is spared from the famine, a place filled with resilient trees that produce manna and rain honey on God’s people”. Which is so much more meaningful, but still, it isn’t quite you. you will discover your own definition of your name as you discover what it is you are defined by, and how you want to grow and mature in that definition.
You're also going to learn so much about faith this semester. It’s something else God has been preparing you for all year. Think back to all the times you’ve had to just fall back on God, and have faith that He will catch you. how many times have you cried out this year “what's gonna happen!?” do you know yet? Well, don’t get too excited, because I don’t know too much more than you do, but I do know that God’s got some crazy plans for you, but you have to move. A verse God’s going to give you later on in the semester is Isaiah 30:21, “whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it.’” pay attention the first time that verse comes up in morning devo’s, because it’s going to keep popping up the rest of the semester. This is a year of faith for you, more so than any before, don’t just sit around waiting for God to reveal His plan to you, because if you’re just sitting around, it’s going to be harder to hear His voice, but rather be walking, keep moving, and be ever listening for that still small whisper guiding you in the way you should go. Often the path is dark and you are blind, but just taking it one step at a time and keep listening, He’ll get ya there.
Oh the many other things I could tell you about that you're going to learn this semester! But alas, I cant give it all away! Just know that you're preconceived notions about people who struggle with addictions and homosexuality will be destroyed and you will learn to have a broken heart for these people and long to help them find refuge. Your heart will also be broken as you struggle through tears as you talk people who seem to have no value for the life of a human baby. You will also be challenged to understand what it means to be a biblical man or woman, and you will meet people who will challenge you with their own thoughts and convictions, learn from them.
Also, embrace spontaneity at this time of your life. Time is deceptive and minutes are fleeting, but memories last for a lifetime. So, take many memory photographs, live the semester with no regrets. Find every opportunity to be invested in by the people around you. Don’t worry, give it a week and these strangers will be your friends, and by the end of three months they will be your life long brothers and sisters.
Be who you are, and who you are becoming. You have no idea where this semester is taking you, just know, it is good.
Sincerely,
Ashley



December, 2010

Dear Ashley (or Shley as you have come to be known)
I think back to all those years as I dreamed of coming here. I hung the magazine page advertising the institute on my wall for five years, I taped the picture from the promotional cd on the cover of each of my school notebooks every semester of my two years at collage, as a constant reminder of my goal and aspiration. I’d be filled with so much excitement when I heard the radio spot for the institute that played during Odyssey, and the echoed question “what will you do with your life?...your life…your life…” ran through my mind again and again. well, here I am, my dreams have come true and have been so much better then I could have ever hoped. But now, with the semester over and I am going back, it’s time to answer that question, “what will you do with your life?”
If I had been returning to Michigan that answer would be easy, and probably something mundane like “go back to normal, and maybe something a little bit out of my comfort zone.” well, that’s not an option, and praise the Lord that He has moved me to a new place at a time when He knew my deepest fear is falling back into complacency, and my desire is to return to wherever it is that I’m going and make a difference and to be a difference.
This year has been a journey of leaving home to go home. I first left my house in Detroit, the home I’d grown up in, to go home to my camp, the place which was my home away from home. meanwhile, the house in Detroit was sold and my family moved, so when I left the home of camp, I was returning to the home of the Detroit area, even if I was deprived of the physical house. After a week at home in Detroit, I left to go home to a home I had never seen in Maryland, where I was for two weeks before leaving that home to come home here, the home that would become more home than any other. Now I am packing up for one last time and will leave this home and the family that has surrounded me for these months, to go back home to the most unknown of places. What will I do there? I don’t even know what there is to do!!
A verse that has continued to pop up in my life is Isaiah 43:18-19 “forget the former things, do not dwell on the past, see, I am doing a new thing, do you not perceive it?” well, it’d be pretty hard not to perceive it when it’s a blazing fire right in front of you all the time! But what is the new thing and how can I use all the things I’ve learned this semester in it?
Well, I don’t know any for sures, but I definitely have goals I will strive to accomplish. I want to grow, I want to commit to spending time reading God’s letter to me every day, and praying for my life and others.
I don’t know what the community in Maryland looks like, I didn’t really pay too much attention while I was there. but I want to get involved there, especially within my new home church there. I want to use the Truth Project as a way to start getting involved in the people’s lives there, and as a way to establish hospitality. Hospitality is also a long term goal, my dream is to be able to one day open my own home to students much in the same way the professors and staff have opened here have opened their homes and used them to minister to us in so many ways.
I also want to become a mentor to a younger believer. Having been a camp counselor for the past six years, I have been able to speak into younger girls lives and been blessed so much through that. But it’s so hard to continue that mentorship after the camp week ends. I don’t know when this will happen, since I don’t know anyone in Maryland I don’t think it will be right away, but it’s something I will be praying about.
For the long term goals we established for ourselves in our last gender and leadership class, I left the box empty. I haven’t the slightest clue how God will fill it, but as soon as I get back I want to start looking for ways to fill that empty space.
That first week, we were asked the question “what breaks your heart and baffles your mind?” and for weeks that question haunted me, and brought tears to my eyes. My immediate answer was simply “people”, not a certain aspect about people or something people do, just, people. They break my heart when they do and say things contrary to God’s design for them. And my heart breaks for people when their hearts break from confusion and difficulties. People baffle my mind with just how complex each one is! I LOVE to see how different people act and think, what makes them who they are and make the choices they do. There are 16 personality types, but there are billions and billons of personalities! I could go on forever about the topic of people. But the reason that question frustrated me so much is because I knew the answer, but I didn’t know what to do with it. How do I take that passion for people and apply it to my life and my goals? Those questions have been answered this semester, and that frustration and confusion have been replaced with excitement and zeal to go out and use the things I’ve learned.
My greatest fear about leaving this place is that I’ll fall back into the routine of who I was before, someone I didn’t understand nor did I particularly want to be. but then God reminded me of my chapter of the year (again) Romans 12. all the verses apply (no surprise there) but specifically verse eleven “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” I was joking the other day that when I go back to Maryland, since no one knows me there, I can be whoever I want to be. at the time I meant it as a joke, but in a way that fact makes it easier to go to a place where no one knows me. I have often committed to “being the real me” after times of great growth, but when I get back around my friends and family, people who are accustomed to the old me, I slid right back into that expectation. But now, since no one has any expectations of who I “should be”, I can more easily be the me I want to be, and keep that fervor.
In my first letter to you, Ashley, I wrote about you discovering your name, and who you are. I wrote a new definition for you, it includes the strengths you learned about yourself this semester as well as some of the Bible verses that have impacted you. “Ashley: one whose soul finds rest in God alone, she shall never be shaken. She is able to adapt with peace, and through ideation she finds faith that God will do immeasurably more than all she can imagine. She strategically creates adventure, and finds joy in gathering people around her and empathizing with both their joys and their sorrows, bringing them to be refreshed by God’s sweet rain.” That is who I want you to be, Ashley. That is what you have learned about yourself this semester and what I hope you will be to the people you meet in this new place God is taking you to.
This journey is over, and it’s time to begin the next. Don’t forget the words of your penpal in the last letter you received from her, this same week four years ago: “life is a journey, and I don’t know where it is taking me, but I know I want to remember it.”
Travel well,
Sincerely,
Ashley

This Is The Way...

“Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” ….. Isaiah 30:21

Have you ever had a time when God gave you a verse, and then for days (or weeks, or years…) after it keeps popping up in totally random ways? Maybe you’re having a conversation with someone and they start talking about something and suddenly you remember that verse and realize it applies perfectly to the conversation. Or maybe your sitting in church and the preacher says “turn to such and such” and low and behold, it’s that verse again. Or maybe your in Bible study and the teacher says “does anyone know any verses that go along with this topic?” um, yes teacher, in fact I do. Or maybe your friend calls you and needs some encouragement; no need to rack your brain long, because you just happen to have one in the forefront of your mind.
These “coincidences” are like getting a sticky note from God, a reminder. This week I’ve gotten sticky notes from God in each of the ways mentioned above about the verse Isaiah 30:21 and it’s been the best encouragement.
Something I’ve been learning and thinking about this semester (slash, the whole year) is faith. There have been countless times I've had to step out in faith into a dark place and just know that God’s going to lead me. And I know when I leave this place I’m going to be in another of those unknown times of my life…this journey of faith does not end with the Institute. There are so many uncertainties that will try to blow me down the moment I step off that stage after graduation, I’ll be going to an unknown place, full of unknown people, doing unknown things. And don’t worry, I’m not. In fact, I am filled with excited anticipation to discover the adventure God had mapped out for me. But what He has been showing me this whole year, especially this semester, this week in particular, is that, even when I’m uncertain where I should step, God wants me to move in prayer. If I’m in constant conversation with Him, He’ll shut me down if I’m going the wrong way, and He’ll take my hand to bring me the right way. This Isaiah verse reminds me (daily, no joke, it’s been absolutely a God thing the way this keeps showing up in my life) that He is always with me, and as long as I listen, He’ll be whispering directions to me…how's that for a GPS?

Look At The Stars, See How They Shine For You

The making of a memory is never a waste of time, and everyday brings about 1440 memorable minutes, they are moments I would never trade for anything. This past week has been one of those weeks so full of memories that I can’t even keep them all straight in my head. I want to start this post by apologizing to you, because these are truly “ya had to be there” moments of my life, and as much as I wish you could experience them as well, all I have are words with which to paint these pictures. So bear with me, you’ll have to use your imaginations to really have any understanding of just how good and rich and full of life these moments were. :-)

A few weeks ago, Meghan and Cierra told us about a park they found that would be ideal for stargazing, but with the cold weather coming in we weren’t sure if we’d ever make it. then, God blessed us with a warm snap this week so a group of us piled into our cars and headed out.
I don’t know if we ever got around to really stargazing…but we did everything else, and that’s all that matters.
As soon as we got there we made a dash for the swings. As I was swinging with Meghan she exclaimed “this is a mix of so many of my favorite things!” we began listing all the favorites that was that night, swings, friends, hair down, wind, night, starts, Colorado, laughter, fun, that church steeple all lit up in the distance, God, life…
After the swings we did a parkour style game on the jungle gym. One person would do a move, the next would do that move and add a move, the next those two moves and add another, ect, until the last person had to do all eight moves plus a move of his own. It was so good.
After all that someone suggested we finally go to the field to stargaze, so all nine of us linked hands and ran into the darkness, screaming and laughing. When we got to the middle of the field we did a whole lot of nothing and everything, just about everything except stargaze. We played games like Indian Leg Wrestling, Finger Fencing, and we played the HA game until the count was around 50 or so (the HA game is when you all lay in a circle with you heads on each others stomach and the first person says “HA!” the next “HAHA” then “HAHAHA” and so on. But we got tired of just HA-ing, so it turned into many other sounds.
Then we went star tripping, then you look at one star and spin around really, really fast and then it feels like the world is on hyper speed! Chris added a new level and when we stopped spinning he’d run up and flash his flashlight in our eyes, so suddenly we’re blind AND dizzy!
We also just frolicked and ran, Cierra and I ran to the edge of the field, to where the darkness of the field sloped into the darkness of the world, and in the distance were the lights of the city. “how far can we run until we run off the edge of the world!” Cierra asked as we frolicked.
After that we went back up to the jungle gym. To escape the wind, which was howling, we decided to build a fort with our assorted blankets. After many tied knots and fail attempts to secure the blankets, we all finally crowded in. it was story time with Chris. Chris had many stories of his adventures in Europe when he was backpacking with his brother, stories that make us legitly creeped out. Half way through his second story, just as there was a crazy European man walking around Chris and his brothers tent, all of a sudden we hear a voice from outside our tent. “Police” it said. We looked at each other in confusion, police? Is that what they said? “um, did you say ‘police’?” Chris asked calmly, we were more confused than scared that the police would be interested in us in any way. “yeah, this is the police.” The voice answered, “what are you doing in there?”
Chris answered mater of factly, “story time.”
“um, ok, how many people do you have in there?”
We all counted out loud “uh, one…two…three…four…five…we have eight.”
“ok, is everyone alright in there?”
“oh yeah, we’re all fine” we all answered.
“ok, well, you know the park closes at 11:00, thanks in about 15 minutes, just so you know.”
“alright, thank you.”
“have a good night.”
And they walked away, they never looked inside and we never saw them. It wasn’t until after they left that we started talking about just how sketchy this set up did look!
Fifteen minutes and about three stories later, we packed up our fort and headed back to the cars, another memory made, one to be cherished. <3